i am just a student? in Conan world

"Ah, so Fujino-kun was worried about me getting hurt," said Miwako Satou, pausing as she held onto Hirata's silver bracelet. She smirked playfully. "But that won't do. Every man I've ever liked has already left this world."

Fujino: "..."

If someone else had said this, he probably wouldn't believe it. 

But when it came to Miwako Satou... 

In Fujino's memory, Miwako's father, Masayoshi Satou, had been killed years ago, struck by a truck while apprehending a suspect. 

Her former colleague, Jinpei Matsuda, had died during a bomb defusal incident, blown up after being threatened by criminals. 

Indeed, most of the men this woman had loved were no longer alive. 

"Just kidding!" 

Seeing Fujino's strange expression, Miwako smiled. She raised Hirata's silver bracelet, her tone growing serious. 

"But even if I were to get hurt, I can't allow innocent people like you to come to harm. After all, as a police officer, my duty is to protect the innocent."

"Protect the innocent…" Fujino murmured. 

Working a job with a paltry salary of six or seven million yen a year, where one could lose their life at any moment? 

If it were him, he probably couldn't do it. 

In this world, being a police officer was a high-risk job. 

Better to live freely as a detective. 

---

The whistle signaling halftime rang out. 

Outside the stadium, Fujino removed his trench coat, watching as the police car drove off. 

"Fujino, my friend, you've done a great service this time!" 

Inspector Megure Kiyonaga approached from behind, patting Fujino on the shoulder with a smile. "If you hadn't deduced that the cameraman was the criminal, the consequences would've been unimaginable." 

"It was nothing—just a lucky guess." 

Fujino turned to Megure, as if suddenly remembering something. "By the way, Inspector Megure…" 

Megure interjected, "You want to ask about the reward money, right?" 

"No." 

Fujino pointed to the bulletproof vest he was wearing. "Actually, it's about this bulletproof vest." 

"What's wrong with the vest?" Megure asked, puzzled. "I just got it from logistics a few days ago—it shouldn't have any issues." 

"There's no problem," Fujino clarified. "I was wondering if I could keep it. 

"Given the number of armed criminals I encounter, having a bulletproof vest would be a good way to protect my life." 

"Huh?" 

Megure was stunned. 

So, he wanted the bulletproof vest? This was the first time Megure had heard such a request. 

Upon reflection, it wasn't unreasonable—Fujino's line of work often put him in danger. Trading a monetary bonus for a bulletproof vest seemed logical. 

"Fujino, my friend…" Megure hesitated. "I can't make that call on my own. I'll need to get approval from my superiors." 

Fujino nodded, understanding Megure's position. 

He could tell the inspector genuinely wanted to help him, but even something as small as a bulletproof vest required higher-level authorization. 

---

The game soon ended. 

Fujino took the kids to the hospital to check on Dr. Agasa, confirming that he was fine, before dropping the children off at their respective homes. 

It was the New Year. School was out, the kendo dojo was closed, and no new cases were coming in. 

So, Fujino spent the afternoon wandering around Beika City, taking a well-deserved break. 

That night, just as he returned home, a system notification echoed in his mind: 

**[Detective Profession Task: (56,000 Fame Points) Completed.]** 

**[Task Rewards: 1 million yen, 100 Detective Reputation Points distributed.]** 

**[Current Balance: 7.86 million yen.]** 

**[Current Detective Reputation: 550/1500.]** 

"7.86 million yen, huh? One or two more cases, and I'll be able to spin the gacha again." 

Fujino closed the system interface without any intention of spending the nearly 8 million yen balance. 

At the moment, his strength was decent, but leveling up his combat and swordsmanship professions required 3 million yen per upgrade. 

Even with a student discount, the cost was still over 5 million yen. It didn't feel worthwhile. 

He decided to save up for a bigger reward later. 

---

Two days later, time flew by, and the New Year's celebrations transitioned to an ordinary Saturday in June. 

Early that morning, Fujino had just returned home from his daily workout and was about to eat breakfast when he received a call from Megure. 

"Inspector Megure, calling me this early—did a murder happen?" 

Having just finished exercising, Fujino answered the call with a question. 

Momentarily taken aback by Fujino's forwardness, Megure responded, "There's no murder case. Actually, it's about your bulletproof vest—it's been approved." 

"And the result?" 

Fujino wiped imaginary sweat from his forehead with a towel as he spoke. 

"The request has been approved," Megure said, but his words were quickly followed by background noise. 

The call wasn't disconnected, but after a brief pause, Megure resumed, "I can't talk long, Fujino. I'm in the middle of handling a bank robbery. You can pick up the vest yourself from headquarters. I have to go." 

"A bank robbery…" Fujino muttered, hanging up the phone. 

Just a few days ago, there was a random shooting at the stadium. Now there was a bank robbery. 

Only in Beika City—famous for its "local specialties." 

---

After breakfast, Fujino drove to the police headquarters to pick up the bulletproof vest. 

It was the same style he had used during the incident. 

Judging by the tag on the bulletproof vest, it seemed brand new. 

It was probably part of a recent shipment to the police logistics department before it was handed over to him. 

Fujino put on the bulletproof vest, got into his car, and prepared to drive home. 

On his way back, his attention was suddenly drawn to a weight plate displayed in the window of a nearby sports equipment store. 

**Inside the sports equipment store:** 

A towering, muscular man—unusually tall at 5'9" (175 cm)—handed Fujino a complete weight-training set. "Here you go, sir. This is the best weighted gear set we have in the store." 

"This is it?" 

Fujino took the set and gave it a quick look. 

The set consisted of five pieces: two for the legs, two for the arms, and one vest. 

Fujino casually weighed it in his hands, then smirked. "Feels a bit light." 

"Too light?" 

The store owner was startled and gave Fujino a once-over before explaining, "This set is adjustable. Right now, it only has 20 pounds of weight installed. If you need more, you can add it." 

"How much weight can this vest hold at max capacity?" Fujino asked. 

"At maximum?" 

The store owner frowned, clearly caught off guard by the question. 

After all, no one had ever complained about this equipment being *too light* before. 

After pausing for a moment, he calculated aloud, "Each weight piece is two pounds. This vest can hold ten weights at once, which maxes it out at 80 pounds. If you include the arm and leg gear, the total load can go up to 100 pounds." 

He looked back at Fujino and added, "But honestly, kid, with your frame, I'd say 10 or 20 pounds is more than enough." 

"My frame?" 

Fujino glanced down at himself, then looked up with narrowed eyes. "Load it to 100 pounds." 

"You said it, not me," the store owner replied, shaking his head. Clearly, he didn't believe Fujino could move freely with that much weight. 

Still, business was business, and letting a customer learn the hard way wasn't such a bad idea. 

In two trips to the storeroom, the store owner returned, panting, with enough weight plates to max out the set. 

Fujino immediately donned the 100-pound set. 

Instantly, he felt the pressure across his body. It wasn't unbearable, but it was uncomfortable. 

"Kid, don't overdo it," the owner said, visibly concerned as Fujino adjusted the gear. 

If something went wrong, the weight could crush him. 

"I'm fine," Fujino replied, taking a deep breath as he adjusted to the weight. 

He then bent his knees slightly and leaped into the air. Both feet landed firmly on the ground without a wobble. 

The store owner was stunned into silence. 

Fujino asked, "How much?" 

"Fifty thousand yen." 

Fujino handed over the cash, received 5,500 yen in change, and left the store. As he walked toward his car, the owner stared at him as though he were a monster. 

**"Fujino-senpai?"** 

A familiar voice called out from behind. 

**"Ran?"** 

Fujino turned and saw Ran approaching. 

She was wearing an orange tank top, a brown skirt, and the white jacket she had worn on their last encounter in Osaka. Beside her stood Conan and Kogoro Mouri. 

Great… 

A simple trip to pick up a bulletproof vest and buy weighted gear, and he still managed to run into *the Three Harbingers of Death.* 

It looked like his weekend just got a lot more "exciting." 

--- 

After a brief greeting, Fujino learned about their purpose for being in the area. 

They had initially gone to deposit money at the bank, but Mouri had suddenly remembered his days as a private tutor three years ago. 

This prompted them to visit one of his former students—an event that could best be summarized as: *"The Tutor and the Student's Nostalgic Reunion: AVI Edition."* 

Ran asked Fujino, "Were you here to deposit money too, Senpai?" 

"Not exactly," Fujino replied with a chuckle. "I just stopped by the police station to pick up a bulletproof vest I'd requested earlier and decided to grab some weights while I was at it. I was on my way home when I bumped into you." 

After a brief pause, he suggested, "If you don't mind, I could give you a ride to your destination." 

"Are you sure it wouldn't be a bother—" 

Ran's words were cut short by Kogoro, who eagerly interjected, "If that's the case, then we'd be happy to take you up on the offer, Fujino!" 

"Dad…" 

Ran's face twitched slightly, but she ultimately bowed politely to Fujino. "Thank you for your kindness, Senpai." 

Fujino didn't offer to drive them out of pure goodwill. 

He was curious to see if they'd stumble upon a murder case and trigger his system's mission. 

After all, when the Mouri trio traveled together, *not* encountering a homicide would almost seem like a disservice to their infamous reputation as the *Harbingers of Death.* 

--- 

"Ah, I really miss this!" 

Kogoro Mouri looked at the scenery outside the car window and couldn't help but sigh. "Even though it's still in Beika City, since I rarely come to this side, it's hard to notice any changes." 

"By the way, Dad," 

Ran, sitting in the back seat, asked suspiciously, "Have you really not seen that student of yours at all since then?" 

At the same time, she cast a gloomy glance at Kogoro Mouri, silently breaking out in a cold sweat for her mom. 

"Yeah, her name is Chiho. Her father is a lawyer," 

Kogoro Mouri paused, reminiscing. "I still remember that every time after tutoring, he'd offer me a big glass of chilled beer at their house." 

Conan, upon hearing this, fell speechless. 

So that's why you ended up teaching there for three years... 

"Beep beep!" 

Suddenly, Fujino slammed on the brakes, and a loud honking sound came from the car ahead. 

Kogoro Mouri bumped into the edge of Fujino's seat, holding his slightly bruised forehead as he asked, "Hey, Fujino! Why did you slam the brakes so hard?" 

"There was a red car up ahead. That guy was driving way too fast. If I hadn't reacted in time, we would've crashed," 

Fujino replied, shifting his gaze toward the red car now blocking the path of their Ford Taurus. 

The driver of the red car was a square-faced man wearing sunglasses, with messy hair. His license plate read: [Shinjuku · 230 · ? · 13-1]. 

"Damn it!" 

Kogoro Mouri, visibly irritated, rolled down the window and shouted at the red car, "You idiot! Are you trying to get yourself killed? How dare you drive that fast in such a narrow—" 

"Boom!" 

Before he could finish his sentence, a violent explosion suddenly echoed from not far away. 

The man in sunglasses turned to glance at the source of the sound, stopped honking, and immediately began reversing his car. 

"What on earth just happened?" 

Kogoro Mouri was dumbfounded. 

Next to him, Conan's face darkened as he said, "That sound just now—it was an explosion." 

"An explosion?!" 

Kogoro Mouri froze and then looked ahead. "Don't tell me... it's Chiho's house?!" 

Fujino: "..." 

How does this guy immediately jump to the conclusion that the explosion happened at his former student's house? 

"We'll know when we get there," 

Fujino said, stepping on the gas and heading toward the source of the explosion. 

To his credit, he thought to himself, tagging along this time turned out to be the right call. 

Normally, he wouldn't even stumble upon a murder case while out and about. 

But with these three? They'd just run straight into a bombing incident. 

Classic Conan! 

--- 

Before long, they arrived at the scene of the explosion, following the sound. 

Fujino parked the Ford Taurus and stepped out of the car. 

In front of them was a two-story Western-style house, and at the garage entrance, a small car was engulfed in roaring flames. 

Across the street from the house, near the base of a utility pole, a woman was clutching her arm, staring blankly at the burning car. 

"Chiho!" 

Kogoro Mouri immediately dashed toward the woman. 

"Mr. Mouri!" 

The woman shouted, her voice trembling. "My sister is still inside the car!" 

"Wait, really?" 

Fujino was momentarily stunned and turned to look at Kogoro Mouri. 

Wow, this guy's jinx is uncanny… 

He said something would happen to his student, and it turned out to be true. 

Snapping back to his senses, Fujino glanced at the fire extinguisher cabinet attached to the utility pole nearby. 

He quickly rushed over, retrieved the extinguisher, and opened the nozzle, extinguishing the flames devouring the car. 

Once the extinguisher ran empty, he tossed it aside and approached the car, now reduced to a charred metal frame. 

Peering into the driver's seat, he saw a freshly burnt corpse, still emitting wisps of white smoke... 

(End of Chapter)