Shock: Tang Ze Actually Used Detectives as Stand-Ins

The two Shinichi Kudo looked at each other as they entered the gymnasium's emergency passage from the side, then both broke into laughter.

"Being a detective once in a while is pretty interesting, isn't it?" Tang Ze took off his hood, smoothed down his flattened hair, and smiled at the person beside him. "How did it feel to see the world from their perspective?"

"It was indeed rather interesting." Vermouth tugged at the brim of her bucket hat, the corners of her mouth lifted high as her delight showed plainly. "Was that why you chose to become a detective?"

In her mind, Kumeru was not the kind of person who would waste a precious opportunity for such an innocent reason.

He had spent eighteen sunless years in the Organization as expendable cannon fodder. Akechi Goro was his only chance to stand beneath the sunlight wearing his own face.

Though that identity was destined to be nothing more than a footnote to lies, it was still something he had seized through a desperate struggle. Before officially coming into contact with Kumeru, she had always found his detective identity deeply puzzling.

The atmosphere was right today, so she asked casually, wanting to hear what this deeply calculating child truly had planned.

"...Of course not." It would hardly do to say he was making a meme reference. Tang Ze adjusted his expression and smoothly launched into a whole string of nonsense. "A person who deals with violent crime every day—once they enter normal society, what kind of path can they even choose?"

"What, you think your experiences in the Organization were helpful to your current profession?" Vermouth could not help but laugh at his matter-of-fact tone.

A career criminal's résumé helping him become a detective—if cool guy heard that, he would probably be