SCIAW: Chapter 148/151

Chapter 148: Eri’s Surprise

"Hehe~"

Ran, busy in the kitchen, was in an exceptionally good mood today.

The issue of her sudden increase in strength, which had troubled her for so long, finally had a chance to be resolved. This weekend, she could finally let loose and release the pent-up pressure she had accumulated over the past few days.

Just thinking about it made her feel as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

She looked down.

Perhaps that feeling wasn't just psychological—her improved physical fitness might have genuinely lightened the burden on her body.

Her body coordination had improved, her figure had developed slightly, and even her chest had grown. However, unlike before, it no longer felt like a burden.

Ran hadn't expected that gaining strength would come with such unexpected benefits.

To be honest, her overly prominent chest growth had significantly impacted her training in the past. The additional weight had made certain exercises more challenging and even affected her balance.

But now, that no longer seemed to be an issue.

Although her physique had grown along with her newfound power, her overall balance had also improved.

It was as if that mysterious power had subtly optimized her body's development, making it more proportionate.

The only thing that still troubled her was… her weight.

For Ran, this was the biggest concern.

Previously, she had weighed between 45 to 50 kilograms, but now she had shot up to 74 kilograms.

An increase of over 20 kilograms was no small matter.

Even though she still cared about her weight, her new physique also came with an insatiable appetite, making it nearly impossible to control her food intake.

After all, hunger was a very real sensation.

No matter how much she fretted over it, she couldn't change what was inevitable.

Instead of worrying about her weight, it was better to focus on controlling her newfound power.

"Ran, what's got you in such a good mood today?"

Just as Ran was humming a lighthearted tune, a voice came from behind her.

She turned around and saw her mother, Eri Kisaki, dressed in an elegant suit and skirt, leaning against the kitchen doorframe.

"Mom, you're home."

"You're back early today."

"Yes."

Eri smiled, straightened up, and walked toward her daughter.

"I made some progress on a few cases I've been handling recently. Things were a mess at first, but I finally found a thread to follow, so I don't have to keep running in circles anymore."

For Eri, this was good news.

Almost all the cases she took on were difficult ones.

Clients sought her out because of her flawless track record, she had never lost a case. But as a result, the ones entrusted to her were always particularly troublesome.

Finding clues in these cases required meticulous effort, tracking down leads one step at a time.

Because of that, each case took a long time to resolve.

However, once she found the key evidence, the rest of the case would quickly fall into place.

And every time she reached a breakthrough, it meant she could go home early to rest.

By coincidence, when she returned home today, she saw her daughter in an exceptionally good mood.

Even while preparing dinner, Ran hummed to herself as she worked.

"You seem really happy today. Did something happen?"

Lately, Eri had noticed her daughter like this quite often.

Ever since the name "Kudo Shinichi" had faded from conversation, Ran's mood had noticeably stabilized.

Was she simply adjusting to the news of Kudo Shinichi's disappearance, or had she gradually accepted it?

Eri shook her head. Whatever the reason, she was glad to see Ran happy.

"The club's weekend activities have been arranged."

"Hm? The karate club? Or the occult research club you secretly joined?"

"The occult research club."

Eri naturally knew about the club Ran had joined.

If she didn't, she wouldn't have agreed to let her daughter travel to the islands near Tokyo with them this weekend.

Although Eri wasn't entirely sure what the club's activities entailed, it was clearly well-funded and well-organized.

Otherwise, Ran wouldn't need to ask her for money to participate.

"The occult research club… so it studies paranormal phenomena? Like fortune-telling?"

"Yeah, there are activities like that."

Thinking of Ren's divination abilities, Ran felt that fortune-telling did fit the club's theme.

"But for the most part, it focuses on investigating supernatural occurrences."

"There are even members in the club who are skilled at tarot readings. The club activities are mostly about traveling together to explore mysterious places."

"…"

Well, that explanation didn't make things any clearer.

If anything, it made it even harder for Eri to understand.

"Isn't this basically a vacation club?"

"There's really a club like that in your school? No—more importantly, how did the school even approve funding for such a club?"

From what Eri could see, this was essentially a welfare club.

Its entire purpose seemed to be giving students an excuse to travel together.

She couldn't imagine how such a club had managed to secure funding.

"Well… Mom, when Shinomiya-san transferred to our school, she made a donation."

"A do—"

Eri was momentarily speechless at her daughter's words.

Money.

It all made sense now.

No wonder the club received funding. It had a sponsor.

And now, Eri understood why Teitan High School would allow such a club to exist.

Shinomiya… Wait a second.

Eri paused as she processed the surname "Shinomiya."

She asked hesitantly, "Shinomiya… Kaguya?"

"Yeah, Mom, you know Shinomiya-san?"

"…It'd be harder not to know."

The massive upheaval within the Shinomiya Zaibatsu, the behind-the-scenes involvement of the Sanzenin family, and the grand-scale power struggle.

The events that had unfolded were nothing short of monumental.

The final outcome had been the restructuring of the Shinomiya Zaibatsu and its subsequent subordination to the Sanzenin family.

As for the new heir of the Shinomiya conglomerate, that had already been decided.

It wasn't the previous head, nor was it any of the male successors.

Instead, the one who had seized control was none other than the youngest daughter, Shinomiya Kaguya, who had been raised like a princess.

This had been the most dramatic power shift within the Shinomiya Zaibatsu in recent history.

A high school girl had taken control of the entire conglomerate.

Eri had kept up with these developments.

What she was most curious about, however, was.

How had that girl pulled it off?

"She actually transferred to Teitan High School? That's… hard to believe."

Shuchiin Academy was an elite institution backed by the Shinomiya Zaibatsu.

Why would its heir transfer out of it?

Eri found herself utterly baffled by this decision.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 149: Push It All Away

Hearing her mother's words, Ran realized that she wasn't aware of what was happening at school.

After thinking about it, Ran decided to mention it to her.

"Mom, actually, besides Shinomiya, both Sanzenin and Saginomiya transferred here too."

"???"

Eri froze for several seconds.

It took her a moment to recover from the shock.

Sanzenin and Saginomiya transferred to Teitan High School too?

Since when did Teitan High School become so attractive?

How did multiple heiresses suddenly decide to enroll there?

Thinking about it, Eri finally grasped something.

Sanzenin's support of Shinomiya in the previous power struggle wasn't without reason, there had to be a deeper connection behind it.

Otherwise, after Shinomiya gained absolute control over the Shinomiya Zaibatsu, she wouldn't have transferred to Teitan High School along with Sanzenin.

The reason must lie within Teitan High School.

As this realization dawned on her, Eri felt genuinely shocked.

What on earth had drawn the attention of so many wealthy heiresses to Teitan High?

Eri was quite curious about this.

"Ran, they're not in the same club as you, are they?"

"Yes."

"…"

That explained everything. No wonder the club had no shortage of funding.

Eri immediately understood why her daughter's club not only had ample resources but also held considerable influence.

With this many heiresses gathered in one place, each one bringing their own connections and financial backing, there was no way the school could refuse them.

In fact, if the school did refuse, it would likely become a serious problem.

After all, these girls weren't just causing trouble, they were also providing the school with investments and sponsorships.

What could the school do?

Accept it with a smile, of course.

There was no way this gathering of heiresses was purely coincidental.

Eri was sure of it.

But what was the real reason behind it?

She had no idea.

After thinking about it for a moment, Eri decided to let it go.

As a lawyer, she understood a fundamental truth—sometimes, it was best not to ask too many questions.

Some things weren't meant for everyone to know.

"Where are you all going this time?"

"Well~ It's an uninhabited archipelago near Tokyo. I think it belongs to the Shinomiya family."

That's private property.

Eri muttered to herself.

She was well aware of the Metropolitan Police Department's recent operations on Tsukikage Island.

After all, instead of keeping things under wraps, the police had actively publicized the crackdown.

They even made an official announcement on TV, stating that Tokyo law enforcement would be taking strong measures against drug traffickers moving forward.

It was obvious that Tsukikage Island had played a major role in triggering this shift.

"By the way, wasn't your last trip also to an island near Tokyo? Where was it exactly?"

"It was Tsukikage Island."

"…"

Eri's neck stiffened.

If she hadn't asked out of curiosity, she never would have known that Ran had gone to that island.

"You went to Tsukikage Island?"

"Huh? Didn't I tell you before?"

"You only said you were going on a club trip to an island near Tokyo."

"…"

Ran blinked.

She suddenly realized that she might have forgotten to mention the specific location to her mother.

Oh no.

She felt so awkward that she didn't know how to respond.

"Ah, I ran into Dad and that kid who looks like Shinichi on Tsukikage Island."

"???"

Eri was confused again.

What was this about Kogoro and Yukiko's son?

"When Sonoko and I saw them, we realized that Dad had come to Tsukikage Island because of a case he was working on."

"So I told Shinomiya about it, and after her bodyguards conducted a follow-up investigation, we learned that something else was happening on the island."

"Later, after Sonoko and I returned to the hot spring hotel, we found out from the bodyguards that the police had arrived on the island."

"After that, we stayed at the hotel under police protection and didn't go anywhere else."

"It wasn't until later that we found out drug traffickers had been discovered on the island."

Ran deliberately pushed the responsibility elsewhere.

There was no way she could mention Ren's involvement, so she decided to attribute everything to Shinomiya's bodyguards.

That way, even if Kogoro had seen them on Tsukikage Island, there would be no way to prove that they had known about the drug traffickers in advance.

Which meant, there was no problem in shifting the attention away.

The key detail was that they hadn't known beforehand.

They had only learned about it afterward.

And, naturally, the ones who called the police must have been the bodyguards accompanying the heiresses.

After hearing Ran's explanation, Eri didn't suspect that her daughter had been aware of the situation beforehand.

Instead, she assumed that the bodyguards had been the ones to report it to the police.

Which made sense.

Now, Eri finally understood why the Metropolitan Police Department had acted so quickly this time.

That had been bothering her.

The police response had been uncharacteristically efficient.

Afterward, they had even announced on TV that they would be cracking down hard on drug traffickers in Tokyo.

This had to be the work of the powerful forces backing those heiresses.

If that was the case, then it all made sense.

And thinking about it this way, Ran was actually safer being around them.

Because those girls had way too many bodyguards watching over them.

Eri's worries slowly eased.

"…Ran, next time you go on a club trip, make sure to tell me the exact location."

Even though she was reassured, Eri still wanted to at least know where her daughter was going.

Otherwise, if anything happened, she wouldn't have the slightest clue.

"Got it."

Ran knew she couldn't hide everything.

She just had to be careful about how much she revealed.

As long as she mentioned the general area, there was no need to give all the details like, say, the hot spring hotel they had stayed at.

She understood that perfectly.

"Ring, ring, ring~"

Suddenly, a pleasant ringtone echoed from the room, immediately catching Ran's attention.

That was her phone.

She looked down at the unchopped vegetables on the cutting board, then turned to her mother with a very wary expression.

"Mom, I'm going to answer a call. Don't touch anything in the kitchen."

"I really don't want to smell something burning."

At that moment, Eri felt as if her dignity as a mother had been completely crushed by her daughter.

"I know, I know. I won't touch anything."

There was no helping it—Eri was very aware of her own cooking skills.

If she tried to help, she'd only make Ran's job harder.

Coincidentally, she also had something to discuss with Kogoro.

(To be continued.)

Special thanks to Manny Sanchez for sponsoring this extra chapter 🎉🎉🎉

Chapter 150: The Wedding in Two Days

Ran returned to her room and picked up her phone. The caller ID displayed an unknown number.

After a brief moment of thought, she answered.

"Hello, who is this?"

"Ran… do you still remember my voice?"

The voice on the other end sounded oddly familiar. Ran felt like she had heard this tone somewhere before.

Then, suddenly, a name surfaced in her mind.

Matsumoto Sayuri.

"Is it… Matsumoto-sensei?"

"Oh~ I thought you had forgotten me."

"It is Matsumoto-sensei!"

Ran hadn't expected to hear from her former teacher.

She remembered that Matsumoto-sensei had been her music teacher in elementary school. Back when she was in junior high, she would occasionally visit her old school and see her.

But after entering high school, things got more complicated, and the opportunities to visit became rare.

She never would have thought that Matsumoto-sensei would suddenly contact her now.

"It's been a long time, Matsumoto-sensei."

"Yeah, it really has."

"Well~ I know things have been complicated for you over there."

"And about Kudo… you've always been watching over him."

"I saw him on the news a while back, but there's been less coverage of him recently."

Matsumoto Sayuri was aware of the complicated relationship between Ran and Kudo Shinichi.

The two had been childhood sweethearts for years, and in some ways, their situation was similar to her own past.

However, it was clear that Kudo Shinichi had yet to fully realize his own feelings. Ran had been by his side ever since junior high, dealing with this emotionally dense guy.

It was no wonder she hadn't contacted Matsumoto in a long time.

With such a blockhead around, it was natural to keep a close eye on him.

"By the way, how is Kudo doing recently? I haven't seen him on the news in a while. I kind of miss him."

"…Matsumoto-sensei, please calm down first."

"Hmm?"

Matsumoto Sayuri was momentarily stunned.

That phrase… why did it sound so familiar?

Oh, right.

Her father often said this to the families of deceased victims.

Realizing this, Matsumoto felt her expression twitch.

"No way… Kudo… Could it be…"

"…Yes. Something unexpected happened. Shinichi has passed away."

Her words hit Matsumoto Sayuri like a bolt of lightning.

"That night, he and I had planned to meet at Tropical Land. But he saw someone suspicious and followed them."

"That's when the accident happened."

Ran's voice was eerily calm, completely devoid of any sadness or emotion.

She was simply stating a fact.

But to Matsumoto Sayuri, that reaction was far too unnatural.

She even suspected that something about Ran Mouri had fundamentally changed.

"Ran… are you really okay?"

"No problem."

Ran's voice remained steady.

After all, she knew that Shinichi was still alive.

She even knew that he was currently a primary school student living under her roof.

So why would she feel emotional?

"It's been almost two weeks since Shinichi's accident. What else can I do?"

"I can't bring someone back to life, can I?"

"All I can do is focus on the present."

"Honestly, it's not like I can just go and follow him, right?"

"What about my parents?"

"…"

Matsumoto Sayuri could tell that Ran genuinely didn't need her concern.

In fact, her mindset was surprisingly healthy.

If she could move forward with her life, then that was all anyone could hope for.

"Actually… it's good that you can think this way."

Ran nearly laughed out loud at that.

She knew that Matsumoto-sensei had completely misunderstood her.

But she didn't mind.

It was better this way.

Some things were better left unknown.

"Matsumoto-sensei, why did you suddenly contact me?"

"What else? I'm getting married. I wanted to invite you to my wedding."

"Eh? You're getting married already, Matsumoto-sensei?"

"…I'm already 27—almost 30. Why wouldn't I be getting married?"

Matsumoto Sayuri felt that Ran's reaction was way off.

A woman her age should be considering marriage.

After all, if she waited too long, finding a partner would become even harder.

"Hehe~ I was just joking."

"To be honest, congratulations, Matsumoto-sensei."

"Thank you."

Matsumoto Sayuri smiled, accepting Ran's congratulations.

"When's the wedding?"

"In two days, in the afternoon."

"That's Wednesday."

If the ceremony was in the afternoon, then attending the wedding would mean taking half a day off from school.

Ran nodded slightly.

Taking leave wouldn't be too difficult, and since it was only a half-day absence, the teachers likely wouldn't refuse.

But just as she was about to agree, she hesitated.

A thought surfaced in her mind—Ren.

For some reason, she suddenly asked,

"Matsumoto-sensei, if the wedding is in two days, can I bring a few friends with me?"

"Ah, Sonoko will be coming too."

"Of course."

Matsumoto Sayuri didn't even hesitate to agree.

"After all, it's a wedding. The more people, the merrier."

"I'd love for my former students to be there."

"…It's just a shame about Kudo."

Matsumoto Sayuri sighed.

If Kudo were still alive, she would have wanted him to attend as well.

Unfortunately, life was unpredictable.

Accidents could be cruel.

She genuinely felt sorry for what had happened to him.

Some people, some things… just disappear without warning.

"Matsumoto-sensei, let's not talk about Shinichi anymore."

"What happened has already happened. There's nothing we can do."

"…You're right."

Matsumoto Sayuri shook her head slightly and pushed the thought aside.

Some tragedies struck too suddenly.

Continuing to talk about Kudo would only be painful for Ran.

Realizing this, Matsumoto Sayuri decided to stop dwelling on it.

"Alright, then, Ran. See you in two days."

"Yes, Matsumoto-sensei. See you in two days."

After hanging up the phone, Ran took a deep breath and composed herself.

Then, she dialed another number.

"Ren, my former music teacher is getting married in two days. She invited me to the wedding."

"Also, she gave me permission to bring my friends along."

"I was thinking… why don't we all go together?"

(To be continued.)

Special thanks to Manny Sanchez for sponsoring this extra chapter 🎉🎉🎉

Chapter 151: Red Wedding

Wednesday afternoon was unusually pleasant.

For a cold month, the bright sun shining overhead completely dispelled the chill, raising the temperature noticeably. It didn't feel like the kind of weather expected for this time of year.

Somewhere in Beika City, a church was packed with people.

Today, the church was hosting a wedding.

The groom was the only son of the Takasugi Zaibatsu.

Because the Takasugi Zaibatsu had a vast social network, the wedding drew a large crowd.

Of course, for the Takasugi Zaibatsu, this was more like the sunset after their prime.

Compared to other rising families, the Takasugi Zaibatsu was on an irreversible path to decline.

At such a critical moment, the marriage of Takasugi Toshihiko, their only heir, carried significant weight.

The reason why so many people still attended this wedding was largely because of the bride, Sayuri Matsumoto.

Her father was a superintendent of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, one of its senior officials.

He was part of an influential government organization.

And this particular superintendent's rank carried considerable weight.

So, even though the Takasugi Zaibatsu was fading, the wedding still attracted a large number of guests.

"The Takasugi Zaibatsu has been running at a deficit for years. Their stock value keeps falling, and most internal shareholders have already sold off their shares, leaving only a handful of loyalists."

Hayasaka Ai gave a concise analysis of the current state of the Takasugi Zaibatsu.

"Takasugi Minami, the current director, is also Takasugi Toshihiko's adoptive father."

"He's competent, but he suffers from a terminal illness, requiring costly treatment to prolong his life. That ongoing expense has further drained the Zaibatsu's resources."

"Takasugi Mikako, his wife, is a traditional housewife. She's never been involved in business, nor does she understand investment. But she has a gentle personality and has always been a supportive wife."

"After Takasugi Minami fell ill, she dedicated herself to caring for him and doting on their adoptive son, Takasugi Toshihiko."

"At this point, nearly all decisions regarding the Zaibatsu rest in Takasugi Toshihiko's hands."

"Unfortunately, he lacks experience, and his indecisive nature has only worsened the Zaibatsu's situation."

The detailed analysis painted a clear picture: the Takasugi Zaibatsu was crumbling both internally and externally, with little hope for survival.

The real leader of the Zaibatsu was gravely ill and had little time left.

His wife lacked the ability to run a corporation and focused solely on caring for her husband.

This left their adoptive son, Takasugi Toshihiko, in charge.

But rather than stabilizing the company, his leadership had accelerated its decline.

The Takasugi Zaibatsu was little more than an empty shell.

"This is the worst possible scenario."

Nagi couldn't help but comment.

"A capable father gets sick, and the mother is a traditional housewife who neither understands business nor has the ability to manage a conglomerate."

"The incompetent son takes over, and instead of saving the Zaibatsu, he hastens its downfall."

"The outcome is inevitable."

"Has Takasugi Toshihiko been attending a lot of upper-class banquets lately?"

"Yes."

Hearing Hayasaka's confirmation, Nagi was certain of her conclusion.

"Well, that settles it. The Takasugi Zaibatsu is as good as finished."

"Even if they have some liquid assets left, they're probably being used to keep the father alive and to ensure the mother has some financial security in the future."

"The Zaibatsu itself is a hollow shell, barely holding together in Toshihiko's hands."

"If he were competent, he might be able to maintain it for a while longer. But with his lack of skill, it's only a matter of time before it collapses."

Kaguya agreed.

"The worst part is that his personal abilities are nowhere near enough to sustain a Zaibatsu."

"An indecisive personality is a fatal flaw for a leader. At a critical moment, someone like him won't be able to make the right decisions."

"All he'll do is hesitate, and that hesitation will push the Zaibatsu toward an even worse fate."

"Combine that with his lack of ability to judge what's right, and you get the worst possible combination of flaws in a successor."

"Agreed."

Sonoko had met Takasugi Toshihiko before.

She used to attend upper-class social gatherings before her parents discovered her involvement in the occult and stopped sending her.

Back then, she often saw him mingling with various people, clearly searching for a potential wife.

However, the declining state of the Takasugi Zaibatsu was no secret.

Who in their right mind would willingly marry into a sinking ship?

If Toshihiko had been competent, perhaps some heiresses might have considered it.

But with his lack of ability and his indecisive personality, it was obvious that the Zaibatsu was doomed.

Which wealthy family would willingly form ties with such a person?

"At previous banquets, most of the heiresses rejected him outright."

"The ones who turned him down were from either powerful Zaibatsus or influential families with strong business acumen."

"They knew better than to get involved."

"Well~ I think the main reason many people rejected him was that his personality seemed… frivolous. Unstable."

Chika added at the end.

"Wait, Fujiwara, you attended those banquets?"

Kaguya looked at her in surprise.

"Of course."

"But my father didn't allow me to go, so I snuck in with my sister."

That made sense.

Kaguya had been wondering why she would be at a marriage-focused banquet.

If she went with her sister, then it wasn't surprising.

"In that case… does Matsumoto-sensei know about all this?"

"Or is she completely unaware?"

Hearing the analysis from Sonoko and the others, Ran started to worry about Matsumoto-sensei.

After all, today was her wedding day.

Did she even know what kind of man she was about to marry?

No one spoke.

Instead, they all turned toward Ren, who had been standing quietly to the side.

He hadn't said a word this entire time.

When everyone's attention shifted to him, they saw that Ren had finished shuffling his tarot deck and had drawn three cards.

He looked at them and spoke.

"A wedding of blood."

Ren's words were a chilling prediction of what was to come.

(To be continued.)