More than ten minutes passed before Misae finally showed signs of consciousness.
"Misae... honey..." Hiroshi whispered gently, noticing her eyelids beginning to flutter.
"Hiroshi?" she murmured weakly, slowly opening her eyes to find her husband's worried face hovering over her.
"Thank goodness you're awake!" he exclaimed, pulling her into a tight embrace. "You scared me half to death!"
As her memory gradually returned, Misae's maternal instincts immediately kicked into overdrive. "Shin-chan! Where's Shin-chan?!"
She bolted upright, scanning the area frantically for her son.
"Relax, he's perfectly fine," Hiroshi assured her, pointing toward a nearby clearing where Shin-chan was performing his signature "butt dance" for an audience of giggling children.
Seeing her son's energetic antics, Misae felt a surge of conflicting emotions. Part of her wanted to march over there and deliver one of her legendary disciplinary lectures - after all, his reckless behavior had caused this entire crisis. But remembering the genuine terror in his voice when he'd cried for help, she found her anger melting into relief.
That child has no idea how close he came to getting the scolding of his lifetime, she thought, settling back with a weary sigh.
With the immediate excitement over, several adults were looking for ways to occupy themselves during the lazy afternoon. Tu Shanyan, ever the enthusiast for new experiences, suggested a mushroom foraging expedition that quickly gained support.
"What a wonderful idea!" Yor exclaimed. "I've never gone mushroom hunting before."
"The forest around here should have some excellent varieties," Makino added, her experience as a tavern owner giving her practical knowledge of local ingredients.
Soon, a small expedition formed: Tu Shanyan, Yor, Makino, and Kazama's mother headed into the woods, accompanied by Yang Chan, Anya, and Ai, all carrying wicker baskets for their harvest.
This departure didn't go unnoticed by two particular tennis players who had been waiting for exactly such an opportunity.
"Eiji, look!" Sengoku whispered urgently, poking his teammate in the ribs. "The mushroom team just left. Perfect timing for our honey operation, don't you think?"
"Hold on," Eiji replied practically, "we didn't bring any containers. What exactly are we going to put the honey in?"
"Already taken care of!" Sengoku announced proudly, leading his partner toward their tent. "I borrowed a couple of large water buckets from Gustave's supplies while everyone was distracted by the fish incident."
Sure enough, two substantial containers waited inside their temporary shelter.
"You really think of everything," Eiji admitted with grudging admiration.
"Of course I do!" Sengoku preened. "That's why they call me Lucky Sengoku!"
"But how are we actually going to execute this?" Eiji asked, his practical side asserting itself. "Are we using the same diversion strategy as last time?"
The presence of two buckets implied they'd need both hands free for honey collection, which meant requiring a third person to lead the angry bees away from their hive.
"Definitely a diversion," Sengoku confirmed. "The question is: who's going to be our decoy?"
"Well, Ace and Luffy helped us before..." Eiji mused, glancing toward where the brothers were engaged in an intense badminton match with Tezuka and Fuji. "But they're kind of busy right now, and I don't think Tezuka would appreciate us interrupting their game."
"That's exactly why I had a different idea," Sengoku said with the crafty smile that usually preceded his more questionable schemes. "What do you think about Conan?"
He pointed toward where the young detective was entertaining Himawari alongside Loid.
"You want to recruit him to help us steal honey from an angry swarm of bees?" Eiji stared at his partner in disbelief. "Conan's not as easy to fool as Ace and Luffy, you know."
"This is precisely when we need your legendary persuasion skills!" Sengoku declared dramatically, clapping Eiji on the shoulder. "I have complete faith in your ability to handle this delicate diplomatic mission."
"Are you insane? I still owe that kid from when I lost our bet after the nationals!" Eiji protested. "I've been avoiding him for weeks! Going over there now would be like walking into a trap!"
"Just think about how incredible that wildflower honey tasted," Sengoku said seductively. "And remember, you'll have Lucky Sengoku backing you up. What could possibly go wrong with a few harmless bees?"
"Besides," he added with mock seriousness, "Conan might not be as physically strong as Luffy or Ace, but he's definitely smart enough to outmaneuver a bunch of insects. We need brains for this operation, not just brawn."
The memory of that exquisite honey - its complex floral notes and impossibly smooth texture - made Eiji's mouth water involuntarily. No store-bought honey had ever come close to matching that natural perfection.
"Fine!" he declared with the resignation of someone making a deal with the devil. "I'll do it!"
What he failed to recognize was that Sengoku had just masterfully manipulated him into volunteering for the most dangerous part of their entire scheme.
Meanwhile, the target of their plotting was having an unexpectedly intriguing conversation.
While Conan appeared to be simply a child playing with baby Himawari, his adult mind had quickly recognized Loid as someone worth studying. The man's refined mannerisms and sophisticated conversation suggested an elite background that aligned perfectly with Conan's intellectual standards.
"It's refreshing to meet someone with such broad knowledge," Conan had remarked early in their discussion, fishing for more information about this mysterious "psychiatrist."
"The feeling is mutual," Loid replied smoothly. "You seem remarkably mature for your age."
Their conversation had naturally drifted toward topics of crime, security, and human psychology - subjects that both found fascinating for very different reasons. As they talked, each began noticing subtle inconsistencies in the other's presentation.
Anya's father definitely has more training than any ordinary doctor, Conan thought, analyzing Loid's unconscious body language and tactical awareness. The way he scans surroundings, his perfect posture, that slight callus on his trigger finger... He's got military or intelligence background for sure.
Simultaneously, Loid was conducting his own assessment. This child's vocabulary and reasoning abilities are completely inconsistent with his apparent age. His questions about investigative procedures are far too sophisticated. Either he's a prodigy of unprecedented proportions, or something very unusual is going on.
Both were preparing to probe deeper when Eiji's voice interrupted their mutual reconnaissance.
"Hey, little guy! Come over here, I need to talk to you!"
Despite being annoyed by the interruption just when things were getting interesting, Conan decided this might actually be perfect timing. Sometimes stepping away from a target allowed for better analytical perspective.
"Excuse me, Mr. Loid," he said politely, standing and bowing with perfect formality. "Big Brother Eiji is calling me."
"Of course, Conan. Don't keep him waiting," Loid replied with an encouraging smile, though his mind was already working on strategies to continue their conversation later.
"Come on, hurry up!" Eiji called impatiently.
"What's so urgent?" Conan asked as he approached, but his detective instincts immediately picked up on Eiji's nervous energy and forced casual demeanor. "You look like you need help with something."
"Ah, you already figured it out?" Eiji asked with poorly concealed surprise.
"Of course I did," Conan replied smugly, crossing his arms. "I am a detective, after all."
Realizing that subterfuge was pointless, Eiji decided to go with honesty. "Look, Sengoku and I are planning to collect honey from a wild hive, but we need someone to help distract the bees while we work. Are you interested?"
"Wait, what?" Conan's eyes widened in disbelief. "You two middle schoolers with athlete-level physical fitness want me - a first-grader - to be your bee wrangler? Seriously?"
"Well," Eiji said with calculated casualness, "I guess some people talk a big game about being experienced detectives who can handle dangerous situations, but when it comes to facing a few insects..." He shrugged dismissively.
The provocation was so transparent that any rational person would have seen through it immediately.
Unfortunately, wounded pride rarely consulted with rational thinking.
"Hmph!" Conan snorted indignantly. "Just wait right there while I get my gear!"
As the young detective stalked off to prepare for battle, Eiji flashed a triumphant thumbs-up toward where Sengoku was waiting.