First of all: I forgot this in the previous chapter 😑👍
"A true friend is someone who knows everything about you and still loves you."
–Kenji Miyazawa
"There is no need to fear the past. The past is just a memory. It's not real."
-Yukichi Fukuzawa
On Sunday morning, I went to the mall to meet up with Kushida and Sakura. Normally, I would have preferred to spend the day on something more important like eating or sleeping, but I'm the only one who can help with this. For some reason, Sakura was waiting a few meters away, completely covered, with a mask and a hat.
It would have been normal for all of us to leave the dorm together, but Kushida is quite complex about these things, so we decided to meet at the location.
Kushida: "Good morning!" *Amidst the hustle and bustle around her, Kushida approached, with a wide smile on her face.*
Ranpo: "Good morning, Kikyo!"
Kushida: "Sorry. Have you been waiting long?"
Ranpo: "Yes, you're late."
*Her smile wavered a bit, but she managed to say,* "Sorry, I lost track of time."
Now I wonder how long it will take her to notice Sakura's presence. Although now that I think about it, her way of dressing gives me some clues. I think at this point it's obvious that she's an internet celebrity or at least an idol, and she's doing a terrible job of hiding it.
"It's the first time we've seen each other on a day off. It's refreshing," *said Kushida, pretending to blush.*
Kushida is becoming increasingly strange; on one hand, she tries to keep her distance and treats me with hatred whenever she can... but at the same time, she's fulfilling everything I ask of her perfectly, even pretending to be in love and that we're best friends in public.
Kushida: "Weren't you very busy during your free time last week? I'm glad you came despite that, Ranpo-kun."
I guess she's referring to my recent movements with Horikita and Ichinose; I suppose her biggest hatred is that others receive the attention she wants.
Ranpo: "Yes, it's actually been very annoying weeks."
Kushida: "I guess so..." *She falls silent for a few seconds and then asks,* "And what about Sakura-san?"
I guess she doesn't find the presence of a stranger suspicious, dressed incognito.
*I laugh blatantly in her face,* "Oh, didn't you notice poor Sakura beside us?"
Sakura, visibly nervous and sitting on the bench next to us, stood up and gave a shy bow.
"Sorry, I didn't stand out much, I suppose... Good morning," *said Sakura.*
Ranpo: "HA not enough, I noticed you as soon as I arrived; I was just waiting for you to take the initiative."
Kushida took a few seconds to apologize repeatedly. After that and a little casual chat about her attire, we set off for the repair shop.
Kushida: "Let's see, I'm sure they have a repair shop somewhere. Let's check it out."
As Kushida headed towards the back of the store, I stayed alone with Sakura but kept close to Kushida.
Sakura: "I wonder if they'll fix it right away..." *she seemed quite anxious as she took out her digital camera and held it tightly*
Ranpo: "Oh, it seems like you really care about your camera, don't you?"
Sakura: "Yes. It's strange, isn't it?"
It seems like she already tried to show her interests to other people and wasn't very well accepted... Although I don't think it's just a camera... A gift from someone important?
*For a few seconds, I take off my glasses and look at them,* "Not at all..." *I look up and smile blatantly at her,* "If it's something you like, then you shouldn't care about anyone else's opinion, just keep doing it!"
Sakura: "I--"
"There it is! The repair shop." *Kushida shouted, interrupting.*
The store was packed with a large number of products and was difficult to navigate, but at the back was where the repairs were done.
"Ah..." *Suddenly, Sakura came to a halt.*
When I looked at her, I noticed she had an expression of evident fear and disgust. It seemed like something had disturbed her quite a bit. However, when I followed her line of sight... The storekeeper?
Kushida: "What's wrong, Sakura-san?"
She also thought Sakura's behavior was strange.
Sakura: "Ah, umm... Well..." *Although she was about to say something, all Sakura did was shake her head and take a deep breath.* "It's nothing."
He smiled seriously and headed to the repair shop. Kushida and I exchanged glances but decided to follow her. Maybe it was nothing, as she said. Kushida spoke with the store employee and asked him to repair the digital camera. Meanwhile, I took the opportunity to check everything and analyze the man a bit, nothing outstanding, just an average perverted guy who doesn't bathe.
Kushida's worldly wisdom was truly impressive. Although it was the first time she saw the store employee, she was soon talking to him as if they were long-time friends. Sakura, the camera owner, only spoke when she needed to give her consent or clarify something.
Still, the employee engaged in a conversation with Kushida. He asked if she wanted to see a concert of a certain idol, which was being shown at the cinema. As she showed no sign of disgust in the conversation, he thought he might successfully invite her out.
However, it was obvious that she would do everything possible to avoid the invitation.
To complete his work, he urged Sakura to hand over the camera. When the store employee opened the camera to confirm the content, as Sakura still had the warranty card, the item could be repaired for free. Finally, all Sakura had to do was jot down her contact information, and we would be done. But Sakura's hand suddenly stopped while filling out the form.
I think it's becoming a habit to protect girls from their troubles. Standing next to Sakura, I took the pen from her hand.
Ranpo: "Call me when the repairs are done."
— "Hey, wait a minute. Contact you? She's the owner, right? That would be..."
Ranpo: "The information provided by the manufacturer in the warranty clearly specifies where the item was purchased and the date of acquisition. Also, I have little doubt about potential legal issues when entering my information. It should be completely fine even if the user's name is different from the buyer's." *Before the employee could say "Understood," I wrote my name and room number in the mandatory fields.* "Is there any reason why she should enter her information?" I added, still not looking up.
"N-no, not at all. I understand. Nothing to worry about," *said the employee.*
Shortly after completing the form, I handed it in with the camera. Sakura gently patted her chest and sighed with apparent relief, but when she learned that the camera would take two weeks to be repaired, she became discouraged. Her shoulders slumped.
*I turned to look at both of them and said,* "Can you go? I need to talk about some things with the gentleman."
It seems that Kushida noticed that I had the same look as when I tricked her, so they quickly said their goodbyes, and we agreed to meet at a cafe in a few minutes.
Ranpo: "Excuse me, sir! Can we talk?"
—:*he looked at me, disguising his annoyance and asked,* "What do you want?"
*I approached him and put a friendly hand on his shoulder* "Well, I just want to give you a very small warning!" *I gave him a big smile and said loudly without caring if anyone heard me,* "If I see you near Sakura, I'll make sure you end up in prison for the rest of your life; all the harassment messages will be made public. Understood?"
—: *His eyes widened in shock* "W-what?! How?!"
Ranpo: "Understood?" *I said, looking at him seriously with my green eyes shining*
—: "Y-yes..."
After that, I went straight to the cafe and found Sakura and Kushida sitting across from each other in silence.
"I'm back!" I said as I sat down.
Kushida greeted me calmly, but Sakura took a few seconds to think about what to say.
Sakura: "Thank you... Edogawa-kun. You really... saved me."
Ranpo: "It was nothing!" *I said with a sincere smile.*
I think Sakura is the best person in this whole school, or at least she competes for the podium with Honami and Hiyori.
Sakura nodded, looking at me happily.
Kushida: "You really cared for Sakura-san."
Ranpo: "Well, you're painting it bigger than it is. I was just keeping an eye on that rather strange employee. I guess he gave me a bad impression."
Kushida: "Haha... That's true."
Even Kushida seemed puzzled. For someone like Sakura, who is not used to attracting male attention, I thought it was the right response.
Ranpo: "Thanks for helping me today, Kikyo."
Kushida: "Oh, you don't have to thank me. If you're okay with my help, I'll be happy to lend a hand anytime."
After that, we continued walking and looking at other stalls.
Kushida: "We
should go out together again, Sakura-san. Not just with me, but also with my other friends."
Sakura: "That's... " Sakura wanted to say something but couldn't sort out her thoughts. She didn't say anything.
Kushida felt that it would cause trouble if she pressed the issue, so she remained silent. Or rather, she didn't ask anything else. In the end, we returned to where we started.
Sakura: "Thank you for everything today. You really helped me."
Kushida: "It's okay, it's okay. No need to thank us."
It was true that Sakura's communication patterns weren't exactly what one would expect from a classmate. But changing that could be easier said than done for her; she was visibly confused.
Kushida: "Well, then, we'll see you at school. Okay?"
With that, Kushida thought the conversation was over. However, quite unexpectedly, Sakura didn't move.
Sakura: "Well!" *Sakura spoke softly but looked directly at us. But when our eyes met, she immediately looked away.* "About Shibata-kun... as my way of saying thank you for today, I... Well, that might be a bit confusing, but if you prefer..." *She stopped and started again more clearly,* "Maybe I can help with the case."
Kushida: "So, does that mean you saw everything?"
Sakura: "Yes. I saw everything. It was a total coincidence; I'm sure you don't believe me."
Kushida: "No, we believe you. Why did you decide to tell us now? I'm glad you did, but I don't want you to force yourself. You don't have to do this just because you're grateful, you know?"
It seems Sakura couldn't speak words. She shook her head slightly. The fact that Sakura waited until now to speak shows that she's more concerned about the Class B case than anything else.
Kushida: "Is that really true? Aren't you forcing yourself?"
Sakura: "It's okay... I think if I stay silent, I'll regret it. I... don't want to cause trouble for my classmates. But, if I spoke as a witness, then... I would definitely stand out. I hated the idea of that... I'm sorry."
As Sakura apologized repeatedly, full of remorse, she also promised Kushida that she would testify.
Kushida: "Thank you, Sakura-san. I'm sure everyone in Class B will be very happy!"
Kushida took Sakura's hand, and Sakura looked at Kushida's smiling face. I wondered if a new friendship had been born here and now. In any case, we had a witness.
Honestly, I don't like Volume 2 at all, but I think the only thing worth it is Sakura's storyline, so I decided to stick to the novel and include as many details as possible. ✍️😑.
Tomorrow or the day after, another chapter!
If you have any questions or opinions, I am happy to hear them.