(5/5)

  "Shinomiya!"

  Sonoko approached Kaguya with a loud voice that immediately drowned out all other chatter in the .

  "Why did you suddenly trao Teitan?"

  "Why? Am I not allowed to transfer here, or does Teitan High School fall uhe Suzuki family's domain?"

  "Tsk, I never said anything like that."

  Although the Suzuki family's industry was deeply tied to educatioan High School wasn't part of their holdings.

  And Sonoko had no i in studying at one of her family's schools either.

  After all, attending a sanaged by her family would mean being under her parents' watchful eyes all the time.

  Why subject herself to that kind of scrutiny when she could enjoy her freedom elsewhere?

  "Weren't you doing fine in Shu? Why leave your territory to e here of all pces?"

  "I just wanted a ge of sery."

  "Hmm… something about this seems off."

  Sonoko's instincts were sharp.

  "It was already strange enough when you showed up at Tropical Land over the weekend and were lio Sanzenin. Now, you've taken over a major position in your family, yet you're suddenly transferring schools?"

  It was a gut feeling, but Sonoko couldn't shake the sehat Kaguya to something.

  Her sudden transfer didn't sit right with her, and Sonoko couldn't help but feel like there was a hidden motive behind it all.

  "So, are you here to interrogate me?"

  "Not really. I just have a strong feeling you'll bring trouble wherever you go."

  Sonoko crossed her arms, her tone being more direct.

  "From what I know about you, you'd never willingly leave your fort zone. Someone must've forced you out."

  "…This woman is sharper than she looks," Kaguya thought, her expression remaining calm despite the implications of Sonoko's words.

  Even though Sonoko hadn't ht said who might be behind Kaguya's transfer, her dedu was ulingly close to the truth.

  "So, what's your clusion, Miss Suzuki?"

  "Hmph~"

  Sonoko smirked, her tone ced with sarcasm.

  "It's exactly as I thought. There's no way someone as id calg as you would leave your cushy enviro without a reason."

  "You py dumb all you want, but sooner or ter, I'll figure out why you're here."

  "And the reason you're w with that arrogant Sanzenin kid."

  With that, she turned ahe , her sharp observation leaving Kaguya momentarily speechless.

  Sonoko's tentative clusion was clear.

  Kaguya's transfer had a purpose, and that purpose was likely tied to her mysterious cooperation with Sanzenin.

  Whatever their pn was, Sonoko k hadn't been Kaguya's decision to transfer, someone else had pulled the strings.

  "There's definitely something going on," Sonoko muttered as she exited the .

  Just as she stepped into the hallway, her eyes fell on a familiar figure.

  It was the boy she had bumped into earlier.

  A gentle breeze blew through the open window, lifting his bangs slightly and revealing his face.

  Behind the thick lenses of his gsses was a mature, handsome face, its subtle charm more apparent now iural light.

  "Delicious!"

  As someone who prided herself oaste in appearances, Sonoko silently rated him.

  Shinichi had always been her gold standard, sg a solid of ten. But she deducted a point because of his obsessive love for mysteries.

  The boy in front of her, however, had a "hidden" charm that boosted his score signifitly.

  While his outward appearance might only score a six at first ghe hiddeh in his expression easily added three points, making him a solid nine.

  "I never noticed we had someone like this at school…"

  "Why are these quiet types always the ones with hidden charm?"

  She couldn't expin why, but she felt intrigued by him.

  If it weren't for the circumstaoday, she'd already have invited him out to hang out ao know each other better.

  For now, though, she had to let it go.

  Sonoko took a deep breath, gathered herself, and walked over to the boy.

  "Amamiya, are you free this weekend?"

  "Eh?"

  "Let's go on a date. What do you think?"

  "Date…"

  Ren blinked in surprise. "I don't go out much except for work."

  "Do you have a part-time job this weekend?"

  He pulled out his phone and checked his schedule.

  "No, I don't."

  "Thehe day with me. What do you say?"

  "…I'm not very good at talking."

  "I figured as much," Sonoko said with a grin. "But dating is about spending time together. The more time we spend, the easier it'll be to talk."

  "So, how about it?"

  What could he say to that?

  "If you don't find it b…"

  Sonoko's smile grew brighter.

  "Then it's settled. I'll handle all the pnning. Just follow my lead this weekend."

  "Okay."

  "Great! I'll tact you the day before to finalize everything."

  With their pns made, Sonoko turned and walked away.

  As soon as she turned her back, she couldn't suppress her excitement.

  "Ahhh~ This is my first date with Amamiya, the boy with hidden charm!"

  "My taste is as sharp as ever!"

  Meanwhile, Ren remained in the hallway, gazing out the window as Sonoko disappeared into the .

  "Well, it's pretty clear now that Sonoko doesn't have the diary."

  The step would be firming Ran's situation.

  But a date?

  Ren g the sky, watg the clouds drift by, a out a sigh.

  "Dating, huh? How does that even work?"

  "I've never been on one before…"

  "…Actually, I've never even been asked out before."

  Ren had a clear sense of self-awareness.

  He wasn't someone who stood out in a crowd. Quiet, reserved, and filled with ihoughts, he cked the social experieo hauations like this.

  Especially when it came to iing with girls he had just met.

  In his sixteen years of life, nothing like this had ever happeo him.

  "This is way more stressful than w."

  Still, his diary required daily entries, and having new experiences might lead to better rewards.

  "Maybe spending time with Sonoko will help me learn more. That wouldn't be so bad."

  The only problem was his tenden up in versations.

  "Holy, dating sounds more exhausting than a full shift at work."

  But for now, he reasohat a first date would likely just be casual, maybe a simple outing.

  Though, in a pce like Beika City, weekends were rarely uful.