"Thanks. I'll head home and get some rest. You two be careful on the way back," Shinichi said, waving weakly as he reached his front door. His face looked even more tired under the porch light.
"Okay. I'll come check on you tomorrow," Ran said softly, watching him go before finally turning away.
As they walked back through the quiet streets, Ran's mood grew heavier with every step.She had thought spending the day with the four of them—Shinichi, Sonoko, Ren, and herself—would be fun, maybe even help them all unwind.Instead, after everything that had happened, the evening felt emptier than ever.
She didn't say any of that aloud. She just carried the gloom quietly in her heart.
After a few minutes, she exhaled and asked, "Kuroda-kun, should we go back to the agency for dinner tonight?"
Ren glanced over at her. She looked exhausted—emotionally, not just physically.He smiled. "Let's eat out. We can invite Detective Mouri too. A change of scenery might be nice."
"Good idea." Ran nodded and took out her phone, dialing her father.
After a few rings, the call connected."Dad? Are you free tonight? Want to have dinner together?" Her voice brightened slightly—and then dimmed. "Oh… you've got a case? Can't come? That's too bad."
Ren's mind clicked immediately. A case?He'd seen this one before—in another version of this world.The Chairman's Daughter Kidnapping Case.
Normally, this was the incident that Kudo Shinichi—disguised as Conan—would end up solving.But right now, Shinichi was at home nursing his concussion.
And if no one intervened, that little girl—Tani Akiko, the chairman's daughter—would likely die.
That was something Ren Kuroda could never accept.He could kill a hundred gangsters without blinking…but letting an innocent child die because he did nothing?That went against everything in him.
"Ask him where he is," Ren said decisively. "We'll go help. Once it's solved, we can all eat together."
Ran's eyes lit up. "That's a great idea!"She turned back to the phone. "Dad, where are you? Kuroda-kun and I will come help you. After we finish the case, we can grab dinner together!"
"Beika Park? Got it. We're close—we'll head over right now."
As soon as she hung up, the two of them picked up their pace toward Beika Park.
They spotted Kogoro Mouri before they even reached the entrance—standing under a streetlamp, cigarette smoke curling lazily around his head.Up close, he looked tense, brows knitted deep in thought.
Ren grinned. "Detective Mouri, tough case? Tell me about it—I might surprise you."
"Hah. You?" Mouri shot him a skeptical look. "Please. You wouldn't understand half of it."
Before Ren could reply, Ran spoke up quickly. "Dad, just tell us the details first! Maybe Kuroda-kun really can help."
Mouri was powerless before his daughter's pleading expression.With a resigned sigh, he explained the situation.
As Ren listened, he realized it was exactly the same as the anime's version—only this time, there was no Conan hiding behind Mouri to whisper clues.Without those hints, the great Detective Mouri was utterly lost, pacing in circles and hoping to stumble across an eyewitness at the scene.
Ren chuckled. "You really don't know? I've already figured out where the kidnappers are."
Both father and daughter stared at him in shock.
"Really!?" Ran gasped.Even Mouri's eyes widened. "Where? Where are they hiding?"
Ren smirked. "Call me aniki and I'll tell you."
"You—!" Mouri's face turned red. "You're seriously bringing that up now? I already let you call me 'Detective Mouri-brother,' isn't that enough?"
"Not even close." Ren folded his arms. "You've lost to me in drinking contests more times than I can count, and you still haven't called me big brother once."
Ran winced. Not this again.Now? When someone's life was on the line?
She was about to step in when her father beat her to it, gritting his teeth."Fine! If I call you that, you'll tell me where they are?"
"Of course. Unlike you, I keep my word," Ren said confidently.
"...All right. I'll do it." Mouri took a deep breath, then quickly turned to his daughter."Ran, you call him."
"Huh!?" Ran froze. "Why me!?"
"Because he didn't say I had to call him!" Mouri blurted in a rush, terrified Ren might take the deal back. "And you wouldn't want to see your father calling someone your age big brother, would you?"
Ran's face went bright red. "B-Big brother!" she blurted out, her voice small but clear.
The sheer mortification in her tone made Ren nearly choke on laughter.He gave Mouri a look of admiration. "You, sir, are a genius. That loophole was… impressive."
Honestly, Mouri had missed his calling. He should've been a lawyer, not a detective.Ren could just picture it—Mouri in court, arguing cases against his wife in front of a jury.
"Enough jokes! You heard her!" Mouri barked impatiently. "She called you big brother, now talk! Where are the kidnappers!?"
Ren chuckled. "Relax. I'm not like you—I'll keep my promise. Come on, I'll tell you on the way."
He motioned for the father and daughter to follow as he headed toward Nihashi Middle School.
As they walked, Ren calmly laid out the reasoning—the same deductions Conan had once made in another world.He didn't even bother pretending otherwise.
Ran was amazed. "Kuroda-kun, that's incredible! You're good at this too?"
"Let's find the kidnappers first," Mouri said gruffly, though he couldn't hide his astonishment.He'd always thought of Ren as a rough, instinct-driven type—the kind who could fight, sure, but not the kind who could think.
And yet, here he was, calmly solving a case that had stumped him completely.
It made Mouri uncomfortable in ways he couldn't quite describe.He'd thought Ren was a kindred spirit—another struggling guy doing his best.Turns out the kid was smart and strong.Great, he thought bitterly. Now I've got to compete with a genius.
Still stewing over it, he followed Ren and Ran to the old, abandoned warehouse beside the school.
Peering through a dirty window, they could just make out shapes moving inside.
"There. That's where they're keeping her," Ren whispered. "What's the plan, Detective?"
He wasn't like Shinichi—he didn't crave the spotlight.He'd already done the hard part; now he wanted to give Mouri the chance to shine in front of his daughter.
After all, Ran was watching.Letting her see her father handle things like a pro was the least Ren could do.
If only Shinichi had half my sense for people, Ren thought wryly. Kogoro would've already accepted him as a son-in-law.
"Let me think…" Mouri muttered, rubbing his chin. Then his eyes lit up. "Got it!"
He turned to them, excitement returning to his voice."Kuroda, you and Ran act like a couple and walk toward the warehouse from a distance. Make some noise—enough to get their attention."
"When they notice you coming, they'll come out to scare you off. That's when I'll sneak in from the back and rescue the hostage!"
Ren stared at him for a moment, deadpan. "You could've just said 'use a diversion.' No need for the dramatic monologue."
"Wow, Kuroda-kun!" Ran said, genuinely impressed. "You even know the idiom for that—'lure the tiger from the mountain!'"
"Yeah, yeah, we get it, you're clever," Mouri grumbled, his face twitching. "Now hurry up and do it!"