i am just a student? in Conan world

Fujino strolled down the stairs, taking his time as he descended from the rooftop to the fourth floor.

As soon as he stepped out of the stairwell, he caught the sound of chatter coming from not too far away.

He turned his gaze toward the noise.

And there it was—right in the direction marked by his Hawkeye vision. 🦅

He reached up and slipped the necklace off his neck.

The tiny wooden sword pendant didn't stay small for long—it stretched and grew, transforming from something barely the size of his palm into a full-on meter-long wooden blade. ⚔️

Gripping the sword, Fujino kicked open the men's bathroom door with a solid *thud*.

What greeted him was a surprisingly tidy restroom.

Well, except for one stall door that had clearly seen better days—it looked like it'd been through a war zone.

Fujino stepped inside and spotted the busted stall door up close.

There, sitting on a pristine white toilet, was Satou Miwako, decked out in a sharp business suit, looking bored out of her mind. 😐

Next to her slumped a scruffy, exhausted-looking older guy with a stubbly beard.

The two were handcuffed together, the chain looped around a metal pipe behind Satou's toilet.

Clearly, they were stuck. Big time.

"Officer Satou?" Fujino blinked.

"Fujino?" Satou perked up, surprised, lifting her head to meet his suspicious stare.

She started to stand up to explain—only to get yanked back by the handcuffs caught on the pipe, plopping right back onto the toilet seat with a thud.

Satou: "…"

Being locked in the men's bathroom was already humiliating enough.

But getting caught by a teenage detective? Oh, this was next-level embarrassment. 😳

She wanted to cover her face in shame.

But as she lifted her hand—*clank*—the chain rattled against the pipe, stopping her dead in her tracks.

Satou glanced back at the cuffs smacking the metal: "…"

She kinda felt like crying.

With no other choice, she tucked the cuffed hand behind her back, looked up, and forced an awkward grin, playing it off. "Fujino-kun! What a coincidence… What are you doing here?"

Fujino: "…"

Uh, since when did Satou get this goofy?

He was a pro, though—no matter how funny it was, he wouldn't laugh. Unless…

"Pfft… *cough*." Fujino cleared his throat, fighting a smirk as he straightened up. "I was actually here to check on the kids' rehearsal. But as soon as I got here, I got a text from Ai-chan saying you were stuck. So, I figured I'd swing by."

He glanced at the chain tangled between the pipe and the wall behind Satou. "That aside, Officer Satou, how'd you end up here? And locked to this guy, no less…?"

'He totally laughed just now, didn't he? I *know* he did…' Satou thought, catching Fujino's vibe. Her embarrassment skyrocketed, and she quickly cut him off, stumbling over her explanation.

As Fujino had guessed, it went like this: she'd taken down the fugitive with a slick shoulder throw, but while cuffing him, she accidentally looped the chain around the toilet pipe. And then—oops—she lost the key. 🤦‍♀️

Realizing how ridiculous she'd made things, she'd asked Takagi to sneak off and grab a spare key.

But then the fugitive piped up, claiming he wasn't a murderer—he'd only run to make it to his daughter's wedding.

Touched by his story, Satou decided to trust him. She sent Takagi off with the Detective Boys to dig into the truth.

And not long after they left, Fujino showed up.

"So that's why you're stuck here with this guy," Fujino said, nodding like it all clicked. Then he hesitated. "But… couldn't you just shoot the chain off with your gun, Officer Satou?"

"No way!" Satou shook her head. "In a tiny stall like this, a bullet could ricochet like crazy. Plus, if I broke the chain, I'd have a *lot* of explaining to do back at the station tomorrow."

Getting herself locked in a bathroom with a suspect was bad enough—she'd be the laughingstock of the precinct if word got out.

"Uh, Fujino?" Satou spoke up again. "Could I ask you a favor? Would you mind helping Takagi and the kids look into this case? I'm a little worried about them handling it alone."

In her eyes, Takagi was a solid cop.

But… he wasn't exactly reliable. 😅

If he were, this fugitive wouldn't have slipped away in the first place.

Sure, that glasses kid was with them, but she still wasn't totally at ease.

"No problem—I was planning to head over there anyway," Fujino agreed with a nod. Then he paused. "But we can't just leave you here. This place is scheduled for demolition tomorrow, you know."

"Demolition?!" Satou's eyes widened. "Wait, *this* building?"

"Yup, it's getting blown up tomorrow morning," Fujino confirmed. "Didn't you see it in the paper, Officer Satou?"

"Did I…?" Satou frowned, racking her brain. She'd been swamped with overtime lately—no chance to skim the news.

At this point, pride was out the window. She sighed. "Fujino, my phone's dead… Could you call the police for me?"

"Officer Satou, you're giving up?" Fujino raised an eyebrow. "If we call this in, everything you've done so far goes down the drain."

"What else can I do?" Satou groaned, exasperated. "This place is about to be demolished! If Takagi doesn't find the real culprit in time, we're toast…"

"Not necessarily," Fujino said, his tone suddenly serious. "I've got a way to unlock you without a key."

"Another way?" Satou's face lit up! 😲

If it were anyone else, she'd be skeptical.

But Fujino? The clever teenage sleuth? He might just have some wild trick up his sleeve.

She looked up—and saw him hefting his wooden sword, aiming the tip right at her.

"Fujino-kun… what are you doing?" Satou sweat-dropped.

"Officer Satou, duck," Fujino said, gripping the sword tight, veins popping on his hand. "I don't want to accidentally hit you."

"Oh, got it!" Satou nodded, catching on. She crouched beside the toilet, one hand shielding her head.

The fugitive next to her was still totally lost.

What was this kid planning with a wooden sword?!

"Hah!" Before the guy could process it, Fujino let out a shout, charged forward, and drove the blade into the pipe with a fierce thrust.

*Clang!*

*Crash!*

The metallic echo rang out, followed by the sound of concrete shattering.

"Phew…" Fujino pulled back the sword and grinned. "Problem solved, right?"

"It actually worked?!" Satou gaped, turning to see the pipe snapped in two, the tiles and concrete behind it smashed to bits.

"Thanks, Fujino-kun!" Satou stood, tugging the fugitive up with the cuffs, and flashed him a grateful smile. "I seriously didn't know what I'd do without you."

"Just passing through," Fujino said with a casual wave. "Now that you're free, Officer Satou, wanna head to the crime scene together?"

"…"

The fugitive swallowed hard, glancing at the thick pipe—then at Fujino's wooden sword.

One hit from that thing would kill him, right?

And wait—wasn't that a *wooden* sword?!

How was it that strong?!

And why was this cop acting so chill about this absurdity? Was she used to it or something?

---

Later that night, on the streets of Tokyo, inside a police car with flashing lights…

"Damn it, where the heck did Satou, Takagi, and that fugitive run off to?!" Megure Juuzou grumbled from the passenger seat. "Last we heard, they chased him into an abandoned building in Beika, then—poof—gone."

"Inspector Megure, don't you think it's weird?" Shiratori said, eyes narrowing as he drove. "Takagi's one thing, but Satou? Not reporting in for hours? …What if—and I'm just throwing this out there—what if they've been nabbed by the bad guys?"

Shiratori's mind spiraled: Takagi knocked out cold, Satou tied up in some warehouse, her clothes torn… a grim, brutal scene.

"What?!" Megure jolted, wide-eyed. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Satou was the pride of the precinct, but still…

His face darkened as he grabbed the radio, calling for backup.

"The fugitive overpowered Officer Satou?"

"Satou got kidnapped by the suspect?!"

"Miwako's being held by thugs?!"

"She fell victim to a killer?!"

"What?! Officer Satou's in a nightmare scenario…?"

*Bam!*

"Ahh—!"

In no time, the news spread like wildfire through every police box and headquarters in Tokyo, each version more outrageous than the last.

Within moments, every free officer in the precinct mobilized.

*Beep-beep! Beep-beep!*

The quiet night erupted with the blaring wail of sirens.

While driving his Ford Taurus, Fujino got overtaken by a patrol cop on a bicycle. 

He took a closer look—holy crap. 

The guy was pedaling so hard the chain was practically sparking! 

Whose subordinate is this? Outdoing even Fujino's overclocked hustle! 

Before he could process it, a flood of patrol cars, motorcycles, and even armored vehicles roared past—too many to count. 

The red neon lights flashing on the police cars lit up the whole street like a crime scene movie. 

Through the chaos, he could faintly hear shouts from outside: 

"Rescue Miwako from that filthy fugitive!" 

"Catch the murderer alive and free Miwako!" 

"Grab that fugitive—no mercy! I'm gonna take him out myself!" 

These cops were probably all out looking for Satou Miwako… 

Fujino's lip twitched. 

*This* is the influence of the Flower of the Metropolitan Police? 

Terrifying. 

You'd think they were launching a counter-terrorism op or something. 

Pausing for a sec, Fujino glanced back at Satou Miwako in the rear seat and teased, "Officer Satou, you're *really* popular at the station, huh?" 

"Uh…" 

Satou Miwako froze, at a loss for words. She turned her head, shielding half her face with her free hand, and shrank into the corner of the spacious back seat. 

She looked like an ostrich desperate to bury its head in the sand. 

Social death achieved… 😅 

Meanwhile, the suspect next to her overheard the bloodthirsty roars from outside and shivered. He was already mentally drafting his last words. 

… 

*(End of Chapter)* 

---

**Chapter 240: Fujino's Swordsmanship Reaches Mastery** 

Following the address Haibara Ai gave him, Fujino arrived downstairs at the crime scene tied to his system mission. 

He parked his Ford Taurus steady and smooth. 

Just as he stepped out, a surprised voice called out from behind, "Fujino-kun, what are you doing here?" 

Turning around, he spotted Takagi Wataru walking toward him, wearing a little cap and sunglasses. 

Trailing behind him was a gaggle of elementary schoolers. 

Sneaky little bunch. 

They looked like a crew of kid traffickers or something. 😂 

"Takagi, where the heck have you been all this time?" 

Satou Miwako climbed out of the car, dragging the fugitive with her. She shot Takagi an annoyed, resentful glare. "I'm already free, and you're only *now* showing up at the crime scene?" 

"Uh, well, me and the kids just went to talk to some people who knew Ms. Muranishi before she died, so we're only getting here now," Takagi explained, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. 

Then, puzzled, he added, "But wait—Satou, weren't you stuck…" 

"Fujino-kun happened to save me," Satou cut in, giving him the full rundown. 

She glanced up at the crime scene building. "Anyway, enough about that—let's figure out who the real culprit is in this case." 

… 

After chatting with the building manager, the group stepped into the apartment where the crime went down. 

The case happened on the fifth floor of a mid-rise building. The nameplate by the door read **[Muranishi]**. 

As soon as the Detective Boys entered, they stormed the bedroom and started rummaging like pros. 

"Hey!" 

Takagi sighed, exasperated. "You kids can't just mess up the crime scene like that!" 

Genta grinned, "No worries! Look, we've got gloves on!" 

Mitsuhiko chimed in, "We picked them up when you were buying that hat, Officer Takagi." 

Ayumi added, "Conan told us to do it!" 

The little trio proudly waved their gloved hands at Takagi, Fujino, and the others. 

"Takagi, you're the one who brought these kids along," Satou said, patting his shoulder as she walked past. "And you didn't even notice this?" 

"Uh, well…" Takagi's face turned red, and he stammered, "I got kinda distracted picking out the hat, so…" 

Off to the side, Fujino ignored the chatter. 

He quietly activated his Eagle Eye vision, scanning the crime scene. 

The moment it kicked in, the world shifted to black and white. Evidence started glowing like neon signs. 

On the floor, he spotted three sets of footprints: one female, two male. 

Clearly, the killer was someone else. 

"Fujino, need gloves?" 

Haibara Ai strolled over, pulling a pair of slightly oversized white gloves from her pocket. "I grabbed an extra pair for you when we were buying them." 

"Oh, thanks, Ai," Fujino replied, taking the gloves and slipping them on—perfect fit. 

He had gloves in his inventory, but since Haibara went out of her way, he figured he'd roll with it. 

"Officer Takagi, none of the furniture in here has been moved, right?" Fujino asked, glancing around the room as he adjusted the gloves. 

"Nope," Takagi shook his head. "The forensics team didn't touch the furniture when they collected evidence." 

"That's weird then. If nothing's been moved, why are there signs it *has*?" 

Fujino's eyes swept over the faintly glowing furniture. He stepped toward the bed and brushed his hand against a rectangular patch on the wall that was noticeably whiter. "And that's not all. This spot—there should've been a poster or calendar here. Judging by the marks, it was taken down recently." 

"Forensics did mention those oddities," Takagi mused. "Maybe the victim wanted to switch up the room's layout?" 

Nearby, Conan shot Fujino a look. 

*Not bad, huh,* he thought, before jumping in with his own question for Takagi. "Hey! That's not the only weird thing. The whole room's decked out in white—except the curtains and bedsheets. Why are they gray?" 

"Could just be a coincidence," Takagi said with a sheepish smile. 

Fujino: "…" 

Yup, Japan's police force is hopeless. 

With a quiet sigh, Fujino followed Eagle Eye's glow to the wardrobe and slid it open. Inside: white curtains, white bedsheets, and a calendar. 

Conan, who'd been watching Fujino like a hawk, spotted the loot the second the wardrobe opened. 

He stepped up and said, "Just as I thought! White bedsheets and a Tokyo Spirits calendar…" 

He reached for the calendar, giving it a little tug. 

Fujino didn't budge. 

Conan tugged again—still nothing. 

Finally, he let go. 

"What's so strange about that?" Takagi asked, peering at the white bedsheets and calendar. "Maybe she just wanted a style change." 

"No way," Fujino said, flipping open the calendar. "This month's schedule is packed. Why would she stash it in the wardrobe? That's not normal." 

"Exactly," Ayumi piped up. "The bar owner told us Ms. Muranishi's favorite color was white, and her favorite team was the Tokyo Spirits!" 

"The bar owner said that?" Takagi blinked, flipping through his police notebook. "She didn't mention that during our questioning…" 

"When people talk to the police, they're scared of getting scolded for saying irrelevant stuff, so they stick to the point," Conan explained. "The bar owner was probably the same. The case only happened a few days ago—she's likely still shaken up." 

Ayumi nodded. "Besides her love for white, we found out other stuff too…" 

Genta jumped in, "Like how she was obsessed with cacti!" 

Mitsuhiko added, "And that guy in cuffs, Mr. Higashida? He's actually great at setting up VCRs and hates taking baths." 

Ayumi continued, "Oh, and every time he gets drunk, he can't get up the next morning and ends up late!" 

While the Detective Boys showed off, Fujino crouched down and pulled a matchbox from beside the wardrobe. 

Sliding it open, he found matches and a folded stack of papers. 

Unfolding them, he saw a marriage application—stamped and signed by the victim, Muranishi Mami. 

Standing up, he held it out for everyone to see. "It's got the official stamp and her signature. All it's missing is the guy's name, and it'd be official…" 

"A marriage application?" Takagi leaned in, frowning at the paper in Fujino's hands. "But we didn't hear anything about her having a boyfriend during the investigation." 

"It's dated just a few days ago—recent," Haibara said flatly. "Maybe she had a boyfriend and wanted to surprise him. Could be a secret relationship?" 

Satou rubbed her chin, deep in thought. "Yeah, some couples do hide their relationships on purpose." 

"A secret romance… Wait, isn't that beside the point?" Takagi blurted. "When Ms. Muranishi's body was found, the suspect, Higashida, was lying on the bed like it was his own place. The door lock and chain were engaged, his fingerprints were on them, and even the murder weapon—the VCR's signal cable—had his prints all over it…" 

"Takagi, you still don't get it?" Satou shot him a stern look, brows furrowed. "All those clues we just went over prove there was a third person here during the crime." 

Takagi froze. "A third person?!" 

"The calendar's packed with plans, and that marriage application by the wardrobe? No way Ms. Muranishi would've stashed them or lost them," Fujino said. "That means someone else—besides her and Higashida—was in this room and moved stuff around." 

---