"Sister Miyami!"
The shop door suddenly swung open, and the sound of kids' voices filled the air.
Fujino turned toward the noise and saw a few little troublemakers barge in.
"Huh?"
Ayumi stepped inside and spotted Fujino behind the counter, looking surprised. "Big Brother Fujino, why are you the cashier today?"
"Miyami's out shopping with Little Ai, so I'm filling in for her today," Fujino said, keeping his tone polite and flashing a smile suited for kids. "By the way, what brings you guys here to see her?"
"We came to hang out with Sister Miyami and Little Ai…" Ayumi replied with an innocent little-girl grin.
Miyami Shiho's gentle yet firm personality really won over the kids. Every holiday, this little crew would show up at Snow King Ice Shop to play with Ai Haibara and Miyami, usually grabbing a couple of sweet drinks while they were at it.
"Oh… looks like we didn't bring enough money," they muttered awkwardly after placing their usual orders.
Snow King Ice Shop wasn't exactly pricey, but for careless elementary schoolers, it was still a decent chunk of their pocket money. One small miscalculation, and their meager funds would be drained dry by sugary drinks.
"Don't worry, it's on me today," Fujino said with a light chuckle, brushing off the cost of a few drinks.
It was just some beverages—no need to let these kids feel bad over something so small. Sure, their big brains were half-baked, their little brains barely worked, and they caused chaos all the time… but sometimes, they were kinda cute.
"Thanks, Big Brother Fujino!"
The group beamed with goofy smiles, then plopped down at a table to enjoy their drinks.
Ayumi hugged a special strawberry mix, looking up at Fujino. "Oh, right! Big Brother Fujino, next weekend we're going on a spring outing with Dr. Agasa. Wanna come with us?"
"You're inviting me along? That okay with everyone?"
"Of course it's fine!" Mitsuhiko piped up.
"Last time in Okinawa, we put you through a lot," Ayumi added. "And now you're treating us to drinks… So, as a thank-you, we want you to join us for a picnic!"
"Maybe we'll even catch some eels by the river and have a tasty eel rice meal!" Genta chimed in, practically drooling.
"Next weekend, huh… Let me check my schedule," Fujino said, hesitating. He had no clue when "next weekend" even was.
Today was Tuesday the 27th. By normal logic, next weekend would be over ten days away.
But this was the *Conan-verse*.
Visiting the orphanage was in two days, and the gala was next week. If everything piled up at once, that'd be a mess…
As Fujino pondered, the shopping duo returned.
"You guys are here," Ai said, carrying two bags and giving the kids a quick nod.
She pulled a hat from one of the bags, walked over, and handed it to Fujino. "I saw this while we were out shopping—thought it'd suit you, so I got it. Wanna try it on?"
"A hat?"
Fujino snapped out of his thoughts and took it from her. It was a black baseball cap, casual and everyday. It'd look weird with a suit, but with his current laid-back outfit, it was perfect.
"Thanks, Ai."
"Mm-hm," Ai replied, her face calm but a flicker of happiness bubbling underneath.
Then she glanced at him curiously. "I just heard them say you're joining us for next weekend's camping trip—is that true?"
"Next weekend's camping?"
Fujino paused, then leaned down and whispered, "Wait, how many days away is next weekend?"
Ai blinked up at him, puzzled, then thought for a second. "Today's Tuesday the 27th. The weekend would be the 8th—four days from now."
Fujino: "…"
Okay, so the 27th today, the 8th in four days… Very *Conan-verse*.
After confirming the charity gala was still over ten days off and his schedule was clear, Fujino agreed to the camping trip.
Come to think of it, this'd be his first time camping with these kids.
Wonder if a system mission would pop up…
---
Time skipped to the orphanage visit day.
Fujino got up early, threw on some simple casual clothes, and put on the hat.
As he was heading out, Ai wanted to tag along, so he brought her with him to the meetup spot.
The orphanage, funded by the Red Society, was a three-story concrete building. It had a wide courtyard with a big tree out front, kinda like an old-school hospital.
Following Hongko Suou, Fujino, Ai, and a crew from NTV—reporters and cameramen—stepped inside.
The interior wasn't fancy, but it wasn't shabby either—just basic decor.
In the auditorium, a group of kids who'd been waiting eagerly swarmed them.
In the *Conan-verse*, detectives were idols to kids, and Fujino was basically a hero now.
Amid the crowd, a little girl about Ayumi's age stood on the outskirts, clutching a book. Her eyes sparkled with hope as she looked at Fujino.
She was maybe Ayumi's age, but she lacked the energy you'd expect. Leaning on a crutch, her right pant leg hung empty, her face pale, her frame frailer than most kids her age.
Ai noticed her, walked over, and called out, "Fujino."
Fujino turned, spotted the girl, and froze for a second.
In that moment, the girl caught his gaze and instinctively stepped back, looking self-conscious.
But Ai grabbed her arm and gently pushed her forward. "Don't shy away."
Fujino snapped out of it, knelt down, and patted her head softly. "What's your name?"
"I'm Yuki Sakuragawa," she said shyly, slowly holding out her book. "Big Brother Fujino… c-could you sign this for me?"
"Sure thing…"
Fujino took the book and glanced at it. It was an older copy of *Detective Samonji*, its edges worn and tattered—clearly well-loved.
He pulled a pen from his pocket, flipped to the title page, and wrote:
**[No matter what reality throws at us, we'll keep moving forward bravely: Fujino Doji — To Yuki Sakuragawa]**
He handed it back with a smile. "You've gotta stay brave, okay?"
"Mm-hm!"
Yuki nodded, hugging the book close, her eyes full of gratitude.
"Big Brother Fujino! Sign ours too!"
The other kids swarmed him, waving their own detective novels.
Ai stepped back quietly. With her hat and mask, she dodged the cameras, watching Fujino blend in with the kids, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
---
On the way back from the orphanage:
Fujino sat in the back, eyes narrowed, lost in thought.
Ai sat beside him in silence.
She was pretty chill about it, giving his hand a light pat for comfort.
Fujino glanced at her and nodded.
Honestly, he didn't care much about the money.
He knew Hongko Suou was playing on his sympathy.
But if that four million yen could actually improve these kids' lives…
He looked up, decision made, and turned to Hongko with a firm tone. "The rest of my commission—give it to the kids."
"Huh?"
Hongko feigned surprise, then her lips curved into a slight smile. "As expected of Detective Fujino. After all these years in charity work, I get where you're coming from. On behalf of the kids, thank you for your kindness."
Ai glanced at Fujino, then at Hongko, and sighed inwardly.
*He's still such a softie…*
---
The next day, in a forest outside Tokyo:
A yellow VW Beetle wound through the wooded path, followed leisurely by a black Ford Taurus.
Ai sat in her usual shotgun spot, gazing out at the scenery.
She snuck a look at Fujino, a weird little flutter stirring in her chest.
She'd been on trips with the kids plenty of times, but with Fujino? This was a first…
Soon, the cars pulled into a clearing in the woods.
"The air out here's so fresh…"
Fujino stepped out, a single-strap backpack slung over his shoulder. He tilted his head back, took a deep breath, and adjusted his cap.
"Mm," Ai agreed, stretching with a rare lazy expression.
"Is the air really that good?" Conan wandered over, sniffing the air and looking at Fujino, confused. "I don't get it…"
Fujino didn't answer, just turned and walked off.
Ai followed behind, hands clasped behind her back. She shot Conan a glance and said flatly, "Feel it with your heart."
"Feel it with my heart?"
Conan tilted his head, dumbfounded. "These two… Why are they always spouting weird stuff like that?"
Fujino wasn't familiar with camping logistics, but Dr. Agasa and the kids were pros.
They quickly found a perfect spot and started setting up their tents.
Fujino grabbed his own from the trunk, set up the frame, and mimicked their setup next to theirs.
Ai pulled a hammer from the tent's carrying bag. "Next up's staking it down. Our steel pegs are kinda long—need help?"
"Nah, you go grab the stuff from the car. I've got this," Fujino said.
"Alright."
Ai handed him the hammer and headed to the car.
Fujino weighed the hammer in his hand—it felt off. He set his backpack down, pulled out his wooden sword, and gave it a few swings.
*Yeah, this feels right.*
He walked over to the tent and—*bang, bang, bang*—drove the ten-centimeter steel pegs deep into the ground with a few swift strikes.
They even sank in a bit extra.
"All set?"
Ai came back with the luggage, set it aside, and tugged on the tent's ropes. She nodded. "Looks solid. Even a level-five wind couldn't budge this."
"…"
Conan watched from the side, speechless.
How were these two so good at this?
Wasn't this their first time camping?
And Fujino—why'd he bring that beat-up wooden sword everywhere?
*(Chapter End)*