Starting With The Sefirah Castle In The Anime World

What truly matters in a relationship isn't whether the other person fits the "male protagonist" archetype, but rather the mutual understanding and emotional connection between both parties.

When one side chooses to deceive, that connection is severed before it can even begin.

And when the selfish motivations behind the deception are laid bare, the relationship loses all meaning.

Even so, Sonoko remained fully supportive of Ran's decision.

"That's right! Ran, this is the best choice for you."

"Shinichi is just going to get himself into even bigger trouble in the future."

"The problems he's facing now are already a huge mess, and the aftermath of what he did isn't something that will just go away."

She could only shake her head at his actions.

Faking his own death might have ensured his safety, but at the same time, it meant completely abandoning his past identity.

If the organization that turned Shinichi into a child never collapsed, and if no cure for the poison was ever discovered, then there were only two possible futures for him:

1. He remains a child forever.

2. He has to grow up all over again.

But either way, the Shinichi that Ran once knew was gone.

If he really had to relive his childhood, was Ran supposed to wait for him to grow up again?

To Sonoko, it was obvious once Ran had rejected Shinichi, no amount of effort on his part would change the outcome.

"Yeah," Ran murmured.

She hadn't analyzed things as deeply as Sonoko.

She just couldn't accept the fact that Shinichi had approached her under the guise of "protecting" her—only to use that as an excuse for his own selfishness.

It wasn't that she couldn't understand why he did it.

But if she could have accepted it, she wouldn't have moved out to live with her mother.

"What are you going to do now?"

"I mean, about Shinichi."

"I'll pretend I don't know."

Ran had already made up her mind.

"If he's already 'killed off' the identity of Kudo Shinichi, then I'll treat him as though he's dead."

"He's a different person now, just another kid adopted by Aunt Yukiko and Uncle Yusaku."

"I won't expose him, but I don't want to live under the same roof as him either."

"Yeah, that's probably for the best."

Sonoko was genuinely glad Ran had come to a decision.

Considering everything Shinichi had gotten himself involved in, it was safer for Ran to keep her distance. Otherwise, he might end up dragging her into even more dangerous situations.

Now, though, another topic came up.

"The next thing we need to talk about is Amamiya."

"He's the one writing the diary, the one who knows the entire story, and the one who understands more than anyone else."

Sonoko crossed her arms with a smirk.

"Well, no wonder I ended up taking an interest in him."

"His appearance wasn't the only thing he was hiding, he's got secrets in other areas too."

See?

Her taste in men was top-tier.

She had managed to pick out the diary writer from an entire sea of people!

Now that she understood the situation, things made sense.

"That explains why that ice queen Shinomiya Kaguya suddenly transferred out of Shuchiin."

"She was testing Amamiya."

"And that arrogant little rich girl following her…"

"I was wondering why she was involved, too. So that's what's going on."

She had been confused about what those two were scheming behind the scenes.

Now, she finally had her answer.

"So, are you planning to meet Amamiya directly?"

"Well… yeah, I was thinking about it."

"In that case, how about this weekend?"

"Huh?"

Ran blinked at Sonoko in surprise.

"But… aren't you going on a date with Amamiya this weekend?"

"Well, dating is important, but so is discussing this situation properly."

"And it's not weird if you're there too. We'll just say it's a friendly get-together."

"That way, I can keep seeing Amamiya without it being suspicious."

"…Wait, you still plan on dating him?"

"Of course!"

Sonoko tilted her head as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"It's not like I was planning to date him for any deep reason. I just think he's super handsome."

"And if I like looking at him, then isn't it only natural to keep dating him?"

Ran sighed.

Seeing how matter-of-fact Sonoko was about the whole thing, she realized her earlier concerns were pointless.

Indeed, Sonoko had no ulterior motives.

She was dating Amamiya simply because she found him attractive.

That was all.

"Ran, I'll message you tomorrow. Make sure you're ready."

"Got it."

Even if the real purpose of the outing was to introduce Ran to Amamiya, Sonoko still treated it like a proper date.

Which meant proper preparation was necessary.

So, early the next morning, Suzuki Sonoko was already getting ready.

She picked out a stylish outfit, applied light makeup, and made sure everything was in place.

Once she was satisfied, she headed out to meet Ran.

Their meeting spot?

In front of Ren's apartment.

Arriving by car, Sonoko stepped out and spotted Ran waiting for her.

"Uncle Ryo, pick me up later tonight."

"Understood, Miss."

After giving her driver instructions, Sonoko walked toward Ran.

"Ran!"

She waved, then took a moment to really look at her best friend.

"Oh~ You changed your look today."

"I feel like if we stand next to each other, you're going to steal my spotlight as the main heroine."

"That's not true!"

Ran laughed, feeling a little embarrassed by the exaggerated compliment.

"I'm not joking."

Sonoko shook her head.

"Today, you look even more beautiful than yesterday."

"And there's something… different about you."

Sonoko had always been attentive to Ran's changes.

This time, it wasn't just her outfit.

It was something deeper, a subtle shift in her entire presence.

A change that came from within.

***

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