Winning is everything: Conan

The two walked side by side, arguing with each other.

Although there were frequent criminal incidents along the way, it was relatively safe.

At 8:30, half an hour before the trial was set to begin, Keisuke Kumiko arrived punctually at the Tokyo High Court.

When he entered the hallway, there were quite a few people inside.

The second trial was much more popular than the first. Countless journalists were waiting. Many of them had interviewed Keisuke Kumiko in the previous trial. When they saw him, they rushed toward him like bees.

Keisuke Kumiko still had that classic line.

—My client is absolutely innocent! This is an unjust case!

He said it with righteous conviction, his face showing no hint of insincerity.

—Attorney Kumiko won his first trial with an overwhelming advantage! What kind of results can he achieve in today's battle?

—He's demonstrated his brilliance, reaching the top immediately after his debut!

—The clash between the rising attorney and the popular prosecutor—let's wait and see!

The reporters were all excited, quickly taking photographs, chatting into their cameras, and inventing tomorrow's headlines.

The relentless press offensive was very annoying, and even Keisuke Kumiko couldn't stand it. He pushed through the crowd and walked toward the women's restroom in two or three steps, intending to stay there until the trial began.

—You could arrest me and charge me with sexual harassment for openly entering the women's restroom,

a cold voice said from the side.

When he turned around, he saw his old acquaintance, Reiko Kujo, standing by the sink, looking at him with a stern expression.

Japanese women care a lot about their makeup and have the habit of reapplying it frequently.

Keisuke Kumiko saw her holding a compact powder case, touching up her face.

—No matter how much makeup an old woman puts on, she'll never look younger.

—Great, just add insult to injury.

Reiko Kujo pulled out a pair of rose gold handcuffs from her pocket and was about to cuff Kumiko's hands.

Keisuke Kumiko dodged to the side, flashing his signature smile.

—You can cuff me, but you have no proof to charge me because I didn't want to enter here on purpose, I just went into the wrong restroom. Besides, I'm the attorney in this case, and I could sue you for interfering with the judicial process.

—Hah, you sure have a flexible mind.

Reiko Kujo put the handcuffs away and shook her head.

—It would be great if you used that brain of yours for something serious.

After a pause, Reiko Kujo glanced at Ai, who was standing next to Kumiko.

—Did you people employ children as workers? She looked fierce.

—What child labor? She's your sister.

Keisuke Kumiko patted Ai on the head.

—Come on, Ai, greet Auntie Kujo.

Ai bowed obediently.

—Hello, Auntie Kujo, I often hear my brother talk about you.

—...

Reiko Kujo took a deep breath.

The words "brother" and "aunt" immediately added an extra generation.

She forced a smile.

—Be a good girl, little sister, I'm still under thirty.

Ai smiled innocently.

—Auntie, you're so young! You look just like my 33-year-old aunt!

—...

What a pair of insufferable siblings!

Reiko Kujo shot a glare at Kumiko.

She had come here full of confidence today, but now her good mood was completely ruined.

—Watch out later!

After saying that, she stormed out of the women's restroom, not looking back.

—Not bad. You're truly worthy of being a child star and actor, but it would be better if you could be a little more aggressive.

Kumiko gave Ai a thumbs-up.

Ai's face returned to its usual calm expression.

—Is it really okay to do this?

—Of course. Women are most easily ruled by their emotions, especially on certain days; this effect is even more obvious.

Keisuke Kumiko had a smile on his face the whole time.

It turned out that the confrontation earlier had been deliberately orchestrated by Kumiko.

When he was avoiding the reporters, he deliberately didn't enter the men's restroom because he suspected that Reiko Kujo might be there.

A long time ago, Kumiko had researched Kujo and knew some of her personal and private information.

For example, based on the dates, today should be the last day of her period.

She still dared to come to court and file charges on a day like this, which showed the kind of woman Reiko Kujo was.

As an opponent, Kumiko naturally had to make good use of this information.

Reiko Kujo was undoubtedly in a bad mood now. If things went as expected, it would definitely affect her judgment in court.

—You really are a despicable, shameless, and dirty bastard, even exploiting women's weaknesses.

Ai looked at the grinning Kumiko with a blank expression and, without hesitation, raised her evaluation of him to an even lower level.

—The place of execution is like a battlefield, with no distinction between men and women.

Keisuke Kumiko didn't argue with her.

After checking the time and lingering in the restroom for a while, Kumiko finally stepped out and headed toward the courtroom.

The Tokyo High Court is much larger than the local courts.

The gallery alone had dozens of rows of seats, arranged in a tiered manner, like a university lecture hall.

Not long after, the judge, jury, plaintiff, and defendant all arrived one by one.

The second trial was much bigger than the first. There were three judges and six jurors, and the designated seats were significantly more spacious.

Strictly speaking, Japanese judges, called "Hanji" in Japanese, are ranked in a total of eight levels.

The level of a Tokyo High Court judge must be at least above the middle level.

—The second trial will now begin!

With the judge's gavel striking, the trial commenced.

According to procedure, the prosecutor would first read the indictment.

—...The defendant lured the victim to the billiard room at the hot spring hotel and killed him with a gun he had picked up. This conduct violated Article 199 of the Japanese Penal Code and constitutes the crime of intentional homicide. Additionally, the defendant illegally possessed a controlled firearm, violating Japan's Firearms and Swords Control Law. This court is prosecuting the more serious of the two offenses. Please convict the defendant of intentional homicide according to the law.

Reiko Kujo held the indictment in her hands and read it rapidly without a single pause.

The judges on the bench couldn't help but frown.

Generally speaking, when a prosecutor reads an indictment, they should pronounce the words clearly and forcefully, not rush through them.

Judging by her expression, she seemed a little impatient.

—Ms. Kujo...

Ryusu Masami, who was sitting beside her as her assistant, silently tugged at her sleeve.

Only then did Reiko Kujo realize that she had lost her composure due to the Kumiko siblings' antics in the restroom earlier.

Her face turned slightly red, and she quickly cleared her throat.

—I apologize. That was impolite.

—The prosecution is requested to read the indictment again.

The senior-most judge, who looked to be in his fifties, struck the gavel.

Laughter rippled through the audience.

Reiko Kujo composed herself and reread the indictment at a proper pace.

As she sat down, she turned and saw Keisuke Kumiko across from her, wearing that infuriating half-smile.

The man even smirked and mimicked lifting a cup to sip hot water.

Kujo knew exactly what he meant.

She clenched her teeth in fury, steam practically rising from her head, cursing in her heart.

Damn you, Kumiko! I'll make you pay for this later!

(End of this chapter)