In the end, the investigation at the crime scene yielded nothing significant.

Hayashi Yoshiki couldn't remember anything.

However, before leaving, the sharp-tongued reporter Shinri Kawachi said something very interesting to Hayashi Yoshiki. She claimed that his face couldn't fool her at all — she even knew all his conspiracies. If he was willing to confess everything, she told him to come find her at the Koto Lakeside Hotel, where she was staying. In that case, she might consider flattering him a bit in her reports.

The disgusting attitude of a journalist.

Hayashi Yoshiki ignored her, but unexpectedly, after talking to Hayashi Yoshiki, Kawachi turned her gaze to him:

"And Mr. Hayashi Yoshiki, I'm very interested in you as well... Actually, I've wanted to talk to you for a long time."

"Is there something you want?"

"Well, I know a bit about your secrets, you know — sometimes your white Mercedes goes to certain places at night and meets certain people. It's really something to wonder about."

She adjusted her glasses, the cruel smile on her face hardly ever comforting:

"Mr. Hayashi, if you're interested, you can come chat with me about these things too."

Hayashi Yoshiki smiled in response.

"Although I'm well aware of journalists' nature, I've never met anyone like Ms. Kawachi — throwing everything in without a clue whether it fits or not."

"You must have done things like this often, huh?"

"But the fact that I go to Ms. Kawachi's hotel room — that's really insulting to me."

"So please don't ever say things that make people deeply uncomfortable."

Kawachi's reaction was quick — her face immediately darkened like iron.

Hayashi Yoshiki saying it was insulting to go to her room basically meant she was calling herself ugly. In fact, even Kogoro Mouri and Ran hadn't expected the usually gentle and kind Hayashi Yoshiki to say something like that — it was quite surprising.

She angrily left in front of everyone.

Shortly after, Hayashi Yoshiki and the others also left the former village chief's house.

"You really have guts. Aren't you afraid that woman might actually have something bad on you?"

On the way back to the inn, Kogoro Mouri couldn't help but say.

"Journalists who say things like that are usually liars."

Hayashi Yoshiki smiled and said, "If she really had information related to me, she wouldn't wait until a chance meeting to bring it up. Besides, I hate those sneaky journalists... just like those who swarmed during the Beniko Suo incident for the sake of headlines."

"I see, that's why you said such harsh words."

Kogoro Mouri had no intention of asking more.

Ran kept staring at Hayashi Yoshiki, seeming to be thinking about something.

"So, brother Yoshiki, do you have any leads on this case now?"

"No, there's too little information."

"I'm the same — we'll just have to keep investigating tomorrow."

Looking at the still expressionless Shinichi Kudo beside him, Hattori Heiji sighed and looked up at the sky.

He was about to sigh when a raindrop fell into his mouth. When he reacted, a downpour was already flooding the sky.

The sudden rain forced them all back to the inn.

Back in his room, Hayashi Yoshiki immediately went to shower and called Shiho Miyano on his phone while washing.

"Luckily, it was Conan who took the experimental antidote this time, not you. Otherwise, if you lost your memory, I'd be really troubled."

"What trouble?"

At Professor Agasa's laboratory —

Shiho Miyano, who already knew about Hayashi Yoshiki's amnesia, had been locked in the basement since this afternoon analyzing drug data, searching for why the antidote caused his memory loss.

Listening to the shower sounds coming from the phone's microphone, her tense mind suddenly felt strangely calm.

"Is Yoshiki taking a shower?"

Though she didn't intend to imagine it, hearing the water made her visualize the scene. This suddenly cooled her flushed thoughts.

TX...

When did I become such a shallow person?

She unconsciously pressed her eyebrows.

"If you lose your memory, won't I have to go through the trouble of getting to know you all over again?"

His voice mixed with the water sound, sounding somewhat distant.

"At first, you were always like a hedgehog — defensive here and there, making you hard to approach."

"So, did this hedgehog prick you?"

Her pace in observing the data unconsciously slowed. Though Shiho Miyano's tone was calm, a slight smile lifted the corners of her mouth.

"Did I? I don't seem to remember that."

"..."

She hummed lightly, then her voice became serious:

"I analyzed the data of this experimental antidote, but no matter what, I couldn't find any cause that would induce amnesia after Edogawa's body recovered...

I wonder if he lost his memory for some reason even before his body recovered?"

"That's unclear."

Hayashi Yoshiki answered, "Anyway, I might trouble you a lot from now on. After this is all over, I'll take you somewhere fun and buy you some cute dresses."

"Don't treat me like a kid!"

The girl's face, brightened by the LCD screen's light, flushed slightly pink. Her voice quickly became annoyed, but hidden behind her tone was a strangely uplifted spirit.

Hayashi Yoshiki just smiled.

After a few more casual words, he hung up. After washing thoroughly, he stepped out of the bathroom holding a dry towel.

Soon after, there was a knock on his door.

Thinking it was Hattori Heiji coming to discuss something, Hayashi Yoshiki smiled and opened the door —

But it was Ran.

The girl had clearly just finished showering as well.

Wearing comfortable and cute plain pajamas, she stood by Hayashi Yoshiki's door and, after it opened, obediently called out:

"Brother Yoshiki."

"Why did you suddenly come over? By the way, where are Uncle Mouri and the others?"

"Hattori-kun is in a room with Shinichi now. He's still trying hard to help him regain his memory. As for Dad, he ran out alone just now — probably to the izakaya again."

Ran hesitated briefly before continuing, "Brother Yoshiki, there's something I want to talk to you about."

"Ah, okay, come in."

Hayashi Yoshiki smiled and made space for her.

Ran hesitated slightly as if observing him carefully, then entered.

Then, Hayashi Yoshiki saw her faintly smile — but it quickly disappeared.