Kurosawa Hoshino watched the car drive away, a flicker of amusement in his eyes.
The reason was simple: the Origin Points had come way too easily this time.
Just moments ago, the Origin Points counter on his system panel had ticked up to 13. One more point earned—only seven left to go.
He'd insisted Edogawa Fumiyo was Conan's mother. Conan had insisted she wasn't. Conan lost without even needing to present evidence—and the little detective was still smugly convinced he'd win.
Kurosawa Hoshino's firm stance on Fumiyo's side had netted him a free Origin Point. He couldn't be happier.
"Great!" Kogorō Mōri beamed. "That little brat's finally gone. No more trouble."
Ran sighed. "Dad, I know Conan can be a handful sometimes, but do you have to be so happy about it?"
"Enough nagging. You two hold down the fort—I'm going out." Kogorō waved and ambled off down the road.
"Honestly..." Ran puffed out her cheeks in frustration. She turned to Kurosawa Hoshino, her expression worried. "Hoshino, is she really Conan's mother? He seemed so against it—it didn't look fake."
"Heh." Kurosawa Hoshino chuckled. "Don't worry. Of course she's real. Tell me—have I been wrong even once?"
"No," Ran admitted.
"Then do you trust me?"
"Yes."
"Then there's no problem. No need to ask further."
"Yeah... I guess you're right." Ran's sunny smile returned.
Kurosawa Hoshino changed the subject. "Hey, Ran, why don't you invite Sonoko out? I've been texting her all morning, and she hasn't replied at all."
"No way." Ran grinned smugly. "Sonoko tipped me off. She said you're up to something—constantly inviting her out. You're definitely trying to get revenge for her hiding those photos, aren't you?"
"No, no. I just want to hang out." Kurosawa Hoshino's face was the picture of sincerity.
"I don't believe you."
Ran turned and ran back upstairs.
"Sigh..." Kurosawa Hoshino rubbed his temples, staring at the snow churned up by passersby. "She's usually so easy to fool. Today, I couldn't trick a single one."
Kogorō Mōri didn't return until 5 p.m. the next day.
Ran was so furious she nearly punched a hole through the second-floor desk.
Seeing her in this state, Kurosawa Hoshino sat ramrod straight, terrified that one wrong move would earn him a fist he couldn't dodge.
"Dad! Why didn't you just come back tomorrow? What are you even doing back now?" Ran shouted.
Kogorō looked guilty. He glanced at Kurosawa Hoshino on the sofa, silently begging for help. But seeing the kid's serious expression, he muttered under his breath, "He's gonna be a henpecked husband someday."
"Ahem—Ran." Kogorō decided to handle it himself. He softened his tone. "I know I was gone a while, but I won money this time. Five hundred thousand yen!"
"Five hundred thousand? I don't believe it." Ran suspected he'd been scammed.
"Here. Look." Kogorō proudly pulled a stack of ten-thousand-yen bills from his inner pocket.
Kurosawa Hoshino abandoned his seat and walked over. "Uncle Mōri, since when did your luck get this good?"
Kogorō shot back irritably, "My luck's always been good."
"Hmph. I'm taking this. It's next month's living expenses." Ran snatched the money.
Seeing that his daughter's anger had cooled, Kogorō silently mourned the loss of his half-million yen. But compared to facing her full fury, it was a small price—especially since it was for living expenses anyway.
Ding-dong.
The doorbell rang.
"I'll get it." Ran tucked the money away and opened the door. Her eyes widened. "Conan? Conan's mom? What brings you here?"
"Um..." Yukiko, still in her Fumiyo Edogawa disguise, smiled sheepishly. "I'm terribly sorry, but Conan really enjoys staying with you all. So I..."
She trailed off, but everyone understood. She was asking if Conan could come back.
"Mrs. Edogawa." Kogorō approached, ready to refuse—until a bankbook was thrust into his hands.
Instinctively, he opened it. His eyes bulged. "Ten million?!"
"Yes." Yukiko smiled. "Mr. Mōri, consider this Conan's living expenses from now on. You can withdraw it anytime."
"Ahaha, you're too generous!" Kogorō's expression did a complete 180. "He's just a kid—how much can he eat? Eat all he wants, I say!"
"Thank you." Yukiko nodded, then approached Kurosawa Hoshino with another bankbook. "Kurosawa-kun, Conan mentioned he stays at your place sometimes. Here's another ten million—for lodging."
"Then I won't be polite." Kurosawa Hoshino took it.
He didn't particularly care whether Conan stayed with him or not. But if he refused, Conan would just end up at Ran's place. Better to keep him close.
"Mr. Mōri, Kurosawa-kun—please take good care of Conan. If he's naughty, feel free to discipline him. Don't hold back."
With that, Yukiko bid them farewell, gave her son one last glance, and left.
Kurosawa Hoshino looked at Conan and found the boy staring back, his face cycling through expressions like a flipbook. It was hilarious.
Conan's past day and a half had been eventful.
Mostly the same as the original story, with one key difference: he'd started off ecstatic, convinced he was finally going to beat Kurosawa Hoshino.
But by the end of his investigation this morning—after nearly being scared to death—Fumiyo Edogawa had torn off her disguise, revealing Yukiko's true face. Conan had almost lost it.
He thought he'd found leads on the Black Organization. Turns out it was just his mom, his dad, and Professor Agasa messing with him.
So now, facing Kurosawa Hoshino, remembering his triumphant expression from yesterday... Conan wanted to bash his head against a wall. The embarrassment was too much.
"Conan," Kurosawa Hoshino teased, "didn't you say I'd definitely lose and regret it? You little brat—you really sold the act at first."
Hearing this...
Conan felt blood rising in his throat. He might actually throw up.
He'd even asked his mother this morning if she'd conspired with Kurosawa Hoshino. How else could he have been so certain?
His mother's answer was seared into his memory: "Shinichi, is it possible he simply saw the love in my eyes for you and genuinely believed I was your mother?"
Conan was stunned. But after ruling out any possibility of collusion, he had to accept it.
As for Kurosawa Hoshino guessing? He didn't buy it. A renowned detective like him wouldn't just guess.
Sigh...
Conan sighed inwardly, lowered his head, and shifted into child mode. "Hoshino-nii, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have played that prank yesterday. I didn't expect you to see through it."
"Heh." Kurosawa Hoshino suppressed a laugh.
"Ten million!" Kogorō clutched his bankbook, practically glowing. "Come on, my treat tonight! We're going out for a feast!"
"Dad, we don't need to waste money."
"Waste? Nonsense. Besides, aren't you learning Chinese cuisine? We'll go to a real Chinese restaurant. You can taste authentic food instead of picking up random techniques from who-knows-where."
"Chinese food? Okay, that sounds fun." Ran agreed, curious to see how her cooking compared to the real deal.
"Authentic?" Kurosawa Hoshino murmured.
He decided to find out tonight—see if it was truly the real thing.