Who's the Ultimate Onion in Beika Town?

(The main text is told in third person. One major spotlight moment remains for Matsuda, and Hiromitsu's major spotlight scenes are halfway through.)

Moriyama Hoshikage is an excellent Public Security officer assigned from the National Police Agency to the Metropolitan Police Department. She thought she would get a rookie colleague, enjoy the thrill of playing the pig to eat the tiger in front of them, and have a relaxed life away from high-pressure work.

Instead, she gets an older colleague who acts like he owns the place, endless overtime, a strange elementary schooler who keeps showing up at crime scenes, and a dangerous blond man with dark skin who seems to have an unspeakable relationship with her colleague.

Matsuda, what are you doing, Matsuda!

More importantly, the people around me sometimes have strange reactions that leave even someone with my keen powers of observation baffled. For instance:

The cat-eyed undercover agent I rescued gently asks about my troubles. When I tell him I suspect my colleague is being swindled and seduced by a dangerous blond man with dark skin, his slightly forward-leaning posture stiffens. The look of concentration in his eyes grows complicated, and even the corners of his mouth start twitching.

Was Hiromitsu not homophobic before?

(Hiromitsu: Even though this isn't the first time I've heard it... I'm still curious about how my senior's mind works.)

Another example: Whenever I complain to the suspicious squinty-eyed man who seems to be trying to honey-trap me about the FBI's outrageous policing methods, I always feel like someone is watching me from the shadows. After careful investigation, I discover that... Mr. Okiya is a chuunibyou who secretly worships the world police? I have to help him develop a proper understanding! I should mention that whenever this happens, the blond waiter bringing our food has an incredibly sweet smile.

(Amuro: Pfft, sorry, I wasn't laughing. I mean, the FBI really is different from the Japanese police: they have no professional integrity.)

And another: When I call the great older brother Kudo, the person the little detective trusts most, and earnestly discuss the child's clumsy act, which I suspect is due to him being ostracized in the past for seeming too mature for his age, I even send along a list of reliable psychologists. The other end of the line erupts in choking coughs and very obvious evasion. I politely say that if he's busy, I can tell Ran and have her take the child in, and the panicked refusal and promises that follow sound like he's about to drop to his knees and kowtow to me.

Avoiding treatment is no good. I have to pay more attention to the little detective's mental health!

(Kudo: Thank you for your concern, Officer Moriyama, but I wish you wouldn't be concerned.)

[Reading Guide]

1. The protagonist is a pure-hearted local with no golden finger. She's not a harem magnet; everyone's relationship with her is platonic. No tragic fake-outs or groveling. The tone isn't sad, and everyone is a determined, mature police officer. Please don't read if that bothers you.

2. Many past events are subject to original worldbuilding. There are reasonable explanations for why so many things were delayed, which will gradually be revealed later, but the protagonist isn't deliberately saving anyone.

3. The author is a huge fan of the original work and wants every character to have a better future. Please don't bash characters in the comments. Every character has their own strengths; if they're not written well, that's a problem with the author's skill.

4. An ensemble story focused on the good guys, with many original cases and spotlight moments designed for every character. The author is a beginner, though, so there may be out-of-character moments or plot holes. Discussion of the story is welcome.

5. Everything is based on the Detective Conan world. Please don't connect it to the real world.

P.S. The same event is interpreted from different perspectives. Everyone has layers, so if you think a character is out of character, congratulations: please wait patiently for the twist. There are many foreshadowed details, so skipping chapters is not recommended.

Coming Soon:

After her truancy and her unification of Kawasaki's delinquents are exposed, Hagiwara Yuu is politely asked to leave her local school. With no choice but to transfer elsewhere, she decides to escape her older sister's merciless rule and moves to Tokyo to stay with her relatively easygoing older brother, accompanied by the tragic soundtrack of a warrior marching off to certain death.

Turns out, hey, this is great!

Big-city life really is exciting!

On her first day in Tokyo, Yuu gets up close and personal with a bomber, planting a foot right on top of him.

She also gets to enjoy a close-up view of her detective classmate solving a case.

[Kudo presses the glasses that are supposed to glow firmly into his pocket. "Hagiwara, could you turn off the portable fan and the background music?"

Yuu: "But this is so cool! How can a detective make an entrance without any fanfare?"]

She can study karate with her friends.

[Ran holds out her hand with determination, wearing her karate uniform. "Again, Yuu-chan."

Yuu rolls over and sprawls on the floor like a flattened cat. Her voice is feeble. "Ran-chan, I think I'll just cheer you on with Sonoko."]

She can invent things with Dr. Agasa.

[Kudo finally snaps after enduring the explosive symphony for days, shouting at the two people who are struggling to crawl out of the ruins. "Are you really not studying explosives? Why do you blow something up three times a day?"]

Oh, right. She also has to find time to protect her brothers and save the world!

Blurb 2:

Hagiwara Yuu has a secret. After helping her older sister catch a criminal one day, she suddenly starts hearing a voice no one else can hear.

"Merit points +110. Congratulations, Host, you've awakened the Merit System."

"Mom! I'm hallucinating! I must be really sick! Can I skip school?"

System: ...

After being held in check, Yuu can only trudge along the road, the System chattering incessantly in her ear.

"You can earn merit points by doing good deeds, and the synthesis System can synthesize anything!" The System does its best to promote itself.

"Can it turn school into a place that doesn't need students?" "..."

"Can it turn me into myself as an adult, but without needing to study?" "..."

"So it's not much use." Yuu scoffs.

The System patiently tries to guide the troublesome child. "It can synthesize delicious food and fun things."

Yuu: "I don't need anything!"

Years later, the System looks on with mixed feelings as it rises above Systems bound to apocalypse Hosts and farming-novel Hosts on the System leaderboard, claiming first place.

It glances at the first item in the System's list of rules: Do not produce items that exceed the current level of technology.

As it listens to the praise of its Host on the screen, "And now, please welcome the genius scientist who revolutionized technology..."

The System falls into deep thought. So I'm actually a high-tech System?

[Reading Guide]

This is a silly, sweet, feel-good story. Yuu is a mischievous little rascal, but she's kind and law-abiding (? more or less. Anyway, the Hagiwara family wouldn't raise a bad kid. She's just a naughty child who grew up surrounded by love).

The story focuses on family and friendship. The protagonist has no romantic pairing, though there may be ShinRan sweetness, and there will definitely be friendship between childhood friends Ran, Sonoko, and Shinichi. Please don't read if that bothers you.

The System's inspiration came from synthesis mini-games on mobile apps. It's barely present early on and still not very powerful later. Yuu won't just follow the System around. As for how she uses the System, she only makes it question its own existence.

Theme: When we stand together, dawn will surely drive away the darkness.