" You are wrong again Kudo Shinichi " - Akihiko said.
He not only dismantled Shinichi's conclusion but plunged the entire case into deeper fog.
Originally, Shinichi had pointed to Maejima-sensei as the mastermind behind the murder.
To everyone watching, the story made sense.
Maeshima-sensei knew Akihiko's Friday routine—his solitary visit to the school bridge.
Rumors whispered of the teacher's secret affair with a female student.
That student, Mahime Kawakami, had confessed her feelings to Akihiko instead.
Consumed by jealousy, the theory went, Maeshima had summoned her to the bridge.
There, he allegedly asked, "Do I still stand a chance?"
Their argument supposedly turned violent in an instant.
Jealous rage, so the tale said, drove him to push her into the lake.
At a glance, cause, motive, and method aligned perfectly.
But now Akihiko insisted Maeshima wasn't the killer.
If not him, then who?
Maeshima's earlier panic at Shinichi's accusations had seemed damning.
Why now deny it so adamantly?
Students, officers, and teachers alike exchanged baffled glances.
Even Shinichi felt a jolt of surprise at Akihiko's bold claim.
Maeshima-sensei not guilty?
Officer Megure's eyes mirrored the squad's stunned disbelief.
Twice now, Akihiko had overturned Shinichi's logic.
Who was this student capable of rivaling the great detective?
Ran nudged Sonoko in wonder.
"Akihiko's incredible—he's bested Shinichi twice already!"
Sonoko's cheeks glowed. "And he's so composed—totally swoon-worthy."
Ran's heart fluttered—she'd never seen anyone out-argue Shinichi before.
How had Akihiko honed such razor-sharp insight?
Shinichi squared his shoulders and regained his poise.
"What's flawed in my reasoning?" he challenged.
"Why, then, does Maeshima-sensei bear those scratches on his arms?"
Akihiko's lips curved in a knowing smile.
"Perhaps he can explain them himself."
A hush fell, broken by Maeshima's shaky voice.
"I'm not a murderer," he stammered. "I was bitten by mosquitoes—and I scratched them."
Mosquito bites? The claim sounded ludicrous.
No one scratched that many precise abrasions.
Shinichi's mouth twitched.
If not for Akihiko's unwavering stance, he'd have dismissed it outright.
Officer Megure folded his arms.
"Mosquito bites rarely leave such vivid marks," he muttered.
Akihiko nodded and turned to the teacher.
"That's because you have allergic dermatitis," he stated.
"Allergic dermatitis?" Shinichi and Megure exchanged incredulous looks.
Akihiko explained calmly, "It's a skin reaction—redness, itching, hives, peeling—triggered by specific allergens."
"When the allergen is gone, symptoms subside, but severe cases blister and flake."
Maeshima-sensei paled, stunned by the diagnosis.
"How do you know this?" he whispered.
Akihiko's gaze held steady.
"I watch you lecture—you scratch your arms, and they peel in patterns."
The teacher's jaw dropped in mortification.
Akihiko rarely spoke, but his scrutiny was relentless.
Shinichi was momentarily at a loss—he tracked clues, not conditions.
"But allergic dermatitis doesn't clear you," Shinichi pressed on.
"You still had motive and opportunity with Kawakami-san."
Maeshima-sensei's voice quivered.
"I… I did have a relationship with her—but I didn't kill her."
Shinichi's eyes narrowed. "What about your alibi?"
The teacher swallowed hard.
Akihiko interjected quietly.
"I've proven my own innocence. What of yours, Sensei?"
Tears welled in Maeshima's eyes as he fumbled in his pocket.
"I have proof," he managed.
He produced a movie ticket stub.
"I was in the theater from 9:30 to 11:30—I couldn't have been on the bridge."
Shinichi studied the crumpled stub.
"Odd to clutch a movie stub through a film," he mused.
"Ordinary people discard them without a second thought."
Maeshima-sensei's forehead glistened with sweat.
Akihiko offered a small smile.
"Perhaps there's another stub somewhere."
He moved to inspect the teacher's coat pockets.
"All because the real killer dropped theirs too."
Gasps echoed beneath the bridge's arches.
Shinichi's expression cleared—the haze lifted from his mind.
Akihiko's autopsy had uncovered more than he'd expected.
The missing ticket stub would reveal the true culprit.
And with that, the final piece awaited discovery.
Who had set this intricate stage?
And whose ticket would seal their fate?
Read advanced chapters on patreon // -- // patreon.com/Neon007