In the bathroom, Eri repeatedly splashed cold water onto her face, trying to calm herself.
Yet, the blush on her cheeks stubbornly refused to fade, and her heart continued to race wildly. Nearby, her black stockings lay discarded, crumpled on the floor, with droplets of water inexplicably clinging to them.
'What's wrong with me?' she thought, staring at her flushed reflection in the mirror.
'This is just a child! How could I let my thoughts wander like that?'
Her frustration deepened as a pang of self-doubt crept in. Was she truly the composed, self-assured woman she had always believed herself to be?
*She couldn't possibly be... attracted to him, could she? The thought was so shameful, so wrong, that Eri felt her cheeks flush with guilt.
'Am I... a hidden shotacon?'
The memory of earlier moments with Akashi replayed unbidden in her mind, causing a wave of heat to rise to her face.
'No! It's impossible! I'm just tired, that's all. Exhaustion is getting the better of me.'
Determined to shake off the unsettling thoughts, Eri leaned over the sink and splashed herself with cold water again, repeating the action until the burning embarrassment began to subside.
Finally, she looked at her reflection with a small, wry smile.
'Why am I letting myself be so flustered by a little boy? It's ridiculous!'
Taking a deep breath, she reassured herself, 'This is nothing. It's just the stress. I'll get some rest, and it won't happen again.'
Mentally prepared, Eri slid open the bathroom door and stepped into the living room.
Akashi, having already slipped back into his role as an innocent child, glanced up at her approach. For a brief moment, he froze, his expression one of astonishment and disbelief.
Unbeknownst to Eri, her damp white shirt clung to her figure, accentuating her elegant curves. She exuded the allure of a powerful woman caught in the rain, her charisma reaching an almost overwhelming level.
Akashi couldn't help but wonder—was this intentional?
Quickly regaining his composure, he spoke with genuine concern:
"Auntie Eri, why are your clothes all wet? You might catch a cold like that!"
Hearing the care in his voice, Eri's heart softened.
'What a kind and thoughtful boy,' she mused, feeling touched. 'Akashi has always been so considerate.'
With a light chuckle, she replied, "Oh, it's nothing. I just fumbled with the showerhead. Don't worry, Auntie's fine—I'll take a proper shower soon."
As she spoke, her gaze shifted to the boy, who seemed so delicate and small. The idea struck her suddenly:
'What if he slips or hurts himself in the bathroom?'
She frowned slightly. 'That wouldn't do at all.'
Unable to suppress her protective instincts, Eri said gently, "Akashi, why don't I help you bathe?"
Her suggestion caused Akashi's eyes to widen in surprise.
On just the second day of living together, the queen-like Eri had made an offer he hadn't anticipated.
'This... this is too much!'
Seeing his stunned expression, Eri panicked slightly, waving her hands in an attempt to clarify.
"Don't get the wrong idea, Akashi! Auntie isn't a bad person. It's just that you're new here, and I'm worried you might not know how to use the bathroom appliances properly."
Her voice grew softer as she tried to justify herself. "Besides, since we're living together now, doing things like this can help us build a closer relationship…"
However, the more she spoke, the more flustered she became. Her explanations seemed to deepen the misunderstanding instead of clearing it.
What had initially been an innocent suggestion now sounded increasingly suspicious, even to her own ears.
Before she could dig herself into a deeper hole, a small, warm hand reached out to hold hers.
Akashi looked up at her, his eyes calm and steady despite the situation.
"Auntie Eri," he said with a reassuring smile, "I didn't think much of it. I trust you completely!"
Her heart skipped a beat, struck by the sincerity in his words.
'What an angelic child,' she thought, her chest tightening with emotion. 'How could anyone resist this level of trust and sweetness?'
For a moment, her heart felt like it might melt.
With a quick, confident stride, Akashi headed toward the bathroom. "Come on, Auntie Eri. Let's go quickly so you don't catch a cold!"
His urging snapped her out of her reverie, and she followed him almost instinctively.
Yet, as they stepped into the bathroom, a faint, inexplicable feeling lingered in Eri's mind—a strange sense that she couldn't quite put into words.
---
*As Eri followed Akashi into the bathroom, the room seemed to grow smaller and the soft glow of the vanity lights cast a warm, intimate ambiance.
*She watched as Akashi began to undress, his small hands working deftly on the buttons of his shirt.
*With each article of clothing that fell away, exposing more of his youthful, smooth skin, she felt her pulse quicken and her breath grow shallow.
*The sight of his slender form, his innocence on display, stirred something deep within her.
---
At the Mōri Detective Agency, young Conan found himself in an equally absurd predicament.
At this moment, the completely unclothed little detective was clutching a leather spatula for dear life, staring in horror at the disheveled man standing before him.
It was none other than Kogoro, who stood clad only in a bath towel wrapped around his waist, holding another towel in one hand.
Conan raised the spatula defensively.
"Stay back!" he shouted, his voice quivering.
The poor boy never imagined his first night in this boarding house would unfold like this—a loud, drunk uncle insisting on giving him a bath.
The absurdity of it all was enough to etch a permanent scar on his adult mind.
"I'm warning you! Don't come any closer!" Conan exclaimed, brandishing the spatula like a sword. "I'm really good at fighting!"
Kogoro sighed heavily, clearly at a loss. Raising his voice, he called out:
"Ran! This kid is impossible! Why don't you come in here and bathe him yourself?"
Conan's heart soared with hope upon hearing this. 'Could this nightmare really end so easily?'
But his hopes were quickly dashed when Ran's crisp, adamant voice echoed from outside:
"No way! Absolutely not!"
"Dad, you're the one who decided to take him in, so he's your responsibility. I'm not getting involved!"
Ran continued with a teasing edge in her tone, "And don't forget—he's sleeping in your room, not mine!"
Conan felt like he had just been plunged into icy waters.
'I have to sleep with this uncle? This isn't anything like the peaceful boarding life I imagined!'
From the other room, Ran carried on her complaints, her tone exasperated:
"I still don't understand, Dad. You 'know' what Mom's like! Why would you pick a fight with her?"
Meanwhile, Kogoro ignored her entirely. He had bigger problems—like the stubborn child in front of him.
With a burst of energy, Kogoro used his judo skills to close the distance in a flash. Before Conan could react, he was scooped up and pinned down onto the bath board.
Kogoro squatted beside him, bath towel in hand, and began scrubbing him vigorously.
Screams erupted from Conan, sounding eerily like those of a pig being led to slaughter.
"Stop screaming! This is for your own good—it'll make you clean!" Kogoro barked, unfazed.
---
Conan flailed helplessly as Kogoro alternated between scrubbing him with the towel and dunking him into the water.
The entire ordeal felt more like a livestock washing session than a bath for a human.
It wasn't clear whether Kogoro was simply venting his pent-up frustrations or genuinely putting his all into the task, but the process was undeniably rough.
For Conan, it was pure, unfiltered torment.
---
Meanwhile, outside the bathroom, Ran seemed completely indifferent to the chaos inside. She reclined on her bed, phone in hand, chatting away with her best friend, Sonoko.
"Sonoko, you won't believe this—I have a little brother now!" she said with excitement.
"He's so well-behaved, so smart, and 'so' cute! He even helped solve a case today!"
Sonoko, on the other end of the line, was taken aback. It wasn't every day that Ran praised someone so highly.
Curiosity piqued, Sonoko couldn't help but ask more about this "little brother" of hers.
However, her mood shifted when Ran recounted the details of Yoko's recent troubles. The fact that a talent agency could harbor such malicious individuals—like that manager who dared to threaten Yoko—made Sonoko's blood boil.
"That's outrageous!" she exclaimed.
She really didn't expect that the artist's office could harbor such evil!
How dare a little manager threaten her best friend!
This is simply unreasonable!
After hanging up the phone, Sonoko immediately called the housekeeper.
She plans to give those bastards a little shock of capitalism!
---
Back in her room, Ran was blissfully unaware of Sonoko's plans. She tossed her phone aside and sprawled across her bed, gazing up at the ceiling.
Her mind, however, couldn't stay idle. Thoughts of Akashi crept in.
'I wonder what Akashi is doing right now. Does he miss me?'
A faint smile formed on her lips, though it was tinged with longing.
Little did she know, the universe had a peculiar sense of timing.
At that very moment, somewhere far away, the succubus shota, Akashi, found himself in an unexpected predicament.
A sudden misstep sent his petite frame tumbling forward, landing him directly against the soft, warm curve of a woman's chest.