"...Edogawa Kebei?""Edogawa... Corgi."
When asked to read the words in her notebook, Ran pronounced them slowly.
The ward was completely silent.
Inspector Megure, Shiratori Ninzaburō, and the others couldn't help but glance at Edogawa Conan, who stood beside them. Despite the bizarre moment, they kept serious expressions—this was no time for levity.
Conan remained still, unreadable.
"Then, Ran, can you write here which country New York is a city in?"
"...Okay."
Ran reached out and took the pen from Hayashi Yoshiki.
She uncapped it, slowly took the notebook, and carefully wrote the word: "America."
"Thank you for your effort."
Yoshiki reached out and took the pen and notebook back.
"Ran, do you remember what you like to eat?"
"I..."
Ran opened her mouth instinctively, then looked at Yoshiki's face with confusion clouding her gaze.
"I don't know."
"That's okay. You're just a little tired."
Yoshiki smiled gently, his eyes narrowing slightly.
To lose all memories—including recognition of herself—was already terrifying and disorienting. The added anxiety from others would only deepen her distress.
"Don't worry. Everyone here cares about you, Ran. It's okay if you can't remember right now—no one will blame you."
With those reassuring words, Yoshiki stood up.
He glanced at Kogorō Mōri, then quietly exited the room.
Seeing this, Kisaki Eri turned to Sonoko Suzuki, who was standing nearby wiping tears from her eyes.
"Sonoko... please stay with Ran for me."
"Okay."
The girl wiped her red eyes and nodded firmly.
Conan followed Inspector Megure and the others out of the room.
"Ran's condition might be retrograde amnesia,"Yoshiki said outside."It's a memory disorder triggered by trauma or a major psychological shock, preventing recall of memories before the incident."
"...Yoshiki, do you know something about this?"
"He's studied psychology for personal reasons,"Eri explained quietly, tears forming in her eyes as they stepped away from the ward.
"The good news is, Ran's basic knowledge and common sense are intact. She should have no trouble resuming a normal life once she recovers."
"Is that so?"
"Still, a detailed examination is necessary. Let's wait for a doctor's assessment."
"Then I'll ask Dr. Fudō to come in now."
Shiratori Ninzaburō quickly pulled out his phone.
It was a perfect opportunity for Yoshiki—he had been eager to see Kyōsuke Fudō again.
When Dr. Fudō arrived, he performed a series of tests on Ran, confirming the diagnosis was consistent with what Yoshiki had already said.
It was now past midnight.
Officer Sato's emergency surgery had just concluded as well. The bullet had been removed, but she remained unconscious and in critical condition.
"I'll walk Dr. Fudō out,"Yoshiki offered.
"No need, Mr. Hayashi," Dr. Fudō replied with a polite smile."You probably have a lot on your mind. I'll take a taxi."
Mōri gave Yoshiki a subtle nod of thanks. He planned to speak with Megure about the case—now that it had affected Ran, he couldn't just stand by. He also hoped Yoshiki could help find the culprit more quickly.
"I mostly want to discuss Ran's condition with Dr. Fudō and ask what to watch for."
"I see..."
Mōri nodded seriously.
"Then I'll leave it to you. I'll share what I learn from Inspector Megure later."
"Okay."Yoshiki smiled faintly.
He and Fudō headed down to the parking lot, where a Mercedes-Benz E-W210 waited with its engine running.
"Who's that?" Dr. Fudō asked, noticing the striking woman behind the wheel.
"Seiran Hoshi. My assistant."
Yoshiki opened the back door.
"Please sit up front, Dr. Fudō."
"Of course."
The car roared quietly through the sleeping city.
Streetlights streaked across the windows in silence. The mood in the vehicle was strangely heavy.
Dr. Fudō shifted uncomfortably.
Why had he been asked to sit in the front?
"Kyōsuke."
"Yes, Mr. Hayashi?"
"Thank you very much."
"It's nothing. Don't mention it. I'm sure Ran will recover soon."
"That's not what I'm thanking you for."
"...What do you mean?"
"You've helped me a lot. I've learned so much about psychology from you—and your book recommendations have been valuable."
"But more than anything… tonight, you've helped me complete something very important."
Dr. Fudō froze.
Through the rearview mirror, he saw Yoshiki sitting calmly in the back seat, holding a black notebook in his lap. His eyes were unreadable.
"The world is a locked room. Whoever holds the key rules everything."
"I used to believe that. But you've shown me something else—plans can't keep up with real change."
"I got ahead of myself. That was my arrogance."
"Still, I think this is the best outcome possible."
"Ran's condition isn't critical. Compared to what might've happened... this is acceptable to me."
Fudō broke into a cold sweat.
He now understood that Yoshiki knew—knew everything.Knew that he, Dr. Kyōsuke Fudō, was the one who had caused Ran's memory loss.
But how?
Hadn't everything gone perfectly—except for that unexpected flashlight?
He couldn't admit it.
He had a hidden weapon, just in case. After all, Ran had shone the flashlight directly on his face.
But now that she had amnesia, he had felt a temporary sense of relief…Still, retrograde amnesia could be reversed.
Eventually, she might remember.
He had to silence her.
As Fudō slowly reached for his weapon—
Click.
Seiran Hoshi, who had been driving silently, turned her wrist and leveled a gun at his temple.
"!!"
Fudō's pupils contracted. His body froze, soaked in sweat.
Behind him, Yoshiki calmly closed the notebook.
The car rolled to a stop.
"This is far enough, Kyōsuke. You're home now."
"..."
"This is your last night of freedom."
The words hit like a hammer.
Dr. Fudō's gaze turned hollow. He unbuckled his seatbelt and exited the vehicle without resistance.
Seiran Hoshi looked to Yoshiki.
"You're not going to kill him, sir?"
"No need."Yoshiki smiled."He's already dead."
That was enough for Seiran. She said nothing more and resumed driving—back to the apartment where Yoshiki had asked her to deliver the car the next morning.
After a while, they reached the destination.
"I'm sorry, sir."
"What for?"
"I failed the task you gave me today…"
"I told you—it's not your fault. You followed my instructions. If something went wrong, it's on me."
Yoshiki closed his notebook and looked at her.
"Besides, I'm not the kind of man to obsess over one mistake. Honestly, I'm in a good mood right now."
"But..."
Seiran gripped the wheel tightly.
She was trained to believe that failure was failure, period.
Yoshiki lowered his gaze slightly.
"Alright, get in the back seat."
"Y-Yes..."
She obediently unbuckled and climbed into the back.
"Sir..."
"I said I don't mind. But the fact that you care so much about disappointing me—well, that makes me happy."
Yoshiki stroked her cheek gently, and looked into her pale gray eyes.
"So, do you want anything?"
"...Excuse me."
She whispered as she reached for his waist.
Then her eyes caught the two lipstick marks on his shirt.
Startled, she leaned in, using her lips to erase them.
Yoshiki ran a hand through her hair softly.
The next morning, Hayashi Yoshiki returned to the hospital.
Inside the ward, he saw Kisaki Eri sitting beside Ran's bed, caring for her gently.
"Is she sleeping?"
"Yes… She didn't fall asleep until very late."
Eri glanced at Yoshiki, then looked again at her sleeping daughter.
"Where's Uncle Mōri?"
"He finally went to rest. He stayed with her all night. I just got up to take his place."
"Did you sleep well, Yoshiki?"
"Well enough. Are Inspector Megure and the others still here?"
"Yes. I heard Officer Sato had a close call during the night. They've been keeping watch here."
"Then I'll go find them."
Yoshiki left the room.
Shortly after, Dr. Fudō Kyōsuke appeared in his white coat.
He acted as though nothing had happened the night before.
He informed Eri that Ran was scheduled for an MRI at 10 a.m., then left with a smile.
As he exited, he ran into Yoshiki, who had returned with Inspector Megure and Shiratori.
"Mr. Hayashi—"
Before he could finish, Yoshiki walked forward and punched him hard in the stomach.
Wham!
Fudō Kyōsuke doubled over, choking in pain. Megure and Shiratori gasped in shock.
"Yoshiki!?"
"Thank you for your help, Inspector. Please arrest him."
He stomped on Fudō's back to keep him down.
"What's going on!?"
Kogorō Mōri came running, worry etched on his face.
"He's the killer, Uncle Mōri."
"What!?"
"You called me last night to discuss details of the case. From what I've confirmed this morning—there's no doubt. The murderer is Fudō Kyōsuke."
"But he passed the gunpowder test!"Shiratori protested.
"He used a modified umbrella. It blocked the residue."
Yoshiki then detailed everything:The transparent umbrella, the glove, the escape plan... and how it all pointed to Fudō.
Combined with last night's insights—his left-handedness, psychological motives, and the first victim's silent clue—there could be no doubt.
Megure and Shiratori immediately restrained the stunned doctor.
"This bastard!!"
Kogorō Mōri lunged, and grabbed Fudō by the collar, ready to deliver justice himself.
Yoshiki, watching silently, turned to Megure.
"Is Officer Sato alright?"
"It's hard to say…"
Shiratori's face darkened.