Hayashi Shuichi gave a non-committal shrug, ready to close his eyes and return to his rest. However, the next passengers to board the bus immediately caught his attention—it was the pair of twin sisters from the previous night.
Though they weren't wearing bikinis today, their tight-fitting short sleeves and miniskirts still accentuated their sultry figures.
One had her hair tied in a high ponytail that lashed back and forth like a whip as she walked; the other wore her long hair down over her shoulders, a small, delicate jade Buddha hanging from a necklace at her chest.
Upon seeing them, Mouri Kogoro instinctively let out a low whistle. This immediately drew a sharp glare from the ponytail girl, her beautiful eyes practically spitting fire.
At the same time, a murderous gaze shot over from Ruri.
Feeling his girlfriend's stare, Mouri Kogoro quickly ducked his head, leaning over to whisper a complaint to his friend. "Why didn't you warn me?"
"You whistled so suddenly, I didn't even have time to stop you," Shuichi replied with a helpless spread of his hands, though the corners of his mouth couldn't help but twitch upward.
Eri Kisaki and the other girls had also noticed the twins, and their minds simultaneously drifted back to the events of last night. They scrutinized the sisters for a moment before each let out a private sigh of relief.
Her style is too provocative, Eri huffed inwardly. Shuichi wouldn't be interested in someone like that.
Their figures might be similar to mine, but they aren't as pretty as I am, Yukiko thought triumphantly.
Reiko's thoughts mirrored Eri's. In the young girl's eyes, her older brother had a strong streak of traditionalism; he would never take a liking to girls who were so clearly rebellious.
...
Behind the twins, four young men boarded the bus one after another.
Leading the pack was the yellow-haired delinquent from the night before. He was still dressed in a gaudy shirt with the top three buttons intentionally undone, revealing a thin chest. An exaggerated silver chain hung around his neck, jingling loudly with every step.
Following him was the friend who had dragged him away last night. He looked much more grounded, wearing a plain T-shirt and jeans.
The third young man to board was particularly striking. He was tall, dressed in casual clothes that were clearly expensive, and the gold watch on his wrist shimmered under the sunlight. His handsome face bore an expression of unmistakable arrogance.
Finally, there was a boy wearing glasses. His thick, bushy eyebrows were his most prominent feature, looking like two caterpillars perched on his forehead. He wore a kind, gentle smile that made him seem very easy to get along with.
As soon as the yellow-haired man boarded, his eyes began scanning the bus like a searchlight. He quickly spotted Chikage Tomizawa sitting alone.
His eyes lit up. He strode forward and said in a purposefully exaggerated tone, "Hey, beautiful. I assume this seat is empty?"
Chikage Tomizawa didn't even bother to look up. She spat out a single, cold word: "Beat it."
"Hey, the bus is public transport," the yellow-haired man persisted, leaning his body closer to her. "You can't just take up two seats all by yourself, can you?"
Chikage frowned, momentarily unsure of how to rebut him.
"Hey," Shuichi spoke up at the right moment. "Don't bother her."
"Officer," the yellow-haired man said with a smirk, "she's clearly an adult. There's no law against me hitting on her, right? You've got no reason to interfere."
As he spoke, he moved to force his way into the seat, his backside already hovering just above the cushion.
Shuichi was faster. He reached out, grabbed the man by the collar, and hauled him back up.
Caught off guard, the yellow-haired man stumbled, nearly tripping over his own feet, his shirt collar yanked completely out of shape.
"Hey, you—!"
Just as he was about to lose his temper, Mouri Kogoro, who was sitting on the aisle seat, lunged forward. With a practiced, fluid motion, he pinned the man's arm behind his back.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow!" the man wailed, his face pressed against the cold bus window, distorted by the pressure. "Police brutality! I'm going to report you!"
"Who told you I was a cop?" Kogoro snorted. He gave the man a shove, sending him tumbling into an empty seat in the front row. "I'm just a high school student. If you harass my friend again, don't blame me for being less 'polite'."
To emphasize his point, Kogoro cracked his knuckles with a series of sharp, intimidating pops.
Grimacing and rubbing his sore arm, the yellow-haired man turned to his companions for backup.
However, the "rich kid" simply shrugged as if it had nothing to do with him. The friend from last night shook his head helplessly, clearly wanting no part of the trouble.
Only the boy with glasses looked at Shuichi with curiosity. "Sir, looking at your age, you should still be a high school student, right? How can you be a police officer?"
"Exactly!"
The yellow-haired man finally caught on. He pointed an accusing finger at Shuichi, his face flushed with indignation.
"I knew it! Impersonating a police officer is illegal! I'm calling the cops on you!"
Before he could finish his sentence, Shuichi pulled out his credentials and thrust them right under the man's nose. "Look closely. I am a consultant for the Metropolitan Police Department. When did I ever say I was a police officer?"
"A consultant is probably fake too..."
The man was about to keep shouting, but the glasses-wearing boy stared at the name on the ID, his eyes widening in shock.
"Wait, this is real! You're that high school detective who's been all over the news lately—Hayashi Shuichi!"
"I think I've seen him on the news too," the yellow-haired man's friend said, scratching his head. "Wasn't it the Beika Library fire? The TV station interviewed him, saying he caught a major drug dealer inside the burning building."
Hearing his companion's confirmation, the rich kid let out a disdainful snort, looking Shuichi up and down. "Tch. Just a normal high schooler. I thought he was someone actually impressive."
The four girls who had just boarded also looked toward Shuichi with curiosity.
Tomoko arched an eyebrow, seemingly surprised by his identity. Her long-haired friend wore a thoughtful expression, her lips parting slightly as if she wanted to say something but held back.
The twin sisters exchanged a look. A flicker of interest flashed in the eyes of the ponytail girl, Shizuka, as she began to reassess Shuichi.
Sensing the tide had turned against him, the yellow-haired man shrank back with a forced laugh and scurried away to find a seat far from Chikage Tomizawa.
His friend followed him, whispering a warning: "Stop looking for trouble. Even if Hayashi Shuichi is just a high schooler, he's already connected to the MPD. Be careful, or he really will have you hauled away."
"Satoshi, over here!"
Shizuka, the ponytail twin, waved toward the rich kid, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness.
The girl originally sitting next to her gave a helpless smile and silently stood up to give him the seat.
The boy with glasses nodded politely to Shuichi. Just as he was looking for a place to sit, Tomoko's long-haired friend discreetly beckoned him over.
Seeing the boy approach, the long-haired girl started to stand up to offer her seat, but Tomoko suddenly reached out and shoved her back down. The force was so sudden the girl let out a small gasp.
Caught in the middle, the long-haired girl could only offer the boy an apologetic smile.
The boy with glasses rubbed his nose awkwardly and eventually found a lone empty seat. From behind, his silhouette looked somewhat lonely.
Shuichi observed the scene in silence, recalling the conversation he had overheard in the elevator the night before.
It seemed this boy with the glasses was the young master of the Suzuki family who was pursuing Tomoko.
Speaking of which, what was Sonoko Suzuki's father's name again?
Shuichi rubbed his temples, a slight headache forming. He had been in this world for so long that he had started to forget the names of certain minor characters...
(End of Chapter)
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