77: Chapter 77: Detective Intuition

Midday, Tokyo, Metropolitan Police Department.

Fujino, fresh off acquiring a Golden item, was summoned to the MPD by Inspector Megure.

Inside the MPD break room.

"The reward money for assisting with the case the other day has been approved."

Inspector Megure pulled a kraft paper envelope stamped with the cherry blossom emblem from his pocket and handed it to Fujino.

"It's two hundred thousand yen in total. Here you go, Fujino-kun."

"Two hundred thousand yen?"

Fujino took the envelope, counted the contents.

Confirming the amount was correct, he put it away.

Honestly, the MPD's efficiency is really terrible.

It's been days, and this small amount only just arrived.

"Speaking of which, Inspector Megure, about that incident last night..."

After putting the envelope away, Fujino leaned in conspiratorially towards Megure.

After the truck incident last night,

Fujino, wary, had asked Megure to look into the truck driver's background.

He'd even spun a tale about it being connected to a major serial murder case to pique Megure's interest.

Initially unconvinced, Megure had refused.

But for some reason, this morning, he'd agreed.

And was even willing to give Fujino a copy of the file directly.

Maybe because Fujino was his 'good buddy'?

Who knows?

"This is the file on the truck driver from yesterday's accident."

Megure cleared his throat, pulling a file from his coat pocket and handing it to Fujino.

"The deceased is named Miyamoto Nijisaburo, forty-three years old, single. Currently worked in furniture installation, occasionally doing deliveries. Lived in Beika Town, 4th Chome."

"Used to have a happy family?"

Fujino examined the file, stroking his chin.

"Wife died ten years ago in a murder case, killer caught by a detective... His only daughter, according to medical records, also passed away from illness two years ago."

"Investigating solitary men like this, with few social connections, is always the most difficult,"

Megure sighed.

"Just looking at the file, you can't tell much."

As he finished speaking, he looked up and noticed Fujino's strange expression.

"Fujino-kun, do you know this person?"

"We've met once,"

Fujino replied, shaking his head while looking at the photo in the file.

"I remember he delivered furniture to my detective agency a while back..."

He sighed again.

"Didn't expect our next meeting would be like this."

That's right, he recognized the man.

It was the same guy who worked overtime to install his furniture when he first set up the agency.

But why would this guy want to kill him?

Was he acting under orders?

Fujino put the file away, his mind still filled with questions.

"Fujino-kun, although we have to close this as a traffic accident, meaning we can't officially offer protection..."

At the break room door, Megure patted Fujino's shoulder earnestly.

"But if you face any threats, call me anytime."

"Understood."

Fujino nodded, turning and leaving silently.

Getting the deceased's file was already more than Megure strictly should have done.

He wasn't expecting police protection anyway.

An organization capable of convincing someone with nothing left to lose to carry out a suicide attack, leaving no trace behind...

Ordinary police wouldn't be able to stop them.

Relying on myself is better than relying on the police.

That was a lesson Fujino learned early on in this world.

Afternoon, Fujino's apartment.

In the dimly lit room, Fujino stood before the wall covered in red threads connecting ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠various pieces of evidence.

He stared thoughtfully at the web of clues gathered by the original Fujino.

After a moment, he pulled out a photograph.

He pinned it to the wall, then carefully threaded a red string through it, connecting it to the existing network.

The photo was from the accident scene last night.

"It's been a year. Why are they coming after me now?"

Fujino gazed at the intricate wall of red lines, lit a Chunghwa, and took a deep drag.

He initially assumed his parents' assassination was solely due to fallout from the Fujino Conglomerate's dealings.

He thought their deaths would be the end of it.

But now, it seemed things weren't that simple.

During his time as a detective, he hadn't made any enemies powerful enough to want him dead.

He'd even worn the Batman mask and used an alias when interrogating Numabuchi Kiichiro.

So, this assassination attempt had to be ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠for a different reason.

Most likely, the people targeting him now were the same group who killed the original Fujino's parents a year ago.

But logically, if they wanted him dead, why wait a whole year? Why resurface now?

Did the mastermind suddenly remember his existence after getting hit on the head?

Unlikely.

Fujino sighed softly, lost in thought. After a moment, he activated Detective Intuition.

[+100% Reasoning Ability Boost. Remaining Time: 59 seconds]

The moment the skill activated, Fujino felt the world shift. His thoughts ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠became incredibly clear and focused.

"So this is how detectives see the world?"

Fujino stroked his chin for a moment, marveling at the sensation.

He then began reviewing the differences between his current self and the past.

The biggest difference: the original died, he transmigrated.

After transmigrating, he used the system to make a decent amount of money and became a moderately famous high school detective.

Right, the fame!

The realization struck him.

That had to be the connection.

Money was unlikely; he'd kept his finances private.

Excluding money, the main change was his reputation.

"Is it really because I became famous?"

"But what does my fame have to do with being assassinated..."

Fujino wracked his brain, trying to connect the dots, but couldn't quite grasp it.

There was still too little concrete evidence.

The only lead was the dump truck... but the driver was dead.

"The dump truck?"

Fujino suddenly remembered something – his vision-enhancing glasses had a recording function.

And right before the truck hit last night, he had activated the recording.

Pulling himself from his thoughts, Fujino retrieved the recording.

The glasses' display flickered, and the scene replayed around him, transporting him back to last night.

The dump truck was tailing him.

He kept glancing back, checking the distance.

Then, the motorcycle sliding sideways...

"Wait, something's not right."

Watching the footage of the truck bearing down on him just before impact, Fujino noticed something strange...