At that moment, Jodie's small foot suddenly became remarkably agile, as if it had stepped on something electrifying, experiencing a sudden, almost magical transformation.
Her green eyes lit up with surprise.
Wait a minute…
I thought this guy was just a kid!
Who would've guessed he's actually… gifted?!
Just then, Conan accidentally dropped his knife and fork.
He instinctively bent down to pick them up—
And caught a full view of the scene unfolding beneath the table.
Jodie-sensei, what the hell are you doing?!
No—this is a crime!
This is too outrageous!
Conan's mind reeled.
Akashi isn't even that handsome!
Why do all these beautiful women keep throwing themselves at him?!
Jodie had literally just met him today!
Why is she acting like this already?!
No, no—crooked women are scary!
Conan still refused to accept that Akashi was better-looking than him.
His sense of self-worth was taking a direct hit.
Jodie, realizing Conan had seen something, quickly withdrew her foot.
Her face burned with embarrassment.
What the hell am I doing?!
She clenched her jaw, frustrated with herself.
She had lost her composure for a moment—but after experiencing such a massive pleasure collapse earlier, maybe it was inevitable.
Thankfully, Conan didn't say anything.
Trying to brush past the awkwardness, Jodie cleared her throat and smiled.
"Alright, let's eat!"
Akashi exhaled in relief.
Jodie turned to him with a curious smile.
"Akashi, you're incredibly smart. Where do you go to school? Which teacher taught you? You must be quite the prodigy~"
Ran felt a strange sense of unease.
She didn't know why, but she didn't want Jodie to know too much about Akashi.
But before she could say anything, Sonoko—being as carefree as ever—blurted out:
"Akashi goes to school right next to Teitan Elementary. It's just across the road from Teitan High."
"Ran doesn't even go home with me anymore—she picks up Akashi after school every day! Ever since she got a little brother, she's completely forgotten about her best friend!"
Sonoko spoke so casually, not realizing how much information she had just given away.
Jodie's emerald-green eyes gleamed with intrigue.
Sensing something was off, Ran quickly interjected.
"What are you talking about?! I invited you to come with me, but you're always busy with tennis practice!"
Sonoko wasn't about to back down.
"Oh, please! Like you're not busy with karate practice yourself!"
"Besides, the basketball club practices right under the karate dojo, so you get a perfect view of all the guys playing!"
Her lips curled mischievously.
"I heard the new basketball coach is a total hottie!"
"Plus our new school doctor is also a hottie! I think his name is Araide-sensei?"
"I never looked at them!" Ran shot back, immediately pinching Sonoko's thigh.
How dare she say something like that in front of Akashi?!
It completely destroyed her dignity as an older sister!
She didn't want Akashi to think she was like that at school!
Meanwhile, at the dining table, Jodie and Akashi momentarily paused.
They both recognized the name Tomoaki Araide.
Just then, Jodie's phone vibrated.
She glanced at the screen.
A message from her colleague.
Her green eyes narrowed slightly as she read it.
Then, as if nothing had happened, she chuckled and stood up.
"Ran, Sonoko, I had a great time with you girls today, but I have some things to take care of, so I'll be heading out first."
Then, without warning—
She blew a playful kiss toward Akashi.
"Bad boy, don't forget me~"
With that, she turned, walked to the counter, paid for her meal, and left.
Akashi watched her disappear through the door, his expression unreadable.
So… Vermouth has arrived in Nihon.
It was only a matter of time before she disguised herself as Tomoaki Araide.
Jodie was probably planning to rescue the real one.
Akashi, however, wasn't particularly concerned.
There was no murder.
No yin energy to absorb.
Not his problem.
Let them do whatever they wanted.
After finishing their meal, everyone prepared to head home.
Sonoko walked over to the counter and generously covered Kaito and Aiko's bills.
Kaito and Aoko immediately came forward to thank her.
Meanwhile, when Ran and Aoko met face to face, they both froze in surprise.
The resemblance between them was uncanny.
It felt as if they were looking into a mirror.
A strange yet familiar feeling washed over them, as if they had been old friends in another life.
Before long, their conversation grew animated, filled with laughter and excitement.
They quickly exchanged phone numbers and LINE contacts, officially becoming acquainted.
Meanwhile, Akashi's gaze fell on Kaito, his deep eyes filled with suspicion.
Kaito Kid.
That thief.
In the original timeline, he had disguised himself as Ran to sneak aboard the cruise ship.
Even went so far as to knock her unconscious.
Not this time.
Not with me here.
Under Akashi's intense gaze, Kaito suddenly felt an ominous chill run down his spine.
His instincts screamed at him—stay away from this guy!
But before he could figure out why, Ran started introducing everyone.
When she got to Akashi, mentioning that he was her younger brother, Aoko's eyes lit up with excitement.
She crouched down and, without hesitation, reached out to ruffle Akashi's hair.
"I noticed you earlier! So your name is Akashi? You're absolutely adorable!"
Her face brightened even more.
"You look like a character straight out of a manga!"
"Nice to meet you, Akashi! You can call me Sister Aoko!"
Watching this, Conan's heart sank.
Here we go again…
Again!
Why does this keep happening?!
Nobody even noticed him!
Am I invisible?!
Am I not a child too?!
Then, Aoko's eyes sparkled with an idea.
"Ran, can I give him a hug?"
The closer a succubus gets to its target, the stronger its charm.
While eating earlier, Aoko had already been sneaking glances at Akashi.
Now that she had the chance to get close, she wasn't going to waste it.
Before Ran could even respond, Aoko pulled Akashi into her arms.
Her embrace was soft, warm, and carried a faint fragrance.
Too bad… compared to Ran, her figure was still lacking.
Her chest was… well… completely flat!
But the moment their bodies made contact, Akashi felt it—
The Yin energy.
Aoko was also a high-quality source.
Meanwhile, Kaito's eyes nearly popped out of his skull.
What the hell?!
Aoko's never acted like this before!
He had never thought she liked kids this much!
And that kid—
He wasn't even resisting!
Was that a smile on his face?!
Was he actually enjoying this?!
To the girls, this little succubus shota looked cute and innocent.
But to the guys…
It was a whole different story.
Kaito felt his blood boil with frustration.
"Aoko! Stop bothering him! They're about to leave—let the kid go!"
Ran also stepped forward, ready to pull them apart.
Only then did Aoko reluctantly release Akashi.
As soon as she let go, she felt an odd sense of disappointment.
Meanwhile, Ran just sighed.
This is getting exhausting…
Her little brother's charm was too much to handle.
Wherever he went, he attracted bees and butterflies.
Jodie-sensei had just left—
And now Aoko had shown up.
It never ends…