Chapter 43 – Taking Your Money Doesn't Mean I'll Give It to You, the Renji Inequality Slaps Instantly!
"Goddamn it, Gin! The Tear of the Queen is worth thirty-two million dollars, and you're giving me two million?!"
After looking up some basic information about the Tear of the Queen online, Renji crushed the mouse in his hand.
Staring at the valuation displayed on the screen, Renji wanted nothing more than to fly over and cut Gin down.
He'd originally thought a little markup from a middleman was normal.
But this? This was treating him like a fool!
You take a gem worth thirty-two million and hand me two mil? Since when were you this shady?
Very well!
If Gin's going to be heartless, then don't blame him for being unjust.
Just because you took my money doesn't mean I have to give you the Tear of the Queen. All Gin said was that he wanted him to steal it — he never said Renji had to hand it over afterward.
Taking money ≠ agreeing to deliver. Inequality proven.
"First thing's first — get the gem. Then use it to boost the reputation of my agency."
Since he was planning to set up an agency, he needed a place to rent.
Clearly, his current lodging wouldn't do.
But all of that required money. And since he'd decided that some things had to be done on his own, he couldn't just keep relying on the other versions of himself for cash.
Missiles and such were the real money sinks. Who knew? Later on, he might have to get himself an aircraft carrier for the One Piece world version of him.
This job would be a good start — and honestly, stealing stuff suddenly felt like it opened a new path for Renji.
What's the fastest way to make money? Finance!
But Renji didn't know how. There were also lots of high-skill professions — but he didn't have the time for that either. Still, there was one job that made money real fast:
Find the rich — and rob them.
No point looting the poor. Just take from those with money!
He swapped in a new mouse and made a mental note to get reimbursed by Gin later.
He reopened the intel and scrolled down.
The Tear of the Queen was a hot topic in the news, currently targeted by three major thief groups: Cat's Eye, Kaitō Kid, and Lupin III. All three had sent notices to the art museum director currently displaying the gem.
Cat's Eye had announced first, followed by Kid and Lupin, seemingly trying to outdo each other's theft skills by all striking at the same time — 11:30 tonight.
Because all three were so famous, the news had been full of Tear of the Queen stories lately. Renji had basically memorized every detail of the reports.
"Alright then, let you three be my stepping stone to fame."
Renji stroked his chin and stared at those three names. Since the trio of legendary thieves was showing up, if he could take the Tear of the Queen from them, wouldn't that prove he was stronger?
He still planned to cooperate with Gin later. There were some things he just couldn't do on his own — he'd need others. And having a group that would do anything for money? That was perfect.
With that, Renji started planning tonight's grand theft.
Yeah… he was getting the urge to flex again.
Riiing!
Just as he was deep in thought, a phone call yanked him back to reality.
"Who is it!? Who the hell is interrupting my master-level strategy planning?! If you can't give me a damn good reason, I swear I'll make you regret it!!"
Damn it!
He'd just come up with a super stylish entrance plan!
And this call just completely shattered his concentration.
"Hmph, Renji, you've got guts — skipping class and threatening me? Perfect. I'd love to see exactly how you're going to make me 'regret it.'"
The voice on the other end was icy cold. The expression behind it could probably freeze a room.
Renji's words had clearly sent the caller into a near-explosive rage.
"Ah?! Is that my lovely teacher, Miss Hiratsuka Shizuka? Sorry, signal's bad here — gonna hang up now, okay bye!"
Damn it!
How did he forget about that demon woman?
Without hesitation, Renji hung up. No matter how many times Hiratsuka tried to call again, he acted like he didn't hear it.
Until the sun was high in the sky—
Standing at his door with a chilly grin was none other than Hiratsuka Shizuka. Renji immediately felt things were about to go sideways.
"Sensei, don't forget who helped you get out of that arranged marriage mess!"
"Oh, I haven't forgotten. If it weren't for you, I'd probably be married by now!"
Hiratsuka's tone got even more annoyed.
Back then, Renji had been a delinquent, but Hiratsuka hadn't given up on him and started her so-called 'salvation plan.'
Their relationship gradually grew closer. One rainy day, seeing the soaked Renji, she took pity on him and brought him home for a shower. He'd wait there until the rain stopped.
And thus, a certain post-rain incident occurred.
Her parents happened to visit that day and saw Renji just after his shower. They didn't say much at the time, but afterward, Hiratsuka noticed they stopped asking about her love life.
No more marriage pressure, no more blind dates — at first, she'd felt great. Even though she realized they'd misunderstood, she figured, 'Who cares? This works for me,' and let it slide.
But after a while, they stopped with subtle hints and started outright assuming she and Renji were getting married. When they began urging her to have a child with him first, Hiratsuka panicked.
She tried to explain, but her parents thought she was just making excuses because the two of them were dragging their feet. So they pushed harder.
Eventually, she blamed everything on Renji — her ruined reputation, her inability to marry — all his fault. Now everyone in her family thought she had a younger 'boyfriend.'
"You can't blame me for that! You're the one who can't get married!"
Renji wasn't about to take the fall. In the anime, wasn't Hiratsuka literally unmarriageable?
"Ridiculous! A woman like me can't get married? Don't joke!"
"Yeah, yeah — you smoke, you drink, you like to punch people… but you're still a great woman."
Renji had seen her go on blind dates.
Good grief.
She started with a few cans of beer, then asked if the guy smoked. Once tipsy, she'd give that 'try me' look. She was more manly than most men. Jet Li would be scared of her.
Who the hell wouldn't run after one date?
With her attitude, even a stray dog on the roadside would take a punch.
"Did you forget something?"
Hiratsuka cracked her knuckles, smiling sweetly at Renji. Clearly, she wasn't happy with his tone.
And from the look on her face, she'd already decided — today, she was going to teach Renji the meaning of pain.
When she'd come over, she'd already made up her mind — today, she was going to teach Renji what pain truly meant.
"Sensei, now, now… violence is bad. Want a can of beer?"
"Cut the crap. Drinking on the job is forbidden. And stop using beer to try and bribe me!"
"Sensei, are you really the type to be afraid of that? And besides — this is limited edition black beer. If you don't drink it now, there won't be another chance."
As he spoke, Renji walked over to the fridge and pulled out a can of black beer — Hiratsuka Shizuka's favorite. It was a rare find due to its daily limited quantity, so even she hardly got to buy it.
"Bribing a teacher? You're racking up more charges."
Her gaze wavered slightly. Deep down, she was a little moved.
Honestly, Renji hadn't committed any unforgivable crimes. She didn't really have to go that hard on him.
Thinking this, Hiratsuka took the beer from him and chugged a big gulp.
Ah… drinking during work hours, that forbidden pleasure, paired with the bliss of alcohol — triple the happiness.
Click.
"Got the evidence, Sensei. You wouldn't want a photo of you drinking on the job getting out, would you?"
Renji grinned as he admired the camera display showing Hiratsuka's satisfied face, beer in hand.
Hiratsuka froze for a moment, then stared at Renji in disbelief.
You… are you actually the devil?!
"Just kidding. You looked really nice just now, so I took a picture to capture the moment."
Renji handed over the camera. The image showed her with a rare expression of contentment.
"What kind of photo is this?!"
"What, is there something wrong with my shot?"
"Of course there is! Delete it, now!"
She reached out and pressed the delete button, ready to erase the photo. But when she saw Renji's confused expression, she paused.
Hesitated.
In the end, she didn't delete it.
She glanced at the photo again and thought to herself — maybe she was overthinking it. If she deleted it, Renji might get suspicious.
But the look on her face in the photo… it had a subtle sensuality. It reminded her of how she looked after… certain solo activities.
Shame surged through her.
Damn it!
She was already an older woman who had never tasted love, always relying on herself!
"Why didn't you delete it?"
"Back to school! Now!"
Flustered and furious, Hiratsuka downed the beer and dragged Renji out the door.
She was not going to explain why.
Toyonozaki Academy.
Originally from Saekano, the school now didn't just have Kasumigaoka Utaha, Sawamura Eriri, and Katou Megumi.
There was also a club called the Service Club and a Light Music Club. And recently, it was rumored that five identical sisters had transferred into the neighboring class.
Oh, and…
The next school over was Beika High.
There were plenty of schools nearby, and before learning about Kudo Shinichi, Renji had honestly thought this place was paradise.
When he first transmigrated here, he'd seriously considered whether to date Kasumigaoka Utaha, Yukinoshita Yukino, or maybe have a sweet, heart-fluttering romance with Sakurajima Mai. Or perhaps spend the day attending school seriously with Hiratsuka Shizuka… and the night… attending school seriously again.
But the moment Kudo Shinichi appeared, Renji had only one thought left:
Survive.
Thus, the outgoing social butterfly instantly became an introverted recluse.
Everyone knew — in the world of Conan, nerds had way lower death rates than scumbags.
"Renji-kun, I heard Hiratsuka-sensei was fuming this morning because you skipped class. Are you alright?"
"Little Megumi, you sound almost… disappointed?"
Renji lay limp on his desk. He'd been busy planning his heist — how to make tonight's performance as stylish and perfect as possible.
But Hiratsuka had stormed into his home and dragged him here by force.
"A little bit, yeah."
Katou Megumi was a little black-bellied too. On the surface, she looked like a saint, but that didn't mean she had no personality or moods.
She was a girl with all the emotions and thoughts every girl had — just with a personality shaped by a lifetime of being overlooked.
But after meeting Renji and becoming his seatmate, her life had completely changed.
Renji noticed her. He wasn't like others who ignored her presence.
Thanks to his outgoing nature, she'd also gotten to know many more people.
But Renji had changed lately. She didn't know what he'd gone through, but he wasn't as outgoing anymore. He'd become more withdrawn, more reserved — like a different person.
"By the way, wanna go out tonight, Renji-kun? It's been a while since you've joined us for anything."
Katou turned and asked softly.
It really had been a while.
"For what? Who else is going?"
Tonight, huh?
Not likely… I've got plans.
Renji wanted to refuse, but seeing Katou's expression, he decided to wait until she finished before finding an excuse.
Rejecting her before she even said it felt too heartless.
"Renji-kun, have you heard about tonight's Tear of the Queen event?"
Oh.
The Tear of the Queen.
It was already the hottest topic lately. With three legendary thieves targeting it, even people from other cities were coming just to see what would happen.
"Of course I've heard. Megumi, let me tell you — tonight is going to be epic. It'll be way more exciting than anyone can imagine."
Renji suddenly sat up straight, his lethargy gone, index finger raised confidently.
Then he froze.
"Wait… don't tell me you're inviting me there?!"
"Yup! Not just me — Eriri and Utaha are coming too."
Katou nodded with a soft smile.
Eriri was going for the fun of it. Utaha wanted inspiration for her novel.
When Katou suggested it and mentioned it might help 'heal' Renji, both girls immediately agreed.
Not just Katou — everyone close to Renji had noticed his change lately.
Even if they didn't understand it, and even knowing he probably wouldn't tell them, Katou still hoped this small gesture might help Renji return to his old self.
"So, Renji-kun… wanna come?"
Katou's eyes held a flicker of hope as she asked, waiting for his answer
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