Disclaimer: Detective Conan is not mine. This fanfic is a translation.
Enjoy Reading!
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The snow outside the restaurant was falling heavier and heavier. Rei had just returned from the restroom and sat down for less than ten seconds when a young male waiter in a white uniform hurried over with a tray.
"Charcoal-grilled chicken breast, salt-grilled chicken skewers, three bowls of pork cutlet rice, and the plum wine you ordered. That's everything, please enjoy!"
The color of the charcoal-grilled chicken breast almost made Ritsu think it had been cooked by himself. The meat was coated in a black sauce that didn't look particularly appetizing, but being someone willing to try new things, he picked up a piece with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth.
The chicken was still warm from the iron plate. The meat was tender and free of any unpleasant taste. The black sauce turned out to be surprisingly delicious, slightly salty with a hint of spice. It was a flavor he had never tasted before. No wonder it was the restaurant's signature dish.
By comparison, the salt-grilled chicken skewers he usually loved felt rather ordinary. It wasn't that they were bad, just that they lacked that element of surprise.
"This charcoal-grilled chicken breast is unexpectedly good," Rei said after swallowing a bite. He stared at the dark piece of chicken as if studying it. "The sauce has such a unique flavor."
"Yeah, this place is really great," Morofushi agreed. "When we get back, I'll try researching it and see if I can recreate something similar."
Morofushi loved studying delicious food. If he weren't planning to become a police officer with them, he would probably open a small restaurant hidden in some alleyway, serving everything from Japanese cuisine to Chinese dishes.
As for Ritsu, he had long since given up on cooking and decided to simply enjoy being a quiet food lover.
Unlike Rei, who could at least learn simple dishes under Morofushi's guidance, Ritsu had a talent for turning anything he cooked into something resembling a biochemical weapon.
He vaguely remembered one winter two years ago when Morofushi had a fever and stayed at his place. Ritsu had tried to cook him egg porridge… which ended up as a pot of pitch-black sludge.
Luckily, Morofushi hadn't been so delirious that he couldn't recognize the color. Otherwise, drinking that thing might have sent him straight to the morgue.
Shaking off the memory, Ritsu turned his attention to the pork cutlet bowl in front of him.
A golden fried pork cutlet lay on top, covered in half-cooked egg. Beneath the light-brown onion slices was fluffy white rice with distinct grains.
He picked up a piece of pork cutlet and took a bite. The coating was still crispy, producing a satisfying crunch that instantly lifted his mood.
The rice paired perfectly with the onions sautéed in sauce, salty with a hint of sweetness from the onions. It was the kind of flavor that made you want to keep eating, unconsciously speeding up with every bite.
One of the side dishes, shredded spicy scallion whites, was the owner's proud creation. Wrapping a small amount around a piece of pork cutlet and eating them together created a mild spiciness that cut through the grease.
With that refreshing bite, even eating another serving of fried food wouldn't feel overwhelming.
Little by little, the food in their bowls disappeared until they were completely empty.
Morofushi set down his chopsticks and poured himself half a cup of plum wine.
"Come to think of it," he said with a smile, "is it really okay for us to eat pork cutlet bowls tonight? We're reporting to the police academy tomorrow, yet here we are eating pork cutlet rice."
"The pork cutlet bowls at the police station could never taste this good," Rei replied. "By the time they're delivered, the cutlets are already soggy. Besides, look at the bright side—cutlet also sounds like victory, doesn't it?"
Hearing Rei's complaint, Morofushi laughed and declared he would drink as punishment. He downed the half-cup of plum wine in one go.
Unlike strong liquor, the plum wine here was very mild; slightly sweet without being cloying, with a faint sourness from the green plums. If it weren't so cold outside, he would have definitely added some ice.
Morofushi, who normally didn't drink much, found himself pouring cup after cup.
Ritsu had always been curious about what alcohol tasted like. He secretly reached out to pour himself a little, but Rei stopped him immediately.
"Kids under twenty aren't allowed to drink. Don't tell me you've never heard of the Underage Drinking Prohibition Law. Want me to review it with you?"
Ritsu pouted.
It was just a sip, what was the big deal?
Lowering his head, he sulkily drank his warm barley tea.
Just like what he had written on the wooden plaque earlier, he really wanted to grow up faster. He didn't want the people he cared about to keep treating him like a kid.
He could protect them too.
Sigh… Even though he was taller than them now, he still lost because of his age.
The difference between being a minor and an adult.
"Maybe just a small sip would be fine?" Morofushi suggested.
"!"
Ritsu instantly looked up. His beautiful eyes sparkled with excitement, like a cat that had spotted dried fish and was so thrilled it wagged its tail like a dog.
"No!" Rei stopped Morofushi from handing over the cup.
"Hiro, once a rule is broken, it'll happen again. Until he's twenty, Ritsu is not allowed to drink."
It was the perfect example of a strict father and a kind mother.
That was the phrase that suddenly popped into Ritsu's mind.
He waved his hand dismissively. "I didn't want to try it that badly anyway. Since the snow's stopped, how about we head back?"
"Let me finish this drink first."
After paying at the counter, the three of them stepped outside—and immediately tightened their coats as the colder air hit them.
Morofushi even placed his knitted hat onto Ritsu's head. The hat was bright fluorescent pink, glaringly noticeable in the dark night and completely mismatched with Ritsu's all-black outfit.
Ritsu couldn't understand why Morofushi had bought such a hat. Fluorescent colors and pink were both shades he would never choose.
"Hiro, aren't you going to tell your brother about going to the police academy?" Rei asked.
"I was planning to tell him after I graduated successfully," Morofushi said. "How about we take a photo together? I'll send it to him with an email."
Morofushi had always admired his older brother. Although one lived in Tokyo and the other in Nagano, and they only reunited once a year, the bond between the brothers was still very strong.
Earlier that year, Morofushi had introduced Ritsu to his brother.
The man had similar slanted-shaped eyes and wore a dark blue suit. Aside from the mustache on his face, he looked very much like Morofushi, though his expression was much more serious.
What left the deepest impression on Ritsu was that Morofushi's brother often spoke using ancient phrases.
"A group photo is so cheesy," Ritsu said. "Can I refuse to appear in it?"
"Agreed," Rei added.
Morofushi raised his phone in protest. "At least show one hand or something! I'll hold the phone and stand between you two."
"You said it."
"Huh?"
Ritsu and Rei exchanged a glance, mischief flashing in their eyes.
At the moment Morofushi pressed the shutter, both of them grabbed one side of his cheeks and pulled outward slightly.
Morofushi rubbed his cheeks helplessly afterward while the other two snatched the phone to check the photo.
In the picture, Morofushi wore a startled expression. His slightly baby-faced cheeks were stretched by two hands, and his drooping brows emphasized his helplessness.
Though one thing stood out—
The two hands were one dark and one pale, creating an extremely obvious contrast.
Ritsu quickly tapped the screen, sending the photo to his own phone. Then he replaced Rei's old lock-screen image, one where Rei had tried to tease a cat and gotten scratched instead.
Far away in Nagano Prefecture, Komei Morofushi was on duty when his phone chimed.
He immediately knew the email was from his younger brother.
[Hiro: Big Brother, I'm starting at the police academy tomorrow! I'm with Zero and Ritsu, and things have been going really well lately, so don't worry. Work hard!]
Morofushi never used emojis in emails to his brother. He wasn't good at acting spoiled toward him. He didn't want his brother to worry, and he hoped to become someone his brother could be proud of.
The normally calm and intellectual Komei quietly set the photo as his phone's lock screen.
"Oh? If you like your little brother that much, you should visit him in Tokyo more often."
A man speaking in a strong Nagano dialect stood behind him with a rough tone.
"Careful, or he might start thinking you hate him."
"Kansuke," Komei said calmly, "peeking into someone else's privacy is not a good habit."
"Man… if you don't fix that stiff personality, you'll turn into an old man before you're forty," the man said. "You'll never find a girlfriend."
"When lecturing others," Komei replied evenly, "perhaps you should look more carefully at your surroundings."
"Huh?"
Komei packed up his things and walked past Kansuke Yamato toward the door.
Kansuke rubbed his neck, confused. Look around? There was nothing special.
"Gan-chan!"
"Oh—Yui. What's up?"
"Just reminding you it's time to get off work. Want to head out together?"
"Yeah, let me finish packing up first."
The contract has already been sent out for signing.