Twenty minutes later, Kurosawa Hoshino stood panting in front of a patch of grass, staring at Ran, who was kneeling on the ground with both hands pinning her ears. He waved his phone and smiled.
"Ran, I told you not to be afraid. I've been chasing you for way too long."
Ran trembled and dared not answer.
"Come on. Tell me—how did this photo end up on your phone?"
After speaking, Kurosawa Hoshino glanced at Conan, who had silently crept up beside him, clearly hoping to sneak a peek at the screen. His eyes narrowed, and without hesitation, he swung.
"Ah!" A sharp cry of pain rang out.
Conan crouched down, clutching his head. "Oww... ow ow ow!"
Ran flinched again, startled.
This was the first time she'd seen Kurosawa Hoshino actually hit Conan. It made her even more nervous.
"Conan, do you really want to see? Should I just hand you the phone?" Kurosawa Hoshino asked sweetly.
"No... I don't want to see..." Conan decided ignorance was safer. If a photo was worth getting hit over, it definitely wasn't something he should be looking at.
So, despite his burning curiosity, he covered his head and shuffled away, not daring to eavesdrop any longer.
"Hmph." Kurosawa Hoshino snorted coldly, then turned his gaze back to Ran. A smile returned to his face. "Ran. Who took this photo?"
The photo was of him in the women's makeup Vermouth had applied last time—an undeniable black mark on his personal history. He'd thought the matter was over. He never expected to find evidence of it on Ran's phone. This was unacceptable.
If this got out, his reputation was done for.
"I didn't take it," Ran shook her head.
"If it wasn't you, then it was Sonoko. Miss Chris was removing my makeup that day, and the only two people who could have snapped this were you two. If it's not you, it's Sonoko. It has to be Sonoko. I can't believe you two pulled this."
"It wasn't Sonoko." Ran's eyes widened. She rushed to explain, but seeing Kurosawa Hoshino's certain expression, she gritted her teeth and simply confessed. "Hoshino, I'm sorry. I took it. If you need to punish someone, punish me."
"It wasn't you."
"It was me." Ran's tone grew even firmer.
"..." Kurosawa Hoshino's lips twitched. "Don't make me sound like the villain here. Ran, I know you. Sonoko definitely took this."
"It really was me."
"Then it was definitely Sonoko."
"..."
Ran fell silent. She sighed in defeat, silently mourning for her best friend. She'd done everything she could, but Kurosawa Hoshino still didn't believe her. There was nothing left to do.
"Get up. I already deleted it." Kurosawa Hoshino handed her phone back, helped her up, and casually brushed the stray grass from her knee-high socks.
Ran checked her gallery. Sure enough, the photo was gone. A pang of regret hit her—this might have been the only photo of Kurosawa Hoshino in women's clothing that would ever exist. An irreplaceable treasure.
And now it was completely gone.
For a moment, Ran considered tipping off Sonoko so at least one copy could be saved.
But seeing Kurosawa Hoshino still watching her, she ultimately didn't dare. If she got caught again...
"Let's go. It's just ahead." Kurosawa Hoshino turned his gaze forward.
Ran followed his line of sight.
Through a gap in the trees ahead, the outline of a villa was visible.
"Huh? Did we walk that fast?" Ran asked in surprise.
"You ran," Kurosawa Hoshino said flatly. "An hour-long walk, and we did it in twenty minutes."
"Hehe~" Ran sheepishly stuck out her tongue.
The two didn't linger. They walked on.
Conan rubbed his still-throbbing head, took a deep breath, and hurried to catch up from behind.
A short while later, the three emerged from the woods onto a dirt path. They arrived at a wooden suspension bridge overlooking a canyon dozens of meters below.
"Hey, there's someone there," Ran pointed toward the middle of the bridge.
A figure stood there, draped in a black cloak and wearing a wide-brimmed hat.
As if hearing her voice, the figure slowly turned.
A face completely wrapped in bandages stared back at them. Only cold eyes were visible, fixed intently on the trio.
"Ah?!" Ran gasped, grabbing Kurosawa Hoshino's arm in fright.
The bandaged figure's gaze lingered on Kurosawa Hoshino's face for a few seconds longer. Then, without warning, it turned and sprinted off the bridge toward the woods beside the villa.
That guy... he looked at me a few extra times, Kurosawa Hoshino mused. Looks like he recognized me.
A quiet moment passed.
None of them spoke.
A gentle breeze blew.
Ran snapped out of her daze, finally releasing Kurosawa Hoshino's arm. She forced a smile. "Should we... head over?"
Kurosawa Hoshino looked at the wooden bridge and nodded. "Of course."
He stepped onto it first.
Contrary to his expectations, the bridge barely swayed. It was surprisingly sturdy.
"Hoshino, wait for me!" Ran grabbed his sleeve and followed closely behind.
Conan brought up the rear.
After crossing the suspension bridge, they walked about twenty meters to the villa's front gate.
Before they could even ring the bell, the door swung open. Sonoko stood there smiling.
"You guys are way earlier than I expected—like, a whole hour. Ran, is something wrong with your eyes? Why are you blinking so much?"
Kurosawa Hoshino turned and met Ran's gaze.
"Yeah... my eyes are bothering me a little," Ran said awkwardly, forcing an excuse. She shot her best friend a quick "good luck" look, then fell silent.
Kurosawa Hoshino looked back at Sonoko and smiled. "Sonoko, my phone's dead. Can I borrow yours to make a call?"
"Sure!" Sonoko didn't think twice. She pulled her phone from her pocket and handed it over.
Ran slapped her forehead. I gave you such an obvious warning, and you still didn't catch on?
"Thanks." Kurosawa Hoshino took the phone, his smile growing wider.
"No big deal. Who are you calling?"
"You'll see."
"Oh? Wait, wrong button—that's the photo album."
"No mistake."
"Huh?" Sonoko was confused. Then it clicked. She stared at the photo Kurosawa Hoshino had opened, then froze. She looked at Ran.
Ran shrugged, blinked, and nodded.
"..." Sonoko's blood ran cold. A chill crept up her spine. She glanced cautiously at Kurosawa Hoshino and said weakly, "Let's... let's go inside."
"Sure. Here's your phone back."
"Cough cough—it's fine, you can keep using it if you want."
"I already used it. Didn't you see clearly just now?" Kurosawa Hoshino stared at her with a half-smile.
"Hehe~" Sonoko scratched her head, playing dumb.
"By the way, Sonoko. Go get your sister. I need to talk to her."