"Come over here, Conan!" Chie Morinaga called to the pitiful-looking boy.
Conan perked up like he'd been pardoned, scampering over. Ran watched, shaking her head helplessly.
This kid has no clue how serious this is, she thought.
Past 9 PM, the group—still wiped from last night's lack of sleep—had trickled back to their rooms early.
Azuma Shoyo had planned to chat with Sonoko, but when Conan returned, he'd caught a whiff of demon stench on him. Thick, too. Clearly, the kid had run into more than one!
"This brat's got a charmed life," Azuma Shoyo mused.
Still, with that heavy demon scent clinging to Conan, he worried some might track it to the villa district tonight. Scrapping his Sonoko talk, he decided to handle this first.
But while he didn't seek her out, Sonoko found him. "Shoyo, can we talk?" she asked, looking at him.
"Sure. Where?" He glanced outside—no demon signs yet—and nodded.
"The garden's fine," Sonoko said, leading the way.
Azuma Shoyo followed. In the night garden, all was quiet save for distant waves crashing on the shore.
Under a lamppost, Sonoko sat on a bench. "Sit," she said, motioning him over. Then she cut to it. "Shoyo, do you like Ran?"
"Why ask that?" he replied.
"This afternoon, I saw you two chatting in the garden. You looked really close," she said, eyes reddening, on the verge of tears. "And Ms. Marukawa—there's something between you two you're hiding from me, right?"
"Sonoko, actually…" Azuma Shoyo started, but his brow furrowed, his gaze snapping elsewhere.
"Actually what?" Sonoko pressed.
"Hold on. Uninvited guests," he said, standing.
"Huh?" Sonoko blinked, her emotions thrown off track.
Uninvited guests? What? Bad guys?
As she puzzled over it, Azuma Shoyo turned to her. "Head back to the villa. It's about to get dicey out here. We'll talk later."
Sonoko stared, confused. "???"
Before she could ask, he pulled a strange ring from his pocket and slipped it on. Her eyes widened as he traced a circle in the air—a sparking ring flared to life!
Magic trick? she thought, stunned, watching him step through and vanish.
"Sho-Shoyo?" she whispered tentatively.
"Why're you still here?" Azuma Shoyo stepped back out.
He'd popped home to Mifune Town briefly. Now, emerging from the portal, he wore white armor with gold accents—a battle suit he hadn't donned in a while.
Gut feeling said tonight'd be lively. Rare chance like this? Gotta dress the part.
"Shoyo, what's this?" Sonoko gaped at his getup.
"Go back. I'll explain after it's done," he said.
She just stared, dazed. Sighing, he opened a portal beneath her. She yelped, falling through—only to land on her bed back in her room.
Looking up, she saw the ring closing. "Shoyo!" she shouted, rushing to the balcony.
She caught him soaring skyward, streaking into the distance.
Sonoko froze. "…"
Shoyo… can fly?!
Her jaw dropped, disbelief etched on her face. Pinching her thigh, the sting confirmed it—no dream.
"Oh my God! Is Shoyo an alien?!" she gasped, covering her mouth. A quick glance around—no one saw. She relaxed.
"No way—I've gotta keep this secret for him!" she resolved.
She'd come tonight to hash things out—ask who he liked most. If it wasn't her, she'd planned to bow out, a choice she'd mulled over all afternoon.
Yeah, if Shoyo didn't pick her, she'd step aside for him and Ran. But now, after this bombshell?
Regret hit hard!
What's cooler than dating an alien boyfriend? She'd already been reluctant to give up—why else ask again? Now, no chance she'd quit.
Bow out? Let Shoyo go? Never! Maybe the world's only alien!
No way she'd let that slip. Worst case… share with Ran. They're besties—marrying the same guy? Doable.
Her mind raced with wild thoughts.
Meanwhile, Azuma Shoyo, hovering outside the villa district, had no clue Sonoko'd cast him as an alien.
Though, fair point—he did have Kryptonian blood. Call him an alien? Not exactly wrong!
Now, airborne, his gaze locked on a distant forest. Branches rustled wildly as figures with glowing red eyes burst out, charging from the trees!
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