Chapter 166: An Encounter in the Park
It was a rare and precious opportunity for Aether to meet with his sister. Though he had asked Natsume out on a sudden impulse, the simple joy of being able to sit and talk with her filled him with a quiet contentment.
After they both tactfully sidestepped the matter of the love letter, the conversation drifted to their recent lives.
A short while later, Aether produced a bank card and handed it to Natsume. "I've managed to put away some savings over the years. This is part of it. You mentioned you're building a base, and that's going to require a lot of capital. Take this and use it for now. If it's not enough, just tell me."
He paused, a gentle glint in his eyes. While Natsume was still staring blankly at the card he had pressed into her palm, he reached out and patted her head, his lips curving into a warm smile. "Don't feel awkward about it. It wasn't hard to save this up, and it's not like I have much to spend it on anyway. It's better off with you than collecting dust in my account."
Clutching the card, Natsume looked up at her brother, her gaze softening. In that moment, he seemed to almost glow, and the lingering resentment she held for his long absence began to melt away.
Truly, having a brother was a treasure.
"Mm-hmm," Natsume nodded vigorously, a genuine warmth spreading through her chest.
Neither of them was ready for the meeting to end. After finishing their desserts and leaving the cafe, Aether suggested a walk, and soon they were strolling through Beika Park. They ambled along the paths, admiring the scenery, and even stopped to take a few photos together, capturing the rare moment.
Up ahead, Natsume spotted an interesting sculpture and moved to get a better angle for another picture.
But she had barely taken two steps when she noticed a pair of figures crouching low behind a flowerbed near the statue.
A curious glint entered her eyes as she silently approached from behind. "Sonoko? Conan? What are you two doing?"
The sudden sound of her voice made both of them jump. Their heads whipped around, eyes wide with panic, having been completely engrossed in whatever they were spying on.
"Natsume! It's just you. You scared me half to death," Sonoko whispered, clutching her chest as her racing heart began to settle. She quickly tugged on Natsume's hand, gesturing for her to crouch down with them.
In her flustered state, Sonoko completely missed the fact that Natsume wasn't alone. A short distance away, a curious companion stood watching the scene unfold.
Even Conan was too focused on Ran, who was standing by the sculpture looking as if she were waiting for someone, to spare a glance behind Natsume.
Sonoko and Conan cautiously turned back, peeking over the foliage. Seeing that Ran hadn't noticed their little stakeout, they both let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Natsume crouched beside them, her curiosity piqued by their strange behavior. "Alright, are you going to tell me what's going on? And why aren't you just going over to say hi to Ran?"
After a hushed, excited explanation from Sonoko, understanding dawned on Natsume's face. "So, Ran got a love letter too, and she's here to meet the person who sent it?"
She shot a sideways glance at Sonoko. "You're incorrigible, you know that? Secretly spying on something like this. Ran would be mortified if she knew."
"And you," Natsume added, turning to vigorously ruffle Conan's hair, "aren't you a little young to be so invested in love affairs? Didn't I tell you that too much curiosity isn't a good thing for a child?" She offered the advice with a completely straight face.
"Exactly! See? I keep telling you this brat is way too precocious," Sonoko nodded in fervent agreement, before her eyes suddenly widened. She froze, replaying Natsume's words in her head.
Her gaze snapped back to Natsume, her eyes shining with a conspiratorial fire. Mindful of Ran nearby, she kept her voice to an urgent whisper. "Wait a minute! Did you just say 'also'? You got a love letter recently, too? Who sent it? What do they look like? Are they handsome?!"
The questions came in a rapid-fire burst. Sonoko gripped her hand, her excited whispers buzzing in Natsume's ear until her head started to spin.
Conan simply endured the head-rubbing. He knew resistance was futile, so he had long since stopped trying. Natsume didn't get to mess with his hair for long, however, before the over-excited Sonoko grabbed her hand.
Listening to Sonoko's interrogation, Conan had to hand it to her; her gossip radar was second to none. He hadn't even caught the significance of Natsume's phrasing, but Sonoko had latched onto it instantly.
Still, he found it hard to imagine anyone actually falling for Natsume.
A peculiar look crossed Conan's face. He couldn't help but wonder if this suitor had been completely taken in by her pretty face. Did they have any idea she was the kind of woman who could send a grown thug flying with a single kick?
He sincerely hoped the person had no ill intentions. Otherwise...
"Shh—quiet! Someone's coming," Natsume suddenly hissed, cutting off the interrogation. "They're heading for Ran."
At her warning, Sonoko and Conan immediately dropped the topic of Natsume's love life and leaned forward, peering intently toward Ran's position.
Natsume hesitated for a split second before her own curiosity won out, and she leaned in to watch with them. She had to admit, she was a little curious to see what kind of brave soul would dare to write a love letter to Ran Mouri.
By the sculpture, Ran checked her watch, noting that it was almost the agreed-upon time. Just then, she heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Turning, she saw a short-haired girl wearing glasses jogging toward her, a bouquet of fresh flowers clutched in her hands.
"So, it wasn't a love letter at all," Sonoko murmured, her initial disappointment quickly replaced by a bright smile. "It was a fan letter from someone in her karate club, expressing their admiration." In her opinion, this was a much happier outcome for Ran than a confession from a random admirer.
"Mm, Ran is a wonderful girl. It's only natural she'd have fans," Natsume agreed with a smile.
Seeing Ran's fan scurry away after delivering the flowers, Sonoko and Conan decided their surveillance was over. They stood up and started walking toward Ran, with Natsume rising to follow them.
Seeing his sister on the move, Aether, who had been standing a considerate distance away so as not to intrude on her time with her friends, began to walk over as well.
"Well, well. So it wasn't a confession from some first-year after all," Sonoko said with a teasing grin as they reached Ran.
"Sonoko! Conan's right here!" Ran chided, her tone laced with fond helplessness. "And Natsume, what are you doing here too...?"
Conan and Natsume simply smiled back at her.
"Aww, and here I was thinking I'd get to see the show I was hoping for today," Sonoko sighed, putting on a deliberately disappointed expression.
"What a shame," Ran replied lightly, a playful smile on her face.
Just then, her eyes drifted past the trio and landed on a figure following behind them. A flicker of recognition crossed her face, and she called out in surprise, "Mr. Morikawa? What are you doing here?"
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