Chapter 264: Rising Fame
Late at night in Tokyo.
The city lights glowed brightly outside the window, the faint hum of urban clamor drifting in.
"Alright, Ms. Suou, see you tomorrow. Let's meet at my detective agency in Mihama-cho, 5th district."
Fujino hung up the phone and let out a long breath.
That settled it—tomorrow, he'd discuss the endorsement deal.
He didn't know much about this woman's character yet, but according to Yoko Okino's introduction, she was a well-regarded philanthropist. People like that usually had stellar reputations in society.
"Hold on, though… Why does her name sound so familiar?"
Fujino tucked his phone away, murmuring to himself in confusion.
In this world, anyone who stuck in his memory was usually tied to the original *Conan* plot—either a killer or a victim.
But he couldn't place her right away.
The *Detective Conan* storyline stretched on forever—over a thousand TV episodes. No way he could recall every single one. Aside from iconic cases and major plot points, without a specific hint, he couldn't pin down where "Suou Kouko" fit in.
"My head's a mess…"
Fujino rubbed his temple, feeling a slight ache.
After a moment's thought, he decided to hop online and dig up more on this Suou Kouko.
It wasn't just about jogging his memory for plot clues—he also wanted to gauge the reputation of this potential client. If she turned out to have a shady rep, he could easily dodge the gig tomorrow with a "no time" excuse.
---
"Suou Kouko… Red Society…"
Fujino leaned back against his headboard, laptop on his thighs, fingers flying across the keyboard.
It didn't take long to pull up info on her.
Search tech in this era wasn't great, but finding dirt on a celebrity was still a breeze.
The results confirmed Yoko's take: Suou Kouko was a big deal.
Years ago, her clear, bright voice earned her the nickname "Oriental Canary," making her a legend in Japan's music scene.
But fifteen years back, she abruptly retired from singing and founded the "Red Society," a management company focused on charity performances and efforts to help kids orphaned by traffic accidents.
As for the rumors Yuko Ikezawa mentioned, that was another story.
About twenty years ago, Suou's assistant crashed her car into a woman, killed her, then fled the scene before taking her own life.
The Red Society popped up shortly after, so the public and media latched onto it, often using the incident to criticize Suou.
Still, those claims were shaky—most reports lacked solid proof.
Fujino skimmed through it all and figured Suou's rep seemed solid enough. Maybe this endorsement was worth doing.
---
Early morning, just before dawn.
Overnight, snowflakes began drifting down, blanketing the city in a silvery glow, like a bride decked out for her big day.
Winters came and went in the *Conan* world—how many had passed now? Fujino had lost count. He was used to it.
Standing by the window of his detective agency, he wore a sharp suit pulled from his system stash, sipping hot tea from a cup as he watched the snow fall. The warmth felt nice.
*Knock, knock!*
A rap at the door broke the quiet.
"They're here?"
Fujino wasn't surprised.
He set the cup on the windowsill, crossed the lounge, and opened the door.
There stood an elderly woman with pale skin, white hair, clad in a black dress and a red shawl. Behind her was a middle-aged woman in a gray suit, short black hair, glasses, and a slightly weathered look.
Fujino ushered them into the lounge, and they settled on the sofas to chat.
After some introductions, he learned the older woman was Suou Kouko, and the one trailing her was her assistant, Kazuyo Inada.
Their visit? To hash out details for a charity gala endorsement.
Suou sat across from him, her tone earnest. "The Red Society sincerely hopes you'll endorse this charity gala, Detective Fujino. No one embodies 'The Light of Hope' better—or could bring more hope to kids who've lost their families."
"Light of Hope?"
Fujino's brow furrowed slightly.
He didn't get it—when did he pick up such a cheesy title?
"'Light of Hope' is the theme for next week's gala," her assistant chimed in. "And since you just averted a plane disaster, we couldn't think of a better hero detective to carry that name."
"That's exactly why we need your endorsement," Suou added, cutting to the chase. "If you agree to represent this event, the Red Society will pay you five million yen as your fee."
Fujino blinked, caught off guard.
Five million yen right out the gate? This old lady didn't mess around—she could give the Suzuki family a run for their money.
Were philanthropists really this loaded?
He pondered it. Then again, it made sense.
His fame had skyrocketed lately.
That high-altitude murder case? Japan Airlines had spun it hard to bury their co-pilot's drug-smuggling scandal, shifting all the spotlight onto the "hero detective" who saved the plane.
That detective was him—and now he was practically a household name.
Even days later, his story still dominated TV news.
In short, the cash they were dropping on him was peanuts compared to the buzz—and donations—it'd bring in.
Fujino mulled it over briefly before agreeing with a grin. "Since you're so sincere, Ms. Suou, I'll take on this endorsement.
I don't have a formal contract for this kind of thing, so we'll skip that for now. But I'll definitely be at the gala. If there's any work I need to handle, just give me a call."
"Thank you so much."
Suou stood and bowed deeply. "I'll have my assistant send the deposit to your account tomorrow—"
"No need to wait," Fujino cut in, smiling. "We take mobile payments here."
"Mobile payments?"
Suou blinked, then waved a hand. "Kazuyo."
"Yes, ma'am."
The assistant briskly pulled a bank card from her crossbody bag.
*Ding!*
One million yen hit his account.
[Current System Balance: 6.68 million yen]
After the deposit, Suou suddenly asked, "By the way, Detective Fujino, are you free the day after tomorrow?"
"The day after tomorrow…"
Fujino paused.
What was she getting at? A sixty-something grandma…
He didn't swing that way.
He dodged a direct answer. "Is there more prep work involved?"
"Well…" Suou explained, "Many of the kids we support at the Red Society are huge fans of yours. If you've got time the day after tomorrow, maybe you could visit the orphanage? They'd be thrilled."
Her assistant added, "We'd also arrange for NTV to film it and do a report."
"Oh, got it."
Fujino nodded, relieved. "I should be free then. Just let me know."
---
On the car ride away from the agency
Kazuyo Inada drove, her tone uneasy. "Teacher, five million yen for this… Isn't that a bit much?"
"It's fine," Suou replied, a glint of confidence in her eyes. "I'm sure I can secure the remaining four million in three days."
"But…" Kazuyo hesitated.
"No buts," Suou said firmly, leaning back with a knowing smirk. "I can tell—he might seem all about the money on the surface, but deep down, he's a softie.
Even if the five million goes down the drain, the donations we'll rake in will far outweigh it. This is a win-win shot, and we're taking it."
---
Noon, snow cleared
After seeing off his clients, Fujino had nothing pressing to do. He took over for Miyano Akemi at the shop so she could take Haihara Ai shopping.
Soon, a new order came in—a young couple.
Fujino confirmed their request, whipped up their drinks, and handed them over. "Snow King's Secret Couple Set, here you go."
"Thanks…"
The pair took the plastic bag with their drinks, then paused, curiosity sparking. "Um, excuse me, are you Detective Fujino?"
"You know me?"
Fujino glanced up, mildly surprised.
"We're both huge fans!" the guy blurted, buzzing with excitement. "I saw you on TV yesterday—saving that plane!"
"Uh, could you maybe sign our cups?" the girl asked shyly.
"Oh, detective fans…"
Fujino chuckled, catching on. He pulled a black marker from his pocket, scribbled his signature on their cups, and handed them back. "That work?"
"Yes, yes!"
They nodded eagerly. As they left, they gushed, "Getting drinks made by a famous detective—it's so rare!"
"Super memorable!"
"My fame's getting a little out of hand…"
Fujino watched them go, laughing softly to himself.
Lately, more and more people were asking for his autograph.
How was he supposed to get used to this?
But then a lightbulb went off—a new market opportunity.
What if he launched a "Snow King Detective Fujino Limited Edition" drink cup? New flavor, a few signatures… He could jack up the price by a few hundred yen easy.
(Chapter End)