[I encountered two revenge scenarios in the same week.]
[This hatred has lasted more than ten years, maybe even over twenty. Honestly, it's rare for hatred to persist this long.]
[Unless it's truly extreme. From what I've seen in the past, revenge doesn't usually take the form of joining the enemy's company and targeting someone else to get back at them.]
[The avengers I know would just pick up a knife and kill the person outright after waiting ten or twenty years.]
[So these two childhood revenge stories I've encountered recently... they feel more like something straight out of a Japanese drama.]
[And falling for the enemy's daughter? Is the enemy's daughter really that attractive?]
[I get wanting revenge on your enemy, but why do they always target the enemy's daughter or granddaughter while they're at it?]
[These so-called avengers don't seem like they're here for revenge—they're here for romance.]
[I just heard from Fujiwara that lots of families connected to Shuchiin end up going at each other's throats. But actual "Avengers" are rare. Why have two popped up recently?]
[I think it might be because Beika City's mystery quotient is off the charts—everyone here's a high-IQ criminal.]
[According to the insight from the Seer and my current understanding of the situation, the cause of this case really does point to the groom.]
[But overall, Miss Hatamoto herself has an exceptional character. The saying that 'beautiful women bring trouble' really holds true.]
[However, this time, the focus isn't on the criminal, but Miss Hatamoto herself.]
[Hayasaka reminded me, it's a question of human nature.]
[I think so too, which is why I gave Miss Hatamoto the right to choose.]
[I don't know if she truly changed her fate through her own strength, or if it was just her belief in me that altered the Seer's reading.]
When Ren wrote the final stroke and decided to end today's diary, a line of text suddenly appeared at the bottom.
[Diary to be distributed.]
Seeing this line, Ren was silent for a moment, then waited for the knock at the door.
Sure enough, the knock came.
Ren walked over and opened the door. As expected, the person outside was.
Since it was nighttime, her hair was still a little damp, and droplets of water dotted her shoulders. She must've come straight here right after her shower without even drying her hair.
She was smiling brighter than usual.
She brought her hands out from behind her back, holding a diary in them.
"I've got it too, the diary."
"Hmm... Should I say congratulations?"
Sonoko smiled and tucked her hands behind her back again, taking two confident steps forward. Ren instinctively took two steps back.
"I should be the one congratulating you. You haven't forgotten our agreement, right?"
"That we'd start dating once you got the diary... Yeah, I haven't forgotten."
Hearing that, Sonoko's smile deepened.
"Then that means we can fulfill our agreement today."
"Sonoko... Are you sure? Are you serious?"
"Of course I'm serious."
Seeing Ren's expression grow more serious, Sonoko also softened her smile. She had always been serious about this decision.
"I've been serious from the very beginning."
"It's just that the diary took a while to arrive. That made me slower than that big ice cube."
That was her one real regret.
She'd expected to get hers sooner, but the diary didn't fall into her hands until nighttime. Even though she'd rushed over to Ren's room right away, the feeling of being one step too late still left her a little bitter.
"There's no way to prioritize something ..."
Ren was starting to choose his words more carefully. After all, it was him that Shinomiya had confessed to earlier.
That confession had been interrupted midway, but it wasn't because she failed—it was more like it hadn't reached the finish line yet.
"Normally, you can't compare confessions like that... but our situation's kind of unique."
Sonoko couldn't really accept Shinomiya's confession either, since their circumstances were anything but ordinary.
After all, how many people in the world are connected through these diaries?
That alone made their relationship special, something beyond common sense.
"Just like you said in the beginning, our fates are intertwined."
"So even if something changes between us... that's only natural."
"Of course, that doesn't mean I won't be jealous of you and the Ice Queen."
Understanding is one thing. Jealousy is another. Those feelings don't cancel each other out.
Any girl in love wants to have her person all to herself. Sonoko was no exception.
Unfortunately, the boy she liked was just a little too special.
So special that she couldn't act possessive.
That was her second regret.
"So, I want to fulfill the promise we made back then."
That was practically a confession.
And for that promise, Ren had no intention of going back on his word.
"If that's the case... then let's try dating."
Hearing his answer, Sonoko visibly relaxed.
She took a step forward and leaned into Ren's arms.
As for Ren's awkwardness when it came to girls, she could take care of that in time. She believed that now that they were officially dating, things would gradually improve.
Right now, Sonoko just hoped Ren wouldn't get too good at dealing with girls in the future.
But that was a problem for later.
"By the way, you'd better give the Ice Queen a proper response."
"That girl's confession must've taken everything she had. If it hadn't been you, she would've never gone through with it."
Of course, Ren didn't need a reminder—he'd already planned to handle that.
Especially considering how much Shinomiya had said. There was no way he could just leave her hanging.
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