"I was always hungry back in the orphanage. Just having enough to eat felt like a blessing."
The moment those words left his mouth, Ran's defenses crumbled. Her purple eyes softened with deep sympathy as she looked at Takeshi Ishikawa.
"Takeshi, don't worry. You'll never go hungry in our house," she said. "Just tell me what you want to eat, and I'll get it for you."
Then, without warning, Ran gave a playful smack to his cheek. She'd already decided in her heart she was his big sister now. The shift in her role felt completely natural, no awkwardness at all.
Takeshi's starry eyes blinked in wonder. Really? I can eat whatever I want?
…
Just then, Eri Kisaki stepped out of her room, dressed in a crisp white shirt and a short suit skirt, looking like she'd walked out of Legally Blonde. She went straight to Takeshi and adjusted his collar.
"Takeshi, Auntie has to go to work. I'll be back this evening," she said warmly. "Stay with Ran for now. If she bullies you, tell me and I'll set her straight."
Ran's cheeks puffed up like a steamed bun. Mom is playing favorites again!
Who's the real child here? And who's the adopted one? Besides, Takeshi is so cute how could she possibly bully him?
Takeshi nodded politely. "Auntie, don't worry about me. I'll be good."
"So obedient," Eri said with a smile. If her daughter hadn't been standing right there, she might have kissed him on the spot. Instead, she settled for patting his head before leaving in her high heels, glancing back reluctantly.
…
The door had barely closed when Ran sprang into action dumping a pot of her questionable cooking straight down the sink. She grabbed Takeshi's hand and grinned.
"Takeshi, come on! Big sister's taking you out for something delicious!"
The moment their hands touched, a familiar chime echoed in Takeshi's mind.
Ding! Contact with high-quality opposite sex detected. Absorbing Yin energy… attributes increasing.
Ding! Yin Energy +1.
That warm, beneficial energy flowed from Ran into him. No doubt about it—she was recognized by the system as a "high-quality opposite sex."
So… how does this system decide who counts as high quality?
Ding! Opposite sex with an appearance score over 85 qualifies.
Takeshi's face darkened. Seriously? This system is just a shallow face-chaser? How crude can you get…
…
PS: This is a new story launch! Please send flowers and comments to support the author it really helps in these early days!
007 – Even with all my caution, I still got caught!
After leaving Eri's apartment, Ran took Takeshi out for breakfast.
As they walked down the street, women and even middle-aged ladies kept glancing at Takeshi.
This succubus form was just too handsome—completely irresistible to the opposite sex.
Ran noticed immediately, tightened her grip on his hand, and didn't let go.
"Takeshi, stay close to me. Don't wander off," she warned.
Takeshi nodded but couldn't help feeling uneasy. Some of those stares looked like the women wanted to eat him. And with his small body now, that was honestly terrifying.
Luckily, Ran was here karate champion and capable of smashing a telephone pole barehanded. At least his safety was guaranteed… for now.
Still, he silently hoped the system would hurry up and grant him a self-defense skill. In this state, he didn't dare be alone.
…
"Where are we going now, Sister Ran?" he asked.
"To a classmate's house," she replied. "We went to the amusement park yesterday, but I couldn't contact him last night. I'm worried, so I'm going to check on him. He's a high school detective."
Takeshi froze. The plot has begun.
Yesterday must have been the day Kudo Shinichi turned into Conan. Which meant Gin had gone to Tropical Land for his deal, knocked Shinichi out, and forced him to take the drug… before heading to Tokyo Bay to deal with Takeshi himself.
Efficient, that Gin.
Still, the timing felt a little off from the anime. In the original, Ran went to find Shinichi the same night. Now it was the next day. So there were small differences between this "real" world and the show.
…
The two of them walked on, brushing off curious women along the way, until they finally reached Shinichi's house. Ran exhaled in relief.
"I didn't realize you were so popular, Takeshi. So many older girls wanted pictures with you!"
Takeshi felt a twitch in his temple. Popular? They were clearly after my body. Shameless.
If Ran hadn't been there, he might not have made it this far. No, he needed to check in with the system right now and see if he could get a defensive skill.
Looking up at Shinichi's villa-like home, so familiar from the anime, Takeshi called out in his mind:
"System, check me in!"
A photo instantly appeared in the interface Ran holding his hand in front of Shinichi's house. The image dissolved into a purple-gold light, merging into a treasure chest. When it opened, two glowing orbs shot into Takeshi's mind.
Ding! Check-in complete. Rewards obtained: Pear God Throwing Lv.1! Imported Candy Lv.1!
Pear God Throwing upgraded to Lv.2.
Ding! Host's and surrounding high-quality opposite sex's probability of falling increased.
Imported Candy Lv.1: Host's saliva is now very sweet; after consuming candy, it has a healing effect.
Takeshi stared blankly. Really? This again?
More useless, random skills. No defense techniques. And now the odds of falling over were even higher?
As Ran pulled him upstairs, he immediately became cautious. Falling down stairs was no joke and he had no intention of getting hurt.
Ran, meanwhile, was calling out for Shinichi as they climbed.
"Shinichi! Are you home?"
They reached the second floor.