At noon, Keisuke had a bowl of ramen at an outdoor stall.
The name of the ramen shop was quite interesting—it was called "Delicious Ramen."
There had been a murder there before. Normally, such a place would quickly lose popularity, but because the ramen was so good, it actually turned into an advertisement, attracting countless customers and making the business thrive.
After eating and drinking his fill, Kumiko arrived at the Tokyo District Court before 1:30 PM.
A large crowd had gathered in the courthouse lobby.
Reporters, curious onlookers, and some random fans.
This case was quite popular because several famous high school detectives were among the witnesses.
Among them, Hakuba Tan and Hattori Heiji's father were the highest-ranking members of the Japanese police involved.
From a journalistic standpoint, this was a major scoop.
"Mr. Kumiko, what do you think about this case?"
"I've heard that you've never lost a case since your debut, but this time you're facing several famous detectives. Are you confident you can win?"
"Do you still insist that the defendant in this case is innocent?"
As always, countless reporters swarmed around him.
But Keisuke didn't have time to deal with them because, this time, he had arrived right on schedule.
Reporters could be useful when needed, but when they weren't, they were as annoying as chamber pots.
He pushed through the crowd of journalists and quickly walked toward the courtroom, where all relevant personnel were already present.
The judge, jury, prosecutors, and the defendant in this case—Nanatsuki Koshimizu.
And in the "Special Witness Stand," Conan and Hattori Heiji.
The prosecutor was a man in his fifties or sixties—nameless and unworthy of mention.
Keisuke turned his gaze toward the special witness stand.
Conan and Hattori Heiji also turned their heads to look at him.
Both of them glared at him with cold expressions.
This was their true opponent in this trial.
The so-called special witness stand was an additional seat designated by court rulings, usually reserved for detectives who could request it in advance.
Detectives often appeared in court as witnesses to reconstruct and infer details in murder cases.
The special witness stand was impartial but generally leaned toward the prosecution. However, in certain uncertain cases, it occasionally supported the defense.
(For details, refer to the anime series " Eri vs. Kujo")
The special witnesses for this trial were Conan and Hattori Heiji.
As for the other special witness, Detective Hakuba, he was abroad due to personal matters and would not be appearing in court.
Once everyone was present, the judge struck the gavel.
"Court is now in session! Please read the indictment!"
The prosecutor nodded, stood up, and held the indictment.
"The defendant, Nanatsuki Koshimizu, 20 years old, invited Hattori Heiji, Hakuba Tan, Tokizu Junya, Edogawa Conan, Hamo Hiroo, and Kotani Renzo to an uninhabited island in Tokyo Bay on XX/XX/XX under the pretense of investigating the Detective Koshien case. During that period, she used a hammer from a toolbox in a locked room to kill Tokizu Junya. This conduct violates Article 199 of the Japanese Penal Code and constitutes the primary offense of intentional homicide. This court prosecutes the defendant and requests that the court impose a sentence in accordance with the law."
The prosecutor finished reading the indictment.
The judge nodded and turned to the defense table.
"Does the defendant and her attorney admit to the criminal charges alleged by the prosecution?"
At these words, everyone turned to look at Keisuke.
Conan's eyes were locked on him.
To avoid the Black Organization, he wouldn't be reckless enough to directly participate in the trial.
However, with someone like Gu Meimen present, he couldn't afford to consider anything else.
Conan had thought about this before coming here.
He had read the cases Keisuke had handled in the past and was familiar with his tactics. Without a doubt, he would present a defense of innocence and get the suspect—no, the criminal—acquitted!
At that time, Conan would present absolute evidence and tear apart this man's deception!
"Ahem!"
Under everyone's gaze, Keisuke stood up and cleared his throat.
His face was solemn, and he looked deeply troubled.
"I am very sorry and deeply saddened because, as the prosecution stated—my client is absolutely guilty!"
As soon as he said this, the entire courtroom fell silent.
In the audience, journalists who had been taking notes stopped writing and looked at him in astonishment.
This was completely inconsistent with the litigation style of Kumiko, the newly popular lawyer, since his debut.
Conan stared at Kumiko's face in shock.
What Keisuke had done was beyond his expectations.
—He didn't defend the accused, but directly admitted her guilt!
How was this possible?
Conan furrowed his brow slightly and tried to stay calm.
Even if a cake falls from the sky, he would never believe that someone like Keisuke would change!
Something was definitely going on!
Sure enough, Keisuke immediately shifted gears.
"But there is a reason for this! My client acted purely out of a woman's sensitivity. It was a completely impulsive and helpless act!"
Kumiko said as he winked at Koshimizu Nanatsuki.
Koshimizu Nanatsuki understood and immediately stood up.
"I... I know I committed a crime, and I deeply regret my actions... Wuuu! I'm a sinner, I shouldn't have wanted to kill anyone. If God gave me another chance, I would never do it... Wuuu!"
Her eyes were red, and tears streamed down her beautiful face like a broken pearl necklace.
Her pitiful expression added a sense of fragility and sorrow to her delicate face, making people feel sympathy for her.
"What a poor girl!"
"She must have had her reasons."
"Her crying doesn't seem fake; maybe she truly regrets it."
"She must have killed someone out of desperation."
"Seeing her cry so sadly, maybe she has realized her mistake."
Whispers spread throughout the audience.
In the judge's seat, three jurors murmured among themselves, and an elderly woman was so moved by the scene that she even wiped her tears.
Everyone present was affected by Koshimizu Nanatsuki's sincere display of emotion.
"That sister's words were really touching."
In the special witness stand, Hattori Heiji sighed at the sight of the tearful girl.
"Looks like we misunderstood her. She cried so much and seems really remorseful..."
But before he could finish his words, Conan's sharp voice cut him off.
"Hattori, don't be fooled! This was planned by the other side!"
At that moment, Conan gritted his teeth and turned to look at the defense table.
Kumiko's expression remained unchanged, and he even looked anguished in response to Nanatsuki Koshimizu's sobbing.
Damn it! I didn't expect him to pull this stunt!
Conan's face darkened, his fingers gripping his thighs so tightly that they turned white.
End))