In the four-story building opposite the Mouri Detective Agency, a dim room was illuminated by the faint glow of sunlight. Fujino stared at the wall in front of him, where cut-out newspaper clippings were connected by red threads, his dark pupils filled with confusion.
From his memories, it seemed he had traveled to the world of *Detective Conan*...
Currently, he lived in the legendary crime city of Beika, was eighteen years old, and worked as a detective! Fujino withdrew his gaze from the wall and stepped out of the dim room. He glanced at the front-page headline on the newspaper on the coffee table, which read "The Heisei Era's Sherlock Holmes," squinting his eyes slightly.
In this world, his name was Touji Fujino, almost identical to his name in his previous life. According to his background, his parents were involved in a case and passed away a year ago. Without any relatives or savings, he became a detective to make a living.
However, his detective career had been somewhat lackluster.
Unlike Shinichi Kudo, who encountered murder cases wherever he went, Fujino rarely came across murder cases, which meant he had not gained much fame even after a year. His only regular income came from mundane tasks like finding lost cats and dogs, and his clients often paid him much less than the market rate. For the sake of survival, he had to accept whatever came his way.
Early mornings and late nights were the norm for him. In the year since he became a detective, he spent most of his time either searching for lost pets or on his way to search for them. Eventually, the toll became too much. Already exhausted and mentally worn out, he caught a cold while investigating an infidelity case in the rain. His fever spiked to over 40 degrees Celsius, and he suddenly passed away upon returning home.
"Pretty tragic life..."
Fujino muttered, feeling some sympathy for the previous inhabitant of this body.
From his memories, it seemed that life did not have to be this difficult for him. With his diligent spirit, he could have easily managed to live in a rented apartment in downtown Tokyo. However, he also inherited a four-story building in a commercial area from his parents.
In Japan, property taxes are fixed. For this four-story building, the annual tax was 1.5 million yen, which was about 150,000 RMB at the current exchange rate. Despite being a minor, the tax authorities showed no leniency. As long as the property was in his name, he had to pay the taxes.
Considering his income from small commissions, often not even reaching 50,000 yen per task, it was difficult to make ends meet, let alone save any money. The tax system in Japan was indeed harsh, even targeting an eighteen-year-old struggling to survive!
As for renting out the property, the previous inhabitant had considered it. However, without a guardian, he couldn't legally rent out the house...
Ding dong!
At that moment, the doorbell rang.
Fujino's heart tightened...
Could it be the property tax collector?
He thought about the remaining 100,000 yen he had, knowing that if it were taken, life would become even harder.
With a sense of helplessness, Fujino walked through his solitary 100-square-meter apartment to the bedroom door.
Opening the door, he saw not the suit-clad, grim-faced property manager he had feared but a girl in a dark blue school uniform with horns on her head.
Ran Mouri looked at the cautious and thin boy behind the half-open door with a gentle smile, bowing politely. "Hello, Fujino-senpai. My name is Ran Mouri. I live across the street from you and am in the same class as you. I apologize for the sudden visit, but you haven't been to school for a month, and we couldn't reach you by phone. So the teacher asked me to come and check on you..."
Same class, senpai, Ran Mouri?
Right, the previous inhabitant of this body attended Teitan High School. Because he dropped out to become a full-time detective, his grades plummeted, and the school demoted him. Now, he and Ran were classmates.
Because of his lack of hope for school, the previous inhabitant of this body had been slacking even more. To earn money, he rarely attended school.
"I'm sorry. I've been busy with various commissions this past month and couldn't find the time," Fujino explained with an awkward smile.
His first impression of Ran was quite good. She was very polite, smiled sweetly, was gentle, and even used honorifics with him.
"Fujino-senpai, are you a high school detective?"
Ran asked in surprise upon hearing the word "commissions."
"You could say I'm a full-time detective," Fujino corrected. "After all, I rely on this to make a living, unlike high school detectives."
"I see."
Ran nodded, glancing at the pale, slightly malnourished Fujino in front of her. Through the half-open door, she could vaguely see the room filled with cheap instant noodle cups.
She seemed to understand something immediately.
"We just finished cooking at home. Fujino-senpai, would you like to join us for dinner..."
Before she could finish, Fujino politely interrupted, "Thank you for delivering the message, Mouri-san. I'll try to attend school if I can. Goodbye."
With that, he closed the door.
"Ah?"
Ran's gentle smile gradually stiffened. After a moment, she sighed.
Fujino-senpai must be having a hard time, losing his parents and struggling to earn a living. He probably doesn't want to eat that unhealthy food again tonight.
She shook her head, feeling a bit regretful.
Inside, Fujino went to the balcony and watched Ran return home, his hand resting on the railing.
In the end, Ran was just a stranger living across the street. He appreciated her kindness, but even with a different soul, the financial struggles of the original inhabitant remained the same.
School was out of the question. He'd rather die of exhaustion than step foot in school again!
"Ding! System task detected!"
[Retain your student status to avoid expulsion! Complete the task to receive a detective profession binding and a cash reward of 100,000 yen!]
A system?
Fujino was momentarily stunned by the voice in his ear and the system screen that appeared before his eyes.
After a moment, he accepted the system's existence. After all, it would be odd for a transmigrator not to have a system.
But still, this system's reward was quite generous!
100,000 yen was equivalent to two high-paying commissions. He had considered selling the building and giving up, but now this system had appeared with a reward of 100,000 yen!
The offer was too tempting!
School was a must. Not even Jesus could stop him from going to school today!
(End of Chapter)