The next day, Ran arrived at school with a beaming smile. Under Sonoko's persistent prodding, Ren also learned about the events at the Mouri household the night before.
To put it simply, Ran had wanted to bathe with Conan. However, due to Conan's frantic resistance, she ended up just helping him wash instead of sharing the tub.
"Sigh, I really don't know why you let that kid move in, let alone give him a bath. Aren't you afraid your husband will be jealous?" Sonoko teased with a sigh.
"What 'husband'! Shinichi and I aren't even officially together yet!" Ran retorted reflexively, falling straight into the trap.
"Oh? So the husband is Shinichi?" Sonoko smirked. "I didn't mention a name just now; I was just worried your future husband might get jealous~"
"Ah! Sonoko, you tricked me! Take this!"
The playful bickering of the two girls behind him didn't draw much attention. In high school, students had their own small circles and rarely meddled in others' business.
Meanwhile, on Conan's side, he was facing a massive headache!
Grade 1 Classroom.
"I'm telling you, can the three of you please stop bothering me?!" Conan looked at the trio in front of him with a sour expression. As established, his body might be small, but his mind was that of a seventeen-year-old. He truly couldn't find common ground with these actual seven-year-olds!
However, despite Conan's cold shoulder, the three children didn't back down. Instead, they looked at him with unbridled enthusiasm. "New student! Let's be friends!"
Conan felt a wave of despair.
Over the last few days of school, these three had stuck to him like glue. Whenever he asked why, they'd say they saw him always sitting alone and thought he was lonely, so they wanted to play.
Do I, the great Kudo Shinichi, need to play with elementary schoolers? We aren't even on the same level!
Furthermore, why were kids these days so childish? He tried to remember what he was doing at that age. He was obsessed with mystery novels, and in his spare time, he practiced soccer and studied foreign languages—his days were packed and productive!
Then look at these three. If he recalled correctly, they had recently snuck into an amusement park without tickets, hadn't they?
A flash of disdain crossed Conan's eyes. He turned and bypassed the trio, heading to a quiet corner. He pulled out his phone and dialed Ren.
Ren, who was currently eating lunch, picked up without a second thought. "What is it now?"
"Don't sound so annoyed! You're the only person I can talk to like this right now!"
"Ugh... then I'm truly unlucky."
Conan nearly coughed up blood. He took a few seconds to compose himself before asking, "Brother, I'm being hounded by some kids at school. Is there any way to get rid of them?"
Conan proceeded to explain the situation in detail, emphasizing that he absolutely did not want to be associated with little kids.
Ren immediately pictured Ayumi, Mitsuhiko, and Genta. Very few Detective Conan fans actually liked that trio. To prevent them from interrupting his own future entertainment, Ren thought for a moment and said: "The problem is simple. You just need to go make friends with other kids. Generally, when they see that, they'll give up on their own."
"And if they don't give up?"
"Then it gets complicated." Ren shoveled a mouthful of yakisoba into his mouth and spoke slowly. "You'll have to craft a persona. Usually, in novels, the 'cold, aloof genius' type gets the most peace. Aren't you a pro at soccer? Just go to the field and play by yourself. If anyone comes to check on you, ignore them completely. Give everyone a 'do not disturb' vibe. Over time, people will stop bothering you."
In the hallway, Shinichi's eyes lit up as he listened. As expected of a novelist, you actually came up with a method like that! Thanks! I'll start implementing the plan this afternoon!
Without another word, Conan hung up the phone in a hurry to find a soccer ball.
Back at school, Ren looked at his phone and sighed. "I wasn't even finished... oh well. With his intellect, he should be able to handle whatever happens next."
Just then, Sonoko came up to him. "Who were you talking to?"
"It was that kid Conan. He said he was being harassed by a weird little group at school and wanted to know how to get away."
"Eh? Harassed? Are elementary schoolers these days really that bold?"
Ren glanced at Sonoko. Although she talked about boldness, she had a strange, knowing smirk on her face.
"No, the harassment Conan meant is just that he doesn't want to talk to them, but they keep following him around wanting to be friends."
A flash of disappointment crossed Sonoko's eyes before she returned to normal, laughing. "Someone wants to be his friend and he refuses? That brat is a bit ungrateful!"
"You can't force these things. Conan is like Shinichi was as a kid—mentally very mature. It's normal for him to look down on his peers," Ren laughed. "By the way, Valentine's Day is coming up. Can I have you all to myself for that day?"
"Hmph~ Do I have a reason to say no?"
Just as they were about to dive into another round of PDA, Ran's cough sounded from behind them again.
"You two... this is a classroom. How many times do I have to remind you..."
Though they were interrupted, neither of them minded. After sharing a glance, Sonoko smiled and said, "Do you think I should change my hairstyle this year?"
Ren looked at her with confusion. "Change your hair? Where did that come from?"
Sonoko touched the headband on her head and said thoughtfully, "Wearing a headband saves a lot of trouble, but usually, when a girl goes on a date with her boyfriend, she's supposed to dress up, right? Like getting a nice hairstyle or doing elaborate makeup. I feel like I haven't done that much over the years..."
By the end, Sonoko looked at Ren with a bit of an apologetic gaze. She hadn't thought about it before, but her older sister, Ayako, had mentioned it after coming home and seeing the headband. After thinking it over, Sonoko felt her sister was right!
As a mature woman with a boyfriend who loved her, she felt she should dress the part! So, she wanted to know what kind of hairstyle Ren liked so she could find a stylist.
"I see..." Ren nodded. He looked at Sonoko's shoulder-length hair and thought for a moment. "I think you just need to let your bangs down from that headband! My wife is naturally beautiful; there's no need to go out of your way to do anything else!"
Hearing Ren's words, Sonoko's lips curled upward. No one dislikes a compliment, especially from someone who holds such weight in their heart.
After humming a few satisfied notes, Sonoko crossed her arms and tilted her head back. "Since you put it that way, I guess I can 'grudgingly' let my bangs down. Hmm, I'll leave this glorious task to you!"
Ren immediately set down his chopsticks. With slightly trembling hands, he reached out and removed the headband from Sonoko's head.
As her bangs fell, Sonoko's appearance shot up several levels. Her already delicate features became even more captivating. For a moment, Ren stared directly at her, unable to look away.