2: Chapter 2: The Tough Beauty

The next morning, Fujino was up at the crack of dawn. He showered, slicked his hair back—trying to look vaguely adult—and prepared to greet his hundred thousand yen… uh, his glorious return to student life.

But as he reached for his school uniform, ready to head out, he froze.

Where was his uniform?

Ah. Right. He'd sold it to some underclassman for a few thousand yen as a spare.

Crap.

With a sigh, Fujino pulled on his usual attire—a crisp suit vest over a shirt. Standing alone in his apartment, he mumbled "Later," to the empty air out of sheer habit, grabbed the keys to the old Ford Taurus he'd inherited, and headed for Teitan High.

"Ah! I'm gonna be late!"

He'd just parked and was making a break for the school gates when a frantic female voice yelled from behind him.

He spun around, caught a flash of brown hair, and then—Oof!

Next thing Fujino knew, he was on the pavement, having collided full-force with a girl sporting ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a shoulder-length brown bob. They both went down in a heap.

"Seriously?" Fujino groaned, rubbing his tailbone. That hurt.

He looked up. The girl had already scrambled to her feet and was bowing repeatedly.

"I am so, so sorry, Hiratsuka-sensei!"

"Huh?" Fujino blinked. The girl looked familiar... Suzuki Sonoko?

"Wait? Wha—?!"

Sonoko finally looked up properly, eyes darting around wildly before landing on Fujino.

"Hey! You're not Hiratsuka-sensei!"

"No kidding,"

Fujino deadpanned, pushing himself up.

A smirk touched his lips.

"You can call me Fujino-san, though."

"Oh! Right, right!"

Sonoko nodded eagerly, then gave him a closer look.

Her eyes lit up.

"Hey, you're kinda cute."

"Fujino-san, are you a new teacher?! How old are you? Where d'you live? Got a girlfriend?"

Okay, maybe the chronic exhaustion had added a few years. He was eighteen, but he could probably pass for twenty-something.

"What is going on out here?"

A sharp, authoritative female voice cut through Sonoko's rapid-fire questions.

Fujino turned.

A woman was striding towards them from inside the gate, dressed sharply in a suit vest and red tie – an outfit uncannily similar to his own.

She fixed Sonoko with a stern gaze.

"Suzuki-san, don't tell me you're late again?"

The arrival of the teacher—presumably the real Hiratsuka—put an abrupt end to Sonoko's impromptu interrogation.

With a final, slightly wistful glance at Fujino, Sonoko scurried off towards the school building.

Hiratsuka Shizuka then turned her scrutinizing gaze on Fujino. Black suit vest, red tie, glasses, looking perpetually drained... Damn, he really did look like a new colleague.

And he stole my look!

Kid has good taste, though, she conceded internally, before speaking.

"So, you must be Fujino-kun. The student who graces us with his presence maybe twice a semester?"

Fujino just nodded, unsure how to respond.

She arched an eyebrow.

"Where's your uniform?"

Fujino met her eyes squarely.

"I could lie and say I lost it. But honestly? I sold it."

"You... what?"

Hiratsuka ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stared, momentarily speechless. A vein pulsed in her temple.

She clenched her fists, visibly reigning in her temper.

"Well. Points for honesty, I suppose. I just thought you were skipping. I didn't think you'd actually sell your uniform... Right. You're coming with me to the staff room. Now. Fu-ji-no-kun."

"Yes, ma'am!"

And so, Fujino found himself being firmly escorted to the staff room by the surprisingly strong, undeniably attractive teacher.

Inside the staff room.

"So, let me get this straight. You're skipping school... to play detective? Fujino-kun, at your age, studying should be your top priority."

Hiratsuka Shizuka produced a cigarette, sticking it between her lips. She frowned, fumbling in her pockets for a light.

Click. Fujino smoothly held out his lighter.

Shizuka paused, took the light, and inhaled deeply before giving him a sharp look.

"Why does a high school student carry a lighter?"

Fujino offered no ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠reply.

Shizuka sighed, rubbing her forehead.

The lecture mode engaged automatically.

"Honestly, what are you thinking? Skipping classes, running around town... Don't you feel the least bit guilty towards your parents, who are working hard to give you this education?"

Fujino winced internally. Wow. Does she even glance at student files before launching into these things?

He let out a quiet breath.

"Actually, Sensei. I'm an orphan."

Hiratsuka Shizuka froze mid-inhale.

Her eyes widened almost imperceptibly.

The cigarette slipped from her fingers, scattering embers on the desk.

She hastily snatched it up.

"Oh... I... I'm sorry..."

She stubbed it out, her voice suddenly quiet, laced with genuine regret.

"It's fine,"

Fujino said, managing a small, tired smile.

"I'm used to it."

A wave of guilt washed over Shizuka's face. She awkwardly patted his shoulder.

"Listen, Fujino-kun... if things are tough... if you need anything... you can talk to me. Okay?"

Somehow, he'd weathered the storm with the intense literature teacher.

Later, after Fujino had left, Shizuka sought out Ran Mouri.

"Hiratsuka-sensei? You're asking about Fujino-san?"

Ran tilted her head, thinking.

"Well... he probably stopped coming much after his parents passed away, about a year ago... His grades used to be really good before that... but then, you know. He missed so much school he had to repeat the year. He's barely shown up since."

Ran hesitated, then added,

"When I stopped by his place yesterday, he seemed really stressed about some case he was working on."

"I see..." Shizuka murmured.

Now it all clicked.

If the kid was an orphan, everything made sense.

Skipping school wasn't laziness; it was necessity.

Working part-time jobs just to get by... his thin frame, the ramen cups Ran mentioned... He must be barely making ends meet.

Probably dealing with all sorts of crap outside school too... bullies, maybe ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠worse...

Shizuka felt a fresh stab of guilt over her earlier assumptions. How could she have been so careless?

Why did she suddenly feel like the worst kind of person?

After Ran left, Shizuka stood alone in the staff room, blinking back tears.

A fierce, protective fire ignited within her – the spirit of a truly dedicated teacher.

She slammed her fist onto her desk, her voice ringing with determination.

"I swear, Fujino-kun, I will not let them expel you!"

Meanwhile, back in the classroom, Fujino slumped into a seat by the window. The middle-aged teacher at the front was droning on about something utterly incomprehensible. Fujino sneezed abruptly.

"Feels like someone's talking about me," he mumbled.

Before the thought could fully form, the system's voice pinged in his mind:

"Ding! Host has completed the task. System rewards distributed!"

Relief washed over Fujino. He was safe. Off the chopping block.

Must've been Hiratsuka-sensei, he figured.

He nodded slightly. She might smoke like a chimney and have a knack for poking bruises, but deep down… yeah, she was alright.

Fujino Stamp of Approval.

He mentally accessed the 'Profession System' he'd just unlocked. A minimalist, glowing interface appeared before him.

[Name: Fujino]

[Current Class:]

Primary: Detective (Rank: Basic)

(100 Reputation required for next Rank Up)

[Sub-Class:]

None Assigned

[Class Skills:]

Professional Focus: Earn bonus rewards (Bounty & Reputation) for solving cases and completing client requests.

Zone of Concentration (Basic): For 60 seconds while actively deducing, your thought process cannot be interrupted.

[Current Funds: 1,053,100 Yen]

(Sufficient for 10 Profession Orb Draws)

Okay, simple enough. Spend cash, get "Profession Orbs." Orbs could contain new classes or random items. Getting a class unlocked its unique skills. Doing class-related stuff earned Reputation. Enough Reputation earned points to upgrade class skills.

Orbs also had rarity tiers: White, Cyan, Blue, Purple, Gold. Seemed like you needed at least a Purple Orb to guarantee a new Class.

Cost: 100,000 Yen per Orb. Pity system: guaranteed Purple or higher every 100 draws.

Bottom line: This system ran on cash. Lots of it.