i am just a student? in Conan world

Following the director's instructions, one of the cameramen focused their camera on position number thirteen. 

On the wall of screens inside the broadcast van, the image of another suspect appeared. 

This suspect's name was Hiruda, a cameraman for Nippon Sell TV. He was dressed in a brown jacket, a white knit cap, and black pants, standing by the camera station on the sidelines of the competition. 

"Is it that guy?" 

Inspector Megure's gaze locked onto Hiruda on the screen. Stroking his chin, he mused, "But he's just a TV station employee. Why would he threaten the TV station?" 

"You can't understand a criminal's mindset," replied Detective Fujino, also watching Hiruda intently. 

"That's true..." 

Inspector Megure nodded, then suddenly asked, "By the way, Fujino, how did you figure out that this guy is the other culprit?" 

"Detective Fujino just watched the entire recording of this match at sixteen times the normal speed," explained Officer Sato Miwako nearby. "He noticed that every time this person filmed the other suspect, the camera would abruptly move away in an unnatural way. That tipped him off that this man is an accomplice." 

"I see. A subconscious act to avoid exposing his partner?" 

Inspector Megure stroked his chin again, deep in thought. 

But he quickly snapped out of it and turned to Sato. "Wait, what did you just say?" 

Sato replied, "That this suspect always turns the camera away unnaturally—" 

"Not that. The sentence before that." 

"Detective Fujino watched the match recording at sixteen times the speed. It was really impressive." 

"How fast?!" 

"Sixteen times." 

Sato saw the stunned look on Inspector Megure's face but wasn't surprised. She added with a note of admiration, "I couldn't make out a thing at that speed, but Fujino managed to spot the suspect and figure it all out." 

"Sixteen times?!" 

Inspector Megure stared at Fujino in disbelief. "Fujino, how did you even do that?" 

Fujino chuckled. "Maybe it's a combination of hard work and a little talent." 

Indeed, it was mostly hard work... and a tiny bit of insider knowledge thanks to spoilers. 

"Hard work, huh?" 

Inspector Megure nodded in vague understanding. 

Talent, though... 

Probably. 

After all, all his detective proteges were a bit extraordinary. 

He used to think Kudo was already abnormal enough... 

But Fujino might be even more unusual, which, upon reflection, seemed oddly reasonable. 

Understanding this, Inspector Megure's mindset became strangely calm, as if he had discovered some uncharted territory in the world of his peculiar proteges. 

Meanwhile, Conan, who still had no glasses, was speechless. 

Hard work? It was all talent, wasn't it? 

Sixteen times the speed? How could he not see anything while Fujino saw everything? 

Conan pouted slightly, feeling a twinge of jealousy. 

"Beep, beep, beep!" 

At that moment, a phone began to ring. 

Everyone turned to see the director holding a phone, looking flustered. "The culprit is calling!" 

"Stay calm!" 

Inspector Megure steadied the director. "Answer the phone so we can confirm that Hiruda is indeed the other suspect." 

"I understand." 

The director swallowed nervously, picked up the phone, and answered, "Hello, this is Director Kaneko." 

But there was no response from the other end. 

All eyes shifted to Hiruda on the screen. 

On the monitor, the man named Hiruda took a handkerchief from his pocket and appeared to be speaking silently. 

"Why did you take so long to answer?" 

A low voice came from the phone. "Did you call the police?!" 

Director Kaneko hurriedly explained, "I didn't have the phone with me just now, so—" 

Before he could finish, the voice on the other end cut him off. "I don't want your excuses. Listen carefully: during the halftime break, you must deliver the money I asked for to Exit 18. If you don't, I'll shoot someone at random. Don't mess this up!" 

With that, the call ended abruptly. 

Conan withdrew his gaze, rubbing his chin. "So he's using a handkerchief, huh?" 

"Looks like it's definitely him," someone murmured. 

Inspector Juzo Megure shifted his gaze from the screen, pulled out his walkie-talkie, and prepared to contact all undercover officers. "Since we've pinpointed the criminal's location, we can move on to the next phase of the operation!"

"But, Inspector Megure!"

Just then, Conan, having snapped out of his thoughts, interrupted, "The criminal's current location is right next to the stadium. That area is very open, and if too many people approach, he's sure to notice. If that happens, the athletes on the field could be in danger."

"Exactly."

Haibara Ai, who rarely spoke, chimed in, "Furthermore, judging from what the criminal said earlier, he's likely already aware that the police are on-site."

"Indeed."

Hearing this, Inspector Megure nodded thoughtfully. "If we deploy too many officers, he'll probably notice immediately… But arranging for a sniper to take out the cameraman could cause chaos. This is a tough situation."

"How about I go?" 

Fujino glanced around at everyone before speaking. "I'm relatively young, so the suspect probably wouldn't suspect me of being a police officer."

"No way."

Inspector Megure rejected the idea without hesitation. "The suspect is armed. Fujino, I know your skills are impressive, but against a criminal like this…"

"If we wait until the deal goes down and then the police make their move, the other criminal could react unpredictably," Fujino interrupted firmly. "Besides, I'm wearing a trench coat, and I can wear a bulletproof vest for safety. The suspect likely won't notice that. At this point, we don't have many other options."

Honestly, Fujino wasn't all that eager to deal with the criminal himself. 

What he really wanted was the bulletproof vest.

He already had six pistols, but he hadn't managed to get a vest yet. 

Not that he truly needed one, given his circumstances. 

A bulletproof suit would work just as well. 

But you never know what might happen. 

If someone shot him in the chest and he walked away unscathed, it might raise too many eyebrows. 

Having a vest would make his explanations a bit more believable. 

"But…"

Inspector Megure hesitated. 

He was well aware of Fujino's combat skills. 

Taking on two or three grown men was no big deal for him. 

However, this mission seemed far too dangerous for an ordinary "high schooler." 

There was a real risk of losing his life. 

And Megure didn't want to lose such a clever, sharp-eyed "little brother." 

"I think Fujino's plan is feasible."

At that moment, Miwako Sato spoke up. She turned to Inspector Megure and added, "You don't need to worry about his safety, Inspector. I'll go with him and do my best to ensure he's protected."

Inspector Megure fell into deep thought at her words. 

He was familiar with Miwako Sato's skills. 

She was formidable—every criminal she subdued ended up in the hospital for a while. 

As for Fujino, while he hadn't acted as often, his track record spoke for itself. 

The two of them together? Not even a dozen thugs could get close. 

They were like dancers on the edge of a blade… 

If anyone could pull this off, it was them. 

After a moment of deliberation, Inspector Megure took a deep breath and said earnestly to Miwako Sato, "I'll leave Fujino in your hands, Sato!"

(End of Chapter)