[~ 1700 Words]
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"Ran, don't open your eyes so quickly," Eri Kisaki's gentle voice whispered. Ran heeded her mother's advice, waiting before slowly opening her eyes. She saw her mother, Eri Kisaki, and Takuya Fujiwara beside her.
"Ran, how are you feeling?" Kisaki Eri checked Ran's forehead, relieved to find her fever gone. The flu she had was highly contagious and deadly; she'd been terrified Ran would succumb.
"I'm fine, much better," Ran replied, touching the back of her head. A slight dizziness lingered, but quickly subsided. The severe headache and dizziness of the previous day were gone.
"Ran, did you rest well?" Kisaki Eri watched Ran anxiously, her mind racing back to the previous night.
She recalled having fun with Takuya – while Ran slept next to them.
Startled by Ran opening her eyes, Eri had nearly jumped, Takuya spilling milk tea all over Ran's face. Eri'd quickly cleaned up the mess, fearing Ran would remember the incident.
The thought of Ran's reaction, especially if she remembered the snack-sharing episode, filled Eri with dread.
Ran could easily overreact and use her karate on Takuya.
Takuya also worried about Ran discovering their late-night activities.
He was especially concerned about the potential repercussions of any action against Ran, citing concerns about him sleeping with her mother.
The close relationship between mother and daughter made such an action unwise, though he secretly wondered about the possibility.
Ran rubbed her head, the pain receding.
Memories of the previous night returned – specifically, the sight of her mother secretly eating snacks beside her. The unnecessary stealth annoyed her.
"Mom, you're so annoying," Ran said, her tone resentful.
Eri's face paled.
Had Ran discovered her relationship with Fujiwara? Panic surged.
How would she explain it?
She considered confessing – "Daughter, work is hard, I'm lonely, and I lost control."
Then, a thought struck her: she'd blame Takuya. It was his fault anyway.
Eri felt Takuya should take the blame for their relationship; she'd essentially sacrificed for him, bearing his child.
Maintaining her relationship with Ran was paramount, and blaming Takuya seemed the easiest solution.
At worst, she could continue their arrangement after the baby was born, perhaps offering him massages or late night activities as compensation.
"Ran, this is all Fujiwara Takuya's fault. It has nothing to do with me," Eri declared, shifting the blame.
Takuya looked bewildered.
He'd been happy, and Eri had initiated their encounters.
The blame was unwarranted; if anything, Eri should be punished.
Yet, seeing her pleading expression, he conceded. Sigh, He made the money, she bore the child; he'd absorb the blame.
Ran was confused.
She considered the possibility that Takuya had forced Eri to eat, knowing her mom´s past attempts at weight loss and aversion to late-night meals.
"Officer Fujiwara, this is all your fault! How could you force my mother?" Ran accused, her righteous indignation portraying Takuya as a bully who threatened his mother.
"I'm sorry, it's my fault. I won't do it again… unless your mother comes to me," Takuya apologized, glancing at Eri.
He knew Eri would likely take the initiative again.
Eri subtly apologized to Takuya, planning future compensation.
"That's right. Mom wants to lose weight and doesn't eat at night. How could you force her?" Ran continued.
"Yes, it's my fault. I shouldn't have forced her…" Takuya began, but something felt off.
Eri had eaten, but not for weight loss reasons.
Ran's expression – cute and not angry – suggested a misunderstanding.
He felt a sudden urge to pinch her chubby cheeks. She clearly didn't understand the full situation.
Eri also noticed Ran's lack of true anger.
"Ran, did you see anything last night?" Eri asked cautiously.
Takuya listened intently, curious about Ran's knowledge.
"I woke up and saw you secretly eating something delicious – a large sausage, I think," Ran said. "Mom, did Officer Fujiwara force you? Eating supper is bad for your health. And you spilled milk tea on me, right?"
Eri was stunned. Ran hadn't understood the true nature of their late-night activities.
Ran, despite her cold, had essentially witnessed everything – Fujiwara Takuya's accidental, yet thorough, milk tea-drenching of her face (including her nose, mouth, eyes, and eyebrows), and her subsequent unwitting consumption of the spilled beverage.
The cold, however, blurred her perceptions.
"Mom was beside me, eating secretly. I was too tired to open my eyes; otherwise, I would have wanted some," Ran commented, revealing her limited understanding of the situation.
This confirmed Takuya's suspicions that she was largely unaware of the truth.
"Ran, rest well. I'll treat you to anything you want – sausages, milk tea – when you're better," Takuya said, adding, in his own mind, that Ran, and Eri who had already enjoyed the spoils, would receive more treats, considering their future cooperation where they serve him together.
Eri quickly countered, "No need. Ran's just recovered; she can't eat greasy food," preventing Ran from partaking of the food she and Takuya had shared.
She didn't want her daughter consuming such things.
Takuya pretended nothing had happened, focusing on enjoying the situation's outcome.
The arrival of Yukiko and Shinichi Kudo interrupted their quiet morning.
"Ran's awake," Eri replied to Yukiko, her gaze sending an intimidating message to Shinichi.
Shinichi felt the pressure acutely, believing Eri to be even more frightening than before.
Yukiko intervened, "Eri, don't scare my son. Shinichi was foolish to let Ran return alone. I've already scolded him," referring to the earlier punishment she'd inflicted.
Yukiko was furious at Shinichi's recklessness in leaving Ran alone yesterday.
"I'll let it go this time, but don't do it again," Eri warned, granting Shinichi a reprieve due to her friendship with Yukiko.
Fujiwara, meanwhile, began plotting to keep Ran for himself, viewing Shinichi as a rival to be eliminated.
His possessive thoughts extended even to desiring Kudo Yukiko to bear him more children.
Yukiko invited Kisaki Eri and Mouri Ran to dinner, saying, "Eri, Ran, would you like to come to my house for dinner tonight? I'll treat you."
She deliberately excluded Fujiwara Takuya from the invitation, fearing that if she included him, she might give in to her attraction to him and become involved with him.
Fujiwara Takuya was good in that aspect, and Kudo Yukiko didn't want to risk being drawn to him.
Eri didn't immediately accept the invitation, instead turning to Takuya and asking, "What about you, Officer Fujiwara?"
Fujiwara Takuya replied, "I was planning to have dinner at a nearby hotel."
Since Kudo Yukiko hadn't invited him, he wasn't going to force the issue.
He thought it would be better to dine at a hotel with Kisaki Eri and Mouri Ran, rather than going to Kudo Yukiko's house alone.
Eri quickly decided to join Fujiwara Takuya for dinner, choosing the father of her child over her best friend.
She had reservations about Kudo Yukiko's intentions, particularly since she had been trying to arrange a marriage between Kudo Shinichi and Mouri Ran despite their lack of contact over the years.
Kisaki Eri politely declined Kudo Yukiko's invitation, saying, "Yukiko, I'm sorry. Officer Fujiwara saved Ran yesterday and helps me with my work. I'll eat out with him."
Kudo Yukiko was unhappy with Eri's decision and felt dissatisfied with Takuya, who had treated her so roughly the night before.
Mouri Ran, however, also wanted to express her gratitude to Fujiwara Takuya for saving her from the silver-haired killer.
She said, "Yukiko-san, I also want to have dinner with Officer Fujiwara. I'm really grateful to him for last night."
Yukiko was taken aback, realizing that she had to invite Fujiwara Takuya to dinner as well.
With some reluctance, Kudo Yukiko extended the invitation to Fujiwara Takuya, saying, "How about you, Officer Fujiwara? Come to our house for dinner too? Let's go together. We'll treat you all."
Fujiwara Takuya pretended to hesitate before accepting the invitation, saying, "Okay then, I agree. Let's go have a meal together. I also want to meet the Famous Author KudoYusaku."
Yukiko didn't suspect Fujiwara Takuya's true intentions, so she didn't take his acceptance of her invitation seriously.
"Ran, now that you're feeling better, get dressed and let's go," Kisaki Eri instructed.
Mouri Ran followed her mother's instructions, starting to get dressed after a good night's sleep, which had left her feeling much more refreshed.
"Let's go together. I'll take you shopping first," Kudo Yukiko said, chatting and laughing with Kisaki Eri.
Meanwhile, Mouri Ran and Kudo Shinichi were discussing something.
Fujiwara Takuya, on the other hand, was temporarily ignored.
However, he didn't mind being left out. Instead, he took advantage of Kudo Yukiko's distraction to touch her arm, a deliberate and sly move that was meant to mock her.
Yukiko blushed, but pretended that nothing had happened, continuing to walk forward.
However, she couldn't shake off the thoughts of Takuya, wondering why she couldn't stop thinking about him.
The reason was simple: Fujiwara Takuya's exceptional skills in bed had left a lasting impression on her.
The intense experience they had shared had captivated Yukiko, and she found herself drawn to Fujiwara Takuya and wanting more.
It was the same way Kisaki Eri had fallen for him - a man who knew how to capture a woman's heart through his actions.
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