Her so-called trip to the bathroom was actually an excuse to clean up.

Hayashi Yoshiki knew the answer without even having to guess.

And sure enough…

As he moved closer, he could still feel the lingering moisture from a hasty drying, along with the faint scent of the shower gel from his bathroom.

"Brother Yoshiki..."

Ran's eyes were moist like a puppy's. The end of her voice trembled, as did her legs, and she even had goosebumps.

"What's wrong?"

"...This is too strange."

"Is it?"

But Hayashi Yoshiki gave a very gentle smile.

His voice was truly, truly gentle.

"But I think it's very cute, Ran."

Ran pressed her lips together, speechless.

I used Brother Yoshiki's shower gel; he must have found out... Now it seems like I was really looking forward to this.

But she felt she had no other choice.

After all, she'd been in class all day, and even had PE class that morning.

Hayashi Yoshiki kissed her softly.

When he said she was cute, he was being completely sincere, not lying in the slightest.

The skin of a 16-year-old high school girl was as smooth as silk, incomparable to women of other ages. Moreover, hers was the type that formed small, W-shaped mounds when she stood up.

Ran's gaze instantly became chaotic and wavering.

She subconsciously hugged the quilt beside her.

The quilt Brother Yoshiki usually sleeps with...

Speaking of which, this was the first time she had ever been in his room.

"Yoshiki..."

She instinctively twisted her waist as if trying to get away.

However, escape was impossible.

It was past eight in the evening when they left Hayashi Yoshiki's apartment.

As she prepared to walk out the door of Hayashi Yoshiki's home, Ran felt a little nervous and hesitant—because there was a security camera installed on the front door of her mother, Eri Kisaki, who lived opposite.

By now, Eri Kisaki would be home from work, perhaps resting in the living room or looking over some documents. If her gaze happened to be on the monitor, she would definitely notice Ran leaving Hayashi Yoshiki's place at this hour... Unwilling and too shy to face her mother's teasing gaze, Ran hesitated.

"Then why don't you stay here tonight?" Hayashi Yoshiki chuckled softly.

"I can't..."

If she really stayed, there was no telling how he would "bully" her.

Ran's face was flushed.

Even though they had just come out of the room, seeing the gentle and intimate smile on Hayashi Yoshiki's handsome face still made her feel shy.

Ran couldn't help but lift her hand, feeling how sore her wrist was.

She had actually taken to heart what Brother Yoshiki's doctor had said.

I can't let Brother Yoshiki suppress it...

That's why she had been trying so hard to help earlier.

After hesitating for only a moment, Ran quickly walked to the elevator with Hayashi Yoshiki. She breathed a sigh of relief only when they reached the underground parking garage, got into the car, and her phone hadn't received a text from Eri Kisaki.

Her mother had been telling her not to hesitate and to make her move when the time was right...

But surely, the "move" her mother was talking about wasn't this kind of move, right? If she knew their relationship had progressed so quickly, her mother would definitely be shocked.

That's why Ran didn't dare let Eri Kisaki know.

Brother Yoshiki is an adult... It's only natural that he would be more proactive.

As Hayashi Yoshiki started the car, Ran subconsciously compared him to Shinichi Kudo in her mind. Shinichi... would probably never even dare to think of such things, right?

Ran should have been a conservative girl by nature.

But Hayashi Yoshiki was not a passive "herbivore" type of guy; he was overly aggressive.

"Are you hungry?"

"A little..."

"Then let's get something to eat before I take you home," Hayashi Yoshiki said with a smile.

Ran didn't refuse.

So, after dawdling until nearly half-past nine, Hayashi Yoshiki finally dropped Ran off downstairs at the Mouri Detective Agency.

He only started the car and left after watching her go upstairs.

"I'm home~"

"Oh, you're back?" Kogoro Mouri, who had just finished watching a Yoko Okino drama and put down his glow stick, saw his daughter walk in. He subconsciously glanced at the time. "It's quite late."

"It is a bit late, but I did text you beforehand."

"Big sister Ran."

Conan walked over at that moment.

Seeing him, the girl gave a friendly smile and asked, "I'm back, Conan. How's your cold today?"

"I'm almost better now."

Conan had a relaxed expression on his face.

On the day the Higashi-Okuho village case ended, Hayashi Yoshiki and the others came straight back.

Conan's excuse at the time was that he felt his cold was getting worse, so he went back early and stayed at Professor Agasa's house... Therefore, even though his cold was already almost gone, he pretended for another two days.

Speaking of which,

"Big sister Ran, what was it you wanted to tell big brother Shinichi back then?" he asked with an energetic expression.

Ran, however, looked a little puzzled:

"Conan, how do you know about that?"

"Because big brother Shinichi called me later and told me! He asked me to ask you what you were planning to tell him." Conan pressed on with a cheerful look.

But Ran's expression was calm. She shook her head and said, "That's something... I'll tell Shinichi myself the next time I have a chance to see him..."

Back then in Higashi-Okuho Village, Ran had planned to take that opportunity to tell Shinichi Kudo in person, but before she could even start, Shinichi Kudo suddenly looked unwell.

He broke out in a heavy sweat, seemed weak and out of breath, as if he had a severe cold. So, Heiji Hattori hurriedly helped him away. When everyone looked for him later, he had vanished without a trace, only asking Heiji Hattori to pass on the message that he had already gone back to Tokyo ahead of them...

There was nothing Ran could do about it.

Although she felt it was a bit rude for Shinichi Kudo to leave without saying goodbye, perhaps he had an emergency? She was that considerate. So she thought she would just tell him in person the next time she had a chance. As for him asking Conan to inquire about it... it actually left her a bit speechless.

Honestly. Why does he have Conan relay everything for him? He could at least call and ask himself.

But she felt this was something she could only tell him in person.

Conan was a little surprised: "You can only tell big brother Shinichi in person?"

"That's right. So, Conan, could you please not bring this up again? Okay?"

"Alright then."

Looking at the girl's kind smile, Conan agreed, but in his heart, he couldn't help but wonder what Ran wanted to tell him in person.

Could it be... she wants to confess her feelings to me?

His heart fluttered at the thought.

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