After school, Shiraishi E and Ran went to the karate club for their training session. After a few days of practice, he could clearly see Ran's significant improvement. When they first sparred, Ran's offensive tendencies were very obvious. But now, she had learned how to conceal her intentions.
While trading blows with Ran, Shiraishi E reminded her, "Observe, analyze!"
"It's okay if you can't figure it out right away."
"The attacker uses several times more stamina than the defender. The attack can't last forever."
As he spoke, he deliberately slowed his pace. Ran, with her sharp senses, caught on to the slight change. She dodged a punch and immediately launched a counterattack. However, when she saw Shiraishi E smile, her heart skipped a beat. She knew she had fallen for a trap.
And she was right.
Having successfully baited Ran into attacking, Shiraishi E threw a punch toward her stomach. Ran had no way to block it and could only watch as the blow landed.
After several days of training, Shiraishi E had mastered control over his strength, so the punch was light.
Ran looked dejected. "Aww, you got me again, Shiraishi-kun. You're too cunning! You even pretended to be tired!!"
Shiraishi E chuckled. "In a competition, it doesn't matter if you're cunning or not, as long as you score points!"
"And didn't I tell you to observe and analyze carefully?"
"Don't just watch my movements. You also need to see if I'm breathing heavily or sweating."
"Yes, I understand," Ran nodded, committing it to memory. She said with a sigh, "Why is there so much thinking involved in karate... it's like a detective's reasoning."
Shiraishi E picked up a bottle of mineral water from the floor and tossed it to Ran. "The more you think, the higher your chances of winning. Karate isn't just about fighting techniques; it's also a test of your strategy!"
"Ohh, is that so?" Ran caught the water, a look of realization on her face. "My senpai never told me any of this."
"Your senpai doesn't plan on going pro. Karate is just a hobby for her, so of course, she wouldn't need to know it in such depth," Shiraishi E said, then couldn't help but add, "It's a shame about your talent. If you had received professional coaching from a young age, you'd be at a much higher level by now."
During these few days of training with Ran, he had come to fully appreciate her talent. She was like a Saint Seiya—the same move wouldn't work on her twice. Her perception and reaction time were incredibly fast.
"Oh, no, it's nothing like that!" Ran blushed at the compliment. She took a sip of water and said, "I don't plan on going pro, so there's no need to hire a professional coach!"
Shiraishi E took a sip of water and casually asked, "Ran, have you thought about what you want to do in the future?"
"I want to be a lawyer! Just like my mom," Ran said without a second thought.
The answer didn't surprise Shiraishi E. It was common for children in Tokyo to follow in their parents' footsteps. It was perfectly normal for Ran to want to be a lawyer like Eri Kisaki. It would be abnormal if she wanted to be a detective like Kogoro Mouri. After all, it was clear who was successful and who was a mess. Moreover, Ran had no interest in deduction at all. There was no way she would choose to become a detective.
"What about you, Shiraishi-kun? What do you want to do after you graduate?" Ran asked curiously.
"Me..." Shiraishi E glanced at the bandit system subconsciously, then said, "I might become a lawyer too."
"Huh? Why?" Ran was surprised by his answer.
Shiraishi E smiled. "To fight criminals and uphold justice, of course. And, as they say back home, 'If you won't listen to reason, then I also know a little bit of kung fu.'"
"Is... is that so?" Ran's clear eyes showed a hint of confusion, obviously not understanding the meaning behind his words.
Shiraishi E didn't explain further. "We've rested enough. Let's continue."
"Okay, good!" Ran nodded, snapping back to the present, and began another round of getting beaten up.
At five in the afternoon, Shiraishi E and Ran finished their training and packed up to go home. On the way, Shiraishi E wanted to get some information from Ran, so he asked, "I heard from Shinichi that if you win the championship, he'll take you to Tropical Land."
"Ah? Shinichi told you that?" Ran blushed slightly. "He's really something... telling everyone about that."
"Is it something I shouldn't know?" Shiraishi E feigned surprise. "Then just pretend I didn't ask... Don't tell Shinichi I mentioned it."
"It's fine," Ran waved her hand, indicating it wasn't a big deal. "He did say that."
"Is it the weekend after the competition?" Shiraishi E asked, then feeling it was a bit abrupt, added, "I promised to treat Sonoko to afternoon tea last time, but because of the kidnapping, I haven't found the right time. Since it's been so long, I was thinking of just treating her to a day at Tropical Land instead."
Hearing this, Ran immediately smiled. "Yes, yes! It's the weekend right after the competition! We can all go together then!"
"Won't that interrupt your date with Shinichi?" Shiraishi E asked.
"Not at all!" Ran waved her hand, saying it was no problem. "The more, the merrier!"
"Alright, then let's all go together," Shiraishi E replied, easily getting the specific time from Ran.
Just then, Ran said quietly, "Um... Shiraishi-kun, can I ask you a rather personal question?"
Shiraishi E looked up and saw Ran's slightly shy expression. He already had a good idea of what was coming. "Is it about Sonoko?"
"Huh? How did you know?!" Ran exclaimed, amazed.
"Helping a buddy sound out his crush's feelings"is something I did a lot back in school. Besides, you have that gossipy look on your face... Shiraishi E thought to himself before simply saying, "Just a guess."
"What a good guess," Ran remarked, then couldn't help but ask nosily, "So... what do you think of Sonoko, Shiraishi-kun?"
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