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.
"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."
Matsumoto Sayuri was momentarily stunned.
That phrase... why did it sound so familiar?
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?"
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.
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."
Matsumoto Sayuri smiled, accepting Ran's congratulations.
"When's the wedding?"
"In two days, in the afternoon."
If the ceremony was in the afternoon, then attending the wedding would mean taking half a day off from school.
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."
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."
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?"