Seeing the two women staring at him with bright, curious eyes, Akashi could only force a sheepish smile and start making up a story.
"It's just a little trick!" he said nonchalantly. "Grandpa at the orphanage taught me. He said I could swipe things from people as I walked past them!"
Eri's face darkened with distress at his words.
'Akashi must have suffered so much at the orphanage to have learned such a skill, ' she thought.
Her mind raced with concerns. Could it have been an underground orphanage that trained children to become thieves? Was that why she couldn't find any records about the place?
She couldn't help but pull the young boy closer into her embrace.
Akashi, now buried against her, felt the warmth of her protective hug. It was comforting—perhaps a little too comforting.
Meanwhile, Yukiko's eyes lit up with intrigue.
"You can steal things?" she exclaimed, leaning forward with excitement. "Show us! Come on, Akashi, show us your skills!"
Unlike the reserved and concerned Eri, Yukiko was overflowing with curiosity.
Without waiting for permission, she tugged at the pair, breaking their hug. "Stop smothering him, Eri! Let him perform for us!"
Akashi sighed inwardly, slightly exasperated by Yukiko's eagerness. 'She's really into this, ' he thought.
Deciding to oblige her request, he activated his skill with a practiced motion. In an instant, an extra piece of cloth appeared in his small hand.
As he dangled it mischievously in front of Yukiko, her eyes widened in recognition.
Moments later, she screamed, her hands instinctively flying to cover herself.
"Wait… no wonder I didn't notice before," she murmured in disbelief, her face flushing red. "So that's how it is!"
Eri, still processing what had just happened, was equally stunned.
"How… how did you do that, Akashi?" she asked, her voice tinged with awe. "That's incredible!"
Akashi replied seriously, "It's nothing special. Just practice. You get better at it over time!"
But just as Eri was about to respond, Akashi struck again. This time, his skill targeted her. With another deft move, he produced yet another piece of fabric in his hand.
Eri's body stiffened, and her face turned bright red.
"Akashi!" she said, her tone sharp but restrained. "You must never do something like this outside. It's extremely impolite! Do you understand?"
Akashi nodded casually. "I understand. Here, I'll give it back to you."
He handed back the stolen items with a look of complete innocence.
But Yukiko, still recovering from her earlier embarrassment, wasn't ready to let it go.
"Akashi," she said, her voice tinged with excitement and frustration, "you have to show me again! I couldn't even see how you did it the first time. Just one more time, please!"
She clasped her hands together, adopting an almost childlike tone as she pleaded.
Akashi hesitated but eventually gave in. "Fine," he said, his expression serious. "Three… two… one… Look out the window!"
Both women instinctively turned their heads toward the window, peering into the darkness outside.
When they turned back, they realized what had happened. Yukiko let out another scream.
This time, there was no mistaking it—her face flushed as she leapt up from the sofa, dashing toward the guest room with nothing but her little head poking out a moment later.
"You little scoundrel!" she shouted, her voice muffled but tinged with mock anger. "I won't let you get away with this!"
Her pink fist waved from behind the door, though it was anything but intimidating.
Akashi, thoroughly amused by the prank, burst into laughter.
Eri, however, wasn't as forgiving. She grabbed Akashi by the ear and gently twisted it, her expression a mix of exasperation and amusement.
"Akashi, you're too naughty! I told you not to do this!"
The first night the three of them spent together ended in this playful scolding.
That night seemed endlessly long.
---
Meanwhile, Yūsaku, who was staying at Dr. Agasa's house, also felt that the night was dragging on.
Sipping coffee while gazing at his villa just around the corner, he couldn't shake the frustration of not being able to go home.
His brows furrowed deeper as messages from his overseas contacts came in.
The organization Conan was dealing with this time seemed particularly formidable.
But the information his FBI friend provided was vague and riddled with secrecy. As a senior official, confidentiality was second nature to them, making it impossible to share details through text.
Yūsaku realized he needed to meet him face-to-face to uncover the full picture.
With that thought, he started booking a flight to the United States for the next day.
Before finalizing his booking, he sent a message to Yukiko, asking if she wanted to accompany him.
However, his message seemed to disappear into the void.
Yukiko didn't reply.
At that moment, Yukiko was too busy teaming up with Eri to playfully bully and tease Akashi.
The two women had united against the young boy, thoroughly enjoying their antics.
With all their attention focused on the little shota, neither noticed Yūsaku's message buzzing on Yukiko's phone, left forgotten in the guest room.
Yūsaku, seeing no response, assumed Yukiko had already fallen asleep.
He decided to book his flight alone. After all, it might be better for Yukiko to stay behind and look after Shinichi.
Still, a vague irritation gnawed at him. He couldn't pinpoint why, but the unease lingered, keeping him restless throughout the night.
---
The next morning, golden rays of sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting soft beams across the bed.
The light fell on three figures tangled together—two adults and one child.
Akashi found himself squeezed between Yukiko and Eri.
Sleeping with two women turned out to be more trouble than it was worth.
In their sleep, the two women unconsciously fought over him as though he were a prized pillow.
One would pull him close, only for the other to tug him back. Occasionally, they even ended up hugging each other, completely smothering him in the process.
Despite the constant jostling, Akashi's unique constitution kept him energized. The yin energy he absorbed throughout the night replenished his strength and mental clarity far better than sleep ever could.
Even so, the tugging and tossing became relentless.
At one point, Yukiko rolled over, sending Akashi spinning in a graceful arc through the air before he landed on the other side of the bed with a soft thud.
The abrupt movement woke him up.
Akashi's sleepy gaze landed on Yukiko, who was now clutching him tightly in her sleep.
His irritation flared as he remembered how smug and domineering she had acted the night before.
Glancing at Eri, who was still soundly asleep, a mischievous grin crept onto Akashi's face.
The time for payback had come.
Quietly, he began showcasing his repertoire of abilities on Yukiko.
Particularly, he savored unleashing his combo skills.