Conan's grip on his phone suddenly tightened.
"Hm? What's wrong?" the voice on the other end asked curiously. "Is Ran next to you?"
Conan's heart gave a heavy thump, and his face twitched.
There was no need to guess who was calling—this had to be Joker!
He had just sent a message questioning him, and now a call came through almost immediately… and blatantly using Kudo Shinichi's name. This guy loved wearing other people's faces far too much!
Even worse, the call came just as Ran was starting to suspect his identity. Was he being monitored? Bugged?
"Hm? Is that Shinichi?" Ran caught a bit of the conversation and immediately lit up, leaning in closer. "What's he saying?"
Conan had no time to think. With Ran right beside his phone, he couldn't question Joker directly. So he raised his voice and tossed the heat elsewhere:
"Shinichi-oniichan! We're on the third floor!"
Ran instantly perked up, jumping to her feet. "Is he coming over?"
"Yup yup!" Conan nodded frantically, pointing toward the KTV doors.
Ran, momentarily forgetting her earlier suspicions, didn't even glance at the two tear-soaked drama addicts in the room. Like a deer on springs, she bounced out.
"You… what are you trying to pull?" Conan gritted his teeth, eyes locked on Ran's retreating back. He was torn between worrying she wouldn't find "Shinichi"… or worse, that she would find Joker. "What are you up to?"
"Shouldn't you be thanking me instead?" Joker replied, abandoning Shinichi's voice for his usual low, mysterious tone. "It's not fun, is it—being questioned by the girl you like, unable to tell the truth?"
Conan flushed red. His brain short-circuited for a second, forgetting any retort.
"Come upstairs, little detective," Joker chuckled, clearly in a good mood. "Let those crybabies cry in peace. If you're too late, who knows what I might say to your Ran?"
And with that, he confidently hung up—completely unafraid Conan wouldn't show.
Conan clenched his teeth. He had to go.
He checked the room again—Kimura Tatsuya was still crying his eyes out, and Terahara Mari looked like she was softening. Things probably wouldn't escalate further. Sonoko was still glued to the drama, oblivious to Ran leaving, let alone what a "child" might be up to.
So Conan slipped out, bolted down the hallway, and ran for the stairwell, heading straight for the rooftop.
Knowing Joker's flair for the dramatic, he'd bet his life the guy was up there, posing in the wind.
Thankfully, this was a commercial building—only a few stories tall. After three flights, Conan reached the top.
Sure enough, the rooftop emergency door was ajar. Sunlight spilled in, forcing him to squint.
A boy in Teitan High's uniform leaned against the wall, hands in his pockets. He turned at the sound of footsteps.
"Why do you always run around with my face?" Conan growled, veins throbbing at the memory of Ran's comment about a "white-haired Shinichi." Joker clearly already knew his real identity, so he dropped the act. "You're not doing weird stuff as me, are you?"
"Hmm… not yet," "Shinichi" said, grinning while rubbing his chin. "But now that you mention it, I might be interested."
Damn Joker. Not only was his disguise flawless—his acting was disturbingly good. His tone, gestures, and attitude were all spot-on. He really could be Kaito Kid's sibling or something…
Unaware he'd hit disturbingly close to the truth, Conan barked, "Don't ruin people's reputations!"
Joker laughed and crouched, getting eye-level with Conan's tiny frame. "I didn't ruin anything. If anything, I saved your butt today. You were this close to being exposed. Your acting still needs work, detective."
That jab? Yeah, Conan had heard it before. He didn't even feel insulted anymore.
Besides, despite the pranks and provocations, Joker had never felt truly hostile—more like a mischievous troublemaker than a real threat. Even impersonating Shinichi seemed more like a prank than an attack.
"What's your goal today? Was it Kimura Tatsuya?" Conan crossed his arms and frowned. "How did you change him like that? Drugs? Hypnosis?"
After seeing Joker's ability firsthand, Conan was rattled. A technique that could subtly reshape someone's core beliefs… If misused, it could be catastrophic.
"You're just gonna ask the quiz master for the answer?" Joker chuckled. "Do you agree with me yet? That I'm cutting the cycle of evil?"
"…Based on the outcome, yes," Conan admitted calmly. "But changing a person or two doesn't mean you've solved anything. That thinking is naive."
"True, there's still evil I can't stop. But that doesn't mean I'll stop trying," Joker replied, eyes smiling. "So don't get in my way, detective. We're not enemies. Don't resist so much."
Conan raised a brow confidently. "So you're not watching Mouri-san. You're watching me—watching Kudo Shinichi. You think I'll interfere?"
Kazawa: "…" (Well… he's not wrong. After all, the real 'Grim Reaper' is you, not Mouri Kogoro. Look at that death flag above your head. Still, the way this brat says it is so punchable.)
Joker was just about to fire back with a sarcastic line when—
"Shinichi! There you are!"
Crap! Ran had actually found them!
Conan clenched his fists, glaring at the man wearing his face.
He knew Joker's acting was perfect—Ran might not notice a thing. But if he used this chance to get too close to her…
Too bad if the acting's bad. Worse if it's too good.
"Ran, it's me," Joker said smoothly, rising to his feet and waving.
"Where did you even go?!" Ran stomped over, half-ready to punch him, but hesitated. Instead, she hit the rooftop door with a frustrated bang. "You said you'd call the moment you got back! Why'd you call Conan first? Were you never going to see me unless I asked?!"
Conan winced as the emergency door dented under her punch. He clutched his chest, feeling a phantom ache.
"Sorry." Joker chuckled awkwardly and pulled a hand from his pocket. "My investigation forced me to keep my movements secret. I shouldn't even be here, really… I'm sorry for worrying you, Ran. But this is important—something I found during my work."
Conan immediately focused on the object in Joker's hand.
…A red Phantom Thief calling card.
Again with the damn card?! Was this his only move?
Joker didn't care how repetitive it was. He handed the card to Ran. "I was going to ask Conan to deliver it, but since you're here, I'll give it to you. Tell your dad to be careful."
Ran's emotions halted as she looked at the card.
"Mouri-san is in danger. Please protect him.
Do not let the swamp of evil drown the light of justice."
"…What does this mean?" she murmured, looking up.
But the rooftop was empty.
Panicked, she looked around, then rushed to the stairwell—just in time to glimpse a school uniform-clad back vanishing down the stairs.
"Shinichi—!" she called after him, clutching the railing.
The figure paused, then turned slightly, his voice soft and tender:
"Give me a little more time. Next time we meet… I have something very important to tell you. Wait for me, Ran."
And with that, "Kudo Shinichi" pushed open the stairwell door and vanished from sight.
Ran clutched her hands tightly and pounded the railing in frustration—completely unaware that the fleeing figure was carrying a panicking, unwilling little elementary schooler under his arm.
She hadn't even managed to ask a single question. Barely exchanged a few words—and he ran again.
…Weird. Why did she think: again?