Back in the room, Sonoko closed the door and said to Ran and Hoshino, "That's the first time I've ever found fans so terrifying. His reason for killing someone gave me chills."
"Yeah," Ran nodded.
Hoshino lay on the bed and closed his eyes. "Let's sleep. We'll leave early tomorrow."
The moment he finished speaking, he heard a scraping sound beside him.
He opened his eyes to find that the two girls had pushed the bed across the room right next to his.
Ran said shyly, "Hoshino, I feel safer with the beds together."
Hoshino was speechless. He closed his eyes again.
Sonoko looked at the two beds pushed together, her eyes gleaming. She whispered, "Ran, do you want the inside or the outside?"
"You pick first."
"Um—" Sonoko really wanted the inside, but she was too shy to say it. Finally, she chose the outside. "I'll take the outside."
She regretted it instantly, but it was too late to change.
"Okay." Ran nodded, then got into bed and lay down. She looked at Hoshino's profile beside her, feeling strangely familiar.
Soon, she remembered that night in Saitama Prefecture. Hoshino couldn't sleep because of her father's snoring and had ended up in her bed.
"Lights off." Sonoko turned off the light, plunging the room into darkness. She quietly slipped into bed, snuggled close to her best friend, and couldn't help but hug her.
Not long after, the room fell silent.
Only their breathing remained. Whether they were asleep or not, only they knew.
Time passed—though it felt like only moments—when a rumbling sound came from outside.
The three in the room woke immediately.
"What's that?" Sonoko looked anxiously out the window.
Kurosawa Hoshino raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like a helicopter."
"What's a helicopter doing out here?" Ran asked, puzzled.
"Let's go see." Hoshino gestured for the two girls to get up. They opened the door and went outside.
They weren't the only ones. Everyone else in the hotel had been awakened by the noise and came out as well.
A helicopter had landed in the open space by the door. Three more circled overhead.
"Hoshino-kun!" a familiar voice called from the parked helicopter.
Inspector Megure, one hand holding down his hat, walked over with two police officers. He beamed. "Hoshino, I've come to pick you up. What do you think? Touched?"
Kurosawa Hoshino glanced at the helicopters and said helplessly, "Inspector Megure, this is just an ordinary criminal. Was all this really necessary?"
"Haha, don't worry. The higher-ups already approved. Let's go—get on the helicopter first. I'll take you back."
Kurosawa checked his phone. Less than an hour had passed since they called the police. What should have been a three-hour drive—six hours round trip—had been reduced to under two.
Amuro Tooru and the others watched in astonishment. This was the first time they'd seen just how much weight Kurosawa Hoshino carried with the police.
Kurosawa Hoshino and Ran boarded the first helicopter. Amuro Tooru, Hattori Heiji, Conan, and a few others boarded the second that landed shortly after. The rest—including the criminal—owed their return to Beika Town tonight to Kurosawa Hoshino. None of them had to wait until morning.
Hattori Heiji sat by the window, watching the lead helicopter ahead. "Kurosawa's doing well."
He wasn't envious. His father, Hattori Heizo, was the Osaka Prefectural Police Chief. He'd taken helicopters to assist the police countless times. This was nothing new.
Amuro Tooru nodded. "Kurosawa is certainly welcomed by the Metropolitan Police Department."
Then his expression froze. A terrible realization hit him.
Oh no. I told Gin I couldn't come back. Now I'm going back by helicopter. How am I supposed to explain this to him? Will he point a gun at my head and suspect me of being an undercover agent?
At least so many people saw tonight. I'll just honestly say it was because of Kurosawa Hoshino.
A faint smile returned to his face.
Conan, on the other hand, had lost a lot of blood last night. After walking all day and encountering more trouble in the evening, he hadn't rested at all. He was already dozing off, eyes closed.
Inside the lead helicopter, the atmosphere was lively. Inspector Megure chatted with Kurosawa Hoshino.
"Hoshino, you've had your share of troubles these past few days. Ahem, to be honest, I'm starting to suspect you're possessed by the Grim Reaper. Everywhere you go, people die."
"Inspector Megure, people die every day in Beika Town even when I stay home."
"Ahaha, that's true." Megure laughed awkwardly.
Kurosawa changed the subject. "By the way, who suggested picking me up by helicopter?"
Megure straightened his back, smiling proudly. "Hoshino, it was me. I mentioned it to my superiors, and they agreed immediately."
Sonoko teased, "Inspector Megure, it seems every case Hoshino helped you solve wasn't for nothing. You've got a lot of influence in the Metropolitan Police Department now."
"It's nothing, really." Megure tried to suppress the corners of his mouth, but he couldn't.
He felt that in another year, he'd definitely be promoted—no longer stuck at the rank of inspector.
If Kurosawa Hoshino knew what he was thinking, he'd say, Don't even think about it. It'll never happen in this lifetime. A promotion next year? That depended on whether the world allowed it. Otherwise, it would always be "just six more months."
"Inspector Megure, thank you for coming to pick us up so late." Kurosawa Hoshino knew social etiquette and was appropriately polite.
Megure waved his hands repeatedly. Kurosawa could thank him, but he dared not accept it too readily. He had to stay humble.
Ran asked, "Sonoko, are you staying at my place tonight or going home?"
"We're back in Beika Town, so of course I'm going home. Besides, my house has a dedicated helipad. It won't delay the helicopter's landing."
"How impressive. As expected of a young lady—you speak so casually and effortlessly." Kurosawa Hoshino teased.
Sonoko didn't say anything. She just bumped her head against him to express her dissatisfaction.