"Dad!"
Ran looked at her father with a hint of frustration. "I told you not to drink so much, but you wouldn't listen!"
"Don't bother me!"
Mouri Kogoro, in a drunken stupor, replied, "I'm talking with your Uncle Fujino… Children should stay out of it…"
"I'm not going to deal with you!"
Ran scolded him, accustomed to her father's drunken antics. She turned to Fujino, sighing, "I'm sorry for my dad's behavior. I hope it didn't bother you."
She then took out a box of cold medicine from her pocket and handed it to Fujino. "Take this medicine. Your health is important, and catching a cold would be troublesome."
"Thank you…"
Fujino glanced at Ran and nodded.
...
Back at home, Fujino was deep in thought.
Specifically, about the reception room of his detective office!
His visit to Mouri Uncle's house had sparked an idea. He realized that he could use his office for both business and living purposes!
To be honest, he had thought about it before… but he didn't have the money.
Now, however, things were different.
He was now a high school student with a hefty sum of 3.2 million yen!
Three million two hundred thousand was not a small amount in this era.
It was comparable to an entire year's salary for an average worker!
Renovating a reception room was more than feasible with that amount.
But before proceeding, he needed to...
The next day, in the teacher's office at Teitan High School.
"High school student bravely defuses a bomb, saving everyone on the train… and single-handedly dismantles the drug trafficking ring on Moonshadow Island. What have you been up to while I was away?"
Hiratsuka Shizuka, seated at her desk, held a newspaper with a slight headache. "So, you took leave to catch a drug trafficking ring?"
Fujino scratched his head. "Something like that."
"Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?!"
Before Fujino could respond, Hiratsuka Shizuka abruptly stood up, her gaze darkening.
She looked intently into Fujino's eyes, raising her voice slightly. "Not to mention where you learned to defuse bombs, don't you realize that if something goes wrong, you could lose your life?"
"This is why you troublesome students make me worry."
She understood Fujino's intentions, given that he was an orphan with no ties and thus acted recklessly in dangerous situations.
But such fearlessness only made it more painful...
She sighed, then gently placed a hand on Fujino's shoulder.
The previously stern expression softened into one of gentle concern. "The world isn't just about family caring for you. You should also think about how your actions affect those around you…"
Fujino was taken aback.
She wasn't scolding him; she was genuinely concerned?
This violent beauty, while having deep schemes, was unexpectedly tender...
Fujino smiled in understanding. "Got it, Hiratsuka-sensei. I'll be more thoughtful in the future when dealing with these high-risk situations…"
Fujino muttered to himself, then took out a red-and-gold box and handed it to Hiratsuka Shizuka.
Hiratsuka Shizuka examined the box adorned with an intricate pattern and the characters "中华" (Chinese) printed beside it, momentarily stunned.
If she wasn't mistaken, this should be high-end tobacco... and it was from China.
Such a pack must have cost a lot.
Realizing this, her brow furrowed.
She gave Fujino an odd look and asked meaningfully, "Are you trying to bribe me with high-end cigarettes?"
"Of course not."
Fujino shook his head vigorously, explaining, "A friend just gave it to me, and I thought it was good, so I wanted to give it to you."
"Well, that's different…"
Hiratsuka Shizuka took the expensive-looking pack of cigarettes and put it away.
She then cleared her throat awkwardly and said, "If you try to hide things from me and take leave again, I won't approve it!"
"Understood…"
Fujino sighed in relief.
It seemed he would still be able to take leave from this violent beauty in the future.
The Chinese cigarettes, which were hard to find in this era, and this pack was an exclusive edition that wouldn't be released until the future.
As for how he got it...
[A pack of Chinese cigarettes: The cigarettes within are inexhaustible and always in a full state, with a calming effect; Blue Quality]
Yesterday, he had tried his luck with an ordinary lottery, priced at one million yen, discounted to nine hundred thousand yen.
The result was that he didn't win anything of note.
Aside from a few enhancement cards, this pack of cigarettes was the only valuable item he got.
But on second thought, it was quite good.
It could be used to bribe a certain violent beauty and would be quite impressive.
"Hey, hey! Fujino-senpai!"
At that moment, a familiar voice called out.
Turning around, Fujino saw Sonoko Suzuki running towards him, waving.
"Sonoko-chan?"
Fujino asked in confusion, "Where's Ran?"
"Ran went to practice at the karate club…"
Sonoko frowned slightly. "But speaking of which, why did you ask where Ran was as soon as you saw me?"
"Am I that much worse than Ran?"
She twirled in front of Fujino, her skirt swaying.
"Not at all… Actually, Sonoko-chan, you're also very pretty."
Fujino looked at Sonoko Suzuki earnestly.
Sonoko Suzuki was quite attractive, but her boisterous personality had indeed put off quite a few people.
Similar to how people felt about Zhou Jie in his previous life.
She was good-looking, but if you let your buddy approach, your buddy would just cut off ties with you.
After a moment of thought, Fujino explained, "I was just curious. You two are always together, and now there's just one of you... I'm a bit unaccustomed."
"I see…"
Sonoko smiled brightly, her face lighting up.
It felt great to be complimented by a senior!
Come to think of it, this might be the first time a male had sincerely complimented her appearance.
"By the way, do you have time this weekend?"
After a moment's thought, Fujino asked, "Do you have something in mind, Sonoko-chan?"
Sonoko's face turned a bit bashful. "I was planning to invite Ran to our mountain villa this weekend. If you're free, would you like to join us?"
"A villa?"
Fujino was momentarily taken aback. "If it wouldn't trouble you, Sonoko-chan, I'd be happy to join."
"Great! It's a deal then!"
Sonoko's face beamed with joy.
"Remember to call me in the morning on the weekend… I'm worried I might oversleep and waste time."
"Got it!"
This weekend, she was determined to make sure Fujino joined them!
(End of Chapter)