When children keep their mouths shut, especially in a car with an adult, you know that the said child is bothered with something.

The man in the vehicle noted this as he drives alongside the little fox masked girl in tow. He had known her as she grew up, she used to be a chatterbox before 'that incident' in the U.K robbed the person she once used to be.

The 6-year-old was staring out the window watching the lights of the buildings pass by, as both of them were completely silent.

As long as the man can remember, Ranran had always been different from the moment she was born. There were times he would think back if she wasn't delivered in that hospital, could she had grown up as a normal child?

When she was born, everyone around her panicked when the nurse who delivered her slipped and had her head hit the floor, it was a loud thud, and at that time, medical results says to expect the worst. Even though there was nothing wrong with her in terms of mobility, doctors said to expect the worst in her mentality.

Fast forward to 6 years later, and yet here she is, already picking up detective work and putting all of his colleagues (yes, all of them adults) to shame.

"I don't....understand people." she suddenly said.

"Hmph?"Her voice broke the silence as she sat in the back of the car while the man drives, "Understand what?"

"What happened in that restaurant earlier.....why can't she just sue?"

"Hah!?"

"Sue? As in filing a lawsuit on her fake brother?"The Fox frowned as she tilted to lean against the door," her dad is a jerk, she should've sued."

"Now Ranran...if things were that easy, she wouldn't even consider murdering him in the first place, Nah?"

The little girl huffed, "Then why is it possible in our old hometown?"

Again, with this conversation.

The previous 'hometown' Ranran was referring to was the one the family left in the U.K, a superbly affluent neighborhood where the rules of civility were upheld like an iron code wrapped in velvet. 

But beneath the manicured gardens and polite smiles, things had festered severely back then. 

Gossips, scandals and lawsuits were so common as afternoon tea, that it was all dealt with through barristers and careful press releases, and yes, it involved tons of money.

Back then, things were so extreme, that the children there even started to get involved. And yes, this unfortunately included the then 3-year-old Ranran.

Oh no, if the family had known back then....Ranran wouldn't have become what she turned out to be now.

"Ranran....we talked about this, nowadays even being wealthy doesn't guarantee a win. Money can't buy you out of problems, let alone, solve everything."

"But-"

"Ranran, she won't ever come out again after what she did to 'him'. I made sure of that."

'Him'? Right....' him'. Her father had to bring him up.

Then again, she didn't forbade her parents from ever mentioning that person ever again. After all, 'that person'....did a lot for her.

Feeling a sense of sadness and bitterness in her despite the mask covering her expression, he goes, "The world isn't a despicable place."

"You think so?"She questioned.

"Just because 'that boy' died, the world isn't out to get you, Ranran."

"It was, or else I wouldn't have ended up killing him-"

"Ranran, you did what you could, 'he' did what he could. At the end of the day, a choice was made. You have to not only live for 'him' but also for yourself."

"That is easy for you to say, when that 'choice' was robbed by the both of you from me."

Silence fell again in the car, heavier this time. Not the innocent, idle silence of a dozing child, but the weighted kind that hums in the gaps between hurt and truth.

The man gripped the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles paled, the leather creaking faintly beneath his hands. He didn't speak immediately—he knew better than to rush this part. Ranran, sharp as a scalpel and just as prone to cut, didn't toss those words lightly. And tonight, she wasn't just reminiscing.

She was accusing.

"You're right," he finally said, voice low, almost a whisper. "You should have had a choice. Yet, a child should never have to make that kind of decision. And yet you did. Not once. Not twice. But over and over again."

She didn't look at him, but her breathing had changed—shorter, shallower. Behind that little fox mask, she was listening. Listening in that unnerving, analytical way of hers. Like a courtroom was playing out in her head and he had just given her evidence.

"If we were the same age, we might agree. But no, we are your parents, and you are the child. Which is why..." the man continued, his voice steadying now, "....ask any parent in the world, and the last thing they will do is to let their then 4-year-old remain in the U.K alone while her parents moved here, Ranran. Your idea....it's just not reasonable."

Ranran didn't respond immediately. The mask tilted just slightly, the painted-on expression of the fox grinning with eerie calm while the girl beneath it seethed in quiet rebellion.

The man kept talking—not because he believed words could fix things, but because silence had begun to rot between them.

"You think I don't get it, but I do," he said, softer now, like he was walking a tightrope stretched between then and now. "You may feel like that you lost a battle that you barely started thanks to us, but Ranran, that isn't the case. They already lost everything thanks to you, so how much more until will you be satisfied?"

The moment it left his mouth, the air in the car snapped taut—tense, electric, dangerous. Even the hum of the engine seemed to recoil from the weight of his words.

Ranran's head turned slowly, the fox mask staring at him with frozen silence. But her eyes—those too-adult eyes that had seen too much too young—burned behind the carved smile.

The man opened his mouth—perhaps to explain, perhaps to take it back—but she cut him off. Her voice was ice, yet terrifyingly calm. "Until they wish and beg for death to claim them."

The words didn't just fall—they landed, sharp and venomous, like glass shattering in a locked room.

Before he could continue, the little girl surprisingly cut him off with a different subject, "Mother is at home, right? We have to talk about me being schooled here."

He stared at her for a moment longer. The fox mask had turned back to the window, just enough to show him she wasn't interested in continuing the previous topic. 

The man in the car had always thought that when the medical report revealed she was normal before the head dropping incident, he and his wife could sigh of relieve that she will not inherit his 'traits'.

But as the years unfolded—quietly, unnaturally—he began to realize that normal was the last word anyone would ever use to describe Ranran.

Not because she couldn't function. She could. In fact, she exceeded every benchmark they dared to measure her against. Language. Memory. Reasoning. Emotional patterning—even in trauma.

But it was the way she processed everything that scared him.

That the signs she was beginning to behave like him as a child —that cold, surgical way of analyzing pain rather than feeling it—were getting harder to ignore.

He'd hoped, prayed even, that the head trauma at birth wouldn't awaken that part of her. Sure, he never hid his and ended up with a wife who lovingly accepted his quirks, his coldness, his detachment, but that didn't meant he would want Ranran to inherit the same way of thinking.

Then finally, his worst nightmare came true.

It just happened without warning, death was so cruel, that it ultimately awaken something in Ranran that no doctor, no psychologist, and certainly no parent could ever prepare for.

Or in case: Not even her enemies foresee this coming.

Just like the shows he used to watch growing up, a tragedy flips a switch and a child becomes someone else overnight. But unlike the show, this was years of build up and chains of one tragedy after the other until the final link snapped, and the echo of that break rippled into something far more dangerous than grief.

She became aware.

The kind of awareness that isn't taught in books or nurtured through love. The kind that forms in the dark—pressurized like coal—until it becomes something sharp enough to cut through the lies adults feed children to make life seem livable.

Death didn't break her.

It revealed her.

And what emerged wasn't some lost little girl spiraling into despair. What came forth from that final tragedy was a calculated, composed, and coldly scheming creature. Not broken. Just reconfigured.

She didn't inherit his detachment.

She refined it.

Perfected it.

Like a surgeon sharpening a scalpel, she honed her trauma into precision. A weapon. And then she smiled through that fox mask like it was her birthright. 

She was becoming something far more dangerous not just to others, but mainly towards herself. Which is why he and the wife withdrew her from the U.K before she could do anything irreversible.

The decision wasn't made lightly of course, the chances of her becoming murderous towards her own parents too was high if they stood in her path. But fortunately, considering he himself too share similar method of thinking and behaviour, he had no issues subduing her before she could scheme further deaths onto her enemies.

Sadly, in proper justifications, he and his wife knew Ranran had every single right in doing what she did. And she will obviously resent them for life. More towards her mother than him. But the the fear of her coming back as a corpse is worst than the certainty of her coming back hating them.

And between the two, they chose the hatred.

"Well...we will talk to your mother when we get back, ok?"

The girl behind the fox mask nodded silently."Alright.....tousan."

Even in the midst of all of the tension, her voice still held that faint softness when she said it—Tousan. 

A word so simple, yet it carried the weight of everything unspoken between them. An echo of innocence, or maybe a calculated reminder that despite all she'd seen, all she'd done, she was still his daughter. Still someone's little girl.

The man grin as they made their way home.

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

"The answer is no, Ranran."

Ranran couldn't stop her face from twitching; why isn't she surprised at the woman's response? All the members of the family are currently gathered in the living room.

"Of course, you never liked anything I suggested—"

"Homeschooling!!"The woman told the little girl off,"Tell me, Ranran, do you know of any teenagers or adults in general that managed to get a job after homeschooling in this very neighbourhood we are living in?"

"Yes, they became Virtual Youtubers and made millions from their bedroom!" 

Her father coughed, poorly concealing a chuckle before his wife's glare shut him up before switching her attention back to the child. "And how many of them actually succeeded?"

"I mean I still have that contract as a professional child actor back in the U.K active as it is-"

"That's not the point!" her mother snapped, cutting through her words like a blade. "It's one thing if you make a living, cause I know you have no issues in the future. But it's another if you were going to use your precious free time doing those 'things' after what you did the last time! Which is why no homeschooling as I see fit!"

Ranran didn't reply immediately.

"Homeschooling isn't the solution, you'd be missing out on what life is truly about, it shouldn't be just about....."The woman shook her head disapprovingly, but continued in a more understanding tone."Yes, you went through a lot, but that shouldn't be an excuse to put so much focus on this tantei dream of yours just for....' him'."

Ranran's eyebrow rose in interest; now that sounded different.

"Everything is already planned and prepared. Unlike the school you used to have with all of the privileges....you will not be there to cause further....punishments."

Strange lingered on her tongue, but her mouth decided differently.

Her 'tousan' recognized the disapproving gaze in the little girl's features. "Then...are you returning me back to my old school?"

"No, of course not. We had that discussion already."

Ranran pouted, "Then where?"

"Back to the very school where your 'brother' from another family goes!"

The word echoed like a gunshot in Ranran's ears."Oh hell no!" She cursed in English.

"Oh hell yes, and watch your language, Ranran!"She hissed as the man went on, "This is for the best."

"I said NO!"

Ranran had balled fists. The blue eyes looked angrily upon him, but the man could see the eyes of hatred as he had last seen on her, during that other incident at the shopping mall.

"You weren't completely innocent, you know? Over what happened between you and that 'brother' of yours." The woman shot the little girl a stern look, choosing the tone to speak to her very well. "Listen Ranran, I've given you a year during kindergarten to do whatever you want, but homeschooling is the last thing your father and I will allow you to do... What? Don't give me that look!"

The little girl huffed.

"Before we discuss this matter further, I would like you to take off the mask. You know that I don't like talking to someone in a mask, let alone, in our home."

The little girl didn't even bother to object but did as she was told with a slight huff.

She yanked the fox mask off of her own. As the mask was pulled out, she put it away on the table, she snarled, "Happy?"

The woman didn't even wince at the child's voice; Ranran's behaviour had been something she had been used to. After all, this woman raised her since she was a baby, watched how she grew into a cheeky toddler, before finally growing into this beautiful 6-year-old girl...but her heart is filled with bitterness, unlike her younger self.

Most probably, after what happened in the U.K 2 years ago, she was never been the same since.

The more the woman looks down at the little girl, the more she thinks about how Ranran can be passed off like a doll.

Lips as red as rose, hair as black as ebony, and skin white as snow.

Those were the words normally used on the Disney character, Snow White. Yet, adults whom they happen to come across would often use such descriptions when it comes to Ranran as they seem befitting, which they ain't wrong. 

"You have your fun, now it's back to school young lady."

School, she generally hates it. From boring lessons that bore her to death when she could've used them to play video games, to that annoying boy she didn't want to meet in class....why do these buildings even exist for them in the first place? Also, bloody homework, she hates doing things that waste her time. Homework is mainly one of them. Especially homework....she is certain they exist so that the adults can have their 'fun' time that doesn't include them.

"Hah..." all she can do is let out a big sigh, "Why should I?"

"Cause all children do, Ranran! That's the rule!"Her mother explains.

"Rules are meant to be ignored and broken, or else we wouldn't have adults doing things like murder, kidnapping and stuff in this world while I had to do most of the cleanup after them since Tousan threw almost 70 per cent of those cops and detectives in prison."Ranran pointed out, before she realize, "You know, they too head to school when they were my age, yet they turn up very mess up. Why should I even waste my time going in the first place?"

"Because Ranran.....if you don't, I am going to get your father to set up a password on your computer in your bedroom!"

"What!?"Ranran became horrified at that prospect, before she scoffed, "Not possible since I already set it in the first place."

"Did you forget what your father's occupation is?"

Oh, Snap," But it is my computer !"The 6-year-old argued.

"Which was bought using whose money?"Her mother reminded her.

"Both of your parents' money?Including this house? Which...Tousan's parents bought it for you both as a compensation gift for what had happened."Ranran responded.

"That girl has a point, you know?"The man pointed out to his wife.

But the woman was having none of it, "School tomorrow, or computer password. So go sleep early, now!"

"Ughh...."The 6-year-old groaned, throwing a little tantrum look at both the adults, before she jumped off the seat and went upstairs, back to her bedroom while the two watched, "Where did she get that I wonder?"The woman sighs.

"Probably from you."The man answered.

"Hey!"

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

"School.....do I really need to go?"

She silently entered her bedroom, it was dark, but she never bothered to switch on the light. No matter how one look at it, her bedroom is as extravagant as it is had she switched on the light. And yet, her mood is as gloomy as the darkness in this room. She didn't wanna go to bed now, especially after that homeschool conversation didn't go accordingly.

Normally, she would crash in bed after a long day, especially after she solve those cases in the night, but her mood isn't doing her a favour. She needs something to cheer her up, at least....something that will make her too tired to think, rather than deal with this feeling.

Her blue eyes have noticed the computer, she decided she knows who she was gonna chat to talk things out.

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

"So to cut a long story short, she basically threw away her own legitimate rights to murder her impostor brother, correct?"

"Yup."

"And all of this took placed because her dad is a misogynistic idiot, correct?"

"Yes."

"Damn....what the heck what is that damn lawyer thinking? All he just needed to do was just say it! I don't see the point what is the purpose of having a mouth in the first place if he doesn't even say any of this!"

Yup, Ranran did the right thing having an online chat with her friend, namely the one called username 'K'."Exactly, although I know it is confidentiality issues that he can't disclose, I still think it is stupid. It's like....it reminded me of those dumb K-drama my mother watches, where the male lead and female lead have all sorts of unnecessary misunderstandings thanks to the villain and villainess, all they needed to do was just say it, or else I wouldn't be stuck watching 100 bloody long-winded episodes. Waste of everyone's bloody time."

The person behind 'K' was something she trusted back in kindergarten here, one who shared their troubles with. Before they separated, they promised to keep in touch online, and so far, she only told very few people who knew she is 'The Fox'."Now that be your last case as 'The Fox', I assumed you now had to go back to school to see that 'bastard', right?"

"Ughh....don't even get me started, K. He is the worst."She rolled her eyes typing out her thoughts.

"Although you roughly told me he was a useless scum, you never once told me the reason behind it."

Hate?"I just dislike annoyance, you know?"

"Is he like me?"

"Listen, yours and his level of annoyance are two very different things."

"How different?"

K asked and she scoffed."To a point, I wish to shoot him with my tousan's gun."

"What!? That serious!?"

"Yes, that serious."

Silence."Sorry if I pry, but what did he do to think of it that way?"

There were many things Ranran wished to express, and if she could, she is certain K would be filled with rage over the things he was capable of.

Said 'bastard' is none other than 6-year-old Kudo Shinichi.

"I don't even know where to begin from here."

"Eh?"

"K, from all of the anime you have watched, you probably had watched all sorts of annoying righteous protagonists that didn't have to lift a finger, only to get everything fell to their lap even by stupid decisions alone, deshou?"

"So...Mr copycat Sherlock is that type of protagonist in your eyes, nah?"

As much as Ranran knew K and met before in real life, she still keep some of the details in her private life to a bare minimum, hence, K only knew Shinichi as 'Copycat Sherlock', which he came up with the name of course.

"Exactly." Ranran's fingers flew across the keyboard, her irritation practically radiating through the screen. "That's exactly the type he is. He walks into a room, makes one vague deduction like 'the culprit must be left-handed because the shoe was slightly turned to the right,' and suddenly everyone treats him like the second coming of Sherlock Holmes."

K replied within seconds. "But to be fair, how many children similar to our age are that capable in solving things of such level? So it ain't surprising, really."

"I don't care if he is showing of his talent, cause it has nothing to do with me. But I don't like that he had that tendency to just simply poke his nose where it shouldn't belong."

"That is true....cause if he finds out you are The Fox, there will be no peace in your life."

And he wasn't wrong.

For over a year's plus or so, she handled various cases of dark nature, and lately, she has been getting more and more high profile cases to say the least. Thanks to her top-notch level of scheming, the bigger fishes who had been corrupting the city has either fled underground, disappeared entirely, or turned on each other in a desperate bid to preserve what little power they had left.

Or in the worst case scenario: killed each other.

If the annoyingly persistent prodigy with a nose for trouble, discovered even a fraction of what she truly was — he will throw her in prison thanks to his stupid righteous beliefs.

And with such beliefs, that itself would be enough to set the very criminals whom she threw behind bars free back to society. Which is the last thing she wants!

"Anyway, Ranran, I know things didn't work out on you wanting to be homeschooled, but that doesn't mean it spells the end, alright?"

Ranran grins before she responds, "I know."

"Then go sleep, alright? Let's talk another day."

"Alright, good night Kai-san."

"Night Ranran."

Ranran ended the voice chat and finally put her headset down."I don't wanna wake up going to school yet."She told herself with a tired sigh before her eyes glanced at the still brightly lit computer."Alright, lets.....look into 'that' for a while."

Lots of interesting intel, Ranran couldn't help but grin.

She was looking up certain information online to see if any of this could be up to her advantage, at least for school tomorrow. Because 'that boy' once told her: It doesn't hurt to know more about others.

Before she knew it, she was busy digging out the footage she collected from her current school in Teitan Elementary School, while the Fox mask she placed on her desk stared at her back in silence.

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

"...F-san?"

She jerked up at the call of her username, eyes wide as she was roused from her half-asleep, half-awake state. It was the chatbox.

She hadn't expected that the mysterious 'O' be here, still wide awake at this hour."F-san, go to bed."

Ranran rolled her eyes as she types it down, "How do you know I am awake?"

"You are still online."

She faceplanted into her desk."I had cases to work on...."

"That's not a good enough excuse to stay up super late when you have classes tomorrow. Also, I recall your ranting that your family be sending you back to school if that homeschool idea didn't work. Judging your family.....I am assuming you failed, right?"

At the mention of school, she let out another groan.

"See? You're going to be dead tired if you don't go to sleep now. It's already, what— ok, 6 pm and my place, but that means it is 2 am there, right? Go to bed."

"Ah....our timezone and where we live is so far apart, and yet I am still being nagged, "The little girl pouted."If you were my mom, I probably hate you for life."

"Well, I am a guy, so I am more like your bro than mom or dad for that matter. Also, don't be rude to your mom, alright?"

She folded her arms on the desk and rested her head on them. She closed her eyes as she said, "You don't know.....I don't really wanna see him."

"See what? Who is him?"

"The one whom you say could be a scum ML from some trashy poorly written story."

"Oh right, that brother of yours from another family, correct?"

"Yeah," Ranran affirmed.

"Has he pestered you after that 'incident' with him last year?"

"No."

"Then why?"

"....just had a hunch we will probably be at crossroads soon."

"I mean why wouldn't you both be? His house is behind your house, you both shared the same classroom, attend the same school, and to top it off: Same-"

"Don't need to remind me. If only my damn parents didn't force me to move here....." 

The chatbox remained silent for a few moments after Ranran's message.

A few seconds later, the message pinged.

"Listen, I get it. You didn't asked to move here after everything has happened in the U.K, but at the end of the day, between him and you, who is the most scheming between the two of you if anything bad happens thanks to him?"

With a slow exhale, she responded. "Myself."

"Exactly," The message blinked up on the screen as the receiver continue typing, "He is the type who doesn't like doing dirty tricks and constantly preach people about being 'evil' when they do so. If he even experience any since ounce of reality the way you do, he'd probably crumble under the pressure unlike you would. Even break down into tears like any child our age would."

"True," The girl nodded silently while typing, with a hint of scepticism in the message, "Though I am doubtful on the crying part."

The message blinked back quickly, almost too quickly, like the other person had been waiting for her to respond.

"You would be surprise, I told you before that I studied in a prestigious school, remember? I have personally seen those kids kept saying all those stuff, only for them to eventually cry like a baby when someone points that out."

Again, she looked doubtful.

"Alright, so even if you don't see him cry, he'll probably cry in his bedroom privately."

"In front of his parents?" Ranran grew amused at that image, "That would've been a 1/million chance, cause I did see them interact before at a function our families were at that time. The way he speaks to them were as if he was an adult."

"Everyone has a breaking point, especially when it's a matter of pride and stuff."

Ranran sat back in her chair, her fingers lightly drumming against the keyboard. 

Breaking point, huh......does a kid like him who has never once experience a shred of hardship like I do growing up actually has one?

"F-san, don't get me wrong on this.....but...did you not once felt curious about him to want to get to know him?"

.....get to know him? That 'bastard'?

After everything has happened.....she merely gaze at the Fox mask placed on her desk, she shook her head to type, "Nothing good will benefit me if I ever try to get to know him."

Besides.....I already know too much thanks to 'his' investigations.....and I personally fact checked them one by one.

Time heals all wounds they said, but Ranran never truly bought this crap. It's been 2 years, but it still feels like yesterday. She then turn her head, eying where a book was. It had a red jewel on the front, it looked rather cheap and tacky. That special friend of hers was the one who gave it to her.

Scenes flash within her mind.

The 4-year-old girl gave an unimpressed stare.

"What's this?" She asked, flipping it open and seeing it was a book, with questionable writings?

"Everything about who you are about to meet." The Boy said before he started his explanation.

Ranran tried to open it again, she tried.

As she reached for it-her hands curled up, recoiled away from the book.

Red and blue, red and blue, red and blue. The colours of the light flickered, that was all she could imagine whenever she sees that book.

"Why....."

"Why what?"

"When you tell the truth, no one buys it, but when 'she' says a bloody lie, everyone blindly believes her!"

The 4-year-old little girl asked a dirty blonde hair boy with anger in her eyes, as he sat on his bed while she sat on the floor, books were scattered around the floor, pouting angrily.

"Ranran...."He sighs before explaining this to her, "Her family has more value to my family in terms of carrying my family legacy. So no matter what I say, no one will ever believe me."

In the end, she merely scoffed to herself before tossing the book to the side, but not before rapidly typing on the computer, "Screw value of a family, it's nothing if they are ignorant of the truth." The 6-year-old girl thinks bitterly, as she types on the computer those words:

There is no value in him worth getting to know. Not now, nor ever!

That is right, when Ranran thinks back, she made the right decision.

Adults may think she was being overly dramatic when it comes to making new friends here since moving to the U.K, but the people closest to her are aware she's been through a lot, far more than what a typical little girl should endure. So you can't blame her for being resentful, towards the world that is.

But even more so towards 'him', the root of her rage.

Her blue eyes are so cold.....

"He and his goons are as similar as the kids who 'ended' his life......" 

Ranran thinks in deep thought before she decided to skip one part. The part where she almost typed 'That asshole is no different than her or 'them'.

"Then, if he was a misunderstood boy for all you know, would you treat him differently?"Ranran reads the chat meant for her.

That is when Ranran let out a simple laugh....a sardonic laugh. Misunderstood? Give her a break.

Certain actions have consequences, and there's no such thing as being "misunderstood" when there is elements of malice. The memory of him, of everything that happened two years ago, still felt like a fresh wound. People talk about the passage of time healing pain, but for Ranran, time had only made the scar sharper, more defined.

Ranran remembers The boy from her childhood. She was 3 years old when she recalled the words directed to no one, just no one but her alone.

"Ranran, as promised, caramel chocolates. Eat of 1 each only per day, so don't whine that I never rewarded you as The Fox, alright?"

"Ranran, don't be lazy, finish up your homework unless you want me to give away your 2 million pounds of salary to one of the members?"

"Ranran no need to be worried for me, I can handle my mom's beatings and rude words, yeah? I am a big boy."

"Alright Ranran, let's travel the world together!"

A flashback of bruises on 'The Boy' arms and legs, along with a vicious school fire and screams emitted in her mind, while the other children laugh at her and 'The Boy'...those painful memories were enough to set Ranran's blood boiling, her hatred burning within her, but she manages to keep her cool as she typed, "Well, I genuinely doubt it, given he was mad instead of seeing through the reason behind my actions."

".....is that so?"

"Last year's incident gave me a good glimpse over what sort of person is he, so I have no regrets not building the bridge to get to know him. The only regret I had about this, is that I didn't do a proper job running away from home before my parents was able to track me down in the U.K and drag me all the way here when I was around 4 or 5."

She stared at the message for a while, the empty silence filling her room as she waited for a response.

In her mind, she had made peace with her decision. She had long ago decided it would be better of to live somewhere without that boy around. 

But each day her attempts to flee here grow bleaker as time goes by, the anger still lingered, gnawing at the edges of her resolve. She could feel the old pain bubbling up, threatening to overwhelm her.

But she would not let it. She couldn't. 

If she allowed that anger to consume her, 'he' will be very sad.

"But I don't think all of it is bad in Japan, right?"

"Hmph?"

"You have friends here as well, right? Who are not associated to him?"

"Ah, them."Ranran grins as she typed, "True."

If one were to talk about Ranran's friends, there was a small group that had managed to sneak their way into her life, though not without difficulty. 

Unlike the rest of the world, they never expect her to be a version of herself she wasn't, let alone, assumed she is 'evil', comparing to the rest of the children in the neighbourhood who perceived Ranran differently.

They had their own stories, their own scars, and perhaps that's what allowed them to understand her without judging. Ranran wasn't some delicate flower to them, nor was she a monster in need of redemption. She was just... Ranran.

And it was all that mattered to her, really.

Also, they benefit her in many unimaginable ways while living here, not to mention, her school life.

"I am surprised that aside from them knowing you work as 'The Fox', they didn't freak out on the bloody gory details you explain to them. I mean....don't get me wrong, but they ain't like you who had been experiencing seeing such things growing up. Also, they are the same age as you."

"They have been Huge fans of CSI tv dramas as far as I can remember, I guess if one sees such a thing, you get used to listening to the details alone. To a point that they stop vomiting their meals." Ranran casually types before hitting send.

"That's true....ah! I almost forgot, how are you coping with it?"

"With what?"

"That you won't be getting homeschooled."

"It can't be helped, I am still a 6 year old after all."The 6-year-old feels deflated talking about this.

"Don't let that defeat you, fox-san. You are still young."

"You are no different either, don't let people back at your school take advantage of you, alright?" Ranran typed down with a smile.

"You didn't let them know that it was K who suggested to you the idea, right?"

"Of course not, "Ranran shook her head typing down her thoughts quickly, "both of our parents already had enough with our adventures back in kindergarten. The last thing they wanna hear is that the idea came from K of all people."

"I don't see why they have to distance K-san away from you, like, he seems to be a fun guy to hang around based on all the adventures you both had."

"Yes, it's too bad we both live far apart, too far to be exact."

"Anyway, go to bed. You wouldn't want your parents to go after you like that, nah?"Ranran yawned as O typed down his last words for the night," And don't think much of that asshole, your whole life ain't worth not being happy because of his presence."

"Thanks. Have a good night."

"Good night."

She ended the chat and switched off the pc, before deciding its time to hit the sack.

Leaving the computer, she then head over to the bed when her eyes fell onto the calendar on the wall, only to realize something."Wait for a second.....tomorrow is Sunday! There ain't any school on Sunday! Why did I just shut down the computer like that?! Arrggghhh!!!"

Of course, her parents have to forget again that tomorrow there is no school. Why isn't she surprised?

Blame it all on their overseas job, nowadays whenever they return they keep mixing up the dates due to the time one difference.

"Well then," she grins, "of to bed I goooo!!"

She hops into her soft bed happily and then fell asleep, not expecting anything tomorrow as she plans to sleep late.

Later did she realize, fate can be just like that bastard, annoying.