The contents of the letter were indeed nothing to hide. However, the very first sentence made everyone's lips twitch.
"Dad!" Ran huffed, hands on her hips. But seeing her father's evasive eyes and the wrinkles around his eyes, her heart softened, and her voice became gentler. "Dad, when you go out and brag to others in the future, can you please stop saying things like Hoshino is your apprentice? You even revealed his address!"
"I never revealed that brat's address!" Kogorō glared, as if he had been greatly wronged.
Sonoko shook her head and sighed. Haibara's eyes held a hint of disdain.
Ran said softly, "Dad, do you know that the reason Sawaki Kohei was able to attack Hoshino was because you told him your address when you were bragging to him? That's how he was able to attack Hoshino downstairs."
"I—" Kogorō opened his mouth, then lowered his head guiltily, no longer trying to be tough. "Hoshino, I'm sorry. Sometimes I drink too much and can't control myself. I'm really sorry for putting you in danger."
"Uncle Kogorō, it's all alright. As long as you take Ran—"
Before Kurosawa could finish speaking, Kogorō immediately interrupted him, roaring loudly, "You brat! I knew you had something going on! When you moved across the street, you said you couldn't cook and would come to our house to eat—and you'd pay us. Now your true intentions are exposed. You've got your eye on my Ran. Let me tell you—"
"Dad~" Ran's shy voice echoed in the living room. Although her face was flushed, the background behind her seemed to have turned into a raging fire, as if it could burn the entire living room down.
For a moment, everyone fell silent, nervously swallowing hard.
"Ran—I—I was just talking nonsense," Kogorō stammered.
Kurosawa added, "Uncle Mouri was indeed talking nonsense. I just meant to say that you could clean my room for me when you have time."
"Yes, yes, I already guessed what he was thinking. I was just teasing him," Kogorō quickly chimed in.
"I noticed it too," Kurosawa smiled.
Sonoko watched the two men's back-and-forth banter with a strange expression. She felt a strange familiarity with the scene but couldn't quite place where she'd seen it before.
"That's it!" she murmured suddenly, finally remembering why it felt so familiar. It was similar to the drama she'd watched the night before. In the drama, a daughter was scolding her father, and her husband, in turn, helped him get away with it. After getting away with it, the father-in-law even put his arm around his son-in-law's neck, expressing his approval.
Ran, seeing her father had regained his composure, was no longer like a volcano about to erupt.
Kogorō breathed a sigh of relief, walked over to Kurosawa, put his arm around his neck, and whispered, "You brat, I'll remember this favor."
Kurosawa shrugged, a smile spreading across his face.
Sonoko thought to herself, It's exactly like in the TV drama. These two really looked like a father-in-law and son-in-law just now.
"By the way, why did Sawaki attack you?" Kogorō remembered the important matter and asked Kurosawa.
"Here's what happened—" Kurosawa carefully explained the matter of Sawaki Kohei.
After listening, Kogorō's expression disappeared, and he said darkly, "Are you sure he originally wanted to attack Eri too?"
"Yes." Ran interjected. "Inspector Megure himself said it."
"That bastard!" Kogorō clenched his fists. "We've known each other for so many years, and he doesn't treat me like a friend at all."
Ran nodded. "Yes, Dad. So you have to be careful when making friends in the future. Don't make friends with any bad influences." Of course, only Ran could say these things; Kurosawa and the others remained silent, not participating.
"Aren't we going to talk about the letter?" Suddenly, Haibara spoke up abruptly.
"That's right." Ran glared at her father again. "Dad, how many people have you told this lie that Hoshino is your apprentice? Let me tell you the truth!"
She read the letter aloud: "Dear Mr. Kogorō Mouri, I've heard you're the teacher of the famous high school detective, Kurosawa Hoshino. Your sudden letter is extremely abrupt, but I'll get straight to the point. A very strange thing has suddenly happened in my family, and I sincerely hope that you—the teacher of this famous detective—can solve the mystery for us."
The letter was from an unknown detective novelist named Nakamura Misao. It said that a few days ago, his grandfather passed away, and he received an old villa that his grandfather had given him before his death. However, since moving there, strange things had been happening every day, and he even felt like someone was spying on him. The letter also said that he'd been there for many days, but he still couldn't find the kitchen—which had everyone pondering.
Soon, Ran finished the letter with a final note: "Looking back now, my grandfather said on his deathbed that the villa he gave me was very special. That sentence has always stayed with me. If you are interested in my request, please come before 10:30 a.m. I eagerly await your news—Respectfully, Nakamura Misao."
"So what's the point of hiding this letter?" Sonoko asked, puzzled.
Kurosawa laughed. "I think Uncle Mouri probably mistook Nakamura Misao for a woman."
"That's right." Kogorō said confidently. "And she must be a talented woman in her twenties or thirties, but lonely at heart." After saying that, he tilted his head back, opened his mouth, stuck out his tongue, and laughed heartily.
Ran, Sonoko, and Haibara—the three—stared at Kogorō with disdain, finding the scene rather embarrassing.
"Kid, how about it? Interested? Want to go take a look?" Kogorō looked at Kurosawa.
Kurosawa stretched, put his hands in his pockets, and nodded. "Of course, Uncle Mouri. Since you've already boasted about it, I'll go with you and support you."
"Really? That's great! Let's go rent a car right away." Kogorō invited Kurosawa simply to be on the safe side. Leaving aside other matters, if he couldn't handle it himself, he could ask Kurosawa to step in.
Kurosawa chuckled. He agreed to go along simply because it was an episode from the original series—one that could even be considered a childhood nightmare. When people watched that episode, especially when they met that eye, countless viewers were terrified and shuddered. That scene was probably unforgettable for a lifetime.