Chapter 4: We Both Have Bright Futures
"A f-few hundred million yen?"
"That's so much money!"
Ran's bright eyes went wide in an instant.
"Pfft, so you're just a trust fund kid after all!"
"Those shares are held by your parents on your behalf, aren't they!"
Shinichi shoved both hands in his pockets and dismissed it without a second thought.
"More or less!"
"Still, Kudo-kun—you really do live up to your name as a great detective!"
"Just from feeling the calluses on that young lady's hand, you could tell she was a gymnast!"
Makoto laughed and launched into a round of lavish flattery.
"Right, Shinichi—how did you know for sure, though?"
"Even if someone has calluses on their hands, they could be a tennis player or a badminton player."
Ran snapped to attention, struck by sudden realization.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk…"
"Well, when the wind blew up her skirt earlier, I… accidentally caught a glimpse of the calluses on her thighs."
"That kind of callus, in that particular spot—only someone who trains on the uneven bars would have them."
Shinichi grinned like a kid who'd just pulled off a successful prank.
"Whoosh!"
In an instant, Ran's face went cold.
Then it shifted to deep disappointment.
Grabbing another girl's hand. Peeking at another girl's skirt.
And all of it had happened right in front of her.
He'd even had the nerve to brag about it to her face with that smug look of his.
"A detective has to observe everything closely and never miss a single detail."
"Otherwise, how do you call yourself a detective?"
Shinichi tilted his chin up, looking even more pleased with himself.
"I… I see."
"Then I'm probably not cut out to be a detective."
Makoto gave an awkward laugh.
They were both high schoolers, both classmates in Year 2, Class B.
How did Higashino-kun know not to grab a strange girl's hand—and never to sneak a look under a girl's skirt?
And yet Shinichi didn't understand any of it?
No—this was basic decency. Something any normal person should know.
Higashino-kun was a normal high schooler. Shinichi, on the other hand…
The more Ran thought about it, the lower her mood sank.
The life with Shinichi she'd fantasized about countless times shattered like glass dropped on the floor.
"Do you know what happened to Holmes after that?"
"So then, Holmes actually…"
Shinichi climbed into the roller coaster and kept right on talking—going on and on about his "Holmes" without pause.
He hadn't noticed at all that the color had been draining from Ran's face right beside him.
"Huh, Ran—you're not getting on?"
Shinichi asked, puzzled.
Wasn't Ran the one who'd been looking forward to the Mystery Coaster most?
They'd finally made it to the front after all that waiting, and now she wasn't getting on.
"I'm feeling a bit off. Go on ahead!"
Ran stepped back one step to make way for two suspicious-looking men in black.
"All right, I'll go first then!"
"When I come back down, I'll keep telling you the rest of the Holmes story."
Shinichi excitedly strapped himself in and waited for the roller coaster to slowly start moving.
"Ugh!"
Ran frowned and let out a helpless sigh.
That guy was dense as a brick—completely oblivious to the atmosphere.
He was sharp as a razor when working a case.
Could it be that he actually didn't like her?
"You really like Kudo-kun, don't you?"
Without her noticing, Makoto had appeared at her side.
In a little while, a murder would take place on the roller coaster.
The same familiar three-way plot branch—and that high school detective would get his moment to shine.
But that was fine!
You solve the case, I'll win the girl.
We both have bright futures ahead!
"No I don't! I would never like someone like him!"
Ran glared furiously at the man on the roller coaster.
"I think Kudo-kun does like you."
"He's just still a bit childish—give it a few more years for him to grow up a little."
Makoto put in another good word for Shinichi.
This was exactly the best way to make Shinichi's image in Ran's eyes even worse.
"A few more years? Three? Five? Eight? Ten?"
"It's not like I can wait for him forever."
"I've known him since kindergarten—over ten years and I still haven't seen him grow up!"
The more Ran thought about it, the more worn down she felt.
That guy was always like this—80%, maybe even 90%, of his mind was on deduction.
When something came up it was all cases. When nothing did, it was Holmes.
On a rare weekend date, Holmes was still on his lips every other sentence—or else he was showing off his deduction skills.
"By the way, Higashino-kun—why didn't you get on the roller coaster either?"
Ran asked, curious.
"To keep you company."
The words slipped out of Makoto's mouth before he knew it.
"Whoosh!"
In an instant, Ran's face flushed a deep red.
A shameless sneak attack—always devastatingly effective!
"Th-that…"
She stumbled over her words, hesitating over whether to say what was on her mind.
On the day he transferred, Makoto had turned down all the girls in class and chosen to sit beside her.
And now he'd given up his spot in a long queue for the roller coaster just to stay and talk with her.
Could it be that he…
The more she thought about it, the redder Ran's face grew.
Her heart suddenly started pounding like crazy.
"Actually, I'm a bit afraid of heights."
"I really want to ride it, but I'm a little scared going alone."
Makoto shifted gears and lightened the mood.
A sneak confession was like a dragonfly skimming water.
One light touch was all it took—and ripple after ripple would spread through her heart, sending her imagination running wild.
"Oh—oh, I see!"
"Actually, me too—I want to ride it, but I'm scared!"
Ran let out a breath of relief, then felt a vague, lingering sense of something slipping away.
The second roller coaster slowly pulled up in front of them.
"Want to ride it together?"
Makoto asked, out of nowhere.
"Huh?"
Ran blinked.
"With two of us, there's nothing to be scared of!"
Makoto took her hand and they got on together.
Before she could even react, the roller coaster had already started moving.
"I think… I'm not scared anymore!"
Ran broke into a lovely smile.
Then, face still flushed, she quickly let go of his hand.
…
…
Higashino Makoto — Protagonist. Transmigrated.
Kudo Shinichi — High school detective. Series: Detective Conan.
Mouri Ran — Shinichi's childhood sweetheart. Series: Detective Conan.
…
…
Translated by CheapBiscuit.
...
...
Vote, comment, and give a proper review for this novel. I appreciate it.
You can read more chapters and find the RAW title at "Cheapbiscuit" website. Don't forget to read my other translation works.
I can't post or reply to any comments, they never appear. I don't know why this happens, but I apologize if I didn't respond to any of your comments.
...
...
If you like my translation and hungry for more...
🤜🏼 Check out 「𝚙𝚊𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚘𝚗.𝚌𝚘𝚖/𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚙𝚋𝚒𝚜𝚌𝚞𝚒𝚝」first and understand what's going on. You can always join it later.
🤜🏼 The first "100" premium members who join become the "1st Generation".
Your support lets me infinitely upgrade and maintain "Cheapbiscuit" website for our community. Regularly adding relevant features, consistently releasing chapters, and so on.