Emiko's eyes widened in shock as Shiro fell back in his chair, unconscious. She quickly moved to his side and tried to wake him up, but he remained unresponsive. Panicking, she looked around for help and noticed a waiter nearby.

"Excuse me, please help!" Emiko called out to the waiter, who quickly rushed over to their table.

"What happened? Is he okay?" The waiter asked, looking concerned.

Initially, Emiko was going to say no, but then she decided, "He is a bit low on sugar, he will be alright soon," Emiko replied calmly before deciding, "Listen, can you go to the receptionist and call someone in particular...."

The waiter quickly head to the lobby while Emiko stayed by Shiro's side, trying to keep him conscious. She looked down and noticed the pair of scissors and the paper cuttings on the ground. Curiosity got the best of her, and she picked up the articles.

Her eyes widened as she read the cuttings, "Kidnapping instructions..."

Emiko's heart raced as she realized the implications of what she was holding. She looked back at Shiro and wondered if he could be the suspect that the articles were talking about.

The problem was...he was a 10-year-old.

And she barely know of any child capable of scheming kidnappings, maybe Ranran could, or even The Snake's daughter. The thought Shiro could've been one terrifies her, but she tried to push it out of her mind and focus on helping Shiro.

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

"What did you just say!?" Shinichi sat up from his bed in shock, it was 12 am by the time he received the call from his smartphone from his partner. "Shiro fainted!?"

"Yeah, and Emiko quickly told us to come over to the hotel in his room, now." Ranran could be heard frustratingly trying to change her clothes from her bedroom. "How the hell are we going to head to the Heiseikan Shiosaitei hotel, with the press still likely to be there?!"

Shinichi rubbed his temples, trying to think of a solution. "We'll have to find a way to sneak in without being noticed. Meet me outside my house in five minutes. We'll take a cab, and as soon as we get there, we will use the staff entrance through Sonoko."

After quickly getting dressed, Ranran filled Shinichi in on what had happened while the two were in the cab. "Emiko found some cuttings in his bag, instructions for to upcoming kidnapping. While he was fishing out for his wallet to pay for their date.

"Eh? So she thinks Shiro might be involved in this!?" Shinichi frowned, "Don't get me wrong, but for someone who asked one of our detectives out on a date...to be exposed in that way...it sounds as if someone wanted to frame him as the kidnapper."

Ranran nodded in agreement, "That's what I was thinking too. We need to find out what's really going on. I have a feeling...we are about to find some answers about this case."

Soon, the taxi driver parked the car in a nearby alley, paid him, and made their way to the back entrance. They were able to slip in unnoticed through the staff office and make their way up to Shiro's room.

When they arrived at the hotel floor where Emiko was waiting for them, it was evident that the artist was looking worried. "What happened? Is Shiro okay?" Ranran asked, concerned.

"He fainted and hasn't woken up yet, Ogawasan immediately rushed over when I sent the waiter to contact him. I was going to call the hospital initially, but then...given the press were there..."

"Noted." Ranran nods.

"Anyway, I found these," Emiko said, showing the kidnapping instructions to Shinichi and Ranran.

Shinichi's eyes widened as he read the papers. Although Ryo's kidnapping had everyone believe that adults might be involved, he never thought that a 10-year-old child could be behind it.

"We will send it to Genzo as evidence later," Shinichi said, taking the papers from Emiko. "But for now, let's go in and see if we can get Shiro to wake up."

"How is he?" Shinichi asked as he entered the room.

"He's still unconscious," Emiko replied, her voice shaking slightly.

As they entered the room, they saw Shiro lying on the bed, still unconscious. "Is he poisoned?" Ranran pointed at the passed-out drummer.

"From the looks of it, when Ogawa brought their crew doctor over, he isn't poisoned, fortunately. The doctor reassured me not to worry since he passed out from aichmophobia."

"Aichmophobia?" Shinichi repeated, surprised. "The fear of sharp objects?"

Emiko nodded. "Apparently, Shiro has a severe phobia of sharp objects. He must have seen the scissors and paper cuttings on the ground and fainted. So far, doctors say he has stabilized and would wake up soon. How is it that he didn't mention any of this in the interviews....?"

"Wait, if he had that phobia...then why the hell are scissors found in his bag?" Ranran brought up.

Shinichi frowned at Ranran's question. "That's a good point. It was as if one wanted to frame him as the kidnapper."

Suddenly, the children jumped when a man opens the door, revealing himself to be Ogawa, the manager of Red Illumination. With her hands crossed, Ranran decided, "It seems like this man had tons of explaining to do."

.........

"Mr Ogawa, about Shiro's phobia of sharp objects, why was this not brought up whenever he was being interviewed!? Is it because you had feared the public might see him as a defect? If so, that is a low blow." Ranran demanded answers from Mr Ogawa.

Ogawa looked taken aback by Ranran's accusation, as she, Shinichi and Emiko gathered in the living room to interview the manager while letting Shiro recuperate in his bedroom."No, that's not it at all. Shiro's phobia was a private matter, and he didn't want it to affect his career. We respected his wishes and didn't disclose it to the public."

"In what way that it must be kept private?" Even Shinichi challenged the manager, "Everyone had their respective fears. I don't see the point of hiding it."

"It does when it involved his parents stabbing him with scissors and knives when he was 2!"

Ogawa's revelation left the three children stunned. "What? That's horrible!" Emiko exclaimed, her hand flying to her mouth.

"Wait, I get it that they are druggies, but stabbing their own son!?" Ranran blinked before asking the manager, "Why would they do that?"

"I don't know the full story, but from what Shiro has told me, his parents were heavily addicted to drugs and would often become violent towards him. They would use any sharp object they could find as a weapon. Eventually, they were arrested and sent to prison, but the damage had already been done," Ogawa explained, looking troubled.

"That's awful," Shinichi said, shaking his head. "No wonder Shiro has such a severe phobia."

"Is that why the kitchen had no knives here?" Ranran pointed at the kitchen counter not far from them, where she observed none of them in sight.

Ogawa nodded. "Yes, we removed all sharp objects from the apartment to make Shiro feel more comfortable. We were trying our best to create a safe environment for him."

"Now that you mention it," Emiko frowned, "When we snuck in there, I felt like something was missing, but I couldn't put my finger around what it was."

"Even so, how can you all hide something of this magnitude?!" Shinichi pointed out.

"I understand your point of view," Ogawa said, trying to remain calm. "But in the entertainment industry, image is everything. We didn't want Shiro's phobia to affect his image as a musician. It's not about seeing him as a defect, but more about preserving his image. Also, he was the one who ask me to not share this with anyone."

"Are Ryo and Kyo aware of it?" Heads turned back to the founder of the association, "His phobia?"

"No," Ogawa shook his head at her. "Shiro insists that the fewer people know about it, the better. Since they are rock stars, he had concerns that this phobia will drag their image down. So far, only he, the grandparents and I are aware of this phobia. By the way, why do you ask this question?"

"Nothing much," Ranran grins widely, but to Shinichi and Emiko, it was evident why she did so.

Rabrab is suspecting someone planted those clues in Shiro, intentionally to frame him for kidnapping Ryo. But the person had no idea about his phobia, which means this mistake reduce Shiro's chances as the suspect in Ryo's kidnapping.

"By the way, you said that one of the police officers is coming over to collect Shiro's things, may I know why?" Ogawa asked in concern.

"We have some concerns...that perhaps someone intentionally planted scissors in Shiro's bag to trigger his phobia on purpose. It's like...a warning from those kidnappers." Ranran quickwittedly answered, much to the surprise of Shinichi and Emiko.

Earlier on before arriving here, Ranran instructed Emiko over the phone to make sure the Tote bag Shiro was holding was secured with her at all times, and ensure no one touches the bag. She even told Emiko not to bring up anything about the letter they had discovered earlier. When asked why, she revealed if Ogawa knew about it, he might tamper with evidence to protect the image of Red Illumination. So far, Genzo is notified about this, and only Ranran, Shinichi and Emiko were aware of the letter's existence.

Ogawa's eyes widened in shock. "Are you serious!? If that is the case, this is a serious matter! I mean...the kidnapper knew about his phobia!?"

"Can you think of anyone who might want to go after Shiro and Ryo?" Emiko asked.

"Or anyone who has access to his bag?" Shinichi suggests.

"For Ryo, not much besides crazy fans. But for Shiro....that is another story," Ogawa expressed grimly, "For some reason, fans love his bad boy image. As for the bag...." He thought hard about it, "Truthfully I leave it to my junior assistant who is interning for us."

"I am sorry, assistant?" Ranran blinked, "Can we meet this person?"

"Unfortunately, Kyo couldn't sleep today after what happened with his brother this morning, so the assistant is currently sharing a room with Kyo. I don't want to wake Kyo up, since he has been restless since this morning." Ogawa thought for a moment before answering. "I can't think of anyone off the top of my head, but I'll look into it. I'll make sure our security team checks the footage from the hotel cameras to see if they can identify anyone suspicious."

The children nodded, "About your frugal values with Red Illumination," Ranran mentioned this, "Were the boys ok with your stance on this?"

At first, Ogawa was taken aback by Ranran's unexpected question. As he suspected, this girl really means business when it comes to being a detective.

Seeing his fingers strumming on his knees, he answered, "I admit...there may have been some disapprovals among them."

And that is when Emiko and Shinichi exchanged looks silently, knowing that this case has open potential for envy.

As they got up to leave, Emiko couldn't help but feel worried about what was happening with Shiro, so she headed back to the bedroom where he finally woke up, confused over how he ended up there.

Grabbing a seat, she later explained to him what had happened, especially about the meeting with his manager. Then Shiro expressed, "Honestly, seeing those pair of scissors scared me..."Shiro's voice cracked with fear. All at once he sounded like the small child he is now. "I don't even know how it got into my bag."

"Did you leave your bag earlier unattended while dancing with Kyo?"

"I did, "He admitted, "I left my bag right next to Kyo's while doing the rehearsal."

"Eh? So Kyo was in the same hotel room with you?"

"Ah yes," Shiro said weakly, still recovering from the phobia before his hands wiped his face a bit, "I am such a coward, I still can't get over seeing a pair of scissors without fainting." He chuckled to himself.

Emiko listened carefully to Shiro's explanation and couldn't help but say, "Who are you to say you are a coward? That is a perfectly normal reaction." she said soothingly. "Phobias are not something you can control. It's understandable that you are scared after what happened. Especially regarding your family situation...."

Shiro nodded, still looking a bit shaken. "I know, but I don't want this to affect my work or my relationship with Kyo. What if he thinks I'm weak or something?"

"Then he doesn't deserve you as family."

Shiro nodded again, taking a deep breath. "You are right."

Silence fell on the two, before the drummer said, "Emiko," he pleaded. "You do believe me, don't you?"

"I want to," she began, and then made a decision. "No, I do, Shiro. I ran an intel business for almost a year. If you were really behind it, you wouldn't be that stupid to bring the bag for our date. I have seen enough to know who is a good or a bad person. Though..." Emiko sighed, "If someone is an outsider that ain't me, it is a different situation."

"True." 

With Shiro's gaze locked on her face, she organized her thoughts before she spoke again."I brought the two detectives from our association over."

"Two?" Shiro then figures, "Was it the two you were telling me about? The boy who opened the association with the prettier girl?"

Emiko nod back to him, "And we heard things through Ogawa...." She gave him a concerned look, "Why didn't you mention your phobia to your fans? Did you think they will look down on you if they knew?"

"It's not that," Shiro heaves at her, "My parents will relish the publicity if I reveal any of this to the media."

"Eh?"

"As you may hear from Ogawa...my parents aren't decent to be one." Waiting for him to share further, he paused before revealing, "When they got word of Jiro-Ojichan from the prison taking an interest in me, they did all sorts of chaotic mess to get out of prison, you know? His death..." Shiro felt as if that was the most painful thing in the way to talk about, "They were expecting a huge cash out for me left in his will. Because I was his favourite."

With eyebrows raised, Emiko commented, "But that isn't what happened, isn't it?"

"I told him when he was still alive not to leave me or Ryo or Kyo in the Will."

"Eh!?"

"Cause it will bring more problems. He knows what I am dealing with. Maybe...that was a mistake," The bangs covered his eyes, "Because of that decision, our parents ended up challenging the estate in order to have access to the money."

"What!? That is horrible!" This angered Emiko before realizing, "Hang on, are Ryo and Kyo aware of it?"

"No, I don't think so. Cause if they do..." When he shook his head numbly, she nodded. "Yeah, that would've been way awful if that happens."

Emiko listened to Shiro's story with a heavy heart. She couldn't imagine the pain and pressure he must have gone through with his parents and the family situation. She couldn't help but think about how unfair it was for him to deal with all of that while trying to pursue his dreams. "I think...they might have known."

That made him startled, "What are you talking about?"

"Earlier, we were looking into the case. And...we came to a realization that someone could've intentionally done this to you to frame you for Ryo's kidnapping."

"Eh?"

"Unfortunately, your phobia was something not many people were aware of," Emiko nodded at both their eyes glancing at the bag on the floor, "When the person framed you, the person had no idea about this phobia you had." She met his gaze, "There was also...a kidnapping instruction letter, made through the cutouts of newspaper clippings."

"Eh!?"That is when Shiro became angry, "Who the hell wants to do this sort of thing to me!?"He then stooped to see the bag.

"No! Don't touch!" Emiko warned as his hand curled, "Don't touch them! That's exactly what the person who's framing you wants you to do. Once your fingerprints are on the scissors, nobody is going to believe you're innocent the moment you do so. For good. Also, do you want to faint again?!"

"Anyway, Ranran wanted me to tell you this. About the letter....don't tell anyone about it," Emiko said, "She wants to catch this person, red-handed. Can you do that?"

"How can I-"

"Shiro, I know you are mad from being framed. But right now, the likeliest reason that this person did so, is because of your reputation according to Ranran." Emiko whispered before she carefully say, "She and her partner believed it must be someone within your inner circle to be able to have access to your bag. So do you know of anyone who would want to frame you?"

He shrugged helplessly, "Honestly, I don't know."

Emiko thought hard, before she ask, "Do you think Kyo would do it?" she prompted him "Or your manager? Or even the assistant of the manager?"

"But all of them were at police headquarters with me this afternoon, I did not leave my bag unintended, except when Kyo and I had to do the rehearsal this afternoon," he said weakly.

"They could have got somebody to do their dirty work for them," she suggested quietly, "Do you know their friends at least within the band? Someone who knows the inside out."

"I do know some, I can give you the name list and contact. Would that help?"

After Emiko jotted down every single name he could come up with, Emiko could see Shiro resting his head on his hands on his bed, "I wish it ain't them."

"We won't know till we investigate," Emiko tuck away the notebook filled with names before replying, "We will get back to you when all of this is done. Don't worry, Shiro, they are capable detectives."

"I don't doubt their abilities in solving the case. I just wish for once, I was wrong that any of them within the name list didn't do this to me."

"Shiro..."

"I'll admit that I'm rude and hot-tempered, but sometimes I can't stand it when no one acknowledges how difficult it is to have this hearing talent, but no one shares the same wavelength as me," He looked up into Emiko's eyes. "Everyone around me kept saying I am difficult, and that I should leave things be. It wouldn't have mattered that we used the instruments we were given, but it would for the fans. To me...the fans who had known us for several years...I don't want them to think we spare expenses to achieve no.1 in music. They are the reason why we made it this far. And they deserve the best of everything."

Emiko listened attentively to Shiro's words, understanding the passion and dedication he had for his music and his fans. "I hear you, Shiro. I understand how important it is to you to give your fans the best of everything. And I also understand how frustrating it can be when people don't understand your perspective or your hearing talent."

She paused for a moment before continuing, "But you're not alone, Shiro. We're here for you, and we want to help you find out who did this to you. We'll do everything we can to get to the bottom of this and clear your name. And if any of the names on this list turn out to be innocent, we'll keep looking until we find the real culprit."

Shiro nodded, his expression softening slightly. "Thank you, Emiko. I appreciate your help and your understanding. I know I can be difficult at times, but I just want to make things right for our fans and for myself."

Emiko smiled reassuringly. "We'll make it right, Shiro. I promise."

The moment the manager open the door, Shiro said, "I think you should go home," Shiro told Emiko ."I just want to...do some thinking over who did this to me."

"Come on Emiko, let's go."

The voice of the little girl could be heard, and upon laying his eyes on Ranran for the first time with Shinichi next to her, he widened a little in surprise.

"Emiko."

"Yes?" Her head turned back to him.

"Can you do me...one more favour?"

.........

"I am sorry. He wants to see me?"

Ranran pointed to herself in scepticism while Shinichi's ears were in disbelief at Emiko, "Alone, just you and him."

"Why?" Shinichi demanded.

"I'm not sure," Emiko replied, turning to Shiro for confirmation.

Shiro nodded from his bed. "I just want to talk to her alone for a few minutes."

Shinichi hesitated for a moment before nodding to Ranran. "Okay, I'll stay outside and wait for you."

With the door shut, it was the red lip detective and drummer alone, "Say it, why did you call for my presence?"

Unbeknownst to them, Shinichi pressed his ears against the door and so did Emiko. The unexpected words of what he said next throw them off-guard, "Why did you quit becoming a child actor?"

"Child actor?!" Emiko turned to Shinichi to demand answers, "What is he talking about?!"

"I myself have no idea, she rarely shares anything about her past." Shinichi is equally as confused as Emiko over this conversation behind the door. What was Ranran's reaction now, Shinichi can't help but wonder.

Ranran's expression remains stagnant while she replies, "Do I know you?"

"I don't, but I know of someone you might know," The drummer then recalled from his memories, "There was this child actress I am still friends with...years ago, she tried to quit when she learned that her acting opportunities kept being snatch by this upcoming rising star, a girl her age who was being cast in the role of the main heroine. At some point...she had thoughts of attempting to sabotage her because she kept getting cast in roles of a villainess or a supporting role."

Horrified, Emiko and Shinichi eavesdrop to know more.

"But then...by miracle, this little girl in a Fox mask appeared, alongside a boy with a deer mask." Shiro described in further detail, "Suddenly, the tables had turned. Suddenly, this friend of mine became successful, while the girl was disgraced to a point...she left the entertainment circle for life. The following day...a little girl of around the age of 3 or 4 appeared, she looked just like you."

Shinichi's mind raced as he tried to process the information. She had never mentioned anything about being a child actor, and yet here was someone who claimed to know about it. He couldn't shake the feeling that this had something to do with the case they were working on.

Or perhaps...the truth behind her becoming The Fox.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ranran replied calmly, but the apprentice and artist could sense a hint of unease in her voice.

"I think you do," Shiro pressed, "You were given a contract to the same entertainment company, according to this friend. But you cancelled it at the last minute...because your partner, the dirty blonde-haired little boy actor who was with you, died around December."

"What?!" Shinichi exclaimed, unable to contain his shock.

Emiko's eyes widened as well, and she quickly gestured for him to stay quiet and keep listening.

Ranran remained silent for a moment before speaking again, "Even if I was, which I'm not, what does that have to do with anything with this case?"

"You have nothing to do with this case, but that ain't the reason why I called you here," Shiro replied, "I am calling you because I heard a lot of praise about the services you and that boy offered to my friend. I want to know...could you...open this service just for me today?"

Shinichi and Emiko exchanged confused glances. What kind of service was he talking about?

Ranran remains silent at first. Much to the two's surprise, she answered, "I changed profession since then. Are you sure you want me to do it?"

"I ain't guilty, I have nothing to do with Ryo vanishing," Shiro replied, "You only take in clients who are innocent."

Ranran seemed to be considering his request before finally speaking, "Do you have collateral? I don't do it for free. Also, do you know the price one needs to pay if one is discovered guilty?"

Shinichi and Emiko exchanged another confused glance. They couldn't make sense of what was going on. What kind of service was Shiro asking for?

But before they could process any further, they heard Ranran's reply, "Yes, I do. It's not something to be taken lightly."

"I understand," Shiro said. "I can provide the collateral. When I am proven innocent, which I am, you do it for me."

There was a moment of silence before Ranran finally spoke again, "What is the collateral you offer?"

Shiro hesitated before answering, "A signed autograph of my late uncle from one of my older drum sets."

Emiko's eyes widened in shock while Shinichi grows confused, "How is that of value?"

"I read that on the interviews that people actually drop by to try and persuade him to sell it off since it belonged to a dead celebrity. It can fetch up to millions of yen, maybe even billions if auctioned off."

"For Shiro to offer it as collateral, he must be desperate," Shinichi swore that his eyes almost fell off at that revelation.

Ranran seemed to sense the gravity of the situation as well. After a moment's pause, she replied, "Very well. I will accept your offer."

Shiro let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

"But I must warn you," Ranran continued, "If I recover a single piece of evidence that proves otherwise..."

"You have my word," Shiro said firmly. "I will never do anything that will make my granduncle turn over his grave."

Ranran nodded. "Very well. Make sure to send it over to me within 7 am sharp. Here is my address."

Shinichi and Emiko listened as they heard footsteps moving towards the door. They quickly pulled away and resumed their previous positions. As soon as Ranran opened the door, Shiro stepped inside, giving them a nod as he walked past them. Ranran followed behind him, closing the door behind her.

As they walked out, Ranran seemed to be lost in thought, and Shinichi couldn't help but feel like he had just uncovered a huge piece of her past. What did it all mean? And how did it connect to the case they were working on?

He can't help but recall the conversation with Ranran not long ago.

"Well, I had to ruin lives. That's why."

"Ruin-wait," Shinichi recalled of his conversation with Amelia, before confronting, "I thought you used to be an apprentice of some child who wanted to become a lawyer of something according to Amelia."

"Ah no," Ranran responded with a head shaking in denial, "My mentor ran a revenge online agency back then. My job was to dig out whether the client's accusation over that person is true, and if so, I ruin them in the worst way unimaginable."

The more Shinichi thought about it, the more he can't help but believe this conversation is connected to what Ranran offered to Shiro.

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

As it was getting late at night, around 2 am, everyone took a cab home.

Well, exceptionally Emiko since Shiro sent her a car back home. Ranran and Shinichi took a late cab back home.

During the ride, Shinichi couldn't help but think about the strange conversation that had happened earlier. He knew that Ranran had a mysterious past, but he never imagined that she had been a child actor. And what was this service that Shiro was asking for?

"Are you okay?" Ranran's voice broke through his thoughts.

"Hm? Oh, yeah. I'm fine," he replied, not wanting to worry her.

"You seem lost in thought," she said, and he could sense the concern in her voice.

"I just can't stop thinking about what happened earlier," he admitted.

Ranran was quiet for a moment before speaking, "I know it's all very confusing, but please don't worry about it. For Shiro's request, it's just a service I used to offer. But I stopped doing it a long time ago. Well, till today happened. It won't happen yet, not until he is proven innocent."

Shinichi nodded, grateful for her explanation. He didn't want to pry into this if she didn't want to talk about it. The rest of the cab ride was quiet, with both of them lost in their own thoughts.

"I am certain...you had tons of questions about it, but I will explain it to you when the truth is revealed," she said, and he could hear the sincerity in her voice.

He smiled at her, "Whatever it is, whether good or bad, I will wait for that answer."

Ranran smiled back, and for a moment, everything felt right. 

But as he accompany her back to her place, waving goodbye when she enters the house before shutting the door, Shinichi couldn't shake off the feeling that there was more to Ranran's past than she was letting on.

The thought lingered in his mind as he made his way back to his own house, which is at the back of Ranran's mansion. He knew that Ranran had a difficult past in her former school and had experienced things that most people couldn't even imagine, but he couldn't help but feel that there was more to the story.

As he unlocked his door and stepped into his quiet manor, he decided to put his thoughts aside for now. He needed to get some rest and start fresh in the morning.

He changed into his pyjamas and climbed into bed, but sleep didn't come easily. His mind kept going back to the events of the night and the unanswered questions about Ranran's past.

"Ranran...formerly a child actress!? I can foresee that since she had that talent."

Shiro's words echoed in Shinichi's mind as he walked back to his apartment. He couldn't believe that Ranran had been a child actress. He once wondered how convincing she was when she framed him for the parkour incident, but now that he knew, he could imagine her being a natural on stage or in front of the camera.

He wondered why she had never mentioned it before. Was it because she wanted to distance herself from that part of her life? Or was there something else that she was hiding?

Shinichi shook his head, trying to push the thoughts out of his mind. He didn't want to speculate or jump to conclusions without knowing the full story.

The apprentice then couldn't help but wonder who this blonde-haired boy was that Shiro mentioned earlier. He tried to recall if Ranran had ever mentioned him before, but he couldn't remember her talking about anyone with that description.

Then he recalled Ranran mentioning the mentor in her life having died....was it him? The mentor she highly spoke of?

Shinichi couldn't help but connect the dots in his mind. He remembered Ranran mentioning her mentor, a Duke who had passed away. Could this mentor be the same person that Shiro was referring to?

If that is the case...at least he knew the guy was a blonde.

Also, it is a step closer to uncovering the identity of this person, the one who influences his own mentor and what she is today.

Shinichi couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that had settled in his gut. He knew that there was something big happening behind the scenes, something that involved Ranran, her past as a child actress, her mentor, and this mysterious blonde boy.

He decided to do some research on his own, using the information he had gathered so far. He spent the rest of the night reading articles and browsing the internet for any clues that could shed light on the situation.

But as the sun started to rise and the birds began to chirp outside his window, Shinichi realized that he was still far from solving this mystery. He sighed and closed his laptop, deciding that he needed some rest before he could continue his investigation.

As he drifted off to sleep, his thoughts were filled with images of Ranran, the mysterious blonde boy, and the shadow of a troubled past that lingered behind his mentor.