No one ever tires of pleasure, and Ayako and Tomoko Suzuki were no exception. While Sonoko had plenty of free time and could openly flaunt her "sponsorship" of Yuu Hoshimiya to enjoy him daily, the older Suzuki women had reputations to maintain.
As much as they loathed to see him leave the estate, their relationship had to remain a secret for now. The internal politics of the Suzuki Group were still volatile, and a scandal of this magnitude—a mother and two daughters sharing the same man—would be a catastrophic blow to their authority. In the world of the Japanese Zaibatsu, such debauchery happened behind closed doors, but it was never, ever spoken of.
During his two-day "marathon" at the Suzuki estate, Yuu hadn't completely lost touch with the outside world. The news was dominated by a series of bombings. Two more buildings had been leveled, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Police spokesperson was busy bowing and apologizing, promising a swift arrest. Yuu, however, remained skeptical. The police rarely solved these high-profile "Destiny Events" without outside help.
Yuu's primary motivation for marking every beauty in the mansion was twofold: to secure his base and to prepare for the next event involving Ran Mouri.
Today was the day Eri Kisaki and Kogoro Mouri officially finalized their divorce. Ran had chosen to live with her mother, and as soon as the paperwork was done, she would move into Eri's apartment. In a normal world, the process would take weeks, but with enough money and influence, the wheels of capitalism turned instantly.
At 10:30 AM, Kogoro and Eri walked out of the Beika Ward Registration Office, divorce certificates in hand.
"Mom! Dad!" Ran hurried forward, with Yuu and Conan trailing behind.
Kogoro nodded curtly and lit a cigarette. "Your mother is a workaholic. If you can't stand living there, you can move back anytime."
Ran nodded obediently. Before she could speak, Kogoro waved her off. "I have a banquet to attend this afternoon. I won't be helping you move."
"It's okay, Dad. Go ahead."
With his rising fame as a "Great Detective," Kogoro was constantly invited to parties and high-society events.
"Brat, let's go," Kogoro barked at Conan, stuffing the divorce papers into his pocket. Conan looked longingly at Ran and Yuu, but since they both knew his secret identity, they had no interest in bailing him out. Eri remained silent as well. Left with no choice, Conan trudged after Kogoro.
The trio climbed into Eri's small BMW.
"Let's get the moving started. Asai Narumi is already waiting at the agency," Yuu said. Since Eri's Mini Cooper was too small for luggage, Yuu had brought the Toyota he'd selected—a rugged, spacious vehicle perfect for hauling.
"Good. After we finish, let's have lunch," Eri said. She seemed lighter, liberated. "I'm taking the day off. This afternoon, we celebrate my return to the single life."
"Mom, you seem... happy?" Ran asked. "I thought you'd be sad."
"I thought I would be, too," Eri shrugged. "But honestly, I just feel free. After living apart for so many years, I've long since grown used to being alone."
For Kogoro, the feeling was mutual. He could now openly hit on women or bring them home without the lingering guilt of a legal marriage. With his new fame and income, he no longer needed Eri's financial support.
"Yuu-kun, we're neighbors now!" Ran chirped, her eyes sparkling.
"You're welcome to just move into my place," Yuu teased.
"Wouldn't Narumi-san mind?"
"Don't forget, you're the 'First Wife.' The master bedroom was always meant for us."
Yuu didn't care that Eri was listening. She knew the score. She had already accepted his presence in their lives, and her own attraction to him was growing.
"I'll stay with Mom for now," Ran said, blushing. "I don't want her to be lonely."
"I wouldn't mind if Eri-san moved in too," Yuu joked. "We could turn her office into a shared space."
Eri glanced at Yuu through the rearview mirror. "Do you even have enough room for all of us?"
She was thinking of Narumi, Midori Kuriyama, and Sonoko.
"If you move in, I'll move the others to the adjacent unit. I'll always prioritize you and Ran," Yuu said firmly. To him, this mother-daughter pair was the crown jewel of the Detective Conan world.
"Hmph, you brat," Eri scoffed, but her heart fluttered. No woman dislikes being the favorite. Her mind flashed back to the beach—the sensation of Yuu's mouth on her inner thigh, sucking out the sea snake venom. The memory made her core pulse with heat. If he wasn't her daughter's boyfriend, she might have already made a move.
The atmosphere in the car was warm, intimate, and thick with unspoken tension.
By late afternoon, the move was complete. Ran's room in the tower apartment was set up. After everyone else left to give the mother and daughter some space, Eri and Ran showered and changed for dinner.
When Yuu saw them an hour later, he was stunned.
Eri had her chestnut hair pinned up, looking sophisticated and sharp. She wore a black, strapless bodycon dress that hugged her curves dangerously tight, topped with a small blazer. Her cleavage was pushed up high, threatening to spill over the edge of the dress.
Ran went for a pure, virginal look: a white sundress that highlighted her long, slender legs. Her chest wasn't as voluminous as her mother's, but her shape was perfect.
"Eri-san, Ran... you both look breathtaking," Yuu complimented sincerely.
The two women beamed. They spent the afternoon shopping, with Yuu acting as their "luggage robot." Eventually, as night fell, they decided to see a movie at the Beika Cinema.
"The reviews for this new thriller are great," Ran said, pulling them toward the ticket counter.
Yuu looked at the sign: Beika Cinema. He felt a chill. Beika Hospital, Beika Tower, Beika Library... and now the cinema.
As they sat in the dark theater, Ran in the middle holding both their hands, the movie started.
"What is this movie about, Ran?" Eri whispered.
"A police thriller. The synopsis says it's about a 'love-hate revenge plot' triggered by an explosion..."
Yuu's eyes widened. Explosion. Love-hate revenge. Skyscraper.
"Ran," Yuu whispered urgently. "Did you hear anything about the architect Teiichi Moriya?"
"Oh! Dad mentioned him. He was invited to a party at Moriya's estate. He's investigating the connection between the bombings and Moriya's buildings."
Yuu's blood ran cold. This was the first movie's plot: The Time-Bombed Skyscraper. In the original story, Ran was trapped in a building designed by Moriya, who wanted to destroy all his "imperfect" works.
And Moriya had saved the biggest bomb for the woman closest to Shinichi Kudo.
"Ran, Eri-san, we have to leave. Now!" Yuu stood up, his face grim.
"What? Yuu-kun, it just started—"
"No time to explain. Trust me!"
He grabbed their hands and pulled them out of the theater. But just as they reached the lobby, a deafening explosion rocked the earth. The entire skyscraper groaned and tilted. Dust and debris rained down as the screams of panicked moviegoers filled the air.
Yuu pulled them both into his chest, shielding them from falling plaster.
"To the stairs! We need to get to the ground floor!"
He ended up carrying both women, their bodies pressed against him, but when they reached the exit, they found it completely sealed by tons of rubble. They were trapped.