I started a business in Detective Conan Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Citrus Fragrance

Inside the car on the way back.

Sonoko held Ran, both girls deeply moved by today's story.

Ran said enviously, "I admire Fusae Campbell for having the courage to wait for 40 years."

Despite being moved, Sonoko pretended to be tough, saying, "If I were Miss Fusae Campbell, I'd take the initiative and broadcast a missing person notice on TV stations worldwide."

"That's a method only Sonoko can use," Ran teased.

Sonoko replied, "You're right. By the way, Fusae Campbell, will she fulfill her wish next year and meet her long-lost love?"

"Earlier, Miss Fusae Campbell mentioned a surname," Keita interjected.

Actually, he had recalled all the details midway through.

Fusae Campbell was Dr. Agasa's first love, known as Midori Megure before she changed her name.

In the original series, Dr. Agasa had been searching in the wrong places for the first three decades, and it wasn't until the fourth decade, with the help of the Junior Detective League, that they finally found each other.

However, because Dr. Agasa was with a child, Fusae thought he was married. She lied, saying the driver was her husband, and left in the car.

Dr. Agasa watched the car with the license plate 11-24 drive away and finally realized the truth. He shouted, "Miss Midori, I still like ginkgo trees the most." Both of them understood each other's feelings in the end.

The driver's voice concluded, revealing that the two of them would meet again in the near future.

Shinichi asked, "When and what surname?"

"I asked her privately earlier. It's been so long, I only remember calling her 'Agasa-kun,'" Keita bluffed.

"Agasa? Dr. Agasa! Masaka?" Shinichi and Ran exclaimed in unison.

"Wait, you know someone named Agasa?" Keita asked knowingly.

"Dr. Agasa lives next door to the Kudo family," Ran explained.

"Shall we go ask?" Keita suggested.

"Let's do it together. Otherwise, we won't be able to sleep tonight," Sonoko excitedly agreed.

"Okay, but it's probably not that coincidental. Let's prepare ourselves mentally," Shinichi advised.

Seeing how late it was, Keita had his mother's secretary, Ayumi Higashida, go back first, leaving the four of them to take a taxi to Shinichi's house.

---

At 9:30 PM.

2-22 Beika-cho.

In front of Dr. Agasa's house.

Ding-dong~ Ding-dong~

After a while, Dr. Agasa, dressed in pajamas, came out to open the door.

"Shinichi and Ran, is there something you need? And who are these two?"

Shinichi pushed the gate open and said, "These two are my classmates, Sonoko Suzuki and Keita Yoshida. Dr. Agasa, can we come in? We have something to ask you."

The group sat down on the sofa.

Dr. Agasa brought out five cups of coffee.

"What's the matter, Shinichi?"

"Um, well, Ran and Sonoko, why don't you explain?" Shinichi found it difficult to bring up the topic.

Ran and Sonoko vividly described the story they had heard today.

After listening, Dr. Agasa retrieved an old card from a pile of cards and handed it to them.

The card read:

"Thank you for these three months. I'm so glad to have met you, Agasa-kun! I don't like saying goodbye, so let's meet again! On this day ten years later, before the sun sets, at that place full of memories. If we don't meet then, the next meeting will be after another ten years.

Even if I become an old lady, I'll still wait for you. So, if you're free then, please come meet me.

With my deepest love, Fusae Campbell

November 24th

Class 4-A

Midori ■■■

The writing behind "Midori" was blurred, as if it had been dampened by tears, causing the ink to smudge.

"This is definitely it. Look, it mentions ten years, just like Miss Fusae Campbell." Sonoko excitedly pointed at the card.

"Why didn't you go to the place full of memories, Dr. Agasa?" Shinichi asked.

Dr. Agasa blushed and confessed, "Actually, I forgot where that place was."

"Eh~?" Ran and Sonoko were shocked. They couldn't believe he could forget.

Dr. Agasa counted on his fingers, "In the first decade, I waited at the place we first met for a whole day. In the second decade, I waited at a classmate's house who had received a golden hamster for a whole day…"

"…" The others were speechless.

Shinichi turned the card over. "There's a hidden code on the back. Didn't you figure it out?"

The back of the card read 4163 33 6 0, hinting at something related to animals.

"I didn't…" Dr. Agasa's voice grew softer.

The solution to the code was the ginkgo tree at school, which was the meeting place where Ran and Midori had made their promise in the third decade.

Now that they knew the answer, everything fell into place.

After solving the puzzle, Keita said, "What a cryptic code."

"Codes are meant to be deciphered by whoever encounters them, especially considering Midori was just a fourth-grade elementary school student at the time," Shinichi explained, then turned to Dr. Agasa and asked, "So, what's your plan now? Will you wait until November 24th next year to meet her, or will you contact her now?"

Dr. Agasa replied, "I'll contact her now."

Keita called his mother and briefly explained the situation, requesting Midori Megure's contact information.

With the information in hand, Dr. Agasa retreated inside to make the call.

Watching Dr. Agasa as he disappeared inside, Sonoko turned to Shinichi and Ran, saying, "I didn't expect Dr. Agasa to have such courage."

"Ahem." *2 Both Shinichi and Ran blushed, exchanging awkward yet polite smiles.

After bidding farewell, they left Dr. Agasa's house, and it was pitch-dark outside.

Feeling a bit scared, Ran grabbed onto Shinichi's sleeve.

Blushing, Shinichi said, "If you don't mind, you can stay at my place tonight. It's quite spacious."

The Kudo residence was at 2-21 Beika-cho, right next door to Dr. Agasa's.

Excited, Sonoko exclaimed, "Ran, let's sleep over together tonight."

"You're such a handful."

With Shinichi alone at home, the guest room hadn't been used in a while.

All four of them pitched in, and the guest room was quickly prepared.

It was already late, so they exchanged greetings and went to their respective rooms.

The boys were quick to fall asleep.

Meanwhile, the girls stayed up chatting.

"Sonoko, Dr. Agasa's love story today was really

 touching."

"Hmm, why are you, a Kudo, sighing like that? Pity adorable Sonoko-sama, who hasn't been pursued by anyone. As for me, in my prime, I'm like a withered flower that will never bloom again!"

Blushing, Ran changed the subject, "What do you mean 'Kudo'? Sonoko, stop fooling around. How do you view Keita-kun? He was looking at you quite often today, you know. I noticed."

"Wh-what do you mean 'how do I view him'? He's just a handsome guy. How else am I supposed to view him? I dream of a romantic encounter with a handsome guy like him, having a romantic love story amidst the beauty of nature. Ah~" Sonoko playfully continued.

Ran teased, "Should we have Shinichi go probe him?"

"Keita can be considered handsome. Let's probe a bit~" Sonoko said, then pulled the blanket over her head.

Mockingly, Ran said, "I didn't hear that, Sonoko. What did you say?"

Irritated, Sonoko crawled under Ran's blanket and tickled her.

The air was filled with the scent of citrus.