"Don't worry, Sonoko. I'll go with Ran. You stay here and keep an eye on Conan. Don't let him run around."

Yuzuru gently comforted Sonoko, who looked worried, while stopping Conan, who was getting agitated and seemed about to reveal his true identity to Ran.

What a joke! How could I let Conan ruin such a great opportunity? This is a chance to put myself on the same starting line as Shinichi Kudo!

Yuzuru followed Ran out of the villa. At that moment, a light drizzle was falling outside, but Takahashi Ryoichi, with his fierce gaze, did not attract much attention from Yuzuru.

Ran strolled in the rain, silently pondering her future with Shinichi.

"Can Shinichi and I really stay together forever? Is it true that childhood sweethearts never have a happy ending?" Ran's heart grew heavier, and tears welled up in her eyes.

She only longed for a peaceful and stable life, but Shinichi was always keen on pursuing thrills and dedicated to solving those intricate cases.

Two people with very different personalities are forced to be together simply because they've known each other since childhood. Can they really be happy like that? The more Xiaolan thought about it, the more heartbroken she became, filled with confusion and anxiety about the future.

Yu Sheng Nan followed behind, looking at the bewildered Xiao Lan. He knew very well why Xiao Lan was like this.

Children who grow up in single-parent families often feel insecure and fearful deep down. They long for someone to be their safe haven, someone they can rely on.

If Yuzuru Hanyu hadn't appeared in Ran's world, perhaps she would have continued to wait silently for someone who could give her warmth and protection.

However, everything has changed now. Yuzuru Hanyu has become a dazzling light in Ran's life, giving her better choices, and the scales in her heart have begun to tip in her favor.

"Has the rain stopped?" Xiaolan unconsciously walked into the depths of the forest, hugging her knees tightly with both hands. When she looked up, she found Yuzuru standing quietly beside her with an umbrella.

When her gaze fell upon Yuzuru's hair and clothes, soaked by the rain, a strange pang of sorrow welled up in Xiaolan's heart.

"Nan..."

"Are you feeling any better? If you're not feeling well, just shout it out loud and let all your troubles out. That will make you feel much better." Yuzuru smiled gently at Ran.

"Um!"

Ran nodded vigorously, wiped her face—whether from rain or tears—and stood up, shouting, "Shinichi!!!"

"Please, Shinichi, if you're here, please show yourself!" Ran prayed silently in her heart, tears streaming down her face without her noticing.

She simply couldn't bear to let go of this relationship that had lasted for so many years.

Just then, Conan, who was lying on the villa's balcony, idly watching the outside world, suddenly heard Ran's voice. His heart tightened, as if he had been stabbed by something.

"Ran! Wait for me..." Conan murmured to himself, his heart filled with an impulse to rush over and confess his true identity to Ran.

However, just as Conan was about to take action, an uninvited guest blocked his way.

Sonoko noticed Conan rushing down from upstairs and immediately ran over, grabbed his clothes, and pulled him back.

"You little rascal, stop running around and stay right here!" Sonoko said sternly, holding Conan tightly.

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Sonoko, you nosy busybody, let me go!" Conan struggled desperately to break free from Sonoko's grasp while cursing her in his heart.

...

"Ran, Nan, you're finally back!" Sonoko couldn't wait to greet Ran and Nan as they walked towards her, chatting and laughing.

Conan calmed down by now. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Ran was safe and sound, but he also felt as if he had lost something important.

"Oh dear, Nan, you and Xiaolan are soaked to the bone! Quick, quick, go upstairs and change into clean clothes, then take a nice hot shower." Yuanzi noticed that they were completely drenched and urged them on.

"Okay!" Xiaolan and Yusheng Nan replied in unison, then looked at each other, smiled and nodded, and went upstairs together to their room to wash up.

A moment later, just as Yuzuru finished washing up, a scream filled with fear rang out.

Yu Sheng Nan came out upon hearing the sound, only to bump into Xiao Lan, who had also finished washing up and was preparing to check the situation.

The two decided to go together to the source of the sound. Upon arriving at the scene, they found Ota Katsu staring out the window with a look of terror on his face.

Hiroki Kakutani stepped forward, helped Katsumi Ota to his feet, and asked with concern, "Ota, what happened?"

"The bandaged man, there was a person covered in bandages who just passed by the window." Ota Masaru was clearly terrified and could barely speak.

At this moment, everyone gathered around. After listening to Ota Masaru's story, Conan, who was still worried about Ran, was immediately drawn away by the bandaged man and ran out of the villa.

"We think we saw this person on our way here, right, Ran and Nan?" As soon as Sonoko heard "bandaged man," she realized it was the strange person she had seen on the suspension bridge earlier.

Xiaolan nodded and said, "That's right, we did see it when we came here."

"If that's the case, I think I saw it on the way here too." Hiroki Kakutani and Ryoichi Takahashi also remembered seeing it on the way here, but they thought it was a resident in the neighborhood.

"How could that be? There are no other entrances around here except for the suspension bridge. There are only a few detached villas at the foot of the mountain or after climbing over this mountain. Nobody ever comes here normally," Ayako Suzuki said, her face full of doubt.

The plot has changed, but Yuzuru isn't surprised. Now that he's appeared, how could the plot be the same as before?

"Who is that person?!" Ota Katsu asked in a terrified voice.

"Then let's call the police first!" Hiroki Kakutani suggested, looking at Masaru Ota, who was so frightened that he could barely stand.

"Um!"

Ayako Suzuki led everyone to the phone and started making a call, only to find that the call wouldn't go through.

"How could that be? It can still be fired during the day. Could it be the same lightning we just heard?" Ayako Suzuki asked, squinting her eyes in confusion.

Haha, the phone is busy, there's no cell phone signal, isn't this a crime scene? Yu Shengnan was speechless; the location of this villa is truly excellent.

"ah!"

"It must be him, it must be that bandaged weirdo from earlier!" Ryoichi Takahashi shouted as he ran outside in terror.

Watching everyone and Conan chase after them, Yuzuru invited Ran and Sonoko to sit down and took two small balls out of his pocket and handed them over.