"Oh boy, let me tell you, these kids were a real piece of work," a nurse whispered to her colleague as they walked down the hallway.

"Seriously, though, what kind of kid thinks they can extort a million bucks by faking their own kidnapping?" the other nurse replied with a chuckle.

"I know right, but you gotta admit, they were pretty clever for their age," the first nurse admitted with a shrug.

Suddenly, they heard a loud banging sound coming from one of the rooms, followed by a series of high-pitched screams.

"Looks like our 'fun friends' are getting rowdy again," the second nurse sighed before they both hurried towards the room to investigate.

As they opened the door, they were greeted with a chaotic scene of overturned furniture and broken glass. Ryo and Kyo were huddled in the corner, their faces twisted in fear and desperation.

"What's going on here?" the first nurse demanded as she tried to calm the children down.

"They're coming, they're coming to get us!" Ryo wailed, his voice cracking with terror.

"Who's coming? Who are you talking about?" the second nurse asked, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"The monsters, the ones with the red eyes and sharp teeth," Kyo whimpered, his body shaking uncontrollably.

The two nurses exchanged a concerned look as they tried to console the children. It was clear that they were both traumatized and in urgent need of psychiatric help.

As they led the children back to their room, the first nurse couldn't help but wonder how these innocent-looking kids had ended up in such a dark and twisted situation. But then again, in this crazy world, anything was possible.

She turned to her colleague and asked, "Do you think the drugs we administer are messing with their heads?"

"I doubt it, " The second nurse frowned, " We've been administering their medication strictly according to the dosage and schedule prescribed by the doctors. Besides, these are just standard psychiatric drugs, nothing out of the ordinary. Anyway, all of the patients here are not sane."

"True," The first nurse decided to think none of it, "Though I found it odd that the director ordered a specific different kind of brand medicine that isn't released to the public to be sent straight to Ryo and Kyo for some reason."

"What is there to be odd about?" The other scoffed, "Maybe the director is trying to give them some experimental treatment. He always does it to make extra side income anyway, especially from rich anonymous figures."

The first nurse shrugged, "I suppose you're right. I'm just being paranoid."

As they walked away from Ryo and Kyo's room, they could hear the two children playing a strange melody on a violin and a cello. "It's eerie how they can still play those instruments so well, even in their current state," the second nurse commented.

The first nurse nodded in agreement, "I heard they were quite famous before their attempt at extortion. It's a shame they ended up here."

Suddenly, they heard a loud crash and rushed to the source of the noise. They found Ryo and Kyo standing over a broken vase, their eyes wide with fear.

"What happened?" The first nurse asked, concerned.

"We saw her," Kyo whispered, trembling. "The woman in white. She was staring at us."

The second nurse rolled her eyes, "Oh, for God's sake. Not the ghost stories again. You know there's no such thing as ghosts."

But Ryo was shaking too, "No, she's real. We saw her. She's going to hurt us."

The second nurse rolled her eyes to sigh, before turning to the first one, "Your turn or mine?"

The first nurse sighed, knowing what the second nurse meant. They had been taking turns calming down Ryo and Kyo every time they had one of their episodes. "I'll take this one," she said, stepping forward.

She crouched down to their level, putting a hand on each of their shoulders. "Listen to me, there's no woman in white here. It's just your imagination. You're safe here, and we're here to protect you."

Ryo and Kyo looked up at her, their eyes still wide with fear. But slowly, they began to relax under her calming words.

After a few minutes, they were back to playing their instruments, the strange melody filling the sterile room once again. The two nurses watched them for a while, feeling a mix of pity and fascination for the talented children.

As they left the room, the second nurse turned to the first, "Do you ever wonder what they could have become if they didn't go down this path?"

The first nurse shrugged, "Who knows? But it's not our place to judge. Our job is to take care of them and make sure they get better. And maybe, just maybe, they'll be able to play their music for the world once again."

.........

Ranran is one scary child.

The first time Shinichi heard about sending experimental drugs to a mental institution his mentor knows of, where rich influential people often pay the director there to send those drugs to them as test guinea pigs before releasing them to the public if they get the results they wanted, he shuddered in fear. Isn't Ranran just 6 years old as he is!? How does she know all these things?!

Although a child detective likes him, he can't help but wonder what sort of life she used to live to know all of this...stuff.

"They may be 10 years old, but it doesn't give them the right to commit crimes like these, if neither two were charged here, those brothers be setting a bad example here," Ranran added elegantly to the press as if what she did to Ryo and Kyo was concealed beneath her neatly polished mary jane shoes,  that no one will ever question her what she is capable of.

At the same time, however...

"If they are that heartless enough to ruin the life of a 10-year-old musician with a bright future just for their greed's sake, let alone, unreasonable as Mouri Ran, it won't hurt to send them to the happiest place on earth with someone to keep them company. And no, I ain't talking Disneyland."

Whatever drugs were sent to them, there have been reports of seeing things they shouldn't be.

Suddenly, he felt like the punishments and suffering Ranran had put Mouri Ran through were nothing, compared to what Ryo and Kyo are going through at the moment. Why she didn't do that to Ran despite despising her, Shinichi might not want to know.

Perhaps the apprentice might be mistaken, but he thinks maybe now that she suspects her Edgewood friends are not far from spying on them now, Ran is going to suffer under them, therefore, she did not need to do a thing anymore.

Speaking of this, Shinichi wonders if Mamiko, who also ended up in another mental institution, is dealing with the same punishment as those two.

Judging Ranran's attitude towards Mamiko after the attempted stabbing, he is certain she did.

But she was surprisingly a bit merciless, in a way, the drugs she revealed were not to a point it will drive them to have brain damage Ryo and Kyo. They just need to do with pure hallucinations till they realized they are remorseful. Otherwise, Ranran will increase the dosage further.

The same can't be said for Mamiko however.

Oh no, Mamiko...let's just say according to Ranran, she won't be the same person when she gets released back to Teitan Elementary School.

"So is Shiro, one of the members of Red Illumination, going to pursue defamation charges against Ryo and Kyo? If I recall correctly, they are both cousins, right?"

"Yes, it was expected. Like, they tried to frame him multiple times. It ain't right. Just because he had a bad temper, doesn't mean he deserves to be framed over a such heinous crime he never commit. But we too discuss how their family is going to be severely affected by this, so in the meantime, he is taking his time in exploring his options for now before he goes any further. So it is nice if all of you could give him respected privacy regarding the situation." Ranran's voice was cool as she started facts.

"One more thing, is one of your members, dating Shiro?"

"No comment on that," Shinichi dismisses.

"Agree," Ranran replied.

"Now, if you'll excuse us, we have a last-minute goodbye to dear Shiro and his manager Mr Ogawasan."

With both of them removing their hats, they leave the press demanding answers.

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

At the same small security room off the main concourse, the entire Tantei association members wish them their final goodbye to Shiro and Ogawa the Manager.

Ogawa was grinning from ear to ear. "I'm still Shiro's manager," he announces "And guess what? He's had like a total of 20 offers to join other bands."

"So I'll be back here again by next week, till then, wait for me," grinned Shiro squeezing Emiko's hand.

"I promise to wait for you. Remember to Skype me when you get there."

"Ha....in the end Emiko scored a boyfriend, so lucky, "Junko couldn't help by expressing a hint of envy.

"What is so nice to be in a relationship? They are nothing but a pure nuisance" Shinichi scoffed.

Junko rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, Shinichi. Don't act like you wouldn't want a girlfriend too. One day, when you grow up around my age-"

"Yeah, you would be a good poster child over why Shinichi doesn't need to date girls with a delusional mindset like you," Ranran retorted, a smug grin forming on her face while Takuma and Shinichi begin to snicker at her comments. So did Michio.

"That's right," Shinichi finally stopped himself from laughing, seeing Junko fuming at his partners-in-crime's words, "Who needs a girlfriend when you have tons of mysteries to solve?"

Takuma nodded in agreement. "Yeah, and besides, relationships are over-glamourized in the movies and dramas. Although I am still in a relationship now, Reina said it's all about two independent people that let others be free to do what they want. Not suffocate others."

"She actually said there?" Emiko is impressed, "That is some wise 6-year-old girlfriend you have there."

Ran raised an eyebrow. "You say that now, but just wait until you find someone who makes your heart skip a beat."

"Ha! Good luck with that," Shinichi ridiculed, nudging Ranran playfully, "I have her around to keep me entertained 24/7."

"Yeah, by telling me not to do this and that." Ranran grew annoyed while rolling her eyes at him.

Once more, Shinichi's words stung Ran once more.

She tried to push down the feeling of hurt and jealousy, but it lingered. "You have no idea how lucky you are now, Ranran," she muttered under her breath.

Mouri Ran reminds herself that when Ranran gets exposed as The Fox, that will change someday. He will come back to his senses. But little does she know, eventually that will be here and Sonoko's ultimate downfall. A downfall so vicious, it will shake the Tantei association to its core.

Right now, she will just remain as the extra, while Ranran is the main heroine loved by everyone around her. Including her crush, who coldly ignores her existence.

"We will look forward to the concert you will be performing as lead singer, Shiro," Ranran turned to express in anticipation and excitement towards Shiro.

"What is going to happen with Red Illumination after this?" asked Shinichi.

"With Ryo and Kyo arrested under mental institution for kidnapping and conspiracy, it's all finished," Ogawa Touma shrugged, and then his face brightened up. "But with all this publicity, album sales have shot through the roof. So Shiro will reap all of the profits, enough to retire early if he wants now." He rubbed his hands together happily. "But I am glad he is more into music rather than the money."

"Even so, going home is going to be a bit awkward during the holidays," Shiro said sadly, "My grandparents wholeheartedly support me in my decision to sue Ryo and Kyo, as well as their parents. My parents' jail sentence has been extended, which is something I can breathe a sigh of relief from now. But...several aunts and uncles, who have always been supportive of my parents, are not happy with me. They think I've betrayed my own family," Shiro explained with a heavy heart.

"What part of you did you in any shape or form anyway!?" Takuma offered sympathetically, a little riled up by his words, "If it was anyone's fault, it was none other than those two snakes!"

"But on the plus side, you have your grandparents and your fans, plus Emiko, who love and support you," Michio added.

"Yes, you're right," Shiro nodded, smiling gratefully at his new friends.

"I hope they suffer the worst kind of hell at the mental institution. Even framing their own family member, I can never understand how one person can put money over their own family! Unbelievable!" said Junko bitterly gripping Michio's hand.

"So do I." sniffed Takuma, once more his voice was reminding him that still hasn't completely recovered from his severe flu.

The manager then said to Ranran and Shinichi, "You both did good, it would've done both of your parents proud." he drawled on the red lip girl, "Especially you girl, you would make a great detective growing up.

"Arigato, "The two replied.

"That was great detective work. Hey, which reminds me, miss Ranran, ever thought of coming to Los Angeles?"

Before she could reply, Shinichi cuts in, "No," he replied. "We are doing well here."

"Well, I hate to break up this reunion, but I have to catch my flight," Emiko said, checking her watch. "Good luck with everything, Shiro. I'll be rooting for you from Tokyo."

"Thanks, Emiko. I'll miss you," Shiro said, giving her a hug.

As Emiko said her goodbyes to the rest of the Tantei members, Shiro couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness. He knew that he would miss her terribly while she was away, but he was also excited about the opportunities that lay ahead for him. With the support of his newfound friends and family, he knew he could take on whatever challenges came his way.

"Well, with Shiro gone now...we are gonna need to take a cab back home."

Michio booked two taxis to fetch them back through the app while leading them out to the airport entrance, "By the way, we forgot to ask Shiro whether or not he is truly related to the Nagano family," Takuma suddenly brought this up.

"Eh?" Everyone turned to look at him.

"I mean his stepdad is a Nagano, right? Remember that he had his entire family hired under the security team? There are things that don't add up," He folded his arms while sneezing a bit, "Why did Shiro take a year to tell Ryo and Kyo about it? Had he told them about it in advance...Kyo wouldn't had think that Ogawa is playing favourite with Shiro, hence, even consider framing him for the kidnapping Kyo and Ryo staged."

"That is right," The spectacle girl can't help but fold her arms thoughtfully, "Why would he not tell anyone about it? Also, whether he is related or not to the Nagano family....that makes things odd."

"He is related, just not in the way you guys think."

Everyone turned to Ranran, while Michio grew baffled, "What do you mean, Ranran?"

"While I was digging around, I found something rather interesting," Ranran explained, "Do you all remember that all of the parents of Red Illumination contested over Nagano Jiro's Will?"

Everyone nodded, recalling the information.

Shiro's parents who are still currently serving time in prison for child abuse had the audacity to hire lawyers to contest the will. In your opinion, why do you all think so?"

"A share of the inheritance, obviously. Shiro's parents from what I remembered him telling me were shameless people who would do anything for money to get drugs and get high." Emiko suggested.

"But that would've been a hassle, would it not?" Shinichi shook his head, "The jail there are both being placed in, through the records I dug in although had tight security, it also had a huge number of cases involving drug use among jailbirds. If I were to do so, why bother to go through the hassle when it is close to me?"

"Eh!?" Ran and the rest were stunned, "How is it possible to do drugs in prison!?"

"It's not supposed to be possible, but it happens," Shinichi explained, "There have been many cases of drugs being smuggled into prisons by visitors, guards, or even through the mail. It's a major problem in many countries, including Japan."

"That's right," Takuma can't help but wonder, "The drugs are within their disposal in prison, it's also in close proximity, so why waste tons of money hiring a lawyer just to challenge Nagano Jiro's estate?"

"They must be super desperate for money. I heard working from Genzo that inmates who worked in prison earn you nothing but peanuts," Ran justifies.

"Wait, work?!" Michio whipped his head at her, "Prisoners working?! In prison!?"

"Yes, it's a way for them to earn a small amount of money and pass the time," Ran nodded, "It's usually something like making license plates or other small tasks."

"I see," Michio nodded slowly, trying to process the information.

"It's odd, why Shiro's parents would do that?" Emiko ponders this, "Where did they get the bravado to go that far? So convinced they would win the estate?"

"Ah...if only we could see the will," Junko tug her hair in frustration, "I am curious to know who he will the money to?"

"For charity," Emiko answered while she adds, "Shiro said there was nothing out of the ordinary when the lawyer read out his will."

"Maybe there was something in the will that Shiro's parents didn't like," Michio suggested, "Perhaps they were hoping to get something from the will, and when they found out they weren't getting anything, they got angry and decided to contest it."

"Or maybe they knew something about the will that no one else did," Shinichi added, "Maybe they had inside information that gave them a reason to believe they could've won the case in their favour."

"Bingo," Ranran snap her finger, pointing at him, "That is the interesting thing I discovered."

Everyone turned their attention to Ranran.

"Nagano Jiro's will was actually changed a few days ago, but it wasn't updated because he died before he could sign it," Ranran revealed, "And I had contacts look into it, the new will mentioned that he will leave everything to Shiro."

"Eh?!" Everyone exclaimed in shock.

"That's huge," Takuma said, "It explains why Shiro's parents would go to such lengths to contest the will. They must have known about the unfinished will."

"But how did they know about that will's existence?" Ran wondered, "My mother who works as a lawyer says that if a will is unfinished, the lawyer must keep it confidential until it's finalized."

"Maybe someone leaked the information to them," Michio suggested, "Someone who knew about the new will and had the motive to help them to benefit from the estate by using Shiro."

"Who would do that?" Emiko asked.

"Also, why is there such a dumb rule about not telling the will that ain't signed to the people who are inheriting it? Ain't that scamming?" Junko can't help but ask.

"It's not their obligation to do so, as long as it isn't signed, it is classified invalid." Shinichi justifies.

"Woah! I get it!" Takuma's fist hit his palm, "Like those movies where the murderer kills the person before the will could be updated that he or she won't receive their share, right?"

"Yup." Shinichi nodded to him.

"How do they get the info if the lawyer didn't reveal a thing?" Junko rubbed her chin.

"The only way it would be possible is if they had someone who works for that lawyer in charge of the will, isn't that right, Ranran?" Shinichi shot her a look.

"That's right," With confidence, she has both hands behind her back as they walked to the airport entrance, "The suspicion began when I learn Desmond blackmailed Shiro's stepdad into getting a job at the security team."

With her suddenly stop walking, so did the others.

"To blackmail someone, one does research onto their subject. At that time, according to Shiro, Ryo and Kyo had no idea about his stepdad working with the security team, let alone, hiring his own relatives until a year later. While digging around how and what caught Desmond's interest with Shiro's stepdad, I found this."

Ranran pulled out her smartphone from her pocket and gave it to her apprentice, "Shinichi, see what you can make out of the will said when Nagano Jiro willed it to Shiro."

Shinichi took the phone and examined the photo. "It says, waits, "He pointed at the two initials in the documents on the attorney section, "Who is N.S?!"

"Whose name could you come up with from the suspect list while we were investigating the case?"

Pondering about this, he hit a lightbulb moment, "Nagano Shig!"

"What? Shiro's stepdad? The hiring manager for the security team for the band Red Illumination," Michio and the others are baffled.

"Wait, how can his signature end up on the attorney section? You can't do that unless you are a lawyer."  With a loud gasp, Shinichi managed to figure out, "Shiro's parents....so they knew about the will through the step dad, since he used to work as a lawyer and handled Nagano Jiro's estate!"

"Even better, Desmond used to work at a security guard in the same law firm the step dad used to work in, both of them lost their jobs due to their shady activities in the firm. Which means Desmond and Shiro's stepdad somehow knew each other before Desmond must have somehow figure out the step dad's ruse, hence, cheated his way into getting a job in the security department."

"No way! Is the world small all what?!" Ran is appalled by this revelation, and so we're the others.

"Its gets better, Shinichi, read out the content of the will," Ranran urged him.

'I, Nagano Jiro, hereby leave all of my estates, to my son, Shiro Nagano.' Wait," He squinted his eyes at the detail, "Son!? Shiro is...Jiro's son!?"

Everyone was stunned into silence. The revelation was unexpected and changed everything they knew about the case.

"So that's why Shiro's parents were so desperate to contest the will," Junko said, "They knew Shiro was never their son, so they had that much confidence that they could win the case."

"I thought it was odd," Even Emiko is feeling suspicious about this, "I mean even if one is childless, who in the right mind would leave their money to their grandnephew everything? Now it is begging to make sense now!"

"But I don't understand," The girl in spectacles narrowed her eyes, "If Shiro is the late Nagano Jiro and his late partner's child, how did they lose him? Did they simply give him away to be adopted?"

"How can it be?! Jiro is rich, he can afford to raise Shiro. Also, what parent would simply give away their own child?!" Ran refuted.

"Is it possible Shiro's parents attempted to extort Jiro's money since they likely kidnap his son?" Michio suggests, "I know of many elderly people around my area who are so gullible, they willingly gave their life savings and ended up getting broke as a result."

"But hold on a minute, something isn't adding up." Heads turned to Ran, "Shiro is 10 years old. If we were to look back at the timeline that Nagano Jiro move back to his hometown, he is too old to have kids! Even when his late partner was around, she was too old to biologically had a child! My mother says it's impossible to have kids once one grows old!"

Everyone was taken aback by Ran's revelation. The timeline didn't make sense. How could Shiro be Jiro's son when he was born long after Jiro's late partner was past childbearing age?

"And even if he is Jiro's biological son..." Even Emiko is at loss for words, "How did he end up with the druggie parents then who ended up in prison?"

The group stood there, contemplating the new information and trying to piece together the puzzle. Then Shinichi snapped his finger, remembering something, "There was this news that made headlines on TV around 3 years ago before his partner passed away. Before moving back to their hometown, an alleged robbery took place, when they asked the couple, never revealed what it was that went missing."

"What are you implying, Shinichi?" Ran asked.

"I could be wrong, but it could be....embryos."

"Embryos? What is that?" Takuma asked, looking confused.

"It's..." Shinichi struggles to explain it in kid's terms, but then came up with an idea, "It's something like taking a chicken's egg and letting a duck sit on it till it hatches. No matter what, the chick that comes out of the egg will grow up into a chicken instead of a duck, right?"

The others nod.

"That is how it works for us to exist. For babies, however, you need a dad's DNA and mom's DNA to combine, which is later called embryos, then inject it into some healthy woman. If it goes well, it turns into babies, then that woman gives birth to the world."

"Eh...so babies don't really come from pelicans!?" Takuma grew wide in surprise.

"No, for the last time, Tak-san, pelicans can't carry us cause their wings and neck will break carrying us! That is why a place called 'hospital' exists!" Shinichi exclaimed.

"That sounds like a very complicated way to bring a child into this world," Junko grew perplexed, "Why must adults come up with this sort of idea?"

"Well, it's not really an idea that someone came up with," Ranran explained, "It's a last solution for those who can't give birth to kids biologically before adoption. Some are born with bodies that cannot handle having a baby, or maybe for life, which can be heartbreaking. Plus, an additional benefit of doing this is if you pay for the advance ones, you can choose whether to have twins, triplets, or whether you want a boy or girl."

"Really?!" Michio's jaw fell.

"Yeah. The one back in my hometown however is way advance," Ranran recalled, "In addition to do that, if you pay a certain price, the child will definitely be born a prodigy. The top tier ones however can alter the appearance your child will look like." Everyone is amazed, "Yeah. Usually the royals and nobles use that."

"Woah, damn, I wish my parents were wealthy. At least I would end up becoming equally as smart as you." Takuma groaned at his luck.

"I agree," Ran too bemoaned her luck, "I would've wanted that so we don't suffer in anything we do. Let alone, make any mistakes."

"Then is Ranran-san born through such means?" Emiko inquired.

"Ah no, my parents couldn't afford back then. And they had no idea it existed at that time," Ranran chuckled.

"Is it?" Ran muses, giving Shinichi an unusual stare, "By the way, Shinichi, how do you know this much about this sort of stuff?"

"Okaasan (mother) kinda wants to do it. But then...." Shinichi stiffly stared side-eyed at Ranran, who rolled her eyes at that, "Things happened."

He almost let slip and said 'Ranran happened'.

Then again, Ranran can't be fully blamed. Children don't get to choose whether they want to exist or not. The adults are. The sibling that he will never meet had died completely, and he doesn't feel anything for that kid.

"Anyway, why the hell would people want to steal embryos!?" Junko can't seem to quite grab the concept, "I see no value in stealing it."

"Technically, considering the late Nagano Jiro is a very wealthy rock star....it's possible that the embryos were stolen for ransom or as part of some sort of blackmail scheme," Shinichi replied, "We are talking about stealing a potential child of a wealthy musician."

"That's pretty messed up," Emiko said, shaking her head before realizing, "Wait, if that is the case...then that means-"

"Yes, Shiro has to be one of the missing stolen embryos," Ranran agreed, "If you think about it, you can put it in some healthy woman, and if all goes well...cash in on the reward..."

"Wait a minute," Shinichi suddenly realizes, "Shiro's parents will do anything for drugs. Supposedly ...if they were involved in stealing embryos, it now makes more sense why they grew brazen in challenging the late Jiro's estate. Because they knew this isn't their son, and they were using Shiro as their golden goose!"

The group fell into a moment of silence, "That's horrible!" Ran grew mad learning all of this.

"But guys, don't you find something fishy with this?" Takuma comments, "If we are talking about embryos stolen 3 years ago prior before Nagano Jiro's partner passed away, don't you think they are still too old to raise children even if they are relying on someone to bring their child here?"

"Not really," Michio suddenly remembered, "There were tons of stars I know of on Tv that do such things in their 50's, 60's, 70's. Nowadays it has become more common for people to have children later in life because they wanted to do all of things when they were younger, that having kids around their young time would be hindering their fun times."

"But if what Shinichi's speculated it to be true, then it explains a lot why Jiro treated Shiro differently comparing to Ryo and Kyo." Emiko can't help but think, "Now that I think about those stories, it ain't a great grand uncle doting onto a nephew, but rather, a father son bonding."

"And that also means he didn't not go back to his hometown to contribute to the community nonsense, he did that to look for his son. Assuming Shiro's grandparents were the one who contacted him, it makes total sense." It finally occurred to Takuma, then his eyebrows knitted, "But what I don't get it is after searching high and low for so long...why didn't he tell Shiro he is his father even until the day he died?"

"This one might be pure speculation, but I may have an answer to that," Ranran figures, "Shiro was abused for a long time by two people whom he thought was his real parents, and by the time they ended up in prison and Jiro found him, he probably felt guilty that his son had suffered under such cruelty because he and the partner wanted Shiro, that the greed towards his own musician fortune was the reason why Shiro suffered. In addition to that, Jiro is also in his 80's. And imagine if people find out your parents are so old, you can bet people will make fun of you. You don't forget that the village Ryo, Kyo and Shiro used to live in has a village mentality, this situation is already so far-fetched and unusual on its own, could he bear to see his son being bullied over this?"

The group fell silent, contemplating the possibility of Ranran's theory. After a few moments, Shinichi spoke up, "Well now that we know this might be the possibility, the problem now is...should we tell Shiro about this?"

"That's a tough call," Emiko replied, "On one hand, he deserves to know the truth about his parents and his identity. On the other hand, it could be devastating for him to learn that the people he thought were his parents were actually criminals who stole him as an embryo and that his biological father never told him the truth. I mean he just recently had to deal with the blow that Ryo and Kyo betrayed him. I don't know how much more worst can things get if he knew."

"Are you going to tell him?" Junko asked the founder.

"Personally I felt like he deserves to know." Takuma cuts in before the founder could reply, "It's his birthright."

"I disagree," Junko said, "There's the risk of the media getting a hold of this story and blowing it up. Shiro could become a target for unwanted attention and scrutiny."

Mouri Ran chimed in, "But if we don't tell him, we're denying him the opportunity to know the truth about himself and his past.  And we could also be allowing his abusive "parents" to continue to benefit from their crimes."

Michio added, "Not to mention, I know that if he finds out that the ones who hurt him ain't his real parents, he will trash more things."

"Ranran, what are your thoughts on this?" Shinichi asked his partner-in-crime.

Ranran paused for a moment before answering, "I agree with Takuma and Ran."

"Why!?" Michio and Junko grew startled.

"No.1, if he finds out through someone else, it will make him more distrustful towards us." Ranran insists to the others, "Ryo and Kyo had betrayed him by staging a crime and attempted to frame him, are we any different than them if we choose to say nothing?"

"But-"

"Secondly," she continued, cutting Junko from speaking, "Although the will is considered invalid since his dad died unexpectedly, he deserved to know that someone out there loves him beyond his musician image after such a traumatic abusive past Shiro had to endure. If we don't tell him, do you all want to let his abusive 'parents' continue to profit from their crimes? No matter how I think of this, it was never going to be fair to Shiro or to the late Jiro, especially his late partner."

"I agree with Ranran," Shinichi said, nodding his head in agreement. "It's not an easy decision, although I do agree that the press might make a mountain out of a molehill eventually if they get word of this, it's the right thing to do."

The rest of the group fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts about the situation. Finally, Michio spoke up, "If you are going to do this then...then we need to do it carefully and discreetly."

Even Junko sighed, "Though I really would not want to be in Shiro's shoes."

"Which begs the question," Ran wondered, "Who is going to tell Shiro this?"  

The group falls silent, each looking at the other, trying to gauge who should be the one to deliver the news to Shiro. After a moment, Emiko speaks up, "I think it should be me. I'm the one who has been closest to him throughout this investigation, and he trusts me."

The others nod in agreement, and Michio speaks up, "Alright then, we'll leave it to you, Emiko. But be gentle with him, he's been through a lot already."

Emiko nods, and the group continues to discuss the best way to approach Shiro with this information. They all agree that it will be a difficult conversation, but it's necessary for Shiro to know the truth about his origins.

As they continue to discuss their plan, Ranran can't help but think about how messed up this whole situation is. It's heartbreaking to think that Shiro has been used as a pawn in his parents' drug addiction and that he's lied to his whole life. But at least now he'll know the truth, and he can start to heal and move forward.

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

"Oh, guess who is back?"

"Who?"

"That delusional girl who kept obsessing over Kudo Shinichi. Ishibashi Mamiko."

"Why is her face like that, all sort of ballooned up!?

"Who cares? She deserved it after all of the sickening things she attempted to do to him, if it wasn't for Ranran, I don't know if I can handle the fact that he was harmed."

As the two girls whispered to each other, Ishibashi Mamiko entered the school hallway, her face swollen and bruised. Her eyes darted around the room, searching for any signs of Kudo Shinichi, the object of her obsession. The other students in the classroom stared at her in shock and horror, unsure of what to do.

The two girls hurried out of the school, hoping to put the disturbing events of the day behind them. But they couldn't shake the feeling that Mamiko was still out there, lurking somewhere in the shadows, waiting to strike.

Mamiko had always been a bit odd, but before getting exposed, her infatuation with Kudo had become increasingly alarming. She would follow him around school, leaving notes in his locker and even trying to stalk him and take photos secretly.

Now, as Mamiko returned to school after her suspension, the other students couldn't help but feel uneasy around her. They knew that she was dangerous and unpredictable.

Mamiko, however, seemed unfazed by their stares and whispers. She marched straight to her desk and sat down, pulling out a notebook and pen. Her eyes scanned the room, looking for Kudo.

When she didn't see him, she began scribbling furiously in her notebook, muttering to herself under her breath.

The other students tried to ignore her, but they couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. They had all heard the rumours about Mamiko's obsession with Shinichi and the violent incident that had occurred when she attempted to stab Ranran.

As the day wore on, Mamiko became more and more agitated. She kept checking her phone as if waiting for a message from the blue-eyed boy. When none came, she began pacing back and forth, muttering to herself and occasionally glancing around the room.

Finally, the bell rang, signalling the end of the day. The other students gathered their things and began to file out of the classroom, eager to leave Mamiko behind.

But as they passed by her desk, they heard her whisper, "Don't worry, as soon as I get rid of that Ranran girl, I will get my life back."

The students shuddered and quickened their pace, eager to get as far away from Mamiko as possible. They knew that she was still delusional and dangerous and that Ranran was in grave danger as long as she was obsessed with Shinichi.