"Who's Conan?" Tsukamoto Kazumi asked, following their gaze across the street.
Ran hesitated. "He's, well…"
Sonoko jumped in, weaving a quick cover story. "A kid from a friend of the family! Stays with Hoshino sometimes, eats at Ran's place. It's a whole communal thing."
Kazumi blinked. "Huh? That sounds… complicated."
Kurosawa Hoshino offered a simpler truth with a smile. "Ran and I live on the same street. Basically neighbors. The kid gets around."
"Oh." Understanding dawned on Kazumi's face.
Ran, however, was frowning at the scene across the intersection. Conan and the Detective Boys were rummaging through planters, drawing stares. "Those little troublemakers… I should go talk to them."
"Wait." Hoshino's hand shot out, gently catching her wrist. His voice dropped to a serious, low whisper. "Don't move suddenly. All of you, ease back toward the shop window. Now."
The three girls tensed at his tone but complied, shifting subtly out of the direct sightline.
He released Ran's hand. "Look carefully. About twenty meters behind Conan's group. Three men. Black suits, black sunglasses. See them?"
They followed his gaze, scanning the crowd. After a moment, three synchronized nods.
Sonoko's eyes went wide. "H-human traffickers?" she hissed.
Tsukamoto Kazumi cracked her knuckles, a fierce glint in her eyes. "Traffickers or not, they're following kids. Ran, let's grab them."
"Right." Ran's stance shifted, ready to move.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Hoshino stepped between them and the street, his voice firm. "Rein in the hero complex. They could be armed. We call the professionals."
He met Kazumi's fiery gaze. "We follow at a distance, keep them in sight, and let the police handle the takedown. No unnecessary risks."
Logic overrode impulse. Kazumi sighed, nodding. "Fine. You're right."
"You three keep watch. I'll make the call." Hoshino pulled out his phone, scrolling to a direct line—Detective Sato Miwako.
One Hour Later
The trail had led to a quieter suburban park. The number of pedestrians had thinned to just a few dog walkers and joggers.
Conan and his friends, tired and frustrated with their treasure map, were plopping down on a bench for a break.
They never saw the net closing in.
Plainclothes officers, disguised as lovers, joggers, and a bored-looking janitor, had encircled the three men in black. The stalkers were too fixated on their small prey to notice the adults casually tightening the circle.
"Can these brats even read a map?"
"Who cares? We're out of ideas. Let them do the work."
The men in black muttered amongst themselves.
They were the last to realize they were the ones being hunted.
"Now! Take them down!"
The order cracked through the calm park air. Six officers surged forward. It was a swift, brutal scramble of limbs. The three men were slammed onto the grass, faces pressed into the dirt before they could even shout.
"What the—?! Let go of us!"
"We haven't done anything! This is police brutality!"
"Get off! I'll sue!"
One man's violent thrashing dislodged something heavy from his inner jacket pocket. It hit the paved path with a distinctive, metallic clack.
The scuffle froze.
All eyes locked onto the object gleaming dully against the concrete.
"…A handgun," Sato Miwako breathed, her professional calm tightening into severe focus. "Search them. Thoroughly."
Two more pistols were quickly found.
It was at this moment Hoshino arrived with the three girls.
"Hoshino-kun," Sato said, her face grim. "You were right to call. These aren't petty criminals. They're carrying serious hardware."
"Guns… They really had guns." Tsukamoto Kazumi's face paled. Her earlier bravado evaporated, replaced by a cold chill. She looked at Hoshino with profound relief. "You stopped me… Thank you. In that crowded street… it could have been a massacre."
Ran placed a hand over her own racing heart. Sonoko simply hid further behind Hoshino, peeking out with wide eyes.
"Bodyguards for some rich guy?" Sonoko whispered.
"Bodyguards don't look at kids like they're prey," Hoshino said flatly. "Detective Sato, we should ask the kids. They might know why they were being followed."
Sato nodded and sent an officer to fetch the bewildered Detective Boys.
A few minutes later, Conan and the others arrived, their confusion turning to shock at the scene: police, their teenage friends, and three very detained men in black.
For Conan, the sight was an electric jolt. Black suits… His blood ran cold, then hot with a furious, familiar hope. The Organization?
He forced his voice into a childish squeak. "Ran-neechan! Hoshino-nii! What's going on? Why are those scary uncles tied up?"
"That's what we want to ask you," Hoshino said, a knowing half-smile on his face.
Conan's heart stuttered. Exposed? Is this it?
But Hoshino continued, pointing at the crumpled paper in Genta's hand. "You've been searching for something all afternoon, right? These gentlemen seemed very interested in what you might find. People don't follow kids and carry guns for no reason."
The pieces clicked for Conan. He whirled to stare at the "treasure map."
The other children gasped.
"It's the treasure!" Ayumi shouted, pointing an accusing finger. "They're treasure thieves!"
"You evil bad guys!" Mitsuhiko added.
One of the captured men, his temper frayed, snarled, "You little brats! That coded map is ours! You call it your treasure?!"
"You idiot, shut your mouth!" his companion hissed, but the damage was done.
Sato Miwako's eyes sharpened. "Alright. Everyone, we're continuing this conversation at the Metropolitan Police Department."
"But we haven't found the treasure yet!" Genta wailed.
"We're not going!" Ayumi and Mitsuhiko chimed in, a united front of stubbornness.
Kurosawa Hoshino knelt down to their eye level. His smile was the epitome of gentle, brotherly concern. "Oh? Are you sure? Should I maybe call each of your parents and remind them about… let's see… the 'museum incident' last week? Or the 'construction site exploration' the week before?"
The effect was instantaneous.
The three children flinched as one. Their bravado deflated like punctured balloons.
"Eep!"
"N-no! Please don't!"
"You're the worst, Hoshino-nii!" they whined, but they were already shuffling obediently toward the police cars.
Ran, Sonoko, and Kazumi covered their mouths, stifling laughs. They shot Hoshino impressed looks. He really knows how to handle them.
As the group dispersed, Conan lingered for a second, his sharp eyes studying Hoshino. He noticed the tail. He called the police efficiently. And he manipulated the kids perfectly… Just who are you, Kurosawa Hoshino?
The mystery of the man was becoming almost as intriguing as the mystery of the men in black.