"Azuma, we're heading out with Dad and Conan. Be safe on your way back!"
At the entrance of the high-end apartment building, Ran Mouri waved goodbye to Azuma Shoyo before hopping into a police car with her crew.
Watching the sirens fade into the distance, Azuma turned and headed the other way.
He didn't call a taxi—decided to walk a bit and grab dinner at a nearby spot.
After the delay, the sky had darkened. It was mealtime anyway, so eating out made sense.
A few hundred meters later, he spotted an izakaya with a lantern hanging out front and pushed the door open.
"Welcome!"
The owner, a middle-aged guy, was bustling around serving customers. Seeing a new face, he waved Azuma toward an empty seat.
Azuma scanned the place. It wasn't big, and nearly every seat was taken—mostly by local office workers. Hardly anyone under 20 in sight.
He slid onto a stool at the counter, dropping his backpack beside him.
"Boss, what's on the menu?" Azuma asked.
"Here's the list—take a look," the owner said, juggling a steaming bowl of noodles in one hand while passing Azuma a menu with the other.
Azuma skimmed it. Small joint, but the options were solid.
After a moment, he ordered tonkatsu rice, two yakitori skewers, and a juice—minors couldn't drink alcohol, after all.
"Coming right up!"
The owner—Sakaki, apparently—set a wooden placeholder in front of Azuma and hustled off.
"The food here's great. Sakaki's cooking's famous around these parts," a slightly drunk guy next to Azuma slurred.
"Oh? Looks like I picked the right spot then," Azuma replied with a smile.
The tipsy guy was a chatterbox. Over drinks, he spilled his life story—had a daughter around Azuma's age in high school, a son just starting junior high. They'd recently moved nearby. He griped about his wife looking down on him, his kids thinking he was useless, and his 20-years-younger boss at work riding him hard. Life was a grind.
Thud!
He slammed his cup down, face flushed from the booze.
"But even if it's tough, I still think I'm happy. Coming home late, seeing that light on—it's proof my hard work's worth something. I'm still a useful man! People need me!" he declared, clenching a fist.
Some younger middle-aged guys nearby nodded, clearly relating.
Azuma didn't get it.
If life was that miserable, why call it happy?
Being needed—was it really that big a deal?
Why not live for yourself?
In his past life, he'd only hit his twenties. The mindset of these 30- or 40-something dudes? Beyond him.
"Looking at you, it's like seeing myself when I was young," the drunk guy said, grinning at Azuma.
Azuma: "…"
I'm not ending up like you.
Wait—no.
I won't even age!
Soon…
Sakaki brought Azuma's food.
"Don't listen to these old geezers ramble, kid. Young folks should have that youthful spark—the future's yours!" Sakaki said, setting down the tray.
"Hey! Sakaki, you're one of us old geezers too!" another guy shot back.
"I'm only 39! Not like you 40-something fossils!" Sakaki huffed.
39?
Azuma eyed the guy—who looked closer to 49—and seriously doubted that claim.
"You look older than me!" someone else chimed in, kicking off a roast session.
"I'm just mature-looking, you morons!"
"Haha! Sakaki's pissed—he hates being called old!"
"39 with a 49-year-old face? I'd hate it too."
"Sakaki, did you check out that salon I told you about?"
"Tanaka, was it a legit place or one of those spots?"
"If it's legit, he probably didn't go!"
"Hahaha!!"
Azuma watched the group of middle-aged guys banter and laugh, and a small, genuine smile crept onto his face.
These were regular people—bottom-rung, everyday folks.
But they had their own kind of fun.
A drink here after work was probably the highlight of their day.
…
Azuma polished off his tonkatsu rice in no time.
He ordered an eel rice bowl next, munching on yakitori and sipping juice while listening to the old guys brag and bicker. It was oddly entertaining.
Then the izakaya door swung open again.
A woman in a hat and mask stepped inside.
"Oh! It's Miss Yoko!"
A regular grinned. "You're late tonight, Miss Yoko!"
"What do you know? She's a big star—busy schedule," another teased.
Miss Yoko? Yoko Okino?
Azuma glanced over, surprised.
She pulled off her mask as she entered, revealing—yep, Yoko Okino.
--- Translator Note ---
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