“Dad…”
Ran Mouri, who had been covering her mouth and trembling slightly, suddenly spoke.
“This child can stay, but I probably can’t.”
“!”
The three parents present were all taken aback by this.
Ran Mouri slightly squatted down and took off the child’s glasses.
“Hmm, he really does resemble Shinichi when he was a child.”
“…Dad, I don’t want to see this child’s face for now.”
“I don’t want to think about Shinichi for now.”
“…”
The three parents all fell silent for a moment.
“Ah, I forgot about that.”
Yukiko Kudo sighed, forgetting the possibility that Ran couldn’t face reality all at once.
“This child just found out about Shinichi’s death, even if it was just something we created, this child probably wouldn’t want to think about Shinichi’s death in the short term.”
“We messed up.”
This was indeed something they hadn’t considered.
As parents, they could accept the fact that Shinichi had died because they knew that he was actually still alive.
But the problem was Ran didn’t know.
Ran truly believed that Shinichi was dead.
She didn’t want to see Shinichi, who had become a child again, in the short term, because she didn’t know that was Shinichi himself.
“Ran, if… you can’t handle it, you can go stay with Eri for a while.”
Considering his daughter’s inability to cope with her emotions, Kogoro Mouri didn’t force Ran to accept it.
Especially with the relationship between Ran and that boy, maybe it would be better for Ran to go adjust with Eri for a while.
“Hmm.”
Ran Mouri put the glasses she had taken off back on the child.
Her complicated emotions made it impossible for her to conceal them.
“Dad, I want to take a day off today.”
“Okay, take a rest today. You can contact Eri first and have her come pick you up.”
“I’ll contact Mom.”
Ran Mouri tried her best to control her emotions, looking apologetically at Yukiko and Yusaku.
“Sorry, I… I can’t control my emotions.”
“Don’t apologize, Ran.”
Yukiko Kudo walked over and hugged Ran.
“We understand how you’re feeling.”
“If that day… Oh well, it’s all over now, Ran, you don’t have to always think about Shinichi.”
“…”
Ran Mouri forced a smile on her face.
“Auntie Yukiko, I’ll go upstairs.”
“Hmm, go ahead.”
Ran Mouri gathered her thoughts and went up to the third floor.
The second floor housed Kogoro Mouri’s detective agency, while the third floor was where the Mouri family actually lived.
Actually, there weren’t many rooms on the third floor, only two.
One was Kogoro Mouri’s, and the other was Ran Mouri’s.
It was already quite crowded living with one more person, and adding another boy to the mix was even more cramped, shrinking their already limited living space.
After coming back to the second floor, the emotions Ran Mouri couldn’t control before had calmed down completely.
She went into her own room.
Ran Mouri took out a diary.
“…”
Looking at the words written inside, a hint of bitterness appeared on her face.
“I really can’t accept it.”
She knew that Shinichi Kudo had been hit with a bat and given poison.
Even the fact that the child next to Uncle Yusaku was Shinichi Kudo, Ran Mouri knew.
But what good did knowing do?
Whenever she was with Shinichi, she always felt like she was a hindrance in his investigations.
In the face of cases and danger, Shinichi was always the first to charge forward, but her feelings were always ignored.
Added to that was this deception.
Ran Mouri felt like she really couldn’t take it anymore.
She could accept Shinichi telling her the truth in a roundabout way, even if it would mean some danger afterward, but she would help Shinichi hide the truth.
But what was going on now?
Hadn’t Shinichi already made his decision?
Hiding it from her, all for the sake of “protection”?
If it was really protection, shouldn’t he keep his distance from her?
Ran Mouri was no fool, she knew why Shinichi was arranged to be by her side.
He had completely destroyed the identity of “Shinichi Kudo” and came to be by her side, wasn’t that all for his own selfish reasons?
He didn’t tell her anything, yet he was always so selfish towards her.
What was he trying to do?
Was he trying to keep an eye on her and stop others from getting close?
“I still can’t accept it, Shinichi.”
She couldn’t accept being treated like this.
Ran Mouri couldn’t accept Shinichi Kudo’s selfishness either.
If Shinichi Kudo had told her the truth, then she could accept it.
But the current situation wouldn’t do.
Ran Mouri calmed her feelings, picked up the phone, and dialed her mother’s number.
“Mom…”
“What’s wrong, Ran, your voice sounds so down?”
“Something happened, Mom, can you come pick me up now?”
“…Just wait at home, I’ll be there soon.”
From the phone, Eri Kisaki heard the unusual tone in her daughter’s voice and immediately put down all her work, grabbing her clothes and bag and preparing to rush home.
It only took 30 minutes, and Eri Kisaki had already arrived at the Mouri Detective Agency.
She didn’t go up to the third floor, but went to the second floor.
She then was surprised to find Yukiko and Yusaku were there.
But upon closer inspection, their expressions were not good.
“What’s going on with you guys?”
Seeing everyone here all of a sudden, Eri Kisaki had a bad feeling.
“Kogoro, what’s going on?”
“That boy is in trouble.”
“!?”
Eri Kisaki instantly understood why Ran’s voice was so down on the phone.
She slightly rubbed her temples with a headache.
“Yukiko…”
“I’m fine, just a little tired.”
How could she not be tired? Even her usual composed smile was gone, this couldn’t be explained by just being a little tired.
However, Eri Kisaki was also worried about causing Yukiko more stress, so she didn’t say anything more.
“What about Ran?”
“…Cough!”
Kogoro Mouri coughed, glancing at the child standing next to Yusaku Kudo.
Eri Kisaki immediately looked over.
“Could it be?”
Kogoro Mouri silently nodded in agreement.
Eri Kisaki fell silent instantly, understanding the meaning.
“Yukiko and Yusaku’s child?”
“They’re arranging for him to stay here… Yukiko and Yusaku are also coming to ask for help with this.”
But this approach also indicated the seriousness of the situation.
The reason behind Shinichi Kudo’s death probably involved something huge.
“Eri, Ran’s been emotionally unstable lately, so let her stay with you.”
“Hmm, that’s good.”
PS: New book seeking data.