The next morning at Teitan High, the air buzzed with a new kind of gossip.
As soon as Kurosawa Hoshino entered the classroom with Ran, a small crowd of their more talkative classmates swarmed them.
"No way, Kurosawa! Saw you on the news!"
"Guess we have two detective prodigies in class now. Kudo's got competition!"
"Wonder what Kudo's up to… if he saw your stunt yesterday, he'd probably try to one-up you."
Hoshino weathered the attention with a practiced, easy smile. "Just luck," he deflected, chatting until the excitement died down and he could slip into his seat beside Ran.
Ran glanced at the empty desk next to hers. "Sonoko's definitely skipping today."
She'd already guessed; Sonoko hadn't met them at the agency that morning.
A phone chimed. Ran checked her message. "It's Sonoko. She says her family dragged her to some banquet." She looked up, a slight frown on her face. "Also… the weather forecast just updated. Heavy rain this afternoon. She says there's an umbrella she forgot in her shoe locker last time. We can use it."
Hoshino glanced out the window. The sky was a flawless, cloudless blue. Sunlight streamed in.
Of course. Conan-world weather. Dramatic on cue.
"An umbrella, huh? That's… thoughtful of her."
The afternoon sky betrayed its morning promise.
By the final period, the world outside the classroom windows had turned a thick, bruise-grey. Ominous clouds blotted out the sun. A restless energy filled the room—half the students were watching the sky, not the teacher, silently bargaining with the universe.
Don't rain. Don't rain. Not right after the bell…
The universe, as it often does in Tokyo, did not listen.
The moment the dismissal chime rang, the heavens opened. A sudden, heavy downpour drummed against the windows, drawing a collective groan from the class.
"You've got to be kidding me!"
"I knew I should've checked the forecast!"
"Guess I'm waiting it out…"
Amid the complaints, Hoshino and Ran shared a look, packed their bags, and headed out.
At the shoe lockers, Ran retrieved the promised umbrella—a compact, folding one. Hoshino took it, popped it open, and gave it a skeptical look.
"A bit… cozy," he remarked.
"We'll make it work," Ran said, her voice soft but firm. A gentle, determined smile lit up her face, making her pale purple eyes seem even brighter.
"We could just—"
"It's fine."
Before he could finish (he was going to suggest she wait while he braved the rain to buy a proper one), she looped her arm through his, pulling them both under the scant shelter and out into the deluge.
The umbrella was indeed too small. Cold rain immediately peppered their exposed shoulders.
"It's… refreshing!" Ran tried, her cheerful tone battling the shiver in her voice.
"You know," Hoshino said, rainwater already dripping from his hair, "my original plan was for you to wait inside while I ran to the convenience store for a bigger one."
"Eh?" Ran blinked, then a flush crept up her neck. "Oh. I… didn't think of that."
"Let's head to the bus stop up ahead. The Beika Supermarket is on the way."
"Okay."
He chuckled softly, then subtly tilted the umbrella completely over her, taking the brunt of the rain on his own side.
"Hoshino, don't!" Ran protested, feeling the shift. "You'll get soaked! You'll catch a cold!"
"I'm sturdy."
"That's not the point!"
Seeing he wouldn't budge, she did the only logical thing. She tightened her grip on his arm, pulling herself—and him—closer until they were both crammed, shoulders pressed tightly together, under the small canopy.
Hoshino's expression turned微妙. His gentlemanly impulse had backfired into… this. The warmth of her body against his arm was distinct. The light, clean scent of her shampoo—something like apricots and vanilla—mixed with the petrichor of the rain.
They fell silent, the only sounds the pounding rain and the splash of their footsteps as they hurried to the covered bus stop.
Under the shelter, Ran finally let go, stepping away with a hastily drawn breath.
"Ahh… made it."
"Yeah." Hoshino sat on the bench, patting at his thoroughly drenched right sleeve and shoulder. Half of him was a sodden mess.
Ran watched, her concern overriding her earlier shyness. "See? I told you. You're completely wet on one side. It must be uncomfortable."
He turned to look at her. A faint, lingering pink still tinted the tips of her ears, belying her now-composed tone.
"Hmm?" she pressed, meeting his gaze and trying to look stern. "Cat got your tongue?"
"Here." He handed her the folded, dripping umbrella, not rising to the bait.
"Oh." The fight left her in a puff of air. She took the umbrella, carefully shaking the water off.
A moment passed.
"Hoshino," she said, her voice quieter now. "You should take your jacket off."
"Too much hassle to carry."
"Don't be difficult. Take it off. I'll carry it for you." This time, her glare held no real heat, only insistence. She reached over, her fingers gently tugging at the sleeve of his soaked blazer.
"Such a bother…" he muttered, but he didn't resist. He shrugged out of the jacket, letting her take it.
Ran sat beside him on the bench, spreading the wet jacket across her lap. With careful, methodical movements, she began to fold it—smoothing the fabric, aligning the seams, her focus entirely on the task. In that moment, under the dim light of the rainy-day bus stop, she looked less like a high school karate champion and more like something out of a gentle, domestic daydream.
Hoshino watched her, the chill from his wet clothes momentarily forgotten, replaced by a different, warmer kind of feeling.