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"It's not like that!" Ran Mouri understood Sonoko Suzuki all too well. She felt a bit helpless, but not upset. When her friend mentioned Shinichi Kudo again, Ran just sighed and shook her head.
They had been childhood friends, but Ran didn't like him as much as people thought. Growing up, her family situation meant she was always looking after others.
Shinichi, meanwhile, never seemed to grow up. Ran naturally ended up acting like his older sister.
Even if there was once a spark between them, he disappeared for a long time just to solve a case. It was clear that mysteries were more important to him than anything else.
Ran wasn't a hopeless romantic. Right now, she wasn't even sure what romance was supposed to be.
"I just think marching over and asking for his number is a bit much. We don't even know him," Ran protested softly.
"Oh, come on! Who cares? We'll chat and get to know him," Sonoko didn't give Ran a chance to argue, shoving her right toward Kai.
"Sonoko, stop pushing! I can walk," Giving up the fight, Ran sighed and let herself be dragged along.
"Ran!" Watching this unfold, Conan felt his heart crack. He glared daggers at Sonoko. 'You busybody! We are sworn enemies from this day forward!'
The mere thought of Ran finding another boyfriend made Conan sick to his stomach. Panic surging, he scrambled after them.
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"Hey, handsome!" If Sonoko were alone, she probably would have lost her nerve. But with someone else there to back her up, she felt much braver. She waved at Kai and pulled Ran over.
"..." Realizing they were practically standing right in front of him, Ran's face reddened.
"Hmm?" Kai tilted his head, sizing up the two girls with mild curiosity.
Honestly, seeing Conan nearby didn't surprise him. Ran and Sonoko were well-known anime heroines.
"Hi there! I'm Sonoko Suzuki, and this is my friend." Sonoko waved, introducing them with brazen confidence.
"H-Hello," Feeling awkward, Ran raised a hand and gave a polite greeting. "I'm Ran Mouri."
Her blush grew even deeper. Up close, Ran had to admit this guy was really good-looking. She never thought of herself as boy-crazy, but standing near someone this handsome made her heart race.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Kai." He hadn't expected them to come over, but it was clear Sonoko was behind it. That was just like her.
"Hehe, then I'll just call you Kai! You can call me Sonoko," Sonoko was always friendly and never shy. She started chatting right away.
"So, Kai... do you have a girlfriend?" Her eyes sparkled with curiosity. She was already scheming to push Ran onto him if he was single.
"Yep, I do," Kai replied easily.
"Oh!" Sonoko blinked, a little disappointed by his honest answer. Ran also felt disappointed, but she quickly let it go.
'Seriously? We just met him...'
"Phew," Trailing behind them, Conan let out a massive sigh of relief. The frantic panic gripping his chest vanished instantly.
"I bet she's amazing, right?" Now that she knew he had a girlfriend, Sonoko's excitement faded a little. She asked anyway, just out of habit.
"Which one are you asking about?" Kai shot back.
"???" Sonoko stopped, staring at him in confusion. For a moment, she wondered if she had heard him right. Ran looked just as confused.
Out of the three, Conan was the first to recover. He put on his best innocent-kid voice. "You're joking, right, mister? You can't actually have a bunch of girlfriends!"
"Not a bunch. Just a few!" Kai corrected him.
Even Conan thought Kai was joking. But when Kai answered so calmly, everyone went silent.
'Are you seriously just admitting that?' Conan stared. 'You're cheating on multiple girls and you don't even look guilty! You're acting like this is just normal, everyday stuff!'
Kai seemed so relaxed that Conan started to wonder if he was imagining things.
"A-Are you some kind of player? Aren't you worried your girlfriends will find out?" Sonoko stepped back a little. 'How can someone this good-looking be such a jerk??'
"Nope. They all know about each other," Kai answered smoothly.
"Eh?"
They all knew? Sonoko had heard of rich people having mistresses, but a high school guy openly dating several girls who all knew about each other was new to her.
"You have to be joking..." Ran blurted out. She felt like Kai was just messing around, trying to get a rise out of them.
"I'm not. We don't even know each other. Why would I bother messing with you?" Kai smiled. "So, you girls want to be my girlfriends too?"
He made his intentions clear. There was no reason to hide them. Since they were famous anime heroines, he thought adding them to his group wouldn't be a problem.
But Kai didn't let his feelings control him. He liked women, but real power was what mattered most. Even with popular heroines, he wouldn't go out of his way to chase them. Making a direct offer was quicker, and if they refused, it didn't bother him.
"W-WHAT!" The brazen proposition left both girls speechless.
"I-Is this a confession?" For Sonoko, this was actually the first time she had ever been asked out. But it didn't feel right. Who confessed to two girls at the exact same time? It had to be a joke.
"What are we talking about?" Haruno Yukinoshita suddenly spoke up. She quickly linked her arm with Kai's and gave Sonoko and the others a bright smile. "Hello, Suzuki-san. I'm Haruno Yukinoshita!"
"Uh! Hi!" Even though they hadn't formally met, this was a Yukinoshita family banquet. Sonoko nodded politely.
Just then, Yukino spoke up. "Sister, I've told you so many times to stop bothering Kai-kun." She stepped between them and pushed her sister's hands off Kai's arm.
"Seriously? He didn't even push me away!" Haruno pouted. Yukino gave her a silent warning look, determined not to let her sister near him again.
Sonoko and Ran watched the sisters argue, feeling completely confused.
'Are both sisters really interested in this guy?' A moment ago, they doubted his wild claims, but now, seeing it for themselves, they couldn't deny it.
'This jerk!' Conan felt jealous. He couldn't even win over his own childhood friend, but this guy had two beautiful sisters fighting for him.
Both Haruno and Yukino were stunning. Most guys would be thrilled to date even one of them. How did this guy end up with both?
"Alright, alright! The banquet isn't over yet. Let's not fight here," Kai said with a laugh, gently tucking a strand of hair behind Yukino's ear.
"Mhm..." The intimate gesture made Yukino blush furiously, but she offered a soft nod and backed down.
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