Chapter 145: Chapter 145: Deliberate Concealment
Conan returned to Akikawa Kyousuke's hospital room.
He quickly noticed that someone was missing.
"Where is Miss Yoko?" Conan asked.
"Miss Yoko just left. She said she wanted to buy some fruit for everyone," Mouri Ran replied.
"If we wanted fruit, couldn't we have gone instead? If Miss Yoko goes herself, won't she get recognized and cause a commotion?" Conan questioned, puzzled.
"I thought the same, but Miss Yoko insisted. She said we've already expressed our condolences to Mr. Akikawa and shouldn't spend any more money," Suzuki Sonoko added with a shrug.
Fortunately, what Conan worried about didn't happen.
Soon, they heard the sound of the hospital room door opening.
When Conan turned around, he immediately understood.
Okino Yoko had disguised herself thoroughly before going out—not only with sunglasses and a mask but also by tucking her distinctive long brown hair under a hat.
No wonder no one recognized her.
"I asked the fruit shop owner to slice it for me," Okino Yoko said as she placed the fruit tray on the table.
"Here, Conan-kun."
"Thank you~," Conan replied in his childlike voice, accepting the slice of melon Yoko handed him.
Melons are considered a luxury fruit in Japan, but everyone knew that Okino Yoko was wealthy. After thanking her, they gladly accepted her kind gesture.
After distributing slices to everyone, Yoko took out another box of pre-cut melon pieces, sat back down beside Akikawa Kyousuke's bed, and used a toothpick to feed him.
This sight instantly stunned Suzuki Sonoko and Mouri Ran.
Both girls stopped chewing and stared in silent astonishment.
They then turned to look at each other, seeing mutual shock in each other's eyes.
'What is happening?! Is the relationship between Mr. Akikawa and Miss Yoko really that close?'
'I don't know either!'
Their eyes communicated their unspoken thoughts.
---
Conan, meanwhile, noticed their surprised expressions and sighed inwardly.
'Although Miss Yoko and Mr. Akikawa have different last names, you should've guessed they're siblings based on their similar hair color and facial features, right?'
As Conan thought this, an image of another brown-haired girl with short hair came to mind—someone like him who had transformed from an adult into a child.
'Speaking of which, Haibara is a huge fan of Miss Yoko.
I wonder what kind of expression she'd show if she saw this scene.'
Conan couldn't help but muse to himself.
---
"Thank you, Miss Yoko, but I can't eat any more," Akikawa Kyousuke said after eating a few pieces of melon.
"Still can't eat too much?" Yoko asked, frowning with concern.
"Yeah, and chewing makes my neck hurt. I'm sorry," Kyousuke apologized.
"I was overthinking it. I thought Akikawa-kun wouldn't burden you with eating sliced fruit," Yoko remarked.
"Well, Miss Yoko and Mr. Akikawa really seem to have a close relationship," Suzuki Sonoko observed.
She couldn't suppress her curiosity about the two of them.
"Yes!" Yoko said, her tone bright with happiness as if receiving a compliment.
"By the way, what's the relationship between Miss Yoko and Mr. Akikawa?
It can't be just a simple senior-junior artist relationship in the company, right?"
Sonoko couldn't hold back her question any longer.
Mouri Ran perked up her ears, anticipating Yoko's answer.
Sonoko and Ran thought they'd hear something scandalous, like "lovers."
Conan and Sera Masumi, on the other hand, expected Yoko to reveal her sibling relationship with Akikawa Kyousuke.
Unexpectedly, Yoko replied without hesitation, "It's simply a straightforward senior-junior relationship."
---
Such a response only deepened the curiosity of Sonoko and Ran.
In their eyes, Yoko's denial clearly signaled that she was hiding something.
Didn't this just confirm their guess about the nature of the relationship?!
However, for Conan and Sera, who knew the truth, Yoko's words carried a different meaning.
'Okino Yoko is deliberately hiding her sibling relationship with Akikawa Kyousuke!'
Both Conan and Sera realized this at the same time.
---
For Sera Masumi, who had just decided to investigate the car accident further, Yoko's response heightened her suspicions.
'Yoko Okino's behavior with Akikawa Kyousuke repeatedly goes beyond what you'd expect between company colleagues.
For someone as famous as her, who should be wary of scandals, she'd rather let Ran and Sonoko misunderstand her than admit her sibling relationship with Kyousuke.
Could it be that exposing their sibling relationship would cause more trouble than being mistaken as his lover?'
As Sera pondered, she saw Yoko suddenly take out her phone, step into the corner of the room, and answer a call.
---
"Hello, Sister Sae, what's up?"
"I'm at the hospital. Akikawa-kun is doing well."
"The filming tomorrow? Please cancel it for me. I probably won't be able to return until Akikawa-kun is discharged."
"It's not that frequent, is it? This is my first leave this year. The last time was half a year ago."
"Alright, alright, please handle it for me, Sister Sae."
---
Soon after, Yoko ended the call with her manager, Nakata Sae, and returned to chat with Sonoko and the others.
But Sera, who had overheard the conversation, picked up on a crucial detail.
'The last time was half a year ago? Yoko Okino also missed filming back then?'
Calculating the timeline, Sera suddenly had a strong hunch.
She quickly pulled out her phone and searched for news about Yoko's previous absence from filming.
The result shocked her.
It turned out that from August 23rd last year, Yoko had been absent from filming for four consecutive days.
At the time, rumors speculated that Yoko was secretly dating.
But Sera immediately linked Yoko's absence to the car accident.
'She was absent during the car accident?!
But Officer Takagi clearly stated that Yoko claimed she hadn't been in contact with her mother or brother for years.
Yoko Okino is obviously lying and deliberately concealing the truth!'
'She must know something!'
Sera Masumi made up her mind.
She realized Yoko Okino might be the key to uncovering the real culprit.
---
(End of Chapter)
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