I'm in Detective Conan, and the system has assigned me a succubus.

“A friend.” Uesugi Tetsu didn’t explain further, carrying the shoebox and walking deeper into the parking lot. “I’m going back now. Be careful on your way, don’t get followed by any brats again.”

The three parted ways in the parking lot, with Gin and Vodka getting into a Porsche 356A.

Vodka eagerly tore open the milk tea bag, inserted the straw, and took a big gulp.

The pearls were chewy and bouncy, the milk tea was sweet but not cloying, and had a hint of bitterness from the black tea. It tasted much better than he had imagined.

Vodka's eyes narrowed: "Brother, it's really delicious! Do you want to try some?"

"After all, it was bought for us by Brother Chatter, it would be a waste not to drink it."

Gin glanced at him sideways, his brows still furrowed, but he still reached out and took the other glass.

The warm cup against his palm dispelled some of the night chill. He hesitated for a moment, then took a small sip.

The warm liquid slid down his throat; the sweetness wasn't cloying, and the aroma of black tea spread across his tongue—much better than those cloyingly sweet cakes he hated.

Gin, however, remained defiant, placing the milk tea on the passenger side cup holder and speaking in a cold tone:

"It's nothing special, just average."

009 - Beautiful girls are the treasures of this world

Night had long since fallen over the parking lot, and the streetlights cast warm yellow circles of light on the ground, stretching Uesugi Tetsuya's shadow long.

As he carried his things to the car, he could see through the window that Ran Mouri was leaning against the back of the seat with her head tilted to the side, looking like she was fast asleep.

Uesugi Tetsu gently knocked on the car window.

Ran Mouri's eyelashes fluttered slightly as she slowly opened her eyes, her vision still hazy from just waking up. It took her two seconds to focus before meeting Toru Uesugi's gaze, and a soft smile slowly crept onto her lips: "Mr. Uesugi?"

"Sorry I'm a little late." Uesugi Tetsu opened the car door, the bag he was carrying swaying slightly, his tone full of gentleness, "I brought you something."

Ran Mouri finally snapped out of her daze, raised her hand to rub her eyes, and shook off the lingering sleepiness.

Just now, while smelling the faint scent of grass and wood left by Uesugi Tetsu in the car, I felt all the tension in my body dissipate, and I fell asleep without realizing it.

She hadn't fully recovered her senses when her gaze fell on the two bags that Uesugi Tetsu handed her, and then she looked up at the completely dark sky.

The stars hung sparsely overhead, and a cool evening breeze blew into the car. She was startled to realize how long she had slept and quickly tried to sit up, supporting herself on the seat.

"Ah... how long have I been asleep? Did I disturb you?"

"Not long after, I was the one who came back late."

Uesugi Tetsu bent down and placed the bag on the center console.

Then, Uesugi Tetsu gently placed his palm on Ran Mouri's head, just enough to stop her from leaning forward slightly as she got up: "Don't rush to get up. You just woke up. If you suddenly lift your head, you'll bump your head on the roof. Take it slow."

Ran Mouri froze instantly, and she had no choice but to obediently sit back down in her chair: "I'm sorry... I've caused Mr. Uesugi trouble again."

"You don't need to be so polite with me." Uesugi Tetsu smiled and withdrew his hand, took out a cup of ginger tea from the bag, gently inserted the straw, and handed it to her. "Have some of this first. It's getting chilly at night, so warm yourself up before you go."

Ran Mouri blankly accepted the ginger tea. Her palm touched the warm cup, and she felt a warmth spread through her heart.

She took a small sip; the spiciness of the ginger first danced on her tongue, followed by a sweet aftertaste.

It's like putting a warm little sun down your throat and letting it slide down your esophagus.

The coldness in my limbs was dispelled by the warmth, and instead, a faint heat rose from my heart.

"Thank you, Mr. Uesugi. It's delicious."

"I'm glad you like it." Uesugi Tetsu leaned against the car door, looking at Mouri Ran inside the car.

"I was going to buy you milk tea, but I thought it was too late and you were frightened today. I was afraid that if you drank something too sweet, you wouldn't be able to sleep at night, so I changed it to ginger tea."

"It's good that you don't dislike me."

These words were like a small pebble, gently landing in Ran Mouri's heart, causing her to tighten her grip on the glass.

It turns out he even considered such a small thing.

The emptiness in my chest that I had just felt because Shinichi Kudo left alone is now completely filled.

Her lips couldn't help but curl up, revealing a shallow dimple.

It feels really good to be valued.

"I don't dislike it, I like it very much."

Suddenly remembering something, she quickly pulled out her small purse from her pocket, looked up at Toru Uesugi, and asked with a serious expression, "Excuse me... how much is this ginger tea? I'll pay you."

"Cheng Hui, two hundred yen will do." Uesugi Tetsu's tone was natural, without the slightest hesitation.

He knew Ran Mouri's temperament all too well; deliberately saying "it doesn't cost money" would only make her uneasy.

It would be better to keep the two hundred yen; this would both set a clear line and prevent her from feeling burdened.

After all, this was the original price of ginger tea, no more, no less, just within the range that put her at ease.

As for the new shoes, he had already thought of a reason that would both get her to accept them and keep them as a souvenir.

Every time she sees the shoes, she'll be reminded of this day's reunion.

Of course, if she's a gold digger, then start over. This trick won't work; she'll just be used as an ATM.

Ran Mouri quickly pulled out two shiny 100-yen coins and handed them over. You could feel the edges of the coins were warm from her body heat.

Uesugi Tetsu reached out and took it, the thin calluses on his fingers brushing against her fingertips, which made Mouri Ran pause for a moment, but she quickly withdrew her hand.

He put the coin in his pocket, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes: "You're welcome. I look forward to your next visit."

"Huh?" Ran Mouri paused for two seconds with the straw in her mouth, then gently bit the straw before realizing he was joking. Her lips curled up even wider. "Next time... I'll treat you to a drink next time."

[Affection level with Ran Mouri +1, current affection level: 31]

Uesugi Tetsu pointed to another bag on the center console: "Try these shoes. I noticed your shoelace broke earlier, and your old shoes are badly worn out."

"Shoes?" Ran Mouri, with a straw in her mouth, paused, stunned.

"Yeah, your shoes must be almost worn out by now."

Ran Mouri followed his gaze to her shoes.

The white canvas shoes have slightly deformed toes, worn-out treads on the soles, and even some stains on the edges.

However, you can still tell how much the owner cherishes these shoes.

Her cheeks felt slightly hot. She hadn't really noticed the wear and tear on her shoes, but she hadn't expected Uesugi Tetsu to notice.

I gripped the cup tighter, the warmth of the cup traveling from my palm into my heart.

The moonlight is exceptionally beautiful tonight, and even the wind seems to have become gentler.

"But..." Ran Mouri opened her mouth, her eyes darting away, unable to look Uesugi Tetsu in the eye.

She instinctively wanted to refuse, after all, she wasn't very familiar with Uesugi Tetsu, and she had already troubled him too much today.

He comforted me, lent me his coat to cover the bloodstains, and now I have to take back the shoes he bought me. I feel like I owe him so much.

Even if these shoes aren't expensive, I shouldn't accept them as a gift for nothing.

Seeing her troubled expression, Uesugi Tetsu shook his head gently: "It's alright, consider it a small gift from me on behalf of that guy, you don't need to be polite."

Hehe... Next time I see Vermouth, I'll just have her make it up to me.

That's not right. In the end, I'm the one who's losing out. How much could these shoes cost?

Vermouth's reward to herself...

It's probably not as simple as just connecting to each other five or six times.

Moreover, this is not a reward for myself at all, but rather a way to satisfy Vermouth.

Vermouth is squeezing every last drop of her own essence out of herself, and she'll be losing out big time.

“Someone? Is it…” Ran Mouri’s eyes lit up, and she was about to guess if it was Shinichi Kudo when she was interrupted by Tetsu Uesugi.

“STOP.” Uesugi Tetsu crossed his arms and made a big “X” in front of him, his tone serious with a hint of joking, “First, let’s rule out the person you’re thinking about most right now. It’s not him.”

Ran Mouri paused for a moment, then burst out laughing.

Her eyes sparkled, and most of her earlier restraint had dissipated: "I thought Mr. Uesugi wasn't very good at joking with people."

“Occasionally.” Uesugi Tetsu smiled gently.

He then bent down and opened the shoebox, where a pair of black loafers lay quietly.

The leather is fine, and there are no extra decorations on the shoe surface, only a simple stitch.

It should be the understated style that Ran Mouri likes.

Ran Mouri's gaze fell on the shoes, and she couldn't help but reach out and rub her fingers against the surface.

It felt much softer than the worn-out old shoes on her feet, and it even carried a faint scent of paper from the shoebox.

She looked up at Toru Uesugi: "How did you know my size?"

Uesugi Tetsu pointed to her old shoes: "I guessed based on your shoe size. If they don't fit, we can go exchange them now. Anyway, the shoe store is still open."

[Your gentlemanly behavior – being attentive to a woman's predicament and preparing solutions in advance – earns you 10 points.]

Current score: 80

Please continue to maintain your gentlemanly behavior and obtain 100 points before midnight.

Please remember—elegance is the exclusive trait of the succubus.

In the distance, the string lights of the amusement park swayed in the night, their colorful lights shattering into fragments.

Laughter, mingled with the sweet scent of cotton candy, drifted over, only to be swept away by the night wind as soon as it touched the car window.

Occasionally, a car would drive past the parking lot exit, its headlights sweeping across the window like shooting stars, leaving only a fleeting glimmer of light, making the small car interior exceptionally quiet.

Ran Mouri held the upper of her new shoes, feeling a surge of warmth in her heart.

The new shoes in my hand are clean and crisp, while the old shoes on my feet have worn-out toes and the laces are tied in a makeshift knot.

The contrast is striking when the two are placed side by side.

It turns out that someone had secretly remembered her unintentional embarrassment and had even thoughtfully prepared a solution.

But...should I really accept it?

She looked at Uesugi Tetsu's composed gaze, then looked down at the wear marks on her old shoes.

Even though they only really got to know each other today, he cared for her more than many people he had known for a long time. He even secretly remembered the wear marks on her old shoes that she hadn't noticed herself.

Such thoughtfulness seemed impossible for her to refuse.

010-A beautiful girl's jade feet are also a treasure of this world.

The night enveloped the warm glow of the streetlights, casting long shadows on the ground, and even the wind seemed to slow its pace.

While Ran Mouri was still hesitating, Tetsu Uesugi had already squatted down.

He reached out and hooked the shoelaces of his sneakers, slowly untying the knot.

Uesugi Tetsuya always understood one principle—it's okay to be a little tougher sometimes.

The moment her shoelaces came undone, Ran Mouri belatedly realized what was happening and was about to pull her foot back.

Uesugi Tetsu had already gently lifted the heel of the shoe and taken it off her feet.

Friendly reminder: This technique is not easy to learn. Although it doesn't require much skill in terms of operation, it does require a lot of modeling.

Don't use it lightly if the initial model and charm points aren't in place, or you'll easily be beaten down and treated as a villain.

After all, not everyone can get a pretty girl to willingly have her shoes taken off.

If you're asking if there's a way to avoid this kind of modeling complexity?

Yes, brother, yes.

If you don't rely on modeling, then you rely more on the economy. Once the economy is developed, the modeling will be greatly improved.

As the saying goes: "Fair skin covers a hundred flaws, and wealth covers everything."

I'm sure all of you guys have maxed out your modeling and economy skills, so you don't need to do much else; you can just go on a rampage.

"Oh... Mr. Uesugi, what are you doing?" Ran Mouri finally snapped out of her daze, her voice tinged with panic.

She noticed that Uesugi Tetsu had already taken off her shoes.