Regarding Ran's decision, Ren did not interfere in any way. He simply described Shinichi's situation objectively, giving Ran another ce to resider.

  But whether that opportunity existed or not, it was clear that Mouri Ran had already made a choipletely different from the inal story.

  Her deight be the opposite of what had inally been written, but it was far more in lih human nature.

  "Amamiya, what happens in our story ter on?"

  "ecifically does Suzuki want to know?"

  "Hmm… about me and Ran."

  "Actually, both you and Mouri pyed signifit roles in the beginning."

  "Mouri wasn't just there to be kind—her character had a lot of iing aspects. Rather than being a perfect heroine, she had a natural edic charm."

  "But ter iory, Mouri's role became more like a mascot."

  "Ah, but it's not just Mouri. Take Shiho Miyano, for example. Early on, she had an important role, providing Shinichi with information about the anization and guiding the protagonist team."

  "But as the story progressed, her role was reduced to that of a navigator, just providing Shinichi with information."

  "Wow! That's such a downgrade."

  Sonoko could hardly believe how two major heroines had been reduced to a mascot and an information provider.

  She could already imagine how much Ran's role had been diluted ier parts of the story.

  "What about me?"

  "Suzuki's story remaiively substantial."

  "But most of it still revolves around the fact that your family is rich."

  "…Ah, suddenly that's not so surprising."

  Hearing that, she found it easy to accept.

  A wealthy character's main fun in a story was often to drive events forward.

  She had never expected to be the protagonist, but she couldn't help feeling a little a how limited her role was.

  She g Ran and suddenly felt a bit relieved.

  "If even Ran, the heroine, ends up like that, then I guess it's only natural that my role as the rich friend is limited."

  "Sonoko, just say what you want. Don't drag me into it."

  "Hehe~"

  Sonoko giggled.

  "Oh, by the way, Amamiya—did Ran and Shinichi end up together iory?"

  "Do you wao ahat?"

  Ren didn't respond immediately. Instead, he gestured toward the person involved.

  Ran smiled helplessly before nodding indifferently.

  "Yes, iory, Shinichi and Ran do end up together."

  "That doesn't meaory ends there, though. The antidote that Shiho Miyano developed only temporarily restores Shinichi to his high school form."

  Ran wasn't surprised by this oute.

  But knowing it didn't mean anything to her anymore.

  A story was just a story. She couldn't just accept Shinichi's feelings as if they were set in stone simply because they were written that way.

  Because she knew better.

  "Eh~"

  Sonoko hadn't expected that Shinichi would eventually sort things out iory.

  But even so, did it really matter?

  She didn't think it did. In fact, she felt that Shinichi had only ended up dragging Ran down.

  Giving Ran unrealistiises, making her wait based oy hopes, that was irresponsible.

  "But it's just a story in the end."

  "A story has to give people a happy ending."

  After thinking about it for a moment, she decided not to dwell on it. Instead, she became curious about her own future.

  "Amamiya, what about me?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "Like Ran… do I get a boyfriend or something?"

  "…Suzuki-san, do you really want to know?"

  "The future story is just a reference, after all. If you learn about it in advance—"

  "Ah, it's fi's fine! I just want to know. I won't take it too seriously."

  That made Ren feel a little helpless.

  She knew.

  She definitely khat knowing things ahead of time wasn't necessarily a good thing.

  But right now, she wao know. Probably because she wao reject whatever the story had pnned for her.

  "It's a high school student named Kyogoku Makoto."

  "Iory, he's an incredibly skilled karate master, much strohan Mouri."

  "Eh~ So it's a hero saves the damsel in distress kind of thing?"

  Ren nodded slightly.

  "That's how it pys out iory, yes."

  "…I don't feel anything about that at all."

  "Even though my family's bodyguards aren't as extreme as the Sanzenin family's, I do have quite a few watg over me."

  "Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't eveo be rescued like that."

  "Well, I guess that just proves a story is only a story."

  Sonoko nodded, immediately dismissing the idea of a damsel-in-distress romance.

  It was too ridiculous. Not even worth sidering.

  The Suzuki family might not have that many bodyguards, but they still had top-tier security.

  Whehere was dahe family's security detail would be on high alert.

  They spent a lot of money on safety every year, why would their bodyguards allow some criminal to succeed so easily?

  Ren was slightly taken aback, then realized that, yes, it did sound pretty ridiculous.

  After all, Sonoko wasn't just anyone, she was the sed daughter of the Suzuki family and its future successor.

  The idea that she wouldn't be protected by her family's security resources was absurd.

  If anything, she had people proteg her stantly.

  "It really does seem like just a story."

  From a storytelling perspective, it wasn't a big issue.

  But from a realistic perspective? Something like that was highly unlikely.

  Sonoko was always surrounded by bodyguards.

  Even when she went out alohey ensured her safety without interfering in her daily life. They would quietly eliminate any potential threats before she even noticed them.

  For her to actually find herself in a hero saves the damsel sario, it would have to be areme situation, like getting stranded in an isoted mansion during a blizzard.

  Otherwise, she was more likely to never be in real dahan to actually enter a life-threateni.

  "Yeah, a story is just a story."

  At this point, Sonoko didn't care anymore.

  The future iory was just a reference, ohat clearly hadn't taken her real life circumstances into at.

  "Amamiya, let's talk about our date."