🎉🎉🎉SCIAW: Chapter 300/304

Chapter 300: Sequence 7 Cryptologist

[I thought it was just a meeting with Sonoko and asked her to choose a path, but it turned out to be an accident.]

[A conflict caused by a suicide case two years ago. But this time, the incident involved unnatural forces. The person who died back then became an evil spirit and used the murderer from this incident as a vessel to prolong its existence—all for revenge.]

[I originally thought it was just a simple act of vengeance. But I'm actually quite interested in the reason behind the suicide, especially since the target of the revenge has some unique circumstances.]

[Without anyone guiding my fate, it began to shift on its own.]

[Ah, because of this, I also performed a divination on what happened two years ago. As expected, the result was beyond what I imagined.]

[The exchange of seizure and sale added a layer of legal protection. This undermined the rationale behind the original revenge. It didn't change anything for the avenger, since they weren't concerned about the reasons, but it did stir my curiosity.]

[Because of this shift, what was once a dead end became a dead end with a glimmer of hope. My observation affected the size of that hope. Some of her preparations two years ago didn't make her safer. But because she had prepared, I felt she didn't deserve to die. So, a small chance emerged.]

[When I first observed fate, I actually became a variable myself.]

[Fate can be changed, but doing so requires many conditions. Coincidentally, the girl who should have been the main victim of this case had met some of those conditions. So, I helped a little.]

[Well, the murderer was possessed by the evil spirit. He was extremely brutal and planned to kill everyone who attended the class reunion.]

[That kind of thing is just unbearable.]

[I did show some mercy to the murderer. Reality was too painful for him. I pulled him into the dream he longed for so that, at least at the end of his life, he could live in that sweet fantasy world.]

[By the way, the evil spirit that possessed him was the person who committed suicide two years ago. Merciless.]

After writing the final entry, Ren ended today's diary.

He set the pen down, sat back in his chair, and slightly tilted his head to relieve the stiffness in his neck, staring at the ceiling.

"In the end, I thought it was just a meeting, but it turned into something much bigger."

At that moment, Ren silently offered a prayer to the death god of this world.

"Though things changed, I still got to meet Sonoko's sister. As expected, she was a bit reserved."

In truth, Ren felt that he might have been the more reserved one.

"A shift in identity."

He sighed, then opened the Fate Wheel.

"Chikako's fate became tied to mine too. But the biggest change this time was probably Ayako's."

Her destined marriage changed, her death was avoided, and she even became one of the extraordinary.

Chikako's fate had shifted as well. Ren wasn't sure if the magnitude of those changes was enough.

Soon, the Fate Wheel began to slow down.

[Lord of Mysteries]

[You have obtained the Sequence 7 potion: Cryptologist.]

Ren's hopeful expression froze for a second. He stared at the flask of potion in front of him, a trace of helplessness on his face.

"So, the degree of change was higher than I thought."

Wrong path. He was still at Sequence 9 and couldn't skip Sequence 8 to jump directly to Sequence 7.

"It takes two diary entries to get a Sequence 7 potion, but if you change someone's fate, you might be able to skip ahead."

"Well, no advancement today. What a pity."

After sitting and resting for a while, Ren walked into the study.

Although it was quite late, he still had lessons to catch up on. Thankfully, with a little cheating, he could speed up the process.

By granting himself the power of a Reader, he began reviewing the material.

The efficiency was amazing.

Even if you aren't naturally smart, with boosted memory and cognitive function, you can remember everything you read.

The power of Sequences is truly incredible and incredibly practical.

He carefully flipped through the textbook, imprinting knowledge he had previously forgotten deep into his memory bit by bit.

For a while, the room was filled only with the sound of pages turning.

When your mind is highly focused, time starts to lose meaning.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

The knock on the door pulled Ren back to reality.

He paused. The stack of unread books had been on the left side of the desk earlier, but now most had moved to the right—they'd been read.

Ren pushed up his glasses, rubbed his eyes, took a deep breath, and got up.

He walked to the entrance and opened the door.

"Good evening."

Yoko Okino stood at the doorway, her beauty as vibrant as peach blossoms. Judging from her thick winter clothes, she had just returned from outside.

Her nose, exposed to the cold, was a little red, making Ren instinctively reach out and pinch it.

"Just got back?"

The sudden affection made Yoko blink in surprise, but she quickly smiled and gently slapped Ren's hand away.

"Yeah. The company still hasn't found a good agent for me. Right now, another artist's agent is filling in. He's not bad, but it's definitely not as thorough as before, even though my popularity hasn't dropped."

Ren gently took her hand and led her inside.

"Of course. A temporary agent handling someone else's affairs isn't going to be fully committed. They know you won't stay with them long, so they won't put their heart into it."

Yoko understood, but didn't seem bothered.

"I already expected that. Besides, I won't be with them long anyway. I've started planning my own studio. I think I can sort out the basics before the company finds me a proper agent."

She glanced down at her hand, still held by Ren, a soft smile forming on her lips.

She followed him inside and sat down on the sofa.

"I'll get you a glass of water."

"No need."

Yoko held his hand tightly. She wasn't thirsty and didn't want anything to drink.

"Right now, I just want to stay with you for a little while."

(To be continued.)

Chapter 301: A While

Yoko gently intertwined her fingers with the boy she liked, softly holding his hand. She could feel that his fingers were long and slender. Even though he was a boy, his skin was quite fair, and it was hard to imagine he had ever done any rough labor.

She lightly leaned her head against his arm.

"Lately, I've been busy with the studio, so I haven't had much free time."

"So, is it better to be busy or to have nothing to do?"

Yoko thought for a moment, then gave her answer.

"Busy."

As she spoke, she lowered her head and gently pinched the joints of Ren's fingers with her other hand.

"Even though there's a lot to handle these days, it feels fulfilling to be working on something of my own. Thinking about working hard for my future, about going further, suddenly gives me motivation."

"Of course, there's another reason."

Just as Ren tilted his head to ask something, Yoko Okino lifted hers and kissed him on the cheek.

"When I start earning more, I'll make sure you never have to struggle again. I'll support you."

"…"

The words 'I'll support you' stirred something complicated inside Ren.

For the past fifteen years, he had grown up alone, struggling through hardship, facing the helplessness of poverty, and enduring hunger. Without anyone to lean on, all he had ever wanted was to study hard, find a stable job, and build a new life.

Now, while money was no longer a concern, the scars from those years still ran deep.

He released her delicate hand, only to wrap his arms around her and pull her into a tight embrace.

"So I'll become a little pup, spoiled and supported by you?"

Ren's voice held a smile, but his heart ached with bitter emotions. The wounds of the past began to resurface.

"Is it really that bad to be kept by someone~?"

Yoko Okino smiled as she opened her thick coat. Beneath it, she wore another equally warm one.

Then, she gently held Ren's face and pressed him against her chest.

Her arms wrapped behind his head.

"My little brother has been holding it in for far too long. Just for today, act spoiled with your sister."

Ren slowly grew drowsy.

At this moment, he was at his most fragile.

But instead of coldness, he was surrounded by warmth.

Like comforting a child, Yoko gently patted Ren's back.

Gradually, as she cared for him, Yoko herself began to feel sleepy.

She didn't resist the fatigue. Closing her eyes, she let herself rest.

In a room warmed by the heater, even the winter chill couldn't intrude. There was no need to worry about catching a cold, even while sleeping on the sofa.

In that warmth, the two of them quietly fell asleep in each other's arms.

The night passed quickly, and morning light crept in through the window.

After finally letting out fifteen years' worth of suppressed emotions, Ren fell into a deep and peaceful sleep, mentally at ease.

The time was now 9:48 AM.

Far later than usual for him. But this time, his body chose rest instinctively, free of any stress or pressure.

The sleep and warmth from the night before left him completely recharged.

"Mm…"

The soft sensation on his face made Ren reluctant to wake, but his refreshed mind wouldn't let him stay asleep.

His eyes opened gradually as he regained full consciousness.

Memories of the night before returned to him, and as he looked up, he met Yoko Okino's gentle, maternal gaze. It reminded him of a mother looking at her mischievous son.

It made Ren blush a little.

"Yoko, I'm sorry. I…"

Before he could finish, Yoko Okino wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug, burying his words in her chest.

That maternal (almost regal) warmth made Ren want to just sink into it.

"Don't worry about yesterday."

"Don't keep everything inside. Tell me sometimes, okay? I may not be as good as some of those girls you know, but I'm still your sister. That's not something they can compare to."

Indeed. Maternal warmth isn't about physical traits. It's about the tenderness that radiates from deep within.

…Though Yoko Okino's chest was quite substantial.

Her comfort and tenderness soothed Ren's awkward shyness.

He held Yoko Okino tightly again.

His voice was slightly muffled since his face was buried against her chest.

"Don't you have work today?"

"Nope, nothing scheduled."

(To be continued.)

Special thanks to BurglarOfTurds for sponsoring this extra chapter 🎉🎉🎉

Chapter 302: Almost
Thursday was originally the day off for Sonoko and Ren.

But anyone who read yesterday's diary would know that a major incident occurred during the class reunion hosted by Sonoko's sister.

So when Ran saw Sonoko show up at school that morning, she wasn't surprised.

"Sonoko, I didn't expect something like that to happen yesterday."

Ran didn't know what to say. A class reunion hosted by her sister had somehow turned into a murder case.

"Who could've guessed?"

Recalling the murder that happened right before her eyes yesterday, Sonoko still felt it was absurd.

"Who knew my sister had the kind of constitution that attracts disasters? A simple class reunion ended up drawing in a murderer. It's seriously unbelievable."

"Ah, yesterday… my sister and I really did see a ghost."

As Sonoko explained the evil spirit they had encountered, Ran once again felt that Sonoko's sister was unusually unlucky. For a class reunion to lead to something that dangerous was just bizarre.

"That's seriously unlucky. What are the odds something like that happens to you and your sister?"

Sonoko sighed.

Yesterday, she had just thought they were unlucky, but thinking back now, it felt like it went beyond ordinary bad luck—it was true misfortune.

"Wait a second… haven't we encountered some sort of problem every time we go out?"

After saying that, Ran also remembered—yeah, that did seem to be the case.

But soon, she came to a realization and tugged gently on Sonoko's sleeve.

"Could it be that these things keep happening around us… because our story is a detective story?"

Sonoko slapped her forehead in realization.

"Right, I totally forgot. The stories unfold around us, so it's not that strange for us to be part of them."

"It's just like that fate stuff Ren always talks about."

The contents of the story were actually the future direction of the world.

Although both Sonoko and Ran knew that the finer details of the story might be a little off—since fiction is fiction, and reality will always shift things—there was no changing the overall likelihood of it happening.

Some deviations were inevitable, but the probability of running into each event stayed consistent.

After first period, the two of them headed to the classroom where Ren usually was. They saw the other students but quickly noticed that the key person wasn't there.

What was going on?

Both of them were puzzled.

Ran looked at Sonoko with a confused expression.

"Didn't you come back together?"

"Of course we did. We got back really late yesterday. We spent the whole afternoon cooperating with the police investigation and returned around 4 PM. I got home around 6."

"What about Ren?" Sonoko thought about it, then shook her head slightly. "I don't think it's a physical issue. Ren's health has always been good. And with his special circumstances, I don't think he's the type to fall ill easily."

On one hand, Ren was an extraordinary individual. Anyone who had stepped onto the Pathways would undergo some degree of physical enhancement. With that kind of improvement, he shouldn't experience health problems.

On the other hand, Ren had never shown any serious physical symptoms. Plus, he worked part-time every week, and a lot of those jobs involved physical labor. That alone had kept him in great shape.

Most importantly, when Sonoko walked him downstairs yesterday, she hadn't seen any signs of physical issues.

There was no way something serious could've developed overnight.

Ran rested her chin in her hand, considering another possibility.

"Could it be that Ren was just feeling tired, and since he already asked for leave today, he decided to rest at home?"

"Yeah, that might be it."

Sonoko thought about it and found it reasonable. But she had a simpler way to confirm it.

She pulled Ran to a quiet corner and took out her phone, dialing a number she knew by heart.

The call connected quickly, but what came from the other end of the line made Sonoko freeze.

[Hello, are you my brother's friend?]

The familiar female voice stunned Sonoko. She didn't snap out of it until Ran gave her a light push.

Taking a deep breath, she asked with a trace of doubt.

"I'm his girlfriend. Who are you?"

[Uh… I'm the sister from next door.]

[I just want to make it clear that I didn't mean to cause any trouble. I came back from work last night and saw that his lights were on, so I dropped by. Then… something happened.]

[It's hard to explain over the phone. If you have time, you should come see for yourself.]

"I'll be there right away."

Sonoko took a deep breath, hung up, and returned to the classroom with Ran.

She grabbed her school bag and left.

Ran did the same.

After requesting a day off from their teacher, the two of them headed straight for Ren's place.

It didn't take long to reach the door to Ren's apartment.

Sonoko felt… complicated.

Was she about to catch her boyfriend with another woman?

Though, given their tangled relationship, saying it like that felt kind of wrong.

Still, her feelings were undeniably complicated.

Knock knock knock!

Soon, the door opened.

As soon as it did, they recognized the person inside.

"Okino Yoko!"

Ran couldn't help but cry out in surprise.

"Shhh!"

Yoko Okino quickly put a finger to her lips and motioned inside the room. Ran belatedly covered her mouth.

"Come in first. You'll understand once you see him."

Yoko Okino knew that opening the door as her brother's girlfriend arrived could lead to misunderstandings. But some things didn't need detailed explanations. They just needed to see Ren for themselves.

Sonoko gave a small nod and followed her inside.

When they reached the living room, they saw Ren sleeping on the sofa. He was still wearing wrinkled loungewear, like he hadn't changed all night. There were faint tear stains on his face.

They both noticed it right away.

Sonoko immediately shoved aside her feelings of jealousy or confusion. This was clearly not a situation that warranted any jealousy.

"Ms. Okino… what happened to Ren?"

Yoko didn't answer right away. Instead, she pointed toward the sleeping Ren, then gestured to the room further inside.

"Let's talk in there."

(To be continued.)

Special thanks to BurglarOfTurds for sponsoring this extra chapter 🎉🎉🎉

Chapter 303: Please Give Me Some Advice

Yoko Okino led the two into the study.

It wasn't completely soundproof, but it had the best insulation in the entire apartment. This made it the most suitable place for a private conversation.

Yoko Okino gestured for them to sit on the soft sofa in front of her, then sat across from them.

"I know he's been bottling up his emotions for a long time. Last night was just the trigger that made it all come pouring out."

"He actually woke up around ten this morning, but it seems he still wants to rest quietly for a while longer."

Only then did the two girls understand what had happened the night before.

Sonoko bowed slightly to express her gratitude.

"Thank you for taking care of Ren, Miss Okino~."

Yoko Okino smiled and shook her head.

"There's no need to thank me. Actually... I want quite a lot."

Sonoko took a deep breath. She could tell that there were plenty of people interested in Ren, and she also knew the identity of one of his other girlfriends.

"I can tell. But Miss Okino, would you mind telling us everything honestly?"

"Of course not."

Yoko Okino calmly explained her story and how she became involved with Ren.

What she said matched almost exactly what Sonoko had uncovered during her investigation.

She had already known that a female celebrity lived next door to Ren and that this woman had survived a dangerous incident thanks to Ren's help.

Sonoko hadn't imagined she'd have a dramatic rescue story of her own, but it wasn't too surprising that others might.

It just so happened that Yoko Okino lived next door, and something happened, and Ren—being his usual nosy self—stepped in. That was its own kind of fate.

Still, Sonoko figured that no one would want to go through a near-strangling more than once.

"That kind of connection between Ren and Miss Okino… I didn't expect it."

Sonoko thought back. That incident must have happened right around the time they had first started interacting with Ren. Her expression turned emotional—but also slightly jealous.

"I was the one who said I wanted to be his girlfriend first… but Miss Okino's bond with him is so deep."

Hearing her boyfriend's girlfriend say that made Yoko Okino feel a little awkward.

"Miss Okino… do you know some of Ren's secrets?"

Yoko Okino nodded slightly.

"I know a little. I just guessed that my brother has some secrets. He seems to have some special abilities. And he knows people with influence. I ran into trouble at work once, and he was the one who advised me to leave the company, start my own studio, and even helped me find someone to support me."

"Eh?"

Sonoko blinked in surprise. She didn't remember that happening.

"So who did Ren ask for help? That icy Shinomiya?"

At that time, there weren't many people who could resolve a celebrity's career crisis. Sonoko didn't know, and Sanzenin or Saginomiya probably didn't either. They were still too young. Ren definitely wouldn't have gone to them for this.

That left only Shinomiya Kaguya.

"Tch. Why didn't Ren ask me for help? I could've handled it."

Sonoko's tone was sour at the thought of Kaguya being involved before she was.

Ran, sitting next to her, thought about the differences between Sonoko and Shinomiya, and then it clicked.

"Sonoko, wasn't Shinomiya already in control of her family back then?"

"…That's true."

She recalled how quickly the ice queen had seized control of the Shinomiya family. Sonoko quickly realized something else.

"So Ren didn't ask me because he didn't want me to bother my parents. But if he went to Shinomiya, she could help directly?"

"Yeah, I think that was it."

"Hmm… That makes sense. No wonder he didn't come to me."

Sonoko reflected and found the reasoning solid.

Since she'd gotten involved in the occult and mysteries, she hadn't touched the family business. If Ren had asked her for help, she would've had to go to her parents. Shinomiya Kaguya, on the other hand, could deal with it independently and faster.

Now that she understood the situation more clearly, Sonoko's expression softened.

"So, Miss Okino, you actually don't know much about his real situation?"

"Correct."

Yoko Okino nodded.

"Then allow me to ask something directly. Miss Okino, your sudden interest in Ren… it wasn't because of his money or status, was it?"

Sonoko's question was blunt, even bordering on rude.

"Well… Honestly, I don't blame you for thinking that. But no, that's not my reason."

Yoko Okino remained calm and candid. She understood that it was hard to explain this sort of thing.

It wasn't her fault, but rather an unfortunate truth about the entertainment industry and her position in it.

"When I first got involved with Ren, I just saw that he was always alone. So I made some food to express my thanks and thought we could eat together."

"I figured he must be struggling, living on his own. As a neighbor and a big sister, I thought I could support him."

"But in the end, I was the one who got taken care of."

She lowered her head with a faint smile, a bit frustrated but also nostalgic as she remembered those days.

She touched her neck gently.

"Back then, I couldn't return to work because of the bruises on my neck. So I had a lot of free time. I spent most of that time with him. Every day after he got home, I'd make something and we'd eat together."

"At first, I thought I was being a considerate older sister. But he treated me more like a little sister."

"And before I knew it, I'd fallen for him. About a month in."

"I got used to eating with him. Got used to how he always looked out for me. He was so mature—it didn't feel like he was younger than me."

"Sometimes I tried to act like a big sister, but things always ended up the opposite. But last night… he finally dropped the act of being the strong 'older brother.' And I was finally able to fulfill the role of a real sister."

"I see."

Sonoko stopped scrutinizing her and sighed softly.

"No wonder the two of you are so close."

"I understand now. Miss Okino really isn't involved with Ren for fame or money. Sorry for my earlier tone. It was a bit much."

"It's fine."

Yoko Okino smiled and shook her head.

"I understand. The entertainment world is full of people like that. It's no wonder people assume female celebrities are always chasing fame or fortune."

Sonoko nodded slightly and didn't push the topic further. Instead, she extended her hand.

"Miss Okino, let me formally introduce myself. Suzuki Sonoko. Please give me your guidance from now on."

"Okino Yoko. I look forward to working with you."

After shaking hands with Sonoko, Yoko Okino turned to the girl beside her.

"This young lady is…?"

Sonoko smiled and nudged Ran with her elbow.

Ran, who had just snapped out of her daze, quickly shook the extended hand.

"Mouri Ran. Miss Okino, please take care of me."

(To be continued.)

Special thanks to BurglarOfTurds for sponsoring this extra chapter 🎉🎉🎉

Chapter 304: Little by Little Change

It was 5 p.m.

Having fallen asleep again, Ren opened his eyes on the sofa.

Subconsciously looking around, his field of vision suddenly expanded to cover the entire room.

“…”

This situation made Ren pause for a moment.

His omniscient vision wasn’t very expansive, but now the entire room was within view.

His integration with the source essence had deepened, improving not only his control over it but also allowing him to unconsciously access the authority contained within it.

Even if it was on a small scale, authority was still authority.

“The degree of integration with the source essence has improved significantly.”

He tried bestowing himself the Sequence 6 - Faceless.

Ren’s face began to blur. His original features vanished, replaced by a faceless mask. Then, with the fluctuation of “three-five-seven,” the blank visage started to morph into another appearance.

Kudo Shinichi.

Through authority, even without standing up, Ren could clearly see that his face had fully changed—becoming the image of Kudo Shinichi from his memory.

“Sequence 6 works. Then what about Sequence 5?”

The Seer’s Sequence 5 could be considered the most powerful in the middle sequences. The spirit thread was the core ability granted at that level. It allowed the user to perceive the spirit threads of others and, with proper manipulation, turn someone into a secret puppet without their awareness.

Because this ability was hard to interrupt or detect, it was also one of the most difficult powers to deal with below the demigod level.

Ren calmed himself and granted the ability.

As his eyes opened and he raised his hand, five invisible threads extended from his fingers.

“Sequence 5 is possible. But this is the limit.”

When he tried granting himself the abilities of Sequence 4, he immediately received warnings from the three sources.

“Don’t be greedy. This is enough.”

Faceless Man combined with Marionettist was already sufficient to handle nearly any unexpected situation.

Especially Marionettist, which allowed him to control others’ abilities without even being in front of them.

“But I need to be careful with the puppetization issue.”

Once the spirit thread was used, others could be transformed into puppets. However, the process was irreversible.

Becoming a puppet meant the original person was completely dead.

So, in the future, he needed to be cautious when using the spirit thread. In other words, he should focus on control rather than full transformation.

He raised his hand and wiped his face. The features of Kudo Shinichi faded away, and his original appearance returned.

He withdrew the bestowed powers.

Ren sat up from the sofa.

“I fell asleep again. It’s already 5:23 p.m. I practically slept the whole day.”

“Did Yoko go home?”

“Hmm?”

Suddenly, his vision penetrated the wall. In the kitchen next door, the girl wearing an apron was preparing dinner.

“Tsk. The compatibility increased too much. I’m using authority too casually now.”

Even so, he still needed to pay attention. Unconscious use of authority could lead to uncontrollable situations.

He pushed himself up with both hands.

There was a piece of paper on the table in front of him, with two lines of handwriting.

Suzuki Sonoko: Ran and I came to see you. You’re such a big guy and still crying. Next time, remember to act like a child in front of me. Otherwise, I’ll get jealous.

“Did I act like a child in front of Sonoko?”

Ren smiled awkwardly. It felt like a difficult thing to do.

Yesterday’s emotional breakdown wasn’t due to one or two things, but from five years of accumulated pressure.

If something like that happened again, it would be truly difficult to endure.

There was another line, written by Ran.

Mouri Ran: Next time, I can do it too.

“???”

“When did Ran become so proactive?”

Ren was genuinely surprised by the assertiveness and bravery in those words.

But then he remembered himself crying into Ran’s chest like a child, freely releasing all his emotions… Just thinking about that scene made him feel a little embarrassed.

Only children would do such things, right?

Ren twisted his fingers slightly, and the piece of paper crumbled into glowing embers.

He took out his phone from Sefirah Castle and dialed Ran directly.

After a few rings, the call connected.

“Ren.”

“Yeah, it’s me. Ran, I saw the message you wrote on the note.”

“Huh?”

Ran’s voice on the other end held a hint of confusion.

“That… that wasn’t from me! That was Sonoko’s handwriting.”

“Hey~ So my girlfriend is out here teaching other girls to let me act spoiled?”

Ren laughed and teased, then took a deep breath.

“What if I was serious?”

There was silence on the other end for a moment. Then Ran responded shyly:

“Then… next time you’re feeling down, come to me.”

Ren could already picture Ran’s blushing face at that moment.

Ah, I really want to see it.

He felt a strong urge, but quickly suppressed it.

“Then it’s a promise. Next time I’m feeling down, I’ll come find you.

“A-Alright…”

Ren smiled. He realized he had been underestimating himself too much, or maybe he’d simply been too guarded around others.

When dealing with girls, it really was necessary to be sincere and take initiative.

Thin-skinned boys like him were indeed a bit hopeless.

The girls he once liked were now all in front of him. With both the opportunity and the circumstances in place, why shouldn’t he take a chance?

Besides, weren’t they gradually developing their feelings, little by little?

“Are you cooking dinner now?”

“Mhm… I’m making dinner at home. I can’t leave the kitchen to my mom. If I did, I might not make it to school tomorrow.”

From her tone, Ren could easily guess how bad Kisaki Eri’s cooking skills were.

“Your mom has some... special talents in that area.”

“Right. Sonoko already told her family about things. Maybe you should start telling your mom too.”

Ren went silent for a few seconds.

“Let’s leave your dad out of it for now. He’s with Edogawa Conan. It’s better to hide some things from him. You can explain the details to your mom instead.”

“In that case, it’s okay?”

“Yeah, don’t worry. Your mom, Kisaki Eri, is a very rational woman. She’ll think through things seriously. Plus, she’s a great actress. Telling her might help her understand your situation better.”

“Okay. I’ll talk to my mom when she gets back tonight.”

(To be continued.)