A few days later, inside the Mouri Detective Agency.
Mouri Kogoro slumped in his chair behind the desk, idly flipping through the few request letters on the table, grumbling incessantly.
"Ugh… another lost pet cat, another investigation into the neighbor's dog, whether it's relieving itself on the doorstep—what is all this nonsense?!"
He slammed the letters on the table, Ran a hand through his hair, and exclaimed,
"To think that I, the great Detective Mouri Kogoro, who has solved countless sensational cases, am now reduced to handling such trivial matters?
This is simply a waste of my talents! Is there no decent request at all?"
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He picked up an empty beer can from the table, intending to chug it, only to find it already empty, which made him even more frustrated.
On the other side, Conan, with a bitter expression, was hunched over the coffee table, writing furiously in a thick workbook.
After finally finishing the batch of test papers that Rin had brought last time, he thought he was finally free.
To his surprise, after hearing about it, Rin immediately brought several more pounds, calling it "intellectual development."
She said that a smart child like him would be wasting his talent if he didn't do more exercises.
She even thoughtfully told Ran to supervise him, so now Ran keeps an eye on him whenever she has a free moment, making it impossible for him to slack off.
Conan even suspected that Rin was doing this to deliberately torment him, but he had no evidence.
Ding-dong—
Just then, the doorbell of the agency rang.
"Coming, coming! I hope it's a decent request."
Mouri Kogoro straightened his tie and hair, cleared his throat authoritatively, and said, "Please come in!"
The door opened, and the two women who entered made both Mouri Kogoro and Conan freeze.
The woman walking in front was tall and fashionably dressed, with long black hair cascading down her back. She wore sunglasses that covered half her face, but the exposed lower half revealed delicate features and an extraordinary demeanor.
The other woman, following behind her, appeared more intellectual and capable, dressed in a proper business suit with a gentle smile, though a hint of worry seemed to linger between her brows.
Mouri Kogoro's eyes widened, and he shot up from his chair, his voice becoming excited.
"You… you are! The big star Astra Yao?! And this is… the famous newscaster from Nichiuri TV, Mizunashi Rena?! Oh my! Am I dreaming?!"
He fumbled to invite the two ladies to sit down, offering tea and business cards, as excited as a fan who had successfully met their idol.
"Detective Mouri, hello."
Astra Yao took off her sunglasses, revealing a beautiful face.
She smiled slightly, her voice pleasant, "It's a pleasure to meet you. I've always admired your deductive abilities."
"Not at all, not at all! Astra Yao-san, you're too kind! I'm your loyal fan! I can sing every one of your songs!" Mouri Kogoro's face turned red with excitement.
After the pleasantries, Astra Yao cut to the chase.
"Detective Mouri, my apologies for this abrupt visit, but it's actually not me who has encountered trouble."
She looked at Mizunashi Rena beside her, "It's my friend Rena, she's been having some difficulties recently. I heard from another friend that you are very capable, so I specifically brought her here, hoping to get your help."
"Another friend?" Mouri Kogoro asked curiously.
"Yes, a friend who runs a video store, named Rin," Astra Yao replied naturally.
"Rin?!" Mouri Kogoro and Conan exclaimed simultaneously.
Mouri Kogoro was mad with jealousy, stamping his foot under the desk.
Rin actually knows the big star Astra Yao?!
It's incredibly difficult for us to get tickets to her concerts, yet they're good friends?!
Doesn't that mean Rin would have many limited edition signed CDs, posters, and merchandise?! Damn it! How enviable!
Conan, on the other hand, was somewhat speechless, gaining a deeper understanding of Rin's social network.
Mizunashi Rena took over, beginning to recount her experiences.
"Yes, Detective Mouri. The situation is like this… Recently, I've often heard my doorbell ring late at night, but each time I look through the peephole or open the door, there's no one outside.
At first, I thought it was a child's prank or someone pressing the wrong doorbell, but this has been going on for almost two weeks, happening almost every one or two days, which is quite unsettling."
She frowned slightly,
"Although it seems like just a childish prank, this continuous harassment has severely affected my rest and mental state. So Astra-san suggested I come to you for help, to see if you can find out who is behind this prank."
After listening, Mouri Kogoro stroked his chin, adopting a thoughtful expression.
"A prank doorbell, you say? Indeed, while it's not a major issue, it's very annoying. Alright, Mizunashi-san, I, Mouri Kogoro, will take on this case!
Please rest assured, I will definitely catch the person behind this boring prank!"
So, Mouri Kogoro and Conan followed Astra Yao and Mizunashi Rena to her apartment.
Upon reaching Mizunashi Rena's floor, as everyone entered the apartment, Conan deliberately lagged a step behind.
He quickly pulled a piece of chewing gum from his pocket, chewed it a few times, then pretended to tie his shoelace, sticking the chewed gum to the outside of the apartment doorframe and hiding a miniature bug within it.
Since the prankster rings the bell and runs, looking for clues inside the house would likely yield little.
It would be better to leave the bug here, so that next time the prankster comes, it might help him find a clue.
Entering Mizunashi Rena's apartment, the interior decoration was elegant and tidy, fitting her image as an intellectual newscaster.
Mouri Kogoro meticulously checked the doorway, peephole, and hallway, and as expected, found nothing.
"Mizunashi-san," Mouri Kogoro asked, "have you offended anyone recently? Or do you have any impressions of other residents on this floor? For example, do you find anyone particularly suspicious?"
Mizunashi Rena pondered for a moment and said.
"I haven't offended anyone. But speaking of suspicious people, my next-door neighbor is quite suspicious.
It seems a new resident moved into that room recently, but I've never seen them, nor have I heard any sounds of luggage or furniture being moved.
However, every Friday night, I can hear sounds of activity coming from that room, as if someone is living there, but normally I don't sense anyone's presence at all."
"Oh? The next-door neighbor?"
Mouri Kogoro's eyes lit up,
"If the prankster is the next-door neighbor, he could easily press your doorbell and then quickly hide back in his room and lock the door. That way, when you open the door, you naturally wouldn't see anyone! This is highly probable!"
Everyone found this plausible and decided to investigate the next-door apartment.