Chapter 144: Confirmation of Love

Ai Hayasaka's assertive words left Kaguya Shinomiya silent.

Because she knew Hayasaka was absolutely right.

It wasn't just her whose fate was intertwined with Ren Amamiya's; there were others.

And it wasn't just one or two; she even thought it would continue to increase in the future.

Although Ren Amamiya didn't say it would definitely reach that point, Kaguya Shinomiya felt it was a high-probability event.

Because the connection between them through the diary would often grow deeper, and now that everyone was on the path to longevity, it was destined that their futures would be extraordinary.

In that case, their connection with Ren Amamiya would only strengthen and would never have any possibility of decreasing.

Kaguya Shinomiya was silent for a long time, and finally, she brought up a very willful, even intentional possibility.

"Then what if I quit now?"

"Then can you imagine Miss Fujiwara standing intimately with Ren Amamiya?"

Kaguya Shinomiya, who had just proposed this situation, felt her anger flare up for no reason.

In her mind, she couldn't help but imagine that sow whose nutrition all went to her chest hugging Ren Amamiya's arm.

...Can't stand it!

Just by imagining it casually, Kaguya Shinomiya felt her blood pressure soaring.

She couldn't stand such a scene no matter what.

"Also, according to my speculation, Miss Suzuki actually has a tendency to win over Miss Mao Li."

"!?"

Hayasaka's sudden words also dealt Kaguya Shinomiya a heavy blow.

"When!"

"During this trip to Moon Shadow Island."

Kaguya Shinomiya widened her eyes, tried hard to think, and then reacted.

She gritted her teeth.

"It's the way they address him!"

She remembered that Sonoko Suzuki addressed Ren Amamiya as "Ren-Ren," and Ran Mao Li did the same.

Ai Hayasaka nodded slightly.

"According to what we know, the childhood sweetheart Miss Mao Li originally liked caused her disappointment after repeated deceptions and concealments."

"I personally think Miss Mao Li has been quite patient."

"Every time they go out together, it gets derailed by one case after another."

"There were originally chances to confess time and time again, but in the end, those words were never spoken."

"It's inevitable that Miss Mao Li would be disappointed."

"What's more, the last deception even involved selfish motives to move into Miss Mao Li's home; this situation would only double Miss Mao Li's disappointment."

Kaguya Shinomiya also agreed strongly.

Having read the investigation report, she also felt that Ran Mao Li's personality was indeed quite good; she was practically another version of Chika Fujiwara.

But no matter how good a personality is, it can't withstand repeated disappointments and repeated waiting.

And from Kaguya Shinomiya's perspective, as long as Shinichi Kudo had said certain things, his relationship with Ran Mao Li would have been stable.

But Kaguya Shinomiya didn't know why Shinichi Kudo hadn't been able to say those words of confession for so many years.

What was so difficult about that?

Kaguya Shinomiya couldn't understand it at all.

"At this point in time, Miss Mao Li is disappointed to the extreme with her original childhood sweetheart."

"And that Shinichi Kudo has also ruined his own identity."

"At this very moment, if a decent boy appeared by Miss Mao Li's side, wouldn't that boy attract Miss Mao Li's attention?"

Absolutely!

Kaguya Shinomiya had already given a definitive answer in her heart.

After all, it was just a childhood sweetheart relationship; did she need to care so much about someone who had already ruined his own identity?

Not confessing was Shinichi Kudo's own choice.

Being knocked unconscious, fed a drug, and ultimately choosing to abandon his identity as Shinichi Kudo to restore his identity as a high school student and to root out that organization—this was also Shinichi Kudo's own choice.

Since that's the case, if the childhood sweetheart who knows these secrets takes them at face value, then that's fine, right?

They were just childhood sweethearts, not in a dating relationship; since that's the case, it's only natural for either side to interact with other members of the opposite sex.

"Ren Amamiya already stated clearly before that because of our intertwined fates, there will inevitably be some complex relationships between us and him in the future."

"You had no objections back then, and Miss Mao Li had no objections either."

"Isn't this just putting it into practice now?"

What a "practice."

Kaguya Shinomiya felt she was about to be laughed into anger.

But soon her mind returned to calm.

"...Hayasaka, you're not wrong."

"Ren Amamiya said it in advance; how things develop later is our own problem."

"Whether we become friends forever, lovers, or wives, we need to distinguish between them."

Kaguya Shinomiya's mind gradually calmed down, and at the same time, she understood that their relationship would likely not be simple in the future.

There were only two choices: becoming friends or becoming lovers.

Kaguya Shinomiya already understood in her heart that her attitude toward Ren Amamiya had changed.

She also couldn't accept the image of Fujiwara or other women standing intimately with Ren Amamiya, so her choice was destined.

But even if some things were destined, the order of priority still needed to be clear.

That emotion wasn't fake.

Kaguya Shinomiya already understood that her care for Ren Amamiya was love.

The discomfort she felt in her heart when Ren Amamiya called her to talk about other women was jealousy.

After clarifying this point, Kaguya Shinomiya felt her face burning a little.

Especially the mention of "wife" and "lover" that came out of her own mouth.

"...Phew."

Taking a deep breath, Kaguya Shinomiya forced herself to remain calm.

"For now, let's not bring up this topic."

"Let our relationship with Ren Amamiya develop in the normal way."

"As for the question of wife and lover, it probably won't be clear in the short term."

"The problem now is how I should reply to Ren Amamiya's request."

The question of dating wasn't the main issue right now.

This question couldn't be resolved in a moment, and furthermore, Kaguya Shinomiya didn't think they could clarify their relationship with Ren Amamiya very quickly.

Emotional matters require closeness and need to develop slowly.

For now, it's best to let things take their natural course.

But the matter Ren Amamiya entrusted to her was immediate and needed a response as soon as possible.

"Miss Kaguya, since you've decided to help, you don't need to worry."

"A normal reply is sufficient."

"Besides, Ren Amamiya doesn't trouble others easily, but once he opens his mouth, it's an acknowledgment of that person."

"And who knows, maybe Ren Amamiya is looking for an older sister?"

"..."

Kaguya Shinomiya was stunned, and her brain finally reacted; it seemed this possibility wasn't non-existent.

Then, her mind suddenly cleared.

"I understand."

— Author's Notes —

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