Half a minute earlier.
Mouri Ran and "Dr. Araide" entered the venue through the side door and jogged all the way to the backstage area.
The moment they entered, both of them felt that something was off. When they reached backstage, they were astonished to find that, despite the male and female leads both being absent, the play was somehow proceeding smoothly.
"Thank goodness." Mouri Ran let out a heavy sigh of relief. Though there was a reason for it, if she had really made nearly a hundred people below the stage wait just for her, it would have been far too agonizing.
Beside her, Vermouth felt that things were not that simple.
Wary and suspicious, she moved behind the Curtain and secretly peered toward the stage. When she saw what was happening onstage, her gaze suddenly froze.
"Teacher Araide? What's wrong?" Mouri Ran noticed her strange reaction and stepped over to take a look as well. All at once, she met the eyes of the Knight onstage, who was turning dashing around.
"Shin—" Mouri Ran was about to blurt it out when, suddenly, the Black Knight extended his hand with the momentum of his spin and wrapped an arm around the female lead in the white dress.
Mouri Ran: "..."
Vermouth: "..."
Kudo Shinichi: "..."
He looked at Mouri Ran backstage, then at the female lead before him with White Gauze covering her face, then back at Mouri Ran.
After two seconds of eye contact, his pupils trembled as he looked away, his gaze landing on the "female lead" before him.
Kudo Shinichi: "..." Who the hell are you?! Why is Ran backstage over there?!
Jodie, who had been waiting to observe "Dr. Araide's" reaction: "..." Who the hell are you?! Where's that annoying woman?!
"Ran!"
Backstage, Suzuki Sonoko