Fujino stepped forward and kicked the baseball bat away.
He listened to the clear clang as the bat rolled.
Fujino couldn't help but inwardly grumble about the physiques of the people in this world.
That baseball bat must have been made of iron.
To hit three people and then kill one, yet still have so many dents...
It just goes to show how ruthless this guy was.
Or maybe the people in this world have incredibly hard heads.
Either that, or the manufacturer cut corners when making the bat.
Otherwise, those girls' skulls must be out of the ordinary.
Perhaps it varies from person to person.
After all, he hadn't yet encountered a skull that felt like striking iron when using his Pressure Point Strike.
"Fujino-senpai!"
At that moment, Sonoko finally snapped out of her terror after the attack.
She stood up, couldn't help but burst into tears, and lunged at Fujino.
"..."
Fujino looked down at Sonoko, who was a snotty, teary mess, feeling a bit helpless.
He initially wanted to push her away but thought better of it.
It just felt too heartless to do so.
He then sighed softly, thinking to himself, "Looks like I'll have to wash these clothes when I get home."
---
A short while later, someone finally remembered Sonoko, who had been a bit overlooked.
A group of people rushed over frantically, with Ran being the first to notice Sonoko and quickly asking, "Sonoko, are you okay?!"
"I'm fine!"
Sonoko had already bounced back to her usual energetic self. "With Fujino-senpai there, how could anything happen to me?!"
"It's a good thing Fujino-kun was there," Inspector Megure couldn't help but remark, pulling handcuffs from his pocket and cuffing the unconscious Yoshio Teikin. "But I never thought this guy would dare to commit such a crime in broad daylight, right under our noses."
"Hey, hey! Fujino-nii-chan, did you already figure out that security guard uncle was the culprit?" Conan looked at Fujino, suddenly asking with confusion.
Sonoko said she was going to the restroom after leaving, and then they just happened to run into each other?
How could it be such a coincidence?
He must have known all along!
"Well..."
Fujino glanced at Conan, thought for a moment, and then said, "Those high school girls from 109 were all wearing platform shoes, so it's understandable to misjudge the culprit's height. And this time, the victim of the attack is also connected to a case from a year ago. I thought it might be a family member from that old case... After seeing that guy follow Sonoko, I got a bit worried, so I followed them."
"Fujino-kun, why didn't you say something sooner?" Inspector Megure sounded a bit exasperated. "If you had said something earlier, we could have just investigated and caught this guy."
"I was just guessing, and I didn't have any evidence yet." Fujino turned to Conan, his tone a little meaningful, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Besides, I was going to say something earlier, but Conan-kun interrupted me... Isn't that right, Conan-kun?"
"You little brat..."
Sonoko looked a bit resentful, walking over and playfully pressing her fist onto Conan's head, twisting it a couple of times. "If you had let Fujino-senpai speak earlier, I wouldn't have had to go through all that trouble!"
"I was just trying to help Fujino-nii-chan solve the case faster..." Conan looked awkward, only managing a wry smile.
How did he interfere with Fujino's performance?
Isn't Fujino always like that?
Has anything changed?
But, upon closer recollection...
He really did interrupt Fujino earlier.
So, he actually did mess up his performance!
Who knew Fujino would figure out who the culprit was so quickly!
---
With the culprit caught, the case was naturally closed.
After finishing their statements at the police station with Inspector Megure, Fujino drove everyone home.
"Thank you so much today, Fujino-senpai."
Sitting in the back seat, Sonoko recalled the day's events and thanked Fujino.
"Mm..."
Ran also nodded. "If Fujino-senpai hadn't noticed that security guard, Sonoko probably would have been attacked."
"It's nothing. We're friends; there's no need for thanks, it makes things awkward." Fujino quietly watched the road ahead, responding.
'Just friends...?'
Sonoko glanced at Fujino in the rearview mirror, her expression a bit strange, then sighed with a hint of regret.
But then, she brightened up again, her gaze drifting towards the night scenery outside the window, her eyes narrowing slightly.
---
Soon, Fujino dropped everyone off at their respective homes.
He parked the car in the underground garage and slowly walked upstairs.
He already knew dinner was ready on the table upstairs.
"I'm home!"
Fujino pushed open the door to his third-floor bedroom and called out.
"Welcome home!"
Haibara Ai and Miyano Akemi responded from inside the room.
"You haven't eaten yet?"
Fujino took off his jacket as he walked into the bathroom, tossing his suit into the washing machine. He came out and glanced at the untouched dinner on the dining table.
Miyano Akemi smiled. "Ai-chan said she wanted to wait for you to eat together."
"Alright, hurry up and eat. The food's been kept warm and is still hot." Haibara Ai came out of the kitchen, carrying a tray with three bowls of rice. "Today's curry, it's fine even if it cools down a bit."
"Thanks, you two." Fujino chuckled lightly, then sat down to eat.
After dinner, the whole family sat in front of the TV, watching a program.
After all, the internet wasn't very developed in those days.
Aside from TV, there weren't many other entertainment options for a family in the evening.
As for short videos or other games, same story.
"Oh, by the way, when we were out shopping today, we ran into someone you know, Fujino-kun. She seemed to really look up to you."
Sitting on the sofa, Miyano Akemi suddenly remembered something and smiled meaningfully.
Then, she pulled three tickets from her jeans, recalling, "They seemed to be a pair of twins, quite cute. After they recognized Ai-chan, they gave us these three invitation tickets, inviting us to this hotel."
Haibara Ai reminded her, "They were those two maid-samas we met at that philanthropist's house before."
"I remember them."
Fujino immediately thought of those two 'identical,' expressionless maid sisters.
He took the invitation tickets and examined them, then looked up at the two girls, puzzled. "So, they've changed professions now?"
"Yes."
After thinking for a moment, Haibara Ai nodded. "It seems they've started working at this hotel on the invitation ticket. We met them both while we were out shopping."
"No wonder they have invitation tickets; they must be for internal staff use." Fujino stroked his chin, feeling that the service industry genuinely suited the twin sisters.
After all, twin waitresses, combined with their demeanor...
It would truly be a waste if they weren't in service.