### Chapter 64: Whack-a-Mole

As the sun set, the group emerged from the theater.

"What was that performance about?" Sonoko complained, pouting. "The plot was decent, but the actor kept swaying around like a stick."

"Not to mention forgetting his lines frequently, as if he hadn't prepared at all," Ran agreed, nodding in agreement with Sonoko's grievances.

"It might have been a substitute actor," Ayako speculated. "Perhaps the original actor was injured, and they couldn't find a suitable replacement in time, so they just grabbed someone at the last minute."

"That's what I think too," Fujino said, nodding in agreement. His gaze lingered on Ayako with a hint of intrigue.

As a seasoned spoiler, Fujino knew exactly what was going on. The actor's blunders were due to Conan and his crew's blunder, who had been forced into acting. But how did Ayako know about this? Was it a guess or deduction?

Fujino admired Ayako's sharpness. Clearly, those squinty eyes were not to be underestimated.

Unfortunately, the kids had spoiled the whole mystery play. 

By the way, Fujino had recorded Conan's clumsy performance with his glasses.

"Hey, Sonoko, look over there," Ran suddenly pointed to a stall by the roadside. "It looks like someone is doing some fortune-telling."

"Fortune-telling?" Sonoko's ears perked up.

Fujino turned his attention as well.

Not far off, a woman in a black robe, her face hidden by a hood, sat on a black mat with a small table in front of her. On the table was a crystal ball.

"What kind of fortune-telling is this?" Ran asked.

"You can ask any question," the woman in the black robe replied curtly.

"In that case…" Sonoko's curiosity was piqued as she leaned towards the crystal ball and asked, "What will I look like in ten years?"

Moments later, the crystal ball began to show a reflection. 

In the reflection, a woman in her twenties gradually took shape. The Sonoko in the crystal ball had short, flowing hair and looked mature, with a sense of a wealthy young lady.

"Wow?!" Sonoko stared at the image, surprised, and then waved Ran over. "Ran, come and see!"

"Is it really accurate?" Ran asked, intrigued, as she too asked about her appearance ten years from now.

The crystal ball showed a similar result for Ran, giving her a genteel appearance.

Sonoko then called over her sister Ayako. "Sis, you should try it too!"

Ayako tried as well, and like Sonoko and Ran, saw her future self. Overall, there were no major changes, just a bit more sophistication and grace.

Fujino scrutinized the crystal ball. Although he didn't know its exact mechanism, it seemed a bit like Conan's kind of supernatural trick…

Honestly, he was curious about his future appearance. After a moment's hesitation, he approached the crystal ball and said, "I'd like to see what I'll look like in ten years."

This time, the crystal ball didn't immediately respond. It first rippled, and then the image inside started to flicker erratically. The figure within seemed to convulse wildly.

Finally, the crystal ball cracked with a burst of red light!

Fujino: "......"

"Uh, the crystal ball broke by itself. I shouldn't have to pay for it, right?" Fujino asked with a wry smile.

The woman in the black robe did not raise her head and merely replied, "It's a quality issue with the crystal ball." She then let everyone leave.

"Of course, there's no need to pay," she said quietly once they had left, slowly lifting her head to reveal her crimson hair. She watched the departing group with a hint of interest. "Instead of money, I've found something much more intriguing."

---

After the school festival ended, Fujino drove the girls back home.

As for Mouri Kogoro, after hitting on some university students at the theater and receiving a scolding from Ran, he headed home with a dejected expression, retreating to a pub to drown his sorrows.

Later that night, in front of the Mifune Library.

Fujino stood in the darkness, his gaze fixed on the library in the distance. Out of the corner of his eye, he checked the system's task interface:

**[Detective Profession Task: Library Murder Case]**

- **Task Objective:** Solve the library murder case

- **Task Location:** Mifune Library

- **Task Reward:** 500,000 yen, 100 detective reputation points

Fujino remembered the library murder case. The story involved the library director being caught dealing drugs and then killing an employee who discovered him, hiding the body in the elevator.

When the police, led by Inspector Megure, searched the library in the afternoon, they found nothing.

However, Megure's failure to find anything sparked the interest of Conan and his Junior Detective League. The kids, led by Conan, decided to stay behind after hours to locate the dead employee's body.

But as they searched, they accidentally turned on the lights, alerting the library director who was then returning with a large iron rod to deal with the intruders.

"How come there's always drug dealers in every corner of the Conan universe…" Fujino thought, shaking his head as he dialed Megure.

Upon learning that Fujino had heard a scream from the library, Megure immediately gathered his team to head to the library. His instincts told him that every time Fujino reported something, it usually involved either a murderer or a criminal organization.

He vaguely remembered that the last time Fujino reported something, they had dismantled an Italian crime ring. That had earned him a commendation from his superiors.

So this time, it should be no different.

After hanging up, Fujino lit a calming cigarette and, armed with two enhancement cards and a wooden sword, sneaked into the library.

Inside the library, Conan and his team had already figured out what was happening. As they prepared to call the police, the elevator doors suddenly opened.

First appeared the director's ominous face, followed by his tall figure in a black suit. He was holding an iron rod behind his back, ready to play a deadly game of whack-a-mole with the kids.

Conan, realizing the danger, quickly instructed his teammates and then bravely attracted the murderer's attention, allowing the kids to use the elevator.

As the elevator descended, the director realized the kids were escaping and narrowly missed a blow to Conan's head. Conan swiftly slid under the director's legs and into the elevator as it descended.

**(End of Chapter)**