Being in Detective Conan, being officially part of the organization is just too awesome!

Listening to Lin Jiayou's words, Miyano Shiho seemed to be deep in thought.

"so........."

"So I need to give it another push from behind,"

Lin Jiayou said calmly,

"So that she neither becomes a long-lived woman nor gets taken away by the police..."

What impressed Lin Jiayou most about this case, besides Shimabukuro Kimie's disguise skills, was the entire cast of actors from Mermaid Island.

That line, "Everyone on the island, except the young people, basically knows," was a devastating blow to the years of sacrifice made by Kimie Shimabukuro's family...

Is this another version of 'The Truman Show'...?

Although it was a bit cruel, it was indeed an essential step for Shimabukuro Kimie to let go of the heavy burden of being a long-lived old woman.

This is also why Lin Jiayou insisted that she do all of this herself...

If I were to avenge her and arrange everything, the police wouldn't discover who the murderer was. However, I would also lose the opportunity for Shimabukuro Kimie to witness the whole 'actor-act' scenario...

"I see........."

Sherry suddenly realized what was going on, clearly having also come up with this idea.

Immediately afterwards, she raised her head, looked at Lin Jiayou, and frowned.

"That being said, why are you so sure that those villagers will come forward to provide evidence?"

"If they don't come forward and tell the police that they saw the old woman around the time of the incident, then your alibi is meaningless, isn't it?"

"Even if they don't step forward, it doesn't matter,"

Lin Jiayou spoke calmly, but his voice carried a different meaning.

“The Mermaid Shrine is under surveillance. I specifically chose to have you pray there, partly to fit the logic of the longevity granny, and partly because of that surveillance camera.”

"That's one of the few surveillance cameras on the island; we have to make use of it..."

“I will also find an opportunity to reveal my alibi to the police.”

"Secondly, if they really don't stand up, Shimabukuro Kimie will be even more disappointed in them afterward, and the bond with Mermaid Island will be broken even more completely."

"I see........."

Shiho Miyano nodded slightly, having nothing more to say.

At this moment, Lin Jiayou spoke again.

"However, I'm sure they won't stand idly by."

"Human nature is actually complex. Apart from a few mentally ill individuals, no one is entirely evil, nor is anyone entirely good."

"The villagers on Mermaid Island, for the sake of wealth and a better life, tacitly allow Shimabukuro Kimie's mother to play the role of the longevity granny, knowing full well about her death but revealing nothing about it."

"However, they would feel guilty afterwards, thinking that if there were no longevity women on the island, there would be no longevity women."

"That being said, when they saw Shimabukuro Kimie put on that long robe again, they were speechless."

"Given these complex emotions, if we were to give them a chance—a chance that isn't illegal but could exempt Shimabukuro Kimie from punishment,"

Lin Jiayou slowly opened his mouth.

"I think they will use it..."

.........................................

Another day has passed.

Around noon that day, the investigating officers from Fukushima went to Kimie Shimabukuro's residence and informed her that her alibi was temporarily valid.

However, they also requested that Shimabukuro Kimie examine all her phone records, correspondence, and information about her close associates over the past six months...

Without any hesitation, Kimie Shimabukuro smiled and agreed.

At this moment, her expression was incredibly relaxed, as if she had been reborn...

After the police left, Kimie Shimabukuro sat alone at home, staring blankly into the distance.

That day, she strangled the long-imprisoned Kadokawa Saori, burned down the warehouse, and finally returned home.

After opening the box containing the old woman's clothes and disguise tools, she found a strange letter inside...

After reading the letter, almost instantly, Kimie Shimabukuro thought of that person—

The man who suddenly appeared the day before the dugong festival, just like this letter.

Kimie Shimabukuro didn't believe everything in the letter, but she chose to be cautious.

It turned out that she was right.

Her life begins anew today...

...........................

Two days later

The police's investigation on Mermaid Island over the past few days has been fruitless, and they ultimately had no choice but to return.

Kimie Shimabukuro arrived at the pier shortly after the police left.

Almost all the elderly people on Mermaid Island who were able to come today came to Mermaid Wharf to bid farewell to the shrine maiden who once carried the future of the island on her shoulders.

"That's enough for now,"

Kimie Shimabukuro, carrying a backpack, turned to look at the approaching crowd, her smile as bright and sunny as ever.

"Thank you for coming to see me off, and thank you for being my witness that day."

“It’s all as it should be, Junhui,”

The oldest person, leaning on a cane, came out.

"We should thank you, thank you, and thank you for everything your mother has done for us."

"Besides, you are innocent."

"Regarding what happened to your mother, we...we must apologize to you again..."

"It's all in the past now,"

Kimie Shimabukuro appeared very carefree.

The feud that began with a fire has now ended with another fire.

"Grandpa Fukuda,"

A faint smile graced Shimabukuro Kimie's face.

"In the future, the island may turn back into the small fishing village it used to be."

"maybe,"

Old man Fukuda also sighed, but the smile on his face remained unchanged.

“There’s nothing wrong with a small fishing village. There were no legends of mermaids before, and you still went to university.”

"However, everything remains the same..."

Kimie Shimabukuro did not answer.

She waved to the crowd, then turned and boarded the ship bound for Tokyo.

.................................

That night

A bar in Tokyo, usually bustling with activity, was almost completely empty today.

Gin and Lin Jiayou were already seated in a booth, with Shimabukuro Kimie sitting opposite them.

"Ahem, although you've joined now, since you haven't received any training, you can only start as an outer member,"

Gin was there, just like when he recruited Lin Jiayou into the army, giving Shimabukuro Kimie a long introduction about joining the company.

Yesterday, after Lin Jiayou returned, he told Gin that he wanted to recruit someone into the organization, and that the person had a great talent for disguise. Gin was extremely excited.

Thank goodness, the organization's disguise business has always been monopolized by Vermouth.

So much so that anyone who wanted to disguise themselves or use disguise to extract information had to beg her politely, even Gin was no exception.

Then Cherry came along, but he did absolutely nothing all day long, especially after he started dating Sherry. Getting to see him was harder than seeing an emperor.

Now that another disguise expert has arrived, Gin will have to train him properly...

"Yes, I understand,"

Kimie Shimabukuro nodded obediently, secretly glancing at Chia-Yu Lin, before speaking seriously.

"Even the most capable person is a newcomer once they join the company. I can accept any arrangement from the company... uh, the organization."