In the past, Mouri Ran used to think that Tantei Association was merely a parody of Mystery Inc, a group of teenagers with their dog, Scooby, solving crimes while interfering with the work of police officials.

And she disliked that cartoon a lot since her father used to work as one before quitting and becoming a private investigator. There were situations where those wanabe detectives always made life difficult for her father, especially guarding the crime scenes, resulting in him returning home late at night whenever she and her mother waited for him.

So when The Fox, an anonymous child detective girl, made a splash on the news, she thinks the media made a molehill out of nothing and downplayed the efforts of those cops. Although her father no longer works there for unknown reasons, she met good detectives along the way through her father.

For a child to still be in the spotlight....it's like downplaying their efforts.

So for her to hear about the corruption for the first time from Genzo, Ran did not foresee this coming out of his mouth. She was obviously stunned, but then now that she thought of it...she begins to wonder if that was the reason why her father quit the police metropolitan task force? Now that she thought of her past back then, he used to be happy working there. But then around last year December...he seemed happier when he quit, especially since her mother was supportive of this, which Ran found odd.

Then she thought about the role of The Fox, that child detective...what is her role in this?

When she recalled the news, it alleges that The Fox remained there for a year before she vanished without a trace. Was The Fox aware of this corruption?

It would make sense to Ran now, why reports surfaced about The Fox's alleged involvement. If what Genzo said is true that certain cops dislike the presence of Tantei Association, that meant there is a possibility that the same adults who hate them...secretly reported The Fox to the media, in order to kick her out!

A child detective itself is very controversial after all, especially since she was reported without the presence of an adult. It would make sense to Ran. A lot of things were running through her mind right now:

Was The Fox hated by those adults? Similiarly like Ran is right now from the entire school?

If so, how did The Fox manage to survive all of this? Go through such a hostile environment where adults are hating on her...despite being so young? In times like this, Ran couldn't help but relate with The Fox, in a way, she too is being hated, but she lacks the bravery, unlike that Fox girl.

"Will you notify us if Ryo is discovered? It wouldn't be fair to not get our refund back." Sonoko said to the sergeant.

Genzo beckoned one of the uniformed officers to escort them back to the hall, while Ran is still occupied with thoughts. "I promise I'll keep all of you informed," he said. "But right now I haven't got time to talk..."

......

The children's hearts are right now heavy with worry and stepped back into the stadium where the concert had ended so abruptly. As they entered, a knot of familiar faces pressed forward, causing Emiko to grow startled. She had been on her smartphone for some reason and hastily shoved it into her pocket before urging the rest of the group to distance themselves from their school classmates. She told them to walk away and not interact with them.

Before any of them could question why, they spotted their classmates surrounding the association members, including Reina and Moriko. Some of them were already firing questions at them.

"Where is Ryo? What's happening? Are you guys looking into his disappearance?" one girl demanded.

Michio was perplexed. "What!?"

"Is the association looking into it?! If so, tell us where he is now!" another girl stepped forward.

Takuma's eyebrows shot up. "Wait, association... you mean Tantei Association!?"

"Who told you such nonsense!?" Moriko barked.

"It was on Twitter! Here!" One boy gave Moriko the smartphone, and to her surprise, the number one trending hashtag was #TanteiAssociationtakesonRed.

"We did not accept it!" Junko and Michio's eyes grew wide, and so did the rest of the group as they circled around the phone.

"Who on earth...did Ranran and Shinichi find out about this?!" Reina rubbed her chin.

"No way, they are now attending an interrogation involving her parents' thanks to Mamiko's mom-" Then it struck Moriko in the head before she grew angry. "Of course! That damn girl!"

"How in the hell was she aware of Ryo going missing? Ain't she locked up in some mental institution?" Ran shivered.

"You don't underestimate her mother," Reina gave a tense serious look. "Why do you think Mamiko was able to bully my cousin for a long time before Ranran entered the picture?!"

Even Moriko turned pale but said nothing.

It then dawned on Mouri Ran that aside from that woman being a prostitute, Mamiko was probably raised differently from her. Growing up with such parents...who is Ran to say they were completely spared despite Mamiko being thrown there? They had connections that weren't just limited to the police; Genzo said so himself. Although they were arrested, it didn't mean it put an end to this. It would be a matter of time before Mamiko would be released and then send them back to their school.

Ranran was right, children like Mamiko would never go to jail! As long as the laws exist to protect them, they are capable of all sorts of evil. This trending hashtag was enough proof!

"So anyway, now that one of you mentioned Mamiko, does this mean you all won't be taking in the case?" The other begged them.

Meanwhile, another child grew pale. "Ryo is not DEAD, is he?"

Emiko had heard enough and pushed past them. "For now, no comment," she said. "We can't make any statements at this stage..."

+++

Later, the rest of the children gathered around the entrance hallway in reviewing the case. After only 2 hours of waiting, social media blasted headlines about Ryo's disappearance. Some of the stories were rather very nasty. One headline screamed, "RYO ABANDON FANS". Another taunted, "RYO KIDNAPPED FOR A MILLION YEN?!" or "RYO IS PRESUMABLY MURDERED." 

 "What a shame we weren't allowed to investigate their dressing rooms," Sonoko muttered bitterly, scrolling one bad news after another on her social network account. "We might have cracked the case by now!" 

 "And what's worse," Takuma complained, "The damn girl has spread fake news about the association! I can seem to contact either Shinichi or Ranran since they are in the police department! Talk about timing!" 

 "I swear I look forward to the day the association throw her in prison! Once and for all!" Reina berated, angry that Mamiko still had no remorse for harassing her friend. 

 "Is there a law that says I can go there, and slap her!?" Junko finally lost it, "She tried to commit murder on someone! And destroyed the lives of so many children in the process! Who is she to run her tyranny openly without consequences!?" 

 "You know the law, there is no such thing. You will be charged for assault, but won't go to jail as well." Takuma lamented in bitterness."Just like what she did to the male teachers through her mother, her anger is now mostly targeted on Ranran, now that she knows there is no way to get Shinichi into her palm." Moriko grew worried now, "I hope they don't do the worst to her or Shinichi, otherwise...." 

 "At least she gets beaten up, just like what she did to the rest of her victims. Right, Michio? What are you doing?"

Emiko tried to get Michio to join in on the conversation, but to her surprise, he too was focused on his own smartphone, pacing up and down before turning to their attention. "You know guys, I've been thinking," he announced. "About Ryo going missing, maybe it isn't as bad as they look."

"What do you mean?"Sonoko says as heads turned to Michio demanding answers. 

"Remember, this is only 2 hours since he went missing. Ranran once mentioned that this is by far a critical period for a victim's survival, the police would have found any clues that were lying around the stadium." All eyes are on the eldest boy, "I spoke to some of the children and staff members. With so many people across the hallway, let alone, most of us in the stadium, not one soul spotted him in a struggle with the said kidnapper. So we should start thinking about the clues they haven't found." 

 "Michio has a point," Junko nodded in agreement. 

"Even so, what sort of clue should we be looking for to prove there is a kidnapping that took place?"Takuma looked up sharply, ignoring one of Red Illumination's biggest hit songs blasting loudly on the radio, and the kids were already feeling restless listening to the song for 2 hours. "We are not allowed to enter the dressing room! Especially those damn cops hating of us, there is no way we are getting in!"

"Should we call Ranran and Shinichi over then?"Mouri Ran suggests, "With Ranran over, at least we will get some progress done!"

"That is right! We have them! Especially the exceptionally cunning Kudo Ranran!"Sonoko jumped in excitement, and so did Junko.

"No, did you forget the rules? Regarding Ranran's safety? It won't be just The Snake kidnapping Ranran to work for him for the rest of her life," Emiko shook her head at them.

"That's right!" Even Reina and Moriko agreed with the artist, before the head girl adds, "The two are already attracting media attention because they are children like us. With the paparazzi outside now, if we call them over, the kidnapper may know through them and kill Ryo without hesitation. They got to be another way of settling this issue."

"And let's not forget that there is the possibility that not all of the cops who worked for Mamiko are arrested," Takuma reminded them, "If those cops are still around, their identities are at risk of getting exposed!"

"You know...since we can't get to the dresser room, I have another suggestion, though...."Heads turned to the slightly frazzled artist, "I had some concerns it might not go in our way."

"What are you talking about, Emiko?"Takuma asked.

"Any crime that took place, Shinichi always said to go right straight to the source." With that in mind, Emiko suggests, "What better way to do than to ask Red Illumination members themselves?"

"Fat chance!"Eyes turned to Moriko in a scoff, "We are banned from entering the dressing room. Did you forget that? They too are stars, just like Ryo!"

"You all may have tried there, but what about hotels?"Emiko suggests.

Michio who was initially pacing once again stopped to look at her, and so did Sonoko and everyone else. "Eh? Hotels!?" Sonoko is bewildered.

"Think about it. If one goes missing, the entertainment company is obviously going to go to great lengths to protect the other remaining members, correct? Why would one continue to keep the remaining members in their respective dressing rooms, when they could receive some 5* treatment in some random hotel while everyone waits for their main star to arrive home, nah? Also, Genzo after all didn't specifically say anything about not going there, just within the stadium."

"You have a good point!"Ran snaps her finger.

Sonoko leapt up. "You're a genius."

"Even so, we are faced with two problems," Eyes turned to Takuma's direction, "Does anyone know which hotel are they residing in? I doubt the press would know anyway, given this situation. And second of all, how are we going to sneak into the hotel? There is no way our foot, or even a strand of our hair, is going to fall on any of their hotel rooms. Period!"

With everyone looking glum, Sonoko then brought up, "No, there is one more way."

"Eh?! How!?" The children gaze at Sonoko, wondering what sort of suggestion is she going to put on the table.

"I am going to use my connections as a member of the Suzukis, then see if they are living in one of the Suzuki-owned hotels."

"But Sonoko, I thought you mentioned that your dad forfeited all of your privileges because of what you did to Ranran." Ran suddenly remembered before adding, "Also, how certain are you that they would be in any of those hotels owned by the family?"

"He did forfeit, but not all of it. Plus, I ain't sure about the hotels they are in, if I may be honest, but usually, when my dad sponsors the events, he would also offer them accommodation for entertainers to stay in. He does it to use their influence to heavily advertise the hotels they own, to make more money," Sonoko admitted before keying in messages to send to her friends on her smartphone, "I have friends, kids my age who I mingle along whenever I attend such parties, where their parents own hotels. If any of them message back after I explained to them the situation, they will text back."

"That is nice," Then Junko's relief was short-lived, "But I am certain that if this is truly a kidnapping, that meant security is strategically placed to protect the two remaining boys, right? How are we going to infiltrate security?"

"Don't worry about that. I've got a friend of a friend who knows a guy who used to work with a group of people who do a flash mob."

"What, you mean like a dance number?" Moriko blinked.

"Yes," Sonoko confirmed, "We will distract the guards with that, and then we will sneak in. End of the story," The heiress casually says it, but that didn't sit well with Takuma.

"Are you crazy, Sonoko?"Takuma whipped his head to the heiress, "We are still elementary kids! This ain't Disney where you can just easily sneak into some random hotel while people are dancing!"

Even Reina and Moriko were rolling their eyes at Sonoko's idiotic plan. 

"No huh...?" Sonoko rubbed her head in frustration, "I was going to use my connections to book us a room on that same floor, but it ain't possible without money and the punishment I am still dealing with my dad...."

"How about this, I have another solution!" Moriko snapped her finger, switching the attention back on herself, "Why don't one of us convince the reception to let us in there?"

"On what grounds?" Michio arched an eyebrow.

"Social experiment! By dressing up like a child entertainer since our school assigned us? After that, we convinced the receptionist to let us in to do the filming, on the same floor where Red Illumination members."

"But guys, I don't think it's that simple." Reina pointed out. "We are not even legit famous child Youtubers, what would even convince them to let us in? Even if we made it to the floor, there is no way we are going to enter their rooms. They could turn us away and alert security that we are their fans, which we are."

"Let's not forget, celebrities know each other. They will know we are a fraud later on." Junko glumly said.

"We don't," Takuma had a brainwave, "I watched this video on Youtube where this lady did a social experiment by pretending to be a rich socialite. She was able to enter the V.I.P. area of some airports for 30 days, even in the hotels she checked in and the party she snuck into, she never had to pay a single yen! The best part is not a single star suspected she was a fraud! If one of us who is acting as the said Youtuber convince those idiots that we are one of them, there is no way they will turn us away!"

"Also, this is Japan, and they lived in America for years! Although they may have been knowledgeable of the stars there, they probably ain't here. Let alone, Japanese celebrities or Youtubers." Emiko said.

"You are both right!" Ran and the rest agreed with this idea.

"Still, no one is able to figure out how are we going to get them to open the door?" Reina was still doubtful this could work, "We need to come up with something else that will convince them otherwise."

Sonoko raised her hand for attention as she browsed through her smartphone, "Good news everyone, one of my friends confirmed the hotel they are currently in is under the branch of Tousan's. And it is a half-an-hour walk from here. If I pull the correct strings, we will be able to get in without any issues."

"One question," Emiko raised her hand to ask, "Who is going to be the one who plays the role of a child celebrity?"

"Plus, I don't know about these guys, like you think Ranran and Shinichi will agree to this?"Michio spoke with concern, "Tantei Association policy states that we are not to bring in celebrities as clients! And anyway, this idea is ridiculous! If we get caught trying to get into their rooms-"

"Simple," Sonoko interrupted her with a snap of her fingers. "We will make sure not to get caught. And whatever happens, should security do anything funny, I will deal with this later on."

"And as for Ranran and Shinichi, I would deal with them later," Junko insist, "So, who is going to play that role?"

With some reluctance from the other members, all eyes turned to the only child they know can pull this off. "Me?!" Moriko pointed to herself.

"Come on, Moriko. You are our leading actress in drama club, so I don't see why not." Sonoko reminded her.

"As much as I am able to act, I don't think I am capable of acting all the way Ranran effortlessly does so." Moriko had doubts in her eyes.

"Just you wait, wait till you see the clothes, you will say otherwise," Sonoko promises the sceptical actress.

.......

ON THE other side of the city, Ryo (Nagano Rokurou) was locked in a dark, filthy room. Thick ropes bound his arms and feet. The only light coming in was through a small hole in the door, just big enough to fit his thumb into.

He couldn't remember where he was. There had been a knock on his dressing room door earlier when he was in the stadium. Next thing he knew, he was blindfolded and what followed seemed to blur. He'd lost track of time, his stomach was rumbling since it indicates that it is close to lunchtime, the damp air was seeping into his bones, and he'd never felt more alone, more frightened in his life.

No, probably more frightened than that time he and the other two Nagano children hung out at this abandoned building back in their hometown when they were younger. His beautiful red guitar had been dumped on the floor at his feet. He could see that the strings were broken. He just hoped that no one had done permanent damage to it.

That's right, he shouldn't be feeling this way, that his guitar is far more important than his own life. He is kidnapped right now! 

Even so, this was the first gift he had ever received from the management who managed their unit, the first birthday present they earned through their concerts while they were in the United States. It is his pride and joy, a validation that his dream of becoming a singer is a reality. 

Suddenly he heard keys jangling, a bolt scraped and the door opened. A man with a nylon stocking pulled over his face a bottle of water and a plate of bread put on the floor.

"Feeling cosy, Ryo?" he snarled, a mocking, rasping sound that seemed to hang in the air as the door slammed shut behind him.

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

Suzuki Sonoko never thought she would be planning such an operation, let alone, about to sneak into a place where her idols are currently in. 

In a way, she is raised and taught that celebrities are people growing up and that privacy must be respected. Because of her lack of awareness when it came to how people perceived her, her mother used to scold her about it a lot. It's one thing to be a ditz, but it's another if she refuses to learn people's boundaries.

And over time she does acknowledge that this has become a problem for her, mainly so when she once snuck into the residence of the Kudo family, only to have the tide turned on her when that she-demon, no, Kudo Ranran, framed her for being the lolicon's apprentice.

But this time, she felt like the universe owed her. Just a simple concert including Red Illumination performing for them, even if it was only a short 3 minute shall do to distract her from the cruel school life that awaits her, thanks to the video of her and Mamiko where it alleges she was using 'The Fox' to discourage Shinichi to quit his detective dream, just to marry him of to Ran.

Yet, the universe turned against her. 

"Hello, yes, you confirmed the two boys are there? No, I-listen, what you heard through the press isn't completely true, alright? I wasn't that cruel about wanting to do that to that boy-no, I ain't going to go that far! Listen, I have the members of Tantei Association with me, I can take pictures of them if you don't believe that I am doing this to get the show we deserve back on track!" 

Right now, Sonoko sounded very businesslike and serious, though Moriko couldn't help but overhear certain devastating impacts it had brought onto Sonoko's reputation, thanks to the previous drama between Sonoko and her friend, Ranran. Tapping the shoulder of Reina and Takuma before pulling them aside a bit to prevent anyone from hearing their conversation, she goes, "Didn't think that video did end up doing more damage to her rep."

Realizing Moriko brought up this issue, Takuma and Reina agreed. Their friend Ranran did suffer a lot when she took Shinichi in as an apprentice, and putting up with Sonoko and Ran had been nothing but difficult. In a way, they do believe that Sonoko deserved it. Although she may have had good intentions for Ran, it didn't translate a good deal for Shinichi who had to deal with inferiority before it gradually subsided after Mamiko was sent to a mental asylum. 

After she was done with the call, she made some phone calls before explaining to everyone, "Guys, I got a tip on which hotel room there are residing in, they are currently on the 40th floor at Heiseikan Shiosaitei, room number 44."

"Nice!" Michio throws his fist up.

"But the bad news is the press has now gotten word over where they are at the moment, I guess in the entertainment world, it's difficult to hide anything from them." Sonoko pinched her nose bridge at that aspect.

"What about the clothes, did you bring them?" Emiko asked.

"Plus, how are we going to avoid the press taking a photo of the association members? Although our faces may have been blurred, it didn't mean the press wouldn't figure out we are one of them." Emiko commented. 

"Don't worry, I told them each of your size after hearing it from me, so they agreed to meet up with us, we will collect the props through one of my contacts at the hotel's carpark. With that, this will not only provide our anonymity but not trigger security as well."

Moriko couldn't help but ask, "Though I understand you know which hotel they are residing in thanks to connections, how is it you are able to have connections when it comes to clothes and that make-up stuff?" Takuma eyed his classmate in awe.

"That is how one gets when one is born under the Suzukis," Sonoko grinned.

.....

Upon arrival at Heiseikan Shiosaitei on foot, everyone gasped in amazement.

Huge TV trucks were lined up in the hotel courtyard. Reporters and photographers jostled around the front door: And so did hundreds of screaming fans. The hotel doormen, assisted by uniformed police held them back.

Emiko couldn't help but shake nervously at the sight of so much chaos. "Are you sure we can get in through there? From the looks of it, it ain't possible." she sighed with disappointment.

Receiving text messages, Sonoko read them before reminding everyone, "So it appears that now that fans had swarmed the entire parking lot, they had unlocked the door to the staff entrance, Emiko. Looks like we ain't heading to the car park any time soon, "Sonoko sighed, before waving the photos of the passes her connections had sent her, "With these passes, we are going to need to collect from those part-time waiters, we will use them to enter through there. They left some things for us, it appears...we are going to have to do it ourselves."

"Why isn't your connections the one handing it over to you? I thought earlier you mentioned they will give it to you in person?" Takuma couldn't help but inquire.

"They were going to, but then the parents heard of the press. And since they didn't want 'that scandal' I had with Ranran to harm their businesses...."Sonoko's words died out.

"No way...."Takuma and the rest felt the walls closing in on them at this rate, before groaning, "So are we going to have to cancel the plan?"

"Absolutely not," Moriko insists, "We may not have Sonoko's make-up artist friend, or professional dresser whatsoever, but we can do it ourselves. We did it this morning, remember?"

Seeing Takuma being sceptical, Junko argued on Moriko's behalf, "It may not be up to par, but it will be convincing."

Even so, he felt the confidence in their efforts to speak to any of the members was nothing but in vain.

They were halfway across the road, heading to the staff entrance when Emiko seized Sonoko's arm, urging everyone to hide in a corner before pointing to a specific child, "Look who showed up?" she warned, scanning the crowd for familiar faces.

"Damn it, why on earth is Amaya there!?"Ran hissed in a low voice.

"Get the scoop for his crazy sister! Duh!"Junko rolled her eyes, adding, "Someone has to be the slave for her own wrongdoings."

"I am praying that girl doesn't come back to school after completing whatever she has to do there," Takuma spat in disgust, "A sociopath like her does not have the right to walk freely."

"It would be wishful thinking," Moriko gave a look of pity to the sky, "Ranran who is familiar with the laws, especially Shinichi, knows right now we are merely living on borrowed time."

"I don't want her to come back," Ran mumbled.

"On the plus side, since everyone is aware of what she tried to do to Ranran, she is going to live a life far worst than an outcast, that is for damn sure." Reina grins, believing that karma did justice well.

"Guys, just make sure Amaya doesn't see any of us! Otherwise, Mamiko is going to make good use of this to ruin Tantei Association." Emiko warned everyone at a low volume, but loud enough for the other kids to hear.

They darted behind the cover of a slowly rumbling bus, then sprinted down the lane beside the hotel. The staff entrance was located beside the delivery dock. A group of young waiters and maids was sitting around eating snacks.

"Will one of them know if we ask them anyway? And how is it one of them knows someone from high society?" Emiko asked Sonoko.

"One of them is actually their brother, he wanted to work from the bottom to the top before taking over his dad's company, to which the dad later agrees." she smiled.

"Man," Takuma whistled, twisting his cap to the back, "Mad respect!"

"That is impressive," Reina folded her arms and mused at this. "It takes a lot of guts to start from ground zero, especially when one is accustomed to a gold spoon lifestyle."

"When will you do the same, Sonoko?" Moriko elbowed her, and as always, Sonoko couldn't answer, instead, she switches the topic by stating, "Oh look, the waiters are there."

Sonoko and the other children then walked up to one of the waiters and grinned, "Hi, I am Suzuki Sonoko, which one of you is Hamamoto Seiichi?"

"Ah yes, you are my brother's friend, right?" The young waiter looked relieved before picking up a bag of stuff and handing it to them. "Whatever this social experiment you guys are doing later, don't cause any property damage, alright?"

"We won't," Sonoko reassured, having collected their passes before handing them around to the other kids while the roar sounds can be heard echoing from outside."Looks busy in there,"Emiko probed the young man, "Why is their reaction that way? I know that this hotel had a history of celebrities staying here according to what I had read online, especially fans going crazy, but ain't this becoming too far-fetched?"

"About that..."Hamamoto was reluctant to share.

"If I may be honest, although they are no different than any other celebrity...I think they are going nuts because of Shirou." One of Hamamoto's colleagues, a young girl thought about this.

"Shirou...?" Reina then guessed, "The drummer, right? I heard he has a bad temper."

"That's right, in fact, there was a recent video of him trashing the room he is currently in," Another waiter rolled his eyes at the children, "One of the staff members filmed it when the door wasn't shut properly, which is how people later found out which hotel they were in, was since it filmed the open window in their living room."

"Are you serious!?" Junko gasped, wondering, "Wait, you can actually pinpoint a location?! Just by seeing an open window!? How is that even possible!?"

"Ranran was able to do it once when I asked her to find a popular Instagram location where I wanted to take Reina on a date once, she located it within 4 minutes. Which is why I later learn how to do it from her." Takuma thought about it.

"Really!?" Michio and the rest were stunned. Who knew technology would be that scary!?

"Anyway, although the staff was fired, the video went viral." one of the waiters piped up. 

Moriko and Reina didn't say anything but exchanged looks. It sounds like the drummer is a psycho. "Wait, how is it that the staff is fired for exposing a boy, especially a rock star, destroying the furniture in the same hotel they worked for? The hotel room didn't belong to them, they are temporarily staying there! Where is the common sense in this?" Ran was appalled by this revelation.

"Well, considering that they are celebrities, one that has the influence to attract customers to check into their hotel, it made sense for them to fire the staff who recorded them since it compromised their hiding spot while the police investigation is underway." Emiko pondered deeply.

"Even so, the furniture in the video...." Michio is at loss for words when he decided to look up at the video, it was Shiro literally throwing cans, tables and chairs all over the living room while the other boy, presumably Kyo, could be heard telling him in a soft tone to stop trashing the place before shutting the door.

"Double standard society," Takuma sneered, while the other children gathered to see the viral video, "Celebrities are above us, just like what Ranran said."

"Don't get me started," The other waiter groaned, "Our colleagues think he really is a piece of work, no wonder he earned the nickname in America 'Sulky Shiro'."

"Sulky what?" Ran whose English isn't good, has no idea what the word 'sulky' meant.

"To summarize it short, it means he is short-tempered, Mouri," Reina explained.

"Short temper itself isn't even the proper word, more like a wild animal I tell you!" The female waiter scoffed at that thought. 

But Emiko thought of it differently, "Why is he acting this way in the video in the first place? If it was thanks to the concert getting cancelled thanks to Ryo going missing, I would think that is insensitive of him to behave that way."

"No one truly knows what he is like that, hell, I don't even know how his parents raise him, I will be frankly honest." Hamamoto then adds after noticing Emiko gave him a conflicted look regarding his comment, since she herself too was born from divorced parents, "You don't get me wrong, even I myself am born from divorce parents whose father and mother don't get along. But they know how to respect each other, and are better off as friends since. Even their new spouses got along with them, and I was raised not to behave that way. So I can't understand why is Shiro the way he is."

"Is it possible that now his unit is successful and rich, he grew up spoiled?" Ran suggests innocently.

"Hamamoto-kun himself is born into such wealth, but you don't see him talking lowly of us despite our background, so what excuse does Shiro have? Even the staff who works for them call him that." A male colleague of his, slightly younger than Hamamoto pointed out.

With their badges clipped in place, along with the bag, Sonoko thanked them before she led the way inside.

...........

"I can't believe we finally made it here, good job, Sonoko." Ran nudged Sonoko as she grins.

"Wild animal...I don't like the sound of this, "Reina frowned as she, Moriko, Junko and Michio follow Takuma and Emiko from the back, where Ran and Sonoko are in front.

"Don't worry, "Takuma reassured to his girlfriend, "We have Moriko, remember?"

Junko meanwhile then tugged desperately on Michio's sleeve, "What is it, Junko?"

"I am worried, over that Shiro guy I hear," she whispered.

But Michio just grinned, "You can karate him, right?"

"No, that ain't what I am worried about," Junko hated it when Michio at times ain't see the bigger picture. "I mean he throws stuff, I don't think karate is going to do any of us justice. Sure, I can fight off this mad Shiro guy, but not when someone throws at you out of the blue."

"You did bring paintball guns with you, right? I recalled you bringing it alongside Takuma the other day when you came to the gallery to save me?" Michio recalled.

"Well...today neither of us did because security won't allow anyone to bring such things before entering the concert." Junko moaned at that thought, "Had I known this was coming, I should've gotten everyone to bring the gun."

The security man barely glanced at their badges and waved them through. A narrow corridor brought them to walk past this bare, concrete service area, which was littered with room service trolleys, cleaning equipment and bins.

That is when Takuma looked round and wrinkled his nose. "Yuck! This is part of a hotel you never see!"

"We are humans after all," Sonoko rolled her eyes at the capped boy.

"Where are we going now again?" Ran asked no one in particular.

"The washroom," Sonoko answered, "That's where we are going to do the proper make-over for Moriko."

"So the plan is to make her a no-nonsense diva, right? Though I don't see why you had to request our size as well." Michio frowned.

"Guys, just look at what we are wearing now," Moriko pointed to every single child, while all of them except Sonoko became self-conscious as she goes, "We obviously look like fans attending a concert, not in our Youtuber set up gear. Any celebrity who sees this will never open the door should they ever see us in this get-up."

"Precisely as Moriko said, though I rarely agree with her," Sonoko muttered before bringing this up, "In Drama club, we are taught to dress the occasion that would fit certain scenarios. For example: Who in the world would wear a school uniform to a ball while dancing with prince charming? You just don't! That is why this bag here," She held the bag while slapping it, "Has all the necessary gear needed to fit the part!"

Swinging the bag in front of them, she proudly declared, "As long we have this, nothing can possibly go wrong!"

........

However, only minutes as they gathered around the lobby, they realized things went horribly wrong.

"Sonoko, this clothes size is triple the size fit for a boy. I doubt I am able to wear this." Moriko gravely hold the clothes before a horrified Sonoko.

The socialite suit (it wasn't a dress, much to Takuma's surprise), was a sight to behold. It has a striking blend of elegance and rock 'n' roll, designed to turn heads and leave a lasting impression. The jacket was made from luxurious black velvet, with silver buttons that gleamed in the light. The lapels were trimmed with thick silver studs, giving the jacket a hint of a punk rock edge. The matching trousers were slim and tapered, ending just above the ankle to show off a pair of shiny black boots.

The shirt was a crisp white, with a high collar that could be popped up for added drama. It was made from soft, lightweight cotton, perfect for a warm summer evening. The cuffs were adorned with silver cufflinks that glinted in the light, adding a touch of glamour to the ensemble.

Completing the look was a black bow tie, with silver accents that matched the buttons on the jacket. It was the perfect finishing touch, bringing a touch of sophistication to the overall outfit. The suit was versatile enough to be dressed up or down, making it the ideal choice for any occasion.

"Damn, I may not know fashion, but even if we get Emiko or Junko to try out, it will be too small for them." Takuma shook his head, staring at the leather jacket while Michio, Junko and Ran were staring in awe.

"I specifically told them the size, why did they make a mistake?" Sonoko had both hands on her head, close to tugging its strands.

"Well, what are we going to do now?" Ran asked, looking around the lobby nervously.

"Maybe we can pretend to be staff members," suggested Takuma.

"I agreed, I mean yeah, we are children, but we can pretend to be one of the staff member's kids." Michio and Junko think this idea is a better solution.

"But the hotel staff members here have no children in existence aside from Red Illumination and us alone!" argued Sonoko.

"Oh no....those officers....they will recognize us."Ran realizes as she was able to recognize some of their faces.

Everyone lowered their faces and circled around as if they were talking among themselves, while the cops walked past them. "What do you guys normally do you guys do in your situation if such things happen in the drama club?" Emiko asks.

"Well for us, we usually get it made at the last minute. But worst comes to worst...we switch actors who can wear them." That is when Moriko had a eureka moment, before dragging Takuma, much to his surprise, "Takuma-nee, wear it."

"Say what now!?" Takuma was pointing to himself, "Why me?!"

"You do the role, instead of a socialite girl, it's going to be a boy this time." Moriko insists while everyone watched in silence, before pointing to Michio while staring into Takuma's eyes, "Michio can't fit, he is too tall, but you can!"

"Hold on a minute, just a second!" Takuma had to put his foot down, "I can't act!"

"You can," Moriko insisted further before revealing what he should do, "Just act like Ranran."

That's when everyone's jaw dropped in alarm.