Suzuki Sonoko's stance on the disappearance of Kudo Shinichi was that of a pickle drowning in a jar of brine. She was bitter. Very bitter. Bitter that he'd disappeared without any warning, bitter that he'd never given any explanation, but most of all she was bitter that he'd made Ran cry countless times.
No one made Ran cry and got away in one piece, not if Sonoko was involved.
Each and every time Ran cried, Sonoko reassured her, held her tightly between both arms. As Ran's trembling body relaxed, Sonoko's blood boiled, slammed against the wall of her veins, threatened to explode.
Sonoko got it, she really did. Shinichi might be in danger, he might be trying to protect them, like the idiot he was, there were plenty of reasons to be concerned. She liked Shinichi, had known him for twelve years, wouldn't want him to get hurt, or killed.
Although, Sonoko wished she could shed tears in her place, see more of the smile she'd fallen in love with, Ran cried enough for both of them. If that was the case, Sonoko was going to make sure she had enough rage for the both of them.
She'd never told Ran, never told her that she loved her. It wouldn't be fair to her best friend, wouldn't be fair to confess feelings that she knew would never be reciprocated. She didn't want her to go through more pain. So she pretended, pretended she fell for any 'attractive' guy she saw; pretended she fancied Kid.
Then she met him: Kyogoku Makoto. She'd pretended like she normally did, pretended that she fell for him when he'd saved her from being stabbed, pretended that the reason she turned was bright red was because she liked him and not because he'd mentioned how enthusiastically she'd cheered on Ran at tournaments.
They'd talked after that, Ran thought that they were hitting it off; Sonoko found out that he was the same, that he was just like her. That he had someone he liked who he pretended he didn't, that he was gay and pretended he wasn't. He was also very proficient at Karate, perfect for delivering a well deserved blow to Shinichi's face.
Sonoko felt that she'd made a true friend, one which she could tell anything so, when people started assuming that they were dating she didn't correct them; sometimes, she even lied telling them that they were, in fact dating. She knew Makoto did the same.
Sonoko knew she should come out and say it, tell the world that she liked girls, that she liked Ran, but she was scared. Scared that her traditional family wouldn't accept her, scared that she might get mocked at school, but, she was mostly scared that she'd have to tell Ran she loved her and that Ran, unable to love her in the same way that she did Shinichi, would get upset on her behalf.
If pretending was what allowed her to see Ran's smile, Sonoko was more than happy to pretend.