Chapter 126

Kurosaki Kazuo looked exactly like the team's strategist.

He was patiently offering pointers to Yamada Jiro.

"Oh, oh, oh, that makes sense! Thank you, Kurosaki-kun!"

"Don't mention it!"

The two of them looked like best buddies.

They smiled at each other.

The burly one and the scrawny one formed a sharp contrast.

Hoshino Ki went home, changed into his daily clothes, and arrived at Mouri Ran's house as agreed upon in the message.

This was the very Mouri Detective Agency that frequently appeared in the anime.

It was located in the most bustling district of the city center.

The agency had two floors.

Only the upper floor was used for office work and taking on cases.

Hoshino Ki walked into the agency.

"Knock, knock!"

Hoshino Ki knocked on the door.

"Ah, ah, ah, what!?"

The sound of the knocking instantly woke Mouri Kogoro up from his desk.

The beauty magazine that had been covering his face fell to the floor the moment he lifted his head.

The table was covered in empty beer cans and cigarette butts.

The air was still filled with a thick smell of smoke and alcohol.

Was Mouri Ran not home?

Why was the house so messy?

"Ah, ah, ah! Dad, how can you be like this?"

Suddenly, a heaven-shaking, earth-shattering exclamation came from behind Hoshino Ki.

It was Mouri Ran's voice.

It seemed she had just returned home as well.

Hoshino Ki had come at an unfortunate time.

He had seen Mouri Kogoro's unsightly state fair and square.

"Why is this kid here? Ah, ah, ah!!"

Mouri Kogoro's hungover appearance was like that of a pathetic, creepy middle-aged man.

At this moment, he was in the middle of a hideous yawn with his mouth wide open.

Even though there was a distance of ten meters between them,

it felt as if one could still smell the foul odor coming from his mouth.

"!!!"

Hoshino Ki silently stepped back and came to Mouri Ran's side.

"Eek!"

Mouri Ran let out another exclamation.

It turned out that when Hoshino Ki stepped back, he had accidentally brushed his arm against Mouri Ran's chest.

Hoshino Ki turned his head to look at Mouri Ran.

He saw an unnatural flush suddenly rise on the girl's cheeks.

She slightly raised her arms to cover her chest.

She looked exactly like a virtuous woman who would not tolerate being violated.

Today, she was wearing a pink crop top.

On her lower body, she wore a pair of tight-fitting jeans.

Her shoes were a pair of white sports sandals.

This outfit made her slender figure look even more alluring.

Especially Mouri Ran's waist.

It looked to be only the size of an A4 sheet of paper.

Hoshino Ki could wrap his arm around her waist with just one hand.

"Ah?? I fell asleep? Ah, my Yoko Okino!!"

Mouri Kogoro looked bleary-eyed.

Even upon seeing a guest in the house, he maintained that lifeless, half-dead look.

Instead, he only showed an "end of the world" expression when he saw the television had been turned off.

He raised his hands to grab his hair, which looked like it hadn't been washed in a hundred years, and rubbed it messily.

"Honestly!"

The flush on Mouri Ran's face lingered for a long time.

There was even a trend of the redness deepening.

It was unclear if it was from anger or shame.

She snuck a glance at Hoshino Ki.

Her eyes held a hint of indescribable embarrassment.

Then, she put a slight distance between herself and Hoshino Ki and walked into the office.

She picked up a plastic bag from the side.

She swept all the trash from the table into the plastic bag.

Her movements were quick and efficient.

When it came to doing housework,

Mouri Ran was indeed very similar to Akemi Miyano...

For a split second, Hoshino Ki saw Akemi Miyano's face on Mouri Ran's.

In the past, she had always done the housework at home by herself.

"Hey! You kid, why do you keep staring at my daughter?"

Mouri Kogoro raised his eyebrows.

He looked full of wariness.

The way he looked at Hoshino Ki was as if he were looking at some wolf trying to snatch away his daughter.

"Do you think... my daughter, is she pretty?"

Immediately after, Mouri Kogoro's expression turned sleazy.

He walked to Hoshino Ki's side.

He leaned his head in, smiling very lecherously.

"Dad!"

Mouri Ran's hand, holding the trash bag, stopped instantly.

He casually tossed the empty beer can in his hand.

The beer can traced a beautiful parabola in the air.

It smashed hard into...

Conan's head!

"Ouch!"

Mouri Ran's angle for throwing things was a bit...

"Conan! Are you okay?"

Conan's signature spiky hairstyle, which was usually neatly combed, suddenly lost one of its spikes.

In its place was a bump the size of a walnut.

"Doesn't look like you're okay, does it?"

Mouri Kogoro's drunkenness was scared away by 70% in an instant.

"Cough, cough, cough! Why did Hoshino-kid come to our house?"

Mouri Kogoro instantly straightened his clothes.

Then he looked at Hoshino Ki with a serious expression.

"Yeah! Why did Hoshino-brother come here suddenly? Is there a case?"

"This has nothing to do with you two! Hoshino-kun, come in with me!"

Mouri Ran seemed to be able to change her face.

One second she was looking fierce at Mouri Kogoro and Conan.

The next second, when facing Hoshino Ki, she suddenly became gentle.

"Excuse the intrusion!"

Hoshino Ki nodded at Mouri Kogoro and Conan.

Then he followed behind Mouri Ran into the room.

"Ran-sister... ouch!"

Conan's words, which he was about to say, were suddenly slapped away by Mouri Kogoro.

"You brat, go clean up the place!"

"Why are you bullying only me?!"

Conan clutched his head, which now had two large bumps.

Extremely reluctantly, he picked up the broom in the corner and began to sweep the floor, which was covered in cigarette butts.

"My daughter is grown up and looking for a lover..."

Mouri Kogoro stretched.

Then he went to the television and turned it on.

The television immediately emitted the noisy sound of a variety show.

Conan, who was beside him, paused slightly after hearing Mouri Kogoro's words.

He cast his gaze in the direction the two had left.

His eyes were deep and lonely...