"What am I supposed to do in there?" Heiji Hattori clearly seemed puzzled by Fujino's suggestion that he join him. After all, if it was about applying medicine to Conan's backside, why would he need to be there? He certainly wasn't interested in a tour of Conan's rear.
"To lend a hand, of course," Fujino replied, looking at Heiji. "Didn't I just say that?"
"Just lending a hand, really?" Heiji's doubts about Fujino's words were evident. It wasn't that Fujino was entirely unreasonable, but from what he could recall, he hadn't exactly done anything 'normal' in his memory.
---
Inside the hospital room, Conan lay face down on the bed, utterly mortified, a blush spreading across his face. His pants had been pulled down again, revealing his backside. However, it was now a deep red, almost purple, as if blood might seep out at any moment.
"That guy really hit him hard, didn't he?" Heiji mused silently, examining Conan's rear. Seeing it like this, even he felt a phantom ache in his own backside.
"Next, the medicine," Fujino said, unscrewing a jar of Vaseline. Normally, such severe injuries would require a skin healing ointment. But it seemed there was no internal injury medicine on this small island, so Vaseline would have to suffice for now. There was something about the Vaseline, though, that felt a bit off—like it resembled some kind of questionable "yellow butter."
Shaking his head, Fujino didn't dwell on it. He turned and handed the jar to Heiji, calling out, "Heiji, it's your turn to lend a hand!"
"Hey, hey, didn't you just say 'lend a hand'?" Heiji paused, then quickly retorted, "Now you want me to apply the medicine? Wouldn't someone more professional like you be more suitable?"
"I don't have a light touch; it's better if you do it," Fujino said with a serious expression, as if Conan's very life depended on Heiji's actions. Fujino hadn't explicitly said Heiji would apply the medicine, just to "lend a hand." But was there any conflict between lending a hand and applying medicine? As long as he was lending a hand, it was fine.
Fujino, of course, wouldn't apply the medicine to Conan. After all, he was the one who had inflicted the injury; it wouldn't make sense to treat it himself. And from a psychological standpoint, he couldn't bring himself to do it.
---
About a few minutes later, Conan emerged from the hospital room with a look of utter defeat. Heiji followed behind him, equally crestfallen, as if he had just endured the most terrifying experience of his life. Fujino, however, remained composed, a stark contrast to the other two.
As soon as they stepped out of the room, Yuichi Shimura approached them, accompanied by two police officers, presumably the reinforcements he had called. Their purpose wasn't anything else; it was simply to take the two confirmed suspects back for questioning. There was no police station or patrol office on the island. The proper procedure was to take confirmed suspects directly back for interrogation. Of course, Kumie Shimabukuro, as a witness, also needed to go back to give her statement. The group of eyewitnesses naturally had to go along as well.
Their movements weren't publicized; they arrived quietly and left just as quietly. Kumie Shimabukuro returned home briefly before leaving, dragging out a suitcase and boarding the police boat with the others.
The sea around the island was calm as they departed, with an occasional sea breeze carrying a hint of saltiness. On the patrol boat's deck, Kumie Shimabukuro gazed at the receding island, clutching her suitcase, a thoughtful glint in her eyes. Ran Mouri curiously asked, "Miss Kumie, are you... leaving here?"
"I plan to travel for a while," Kumie Shimabukuro replied, snapping out of her thoughts. "I might have packed a bit too much, but I'll be back."
Fujino glanced at the suitcase, seeing its packed appearance, and immediately understood that she intended to leave the island.
"It's not that strange, though," Kazuha Toyama said, understanding Kumie Shimabukuro's decision. "After pretending to be the 'God of Life' on the island for so long, it's normal to bring a lot of things when traveling."
Kumie Shimabukuro truly wanted to leave the island. For three years, all her time had been consumed by impersonating the "God of Life." A few days ago, when she occasionally returned to the mainland, she vaguely felt disconnected from society. Now that her identity had been exposed, there was no need for her to continue guarding the well-known island tradition. Over the years, she had seen many interesting places on television and in newspapers. This was the perfect opportunity for her to go and see them. Without the constraints of the island, she felt light and unburdened.
"But I really didn't expect those two girls to be the murderers," Kogoro Mouri said, puffing on a cigarette, glancing at the two women lying on stretchers on the deck behind them. "Setting fire and killing someone just to verify if the 'God of Life' was immortal after drinking too much is just too much."
"Exactly!" Ran exclaimed, indignant. As a half-single-parent girl, she could understand how difficult things were for Kumie Shimabukuro. But then she turned her attention to Kogoro. "And you, Dad, you really need to drink less alcohol in the future! It would be terrible if you did something foolish!"
"I don't go crazy when I'm drunk!" Kogoro said, displeased, pouting.
"Every time you drink at an izakaya, isn't it Ran who has to clean up after you?" Conan muttered to himself from the side.
"You brat!" Kogoro heard Conan's whisper and became annoyed. Considering Conan was already injured, he didn't give him a flick on the head. Instead, he retorted, "Still not behaving after getting your backside beaten so much!"
"Ugh..." Conan's face stiffened. Even now, the memory of being pulled up and spanked still lingered in his mind.
"Was it a bit too harsh?" Fujino observed Conan, who was tense and had beads of sweat on his forehead. He narrowed his eyes. "Did he get a psychological trauma?"
However, more than psychological trauma, Conan was more concerned about the identity of the 'Shadow' and when they could catch them. There were three perpetrators in this crime; two had been caught, but one remained. Considering this, Saori Kadowaki, who had initially hired Fujino and Heiji, was definitely still with the 'Shadow.' Whether she was still alive or not was uncertain. But worrying wouldn't help; he had to figure out how he was going to sleep for the next few days.
---
After finishing their statements at the police station, it was already getting dark. Kumie Shimabukuro was the first to part ways with the group. The others planned to return home the next day since it was a holiday and wouldn't interfere with school. Yes, the Detective Conan world was on another consecutive holiday.
By the time Fujino, Kogoro Mouri, Conan, and Ran returned to Tokyo, it was the next day. After arriving in Tokyo, Fujino went home, dropped off the souvenirs he bought in Fukui, and then rushed back to the unfinished building from before.
Reaching the rooftop of the unfinished building, he saw Saori Kadowaki still lying in a corner, tightly bound with red ropes, unable to break free, and her mouth sealed. At this moment, her face was pale, and her mental state was very poor, like a flickering flame in the wind. Fortunately, she hadn't died.
Fujino took a quick look and, seeing that her life wasn't in danger, he took out a Poké Ball from his personal space and threw it forward.
"Biu!"
"Thump!"
With a sound effect, Saori Kadowaki was drawn into the Poké Ball.
"Why does this feel a bit strange?" Fujino walked over, picked up the Poké Ball from the ground, and had a peculiar expression. Although it was nothing; just simply putting a person into a Poké Ball, why did he have the illusion that he had captured a human pet? He even felt like a message would pop up saying, "Capture successful! Saori Kadowaki has become Fujino's new (fake) pet."
That night, Fujino donned his 'Shadow' limited edition skin, took the Poké Ball, and arrived at the entrance of the Metropolitan Police Department. He used the Poké Ball to release Saori Kadowaki, who was then released at the entrance of the police department. Her bag also contained criminal evidence. After doing this, Fujino turned and left, not afraid that Saori Kadowaki would be 'picked up' by someone else if she wasn't discovered. After all, this was the entrance to the Metropolitan Police Department. If someone could still pick her up here, the Japanese police would be truly useless.
---
Two days later, on the weekend.
Finally, it was a school day again, and life returned to normal. As winter approached, a cold wind swept through the streets, making them feel particularly chilly.
Fujino parked his car on the side of the road, got out, and bought a newspaper. The newspaper's content was fairly standard, with murder and assault cases each taking up half, and the rest being various tabloid news. However, what caught Fujino's attention was a not-so-obvious headline: "**Coexistence, Transcendence: Tokiwa Company to Host Opening Ceremony at the Soon-to-be-Completed Nishitama City Skyscraper... Tokiwa Club's Young and Beautiful Owner, Mio Tokiwa, will Attend the Event...**"
"Nishitama City Skyscraper..." Fujino narrowed his eyes, examining the news report. He remembered this was the plot for the movie, *Countdown to Heaven*. So, the timeline had reached this point already? If so, he would be meeting Gin, the Black Organization's diligent member, very soon.
"Ah, Gin." Fujino smiled faintly, tucking the newspaper into his pocket. He was already looking forward to meeting the diligent one again.
Turning around, he looked up and immediately spotted an old acquaintance. It was a young, curvaceous woman with long blonde hair, wearing a super-short red dress, sunglasses, red fringed long boots, and a brown fringed coat in winter. At first glance, she was definitely a stranger. But Fujino, with his keen observation skills, immediately saw through the woman's true identity.
It was Miwako Sato!
"She's probably trying to bait someone again, isn't she?" Fujino looked at Sato, who was approaching, narrowing his eyes with a hint of exasperation. This bunch at the Metropolitan Police Department was getting out of hand, always resorting to these sting operations. Miwako Sato was practically becoming a 'fishing' expert.
"Huh?" Miwako Sato also noticed Fujino. She paused slightly, her expression unchanging. *Please don't recognize me!* Even though she was currently undercover, technically performing her duties, it would be quite embarrassing if a young junior saw her dressed like a 'gyaru' (Japanese slang for "gal") on the streets during the weekend. At least, she thought it would be pretty embarrassing. She took a deep breath, intending to walk past quietly.
But then, Fujino's greeting came: "Sato?"
Miwako Sato: "..."
*I was recognized after all?*
"Ah, Fujino." Miwako Sato stiffened and turned her head. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to buy a newspaper... but Sato, I should be asking you that." Fujino patted the newspaper in his pocket, then looked suspiciously at Miwako Sato. "Are you... could it be...?"
"Ahem, don't get the wrong idea!" Miwako Sato, flustered by Fujino's suspicious gaze, quickly whispered, "I'm trying to attract a criminal... There's been a serial assailant targeting fashionable girls in this area these past two days, but there's no pattern, so I dressed fashionably like this to stake out the area..."
"I see." Fujino immediately played along. "Your dress looks great today, Miwako."
"Oh..." Miwako Sato was slightly taken aback, clearly not expecting that. But quickly, she reacted and replied with a 'gyaru'-like smile, "Yeah, isn't it super stylish?"
*It doesn't seem like an act.* Fujino thought to himself, his expression unchanged. *If she were given an unexpected opportunity, she might actually become a true gyaru.*
"In that case, let's go sit at that coffee shop over there." At this moment, Miwako Sato suddenly reached out and grabbed Fujino's arm, pulling him in a somewhat subtle embrace towards a nearby coffee shop.
---
A few minutes later, inside a coffee shop on a street corner.
Fujino was pulled by Miwako Sato to a window seat in a coffee shop on the street corner.
"Sato, how did you run into young Fujino?" Juzo Megure, sitting opposite them, looked at Miwako Sato, appearing somewhat helpless. "And your disguise was seen through."
"It couldn't be helped." Miwako Sato was also a bit helpless. "I was seen through with just one glance. Is my disguise really that bad?"
"No, no, Officer Sato's disguise is actually very good." Takagi, sitting next to Juzo Megure, also looked at Fujino with surprise but then felt it was somewhat normal. "However, it seems more like Consultant Fujino's observation skills are just too sharp."
"By the way, young Fujino, how did you see through her disguise?" Juzo Megure asked Fujino curiously. In his opinion, Miwako Sato's disguise, if not perfect, was at least 99% effective. Of course, he also knew that Fujino's perception was simply too keen. But he still wanted to ask what went wrong. After all, if there truly was an issue with the disguise, it was better to fix it now than to complain after it was seen through later.