Detective by Mistake!Chapter 1: The Crossword that Caught a KillerBeing a detective was never my dream job. To be honest, most mornings I hardly wanted to get out of bed. But fate, or maybe just dumb luck, had other pns.

  It all began one Wednesday afternoon while I was enjoying a cup of coffee that tasted like burnt rubber in a budget café. I was attempting to solve a crossword puzzle while gazing at the newspaper in front of me. I couldn't get past "A five-letter word for deception."

  "Could be 'trick'... but that's only four letters. Cheat? No, still wrong..." I muttered.

  Across from me, my best friend Kenji Morita was busy pying a mobile game, ignoring my struggle. "Who even does crosswords anymore, Shun?"

  "People with a thirst for knowledge," I said, circling possible answers.

  "People with too much free time," Kenji corrected. "Come on, man. You got kicked out of college, you're unemployed, and you're sitting here pretending to be some old dude doing brain exercises."

  He wasn’t wrong. My life wasn’t exactly gmorous. I had dropped out of university six months ago after a series of bad decisions, including thinking I could pass my philosophy css without attending lectures. Now, I was jobless, broke, and spending my afternoons in a café that gave out free refills just to stretch my st few yen.

  Just as I was about to give up on the crossword, I overheard a couple at the table next to us whispering.

  "...Did you hear about that missing guy? They found his body st night."

  "Yeah, it was in the news. Some detective is already on the case. They said the police don’t have a suspect yet."

  I wasn’t really listening. It’s not like those murders had anything to do with me.

  But then, as I looked at the crossword, the answer suddenly came to me.

  Five-letter word for deception.A-L-I-B-I.

  Alibi.

  And suddenly, everything changed.

  A Crossword Clue and a Real CrimeIt should have ended there. I should have just written down my answer and moved on with my life. But no—because I had to open my big mouth.

  "Hey, Kenji, alibi is five letters, right?" I asked.

  "Yeah. Why?"

  "The missing guy they found... What would happen if the murderer had an alibi?"

  Kenji raised an eyebrow. "Are you solving murder cases now?"

  I chuckled. "Just thinking, no, no. You would make sure to be in a public pce if you were a murderer looking for the ideal alibi, wouldn't you? Like, say, a café where people could see you?"

  The man at the table next to us froze as soon as I said that.

  His coffee was halfway to his mouth when his hand stopped. He gnced in my direction. He was sweating.

  I continued to ramble, ignoring him. Yes, I would make sure to have a strong alibi if I were the murderer. Maybe even come here to have a coffee at the same time the murder happened, just to have people say they saw me."

  The man next to us gulped.

  Kenji finally noticed. "Well, dude... I believe you're giving that guy anxiety."

  I looked over at him. He was a normal-looking saryman, probably in his te 30s, wearing a suit. But now that I was actually paying attention, he looked pale. Too pale. He put down his coffee cup, his hands trembling.

  I blinked.

  "...Wait. No way."

  "Shun, don't tell me..." Kenji whispered after realizing.

  I leaned in and looked the man in the eye. "You have a solid alibi, right?"

  The man bolted.

  Just like that, he ran out of the café, knocking over his chair. People turned to look. A waitress screamed. A waiter let out a shriek. "Hey, that guy didn’t pay!" someone shouted.

  Kenji and I exchanged a look. Then, without thinking, I muttered:

  "...Did I just find the killer?"

  Becoming a 'Genius Detective' by AccidentWe ran after him. Not because I was some justice-driven crime solver, but because I was curious. What were the chances that I actually stumbled onto something real?

  The guy dashed into an alley, and I was about to lose him when—

  WHAM!

  A policeman tackled him to the ground. I stopped, out of breath. Kenji crashed into me from behind.

  The officer, a tall, serious-looking woman with short bck hair, had the guy pinned. She pulled out her badge. "Detective Reina Kisaragi, Metro PD. You’re under arrest!"

  The suspect filed. "W-Wait! I didn’t do anything!"

  I caught my breath. "Uh… actually, I think you did."

  Reina turned her sharp gaze to me. "Who are you?"

  Kenji muttered, "Shun, we should leave before they think we're part of this."

  But I was too shocked to react. I had accidentally pointed out a murderer. In public. And now the police thought I was some kind of genius.

  Reina narrowed her eyes. "Wait a second… Are you the detective the chief sent?"

  I blinked. "The what?"

  Kenji whispered urgently, "Just say yes."

  "...Uh, yeah. Totally."

  She stood up, dragging the suspect to his feet. "Good timing. We were about to lose him, but thanks to your deduction, we got him. I didn’t know you were already investigating this café. Impressive work."

  My deduction? I had literally just been doing a crossword puzzle!

  Kenji nudged me. "Bro. You're a detective now."

  Oh no.

  Oh no.

  Reina smirked. "You must be Shun Kirisawa, the private investigator. I heard you're a rising talent in the field."

  I made the worst decision of my life at that very moment, but I had no idea what was going on.

  I nodded.

  And just like that, I became a detective by mistake.

  "No, this is all a big misunderstanding, and I'm just a random guy trying to solve a crossword puzzle," should have been my response.

  Rather, I gave a foolish nod.

  The Metro Police Department's Detective Reina Kisaragi was now staring at me as if I were a prodigy.

  She tightened her hold on the suspect's arm and remarked, "Your timing was perfect." "You spotted this guy in a cafe like it was nothing, even though we've been chasing him for two days."

  I was elbowed in the ribs by Kenji. "Dude, before they discover you're a fraud, say something intelligent."

  I tried to appear serious as I cleared my throat. "Well, you see... I simply had a gut feeling.

  Reina's eyes were bright with curiosity. “A gut feeling?”

  “Yup,” I said, now fully committing to the lie. “Just a gut feeling. You learn to trust those in my line of work.”

  “…You’ve been in this field a long time, then?”

  I nodded. “Oh, absolutely.”

  Kenji coughed to cover up his ughter.

  The suspect, who was still pinned, looked at me in horror. “T-This is crazy! He didn’t do anything! I just ran because—because I got nervous!”

  Reina rolled her eyes. “Sure. You ‘got nervous’ right after our ‘detective friend’ here called you out for having a fake alibi.” She shoved him toward a waiting patrol car. “We’ll check the footage and match your alibi against the murder time. If you’re innocent, you’ll walk free.”

  The man turned toward me, desperate. "Something is wrong with you!"

  I scratched my head awkwardly. Am I? I just guessed!

  Before I could say anything, Reina cpped a hand on my shoulder. “Come with me, Kirisawa. We need your insight on the case.”

  “…We do?”

  She nodded. “Obviously. A sharp mind like yours could be invaluable to the investigation.”

  Kenji was practically choking on his ughter at this point.

  And that’s how, in less than ten minutes, I went from solving a crossword puzzle to being dragged into a murder case as a ‘genius detective.’

  Welcome to the Investigation RoomThe next thing I knew, I was sitting in a dimly lit police interrogation room. Across from me sat Detective Reina Kisaragi, flipping through a thick case file.

  “So, Kirisawa,” she said, “since you’ve already contributed to this case, I’d like to hear your opinion.”

  “My opinion?”

  She slid a crime scene photo across the table.

  “This is Daichi Tamura, the victim,” she said. “He was a small-time accountant, disappeared two nights ago, and was found in an abandoned warehouse. Cause of death—blunt force trauma to the head. No weapon found.”

  I stared at the photo, struggling to keep a serious face. What am I supposed to say? I don’t know anything about crime scenes!

  Reina leaned forward. “What do you make of it?”

  Kenji’s voice echoed in my head: Say something smart before they figure out you’re a fraud.

  I cleared my throat. Think, Shun, think.

  “Well,” I said slowly, “it’s obvious that… uh… whoever did this… probably didn’t want to leave evidence.”

  Reina nodded, her expression serious. “Go on.”

  Crap. That actually worked?!

  I took a wild guess. “Since there’s no murder weapon, it means the killer either took it with them… or used something disposable.”

  Reina's eyes got bigger. "That's a valid point. That narrows our search for the weapon.”

  It does?!

  I tried not to panic as she flipped through her notes. “We also found traces of oil on his clothes. What do you think that means?”

  Oil? That sounded important. I decided to bluff.

  “Well… It could mean the killer works in a garage… or a factory?”

  Reina’s pen stopped.

  Her head snapped up. “That’s… actually brilliant.”

  “…It is?”

  “Yes! We were so focused on the warehouse that we didn’t consider where the body had been before being dumped.” She scribbled something down. “That gives us an entirely new angle. The murderer may have carried the body from their pce of employment if they were covered with oil!"

  Sitting in the corner, Kenji covered his mouth to contain his ughter.

  I had a hard time not hitting my head on the table. I was just making stuff up, but now it’s actual evidence?!

  Reina stood up. “I need to check something. Stay here.”

  The moment she left, Kenji burst out ughing.

  “Dude! DUDE. You’re an actual detective now!”

  Slumping over the table, I groaned. "This situation is disastrous."

  Kenji wiped tears from his eyes. “No, this is comedy gold. You’re just throwing out random nonsense, and they’re eating it up.”

  “I need to get out of this before they expect me to solve the whole case.”

  Kenji smirked. “Too te. You’re in too deep now, Detective Kirisawa.”

  I groaned again. This can’t possibly get worse.

  Then the door burst open.

  “Kiriasawa!” Reina said, grinning. “You were right! We just checked a security camera, and our suspect works at a mechanic shop near the crime scene! Your deduction was spot on.”

  Oh, no.

  She remarked, "You're a natural at this." "And I believe I've made you an irresistible offer."

  I gulped. “Offer?”

  She folded her arms. “How would you like to work with the Metro PD?”

  Kenji choked on his own spit.

  I froze.

  This is getting way out of control.

  And just like that, my accidental crime-solving career officially began.

  I hoped I had misheard Detective Reina Kisaragi as I looked at her.

  I forced a nervous ugh and said, "I apologize. I thought you had asked me to... work for the police."

  Reina smirked. “I said precisely that.”

  Kenji covered his mouth with his hand and tried, but was unable, to hold back his ughter.

  I spoke calmly while leaning forward. "Let me crify this. You want me, a stranger, to work with the police as a professional detective?

  Reina crossed her arms and remarked, "Kirisawa, you're not just a random guy." “You helped us catch a suspect in under an hour. You figured out the oil clue that my entire team overlooked. That kind of instinct can’t be taught.”

  Instinct? I was just making stuff up!

  Kenji grinned. "This is getting interesting"

  I gred at him and then turned back to Reina. "Listen, I value the offer, but I'm not really—"

  Reina slid her phone across the table after taking it out. “Name your price.”

  “…Huh?”

  “We’ll pay you. As a consultant.”

  I blinked. "You mean that I would be paid to act as though I know what I'm doing?"

  Reina squinted. “To use your sharp mind and help solve cases.”

  Kenji elbowed me. “Bro, you’re broke. Just take the job.”

  He had a point. My bank account was hanging by a thread. Rent was due in a week, and my only meal today had been a cup of terrible coffee.

  “…How much?” I asked.

  Reina smirked. "Let us begin with 50,000 yen per case for the time being."

  I nearly slipped out of my seat. 50,000 yen? I haven't had that much money in months.

  I swallowed hard. “Okay. In a hypothetical sense... What precisely would I be doing if I accepted?

  Reina shrugged. “Just what you’ve been doing—looking at cases, offering insight, pointing out things we might have missed. You’d be an unofficial detective.”

  Unofficial. That meant no responsibility, right? I wouldn’t actually have to solve anything… Just make educated guesses like I did today.

  And get paid for it.

  I rubbed my temples. “This is insane.”

  Kenji nudged me again. “C’mon, dude. Think about it. You’re getting paid to do nothing. It’s like a dream job!”

  I sighed. “If I say yes, I can quit anytime, right?”

  Reina nodded. “Of course.”

  That sounded… safe. I could leave if things became too crazy.

  I inhaled deeply. “Fine. I’ll do it.”

  Kenji fist-pumped the air. “Yes! My best friend is a detective!”

  Reina smirked. “Welcome to the team, Kirisawa.”

  And just like that, I became a detective by mistake.

  A Few Days Later…

  I should have run off with my 50,000 yen.

  But I stood at the doorway of an expensive mansion, looking down at a body as a party of wealthy men looked at me as if I were Sherlock Holmes.

  I muttered to myself, "This is crazy."

  "Bro, you look awesome," muttered Kenji, who had somehow followed along. The suit totally sells the ‘genius detective’ look.”

  I growled, "Stop talking."

  Reina gathered everyone's attention with a cp of her hands. "Pay attention! A murder has occurred in this house. Our consultant, Detective Kirisawa, will now take the lead.”

  Every head in the room turned to me.

  I swallowed hard.

  I am so screwed.

  Kenji Somehow Ends Up as a Detective as Well

  As I stood amidst the crime scene, looking and feeling like an utter fake, Kenji—whose presence here he had absolutely no right to be—grinned like a moron.

  "Alright, great detective," he hissed. "Let's see some magic work."

  I hissed back, "Shut up, Kenji."

  Reina, standing next to us, didn't appear to detect my growing panic. She merely nodded. "Kirisawa, have a look. What do you think?"

  I looked around. Rich individuals, pricey furnishings, a dead body in the middle of the room. A stereotypical murder mystery scenario. The body was that of some wealthy businessman, colpsed over in a chair with a half-empty drink still clutched in his hand. His eyes were wide open in shock.

  I coughed. "Well, uh.The victim is obviously.dead."

  Kenji snorted. "Great deduction, my dude."

  Reina gave him a piercing stare. "And who are you?"

  Kenji stood up straight. "I'm Kenji Morita. Shun's. uh. assistant."

  I spun to him in horror. "You're what?"

  Reina arched an eyebrow. "Assistant?"

  Kenji nodded confidently. "Oh yeah, totally. Every great detective has an assistant. Sherlock had Watson. Batman had Robin. And Shun's got me."

  "Alright, first off—Batman is not a detective," I growled. "Second, you ARE NOT my assistant."

  Reina folded her arms, looking at Kenji. Then, to my complete horror, she smiled. "You know what? That works. A detective does need a partner."

  I gasped. "Excuse me?"

  Kenji puffed up his chest. "See? Even the police agree."

  Reina patted him on the back. "Alright. You're officially a part of the team now too. You may be a little unconventional, but sometimes an outside opinion is what you need."

  "WAIT, NO," I compined. "He's basically just a dude who pys mobile games all day! He is not detective material!"

  Kenji just ignored me, smiling at Reina. "And I get to get paid 50,000 yen per case too?"

  Reina paused to reflect upon it. "I'll offer you a starting point at 30,000." You don't have Kirisawa's seniority."

  "Deal!" Kenji put outstretched hand, and Reina csped it.

  I watched my soul depart my body.

  Kenji grinned at me with the smuggest expression possible. "So, partner, where do we start?"

  I buried face in hands. "This is a nightmare."

  Reina cpped her hands once more. "Okay, detectives. Let's crack this case."

  And in a fsh, Kenji, the ziest individual I knew, had somehow also turned into a detective.

  We were both in way over our heads.