After a brief moment of eye contact, Fujino withdrew his gaze.
He turned his attention back to the window, putting on the air of a melancholic teenage boy. In his mind, he mused, "Since Judy, the English teacher, has already shown up, that woman should be arriving soon too, right?"
In his recollection, Judy didn't come to Teitan High School to teach English just because she was bored and wanted to relive her school days. Her real purpose was to track down Belmod, who had disguised herself as Araide Tomoaki.
That's right—not long ago, Belmod had orchestrated a car accident, faking the deaths of the entire Araide family. Fortunately, the FBI caught wind of her scheme and pulled off a clever reversal, rescuing the real Araide family and placing them under the Witness Protection Program in the United States.
Completely unaware of this, Belmod seamlessly assumed Araide's identity and infiltrated Teitan High School.
Judy? She wasn't much of a concern—just a world cop, no real threat to him. What Fujino cared about was Belmod.
As for Belmod's motives, Fujino could only guess at a few possibilities. Maybe she was here to hunt down Miyano Shiho, who had escaped. Or perhaps she wanted to check in on her little "Angel" while she was at it, to confirm whether Kudo Shinichi was truly dead.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Fujino gazed out at the vast blue sky beyond the window. "Since both of these players are here… that man should be showing up soon too, huh?"
---
During lunch break, Fujino and his classmates headed to the Teitan High School gymnasium to watch a rehearsal. Since it was just a practice run, the students performing weren't in costume. Those involved stood in their assigned spots, holding scripts, creating a lively atmosphere.
Ran, still in her school uniform, faced Sonoko and delivered her lines with flair: "Not just once, but twice… Who are you, the one who keeps saving me?"
"…"
Sonoko didn't respond with words. Instead, she leaned in and planted a quick kiss on Ran's lips.
"Huh?! Sonoko, we're not at that part yet!" Ran blinked, her face flushing red.
"Hehe…" Sonoko scratched the back of her head sheepishly. "I forgot, okay?"
"Then why'd you kiss me?!"
"I just thought it'd feel more immersive!"
"Sonoko!"
"Okay, okay, let's try it again!"
"…"
Fujino sat in the audience seats below, squinting slightly as he watched the teenage drama unfold on stage. When Sonoko kissed Ran out of nowhere, he couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and exasperation.
This performance Sonoko had prepared was, at its core, a love story between a black-clad knight and a princess. Sure, it had some grand world-building conflicts involving personal gain, but overall, it was a romantic fairy tale.
That said, with Sonoko and Ran acting it out… why did it give off such strong yuri vibes?
Fujino shook his head and glanced at Araide Tomoaki beside him. At that moment, Araide was holding the script, intently watching the performance on stage. Fujino could faintly sense his gaze lingering on Ran, though he couldn't tell what the man was thinking.
"Dr. Araide, what did you think of our performance just now?"
Sonoko and Ran, fresh from their rehearsal, approached Araide with the question. "Anything we could improve?"
"Ran, your acting was decent… but it felt a little distracted, like you're holding back a bit," Araide offered his critique. After a pause, he continued, "Sonoko, you're the opposite—too unrestrained. You should tone it down a little."
Then he turned to Fujino. "What do you think, Fujino-kun?"
"I watched it sitting down… *ahem*, I mean, I'm no professional actor, but it looked fine to me," Fujino replied offhandedly, clearing his throat to cover his slip. He glanced at the thick script in Araide's hands and then asked Sonoko curiously, "By the way, Sonoko, did you write all these scripts yourself?"
Sonoko puffed out her chest proudly. "Of course I did!"
"You wrote them this fast?" Fujino asked, surprised.
"Actually," Ran chimed in with a soft laugh, "Sonoko finished the script last year. But since we went with Shinichi's mystery-solving show back then, it didn't get picked."
"Oh, I see."
No wonder Sonoko had been so eager to take charge during the planning this time—she'd come prepared.
"Shinichi… that's Kudo Shinichi, right?" Araide suddenly asked. "Speaking of which, where's Kudo-kun? I feel like I haven't seen him around in a while."
Ran hesitated for a moment. "Shinichi's been busy with some cases, so he can't come back for now…"
"Only you could put up with that guy, Ran," Sonoko huffed, clicking her tongue. "He's been gone forever without even a word. And to think the black knight role was modeled after him—yet we can't even find him!"
"Is that so?" Araide mused for a moment before changing the subject. "Well, just talking about it is a bit vague. Let me show you instead."
With that, he stepped onto the stage and began his performance.
Araide's acting was impressive—he effortlessly played two roles, switching between a charming princess and a cool, sharp knight. For a moment, even this suffocatingly sweet fairy tale felt captivating.
*The second that kind of acting hit the stage, I knew it was her—five-star general Belmod,* Fujino thought, channeling an over-the-top inner monologue.
"Dr. Araide's performance is amazing…" Ran and Sonoko couldn't help but marvel.
Fujino, meanwhile, kept his eyes on Araide, narrowing them slightly. "It's definitely you, Belmod."
As a self-proclaimed spoiler hound, he'd already seen through this woman from head to toe. The single-bar glasses Araide wore on stage, combined with Judy's arrival, the stellar acting, and that familiar blend of allure and edge he'd seen in Belmod before—it all added up. He was certain: the Araide on stage was the thousand-faced witch herself.
---
Once Belmod's performance wrapped up, Ran and Sonoko took the stage again. This time, their acting had noticeably improved—they'd clearly learned something.
Fujino alternated between watching the pair on stage and sneaking glances at Belmod beside him. He couldn't help but wonder: *How does a woman like Belmod hide something that big? Chest wrap? Some weird gadget?* He racked his brain but came up empty.
"Fujino-kun, what's up?" Belmod noticed his staring and tilted her head curiously. "Is there something on my face?"
"No, nothing like that," Fujino replied calmly, shaking his head. "I was just surprised. I didn't expect Dr. Araide to not only have two and a half years of basketball skills but also be this good at acting."
"You're exaggerating, Fujino-kun," Belmod said with a smile, playing the part of a bashful guy. "I just played the lead a few times back when I was in school. That's ancient history now…"
"Oh, I see. Guess you can't judge a book by its cover," Fujino nodded knowingly, testing the waters with a grin. "I figured someone with your personality would be more reserved, Dr. Araide."
Belmod just smiled, staying silent.
From the start, she'd felt this high school detective's eyes on her. That look—it was odd, almost familiar. But she didn't dwell on it. Detectives were always like that, right? Still, a flicker of unease stirred in her chest.
*My cover might be slipping.*
Even though her "Angel" seemed to get along with this kid, if he ever uncovered her secret… *he'd have to go.*
---
Fujino, on the other hand, turned away, narrowing his eyes slightly. He didn't push further. Just a moment ago, he'd caught a faint whiff of killing intent. With his sharp instincts, he'd picked up on it instantly.
Clearly, he couldn't keep probing—or she might try to seduce him in the middle of the night and bury him in a ditch.
"Ah!"
A familiar scream cut through the air.
Fujino looked up to see Sonoko stumble and crash hard onto the stage.
"Sonoko!"
Belmod darted forward faster than Fujino, reaching Sonoko's side and crouching down to carefully check her injuries.
"Dr. Araide, how is she?" Ran asked, her voice tinged with worry.
Belmod wasn't a real doctor, but as an Organization operative, she knew a thing or two about medicine. She glanced at Ran's anxious expression, smirked inwardly, then said gravely, "Sonoko's wrist is dislocated… We need to get her to a hospital fast."
"Hospital?!" Sonoko froze. "But what about the rehearsal?!"
"Even after resetting it, you'll need a few weeks of rest," Belmod said with a regretful shake of her head. "You probably can't keep rehearsing, Sonoko."
"No way…" Sonoko's face fell, the faint sting in her wrist making it worse.
"Sonoko, you should go to the hospital first…" Ran said, her heart heavy with guilt. *If I'd reacted faster and caught her, this wouldn't have happened.*
"A dislocated wrist, huh?" Fujino strolled over, hands in his pockets.
He glanced at Sonoko's wrist and muttered, "If it's just that, I might be able to handle it."
"Fujino-senpai… handle what?"
"I've studied some traditional Chinese medicine. A dislocated wrist isn't a big deal—I can fix it."
With that, Fujino placed his hand on Sonoko's wrist and offered his classic line: "This might hurt a bit, so bear with me…"
*Crack!*
A sharp snap of bone.
A scream like a pig being slaughtered.
**[Healing action detected]**
**[Congratulations, host! You've earned 50 Good Doctor profession proficiency points]**
"Sonoko, how do you feel?" Ran crouched down, checking on her anxiously.
"Wahhh…" Sonoko wiped her tears.
After a moment, she looked at her wrist in shock. "It doesn't hurt anymore!"
"It doesn't?" Ran blinked, confused.
Belmod shot Fujino a surprised glance.
"Fujino-senpai, you know Chinese medicine too?" Ran asked curiously.
As it was often said, traditional Chinese medicine was a rare and valued skill in Japan. Though it wasn't highly regarded in its homeland, it had quite the reputation here.
"Yeah, a long, long time ago, I met this wise old man with an air of immortality…" Fujino trotted out his usual story of stumbling upon a master and learning top-tier medical skills, bluffing his way through. Then he shifted gears. "Still, Sonoko, you should get it checked at the hospital."
"Huh? But Fujino-senpai, you fixed it! It doesn't hurt at all—why do I still need to go?" Sonoko protested.
"They say it takes a hundred days to heal muscles and bones," Fujino said seriously, rubbing her wrist. "Even with a dislocation, you'll need to rest it for a week or two."
"Ugh…" Sonoko winced, still feeling a twinge. "But if I'm out, who's going to play the black knight?"
"Don't worry about it, Sonoko. Just rest up," Ran said with a smile. "We can find someone else for the role."
"Yeah, I guess my acting wasn't that great anyway…" Sonoko nodded like a pecking chick, then turned to Fujino. "In that case, Fujino-senpai, I'm counting on you for the part!"
Fujino: "…??"
Sure, he'd love to see the look on Conan's face—like he wanted to strangle him—but this didn't feel right.
After a moment's thought, he declined. "Nah, I'll pass. There's not much time left, and honestly, I don't have much confidence in my acting."
Then he tossed the ball to Belmod with a grin. "Compared to me, Dr. Araide's a much better fit, don't you think?"
Belmod: "…??"
*Why's he throwing this at me?*
But then she reconsidered. If they replaced Sonoko, it'd likely be a guy, and there'd be a kiss scene at the end…
With that in mind, she gave an awkward smile and took the bait. "Alright then… I'll take the role for now."
*Angel is mine!*
Even if it was just pretend, no one else was getting Angel's kiss—except her!
---
On the drive home, Fujino gripped the steering wheel, eyes fixed on the road ahead, lost in thought.
Belmod was here. The FBI was in play. Next up, the main *Detective Conan* storyline would kick in, and a slew of overpowered characters would start popping up.
He didn't really want to get tangled up in their mess. But some things weren't up to him.
On second thought, though, this clash might just bring him some unexpected perks.
*Ring ring!*
His phone chimed.
Fujino pulled it out, saw it was from Suouhiko, and answered. The gist? There was a gathering tomorrow, and she wanted him to come.
Naturally, he agreed. She was his employer, after all—and one of the rare good souls in the crime-ridden city of Mihama.
After picking up Haibara Ai from Teitan Elementary and heading home, Fujino received a letter from Miyano Akemi. Apparently, a mysterious visitor had dropped it off during the day.
"A letter?"
Back in his fourth-floor bedroom, Fujino studied the envelope labeled **[To Detective Fujino, Personally]** and frowned.
Who'd send him a letter?
It reminded him of that time with Asai Narumi on Moonshadow Island.
Curious, he tore it open.
**[Don't attend Suouhiko's charity gala, or you'll regret it—The Messenger of the Cursed Mask]**
"Cursed Mask?"
Staring at the note made from newspaper clippings, Fujino's mind raced, connecting dots and dredging up memories. He froze in place.
**(End of Chapter)**