Ai Haibara: Meow?

Maybe it was because she was so down-to-earth, but Fujino had almost forgotten yet again that Suzuki Sonoko was a wealthy heiress.

She might not look the part, but she really was one.

After a moment of speechlessness, Fujino thought about the Ceramics Master Sonoko had mentioned.

He figured a visit to the Ceramics Master's home was in order.

Of course, he wasn't going to mooch free pottery.

He mainly wanted to check in on the old gentleman in his eighties.

To think he was still chasing after Fujino at that age...

He was as vigorous as ever.

After that little detour involving the invitation, Fujino and Sonoko took the Candy Apple back to Ran and the others.

Ai Haibara took it and began eating it in small bites.

Japanese festivals had the same old attractions: shooting galleries, goldfish scooping, ring toss, and all kinds of food stalls.

They could skip the shooting gallery altogether.

Fujino could still vaguely picture a certain poor girl walking away in disappointment, carrying a toy gun with its barrel broken in half.

That left ring toss and goldfish scooping as the only games worth trying.

The goldfish-scooping stall was farther ahead, so they stopped at a ring-toss stall with fairly lavish prizes and a kindly-looking owner.

This ring toss was different from the usual kind. Nine poles stood in a grid, each worth one to nine points. Three throws cost 300 yen, and prizes could be redeemed according to the points scored.

The top prize was a large Game machine plush. The other prizes included dolls, masks, and little trinkets, all probably worth over 300 yen.

"Damn it, only five points!"

Sonoko paid 300 yen, flung a plastic ring in frustration, and grumbled, "Three rings, and I still missed with one of them?!"