Starting With The Sefirah Castle In The Anime World

"Dad…"

Ran who had been covering her mouth, her body trembling slightly, finally spoke.

"This child can stay, but… I can't."

"!"

The three adults in the room—Kogoro, Yukiko, and Yusaku were all caught off guard.

Ran crouched down slightly and removed the child's glasses.

"He really does look just like Shinichi when he was little."

Then, she looked up at her father, her voice trembling.

"Dad, I… I don't want to see this child right now."

"I don't want to think about Shinichi… not yet."

A heavy silence filled the room.

"…I forgot about this."

Yukiko let out a deep sigh, realizing too late that they had overlooked Ran's feelings entirely.

"This child only just learned about Shinichi's 'death.' Even though we know the truth… she doesn't. And for Ran, that loss is very real."

"What a mistake on our part."

As Shinichi's parents, Yukiko and Yusaku could accept the situation because they knew the truth.

But Ran didn't.

To her, Shinichi was really gone.

And now, seeing a child with his exact face right in front of her, it was too much to handle.

Kogoro considered this for a moment before speaking.

"Ran, if it's too much for you, you can stay with Eri for now."

Understanding his daughter's emotions, he didn't push her to accept the situation right away.

Given how close Ran and Shinichi were, perhaps some distance would help her process things.

"…Yeah."

Ran gently placed the glasses back on the boy's face.

Her expression was conflicted, and she couldn't hide it.

"Dad, I'd like to take the day off from school."

"Alright. Take the day to rest. Call your mother and ask her to pick you up."

"I'll contact Mom now."

Ran took a deep breath, forcing herself to regain control over her emotions.

She turned to Yukiko and Yusaku, bowing slightly in apology.

"I'm sorry. I… I just can't control how I feel right now."

"There's no need to apologize, Ran."

Yukiko walked over and pulled her into a warm embrace.

"We understand."

"If something like this had happened to me…"

She trailed off before shaking her head.

"It's okay, Ran. You don't have to keep thinking about Shinichi."

"…"

Ran forced a small, sad smile.

"Aunt Yukiko, I'm going upstairs now."

"Alright. Take your time."

Ran nodded, then turned and walked up to the third floor.

The second floor of the building was Kogoro's detective agency, while the third floor served as their living space.

But even that was cramped, there were only two rooms, one belonging to Kogoro and the other to Ran.

Now, with a new resident—a boy, no less—the limited space felt even more suffocating.

The moment Ran reached her room, she closed the door and let out a deep sigh.

She pulled out a diary from her desk.

"…"

Looking at the words she had written before, her expression turned bitter.

"I really can't accept this."

She already knew what had happened to Shinichi.

She knew that he had been struck from behind and poisoned.

She even knew that the child standing next to Uncle Yusaku was Shinichi himself.

But what difference did knowing make?

When she and Shinichi were together, she was always a burden to his investigations.

Whenever there was a case, whenever danger appeared, Shinichi always ran ahead.

And she?

She was always left behind, her feelings disregarded.

And now… this deception.

Ran clenched her fists.

If Shinichi had just been honest with her, she would have understood.

Even if it meant she would be in danger too, she would have protected his secret.

She would have helped him keep it.

But instead?

He made the choice to hide everything from her.

To 'protect' her, without even giving her a say in it.

And yet… he still made sure to stay by her side.

By erasing 'Kudo Shinichi' and living next to her as someone else, what was he trying to do?

Watch over her? Keep other people away from her?

"…I can't accept this, Shinichi."

She couldn't accept being treated this way.

She couldn't accept Shinichi's selfishness.

If he had just told her the truth, she would have supported him.

But this?

This wasn't something she could accept.

Ran took a deep breath, then picked up her phone and dialed her mother's number.

"…Mom."

"What's wrong, Ran? You don't sound okay."

"…Something happened. Can you come pick me up?"

"…Stay at home. I'll be there soon."

Hearing the distress in her daughter's voice, Kisaki Eri didn't hesitate for a second.

She immediately set aside her work, grabbed her coat and bag, and rushed out the door.

Within thirty minutes, Eri arrived at the Mouri Detective Agency.

Instead of heading straight to the third floor, she entered through the office on the second floor.

There, she was surprised to find Yukiko and Yusaku already present.

But what struck her even more was their expressions.

The tension in the room was unmistakable.

"What's going on here?"

Seeing their grim faces, Eri felt a sense of unease settle in her chest.

Turning to Kogoro, she asked, "Kogoro, what happened?"

"That kid is in trouble."

"!?"

Eri immediately understood.

So that's why Ran sounded so shaken on the phone.

She sighed, rubbing her forehead as if trying to ward off an impending headache.

"…Yukiko."

"I'm fine," Yukiko replied, though her exhaustion was evident.

The usual playful charm in her expression was nowhere to be found.

No matter what she said, 'fine' was far from the truth.

Still, Eri chose not to press her further.

She knew pushing Yukiko too much would only add to the stress.

Instead, she shifted her focus.

"What's going on with Ran?"

Kogoro cleared his throat awkwardly, then cast a glance at the child standing beside Yusaku.

Eri followed his gaze—and immediately understood.

"…Is that what I think it is?"

Kogoro gave her a silent nod.

Eri pursed her lips, her expression unreadable.

"…So this child… is Yusaku and Yukiko's?"

"They're asking us to take care of him while they handle things overseas."

That alone spoke volumes about the severity of the situation.

If they were leaving their child behind, it meant they were about to dive into something extremely dangerous.

And the implications of Shinichi's 'death' ran far deeper than it seemed.

Eri sighed.

"Kogoro, given Ran's current emotional state, she should stay with me for a while."

Kogoro nodded.

"That's probably for the best."