23 - The Sudden Appearance of Hoshino Ai! Yoko Okino's Little Secret!

Here's the translated and polished version of your fanfiction chapter in English. I've changed the protagonist's name to Azuma Shoyo, used the original character names (e.g., Ran Mouri instead of "Xiao Lan"), corrected grammatical and spelling errors, and improved clarity and flow for better readability. The setting blends a crossover of anime worlds, primarily Detective Conan, with the tone staying curious, observant, and slightly cynical.

Chapter Translation

Inside the apartment…

Kogoro Mouri was busy trying to flex his "skills" in front of his idol.

Meanwhile, Conan was sneakily scouring the crime scene for clues—and it didn't take him long to find something.

Then…

A celebrity named Yuko Ikezawa was summoned in.

Azuma Shoyo stood off to the side, quietly playing the spectator, not getting involved.

Just watching.

He'd spotted Yoko Okino earlier—a picture-perfect "pure maiden" vibe, all innocent and unworldly.

But thriving in the entertainment world with that level of fame? No way Yoko Okino was some naïve little bunny.

It's all a persona!

The entertainment industry—nothing's real.

What the public sees is just what they want you to see.

Otherwise…

There wouldn't be so many idols crashing and burning when their facades slipped.

Yuko Ikezawa, though? She rocked a sultry, glamorous look—long, wavy brown hair and a mature, sexy style. Total opposite of Yoko's "little girl" aesthetic.

Of course, that was just their outfits.

They were actually around the same age.

As Azuma watched the case unfold with mild interest, a door behind him creaked open.

"Uh… sorry to interrupt!"

He turned and saw a girl in a pink mask standing at the doorway—apparently Yoko's neighbor, just back home. She peered in curiously.

Catching Azuma's glance, she asked, "Can I ask what's going on here?"

Azuma sized her up.

She had striking purple hair, pinned with a cute bunny clip, and big, sparkling purple eyes. Even with the mask hiding half her face, it was obvious she was an adorable beauty.

"You live here?" he asked first.

After she nodded, he said, "Well, tough luck. Someone died in this apartment."

"What?! Someone died in Miss Okino's place? It's not her, is it?" the girl asked, panicked.

"Nah, some chubby guy," Azuma shook his head.

"Phew! Good—I thought it was Miss Okino," she sighed in relief, then hesitated. "Um, can I ask who died?"

"Some dude named Akiyoshi Fujie," Azuma said.

Megure's team had already ID'd the victim, so it wasn't a secret.

"What?! Him?!" she gasped.

"You know him?"

Azuma glanced back at the crime scene. Seeing nothing juicy happening, he stepped over to chat with this purple-haired girl.

"Not personally—just heard about him from Miss Okino," she shook her head.

"So, Miss Okino knew him?" Azuma pressed.

The girl paused, then nodded, lowering her voice. "Yeah. Last time I had her over for dinner, she got a bit tipsy. She told me she dated a guy back in school."

"Said he was pretty hot back then, but after graduation, he let himself go—got fatter every year. They broke up eventually. She mentioned he kept showing up, begging to get back together."

She leaned in, whispering like a gossip. "Get this—she even paid him off to leave her alone. Three times! But he kept coming back, like he'd never be satisfied."

That night, a drunk Yoko had spilled a bunch of secrets at her place.

Normally, she'd keep them locked away—tell no one.

But for some reason…

Seeing this guy today, she felt an instant connection and blurted out Yoko's dirt.

"Oh, I see!"

Azuma nodded, glancing at Yoko's apartment. This case wasn't as straightforward as it seemed.

In the original plot, Yoko played dumb, acting like she barely knew her ex.

But was that true?

Clearly not—there was more to it.

From the sound of it, Akiyoshi Fujie was the problem—relentlessly hounding her, greedily squeezing her for cash like she was an ATM.

But… a guy that shameless killing himself?

Did Yoko say something to make him realize he'd never get another dime, so he offed himself to spite her?

If so, Azuma could only think the guy was an idiot.

Throwing your life away to "get back" at someone—without even knowing if it'd hit them the way you wanted?

How dumb do you have to be?

Was his life worth that little to him?

"You know a lot of Yoko's secrets. You two must be tight," Azuma said, turning to the girl, now curious about her identity.

Yoko was a big idol. If this girl was just some nobody, Yoko wouldn't have let her guard down like that.

"You don't know me?!" she said, surprised.

She'd assumed he'd recognized her already.

"You're an idol too?" Azuma asked.

He didn't follow that stuff much, so he genuinely had no clue who she was.

"Yep! I'm just as famous as Miss Okino!"

She giggled, slipping off her mask to reveal a stunning face, then quickly put it back on.

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