67: Chapter 67: Invitation Nesting Dolls

Early morning. Fujino stood on his balcony, gazing out at the view, stretching languidly.

"Beika Town," he remarked with a sigh,

"always bustling with life, full of competition and striving!"

He pulled out his phone to check the date. August 10th, Saturday.

Hmm, very Conan-logical.

Confirming it was indeed the weekend, Fujino headed towards the bathroom.

After showering, refreshed and clad in a bathrobe, he sank onto the sofa, ready to enjoy a rare weekend off.

After a moment, he reached for the day's newspaper on the coffee table.

The headline immediately caught his eye:

[Princess Sabrina of Chablis Arrives in Japan with the 'Paris Sunshine'! Issues Challenge to Kaito Kid at Airport!]

[Will Kaito ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Kid Accept the Challenge from the Princess Visiting from Europe?]

[Famous Detective Fujino Douji and Junior Detective League Crack Major Drug Case! Compared to the Long-Silent Kudo Shinichi, Who is the True Sherlock Holmes of the New Century?]

"Kaito Kid?" Fujino scanned the news, surprised. Princess Sabrina of Chablis... she was indeed quite cute. But ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that wasn't his focus; she wasn't Princess Mira, the one ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠who looked uncannily like Ran... What truly grabbed his attention was the mention of Kaito Kid!

Even the original Fujino knew of Kaito Kid. A world-renowned phantom thief wanted by practically every country. Known for his nocturnal heists, signature white suit, and penchant for using stage magic to perform seemingly impossible feats, earning him the moniker "Magician Under the Moonlight."

In Fujino's memory, Kaito Kid was primarily a guest character in Conan's story... albeit one who appeared so often he practically became a main character.

"A high school student from Ekoda High who loves magic and hates fish?"

Fujino put down the paper, a knowing smirk playing on his lips.

Midday.

After tidying up his apartment a bit, Fujino drove alone towards the Konoha Kendo Dojo.

His Swordsman profession was just a few dozen proficiency points away from ranking up. An afternoon of practice at the dojo should be enough to push it over the edge. Honestly, he was eager for that next skill point. Plus, he was curious to see what the 'Konoha' Kendo Dojo was actually like.

However, on the way there, he received an unexpected phone call.

It was Ikegami Yuko.

"Long time no see, Detective Fujino. Are you free right now?"

Maybe it was just Fujino's imagination, but Yuko's voice on the phone sounded... softer, less abrasive than before.

"Free... I suppose I have some time," Fujino replied, frowning slightly.

"Is there something you need, Ikegami-san? It's not another commission to dig up dirt on rival idols, is it?"

Honestly, he couldn't imagine any other reason Yuko would call him. He really didn't want another case like that... though, if the pay was good enough, he might reconsider.

"Is that really the kind of person you think I am?" Yuko sounded genuinely hurt.

"Mm-hmm," Fujino hummed affirmatively.

"..." Yuko was silent for a long moment.

He could almost hear her mentally facepalming. She took a deep breath.

"Actually, I was going to invite you to appear on a TV show called 'Spotlight on Japan's Detectives'. But since you seem to think so poorly of me, perhaps I shouldn't bother."

"'Spotlight on Japan's Detectives'?" Fujino frowned again.

"What kind of show is that?"

"Oh? Interested now?" Yuko's voice regained a playful edge.

"It's basically a show that features various detectives and talks about their work."

"So, a variety show? Does it pay?" Variety shows didn't interest Fujino much. Money, however, did.

"Yes," Yuko's smirk was audible. "A cool five hundred thousand yen."

"In that case, thank you for the invitation, Ikegami-san," Fujino immediately accepted. "But could you please remind me on the day of the recording?" He needed the reminder purely because of the Conan world's chaotic timeline. He never knew when it was a weekday or weekend without checking his phone each morning.

"No problem," Yuko agreed readily.

Fujino then promptly ended the call.

"That guy... still only cares about money," Yuko sighed, listening to the dial tone. She looked down at the newspaper clutched in her hand. "Am I really that bad?" she murmured, looking slightly troubled.

She'd received the invitation for the "Spotlight on Japan's Detectives" show yesterday. Normally, she'd refuse such variety appearances. But hearing the word 'detective' immediately brought Fujino to mind. So, she'd made a demand: she would only participate if she could choose the detective appearing alongside her. Surprisingly, the show's producers agreed instantly, almost too quickly...

"Ikegami Yuko inviting me onto a TV show? That's weird," Fujino thought after hanging up. Logically, after the blackmail incident, Yuko should want him dead, not offer him opportunities for money and fame. Is this some kind of strange 'play'...?

Ring ring!

His phone rang again.

Fujino checked the ID: Yoko Okino.

Seriously? Another top idol?

Puzzled, Fujino answered.

It was indeed Yoko Okino.

And she was calling him for the exact same reason – an invitation to appear on the "Spotlight on Japan's Detectives" variety show.

The details were identical, right down to the 500,000 yen appearance fee.

Is it the same show?

Nesting dolls!

"Okay, so it's probably not some weird setup, but a legitimate detective-focused variety show?"

Accepting Yoko's invitation as well, Fujino felt slightly more reassured. In a world where detectives were protagonists, shows centered around them made sense. Still, having two different idols invite him to the same show around the same time was highly unusual.

After some consideration, Fujino decided he'd go check out this "Spotlight on Japan's Detectives" program.

Not because of the money, of course. Purely because he enjoyed being on TV.