Kudo Shinichi groaned as he was barely resisting the urge to slam his head onto his desk in frustration in class.

A week. It's been an entire week since he couldn't get Ranran to spill the beans. Let alone, get her to talk. Every time he attempted to approach the little girl, the little girl can come up with all sorts of schemes and always manages to rush out of the classroom as if she was a legit pink panther.

There was that one time when he came up with an excuse on heading out to the washroom before the classroom ended, he waited around the escape route corner to catch her at the entrance, only for a bucket of water to pour on top of his head by the time class ended as she fled. Another time he tried approaching her during physical education when he witness her sitting alone beneath the shade on the bench, but then by chance, he caught in response an American football, a group of boys ended up charging onto him like a group of bulls going after people in some Great Bull event in Chicago (Ranran accepted this from Takuma as an alternate payment for the salmon he missed out on). Shinichi received a lot of black and blues that day, and his mother almost caused trouble in school, thinking he was bullied or something.

One after another misfortune befalls Shinichi. Of course, he knew what he was expecting when he decided to confront her, he knew she can be brutal, scheming even, but he didn't think she would go overboard.

It was kind of hard to do that when the subject of his interest was adamantly fleeing from his existence, treating this as if this was her own game.

A little girl whose face strongly resembles his, blazer fluttering around her, racing towards her desk spot in front of them where Reina and Takuma are waiting for her. Shinichi almost wants to talk to her, but there's something in her expression that says she'll kick anyone before anyone could speak to her.

"You manage to survive for almost a week, congrats."Reina was impressed, especially with all of the chases he had given her.

"I had to change my sleep pattern for God's sake, as in wake up earlier than my usual just so he cant predict my school arrival pattern to go after me for crying out loud!"Ranran groaned in annoyance as she put aside her bag, before grabbing a seat to talk to her two friends, who are still standing near her desks.

"This kind of goes without saying," she said. "You know, lately he has been dropping by our office to ask what you've been doing lately."

Shinichi froze as he heard someone tell someone that, as their desk ain't far apart from one another to hear."I know," Ranran's voice replied.

"Shinichi can be very persistent. Especially those two girls with him. You wouldn't want to mess with them. So are you sure you don't need help?"Takuma worriedly questioned the seemingly tired red lip girl.

"I will get this done," she promised. "I dealt worst than this, I can handle it."

Alright, Shinichi decided his next course of action was to confront her face to face.

Why not he head over to Ranran herself and demand right now to know what was truly going on. Cause whatever was going on, Shinichi was going to get to the bottom of it.

As he was about to, a figure stood ahead of his desk."Kudo Shinichi? Can we talk now?"

Oh God no, now what?

His head turned to tell the person to back off, but he swallowed his words back when he realized it was Suzuki Sonoko."We need to talk."

Here they go again."Is this about what you heard the other day?"

"Yes, about you feeling sorry about what you did to Ran....there are a couple of suggestions for you I have in mind. You should be thankful that I am her best friend......"

And the words on how he should apologize to her pelted onto him like some heavy pouring rain that never ends, starting with flowers or sweet lip service for instance, as she continued to drop suggestion after suggestion like an ongoing train that never ends, up to a point he tuned out her voice in his head.

Shinichi swears Ranran is not just good, if anything, she was far too good at manipulating people like her pawns. She didn't even get close to Sonoko, and yet here she is, able to make Sonoko stop him in every chance of getting close to approaching Ranran at all.

That girl is one word in his vocabulary - psychopath.

To think she would resort to using his feud with Ran to stop him from coming after Ranran further, is a low blow. And frankly, this is getting on his nerve. A lot. It's like Ranran is untouchable."What is it?"Shinichi decided to not show that he is annoyed, or else, he won't hear the end of it.

Unbeknownst to Shinichi, the table has turned.

Silently observing from the back, Ranran turned her gaze to Reina and Takuma, "I think it is a matter of time before he snaps."

"Eh!?" "Eh!?" Both of them reacted in unison.

"Judging by his expression, he doesn't look happy at all."

Ranran wasn't wrong, for he was becoming rather wearied with all of the schemes she put him through throughout the entire week. It is an expression Ranran constantly see in each of her targets and her enemies, pushing their buttons till they finally snap, make a mistake, then it ended up spelling their doom."It's a lucky thing tomorrow is Saturday, cause he can't go after you anymore."Takuma thinks about it.

"Hah?"

"Ora, you did mention he didn't try to come to your house during the weekend because he is scared of your parents, right?"

Oh, right."That's true."

Ranran's parents are honestly a saving grace for her. They resented Shinichi after he allegedly pushed her and broke her leg, and often give a glaring look towards him if they ever see him. Though those days had toned down a lot, the tension between her father and Shinichi still can be felt to this day.

However, what Takuma doesn't know is for the past 2 days, they won't be at home as they gonna fly overseas for work trip purposes.

Ranran was going to bring this up, but then sensing Shinichi may be able to hear any of this, she decided to keep her mouth shut. No way she was gonna allow him to do as he pleases.

But as luck would have it, things went into major chaos.

...........................................

"Another kid fell victim again?"

A message popped up on her phone, shattering the calm atmosphere of her bedroom as she groaned. On a weekend whereby 6-year-old Ranran would be more than happy to spend her free time in front of the computer gaming, such a shame that the message of such nature like this one ruined her plans for a easy free time.

Rolling her eyes, Ranran glanced at the notification again. Another child had gone missing, and this time it was from her neighbourhood.

Most children in her position would be panicking to the core, but if one were to be in Ranran's shoes, she didn't react much about it. After all, 3 years being in this line of work is enough to make her see it as if she was used to watching a documentary, involving a tiger attacking onto a deer it was chasing after for its meal.

It was a grim analogy, but Ranran naturally grew detached overtime. This detached behaviour of hers often at times make the adults and kids her age eerie over her reaction, that it was natural for peers to distanced themselves away from her.

...........................................

Around 2 years ago, when the child psychologists her parents took her when they were still living in the U.K announced that this part of her was 'irreversible' after 'that incident', her mother wept while her father merely pat her on the shoulder, comforting her as the then 4-year-old Ranran couldn't help but feel annoyed over why is her mother acting like that.

"It was a long time coming," Ranran recalled hearing the words that came out of her father's mouth at that time.

"It's one thing to be inherited through the family, but it's another that someone knew about it, made full use of it to full capacity, and then turned her into this....ruthless being!"

Again, 4-year-old Ranran just merely played with her toy blocks in some random child themed medical office, while her mother continued to weep as her father tried to reassure her. The words didn't fully register with young Ranran; all she could think about was how boring it was to sit still while she could've been spending her time in front of the computer at home.

As the block rolled away, Ranran went after the block without listening to the rest of the conversation.

"That damn boy! Had I known all of this was ongoing at her school!"

"You can't do much anymore, Irene, he is dead. Also at that time, he was homes-schooled before he was sent back to the academy. No one could've predicted this."

"Just like his mother! Manipulative! Thanks to his manipulations, Ranran became like this!"

Ranran's small fingers paused over the toy block as her parents' words wrapped around her like a heavy blanket. Even at four, she could feel the weight of their concern, though the meaning eluded her. She didn't understand why her mother was crying or why her father's voice was laced with anger. 

But as her father's words sank in, something stirred deep within her. The mention of manipulation struck a chord—she didn't know what it meant, but she could feel its shadow hovering over her. Who was this boy they spoke of? Why did he matter so much?

Again, she lost grip of the block and it rolled under the table.

Once more, she chased after the block and as she crawled to retrieve it, she overheard one of the conversation that she couldn't forget even up until now.

"When we move to Japan, as the doctor say she is still young....she will probably forget about all of this, let alone, remain ruthless." Her father tries to speak in a positive light to his wife.

"Forget about this!? With the thing he had caused of this large magnitude....even for an 8-year-old boy, there are lines he shouldn't had cross right from the start! Ah my poor daughter, oh dear Lord! What a mess he had caused.....how are we going to fix her!?"

The fear and desperation in her mother's voice painted a picture of something dark and menacing, something that had somehow seeped into the woman while the 4-year-old just stare at her with a blank look.

Her father sighed, frustration evident. "We'll make a fresh start in Japan. All of this.....we will put this to bed eventually."

"You think?" her mother scoffed. "Then, after hearing all of the details that day at court and all of that, in your opinion, if you were around her age and you were constantly hanging out with him for over 2 years plus, I dare you to say to me straight in the face that you will not turn out like Ranran."

"Children forget. They adapt." Her father replied, but his voice lacked conviction.

...........................................

But her mother was right, Ranran did not forget.

Couldn't forget even if she wanted to. Even so, Ranran could not be bothered about it.

Back to the message on her phone, Ranran know that she needed to go out and do her Fox duties once more. Sure, she may be 'retired', but in front of the pesky eyes of the press to say the least.

"My Edgewood school uniform, where is it?"

Ranran rummaged through her closet before fishing it out. The fabric felt soft and worn in her hands, a reminder of her childhood innocence before the weight of the world settled on her small shoulders.

She quickly changed, slipping into the dark blazer and pleated skirt that still fit surprisingly well. After all, the uniform itself was designed before she turned 6 or 7 years of age. Ranran looked at herself in the mirror, the familiar fabric enveloping her like a comforting memory. The blazer felt snug, a reminder of her earlier childhood before everything changed.

Where she used be in a prestigious school where the halls echoed with laughter, a stark contrast to the shadows that now lingered over her life. Memories of friends and carefree days danced in her mind, but they were swiftly overshadowed by the weight of her current reality.

"Right, one more thing. The Fox mask."

She retrieved the mask from a hidden compartment in her closet, its surface gleaming in the dim light of her room as it shimmered in her grasp. The mask had become her second face, an emblem of the persona she had adopted in her other life, one that her current friends could never imagine.

Sliding the mask over her face, she felt the familiar click of detachment from her emotion as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. With the mask now firmly in place, its cold edges pressing against her skin, The transformation was complete, and with it, the lingering bittersweet memory of the person who had once stood by her side, who had given her the mask with a quiet smile.

"With this mask on, you can do whatever you want."

"Whatever....I want?"

"No one knows you are Kudo Ranran, but with this mask, you can be free whoever you want to be."

Those words echoed in her mind like a distant whisper. She had been too young to fully grasp their meaning at the time, but now, every time she donned the mask, she understood a little more. The person who had given her the mask—someone she once trusted, someone who had taught her the intricacies of manipulation, strategy, and survival—was gone, taken by the same darkness that now haunted her.

A sharp pang of sadness flickered in her chest, but she pushed it down, letting the cold detachment of the mask take over. Emotions were a liability for this occasion, something she had learned all too well early on. 

Well, she could always mourn later, if she ever allowed herself that luxury.

Right now, she is not a innocent little six-year-old girl dealing with school and Shinichi's hostility over their family issues— cause she is now the "Fox," a calculating and elusive figure in the underground world she had been dragged into far too young.

She knew what her next mission was: the missing children.

"Time to work, I hope not to see that bastard while I am out," she muttered, her voice muffled by the mask.

She adjusted her mask, making sure it was neat, and took a deep breath, channeling the confidence she once felt this entire set-up. It always made her feel powerful—like she was stepping back into the role she had carefully crafted for herself: a clever fox in a world of unsuspecting prey.

"But....should he ever try to make his annoying entrance like those idiot main character would.....I'll be ready to finish him off, after all...." Ranran muttered under her breath, a sly smile forming beneath the mask as she mocked, "There are no heroes without villains." Ranran finished, her voice barely above a whisper as the smirk behind her mask deepened.

...........................................

On a Saturday, Shinichi who is bored to death had just left Professor Agasa's house (his neighbour) after having his usual dinner. Now you might be thinking Shinichi has a mother who is a former actress turned homemaker, why would he keep heading over to his neighbour's house to have his meals?

The answer is simple, his mom often travels with his dad, a lot.

Shinichi was often left at home alone while Hiroshi Agasa often cook his meals for him. Most adults who live around the area often whisper amongst themselves that perhaps Shinichi was too abnormal as their son, they choose not to interact with him and ended up having fun holidays minus him.

The reality was further from the truth.

Because Yukiko married in her young 20s, like most young mothers, they think they are missing out a lot in life. Before marriage she used to be an actress that travelled around the world, then retired early after marriage and had Shinichi, making her miss out on what she wanna do outside motherhood. Fortunately, her loving husband (who also was around his 20s when he married her), understood this predicament and took her along on his work trips. She was fortunate that she had an understanding son like Shinichi since he couldn't afford to follow them as he had to attend school according to his dad, to not 'miss out on life', he says.

Of course, they weren't that neglectful to a point they would leave him hungry, as money would be transferred on food delivery services (they can't trust him with a credit card yet), not to mention, they would facetime every night without fail to check on him. As a mother, she decided he wasn't going to solely live on food delivery all the time as it was unhealthy, so Agasa would often step in and cook meals for him on occasion. And on occasion, his parents would normally return during the weekend. This Saturday is no different, as they already inform Shinichi they be arriving home by night time.

However, being an only child living in a rich mansion where you recently ain't on speaking terms with the 2 friends you only have in your life, didn't do much to entertain his bored to death brain. It wasn't like he didn't know how to kill time, he often read plenty of mystery books his father wrote for him. Hell, his father even bought mystery books around the world around one of their trips on occasion. But none of that was able to entertain Shinichi, as he already read them all.

Now, most children his age would've whined to have such a life, considering he not only live in a fancy mansion, but there also is a large tv for him where no parent be there to tell him not to watch long hours of anime, and a computer for him to play long hours to his heart content to entertain his bored brain. But the problem with Shinichi is he ain't into video games as he thinks it's garbage, nor that he is into watching anime, considering nowadays the drama content often make him think it's enough killing brain cells worldwide.

Yup, with all of that said, it's no wonder Shinichi wasn't approachable in the eyes of other children, and they assume him to be a weirdo.

Upon heading to his empty home, something else caught his attention.

As he walked home, he notice the light is still lit up behind his house around 8 pm. Wondering where the light was coming from, he tilted his head and reverse from where he walked, only to recognize that it was Ranran's house. Ranran's house isn't like Shinichi's, though it's smaller than his, upon first glance, one can tell it is a French-style country house. He has seen the house multiple times for the entire week, where that signature Aston martin and mini-cooper would be parked side by side at the compound, and his attempt to confront her would often fail miserably.

He stood there in silence as he muttered to himself, "Her house look so different during the night."

Shinichi recalled having once entered her house last year when he was forced to apologize to her parents for pushing her down in person at that time. Similarly to the exterior, the house inside was lavishly decorated like a French Palace in his opinion, unlike his Tudor style mansion. Curiosity got the better of him, on what her house looked like in the night.

Shinichi then decides, "considering my parents won't be back home early yet, I might as well go take a look since I have nothing to do at home."

Little did he realize, those words would come back to bite him.

........................................................

Upon arriving at Ranran's house, Shinichi notices something odd.

While peering around the gate, though the view of the house is beautiful as he had recalled, there was one thing that wasn't in the compound.

"Ah reh?"Shinichi wonders, before staring at the empty spot right next to the Aston Martin, "The Mini Cooper is still missing?"

Now a brief mention, Ranran's dad had lived in the U.K alongside his wife and daughter for over 4 years before moving here. During his stay, he fell in love with how sleek the Aston Martin DBX design looked, not to mention, the handling and elegance that came with it. When he bought the silver car, he took such great care of it, he was able to have the car transported to Japan and made sure not to drive it as often in case the car gets dented or vandalized. He rarely drives the car unless he had to go to work or go on a cruise (since the police department, he is certain parking his car there is safe from vandalism). The reason Shinichi knew this is because Shinichi's dad often mention over the phone on him being particularly obsessed with maintaining the car like a fool.

That's right, Ranran's dad loves that car. So much so that he would never let it leave the house. Not even if they go on their usual overseas work trip, as he feared leaving the car at the airport will attract unwanted idiots into stealing his car and selling it for parts. Ranran's parents are no different than Shinichi's as they too tend to both work overseas on occasion (though he ain't clear with her parents' occupation). And the wife's mini-cooper ain't around. It's not often that Ranran's mother goes out in the middle of the night on her own with the car either based on his one-week observation. Between his observations of the day he decided to stalk Ranran on a Monday to Wednesday, the mini-cooper was there till Thursday leading up to today.

That can only mean one thing to Shinichi as he made a realization.

Ranran's parents....are probably arent around, as they have been working overseas for 4 days now.

This would also mean Ranran has been alone at home for the past 4 days like he is now.

He processed the thoughts he had about her being alone at home, as the light upstairs finally switched off. Then the lights lit up in the other room, from the looks of it, it seems to be the bathroom, judging the bathtub he could see through the other window. The curtains seem to be dragged to block the view from anyone.

So Ranran is gonna take a shower, that meant.....wait, his train of thought paused. Her house is quite large despite being on the smaller side, unlike Shinichi's house. If he breaks into it to search for evidence that she is 'The Fox', would she be obliged to let him be involved in that case she is working on?

"This is a bad idea."

He frowned, for starters, even though he ain't breaking in to peep at anyone or anything like a pervert, he is doing it in the name of evidence. If all goes wrong, everything will be under her mercy. He knew this first hand with all of the crap she put him through in school. On the other hand, he sighs, "I don't wanna keep locating for missing Bentos and missing wallets anymore."

Shinichi wrestled with his decision as he thought hard about this. Finally, having a glance at the lit-up bathroom, he decided to screw it. He was gonna do it since an opportunity like this rarely comes by. After all, his parents won't be home till around 9 pm anyway. He has all the time in the world.

He then set his sight on the gate surrounding the house, climbing past it shouldn't have been an issue. He then looked up to the balcony where the glass doors are locked shut, and the pillar that leads to the balcony. Perfect.

Even though the doors are shut, he didn't learn pick-locking during his free time for nothing.

.........................................................

Around the same time in the bathroom, "Phew, I just need to make sure the bathtub is filled with warm water."

Ranran grins, still in her school uniform as she waited for the water to fill up the bathtub. Nothing beats a nice bubble bath, especially all to herself. On top of it, with her parents not around to tell her not to spend too long in the bathroom, it's perfect for her.

To sweeten the deal, the idiot serial child kidnapper was finally removed from the streets thanks to her questionable schemes. Sure, it drew a lot of flak from the police officials, but she got the job done.

The remaining problem however is that the kidnapper's accomplice has yet to be caught. The one thing she is wary of is that the person is a child, so that itself would take a lot of time to pinpoint their identity. And as for the escaped jailbird case, that would too be her priority.

But for now, it is her time alone. 

Suddenly, "Eeeeee."

A door opening sound?"Hello? Mother? Father? You guys are home already?"She headed out of the bathroom as she peeks her head out while calling out to them in English, no soul in sight."Huh, that's odd." Ranran frowned, did she hear it wrong?

Thud.

Another sound!?

The sound of doors squeaking can be heard not far across the hallway, as she recalled something. "Wait for a second, "Ranran's thoughts suddenly came to a halt, "Is that....a squeak noise coming from the door of our balcony!?"

Last year, while her parents were away on a work trip, she accidentally locked herself out of the balcony on the second floor. And the glass door always had these squeaking sounds produced out of it whenever pushed open and shut, even with her dad making attempts on fixing it. Though no doubt, her dad was a talented handyman, this door was the only thing he couldn't fix.

Considering all of this said and done, that would also mean in Ranran's mind, that someone else had broken into her house through the bloody balcony.

This thought made her freeze in terror. For starters, she is the only one in the house at the moment, no adults around."Seriously.....a freaking break-in."

She could still hear the sound of things being dragged here and there.

Ranran peered at the opened bathroom door, she checked but no one was in sight. Decided she was gonna take matters into her own hands, she opened the bathroom mirror box attached above the  sink, "Luckily my parents are smart enough to leave me this in case such incidents happen."She took out a small box before placing it on the floor as she kneel in front of it," they always say Japan is safer than the U.K, that break-ins like this rarely happen. I'll show them that." she grins evilly upon removing the lid of the box, "those lessons I have received from Edgewood, as well as what my parents taught me.... is finally going to be put to good use."

Meanwhile...

"Seriously.....what am I looking for...."Shinichi seems a little frazzled as he used his smartphone as a light source, searching around the master bedroom for whatever evidence or clues he could find, anything that can prove she is the fox.

Shinichi underestimated Ranran's house, even though he knew what he was expecting before deciding to break into her house, he didn't think the house had a lot more rooms in comparison to his house, especially for a family of only 3 people. To top it off, there were not many clues for him to go on about as to which of these bedrooms belonged to Ranran, considering all of the bedrooms were also decorated lavishly with no family photos, one can't tell which bedroom belongs to a kid, unlike his bedroom. To top it off, her house interior was kinda large despite its size, even for someone like Shinichi who is already used to living in a large mansion on his own.

He was busy opening drawers and shut, peeking beneath the bed, looking through the makeup table and stuff, nothing.

All of a sudden, he could hear her coming through the door and she was starting to suspect someone was there he was doomed."Shit, Ranran showered too fast! I gotta hide."

He kept saying to himself praying he could no longer think of something else, hoping he doesn't enter this bedroom. But he was stupid into thinking he assume Ranran doesn't use every single room in her lavish house.

"Who is it? I know someone is there....." said Ranran as she opened the door slowly until it made a loud creaking sound, revealing the master bedroom, with a mysterious object she held in her right hand hiding from her small back before she locked the bedroom door from the back with her left hand.

Ranran then switch on the lights in the bedroom, before she began searching around the room. Though everything are in place, she noted that one of her mother's favourite red lipstick tubes, though in the same spot, she noticed something that made her realize her deduction was right all along. She checked everywhere in her room the closets under the bed everything. Right now, she is pissed off. She came home after a long day looking into the Watanabe case, wanting to take a shower, only to hear some asshole break into her house which she has no idea who it is. If her parents happen to be here, they'll be begging for their life at least.

Usually in her situation, a girl her age will say she was too paranoid.

But no, she ain't. Her experience thought her far too well. She made a promise to 'him', to fight till the day she dies.

He was dead meat, she was going to kill him. Whoever this freaking intruder is in her house, one way or another. She will make sure this guy will die under her hands.

At the same time, Shinichi, who is hiding behind the long curtains tries to quiet down his hyperventilation as his heart is beating like crazy, while Ranran overturns every single nook and corner. As expected from a detective girl, she leaves no stone unturned.

"No one huh....guess I must have been overthinking too much."

Ranran huffed before leaving the bedroom, as Shinichi waited till she shut the door. Only then, did he breathe a sigh of relief, thankful she didn't check the curtains. At the same time, he kinda frowned at her, as this meant she wasn't a capable detective in his eyes, after all, to miss out on this spot."Alright, I better leave now before she comes back again."He tells himself before he finally pulls it open.

Much to his shock, the little girl appeared before him, with a gun pointed at him.

At this point, he knew he was doomed.

"Did your parents not taught you? It's not good to pry into things that has nothing to do with you?" The little girl spoke in hostility.

Wait, is that gun real?! Shinichi couldn't help but realize as he was exposed out of the blue.

Ranran raises the gun before moving a bit in front of the boy, eyes like steel.

"I should've known you were capable of doing something like this. Then again, typical Tantei, you needed to find answers only to satisfy one's ego."

What the hell?!

"Is that an actual gun?!" Shinichi shrieked out, before frowning at her, "I know you must be bluffing, this can't be real!"

"Wanna try? Let's start with.....your knee."

"What!? Wait-"

"Go and die, you bastard!"

She screamed loud, that girl had a pair of lungs on her and she never screamed at anyone or been so loud in her life. He was terrified of her.

Shinichi was blinded and he could not see a thing. He then was met by a loud noise that followed later on.

...........................................

Before anyone knows it, the front of Ranran's house was filled with police officers' cars.

They were all surrounding themselves in her house over everything and it was going to be evidence, possibly the biggest news that was ever about some boy who attended the same school has become an intruder breaking into her house.

Though the names and identities are covered up, right now, Shinichi knows it is a matter of time other children will decipher who is the said kid behind it, and school is going to be a nightmare for him if words ever get outs.

At least he had their neighbour/ family friend, Hiroshi Agasa here for support in trying to defuse the situation at the moment.

"Ranran-san, I know what Shinichi-kun did was wrong, but could you please put the gun down already?!" Agasa shrieked out, as the little girl pointed at Shinichi, who is right now tied up to a chair. The cops and detectives gather about outside the master bedroom, while she continues to point the gun directly at Shinichi.

Honestly speaking, when Agasa heard the long bang sound coming out from the house behind Shinichi's, the first thing he did like any neighbour would do is call the cops before rushing over frantically to check whether his neighbour's son was alright. But after calling out Shinichi's name,  and with no response, he then realize the house was dark and decided to contact the police. That's when he noticed the house behind Shinichi's was still lit up, and he rushed over to see whether Shinichi could've rushed over there to hide himself from some lunatic criminal with a gun, targeting kids.

What he ended up seeing after the cops were able to break into the house, make him stunned.

A 6-year-old girl pointed a real gun at his neighbour's son, who is covered with bruises, presumably due to the gun whipping she has given him.

The first thing that came into Agasa's mind was what were Ranran's parents thinking:  Her parents shouldn't have thought her how to use a gun.

"Breaking and entering into my house, I am justified in using it onto him, even though he is someone my age, "Ranran spoke.

Right now, she looked creepy and intimidating.

To be honest, anyone can end up looking intimidating, as long one holds an actual freaking gun.

"Put the gun down, "other cops hissed as she was surrounded by officers in and out of the house. The gun followed his movements. "Children shouldn't be playing with things like that. It isn't a toy!"

His hands twitched, wishing to confiscate it from the little girl.

"Don't worry," Ranran spoke as she clicked the safety off of it with practised ease, "I have a perfect aim."

"Miss Kudo-"

"Ask my Tousan over, he knows what I am about to do is justifiable."

"I-" He blinked. "I-I-I." He couldn't. He just couldn't.

Oddly, there is something about this little girl that just didn't sit right with him. Something about her eyes. It looked very cold, detached and calculating, like a person's who had experienced and witnessed a lot.

"Ranran, Shinichi must have his reasons for doing so, nah?" Agasa spoke, tone intrigued as she slowly put the safety back on and lowered the gun. "Look at him. What can a little boy do to you?"

"Try living back in my first neighbourhood, the poorer side of it, you be very surprised nowadays what kids are capable of, "Ranran ridicules as if it was something to be proud about.

"Ranran, I know this situation looks bad, but please put the gun down. Do you want your father to hear of what you have been doing recently!?"

One of the officers hissed but Ranran didn't care, the gun followed his movements. "Children shouldn't be playing with things like that. It isn't a toy!" His hands twitched, wishing to confiscate it from the little girl.

"And children are raised on not breaking into other children's house, yet he did. And he and I ain't close, so I have the right to shoot him. Not to mention, he has been prying into my personal life. Why wouldn't I, my father for sure will ask you that same question, right?" Her eyes had gained a menacing glint and Shinichi closed his eyes, counting to three.

"Okay." He breathed out through his nose. "I am sorry, look, can I just get untied now, please?"Shinichi pleaded.

What was his life anymore? How had he ended up being the one kidnapped, held hostage, and beat up by a freaking little girl of all things? God must have seriously hated him.

Ranran side-eyed her warily, frowning at him."Why? To rob me? Oh wait, you are rich as me. So definitely not that."

"Not really," Shinichi grumbled, squeezing his eyes shut when his head is feeling heavy from all of this overwhelming madness he is dealing with right now."Ok, I ain't gonna argue what I did was childish-"

"Childish you say?"Ranran snorted. "You not only illegally break into an extremely private personal place of my house, you even stalked me all the way. From school, after school, even right now you are in my parents' bedroom of all places!"Ranran frowned."Also, you are just after me because I am living the dream as a detective by using connections."

"Wait, you knew-"

"It was clear cut from the start you moron!"Ranran cut him off plainly. Ranran thought wildly before remembering to address said boy. "I decided that I didn't want to be avoided anymore after learning of your break-in. So I took matters, as I always do."

Shinichi gaped, "You know most kids....would call the police and hide in their bedroom."

"Well, I ain't most kids." Ranran shrugged, grinning, "But enough of the chit chat, seriously, what are you doing?! Following me wasn't enough? Who are you? A stalker who is into lolis?!"

Ranran hissed out as other cops widened by her damaging revelation.

"What!? I ain't that kind-! "Shinichi coughed while trying to calm himself down. "Listen, I ain't a pervert! I swear!"

"...Do you think I'm stupid on whatever shit you try to pull out?" The child's face was scrunched up as if she saw Shinichi as nothing more than an irritating little rodent and Shinichi mentally clenched at his wounded pride. "That's the worst bullshit story I've ever heard someone tell me, let alone, you are a freaking child like me!"

"Excuse you, young lady!"Shinichi gasped, "Language! Do your parents let you go around talking like that?"

"First you tried to humiliate me when I was 5 years old over your silly pride by telling everyone I got talent because my mother slept with your dad, "Ranran dryly spoke, "and then you followed me and ask questions about my so-called other life? Kudo Shinichi, don't you think you are being unreasonable here?!"

"How can I not? You used family connections to be a detective!"Shinichi shot back. "Did you not?"

"Why? Does it matter whether I did or not?" The child looked wary, defensive almost, as she scrunched up her nose at the intruder. "Why? What's the deal with you?"

"It is a big deal."

"Uh, no it's not. For starters, we barely spoke in a year. Not to mention, "Ranran gritted out, rubbing at her arm as she looked at the spot on his shoulder. "Why do I have to explain myself to you, anyways?"

As one to study, Shinichi instantly knew the girl was hiding a lot more than she is letting on.

He wasn't sure how he knew, but he knew the gut feeling was telling him she was.