Beyond the Truth: Mouri's Odyssey

Chapter 0010: Scrubbing Conan

"Conan-kun, taking a bath is simple. Like this—you turn on the hot water, and then you can start scrubbing." Kogoro Mouri looked at the completely unclothed Conan in front of him, feeling immensely satisfied. In his hand was a brush made of boar bristles, which he mercilessly scrubbed against Conan's skin.

After all, Shinichi Kudo, who had transformed from a 17-year-old into a 7-year-old boy, now had delicate skin like a child.

As soon as the boar bristle brush touched him, Conan let out an extremely miserable wail. Red marks appeared all over his body, but unfortunately, the bathroom's soundproofing was excellent, and Ran, outside, didn't hear a thing.

Conan was in so much pain that tears rolled down his face. He tried to escape but was pushed down by Kogoro Mouri. With one hand pressing Conan's head against the ground, Mouri raised his "instrument of torture" with the other and continued scrubbing, saying: "Conan-kun, learn this well. This is how you clean yourself properly."

The boar bristle brush relentlessly ravaged Conan's back as tears of humiliation streamed down his face.

…

After what felt like an eternity, a refreshed Kogoro Mouri walked out of the bathroom, looking back with a smile. "Conan-kun, have you learned how to bathe by yourself now? Or does Uncle need to teach you again?"

Inside, Conan, who looked utterly defeated, trembled upon hearing those words and hastily exclaimed, "No need, Mouri-ojisan! I've completely mastered how to bathe myself now—no further lessons needed!"

"Then, can Conan-kun also wash his clothes by himself? What about his underwear?" Kogoro gave him another glance.

Conan immediately stood at attention, his face serious. "Mouri-ojisan, I think I used to know how to wash clothes. I can handle this myself—no need for you or Ran-neechan to worry about it!"

"That's amazing! Dad is such a good teacher—Conan learned how to bathe and do laundry all at once. Incredible!" Ran clapped her hands with a smile. "Wow, Conan! You and Dad look so refreshed after your bath. Your complexion is glowing!"

"Alright, it's getting late. Ran, you and the little guy should eat dinner and get some rest. Tomorrow, we need to help this kid with his school enrollment," Kogoro said, unwilling to let Conan relax too easily.

"Enrollment? No, no, no! Mouri-ojisan, I don't want to go to school!" Conan protested, struggling to resist, only to receive a swift flick to his forehead from Kogoro, leaving a massive bump.

"Children must attend school. Without a proper education, you won't survive in society. I think Teitan Elementary is perfect for you."

Ran chimed in supportively, "That's right, Conan. Starting tomorrow, you'll be going to school like all other kids."

Exhausted from everything he'd been through that day—solving cases, shrinking, solving more cases, and then being "tortured" by Kogoro—Conan's childlike sleepiness soon overwhelmed him. Before long, he was sound asleep on the bed.

In the living room, Kogoro Mouri sat on the sofa wearing a loose bathrobe. Beside him, Ran wore her pajamas, her well-proportioned figure highlighted by the snug fabric.

Mouri tried not to look too much and silently recited the Fudo Myo-o mantra several times in his heart. 'This girl's figure is almost as good as Eri's.'

"Dad, I know I'm adding to your burden. The agency hasn't had business in nearly six months, and now Conan's here, which makes things even harder." Ran's face was filled with guilt. She knew the family's financial situation wasn't great. With no income from her father for half a year, it wasn't easy to support another person. Life here wasn't cheap, after all.

Looking at Ran's apologetic face, Kogoro thought she looked stunning. She was truly kind-hearted. Ran wasn't dumb—she was just too trusting because of her kindness, which was why she was so easily fooled by Conan.

"Don't worry, Ran. Look!" Kogoro pulled out a white envelope and displayed it proudly. "Today, your old man accepted a case. Here's the commission fee—two million yen!"

"Seriously?" Ran snatched the envelope and quickly began counting. Only then did Kogoro realize Ran had a little "money-loving" side to her. Though the anime never portrayed Ran worrying about money, real life was nothing like a cartoon. The hardships of life were never shown in the anime.

After confirming it was indeed two million yen, Ran looked at Kogoro with admiration. But she quickly locked the money in a cabinet and hung the key around her neck.

"Hey, hey, Ran! What are you doing? Give me the money back!" Kogoro fumed as he watched the cash get locked away, veins popping on his forehead.

"No way. If I let you have it, it'll be gone in no time on drinking and gambling. This money should go toward living expenses. By the way, we still owe Nishimoto-san downstairs." Ran spoke righteously.

Since Kogoro and Eri had separated, it was Ran who kept the household running. With Kogoro out of work for half a year, Ran had to either ask Eri for money or borrow from Nishimoto-san, who owned the café downstairs.

For half a year, Ran had been holding the family together. Watching her protect their resources like a mother hen guarding her chicks, Kogoro didn't feel annoyed—he found her even more adorable. His heart nearly melted.

He pulled Ran into a hug and murmured, "Don't worry, my good daughter. I've turned things around now. I won't let you suffer anymore. I'll make sure you have a good life."

Ran, suddenly hugged, froze. She seemed to remember something and was about to pull away, but when she heard her father's heartfelt words, her expression softened. She looked uncertain—this was a side of her father she hadn't seen before.

Father and daughter embraced, sharing a warm moment.

Ran savored it deeply. It felt like she'd returned to her childhood, back when she could cling to her father and act spoiled. Those days were so wonderful.

Thinking about Conan staying with them, Kogoro decided he needed to be vigilant. He couldn't let Conan take advantage of Ran. "Ran, that little brat Conan is sly for his age. Earlier, he clearly wanted you to help him bathe. He might have other inappropriate ideas. Don't let him take advantage of you."

Still in her father's embrace, Ran found his overprotectiveness a bit much but also strangely cute. She smiled. "I know, Dad. I won't let anyone take advantage of me."

Kogoro suddenly felt the atmosphere grow ambiguous. His palms started sweating, and his heart began to race. Standing abruptly, he patted his head. "Ran, get some rest. You've got school tomorrow." With that, he fled to his room in haste.