🎉🎉SCIAW: Chapter 305/307

Chapter 305: Not Intending to Put It Away

After hanging up, Ren put the phone back into Sefirah Castle and stood up. He needed to go see Yoko.

Walking out of the room, the setting sun lit up his face in red, casting a flawless glow over his features.

He closed the door and went to the next room.

Knock knock knock!

"I'm coming!"

A voice and hurried footsteps quickly sounded from inside.

The door was flung open with a bang.

Standing there, one foot stepping on the entryway floor, and the hand opening the door still held a soup spoon. She must have been in such a hurry to answer that she didn't even put down what she was holding.

Ren stepped forward, took the soup spoon from Yoko Okino's hand, squatted down, and wrapped his arms around her.

"Eh?"

Yoko looked surprised—genuinely surprised.

"It's just opening the door. Why were you in such a rush?"

Ren's tone had a hint of scolding in it, making Yoko shrink back slightly. But she looked behind him and saw that the door, which no one had closed, had quietly shut itself.

She gave him a light smack.

"I was just excited to see you, and now you're upset about it?"

Hearing that, Ren froze for a moment. Just as Yoko started to think he was angry, he leaned close to her ear.

"I'm very happy."

The soft breath at her ear made it ticklish, and Yoko's face turned bright red. She had never experienced something like this before.

"But next time, don't run to open the door in the middle of cooking, okay?"

With that said, Ren carried her deeper into the room.

Yoko's house layout was almost identical to Ren's, even down to the decoration style—it was as if the same contractor handled both.

Which made it easy for Ren to find the kitchen.

It was nearly in the exact same spot as his own kitchen.

No wonder Yoko seemed so familiar when she came to his place the first time… Ren finally understood what had felt "off" back then. It was that sense of familiarity.

Still holding Yoko, he arrived at the kitchen entrance.

Puff!

The clay pot on the stove was letting out puffs of steam, and the soup inside was starting to boil over.

"Ah! My soup!"

"Don't move."

Yoko tried to wriggle free and jump down when she saw the mess on the stove, but Ren gently restrained her.

"But…"

Yoko looked at the bubbling pot with a pitiful expression. She had spent so long cooking that soup just so her brother could taste it.

Ren sighed helplessly.

With a snap of his fingers, the bubbling pot instantly stopped overflowing. It floated into the air and drifted over to the chopping board.

The door closing earlier, and now this move—both looked just like something out of a superpower display. Definitely not staged.

Yoko was a bit stunned.

"What I used on you before was a special ability. But just now, that was pure magic."

"Magic?"

Yoko puffed her cheeks, clearly offended. Her pink cheeks looked even more adorable like that.

"Do you think I'm dumb? I might have gone into art after high school, but I'm not naive enough to believe flying stuff is just 'magic.'"

"Even if it is magic, what about your technique? You carried me in without even setting anything up. How could you have arranged it?"

Magic, no matter what kind, needed tricks to deceive the eye. But those tricks needed setup. If there was no prep, then it wasn't magic—it was a superpower.

"…Magic with some special abilities."

"That's still a superpower!"

After complaining, Yoko climbed down from Ren's arms.

She went to check the results of her three hours of hard work and confirmed that only a bit of soup had spilled. It wasn't a big deal.

Then, Yoko turned to look at her brother standing behind her.

"Tell me. Why did you decide to reveal your secret now? Didn't you say you'd wait until I got something first?"

Ren's expression didn't change at all.

"That part still needs to be kept secret. Until we actually get it, I won't say a word about what it is. But there are some things I can explain."

Ren paused, glancing toward the clay pot now resting off to the side.

"Should we talk while we eat?"

Yoko, hands on her hips, deflated a little.

The topic had been diverted so smoothly that her momentum was completely gone.

She turned back to look at the soup she had spent three hours cooking. She had made it especially for her brother. It was her first real attempt at making soup. But now she wasn't sure if the earlier spill would affect the taste.

Worry written all over her face, Yoko kept glancing at the pot. Then she looked back.

"Fine. Talk while we eat. But since you decided to tell me something, don't just brush me off with vague answers."

"Of course."

Ren smiled as he made the promise.

---

At the same time, Kisaki Eri had also returned home.

"I'm back."

Standing at the entrance, Eri took off her tiring high heels, slipped into the soft slippers by the doorway, and slowly stepped inside.

The rich aroma of rice filled the air, making her stomach rumble.

She couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Kogoro had been living like this for the past few years. If she had known earlier, she would've brought Ran to live with her long ago.

After nearly a month of eating her daughter's home-cooked meals, Eri's stomach could no longer tolerate takeout or pizza.

Those foods now tasted as bland as noodles soaked in hot water. Just looking at them killed her appetite.

With that thought, Eri walked into the living room, tossed her briefcase to the floor, and began undressing from her business attire.

She took off not just her jacket but also her suit skirt.

She stretched her hands behind her back, and with a crisp snap, pulled the shoulder straps of her bra out from under her arms, left and right, and then casually pulled a large bra from her collar.

She tossed it carelessly onto the blanket on the floor.

Now completely relaxed, she collapsed onto the soft couch like a lazy cat.

This was her most peaceful moment.

The clothes that had restrained her all day were finally off. The sense of complete release brought an indescribable comfort.

But that comfort was short-lived—her daughter's voice came echoing from nearby.

"Ah! Mom, why are you stripping down like that again?!"

(To be continued.)

Special thanks to Manny Sanchez for sponsoring this extra chapter 🎉🎉🎉

Chapter 306: The Simplest Method of Proof

Ran who had just come out of the kitchen, looked helplessly at her mother, who had stripped off all the restraints of her work attire.

She was now only wearing a white shirt, underwear, and black pantyhose. She looked nothing like the elegant and dignified undefeated queen of the legal world she was outside.

"You don't have to go this far just to relax at home..."

Kisaki Eri lay sprawled on the sofa. She was mentally and physically drained and just wanted to unwind completely.

The life of an adult was exhausting. Even with a high-paying job and strong social standing, those things didn't come easily. They required relentless effort. As the undefeated queen of the legal world, she had to work even harder than most. Otherwise, how could she maintain her position?

While image was important in public, at home, Kisaki Eri preferred to let everything go.

"Work is exhausting. I can only relax like this when I'm at home."

As she spoke, Kisaki Eri turned over with a groan and lay face-down on the couch.

Her side bust even peeked through slightly from the shirt, deformed from the way she was lying.

At that moment, Kisaki Eri had completely abandoned any concept of maintaining her image. She was totally relaxed.

Looking at her mother like this, Ran couldn't help but think of her father, who was also careless about his appearance at home and generally a mess.

She couldn't help but complain:

"Isn't this exactly like Dad?"

"Who said that!"

That one sentence instantly made Kisaki Eri sit up. She looked at her daughter and protested:

"Your mother works herself to the bone and just wants a bit of peace and space at home. Your father is just lazy!"

"And then there's you, Ran."

"Me?"

"You spoil your father too much. He doesn't even do the basic things he should be doing. After all these years, he's become completely useless."

It's only been a short while since I moved in, and now I'm becoming useless too… Kisaki Eri muttered inwardly.

These past few days, her feelings were very clear.

In the past, her life had structure. Aside from work, she'd occasionally do some housework at home. As for meals, she mostly relied on takeout. She never really liked cooking.

More importantly, she knew she wasn't good at it.

The food she made herself tasted terrible.

Because of all that, Kisaki Eri almost never cooked—unless it was instant noodles, coffee, or plain rice. She didn't even enter the kitchen otherwise.

She'd long gotten used to takeout being her daily diet.

What she needed from food was just the necessary nutrition. Whether it tasted good or not, she didn't care.

As long as it wasn't inedible, she wasn't picky.

But since her daughter moved in, Kisaki Eri's tolerance completely changed.

It's all Ran's fault that I've become picky... Kisaki Eri had gradually realized that she could no longer go back to her previous eating habits.

Kogoro, I misjudged you. It's not that you wanted to be useless—this just kind of happens… Kisaki Eri was beginning to understand what Kogoro had gone through.

Facing her mother's words, Ran puffed out her cheeks and put her hands on her hips.

"It's not like I turned Dad into a useless person. I just take care of basic things at home. Otherwise, the place would be too messy to even receive clients."

"Also, go change your clothes already. It's almost time to eat."

Seeing her daughter turn and head back to the kitchen, Kisaki Eri sighed, but still got up from the sofa and went to her room to change into her pajamas.

Back in her room, she pulled out a large nightgown, took off all her clothes, underwear, and stockings, and changed into the robe.

When she came out, her capable daughter had already set the hot food on the table. All that was left was to wash her hands and sit down to eat.

Looking at the meal and her diligent daughter, Kisaki Eri felt an odd mix of pride and frustration.

She could feel that her daughter was slowly raising her into a useless person too—just like Kogoro had become.

Although she wanted to push back against it, the truth was she couldn't match her daughter in housework.

Thankfully, her daughter didn't handle chores every single day. On weekends and holidays, she still participated in club activities outdoors. During those times when she wasn't home, Eri could at least retain some dignity as a mother.

At the very least, she could do some housework on the weekends. That would keep her from completely degenerating into a useless person.

After sitting down at the table and waiting for her daughter to join her, Eri picked up her bowl and chopsticks.

"Mom, I have something I want to talk to you about today."

Just as she was about to take a bite, she heard Ran say that.

"Something?"

Seeing how serious and sincere her daughter looked, Kisaki Eri became a little curious.

"Alright, tell me what it is."

Seeing her mother's calm reaction, Ran sighed. She knew this topic might shock her.

However, since even Ren had brought it up, Ran also felt it was time to talk to her mother about it.

She knew that many of their circle had already learned about the mysterious.

"Mom, do you believe superpowers exist in this world?"

"...???"

The sudden and completely out-of-context question made Kisaki Eri pause for a few seconds.

"So you're trying to tell me that superpowers are real?"

"Yes."

Seeing her daughter nod seriously, Kisaki Eri wondered if Ran had just done too much housework and fried her brain a little.

After a moment of silence, Eri ruled out mental fatigue. Her daughter was far too rational for that. So… was there an external cause?

Putting down her chopsticks, she looked at her daughter seriously.

"Ran, I believe that hearing something is nothing compared to seeing it with your own eyes. Since you're saying this, how do you plan to convince me that superpowers really exist?"

She wasn't the kind of parent who dismissed their child's words. What she cared about was whether her daughter could persuade her.

"Actually, I do have a way."

Proof was a simple matter for Ran.

She immediately stood up, walked to the balcony, opened the sliding glass door, took a deep breath, and then punched outward.

A shockwave blasted from the balcony, spreading outward in layers.

Even from inside the room, the muffled force was audible.

Not only the balcony, but the room itself was swept by the air pressure.

In just a few seconds, it was as if a gust of wind had swept through, displacing many objects inside.

Kisaki Eri could feel a strong gust of wind wash right over her face.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 307: Angry Kisaki Eri

After experiencing the gust of wind directly to her face, Kisaki Eri sat dumbfounded.

The proof was just too overwhelming. Even if she didn't want to accept it, reality didn't allow her to deny it.

Could an ordinary person's punch create a storm? Kisaki Eri silently asked herself this question. The answer was obvious—impossible.

While she remained stunned, her daughter returned from the balcony and sat across from her at the table.

"So now, can Mom believe it?"

Kisaki Eri's mouth twitched at her daughter's words. The demonstration had been more than convincing. With such clear evidence before her eyes, how could she not believe it?

"How could I not believe it? You already proved it."

Kisaki Eri pressed her fingers to her forehead, feeling a mild headache come on. At this moment, it felt like the worldview she had carefully built up over the years was starting to crack.

Why had the familiar world around her suddenly become so foreign?

After a long silence, Kisaki Eri finally accepted the reality—her daughter had stepped into a world of superpowers. But that only raised more questions.

"Ran, how did you get these powers? I remember you being perfectly normal not that long ago."

"Actually, I only got this ability about two months ago. It happened for some unknown reason. At the time, my appetite grew a lot, and I was worried I'd get fat."

Hearing this, Kisaki Eri recalled something—when Ran first moved in, her appetite did indeed seem abnormally high.

She'd found it strange then, but assumed it was because Ran was training hard in karate and needed the energy. After all, she herself had gone through a growth phase like that, when her appetite had spiked and her body had started changing.

Back then, she had thought Ran was going through the same thing.

But it turned out it had been caused by a superpower.

"So, the reason you moved in wasn't just because you couldn't accept Kudo Shinichi's situation, but also to relieve Kogoro's burden?"

At that moment, Eri Kisaki felt she needed to reevaluate the real reason her daughter had moved in.

"It wasn't just that."

The hesitation on Ran's face made the veins on Eri Kisaki's forehead twitch. This daughter of hers really was too filial—she even knew how to save money for Kogoro. Knowing her mother was wealthy, she chose to move in with her.

Looks like Ran understood Kogoro's financial problems well… Eri tried to comfort herself with that thought.

She knew Kogoro had struggled with receiving cases ever since becoming a detective, mostly due to his lack of business sense.

It wasn't that Eri looked down on him—she just knew him too well. From the beginning, she hadn't considered Kogoro very competent. Despite being sharp as a detective, his business acumen was a different story.

Limited income from cases was one issue. The other was much clearer.

"And the other reason is Kudo Shinichi?"

"Yeah."

Ran nodded slightly but quickly added:

"But it's not that I couldn't accept his death. What I couldn't accept was that he's living with Dad in another form."

"…What?"

Kisaki Eri had been nodding but froze mid-motion.

It wasn't about Shinichi dying, but about him living with Kogoro in another form?

She suddenly recalled how it was Yukiko who had asked Kogoro to look after her and Yusaku's 'second son.'

Kisaki Eri's mind came to a halt. The image of Kudo Shinichi and Edogawa Conan overlapped in her mind.

"That kid… is Kudo Shinichi?"

"Yeah."

Hearing the clear confirmation from her daughter, Eri felt an oncoming migraine. She took a deep breath and asked cautiously:

"Did that kid turn into a child because of some superpower?"

"No. He was knocked out after witnessing two men in black make an illegal transaction with a businessman. To cover it up, the men gave him a lethal drug. But due to the drug's instability, it shrank his body instead."

Kisaki Eri's vision blurred for a second. She almost blacked out.

Yukiko, I really sympathize with what happened to your son… but you had to drop this on me like a bomb?

Eri Kisaki gritted her teeth in frustration.

Now she understood—her best friend had left a walking time bomb right next to Kogoro, one that could explode at any moment.

Trying to suppress her rising anger, Eri clenched her fists. If it weren't for the fact that she still had some rationality left—and because she and Yukiko were still good friends—she might have already called to yell at her.

Now she finally understood why Ran chose to move in with her.

Eri Kisaki instantly realized that Kudo Shinichi had moved in with Kogoro to be close to Ran.

Understanding this made her blood pressure skyrocket.

"…Mom, I'm not trying to shift the blame onto Aunt Yukiko. But I think if something like this happened, she probably wouldn't want Shinichi to stay here either. After all, if those men in black found out Shinichi was still alive, the first people they'd go after would be Aunt Yukiko and Uncle Yusaku."

Ran's words helped calm her mother down, taking some of the weight off Yukiko's shoulders.

Eri narrowed her eyes slightly.

"That's true. Yukiko may be unreliable sometimes, but she'd never take her son's safety lightly."

Some of her anger toward Yukiko faded, but all that frustration shifted toward Kudo Shinichi instead.

Eri Kisaki sneered.

"Hmph, that boy is something else. Knowing he's basically a walking bomb and still choosing to stick close to Kogoro… He must not care if Kogoro dies."

At that moment, Kisaki Eri's opinion of Kudo Shinichi had dropped below zero.

(To be continued.)