As Akashi sank into sleep, his dreams took an unexpected turn—
He was making dumplings.
His small hands instinctively moved, as if folding and pressing dumpling wrappers with practiced ease.
There's nothing inside… but this is fun!
The sensation was oddly satisfying.
Soon, the dream shifted.
He found himself at the beach, the salty scent of the ocean faintly drifting through the air.
The rhythmic crash of waves echoed around him, growing stronger.
Then, without warning—
A sudden sense of weightlessness.
Akashi's brows furrowed.
The next moment, his eyes fluttered open—only to find himself in complete darkness.
Realizing what had happened, Akashi quickly sat up and stretched.
The coat covering his head slipped off, revealing the quaint, traditional hot spring inn just outside.
Further in the distance—
The glimmering blue of the ocean stretched out, just beyond the inn.
He blinked in surprise.
No wonder I could smell seafood…
Turns out we were actually at the beach!
Before he could react further—
A small hand suddenly smacked his leg.
"If you don't get off soon, you're going to crush me to death."
Haibara's flat voice came from beneath him.
Only then did Akashi realize—
He had unknowingly been resting on Haibara's lap the whole time.
Haibara pushed his leg aside and rubbed her calf, her expression mildly irritated.
"My legs feel numb…"
Without further delay, the two climbed out of the car, stretching as they stepped onto solid ground.
Kogoro and Conan soon followed, both yawning as they exited.
Only Ran remained motionless, still seated inside the car.
Her coat still draped over her lap.
Akashi glanced back at her, noticing something was off.
"Sister Ran, why aren't you getting out?"
At the sound of his voice, Ran startled slightly, as if waking from a trance.
Her delicate face seemed to carry a faint blush, and her violet eyes shimmered like a mystical lake, filled with an unreadable emotion.
For some reason—
The way she looked at him made Akashi's heartbeat skip for a second.
Ran quickly lowered her gaze.
"Oh… We're here already?"
Her voice was soft, slightly husky, as if she had just woken up.
"My legs feel numb… You guys go ahead. I'll rest a bit before getting out."
Akashi frowned slightly but said nothing.
He simply closed the car door for her.
Without another word, he took Haibara's small hand in his left and led her into the hot spring hotel to check in.
His right hand, however, remained firmly tucked inside his pocket.
And it never came out.
Meanwhile, at the front desk, Kogoro and Conan were already handling check-in.
The owners of Tochigi Grand Hot Spring Hotel were two elderly sisters—one in her seventies, the other in her eighties.
Both had silver hair yet looked remarkably healthy and energetic.
The moment they spotted Kogoro, their faces lit up with recognition.
"Oh my! Kogoro-kun, it's been a while!"
The old women chatted enthusiastically, reminiscing about old times.
After all, most of Kogoro's university reunions were held here.
To them, he was practically a regular customer.
"The others have already arrived, Mr. Mōri. Your classmates are waiting in the lobby!"
One of the sisters handed him a set of room keys.
Then, her gaze landed on Akashi and Haibara, who had just walked in.
Her eyes twinkled with delight.
"Oh my, what a pair of adorable little dolls! They're simply perfect!"
At those words—
Conan's face darkened instantly.
He rolled his eyes so hard it was a miracle they didn't fall out.
Excuse me?!
I walked in first! Why didn't you see me?!
Where's your sense of aesthetics, old lady?!
But Akashi paid no mind to Conan's silent suffering.
Instead, his thoughts were elsewhere.
Deep inside his mind, he issued a command.
System, come out.
It's time to start sign-in!
Suddenly, the antique hot spring hotel came into sharp focus.
With a soft click, everything around him froze—
A check-in photo appeared before his eyes, its details perfectly condensed into a shimmering interface.
Then—
The screen shattered, bursting into countless glowing purple fragments that swirled in the air.
From within the lights, a treasure chest materialized.
A brief moment later, the chest cracked open, dissolving into a stream of radiant energy—
And then—
It surged directly into Akashi's body!
[Ding! Check-in successful! Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Swimming VI! Crane Dance V1!]
[Swimming Skill Lv1: Grants the ability to move like a fish in water. Enhances the body's pressure resistance, allowing deep-sea diving without the need to breathe.]
[Crane Dance Lv1: This skill can be cast on others, allowing them to witness a Crane Dance performance.]
Akashi's eyes lit up.
Swimming… This is actually pretty useful!
Although he already knew how to swim, this skill made him practically unstoppable in the water.
No need for air. No need to surface. Just endless swimming!
An ability like this was unparalleled.
He recalled how many cases in the original storyline involved ships and underwater investigations.
This skill will definitely come in handy.
And right now—
He could fully enjoy a proper swim in the hot spring!
However—
His gaze shifted to the second skill.
Crane Dance…
Wait. Could it be what I'm thinking?
If so—
This is completely useless!
Who the hell wants to watch a Crane Dance performance?!
Before he could dwell on it further, a silver-haired elderly woman, about seventy years old, suddenly stepped forward.
Her wrinkled hands stretched out toward Akashi—
As if she were about to hug him.
Her once cloudy eyes suddenly sparkled with excitement.
All I can say is—such is the deadly charm of Succubus Shota.
From toddlers to women pushing ninety-nine, none are immune!
Fortunately—
Before Akashi could get snatched up—
A sudden force pulled him back into a gentle embrace.
It was Ran who had acted just in time.
Carrying her luggage, she looked composed and normal—except for one thing.
Her coat was now tied around her waist, revealing a stylish school uniform beneath.
With her white coat draped over her shoulders, she exuded a youthful and fashionable charm.
She smiled politely at the old woman and greeted her:
"Grandma Juzi, long time no see!"
At the check-in counter, another elderly woman, Grandma Juzi's sister, had been watching the scene unfold.
The moment she saw her sister's failed attempt at embracing Akashi—
She burst into laughter.
But just as her chuckle peaked—
Her dentures slipped out.
With a soft plop, they landed directly into a cup on the counter.
The room fell into awkward silence.
The older sister quickly coughed and turned to Juzi.
"Juri, hurry up and take the guests to their rooms!"
Juzi, now unable to carry out her plan, sighed and led the group inside.
The entire second floor had been booked for them, so they were free to choose any room.
However, Kogoro, ever the cheapskate, had only booked two rooms.
One for the boys.
One for the girls.
Once inside, everyone began unpacking.
Meanwhile, Kogoro couldn't hold himself back any longer.
"Ran, I'll leave the kids to you. I'm going to meet my old classmates."
And just like that—
He disappeared into the hall, already looking forward to drinking with his old friends.
Ran watched him go and sighed.
"Seriously? He just ditches us for a hot spring and doesn't even help?"
Handling three kids wasn't exactly easy.
Especially considering—
One of them wasn't even her responsibility to begin with.
As the group prepared to bathe, Grandma Juzi led them to the backyard—where the largest outdoor hot spring pool awaited.
This particular spring was the main attraction of the hotel.
Surrounded by massive black boulders, the pool was nearly as large as a swimming area.
Bamboo dividers split it into two sections:
Men's Bath.
Women's Bath.
The hot spring's source came directly from this pool, making it the cleanest and most rejuvenating bath in the entire hotel.
Everyone took a clean bathrobe from the hotel and entered the changing area.
Before going in, Ran turned to Akashi.
"Akashi, will you be okay in the men's bath alone?"
Before she could finish her sentence—
Conan jumped in immediately.
"Don't worry, Sister Ran! I'll take care of him!"
His tone was way too enthusiastic.
"I've been to plenty of hot springs before. I'll teach him the ropes. There won't be any issues."
Without giving Akashi any chance to protest, Conan grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him into the men's bath.
This little devil…
Akashi immediately realized—
He just wanted to make sure Ran and I didn't bathe together!
Having successfully prevented any questionable situation, Conan felt quite pleased with himself.
Mission accomplished.
However—
Akashi wasn't pleased at all.
Not that it mattered. It's not like I haven't bathed with Ran before. One more time wouldn't have changed anything.
Still, Conan's cheerful expression annoyed him.
Akashi narrowed his eyes.
Then, without hesitation—
He cast his new Crane Dance skill directly onto Conan.
At that exact moment—
Grandma Juzi, who had been preparing to leave, suddenly froze in place.
For a full five seconds, she remained still—
As if she had just received a mysterious calling from beyond.