Across the street from the Mouri Detective Agency stood a modest four-story building.
Inside a dimly lit room, Fujino stared intently at the wall. Photos, clipped from newspapers, were pinned up and connected with strands of red string. Utter confusion swam in his dark eyes.
If his inherited memories were right, he'd somehow landed in the world of Detective Conan...
He was now eighteen, living in the notoriously crime-ridden Beika Town, and working as a detective!
Fujino tore his gaze away and stepped out of the shadows.
He paused, his eyes narrowing as he glanced at the newspaper lying on the coffee table.
The headline screamed: "The Holmes of the Modern Era."
His name here was Fujino Douji, close enough to his old name, Fujino.
The backstory was tragic but simple: his parents had died, caught up in some case about a year ago.
Orphaned, with no relatives or savings, he'd turned to detective work to survive.
Problem was, he wasn't very good at it.
Or maybe just unlucky.
Unlike Shinichi Kudo, who practically tripped over dead bodies, Fujino rarely stumbled upon anything more serious than petty theft.
After a whole year, he was still completely unknown.
His only steady income came from taking trivial jobs – finding lost cats, tracking down runaway dogs.
Worse still, clients consistently lowballed him, paying far less than the going rate. But needing every penny, he took every case, no questions asked.
He worked himself ragged, early mornings to late nights.
For a solid year, if he wasn't looking for a cat or a dog, he was on his way to look for one.
Finally, the relentless grind had taken its toll.
Already worn thin, he'd spent all night investigating an affair, getting soaked to the bone in the rain.
He caught a nasty cold, his fever spiked past 104°F(40°C), and shortly after making it home yesterday... he'd just dropped dead.
"Rough life, huh..."
Fujino muttered, feeling a sliver of pity for the guy whose body he now occupied.
Looking through the memories, it hadn't needed to be this bad.
The original Fujino had a strong work ethic; he could have easily managed renting a place in Tokyo.
But there was a catch: the four-story building in this prime commercial district, inherited from his parents.
This being Japan, property taxes were a killer. For a building like this, the annual tax was a staggering 1.5 million yen.
He might be a minor, but the tax office didn't do favors.
Own property, pay taxes. Simple as that.
Considering he was lucky to make 50,000 yen per case—often less—it was a struggle.
After covering basic living costs, just paying the property taxes was a yearly miracle.
Saving anything was out of the question.
Seriously, the Japanese tax system was relentless, showing no mercy even to a broke, orphaned eighteen-year-old!
Renting out floors? Of course, the original Fujino had thought of it.
But that ran into another bureaucratic wall: apparently, minors couldn't legally rent out property without a guardian...
Ding dong!
The sudden chime of the doorbell made Fujino jump.
Oh no... Don't tell me someone came to collect debt.
He quickly did the math. He had about a million yen left. If that got taken, survival would become exponentially harder...
With a resigned sigh, Fujino crossed the surprisingly large, hundred-plus-square-meter flat he lived in alone and reached the front door.
He cracked it open. Standing there wasn't some scowling property manager in a cheap suit, but a girl in a dark blue school uniform, notable for the distinct point in her hair.
Ran Mouri looked at the thin, wary boy peering out. She offered a soft smile and a polite bow.
"Hello, Fujino-san. I'm Ran Mouri. I live right across the street, and we're actually in the same class... I'm so sorry to disturb you like this, but you haven't been to school for a month, and we couldn't reach you by phone. Our teacher got worried and asked me to come check if everything's okay..."
Same class? Senpai? Ran Mouri?
Ah, right. The original Fujino went to Teitan High.
His grades tanked when he decided to become a full-time detective, leading to him being held back a year.
So, technically, he was Ran's classmate now, even if she politely called him 'senpai' (upperclassman).
That demotion had only made the original Fujino double down on ditching school.
Chasing cash, he barely showed up once every couple of months...
"Oh, uh, sorry about that,"
Fujino managed, scratching his cheek awkwardly.
"I've just been totally buried under cases this past month. Haven't had a spare moment."
He found himself liking Ran's polite demeanor.
She had a genuinely kind smile and a gentle way about her, even using formal address.
"Fujino-san, you're a high school detective?"
Ran's eyes widened slightly at the mention of "cases."
"More like... a full-time one," Fujino corrected gently.
"This is my job, how I pay the bills. Different from just doing it on the side like some high schoolers."
"Oh, I understand."
Ran nodded, her gaze lingering on Fujino's pale complexion and generally underfed appearance.
Through the gap in the door, she could just make out heaps of empty, cheap instant ramen cups scattered across the floor inside.
A look of realization dawned on her face.
"My dad and I just finished dinner. I was wondering, Fujino-san, if maybe you'd like to..."
"Thanks for stopping by and letting me know, Mouri-san. I appreciate it,"
Fujino cut in smoothly, but firmly.
"I'll try to make it to school when I can. See you around."
Before she could finish her offer, he closed the door with polite finality.
"Eh?"
Ran's smile faltered, replaced by a flicker of disappointment. She let out a small sigh.
Fujino-san must be having such a difficult time, losing his parents like that, she thought sadly.
He wouldn't skip school unless he absolutely had to earn money.
He's probably going to eat more of that instant stuff tonight...
Honestly! He already looks like he could use a good meal!
I really need to invite him over for dinner properly sometime soon.
Shaking her head, Ran walked away, a little downcast.
Back inside, Fujino stood by the balcony window, watching Ran cross the street towards her home. He leaned silently against the railing.
She meant well, but ultimately, Ran was just a neighbor, a stranger.
He appreciated the thought, truly.
But even with a new soul inhabiting this body, the crushing financial pressure remained the same.
One thing was certain: school was absolutely not happening.
He'd rather work himself into an early grave than step foot inside a classroom ever again!
Ding! System Task Detected!
A mechanical voice echoed in his mind as a translucent blue screen flickered into existence before his eyes.
[Maintain student status. Avoid expulsion! Reward: Bind Detective Class permanently, 100,000 Yen Cash!]
A system?
Fujino blinked, momentarily stunned.
Then, acceptance washed over him. He was an isekai protagonist, wasn't he? It'd almost be weird not to get a system.
And talk about rewards... This was practical!
100,000 yen! That was like, two decent case fees combined!
He'd literally just been contemplating selling the building and calling it quits. And now this?
A system, dangling a hundred grand in front of him?
Okay, wow. That was... actually a lot of money right now.
School? You bet your sweet bippy he was going to school! Wild horses couldn't drag him away now!