Evening had fallen by the time Ran Mouri returned from her shopping trip.
The moment she stepped into the detective agency, she noticed something unusual—there was a child sitting in the living room.
"Dad, who's this kid?" Ran asked curiously, looking the little boy up and down. For some reason, he felt… strangely familiar.
On the couch, Kogoro Mouri was sprawled out, snoring like a bear in hibernation—so asking him was pointless.
Before Ran could think further, Ren Kuroda, who was sipping tea nearby, casually said, "He's your dad's illegitimate son."
"WHAT?!" Ran froze. It felt like the world had just collapsed around her.
Her wide eyes darted between her father and the boy. "So… so that means… he's my… my half-brother?!"
"…"
The boy—Conan Edogawa—stared at her, completely speechless.
Seriously? You believe that that easily? How are you this gullible?!
Suppressing his inner scream, Conan quickly waved his hands. "I'm not! Don't listen to him! I'm Edogawa Conan. I came here because I admire Detective Mouri and wanted to be his assistant!"
"You… admire my dad?" Ran repeated, eyes wide with disbelief.
Ren smirked at her reaction. "What, my version wasn't more believable?"
Ran hesitated, then gave a reluctant nod. "Honestly… yeah."
After all, no one knew her father's true nature better than she did. Between "Conan admires my dad" and "Conan is Dad's secret love child," the latter actually sounded more realistic.
Conan could understand her skepticism. Even he had to admit—there wasn't much about Mouri Kogoro worth admiring.
Trying to salvage the situation, he quickly pulled out his phone, opened a news article, and held it up to Ran. "Detective Mouri's amazing! Look—he's all over the news! He's a hero now!"
"Hero?" Ran took the phone, skeptical. But when she saw the headline and photos, her expression transformed.
"No way… Dad did that?"
"Yep!" Conan nodded enthusiastically, leaning into the act. "He's incredible! When I grow up, I want to be just like him!"
Ran gave a small, weary sigh and handed back the phone. "Conan-kun, take my advice—don't be like my dad. He's lazy, eats too much, drinks too much, gambles on horse races, and spends all day ogling pretty women. Mom left him years ago and he still hasn't managed to get her back."
"…"
For once, Conan had absolutely nothing to say. In all his years of life, this might have been his first moment of true speechlessness.
Sensing the awkward silence, Ren smoothly changed the subject. "Anyway, from now on, Conan will be working here as Detective Mouri's assistant. No pay, but he gets dinner. Ran, don't forget to make an extra portion for him."
"Huh? Conan-kun's eating with us?" Ran's eyes lit up. "That's great!"
She didn't complain about the extra work at all—if anything, she seemed genuinely happy that the house would be a little livelier.
Bending down, she patted Conan's head gently. "I'm Mouri Ran. Nice to meet you, Conan-kun."
"Nice to meet you too, Ran-neechan!" Conan chirped, flashing his most innocent, childlike smile.
"Good boy. Just wait here a bit—I'll go make dinner now."
"Okay!" Conan replied brightly, climbing onto the couch to rest while watching TV.
After cleaning the disaster zone that was this office all day, even a super detective trapped in a child's body needed a break.
Ren studied him quietly. He could see the frustration behind that childish expression.
To rely on this man—the one he'd always looked down on—must've been agony for Shinichi Kudo.
He'd always dismissed Kogoro Mouri as a washed-up, third-rate detective who only survived on cheating spouses and missing pets.
But now that Shinichi had fallen into this predicament, one hard truth had become painfully clear—aside from Mouri, there was no one else he could turn to.
Only here, in this shabby office, could he safely gather information.
Good thing he was now "Edogawa Conan."At least he didn't have to face the humiliation of showing up as himself.
If he'd had to do this as Shinichi Kudo, he probably wouldn't have been able to lower his pride enough to walk through the door.
"Hmm?"
Conan suddenly froze, his gaze fixed on the TV. "Ren-nii, look—look at the news!"
Ren turned toward the screen.
The reporter—Rena Mizunashi—was broadcasting live from an amusement park.
"Good evening, viewers. Just an hour ago, an incident occurred at Tropical Land.A man riding the roller coaster was decapitated mid-ride by what appears to have been a sharp object.Authorities are currently investigating whether this was an accident or a deliberate act of murder."
The broadcast cut to a tearful young woman being interviewed.
"Aiko-san, you were with the victim when the incident happened. Can you tell us what you saw?"
Aiko wiped her eyes, voice trembling. "When we went through the tunnel… Kishida was fine. But when we came out on the other side… h-his head… it was just gone!"
Her voice cracked, her face pale with terror.
Ren's brow furrowed as he listened.So, the murder had happened after all.
But after thinking it over, he wasn't surprised.
Koto's plan to kill had probably been brewing for a long time. The hatred she carried hadn't faded—it had only grown stronger.
There was no way she'd give up after one failed attempt.If not today, then tomorrow. Sooner or later, she'd find her chance.
And honestly, what could he have done to stop her?The only way to prevent her from killing was to convince her to let go of vengeance entirely—and Ren Kuroda didn't have the time, or the heart, for that.
If even the victim hadn't cared enough to protect himself, why should an outsider?
"Ren-nii!" Conan's voice broke his thoughts. The boy was practically bouncing in his seat, eyes shining with excitement. "That case is so strange! Aren't you going to check it out?"
"Nope." Ren didn't even look up.
He could already guess exactly what Conan was thinking—another mystery, another thrill, another chance to play detective.
"There's no need," Ren said flatly. "It's murder, obviously. I even know the victim—he was a useless womanizer who constantly stirred up trouble. Honestly, this outcome was inevitable."
Conan frowned. "But if you know it's murder, why not investigate? Why not find the truth?"
Ren took a slow sip of tea, unbothered. "First, solving that case doesn't benefit me in any way. Second, I didn't like the victim. And third… calling it an 'accident' might actually be the kindest outcome."
Conan blinked. "Kindest?"
"Yeah," Ren said simply. "If it's ruled an accident, his parents can collect a massive compensation payout from the park. Enough to live comfortably for the rest of their lives."
Conan's tiny hands clenched into fists. "But what about the killer? You'd just let them walk free?!"
Ren smirked, setting down his cup. "What's the point of chasing small-time killers? If you want to catch someone, go after the real ones—the monsters hiding behind the system."
Conan straightened, eyes burning with resolve. "I will! I might be weak now, but one day, I'll have the power to bring every criminal like that to justice!"
Ren looked at him for a long moment—then smiled faintly and raised his glass.
"Well said. For that, kid, I'll drink to you."
He downed the sake in one smooth motion.
The faint clink of the empty glass echoed softly through the small detective agency,as the two unlikely "detectives"—one jaded, one idealistic—sat side by side,each quietly chasing a different kind of justice.