Do Corpses Have to Work Too? [Detective Conan]

#Question: Is there really a place called the underworld where people go after they die?

#Answer: Thanks for the invitation. Yes, there is. I was just kicked back into the human world from the underworld.

#Edited answer: I was kicked back into the human world because I owed the underworld too much money.

*

Watanabe Yuki died, then came back to life.

Though "came back to life" isn't quite accurate... He was forced to resume living in the human world in the form of a corpse.

Since he owed the underworld a huge debt and couldn't be reincarnated, an underworld administrator ordered him to pay it all off within five years.

Watanabe Yuki: "...Do I have to work even after I die?"

Special Commissioner: "I don't care about your excuses. Pay up, now!"

*

A host named Ogawa Aki has been making a big splash lately.

Rumor has it he's got connections at the TV station, and that he's bribed everyone from top to bottom at Nichiuri TV;

Rumor has it he's involved with Rena Mizunashi, and they've been spotted getting off work in the same car several times;

Rumor has it he loves acting like a diva, often looking down on people without changing his expression. He even brings bodyguards and a manager, as if he were a celebrity;

Watching Watanabe Yuki, who was currently curled up on the sofa, absorbed in a manga, Conan fell into deep thought.

Conan: "...Are they talking about the same person?"

*

A member of a certain liquor company: "I heard the member in charge of overseas operations is back, and the Boss thinks highly of him."

Another member: "What's his story?"

"No idea, but apparently he's extremely competitive. Almost nobody has ever seen him eat or drink, and even his sleep is brief..."

"He's already in the Organization, and he's still this competitive? What a freak."

Watanabe Yuki, the man being called a freak, silently pulled his mask higher and slipped away without a sound.

*

Watanabe Yuki only wanted to uncover the truth about his death, but he couldn't shake the feeling that things were getting stranger and stranger.

The blond, dark-skinned waiter kept speaking to him in riddles; the black-haired, green-eyed FBI agent urged him to enter witness protection; his silver-haired colleague in black kept giving him approving looks; even the elementary school kid who didn't even reach his waist often looked at him with pity.

Hey, who are you people, anyway?

What are you doing?

What kind of identity did the Special Commissioner assign me?!

*

In short: I only wanted to find out how I died, but ended up getting mixed up with a strange organization.

"Before You Read"

1. Original male protagonist with no romantic pairing.

2. This is a work of fiction and includes unrealistic logic for the sake of the plot. Characters' opinions do not represent the author's. Please don't conflate fiction with reality.

3. This story features secret identities, mistaken assumptions, people imagining things, wish fulfillment, and out-of-character behavior, among other elements.

4. It includes heavily altered canon, extensive original worldbuilding, butterfly effects, a third-party organization, and distorted characterizations.

5. The blurb's style may differ from the main text. Please read the main text as the definitive version. If that bothers you, proceed with caution.

6. There are original cases, which may be overly simple or silly. Side characters may act foolishly or be cannon fodder. This is not a mystery novel, and deduction is not the focus. If that bothers you, proceed with caution.

7. Updates follow the ranking schedule when ranked; otherwise, updates are every other day.

Character art created with Neka, with commercial rights purchased for all images.

Watanabe Yuki: Watanabe Yuki

Ogawa Aki: Ogawa Aki

Theme: As long as life goes on, so does the struggle.