Several days had gone by, and there have not been one phone call made to Red Illumination's management since Ryo was kidnapped.

Before long, school begins and 6-year-old Mouri Ran began to notice further signs of Ranran and Shinichi walking in a staggered manner the more time goes by.

Lately, after school, Shinichi and Ranran had been heading back home a lot earlier than usual, and she had no idea what she could do from here.

It ain't odd for her to see them head home early if they are solving a case, after all, roughly days had gone by since Ryo's kidnapping was spread through the media, and obviously, it ain't a surprise that Shinichi and Ranran had to constantly vanish before Mouri Ran and everyone's eyes, to begin with. With such cases, they have to solve it regardless or so. This is their first-ever international high-profile case, and if they don't solve it, it would be their reputation flush down the drain as prodigy Tanteis.

In some way thinking about it, Ran was a bit relieved. She put her membership as collateral just to get this case solved, and Ranran didn't let her hate towards her get the better of her to a point, she could've misused it to kick Ran out of the association for good.

Even this, something was telling Ran that there is more to it than meets the eye.

Whenever Shinichi and Ranran arrive at school, it seems to be them either coming in as equally late as Ranran, or he was dragging her over, but Ranran looks too dead tired, much to Ran's shock, because Ran knows Ranran wasn't the type to be excessively exhausted unless she played video games till late night. Shinichi wasn't an early bird like Ranran, but he tends to arrive on time and never had trouble arriving at school, unlike Ranran. Though this was normal to Ran, since the establishment of Tantei Association, it wasn't normal when the two arrive, no longer being themselves.

Because....the two looked....wearied.

Yeah, wearied was a more suitable choice of word.

Not to mention, they both would give anyone blank looks if anyone were to talk to them, like, as if they were not there in the present. As if the two had run through the world face of the earth or something. In all the cases they had worked on from Ran's perspective, this is the first time she noticed how tired they looked. But perhaps the most disturbing warning sign was when neither Kudo became more contactable lately.

And it ain't just Shinichi to Ran alone, it was Ranran herself as well, to everyone. Within the classroom, outside class, within Tantei association, you name it. And even if they do manage to contact either of them, it was mostly voicemail that would ring out in Ranran and Shinichi's voice, stating 'If there is anything regarding Red Illumination kidnapping case, call. Or else, don't call.'

Man, Ran thinks, the pressure is real right now.

In times like this, she can't help but feel guilty about forcing them to take their case. This case had a high level of publicity, so it ain't odd for anyone to feel overwhelmed with all eyes on them. Although no one knows that Tantei Association is working on the case now, it's difficult to avoid paparazzi nowadays.

It's another day in Teitan Elementary, it is recess now, so Mouri Ran is sitting on a bench alone outside the school's courtyard. The signs of Winter transitioning to spring are beginning to appear but in a slow manner. She was looking up at the sky, taking in the sight of the slowly fading clouds and the emerging sun. She smiles, feeling grateful for the beautiful day.

She then notices a few students running around, playing catch and laughing, and she can't help but feel a pang of nostalgia. remembers the times when she used to play with Shinichi and Sonoko during recess, and how carefree and happy they were back then.

Those were the happiest days of her life, but then Tantei Association robbed all of that away from her.

Sonoko once again couldn't join her, since she is still hiding away from those children, whom still couldn't let go of the 'Mamiko video gate scandal' where she and Sonoko allegedly plotted to misuse Ranran's name as 'The Fox', a legendary child detective, to discourage Shinichi from pursuing his detective dream to marry him off to Ran, a damning allegation that even to this day Ran argues it ain't true.

As Ran sat on the bench, lost in her thoughts, she noticed a small bird hopping around on the ground nearby. She watched as the bird hopped from one spot to another, seemingly searching for something.

Ran couldn't help but feel a sense of calmness wash over her as she observed the bird's simple movements. It was a nice break from the chaos that had been happening lately with the case.

Just as she was about to get lost in her thoughts again, she heard someone call out to her. "Ah reh? Ran-san? What are you doing here alone?"

She turned her head to see Michio approaching her, "Michio, what brings you here?" she asked before looking around him, "And where is Junko by the way? I thought you two always eat lunch together."

"Too busy talking to her new boyfriend, hope you don't mind me sitting next to you? I could use some company, it won't take long if your friend is coming," he replied, coming to a stop next to her on the bench.

"No, sit as long as you want. Sonoko can't come to me anyways....because of..." Ran paused, she didn't want to bring up that estrangement between Shinichi, herself and Ran anymore.

As the two quietly had their bentos, both of their eyes can't help but continue to watch those birds hopping around.

"Birds are lucky, aren't they? They're free to fly wherever they want." Michio comments.

"Yes, they sure do..." Ran couldn't help but feel a little envious as well over the bird's freedom. She wished she could just fly away from all the sadness and anger that had been weighing her down lately, "Neh Michio."

"Hmph?"

"Do you...do you ever wish you could just fly away from everything?"

Michio noticed the melancholic tone in Ran's voice, "I know what you mean," Michio replied, taking a bite of his food. "Sometimes I wish I could just leave all my problems behind and fly away like a bird. But unfortunately, we're not birds. We have to face our problems head-on. Running away might seem like the easy way out, but it's not always the best solution."

"I ain't running away from my problems," Ran bite her own bento she prepared herself, since her parents split up, she had to make it on her own. Her father is incapable in the kitchen, and although her mother offers to make it for her before heading off to work as a lawyer, Ran turns it down knowing her cooking was far worst than her dad's.

Besides, she didn't want to burden her mother.

It wasn't easy when her mother since she married her dad in her early 20s, and then had Ran early before applying to go to work. Back then when corruption was at its highest in the police force, it somehow spread to law firms across Japan. It got so bad that whenever her mom was shown to be married with a child, they turn her away, knowing mothers can leave work half-done all the time just to tend to their children.

To Ran, she knew none of those besides being aware that her mom had difficulty getting a job as a lawyer. And that all Ran knows is that she shouldn't bother her with whatever problems she faces at school. She did not want her mom to lose her job.

But then Kudo Ranran happened and now, her parents want her out of the association thanks to that she-demon's lies.

"Then why won't you leave Shinichi be with Ranran then?" Michio asked.

Ran felt a twinge of anger rises up in her chest at the mention of that girl. She took a deep breath to calm herself, knowing Michio was merely asking out of curiosity before responding. "It's not that simple, Michio. It's not about me holding onto Shinichi and not wanting to let him go. It's about the fact that Ranran has been manipulating and lying to everyone, including Shinichi, to get what she wants. And I won't let her get away with it."

"But what part of Ranran did she manipulate and lie to Shinichi, Mouri? I mean Sonoko upfront lied to Shinichi about Ranran even before Tantei Association took place. And it was not only caught on video that she and Mamiko conspired to ruin Shinichi, but they also didn't even hesitate to misuse Ranran's name. And all of this took place even before they became friends."

Ran's face hardened at Michio's words, "That's not true. Sonoko might have lied to Shinichi, but she has since apologized and has been making attempts to make amends. The reason he ain't accepting it is because of Ranran,  who is still manipulating him, and she has no remorse for what she's done. And I refuse to let her get away with it."

Michio shrugged, "Well, I don't know about all that. I'm just saying, maybe it's time for you to move on and let Shinichi make his own decisions."

Ran sighed, "Maybe you're right, Michio. But it's hard, you know? Shinichi and I have been through so much together, and I can't just let it all go."

"Is it because do you not trust Shinichi's judgement of others?"

Ran shook her head, "No, it's not that. It's just...Shinichi has one flaw, which is he oblivious to how a girl thinks, acts and stuff when it comes to crushes. And Ranran, she's not a good person. She's only thinking about herself and what she wants." Everything falls silent before Ran asked, "Earlier you mentioned that you could leave your problems behind and fly away like a bird...what sort of problems do you have, Michio?"

Michio hesitated for a moment, his eyes dropping to the ground. "It's nothing, really. Just some stuff."

Ran could sense that there was more to it than just "stuff," "Did it have anything to do with Junko and Kyo?"

Michio looked surprised, "How did you know?"

Ran smiled softly, "Junko seemed to smile more nowadays with the smartphone on her hands in class whenever I walk by, so I figured it had to do with something personal."

Michio sighed, "Yeah, I guess it's pretty obvious."

"So are you jealous now that Junko no longer likes you?"

"Jealous huh...." Michio furrowed his brows, "To be honest...I don't even know what it's like to be jealous anymore."

"Eh?"

Michio looked up at Ran, a sad expression on his face. "It's just...I've never really had anyone to be jealous of."

"Really!?" Ran exclaimed, "No way! Everyone had some point in their lives tend to envy something they lack."

"I don't," Michio denies this before he elaborates further, "When I was growing up, my aunt Ruth and my mother showered me with anything I could ever ask for. In a way...I didn't lack love from them." Swinging his legs, he let the breeze blow past them.

"...but you are." Ran insists, "You don't seem to like Kyo being around her, and you wanted everyone to be out of this case. Ain't that jealousy?"

"Oh no, you are greatly mistaken, I wasn't doing that because Junko and Kyo had grown close," Michio dismisses Ran before revealing, "Truthfully, I am more worried for how long Kyo will remain with her."

"Eh? Why?"

"Well...for some reason, the relationship with other boys never last," Seeing the confusion, he explains, "Whenever I cheer her on about her crushes, she gets mad at me, and the relationship never last between her and them. And when it no longer works out, those poor boys, her exes, always end up coming to me and buying me lunch or dinner."

"Hah!? Why!?"

"Said they feel sorry for me, to put up with a girl like Junko. They can break up with her and move on with life, but not me."

Ran couldn't help but laugh at the image of Michio being treated to meals by Junko's exes. "Well, I can see why you'd be worried about Kyo then. But you know, maybe Junko just hasn't found the right person yet."

Michio nodded, "Yeah, that's what I keep telling myself. But I can't help but feel like it's my fault somehow."

"Why?"

"She says it is my fault, that I haven't felt anything for her yet. So she went seeking elsewhere."

Ran felt a pang of empathy for Michio, Junko seems to be overly obsessive over him for all the wrong reasons, and there is no way out for him and his future sounds bleak, "Michio, you can't force yourself to have feelings for someone."

Silence. "Neh Ran."

"Yeah?"

"If...just say if, Shinichi and Ranran are official, would you finally leave him alone?"

Ran took a moment to consider Michio's question, "No, I won't."

"But he doesn't care anymore, you two are ex-friends. Especially what Sonoko did to Ranran and him, it wouldn't be fair to simply ruin his happiness for your sake."

"I know," Ran said softly, "But I'm not trying to ruin his happiness. I just...I can't help how I feel when he is sticking to Ranran like glue."

"Why? What do you have against Ranran so much so, that you won't let him be happy?"

"It's not that I have something against her," Ran said, "It's just...complicated."

"Complicated how?"

Ran sighed, "It's hard to explain. Ranran...she may not be a saint, but she isn't pure evil. Even so, I just...I just don't think she's right for Shinichi. That is all."

"Well...I may not know much about feelings, but...I hope eventually find what you are looking for, whether it is Shinichi, or without him...just finding inner peace is the best I can say you need to live on your life." Michio said with a small smile.

Ran smiled back at him, "You'll fly just like those birds, Michio. The moment you find the girl you like, you will eventually break free from this."

Michio chuckled, "Thanks, Ran-san. You always know just what to say."

Ran smiled and nodded in response. They both sat in silence for a few moments, watching the birds fly around and feeling the gentle breeze on their faces.

As the bell rang signalling the end of recess, Michio stood up and stretched. "I better get going, my next class is starting soon. Thanks for the company, Ran."

"No problem, Michio. It was nice to talk to you," Ran said, giving him a small wave goodbye.

As Michio walked away, Ran couldn't help but think about their conversation. She couldn't help but feel a little lighter after her conversation with Michio, and she hoped that he would find some peace with his own problems.

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

4 days had gone by since Ryo went missing, and now the cops and the media had reason to believe that the possibility that Ryo is alive had washed down the drain.

For the police, the moment the 48-hour mark passed, the chances of Ryo's survival dropped rapidly.

This also means it is time they look for a dead corpse, not a surviving child.

My leg still hurts...

Ranran rubbed her ankles from her seat while reading through the files they compiled since beginning their investigation, there have been some interesting developments regarding the case. 

The little girl shouldn't be doing 'that thing' with Shinichi lately as his place, however, with cases piling up in the association, they not only need to do it to enhance themselves but also to upgrade the association. Her eyes read that the investigation revealed the assistant vanished as soon as she and Shinichi made it to the hotel shortly after the meeting. According to Ogawa, he took leave from today till next week. It may sound coincidental, but it was clear signs that it ain't.

Ranran had a gut feeling that there was more to this disappearance than met the eye. From what they gathered from Ogawa, Kyo was so paranoid that the manager had asked his assistant to share the same hotel room with Kyo to accompany him, as it wouldn't be practical to let a child like Kyo sleep on his own alone.

According to Ogawa, the assistant and Kyo were quite close, and they had developed a close bond over the past several years. So for the assistant to vanish while Kyo's brother was kidnapped spoke volumes to Ranran.

The manager's assistant, the traitor bodyguard, and the hiring manager who is also Shiro's step-dad...how did they play a role in kidnapping Ryo? Who is the true mastermind among them all? Could it be the stepdad?

According to Genzo, when Shiro's stepdad started to hire his own family members into the security team, the motive was to move his relatives to the city for a better quality of life.

And it ain't surprising to Ranran to see such a mentality. When she was a student at Edgewood Academy, the poorer and middle-income children, especially those who were raised from poorer villages, were raised by their parents to mingle with other children who are born with a diamond spoon to not only escape poverty but also to move into the rich neighbourhood she was living in at that time.

To those families of leeches, living in the city is like a free upgrade to high society for anyone compared to the life of a village bumpkin. It's like cementing themselves to be like them. And don't get Ranran wrong, her family used to live in the slum for 2 years, so she could understand why they were desperate to do so. Even so, to practically depend on their kids to pave for the entire family to shamelessly become one of them and use it as a shortcut to success, disgusts her even to this day.

Ranran used to see the way those kids' eyes lit up whenever they keep attempting to butter up noble children in Edgewood and kept parading around their status...all because they are friends with them.

Then again, those kids are merely dogs to those nobles.

And she has such fun times back then, whacking and kicking those dogs when she was The Fox. The humiliation she put those kids through, let alone their parents, will leave severe emotional trauma for life. Let alone, take years of psychological therapy.

It may have been cruel, but if she doesn't teach those idiots a lesson, Edgewood Academy could've shut down all thanks to their greed.

While flipping through further files, all of her trail of thoughts regarding the case was abruptly brought to a standstill thanks to the volume blaring loudly from an electronic device.

Wondering who it was,  Ranran blinked to see her partner-in-crime, Shinichi, fixated on the phone.

He is still watching those videos, this time on his phone.

Ranran couldn't help but notice this, as the apprentice was busy watching the videos played out on his own smartphone from his seat. The two had taken leave from school to look into the Red Illumination case, which was approved thanks to Reina's intervention. 

In Teitan Elementary school, the students there are entitled to apply for school leave depending on the circumstances. Normally, taking leave to solve a kidnapping case involving a famous boyband is an absolute no for the school. It was nonsensical after all, and that police are involved.

But as soon as most of the children in the school got word they were involved, they caused chaos, leaving the teachers and staff no choice but to reluctantly oblige the moment all of them staged a protest by not coming to school for a day.

However, they didn't want other kids to be granted such privilege just because they are fans of Red Illumination, so the association only allowed two members to take their leave. Since Ranran and Shinichi aren't fans, the school granted them leave.

So for the past 4 days since the holidays ended and school begun, Takuma and the rest of the members remained in school while the other two had gathered in the main HQ of Tantei Association for 4 days, and progress had been made. But Ryo is still nowhere to be found. 

At least they finally figure out one thing: How the kidnapper was able to get Ryo out of the stadium without alerting anyone.

When Shinichi copied those videos from the delusional Mamiko, Ranran thought his video-viewing session would end. All those videos had Mamiko's crimes she had committed in a school, bullying, insulting, and even videos of blackmailing were done on kids her age.

The things Mamiko did were so horrific, it probably put all those serial killers to shame.

But as it turned out, Shinichi was still watching those videos. The glazed look in his eyes was evident to the founder. It was as if he was entranced, unable to look away from the screen.

"Shinichi, are you okay?" Ranran asked tentatively.

Shinichi didn't respond, his eyes fixed on the video playing on his phone. Ranran hesitated for a moment before reaching out and touching his shoulder gently.

Suddenly, Shinichi jerked back as if awoken from a trance. He looked at Ranran with confusion, as if he had forgotten where he was. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you," Shinichi said, his voice strained.

"Why are you still watching those videos? I thought you watch all of it the other day, and you mentioned that Mouri Ran didn't participate in any of it." Ranran asked.

Shinichi hesitated for a moment before answering, his eyes shifting away from Ranran."I still refuse to believe that Mouri Ran is innocent," he finally said.

Ranran frowned at Shinichi's statement. "But you watch those videos, Mamiko alone was the one who committed those crimes, not Mouri Ran. There is barely even a trace of her annoying voice in it. Why do you think otherwise?"

Shinichi's expression turned dark as he spoke. "Ran has the most to gain, had I not known of the manipulation, I could've been duped to marry her years later, let alone, make your life a living hell. If you think of this logically, her best friend Sonoko conspired with Mamiko to make use of your name as 'The Fox' just to get me to hate you and quit my dream as a detective. As much as Ran didn't plan all of this, do you think she would be that oblivious over what was going on between Sonoko and Mamiko?"

Ranran was taken aback by Shinichi's accusation. "Shinichi, as much as you and I despise her, I doubt Ran would do something like that. You know her better than anyone," Ranran said, trying to reason with him, "Is she unreasonable and scattered brain? Yes, I will admit that. But no, Shinichi. She ain't that malicious."

"She admitted to her mother that she kept praying for your death, every single day at the principal's office, Ranran," Shinichi's face twisted in anger. "I don't know about you, but when she said those words after I denounced her that day, that was the first time I saw the most sinister side of her. If that has been her true nature all along....who knows what else she's capable of doing behind closed doors?"

Ranran could see that Shinichi was consumed by his suspicions. She knew it would be hard to convince him otherwise, especially since Ran's own wrongdoing led her to where things are now.

As Shinichi continued to watch the videos on his phone, she confronts, "Why does it matter that you want to see Ran in any of those videos? Despite going through with it several times? Do you...want to end up getting hospitalised again if she was in any of those videos? After watching Mamiko and Sonoko conspiring to ruin us both with glee in their eyes?"

"That is not it..." Shinichi sounded hesitant.

"Then what is it, Shinichi? Why are you so insistent?"

"Because if I don't, Mamiko will come back here to terrorize us all." He paused the video, "The longer Ran remains in this association, the chances of Mamiko manipulating her to hurt you will go up. And I ain't going to stand by and not do anything anymore. As long as Mamiko is around, I don't see peace in the association! Let alone, for us."

Ranran was taken aback by his words. She could sense the deep-seated fear and determination in his voice. It was clear that he was not going to rest until he had uncovered the truth.

Despite her own doubts about Ran's involvement in the videos, Ranran could not deny that there may be some half-truths from Shinichi's conviction, that even she herself might not know about. The projector didn't even reveal this sinister side of Ran at all, nor revealed Sonoko's secret conspiracy with Mamiko. God knows what else are they hiding from them.

The apprentice then press play as he scrolled through the videos, his face contorted in concentration.

"Ever since you have taken me in as your apprentice, I have enjoyed every single minute of this association. But all of that came to a halt when Ran joined and refused to leave. And you never once complain one bit about what she put you through. The only reason she was even here in the first place is to drag me out of the association, and her unreasonable nonsense towards you. It isn't fair that she remains here to terrorize everyone's lives on the line, thanks to whatever nonsense Mamiko had planted in her head. Especially you."

Shinichi finally sighed, putting away his phone while massaging his forehead.

Ranran could tell that Shinichi was exhausted from the emotional turmoil he had been going through. She understood his concern for everyone's safety and his determination to uncover the truth, but she also knew that it was important to take a step back and reassess the situation.

"Shinichi, I can take care of myself, especially the damn Mamiko." She grabs the seat to sit next to him while reassuring him gently.

"No, you can't, I read too many biographies about serial killers' since I was 5. I know once they decided to target someone, they will go all out till the target dies, and then they go on to the next target. Right now, all of us are merely living on borrowed time," He didn't turn to see his partner-in-crime, the feelings of guilt could be heard in his tone, "Thanks to me, now Mamiko is manipulating Ran just to endanger your life, all because I didn't like her romantically. And this is my fault. She had been showing signs of a serial killer back then, and I let my prejudice towards you be blind-sighted by that satan."

Ranran placed a hand on Shinichi's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "It's not your fault, Shinichi. Mamiko is responsible for her own actions, and we'll make sure she faces the consequences of what she's done. I know...I know you are desperate to kick Ran out, and so do I. But if Ran isn't in the video, then there is no point searching anymore."

"But I must...if I don't...Mamiko will be released back here by next week. It seems like the more I fight back, the more I am being dragged into a sinkhole beyond return. I figured now that the moment we have the videos, at least for once it will do us  justice." Shinichi's despair was evident. "I am one useless apprentice."

"Shinichi, that ain't true," Ranran shook her head at him, "You're not useless, Shinichi. Our association solved a total of 3 major cases. If anyone is at fault, is that damn Mamiko and your two ex-friends. Manipulating us like that."

Shinichi looked at Ranran, his eyes filled with gratitude. "Do you think we will get rid of them eventually?"

Ranran smiled reassuringly at him. "We will."

"And if we don't?"

"I will frame them to get them out of this school," Ranran said with determination.

"How effective is it?" Shinichi leaned in closer to her.

Ranran grinned mischievously. "Oh, nothing too drastic. Just some planted evidence and a few carefully crafted rumours. Anyway, I recently prepared for Mamiko a welcome gift so that she can no longer terrorize us by bewitching others with her looks."

"Such as?" Shinichi asked, his eyes widening.

"The one where I replaced all of Mamiko's shampoo with honey when her mom used her connections to release her from that psychotic hospital," Ranran said, a wicked gleam in her eyes.

"How does that even work?" Shinichi is sceptical.

"Simple, Mamiko is allergic to honey. She gets severe reaction to it."

Shinichi's jaw dropped. "Are you serious? Wait, how did you know she is allergic to honey?!"

Ranran shrugged nonchalantly. "I read her medical records when I was in the school infirmary one day, paying Takuma a visit after injuring himself from one of his American Football activities. Plus, it's not like I was gonna let her off easy after what she did to us."

Shinichi shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe you did that, Ranran. You do know that is a breach of privacy, right?"

Ranran waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, please. Like I care about that. Besides, it was under the school infirmary, not the hospital. And the nurse was far too busy happily chatting on the phone with her friends to care after treating Takuma, so I read it."

Shinichi sighed before realizing, "Wait, she won't die, right? I heard that people die under severe allergies before."

"Don't worry, even if she did die, at least the world is one less serial killer in the making. And not to worry," Ranran reassured with her grin growing wider, "If it makes you feel any better, my late mentor taught me to use a proper dosage when it comes to poisons, so I know the exact amount of honey I need to not cause her death."

At first, Shinichi was in disbelief. Then he proceeded to ask, "How old is your mentor again?"

"8."

"Wait, what? 8? Are you serious?" Shinichi asked, his eyes widening in surprise.

Ranran nodded with a straight face. "Yes, 8. He's a genius child prodigy, he learns all of this thanks to his stepmother, who excels in the field of toxicology."

Shinichi couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Seriously?"

Ranran chuckled. "He's a certified genius with an IQ of over 200. Though I suspect it is higher than that. But his stepmother had been featured in several scientific journals and has even won a few awards for her work."

Shinichi was still sceptical. "I don't know if I should be impressed or worried."

Ranran shrugged. "Well, you don't have to worry. I won't use my knowledge for anything nefarious. And besides, we're just talking hypothetically here."

Shinichi nodded slowly, still processing everything. It explains a lot about why 6-year-old Ranran is that intelligent. "Right. Hypothetically. Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

Ranran grinned. "Don't worry, Shinichi. We'll handle it."

Shinichi couldn't help but chuckle. "Oh man, I can't wait to see that when it happens."

"Damn straight," Ranran replied with a wink. "Your turn to go through the files, Shinichi. We've got a lot of investigating to do."

While it was Shinichi's turn to go through the files, he noted Ranran had been observing the window outside Tantei association.

Lately, ever since the events of 'King of Rubies', Ranran has become a lot more alert with her surroundings. At first, he assumed perhaps after that attempted murder thanks to Mamiko onto her, she has become far too vigilant. But the moment Mamiko was announced by the head principal to be placed in some mental asylum where its reputation does not have a single escapee fleeing there, he felt like there is more to it.

"Hey, Ranran, what's up with the window? Do you see something interesting out there?" Shinichi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing," Ranran blinked, not staring back at him before stating, "I am checking to see whether my friends are around."

"Friends?" Shinichi grew baffled, "What are you talking about? Takuma and the rest of them are at school now," He then eyed on the clock hanging on the wall, "They won't be leaving school till an hour earlier."

"I ain't referring to the one back in Teitan Elementary, but the ones in Edgewood."

"Edgewood?" Then he remembered, "The school was filled with noble children and royals, right? What would they be doing here instead of in the U.K.? This is Japan."

"Remember that incident where Ran rudely interrupted my chatting time on the tablet with the same friends from Edgewood while we were in class?"

"You mean the part where Ran was harassing you while you were chatting with them? What about it? I had her parents send Ran to anger management."

"Do you also recall what I said about not revealing too much about Ran to them?"

Shinichi thought hard about it, "Yeah, why?"

"Well, there was a good reason why I did not want them to know about Ran harassing me. And this is besides having them worried about me. If you....get what I mean."

Shinichi's eyebrows furrowed as he tried to piece together Ranran's words. "You mean, you don't want them to know about Ran's... behaviour because it could put them in danger?"

"Close, but try turning the tables over."

Shinichi's eyes widened as he finally understood what Ranran was trying to say. "You're saying that your friends in Edgewood will put Ran and Sonoko in danger?" 

 "My friends are not tolerant of anything, mainly bullying because they were all victims. So if they get word that this isn't a one-time thing I have been dealing with Ran, it won't end well for her."

"Come on, what can a group of children from noble to royal families do here? No matter how I see it, their titles are useless, so that meant any privilege here is deemed useless in Japan unless they are around their home country." Shinichi scoffs in disbelief.

"That is the no.1 mistake everyone makes when they assumed one sets foot in a foreign country, one is deemed powerless," Ranran replied, her expression serious. "You don't forget that every single one of them is birth with blessings of connections and resources through their ancestors. It doesn't matter if they are in their home country or on international soil, the moment you wronged them, it just makes Sonoko's family influence look like child's play."

Shinichi sighed, realizing the gravity of the situation. "I see. But I doubt they know much about it, right?"

Ranran groaned, "Judging the interaction on how Ran showed herself during one of my video chats with them...it is impossible to cover up."

Shinichi's expression became serious as he realized the gravity of the situation. "Wait, how do your friends do to teach kids like Ran a lesson? Besides...having almost bankrupted Sonoko's family that one time?"

"Do you really want to know?" Pacing around the room gracefully, she revealed, "In our school, there is this saying 'To pluck out the roots of evil is to get our hands dirty, so one must dig deep into the earth to uproot evil'. The way we children of nobles handle it...it does not limit ourselves to physical torture."

Shinichi's eyes widened in shock at Ranran's words. "You're saying they go as far as using psychological torture?"

Ranran nodded. "It's something of a culture in our school, whether one likes it or not, one must do it to ensure survival."

"Even if it is illegal?"

"Yes."

Shinichi frowned, "This is not right. You can't just take matters into your own hands and use illegal means to deal with a problem, even if it's bullying."

"Edgewood life is one of a kind, if you studied there...you will eventually get it."

"And if I don't?"

"Let's say...."Ranran muses at this, "Your survival rate is close below negative zero."

Shinichi sighed deeply, feeling a sense of unease at the thought of what kind of environment Ranran had grown up in. "This is not how things should be," he said firmly. "No one should have to resort to such extreme measures just to survive."

"But you did once when you were 4, just to avoid letting that man do horrible things to you." That earned silence from the apprentice, "There is also a saying from my mother: Edgewood is a small scale of the real world," Ranran gave him a sad smile reminiscing her time there, "And I guess in a way...it was good I was sent there for 2 years plus."

"How is it any good?!" Shinichi is appalled.

"The culture of Edgewood taught me..."Ranran gives him a bitter smile, "No matter how harsh or cruel kids can be, have I not learned how to navigate through the intricacies of politics and social hierarchies, there was in no possible way I could survive even unreasonable children like Mamiko, or Ran, or even Sonoko for that moment."

"But at what cost?" Shinichi countered. "Was it worth sacrificing morals just to survive?"

Ranran fell silent, contemplating his words. "My mentor who took me under his wing kept his morals. But towards the very end died from the very morals that made him what he is. You tell me...is it better to die a pathetic fool, or live long enough to see the beauty of the world?"

Shinichi sighed, realizing the complexity of the situation. Nothing about Ranran is ever going to be all black and white.

Then he thought about Ran and Sonoko harassing her without knowing a shred of hell the children of Edgewood had to go through.

Shinichi felt a pang of guilt for judging Ranran based on her behaviour without knowing the full extent of her past experiences. He realized that people's actions and attitudes are often shaped by their upbringing and life experiences.

"Ran, Sonoko, and I didn't know what you went through at Edgewood," he said, feeling apologetic. "We had no idea how hard it was for you to survive there. I'm sorry if I ever made things harder for you, and since I know idiot Ran and Sonoko will never apologize, I will on their behalf."

Ranran looked at Shinichi, her expression softening. "It's okay," she said. 

"No, it's not," Shinichi insists, "What Ran and Sonoko did was uncalled for. And it only seems fair that I remove Ran from the association to keep burdening you like that!"

"Anyway," Ranran says, "What I told you about my Edgewood friends-"

"You leave that to me," Shinichi reassures her, "I will try to convince Ran and Sonoko to stop that nonsense onto you."

"I doubt they deemed my Edgewood friends a threat, the last time Sonoko and Ran crashed into my late mentor's death anniversary, they looked down on him."

"That's unacceptable," Shinichi said firmly. "I won't tolerate them if they keep harassing you. I will make sure they understand that."

"And if they don't?"

"Then I'll have to take more drastic measures."

Unbeknownst to the two, a man with a scar on his left face was in the hotel room, stroking his left cheek.

It was time to make his move, too.

After 4 days of hiding, it's about time he settles the score.