The slap of Ran's slipper across Kogoro Mouri's face seemed to knock all the alcohol fog straight out of him.For once, the old detective didn't complain. He smoothed down his wrinkled shirt, brushed back his messy hair, stood up, and offered Ren Kuroda a surprisingly polite handshake.
"Ah! So you're the Kuroda-kun my Ran keeps talking about!" he said with an awkward laugh. "Thank you for looking after her. My daughter's a bit rough around the edges sometimes, so please don't take offense."
"Ran's very kind," Ren replied easily. "Not rough at all."
Instead of shaking his hand, Ren presented the small gift bag he'd brought. "A little something for you, Detective Mouri."
"Oh? A gift too?!" Kogoro's face lit up like a lamp. "You're much more polite than that brat Shinichi!" he said, unable to resist taking a jab at the absent teen detective.
He peeked into the bag, spotted the bottle inside, and his grin widened. "Kuroda-kun, please, have a seat! Ran, pour your classmate some—ah, forget it, I'll do it myself!"
Ran could only sigh as her father hurried toward the kitchenette, all traces of his supposed hangover gone in an instant.
"Sorry, Kuroda-kun," she said quietly, blushing. "My dad's… well, he's had a bit to drink."
Ren waved a hand lightly. "It's fine. It's your home. A drink or two isn't a big deal—as long as it doesn't interfere with work."
"Exactly!" Kogoro called out cheerfully from the kitchenette. "And since there's no work anyway, what's the harm in drinking, huh? Tell me, when have I ever let alcohol get in the way of business?"
He returned with a steaming cup of tea, setting it in front of Ren before cracking open the bottle himself.
Ran wanted to say something but, seeing her father's prideful grin, bit her tongue and started tidying the mess instead.
"So, Kuroda-kun," Kogoro said as he poured himself a drink, "how long have you been practicing karate?"
"Not long," Ren replied after a sip of tea.
"Not long?" Ran piped up while straightening a pile of papers. "But he's super strong! I can't even beat him! If he joined the karate club, he'd definitely be the ace instead of me."
"Is that so?" Kogoro raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed, and topped off his cup.
Ren smiled. "I'm not as amazing as you, though, Detective. I heard about your perfect twenty-bullseye shooting record at the police academy—it's still unbeaten, isn't it?"
"Huh?" Kogoro froze mid-sip, then slowly lowered the cup, staring at Ren with genuine surprise. "You… heard about that?"
"I've heard a little," Ren said smoothly. "They say your judo skills were unmatched too—no one could beat you. It's a shame you resigned after that case. Otherwise, you'd probably be one of the Metropolitan Police's top detectives by now."
Ran, who'd been folding up a stray newspaper, stopped and looked over skeptically. "Kuroda-kun, are you sure you're not confusing him with someone else? My dad's not that impressive."
"Hey! What are you talking about?" Kogoro said indignantly, puffing out his chest. "Your old man was that impressive back in the day!"
When Ran opened her mouth again, he cut her off with a wave. "All right, all right—it's getting late! Go make dinner already."
Ran glanced at the clock—nearly six. "Ah! You're right. I'll start cooking. Dad, be nice to Kuroda-kun while I'm gone, okay?"
She gathered up the groceries and hurried upstairs to the kitchen.
Watching her go, Ren turned back to Kogoro. "Raising your daughter alone must've been tough, huh, Detective?"
Kogoro sighed and drained his glass in one go. "You're telling me. I don't even know how I managed all these years."
He eyed Ren for a long moment after that—something about the boy's composure, his tone, even his gaze didn't match his age.
Ren, anticipating the unspoken question, offered an easy explanation. "My parents passed away in a car accident a while back. Since then, I've been on my own."
"I know how hard it is just taking care of myself," he added. "So raising a kid alone… I can't even imagine."
Kogoro's face softened immediately. Losing one's parents—that kind of thing aged anyone fast. He said nothing more, just quietly reached for the sake bottle and began pouring into Ren's cup.
Halfway through, he froze. "Ah—wait, you're still in school. My bad!"
"It's fine," Ren said casually. "I drink at home sometimes."
Kogoro blinked, then chuckled. Right, he thought. The kid managed to buy the sake in the first place. Why wouldn't he drink it?
"Haha, you've got guts, kid." He laughed heartily, though a hint of worry crept back into his voice. "But if Ran finds out I let you drink…"
"Don't worry," Ren said smoothly, taking the bottle and refilling his own cup. "I'll say it was my idea."
"Hah! I like you, kid." Kogoro slapped his knee, grinning from ear to ear. "You're way more likable than that stiff Shinichi. That boy's so uptight he makes my liver hurt."
Ren chuckled quietly. Before he'd ended up in this world, he'd already been a working adult. The wide-eyed innocence of high schoolers like Ran didn't come naturally to him.But with Kogoro—a grizzled, slightly jaded man who'd taken more punches from life than from any suspect—he felt right at home.
Dinner ended pleasantly, and not long after, Ren rose to leave.
"Kuroda-kun!" Kogoro called after him, waving his cup. "You've got to come by more often! Don't be a stranger!"
"I will," Ren said with a nod and a polite smile before heading out.
Ran watched him walk steadily down the street, relieved that he wasn't staggering from the drinks. Once he disappeared from view, she turned on her father with puffed cheeks.
"Dad! How could you let Kuroda-kun drink? He's not even old enough!"
"Hey, hey, it wasn't my fault!" Kogoro protested, waving his hands. "He wanted to! And don't forget, he's the one who bought the bottle!"
Ran opened her mouth, then closed it again. Technically, that… was true.
She sighed. Figures. Kuroda wasn't exactly the "honor student" type anyway. He had once joked about kidnapping Sonoko, after all.
Kogoro scratched his chin, then suddenly said, "By the way, Ran—have you thought about dating anyone?"
"Wha—?! Dad, where did that come from?" Ran turned scarlet, caught completely off guard.
Kogoro chuckled. "Come on, it's not such a big deal to date in high school. And I think that Kuroda kid's pretty decent! If you don't make a move now, someone else will!"
"Dad!" Ran sputtered, her face as red as her ribbon. "Don't get the wrong idea! Kuroda-kun and I are just friends! Don't start imagining weird things!"
"Hey, no harm in trying," Kogoro said with a sly grin. "You might end up liking him! And if not, you can always break up later. No big deal!"
Ran glared. "You just want someone to drink with you!"
Kogoro let out a sheepish laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Heh. Maybe. But even if you don't date him, at least invite him over for dinner once in a while! The guy eats alone every night—don't you feel sorry for him?"
Ran folded her arms. "Shinichi eats alone too. Should I feel sorry for him too?"
"Sure! Bring him along next time!" Kogoro said immediately.
Ran just stared at him, speechless. Whatever charm Kuroda had used, it was working—her father was way too fond of that guy already.