Back at Eri's house, Ran walked straight into the bedrooms and began packing clothes for their trip.
Meanwhile, in the hallway—
Haibara suddenly shoved Akashi against the wall, her sharp gaze piercing through him.
Thud!
Akashi winced, rubbing his back where it hit the wall.
"Something's wrong. This is all wrong!" Haibara snapped, her voice low but intense.
She narrowed her eyes at him.
"When I was in the organization, I never once saw you being this popular."
"But ever since you shrank, women keep flocking to you one after another!"
She crossed her arms, suspicion thick in her tone.
"Be honest with me—did you really take APTX?"
"Or did you use some other experimental drug from the organization and mutate?!"
Haibara's mind worked quickly—too quickly.
As a former genius scientist of the Black Organization, she could immediately sense abnormalities.
This unnatural level of attraction surrounding Akashi was bizarre.
Even Bourbon—no, Bacardi—never had this kind of charm before!
And then there was that strange bandage from earlier.
Every detail about Akashi seemed to challenge her entire worldview, making her even more curious about him.
Akashi, on the other hand, looked at her with amusement and a hint of admiration.
Shiho really is sharp~
She was the first to pick up on so many irregularities.
But, of course, Akashi, who held the power of the system, wasn't about to admit anything.
"Shiho, don't make false accusations." he retorted with a smirk.
"Who says I wasn't popular in the organization?"
His grin widened.
"After all, didn't you like me too?"
"And not just you—"
He deliberately dragged out his words, causing Haibara's cheeks to flush red.
Her fist clenched as she prepared to stomp on his foot—
But before she could, Akashi grinned devilishly.
"—Even your greatest rival, Vermouth, liked me~"
"This is the burden of being too handsome. A sweet burden~"
Haibara's irritation exploded.
Without hesitation, she stomped on his foot.
Unfortunately, with Akashi's enhanced physique, it had zero effect.
Haibara's anger flared even more at his smug expression.
But just as she was about to retort—
Akashi suddenly pulled a candy from his pocket, unwrapped it, and casually popped it into his mouth.
Then—
Before Haibara could react—
He leaned in and pressed his lips against hers!
Haibara's blue eyes widened in shock.
Again?!
He kissed me again?!
And this time—it was completely intentional!
Her mind spun in confusion.
What is this guy's deal?!
But before she could process the situation—
The sweetness of the candy melted on her tongue.
A rich, imported flavor she had never tasted before.
It was—
Delicious.
For a brief moment, Haibara was completely dazed.
Her small hands twitched, unsure of what to do.
In the end, she could only grip the hem of her own shirt, her fingers trembling slightly.
Akashi finally pulled away, his mischievous grin still in place.
"I gave you candy, so don't be mad," he teased.
Haibara's face was now scarlet red, her head tilted down in embarrassment.
Steam might as well have been rising from her head, making her look like a tiny, furious steam engine.
Damn it!
This little devil really knew how to get under her skin!
Just then, Ran walked out of the bedroom, carrying two small bags with neatly packed clothes.
Since she didn't have Haibara's size at home, she packed a few of her old childhood clothes instead.
Ran always exuded the image of a capable and responsible older sister—the perfect example of a good wife and mother.
As she approached the two, however, she immediately sensed something strange in the air.
Her eyes darted between Haibara and Akashi.
Their faces seemed...off.
What just happened between them?
But before she could ask, her phone buzzed with a text message.
It was from her father—
Hurry up! We're leaving soon!
Ran shook off her curiosity and turned back to the two.
"Alright, let's go! Dad's already waiting downstairs~"
She didn't notice how Haibara's face was still slightly red or how Akashi had a sly grin on his lips.
The three of them quickly headed downstairs.
Outside, parked in front of the house, was a rented car.
Kogoro sat in the driver's seat, looking utterly miserable.
His mustached face was twisted into a deep scowl.
This was supposed to be a fun class reunion!
But now, instead of drinking with my old buddies, I'm stuck babysitting a bunch of kids!
He let out a deep sigh of frustration.
As Ran and the others approached, however, something even worse caught her attention.
Sitting in the front passenger seat—
Was Conan.
The little devil grinned smugly, as if he had just outmaneuvered them all.
Ran's jaw nearly dropped.
No way.
How the hell did he get here?!
"Sister Ran!"
Ignoring Conan, Ran suddenly turned her head in confusion, looking at her father, who was gripping the steering wheel with an expression of pure exasperation.
Kogoro let out a deep sigh, his mustache twitching in frustration.
This little brat—!
Conan had somehow discovered his carefully hidden collection of "treasured works" he had hoarded over the years.
And then, the little devil blackmailed him.
"If you don't take me with you, I'll burn them all."
Faced with such a ruthless threat, Kogoro had no choice but to bring him along.
Damn it! I just wanted a peaceful trip!
But when he noticed the extra little girl in the back—Haibara—he barely reacted.
Whatever. One kid, three kids—it's all the same headache anyway.
Kogoro was completely defeated.
"Hurry up! We're already running late!" he grumbled.
Hearing this, Ran quickly ushered the two children into the car.
With that, the engine roared to life, and they sped off toward Tochigi Prefecture.
The trip was long, and the gentle hum of the car soon lulled Akashi into drowsiness.
Yawning, he kicked off his shoes, stretched out his arms, and got comfortable.
With zero hesitation—
He rested his head against Ran's soft thigh and casually draped his legs over Haibara's lap.
Then, like it was the most natural thing in the world, he closed his eyes and drifted off.
The truly shocking part?
Neither Ran nor Haibara objected.
In fact—
Ran even took out her own coat, carefully draping it over Akashi to keep him from catching a cold!
Up in the front seat, Conan witnessed everything.
His eyes filled with silent agony.
That damn brat…!
He had never—not even once—been allowed to sleep there!
This is unfair! This is too damn unfair!
But even though his heart burned with rage, Conan knew better than to cause a scene.
Throwing a tantrum would only make Ran annoyed with him, and he couldn't afford that.
So instead—
He sat there, silent but fuming, his fists clenched in his lap.
But his obvious frustration did not go unnoticed.
Sitting beside Akashi, Haibara observed Conan closely, her keen eyes reading him like an open book.
So that's his weakness…
Without a word, she turned toward Ran.
But Ran—
Ran was simply smiling blissfully, completely oblivious to Conan's suffering.
When she noticed Haibara watching her, she put a finger to her lips, signaling her to keep quiet.
Meanwhile, her other hand gently stroked Akashi's star-shaped hair, her expression full of warmth.
It's a relief…
Akashi doesn't seem bothered by what happened yesterday at all.
He's still as affectionate as ever.
Ran tilted her head slightly, her heart suddenly squeezing at how cute Akashi looked while sleeping.
Ah…
Such an adorable face!
I want to kiss him! I want to kiss him!
No, no! I have to restrain myself!
Ran took a deep breath, shaking off her dangerous thoughts.
Ran, remember—you are NOT a shotacon!
…Wait.
If I'm not a shotacon, then…
Am I just a doting older sister?
Her thoughts started spiraling into chaos, making her head spin.
Meanwhile, Akashi was completely at peace.
Nestled against Ran's soft thighs, he felt the gentle rhythm of her light pats on his head.
His legs, resting on Haibara's lap, were held comfortably in place.
Two sources of yin energy, both absorbed at once!
This was—
The ultimate enjoyment of life!
With the perfect balance of warmth and comfort, Akashi drifted into a deep sleep.
As the car bumped slightly over the road, Ran's coat—meant to cover Akashi—slipped upward bit by bit.
Soon enough—
His head was completely covered, hidden under the fabric.
Haibara, her eyes closed, remained unbothered, resting peacefully.
Conan, unwilling to watch any longer, turned toward the window, counting trees as they passed by.
Kogoro focused entirely on driving.
No one noticed the change.
No one except—
Ran.
She froze.
Her face instantly turned red.
Her fingers gripped the coat tightly, ensuring it wouldn't slip any further.
Her breathing stilled.
Her head lowered, her hair falling forward to conceal her burning expression.
Without realizing it, her legs pressed together instinctively.
…This is bad.
This is REALLY bad!
But there was nothing she could do now.
She could only sit there, flustered beyond words—
While the little succubus shota continued to sleep soundly, blissfully unaware of the chaos he had caused.