"Maybe it's not that I'm unsure. Maybe I already became certain the moment I heard the news of Shinichi's death. What's uncertain is just... my emotions."
As she said this, Ran slowly lowered her head, her gaze falling on Edogawa Conan beside her.
So much had happened in the span of a single month—more than she'd experienced in the past ten years combined.
She had been exposed to too many things, which had left her confused and unsure how to sort through her emotions.
Then, turning to glance at Ren beside her, Ran quietly leaned in.
"That uncertainty… it used to be real. But now I'm sure."
"Maybe the bond between me and Shinichi was completely severed the moment he chose to let Kudo Shinichi 'die.'"
At just the right moment, Ren reached out and wrapped Ran into a gentle hug.
Ran's cheeks turned a soft pink. Her heart was racing.
And at that moment, she realized—when she was with Ren, she couldn't keep her emotions in check.
Before, she had dismissed this as simple attraction or fleeting emotion. But now... she could say with certainty that she had fallen in love.
Not with her childhood sweetheart, Kudo Shinichi, who had already "died"—but with the boy named Amamiya Ren, whom she'd only known for a month.
"Now, when I'm with you, I feel like I don't have to endure topics I don't care about. When I'm with you, my heart races, and sometimes I catch myself thinking about you without realizing it."
Ran couldn't help but recall everything that had happened over the past month.
The initial shock of learning that Shinichi had shrunk into a child had been washed away by the discovery of the diary—by the sheer emotional chaos it had unleashed.
When it was confirmed that Shinichi had effectively erased himself from existence, Ren had quietly entered her world.
At first, it was just fleeting encounters at school. Then, gradually, their interactions deepened after class. And eventually, the space left behind by Shinichi had been filled.
A quiet, slightly self-conscious boy had always kept a respectable distance from her.
But somehow, little by little, he became part of her everyday life—adding color to her once-monochrome days.
Habit was a frightening thing.
When Ran realized that she had grown used to Ren being around, she also realized something else: her feelings for him were growing.
Maybe she couldn't say with 100% certainty that she "liked" him.
But she definitely wanted to share everything with him.
She wanted to let him see the emotional parts of her that no one else could.
"I ran into Aunt Yumi on my way home Monday night. When I heard about the weekend hot spring trip, you were the first person I thought of."
Ran sighed softly.
"I think it was because of something Aunt Yumi said. She said, 'You can go on a hot spring trip with your boyfriend and surprise your dad.' And the first person I thought of... was you."
"…That's an incredible honor."
Ren hadn't expected that at all.
"Is this because of the story again?" Ran asked, raising an eyebrow.
Ren nodded with a somewhat pained expression.
"It is. In the story, your feelings for Kudo Shinichi were so unwavering. Even when complications arose, you never faltered."
"So I assumed... that you were still just as loyal in real life."
Hearing this, Ran angrily pinched the "big idiot" beside her.
"I can be loyal—but he didn't give me the chance."
"Loyalty starts with communication, right? He destroyed his own identity. We weren't even in a relationship. So why should I wait around and avoid getting close to other guys just for him?"
"That's not loyalty. That's just blind devotion!"
If they had been a couple, maybe it would've been different. But they weren't.
Loyalty should only exist in a confirmed relationship.
"I was just a fool in that story. Who would be that loyal to someone they weren't even dating?"
"And do you think I wasn't hurt by how I was treated in that story? No matter how patient someone is, if they're constantly hurt, they'll eventually give up."
Ran had never believed that feelings could last forever on their own. No matter how deep the bond, it had to be nurtured.
She had seen her own parents, despite their once-strong relationship, live apart because of unresolved issues.
She and Shinichi were just childhood friends. Nothing more.
Hiss—!
Ren flinched from the sharp pain where she had pinched him. Even the "clown" couldn't hide the agony from his face.
"Ran, please go easy on me… My body's not that durable."
Ran paused and stopped pinching. She glanced at the spot on his waist she had just grabbed.
She thought about massaging the bruise to help ease the blood flow, but gave up.
They were outside. She couldn't just slip her hand under Ren's clothes, could she?
She couldn't exactly do it over the fabric either.
So instead, she lightly knocked on his arm a couple of times.
"Anyway, the characters in the story are way too perfect. But no one's that flawless in real life."
"No one can sustain a one-sided love forever. Especially in relationships. If the feelings aren't returned, they'll burn out."
"Even if my parents had a strong bond, they still live apart because of their differences. If I didn't know that they still care about each other and secretly meet from time to time, I might've thought their relationship was over."
"Huh?"
That was the first time Ren had heard this particular detail, and he was genuinely surprised.
"Your parents still meet up often?"
Ran pouted slightly and replied in exasperation.
"Of course. Why else do you think they've been separated for so long without divorcing? You think it's just because of me?"
"Those two just had an argument. It's not like they really fell out. I've been watching the whole time. How could I not know?"
"Both of them are stubborn. If either one would just take the first step, they'd be back to normal. I even tried arranging situations to bring them together without them realizing. I gave them every chance."
"But they always put on an act in front of me."
Click.
Ran clicked her tongue in irritation.
Sometimes, being the one who knew the truth was the most exhausting thing.
Especially when you had to pretend not to know.
(To be continued.)
***
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