251

She wasn't particularly interested in those luxury bags. After all, each one cost hundreds of thousands of yen. With that kind of money, she'd rather buy groceries or help with household expenses. 

Shaking her head, she murmured softly, "I'll give it to Ai instead. I remember she really likes the brand Fusha-e. If I gift it to her, she'll probably be happy." 

"Alright, I'll give it to Ai later." 

Fujino placed the shopping bag on the coffee table, then turned and headed for the kitchen, putting on an apron… 

*(PS: Just adding a small correction. I made a minor adjustment to the previous chapters. Originally, I had deleted a part during editing, but actually, Fujino's name has always been Fujino—even in his past life. That's why he prefers people to call him by his surname. Everyone around him was basically tricked into it.)* 

---

Dinner was ready before long. 

Fujino washed the grease off his hands at the sink, then brought the freshly prepared dishes to the table. 

"Tonight's dinner looks amazing… Your cooking skills are still as incredible as ever." 

Akemi Miyano emerged from the bathroom after washing her hands. Inhaling the aroma of the food, she smiled and said, "I'll go call Ai for dinner." 

"I'll do it." 

Fujino interrupted her, picking up the shopping bag from the coffee table. "I'll give her this bag while I'm at it." 

---

Haibara Ai sat at her desk, wearing a sleeveless red sweater and light brown shorts. Her eyes were fixed on the glowing computer screen as her fingers typed rapidly and rhythmically on the keyboard. 

After all this time working on it, she was close to completing the first-generation antidote… 

Her fingers paused. She rubbed her slightly sore eyes before stretching and checking the time on her phone. 

"Eight o'clock already?" 

She blinked in surprise, then lightly smacked her forehead. "I forgot to make dinner…" 

**Knock, knock!** 

Just then, a knock came from the door. 

Hearing it, she turned and walked over. 

Opening the door, she saw Fujino standing there in pajamas, wearing an apron over them. 

Fujino glanced around the dim room before looking down at Ai and reminding her, "You should turn on the lights when using the computer. Your eyes won't handle the strain otherwise." 

"Yeah, I know. I'll turn them on next time." 

Ai nodded, then suddenly remembered. "Oh, I haven't made dinner yet. You must be hungry after working all day. I'll cook something now." 

"No need. I already made dinner. I was just about to call you." 

As he spoke, Fujino handed her the shopping bag. 

Ai took it with a puzzled expression. When she looked inside, her eyes widened in surprise. "This is… a Fusha-e bag?" 

Even though her body had shrunk, she was still the same intelligent girl. And she definitely had a weakness for Fusha-e bags… 

However, after thinking for a moment, she handed the bag back. 

Looking up at Fujino with a serious expression, she said, "I remember this bag costs around 400,000 to 500,000 yen. That's way too expensive. Take it back and return it tomorrow." 

Being familiar with luxury brands, Ai knew this bag was worth a fortune. 

She wasn't sure about Fujino's commission fees, but she estimated that a detective job typically paid around 100,000 yen—maybe a few hundred thousand at best. 

Even Akemi Miyano's café, Snow King Ice City, only made a few hundred thousand yen per month. 

This one bag alone was a huge expense. 

Although she liked it, she didn't want to add any financial burden to their little "family." 

"It's fine. The client gave it to me, so I didn't spend any money on it. Akemi doesn't like carrying bags like this, and I can't return it even if I wanted to." 

Fujino looked down at Ai's serious expression, easily reading her thoughts. Crouching down, he patted her head. "If you don't want it, I'll just give it to someone else." 

"…" 

Ai froze. 

The moment he removed his hand, she sighed in relief, smoothing her slightly tousled short hair before muttering, "I… I do like it." 

"Good." 

Fujino handed the bag back to her. "Put it away and come eat." 

"Okay." 

Ai took the bag, placed it on her bed, and smiled ever so slightly, feeling unexpectedly happy. 

---

By the time dinner was over, it was almost 9 PM. 

The group sat around the couch, watching a late-night TV show. 

Suddenly, Ai pulled out a few plane tickets from her pocket and placed them on the coffee table. "A few days ago, Professor Agasa won these plane tickets to Okinawa in an online giveaway. When I visited his house, he gave me a few and invited us to go on a trip together." 

She paused, then looked at Fujino and Akemi. "Are you guys free the day after tomorrow?" 

"The day after tomorrow?" 

Fujino picked up one of the tickets and examined it. 

The departure date was indeed the day after tomorrow. 

This was a bit troublesome… 

Right now, he was waiting for a high-value client to show up at the agency. If he left for Okinawa, he might miss the opportunity entirely. 

After thinking it over, he decided to take the trip. 

He had already been waiting four days for this high-value client. If they didn't show up tomorrow or the day after, he'd just be wasting more time. 

**Ding-dong!** 

Just as they finished packing their luggage and were about to head to the airport, the doorbell to the detective agency rang. 

Fujino paused mid-action. 

Could it be… the high-value client? 

Today was a "Detective Saturday"—clients usually showed up on Saturdays. 

But seriously… after skipping the past few days, they just had to show up right when he was about to leave? 

This client had some nerve. 

After thinking for a moment, Fujino told Ai and Akemi to wait while he went downstairs to check. 

As he reached the agency's entrance, he saw a girl standing neatly by the door, waiting patiently. 

She had delicate features, wavy tea-brown short hair, and was dressed in a yellow plaid dress with white heels. 

She had a pure, elegant demeanor, but her expression carried a sense of composure and maturity. 

"…Momiji Ooka?" 

 Chapter 252 

**Momiji Ooka's Request: The Same Destination?** 

Fujino immediately recognized her. 

The last time they met was in Osaka, near a shrine, during the "Egg of Memories" case. 

"Koji." 

Momiji turned, her dress swaying slightly as she gazed at Fujino. Walking up to him, she linked her arm around his. "We meet again." 

Fujino: "…" 

He glanced down at his arm, feeling his cheek twitch slightly. 

Momiji Ooka was one of the rare people he found troublesome—not for any particular reason, but simply because she was **too enthusiastic**. 

She always carried this "This man is mine, hands off!" kind of attitude. 

If they had known each other for a long time, it might make sense. But Fujino couldn't recall having much interaction with her at all. 

In the "future" he was aware of, Momiji was supposed to have a misunderstanding with Heiji Hattori. 

Yet somehow, that misunderstanding had been transferred to *him*. 

Looking at the timeline, it seemed like he had unknowingly intercepted Heiji's role. 

While that might have saved Heiji and his childhood friend a lot of trouble, it had now created a problem for Fujino instead. 

While they might not be as wealthy as the Suzuki family, in terms of status, her family was actually a bit higher. 

In short, Hōjō Momiji was a noble and wealthy lady—definitely the kind of high-value client the system would want to attract. 

The only question was… how much would she be willing to pay? 

"Fujino-kun, Haibara and I have already packed our luggage. When are we leaving?" 

A voice suddenly came from behind, interrupting Fujino's thoughts. 

Miyano Akemi was coming down the stairs, carrying two travel bags, with Haibara Ai following closely behind, a square-shaped shoulder bag slung over her back. 

The two of them stopped at the stairwell of the second-floor detective agency. 

Akemi glanced at the unfamiliar girl standing in front of Fujino and asked curiously, "And she is...?" 

Fujino turned to introduce her. "This is Hōjō Momiji. I met her last time when I was in Osaka." 

Behind him, Momiji looked at Akemi, then at Haibara, before casually adding, "Oh, and by the way, I'm also Fujino-kun's future bride." 

*Thud!* Both travel bags dropped to the floor. 

"…?!" 

Haibara's eyes froze for a moment. She blinked, her pupils slightly dilating. 

A few seconds later, both Akemi and Haibara snapped out of it, exclaiming in unison, "Future bride?!" 

Akemi's gaze darted between Fujino and Momiji as she rested a delicate hand on her chin, full of suspicion. 

Meanwhile, Haibara furrowed her brows, her eyes narrowing as she stared at Momiji. "Ding…" 

Fujino: "…" 

Why did this atmosphere suddenly feel… off? 

Sensing the tension, he decided to break the awkward silence with a forced chuckle. "Uh, Momiji-san… I don't actually remember anything about this. If there's some misunderstanding, let's clear it up." 

He quickly changed the subject, introducing the two beside him. "This is my cousin, Akemi, and this is Haibara Ai—she's temporarily staying at my place." 

"I see." 

Momiji nodded slightly and bowed politely. "Nice to meet you, Akemi-san, Haibara-san. Please take care of me." 

"Nice to meet you too…" 

The two returned the greeting out of courtesy. 

Right after, Akemi stepped forward and tugged on Fujino's arm, pulling him aside and whispering urgently, "Fujino, what's the deal with this Hōjō Momiji girl…?" 

Haibara, just as suspicious, quietly moved closer, eavesdropping on their conversation. 

"It's not what you think…" 

Fujino sighed, trying to recall the events. "It all started the last time I went to Osaka. While I was with Ran and the others at a shrine drawing fortunes, I happened to run into Momiji-san. That's pretty much it. Honestly, I barely even remember it myself. It was probably just some kind of misunderstanding." 

"A misunderstanding?" 

Hearing that, Haibara's tense expression softened slightly. She gripped the strap of her bag without realizing it. 

Then, she tugged on Fujino's sleeve, tilting her head like a little girl. "So… when are we leaving?" 

"Uh… about that…" 

Fujino hesitated. 

Momiji was clearly a high-value client the system had drawn in. With her wealth—and the system's influence—the payment she offered was likely to be significant. 

After some thought, he made his decision. "I don't think I can go to Okinawa with you this time. Momiji-san actually came to see me for a job. She wants to hire me for something." 

"A job…?" 

Haibara lowered her gaze. "You really can't come with us?" 

"She's a client, after all." 

Fujino leaned down slightly and ruffled Haibara's hair. "You and Akemi should go ahead and enjoy Okinawa. Once I finish this job, I'll make it up to you next time." 

"…Alright." 

Haibara sighed and nodded, though she kept glancing sideways at Momiji. 

Somehow, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was being stolen from her. 

 ...… 

"Safe travels." 

After seeing them off, Fujino turned back inside. 

Honestly, he *did* want to go to Okinawa with them. 

But when it came down to it, money spoke louder. 

After all, making money meant he could spend it on draws, grow stronger, and stand a better chance against the forces working against him in this Conan-style world—whether it was shady organizations or dangerous individuals. 

Fujino led Momiji to the detective agency on the second floor. 

The moment they stepped inside, his demeanor shifted to a more professional and serious tone—almost like flipping a switch into "battle mode." 

He poured a cup of tea for Momiji and asked, "Momiji-san, can you tell me more about the job you mentioned earlier?" 

Momiji took a small sip of tea and spoke calmly. "I'm planning to go on a trip today, but I'm a little concerned about my safety. So, I wanted to hire you as my bodyguard." 

"A bodyguard job?" 

Fujino raised an eyebrow. 

Worried about safety? He didn't buy it. After all, Momiji already had a former Public Security Bureau member, Iori Muga, by her side. And being the daughter of an elite Kyoto family, there was no way she *wouldn't* have personal bodyguards. 

This was probably just an excuse to invite him on the trip, but since she couldn't find a good reason, she used his profession as an opening. 

Rather than a bodyguard job, this was more like paying him to go on a vacation with her. 

Fujino quickly understood what she was doing and decided to play along. "Since this is an official job, let's talk about the payment…" 

"For this job, I'm offering two million yen as your fee." 

Momiji sipped her tea and added with a knowing look, "Even though you're my future… well, since this is a professional case, of course I'll pay you properly." 

Fujino nodded, finding himself warming up to her a little. 

Technically, *he* should've been the one bringing up payment first. But since she beat him to it, she saved him from the awkwardness of negotiating. 

Two million yen was a solid offer—on the higher end for bodyguard jobs, though not outrageously so. 

Clearly, Momiji had already researched market rates before coming here. 

'This woman… she's sharp.' 

Fujino couldn't help but admire her cleverness. 

"Is two million yen not enough?" 

Momiji glanced at him, noticing his silence. She continued, upping the ante, "Since you're a great detective, if you think two million is too low, I can add another million. Plus, I'll cover any additional expenses during the trip." 

"Three million yen?" 

Fujino blinked in surprise. 

Usually, he was the one haggling for more money. Having a client *raise* the price was a first. 

Was this the power of the system's client-attracting skill? 

Terrifying. 

"Still not enough?" 

Momiji set down her tea and said seriously, "If three million isn't enough, I can add another million. Four million yen. What do you think?" 

Then, with a small smile, she added, "And if that's still not enough… I can keep adding." 

"*Cough!*" 

Fujino cleared his throat, quickly refilling her tea. "Please, Boss, have some more tea." 

Inside, he marveled: *Now this is what I call an elite family—throwing out cash like it's nothing!* 

He *liked* clients who came in with a high offer and *then* kept adding more. 

In just a few minutes, the fee had jumped to four million yen. If he hesitated any longer, would it hit five million? 

If only *all* his clients were like this… 

Still, he decided not to push it further. There was a limit—going too high would turn it into a personal favor rather than just business. 

 ...… 

With the job confirmed, Fujino drafted a contract, signed it, and handed it to Momiji along with a pen. "If you're satisfied with the contract, please sign here. Once you do, the agreement is official, and I'll be obligated to protect your safety and keep the details confidential." 

"You're so professional, Fujino-kun," Momiji mused as she skimmed the contract. With a playful smile, she added, "It almost feels like signing a marriage certificate." 

Fujino: "…" 

"Just kidding." 

After signing, she returned the pen. "Is that all?" 

"Yeah, that's it," Fujino replied. Then, out of curiosity, he asked, "By the way… where exactly are you traveling to?" 

"Okinawa." 

Fujino froze. 

Well, *that* was a coincidence. 

Or was it? 😅 

(patreon:belamy20)