A detective?
The students in Class 1-A erupted into chatter, staring at the bloodstains on Kogoro's uniform.
"He's got blood all over his clothes. Did he just come from a fight?"
"A detective? He looks more like a gang member!"
"Isn't Teitan High School supposed to have a high deviation value? How did a hotheaded idiot who only fights get in?"
The classmates' gossip made Kogoro Mouri want to cry.
"Boo hoo, my image, my high school life—it's ruined!"
"Please, everyone, don't misunderstand," Teacher Yui said, defending Kogoro. "The bloodstains on Mouri's clothes aren't from fighting."
"This morning, these three helped the police solve a case, which is why they were late."
Worried about scaring the students, Teacher Yui avoided mentioning the murder case.
"The other two students, your turn."
"Hayashi Shuichi. I don't have any particular hobbies, and I haven't decided what I want to do in the future."
"Eri Kisaki. I like reading, and I hope to study abroad and become a lawyer in the future."
Compared to Kogoro, Hayashi Shuichi's and Eri Kisaki's introductions were far more ordinary.
The other classmates didn't react much, still whispering about Kogoro's situation.
"Congrats, Kogoro," Shuichi said, patting his shoulder from the back row. "You always wanted to be famous. At least in Class A, your dream's come true."
…
After two more classes, it was lunchtime, and the trio naturally gathered together.
Eri Kisaki took out her bento. Seeing Shuichi and Kogoro each gnawing on bread, she started to ask, "Didn't Mouri's mom prepare for you today…"
Halfway through, she caught herself and glanced at Kogoro apologetically. "Sorry, I…"
"It's fine, I don't mind anymore," Kogoro said, waving it off. Though he claimed not to care, his eyes reddened slightly.
Among the three, Eri Kisaki had the best family background. Her parents, both lawyers, were busy but loved her dearly. Their work just left little time to spend with her.
Next was Kogoro Mouri. His family owned a three-story building in Beika Town. The first floor housed an izakaya run by Kogoro's father, the second was rented out, and the third was the Mouri family's home.
Hayashi Shuichi was the least fortunate. Before he transmigrated, the original owner's family was in a car accident. His parents died on the spot, leaving only a sum of compensation. The original owner, severely injured, became comatose—then Shuichi transmigrated into his body.
Over the years, Shuichi had lived with relatives. Though they treated him kindly, it wasn't his real home, and he never felt fully at ease.
After getting into Teitan High School, Shuichi moved out of his relatives' house and rented the second floor of the Mouri family's building.
In elementary and middle school, Kogoro's father, aware of Shuichi's situation, often looked out for him, preparing a bento for Shuichi whenever he made one for Kogoro.
Tragically, a month ago during summer vacation, Kogoro's father died of a heart attack.
For over a month, Kogoro had been listless. Only with Shuichi and Eri's support did he begin to cope with his grief.
"Let's not talk about that," Kogoro said, biting into his bread. "Oh, Shuichi, are you really going to work at our family's izakaya after school and skip clubs?"
"Yeah," Shuichi nodded. "I need to save for university."
Japanese schools offer rich extracurricular activities. From elementary school, students can join various clubs. By high school, some clubs tie directly to future careers.
For example, aspiring athletes, musicians, or manga artists participate in clubs to excel in national competitions, paving the way for their futures.
In his past life, Shuichi was a detective who died protecting a hostage during an arrest. In this life, he had no plans to return to that career. He aimed to enter a good university, then join Japan's civil service system—a cushy job where a simple "sumimasen" could smooth over mistakes.
But university tuition in Japan wasn't cheap, unlike in Shuichi's previous homeland. He couldn't burden his relatives with the cost, and the compensation from his parents' accident wasn't enough. He had to work during high school to save up.
After Kogoro's father passed, his mother's health declined. The Mouri family planned to close the izakaya. When Shuichi learned this, he convinced them to let him try running it as head chef for a few days.
If it went well, the izakaya would stay open, with Shuichi and the Mouris splitting the monthly profits. If not, they could close it later.
In his past life, besides being a detective, Shuichi loved cooking and even studied at a culinary school. In this life, he'd learned Japanese cuisine from Kogoro's father. Running a small izakaya shouldn't be a problem.
"What about you, Eri?" Kogoro asked. "Planning to join any clubs?"
"No," Eri shook her head. "Clubs won't help with my study abroad plans. I'll be at the library after school, studying."
"What? So I'm the only one joining the judo club?" Kogoro slumped onto the table. "I thought at least one of you would join me!"
"Judo club? Why bother?" Eri asked, surprised. "Didn't Shuichi teach us sanshou and grappling? You're already strong."
In his past life, Shuichi learned sanshou and grappling at the police academy, winning multiple combat competitions. After transmigrating, he practiced them again to stay fit.
When Eri and Kogoro saw this, they insisted on learning too. Since it wasn't a secret, Shuichi trained them.
He went easy on Eri, being a girl. But Kogoro? He'd begged for real martial arts training, so Shuichi went all out, often leaving Kogoro with a black eye.
Thinking of those painful sparring sessions, Kogoro's face hardened with determination. "Following Shuichi, I'll never beat him in my life!"
"Once I learn judo, I'm going to… no, I will defeat Shuichi one day!"
…