The joy of winning the championship helped Ran move past her anger over Kudou Shinichi's unauthorized departure. After the awards ceremony, she invited everyone to a celebratory dinner.
"I'm sorry, Ran, but I have a case to handle this afternoon."
Eri Kisaki checked her wristwatch. "Next time, when I have some free time, I'll help you celebrate."
"It's alright, Mom. I'm already very happy that you came to watch my match."
Ran shook her head, signaling Eri Kisaki not to worry.
So, after nodding to Hoshimiya Yuu and Suzuki Sonoko, Eri Kisaki left first.
With Eri Kisaki gone, Ran no longer felt like having a celebratory dinner.
The gathering was just an excuse; she had wanted to see if she could ease the tension between her parents and, ideally, lead to reconciliation.
Imagination was beautiful, but reality was unyielding.
As the separation lengthened, the relationship between Eri Kisaki and Mouri Kogoro only grew more hostile.
Forget reconciliation; after all these years, the only thing separating them from divorce was the final paperwork.
Seeing that there would be no big dinner, Mouri Kogoro also left.
What was the fun in hanging out with a bunch of kids? It was better to find a place to drink and play some pachinko.
In the end, Hoshimiya Yuu and the two girls found a Western restaurant and had a simple meal.
An hour later, the three of them left the restaurant.
Looking up at the crystal-clear sky, Suzuki Sonoko stretched and said, "What's next? The weather is so nice; we can't just go straight home. That would be such a waste."
"Sonoko, Hoshimiya Nii-san, do either of you have any plans?" Ran asked.
"Well, I plan to get a new phone," Hoshimiya Yuu thought aloud and smiled. "My old one was too ancient, and I often missed calls. Plus, I just earned a little extra cash today."
Suzuki Sonoko made a playful face at Hoshimiya Yuu and said exuberantly, "Then why don't you hurry up and thank the great Lady Suzuki Sonoko."
"Yes, yes, yes. It would be even better if Lady Suzuki Sonoko could give me a little more money."
After joking around for a while, Ran said, "Then let's go to the mall to buy phones. I need a new one too."
"Ran, didn't you just replace your phone a little while ago?"
Suzuki Sonoko asked curiously. "I remember it was a cute pink one with a rabbit charm."
"Shinichi borrowed it a few days ago while solving a case. Afterward, he put it in my hat without telling me, and it fell into the sewer when I bent down to pick something up."
Ran's expression was calm, as if she were discussing something completely disconnected from her.
"I originally said he should pay for a replacement, but he ran off again today.
"Thinking about it, I'll just buy one myself. I don't need him to replace it. After all, I share some of the blame."
"Ran, it was clearly that Kudou guy…"
Suzuki Sonoko was about to voice her indignation on Ran's behalf when Ran said mildly,
"Don't worry, Sonoko. In the future, I won't let Shinichi touch my phone again."
"…"
The atmosphere fell silent briefly. Suzuki Sonoko belatedly realized that Ran was absolutely serious this time.
"I'm willing to, Hoshimiya Nii-san~"
After a moment of shyness, Suzuki Sonoko quickly recovered.
Her personality was inherently bold and open. Her eyes scanned Ran and Hoshimiya Yuu, and upon confirming that neither of them had romantic intentions toward the other, she shrugged off any guilt about pursuing her friend's crush.
"I was just surprised, alright? Okay, okay, don't worry about such minor things. Let's exchange contact information now."
Suzuki Sonoko deployed the acting skills she had cultivated as the future heir of a Zaibatsu, quickly covering her momentary slip-up. With Hoshimiya Yuu's subtle cooperation, the innocent Ran was quickly fooled.
"Mr. Hoshimiya, you even changed your number. Aren't you going to contact your old contacts?"
After exchanging contacts, Ran and Sonoko asked curiously.
"No need." Hoshimiya Yuu smiled faintly. "Speaking of which, I haven't told you that I'm an orphan, have I?"
Under Ran and Sonoko's shocked gaze, Hoshimiya Yuu briefly explained his background.
Telling them he was an orphan right after meeting them would have seemed like a blatant attempt to gain pity.
However, after a few days of interaction and increased goodwill, now was the perfect time to reveal it.
It garnered sympathy from the beautiful girls, further boosting their goodwill without seeming contrived.
"If I hadn't needed a contact number for my part-time jobs, I wouldn't even have bought the last phone."
Hoshimiya Yuu paused, then added, "Now that I have a formal job, I genuinely need a proper phone, so I simply changed the number as well."
"It's a way of saying goodbye to the past and welcoming a new beginning."
"I see. No wonder we felt like Mr. Hoshimiya lives so frugally."
The two girls unconsciously moved a little closer to Hoshimiya Yuu, instinctively feeling sorry for him.
Especially Ran, who was practically from a single-parent home, handling all the housework and looking after her father since elementary school.
But at least she didn't have to worry about money.
As the saying goes, there's no problem that money can't solve.
If it can't be solved, you just don't have enough money.
"Alright, let's not dwell on this. Things will only get better from now on."
Looking at the two invincible and vibrant girls beside him, Hoshimiya Yuu showed a meaningful smile, then ended the topic.
The trio shopped for a while longer. Ran and Sonoko walked side-by-side slightly ahead, and Hoshimiya Yuu walked a step behind.
Listening to the two beautiful girls frequently calling him 'Hoshimiya Nii-san,' Hoshimiya Yuu, who usually disliked shopping, surprisingly found it quite enjoyable.
Although he wasn't literally arm-in-arm with them, he still drew envious glances from many men along the way.
...
The last rays of the setting sun fell upon the ground. Looking at the reddening street, Ran said, still feeling that the day was too short, "Sonoko, I need to head home."
"It's this late already. Why don't you eat dinner before going back?"
Sonoko looked at Hoshimiya Yuu and asked coquettishly, "Hoshimiya Nii-san, what do you think?"
"I'm flexible," Hoshimiya Yuu replied. "But Ran probably needs to go back and prepare dinner for Detective Mouri, right?"
"I almost forgot about that old man." Suzuki Sonoko stuck out her tongue and didn't press the issue.
Having known Ran for so many years, she understood her character better than anyone.
Having ignored Mouri Kogoro all day, Ran was clearly a little worried and wanted to go home and check on him.
Suzuki Sonoko's house was in a different direction than the other two.
The three parted ways after reaching a fork in the commercial district.
Suzuki Sonoko hugged Ran's arm and muttered, "It's a shame I have to attend a banquet tomorrow. Otherwise, we could all hang out."
"There'll be other chances, Sonoko." Ran smiled and patted Sonoko's head, as if comforting a disappointed daughter.
After the two girls shared a warm moment, the familiar black stretch sedan appeared before Hoshimiya Yuu.
It had been too dark last night to see clearly, but it was indeed a luxury car, befitting a top-tier Zaibatsu.
"Ran, Hoshimiya Nii-san, I'll head off first. Have fun tomorrow, okay?"
"Bye, Sonoko."
"Sonoko, remember to call me 'Teacher' when you get to school the day after tomorrow."
Hoshimiya Yuu cautioned her.
He was someone who avoided trouble. Given Sonoko's carefree nature, if he didn't remind her, he would definitely attract unnecessary complications.
"I know~"
"Alright, Ran, shall we head back too?"
"Mm."
It wasn't too late, and Ran's fighting ability was extremely high, but since their homes weren't far apart, Hoshimiya Yuu chose to walk Ran all the way home out of courtesy.
Upon arriving at the Mouri Detective Agency, Ran intended to invite Hoshimiya Yuu in for a moment, but as soon as she opened the door, a foul smell hit them.
The scent of food scraps, alcohol, smoke, and an unknown stink mixed together, creating a repulsive odor that was hard to describe.
Ran's expression immediately became very unpleasant.
She fought the urge to cover her nose, turned her back, and closed the door, gritting her teeth. "Hoshimiya Nii-san, I apologize. You should go home now. I need to clean up the house."
Hoshimiya Yuu patted Ran's shoulder sympathetically. "Ran, you've had a tough day…"
When Ran opened the door, he had seen the situation inside the agency.
The office windows and doors were closed tight, the floor was covered in beer cans, cigarette butts, and leftover food, and newspapers reporting on horse racing were everywhere.
The only living person in the agency, Mouri Kogoro, was sprawled on the sofa, snoring loudly in disheveled clothes.
Judging by his face, which was as red as a baboon's ass, he must have drunk quite a bit.
Shortly after Hoshimiya Yuu left, he heard a series of loud crashes coming from the second floor of the Mouri Detective Agency, mixed with the miserable screams of a certain middle-aged man.
It seemed Ran wasn't just cleaning the room; she was taking care of the main culprit as well.
"Speaking of which, I think I forgot to arrange the time and place for tomorrow's meeting again…"
Hoshimiya Yuu was about to turn back, but hearing the commotion, he decided to arrange it by phone later that evening.
Listening to the accompaniment echoing behind him, he picked up his pace, humming a little tune, and headed toward his apartment in a quite cheerful mood.
...
...
Yao Biological Pharmaceutical Company.
This was a legitimate pharmaceutical company in Tokyo, but it was actually one of the Black Organization's secret bases in the city.
It was also the research facility for APTX 4869. The security system here was highly advanced.
The person in charge was a peripheral elite of the Organization, but the core was the researcher of APTX 4869, Miyano Shiho.
Codename Sherry, one of the Organization's key members.
Today, however, the location welcomed two other notorious codenamed executives of the Organization.
Gin and Vodka.
"Aniki, here's the drug you wanted." Led by a peripheral member, Vodka retrieved a silver metal box from the lab.
Inside was an entire strip, a total of 12 capsules of APTX 4869.
Outwardly, they looked almost exactly like cold medicine.
No one would suspect that this was a miraculous drug capable of killing people without a trace, and with an extremely small probability, even reverting them to childhood.
"Hmph. Since Sherry is unwilling to conduct human trials, then let us help her out."
Gin sneered, tucking the silver metal box into the inner pocket of his black trench coat.
"Aniki, do you plan to use it during the mission tomorrow?"
"That depends on whether the target cooperates."
Gin glanced sideways at Vodka. This drug, which kills people without a trace and leaves no identifiable evidence in a post-mortem examination, was specifically designed for destroying evidence and bodies.
If the mission target was cooperative, it wasn't strictly necessary to kill them.
However, his work usually involved tracking down traitors and assassinations, so he would have plenty of opportunities to test the drug's effects.