As evening fell, some of the rides in Dorobika Park began lighting up early.
Bathed in the glow of the setting sun, the Ferris wheel rotated slowly in the corner of the park, its soft, colorful lights contrasting starkly with the bustle of the city's evening rush hour.
There were still a fair number of people riding the Ferris wheel.
Among them were Hayashi Yoshiki and Ran.
As their cabin neared the highest point, Ran, seated by the window, stared out at the view and sighed softly:
"The sunset is so beautiful..."
"Yeah, it's really nice."
"So... you're not afraid of heights after all, are you?"
She glanced at Yoshiki, lounging opposite her without the faintest sign of tension. His relaxed posture made her laugh.
"Fear of heights is... relative," he replied. "If the cabin door suddenly fell off, I'd probably panic."
"That's a pretty extreme scenario!"
"How reliable is your impression of me, exactly?"
Seeing how cheerful and bright she'd become after spending the whole day playing, Yoshiki couldn't help smiling.
"Did you have fun today?"
"Yeah. I had a great time."
She nodded, then looked at him seriously.
"Thank you, Brother Yoshiki."
"You came here today because my mom asked you to, didn't you?"
Yoshiki paused for a moment.
"I guessed as much," Ran added, narrowing her eyes in a knowing smile. "She mentioned the amusement park just yesterday. Then today, you brought me here and said it was your first time too. I started wondering if you even like amusement parks."
"It's not that I dislike them," he said with a shrug. "I just never had anyone to go with. Coming to a place alone would be... kinda depressing, right?"
He... couldn't find anyone to go with?
She looked at him anew, but he was already continuing:
"Anyway, yes—Aunt Eri asked me to bring you here today. As payment for the 'assignment,' she promised to cook something extravagant."
"What did you think of her cooking last night, Ran?"
Just remembering it made her wince. Her usual gentle expression twisted into something uneasy.
"Aunt Eri just texted to ask what time we'll be back. I have a feeling she's planning some kind of surprise... so, want to eat out instead?"
On one hand, her mother was probably putting in the effort—how could she let her down?
On the other hand… the trauma of that meal still lingered.
"Please, Ran? I'll treat you to another ice cream."
She sighed. It wasn't that she was dying for ice cream. She just didn't want to survive two of her mother's meals in a row.
I feel like such a bad daughter...
Still, curiosity poked at her.
"But... didn't Mom pack food for you last night?"
"Uncle Kogoro and Conan's idea, right?"
Yoshiki raised his left hand with a smirk.
The Ferris wheel began its slow descent.
Fiery clouds blazed above the orange horizon.
Against that brilliant backdrop, Ran glanced at Yoshiki's profile again—and somehow, his smile felt incredibly genuine.
"Do you know what this means?" he asked, holding up two fingers in a "V."
"Peace sign means 'yeah'… I still remember that."
"Nope. It means I won twice."
It took her a moment.
Then she burst out laughing.
"Brother Yoshiki... you're too much!"
The distance she once felt between them quietly dissolved.
As their cabin reached the platform, Yoshiki stepped out first, then turned and offered his hand to Ran, helping her down gently.
They walked toward the nearby crowd where staff members were taking photos for visitors.
"Okay~ Everyone smiles!"
Just then, Ran tugged gently at the sleeve of Yoshiki's shirt.
"Um… do you want to take a picture together?"
She realized suddenly—there were no photos of Yoshiki in the family albums back home.
And yet… he was just as important to her as her parents, Sonoko, or Conan.
Her eyes lit up as she led him toward the cameraman.
"Excuse me, could you take a picture of us?"
"Of course! Are you a couple? Then I'll give you two bonus shots!"
"We'll leave it to you," Yoshiki replied smoothly before Ran could react.
So they took a few photos under the Ferris wheel—though their poses remained modest.
The closest one had Ran holding onto Yoshiki's arm with both hands, leaning into him slightly.
After thanking the photographer, they continued walking.
"Any rides you want to do again?"
"Hmm… I think I'm good."
They'd been at the park since morning, and they'd covered everything.
Together, they headed for the exit.
Later That Night — 8:03 PM, Mōri Detective Agency
"What!? Ran-san and Yoshiki-san went to Dorobika Park together!?"
"And they're not coming home for dinner!?"
Conan and Kogorō Mōri, seated at opposite ends of the dining table, both shot up and slammed their hands down.
Eri Kisaki, having just finished her work, entered the room calmly and shut them down with a sharp glare:
"But how are we supposed to finish all this food!?"
"Too late. They already had dinner outside. They'll be back soon."
Eri looked disappointed herself. If she'd known, she wouldn't have tried to surprise them. She would've just invited them directly.
"Why did Ran go to the park alone with Yoshiki—" Kogorō began.
"You ran off this morning before I could tell you!"
Now, Kogorō was glaring at Conan.
*If he hadn't disappeared this morning, I could've gone with them. Then I wouldn't be stuck eating this. *
Meanwhile, Conan had just come back from chasing down leads all day, only to be yelled at again. He sat there, completely drained—and then, just to twist the knife, Eri handed him a full bowl of rice.
"Eat up, Conan. Auntie made lots of food tonight."