The Famous Potter's Invitation

Conan watched Fujino and Sonoko walk away. Then he turned back toward Ai Haibara, who was straightening her short brown hair, and stared in shock.

"Oh, my..."

Ai Haibara smoothed the hair beside her ear. "I was helping you just now. Shouldn't you thank me?"

Thank you, my ass...

You were just looking for an excuse, weren't you?

Conan gave her a deadpan look and grumbled to himself.

Meanwhile, at the candy apple stall.

The two of them soon bought their candy apples.

On the way back, Fujino carried two candy apples.

One was his, and the other was Ai's.

He opened his mouth, took a bite, and chewed the apple beneath its coating of syrup.

Candy apples didn't actually taste all that great.

A whole one was awkward to eat, and it was easy to end up with sugar all around your mouth.

It was more or less like candied hawthorn on a stick...

Really, it was just an apple coated in syrup.

Come to think of it, in his previous life, he'd thought candy apples were sweets made with apple-flavored juice. He hadn't expected an actual apple inside the candy.

He turned to Sonoko. "By the way, you picked that hotel because of Ran, didn't you?"

"You noticed... Cough, cough!"

Sonoko, who was eating a candy apple too, sounded so startled that she choked on it.

"Did that really surprise you so much?"

Fujino sighed and patted her on the back.

"I was just surprised. I didn't think you'd figure it out, Senior Fujino."

Sonoko took a deep breath to steady herself, then explained, "Ran doesn't have much allowance left this month. I checked before we left. If we stayed at the Queen Hotel, she'd spend it all and probably have to scrape by for the rest