That place is like heaven.
The sky is clear and blue.
The sunshine that shines down is also warm and comfortable.
Time flows slowly and steadily.
Here, all you can hear is the sound of waves crashing and receding on the beautiful beach.
"Please enjoy the Coke you asked for."
A little later, the group, who were a bit tired from playing, decided to eat something at a small shop by the sea.
The dish was brought by a young man with slightly tanned skin.
He slammed the cup heavily in front of Hayashi Yoshiki.
The force of the impact made everything on the table jump, interrupting the two girls who had been chatting animatedly... They subconsciously looked at the young man in front of them, but before they could say anything, Hayashi Yoshiki smiled and said:
"Excuse me, do you have any problem with me?"
"No." Kyogoku Makoto answered in a somewhat cold tone.
But Hayashi Yoshiki still looked at him.
"Since we sat down in the store fifteen minutes ago, I noticed your eyes landed on me at least forty-six times, which made me feel a little uneasy... And when you were serving food to other customers just now, your tone and attitude were also very calm."
Kyogoku was genuinely startled.
He looked at Hayashi Yoshiki's face and hadn't expected the other party to be so perceptive.
But caught so directly, he could only answer in a serious tone:
Hayashi Yoshiki said nothing more.
Seeing Kyogoku Makoto leave, the people at the table looked at each other in bewilderment. Sonoko couldn't help but mutter:
"What's wrong with that guy? He's too weird, isn't he?"
"Brother Yoshiki, do you know that person?" asked Ran, wondering if there was any conflict between the two.
Conan and Ai also seemed a little concerned.
"He and I don't know each other, but I do know his identity."
"Kyogoku Makoto. The All-Japan Karate Champion. If that's the case, Ran should have an impression of him, right?"
Ran immediately covered her mouth in surprise.
As a karate practitioner herself, Kyogoku Makoto's existence was like a mountain she looked up to. She had heard of his name many times. No wonder he seemed familiar just now.
"So why was he so hostile to Brother Yoshiki?" Sonoko still looked displeased.
Hayashi Yoshiki picked up the Coke he ordered and smiled.
"Since I don't know him and we haven't had any conflict, the only possibility is... it's because of you two."
The two girls looked at each other.
Haibara Ai glanced at them. They seemed a little confused, so the corners of her calm mouth lifted slightly:
"It's just that when you see the girl you like getting along with another outstanding man, you can't help but feel that the guy is very annoying and hostile."
Hayashi Yoshiki smiled again.
Hearing that, Sonoko laughed and nudged Ran.
"As expected of you, Ran~ Could it be that the karate champion has taken a secret liking to you?"
She assumed Kyogoku Makoto liked Ran. After all, everywhere they went, it was Ran who drew attention. Not to mention both of them practiced karate.
Even Conan thought the same. Holding his drink, he gloomily stared at Kyogoku Makoto's departing back — Why does everyone always look at Ran as soon as I become small...?
Hayashi Yoshiki didn't bother correcting the misunderstanding.
He reached out and gently rubbed Ai's head.
Seeing this, Sonoko, who was just teasing Ran, suddenly asked curiously:
"Why do you always take care of this kid? Ah… don't get me wrong, I'm just curious. You and Ai-chan don't seem to be relatives, right?"
"Because Ai is very cute, isn't she?"
When being patted on the head and praised as cute, Haibara Ai didn't look up. She just bit at her straw as if she hadn't heard anything.
"But mainly, I feel like she doesn't really fit in with other kids, so I'm a little worried. Maybe if she gets to play more often, she'll open up a bit. That's all."
"That doesn't really make sense..." Ai murmured softly, lowering her head.
She didn't quite understand.
Why was Hayashi Yoshiki always encouraging her to smile more and let go of her darker thoughts?
Haibara Ai already felt content with her current life.
Her sister was still alive. She could wake up in a warm bed every morning...
But Cointreau, the one who helped give her this life, still seemed unsatisfied — he still wanted her to be happier...
Being cared for like that without reason made Ai feel a little overwhelmed. But now she had neither the status nor the right to refuse his kindness. All she could do was feel the warmth and quietly accept it.
It made her feel like she could never repay him.
"Brother Yoshiki, you're really gentle." Ran said, her eyes lighting up.
"You two shouldn't assume a guy is gentle just because he acts that way."
Hayashi Yoshiki just smiled without answering directly.
Gentleness is the easiest emotion to fake. At the end of the day, it just takes a little patience.
So far, Hayashi Yoshiki had only felt true gentleness from three people:
Eri Kisaki, who treated him like her own son
Ran, when she lost her memory and showed pure, heartfelt warmth
Okino Yoko, who was always devoted to him
"Hey, did you hear? They found another one today in the woods by the track!"
From the side, some men began talking.
One was drinking beer and lounging at the doorway. The other, a middle-aged man with a beer belly, looked pale.
"It's a corpse! This time, it was another brown-haired girl! Just like a year ago!"
"One year ago...? Could it be—?"
"Yeah, a bunch of people saw it! The police are there now!"
Hearing this, Conan suddenly stood up.
He ran toward the woods the man mentioned. Ran called out to him several times, but he didn't stop.
"Seriously? Why is he always so curious?" Ran muttered, standing as well.
"Let's go check it out," said Hayashi Yoshiki, also getting up."We can't just let a kid run around a crime scene alone."