Yuu Hoshimiya sat around the dining table with Ran and the other three women, sharing the day's events over dinner. Yuu and Eri would occasionally share a beer, or sometimes wine or cocktails, but tonight, beer felt like the perfect accompaniment to the hearty meal.
Yuu sometimes found himself missing the taste of the strong Chinese white spirits from his previous life. Unfortunately, whether it was because of the "Conan world" logic or just bad luck, authentic Baijiu was hard to find. The only thing close was the Paigao (Lao Er) that Conan used to temporarily revert to his adult form, but the taste was far too harsh for Yuu's liking. He kept a few bottles at home—procured through the Suzuki family's connections—but he rarely touched them.
"Seimi, Ran, how did you prepare this? I really want to try making it myself..." Eri said, a light blush on her cheeks as she brought up an old, dreaded topic.
Eri Kisaki's legendary "dark cuisine" was famous among those who knew her. It wasn't the first time she'd expressed a desire to improve. Ran and the others usually tried to steer the conversation elsewhere, knowing her kitchen skills were a lost cause. Only Seimi Asai, who hadn't known about Eri's "cooking black hole" status, had once taken the request seriously. Despite warnings from Yuu and the others, Seimi had spent a few days as Eri's taste-tester. The price was severe: she lost her appetite for a week and nearly ended up in the hospital with food poisoning.
Since then, Seimi had never discussed cooking with Eri again. But Eri was a perfectionist. To her, "womanly power" in Japan was largely measured by culinary skill, and her inability to cook was her only glaring flaw. Yuu felt it was almost a law of physics in this world: if Eri was left alone with a cup of instant noodles, she'd somehow turn it into a biohazard. He found this "flaw" rather adorable on the otherwise invincible Queen of the Legal World, but Eri didn't share the sentiment.
Seeing her eager to try again, the four of them shared a look of silent terror and immediately buried their faces in their bowls, eating at lightning speed as if they hadn't heard a word.
The lively atmosphere suddenly turned into an awkward silence. Eri, feeling the buzz from the alcohol, froze. She rolled her eyes beautifully and huffed, "Eat slower, no one is going to snatch it from you!"
She lit a long, slender lady's cigarette, took a shallow puff, and blew a perfect smoke ring before immediately snubbing it out. She didn't have an addiction; she just used it to vent her frustration. Yuu and the others shared a relieved glance, knowing the topic had been successfully dodged.
While Yuu was enjoying a blissful dinner with his beauties, Kogoro Mouri returned to his agency. Since Mayo Tachibana had been bailed out by the Suzukis, Inspector Megure saw no reason to keep him hospitalized.
Just after being discharged, Megure called him to warn that another criminal Kogoro had arrested years ago was being released. Given the recent attempt on his life, the police urged him to be cautious. Kogoro, finally enjoying his bachelor life, didn't want to die yet, so he scurried home.
The agency was a mess. Since Ran moved out, Kogoro hadn't lifted a finger to clean. Conan usually handled the chores while holding his nose in disgust, but Conan was currently staying with Professor Agasa while Kogoro was in the hospital. Shortly after Ran left, Conan had moved his luggage into the agency permanently. With Conan's "help," Kogoro's fame was skyrocketing, and the boy found it much easier to involve himself in cases by living at the detective agency.
"Forget it, I'll hire a maid tomorrow..." Kogoro grumbled, tossing his jacket on a chair and grabbing a cold beer from the fridge. He then picked up the phone and dialed Ran's number.
In the apartment, Yuu and the women lowered their voices so Ran could take the call. Realizing her father was being serious, Ran put the phone on speaker.
"I understand, Dad. I'm with Yuu-kun, Mom, Midori-san, and Seimi-san, so I'll be fine. You're the one who needs to be careful."
"Yeah, I know. By the way, do you have any free time recently?"
Ran sounded suspicious. "Yes, why?"
"Uh... well... if you have time, could you come back and help me clean up the agency?"
Ran was speechless. Eri looked like she wanted to grab the phone and scream. To prevent another parental argument, Ran spoke up quickly. "Dad, you have to learn to clean up after yourself!"
"Fine, fine!" Kogoro sighed. He'd have to spend the money on a cleaning service.
As Ran was about to hang up, Yuu interjected. "Ran, ask your father the name of the prisoner who was just released."
Earlier, Yuu had seen a news report about a new offshore entertainment hub opening in Tokyo Bay. It felt familiar. Hearing about a released prisoner, he realized the second movie event, The Fourteenth Target, was about to begin.
"The prisoner's name?" Kogoro muttered over the phone. Megure had mentioned it, and the man was unforgettable. It was the arrest of Jo Murakami ten years ago that led to Kogoro leaving the police force and his separation from Eri.
"It's Murakami. Jo Murakami."
Yuu nodded and signaled Ran to end the call. He now knew for certain that the events of The Fourteenth Target were imminent. In the original timeline, a series of attacks occurred targeting people associated with Kogoro, using names that corresponded to playing card numbers. Ran had nearly drowned and been taken hostage.
That wouldn't happen this time. Ran wasn't living with Kogoro, and Yuu wouldn't let her go anywhere dangerous without him. However, Eri was also a target. The real killer, Kohei Sawaki, intended to poison her with a box of chocolates left at her door.
Sawaki was a sommelier who had lost his sense of taste due to a car accident caused by a reckless model, Nana Osanai. Driven by perfectionism and a grudge, he planned to kill the people responsible for his loss of taste and those who insulted his profession. He killed Jo Murakami shortly after his release and planned to pin the murders on him by following a numeric sequence.
Yuu didn't care about the other targets, but Nana Osanai—a famous model with a great body—caught his interest. She was a bit of a bitch, but it would be a waste to let her die. Saving her life is a huge debt, Yuu thought. It wouldn't be unfair for her to repay it with her body.
"Eri-san," Yuu said seriously. "If you receive any anonymous packages recently, be very careful. If it's chocolate, do not eat it. Notify me immediately."
He didn't know the exact timing, but he knew Murakami was already dead. If Eri got the chocolates, he could trigger the police to catch Sawaki immediately, snuffing out the event before it became a tragedy and reaping a massive amount of Fate Power.
Eri found the request odd, but she knew Yuu was a man of "magical" secrets. She nodded obediently.
After dinner, Ran and Seimi cleaned up, while Midori and Eri went to 2601 to wash up. Midori had been staying over more often lately. She had even thought about asking her roommate, Azusa Enomoto, to move in. Azusa was the kind, pretty waitress from the café below the agency. Yuu liked the idea—Azusa was a beauty on par with Yoko Okino, and having her move in would make recruiting her into his harem much easier.
Plus, Azusa would become more important later in the "Red vs. Black" arc involving the spy Tooru Amuro. Snatching her now would give Yuu a window into the secret police's movements.
Yuu headed to 2601. Tonight, he wanted to sleep with both the beautiful lawyer and her secretary. The fire ignited by the "Big Rig" Mayo Tachibana earlier that day could only be extinguished by equally curvaceous beauties.
In Eri's bedroom, the "battle" began. Eri and Midori were no strangers to sharing Yuu. They had long since abandoned their inhibitions. Yuu was currently riding Eri's plump, sexy body, while Midori, dressed in sleek black stockings as requested, rubbed her feet against him, providing incredible stimulation.
With a low roar, Yuu gripped Midori's stocking-clad feet and thrust deep into Eri. He felt her internal muscles spasm and contract around him as he released a hot torrent of "dragon breath" into her.
A few minutes later, he pulled out and turned to the secretary. Midori was already waiting, her long legs spread wide, her pink "Peach Source" glistening with excitement. Yuu didn't hesitate. His half-hard member rose again and slid into her warm, tight tunnel. He wrapped her black-stockinged legs around his waist and began to drive home with raw intensity.