the long period of abstinence that she had gone through because of Shinichi, and sent this divine boy down to her.Ainokami, she thought and giggled happily to herself.

"Do you want to make a very special evening with me today?" Yukio had asked her after school with a pounding heart. "I invite you to spend the night with me in a boathouse on Tokyo Bay. Well, it's actually not that special, but at least I inherited the arbor from my grandfather. It was not just florists, but also fishermen. At that time business was particularly bad, you must know. So it's just a little wooden hut, not very comfortable or anything. Well, I hope you like it- "

"Yukio, honey" Ran had interrupted him gently. Apparently out of sheer excitement, Yukio had strayed further and further from the subject. When he noticed, he scratched his head, embarrassed, and looked at the floor. Then he took heart. A slight blush rose on his cheeks. "Please say yes! It's incredibly romantic to watch the sunset from there - no comparison to the lagoon in Tropical Land, I promise!"Ran hesitated for a moment whether she should accept his invitation. Although she had known Shinichi much longer than Yukio, she and her school friend had never spent a night together. Wasn't that all a little quick? He noticed her hesitation, because after a while he said soothingly: "Don't worry! Nothing will happen that you don't want."

It was then that she realized that she had already gone much further with Yukio than with Shinichi. God, she[/i]had kissed him first after all! Then she could still dare to take the last step. Besides, wasn't that what I wished for all along? She thought back to what she had felt immediately after the ball: Didn't she feel that a new era was beginning with Yukio? Didn't she see a timid streak of light breaking through the clouds where before there had been only gloom and hopelessness? She had promised him.

"Good. I'll be expecting you at seven. I'm sure you will enjoy the evening."These words, which Yukio had breathed in her ear at the end, still fluttered around in Ran's head. He had told her that the hut used to be used by the fishermen as a shelter for their boats. Today it has been converted into a kind of gazebo, They would have dinner together and then sit outside by the fireplace. According to Yukio's accounts, you could see the whole city center from the shores of the bay. The view of the brightly lit streets from a distance must be wonderful "When a ship leaves the harbor under the star-covered sky and plunges into the open sea," he said, "then you get a feeling for how beautiful and wide our world actually is!"

She didn't have to wait long. It was already after five when Ran finally reached the detective agency. After school she drove with Sonoko to Ms. Uemori's in Shinjuku to cancel the cooking class.After just a few sessions, Sonoko realized that her talents were not hidden in French culinary art, wherever else that might be the case. In any case, Ran had the feeling that the fact that the male course participants could not warm up to Sonoko was more of a decisive factor for her in making this decision. In any case, Ran didn't feel like making the long way to the cooking school on her own, so she hung up her apron right away.

Now she had to hurry if she wanted to be outside at Yukio's at seven. The boathouse was far from the center in a remote suburb. Ran had agreed to provide adequate drinks. Besides, she hadn't the faintest idea how to present herself to her boyfriend tonight. Or tonight. Do you have to give special thought to your underwear ...?

In this respect, she was not pleased when she found something on the doorstep that she had absolutely no idea what to do with it:A tape recorder lay on the mat.

The tape was on and she heard a male voice speak.

The quality of the recording left a lot to be desired, and yet after a few seconds Ran could clearly hear Yukio's tenor. But he sounded strange, strangely condescending: "This Ran ... En a bit pale, but somehow very charming ..." What was he thinking? "... walks around like a bed sister the whole time ..." Is that supposed to be a joke? Then it had failed. "Surely still a virgin, the little one" What? How did he talk about her? That could not be true! Ran thought he had misheard and rewound something. Her light-footed excitement slowly gave way to real nervousness. "I won in just over three hours." Yukio rang out of the loudspeakers, enamored. Confused, Ran glanced at her watch. Whatgained? "Then I finally got Ran over." The sudden horror paralyzed Ran like a shot from the tranquilizer gun.She felt dizzy, but after a moment she composed herself.

Only now did she notice that there was a small envelope leaning against the wall next to the recorder, on which a hasty hand had written "For Ran". She knew all too well who this scribbled handwriting belonged to, but she hardly dared even think of his name. Their confusion only increased. Without hesitation, she tore open the envelope. She frowned and read:

"Ran.

I'm sorry that, although our friendship has ended, I have to bother you one last time. I am even more sorry that I will destroy all your happiness with what can be heard on the tape. I don't enjoy this you know Believe me, I'm not doing it to win you back. I don't want to impress you, and I certainly don't want to let the great detective hang out.

I just thought you should know. That Yukio was just using you from the start. That you were nothing more than a betting victim to him.He'll tell you the rest of it himself. Forgive me, Ran. Forgive me for confronting you with reality so hard. Ruin all the dreams you are sure to have had. But even in love there is only one truth, and it can be cruel at times.

'BARA NI TOGE ARI', Ran.'No rose without thorns. '

Goodbye

Your Shinichi "

Her eyes stayed on the last word for a long time. Shinichi. Then they whirled up and scanned the few sentences that drowned Ran's world within seconds. What should she have been? A 'betting victim'? Could she have been so mistaken about Yukio? She missed the innocence and timidity with which he had appeared to her today. He was such a graceful, pure, humble boy! Nobody could just act out all of this. "If you lay her down, the car is yours, I promise." That was never Yukio. She couldn't believe that.

For a second, Ran suspected that Shinichi had sneakily imitated Yukio's voice and had spoken this nonsense himself on tape.He might not have taken her rejection well. Perhaps the old professor Agasa had promised him support in his war of the roses and tinkered some invention for him ...

Completely insecure and with a queasy feeling in his stomach, Ran crouched down on the cold steps and rewound back to the beginning. She put the recorder in her lap and listened to the tape from start to finish. It was the whole lie of their mutual relationship that Yukio was spreading in front of her there. From the Thousand Lights Ball to the first date in Tropical Land to the present day, he revealed, their luck had been nothing more than a game, a bet that in the end was all about which rich pupil would do one with the other had to leave his expensive toys.

At first it was isolated, but after a few moments rivers of hot tears flowed down Ran's cheeks. It was incredible. She had been betrayed all along and had not the slightest suspicion.In anger at Yukio and herself, she would have loved to throw the recorder down the stairs with all her strength and watch it smash into a thousand pieces in the street below. By now she was sure that it was actually him. Nevertheless, she forced herself to hear the whole bitter truth to the end and to endure Yukio's scorn for her outrageous stupidity and naivete with silence.

Then she turned off the recorder and set it aside. She took a handkerchief and wiped her tears. It seemed incomprehensible to her, almost a miracle, and yet she realized at that moment that she had already forgotten about Yukio. He meant nothing to her.

Ran picked up the sheet of letterhead again.

Shinichi! For the third time, she read the message and recognized her long-time school friend in every sentence, in every word. It was unmistakably Shinichi, that selfless, courageous detective who cared nothing more than the truth, for whose sake he was constantly putting himself in danger.But it wasn't enough that he hunted down one murderer after the other, now he had made it his business to valiantly protect Ran's heart from all evildoers. He had done it with flying colors, thought Ran.

In an hour I would have fallen into Yukio's trap if he hadn't warned me in time. I idiot dumped Shinichi a few weeks ago and was too cowardly to tell him to his face that it was over. My God! The person I grew up with, who I know better than anyone else in the world and with whom I wanted to spend my whole life, I simply sent into the desert. And only to run after Yukio Taniguchi, this scheming handsome guy who was only after my innocence.

And Shinichi? Nevertheless, he did not let me run into the open knife, but warned me about the deceiver before I could finally fall victim to him. You can't imagine a bigger token of love!But I, I made it very clear to Shinichi that I don't want to know anything more about him! Why else would he have said goodbye to me with 'goodbye'? He saved me from Yukio, sure. But he will still not want to know anything more from me and will go his way.

God what did i do? What have I done?

Ran burst into tears again. She cried out of tremendous anger at herself as everything blurred before her eyes. She cried until suddenly she realized she was wasting her time. It was now her turn. She still owed Shinichi something. Determined, she pulled herself up and stood.

I have to apologize to him! she thought. There is no longer any doubt. Shinichi is the boy who is meant for me. But does he still want to see me now? Anyway, even if not, I must at