Model worker and his little darling

Hattori, who had been watching for a while, didn't take it seriously and turned back to continue the match.

Hattori returned to the arena and successfully secured a spot in the finals for Kaifang High School. It was noon by then. They took a lunch break, and the semi-finals officially began at 2 PM.

"What? You're saying that Tsurugi is covered in blood?"

Upon hearing that he was covered in blood, Hattori's detective DNA instantly kicked in.

He turned around, grabbed the bespectacled man with the name 'Dongguchi' on his arm, and yelled, "Where is he?"

The group then ran towards the warehouse where the body had been found. But upon entering, they found no body, only a first-aid training dummy on the floor.

Hattori was speechless. "You don't mean you're mistaking this dummy for your teammate, do you?"

He shouted, "How is this possible!"

The police arrived shortly after. The body had simply vanished, leading them to suspect a false alarm.

Just as everyone was wondering what was going on, the receptionist at the gymnasium came over and said that she had just received a phone call asking the students from Xinnei University to go to the changing room by the swimming pool.

So a group of people rushed to the changing room, where the body that had just disappeared was hanging there exactly as it had been.

The same movements, the same expressions—it was as if they were copied and pasted from the warehouse to the locker room.

Hattori reached out and turned off the running shower, then crouched down to examine the body closely and confirmed that the person was dead.

He then left the locker room with his arms crossed, pondering as he walked how the body had been moved from the warehouse to the locker room.

Before Hattori could even finish listening, Kazuha ran over and said, "Heiji, what are you doing? The semi-finals start in an hour!"

Hattori pointed in the direction of the locker room, "There was a murder in that locker room. I don't think I'm in the mood to compete at all."

"In that case, why don't you talk to Shinichi Kudo about it? Didn't you ask him to come over?"

Hattori's eyes lit up, and he immediately planned to dial the off-site assistance hotline.

At this moment, Kazuha added with a smile, "As long as he's there, you won't need to use your brain; the mystery will be solved quickly. So leave it to him to worry about, and just focus on the competition."

Upon hearing this, Hattori instantly lost his composure, his face darkening even further.

Does this mean he's incompetent? That his crime-solving abilities are inferior to Kudo's? His competitive spirit surged, and he yelled at Kazuha, "Listen to me carefully, you're not allowed to tell anyone about this!"

After saying that, he hurriedly ran away, determined to solve the case before Kudo arrived.

When the four of them arrived at the Naniwa Central Gymnasium, they saw Kazuha running around like a headless fly.

"Kazuha, we've come to cheer you on. How's it going? Has Hattori's match started yet?"

"Ran, the finals are about to start, but I can't find Heiji. I think he must be investigating the murder that just happened."

The group was shocked. People passing by were discussing the murder case. The body in the warehouse had been instantly transported to the changing room.

"A corpse? Teleportation?"

Hearing this, Ping Qing was unhappy, feeling that he had been subtly insulted.

“I know where Heiji is. He must be in the warehouse. That’s where the body first appeared. He must be investigating there.”

Upon hearing this, He Ye quickly led the group toward the warehouse.

Upon entering the warehouse, one sees Hattori standing in the middle with a frown, while Inspector Otaki is investigating the scene.

Kazuha stepped forward and grabbed Hattori, "Heiji, the match is about to start, what are you still doing here? Hurry up and go."

"The case hasn't been solved yet, how can I be in the mood for the competition?"

"Uncle, I'll leave this place to you. I'm going to watch Hattori's match." With that, Taira Kiyoshi stepped forward and dragged Hattori out.

Hattori struggled, but still couldn't break free from Tairakiyo's grip. "Tairakiyo-nii, I still have to solve the case."

"Didn't you say your opponent this time is someone who looks like Shinichi Kudo? I'd love to see you beat him. It's just a case, just leave it to them. They might not even have solved it by the end of the competition."

"Wait a minute, but I—"

"No buts, the competition is the priority."

Seeing Hattori being dragged away by Taira no Kiyoshi and Kazuha, Conan was dumbfounded. When did Taira no Kiyoshi become interested in kendo matches?

Back on the field, Hattori was still listless, preoccupied with the case.

Seeing this, Taira no Kiyoshi patted Hattori on the shoulder with a smile.

"Hattori, you've already fallen behind Shinichi Kudo in confessing your feelings. You and Kazuha haven't even..."

Before Hirakiyoshi could finish speaking, Hattori exploded, "Who wants to compete with him on this kind of thing?"

"What are you so excited about?"

"I'm not excited at all."

Just then, the match began. Hattori strode confidently onto the field.

Seeing Okita Souji's face across from him ignited his fighting spirit; he was determined to defeat this man!

Pingqing nodded in satisfaction and walked to Kazuha's side.

"Kazuha, who is Hattori's opponent this time?"

Heiji sized up Hattori's opponent. His facial features resembled those of Shinichi Kudo, but his hairstyle was similar to Heiji Hattori's, with a braid that was about the length of his neck.

Tsk, this face looks like it was mass-produced.

However, Okita Souji looks much better than Kudo Shinichi.

"Okita Souji, a second-year student at Kyoto Izumi Shin High School and a member of the kendo club. Don't worry, Taira Kiyoshi-nii, Hattori will definitely win."

Upon hearing this name, Taira glanced at Kazuha, who was cheering for Hattori beside him.

This girl has blind confidence in Hattori; is this the filter of childhood sweethearts?

The match began, and Hattori, fueled by anger, gained a slight advantage, which made Kazuha jump up excitedly.

Hattori was quickly defeated by Okita Souji's offensive.

Hattori lost the match, but he witnessed Okita Souji's strength firsthand. After a brief moment of disappointment, he quickly recovered and started focusing on the case again.

"Let's go check on Officer Otaki."

Just as I left the competition venue, I ran into a group of middle-aged men.

"Hattori, did you win the match?"

Hattori shook his head. "I lost. That guy was really strong. By the way, has the case been solved?"

Hattori and Conan huddled together, starting to discuss the case.

Kazuha suddenly remembered something, "Ran, Heiji said Shinichi Kudo will be coming too. Isn't he with you?"

Ran was stunned. "Shinichi? I don't know where he is, and he didn't tell me he was coming to Osaka."

Hirai's lips twitched. Hattori was always talking about Kudo, and Professor Agasa was always talking about Shinichi. It was absurd that no one had noticed for so long.

Although there are no major problems when viewed separately, when put together, most people immediately think of Shinichi Kudo, the high school detective.

Ran had suspected Hattori calling Kudo "Kudo" many times, but the two of them still had no sense of caution and just said it so openly in public.

Seeing Ran's disappointed look, Kazuha walked over to Hattori and asked, "Heiji, didn't you say Shinichi Kudo was coming too? Where is he?"

Conan:! ! !