Uncle Hikigaya is Forever Young [73] + Mrs. Yuigahama Profile

Machida really had the worst luck.

To run into something like this during her first serious matchmaking—if that didn’t leave a trauma, what would?

Of all times, during her very first proper matchmaking, she had to encounter… a corpse?

Not an insult—a literal corpse.

How did it come to this?
Her first time putting her heart into matchmaking, her first time meeting a genuinely dependable man she actually clicked with—two happy things overlapping, doubling the joy, spilling into what should have been a dreamlike day.

And yet… why did it end like this?

No helping it. Life’s just like that—a structure built from countless grains of coincidence.

You never know what the next second will bring.

Machida Sonoko was completely out of it. Even after the police arrived, she still hadn’t recovered.

Miura Fusako had to keep patting her back.

Maybe it was because she’d eaten too much meat, or maybe because before the hotpot she’d drunk a big glass of cold water and scarfed down a cold hamburger—either way, the moment she leaned on Mrs. Miura and walked out of the restroom, she started vomiting.

Violently.

Even when she’d drunk too much and thrown up before, it had never been this bad.

She probably emptied her entire stomach.

Her face was ghost-white—her pretty features drained of all color.

And who could blame her? Her body wasn’t the only thing reacting; emotionally, she’d been on a roller coaster all day.

The nervous tension and faint excitement before her first matchmaking had turned into secret delight when she found herself liking the man, then into embarrassment when she babbled and gave away too much—and finally into shock when she saw a corpse.

Poor Machida.

...

When Hikigaya Ryōhei heard someone say there was a dead body in the restroom, he was mildly surprised—but that was it. No panic.

He’d never been the type to enjoy chaos. Watching the crowd of onlookers craning their necks, he didn’t even feel tempted to join them. He just shook his head.

When the customers started shouting, he was almost impressed by how calm he felt.

Mrs. Miura, though startled, was braver. Her diet was always regular, so she didn’t have any stomach trouble.

Though her appetite had vanished, she wasn’t overly shaken—just quietly resigned that today’s matchmaking had likely gone up in smoke.

She pitied the deceased, being a kind woman, but after a brief sigh over life’s fragility… that was that.

When someone called the police and the customers were told to stay put, she gave Ryōhei a look—urging him to sit beside Machida and comfort her.

The suspension bridge effect, she thought.

Ryōhei wasn’t shy. As today’s dining companion—and the only man present—he figured it was his duty to reassure the ladies.

So he sat beside the pale Miss Machida, with Mrs. Miura on the other side, handing tissues and pouring warm water.

Sure enough, thanks to Ryōhei’s gentle, thoughtful manner, Miss Machida’s expression gradually relaxed, looking far more natural.

And then Ryōhei noticed a familiar face.

That annoying detective, Mōri Kogorō.

Along with his high school–aged daughter and the bespectacled grade-schooler he’d once seen at the detective agency.

Are kids these days really this fearless? Or did that detective rub off on him? Ryōhei wondered.

Watching the boy and the detective efficiently cordon off the scene, call the police, and direct customers and staff with practiced ease, Ryōhei couldn’t help thinking, so experienced…

He didn’t go over to greet them, though. He just observed quietly from the background.

He had no desire to talk to that detective.

Just seeing him brought back the memory of when he’d… well, helped someone “wear the hat.”

That bizarre adult–child duo gave off an indescribable dissonance.

Or maybe it was a strange kind of harmony?

Either way, they looked absurdly contradictory together.

Once the call went through, the police arrived quickly—and in force.

The officer in charge wore plain clothes and a round hat, exuding authority at a glance. Clearly no run-of-the-mill patrolman.

Inspector Megure Jūzō caught sight of Mōri Kogorō and instantly looked exasperated.

It was rare enough for him to come all the way out to a backwater like Chiba on official business—how was it that every homicide he ran into somehow involved this man?

He was here today under orders from his superiors, leading a Metropolitan Police team to investigate a major underground smuggling ring in the area.

One look at his face showed things hadn’t been going well.

That drug dealer using the alias “Itō Isamu” had sharp instincts—he might’ve even caught wind of the operation.

“Mōri-kun, why is it you again?”

Inspector Megure’s tone was pure frustration.

“Haha, I just brought Ran and the kids here for hotpot! A client gave me this big discount coupon…”

The middle-aged detective scratched his head with a sheepish grin.

Megure waved him off with a frown. “Enough. We just saw each other last week. Save the small talk. Help the Chiba officers collect evidence. Satō, you handle the witness questioning and the people here.”

The MPD team worked with brisk efficiency—coordinating with the uniformed officers, collecting evidence, questioning witnesses, confirming the victim’s identity.

Miss Machida, having the dubious honor of discovering the body, naturally became the first to be questioned.

Since she was unwell, Miura Fusako and Hikigaya Ryōhei accompanied her, also to be questioned.

There wasn’t much to say. Machida could only recall vague details, and Ryōhei didn’t hear anything that sounded like a clue.

He’d never been into detective novels anyway.

What puzzled him more was why a random emergency call in a quiet area like Chiba would draw such a polished team of plainclothes officers.

And the policewoman taking Machida’s statement—she was stunning, even by police standards.

Not just “pretty”—the real deal.

Since when did police officers look like this?

He couldn’t help sneaking another glance. She was clearly one of the MPD’s famous “flowers.”

Ryōhei guessed she was around twenty-five or twenty-six.

Over 170 centimeters tall, with an oval face, bright eyes, and short, neat hair—her well-fitted plainclothes suit accentuated a slim, toned figure that radiated confidence and strength.

Her waist was slender yet carried an air of power.

“This gentleman—may I have your name?” she asked politely.

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Character Profile: Mrs. Yuigahama (“Big Dango”)

Name: Yuigahama Asuna

Gender: Female (Single mother / housewife)

Appearance:
A gentle, softly beautiful young woman with tea-colored hair tied up in a bun at the back of her head (a large, mature version of Yui’s iconic dango hairstyle).

Age: 33 years old

Occupation:

• Mother to the “Little Dango” (Yuigahama Yui)

• Licensed pharmacist nominally associated with a cancer medication sales company

• Freelance writer for literary magazines

Character Overview:

Although she has a daughter already in high school, her appearance doesn’t resemble that of a woman who’s given birth at all.
From a distance, she looks at most around 25. Up close, no one would think she’s older than 20. Rather, she seems more like Yuigahama Yui’s elder sister—an older sister who is slightly more mature and endowed with a curvier figure.

In short: a larger, fully evolved version of Yuigahama Yui with her signature bun tied up behind her head.

Even though her commoner husband—once a programmer looked down upon by her wealthy parents—passed away very early after working himself to death under 996 working conditions at the age of 22 months after marriage, Yuigahama Asuna’s personality remained optimistic and positive. She has never been defeated by life’s hardships, always presenting herself as gently composed and graceful.

Regarding appearance, since she handles household chores and raises her daughter singlehandedly, her daily life is inevitably bound to cooking, cleaning, and other housework, giving her an unpretentious, down-to-earth aura.

Because of her long isolation at home, lacking a social circle for reference, she surprisingly lacks self-confidence in her own considerable beauty.

She considers herself past her prime.

These past years, she has raised her daughter, Yui, alone. The family’s expenses and Yui’s upbringing mostly rely on her late husband’s pension and insurance payout, though she herself hasn’t remained idle either.

Although she lost her chance at higher education by eloping, her educational foundation isn’t weak. Raised as a daughter in a wealthy family, she received an excellent private education.

Over the years, besides handling household duties, she’s obtained her licensed pharmacist certification through self-study and distance learning.

By nominally affiliating herself with a cancer medication sales company, she earns an annual income of 750,000 yen.

She also possesses a solid literary ability and, through persistent submissions, has gradually established herself as a modest freelance writer.

Occasional financial support from her parents’ family also supplements her income.

Ten years after her husband’s death, the wounds in her heart have quietly healed in the gentle, daily passage of time.

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A/N: Maybe I’m just getting old, but these days Detective Conan feels more like a slice-of-life show to me. Compared to all the “moe everyday” anime flooding the scene, Conan actually feels more realistic.

Anyway, this novel isn’t a Conan fanfic, so he won’t be dragging mystery cases into every chapter. But yes—whenever there’s a death, you can expect a Conan feature episode.

And really—some people still think this story’s just a small-scale slice-of-life with a few recurring faces? The protagonist’s going to leave Chiba later, you know.

This is a fan translation of 比企谷大叔永远年轻 by Stargazer All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!