On the deck, Ran and Narumi Asai stood on either side of Hoshimiya Yuu.
As the cruise ship slowly sailed away, Tsukikage Island gradually became a tiny speck until it was completely out of sight.
Narumi Asai withdrew her gaze and quietly exhaled.
She took out her phone and sent two messages to the clinic and her landlord.
Before waiting for a reply, she let go of the phone. Under the surprised eyes of Hoshimiya Yuu and Ran, the phone slipped from Narumi Asai's tender, snow-white palm, slowly sinking into the sea with a plop.
"Narumi-nee?" Ran looked at Narumi Asai in confusion.
Narumi Asai smiled faintly and reached up to tuck a strand of wind-blown hair behind her ear.
"Ran, call me Megumi from now on." The gentle and capable doctor leaned her slender body sideways, resting her head on Hoshimiya Yuu's shoulder.
Seeing Narumi Asai's relieved and liberated smile, Hoshimiya Yuu instinctively reached out and gently stroked her smooth black ponytail.
Narumi Asai nuzzled his palm like a small, adorable animal.
Ran looked on with a hint of envy, but she was also happy for Narumi Asai.
Narumi Asai didn't explain much, but all three of them understood what she meant.
Ran could clearly sense the complex emotions swirling within Narumi Asai at that moment.
Relief, reluctance, sorrow, remembrance, determination, hope…
All these feelings ultimately converged into dependence and love for Hoshimiya Yuu, and hope for a beautiful future life.
Her great revenge had been exacted, and Narumi Asai felt worthy of her family.
With the help of Hoshimiya Yuu and Ran, she was reborn.
Leaving Tsukikage Island, ditching her phone, abandoning the name she had used for over twenty years…
Narumi Asai severed all ties with the past.
From this moment on, she was Megumi, Megumi Asai.
Megumi Asai, living only for herself.
And the emergence of Megumi Asai was entirely due to Hoshimiya Yuu and Ran. She would dedicate her life to repaying them.
Narumi Asai—no, she should be called Megumi Asai now—was simply wired that way. She needed a clear goal to have the motivation to live.
Before, it was the flame of revenge that sustained her.
Now, it was her love for Hoshimiya Yuu and her friendship with Ran.
"Narumi… Megumi-nee, it's a pleasure to meet you. Please take care of us."
Hoshimiya Yuu held Ran's hand, and together they gripped Megumi Asai's slightly trembling small hand.
Megumi Asai paused, then broke into a bright smile.
She squeezed Hoshimiya Yuu's and Ran's hands tightly and nodded emphatically. "Yes, it's a pleasure to meet you. I am a humble woman, and I ask you both to look after me for the rest of my life."
Megumi Asai was already a beautiful woman. Now that she was no longer deliberately concealing herself, she radiated feminine charm.
Tears welled in the corners of her eyes, but her lips curved slightly upward, and her beautiful face wore an expression of heartfelt happiness and contentment.
Bathed in the sunlight, she exuded a captivating beauty.
Even Ran, also a woman, was mesmerized.
"Megumi-nee, you're so beautiful…" Ran murmured.
Megumi Asai's face blushed slightly, and she wiped away her tears with slight embarrassment. "Thank you, Ran. You're very beautiful too."
"Hehe, still not quite as beautiful as Megumi-nee."
Ran smiled sweetly, not denying that she was beautiful.
Hoshimiya Yuu glanced at Ran curiously. Before, she would have humbly denied it, but this time, she frankly accepted the compliment…
Ran noticed Hoshimiya Yuu's gaze, playfully made a funny face, and then pulled Megumi Asai aside to chatter happily.
Watching Ran's cheerful and lively back, Hoshimiya Yuu was slightly amused.
It seemed this trip to Tsukikage Island had brought about significant changes in Ran.
Compared to the hesitant, almost ridiculously saintly Ran Mouri, the current lively, cheerful, and decisive Ran-chan was much better!
Not only had she become more lovable, but their relationship also seemed to have grown closer.
Their feelings for each other had been deepening for some time, but Hoshimiya Yuu always felt something was off, preventing their relationship from progressing further.
Now that he thought about it, it was probably Ran's twisted moral compass and Hoshimiya Yuu harboring secrets.
If he couldn't be honest with himself, how could Ran present her truest self?
Everything was different now.
Their moral perspectives had clashed, leading to a deeper understanding of each other.
Ran's position as the primary partner was confirmed, and she had implicitly accepted Hoshimiya Yuu's promiscuity.
They even shared the secret of sheltering Megumi Asai.
Compared to their arrival, the sea was clear and sunny today.
Feeling the gentle breeze on his face and looking up at the vast, magnificent seascape, Hoshimiya Yuu felt a sense of clarity. Even the lust in his heart was temporarily appeased.
As the last rays of the sunset spilled over the water, staining the clear blue sea red, the trio arrived in Tokyo.
The moment Hoshimiya Yuu stepped off the cruise ship, a prompt sounded in his mind.
[Successfully participated in the 'Moonlight Sonata Murder Case.' Talent Copy Count +1, Talent Upgrade Count +1.]
Still no chance to plunder, huh…
It had been a while since he received an upgrade and copy count, but Hoshimiya Yuu wasn't entirely satisfied.
This incident required far more effort than the Roller Coaster Case.
Despite his efforts, the Moonlight Sonata hadn't even been played, and Megumi Asai survived, yet the reward was the same.
After careful thought, Hoshimiya Yuu understood.
His involvement in this case was maximal, but the importance of the case itself was far less than the 'Roller Coaster Case.'
The Roller Coaster Case seemed simple, but it was the beginning of everything.
Unfortunately, Hoshimiya Yuu's participation was minimal, and he had zero involvement in the most crucial event—Shinichi Kudou shrinking.
Even so, he still received an upgrade and copy reward.
With this comparison, it was clear that participation was far less important than the event's significance.
In the future, he would treat ordinary cases casually, but he would participate in major plot-related destiny events, even if he just coasted through them.
Deciding on his future course of action, Hoshimiya Yuu immediately used the upgrade count he received.
[Upgrade successful. Acquired Orange Talent 'Divine Demeanor.']
Divine Demeanor (Orange): A person favored by the world. Charm is significantly enhanced, and affinity and attraction to the opposite sex are greatly increased. (The longer the interaction, the greater the enhancement, capped at overwhelming affection.)
This was undoubtedly the new talent resulting from the upgrade of [Handsome].
After acquiring [True Sight], Hoshimiya Yuu had decided to upgrade his charm talent next.
His talents in other areas were sufficient, but crucially, if he wanted to realize his ambition, charm talent was essential.
The stronger his charm talent, the easier his future plans would be to execute.
And like the five senses talents, charm talent was extremely practical.
No matter what he did, it almost always involved dealing with people.
On a daily basis, his charm talent was always at work, especially when interacting with women, secretly helping Hoshimiya Yuu a lot.
If not for his naturally endowed [Handsome] talent, he might not have successfully reached adulthood, let alone attend college and get a job at Teitan High School.
His charm talent played a small part in the rapid development of his relationship with Ran and the other women.