A Genius In The World Of Conan (Detective Conan Fanfiction) - Chapter 5: Out of the Dragon's Den, Into the Tiger's Lair

When Kousuke Akikawa regained consciousness, he found himself lying in a hospital room.

The headache and dizziness still lingered, clouding his mind. His body remained weak, though he felt slightly better than before.

Struggling to sit up, he leaned against the headboard and began sorting through his last memories.

Blue eyes as clear as the sky, short black hair with messy bangs falling over the forehead. A deep blue suit paired with light blue shorts, a large pair of black round glasses occupying nearly half of his face, and a red bow tie at the collar.

This was a face that anyone from Kousuke Akikawa’s previous world would instantly recognize.

‘I remember now… I’ve encountered the Grim Reaper.’

Kousuke couldn’t help but raise a hand to his forehead.

He had initially thought he’d merely transmigrated to Japan. But now he realized he’d landed in a Japan where the Grim Reaper Elementary Schooler existed.

Although Kousuke Akikawa hadn’t watched Detective Conan and only knew its surface details, even that was enough.

He’d heard about Conan Edogawa’s almost computer-like knowledge and unparalleled deductive abilities.

Kousuke was certain of one thing:

The moment he got entangled with this elementary schooler, his dreams of a peaceful and stable life would be shattered like a mirage.

There was even a chance his life could be at risk!

Anyone who had ever heard of the Grim Reaper Elementary Schooler would instinctively want to stay far away from him.

And now, here he was, standing right before Conan after having cleaned up the traces of his crime—as the primary suspect.

Conan following him into the ambulance left little to the imagination.

It was clear Conan suspected him.

The problem was that Kousuke hadn’t remained fully conscious the whole time. He had no idea how much he’d inadvertently revealed.

‘How much did I expose, and how much has he figured out?’

For someone as confident in his actions as Kousuke Akikawa, this moment of uncertainty gnawed at him.

‘From the dragon’s den into the tiger’s lair indeed…’

Of course, Kousuke knew that simply leaving the crime scene was only the first step. He was still far from being in the clear.

As the primary suspect, he would inevitably face police questioning and investigation, regardless of whether Conan existed in this world or not.

Without the original owner’s memories, enduring the police’s relentless questioning and scrutiny would already be a monumental challenge.

Now, knowing there was a protagonist-level detective prodigy scrutinizing his every move made the situation even worse.

To escape unscathed, Kousuke realized everything depended on one fundamental principle: the presumption of innocence.

As long as the police couldn’t produce concrete evidence proving he was the culprit, he had a chance to walk free.

However, based on Kousuke’s understanding, the Japanese police in the previous century had a habit of operating on the principle of “guilty until proven innocent.”

While the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and the National Police Agency would publicly emphasize the importance of evidence-based investigations, the reality often told a different story.

Whether it was molestation, theft, robbery, or murder, the police would frequently arrest and convict suspects without definitive proof.

Although Kousuke wasn’t sure of the exact year he was currently in, the environment and facilities around him suggested a timeline not far from his previous life.

In other words, without solid evidence identifying him as the killer, the police couldn’t convict him.

Kousuke had previously considered faking amnesia due to his head injury.

However, modern medical technology, including MRI, CT scans, PET scans, and functional MRI, could easily determine whether the brain regions responsible for memory formation and storage had been damaged.

Even though he truly lacked the original owner’s memories, feigning amnesia wouldn’t be a viable strategy to clear his name.

‘The biggest problem right now is that I have too little information. I know almost nothing about the case, and I’m equally clueless about my current situation.’

With that thought in mind, Kousuke reached out and pressed the nurse call button.

Shortly after pressing the nurse call button, a young woman in a white nurse’s uniform entered the room.

“Kousuke-san, you’re awake,” she said with a kind and gentle smile, clearly already aware of his identity.

‘So, the original owner’s surname is Kousuke,’ Kousuke thought to himself, then spoke aloud.

“Sorry, but I’d like to use the restroom.”

“The restroom? Alright, let me find someone to assist you,” the nurse replied before leaving the room.

Moments later, she returned with a male nurse, also in white.

“Kousuke-san, good day. I’ll help you to the restroom,” the male nurse said.

“Thank you,” Kousuke replied softly.

With the young nurse’s assistance, the electrodes connected to him were removed. The male nurse supported him as he wheeled the IV stand toward the restroom.

“I heard the car you were in got into an accident, and you suffered carbon monoxide poisoning from a leak. That must’ve been terrifying,” the male nurse remarked as they walked.

The tone was sympathetic and warm, showing apparent concern for Kousuke.

“Thank you,” Kousuke replied, his tone flat and emotionless.

‘So, I’m under police surveillance after all,’ Kousuke thought.

‘Very professional. No noticeable flaws in pretending to be a nurse. But unfortunately for him, the distinct aura of a detective makes it impossible to truly pass as a regular civilian.’

It was a subtle, almost imperceptible air that detectives carried—something they themselves wouldn’t notice, but individuals like Kousuke, or seasoned criminals, would pick up on at a glance.

The man’s attempt to make small talk was transparent to Kousuke, who made sure not to reveal any weaknesses.

“But it’s good to see you’re safe, Kousuke-san,” the supposed nurse continued with a smile.

“Take better care of yourself from now on, okay?”

That seemingly casual comment set off an alarm in Kousuke’s mind.

‘Take better care of myself? Who says that to someone injured in an accident?’

To confirm his suspicions, Kousuke subtly moved his right hand, and an intense, stabbing pain shot through it.

‘My right hand is clearly swollen and fractured, but they haven’t treated it yet. That means they likely haven’t noticed the injury.’

‘And if they haven’t noticed my hand is broken, there’s no way they’d know I deliberately broke it myself.’

He dismissed the possibility that the police were indirectly pointing to his fractured hand.

‘As for the carbon monoxide poisoning caused by the car crash and the damaged engine, that’s not something easily staged or manipulated.’

‘Besides, I nearly died from carbon monoxide poisoning myself. Since I wasn’t the driver, the police shouldn’t suspect I orchestrated the leak.’

With that, Kousuke ruled out the idea that the officer was hinting at the poisoning being intentional.

‘Which leaves only one possibility.’ Kousuke mused, lowering his head slightly as his sharp eyes narrowed.

‘The police believe the original owner attempted suicide.’