Tricked Again!

"I have to say, that guy really went too far! He actually betrayed his own teammate for a signing bonus."

Genta frowned slightly, condemning this behavior of betraying one's companions for money.

"I said, why are you all taking these things so seriously? They're just rumors."

Conan glanced around at everyone, somewhat helplessly, "Ryusuke Higo isn't the kind of person who would transfer teams just for money."

"But the fact that he betrayed his team is undeniable."

Fujino looked at Conan, his eyes narrowing slightly. "In the end, he's just a traitor. If it wasn't to increase his signing fee, why would he switch teams to rival teams that have a deep-seated grudge against his own team?"

"That's because of his brother, of course!"

Conan countered, "The reason Nova Team recruited Hihou was because they agreed to recruit his brother as well. However, they kicked his brother out and forced him to retire and become a coach for BIG Osaka Team. That's why he switched BIG Osaka Team."

"Oh, I see!"

Fujino seemed to suddenly realize something.

"Of course!"

Seeing Fujino's reaction, Conan was overjoyed.

In the past, he was the one who got slapped in the face by Fujino, but he never expected that he would actually have the chance to slap that guy Fujino today!

Shouldn't we press our advantage and thoroughly crush their morale?

Thinking this, Conan completely lost his temper. "If we're talking about betrayal, I think it should be Nova Team who betrayed Ryusuke Higo..."

"But I remember that Ryusuke Higo is an only child."

At this moment, Mitsuhiko interrupted him, and Ayumi chimed in, "Conan, who exactly is this Hihou's brother you mentioned?"

"That was when... Oh no!"

Conan was halfway through his smug speech when he quickly covered his mouth.

"So, Little Brother Conan, do you know something?"

Fujino's tone was full of meaning, and a cunning smile appeared on his lips.

Although he remembered that Ryusuke Higo was Ai's idol, he didn't know anything about Hihou.

He noticed that Conan seemed to know something, which was why he was testing him.

I never expected that a simple basic attack would trick me into using my ultimate!

Conan: "..."

That expression... Fujino's gone completely inhuman again!

Have I been tricked again?!

Depend on!

After a moment of confusion, Conan realized that he had fallen for Fujino's provocation.

Before he could even catch his breath, the kids surrounded Conan and started bombarding him with questions.

They were naturally curious about Ryusuke Higo's older brother was, and they had a feeling that there was some juicy gossip going on.

After all, being a gossipmonger is an instinct ingrained in the bones of Mika people.

"Well..."

Conan felt like crying but had no tears left. He sighed and whispered, "I'm telling you guys, but please don't tell anyone else, okay?"

"Okay, we promise not to tell anyone."

"I also promise not to tell any outsiders."

Fujino nodded in response and took out a handful of Sunflower Seeds from his pocket.

Ai Haibara Sunflower Seeds, lifted her bangs, and listened intently.

Conan: "..."

I don't really think you guys are very trustworthy.

Conan's brow twitched slightly, and he sighed, feeling that the arrow was on the bowstring and had to be released.

So he grabbed a handful of Sunflower Seeds from Fujino and began telling Hihou's little-known stories.

Ryusuke Higo actually has an older brother named Endo Rikuo, who is his half-son. Because being an illegitimate child is something that cannot be made public, and because the illegitimate child has a different surname, not many people know about this relationship.

Although they weren't born to the same mother, Hihou and Endo have always had a good relationship. Hihou's condition for Nova Team was that Endo join the team as well.

However, not long ago, the Nova Team turned its back on Endo and kicked him out of the team.

Endo, who was forced to retire, could no longer be a player and could only go to BIG Osaka Team as a sparring partner.

Hihou's move to BIG Osaka is also to realize his dream of playing alongside his brother in the same team and dominating the Japanese top division.

"So it was all just to fulfill my dream of winning the championship with my brother."

"If that's the case, then Ryusuke Higo is really wronged."

"It's clearly Nova Team that's breaking their promise."

After learning the truth, the children all chose to unfollow Nova Team.

Such methods are indeed excessive in the eyes of children.

Fujino pondered the story, feeling a sense of familiarity about it.

Looking down, he saw Ai Haibara with her eyes lowered, seemingly lost in thought.

Hmm, he remembered seeing it somewhere before.

They all took advantage of the younger siblings' abilities, and then eliminated the older siblings they had brought into the organization along with them.

Isn't this just a carbon copy of the Miyano Sisters?

"By the way, Conan, how did you find out about this?"

Genta looked at Conan suspiciously. "Why is it that even we don't know about this kind of secret?"

"Brother Shinichi told me!"

Conan chuckled awkwardly and decisively and skillfully shifted all the blame to Kudo Shinichi: "He said that when he was in his third year of junior high school, he met Hihou, and it was Hihou told him about it."

"Oh... I see."

Fujino withdrew his gaze and sighed, "But I really don't know what Hihou was thinking, telling Kudo Shinichi, that big mouth, about something like this. Now even the kids know..."

"?"

Conan looked a little uneasy, feeling that this scoundrel detective was making veiled attacks.

Who can't keep their mouth shut?

If you keep swearing!

"Oh, right."

Just then, Genta suddenly mentioned, "I remember there was a broadcast of BIG Osaka Team today!"

"Nihon TV Station will also broadcast that match."

Mitsuhiko glanced at his watch. "It's already past five o'clock, the match has started!"

"Over here! They've already started the match!"

Ayumi ran to the floor-to-ceiling window of an electronics store and pointed to the display TV that was showing a ball game.

Upon hearing this, Genta and Mitsuhiko quickly ran over, Fujino followed to join in the fun.

"By the way, you really do look Ryusuke Higo."

Conan, with his hands in his pockets, walked up to Ai Haibara and pondered, "Novaru means black in French, which means the traitor of the Black Team."

"Yeah?"

Ai Haibara regained her senses, a thought flashing in her eyes, "I'm nothing like him."

Conan was stunned by what he heard. "What's not like it?"

"After all, I didn't go to the BIG Osaka Team, and I didn't encounter any hostility from my teammates."

As she spoke, Ai Haibara glanced back, her hair swaying behind her ears, and a slight smile played on her lips, "Don't you think so, you big-mouthed detective?"

"Tsk..."

Conan clicked his tongue, feeling that his good intentions had been wasted.

He had originally intended to reluctantly offer some comfort to the little girl.

Unexpectedly, I was subjected to veiled insults and ridicule once again.

No wonder he's from the same family as that dog of a detective, Fujino.