The Girl Named Morishita Ran

Sure enough, Yuki was completely bewildered by the inexplicable titles Morishita Ran had just rattled off: "What... ancient martial arts? Master detective?"

"Please, don't mind me, Tsubaki Yuki." Morishita Ran nodded to herself, though it was unclear who she was trying to convince; she probably said most things to herself.

"No, no, no, I can't just 'not mind' this. I know Morishita-san is in the same class as Yuto, but that doesn't explain why you're following him, does it?"

"I am following Amasawa Yuto to carry out a top-secret espionage mission that only a master detective like me can complete."

"Suspecting him of being a traitor from Class A?"

Morishita Ran's expressionless face suddenly delivered a shocking sentence in a flat tone: "What, Tsubaki Yuki, are you... also a girl with the blood of a detective?"

"No, no, no, my mom and dad are just normal people. It's just that you're suddenly following Yuto and spouting nonsense about espionage—isn't that just stalking or surveillance?"

"So that's how I was exposed... I have learned much."

Yuki looked at Yuto, her eyes clearly asking: Is this girl okay in the head?

Amasawa Yuto shook his head and pulled Morishita Ran away as she prepared to continue "seeking advice" from Yuki. "Anyway, you know who I'm meeting now. We're in a hurry, so we're leaving. You should be satisfied and head back yourself."

"Head back? Who said I was heading back?" Morishita Ran turned to look at Amasawa Yuto. "You two are heading to Palette next, aren't you?"

Yuki looked at Amasawa Yuto. Just as he was about to speak, Morishita Ran answered for him:

"Amasawa Yuto didn't tell me. I just saw how anxious you both were, ready to leave without even changing out of your school uniforms, so I guessed it might be to try the new desserts that launch on the first of every month."

"Is Morishita-san coming with us?" Yuki asked politely.

"I'll head the same way as you and drop you off there." Morishita Ran flashed a peace sign again.

She didn't actually think Yuki and Amasawa Yuto would thank her, did she?

And so, Morishita Ran followed them the entire way, chattering incessantly: "Tsubaki Yuki, do you know why the hunter shot at the fox, but ended up getting shot himself?"

"Let me think... because it was a fox spirit?"

"No. Because of the reflex arc."

"Ahaha, Morishita-san is quite humorous..."

"Next one. Amasawa Yuto, do you know what the executioner says to the prisoner when they are a hundred meters away from the execution ground?"

"He says, 'Make a U-turn in a hundred meters.' I heard you tell that to Sakayanagi this morning."

"Damn it, I'll be more careful next time."

"I'm actually impressed that you can come up with so many cold jokes, Morishita."

Amidst the awkward atmosphere that persisted the entire way, Amasawa Yuto, Tsubaki Yuki, and Morishita Ran arrived at the Palette café.

"You guys go ahead, I won't see you off," Morishita Ran said, waving at them before turning around and walking away with a flourish. "In the days of our separation, do not forget my name."

"What is wrong with that kid, Yuto?" Yuki watched her retreating figure, leaning in to whisper in Amasawa Yuto's ear. "Is she all there?"

She pointed a finger at her own temple, her expression filled with concern.

"I think she's just purely neurotic. Anyway, let's head inside. Didn't you say you wanted to try the new desserts? My treat today, consider it an apology for being late."

Tsubaki Yuki felt a warmth spread through her heart.

The interior of Palette featured a classic wooden decor. Since it had been a while since school ended, quite a few students were already seated inside.

They had been worried that the desserts might be sold out for the day, but it seemed their luck was good; there was still some left.

Amasawa Yuto paid the bill, and the two found a seat by the window.

Tsubaki Yuki ordered a strawberry mousse, while Amasawa went with the caramel pudding.

"Mmm, the desserts really are delicious~" Yuki held a spoonful of cream in her mouth, a look of bliss on her face.

"How many points do you have left, Yuki?"

"A little over sixty thousand. I can make it through this month, at least. But given the current state of our class, I doubt we'll get many points next month. If I don't find a way to earn some, I'm really going to run out."

"I'll give you some first." As he spoke, he opened his phone and tapped away. A moment later, Tsubaki Yuki's phone chimed with a notification.

"This is... two hundred thousand?! Yuto, where did you get so many points?"

After seeing the amount, Yuki almost cried out in shock.

It definitely wasn't from the school. The school hadn't even given Class A students a total of two hundred thousand points over the last two months. These points must have been obtained through some other means.

Because she had just been the target of an attempted extortion by Kei Karuizawa, an absurd thought even crossed her mind: Could Yuto have done the same thing?

Amasawa Yuto tapped her on the head. "What are you daydreaming about? I got these from a deal with a teacher. Just take them; I only got these two hundred thousand thanks to Class D anyway. If you were broke and had no points to spend, I wouldn't know how to answer to your parents."

"Then I'll thank you for your kindness, Yuto~" Tsubaki Yuki smiled, her eyes curving into crescents. "Geez, I really should have been the one to treat you today..."

"Points are just hard to come by at the start of the school year. There should be plenty of ways to earn them later on."

"Is that inside information you got from Arisu?"

"She doesn't know any more than I do." This was Amasawa Yuto's honest truth—a plain fact.

"Oh, right, Yuki. One more thing. Were you threatened by Kei and the others?"

"So you ran into them on your way back, huh? Sigh, I thought they were a bunch of bad eggs and was ready to give them a good beating, but it turned out they were just a bunch of brats looking for candy." Tsubaki Yuki shook her head helplessly.

"Is that so? I heard she's dating the leader of Class D, Yosuke Hirata. Is that not causing any issues in their class?"

"It's fine. Hirata is basically a pushover. I have no idea how he even ended up in Class D."

With Yuki's ability, they surely wouldn't be able to stir up any trouble.

"Everyone has a hidden darkness in their heart. He must have his own reasons, I suppose."

After finishing their meal, the two went to get some more food to eat for dinner. Before they knew it, they had been chatting until eight o'clock; over two hours had already passed.

By the time they left Palette, the sky had darkened, and the egg-yolk-colored streetlights had been lit along both sides of the path.

Amasawa Yuto and Tsubaki Yuki walked along the path, preparing to head back to the dormitory building.

As it turned out, under the warm glow of the lights, they discovered an unexpected person on a bench.

Morishita Ran was sprawled out on the bench, one arm and one leg dangling off the side. She didn't even seem to care about the risk of her skirt riding up, sleeping soundly and completely unguarded.

This spot was less than a hundred meters from Palette. She probably hadn't gone anywhere after leaving the two of them and had been waiting here the whole time, only to end up falling asleep.

"Let's wake her up. Even though it's only May, she'll catch a cold sleeping like this." Tsubaki Yuki stepped forward and shook her.

"Mmm..." Morishita Ran rubbed her eyes and sat up straight. "Amasawa Yuto, didn't I chop your head off with the guillotine? How are you still alive?"

"I suggest you wake up from your dream as soon as possible. Also, isn't your dream a bit terrifying?" Amasawa Yuto had lost count of how many times he had felt helpless when dealing with this girl, Morishita Ran.