After classes ended that afternoon, Ren Kuroda headed to the karate club with Ran Mouri for their usual sparring session.
After several days of training together, Ren could clearly feel how much Ran had improved.The first time they fought, her attacks had been obvious—her intent practically broadcast with every movement. But now, she'd learned to conceal her offensive cues, to move with subtlety and rhythm.
As they traded blows, Ren called out between strikes, "Observe! Analyze!"
"If you can't figure it out right away, that's fine," he added calmly, weaving around her punch. "The attacker burns through stamina far faster than the defender. No one can attack forever."
He deliberately slowed his tempo, and Ran, sharp as ever, caught the hint. She dodged his jab and instantly countered.
But the faint grin on Ren's lips made her heart skip a beat—she realized too late that she'd fallen for a feint.
Sure enough, Ren's fist shot out and lightly tapped her in the stomach.
Ran froze, her eyes widening. She couldn't avoid it and had to watch herself get hit yet again.
After days of training together, Ren had mastered control of his strength—his punches were more lesson than blow.
Ran pouted, visibly deflated. "Ugh, you got me again, Kuroda-kun! You're so sneaky! You even pretended to be tired!"
Ren chuckled. "In a match, nobody cares if you're sneaky. The only thing that matters is scoring points."
"And besides," he said with a grin, "I told you to observe and analyze, didn't I? Don't just watch my movements—pay attention to my breathing, whether I'm sweating, my stance shifting. Everything matters."
"Yes, I got it," Ran replied, nodding earnestly.
Then she sighed. "You think so much just for karate… It's like you're doing detective work."
Ren bent down, grabbed a water bottle from the floor, and tossed it to her. "The more you think, the better your odds of winning. Karate isn't just about fighting skill—it's about strategy."
"Ahh, I see now!" Ran said, her eyes brightening as she twisted the cap off. "My senpai never told me any of this before."
"Well, your senpai doesn't plan to go pro," Ren said, leaning back casually. "To her, karate's just a hobby. But your talent—honestly, it's a shame. If you'd been trained by a real professional since you were a kid, you'd be on a whole other level by now."
After these few days of training, Ren had gotten a good grasp of Ran's abilities. Her learning speed was ridiculous—like a Saint Seiya warrior, once she'd seen a move, it never worked on her again. Her eyes and reflexes were razor-sharp.
"N-no way!" Ran laughed bashfully, her cheeks turning pink. "I don't plan to go pro anyway, so I never thought about getting a private instructor."
Ren took a sip from his own bottle and asked casually, "Ran, have you thought about what you want to do in the future?"
"Probably a lawyer," Ran answered without hesitation. "Like my mom."
That didn't surprise him at all.
Following a parent's career path was common in Tokyo. Ran becoming a lawyer like Eri Kisaki made perfect sense—unlike following Kogoro Mouri into detective work, which would be… well, let's just say "less successful."
Ran had zero interest in detective work anyway. Becoming a lawyer was clearly the more logical choice.
"What about you, Kuroda-kun?" she asked curiously. "What do you want to do after graduation?"
"Me?" Ren glanced at the faint blue icon of his Outlaw System that hovered in the corner of his vision, then said casually, "I might become a lawyer too."
"Huh? Really?" Ran blinked, surprised. "Why?"
Ren grinned. "To fight crime and uphold justice, of course. Back where I'm from, there's a saying: 'If you refuse to listen to reason, I happen to know a bit of martial arts.'"
"Eh…?" Ran tilted her head, her big, clear eyes full of confusion. Clearly, she didn't quite get what he meant.
Ren didn't bother explaining further. "Anyway, break's over. Let's continue."
"Right! Okay!" Ran said brightly—and dove straight into another round of getting beaten up.
By five o'clock, their training wrapped up. They packed their bags and walked home together through the late-afternoon light.
Ren wanted to fish for some information, so he started casually, "I heard from Shinichi that after you won the tournament, he promised to take you to Tropical Land."
"Ah—Shinichi told you about that?" Ran's cheeks turned a little pink. "Jeez, that guy! He really just says anything, doesn't he?"
"Was that supposed to be a secret?" Ren asked innocently. "If it was, pretend I didn't say anything… and don't tell Shinichi I brought it up."
"It's fine," Ran said, waving her hand. "It's not a big deal. He did say that, yeah."
"That's the weekend after the tournament, right?" Ren asked, then quickly added, "Actually, I promised Sonoko I'd take her out for afternoon tea, but with everything that happened—the kidnapping incident and all—I haven't found a good time."
"So I was thinking, maybe we could all go to Tropical Land together instead."
Ran's face lit up. "Oh, right! That's the same weekend! That sounds perfect—we can all go together!"
"Wouldn't that interrupt your date with Shinichi?" Ren teased.
Ran flailed her hands. "No, no! It's fine! The more, the merrier!"
"Then it's settled," Ren said casually. He'd gotten the information he wanted without breaking a sweat.
But then Ran hesitated, glancing sideways at him. "Um… Kuroda-kun, can I ask you something kinda personal?"
Ren looked up, catching the shy expression on her face. He had a pretty good idea what was coming. "It's about Sonoko, isn't it?"
"Eh?! How did you know?!" Ran exclaimed, genuinely amazed.
Ren smirked inwardly. He'd played messenger for countless "brothers" trying to get intel on their crushes back in school—her expression was a dead giveaway.
"Just a guess," he said simply.
"Wow, nice guess," Ran said, impressed, then leaned in slightly, curiosity sparkling in her eyes. "So, um… what do you think of Sonoko?"