The morning breeze fluttered the curtains by the window, gently swaying them. Downstairs, the streets were bustling with cars and people, a lively and thriving scene.
On the fourth-floor balcony, Fujino stood by the windowsill, overlooking the scenery below. He stared at his phone screen, particularly at the date, the 22nd of Saturday, feeling a bit dazed.
Although he had already known how strange the timeline of this world was, witnessing it firsthand still made Fujino marvel, "As expected from you, Detective Conan world!"
After his moment of reflection, Fujino shook his slightly dizzy head and stretched out widely until he heard a crack. Then he walked slowly towards the bathroom.
After a while, the sound of running water ceased, and Fujino walked out of the bathroom, feeling much more refreshed.
However, when his eyes swept across the messy room, his eyebrows furrowed again. It was a typical single man's room, and Fujino's good mood from the morning instantly vanished.
"I should clean up the room," Fujino sighed.
Today, he had enough time to tidy up his 100-square-meter bedroom. It was Saturday, and he didn't need to go to school, nor did he have any rescheduled classes.
Time flew by, and by the time the sun was setting, Fujino was lazily sitting on the sofa, wiping the sweat from his temples.
"Cleaning such a large room is really exhausting," Fujino remarked as he glanced at his spacious bedroom, which was comparable to a three-room apartment. Just tidying up this one bedroom had taken him the whole day. As for the other rooms… well, he decided to give up on those for now.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
"Who could it be at this hour?" Fujino wondered aloud.
It was already getting dark, and aside from close acquaintances, he couldn't think of anyone who would come to see him at this time. After all, clients usually visited during the day.
With a sense of curiosity, Fujino opened the door to find a woman standing there, wrapped up tightly in a red dress with a black coat, and her face covered by a black mask, looking quite suspicious.
"Are you Detective Fujino?" the woman asked without hesitation. Before Fujino could respond, she walked into the room he had just tidied up, glanced around, and sat on the sofa. "I need your help with something," she said.
Fujino's mouth twitched at her forwardness. After confirming that this was not some new type of scam but an actual client, he relaxed and sat down on the sofa opposite her.
"I was recommended by a friend," the woman began softly. "They said your confidentiality is very good."
"Of course," Fujino nodded slightly. "As a detective, it's my professional duty to keep my clients' identities and requests confidential."
In the detective community, Fujino was known as a hardworking and reliable detective. He took on cases that others wouldn't and often at lower rates, which quickly earned him a good reputation among clients. Most of his business came through word of mouth, without the need for advertisements or signs.
"That's reassuring," the woman said, showing trust by removing her mask to reveal her face.
"You are… Yuko Ikeze?" Fujino was surprised as he recognized the woman.
That's right, she wasn't just a woman, but a young girl. Despite her mature appearance, Yuko Ikeze was only 22 years old, dressed in a mature style that made her look older.
"Are you a fan?" Yuko asked playfully, intrigued by Fujino recognizing her. "Would you like an autographed poster, little brother?"
"No, thanks," Fujino replied bluntly.
"Tsk," Yuko clicked her tongue in mild annoyance.
So, he's not a fan? Too bad, she thought. She found him somewhat handsome.
Pushing aside her thoughts, Yuko pulled out a photo from her pocket and handed it to Fujino. "I want you to investigate this person."
Fujino took the photo. The girl in the picture looked to be about 20 years old, wearing a pink coat, with long brown hair and a pretty face that exuded a pure aura—a genuine pure beauty!
"Is this…" Fujino scrutinized the girl in the photo, feeling a sense of familiarity. After a moment, he recalled, "Is this Yoko Okino?"
Confirming the investigation target, Fujino furrowed his brows. "So, Ms. Ikeze, you want me to investigate Yoko Okino?"
"That's right," Yuko nodded. "I need you to find some dirt on her, if possible."
"I understand," Fujino replied, a playful smile creeping onto his face as he deduced, "If I'm not mistaken, the reason for this request is because you're holding a grudge against Yoko Okino for taking over your TV drama role, right?"
"Why do you need to know so much?" Yuko rolled her eyes and got straight to the point, "Fifty thousand yen, can you take the job?"
"It's a bit challenging," Fujino scratched the back of his head. "After all, Yoko Okino is a popular idol. Investigating her won't be easy… Besides, if this gets out, you might be fine, Ms. Ikeze, but I'll be in a tough spot."
"What exactly are you implying?" Yuko's eyes narrowed, suspecting that he might be threatening her.
After a moment of silence, Fujino spoke, "I'll need more money."
"Huh?" Yuko was taken aback, her eyes showing a hint of annoyance.
If you think it's not enough, just say so. Why all the mystery? She had initially thought he was going to blackmail her.
Unexpectedly, he just wanted more money.
After a brief silence, Yuko stated directly, "Final offer, sixty thousand yen. How about that?"
She understood that this kind of request was something most detectives wouldn't take on, and sixty thousand yen was her limit. If this wasn't enough, she'd have to abandon the idea.
"Very generous, boss!" Fujino accepted the photo and quickly poured Yuko a cup of tea. "Please, have some tea."
"..." Yuko was speechless.
This guy's attitude changes faster than flipping a book.
Can I really trust him to investigate Yoko Okino?
Suddenly, Yuko felt like she had boarded a pirate ship.
And so, Fujino accepted Yuko Ikeze's request, receiving a cash deposit of sixty thousand yen.
Originally, Fujino had wanted to refuse, as following a popular idol was risky. But Ms. Ikeze's offer was too tempting!
Sixty thousand yen was a significant amount, both for Ms. Ikeze and for Fujino.
Just as Fujino was about to put away the deposit, there was another knock on the door.
Fujino was puzzled again.
Could it be another client?
After storing the deposit in the system, Fujino got up from the sofa and opened the door. There, he saw a girl wearing a deep red hat and a pink coat.
Fujino recognized her immediately as Yoko Okino, the very person Yuko Ikeze had just hired him to investigate.
What a twist, the target of the investigation came to him!
But why does this scene feel so familiar?
(End of Chapter)