Conan: I'm Really Not the Manipulator

She told him that this case was based on real life, and he kindly suggested that she could take some time to visit the place and ask the parties involved, as many excellent writers and cartoonists would do.

It just so happened that she was going to the Metropolitan Police Department to rescue Bai Jiu today, so she just happened to go there on the way.

Hojo Toika recalled the environment she had seen in comics before and quickly found it.

"Do you still remember the information of the police academy students involved in the robbery? One of them was blond, dark-skinned, mixed-race, and had very obvious facial features..."

Hearing this, Hojo Toika stopped.

She saw a woman with long red hair standing at the cash register, talking to the store manager.

Although her back was facing Hojo Tobiko, there was a mirror behind the cashier counter. Through it, she could clearly see the face of the red-haired woman in the mirror and was stunned for a moment.

Baijiu's girlfriend?No, wait...the hairstyle is different...

Hojo Toika's memory is up and down. She can remember things that interest her even after a long time, such as the case methods in Conan and the experiences of her favorite characters, but she is not so concerned about daily trivial matters. She doesn't remember the birthdays of any of her family members in the game.

She stared at her and finally remembered.

——"This is...this is what my sister wants to give you!"

She is the younger sister of Baijiu’s girlfriend, a fan of hers who has to send gifts through her sister because she is busy with work.

Hojo Toika felt even more puzzled when she remembered her identity.

What is she doing here? And the person she just mentioned is Rei Furuya, right?

The woman who seemed to be a fan didn't notice the existence of Hojo Touka at all. Her face under her red hair was as pale as a ghost, and the dark circles under her eyes made people worry that she hadn't slept well for a long time.

"Why are you asking this?" The store manager was also puzzled.

"I'm a reporter, currently investigating a case."

As she spoke, she glanced quickly outside, as if something was chasing her there.

"There is a murder and insurance fraud case. There are two suspects. One of them has been detained, and the other has not confessed yet. He is the blond mixed-blood I just mentioned... I wonder if you know his information?"

the red-haired woman asked uneasily but firmly.

After hearing everything she said, Hojo Toika flew into a rage.

Chapter 109 Madmen and Normal People

"Kotomine."

“——Kotomine! Come here!!”

The boss's sudden loud shout finally woke up the distracted Kotomine Jona. She looked up and saw the boss standing at the door of the office looking at her, so she quickly got up and went over.

Kotomine Joanna is a newspaper reporter. Her boss is a strict woman older than her. Although she is usually demanding, she also cares about her employees. Kotomine Joanna admires this decisive style.

She overslept and was late today. She didn't even have time to put on makeup before rushing here. Maybe I want to say something to her about this.

Kotomine Joanna entered the editor-in-chief's office, closed the door, and respectfully waited for her boss's storm.

"Kotomine, you've been..."

The expected accusation did not come. The boss sat down at his desk and clasped his hands on the table.

Her eyes kept scanning her face, and she seemed to be in some great anxiety.

"…How is your recent physical condition?"

This wasn't the first time Kotomine Jona had heard this question.

Since she started working again, her friends and colleagues, even those with whom she had a mediocre relationship before, have asked her this question with the same look and tone.

Kotomine Joanna thought they were weird. She had been working normally for the past two days, so why were they asking? But this time it was her boss, so she smiled the same way she used to when she was working, and assured him confidently.

"I'm in good health and can accept interview assignments at any time!"

However, her answer did not seem to satisfy her boss.

She saw her brows furrowed tightly and her expression became more worried.

The boss looked at her deeply and said, "I'm glad you're okay... Since you're fine, I'll let you take charge of the interview at the Dongdu University Research Institute tomorrow. Is that okay?"

Kotomine Joanna perked up: "No problem!"

She left the office, closing the door thoughtfully again as she went.

She was in such a good mood when she returned to her seat that the editor on duty, who was sitting next to her and who didn't have a good relationship with her, turned his head to look at her.

"Kotomine," he called her, and she found his attitude equally strange, "What did the boss say to you? Did he scold you for being late, or…"

"She didn't scold me, and asked me to go to the institute for an interview tomorrow." Yanfeng Qiao Na smiled, "After I finish writing the manuscript, I'll trouble you with the review. This time I will write the manuscript carefully and won't ask you to review it several times."

The editor on duty nodded and moved his chair back in silence.

Kotomine Jonah noticed that when he returned to his original position, he raised his head again and glanced at her uneasily.

What exactly happened here?

Kotomine Joanna was even more confused, but she didn't ask any more questions. She sat down and opened her bag to touch up her makeup. The toilet inside the newspaper office was very small and there was no mirror, so she usually touched up her makeup at her seat.

"Oh, it looks like it's going to rain heavily again?" said another colleague with his back to her.

Kotomine Joanna looked out the window and saw that the sky was covered with dark clouds. The entire sky was a gray-black color that was so depressing that it made people feel breathless. A real storm was about to hit.

She looked away and fumbled through her bag in annoyance. She had already taken out everything and spread it out on the table, but there was nothing inside.

She couldn't find her vanity mirror.

……

When it was time to get off work, Kotomine Jonah borrowed an umbrella from the newspaper office and went home alone.

She felt someone was following her, more than one pair of eyes were staring at her, and she was very scared, so she quickened her pace. She passed by the closed Colombo Restaurant and went home earlier than usual.

It was dark at home. It was raining so hard outside, but there was no light on inside.

Kotomine Joanna put the umbrella in a frame on the side, turned on the light and shouted inside: "I'm back."

No response.

Her parents were not in good health these days, especially her mother, who was lying in bed, so weak that she had difficulty even getting up. In the morning, she worriedly asked if she should go to the hospital, but her mother said no.

Seeing that no one answered, Kotomine Joanna walked towards her parents' bedroom.

The mirror at the entrance was gone, and when she passed by the bathroom, the mirror inside was also taken away.

Before she reached the bedroom door, Yanfeng Qiao Na heard the sound of voices coming from inside.

"Hubby, what do you think of Qiao Na? Is Qiao Na..."

It's the mother's voice.

Kotomine Joanna is confused, what does her mother think is wrong with her?

"She just can't accept it. They have such a good relationship. She is suffering more than any of us. It will be fine in a few days... It's okay... We will be fine..."

There was uncontrollable pain in the voice of her usually steady and generous father.

"But the way she is now, it's clear that she is..."

Kotomine Joanna couldn't bear to listen anymore, so she entered the room.

The Kotomine couple seemed to have just realized that she was coming. They both raised their heads to look at her, with undisguised astonishment on their faces.

"Dad, mom."

She looked at them with helplessness, worry and pity.

She knew exactly why they became like this.

"I know you're still grieving your sister's death, but it's all in the past."

She saw her parents' eyes widen and they sighed softly.

"The dead cannot be resurrected. We must dry our tears and continue to work hard to live. If we are negative, our sister will be sad if she knows about this."

"So smile and face the rest of your life happily, okay?"

Kotomine Jonah smiled and encouraged the couple who had lost their daughter.

The Kotomine couple stared blankly at their other daughter in front of them.

Their eyes were filled with fear, and a bright red color was vaguely reflected in their pupils.

"Jona."

Mrs. Kotomine's voice trembled.

"—are you crazy?"

……

In order to take care of her parents who are grieving the death of her sister, Kotomine Jona goes out to buy groceries despite the increasingly heavy rain and the risk of being followed again.

On the way to the supermarket, she was still thinking about the problem.

Why did her parents think she was crazy?

Can a person who works hard, lives seriously, and behaves normally be a madman?

And she didn't understand, why were they so sad?

The death of a loved one is inevitable and everyone will experience such pain.

Instead of being sad, they should look forward positively and live with a more enthusiastic attitude, so that the dead will rest in peace.

Moreover, the sister's death was not intentional, but he had to do it. What's more, he was also very painful because he killed her sister - her sister just died, but the psychological trauma left on him would probably last a lifetime.

So she has to understand the murderer, tolerate the murderer, and forgive the murderer. She cannot be too selfish, she shouldn't be petty, and she shouldn't make things difficult for the murderer.

——It’s normal to think this way.

Kotomine Joanna was almost at the intersection, and at the corner, there was a road reflector.

She saw the red-haired figure inside getting closer and clearer.

Kotomine Jonah walked towards there with a positive attitude.

So, she clearly did nothing wrong, why were others looking at her like that?