"I'm just helping you two have a fun high school life," Kogoro Mouri said, hands on hips. "Thank me!"
"Thank you?" Eri Kisaki fumed. "I want to kick you!"
"It's fine," Hayashi Shuichi shrugged. "We're not active in class. No one'll pick us."
"You gotta try," Kogoro grinned. "High school's three years fly by. You need memories to look back on."
At Teitan High School's gate, alongside the Dean of Academic Affairs with his bamboo sword, reporters with cameras swarmed, waiting for someone.
"What's this?" Kogoro asked, shocked.
"No big school events recently," Eri frowned. "Unless it's…"
"…the gym case," Hayashi finished, grimacing. A former detective in his past life, he hated media attention.
Eri shared his aversion. Kogoro, usually a spotlight hog, was too shaken by the case to talk.
They lowered their heads, aiming to slip into school unnoticed. But a figure dashed from an alley, nearly hitting Eri. Hayashi pushed her aside but collided head-on with the runner.
Hayashi staggered, clutching his nose in pain, holding back tears. The other person, tall but shorter than Hayashi, fell hard, groaning, "Ow, ow…"
"Fujimine-san?" Kogoro blinked.
"You're not late. Why the rush?"
Eri checked Hayashi's nose—no blood—and sighed in relief. Then, noticing how close they were, her heart raced. Why's it pounding? I've done this before.
"No bleeding," she said, stepping back to hide her fluster.
Hayashi didn't notice; he saw Eri and Kogoro as kids he'd watched grow up. She smells nice, though. What's that shower gel?
"You guys?" Yukiko Fujimine stood, recognizing them. "Why block the road? You made me fall!"
She'd left home late after watching the news, rushing through alleys to avoid tardiness affecting her class monitor bid.
"You bumped into me!" Hayashi retorted. "I didn't blame you, and you're flipping it?"
"Shuichi, we were in the way," Kogoro coughed, smoothing his hair. He offered Yukiko a hand. "Need help up?"
"You're the pig!" Yukiko snapped, standing and brushing her skirt. Recalling the news, she asked, "Did you really solve the gym murder?"
How does she know? Hayashi wondered, but Kogoro blurted, "Not just Shuichi—us three caught the killer!"
"You three?" Yukiko raised an eyebrow. "Why's only his name on the news?"
"Shuichi's on the news?" Kogoro gaped.
"You didn't know?" Yukiko said. "Morning news showed reporters at the First Investigation Division. Officer Samezaki confirmed Hayashi Shuichi found the murderer."
"No wonder the reporters are here," Eri said, glancing at the gate. "Class starts in five minutes. They won't leave soon."
"You don't want interviews?" Yukiko paused, then grinned. "I'll distract them, but you tell me everything about the gym case—and the other two cases the news mentioned."
Like mother, like son—a mystery nut, Hayashi thought, amused. No wonder she married Kudo Yusaku in the original timeline.
"Deal," he nodded.
"Wait here," Yukiko said, energized, sprinting toward the reporters.
"She won't sell us out, right?" Eri asked.
"Fujimine-san's too pretty to betray us," Kogoro said confidently.
"Kogoro, the prettier the woman, the more likely she lies," Hayashi teased. "You'll get burned someday."
"Nonsense!" Kogoro and Eri snapped in unison.
Kogoro glanced at Eri. "He said beautiful woman."
"Kogoro!" Eri growled. "Don't make me hit you!"