Being pulled by the hand, weaving through a crowd—
Even before losing her memory, this probably wasn't something Ran would've done very often.
But now? It felt... oddly wonderful.
She glanced at Hayashi Yoshiki's back as he led the way. Just catching a glimpse of his profile, she could tell—he looked happy.
"Brother Yoshiki..."
"What is it?"
"You seem really happy."
"Ah."
Yoshiki turned to her with a wide smile.
"I've actually always wanted to do something like this."
He meant ditching fans and running away.
Ran understood the implication... but still looked worried.
Even without her memories, she had a sense that this sort of behavior—especially for a public figure—might come across as irresponsible. Maybe even arrogant.
"Is it really okay to just run like that?"
"It's fine. No one snapped a photo anyway."
Yoshiki gave her hand a gentle squeeze, pulling her along.
"Besides... I couldn't leave you behind, Ran."
She didn't reply.
But she quickened her pace, matching his.
Under the confused stares of some fans, the two of them ran deeper into the park. Once they were confident they had escaped, Yoshiki finally slowed down.
"We lost them. And hey, there's a new ride up ahead—want to try it?"
Before Ran could even process the question, Yoshiki had already taken a step toward the left-side attraction.
He still gave her the choice, though.
She nodded instinctively.
That's how they ended up on the pirate ship.
"This thing swings really high..."
"It's making me a little nervous..."
"You'll be fine, Yoshiki."
Wait... could it be that he was scared of heights but was too embarrassed to admit it?
That thought popped into Ran's mind just as the pirate ship began to move.
The ride tilted past 90 degrees as it swung, plunging and rising again in huge arcs. It was terrifying for anyone with acrophobia.
During the ride, Ran kept stealing glances at Yoshiki.
He wasn't visibly panicked, but he definitely wasn't at ease either…
After they got off, she asked gently:
"Brother Yoshiki, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
Hard to tell if he was forcing it or being honest.
Ran decided to watch him a bit more closely.
Meanwhile, Yoshiki had an unrelated, intrusive thought:
An amusement park would be a great place to stage a murder.
Heart attacks on thrill rides. Equipment failure. Accidental falls. All completely plausible.
But he let the thought pass.
They continued trying out other attractions: bumper cars, sled slides, rafting boats...
The only one Yoshiki refused?
The spinning teacups.
He watched a little girl inside spinning her wheel like a maniac until she was just a blur.
"Feels like it would scramble my brain evenly..."
"No way!"Ran had said, pouting slightly.
Still, Yoshiki passed on that one.
During a break, Ran rested on a bench while Yoshiki went to buy cold drinks.
He returned with two ice creams, handing one to her.
"Here. Finally fulfilling our ice cream promise."
"Huh?"
"September 27th, last year. I said I'd treat you to ice cream."
"Really?"
Ran looked down at the cone in her hand, surprised.
"I don't remember..."
"That's fine. When you do, just give me the smile you were supposed to give me today."
He took a seat beside her with his own cone.
In front of them was a picture-perfect view of a pastel-colored castle surrounded by flowers. Tourists gathered for photos.
"I'm curious what you're thinking right now, Ran."
She tilted her head, waiting for him to go on.
"Usually, people's thoughts are shaped by personality—formed from their memories and environment. But you don't have those right now. So in this moment, your thoughts are probably the most purely you they've ever been."
"What are you feeling? What do you want? What's your wish?"
Ran looked down at her cone, softening.
"I... haven't thought that deeply about it."
"No?"
"Mm."
Her eyes were calm—not melancholy, just soft.
"But if I had to say... I just want to see everyone happy."
"..."
"Whether it's Mom, Dad, Sonoko, Conan... or you, Yoshiki-nii. If everyone's smiling, I feel fulfilled."
She flushed slightly and ducked her head, embarrassed.
So simple. So earnest.
So unbearably endearing.
Even Yoshiki, who had expected a sweet answer, hadn't been prepared for this level of selflessness.
She had no memories. No identity to fall back on.
And yet she still thought only of others.
Angel...
There was nothing wrong with what Vermouth had called her.
"So what about you, Brother Yoshiki?"Ran asked, looking up."Do you have a wish?"
"Yeah. I do."
"What is it?"
"To conquer the world... and make every restaurant serve food as good as McDonald's."
"What!?"
"Hahaha."
"Yoshiki-nii just got so real all of a sudden."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean... I haven't gotten all my memories back, but until now, you always felt so far away. Like someone mysterious. Distant. Even though you're here with us, I never felt like I really understood you."
She took a bite of her cone, smiling.
"But now I know you're a fan-dodger. That you love McDonald's. That maybe you're afraid of heights..."
"There's ice cream on your nose."
"Eh—!"
She scrambled to grab a tissue and wipe it.
...There was nothing there.
She blinked, realizing she'd been tricked. Looking up, she saw Yoshiki standing, smiling.
"How about we try the Ferris wheel and find out?"