DETECTIVE CONAN FANFIC Chapter 8

Chapter 8: The First Incident

Noon.

The group headed to the sports equipment warehouse.

Sonoko opened the door and began telling the eerie story.

"This is the sports equipment warehouse where ghostly cries were heard. One rainy morning, some girls from the gymnastics team came here for morning practice. The warehouse should have been empty at that time, but there was a continuous crying sound coming from inside, like a ghost or a person crying. As a result, those girls were so scared that they ran away on the spot. When they came back with others, the crying sound had disappeared."

"Only this desk remains, the desk that Hideaki Hosaka used a year ago before his mysterious death." Sonoko walked to a desk covered with a cloth, lifted it up suddenly, turned around, her face showing a terrifying expression.

Ran was scared and clung tightly to Shinichi's uniform.

Suddenly, a voice came from behind the group.

"This is not some mysterious death, it was just an accident. Hideaki Hosaka accidentally fell from the stairs and died because he hit a fatal spot. Stop spreading rumors."

Ran turned her head and saw the person, "Oh, it's you, Kazumi-sempai."

The person who arrived was Kazumi Tsukamoto, the karate club president. She had accepted Keita Yoshida's application to join the club yesterday.

Kazumi Tsukamoto also recognized the group, "Mouri classmates and Yoshida classmates, what are you doing here?"

Keita responded, "Yes, Senpai, I'm Keita Yoshida, a new member who joined yesterday. We heard about the campus supernatural incidents and are investigating."

"Oh, that? It's just a rumor. You see, the window in there is broken, and the wind makes those eerie sounds. Those girls probably misheard it." Tsukamoto replied.

Just as she finished speaking, the rain started tapping on the roof of the warehouse, making a pattering sound as heavy rain began to pour outside.

"Oh no, I forgot to bring an umbrella today." Sonoko lamented.

"Me too." Ran also forgot hers.

"How about we go to the haunted library to take shelter from the rain? I was planning to go there anyway." Kazumi playfully suggested.

The group set off.

"The rain is getting heavier. When will it stop?" Ran expressed her worry.

Keita said, "The morning news said it's heavy rainfall. It should stop soon."

The group arrived at the library and encountered Seko Kunishige on the way, who Kazumi mentioned was Hideaki Hosaka's childhood friend.

In the library, Sonoko started scaring everyone again, and Ran moved closer to Shinichi.

The rain gradually stopped outside. Suddenly, Sonoko pointed outside, her face turning pale, "Look, look, Hideaki Hosaka's desk."

They saw the desk standing quietly on the sports field. It had just rained, leaving the ground muddy, yet there were no footprints around it. On the desk, a piece of paper was fluttering in the wind, held down by a stone.

Shinichi dashed outside immediately.

At that moment, Keita remembered.

This incident was supposed to happen a year later, the case where Conan was investigating as a high school student. It was one of the few instances where Conan attended Teitan High School. Keita had a rough memory of it.

This time, there was no Dr. Araide involved, and Conan wasn't present. That's why Keita initially didn't recall the case.

The person they met earlier, Seko Kunishige, was the "culprit" of this case. Fortunately, no one died this time.

This incident was another tragedy caused by incomplete information. Hideaki Hosaka accidentally died while moving things, and his classmates placed his desk in the gymnasium as a tribute, planning to take a group photo during their graduation.

Seko Kunishige, a nearby resident, heard about Hosaka's death and believed he was bullied. He started playing pranks to scare the bully, not realizing it was an accident. He carried out these pranks, believing it would force the truth to come out. In the end, it was just an accident, and there was no malicious intent.

Knowing the outcome of the case, Keita lost interest.

Why did this incident occur a year ahead of schedule? Could it be that Shinichi wasn't initially planning to attend, but Keita's suggestion triggered it?

No, something's off. Although Shinichi wasn't interested in campus supernatural incidents, he would definitely end up helping Ran with her duty next week. Then, the case would likely be resolved effortlessly.

It was definitely Sonoko's doing. Yes, it had to be Sonoko. She had accompanied Ran and Keita to the karate club yesterday, and she must have heard about the campus supernatural stories from the club members. She told those stories to Ran today, scaring her into seeking help from Shinichi.

That seemed to be the case.

Keita asked Kazumi Tsukamoto a question, "Does Seko Kunishige always ask for leave to go to the infirmary whenever it rains?"

"Now that you mention it, that's true. He always disappears whenever it rains. He must be going to the infirmary." Kazumi replied.

Seko Kunishige was a great friend, always standing up for his buddy. He must have started standing up for him from so early on. This incident had no culprit, and Seko Kunishige just made up an imaginary enemy. He continued to move the desk whenever it rained. Truly, having a friend like this, what more could one ask for?

Next, they visited the cursed staircase and encountered Masao Monobe, a member of the art club.

Then came the classic three-choice segment. Kazumi Tsukamoto, Seko Kunishige, and Masao Monobe were all involved in Hideaki Hosaka's case.

The truth was always unique.

The group gathered in the art club, and Shinichi began his deduction.

"The culprit is you, Seko Kunishige.

"First, the method: suddenly appearing on the sports field, the desk and the paper that didn't get wet after the rain. You put the desk on the sports field during the rain, left a note saying 'I still haven't had my revenge,' and covered it with an umbrella to prevent it from getting wet. You tied a rope to the umbrella.

"As for the footprints, the rain that was falling would have erased them. After the rain stopped, you pulled back the umbrella you tied with a rope in advance. Only a fine line from the umbrella ribs would be left on the ground, but no footprints.

"Combining this with the other three incidents, it proves that you're the culprit." Shinichi paused briefly.

"First, the incident of books being thrown in the haunted library. You were able to find those rare books in the library because you knew your childhood friend's interests.

"Next, the cursed staircase incident. You, who live near the school, placed ice in the fire equipment recess at night, and the water flowed onto the floor the next day. The recess was coated with wax, so no one would notice that the water was flowing from there.

"Finally, the initial incident of ghostly cries in the sports equipment warehouse. That was the crying sound you made when you found

 Hideaki Hosaka's desk."

After Shinichi finished deducing, Seko Kunishige finally broke down.

"Yes, that's right, it's me. When I found the desk in the sports equipment warehouse, I understood. Hosaka was bullied and murdered while I was hospitalized.

"Regarding the deduction that I knew my friend's interests and found those books, that's not true. It's because every time Hosaka visited me in the hospital, he would use those four books to tell me stories he made up. That's how I knew about those books. Later, Hosaka stopped visiting, and I thought he was too busy with his girlfriend to come see me. I never imagined he would accidentally die.

"After I was discharged, I learned that Hosaka died from falling down the stairs. I wanted to use his desk to lure out the culprit."

After hearing Seko Kunishige's words, Masao Monobe finally confessed the truth.

Hosaka's death was truly an accident. However, during the accident, he had saved Masao Monobe's life, but unfortunately lost his own. This led to rumors that he was murdered. His classmates had placed the desk in the gymnasium as a tribute, intending to take a photo together during graduation.

With the case resolved, Seko Kunishige knelt down in remorse.

This was another tragedy caused by incomplete information.

Fortunately, there were no casualties this time.

Wait, Shinichi didn't show off his deduction skills. Keita thought to himself.

With the campus supernatural incidents concluded, the group returned to their classroom.

"Fortunately, the rain has stopped now, and it proves that there were no supernatural incidents." Sonoko said.

"Yeah, I won't be afraid when I'm on duty next week." Ran said happily.

"Seriously, I told you, there are no ghosts in this world." Shinichi teased.

"The first incident has been perfectly resolved." Keita said.

"Huh?" *3