"That's not something I need to worry about... Okuda Makoto." Hayashi Yoshiki's words instantly froze the expression on Okuda Makoto's face.

"That's not something I need to worry about... Okuda Makoto."

Hayashi Yoshiki's words instantly froze the expression on Okuda Makoto's face.

His face—an exact replica of Shinichi Kudo's—turned pale, then twisted with tension.

Yet even in this situation, he still tried to play dumb.

"What are you talking about? Who's Okuda Makoto—"

"Let's not waste time with pointless denials, shall we?"

Hayashi Yoshiki smiled gently.

That soft and friendly expression, coupled with his warm tone, might have fooled others—

—but the words he spoke stabbed like daggers into Okuda Makoto's throat.

"Look at your hands... you're already wearing handcuffs."

Okuda Makoto's face darkened completely.

He looked down at the handcuffs on his wrists.

There was still a gun holstered at his side... yet he couldn't use anything anymore.

"Young master Makoto?"

Seeing his stunned reaction, village officer Shiroyama Kazuma finally understood that everything Hayashi Yoshiki said was true.

Even now, he found it hard to believe.

"Plastic surgery can change a face... but it can't replace fingerprints. If you doubt it, we can run a fingerprint test. After all, even after a year, there should still be plenty of items in this house with Okuda Makoto's prints on them."

It was over.

It was now clear—his entire plan had crumbled to dust.

Okuda Makoto glared at Hayashi Yoshiki with pure hatred.

Ran stood to the side, watching that familiar face—Shinichi Kudo's—now twisted in fury toward Yoshiki, and she suddenly felt disoriented.

Just then, a silent figure stepped through the doorway.

Silver, shoulder-length hair.

A strange robe, like something out of a martial arts tale...

"Looks like everything's been resolved."

The voice from the strange newcomer drew everyone's attention.

Okuda Makoto's eyes instantly filled with hatred.

Without another word, Shinichi Kudo pulled off the silver wig—

—and revealed his true face underneath.

Seeing him, Heiji Hattori couldn't help but smile with joy.

But Shinichi didn't acknowledge him.

He merely looked with a trace of pity at the man who had reshaped his face to look exactly like his own.

Then, Shinichi turned—

—to the girl he had seen so many times yet missed more than anyone in the world.

Ran looked back at him in surprise.

Yesterday, when facing the false Shinichi, she had felt nothing.

No emotion stirred in her heart.

At the time, she thought perhaps she truly no longer had any feelings for him.

It gave her clarity and peace.

But now, the real Shinichi Kudo stood before her.

And her heart... tensed.

She couldn't tell if she was feeling stirred again—

—But in that very moment, she thought of Hayashi Yoshiki.

Last night, in the quiet of the dark, in a room where only the two of them existed—

—Yoshiki had kissed her. Forcefully.

Not just on her lips.

Her chest, her stomach, even between her legs—

—had all fallen under the spell of his tender lips.

Ran would never forget how, lying down, she had been held—

—one hand lifting her leg, the other on her waist, pulling that breathtaking face closer...

For any girl, experiencing something like that for the first time was shocking.

That hazy night played over and over in her mind today.

If today hadn't been so unusual, she probably would've been lost in thought all day.

Ran had always been a reserved girl, especially with her feelings.

But now that she had crossed a certain line... Newest update provided by N()velFire.net

...her heart had made its decision.

Someone who had done that with Yoshiki... could no longer return to Shinichi.

It wouldn't be fair—to Yoshiki, or to Shinichi.

This thought was natural and firm in her heart.

And yet—seeing her childhood friend, safe and sound, and not guilty of any crime...

...she still felt happy for him.

"Long time no see... Shinichi."

"Yeah... it has been."

Seeing the brilliant smile on her face, Shinichi Kudo nodded lightly.

Now that Okuda Makoto had been cuffed and was no longer a threat,

Shinichi felt it was time to clear the air—especially with that hateful glare still coming his way.

It wasn't a complicated case.

If anything could be called a "trick," it was Okuda Makoto's face.

A year ago, Shinichi had investigated the murder of Village Chief Hihara and his wife.

At that time, Okuda Makoto, a devoted fan of Shinichi's, had done everything he could to help uncover the truth.

But Shinichi concluded that Hihara, stricken with cancer, had fallen into despair—

—killed his wife and committed suicide.

That conclusion, Okuda simply couldn't accept.

After all, the chief had raised him like a son.

He was loved by the whole village.

And the medical report had said the tumor was benign.

Hihara had even laughed with joy upon hearing it.

Why would someone like that murder his wife and kill himself?

So, Okuda Makoto snapped.

As a fan, he vowed to destroy Shinichi Kudo.

He underwent plastic surgery to become his double—

—and planned to ruin his name before taking his own life.

But the truth was... Shinichi had hidden something.

Yes, Hihara's tumor was benign.

But the test also revealed something else—

—he had AB blood type.

His wife was O, and their "son," Hihara Taiki, was also O.

According to Mendelian genetics, an AB and an O cannot produce an O child.

That was the real reason the chief murdered his wife and took his own life.

And Shinichi had asked Shiroyama Kazuma to deliver this truth to Okuda Makoto.

He did.

But Okuda, overwhelmed by grief, had failed to comprehend it.

That tragic misunderstanding became today's disaster.

Now that all was revealed, everyone watched in silence as Okuda Makoto collapsed to his knees, crying out loud—

—until he was finally taken away by the police.

"Ran."

Shinichi turned back to her.

He stepped forward.

It was clear he had a lot to say.

Ran offered a gentle smile.

"I never expected you to actually show up here."

"Yeah... I guess the opportunity was just right."

"Have you been doing well?"

"Mm. Can't complain."

He felt strangely uncomfortable—

—but remembered that he'd always used the excuse of chasing cases to explain his absences, so he smiled and said,

"Just been busy investigating, as usual."

"That's just like you, Shinichi. Always so many cases to solve."

Was it just his imagination?

Her tone sounded... relieved?

Shinichi felt a subtle tension.

Then he noticed Ran's gaze wasn't on him—

—It had shifted.

He followed her eyes—

—and saw Hayashi Yoshiki.

Ran gave Yoshiki a faint smile... then looked back at Shinichi.

The girl placed her hands behind her back playfully, her lips pressed into a line.

Her clear eyes shone as she looked straight at Shinichi:

"Um, Shinichi, there's something I want to tell you..."