Detective Conan (名探偵コナン)

Nakai Funako (22) College Student

Yesterday a person disappeared!

I would appreciate if you could look for him!

You said that yesterday, and I turned you down.

I'm busy here.

I don't mean to be rude, but you don't look the slightest bit busy to me.

What?

I don't believe I'm getting through to you, so once again!

Crime Plan

A crime plan?

I told you, it's got to be fake.

And it's not like you know the guy who disappeared, right?

Well, no...

But I happened to see him on the street.

The Mirage

And he was the spitting image of "The Mirage,"

a character from a popular otome game!

So you followed him and secretly took his picture.

Well, yes...

Detectives don't help stalkers.

No one cares about your mirage or whatever.

Get out of here.

He's "The Mirage."

Why not go to the police?

A good suggestion, but I cannot.

I don't have the time.

What?

Which means this is the birth of Detective Funachi!

Solving crimes with sharp detective skills.

Love and cases never change.

An unusual client who calls herself Funachi.

A simple request to find someone turns into a surprising case.

Always determining the one truth with the body of a child and the mind of an adult,

his name is Detective Conan!

The Dreaming Girl's Confused Deduction

"The Dreaming Girl's Confused Deduction!"

Hikone

Hikone-sama? Are you there?

Hikone-sama?

I can't go any farther...

Is Hikone-san the name of the guy who disappeared?

Um...

You're the boy from earlier.

I'm Edogawa Conan.

I hadn't introduced myself yet.

My name is Nakai Funako.

Call me Funachi.

Funachi-san?

No need for honorifics.

I borrowed the name Funachi from the heroine

who adores "The Mirage" in a famous otome game.

I know there are copyright issues,

but I hope you understand it comes from a place of great respect and inspiration.

Additionally, based on the game's world view and setting...

I can't keep up.

And?

What?

Since when has Hikone-san been missing?

When I came here the evening of the day before yesterday,

the door was unlocked and no one was inside.

I believe it's been empty since then.

Two whole days, huh?

What is this?

The lock is broken. Recently, too.

I actually noticed that as well.

Do you supposed it was a burglar?!

Whoosh

Boom!

Gasp

"Wh-What are you—"

But after "The Mirage" was bound...

Rather, Hikone-sama, where did he go?!

Bound?

Could it be?!

Excuse me!

He's not here.

Not here.

Not here!

Not here!

Which means...

Twinkle!

What are you doing?

Assist me, Edogawa-sama!

Hikone-sama may be buried under here!

E-Edogawa-sama?

Actually, since this is the second floor, I don't think that's the slightest bit possible.

What? Oh, that's right.

There I go again.

She suffers from delusions. Or mirages, as it were.

Stay here.

What?

Hello!

Kiyose Takashi (20) College Student

What?

Do you know where your neighbor Hikone-san went?

No. Is that my neighbor's name?

Have you noticed anything unusual?

I don't know.

Nashida Akio (40) Former Office Worker

Hey, shut up!

What's with all the noise out here?

Sorry. I'm looking for your neighbor, Hikone-san.

Hikone?

I don't know who you're talking about.

Wait, wait!

What's going on?

You worried me for a moment there.

Please shut the door, Edogawa-sama.

Okay.

What was that?

I thought I felt someone watching me.

Is something wrong?

Uh, no.

Funachi, is the reason you can't go to the police related to that notebook?

Could it be that you're a detective as well, Edogawa-sama?

Yeah. I'm always helping the old man.

In other words, my concerns about confidentiality have been eliminated.

Yeah.

Then take a look.

Is this Hikone-san's?

Yes. I believe it's handwritten.

"No, Funachi! Anything but that!"

So I chided myself, but out of concern for Hikone-sama,

I entered this place yesterday and found that.

What is this?

So once a month the jewels are swapped out for more valuable ones.

That's October 24.

That's today.

Today is the day he plans to commit that crime.

He's detailed how the jewels are brought in, too.

Could this be an actual crime plan?

However, I was unable to find a store matching the one in the notebook.

Hold on...

Oh! Around now, Hikone-sama

must be wearing a mask and holding a pistol...

"Scream and I'll kill you!"

"Hand over the jewels!"

Put the jewels in this bag!!

...and threatening the employees!

What should Funachi do?

Doesn't this seem odd upon closer inspection?

I am stunned.

This and this are backwards, too.

Backwards?

The locks on the doors and cases wouldn't work this way.

That's it.

Maybe the store's name is, too.

Ishigami.

I found it!

And this location is only a two or three minute walk away!

Really?

I knew you could do it, Edogawa-sama!

That was some impressive deduction and following of clues.

But what shall we do?

Huh?

Should we call?

Or shall we go there?

But if we ran into Hikone-sama as he's committing his robbery...

Bang!

Rustle, rustle!

Please stop, Hikone-sama!

What is it? Something's not right.

Is that...?

Becoming an Author How to Write Novels Guide to Novels

Could it be?

Found it.

But the most vital thing is missing.

No, it's here!

Could it be?

Tenbun Publishing

Hello?

This is Tenbun Publishing's "Tenbun Monthly" editorial department.

Could you put Hikone Kazuma-san on the phone?

Um, he's out right now.

You must be his family.

The novel "Crime Plan" he brought in the other day

was evaluated during an editorial meeting,

and we've decided to publish it.

Could you tell him to call me back?

The advent of the shocking truth!

Got it. Bye.

This means these are his mistakes,

and that notebook contains the results of his research for his writing.

Yeah, I think so.

In other words, this is just one of my usual coincidences.

My usual...

Kaboom!

And disappointment.

Hikone-sama must have some imagination for me to mistake this for reality!

It would be no exaggeration to call it godlike!

I-I don't know about that...

And there are still too many questions.

More than anything, Hikone-san himself has been missing for two days.

Ishigami Jewelry

Make any noise, and I'll kill you!

Hand over the jewels.

Could it be?

Edogawa-sama?

What do you mean? What could it be?

N-No way! Could it really be?!