How to Survive With a Death-Flag Character Setting in Detective Conan - Chapter 3
Higashino Hiromu temporarily set aside his distrust of the original host and began to study his current situation. The first thing was the character panel that only he could see.
The text on the panel was semi-transparent, with a relatively large font, but it did not obstruct his vision. Moreover, the panel wasn’t always open; it would disappear when there were no tasks and reappear when he wanted to view it. He just needed to mentally recite the command for it to show up.
He tried it a few times, and the panel appeared promptly with almost no delay.
Then he noticed a red bubble in the upper right corner of the panel with the number 1 inside. He remembered that when he received the 【 Successfully Escaped Death Threat 】 message earlier, he also seemed to have received a notification for a newbie gift pack.
He clicked the bubble, and a reward notification page popped up. The newbie gift pack turned out to be 10 lottery tickets.
When he clicked 【 Use Now 】, he was taken directly to the lottery draw page. It was a large spinning wheel with color blocks of various sizes and very uneven proportions. The color blocks came in gold, red, orange, and yellow, labeled respectively as 【 Identity 】, 【 Skills 】, 【 Physical Appearance 】, and 【 Tags 】, with increasing proportions.
He opened the detailed explanation for the spinning wheel, which had a long string of text. From that, he found the most important points: 【 Identity 】 must be equipped if drawn and cannot be removed; existing 【 Physical Appearance 】 and 【 Tags 】 cannot be removed either and can only be replaced with the same type; each category slot is limited, and completing tasks can unlock new slots.
In addition, the rewards in the prize pool are frequently updated. Apart from 【 Identity 】, the other three categories have different rarity levels: 【 Ordinary 】, 【 Common 】, 【 Advanced 】, and 【 Special 】, similar to how N cards and SSR cards work in gacha games.
Higashino Hiromu, who can only get the basic guaranteed card when playing the gacha game: = =
He suspected that this transmigration was a conspiracy targeted at him. First, he was forced to come out of the closet, and now the golden finger he was bound to depended on luck. How was he, an extremely unlucky person, supposed to survive this?
Higashino Hiromu had zero expectations for his luck, so he simply used up the ten consecutive draws in one go.
His requirements weren’t high. He just wanted a new card to replace 【 Player 】.
The big spinning wheel spun wildly. With a burst of dazzling special effects, the newly drawn ten cards appeared before Higashino Hiromu.
Once he saw them clearly, he was utterly speechless.
The ten cards were: 【 President of the Criminal Psychology Research Club 】 (must equip), 【 Photographic Memory 】, 【 100% Barehanded Blade Catch 】, 【 Bottomless Stomach 】, 【 】, 【 Perky Butt Pretty Boy 】, 【 Celestial Grace 】, 【 King of Lame Jokes 】, 【 Fitness Expert 】, and 【 Central Air Conditioning 】.
Among them, the must-equip item was the Identity card, which had no rarity level. The 【 Skills 】 cards included 【 Photographic Memory 】, 【 100% Barehanded Blade Catch 】, and 【 Bottomless Stomach 】. The rest were all 【 Tags 】 and 【 Physical Appearance 】. Only 【 Photographic Memory 】 was an 【 Advanced 】 card; the others were 【 Common 】 or 【 Ordinary 】.
Heh…
Just as he thought, there was only one guaranteed card…
He just wanted to ask whether, among the rest, there was anything even remotely useful. Anything usable at all?!
Moreover, he had a bad feeling about that so-called club president identity…
Higashino Hiromu temporarily set that issue aside.
Since he had cleared the newbie task, a slot in the 【 Skills 】 section was unlocked. He equipped 【 Photographic Memory 】 first. Then, picking through the rest, he replaced 【 Player 】 with 【 Central Air Conditioning 】 and replaced 【 】 with 【 Celestial Grace 】.
At first, he had wanted to use 【 Fitness Expert 】 or 【 King of Lame Jokes 】 as replacements, but they weren’t the same type as 【 Player 】, so they couldn’t be swapped. As for 【 Perky Butt Pretty Boy 】 and 【 Eyes Containing Autumn Waves 】, they seemed even more terrifying than 【 Lethal Charm 】, so he ended up choosing the obscure 【 Celestial Grace 】 instead.
After he equipped it, his 【 Physical Appearance 】 changed to: Celestial Grace (The elegance of a celestial being bathed in moonlight and gentle breeze, that’s you).
Higashino Hiromu: Ah… This…
This description and “Lethal Charm (If beauty could kill, you’d be a walking nuclear weapon)” were basically on the same level…
He walked to the full-length mirror in the corner of the living room and looked at himself. He felt like he really no longer had that kind of “pitiful beauty” aura.
But… he didn’t feel any “elegance of a celestial being bathed in moonlight and gentle breeze” either? Although his aura was somewhat different from before, it was still at an ordinary human level, nothing as exaggerated as the description suggested.
Still, this state made him feel a lot more at ease.
He thought naively, Walking down the street now shouldn’t attract crowds anymore, right?
Just then, his phone suddenly rang. The caller ID showed “Professor Yasuda.”
He cleared his throat and picked up the call.
It turned out that his graduate advisor had found research materials left behind by students who had graduated while cleaning the lab today. He also had some new materials to give Higashino Hiromu, so he asked him to come by and help with the handover.
Higashino Hiromu readily agreed. He currently knew nothing about medicine and would definitely expose himself if he went back to the university. He had been worrying about how to muddle through in front of his professors and classmates. Being able to delay a few more days was perfect.
“I’ve left the documents with the school gatekeeper. Just pick them up when you pass by,” said Professor Yasuda. “Asai is now working at a clinic on Tsukikage Island. Remember to buy your ticket in advance. The ferries there are infrequent, only a few trips a week.”
Higashino Hiromu nodded. “Got it, I’ve made a note!”
Professor Yasuda grumbled, “Honestly, I still don’t get why he turned down the offer from Tokyo First Hospital to run off to such a remote place.”
Higashino Hiromu didn’t dare respond and pretended he hadn’t heard.
After hanging up, he immediately looked up Tsukikage Island online and confirmed that ferry service was indeed limited. He quickly bought the next available ticket.
Two days later, Higashino Hiromu took the documents from his advisor and boarded the ferry to Tsukikage Island to find Asai senpai.
The island’s village government office was not far from the dock, and to avoid detours, Higashino Hiromu went there directly to ask for the clinic’s location.
The receptionist at the front desk told him where the clinic was, then asked, “May I ask what brings you to Tsukikage Island?” The clinic on the island was quite small, only capable of treating minor ailments and emergencies. For anything serious, patients had to leave the island for a big hospital. It was indeed curious for an outsider to come looking for the clinic here.
Higashino Hiromu explained, “Oh, I’m here to see Dr. Asai.”
Upon hearing that, the receptionist looked him up and down, then gave him a knowing smile. “Ah, I see. So you’re Dr. Asai’s boyfriend? What a handsome young man, so well matched with Dr. Asai!” She even gave him a thumbs-up in approval.
Higashino Hiromu gave an awkward smile. “No, I’m just a kouhai from the same university.”
He felt a bit puzzled inside. Could it be that Asai senpai had come out of the closet on this small island?
The receptionist’s expression turned a little disappointed, but she still offered encouragement. “Well then, you’d better work hard! Dr. Asai is really popular here on the island. There are plenty of young folks who want to pursue her!”
Higashino Hiromu let out a half-hearted laugh and left awkwardly.
It wasn’t until he stepped out of the village government building that he suddenly realized the receptionist had said “kanojo (she).”
Higashino Hiromu frowned. Was that just a slip of the tongue? Shouldn’t men be referred to as “kare (he)”? Or… was there another Dr. Asai?
Just then, a small van drove slowly past him, with a speaker mounted on the roof playing a looped message:
“Residents of Tsukikage Island, in order to protect our island’s fishing grounds, please vote for Shimizu Masato. Please vote for Shimizu Masato~”
Higashino Hiromu turned to a nearby old lady and asked curiously, “Is there some kind of event going on?”
At first, the older lady didn’t want to pay him any attention, but when she turned and saw he was a handsome young man, her eyes lit up instantly, and she responded warmly, “We’re having a village chief election on the island. Shimizu Masato is one of the candidates.” She pointed toward the bulletin board. “The other two candidates are also campaigning in various ways, so the island’s been quite lively lately.”
Following the direction of the old lady’s finger, Higashino Hiromu looked over and saw that there were photos and profiles of the three candidates posted on the bulletin board: the current village chief Kuroiwa Tatsuji, the wealthy businessman Kawashima Hideo, and the fishermen’s representative Shimizu Masato.
He had never seen anything like this before and found it rather interesting.
The old lady curled her lips and scoffed, “None of these three are good people. .”
Higashino Hiromu gave an awkward smile and didn’t comment. He wasn’t interested in getting involved in local affairs. He was just a passerby.
After saying goodbye to the old lady, he went straight to the Tsukikage Island Clinic. As he reached the entrance, he happened to run into a medical staff member in a white coat. He stepped forward and asked, “Hello! I’m looking for Dr. Asai. Is he here?”
Asai Narumi looked at him in confusion. “That’s me. Can I help you with something?”
Higashino Hiromu looked at the woman in front of him, with her hair tied in a ponytail, wearing a pencil skirt and showing a subtly curvy figure, and showed a puzzled expression.
Asai Narumi senpai… isn’t he a man?
Asai Narumi noticed the man staring at him silently and felt a sudden jolt in his heart.
Higashino Hiromu quickly put the pieces together.
Senpai just likes cross-dressing. Nothing strange about that. He probably turned down the offer from Tokyo First Hospital and fled to this island, where no one knew him, to escape reality. Thinking about it that way… it was actually kind of pitiful.
Higashino Hiromu withdrew his gaze and smiled. “Hello, senpai. My name is Higashino Hiromu. I came at Professor Yasuda’s request to deliver something to you.” He pulled several folders from his backpack and handed them to Asai Narumi.
Asai Narumi stiffened all over, reached out to take the materials, and hugged them to his chest. He hesitated and asked, “You’re a student at Tohto?”
Higashino Hiromu nodded. “Yes. I am also from the Department of Medicine, currently doing graduate studies under Professor Yasuda. I guess I’m your direct kouhai. Hahaha~”
His words shattered the last shred of hope Asai Narumi had.
Since they shared the same advisor, there was no way this kouhai didn’t know his true gender.
For a moment, Asai Narumi didn’t know how to face him.
Higashino Hiromu pretended not to see his conflicted expression and said, “Now that I’ve delivered the documents, I’ll take my leave.”
Asai Narumi was stunned and blurted out, “There probably aren’t any more return ferries today. Where are you going?”
Higashino Hiromu smiled. “I’ve booked a room in an inn. I’ll stay the night here. The scenery on this island is quite nice, so I’ll take the opportunity to look around.” With that, he waved goodbye.
Asai Narumi was caught off guard by Higashino Hiromu’s understanding attitude.
For the sake of revenge, he had been living here disguised as a woman for almost three years. Sometimes, even he felt confused and started to believe he was truly a woman. Now, his plan for revenge was finally ready, and tomorrow, he would begin its execution.
But… the kouhai who appeared today had shaken him.
He is Asoh Seiji, also known as Asai Narumi. He graduated from Tohto University. His advisor was the top expert of the Department of Medicine, Professor Mori Yasuda. He once interned at the best hospital in Tokyo… He is a man.
Asai Narumi held the documents tightly against his chest and stared at Higashino Hiromu’s retreating figure, silently asking himself, Am I really going to give up on myself for the sake of those bastards?
On the other side, although Higashino Hiromu had been startled to learn that senpai was a cross-dressing master, he quickly put it out of his mind.
He was just a kouhai. What right did he have to judge others?
Besides, he had just come out to his classmates a couple of days ago. The whole medical department had probably heard by now.
.
CHARACTER PROFILE:
Asai Narumi | Asoh Seiji
Manga/Anime: Detective Conan
Height: Not specified
Role: Doctor at Tsukikage Island Clinic (real identity: Seiji Asoh)
Personality: Gentle with children, reserved
Notable Traits: Highly intelligent, skilled pianist, calm under pressure
Background: Disguised as a female doctor to investigate his family’s murder; was driven by vengeance but took his own life after being revealed as the culprit in the “Moonlight Sonata Murder Case.”
Shimizu Masato
Manga/Anime: Detective Conan
Height: Not specified
Role: Mayoral candidate on Tsukikage Island
Personality: Ambitious, secretive
Notable Traits: Politically savvy
Background: Ran for mayor alongside Kuroiwa Tatsuji and Kawashima Hideo; part of the Tsukikage Island mystery connected to the “Moonlight Sonata Murder Case.”
Kuroiwa Tatsuji
Manga/Anime: Detective Conan
Height: Not specified
Role: Mayoral candidate on Tsukikage Island
Personality: Steadfast, community-minded
Notable Traits: Trustworthy among townspeople
Background: Another candidate for mayor in the same case; his actions and motivations are part of the layered intrigue of the island’s political drama.
Kawashima Hideo
Manga/Anime: Detective Conan
Height: Not specified
Role: Wealthiest man on Tsukikage Island; mayoral candidate
Personality: Influential, determined
Notable Traits: Wealthy, respected on the island
Background: Used his resources and influence in the tightly-knit political rivalry for island leadership.