They walked several streets.
Kurosawa Hoshino felt an astonishing heat radiating from beside him and noticed Ran's flushed face. He knew she had almost recovered.
He released his hand from her waist and asked, "Not scared anymore?"
"Scared of what?" Ran was still shy and hadn't quite registered his question.
Sonoko teased, "Oh, nothing—just that someone's legs went weak at the mere mention of a 'haunted house.'"
Ran's already red face turned even redder. She protested loudly, "I'm not afraid of any haunted house! I just wasn't feeling well earlier."
"Is that so?" Sonoko grinned mischievously. "Since you say that, how about we go check out 4-chome right now? What do you think?"
"..."
Ran wanted to shout "Yes!" but ultimately didn't dare. She obediently lowered her head, looking thoroughly pitiful.
Kurosawa Hoshino lazily swung his schoolbag and asked, "So what's next?"
"Shopping, of course! Shopping!" Sonoko answered eagerly.
"Okay," Ran nodded.
Kurosawa Hoshino sighed. "Ugh. Every time after school, it's either shopping or eating. Don't you two ever get tired of it?"
Sonoko shot back irritably, "Are you just going to lie around at home all day? You asked me to investigate your past, and I helped you last time."
"Oh right—I still don't know the results," Ran said, almost forgetting.
"This..."
Sonoko hesitated and glanced at Kurosawa Hoshino.
It was his personal matter, after all. She needed his permission.
"Go ahead. Nothing shameful about it," Hoshino shrugged.
"Ran, it's like this..."
Sonoko recounted the information she had shared with Hoshino over the phone last time.
Hoshino listened silently, not interrupting.
When Sonoko finished, he caught a detail he hadn't noticed before and asked, "Sonoko, you said my mother had a miscarriage. When was that?"
"Let me think... it seems to be over thirty-two years ago."
"What?"
Kurosawa Hoshino was stunned. Recalling his mother's age, he frowned. "Sonoko, that would mean my mother got pregnant when she was seventeen."
"Yes, that's what the records show. A few months into the pregnancy, she miscarried. After that, your mother left her original residence and vanished without a trace. When she returned to Tokyo, she was already pregnant with you."
"Hoshino," Ran whispered, "if someone's been sending you money every month... could you be the illegitimate child of some wealthy family? It sounds just like something out of a TV drama or novel."
Hearing this, a thought flashed through Kurosawa Hoshino's mind.
He hadn't considered it that way before. He'd always dismissed it as a mildly melodramatic backstory. But after hearing Ran's words—and thinking about his own surname, Kurosawa—a bold guess began to form.
As someone who had watched the Conan anime, he knew the name "Kurosawa" carried weight. After all, Gin's surname was Kurosawa.
Hoshino murmured to himself,
"If my mother's first miscarriage was faked—if the records were forged—then I might have an older brother or sister fifteen years older than me."
"And with the surname Kurosawa..."
"Damn. Could Gin be my brother?"
He shook his head.
"Or it could just be a coincidence. No evidence. I shouldn't jump to conclusions—I'll only get myself into trouble later."
He suppressed the thought.
For now, the priority was earning Origin Points, unlocking some outrageous abilities. Once he had real power, investigating his own past would be far easier.
"Hoshino? Are you okay?"
Ran and Sonoko had noticed his tense expression and the way he shook his head. Worry crept into their voices.
Hoshino smiled at them. "I'm fine. Just lost in thought. Don't worry—I'm pretty open-minded about my own affairs. It won't get to me. Come on, let's go shopping."
Less than half an hour later, his phone rang.
It was Inspector Megure.
"Hoshino-kun, you're incredible! I didn't expect your sixth sense to be this sharp. We went to check out that abandoned villa, and you helped us solve a case from five years ago!"
Megure's tone was animated. Solving a cold case was a solid achievement—not enough for a promotion, but enough to boost his standing and make his superiors listen more carefully.
Ran and Sonoko were right beside him and caught every word.
Sonoko pressed, "Hoshino, ask Inspector Megure what happened!"
"Sonoko?" Megure chuckled, having heard her voice. "Alright, let me explain."
"That villa was originally home to a family of three. According to our records, five years ago, a burglar broke in, was caught by the homeowner, and killed him in the struggle. The murderer was never caught."
He paused.
"Turns out, the murderer was the victim's own son. Killed his father in a fit of rage. His mother, to stop him from turning himself in, kept him locked in the basement ever since—waiting for the statute of limitations to expire."
Another pause. A deep breath.
"Hoshino-kun, that's the gist. You've done it again. The police will make sure the media covers this properly. Alright, I won't keep you any longer."
Hoshino ended the call and glanced at his system panel.
His Origin Points had increased.
He nodded in satisfaction.
Ran exhaled, still shaken. "Thank goodness we didn't let Conan and the others go exploring. That would have been way too dangerous."
Sonoko nodded vigorously. "Yeah. Really dangerous."
"Hey, Hoshino. Ran."
A cheerful female voice came from the entrance of the shop next door.
The three turned around.
A woman wearing a mask and hat stood there.
"Who is it?" Sonoko asked suspiciously.
Ran was about to shake her head when the woman walked up to them and pulled down her mask, revealing her face.
Both girls' eyes went wide.
"Miss Yoko," Ran whispered.
It was Yoko Okino.
Yoko smiled warmly. "I'm filming at Beika Shrine right now. I don't have any scenes this afternoon, so I slipped out to do some shopping. By the way, Hoshino, Ran—I have more scenes to shoot tomorrow afternoon. Would you like to come watch?"
"Sure! We don't have school tomorrow," Ran agreed immediately.
Then she felt someone tugging at her sleeve. She glanced at her best friend, caught on, and quickly made the introduction.
"Miss Yoko, this is my good friend, Sonoko Suzuki."
"Hello, Miss Yoko. You can just call me Sonoko."
"Hello, Sonoko. You're welcome to come watch too!"
"Really? Thank you so much!"
Sonoko beamed.
Kurosawa Hoshino watched the three girls chat and laugh, their shopping trip clearly abandoned.
They'd probably find a café to sit and talk instead.
He sighed inwardly.
So much for shopping.
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