After parting ways with Hiroki, the group went to their pre-booked table, ordered their food, and waited for it to be served, while also opening a bottle of wine.
Ran introduced him to Conan and Kouyu: "All I know about this guy is that his surname is Sawaki. He's a good friend of my parents when they were young."
Ze Mu had neatly styled hair and wore a suit. A grape-shaped badge on his chest gleamed under the restaurant lights.
Even though Conan is very knowledgeable, there are still things he doesn't know. He asked, "What is this grape badge?"
Ai, who was sitting next to Kōyū, explained, "This badge is a symbol of the bartender's identity."
Guangyou added, "This badge is not something that ordinary bartenders can get. It requires some ability to prove it, including knowledge of wine or how to do so. Basically, bartenders who can get the badge can distinguish the variety and vintage of wine just by smelling and looking at its color."
"It can be said that this badge represents a kind of honor, and the owner of each badge is someone who truly loves this job."
Zemu smiled upon hearing this, but did not stop what he was doing. He smelled the stopper, and after feeling satisfied, he put it aside.
Looking at the dish-like thing Sawaki was wearing on his chest, Conan asked again, "What's that thing he's wearing?"
"This dish is called a wine tasting dish."
Xiaolan explained, "This is something specifically used when tasting wine."
Uncle Mori, having just emerged from his previous slump, praised, "You guys know quite a lot."
Xiaolan said with some pride, "All of this is written in Mr. Renke's book."
"There's a lot of other knowledge too. For example, red wine is best stored at room temperature, while white wine is best stored at zero degrees Celsius."
Ai has a different opinion: "This is just what most people think, but it's not absolute. The temperature of the wine can affect its taste, so there is no absolutely suitable temperature, only the right person for it."
Ze Mu poured Uncle Mori a glass and said with a smile, "This cute little sister is right. There are no absolutes. The storage conditions depend on the drinker's preferences."
Uncle Mori is indeed skilled; he performs the basics of shaking, smelling, and tasting perfectly, leaving no room for criticism. The wine flows down the side of the glass into Uncle Mori's mouth, and he closes his eyes to savor it carefully.
After swallowing it in one gulp, Uncle Mori nodded, opened his eyes, and exclaimed, "This wine is excellent."
Ze Mu smiled to show his gratitude and said to everyone, "This kind of light red wine tastes very good if it is chilled first. The most important thing is that ice can suppress the astringency of the wine itself."
"Speaking of which, are you already interested in this kind of thing at your age? Ai and Mitsuyu are only in elementary school."
Uncle Mori was somewhat surprised that the three of them knew about this kind of thing.
Eri, standing next to her, laughed and said, "This also shows that we're not young anymore."
"But Uncle Kogoro, Aunt Eri, you two aren't that old either, you look only twenty-five or twenty-six! Especially Aunt Eri, if you went outside and said you were just over twenty, people would believe you!"
Upon hearing Kousuke's words, Uncle Mori and Eri Kisaki both laughed.
The two were smiling, their faces radiating happiness. Seeing this, everyone present smiled from the bottom of their hearts.
Xiaolan whispered, "Look, those two seem to get along quite well!"
The others nodded in agreement.
The food arrived quickly, and everyone, who had been starving, began to eat.
During the meal, some of the steak sauce inevitably got on Conan's lips.
When Ran saw this, she took out her handkerchief and said to Conan, "Conan, look at the mess you've made of food around your mouth."
As she spoke, Ran slowly moved closer, intending to wipe Conan's face with a handkerchief.
As Ran's pretty face drew closer, Conan's face flushed slightly, and his throat felt a little dry.
Suddenly, Conan remembered what Ayumi had calculated for him that morning: "There is a chance to reach A."
Thinking of what Kōyū meant by kissing, Conan's face turned bright red, like a cooked crab.
But things didn't go as smoothly as expected. When Uncle Mori saw it, he immediately took out a handkerchief and wiped it off for Conan.
While wiping, he complained, "Bringing this little brat out is such a hassle."
Conan, utterly dejected after being scrubbed, cried out, "My A!"
Eri Kisaki took a sip of her drink and said nostalgically, "It tastes really good."
Uncle Mori also recalled the past: "The food and the sake here are just as good as before."
"Oh, right, do you remember? The first time we came to this restaurant, you gave me a gift back then," Eri Kisaki recalled with a smile.
Uncle Mori chuckled as well: "Of course, it's your favorite Chicory chocolate!"
"I remember when we got home, we ate the chocolate right there on a bench in Mihua Park."
Uncle Mori turned his head to look out the window, as if he had seen something, and walked to the window: "Miss Towako?"
There was a woman outside the window wearing a kimono and with her hair up.
A rather overweight man got out of a taxi in front of Toko.
Then, Toko, with a smile, said something to the man.
Seeing this, Uncle Mori became somewhat agitated: "Who is that man?"
Conan turned around and said, "I think his name is Peter Ford. He often hosts shows on TV!"
"Damn it! How could Toko be with him!" Uncle Mori said through gritted teeth.
Eri Kisaki crossed her arms: "Who is this Toukoko?"
Uncle Mori was too excited to realize what was going on: "She's the madam of a nightclub in Ginza."
"Hey, you don't know! I go there all the time!"
Uncle Mori suddenly realized something, cold sweat dripping down his forehead, and slowly turned his head.
Eri Kisaki looked serious, stood up, and said, "I think I should go now."
Xiaolan quickly advised, "Mom, it's still early! Let's come home and have a cup of coffee first!"
Eri Kisaki's face remained expressionless: "Ran, I'm sorry, I still have work to do. Thank you for the meal, I'll be leaving now."
After saying that, Eri Kisaki turned and left. Ran tried to persuade her to stay, but Eri stopped her.
Ran turned her head with a somber expression to look at Uncle Mori, who was sweating profusely.
Seeing that Eri had already left, Uncle Mori didn't bother to chase after her. He turned back to look at the window and exclaimed, "Where's Towako-san?!"
Outside, Toko and Peter Ford had already walked away, chatting and laughing.
Ran held her head, while Conan squinted and came to a conclusion: Kogoro Mouri is beyond saving.
Ai kept her head down and continued eating her food, seemingly lost in thought.
Kogoro has a piece of advice he wants to tell Uncle Mori from a past life: Kogoro! You better watch yourself!
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