Kyōsuke Fudō had been arrested, but Ran's condition remained unresolved.
Yakushino Hospital promptly assigned a new chief physician.
After an MRI confirmed there was no brain damage, the hospital deemed her stable and cleared her for discharge.
Kogorō Mōri was quick to arrange it.
"I think we should wait until later—or even tomorrow, Uncle Mōri."
"I'm worried Ran might feel uneasy."
Hayashi Yoshiki sat by the bed, peeling an orange. He handed a segment to Conan, then another to Ran.
"She's been here since she woke up. For someone with no memory, this ward feels safe. Sending her home too soon might scare her."
"So we're supposed to let her live in the hospital forever?"
"Of course not. But don't you have photo albums or something at home?"
Yoshiki smiled, popping the last piece of orange into his mouth.
"Letting Ran look through those photos first might help her get familiar with her life again."
"Yoshiki is right," Kisaki Eri agreed."Looking at old photos might trigger some memories."
"Alright, I'll head home right now and find it!"
Mōri stood up and rushed out of the ward.
Conan watched his back, then looked at Yoshiki.
"Brother Yoshiki, do you think a good mood will help Ran recover her memories?"
"I'm not sure," Yoshiki said."But I do know she was badly frightened. The most important thing now is making sure she feels safe."
"That's thoughtful, Yoshiki."
Kisaki patted his shoulder gently.
Just as always, this boy was reliable.
Ran, now sitting up in bed, gave him a soft, sincere thank-you.
At that moment, Kogorō Mōri reappeared in the doorway.
"Wait—I don't even know if we have a photo album at home!"
Kisaki Eri stared at him, speechless.
"I know!" Conan said."Ran kept it in the room on the third floor, inside that cabinet she rarely opens."
The middle-aged man dashed off again in a hurry.
Yoshiki smiled as he received a message from Sonoko, checking on Ran's condition and saying she was on her way.
"Ran's doing okay. If Sonoko brings some photo albums, they could help her recovery."
"Oh! Then I'll swing by home and grab them first!"
"Actually, I'd like to go too. It's been a while since I looked through those albums with Ran," said Eri, picking up her bag.
That left Conan and Yoshiki alone in the ward to care for Ran.
Conan had many questions swirling in his mind as he watched Yoshiki peel another orange.
But seeing Ran quietly sitting in bed, he chose not to ask anything just yet.
Yoshiki handed him another slice.
Conan chewed—and winced.
"Then I won't give that one to Ran."
Yoshiki started peeling a fresh one and passed another segment to Conan.
Conan stared at him blankly.
So the first orange was just a test subject—for him?
Before long, Sonoko arrived.
Unlike her styled hair from the day before, today she wore a headband that Ran might find familiar.
After greeting Yoshiki, she immediately turned her attention to Ran.
"Sonoko, can I leave Ran in your care? I need to stop by the office and I'll be back soon."
"Of course, Brother Yoshiki. Leave her to me."
Yoshiki nodded to both Ran and Conan, then headed for the parking lot.
As soon as he opened the car door, a distinct odor wafted up from the back seat—an unmistakable blend of sweat, body fluids, and lingering warmth. Some rather obvious marks were left on the seat.
Without another thought, Yoshiki started the engine and left Yakushino Hospital.
The first visitor to arrive afterward was Dr. Agasa, accompanied by the kids from the Junior Detective League.
When Ayumi and the others learned about Ran's condition, they had insisted on visiting her—and even brought flowers they'd bought together.
"Sister Ran, these flowers are from all of us. Please get well soon!"
Ran accepted the bouquet, and seeing the children's sincere faces gave her a spark of energy.
"I'm sorry… I don't remember anyone right now."
"Sister Ran used to make snacks for us!"
"Hey, don't put too much pressure on her," Sonoko gently warned them.
Then she turned back to Ran, smiling as she brought out the photo album.
There were many pictures of Ran—some from when she was very young.
As Sonoko told the stories behind each photo, her tone animated and sentimental, Ran couldn't recall the memories… but she found comfort in Sonoko's teary eyes and unwavering dedication.
Then, Kogorō Mōri burst into the room again.
Disheveled, with dark circles under his eyes, he carried a thick photo album in his hands.
"I found it! Here it is!"
Unlike Sonoko, who explained the stories behind the photos, Mōri simply sat and watched his daughter in silence—hope and worry in his eyes.
Ran slowly flipped through the album.
Images of everyday life… moments frozen in time… the younger versions of Kogorō and Eri... Everything felt unfamiliar, yet oddly reassuring.
Eventually, a small sense of peace settled in her heart as she confirmed:
These are really my parents.
But something caught her attention.
A photograph from elementary school—of her standing next to a boy who looked exactly like Conan, only without glasses.
"Conan… why do you still look like that?"
"Ah—hahaha! That's Shinichi-nii! Kudo Shinichi!"
"Yeah, I'm just a distant relative. We look kinda similar, right?"
Conan scratched his head and laughed awkwardly.
He hadn't expected that.
Thankfully, with her memories gone, Ran didn't suspect anything and simply nodded.
But as she reached the end of the album, her brow furrowed.
"I don't think I see Brother Yoshiki in the album?"
There were photos of her parents, Sonoko, Conan, and even the Junior Detective League kids at the back…
But not a single picture of Hayashi Yoshiki.