Lin Yi and Sonoko sat down and exchanged a knowing look.
Some things were hard to say, so Sonoko pulled out her phone and texted Lin Yi: [My intuition tells me that things aren't the way Ran described... Even if you're drunk, it's impossible to fall down the stairs three times in a row.]
After receiving the message, Lin Yi replied: [I think so too. Since Ran was so eager to have me leave... I suspect the injuries on Uncle Mouri were caused by her, although I have no proof.]
Just as Sonoko was about to send something else, she saw Ran coming over with tea and silently put her phone away. This wasn't school; Ran was clearly back to her normal self, and if she caught her red-handed, Sonoko figured she'd be in for another scolding.
Especially here at the Mouri Detective Agency, in front of Kogoro Mouri, she felt too embarrassed to grope Ran's breasts.
"Why aren't you talking? What are you thinking about?"
Ran asked while serving the tea.
"Hmm... just wondering how Uncle Mouri managed to fall from upstairs and end up looking like this," Sonoko replied.
Lin Yi added: "And also, he was clearly so drunk he couldn't even stand steadily and needed someone to hold him to walk... How did he open his room door, walk through the living room, open the door, and go out..."
"I'm curious about that too."
Ran sat down next to Sonoko and shook her head, indicating that she couldn't figure it out either.
It was clear that Ran did not intend to admit that she was the one who did this.
"Well, when people are drunk, they always end up doing some strange things."
Lin Yi had no intention of pursuing this matter further and directly offered an example to support Ran's claim: "Last time, I even saw someone who was drunk continuously apologizing to a utility pole."
Sonoko immediately got what Lin Yi meant. Not wanting to expose Ran's lie, she chimed in, continuing along with Lin Yi's words: "Before, when I was out shopping with Ran at night, I saw some drunkard knock over a celebrity cutout sign and kneel down, kowtowing and apologizing to it repeatedly... Right, Ran?"
"Mm-hmm."
Ran nodded repeatedly in agreement. Seeing that neither of them had noticed anything amiss, she couldn't help but heave a long sigh of relief.
However, to emphasize her point, she offered another example: "And there's more. Once, Dad came back drunk and said he was going to raise a dog from then on, but in reality, he had just picked up a tree branch on the road."
Listening to them start chatting about what kind of silly things people do when they're drunk.
Kogoro Mouri listened, and he couldn't help but start to feel puzzled, beginning to wonder if he had really drunk too much and then fallen down the stairs.
He was also worried that he might have accidentally said the wrong thing, especially when Ran said the word "Yumi," which had given him quite a scare.
Although he didn't know what he had said at the time, Ran hadn't continued to press the issue, so it probably wasn't anything too serious.
So... should I talk to Ran first, or go directly to find Eri Kisaki and show my cards?
As Kogoro Mouri was pondering this question.
Ran suddenly walked up in front of him, stared at him, and said: "Dad, I'm going to go stay at Mom's place for a few days."
"Huh? Stay for a few days?"
Kogoro Mouri was stunned for a moment and couldn't help but ask: "Why?"
"I just want to go stay for a few days, there's no 'why'..." Ran shook her head and said: "If you really want a reason... it's just that I haven't been to Mom's place for a long time."
"Oh, oh... Then you should go."
Kogoro Mouri knew he was being a bit sensitive; it wasn't as if Ran hadn't gone before.
"Then I'm going to go pack my things."
After Ran finished speaking, she turned around and left, heading up to the third floor.
Seeing this, Sonoko followed her up, saying: "I haven't been into Ran's room to take a look for such a long time~~~"
Watching Ran go off to pack her clothes just like that, did she intend to go over there tonight?
Wasn't this a bit too rushed?
Kogoro Mouri was a bit suspicious, sensing something was wrong.
Cautiously moving his head, Kogoro Mouri looked at Lin Yi and asked: "Lin Yi, did you say something to Ran?"
"No."
Lin Yi answered honestly.
He wasn't lying this time.
He really hadn't told Ran... it was all something Ran had heard herself from the phone.
So, he wasn't lying.
"But..." Kogoro Mouri's tone was full of confusion: "Why do I feel... the impression Ran is giving me... is like she already knows?"
"It's not 'like,' she definitely knows."
Lin Yi said with certainty.
"Huh? What makes you say that?" Kogoro Mouri cast a confused look toward Lin Yi... given his current state, he could only cast a confused look.
Lin Yi reached out and pointed at Kogoro Mouri, saying: "Uncle Mouri, you're in this state, and if it were the Ran of the past, she would definitely be taking meticulous care of you. But now... not only is she not taking care of you, she's even going to stay at Auntie's place for a while. It's already very obvious."
"...That's right."
Kogoro Mouri finally realized it. He was injured to this extent, yet Ran had abandoned him to run off to Eri's place; it was clearly a form of revenge against him.
However, regarding this kind of revenge, Kogoro Mouri was not only not angry but actually felt relieved. If Ran had simply started crying, making a scene, and hanging herself, he wouldn't have known what to do.
"Wait... since you didn't tell Ran... then how did she find out?" Kogoro Mouri said.
Lin Yi took a sip of water and said: "How else could she have found out? Ran was even able to say the name of your new target, Uncle... I didn't even know about that, yet Ran did."
"It's already very obvious, you said it yourself, Uncle..."
In fact, Lin Yi didn't know where Ran had learned the name either.
Come to think of it, she seemed to have attended their class reunion five years ago; maybe she flipped through photos from back then and found the name.
"Yeah... that makes sense."
Having it put that way by Lin Yi, Kogoro Mouri felt it made a lot of sense and couldn't help but smile sheepishly.
Suddenly, Kogoro Mouri realized something. He looked at his injuries and said: "Then the injuries on my body..."
Lin Yi shrugged and gave Kogoro Mouri a sympathetic look.
Kogoro Mouri understood the look. He couldn't help but smile bitterly again and again; he had thought Ran had already let it go, but it turned out she hadn't...
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