Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

The morning light filtered through the sparse leaves, casting dappled shadows on Yoshiko Ono, giving her an air of gentle sadness and reverence.

Kogoro Mouri, who couldn't keep a secret, immediately raised his hand and greeted her warmly upon seeing this: "Ms. Ono? What a coincidence, you're here too!"

Startled by the sudden sound, Ono Kayoko snapped out of her devout prayer.

She looked up and saw Lin Xiuyi and Mouri Kogoro, along with the group behind them. A hint of surprise flashed across her face, but she quickly regained her usual gentle demeanor, smiling and nodding.

"Mr. Mori, Mr. Hayashi."

Driven by his boundless curiosity, Kogoro Mouri didn't think twice and asked directly, "Ms. Ono, what brings you here? Could it be... that you've heard about those legends of fire ghosts and came here specifically to explore?"

He spoke in a relaxed tone, with a hint of joking.

However, upon hearing the words "fire ghost," Yoko Ono's smile froze instantly, then visibly darkened, and her originally gentle gaze turned somewhat cold.

She pursed her lips, glanced at Kogoro Mouri, her eyes filled with a complex and unfathomable expression, a hint of anger at being offended and a deep sadness.

“Excuse me,” Ono Yoshiko’s voice was much lower than before, with a noticeable sense of distance, “I suddenly remembered that I have some urgent business to attend to, so please excuse me.”

After saying that, she didn't even give Kogoro Mouri a chance to speak again before she turned around abruptly and left the shrine in a hurry, almost as if she were fleeing. Her slender figure quickly disappeared around the corner of the alley.

"...Uh," Kogoro Mouri stood frozen in place, his hand raised, his face full of astonishment and confusion. "Did I...did I say something wrong?"

He scratched his head in surprise, his tone aggrieved.
"She didn't say much last night, but her attitude was quite good. Why is she suddenly so... cold today? Even a little angry?"

Lin Xiuyi did not answer immediately, but stared thoughtfully in the direction where Ono Kayoko had disappeared.

From her unusually respectful, even sorrowful, attitude of worship just now, to her intense emotional reaction and almost instinctive avoidance when she heard the word "fire ghost".

Could she have a relative or someone very important who died in that fire ten years ago...?

Just as he thought of this, Lin Xiuyi suddenly felt a slight, but sharp, twisting pain in the soft flesh on both sides of his waist, which was enough to make him gasp!

Without even turning around, he knew that no one else but those two could have done such a thing.

Sure enough, a cold snort, tinged with jealousy, immediately came from the left.
"Staring at someone's back so longingly? Your eyes are practically glued to it. You must be quite busy. It's only been two days since you arrived in Osaka. Where did you meet this new friend?"

On the other side, Yukiko's alluring yet sharp voice rang out.

She leaned closer, her warm breath almost touching Lin Xiuyi's earlobe.
"Tsk tsk, he said he was going with Hattori Heizo to investigate a case and catch a thief. Could it be that he got bewitched by some intelligent and gentle senior on the way, which is why he was delayed and made us wait?"

Lin Xiuyi inwardly groaned, quickly averting her gaze, enduring the pain in her waist, and turned around to explain seriously.
"Innocent! You're overthinking it. This Ms. Ono Kayoko is Hattori Heizo's university classmate; they're both members of the Kyoto University Mystery Club." "Last night, we simply rode together in Hattori's car to Osaka, and then went to the museum. If you don't believe me, you can ask Kogoro! He can testify!"

He had barely finished speaking when he heard a similar voice, almost simultaneously that of Kogoro Mouri, speaking with the same urgency:

"Ruri, let me explain! We're really just ordinary friends! If you don't believe me, you can ask Shuichi! He can vouch for me!"

Lin Xiuyi turned his head and saw that Kogoro Mouri was also being "interrogated" by Ruri, presumably about his greeting to Yoshiko Ono earlier.

The two brothers, separated by a few steps, met in mid-air, and instantly saw in each other's eyes the helplessness of sharing the same fate and the tacit understanding of "take care, brother."

……

After this brief incident, led by Ikenami Shizuka, everyone took turns paying their respects at the shrine of Kōmyō Jizō-no-sensei, a deity from 1000 days ago, to express their grief and respect for the souls who perished in the fire ten years ago.

After the shrine visit, Tomizawa Chikage casually strolled over to Ikenami Shizuka and began subtly inquiring about the owner behind Sennichimae Department Store.

"Ms. Ikenami, you mentioned before that the current BIC CAMERA is a reconstruction. What happened to the original department store owner? Did he also go bankrupt?"

As the eldest daughter of a powerful local family in Osaka, Shizuka Ikenami is clearly very knowledgeable about the changes in the local business world and the anecdotes of celebrities.

When questioned by Tomizawa Chikage, she didn't show much defensiveness. She simply rested her chin on her fan, thought for a moment, and then told him frankly.
"If I remember correctly, the owner of Sennichimae Department Store was named Mito Shinzo."

"The fire ten years ago not only destroyed his hard work, but also had a huge aftereffect. Although he rebuilt the building on the ruins and introduced BIC CAMERA."

"However, due to the huge amount of compensation for injuries and deaths caused by the fire that year, coupled with the continuous pressure from public opinion, it dealt a devastating blow to his business and reputation."

"It is said that he later gradually sold off his shares in the BIC CAMERA Namba store and cashed out, and gradually faded from people's sight."

“But…” Tomizawa Chikage frowned, a look of doubt on her face, and told her some of the information she had heard, “I heard some rumors that Mito Shinzo is actually still the real owner behind BIC CAMERA Namba store, but he has moved to the shadows and controls it through an agent?”

“Well…” Ikenami Shizuka shook her head elegantly, indicating uncertainty, “There are indeed various rumors circulating, but the truth is probably only known to Mr. Mito himself and his innermost circle. What I do know is that he is no longer the owner here on the surface.”

As she spoke, her gaze thoughtfully fell on Tomizawa Chikage's face, with a hint of inquiry.
"Ms. Tomizawa, you seem particularly concerned about this matter? You're probably not here for those vague ghost stories, but rather... for that fire back then, or something related to Shinzo Mito, right?"

Tomizawa Chikage was startled, not expecting Ikenami Shizuka to be so perceptive.

She gave a dry laugh and quickly waved her hands in denial: "H-How could that be! Ms. Ikenami, you're overthinking it. I'm not a local of Osaka, and none of my relatives or friends were in that fire. I'm just... just curious about those urban legends and business secrets." (End of Chapter)