"Dad!"
Ran looked at him with a hint of resentment. "I told you not to drink so much, but you just wouldn't listen!"
"Quit meddling!"
Mori Kogoro looked like he was drunkenly making a scene. "I'm talking to your Uncle Fujino... Hic, kids shouldn't interrupt..."
"I'm not bothering with you anymore!"
Ran chided him.
She had long since grown used to Mori Kogoro acting like this.
Turning around, she sighed. "My dad has really made a fool of himself in front of you, Senior..."
Then, she took out a box of cold medicine from her pocket and handed it to Fujino. "Remember to take this when you get home. Your health is already weak, Senior. It would be troublesome if you caught a cold."
"Thank you..."
Fujino glanced at Ran and nodded.
After returning home, Fujino had been thinking about something.
His detective agency's reception room!
His visit to Uncle Mori's house had just given him an idea.
He could use the agency as both an office and a place to live!
To be honest, he had considered it before... but he had no money.
But now, things were different.
He was now a high school student with a massive fortune of 3.02 million yen!
3.2 million yen was no small amount in this era.
That amount was equivalent to an ordinary salaried worker's annual income!
It was more than enough to renovate a reception room!
But before that, he had to do a draw first...
The next day, inside Teitan High School's staff room.
"A high school student bravely dismantled a bomb and saved everyone on the train... then single-handedly destroyed the drug trafficking ring on Moonlight Island. What exactly did you do while I was gone these past few days?!"
Hiratsuka Shizuka sat in her chair, clutching a newspaper as she spoke with a slight headache. "So, you asked me for leave before because you were going to take down a drug trafficking ring?"
Fujino scratched the back of his head. "More or less."
"Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?!"
Before he could finish, Hiratsuka Shizuka suddenly stood up, a trace of gloom in her eyes.
She stared into Fujino's eyes and raised her voice. "Leaving aside where you learned to defuse bombs, don't you understand that if you made even one mistake in either of those incidents, you could have lost your life?"
"Problem students like you are exactly what give me headaches."
It was not that she could not understand Fujino's way of thinking.
After all, Fujino was an orphan with no ties holding him back, so he acted so recklessly when it came to dangerous matters.
But this could not go on... That fearless look of his was what made her feel even more heartbroken...
At that thought, she sighed, then slowly raised a hand and placed it on Fujino's shoulder.
The resentment on her face turned into a touch of gentleness as she said softly, "Family isn't the only kind of people who care about you in this world. So before you do something dangerous, you should also consider how the people around you feel..."
Fujino was momentarily dazed.
She was not lecturing him—she was worried about him?
This violent beauty might be deeply calculating, but she was unexpectedly gentle...
Fujino collected his thoughts and smiled knowingly. "I understand, Teacher Hiratsuka. Next time I do something that difficult, I'll think it over carefully..."
Fujino murmured inwardly, then took a red-and-gold box from his pocket and handed it to Hiratsuka Shizuka.
Hiratsuka Shizuka studied the indescribable pattern embossed on the cigarette pack, along with the two characters "Zhonghua" printed beside it, and could not help going blank for a moment.
If she had guessed correctly, this was high-end tobacco... and it was made in China.
This pack must have cost quite a bit of money.
At that thought, her brows suddenly furrowed.
She then shot Fujino a strange look and said meaningfully, "Are you trying to bribe me with premium cigarettes?"
"Of course not."
Fujino repeatedly shook his head and explained, "An acquaintance happened to give them to me. I thought they were pretty good, so I wanted to give you a pack, Teacher."
"That's more like it..."
Hiratsuka Shizuka put away the expensive-looking Zhonghua cigarettes.
Then she gave an awkward cough and said, "If you hide something like this from me again and ask me for leave, I won't approve it!"
"Understood..."
Fujino sighed in relief.
It seemed he could keep asking this violent beauty for leave in the future.
Zhonghua cigarettes were indeed hard to find in this era, and the carton he had was a deluxe edition that would not be released until the future.
As for where it came from...
A carton of Zhonghua brand cigarettes: The cigarettes inside were inexhaustible and would never run out, always remaining a full carton. It also had a calming effect; blue quality
Just yesterday, he had foolishly tried the regular draw again, which normally cost one million but was discounted to nine hundred thousand.
The result was that he got nothing.
Other than a few Enhancement Cards, the only thing that could be considered worthwhile was this carton of Zhonghua cigarettes.
But on second thought, it was not bad.
He could use it to bribe a certain violent beauty, and it looked impressive when he took it out.
"Hey, Senior Fujino!"
A familiar voice suddenly rang out beside him.
When he turned around, he saw Suzuki Sonoko waving as she ran over.
"Sonoko?"
Fujino asked in confusion, "Where's Ran?"
"Ran went to karate club practice..."
Sonoko frowned at his question. "But come to think of it, why do you ask where Ran is the moment you see me, Senior?"
"Am I worse than Ran?"
As she spoke, she spun around in front of Fujino, her skirt swaying with her.
"Not at all... Actually, you're very pretty too, Sonoko."
Fujino seriously looked Sonoko over.
Suzuki Sonoko was quite attractive, but her carefree personality had indeed scared off plenty of people.
She was much like Sister Zhou from his previous life.
Pretty was pretty, but if you told one of your buddies to go for her, he would cut ties with you on the spot.
After thinking for a moment, Fujino explained, "I was just curious. The two of you have always appeared together, so seeing you alone... I'm not used to it."
"So that's how it is..."
Sonoko smiled and nodded, her face lighting up.
Senior had said she was pretty. She was so happy!
Come to think of it, since she could remember, this seemed to be the first time a member of the opposite sex had seriously called her pretty.
"By the way, Senior, are you free this weekend?"
Fujino thought for a moment at Suzuki Sonoko's question, then asked curiously, "Do you need something, Sonoko?"
A blush appeared on Sonoko's face. "Well, I was planning to invite Ran to our mountain villa this weekend... If you're free, could you come too, Senior?"
"A villa?"
Fujino was momentarily stunned. "If I won't cause you any trouble, Sonoko, then of course."
"Then it's a promise!"
Sonoko's face blossomed into a smile.
"Remember to call me on the weekend morning... I'm afraid I won't wake up and end up delaying us."
"Got it!"
This weekend, she would definitely win Fujino over!
Before you continue