Fortunately, the fall Takeshi Ishikawa had been worried about didn't happen.
As soon as Ran reached the second floor, she heard a noise coming from the study and hurried over.
Takeshi spotted Dr. Agasa hiding behind the door, but Ran didn't notice him. Instead, she heard a sound from the desk.
She let go of Takeshi's hand and stepped closer.
The next moment, a small figure in a blue suit, gray shorts, and glasses dashed out.
It was Conan!
But the way he rushed out like a giant blue mouse startled Ran.
She let out a scream and instinctively stepped back, but her footing slipped.
Losing her balance, she bumped right into Takeshi behind her.
The two fell together, and Ran ended up sitting squarely on Takeshi's face perfectly aligned, no deviation.
Duang! Duang!
Takeshi was momentarily stunned by the sensation. His survival instinct kicked in, and he pushed at her, but with only five points of strength, he couldn't possibly move a full-grown girl.
Despite his best efforts, "infection" was inevitable.
Conan's eyes went wide at the sight, his glasses slipping off and breaking on the floor.
He rushed over with Dr. Agasa to help Ran up.
Her cheeks flushed, Ran ignored them and turned to help Takeshi instead.
"Takeshi, I'm so sorry! Are you hurt? I didn't mean it."
Takeshi was fine. His physical stats were high better than an ordinary adult so something like this was nothing. Still, he kept his tone modest.
"It's okay. You're not heavy. I just need a little rest."
Ran felt even guiltier. What a polite, considerate boy.
Her expression hardened as she turned to Conan.
"Hey, kid, why were you hiding here? You scared me! If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have fallen. Who are you, and why are you in the Shinichi household?"
Conan stayed quiet. It really was his fault Ran had fallen on Takeshi. He glanced at Takeshi with a mix of envy and irritation.
Ran pressed him again.
"My name is Edogawa Conan," he finally said. "I'm a distant relative of Shinichi."
At that moment, the gears of fate began to turn.
Meanwhile, Takeshi was still processing the… experience.
Duang duang. Soft. Warm.
His nose had sunk into it, the scent lingering. The nerves there were the most sensitive in the body, and the feeling was unforgettable. Even his hands still carried the memory of it.
This system might be strange, but it had its perks.
Conan caught Takeshi's expression and jumped to the wrong conclusion.
This kid… is he reminiscing? At his age?
Jealousy flared. That's somewhere I've never been!
The hostility was plain on Conan's face.
Unfortunately for him, the more he acted that way, the worse Ran's impression of him became.
Between an ordinary-looking boy and an angel-faced SSR-grade shota like Takeshi, the choice was obvious.
And now Conan had made her fall, and was giving her precious XmTakeshi dirty looks. Ran's mood toward him was nothing like in the anime's first meeting, where she had found Conan adorable and hugged him immediately.
This time, that was impossible.
Dr. Agasa stepped in.
"Ran, this child really is Shinichi's distant relative. His family's having surgery, so Shinichi asked me to look after him. But I live alone could you have him stay at your detective agency?"
Ran frowned. Normally she might have agreed, but now she had Takeshi. She didn't want distractions from caring for him.
While she hesitated, Conan pulled Dr. Agasa aside, whispering his protest.
The doctor explained, "You can use this chance to investigate. Get close to the police. Maybe you'll find the men in black who poisoned you."
Conan reluctantly agreed to the plan though Ran still hadn't said yes.
"I can't decide this myself," she said at last. "I'll have to ask my dad."
Conan's face froze.