You're a Mature Lightbulb Now

Conan, veins bulging on his forehead, reached down while Wakamatsu Toshihide held him, searching for the button on his Enhanced Foot Strength Shoes.

But he grabbed empty air—the shoes had been left in the entryway when he came inside.

"..."

Meanwhile, when Wakamatsu Toshihide touched the frame of the glasses, he vaguely sensed that something felt off.

He opened his shyly closed eyes in confusion and looked down, only to find that he was holding a little boy. Mouri Ran was sitting nearby, staring at him in surprise along with her male classmate.

Wakamatsu Toshihide: "..."

His face immediately turned as green as Conan's.

"Bleurgh—"

The two separated in an instant, clutching their throats as they each made a nauseated sound from the depths of their lungs.

Jiang Xia considerately patted Conan's back to help him catch his breath, then handed him a wet wipe and a cup of hot tea.

Facing Conan's despairing look of You set me up!, he sighed, leaned closer, and whispered, "Some people need to be protected by themselves."

Conan: "..."

...Okay, that actually seemed to make some sense?

He silently picked up the wet wipe, thoughtfully wiped his hands and face, then took a sip of hot tea to calm himself down.

Gradually, he felt that making this little sacrifice for Ran might not be so bad... And after Jiang Xia interpreted it that way, it somehow felt quite fulfilling, carrying a tragic air of sacrificing himself for love.

...This could barely count as a hero rescuing a beauty, right? As Conan thought about it, he slowly came to terms with it.

He had calmed down, but someone else nearby was starting to get angry.

Minagawa's mother—the mistress of the house—looked at her youngest son and snatched a large piece of chocolate from his