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"Wait… are you… Yoko Okino?"
Ran thought she was seeing things at first.
But after taking a closer look—
No doubt about it!
Standing right in front of her was none other than Japan's beloved idol, Yoko Okino.
"Yes, that's me," Yoko said politely. "I have something important to ask Detective Mouri. Is he home?"
In an instant, Ran understood everything.
Of course!
Why else would an idol suddenly show up at her house?
"Yes, he's home! Please, come in."
From both a business and personal perspective, there was no way she could turn Yoko away.
"Please, have some tea."
"I'll go get my dad right now."
After offering a warm welcome, Ran turned and headed toward the bedroom next door.
In the blink of an eye—
A deep sense of helplessness washed over her.
"What the—?!"
"Dad! Wake up!"
"A client is here, and you're choosing now of all times to be passed out drunk?!"
"Don't say I didn't warn you—this time, the client is none other than your beloved idol, Yoko
Okino!"
"..."
Ran frowned at her father, Kogoro Mouri, who was still completely out of it.
This was bad!
Usually, just mentioning Yoko Okino would be enough to jolt her dad out of his drunken stupor. But this time, even with the real Yoko Okino standing in their home, he wasn't waking up.
"What do I do now?"
She had already invited Yoko inside the detective agency.
She couldn't just ask her to leave, could she?!
Absolutely not!
From both a professional and personal standpoint, that would be a disaster.
And more importantly—
Her dad had bet nearly half of their household expenses at the horse races, confusing the number 9 horse for number 6, and ended up losing it all to the bar next door.
She couldn't afford to let this potential case slip away.
After thinking it over carefully—
She pulled out her phone and dialed Akira's number.
"Hey—are you busy?"
"Can you come over to my place? I really need your help with something important."
Ten minutes later—
When Akira arrived outside the Mouri Detective Agency, he finally realized what Ran had dragged him into.
She wanted him to pose as Kogoro Mouri's assistant.
"I had no choice!" Ran explained desperately. "My dad hasn't had a single case in nearly a month. If this keeps up, people will forget there's even a detective agency in Beika Town!"
"And this time, our client is my idol—Yoko Okino!"
"..."
She had it all planned out.
Akira would play the role of her dad's assistant for the night, and then in the morning, she'd fill her dad in on the details of the case.
"Yoko Okino, huh…"
He knew her well.
Azusa Enomoto often watched Yoko Okino's performances on the TV at the CLOVER convenience
store during her breaks.
He also saw her posters plastered everywhere on the streets.
"Hey—when you go upstairs, make sure you don't blow your cover," Ran warned nervously.
She had never done something like this before, and her heart was racing.
But she had no choice!
After inviting Yoko inside, she discovered that her dad was completely wasted and wouldn't wake up.
The detective agency badly needed a case to get back on track.
"Don't worry."
Akira climbed the stairs to the second floor.
As he pushed open the door—
The first thing he saw was a stunning woman sitting on the sofa in the living room.
Her golden blonde hair was tied into a low ponytail at the back of her head, flowing elegantly down her shoulders. But the most striking feature was her deep blue eyes, which stood out against her delicate and well-balanced facial features.
Next to her—
A middle-aged man, who seemed to be her manager, stood attentively by her side.
"Wow… what a beauty."
"Miss Yoko Okino, you're even more gorgeous in person than on TV."
Ran, standing beside him, discreetly kicked Akira's foot.
She was exasperated.
Seriously?!
She brought him here to help, not to flirt!
"Y-you must be Detective Mouri's assistant?" Yoko asked hesitantly.
Before this, Ran had already set up the story.
When Yoko heard that Kogoro Mouri was passed out from drinking, she had considered leaving.
But after learning that he had a skilled assistant, she decided to stay.
She didn't want to involve another detective.
As a public figure, she couldn't afford to let this private matter turn into a media spectacle.
"Miss Yoko."
"You're being watched by someone suspicious, aren't you? That's why you came here so late at
night seeking help."
The moment Akira spoke—
Yoko Okino's breath hitched.
"H-how did you know that?!"
She clearly remembered that she hadn't mentioned a single detail about her case since arriving at
the agency.
Yet—
This handsome guy had already seen right through her.
"Because I'm a detective."
Behind him, Ran's lips twitched slightly.
If she didn't already know what kind of person Akira was, she might have actually believed his nonsense.
But now that she thought about it—
How did he figure out that Yoko Okino was being followed?
Could it be that… Akira really had the potential to be a great detective?
"....."