121: Chapter 121 Ran Mouri's Disappointment, Sonoko Suzuki's Invitation

The afternoon sun slanted through the glass windows of the Mouri Detective Agency, casting a diamond-shaped patch of light on the floor.

Mouri Ran rested her chin on the windowsill, watching the pedestrians and vehicles passing by on the street below. Her fingertips unconsciously traced a scratch on the window frame—it was one Shinichi had accidentally made with a toy car when they were playing together as children.

It had been almost a year.

Ever since the news reported the "accidental death of high school detective Kudo Shinichi," the city seemed to have suddenly become empty.

On the way home from school, there was no longer that figure in a blue and white school uniform following behind her, rambling about Sherlock Holmes. In the detective agency, she could no longer hear him bickering with Mouri Kogoro. Even the deductions that Conan Edogawa occasionally made while imitating Shinichi's tone had become a luxury to think about.

"Sigh..."

She sighed softly and picked up the photo frame on the table. The photo was taken during last year's school trip; she was standing under a cherry blossom tree, and Shinichi was standing beside her, a faint smile on his lips, with a tenderness hidden in his eyes that even he hadn't realized.

Ran gently stroked the person in the photo with her fingertips, her eyes growing a little warm.

"Ran! Where's my beer?" Mouri Kogoro's drunken roar came from downstairs, interrupting her thoughts.

Ran put the photo frame back in the drawer and got up to go downstairs: "Dad, you've already had three cans. If you drink any more, you'll delay this afternoon's cases."

Mouri Kogoro was sprawled on the sofa, aimlessly pressing buttons on the remote control: "What cases? Ever since that brat left, the agency's business has dropped by half!"

The "brat" he referred to was Conan Edogawa. "Speaking of which, it's strange. That kid left too suddenly without even saying goodbye, just leaving a lousy note saying he went back to America. Could he have done something wrong and run away?"

"Dad!" Ran frowned. "Conan Edogawa isn't that kind of child."

Even though she said that, she did feel a bit lost inside. Conan Edogawa had lived at the agency for quite some time and had long since become like family.

He was smart and sensible, and the way he occasionally acted like a little adult always reminded her of Shinichi. But when she woke up yesterday morning, she only saw the note with childish handwriting on the table, saying he had been picked up by his parents, leaving her feeling empty.

Just then, her phone rang, and the name "Sonoko" flashed on the screen. Ran's eyes lit up, and she quickly answered the phone: "Hello, Sonoko?"

"Ran-chan! Did you miss me?"

Suzuki Sonoko's carefree voice came from the other end of the phone, with the sound of waves crashing against rocks in the background. "Guess where I am?"

"Aren't you traveling with Mr. Lin Long?" Mouri Ran said with a smile. "Are you in the Maldives? Or maybe Bali?"

"Neither!"

Sonoko's voice was full of pride. "I'm on Mr. Lin Long's private island! It's that 'house of god' he mentioned before; it's absolutely stunning! The beach is pinkish-white, the seawater is as blue as a gem, and at night you can see so, so many stars..."

Ran listened with longing: "That sounds amazing."

"Of course!"

Sonoko paused, her tone becoming mysterious. "I heard from Mr. Lin Long that Conan Edogawa went back to America? Ran-chan, are you very bored at home alone?"

Ran smiled shyly: "It's okay, just a little..."

"Don't 'it's okay' me!"

Sonoko interrupted her directly. "I've already arranged it with Mr. Lin Long to send a private plane to pick you and Mouri Kogoro up to come to the island for a few days! It's huge here, one more person doesn't make a difference, and it's perfect for you to keep me company shopping, swimming, and checking out handsome guys..."

"Eh? Is that okay?" Ran quickly waved her hands. "You two are a young couple traveling, wouldn't it be inappropriate for me to be a third wheel?"

"What third wheel!"

Sonoko said carelessly, "Mr. Lin Long said that friends are meant to have fun together! Besides, my parents are also on the island; they said they came to 'inspect,' but actually they just want to freeload! Come on, Ran-chan, I'm dying of boredom by myself. Those bodyguards all have straight faces, and no one is here to gossip with me..."

Ran was a little swayed by her words, and just as she was about to say something else, she heard Sonoko continue:

"By the way, Mr. Lin Long has already called Mouri Kogoro, and he'll definitely agree! Hurry up and pack your bags. The plane should arrive in Tokyo in an hour and will land directly at the temporary helipad at the Lin Family Manor in Beika Town. It's super convenient!"

"Eh?" Ran was stunned. "So fast?"

"Of course! Who do you think my husband is? It's Lin Long!"

Sonoko's voice was full of pride. "I won't talk anymore; I'm going to prepare a swimsuit for you—a bikini! Hurry, hurry, I'll be waiting for you on the island!"

The phone was hung up in a hurry. Ran held the phone, still a bit dazed. Suddenly, Mouri Kogoro's excited roar came from downstairs:

"Ran! Hurry and pack your bags! That kid Lin Long is a stand-up guy, actually inviting us to his private island! That's the 'house of god'; it's said that the security system alone cost hundreds of millions..."

Ran walked to the stairs and saw Mouri Kogoro rushing out of his bedroom with a huge travel bag, stuffed so full that even his most prized bottle of whiskey was shoved inside.

"Dad, aren't you being too fast?" Ran said helplessly.

"What do you mean too fast!"

Mouri Kogoro straightened his tie, having rarely put on a suit. "An invitation of this level might only happen once in a lifetime! Hurry up and change into a pretty dress. Once you're on the island, you might meet some young master from a Zaibatsu..."

"Dad!"

Ran's cheeks flushed slightly, and she turned and Ran back to her bedroom.

She opened her wardrobe and hesitated for a moment before taking out a light blue dress—the one she wore last time she went to the beach with Shinichi. He had awkwardly said, "It looks pretty good" back then.

Mouri Ran touched the fabric of the dress and suddenly felt a bit of anticipation.

Perhaps a change of environment would be good; leaving this city full of memories for a few days might make her feel better.

She simply packed a small suitcase with a few changes of clothes, sunscreen, and a swimsuit. After thinking for a moment, she took out the photo from the school trip that she had already put in the suitcase.

Mouri Ran looked at the photo with a complicated expression. "Maybe it's time to let go," Mouri Ran muttered to herself.

"Ran! Are you ready yet? The plane is almost here!" Mouri Kogoro urged from downstairs.

"Coming!" Mouri Ran zipped up her suitcase and took a deep breath.

As she walked out of the bedroom, the sunlight happened to shine through the corridor window and onto her, feeling warm.

From downstairs came the sound of Mouri Kogoro humming a tune while packing, and Sonoko's excited tone still lingered in her phone. Mouri Ran suddenly felt that the loss in her heart seemed to have been diluted quite a bit.

Perhaps this trip would be a good start.

She pulled her suitcase downstairs and said with a smile to Mouri Kogoro: "Dad, let's go."

Mouri Kogoro immediately straightened his back: "Let's go! Let those Zaibatsu see that we, the Mouri family, also have status!"

The father and daughter locked the door and headed towards the Lin Family Manor in Beika Town.

The sunlight spilled onto the street, stretching their shadows very long.

Mouri Ran looked up at the sky; it was a deep, clear blue, just like the sea Sonoko described.

She didn't know what kind of people and events she would encounter on this sudden trip.

But at this moment, her heart was filled with anticipation, like a child about to go on an adventure.

The roar of a private plane sounded in the distance, getting closer and closer.

Mouri Ran gripped the handle of her suitcase, a faint smile on her lips.