As a Police Officer, I'm Always Worrying About Something - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Seventeen Years Before the Ke Yuan + Ten Years Before the Ke Yuan

Fujimine Chinna gently poked the baby inside the cradle with her finger. She watched the delicate little boy blow spit bubbles, his bright blue eyes filled with curiosity.

Light chatter from outside filtered through the door, catching Chinna’s attention.

“Yukiko, it’s been so long—you’re still just as beautiful.” That was her mother’s voice.

“Oh, not at all! Oh ho ho, you haven’t changed either!” That was the voice of the beautiful woman named Kudo Yukiko.

“It’s been a while, Yusaku. Your book Baron of the Night was really well written!” That was her dad’s voice.

“Haha, thank you for your support. I actually met Yukiko thanks to that book!” That was the voice of the handsome man named Kudo Yusaku.

The greetings continued endlessly from outside. Soon, the topic between the two families shifted to their children.

Feeling bored, Chinna poked the baby’s soft, chubby cheek again and sighed in resignation.

When she first learned that her father’s job transfer meant moving to Japan, Chinna didn’t react much. But after they moved and her dad discovered that their next-door neighbor was his distant cousin, things started to change. Chinna had only followed her parents to visit the neighbors, but when she found out the neighbor was her dad’s distant cousin, she was still processing the news when that cousin—Kudo Yukiko—dragged her over to the baby’s cradle. Pointing at the baby inside, Yukiko said, “Chinna, this is your little cousin. His name is Kudo Shinichi.” Chinna was stunned once again.

As someone who had transmigrated, she thought this was just a normal isekai situation. She never expected to land in the world of the Death God Elementary Schooler*—a.k.a. *Detective Conan.

The chatting outside seemed to be wrapping up. Chinna heard her parents’ voices and left Shinichi’s room. After politely saying goodbye to Yusaku and Yukiko, she returned to her own home next door. Of course, she didn’t escape being teased by Yukiko about becoming a big sister.

Beika Town, 2nd District, Block 20.

Back home, Chinna tossed herself onto the bed and began thinking about what to do next. For the past ten years, she had never seriously thought about her future. But in a world filled with danger like Detective Conan, it was probably a good idea to learn some self-defense.

She rolled over, frowning. She hadn’t considered future careers before, but being a regular office worker was definitely out. What if she accidentally rose to CEO and said the wrong thing—she might get “ascended” on the spot.

Science or research? No way. If she showed even a little talent, she might be dragged into the Organization. Becoming a celebrity through a talent show? That would absolutely lead to crossing paths with Vermouth. And if she gave the wrong look? She’d probably die.

Aside from being gentle with Shinichi and Ran, Vermouth was cold as steel. What about becoming a teacher? Chinna thought for a moment. “Eh… forget it. I don’t want to battle wits with students every day. What if I got assigned someone like Kaito Kuroba? I’d be exhausted.

“Ugh…” Chinna sighed again, not even sure how many times she’d sighed that day. She sat up and looked down—two strands of hair floated down.

At ten years old, her hair was soft… but not thick! She looked at the strands with heartbreak and quietly tossed them into the trash.

Being a novelist? Forget it. Writing stories would definitely make her go bald. A manga? Even with some art skills, it was no better—just more hair loss.

After thinking it over, Chinna realized that becoming a police officer was her only option.

But wait! Once Shinichi turned seventeen and became Conan, police officers would be working nonstop! Hold on—Chinna rubbed her chin. As long as she stopped Shinichi from witnessing that shady deal, things would be fine!

In the Detective Conan world, Japanese police were basically background props. As long as a detective was on the scene, all they had to do was arrest the crying, kneeling culprit after the deduction. With her mind made up, Chinna set out on her “grand mission”—first, she needed to convince her parents to sign her up for a martial arts class to boost her fighting ability (QAQ).

She easily persuaded them with the classic line, “Girls should learn self-defense to protect themselves,” and began her journey to find the right class. But due to her terrible sense of direction, she wandered around forever and only managed to find a martial arts class without any clear description of what they taught.

Later, to avoid getting lost again, Chinna ended up memorizing the entire map of Japan even the small side roads. But that’s a story for another time. She had originally wanted to learn karate like Kyogoku Makoto, the strongest fighter in the series.

Still, holding onto a sliver of hope, Chinna knocked on the dojo’s door.

A young man in a wheelchair opened it. His right eye was bandaged, and faint scars marked his face. He had short black hair, pale skin, a baby face, a sharp chin, and deep-set features. His straight eyebrows made him look like he was always frowning, and dark circles hung under his gray-blue eyes as he looked at Chinna.

Chinna opened her mouth but didn’t know what to say. The rundown dojo, the man’s injuries, and his lifeless gaze made her want to turn back. The man looked her up and down, then moved his wheelchair aside and said, “Come in.”

Chinna stepped inside. The dojo was spacious but nearly empty, with only a few props stacked in the corner. On the wall facing the entrance hung two swords. Their blades were so thin they looked like utility knives.“What’s your name?” the man asked.

“Fujimine Chinna.”

“Skinny arms and legs—can you handle it?” he muttered, turning his wheelchair and reluctantly pulling out a registration form. Chinna looked at the worn-down dojo, the old form, and the man in the wheelchair. She didn’t really want to sign up.

But his sarcastic tone sparked her competitive spirit. “What’s there I can’t handle!” she snapped, grabbing the form and pen and quickly filling it out. The man let out a snort but didn’t argue. “Every night from six to nine. Starting tomorrow. No skipping.” Chinna nodded. “Got it.”

The next evening, Chinna finished dinner and stepped into the dojo at exactly 5:59 p.m. The man looked up and sneered, “Punctual, huh.” His mocking tone made her raise an eyebrow, but she didn’t respond. He didn’t say anything else either—just had her move equipment around, calling it “strength training.”

After that, her martial arts journey officially began. She thought there’d be other instructors, but it was just the man in the wheelchair. Despite his condition, his skills were no joke. He knew a wide range of martial arts, and strangely, he was a master of each one.

Most Japanese people in Detective Conan were into kendo—like Heiji Hattori, his dad Heizo, and even Okita Soji. Even her own dad admired it. But this man specialized in sword techniques—and he was incredibly skilled.

Though she came home exhausted every night, barely able to move, her growing strength kept her going. Even when she wanted to give up, just remembering his mocking tone fired her up again.

Seven years flew by. For three of them, she trained every night without fail—and added an hour of running every morning. During that time, she learned the man’s name: Levi Ackerman. She also learned his injuries came from battle.

One day, just after leaving the dojo, Chinna got a call from her mom: “Chinna, can you pick up Shinichi and Ran from Teitan Elementary on your way home?”

“Huh? They’re still there?” Shinichi said he was taking Ran ghost hunting. Honestly, it’s so late—it’s worrying. Yukiko won’t say it, but you can tell she’s anxious.

“Ghost hunting?” Chinna was surprised, but then she understood. Kids love spooky stories. “Okay, I’m on my way.”

When she got to the school, the security booth was empty. She sighed and climbed over the side wall. Eventually, she found Shinichi and Ran in the hallway.

She picked up the frightened Ran, took Shinichi’s hand, and led them out. Of course, the security guard scolded her. As he ranted about “picking up kids so late,” Chinna pressed down on Shinichi’s head and ruffled his hair until it was a mess—then made a quick escape.

After dropping Ran off, she walked Shinichi back to Yukiko’s house. Even at home, she could still hear Yukiko scolding him.

The next evening at six, Chinna arrived at the dojo as usual—but the tightly shut door told her it was over. The landlord came to clean up and handed her a note. She opened it. It read: “Your combat skills should be enough to protect yourself now, right?”

Actually, Levi had planned to leave a year ago, but she’d convinced him to stay by saying she wasn’t strong enough yet. Chinna sighed and slowly walked home. She had actually found Levi kind of fun—bickering with him helped relieve stress. But now, she probably wouldn’t see him again.

With her evenings suddenly free, she decided to shift her morning runs to the evening and even added an extra half hour.

Time flew by, and before she knew it, summer vacation had arrived. One day, her parents suddenly announced they were going off to enjoy some couple time—and told her to join the Kudo family on a beach trip the next day.

Even though Chinna insisted she could stay home alone, the ever-enthusiastic Yukiko wouldn’t hear of it.

At the beach, Chinna lounged on a chair, sunglasses on, watching Shinichi chatter away in the distance. She let out a sigh. “I’m not shy—I’m just really lazy, okay?”