Chapter 3: The "Perfect" Gentleman
The Mystery Coaster was one of Tropical Land's most popular attractions.
On weekends, the crowds only got bigger.
"Higashino, do you know Sherlock Holmes?"
"He's an incredibly brilliant detective!"
While they waited in line, Shinichi was at it again—going on about Sherlock Holmes.
"Here we go again!"
"Holmes, Holmes, always Holmes."
"Why don't you just go on a date with Holmes?"
Ran muttered under her breath, brow furrowed.
That deduction idiot—when something came up it was all cases and deductions, and when nothing did, it was Holmes, Holmes, Holmes.
If she were to marry him someday...
Ran found her thoughts drifting, out of nowhere, to her mother—the celebrated lawyer Kisaki Eri.
Had her parents' divorce been for exactly this kind of reason?
"Right—it's a very famous detective novel. Pretty good read!"
Makoto gave a nod.
"What novel?"
"I'm talking about the man—Sherlock Holmes the man. The greatest detective who ever lived!"
"He was incredible—the first time he met Watson, just from a handshake, he knew Watson had served as a military doctor in Afghanistan!"
"Something like this—"
Mid-sentence, Shinichi suddenly grabbed the hand of the girl in front of them and boasted smugly, "You're a gymnast, aren't you!"
"Huh?"
The girl's eyes went wide with shock.
"How did you know?"
Ran looked surprised too.
"The calluses on your hands!"
"Only a gymnast who trains on the horizontal bar regularly would have that many calluses."
Shinichi puffed up even more with pride.
"I'm sorry for the trouble my friend caused you."
"He doesn't mean any harm—he's just a Holmes enthusiast who can't help himself."
"As compensation, you and your friend are welcome to enjoy Tropical Land free of charge today."
All of a sudden, Makoto lowered his head and gave the girl a deep bow.
His tone was sincere throughout, and he kept putting in good words for Shinichi.
"N-no, it's fine!"
The girl gave an awkward smile and turned back to the queue.
"Free for the whole day? Really?"
Her companion asked, eyes lighting up.
"Of course!"
Makoto nodded.
As a major shareholder of Tropical Land, he did have that much authority.
"There's no need!"
"But thank you very much for the kind offer!"
The girl, however, smiled politely and pulled her companion back into the queue.
She clearly had no interest in saving money or getting things for free.
In fact, she seemed to have lost interest in everything altogether.
"What was that about?"
"Why did you apologize? I didn't do anything wrong."
Shinichi frowned.
It was like throwing a punch with everything he had, only to have it land in cotton.
No cheers from anyone around him—just a deeply unpleasant, bottled-up frustration he couldn't shake.
Just from a single handshake, he'd deduced her profession—wasn't that impressive?
Shouldn't everyone be in awe of his deduction?
Why apologize?
Why say sorry?
Shinichi couldn't wrap his head around it.
"R-right!"
Ran snapped back to her senses and immediately shot him a withering glare. "What exactly do you think you were doing?"
"Grabbing a stranger's hand out of nowhere—that's sexual harassment!"
"She could have called the police on you!"
"Lucky Higashino-kun stepped in when he did, or tomorrow's headline would've been [High School Detective Kudo Shinichi Arrested for Sexual Harassment]!"
Ran was absolutely furious.
How could he grab another girl's hand like that?
And on a date with her, no less!
Right in front of her face, with that smug look of his, grabbing another girl's hand!
What kind of person does that?
A child!
A complete child who just refused to grow up!
Self-righteous, arrogant, completely oblivious to other people's feelings—all he did was show off his deduction skills and go on about Holmes all day long!
"I guess... you're right!"
"Heh heh, sorry about that!"
"But you're something else, Higashino—you've really got a way with people!"
Shinichi scratched the back of his head with an awkward laugh.
'Higashino-kun is nothing like you.'
Ran thought it to herself but kept it in.
Having grown up alongside Shinichi, she knew exactly how competitive he was—and how much he cared about face.
"Oh right, Higashino-kun—you said just now that you could get them a free day at Tropical Land."
"Do your parents work at the park?"
Ran asked, genuinely curious.
The new transfer student was tall, handsome, and easy to talk to—and there was something about him, an inexplicable maturity and steadiness.
Claiming she wasn't curious would've been a lie.
"Not exactly!"
"I just happen to own a small stake in the park."
Makoto said it casually.
"Look at you—a trust fund kid after all!"
"How much of a stake? Like a hundred shares? A thousand?"
"A practice investment from your parents?"
Shinichi asked offhandedly.
When it came to family background, he had nothing to be modest about.
His dad was a world-class mystery novelist, and his mom had been an even bigger deal—a wildly popular top actress who had taken the entertainment world by storm.
The family owned mansions in Beika, Hawaii, and even New York.
On top of that, they were connected to all sorts of political and business elites, as well as major names in the entertainment world.
And even he himself had plenty of friends in law enforcement—enough to have earned the title "the savior of Japan's police world."
"Just a small stake—worth a few hundred million yen, give or take."
Makoto said it like he was mentioning the weather.
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Sherlock Holmes — The fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle, first appearing in 1887. Known for his razor-sharp deductive reasoning, Holmes remains one of the most iconic characters in mystery fiction worldwide.
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Higashino Makoto — Protagonist. Transmigrated.
Kudo Shinichi — High school detective. Series: Detective Conan.
Mouri Ran — Shinichi's childhood sweetheart. Series: Detective Conan.
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Translated by CheapBiscuit.
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I mass released 20 chapters per novel at the start.
You can read more chapters and find the RAW title on the "CheapBiscuit" website. Check the "About" section in my profile or the "Synopsis" section.
I can't post any links here or reply to comments. Not sure why — sorry if I don't respond!
Don't forget to read my other translation works.
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‣ Stealing Mouri Ran Right from the Start!
‣ The Eldest Princess of Planet Deviluke Is in My... Bathroom?!
‣ The Heroines Can Hear My Inner Voice
‣ These Heroines Are So Bold and... Ecchi!
‣ This Lord's First Kiss Gone Right From the Start?!
‣ ... and more.