As Ran gazed at the brilliant fireworks in the distance, she could feel the warmth behind her.
The memory of their earlier moment of craze flashed through her mind, and her eyes grew hazy.
She bit her soft pink lips lightly, her slender legs unconsciously pressing together beneath her bathrobe.
A faint sensation lingered on her skin, a memory of the past moment still imprinted on her body.
The steam room scenes seemed to replay before her eyes—Akashi, hot, sticky, and filled with a burning eagerness.
Ran felt as if she were being enveloped by an unfamiliar yet intoxicating aura.
Her entire body seemed to melt into the embrace of the young boy.
The thought sent a tremor through her heart.
No… No, I am NOT a Shotacon!
Ran prided herself on her strong moral compass, struggling to uphold her sense of propriety.
But somewhere in the back of her mind, a tiny, unsettling voice whispered—
Why do my actions feel more and more… wrong?
The flustered high school girl was thrown into turmoil once again.
Wave after wave of internal chaos crashed over her, and in the face of it, she could barely pay attention to the dazzling fireworks above.
She could only endure.
Luckily, the fireworks celebration didn't last much longer.
After about thirty minutes, the grand display came to an end, and the crowd of tourists slowly began to disperse.
The moment the last of them left, Ran finally set the two children down.
Her delicate frame had reached its limit—her legs gave out, and she dropped to her knees on the soft sand, gasping for breath.
Seeing her like this, Haibara couldn't help but feel a pang of concern.
"If you can't carry me, you shouldn't push yourself."
"It's okay to take a break, you know."
Haibara assumed Ran had exhausted herself from carrying them.
Akashi, on the other hand, had a different reaction. His gaze wavered slightly, as if piecing something together.
To be honest, a girl infused with yin energy, whose body was constantly warmed and revitalized, shouldn't feel this weak.
It wasn't possible.
The real reason for her exhaustion was obvious.
Akashi glanced at his right hand, his expression unreadable.
This hand… It's becoming more and more outrageous.
A rare occurrence, yet… why does it seem to happen so frequently?!
Ran shook her head, pushing aside her thoughts. She wiped the sweat from her porcelain-white face, her flushed cheeks glowing under the night sky.
"I'm fine," she reassured them, her voice soft but steady. "I just need a moment to catch my breath."
"The two of you aren't heavy… If anything, it's the extra burden that's the problem."
Despite her weariness, she still found the strength to comfort Haibara.
Haibara pursed her lips.
What a fool…
At that moment, Conan came stumbling toward them, looking absolutely miserable.
His hair was disheveled, and he was carrying a massive anthurium flower as if it were some sort of trophy.
Just moments ago, he'd been trapped in a suffocating mess—pushed back and forth by a horde of burly men.
He'd nearly died in there.
In his desperate struggle, he had clawed and scrambled his way out, grabbing onto whatever he could—which, unfortunately, happened to be the butts of several large men.
By sheer luck (or misfortune), he finally escaped.
But in his last-ditch effort, he accidentally grabbed the wrong person.
A middle-aged woman.
Who—understandably—thought she was being harassed.
A loud SLAP echoed in the air.
It landed square across Conan's face, nearly knocking the boy's soul out of his body.
And so… that's how he ended up like this.
Before Conan could even explain his tragic ordeal, Kogoro and the others arrived, searching for him.
"Honestly, you guys… Omura and I had the best viewing spot."
Kogoro let out a sigh.
"In the end, no one even showed up."
Ran quickly explained, "There were just too many people, Dad. I couldn't find you."
Just then, a bald man emerged from the crowd—Kazushi Nakamichi.
"Well, if you all sat down, of course, no one would be able to see you."
From the other side, Yukio and Noriko Ayashiro appeared as well, looking slightly disheveled.
"We got separated from Ran and Nakamichi in the crowd," Yukio said, dusting off his sleeves.
"But at least we got to see the fireworks," Noriko added with a smile. "It was worth the trip!"
Now that everyone had reunited, no one paid any attention to Conan's miserable state.
Kogoro stretched his arms. "Alright, let's head back to the hotel. I asked Grandma Juzi to prepare dinner before we left."
He grinned mischievously. "Tonight, I plan on drinking until I drop!"
Jun Omura, adjusting his glasses, chuckled. "Oh? Who's afraid of who? No one's leaving the table until we're all drunk tonight!"
Noriko Ayashiro, standing nearby, suddenly remembered something. "I need to call Yumi to join us."
"If we don't invite her to dinner, she's going to throw a fit."
"Yeah, better call her first," everyone agreed.
With that, Kogoro led the group back toward the hot spring hotel.
Akashi supported Ran and followed closely behind.
Despite her earlier exhaustion, Ran had an almost inhuman recovery speed—true to her role as the heroine of the world.
By the time they arrived at the hotel, she was already steady on her feet, though there was still a slight wobble in her step.
She held onto Akashi with her right hand and Haibara with her left.
Meanwhile, Conan, still rubbing his sore cheek, trailed behind the trio with a sullen expression.
As they entered the hotel, they passed the front desk and made their way up to the second-floor guest rooms.
Noriko walked ahead, stopping in front of a sliding door.
"Yumi-chan, are you awake? It's time for dinner," she called out, knocking lightly.
"Everyone's coming to see you, so don't be mad anymore, okay?"
She slid the door open.
But the sight before her made her blood run cold.
A sharp scream tore through the air.
Hearing the panic in her voice, Kogoro and Conan immediately rushed forward.
Two figures—one large, one small—dashed into the room.
And then they saw it.
Inside the dimly lit guest room, Yumi Horikoshi sat slumped against the wall, still dressed in her hotel yukata.
A bloody hole was visible at her temple.
A crimson pool spread across the tatami floor, soaking into the fabric of her robe.
Her lifeless body was motionless.
Kogoro knelt beside her, his expression grim.
Kazushi Nakamichi and Conan stepped forward as well, their faces tense.
After checking for any sign of life, Kogoro silently shook his head.
His usual carefree demeanor vanished in an instant, replaced by a sharp, serious air.
"She's dead," he said solemnly.
Then, turning toward Ran, he ordered, "Call the police. Now."
He glanced at Nakamichi. "Help secure the scene. No one is allowed to enter this room."
Noriko's face went pale.
"How… how could this happen?"
Overcome with grief, she threw herself into the arms of her husband, Yukio, and sobbed.
Meanwhile, Akashi stood nearby, his gaze cold and detached.
The sorrows of others did not concern him.
Instead, he focused on something else entirely.
The atmosphere inside the hot spring hotel had changed.
It was different from the afternoon—the Yin energy had grown significantly stronger.
Haibara frowned.
Everything today had been so peaceful, even wonderful.
And now… this?
She clenched her fists.
A creeping sense of inevitability washed over her.
Perhaps… the happiness she experienced was nothing but an illusion.
Perhaps the cold, merciless world was her true, inescapable fate.
Before she could sink further into those thoughts, a warm hand suddenly covered her eyes.
"Children shouldn't look at things like this," Akashi murmured, his tone light.
"Come on, let's go outside."
Gently but firmly, he guided the little girl away from the crime scene.
For a brief moment, Haibara's spiraling thoughts disappeared.
The adults in the room watched this unfold, exchanging glances.
Akashi… was unexpectedly thoughtful.
Then they turned to look at Conan—who was standing just a few feet away from the corpse, eyes burning with curiosity.
They couldn't help but think…
These two boys couldn't be more different.