Emiko breathes a sigh of relief when she sees Shiro's response. Apparently, he has no problem talking about the case, and he is impressed with her honestly. He rather things be upfront rather than beating around the bush.

"Well, I guess I'm going on a date," she says with a nervous laugh with the girls she is currently speaking to on Zoom.

After hanging up, she privately invited all the girls within the association to figure out the next step Emiko should do. Clothes wise weren't an issue, and when Ranran asked would her mother allow her to be able to head out alone, Emiko reassured her it wouldn't have been an issue since the mother is out on a date. Also, the mother couldn't be bothered if she went out at night after all, a point proven during the ruby case.

Plus, this is Japan, and children are free to be independent.

Junko pouted. "You are so lucky you have a mother who doesn't force curfew upon you, cause mine does."

Emiko smiles sympathetically, "I guess I am lucky in that regard, but I rather wish she cares."

"Why? Does your mother not bother?" Ranran wonders.

"She doesn't," Emiko admits before she looked downcast, "My parents' marriage...are arranged by the elders."

The girls all gasped in shock, "Damn," Ranran cursed at that thought.

"I don't understand..." Ran found herself talking to no one in particular before expressing in distaste, "We lived in a freaking modern era, and arranged marriages still exist!?"

"I want to know, how did it happen? This arranged marriage," Junko grew curious.

"It's nothing much," Emiko dismisses with a chuckle, "Just elders wanting to force their kids to marry each other and have kids."

"Is it?" The girls exchanged looks.

Checking the time, Emiko decided, "I think it's time I end the call, I am glad to hear all of your opinion on the clothes. I can't afford to be late on my date. Tell you all about it tomorrow, alright?"

"Sure, have fun on your date," Ranran said with a smile.

"Good luck, Emiko," Junko added.

"Have fun, if he makes things uncomfortable, leave," Ranran warned before she almost forgot to say, "Oh yeah, considering he is a celebrity, remember to keep an eye on paparazzi. If people find out you are a member of Tantei Association, we are screwed. Alright?"

"Thanks, I'll be careful. Which me well!" Emiko replied before ending the call.

As she got ready for her date with Shiro, Emiko couldn't help but think about the conversation she just had with her friends. She knew that arranged marriages were still prevalent in some cultures, but it still didn't feel right to her. And the fact that her parent's marriage was falling apart because of financial reasons made her feel even more uneasy.

But she didn't want to dwell on those thoughts right now. She was going on a date with Shiro, and she wanted to enjoy it. She put on her favourite clothes and headed out to meet him.

"Wow, arrange marriage? How is it that this crap can still exist!? We are living in the 21 century! Who the hell follows that nowadays?!" Junko commented after Emiko ended the call.

"I can't believe arranged marriages still happen in this day and age," Ran shook her head, feeling unsettled with what she had just heard from the artist, "Why can't there be laws that ban bloody arrange marriages!? Did people not learn their lessons through movies that arrange marriages will never end well!?"

Even now, Ran couldn't believe that in this day and age, such practices still existed.

Ranran who has been quiet since the call ended, didn't say much, as the word 'arrange marriage' itself was enough to trigger unpleasant memories.

The founder's mind drifted to the memories of her late mentor's tragic life. She couldn't help but recall his pitiful existence until the day he died. The future projector had predicted that he would be cannon fodder to his arranged fiancé, a controlling and abusive girl at a young age.

Against all odds, he had rebelled against the fate assigned to him. This, however, only made the situation worse. The fiancé resented him for standing in the way of her happily ever after and constantly berated him for it. But he didn't care.

Soon, his resilience earned him success, in severing all ties with his fiancé and establishing a good reputation that everything was finally going in his way.

But there is a saying Ranran's mentor once said to her:

"Evil may be small, but it can still cause great harm - don't let it go unchecked, even if it was from a child."

And he was right, The Fiance, who was 8 years old at that time did the unthinkable: She manipulated his mother to murder him, by going as far as to kidnap a then four-year-old Ranran to lure him away from his father, who had custody of him.

In the process of doing all of this, 'he' died.

The memories left Ranran feeling angry and bitter about the existing arranged marriages at some point in her life. Ranran understood, she knows why arranged marriage had to exist for nobles, and one can't just simply wipe it away like in the movies, but she can't comprehend why must reality be so cruel to them both.

And when she learned about her mentor's tragic end, it was as if a part of her had died with him.

Lost in her thoughts, Ranran didn't realize that the other two were looking at her on the screen with concern until Junko spoke up. "Are you okay, Ranran?"

Ranran nodded silently, not wanting to share her painful memories with them. Instead, she tried to push the thoughts away and focus on the present. "Let's call it a day, we have a huge meeting tomorrow."

"Wait-"

Ranran abruptly closes the Zoom app, feeling very down and bitter.

As she sat alone in her room, Ranran couldn't help but feel angry and frustrated at the unfairness of it all. A surge of anger towards the injustice that had been done to her mentor, although Ranran ended up ruining "The Fiance's" life in the worst way unimaginable, it's painful to think that doing all of this did little to ease her heart.

Towards the very end, her mentor's life was merely a pawn, all thanks to his mother and the rest of the children who played chess with 'his' and Ranran's lives.

After a moment of contemplation, she decided to put her focus on this case. Opening the app, she PM Shinichi on Social media, "Good news, Shiro said yes."

"Good," Shinichi responded back in the message.

"It's around 9 pm, and you are still up online. Are you..."Ranran paused before she continues to type on the keyboard,"....still up reviewing those videos to check whether 'she' is in it? I thought you told me the other day that you were done reviewing all of the videos?"

Ranran didn't get a response from the apprentice, for 2 minutes, 4 minutes, then 8 minutes went by, and nothing happened. In a way, Ranran isn't surprised, since Shinichi must have been busy.

Unlike Ranran, Shinichi isn't much of a computer geek, which was what earned him the nickname 'Tantei Geek' for a reason from Sonoko. Lately, he has been up on the computer a lot more than usual, mostly to review videos to discover 'her'. Though Ranran was expecting him to sigh of relief, he probably couldn't.

He still refuses to believe that Ran isn't involved.

All of those suspicions fall on him when a video of Sonoko and Mamiko plotting to discourage Shinichi from pursuing his dream as a detective surfaced, their motive was to manipulate him into marrying him off to Sonoko's best friend, Ran. The plan was to misuse the name of an enemy he hated who had achieved his dream by constantly comparing him to her. Coincidentally, 'The Fox', said the child detective, surfaced on the news.

And that is when the two girls decided to use Ranran's name since she framed Shinichi for allegedly pushing her from a parkour obstacle course and breaking her leg after confronting him for calling her a 'bastard' when they were both 5.

That plan could've succeeded in many ways, had they known Ranran was in fact 'The Fox'.

They didn't even have the foresight either when Shinichi broke into Ranran's place. Long story short, the plan backfired on the two when Ranran manipulated Shinichi into breaking into Mamiko's office and the videos Mamiko had were jaw-dropping.

In a way, people think that it was a childish joke among children initially, but then it wasn't anymore when the video between Sonoko and Mamiko went viral, and Shinichi revealed to the disciplinary board of Teitan Elementary that Sonoko did in fact kept harassing him to be with Ran while complaining that he always had a nose in the detective stories he read, it wasn't in a teasing tone the way he put it, enough to punish Sonoko and Mamiko severely.

The things Sonoko did to her behind her back were all thanks to Mouri Ran. It doesn't take an idiot to figure out that Ran had more to gain if the plan wasn't exposed. That said, however, with the future that was projected by her mentor's projector, and dealing with Ran one day after another in the association, Ranran concludes that Ran isn't likely to appear in any of Mamiko's videos.

Why Mamiko intentionally recorded their conversation with Sonoko when they plotted this devious plan towards Shinichi was still unclear to everyone. Some speculate that Mamiko herself is a delusional sociopath, which would make total sense since she kept tons of videos of herself bullying the weaker children in their school.

But Ranran sees it differently, she thinks that the moment Mamiko wins over Shinichi's heart, should Sonoko try to stop him from walking away from Ran, Mamiko plans to use this video to blackmail Sonoko from her attempts.

Honestly, Mamiko is a sickening girl, and fortunately, Shinichi's detective instincts in Ranran paid off.

As she expects, Ranran receives the latest message from him, which reads: "I still can't trust her, Ranran. Am I being too much?"

And Ranran truly can't blame him one bit.

Ranran sighed and leaned back in her chair, feeling frustrated with the situation. After everything that had happened in the past, they stabbed him in the back. If things played out accordingly in the projector, that meant Ran and Sonoko were gleefully manipulating him like their little marionette throughout the 13 years of their friendship together. It's sickening.

The founder typed back, "No, you had every right to be suspicious."

And the founder meant it.

For a moment, there was once more no response. Then, a message popped up to say: "Yesterday morning, I went to the market with our grandmother. And some of our schoolmates were there with their mothers."

The red lip detective girl sees the typing status before receiving another message, "They went up to me, I was expecting them to tell me off, just like Ran and Sonoko did. That I was being obnoxious again. Even more so with how I handled the situation. To my surprise....they were very apologetic towards me. They didn't know the things they had been doing to me had contributed to me snapping out. Some of them even cut ties with their so-called' friends, after realizing those 'good intentions' towards them were merely nothing but manipulations. That they looked up to me as inspiration."

Ranran felt a glimmer of hope as she read the message. "Good to know."

"For once, the world felt close to the ones I always dream in the Holmes novels I read, fairness exists." came the reply. "It was hard. Especially when that video...."

"I know," Ranran typed back, "But you know...there is a saying 'Better to know late than never'. Had you not been aware...you would've just ended up as ignorant as Ran and Sonoko. But your detective instincts always knew deep down something wasn't right."

There was a pause in the conversation before he responded. "Thanks, Ranran. I needed to hear that."

"You're welcome," Taking a deep breath, Ranran decided to change the topic. "Aside from this...did you finally bring in 'that'?"

Shinichi responded promptly, "Of course I do. The only way to build up our dynamism within the association. It is in my house now."

"Good," Ranran replied, crossing her hands on the table with a sly smile, "Let's do a couple of test runs while we juggle this case."

"Eeeh!? Should we?!" The message is emitting groans from him.

"We don't have a choice," Ranran sighed while typing this, "We badly need it to test out our theories."

Shinichi felt a sense of excitement and purpose, knowing that they were working towards a common goal. After a while, they said their goodbyes, and both of them shut down their computer, feeling exhausted but satisfied with the work they had done.

....

Heiseikan Shiosaitei hotel had been welcoming guests for over a century. It was known for its opulent suites, exquisite spa treatments, and top-notch amenities, nestled not far from the 'Rising Sun Stadium'.

Emiko stepped into the opulent hotel lobby, taking in the extravagant decor and the well-dressed guests who exuded an air of sophistication. Despite her attempts to blend in with her cap and sunglasses, she couldn't help but feel a bit out of place among such luxury.

The paparazzi swarmed around the hotel, their cameras flashing incessantly, a reminder of the recent scandal involving Shiro. It made sense to Emiko that they stay put in the hotel rather than risk being hounded by the press. She suggested dining in the hotel's restaurant, and to her surprise, Shiro agreed.

That was not what she expected from the bad boy, but it's good to know that her perception of Shiro was on point, unlike Kyo.

Approaching the front desk, Emiko noted it was a different receptionist. So she announced, "The guest in Room 45 is expecting me."

But before the clerk could make the call, a hand brushed against her shoulder. She spun round. Shiro had been waiting behind a column, in a hat and sunglasses as well.

"Let's go," Shiro whispered, gesturing for Emiko to follow him as he led the way to the hotel's most exclusive restaurant. In the distance, cameras flashed, reminding them of the paparazzi lurking around.

Emiko couldn't help but admire Shiro's sense of style, despite his casual attire. He was wearing a loose-fitting t-shirt and expensive cotton slacks, with a trendy leather tote bag slung over his shoulder. "Did you have another dance rehearsal?" Emiko asked, pointing to the bag.

"Yeah, in the hotel room," Shiro replied with a nod. "The show must go on, even though Ryo is missing."

Emiko shook her head in disapproval. "Ogawa doesn't seem like a good manager. Your cousin is still missing, and yet he made you and Kyo rehearse?"

"Actually, it was Kyo's idea," Shiro revealed. "He thought it would be a good distraction for us."

Emiko raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Is that so?"

Shiro nodded before approaching the restaurant manager. "Somewhere quiet," he requested, and the manager bowed before leading them to a secluded table in the corner. Once they were seated, the manager placed two menus on the table and left them alone.

Emiko regarded Shiro from beneath her long lashes. "I thought I'd be the last person you'd want to have dinner with," she said cheekily "Are you sure I won't spoil your appetite?"

Shiro laughed so hard."I won't. There are girls far off worst I met in Hollywood anyway."

"Do share," Emiko lean forward a bit, "I like to hear more."

"Alright, if you are that eager to listen, I will share those that didn't make it to the press...in return," He muses, "You exchanged your days in the association."

"Deal."

Emiko's enthusiasm was met with amusement from Shiro. "Well, the wildest incident I ever had was when a girl tried to throw herself at me during a pool party," he chuckled.

Emiko frowned, "Isn't that normal for a star?"

"It would have been if she hadn't fallen into the pool while narrowly coming after me," Shiro explained.

Emiko's eyes widened in shock, "That's insane! Did she do it on purpose?"

"I'm not sure," Shiro shrugged, "But I didn't want to take any chances, so I made sure to steer clear of her. Even Ryo and Kyo were surprised at my heartless behaviour."

Emiko shook her head in disbelief, "How old was this girl?"

"She was 9," Shiro replied.

Emiko sighed, "The evolution of girls is becoming more disappointing by the minute."

"I'm 10 and I know better than to do that," Shiro said with a smile.

"At least she knows how to swim, right?" Emiko asked.

"No, she didn't," Shiro said. "I barely saved her."

"Why?" Emiko asked.

"I didn't want to give her the wrong idea that I was doing it because I loved her," Shiro explained. "My granduncle taught me that I might end up having a stalker for life, which is terrifying."

Emiko chuckled, "Your granduncle is a little messed up."

Shiro grinned, "When you're a celebrity, you have to be careful. Some fans can get too attached."

Emiko laughed, "I can only imagine."

"Now is your turn, what is the wildest incident you ever had to deal with in Tantei association?

Emiko leaned back in her chair, taking a moment to think before responding. "Hmm, there have been a few, including the time Ranran flew a helicopter, but that made it to the press." After a long pause, Emiko said, "I have one, but I ain't sure if you could stomach it."

Shiro leaned forward, his eyes sparkling with curiosity. "I won't mind, even if it is disgusting or gore."

"It involved paintball guns. A daughter-in-law and mother-in-law."

"A family feud I see?" Shiro raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.

Emiko took a sip of water before continuing. "So, this woman came to us claiming her mother-in-law was trying to kill her. She wanted evidence of her mother-in-law's evil deeds, so she could divorce the mama-boy husband of hers and have full custody of her daughter without issues."

"Why? Is the man rich and influential?"

"Very," Emiko insists, "We didn't take it seriously at first, but then she showed us these bruises on herself, and her son's arms and legs, which she claimed were from her mother-in-law's attacks. She said that the woman did this because the daughter-in-law is a lowlife, she was born an orphan after all. It didn't help that the idiot husband loved his mother more than his wife."

Shiro raised an eyebrow. "Did you all find evidence?"

"We did, even evidence of emotional abuse, which poses a problem when the client was being with-held against her will by the mother-in-law's staff members from leaving the residence with her son.

Shiro was surprised. "Did you call the police?"

"No, it wasn't possible with the corruption involved. But we did bring paintball guns as weapons, and when we stormed in, I have forgotten how that happen, but I do remember is that Ranran shot the mother-in-law in the throat 29 times, at the internal part while she was belittling the client."

Shiro was horrified. "Are you serious?"

Emiko nodded. "She needed roughly 30 surgeries, maybe more to fix up those holes, and can no longer eat solid food anymore. Since the perpetrator is in prison, it is going to be a long ride. But Ranran didn't care. In her defence, Ranran said it was to zip her abusive mouth shut so the haggard can no longer abuse the client and son anymore."

Shiro's face paled as he listened to Emiko's shocking story. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, and for a moment, he was speechless. After a few seconds of silence, he begins to question, "What sort of life had she been leading to be capable of doing something like that?" he asked, his eyes filled with concern and disbelief. "I mean, shooting someone so many times with a paintball gun through their inner throat... that's beyond crazy."

He shook his head, still trying to process what he had just heard.

Emiko simply shook her head, her expression remaining unfazed as if she was used to the violence, "I don't think the six of us members want to know what goes on inside her head, Shinichi thinks it is a disturbing place to be in." she said quietly.

Shiro nodded slowly, his mind still reeling from the shock of what he had just heard. He couldn't imagine how anyone could be capable of such cruelty, "How old is she? This Ranran girl?"

"6."

"6!? Shiro's eyes widened in shock and horror at the revelation that the perpetrator of such a violent act was so young. "A 1st grader?" he repeated in disbelief, his voice barely above a whisper.

Emiko nodded. "Yup."

Shiro shook his head, trying to process the information. "It's just...damn, and she is far more messed up than me!"

Emiko shrugged. "Exactly." Suddenly, it felt like the things Shiro did previously were merely child's play compared to this Ranran girl. Deciding this was dark, Emiko switched topic, "So what was your reason for becoming a drummer?"

His eyebrows rose. "Eh?"

"For your band."

Shiro grinned. "I owed it to my uncle, Jiro Ojichan."

Emiko raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "The rockstar from our parent's or grandparent's era, right?"

Shiro's expression turned wistful as he remembered his late uncle. "He was a positive influence throughout my bleak childhood. When he passed away, I felt like I lost a father figure."

Recalling the discussion back in her bedroom about his childhood and deadbeat parents, she brought up, "You know, Junko said that Kyo sent files over to look into the case and mentioned you were under the custody of your grandparents. May I know why? Not to pry or anything."

"No problem," Shiro shrugs before growing a bit depressed recounting his childhood, "My parents...are druggies."

Shiro was expecting the same old sympathetic look, the kind he hates whenever one brings up his parents, especially the annoying 'I am sorry for you' part. But he was taken aback that Emiko's eyes widened in surprise, no sympathy.

Instead, what followed was, "Damn". Not in a cruel tone, but like a cursed tone as if it was directed at his parents rather than his sad life, which was refreshingly new to Shiro.

"They had me when they were high schoolers while getting high. It hadn't changed anyway, they would do just about anything for money to feed their habit. Never married, couldn't even hold a job for a day of that sort. Jiro Ojichan...I owed it to him telling me to focus on the drums. Otherwise..."

Recalling the series of incidents Shiro was mentioned doing in a school back in the U.S, Emiko realized, "I assumed the school and that convenient store owner knew about it, which is why you did those things?"

Shiro didn't say a word, but his expression says it all.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better," Emiko gives an empty chuckle at Shiro, who blinked back at her, "My parents are arranged to marry each other, for money. And when they lost most of their money due to bad financial decisions, it got ugly pretty quickly and my mom's family plus my mother decided to ditch my dad since he is poorer than them. And my mother has always gone out on dates, and rarely cares about me. Oh yeah, my mother's side...wants a son, badly."

Shiro's eyebrows furrowed in sympathy. "That sucks."

Emiko shrugged, trying to play it off. "It's fine, it's been a long time now. And honestly, I'm better off without them."

Shiro nodded in understanding. "I get what you mean. I don't really have any connection to my parents either. They're just strangers to me. The only ones I called family are Jiro Ojichan, my grandparents, and that is about it." 

"But not Ryo and Kyo?"

"Those two..." He deeply sighed, "If there are good days, they are good. But if they are bad...it just goes down the drain."

"Why? Do they...look down on your parents?"

"Ryo and Kyo don't, but their parents do. Even so...I can't say I am any different than their parents." He then pointed to his ears, "Thanks to my hearing abilities...." Shiro trailed off, not wanting to say more.

Emiko nodded in understanding. "I can see creative differences being a huge problem."

Shiro looked up at Emiko, a sad smile on his face. "I had Ogawa to talk to whenever things get bad. So in a way...I ain't lacking familiar love when it comes to this."

"Ogawa-san?" Emiko then remembered, "The manager whom you were mad at because the drums went missing?"

"When I lost it...I didn't take it well and ended up trashing the entire hotel."

Recalling the viral video of him this morning, she guessed, "Is it because you think they were being far too careless in handling a drumset that you received from Ogawa-san? That is why when it went missing, you went crazy?"

"It's beyond that," Shiro paused, before revealing, "That drum...originally belonged to Jiro Ojichan."

"Eh? Really!?" Emiko was stunned, "But I thought according to the crew, it was a newly bought drum."

"It was a half lie. The truth is before Jiro Ojichan passed away, he lost a late drummer friend, and he promised to take good care of it before his passing. When it was Jiro Ojichan's turn to head to death's door, it later was passed on to Ogawa."

"Why would he-"

"Jiro Ojichan and Ogawa-san have been friends in the music industry before he passed away, and Ogawa at that time had a son who was interested in drumming, so he gave it to the son before the drum later outgrew its use. It only came to mind when I demanded a proper drum that had the decibel sound I wanted it to play out. When he had it newly restored, I was happy."

Emiko nodded, understanding the sentimental value behind the drum. "I see. So when it went missing, you were upset because of its importance. Wait, half lie?" That made the artist perplexed, "You mean you intentionally lied that the drum was newly purchased? Why?"

"Ryo and Kyo get easily jealous when it came to Jiro Ojichan and I. In a way, when we were younger, I remembered when we were at his place hanging out...I was the first to play the guitar Jiro-san hung on the wall one time when I felt like it could've sounded better in a different tune. The two were too busy awing over how big his house was, since our house look like a caveman would live in."

"Really!?"

Shiro nodded a small smile on his face at the memory. "Yeah. And after that, Jiro Ojichan and I would play music together every chance we got. We had a special bond, I guess. But Ryo and Kyo always felt left out and jealous. In a way...they were late bloomers when it came to playing out the musical instruments in his house. They only grew interested after I was able to play 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' within a week. So, I lied and said it was newly purchased to avoid any jealousy or conflicts."

Emiko nodded, understanding the situation. "That made sense."

Shiro nodded, feeling grateful for the understanding and empathy he had found in Emiko. "What about you? Do you have anyone in the association? As in someone to talk to?"

"Truthfully...."Emiko thought hard about it before answering, "There is one I am interested to befriend with."

"Is there?"

"But I felt like...I don't know this person well. My observation tells me this child is...a lot better in person."

".....but?"

"....that child went through similar hardships like me, but I suspected their suffering is way worst than me. And is always wary of others."

Ranran's face flashed in Emiko's mind.

Shiro could sense the hesitation in Emiko's voice and he didn't want to pressure her. "It's okay if you're not ready to talk to that person yet. Just take your time, and when you feel like you're ready, you can approach them."

Emiko nodded, grateful for Shiro's understanding. "I will think about it."

"What is your reason for joining the association?"

"Eh?"

"I mean I saw the clothes you designed for the two other children the other day in the association, while you were being interviewed. I am curious why a talented artist like you is doing in a detective agency?"

Emiko smiled softly at Shiro's question. "Well, to be honest, I didn't plan on joining a detective agency. I...was doing it out of survival reasons."

"Survival?"

"I used to run an intel business back in my school, what I do is sell secrets of other kids to my clients, be it good or bad, I just do it without caring about ruining lives in the process," Emiko admits, a little ashamed since she expected Shiro to give her a disapproving look since many other kids do so. Surprisingly, he didn't do so, "When my parents got divorced, and I ain't sure if your schoolmates do this, but if one is confirmed a child of divorce parents...don't expect a smooth sailing life with kids coming at you. Doing this intel business offered me protection."

"And is that how the association took notice of you, then offer you a place?"

"Ah no, I joined only after one had nasty fallout with one of the members." Emiko dismisses him, before explaining further, "You see one of them had a crush on the other, the problem is he didn't feel the same. When he opened the association with a girl prettier than her, she accused her of stealing him away."

Shiro listened intently, nodding as he processed Emiko's story. "I see. So you joined to help solve that issue?"

Emiko shook her head. "Again, no. I joined only after the one who had a crush on him was forced to seek another kid to join the association, since those are the terms and conditions the supposed love rival and crush layout for her to prevent it from happening. The reason this girl wants to join was to restore her friend's reputation after one of the two fell for her schemes."

"Then...what was your reason for joining?"

"To get to know what sort of character is she, the girl whom the other's girl's crush opened the agency with. Since any intel about her will fetch me the highest value in money within Teitan Elementary school." Shiro was stunned as Emiko went on, "Too long to explain, but although the girl had many enemies, I wanted to see for myself whether she was a decent or a child of pure evil. To me, I only sell intels that are worth selling, the child must be pure evil. And so far....to my surprise, she surpasses all of my expectations."

Shiro looked at Emiko with a mix of surprise and confusion. "So, I get the reason why you need to do the intel business, but for you to join the detective agency just to gather information on this girl and sell it for money...is your family poor or something?"

"No, we ain't poor," Emiko shook her head at him, "It's for my dream as an artist."

"Eh?"

"My parents....never once supported the dream. Said it won't bring food to the table. When I got the scholarship, although I had my school fees wavered, I calculated that I would not have sufficient funds for surviving in a foreign country on my own. Also, my parents ain't going to pay for it, so...yeah. That is how it is."

Shiro nodded slowly, understanding the situation. "I see. So you're trying to earn money through selling information to support your dream." Shiro frowned a little, "But isn't it wrong to invade someone's privacy and sell their secrets without their consent? It's like the press we had to deal with. No offence."

"No, I get what you mean," Emiko shrugged, "Truthfully before starting out that intel business, I contemplated this dilemma a lot. At the same time, however...I saw a kid beaten black and blue so badly thanks to other kids finding out that his parents were divorced... he ended up in a coma. Although he recovered...you can't help but be fearful, you know? That was what it was for me back then, I know there are kids who would be after me. So I did it towards the end. It's...a situation that even if one tell-tale on the teacher, the problem will never go away."

Shiro nodded, understanding the difficult situation that Emiko found herself in. "I can see why you felt like you had no other choice. But...isn't there a way to make money without hurting others?"

Emiko sighed. "I wish it was that simple, Shiro. But in this world, money is everything. And for someone like me, who has no support from my family for my dreams, I have to make my own way."

Shiro thought about it for a moment before speaking again. "Are your parents aware of this business?"

"The detective part? Yes, but not the intel," Emiko's expression darkened at the question. "They won't understand. They never have, and they never will. It's better for me to just do what I want on my own."

"And how did they react when you join the association?"

"Mix results," Emiko thought of it, "My dad wasn't pleased with it, since it is dangerous. My mother on the other hand...she is alright with it."

"Really!?" Shiro's jaw dropped, "Who knew your mother is that chill?"

"Ah no, it ain't what you think. My mother thinks the job of a detective is a stable job, as long one works for law enforcement rather than going private, one gets paid. It's far better than becoming an artist with at times no income."

Shiro sat in silence for a moment, processing Emiko's story. He could see the dilemma she faced, and it was clear that she felt like she had no other choice. Still, he couldn't help but feel like there had to be a better way to make money without hurting others.

After a few moments, Shiro spoke up. "Emiko, have you ever considered finding a different way to make money? Something that doesn't involve selling other people's secrets?"

Emiko sighed. "I wish it were that simple, Shiro. But in this world, money is everything. And for someone like me, who has no support from my family for my dreams, I have to make my own way."

"But you are only 9, it sounded like you need to make a quick yen as quickly as possible. Why not just sell online?" Shiro pointed out.

"I did consider that, but..."Emiko admitted. "Another reason I badly needed money quickly is...to get to someone."

"Someone?" That caught his interest, "Who?"

"My Uncle from my dad's side," Emiko was silent for a moment, "When my parents divorced, my sister and I were sent to live with him. When we are with him...he had that influence that makes things relieving. In a way...he wasn't like our parents: Always overly ambitious on getting no.1 rather than focusing on their children's feelings." Lost in thought, Emiko continued, "When my mother got full custody of me and my sister, we were not looking forward to returning."

"Why? Is it because she is a controlling demanding type?"

"The opposite, she cooks for our meals and leaves us money to buy food if she doesn't. If anything, she is more focused on dating since she missed out on that part of her life thanks to this arranged marriage with my dad."

"I wouldn't mind the freedom if I were you. Mine always pestered me for money. But Ogawa made sure to never let it make it to their hands."

"Is that so?" Emiko then thought about the other members whenever they talk about their parents, "For me...whenever I end up in the association and the topic of their parents is brought up, it had the warmth that neither of my parents was giving me. The girl who had a crush I told you about earlier...her parents separated, but they gave their best in raising her. Even the two kids I told you about earlier, their families contacted from overseas without fail on a daily basis. My parents never did. It made me realize...my parents are not that great after all. They see their children as trophies rather than what they are," 

Swinging her legs, she goes, "My uncle, however, was a proactive adult in our lives. Whenever we had sports day or any other school activity, he made it a point to be present. He is a baker, which is what led him to be estranged from the family in the first place. He is always up at 5 am to work but somehow manages to free up his schedule for us. Meanwhile, my parents only work around 9 hours plus. And since he works in a large bakery, it was far more time-consuming that my parents who could've easily applied for leave. When we begged to remain with our uncle, which he didn't mind...my dad's family sent him to France and we never heard from him since. To my Paternal family, he was a 'bad influence' to us."

Shiro listened intently as Emiko spoke about her uncle and the positive influence he had on her life. He could understand how important it was to have someone like that in your life, especially when your own parents weren't fulfilling that role.

"I'm sorry to hear that your uncle was sent away like that," Shiro said sympathetically. "It sounds like he was a really important person in your life. Have you tried to contact him since then?"

Emiko shook her head, "I've tried to look for him online, but I couldn't find any information. And even if I did find him, I don't have the money to travel to France to see him. That's why I need to make money as soon as possible. I don't want to live the way my parents did, like a puppet with strings."

"I see," Shiro said, understanding her predicament. "Damn...this is messed up."

Emiko looked at him, her expression thoughtful. "Yeah."

There was silence, but then Shiro broke it, "You know, considering that you joined the association, why not ask them to look for him, then?"

Emiko looked at Shiro, surprised by his words. "Eh?"

"They including you solved 3 major cases, what difference would it make if you get them to search for your uncle who was wrongfully sent away?" Shiro replied firmly. "You may not be friends with them, but it doesn't mean they won't look for you, no? Otherwise, why would they be looking for my cousin who is still missing? They specialize in this."

Emiko was silent for a moment, considering his words. "I have concerns about them knowing too much about my family affairs."

Shiro nodded understandingly. "I see your point, but you don't have to disclose all the details. Just give one of them who can be trusted, just sufficient enough information to help them locate your uncle. It's worth a try, isn't it?"

Emiko thought about it for a moment and nodded slowly. "You're right. I'll think about it."

"But you know, Emiko, talking to such conversations, it's nice."

"Eh?'

"I haven't had such conversations like this with other kids my age for a long time. Even since I became a drummer."

Emiko smiled softly. "Same here, Shiro. It's nice to have someone who gets it."

They sat there in comfortable silence for a while, just enjoying each other's company and the peaceful surroundings. Eventually, Shiro spoke up again. "You know, Emiko, I've been thinking about what you said earlier. About your uncle and your parents. It's tough when you feel like your own family doesn't understand or support you. But sometimes, we find other people who become like family to us. For me, that's my bandmates. They've been there for me through thick and thin, and I know I can always count on them."

Emiko listened intently, nodding along as he spoke. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy at the thought of having a group of friends like that. "I hope you can find people like that too, Emiko," Shiro continued. "People who will support you and be there for you no matter what."

Emiko smiled, touched by his words. "Thank you, Shiro. I hope so too."

The two of them continued chatting as time goes on, about movies, music, and other trivial topics, enjoying each other's company. Even though the conversation had taken a dark turn earlier, they were able to move on from it and focus on lighter things.

Finally, it came time to pay for dinner. "I will pay," Shiro offered.

"No, I will," Emiko argued.

"Alright, then let's pay half."

"That is amusing," Emiko grins, "I would've assumed you insist on paying for the whole thing. And said it is a boy's thing."

"My grandmother taught me regardless of one's gender, it's ok to let the other pay half."

Emiko smiled, "Your grandmother is a wise woman." While splitting the bill, Shiro reached for his tote bag to fish out his wallet to pay.

That was when he froze still in horror at the unopened bag.

"What is the matter? Did you forget to bring your wallet or something?" Emiko joked, glanced down with a giggle and froze. 

A pair of scissors had fallen out when Shiro poured out his bag on the ground, along with some headlines cut from a newspaper.

Shiro followed her gaze and fell back in his chair when then eyes met, looking terrified.

Before Emiko knows it, Shiro faints and fell to the ground.