After realizing that the matter might have serious connections to the police, Kogorō Mōri decided not to dig any further.
After all, he was no longer part of the force.
Getting involved unnecessarily would only be a nuisance, and he trusted that Inspector Megure and his superiors would handle things properly.
Hayashi Yoshiki picked up a glass of champagne and took a few sips.
The bride and groom were now making their way around the venue, offering greetings to all the guests.
"Huh? Didn't the groom say anything when he proposed to you?""Yeah, he was the last person I expected to say something like that."
Shiratori Sara laughed as she clutched her bouquet. Her new husband scratched the back of his head, clearly embarrassed.
But Kisaki Eri couldn't resist chiming in:
"It's better to marry an honest man like that. The ones who are too smooth-talking are usually the ones you have to watch out for."
Hayashi Yoshiki took another sip of champagne and chose not to participate in that conversation.
Sonoko glanced at him, eyebrows raised.
"But I feel like Yoshiki-nii is exactly the kind of guy who would say sweet things like that."
Holding his glass, Yoshiki smiled warmly.
"Am I? I'm not so sure. I prefer sincerity. Words spoken casually and from the heart often hold more weight than lines that are carefully crafted—they can come off fake or forced."
"Ah, I totally agree!" said the groom, nodding vigorously.
"You always agree whenever something sounds good to you, huh?" Sara elbowed him playfully.
The women around them burst into laughter.
"But Yoshiki is right," Kisaki Eri added with a smile."Don't just listen to what someone says. Pay attention to what they do."
Ran and Sonoko nodded in agreement, though Eri couldn't tell if they really understood. Still, they were at that age where dreams of sweet romance felt more important than practical advice—so she let them be.
Suddenly, voices raised in a heated argument drew everyone's attention.
They turned to see Odagiri Toshiro—Mōri Kogorō's former boss—arguing with a sharply dressed young man with spiky hair and a rebellious attitude.
"That's his son, Toshiya. I heard he's in a rock band," Kogorō explained.
Shiratori Ninzaburō quickly stepped in, trying to calm his superior down, but Odagiri Toshiro was still furious. At one point, he snapped:
"You stray dog—don't come here looking for food!"
Without arguing back, Toshiya slung his guitar bag over his shoulder and walked away.
Hayashi Yoshiki didn't pay it much attention. He set his champagne on the table and quietly made his way to the restroom.
He hadn't seen Fudō Kyōsuke for some time.
Currently, the police believed the murderer responsible for killing multiple officers might be connected to someone inside the upper echelons—so they hadn't considered involving outsiders. Neither Mōri Kogorō nor Hayashi Yoshiki could intervene.
Still, it was a major case. If solved, it would carry significant weight.
But that didn't mean Ran had to suffer.
According to the original sequence of events, Ran was chatting with Officer Sato in the bathroom when the hotel's power was sabotaged, plunging the entire floor into darkness. In the panic, Ran picked up a flashlight left by Fudō Kyōsuke, accidentally exposing their position…
In other words—Hayashi Yoshiki simply needed to keep Ran away from Officer Sato.
While flushing, he glanced down and saw two lipstick marks on the toilet bowl. It made him laugh softly.
Reiko Shimizu may have been ruthless and calculating, but she was capable, obedient, and had a clean background.
Hayashi Yoshiki was a pragmatist.
To achieve his goals, he needed capable allies—even dangerous ones.
After washing his hands and drying them with a tissue, he checked the time and sent a message he had prepared earlier.
A moment later, he received a single-word reply:
At that very moment, Seiran Hoshi was standing outside the Mika-Sun Plaza Hotel.
She was tall and stunning, her short skirt revealing a pair of long, black-stockinged legs that drew countless stares. But Seiran Hoshi paid no attention to them.
After receiving Hayashi Yoshiki's message, she immediately called Ran.
Her task was simple: get Ran to come downstairs. There was only one rule—don't arouse suspicion. The method was up to her.
So Seiran Hoshi brought a gift.
She planned to ask Ran to deliver it to Mr. Hayashi, saying she was too embarrassed to do it herself—perhaps because she had a crush on him and he wasn't interested.
The phone connected immediately.
"Hello, Ran? Good evening."
"Oh, sorry—Sister Ran isn't here right now. Can I ask her to call you back later?"
Seiran Hoshi blinked, surprised to hear the familiar voice of a child.
Inside the banquet hall, Conan also noticed that the woman's voice sounded familiar—but he didn't dwell on it.
"Yeah, she just went to the bathroom. Please wait a moment."
She paused, then added,
"Conan, when Ran returns, can you ask her to call me?"
Conan hung up without much thought.
He'd been interrupted while talking to Genta, and when his phone died, he borrowed Ran's. Less than a minute later, she had gone to the bathroom.
Outside, Seiran Hoshi was beginning to wonder if she should report this to Hayashi Yoshiki.She still didn't know why he wanted Ran called down—but it seemed there was a time limit.
She quickly sent a follow-up text.
Meanwhile, just as Hayashi Yoshiki returned to the banquet hall entrance—
"Teacher Hayashi, please sign for me!""Teacher Hayashi!!""Can you shake my hand?"
A group of excited girls surrounded him.
With a professional smile, he pulled out his pen and began signing autographs.
But before he could even check his phone...
The entire floor was plunged into darkness.