"Justice's partner, huh? Pretty fitting~"
At that moment, Jodie Starling strolled over, chiming in with a playful tone. She glanced down at Conan Edogawa, a hint of regret in her eyes.
*That kid probably had a plan to take down the robber just now.*
Honestly, she was a little curious…
But then her attention shifted to Fujino. With an innocent, almost idolizing look—like a schoolgirl admiring her cool uncle—she said, "Fujino-kun, you were *so* cool back there! Taking down that criminal like it was nothing, you were practically a cop straight out of an action movie!"
"Jodie-sensei…" Fujino sighed, giving her a helpless look. "Why are you teasing me too?"
Jodie maintained her 'innocent' act. "I'm just stating facts! A high schooler like you? You're like a character ripped straight out of a video game."
"More like a novel than a game…" Fujino muttered under his breath. Then, turning back to Jodie, he added, "But you were pretty impressive yourself, Jodie-sensei. The way you flicked off that guy's safety? That was *super* cool."
"Oh, that? No big deal!" Jodie waved it off with a bold, slightly shy grin. "I've had some shooting practice before. It's just a little trick."
On the surface, she played it cool, but inside, her heart was racing like a deer in headlights.
*That comment…* She mulled it over, a chill creeping in. *Am I about to blow my cover again?*
*Disabling the robber's gun safety… was that a bit much?*
She couldn't help but second-guess herself.
But then she shook it off. Even if she wasn't in the States, as an FBI agent, she couldn't just stand by and let a crime like that slide. It wasn't about duty or some official spiel—it was just her instinct as one of the 'red team' in the *Keigaku* world, driven by a sense of justice.
Her worries were overblown, though. Fujino? He'd already sniffed out all her secrets—down to her *measurements*. Privacy? What privacy? *Hilarious.*
What she *should* be worried about was that kid, Conan…
"There's definitely something fishy!"
Conan's eyes were locked on Jodie, glaring like a husky spotting a cat. He'd noticed earlier that Jodie had disabled the robber's gun safety during the chaos. At the time, with danger looming, he hadn't thought much of it. But now that things had calmed down, it hit him…
*Disabling a robber's gun safety mid-heist? That's not something an English teacher would just… do!*
Sure, if she'd studied shooting in the States, her familiarity with firearms might make sense. But pulling off something *that* insane? You'd need nerves of steel or specialized training. Otherwise, it was just reckless!
And even if someone caught her, she shouldn't be brushing it off so casually, like she was now…
Conan's eyes narrowed as he reached a conclusion in his mind: *This English teacher is definitely not normal!*
"Fujino," Sato Miwako called out, walking over after wrapping up some post-incident tasks. "The passengers have been calmed down, but I'll need you and the kids to come with me to the Keishicho to give your statements."
"Huh?!" Genta groaned, clearly annoyed. "We have to do statements *again*?"
Mitsuhiko wasn't thrilled either. "Can't we just do it later, after everything's done?"
Ayumi sighed, her voice tinged with disappointment. "If we have to do statements, we'll miss out on skiing…"
"Skiing can wait for another holiday," Fujino said, glancing at Dr. Agasa, who was nursing a cold. "Besides, Dr. Agasa's sick. This gives him time to recover, and then we can all go together. Plus, everyone else is doing the same thing. We can't make exceptions. If everyone got special treatment, the world would be a mess."
Jodie let out a small "Hmph…" She'd actually been hoping to use Fujino's influence to dodge the statement process. Her identity wasn't a huge issue, but as an FBI agent conducting cross-border operations, walking into a police station felt… awkward.
But after Fujino's little speech, even she felt a pang of guilt for considering it.
"It can't be helped," Sato agreed, nodding at Fujino's reasoning. She explained patiently, "This was a serious case, and you're all involved parties."
Truth be told, Fujino *did* want special treatment. As a consultant to the Keishicho, it felt almost criminal not to use his connections. It'd probably drive him nuts to let that convenience go to waste. But in a case this big, with so many eyes watching, pulling strings too obviously wasn't the move. If he was going to do it, he'd keep it low-key—get the statements done quickly and be out.
Skipping them entirely in front of everyone? That'd be way too conspicuous. Even in Neon's society, you had to play the part.
"Exactly, no special treatment!" Dr. Agasa nodded, feeling a warm sense of fairness. "Everyone's time is valuable. If we all delayed our statements, it'd cause trouble for the police."
"Fine…" The kids reluctantly agreed.
"Don't look so down!" Miyano Akemi chimed in with a smile. "How about after we're done with the statements, we head to Yukio Ice City for some special drinks?"
"Really?!" The kids' eyes lit up.
"Yup," Akemi nodded. "My treat!"
"Thank you, Akemi-nee!" The kids cheered, their moods instantly lifted.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Akai Shuichi was reporting into a recorder he'd retrieved from the robber. "February 23rd, the operation was interrupted due to an incident. The target has not appeared. Will continue investigation another day… Hm?"
He paused, catching something out of the corner of his ear. Turning, he spotted Fujino and the group.
His eyes narrowed as he watched the kids and the older sister figure. Then, Fujino felt a sharp, unfriendly gaze. He turned, locking eyes with Akai.
In Fujino's view, those shadowed eyelids and sharp, emerald-green pupils told a story of their own.
In Akai's, Fujino's rare jet-black eyes weren't the usual piercing detective's gaze. They were sly, like a fox, with a layer of impenetrable mist behind them.
Their first glance was casual—strangers passing by. But the second? That was no coincidence. Both were quietly sizing each other up.
At their level, a look wasn't just a look—it was an assessment. With sharp enough observation, you could read someone's character through their eyes, their micro-expressions, almost like reading their soul. A bit mystical, sure, but it was practically a sixth sense.
"Everyone, please board the vehicles quickly!" Takagi's voice cut through, breaking their stare as he directed the scene.
"Report over." Akai shook his head, pocketing the recorder. *Probably just a coincidence…* He slipped away unnoticed, keeping his distance from the Neon police.
Fujino, too, let it go. Messing with Jodie or Belmod was one thing, but Akai? That guy was on another level—practically the second male lead next to Conan and Amuro. Stirring that pot felt like tempting fate.
---
Sato drove the group to the Keishicho, but the van was short on seats. Takagi took Conan, the three kids, and Dr. Agasa, while Sato handled Fujino and Miyano Akemi.
"Fujino, my man!" Megure Jusan greeted enthusiastically as they arrived. "You okay? Not a scratch?"
"Not even a scrape," Fujino replied, standing still to avoid getting bear-hugged by the chubby inspector.
The kids didn't pay it much mind, but Conan shot a deadpan look. *Why's Megure so chummy with Fujino? Calling everyone 'brother' but only hyping him up?*
"Good, good…" Megure sighed in relief. Fujino's knack for stumbling into cases—like a bus robbery on a random ride—was unreal. Solving it on the spot? Classic. But as a consultant and practically family, Megure couldn't let him get hurt.
"What about the jewelry store robbery ringleader?" Sato asked.
"Caught," Megure nodded. "After your update, we had plainclothes officers pin him down and drag him to jail. Lucky we acted fast. If they'd taken 'hostages' like Shiratori predicted, they might've blown up the bus and vanished."
"Shiratori-keibu?" Fujino caught the name.
"Yup," Megure confirmed. "Shiratori deduced their motive from the bus bomb."
Fujino wasn't surprised. Shiratori was sharp, even if he later turned into a lovesick rich boy.
But now, it was time for the classic statement session…
"Hey, Megure-keibu," Fujino sidled up, lowering his voice. "About the statements… there's a lot of us, and Nee-san's here too. Any chance we can speed things up? I've got a commission later."
"Hmm…" Megure got the hint, whispering back, "Well, you're a busy guy, Fujino. The kids deserve a break after this mess, and the other passengers are adults. We'll get your statements done first."
"Couldn't agree more," Fujino nodded. "By the way, any chance Search Division Three's free tonight? I was thinking of hitting an izakaya with the team to bond a bit."
"Ahem…" Megure coughed, keeping it professional. "We'll see if we can wrap this case up tonight. Cases have been light lately. If there's no murder, we might swing it. You should get to know the team better."
*Didn't expect Fujino to be that kind of 'brother,'* Megure thought, but he approved. Cops needed good team vibes, and group outings were normal for stress relief. Fujino hadn't joined one yet—about time he did.
---
The group's statements went smoothly, first in line and out before everyone else. Still, it dragged into the afternoon. Others probably wouldn't finish until sunset.
No skiing, but the kids were thrilled with their free juice, courtesy of Akemi.
As the sun set, Jodie and Belmod finally wrapped up their statements and left the Keishicho. Fujino's connections didn't extend to them—they were just acquaintances, so they went through the full process.
"Guess the art museum's off the table today…" Belmod, disguised as Niide Tomoaki, sighed at the fading sunlight.
"Such a shame," Jodie said, feigning regret with a playful, mature vibe. "Running into Dr. Niide and then *this* happens. Wanna reschedule for another day?"
"Nah…" Belmod shook her head, eyes narrowing. "We work at the same school. If someone got the wrong idea, that'd be trouble."
"True…" Jodie clicked her tongue. "Getting caught could get us fired."
"Exactly," Niide smirked, waving as he turned. "See you when school starts!"
"Bye-bye!" Jodie waved back enthusiastically.
Once Belmod was gone, Jodie's eyes narrowed. She sighed, pulled out a phone, and started talking as she walked. "I'm out of the Keishicho… No issues with my cover. My teacher identity in Neon's airtight—they didn't dig too deep, just a quick statement. Looks like we'll need to pick another time for the operation, Shu."
---
Night fell at Niide Hospital.
Done with her disguise, Belmod returned, shedding her Niide Tomoaki persona. In the bathroom, she unbuttoned her shirt and unwrapped her chest binding. (*Really, chest binding?!*)
As the white bandages came off, her constrained assets sprang free with a *pop*. She let out a deep breath, finally relaxed.
After a day of disguises, she always treated herself to a bubble bath to wash off the sweat and stress. Pretending was exhausting—and stuffy.
*Splash, splash!* The sound of water filled the room as bubbles covered the tub's surface. Soaking, Belmod's mind drifted to the day's events.
She was now certain Kudo Shinichi wasn't dead. Likely, he'd taken the Organization's drug, shrunk, and was living with his little angel… *Practically cohabiting, huh?*
Her lips curled into a sly smile.
Then she thought of that high school detective, Fujino. She only knew surface-level stuff about him. She suspected he'd seen through Kudo Shinichi's identity… but she wasn't sure.
For now, they seemed to be on the same side. If she could pull him into protecting Shinichi, it'd be a solid shield. But that was just a passing thought—she wasn't about to waste effort on something so uncertain.
Refocusing, she crossed her arms, bubbles rising around her. Staring at the bathroom ceiling, her thoughts turned to her goals in Neon. One was already half-complete. The other? Eliminating *that woman*.
The Organization believed she was in *that group's* hands, but without solid proof, Belmod's task was to track her down. From what she knew, the woman had appeared at a hotel before, only to be whisked away by… a woman in a fox mask? As a seasoned American operative, Belmod kept an open mind about the rescuer's gender.
As for the white-robed Batman wannabe… probably tied to the fox. She'd only seen the white-robed figure herself—everything else came from Gin's intel. She wasn't fully convinced they were with the Animal Organization. Today's events, combined with the Pisco incident, sparked a theory: someone was stirring the pot, pitting the Animal Organization against hers.
---
Meanwhile…
"Achoo!" Fujino sneezed, sitting in an izakaya.