Chapter 67: A Matryoshka-Style Program Invitation

Early in the morning, Fujino stood on his balcony, gazing out at the scenery as he stretched lazily.

"Beika Town is just as lively and full of life as always!"

He sighed in admiration and pulled out his phone to check the date.

Saturday, August 10th.

Hmm. Very Conan-esque.

After confirming it was the weekend, Fujino slowly made his way to the bathroom.

Once he'd freshened up, he donned a bathrobe and strolled to the sofa, where he plopped down and began enjoying a long-awaited weekend break.

After a while, he reached out and picked up the day's newspaper from the coffee table.

The front-page headlines jumped out at him:

[Princess of the Principality of Sabrina Arrives in Japan with "Paris Sunshine"! Challenges Kaitou Kid at the Airport!]

[Will the infamous thief from Europe accept the princess's invitation?]

[Famed Detective Fujino Teams Up with the Junior Detective League to Crack Major Drug Case! With Shinichi Kudo still missing, who truly deserves the title of 'New Century Holmes'?]

"Kaitou Kid?"

Fujino blinked in surprise at the headline.

The Princess of Sabrina was indeed pretty cute.

But that wasn't what caught his attention—

It wasn't like she was Mira the Princess who looked just like Ran…

What got his attention was that one name:

Kaitou Kid.

Even the original Fujino knew who that was.

An internationally wanted thief pursued by law enforcement across nearly every country.

He committed most of his heists at night, dressed in a full white tuxedo, and carried out illusions under the guise of "magic."

That's why the public called him the Moonlight Magician.

In Fujino's memory, Kaitou Kid originally just made cameo appearances in Detective Conan.

But over time, that cameo role gradually turned into a main character.

"That magician-loving, fish-fearing kid from Ekoda High, huh?"

Setting the newspaper down, a small smirk tugged at the corners of Fujino's mouth.

Noon.

After doing a bit of tidying around the house, Fujino drove himself over to the Konoha Kendo Dojo.

He was only a few experience points away from leveling up his Swordsman class.

He figured that a solid afternoon of practice at the dojo should do the trick.

To be honest, he wanted those job points.

Besides, he was curious to see what the Konoha Kendo Dojo was actually like.

But on his way there, he received an unexpected call.

It was from Yuko Ikezawa.

"Long time no see, Detective Fujino. Are you free right now?"

Fujino wasn't sure if he was imagining it, but Ikezawa's voice seemed noticeably softer than before.

"I should be… free…"

He frowned slightly.

"Ms. Ikezawa, is there something you need? Don't tell me it's another job digging up dirt on some idol?"

Honestly, Fujino couldn't imagine why she would be calling him again.

He had no interest in taking on that kind of commission again.

Unless the pay was really good.

"Do I come off as that kind of person to you?"

There was no hiding the complaint in her tone.

"Yup."

Fujino nodded and hummed in response.

"..."

There was a long silence on the other end.

Then, with a bit of frustration, she scratched her head and took a deep breath before continuing.

"I was going to invite you to be a guest on a show called 'Inside Neon: Detectives Uncovered.' But since that's how you see me, then never mind."

"Inside Neon: Detectives Uncovered?"

Fujino raised an eyebrow.

"What kind of show is that?"

"Oh? Interested now?"

Ikezawa's voice turned playful.

"It's a variety show all about detectives—showcasing their work, stories, that kind of thing."

"Ah, so it's a talk show… Is there a commission fee?"

Fujino wasn't interested in TV appearances or fame.

But money? Now that got his attention.

"Yup."

Yuko's lips curled up in a sly grin.

"A nice, round ¥500,000."

"Then I'll leave it to you, Ms. Ikezawa."

Fujino agreed instantly.

"But could you remind me on the day of the shoot?"

The reason he asked was simple—

The timeline in this Conan verse is completely messed up.

Seriously, it was impossible to tell when it was a weekend or a school day.

He had to check his phone every morning just to be sure.

"No problem."

Ikezawa agreed immediately.

Then Fujino hung up on his own.

"Still the same money-grubber as ever, huh?"

Listening to the beeping on the other end, Ikezawa let out a sigh.

Then she looked down at the newspaper clenched in her hand.

Her expression turned complicated.

"Am I that bad?"

Just yesterday, she'd been invited to appear on a show called "Inside Neon: Detectives Uncovered."

Normally, she would've turned down a variety show like that without hesitation.

But when she heard it involved detectives, she immediately thought of Fujino.

So she made a request—she would only join the show if she could choose the detective guest.

Surprisingly, the producers agreed almost instantly.

So quickly that even she was a little shocked.

"Yuko Ikezawa personally invited me onto a show? That's kinda suspicious..."

After ending the call, Fujino muttered to himself.

Logically speaking, considering how she'd tried to blackmail him last time, he'd have expected her to avoid him like the plague.

So why would she now go out of her way to give him a money-making, fame-boosting opportunity?

Don't tell me this is some weird, kinky setup...

"Ring! Ring!"

Just then, his phone rang again.

Fujino glanced at the screen with confusion.

"Another call?"

He picked it up—

Caller ID: Yoko Okino.

Well damn, another A-list idol.

After a moment of thought, Fujino answered the call.

Sure enough, it was Yoko Okino.

And her reason for calling?

The same variety show—

"Inside Neon: Detectives Uncovered."

It was a near-identical invitation to the one Ikezawa gave him...

Even the ¥500,000 appearance fee was the same.

"Wait a second…

Is this the same show?"

It's a nested doll situation!

"So this show isn't some weird prank—

It's a legit detective variety show?"

After accepting Yoko's invitation, Fujino finally felt relieved.

In this world where detectives were practically superheroes,

there were loads of programs centered around them.

But getting invited to the same show by two top-tier idols within the same hour?

Now that was overkill.

Fujino thought about it for a bit, then decided—

He'd go see what this "Inside Neon: Detectives Uncovered" was all about.

Not for the money, of course.

Just... because he was starting to enjoy variety shows.

(End of Chapter)