After dinner, everyone returned to their rooms. "Knock, knock, knock!" The sudden knock on the door made Ren, who was about to write in his diary, pause. He got up to open the door. Standing outside was Sonoko in a nightgown. Perhaps because it was already bedtime, Sonoko had taken off her hairband, and her bangs hung over her forehead, making her look a little like Miyano Shiho. But that was not what Ren paid attention to. What concerned him was the anxiety and worry on Sonoko's face. He immediately understood the situation. He stepped forward and held her hand. Sonoko seemed to come back to herself only then. She lifted her head, her cute face still clouded with gloom, showing that her emotions were quite heavy. "Who knew we'd actually run into him today." Before this, Sonoko wasn't interested in that so-called hero-saving-the-beauty guy, nor did she want to know anything about him, because she was sure she wouldn't meet him again. Yet today, during their trip to Izu, she ran into him the moment she stepped outside. "Indeed, such things can make anyone feel uncomfortable." Ren understood Sonoko's feelings perfectly. But her response was to headbutt his chest. "Who said I was uncomfortable?" Sonoko felt as though all her earlier worries had been tossed into a puddle. Why was she so worried? Wasn't it only because she was afraid Ren would overthink things? But it turned out that after asking, she realized he wasn't worried at all. "I'm talking about you, you are." Ren was stunned for a moment before realizing that he had thought Sonoko was having emotional problems, but the truth was she had been worried about him instead. "Hmm... Personally, I'm not very worried. After all, I'm Sonoko's boyfriend." That one line, "I'm Sonoko's boyfriend," instantly swept away all of Sonoko's emotions, leaving behind only a strange shyness. Now Sonoko understood why Ren wasn't worried. It was because he thought this way. And if that was the case, she also felt it was true. Ren was her boyfriend now. Hero-saving-the-beauty stories only exist in fiction. In reality, she and Ren were already dating, so what did it matter what happened with anyone else? She wasn't the type of woman who would date Ren while looking elsewhere. She knew that, and Ren knew it even more clearly. So, was there really a problem? When Sonoko thought about it like that, it no longer felt like much of a problem at all. Her conflict and struggle throughout the day suddenly lost all strength. All her mental preparation had been undone by Ren's simple perspective. But then Sonoko noticed something. Propping herself on Ren's chest, she looked up. From that angle, peering past his thick glasses, she suddenly froze. He looked a little different than usual, and she instinctively spoke: "Ren, have you changed a bit too?" Ren didn't deny it. Compared to when he first met Sonoko and Ran, he had definitely changed. "I've definitely changed a bit. I've become more greedy than before, and I've also learned to trust others more. Of course, I've long known Sonoko wouldn't fall for someone else. Our real relationship only makes me even more certain of that." If it had been the old him, Ren would have avoided this situation immediately. But now, even faced with something , he didn't feel like shrinking back, because Sonoko really was his girlfriend. That was no joke. At that moment, Sonoko's gaze locked on Ren. Noticing something unusual, Ren lowered his head. He saw Sonoko staring at him blankly, as though she had discovered something important. Instinctively, he touched his face. "Is there something on my face?" Sonoko didn't answer. Instead, she reached out and removed his glasses. "You've changed a bit, compared to the last time I saw you." "Yes. Your skin looks much fairer, and your eyes look different." His deep black pupils seemed even more profound than before, and there was a faint light flickering within them. "My skin and eyes, huh." Ren silently praised her sharp observation. Sonoko really did have strong observational skills. His eyes had changed because of the Uniqueness of the Door-Door Fruit, and his skin had changed due to the Brood Hive's authority over life, which had enhanced his body. But the surface differences weren't actually that obvious. Yet Sonoko still noticed them. "Your eyes really are sharp, you even noticed such a small change." Sonoko proudly puffed out her chest. "Ren is my boyfriend. As his girlfriend, I should naturally notice any changes in him." Looking at the proud Sonoko, Ren decided it was best not to mention that Hayasaka hadn't noticed anything at all. He reached out and pinched Sonoko's cheek, feeling the soft, yielding sensation. At moments , he truly felt she was his girlfriend. "Do you have your answer now?" Sonoko, who didn't resist his cheek pinching, nodded with a smile. After agreeing, her eyes drifted around the room, and other thoughts quietly surfaced in her mind. She realized that all her earlier unease and conflicted emotions had stemmed from a single issue. Seeing that Sonoko's mood had improved, Ren felt relieved. "In that case, the time now..." Just as he was about to send her out like usual, he suddenly felt a tug on his clothes. He lowered his head and saw Sonoko's ears turning red. Her voice had also dropped significantly. "Ren, today... can I stay?" Hearing this, even Ren, who usually controlled his expression well, froze for a moment. It took him some time to process her words, but when he did, he understood their meaning. There was no turning back now. Ren felt his voice tremble slightly as he answered. Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭·𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦·𝘯𝘦𝘵 ◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones. ◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)