Ran, a little flustered, walked downstairs in her short black boots.
Takeshi Ishikawa could only sigh helplessly.
I didn't ask for this, but she insisted on giving it to me.
What am I supposed to do about that?
Ran walked quickly and silently, her steps light but hurried.
Behind her, Conan followed with a blank face. His half-lidded, expressionless eyes stayed fixed on Takeshi Ishikawa, who walked with his eyes closed.
Takeshi was concentrating on sensing how quickly Yin energy was flowing into him. Compared to just holding hands, the speed now was six times faster.
Holding hands gave him about ten points of Yin energy per hour.
Now, it was sixty points per hour.
In just this short walk, his Yin energy count had passed 200.
If he could maintain this state for a whole day twenty-four hours that would be 1,440 points.
The system had explained that every thousand points could be converted into one attribute point, which could boost his weak physical stats.
It was like stumbling upon a gold mine.
Unfortunately, this situation wouldn't last forever.
It was still going to take a lot of time to build enough Yin energy to really strengthen his body.
For now, there was no escaping the reality: he still looked like a fragile little boy.
While Takeshi was lost in thought, Ran went upstairs, pushed open a worn door, and stepped into a shabby office.
It was none other than the Mouri Detective Agency.
At the moment, the office had visitors.
Kogoro Mouri, with his trademark mustache and neatly pressed suit, held a red rose and gestured animatedly as he spoke. He looked like a peacock showing off.
"Miss Yoko, tracking down a stalker is nothing for me. If I find anyone spying on you, I'll make sure they regret it."
The woman in the pink trench coat was none other than idol singer Yoko Okino.
The thin man in the beige coat behind her was her manager, Yoshio Yamagishi.
Yamagishi leaned toward her and whispered, "Miss Yoko, maybe you should switch agencies. This detective doesn't seem… very professional."
But Yoko just glanced at the energetic Kogoro, smiled faintly, and shook her head. "No need. Let's let this detective investigate quietly."
The three of them were preparing to leave for Yoko's home to check the stalker situation.
Kogoro didn't even notice his daughter, or Takeshi and Conan, who had followed her in. He was too busy fawning over his idol.
Ran frowned in frustration. She had been hoping to help her parents reconcile, and her father flirting with another woman wasn't helping.
Putting on an innocent expression, she said, "I've never been to a female idol's home before. Can I come along?"
"You can," Kogoro replied without looking at her, "but don't get in the way of my work."
Then, noticing the two boys, he blinked. "Hey, who are these brats?"
Ran was about to answer, but he turned away before she could. "Anyway, Miss Yoko, as I was saying any clues for me?"
Conan's stomach sank. He could already feel his boarding arrangement with Ran in danger.
Takeshi just thought to himself, What an idiot. No wonder Eri left him. If I have anything to say about it, those two will never get back together.
The group went downstairs and got into the car, driven by Yamagishi. Yoko sat beside Ran, while Conan ended up next to Kogoro.
Takeshi, however, was wedged comfortably between Ran and Yoko much to Conan's annoyance.
"Wow, this kid's adorable! Even cuter than that new child star Kinugawa!" Yoko leaned close to Takeshi with a delighted smile, clearly tempted to scoop him up.
Ran, proud but protective, said, "I know, right? Takeshi is so handsome!" She quickly lifted him into her lap, worried the idol might actually steal him away.
Takeshi, unable to resist, leaned back against her soft warmth, enjoying every second.
From the driver's seat, Yamagishi eyed him in the mirror. "Kid, ever thought about being a child star? Sign with our agency and I can make you famous in no time."
"I'm not interested," Takeshi replied flatly. "I just want to live a normal life. And hey, watch the road!"
Yamagishi grumbled but turned his attention back to driving, narrowly avoiding the car in front.
Conan, meanwhile, sat in silence, feeling completely ignored. He wasn't used to being upstaged by another kid, and he didn't like it.
They arrived at a high-end apartment building. Ran, cheeks faintly red, stepped out last, still holding Takeshi's hand.
Kogoro looked around in awe. "So this is where Miss Yoko lives!"
Yamagishi quickly shushed him. "Please keep your voice down. No one knows she lives here. Let's keep this investigation discreet."
They headed inside, only to be stopped briefly by the security guard, who eyed them all suspiciously before letting them through.