(3/3)
"If it's about studying, I'm fairly confident."
Kaguya rarely spoke about her abilities with such certainty.
She wasn't the type to boast, but when it came to academics, she knew her strengths.
"If I ever need help, I'll trouble you, Shinomiya-san."
"Well, you're always welcome to."
Ren sighed internally.
He hadn't been great at studying before, and he certainly wasn't now.
No matter how much time passed, academics just weren't his thing.
"Amamiya, what are we doing now?"
"Now?"
Ren thought for a moment before shaking his head slightly.
"There's no need to force anything."
"The world we live in isn't a pre-written story."
"If everything was already set in stone, none of us would be here together."
He spread his hands, looking at Kaguya.
"Besides, Shinomiya-san's actions aren't driven by blind emotions."
"She's methodical, logical—her behavior isn't that of someone ruled by feelings."
"We aren't pioneers or creators."
"Right now, we're observers."
"The more we observe this world, the more we can understand it."
"We already know the outline of the story."
"But we're walking our own path—step by step, at our own pace."
He smiled.
"Well, that's the elegant way of putting it."
"To put it bluntly, we don't really have a plan, we're just going with the flow."
"Oh~ just like usual with little Nagi."
Sanzenin Nagi's face twitched, and she shot a speechless look at the speaker.
The others tried to hold back their laughter.
They all knew about Nagi's homebody nature.
Living life one day at a time, without any real planning.
That was basically her entire lifestyle.
Behind them, Maria—Nagi's personal maid covered her mouth, smiling.
"Mr. Amamiya, who do you think we should be observing?"
"That's an easy question."
"As long as we keep an eye on Kudo, we'll always have something interesting to watch."
"That's what this diary is, after all."
"A record of daily experiences."
"I think its purpose is to document as many stories as possible."
Maria thought for a moment before nodding.
The true purpose of the diary remained a mystery, but it was clear that it existed to record Ren's life.
The more events he got involved in, the more valuable the diary became.
However, it wasn't just about documenting pre-existing stories.
It was about Ren's personal experiences.
This wasn't a third-person record of the world, it was a first-person chronicle of his life.
"Mr. Amamiya, does that mean the diary wants to record more of your personal story?"
"…Mine?"
Ren fell silent for a moment.
He couldn't rule that out.
"Yeah… that actually makes sense."
"If that's the case, then this diary is basically telling me to go outside more."
To be honest, Ren wasn't fond of going out.
He was a homebody at heart.
But if the diary's purpose was to record his life, then staying cooped up indoors wasn't ideal.
After all, what was the point of recording a life with no changes?
He tapped the diary lightly against his forehead.
"…Are you my mom?"
For now, there was no need to overthink it.
Since he wasn't planning on going out too much anytime soon, he might as well focus on observing others for now.
"If we're watching Shinichi, do you want me to handle it?"
Ran raised her hand.
"No need."
Ren shook his head.
"Mouri, don't volunteer for something you clearly don't want to do."
"If you really wanted to keep an eye on Kudo, you wouldn't have left home in the first place."
"Since you're already out, don't feel pressured to go back."
Ran paused slightly.
…She really didn't want to go back.
Her father had been paid by Kudo's parents to take care of Shinichi.
She didn't have the heart to tell her dad not to do it.
But at the same time…
She wasn't interested in babysitting Shinichi herself.
If she had truly wanted to, she wouldn't have found an excuse to leave in the first place.
"But…"
Ren changed the subject.
"Mouri, isn't your dad's cooking terrible?"
"Eh? Oh, right."
"Dad can barely cook at all."
"Honestly, he's only slightly better than Mom."
"That won't do."
Ren's expression grew serious.
"Mouri, you should prepare some meals at your mom's place and bring them to your dad."
"No matter what, you should at least help make his life easier."
"When you visit him, you can also ask how he's doing."
Ran blinked in surprise before realization set in.
She wasn't forced to move back.
She didn't have to watch over Shinichi.
But bringing food to her father gave her an excuse to check in on him without making it seem too intentional.
Using the reason that he couldn't cook, she could visit him regularly.
And while she was there, she could casually ask about his recent situation.
"…I'll prepare something tomorrow."
She nodded.
"I hope Dad actually tries to take care of himself."
"And I hope Shinichi doesn't make things even more complicated."
In truth, she was a little worried about her father.
Ever since she moved in with her mother, she had realized something.
Her mom was completely hopeless at taking care of herself.
She never cooked.
She always ordered takeout.
Her daily meals consisted of coffee, French fries, burgers, and pizza.
Ran had been genuinely shocked by how little effort her mother put into proper meals.
Now, she was beginning to worry about her dad too.
Would he be able to take care of himself while she was away?
Lost in thought, Ran suddenly felt a pair of eyes watching her.
She turned her gaze toward Ren.
He was staring at her.
She shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.
"…Amamiya, is there something wrong with me?"
"No."
Ren tilted his head slightly.
"I just think… Mouri, have you lost some weight?"
***
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