Chapter 263: This Woman’s Still as Rude as Ever…

"Alright, then it's settled—we're doing a play."

Shizuka Hiratsuka stood at the podium, announcing the voting results.

She glanced at her watch, impatiently ruffling the black hair spilling over her temples. "We've still got half the class time left before the bell, and we can't just sit around doing nothing. So, let's pick the executive committee while we're at it…"

She turned to the class. "Any suggestions for who should be on the committee?"

The executive committee for the school festival would join the planning group, handling everything from organizing the event to inviting people from outside the school.

In other words, it was a chance to call the shots.

But the bigger the role, the more grunt work came with it. Being on the committee was exhausting, so no one was exactly jumping at the opportunity.

"Who's gonna be on the executive committee…?"

"How about you?"

"No way, I've got club stuff to deal with—I don't have time."

"We need someone who's not in the go-home club and actually has some skills."

The class buzzed with chatter, but no one stepped up to volunteer.

After some back-and-forth, all eyes eventually landed on Fujino.

Fujino: "?"

Why's everyone looking at me?

Yup, they'd picked him as the executive committee member.

The reasons?

One, he wasn't in any clubs. Two, he was super capable. Three, he had a solid reputation out in the world.

Oh, and the big one: he was tight with Yoko Okino and Yuko Ikezawa.

Maybe he could convince them to show up and perform at Teitan High's festival.

"…"

Fujino was speechless.

What were these kids even thinking?

Being buddies with celebrities counted as a qualification now?

*Feels like these little punks are just trying to dump the annoying stuff on me,* he grumbled to himself.

He stood up from his seat and launched into a counterattack. "I get that you're all excited to see me take this on, but someone with no experience like me shouldn't hog such a big role. Opportunities like this should go to other classmates instead. Plus, as a detective, my schedule's pretty packed…"

Fujino's tai chi deflection was smooth as butter.

The class didn't have much to say after that—they couldn't really argue.

So they moved on to find the next lucky soul.

Fujino sat back down, mulling over the committee thing.

Truth be told, he *was* the perfect pick for it.

If it were him, a quick call to Yoko Okino or Yuko Ikezawa would probably get them to show up, no problem.

But here's the thing—he'd already decided deep down to slack off.

Whoever wanted this mess could have it.

He wasn't touching it.

"Ahem, well then, I'll take on the executive committee role this time!"

Sonoko suddenly stood up, volunteering herself for the job.

"Sonoko, are you sure about this?" Ran asked hesitantly from beside her. "Didn't you just do it last year?"

"Eh, it's fine," Sonoko said with a wave and a light laugh. "The play was my idea anyway, so of course I should be the one on the committee…"

Last year, she'd let her guard down and didn't dodge in time.

They hadn't even picked an event yet, and she'd ended up on the committee.

She'd already written the script and was ready to handle the planning herself.

Plus, the female lead was Ran!

She'd prepped all this last year, but some smug推理 maniac's detective event had stolen the spotlight.

Sure, it might be tiring, but for a lively, cash-fueled heiress like her, it was no big deal.

Miss Sonoko had a creative dream too, you know!

---

Afternoon, after school.

Konoha Kendo Dojo, training hall.

Fujino and Yuji Suwa stood on opposite sides.

Fujino's gaze was steady, his light-colored wooden sword in hand as he charged forward.

The blade swung out at a tricky angle.

With a sharp *whoosh*, it smashed straight toward Yuji Suwa.

Suwa reacted fast, instinctively raising his sword to block.

*Bang!*

*Crack!*

*Thwack!*

The wooden swords clashed repeatedly.

Crisp echoes rang through the training hall.

"Is that Senior Fujino?" 

A girl in kendo gear stood off to the side, rubbing her eyes. "He's so fast—I can't even tell how he and Master Suwa are trading moves."

"Of course," a guy next to her said, eyes glued to the duel. "Master Suwa's an eighth-dan super-first-class swordsman—one of fewer than 500 in all of Japan. And Senior Fujino, even though he's a detective and hasn't been doing kendo long, came in with the ability to spar with Master right from the start. Now, he's grown so much he can go toe-to-toe with him."

The girl tilted her head curiously. "So, is Senior Fujino a super-first-class swordsman too?"

"Nah, not quite," the guy said, shaking his head. "He's got eighth-dan skill, no doubt, but his official rank's still just first-dan."

"Wait, so he's the same rank as me?"

"First-dan's not the same as *first-dan*. He's only stuck there because he hasn't had time to test up," the guy teased. "But judging by the timing, his cooldown's probably up. Looks like someone's about to get forced out of kendo again."

"Forced out? What's his rank-up got to do with quitting kendo?"

"Let's just say sparring with him isn't just about losing…"

The guy's eyes narrowed. "Our senior here, during his first-dan exam, took on the whole group solo. Snapped a bunch of newbies' wooden swords, beat them so bad they questioned their entire existence. A few even had their kendo spirit crushed and quit on the spot."

"Uh…" 

The girl glanced back at Fujino in the distance. "Wait, I've got my second-dan exam coming up soon… I won't have to face him, will I?"

"Good luck," the guy said, giving her a pitying look.

He turned back just as the spar wrapped up.

---

"It's only been a few weeks since our last match, right? Your kendo's gotten sharper— even I'm starting to feel the pressure now," Suwa said, eyeing the fresh nicks on his wooden sword. There were more than last time, and he couldn't help but marvel.

"I've just been doing some basic training," Fujino replied, catching his breath and wiping sweat from his brow with his sleeve. "Compared to you, Master Suwa, I've still got a long way to go."

He wasn't wrong—he *did* lack some polish compared to Suwa.

Right now, his baseline strength boost was 350%, plus assassin skills, kendo mastery, and detective enhancements, pushing him to about 690%.

Solid B+ combat power.

With a pre-fight basic enhancement card, he could hit A-.

Even then, he couldn't outright beat Suwa—just make him work for it.

That meant Suwa's kendo strength was at least A-tier.

Well, *now*. In the past, Fujino figured Suwa was probably B to B+. Combat power wasn't static—it grew with training.

Suwa: "…"

That's it? Just "some" training?

Were all geniuses this humble?

He was already numb to it.

Suwa took a deep breath to steady himself. "Your physique is a real hurdle. If the me from when we first met faced you now, I'd probably lose."

Fujino nodded. "I can tell you've gotten stronger too, Master Suwa."

"That's thanks to you," Suwa said, not denying it. "Sparring with a kendo prodigy like you has made my skills—and my resolve—stronger these past weeks."

Every match with Fujino gave him something to chew on and improve from.

Especially after seeing Fujino's progress…

Yeah, both his kendo and his spirit had leveled up.

"The second-dan promotion exam's coming up soon. Thinking about bumping up your rank?" Suwa asked, snapping out of his thoughts.

"Second-dan exam?" 

Fujino frowned. Normally, there was a decent cooldown between first and second dan.

How long had it been since his first-dan test? And he could already go for second?

Then again, this was the *Conan-verse*.

After a moment's thought, he nodded. "Alright then, Master Suwa, could you sign me up again?"

"There's an exam on the tenth next month—I'm the head examiner. I'll let you know when it's time."

"Thanks for the trouble."

With the exam settled, Fujino headed to the dojo's lounge to shower.

Kendo ranks mattered. The higher the rank, the higher the status.

Someone like Suwa, at super-first-class eighth-dan, was a big deal.

Being the head examiner showed how much his stock had risen crossing from seventh to eighth dan. He'd probably even secured a foothold in the Kendo Association.

A solid connection to have.

Fujino's status was a bit weird, though.

Not quite a disciple, but not *not* one either—he'd gotten personal coaching.

Everyone at the dojo, new or old, called him "Senior Brother" anyway.

---

The sun dipped low, painting the sky orange and the ground a faint reddish hue.

*"The profile I crafted on purpose feels like it'll be seen through in no time…"*

Fresh from the shower, Fujino's phone chimed with a cheerful ringtone from the storage locker.

He grabbed it.

The screen showed: Yoko Okino.

"Yoko Okino?" he muttered, puzzled.

Sure, she'd text him now and then or call to ask if he wanted to catch a concert.

But lately, she'd been busy filming a new drama with Yuko Ikezawa and hadn't called in a while.

He answered, and Yoko's soft voice came through. "Moshi moshi, Fujino-kun?"

"It's me," Fujino said, holding the phone to his ear while pulling clothes from the locker.

"Finished shooting your drama, Miss Yoko?"

"Not yet… I'm still on set."

After some small talk, she got to the point. "Actually, I've got a favor to ask—or rather, a message to pass on."

"A message for me?"

"Yeah, it's from Ms. Hongko Suou of the Red Society—she asked me to reach out."

Yoko's voice dipped a little. "Next week, Ms. Suou's hosting a charity gala. I've been invited to perform, and when she heard I know you, she asked me to get in touch. She really wants to connect with you."

"Hongko Suou from the Red Society?" 

Fujino rummaged through his memory. "Who's she?"

"You haven't heard of her, Fujino-kun?" Yoko sounded surprised.

"Of course he hasn't!" a grumpy female voice cut in from the other end. "Hongko Suou retired fifteen years ago. How would a kid his age, outside the industry, know her?"

That attitude was unmistakable.

Yup, Yuko Ikezawa.

Still as rude as ever.

"Yuko!" Yoko scolded playfully on the other end. "Why are you eavesdropping on my call again?"

"Can't I just be passing by?" 

Yuko shot Yoko a glance, then snatched the phone and launched into an explanation. "Hongko Suou's an old-school singer. Back in the day, they called her the 'Canary of the East' for her gorgeous voice. She retired about fifteen years ago—makes sense you wouldn't know her."

*This woman's still as tactless as ever…* Fujino thought, sweating a little, but he kept it polite. "Miss Yuko, you're on set too?"

"Yeah, just finished a scene with this ditz and happened to walk by…"

"Yuko!"

After some commotion, Yoko wrestled the phone back, took a deep breath to suppress her faint annoyance, and continued. "Since retiring, she's been doing charity work for the past fifteen years. She just started the Red Society agency for that reason. This gala's being held under their name."

"She's not exactly a saint, though," Yuko piped up, her tone sour. "A few years back, I remember her getting tangled in some car accident scandal. Yoko, you naive little fool, actually buying into this 'charity' act… Doing a free performance? Watch her scam you, drag you into some mess, and pull Fujino down with you."

"Yuko!" Yoko huffed again.

"So what's this 'Canary of the East' want with me?" Fujino cut to the chase. "It's not a case, is it?"

"No, not a case," Yoko said, catching her breath and organizing her thoughts while glaring at a sulky Yuko. "Fujino-kun, you saved that plane not long ago, right? This gala's theme is 'A Charity Evening for Kids Who Lost Families in Traffic Accidents.' Ms. Suou wants to invite you as a special guest to endorse the event."

"Endorse it?" 

Fujino mulled it over. An endorsement gig sounded like it could pay, so he agreed. "Got it, Miss Yoko. Could you send me Ms. Suou's contact info? I'd rather talk to her myself."

"Sure… I'll text it to you later."

---

"Endorsing a charity gala, huh?" 

Fujino hung up, slipping into his clothes while pondering.

As a former rich kid, he knew a thing or two about business tricks.

Charity galas? Most weren't really charitable.

Some were cash grabs, others fake goodwill. Only a handful actually helped kids.

A real mixed bag.

But fifteen years of charity work? That had to mean decent character, right?

Still, Yuko's mention of that car accident scandal stuck with him.

It rang a faint bell.

Guess he'd find out when they met…

*(Chapter End)*