Time flew by, and the day of the karate tournament was fast approaching.
That morning, during class, Sonoko Suzuki couldn't help but notice that Ran Mouri looked… off. Her usually bright expression was clouded, and she kept sighing between notes.
When the bell rang for break, Sonoko immediately slid over to her desk."Ran, what's wrong? You look totally out of it today."
Ran hesitated for a moment, her expression oddly complicated. "You might not believe me even if I tell you… My dad and Kuroda-kun… they're calling each other brothers now."
"…Huh?" Sonoko blinked, then suddenly burst out laughing. "Wait, what?! Don't tell me Uncle Mouri was drunk again!"
Ran pressed her lips together, looking like she didn't even know where to start. "It's… hard to explain. I'll just show you the video."
She pulled out her phone with a weary sigh, opened a clip, and handed it to Sonoko.
Sonoko leaned in eagerly, her eyes sparkling with gossip-fueled curiosity.
The video was a little shaky at first, the camera sneaking from the kitchen doorway toward the living room. From the angle alone, Sonoko instantly knew—Ran had filmed this in secret.
In the shot, Kogoro Mouri sat cross-legged on the tatami, clearly drunk and red-faced, gesturing wildly with a can of beer in hand.
"Kuroda-kun! You and I—ah, it's like we were destined to meet! Brothers separated by fate!" he bellowed. "From this day forward, you're my brother!"
Across from him, Ren Kuroda was calmly drinking tea, an amused smile tugging at his lips.
"Calling me your little brother, huh? Sure thing—if you can outdrink me," Ren said with mock seriousness. "But if you can't, then you're my little brother. Deal?"
Kogoro slammed his can on the table. "You think I can't outdrink you? Hah! You're on! Tonight we drink till one of us drops—whoever's still standing wins!"
Behind the camera, Ran's voice cut in, exasperated. "Dad! Kuroda-kun! Don't drink so much! You're betting on this?!"
Ren turned to the camera, shrugging lightly. "Don't look at me. Your dad's the one who started it."
Kogoro pointed drunkenly toward the doorway. "Quiet, you! Adults are talking! Kids don't interrupt!"
"Ugh! Fine, whatever! I'm not dealing with either of you anymore!" Ran huffed, clearly at her limit. "Drink yourselves silly if you want!"
The clip ended there.
"Wait, that's it?!" Sonoko frowned. "Where's the rest? You can't just stop there!"
Ran sighed, scrolling. "Here. Part two."
The next video picked up an hour later.Kogoro was now sprawled on the tatami, snoring loud enough to shake the walls.
Ren, still perfectly sober, crouched down and poked his cheek."Oi, wake up. We're not done drinking. What happened to proving I'd be your little brother, huh?"
No response.
Ren smirked and tapped him again. "Nothing? Then that's settled. From now on, you're Mouri-kun, my little bro."
Then he looked up toward Ran, who was still filming. "Don't worry, Ran. Your dad calls me 'Aniki,' but you can keep calling me Kuroda. We'll just… keep it separate."
"Uh…" Ran's voice came from behind the camera, caught between embarrassment and disbelief.
In the video's final seconds, Ren hoisted Kogoro up and carried him toward his bedroom. Ran quickly stopped recording and hurried over to help.
The screen faded to black.
Ran let out a long sigh. "So now do you get how weird this is?"
Sonoko was already laughing so hard she had to wipe tears from her eyes. "Oh my god, that's hilarious! Kuroda-kun's amazing! Who else could actually get along with Uncle Mouri that well?"
"I'm not talking about that!" Ran groaned, mortified. "My dad actually wants to call Kuroda-kun his big brother! Doesn't that mess up the entire family hierarchy?!"
Sonoko waved a hand, still giggling. "Relax, it's just a guy thing. A weird, ego-driven, macho pride thing. My dad's the same way."
Ran tilted her head. "Huh? Really?"
"Oh yeah," Sonoko said matter-of-factly. "He's got an entire underground shelter in our house, stocked with food, batteries, and canned goods because he's obsessed with survival games. Keeps calling it his 'post-apocalyptic fortress.' I stopped questioning him years ago."
Ran blinked, then couldn't help but laugh a little. "I guess that makes me feel better…"
"But promise me," she added quickly, lowering her voice, "you cannot tell anyone about this. Especially not Shinichi. If he finds out my dad calls Kuroda-kun 'brother,' I'll die."
"Got it!" Sonoko grinned, flashing an OK sign. "My lips are sealed."
The bell rang, and the girls scrambled back to their seats before class resumed.
Later that afternoon, around three o'clock.
On their way to karate club practice, Ren said casually, "The tournament's only two days away."
"Starting today, we'll stop the high-intensity drills. Just do light warm-ups and rhythm work. What matters most now is your mental state."
Ran nodded firmly. "Got it!"
The thought of competition immediately pushed the previous embarrassment from her mind.
Ren stood back with his arms crossed as she warmed up, offering occasional pointers. After some shadow sparring and a few combination routines, an hour had passed before either of them realized.
Ren checked his watch. "That's enough for today. Wrap it up."
"Already? It's only been an hour!" Ran protested.
"The match is the day after tomorrow," Ren said calmly. "Panic training won't help you now. You've done enough."
Then, with a small smile, he added, "Besides, I'm taking you somewhere."
Ran blinked. "Somewhere?"
"Secret," he said lightly. "Go home first. I'll swing by after I change."
His mysterious tone immediately piqued her curiosity.
When Ran got home, she found her father lounging on the couch, flipping through channels.
He frowned when he saw she was alone. "Huh? Where's that Kuroda kid? Didn't he come by? I was planning to settle last night's drinking score with him!"
Ran ignored that part completely. "He said he's taking me somewhere later, but he wouldn't say where."
"Ahh…" Kogoro's eyes lit up with realization. "So that's what this is about."
"What is?" Ran asked curiously.
Kogoro smirked. "You'll find out soon enough. Go change—whatever that place is, your school uniform won't fit the mood."
"You know where he's taking me?" Ran pressed, leaning forward. "Tell me!"
He waved her off with a smug grin. "No spoilers. Knowing ruins the fun."
Ran puffed her cheeks in frustration but finally gave in. "Fine! I'll go change. And just so you know, I'm not cooking dinner tonight, so take care of yourself."
"Yeah, yeah. I'll grab ramen somewhere," Kogoro said absentmindedly, already reaching for another beer.
As Ran hurried upstairs, her father chuckled to himself.Kuroda, huh? Not bad, kid. Let's see what you've got planned.