"Kudo Shinichi, don't think you can beat me in this game of manipulation."

"Heh..... who knew you to be so cocky."

"I am very likely going to win, Shinichi, so if I were you, I go back home before facing a such crushing defeat."

"We will see about that."

Everything around them was peaceful and quiet in the main HQ of Tantei Association. All of the members besides Shinichi and Ranran had headed off to listen to that stupid Red Illumination concert. Not that any of them are missing out on it. Stacking one block after another, the tower remains firm on the table. "Your turn, Shinichi."

"Alright, here we go." Shinichi grew a sweat, before slowly picking out a block and building another layer above the fragile tower made out of blocks.

Earlier after having left the police station, with the videos of those victims Mamiko had tormented previously in Teitan Elementary sent anonymously to the press by some unknown person, it had provoked anger within the community. Making matters worst was...someone sent Mamiko's mother's plans to the press about making Ranran and Shinichi orphans, and with the recent incident of Mamiko attempting to stab Ranran with a knife sent to the press thanks to 'reliable source', it was enough to rile up people further into harassing Mamiko's family.

Especially police officials, oh, they had a bad day when it was released to the press that this 'reliable source' imply that they are working for a prostitute and bewitched by her beauty into targetting the Kudo family. After the higher-ups got word of it and faced pressure from public outcry, they were forced to reassure the outraged patriarch and matriarch of the Kudo family that those officers will be reprimanded, and that their grandchildren won't become orphans.

And the purge was a blissful sight for Ranran and Shinichi upon arrival. It truly was. With their manipulation, the Kudo children were indirectly warning the police task force to not be unreasonable, let alone, forcefully drop the charges against their parents for being 'neglectful' to the two. Just because the two were children, don't think they are that weak.

Right now, it should be the end of the concert. With the money Ranran loaned them, they mention they might be heading home, so neither of them was worried about it.

Though, they were also aware of another disturbing thing they discovered online: Red Illumination going missing, and rumours that Tantei Association is getting involved in the disappearance of the lead singer.

As the game continued, Shinichi and his opponent were completely focused on their moves, each trying to outmanoeuvre the other. The tension in the room was palpable as the tower grew taller and more unstable with each passing turn. In the midst of all of this, they are also drinking tea Emiko made earlier.

Right now, the Uno stack tower between Shinichi and Ranran was not the first one. They played this game halfway before they had to head home and decided to finish the game today. Both had long ago lost count of how many matches they'd gone through over the course of a week, just as they'd lost count of how many times Junko had her outburst in Tantei association.

When they'd started playing this last week, initially, everyone in Tantei association played till the evening. But then when they began playing with either Shinichi or Ranran, no one was able to beat either of them, they were too smart to be outwitted. Which later leaves Shinichi and Ranran as the war wages on. Ranran won in the first round, but then Shinichi requested a rematch. Then she lost in the second round, and then she too call a rematch, then this went on and went on, till finally, the rest of the members had given up on the game some time ago.

The tipping point for them, was when neither Kudo are willing to stop playing this game.

Kudo Ranran, naturally, had to defend her pride and deny any foul play. Shinichi too was no different from her, arrogant, never wanting to admit defeat before the cunning girl. Many accusations from him accused her of cheating repeatedly, but Ranran never once admitted to being a loser.

At some point, Shinichi had thrown his hands up, literally raised them into the air, and got up from the table. "Come on, Ranran! Are you serious!?"

"Just admit you lose. Then we can move on from it."

And Shinichi never admit he is a loser no matter what!

Shinichi grew a sweat behind his head, right now, everything is on the line in this game: his reputation, his dignity, and also, his right on bragging to be the best Tantei out of the two. Ranran watches Shinichi still wiggling a block free from the middle of the now-skeletal tower. It waved a warning.

"Careful, Shinichi. You're gonna knock it down."

"Don't jinx me," Shinichi snapped, eyes fixed on the task at hand. With a quick jerk, he pulled the rest of the brick out of its spot. The tower shook more dramatically this time and both children held their breath for a good ten seconds, awaiting the crash.

It didn't come and that is when Shinichi jumped back up to his feet, crowing triumphantly. He threw the block in a moment of unthinking pride; it flew over her head and hit the door.

"Watch it, idiot!" Ranran said. She leaned toward the table again, it was her turn now. No mistakes given. "Don't shake the damn table, Shinichi."

Shinichi observes from afar "I'm not, calm down. Just want a good view of you about to get screwed big time."

Ranran, however, had no intention of getting her dignity flush down the toilet by this cocky Kudo boy. She meant to win. It did or die.

She moved to the very edge of her chair and examined the tower with intensity and focus. She tapped tentatively at the ends of a few different blocks. None yielded easily - meaning that she had to be very careful to avoid proving that her partner-in-crime of hers is right. Unconsciously holding her breath, she reached with two fingers for a block wedged in near the top of the tower. The Tantei association was entirely silent, with both of their breathing nearly inaudible.

Everything was hinged on the outcome of this moment.

As she did, the entire structure began to wobble precariously. Her opponent smirked, thinking he had won. But just as it seemed like the tower was about to collapse, Ranran deftly placed the block on top of the tower and stepped back, a triumphant smile on her face.

Her opponent stared in disbelief as the tower remained standing, albeit shakily. "How did you do that?" he demanded, his voice tinged with frustration.

Ranran shrugged. "It's all about strategy and knowing when to take risks. You were too focused on trying to beat me at my own game, but I was playing a different game entirely. Your turn now."

Seeing Ranran's gleeful yet evil glint, Shinichi was more determined than ever to put an end to her winning streak.

The silence held as she watched Shinichi's hand tremble slightly as he tried to find the perfect block to remove from the tower. After a few moments of careful consideration, Shinichi finally made his move. He removed a block from the middle of the tower and placed it on top, causing the tower to wobble slightly. The tower stayed relatively still as he worked. All but a centimetre or so remained stuck between two other bricks before calamity struck.

"Wow, this is like a real squad room," a voice came out of nowhere.

The unexpected voice ended the game. The tower fell in a confused commotion and noise interrupted the room. Bricks scattered over the table and bounced on the floor.

"Are you serious?!" Shinichi became super piss upon the unexpected interruption as he glares at the owner of the voice who ruin their game.

"What the hell?!" Saying Ranran was enraged would be an overstatement, but not much of one. Even though that would mean she herself had won, she wanted the win to be fair and square, not this way!

The two turned to the voice of the owner in anger, wondering who is this idiot who had to ruin their game.

"Woah, you guys were playing Uno stack up? Ooh.....sorry about that." To the two children's surprise, it was a boy dressed up in Takuma's gear standing next to Junko, entering through the bookshelf emergency door. If one has bad eyesight, one could have misunderstood it as Ranran's friend.

But both who were born with observant eyes, it was clearcut it wasn't him when Ranran confronted, "Who the hell are you!?"

"I-"

"Kyo, it's ok, we just owed them some explaining, "Junko reassures while trying to comfort the shocked singer, "They tend to overreact unnecessarily."

'"I am sorry, who are you? Also, Fuyuko, aren't you supposed to head home after that concert?" The apprentice who was with Ranran grew stern, having placed his hands on his hips, before realizing Michio and the rest of the members are gathering from the back. "Why are the whole lot of you here?" Then he suddenly realizes, "Wait, why are the rest of you dressed up as if you were all a filming crew!? I thought you were all up the whole morning dressed in something different earlier?"

"Hang on a minute, this boy...why does he look familiar?" Ranran approach the musician who is disguised as her friend, inspecting him closely before realizing, "Hang on, ain't you the keyboardist of Red Illumination?" Ranran scooped her smartphone hastily before she slide one of the photos shared on Twitter, comparing the photo of him to the boy before her, "What are you doing here!? Are you guarded up in some hotel by the police after Ryo went missing?! Above all, why are you dressed up in my friend's clothes!?"

Amidst the chaos, Shinichi was struggling to make sense of things before he spotted Reina, Moriko, and Sonoko, along with other members of the association, breaking into the headquarters. "Michio, what the hell is happening? Why did Junko bring him here? Is this some kind of museum?" Shinichi demanded answers from Michio.

"It's a long story," Michio replied, throwing his hands up in frustration. Meanwhile, Kyo was exploring their headquarters, looking around in amazement.

"A long story? A keyboardist whose brother is allegedly kidnapped shouldn't even be here in the first place!" Shinichi was getting annoyed that nobody was answering their questions.

Kyo looked around the Tantei Association with wonder. The place reminded him of a legitimate detective agency, with its sleek design and advanced equipment.

"This is amazing," Kyo said, impressed. "It really looks like a legit detective office prop set I am entering."

"And these are the cases we've solved," Junko interrupted, showing Kyo a scrapbook of newspaper reports.

Kyo flipped through the book, impressed. "Hey hey hey! Oh no, you don't! You're not authorized to do that!" Ranran snatched the book away from Junko, who hissed at her, before turning to Michio and the rest of the members in disapproval, alongside Shinichi. "Can someone please explain what's going on here?"

"Calm down, Ranran!" Sonoko stepped in. "We can explain!"

"Oh really? How so?" Both Kudos placed their hands on their hips, glaring at Sonoko in annoyance. But Ranran realized something was wrong. "And where is Takuma, for the third, fourth, or even fifth time?"

Reina knew she had to intervene. "Well, Ranran, he's at Kyo's hotel room."

"At Kyo's hotel room?" Ranran processed the information, and it suddenly dawned on her what had happened. The association members had swapped Kyo with Takuma and smuggled the real Kyo without anyone knowing. If the real Kyo was here, that meant they had not informed anyone about his whereabouts.

Inhaling deeply, Ranran ordered Junko, "Fuyuko, please tell Kyo to wait outside the hallway for a moment. We need to have an urgent meeting to sort things out."

Without warning, Junko pushed Kyo out and told him to wait. Then, the windows were shut, and the curtains were drawn. Before he knew it, Kyo heard the booming voice of Ranran and Shinichi scolding the other children in anger.

"You didn't even bother to at least leave them a message to say where Kyo will be heading!? Especially notify Kyo's management?" Ranran's voice could be heard yelling.

Even Shinichi was horrified, "You all just literally committed kidnapping!"

"Hey! It ain't kidnapping if the victim agrees to arrive here on their own accord!" Reina argued.

"I mean don't get us wrong, but the cops refuse to let us get involved. We also went through a lot trying to borrow money from you, Ranran, just to watch the concert. And Kyo didn't trust them to locate his missing brother, so...." Emiko tried to reason with her, but even Shinichi wasn't having it.

"You guys should have at least informed the manager or even that drummer! Do you know how much trouble we could get into for keeping a high-profile person like him without informing anyone?" Shinichi scolded them.

"We're sorry. We just wanted to help Kyo." Junko spoke up with a guilty expression.

Michio decided the situation needs to be defused before he stepped forward, trying to calm them down. "Ranran, Shinichi, the reason we did this was initially to verify whether the kidnapping thing took place. When we found out it was very likely that it did happen, we couldn't just turn a blind eye."

While Ranran went side-eyed and noticed Junko pulling the curtain a little and reassuring Kyo, Shinichi barked to the others, "But you can't just kidnap someone like this! Also, did you forget the rule that we won't be accepting cases from celebrities because of whom!?" Shinichi's voice rose in anger.

"Yes, because of-" Ran stopped herself, sensing Kyo is still staring at them, "'That', you want to protect 'that', I get it." Ran huffed, her heart stinging enveloped further in her chest, while the rebellious artist deeply sighs again. "But Shinichi, a celebrity is also a human life. As a detective, regardless of whatever profession one works in, it's our duty to protect the innocent. Regardless of one's circumstances."

"I hate to agree with this, but she is right," Emiko defended Ran, "The police here are not looking at the right places, and since we are detectives, it's our job to get to the bottom of it."

"Plus, we do have everything under control, Ranran. So far, no one is aware that Kyo is missing for now." Moriko reassured her.

Ranran, who had been quiet until now, suddenly spoke up. "If you are all so insistent on us taking up this case," she observed the other members present, "you probably have collateral to offer us, right?"

The group looked at each other, uncertain how to proceed.

The Tantei Association had a rule that if someone wanted to take up a high-risk case and the founder was against it, collateral was necessary. In this case, the risk was that Ranran's identity as the founder might be exposed by the press if they took the case, and she might even be kidnapped by The Snake. They needed to offer something valuable to cover the cost of her life.

The key detail was that the person who offered the collateral could retrieve it if the risk didn't happen.

The association couldn't function without Ranran, and everyone knew it. Although Shinichi had done a great job leading the group when Ranran was kidnapped, he had admitted he lacked experience compared to her.

Ranran's family was wealthy, but it wouldn't be fair to ask the victim's family to pay for the risks associated with this case. The collateral money would be used to cover the emotional damage to Ranran's family, funeral expenses, psychology therapy fees, and physical therapy fees in the case of life-altering injuries. Hence, this collateral rule was established based on that.

After a moment of silence, Sonoko stepped forward to offer. "Since you are already charging me inheritance fees for each day Ran chooses to remain here...thanks to our 'situation', you can charge additional fees as collateral, right? It will be enough to pay up all those fees if it happens."

Shinichi nodded in approval and urged others to offer. "Not just outsiders, the members who are interested had to offer in their stead as well. Since it wouldn't be fair to rely on someone rich to pay for every single mistake that might come out of this case."

Once more, Ran bit her own lip, reminding herself to say nothing, even though his words hurt.

The other members stepped forward to offer their mortgages. "I can offer my art collection book I bought overseas, it ain't cheap," Emiko said.

"I will make more complicated baked goods for the group. The association will continue even if Ranran dies, right? I wish I could give you money, but we ain't rich." Michio added.

"Granted," Ranran accepted.

"Wait, we can actually offer things that aren't money?" Ran suddenly realized.

"Yes, I didn't specify that it had to be money. But it must benefit the association regardless, even if I am gone," Ranran pointed out.

Realizing this, Junko offered, "I will clean up the office until I am old enough to leave this school."

"Affirmed," Shinichi approved.

Finally, Ran was asked what she could offer. "I don't have much to offer in terms of material possessions, but...." With determination, she announced, "I will leave the association forever. I know this is something you both wanted since I am a huge hindrance."

Everyone was stunned. Even Junko was shocked. Although she knew about the tension between Ran and Ranran because of Shinichi, she didn't think Ran would go this far. Everyone looked at Shinichi, wondering what he would say.

"Granted," Ranran and Shinichi answered coldly.

Ran was deeply disappointed. Shinichi didn't even try to argue against her leaving. He believed in Ranran more than he believed in her. Although Shinichi was her crush, she realized he didn't see her that way.

Ranran invited everyone to come to the table to fill out the paperwork before they began. "Junko," she said, her blue eyes fixed on the association's secretary, who is more concerned about the musician standing outside the hallway, "Stop dilly-dallying and prepare the contract for everyone to sign."

As they left to do, Ran tried to hide her disappointment and pain as she followed the others to the table. She couldn't believe that Shinichi didn't even try to defend her or show some concern about her leaving the association. As she sat down and started filling out the paperwork, she couldn't help but wonder if Shinichi had ever seen her as anything more than just a friend. She had always harboured a crush on him, but she had never been able to confess her feelings.

Now, it seemed like there was no chance of anything happening between them, not when he believed Ranran over her. Ran tried to focus on the task at hand, but her heart felt heavy as she thought about what her future would be like without the association.

When it was done, Ran decided to stand out of the association to 'cool off' for a moment across the hallway, before her best friend followed her out to confront her. "Ran, why would you do this sort of thing!?" But then Sonoko looked at Ran, her eyes filled with understanding. "I see," she said softly. "Aside from wanting them to solve this case, you're afraid that Ranran will use the excuse that you had nothing to offer and kick you out, right?"

Of course, Ran wasn't a complete idiot.

When Ran avoided signing the 2nd contract to remain in the association to get Shinichi back during the events of 'Extinction Heist', Ranran didn't let that go. And that left Shinichi with the impression that Ran was an opportunistic girl who wants Shinichi back to continue to be manipulated.

Not offering anything as collateral would mean Ranran could automatically oust Ran off by bringing up that incident all over again.

Ran nodded, tears stinging her eyes. "I offered this deal not because I wanted to, Sonoko," she said fiercely. "I want Kyo's brother to be saved, I don't trust those cops handling them. And I want to stay in the association and get back things where the three of us used to be happy. But... "

Sonoko put a hand on Ran's shoulder, giving her a comforting squeeze. "I understand, Ran," she said softly. "You had nothing to offer, so you did that, did you?"

Ran sniffled, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. "I ain't a quitter, Sonoko, I was never going to let Shinichi go to Ranran, even if he hates me," she said, her voice shaking slightly. "But it's hard when you feel like you're constantly being pushed aside for someone else. And when the collateral question came up, it made me realize for the first time...what did I ever do in there that actually benefitted the association? It's no wonder...no wonder Ranran and Shinichi see me as a pest. I have nothing to offer, unlike the rest of the members."

Sonoko pulled her into a tight hug. "Ran, that ain't true. You are not talentless." Sonoko said firmly. "You have your own talents, Ran. You're strong, determined, and always willing to help others. Those are valuable traits too."

"Even so..."There was so much doubt in Ran's voice, it breaks Sonoko's heart, "I don't know if this case can ever be solved to keep me here."

Sonoko pulled away from the hug and looked at Ran with a determined expression. "If they can't, Tantei Association should never be opened right from the start," she said confidently. "Ranran and Shinichi solved 3 major cases, how is this any different?"

"I am scared, Sonoko...I am scared that Ranran might intentionally not solve this case, just to kick me out of this association and not let me see Shinichi anymore...."

Sonoko placed a hand on Ran's shoulder, looking her straight in the eyes. "If she did, that makes her a murderer," she reassured her. "And Shinichi is someone who won't let her do that. He may not have faith in you anymore, but let's not lose faith in his beliefs on that aspect."

Ran nodded, her expression still filled with uncertainty. "I'll try," she said softly.

"Good," Sonoko said with a smile. "Now, go back inside and face this head-on. Do everything in your power to make sure that the collateral thing doesn't become your reality."

Ran smiled weakly with tears in her eyes, grateful for her friend's support. Feeling a sense of comfort, Ran wiped away her tears and took a deep breath. She knew that Sonoko was right. She had to believe in Shinichi's beliefs. Even if he hates her, there is no way he will allow Ranran to let some innocent singer die because of her hatred towards Ran.

Ran walked back into the association's room with renewed determination. 

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

Ranran addressed Kyo as they all sat in the HQ, asking if Nagano Katsu was his real name. Reina, Sonoko, and Moriko were requested to leave as they couldn't interfere with their detective work. Kyo sat before them as they began the investigation into the potential kidnapping of Kyo's brother.

"We need to eliminate any suspects who may be behind this potential kidnapping. As you insist on us locating your brother instead of involving the police, let's start with your family," Shinichi stated, looking at his smartphone, which contained information about Red Illumination. "I see here that the three of you - the singer, yourself, and the drummer - are blood-related?"

"We are," Kyo responded, readjusting his sitting position before briefing them on his family. "Ryo, the lead singer, is my older twin brother by two hours. The drummer is our paternal cousin, one year younger than us. Together, we are 'Red Illumination.'"

The founder of the group looked at the Red Illumination logo and questioned Kyo about it. "I understand why it has a red guitar, but why this name? And what is with the two birds? Aren't there three of you?"

Kyo explained, "The two birds represent our late uncle and his late wife. Not many people may be aware, but our late granduncle was a huge rockstar during our parents' era. His name was Nagano Jiro, and he had a tattoo of those two birds after she passed away."

Shinichi inspected further on his smartphone and found that Nagano Jiro was not mentioned as being married. Kyo clarified, "Our late granduncle was a private person. They were never married, but he always referred to her as our grand-aunt."

"Why?" Michio inquired.

"He never believed in marriage, and neither does she," Kyo reminisced, "However, she is the reason why we got into music." He then shared his story, "Before his arrival, we lived in a rural village called Hikarimura in the Chibu region." Everyone appeared confused, which Kyo anticipated. "It is a rural farming village with a population of 500 people. Not many people would know where it is. When he fell for a city girl and listened to rock song for the first time...that is where things changed."

Shinichi nodded understandingly, "I see. And how did this granduncle of yours influence the three of you to pursue music?"

"Before that, it wasn't that straightforward due to estrangement." Kyo was saddened a bit at that thought, "In our village life, it was a common thing to do whatever your parents grant you to do. We are not really allowed to venture out and dream big. There is a saying 'the bigger one dream, the more you had to lose'. Jiro Oji-chan, that is how we called him affectionately, went against the elders and headed to the big city, becomes a successful musician and lived a glamorous rockstar life."

"I guess if one hears it, that would have been quite inspiring," Mouri Ran commented, intrigued by that.

"I can understand how that can be tough," Michio interjected sympathetically. "But it sounds like your granduncle changed that for the whole lot of you."

The moment Shinichi search how much is the granduncle worth, Shinichi and Ranran couldn't hide their surprise, "Your granduncle's net worth....he is one successful musician."

Kyo nodded, "Yes, he is. He made a fortune through his music career and invested in many businesses, including real estate."

"But then why did he move back to the rural village? Even though he cut ties with the family to pursue his dream?" Ranran asked, curious.

Kyo's expression turned sombre, "His health was deteriorating, and he lost the love of his life to illness. He wanted to spend his remaining days in peace, surrounded by nature and away from the noise and chaos of the city. He also wanted to reconnect with his roots and the family he had left behind, even if they had never supported his dream."

"He must have loved the village a lot to come back to it, despite knowing there are people who hate him," Junko commented. Junko was visibly impressed by Kyo's granduncle's choice to move back to the village. "I naturally assumed the reason he also did it was to also help out his community."

Kyo nodded, "Yes, he felt it was important to give back to the community that raised him."

Shinichi, on the other hand, didn't share the same sentiment, "I'm sorry, but I have to disagree. I think it's foolish to move back to a place where people discouraged his dream."

Ran's face turned sour at Shinichi's comment, she knew he was referring to her, and the comment stung. "But Shinichi, he was about to die," Ran protested.

Shinichi shrugged. "Well, if that's the case, then he's a rare breed. I, for one, wouldn't do it, even if I was about to die."

Ranran chimed in, "I believe you, Shinichi. You're too observant to sacrifice your dreams for anything or anyone."

Junko rolled her eyes, "Well, not everyone is as cold and heartless as you, Shinichi. Some people value relationships and community over their own personal success."

Shinichi smirked, "Of course, a person who simply exploits the relationships of their closest would say that."

Ranran snickered, and before Junko could blast her anger at Shinichi, Michio intervened before the conversation could turn into a full-blown argument, "Let's focus on the investigation for now. So Kyo," Michio turn their attention back at the singer, "What was your grand-uncle like?"

Kyo paused, thinking for a moment before responding. "Initially withdrawn," he admitted wistfully. "Our parents warned us to not speak to him, for angering the elders. But I guess some of our blood run in us as well, since...we paid him a visit whenever we argued with our parents."

"I can't imagine him being happy to see the children of the people who forced their ideals upon him," Ranran pouted.

"Oh no, he wasn't always like that though, believe me on that," he continued. "Jiro Oji-chan had a soft spot for us, and he eventually warmed up to us. He would play his guitar for us and tell us stories about his adventures in the city. And for once, village life didn't sound boring anymore with him around."

"He sounds like an amazing person," Michio said, with admiration in his voice.

"He was," Kyo replied, his voice filled with emotion. "He was our role model, our mentor, and our friend. We owe everything we have today to him. And yeah, he also taught us how to play the guitar," Kyo added with a smile. "And the youngsters there, including teenagers, worship him."

Takuma showed Ranran and Shinichi a video on his phone, "Kyo, his brother, and his cousin actually found success thanks to this video. They played one of their granduncle's hit songs years ago, outside a hospital when the man was dying." The video showed the younger Ryo, Kyo, and Shiro playing guitars and drums outside the hospital, while the old man could be seen smiling at their poor yet amusing attempt.

"That's a touching story," Ran said with a smile, "It seems like he is liked, despite his family being so against the dream."

"We do," Kyo replied, "We have always been close, and music has always been a way for us to connect. That's why when he died, we felt like our world collapsed."

That reminds Shinichi, "Did he patch things up? With the family members who were against it?"

"Yes, they did," Kyo answered, though he was also hesitant to share, "Though some of them ain't as genuine as it is."

Sensing the tone in the keyboardist, Emiko who had been quiet said, "Is it over his estate?"

Kyo let out a deep sigh, "Yes, it is. Our granduncle left his entire estate to us, which was not something that pleased some of our relatives."

"I see," Michio nodded in understanding, "Money can change people, unfortunately. But what about your granduncle? Did he ever express his thoughts on the matter?"

"He did," Kyo's face softened, "Jiro Oji-chan said that he always knew we were the ones who would continue his legacy. And he was proud of us when he heard that we are going to chase our dreams the way he did."

"That's really heartwarming," Michio smiled, "It's clear that he loved you guys a lot."

"He did," Kyo agreed with a nod, "And we loved him just as much."

"Considering that he is a wealthy man when he died...did he live his fortune to anyone? From what I had gathered, he had no children. So I can only naturally assume he either left it for the three of you, or the relatives." Ranran frowned. "But I can also assume that with money comes greed, are they any lawsuits that challenge his wishes within all of your family?"

"Sadly, yes." Kyo wistfully answered. "But not all of it."

"Eh?"

"We were not left with money, but other things," Kyo replied, "The right to use the two birds tattoo for anything has become our official logo of his old band. That's how Red Illumination was formed."

"Why is the name of the band Red illumination?" Shinichi questioned, "I realize that the interviews the three of you did never mentioned why."

Kyo smiled and explained, "The name was inspired by the colour of the sky during sunset when we played outside the hospital, which appears red. The illumination part is a reference to the light we want to bring through our music, as we hope our songs can be a beacon of hope for those who need it."

Michio bobbed, "That's a beautiful meaning behind the name."

"Since then, we focused on playing rock music," Kyo responded, "But we also incorporate elements of pop and electronic music into our sound. We want to create a unique blend of genres that can appeal to a wide audience."

Junko chimed in, "I've listened to some of your songs, and I have to say, they're quite good. You have a lot of talent."

Kyo smiled gratefully, "Thank you, we appreciate that."

While Shinichi write down his statements in a notebook, Ranran who was listening to all of these questions, "Lawsuits need tons of money, can they afford it? Since you mentioned they lived in a rural village."

"Oh no, they can afford it," Kyo insists to her, "We always send them money."

Ranran and the rest of the children grew a little surprised at his statement. "Kyo, don't get me wrong, but ain't your parents supposed to be the ones doing that instead of you guys? You are elementary school kids like us. Why did you all have to send them money?"

"US dollars are stronger than Japanese currency in the exchange rate, especially now that we are a successful music band, we had to send it to our parents. Can't really argue with them, since they did make it a point." Kyo gave a weak smile, but something in his tone didn't sit well with Ranran.

In a way...this tone sounded all too familiar during her early days as The Fox in Edgewood Academy, especially through her clients.

"We will look into that when the interview is over, Ranran, I know you think the family had the motive to do so," Shinichi whispered to his mentor's ear before she nod back at her partner.

Turning the attention back, Shinichi glanced at the wearied boy, "Kyo, where were your family when Ryo went missing?"

"Back in our hometown, they recently boarded a plane to fly all the way here. It might take them tomorrow to arrive," Kyo heaves, while Junko who sat next to the singer pats his back to comfort him.

"In your opinion..."Emiko need to treat this with caution, "Do you think the family is capable of doing so? After all...your band is worth tons of money."

Kyo frowned at the question. "I don't want to believe that our own family would do something like that."

Ran nodded in agreement. "But my parents always tell me that sometimes, people you thought you knew and trusted, suddenly become someone else when money is involved."

Shinichi scribbled some notes in his notebook, taking in the conversation. "Ryo and my parents aren't those kinds of people. Though...the same can't be said for Shiro's parents."

Ranran, on the other hand, grew curious. "What about his parents?"

Kyo sighed. "They had been divorced since Shiro was 2, which is why he is what he is today, and their grandparents are one of the people who were strongly against Jiro Oji-chan chasing after his dream of becoming a rockstar. They barely had any interest Jiro Oji-san, but then after he passed away, during the funeral they were all so pretentious about missing him. That's right," Kyo snapped his finger, "That is why when the Will was read out that they were left with nothing, the lawsuit situation began because of wanting to contest against the others who got the share of the will within the family."

Emiko spoke up. "But what about Shiro? What did he think of this?"

"Regarding his parents going after Jiro Oji-san's will? Thankfully he was against it," Kyo smiled wryly. "Shiro always felt like wishes are meant to be respected, even if one disagrees with them after their death."

Shinichi looked up from his notebook, making a mental note to look into the family drama later, "Alright, aside of the family...who else do you suspect?"

"The one who knows Ryo best besides our family is our manager: Ogawa Touma, we worked together for a few years."Kyo replied, "The reason he became our manager was solely thanks to our parents since Ogawa had experience in managing tons of other bands before us. I am actually surprised he didn't storm off because of Shiro."

"Ah, now that you mentioned it, he was very hostile towards me, Reina and Moriko when we told him the truth about us being detectives," Emiko recalled.

"Eh?! Did you meet him? When?" Shinichi and Ranran turned to the rebellious artist.

"When we faked our way into the hotel as Youtubers, filming a provoking title enough to trick them to open the door, Shiro was able to see right through us that we were not what we claimed to be," Emiko explained this to them.

"Is that so?"Shinichi arched an eyebrow as Ran nodded.

"That I can vouch, he was so loud while we were talking to Kyo." Ran rants.

"And Mr Ogawa just has to put up with him. He didn't seem to care."Emiko shook her head.

"If I were his manager, I'll quit."Junko spats.

"That is because Mr Touma has always been a pro," Kyo told her, "He's used to dealing with people like him."

"Is he trustworthy to everyone?" quizzed Ranran.

"Who? Ah, you mean Mr Ogawasan?Obviously." Kyo thought about it, running a hand through his red hair. "I mean like, he has been our manager for two years. He's the one who made us famous. He saw the viral video of us and signed us on since. He wouldn't have had anything to do with Onii-san's disappearance. Because as long as we don't perform, he doesn't earn a single dime out of us. He'd have no reason to hurt us, period."

"Neh, I always wanted to ask this question," Emiko leaned her head to her right hand while commenting, "Before we arrived, there was a viral video of Shiro trashing the hotel. Did something happen that led him to do that? Or he was just a wild nut case?"

"Well..." Kyo looked reluctant to share the truth.