"Ishibashi Mamiko's mother...what kind of mother is she....?"

Once Shinichi was back in the classroom, he began to dig further into her mother's background. Classes are ongoing, but his brain was far too occupied while digging around about the Ishibashi family's background. After the events of 'The Red Drongos' Deception', he put his full attention onto this family, wondering how is it that this dangerous 6-year-old is able to get away with the things she had done in this school.

Ishibashi Mamiko's mother is a dominatrix, so how is it that she had that much influence in the wealthy community?

As he dug deeper into her background, Shinichi learned that the mother had grown up in a wealthy family herself. Her father was a successful businessman, and her mother was a renowned socialite who was known for throwing extravagant parties and rubbing shoulders with the elite of Tokyo.

It seemed that this woman had inherited her mother's knack for networking and had used her connections to establish herself using 'despicable means', how? He does not wanna know anymore. Hearing those sickening things Mamiko's mom did to woo those men was enough for the 6-year-old boy. Her clients were mostly wealthy businessmen and politicians who were willing to pay top yen for her services.

Shinichi couldn't help but wonder how much influence she had in the community, given her status. He wondered if her connections had somehow protected her daughter from the consequences of her actions.

And then...there is also Ranran's mother.

A surprising discovery he learn was....she did not enter middle school.

This is odd, because when they were 3, Shinichi recalled Ranran yelling at how her mother obtained a master's degree when she was 16. And she wasn't lying, he did uncover a certificate and contacted the admins there. It was shocking when he realise she was telling the truth.

But the one thing that bothers him was...why isn't there any trace of where Ranran's mother used to study between middle to high school?

There were traces that she used to study in Teitan Elementary, and that is where the lead ends.

Whatever happened during middle to high school, something must have happened to Ranran's mother enough to erase that chapter of her life.

Then when he started to dig into Junko's mother...one disturbing detail pop up.

According to the records he managed to uncover, shortly after she was expelled from Teitan Elementary, she was sent to jail for causing harm to a minor.

And that isn't good news to Shinichi. Not one bit.

In legal terms, a minor usually defines the victim as a child that is too young to defend themselves from adults, the acts could range from violence to things worst than violence.

That also means in legal terms, she poses a huge danger to children, and not in an appropriate way.

Just when Shinichi thought he had gotten rid of a vile man, here comes a vile woman. Kicking Junko out would've done wonders for the association, but then he had concerns that the troublemaking woman would come back to harass them. They already had to deal with Ran and Junko being two unreasonable girls, the last thing they need is an adult. No wonder the neighbourhood kicked her mother out, what parent wouldn't be worried that their child would not be endangered because of this crazed woman?

There is just one problem though...what was it this woman caused that was so unforgivable, the neighbourhood actually banded together just to get her kicked out?

And also...who is the identity of this minor?

When Shinichi tried digging into it, it was all blacked out on the Internet. The only thing he could find is that it took multiple witnesses to get her in serious hot water. Shockingly, around the same time Junko's mother was arrested, even Mamiko's mom was implicated in a separate charge. Even in forums, all of the details were very vague. What he was able to roughly gather was, something terrible took place in Teitan High School years ago, something so horrific that it caused a huge number of deaths. And that minor was the beginning where everything was revealed in an ugly manner.

But when talking to the netizens, one thing was made clear:

That poor victim is the reason why everything was brought to light. It was unfortunate she was a student there, but...it took her bravery to reveal the demons of Teitan High...

The more he read this, the more it didn't make sense. How does a minor end up becoming a student in a high school?

Shinichi's mind was racing with questions, and he knew he needed to find answers to them. He decided to start by talking to the one person who was formerly a student there.

However...he wasn't expecting this response when he contacted that person.

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

"Okaasan, you used to study in Teitan Highschool for years, correct?"

Shinichi contacted his mother over the phone yesterday night, while he was in his bedroom, "Yes, what about it?"

"Then...did anything happen there when you were a student?"

Suddenly, the usually cheerful and chirpy tone he normally gets from his mother was met with dead silence. "Hello, Okaasan?"

After a few moments of silence, Shinichi's mother finally spoke, her voice shaking slightly, "Why do you ask, Shinichi?"

"I've been hearing rumours online about something terrible happening at Teitan High School, around that time you should be 17, the same year whatever incident took place. And I want to know the truth," Shinichi replied, his tone serious.

"What kind of terrible things anyway? Can you be more specific?"

Here it goes, "There said...this minor, a child I think? Studied at Teitan High School. Said she is the saviour. Do you know who this child is?"

There was another pause, and then his mother let out a heavy sigh. "Shinichi, there are things that are better left buried in the past. I don't want you to get involved in something that could be dangerous."

"But Okaasan, I need to know," Shinichi insisted.

"Why? Why must you know?"

This wasn't the response the little boy was expecting, but he had to know, "Were you aware of what happened with Ranran not long ago in school?"

"The part where that Mamiko girl attempted to stab Ranran to pry you off her? Ain't she in the mental institution?"

"Mamiko is supposed to. But...for some reason, I got intel from someone that she will be released back to school. And...it seems like her mother is behind this." For some reason, his mother is unusually quiet, but Shinichi had to press on, "I had a strong suspicion that whatever happened in that school, Mamiko's mother did something horrific with Junko's mom based on the timing, it can't be a coincidence. If I can find whoever this minor is, maybe she could tell me how to-"

"Listen to me, Shinichi. You need to stop right there."

"Eh!?"

"Whatever happened at Teitan High School years ago, it's not something that should be talked about." The mother's tone suddenly shifts to a warning.

"Why?!"

"It's not something that should be remembered, brought back to life, nor something even my own child should know. Not now, not some other day, nor forever. You hear me!?" his mother said firmly.

Shinichi was taken aback by his mother's response. He could sense the fear and discomfort in her voice, and it made him realize that whatever happened at Teitan High School was not something to be taken lightly.

"Okaasan, why shouldn't I know any of it? If something terrible happened there before, it could happen again. Especially to Ranran." Shinichi said, trying to reason with his mother.

"I understand your concerns, Shinichi. But some things are better left unsaid. You have to trust me on this," his mother replied, adding, "And as for Ranran, I spoke to her parents about it, and trust me, they had it well thought out should anything happen to her."

"But-wait, her parents!?" Shinichi realized his mother let slipped on something, "How do they know about-"

"I have to go now, Shinichi. Remember what I said, don't dig any further into this. I'll talk to you later," his mother said before abruptly ending the call.

"I have to go now, Shinichi. Remember what I said, don't dig any further into this. I'll talk to you later," his mother said before abruptly ending the call.

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

Shinichi was left with more questions than answers since that night.

He couldn't understand why his mother was so adamant about keeping him in the dark. He knew there was more to the story than what she was letting on, but he didn't know how to find out what it was. He couldn't shake off the feeling that whatever happened at Teitan High School was still affecting people's lives today, including his own and Ranran's. He knew he needed to find out the truth, but he didn't know where to start.

Quietly staring at his sit mate, who probably had the answers to everything, he was very hesitant to ask anything.

Then again, it ain't as if Ranran wouldn't reveal anything.

At the same time, however...he too wonders if was he any different than Ran and Sonoko? When did they decide to pry into Ranran's past as The Fox?

Shinichi couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt for wanting to dig into Ranran's past without her permission. He knew that it was important to respect her privacy, but he also couldn't shake off the feeling that something terrible was going to happen again.

As he was lost in thought, he didn't realise time flew past him.

So much so, that a boy in a cap was staring back at him with a curious expression. "Is something bothering you, Kudo?" he asked, noticing the worried look on his face.

Shinichi shook his head from his desk, realizing everyone around them in the classroom had left, "No, it's nothing."

The athlete didn't seem convinced and continued to look at him intently. "Are you sure? You seem distracted."

"I'm fine, really," Shinichi insisted, trying to sound convincing.

He sighed, "Ever since Mamiko came back to school, your eyes are all over the place. Then again...I ain't surprised, really."

Shinichi felt a wave of surprise wash over him. Despite his chill and laidback attitude, Takuma was able to notice his behaviour, even though he thought he was hiding it well. He couldn't help but wonder if Ranran's influence had taught Takuma to pick up on fake expressions.

He took a deep breath and decided to be honest with him. "Remember the day...Mamiko tried to stab Ranran with a knife, she mutter something like it's like Ranran's mom and her own mother's situation all over again?"

"Yeah? What about it?"

"I have been...digging into Mamiko's family, especially her mother...since I didn't want her to be set free back to this school after what she did to Ranran," Shinichi felt short of silence, "At the same time, I was also looking into why Junko is so overly obsessed over Michio, then it occurred to me that her mom was behind it. So happen that when I was looking into it, both of their mothers attended the same high school, which is in Teitan High."

With Takuma's serious expression, he pressed. "What did you find?"

Shinichi hesitated for a moment before continuing. "I found out that something bad happened at Teitan High School years ago. Ask every single person I could find on the community forum, but no one is willing to share with me what happened as it was 'Too cruel', all I know is that it is connected to Mamiko's mother and Junko's mother. I don't know what it is, but I have a feeling it's important."

Takuma listened intently, his expression thoughtful. "How is this connected to what happened to Ranran?"

"I don't know," Shinichi admitted. "But I can't shake off the feeling that all of this can't really be a coincidence. Especially Junko's mother having a criminal record involving a 'minor'. I feel like," He paused, "If I can track down this 'minor' person, the one who is responsible for getting the two expelled...it will not only help us a dangerous little girl like Mamiko out of school grounds for good for our safety but also let alone, remove Junko from the association from using Michio as a threat to kick us out of the venue."

"I see..."Takuma muses.

"There is also..."Shinichi once more was unsure how to bring this up, but he had to, "Ranran's mother."

"What about her?"

"I mean...when Mamiko brought her up...I realized that there are no records of which school she used to study between middle school to high school."

"Really?!" The other boy blinked.

"It's true," Shinichi nodded, growing baffled by the minute, "Which is odd..."

"What part of this is odd?"

"Do you remember that time when Ranran framed me during the parkour event last year? She mentioned her mom had a master's degree when she turned 16, around the same time she had Ranran." He then adds, "I found a certificate from the university her mom used to study in, it is legit. But...for some reason, when I asked which high school she used to study in, no one seemed to know. And I couldn't find any records of her attending any high school in the area."

Takuma's brow furrowed, "That is odd. Maybe she studied somewhere else?"

"I thought of that too, but then what is there to hide regarding that chapter of her life?"

Takuma rubbed his chin in thought. "It does seem like there's more to this than we thought." It then dawned on Takuma, "Why not just ask Ranran directly regarding her mother, Kudo? If you just ask her, I am certain she will answer."

Shinichi sighed heavily, "I know she would..."

Takuma observed him silently, "....but?" He prompts him to speak.

"I owed her far too many times, that I felt like I owed her a permanent fix on the mess I have brought over to the association. All because I let myself be manipulated by that damn Mamiko," Shinichi admitted, looking down at his hands.

"Kudo...none of that was your fault."

"It is..." Shinichi couldn't even look Takuma in the eye, "My inability to see the truth is the reason why Ranran is still suffering. What a so-called detective I am..." He bitterly scoffed to himself, "What is the point of me being observant...if I have been far too blind to not notice how Sonoko and Ran have been backstabbing me for so long."

Takuma could see the guilt and self-doubt written all over Shinichi's face. He knew Shinichi was being too hard on himself, but he also knew it wasn't going to be easy to convince him otherwise. "Kudo..." He then remembered something, "Do you remember when we went out to watch Megamind?"

"What? The story regarding that evil big head alien?"

"Yeah, if you had watched the movie, you would remember that the alien felt like he had no choice in the matter but to become the bad guy, thanks to the idiotic attention-seeking hero stealing his thunder." Takuma almost blurted out that the hero reminded him of Mouri Ran, but he refrained before saying what he intended to deliver straight to the point, "Why did he decide to turn from a bad guy to a good guy?"

Shinichi looked at Takuma, not really following where he was going with this. "Wasn't it because he fell in love with the girl? Which is to me a stupid plot."

Takuma nodded, "Yes, that too I agree. But there were also other things besides that." The athlete then begins to elaborate further, "Unlike the hero who is well-loved no matter where he went, he was raised by criminals near and far. Everyone around him showered him with nothing but hate, thanks to his unusual appearance unlike the hero, who had a normal appearance, which led him to be evil."

Shinichi looked at Takuma, still not quite understanding the point he was trying to make. "What are you trying to say, Takuma?"

"Megamind didn't choose to be the bad guy because he wanted to. He did it because he felt like the world didn't want him to become the person he wants to be. That was the same with you," He looks him straight in the eye, "You are in this situation not because you wanted it to happen, circumstances pushed you to do the things that ended up harming Ranran. If you were the one who masterminded all of the horrible things to be fall on Ranran instead of Mamiko, that would've been different, no?"

Shinichi looked at Takuma, taking in the words that he said. It was true, he didn't have any intention to hurt anyone, no, that was the last thing he had on his mind when he wanted to see whether Ranran is truly The Fox. But circumstances had led him down a path that he didn't anticipate.

"Let's not forget that aside from you alone, I have been down the road of a bad arrogant athlete due to circumstances. Yes," Takuma nods to himself with his own guilt, "I am 100 per cent at fault for many of the horrible decisions I made, but it doesn't mean that I am to be blamed for the situations that led me to make those decisions. That's why, you shouldn't solely blame yourself for what happened with Ranran, Kudo. Cause if this was anyone at fault, it was Mamiko's greed for turning you and your two former best friends against Ranran, and it was also Ran and Sonoko's fault for choosing to listen to that satan rather than listening to themselves."

Shinichi listened to Takuma's words, feeling a sense of relief wash over him. He realized that he had been too hard on himself and that sometimes, circumstances were beyond his control. It didn't mean that he was a failure as a detective or a friend, but that he was human.

"And the same goes for you, Kudo. You made mistakes, but it doesn't define your qualification as a detective. To me," Takuma smiled, "You are yourself the best version of a tantei one could ever be."

Shinichi smiled back at Takuma, feeling grateful for his words. "Thanks, Takuma. I needed to hear that."

"Of course, man," Takuma said, clapping a hand on Shinichi's shoulder, "We all make mistakes. It's how we learn from them that matters."

Shinichi nodded, feeling a sense of weight lifted off his shoulders. He knew that he still had a lot to do to make amends with Ranran after becoming her apprentice, but he was willing to work hard to fix things.

"Alright," Takuma said, standing up, "Now that we've got that sorted, how about we grab some food? I'm starving."

As Shinichi was about to say yes, he suddenly remembered, "Ah no, sorry Takuma. Maybe another time? I...got things to do."

Takuma raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Really? What's going on?"

Shinichi hesitated, not sure if he wanted to share the details with Takuma. But then he thought that maybe talking about it would help him clear his mind. "I'm meeting up with Ranran," he admitted.

"Ah, I see." Takuma nodded knowingly, "Well, don't let me keep you. Good luck with that, Kudo."

"Thanks, Takuma," Shinichi said, standing up as well, "I appreciate it."

The two of them said their goodbyes before going their separate ways. It was then, Takuma noted the way Shinichi was running. "How is it that he is still staggering while running?" The athlete can't help but be puzzled by that.

Takuma had assumed after the events of 'The Red Drongos' Deception' case, Shinichi should've recovered physically, but it doesn't seem to be the case. The same goes for his friend, Ranran, who in turn has been dragging her legs whenever she walks in and out of the school.

The athlete couldn't help but wonder what was really going on with them. He knew that they were both strong-willed individuals who wouldn't easily give up, but he also knew that sometimes, even the strongest people needed help.

Which is why a couple of days, he set up a secret anonymous meeting at the Tantei Association 2nd HQ, based in their school.

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

"Are you going to be alright, Shiro?"

Emiko worriedly spoke over the phone in the 2nd HQ in Tantei Association, after dropping the bomb, the media has no idea that Shiro fainted and was hospitalized upon learning of his true family. Any 10-year-old boy like Shiro would pass out after learning all of the abuse he had suffered through the adults whom he had assumed were his true parents the entire time, was nothing but a hoax.

While recuperating at some hospital, Emiko had accompanied him through phone calls to kill his boredom. Ogawa, Shiro's manager, had decided to make this announcement within several months after Shiro gets better. Having to deal with the staged kidnapping was bad enough, and for this bombshell to drop, it was overwhelming to him.

Shiro woke up to the sound of beeping machines and the sterile smell of a hospital room. He blinked a few times, trying to adjust his eyes to the bright lights overhead. As his mind cleared, the memories flooded back. The memories of his childhood, the lies he had been told, and the abuse he had suffered at the hands of those he thought were his parents.

"You can tell Ogawa not to bring this up, Shiro," Emiko's voice broke through his thoughts, coming from the phone on the bedside table.

"I don't know, Emiko," Shiro replied, his voice hoarse. "Everything is just so confusing. How could they do this to me? How could they pretend to be my parents all these years? I am now...an orphan."

Emiko sighed, her voice heavy with emotion. "Shiro...."

"The embryos having been stolen from my real parents and the fact that my fake mother had me through IVF, to give birth to me so that they could extort money from my real parents...how could they do this to me....? Even my own paternal grandparents...I know they meant well not telling me any of this, but...." Shiro's voice trailed off, as the full weight of the truth hit him again.

By this point, Emiko wonders if they even did the right thing by telling him the truth.

Even if Shiro wanted to know his real parents, it was too late now that the two had passed away due to ageing. With the estate being willed to Shiro, his parentage, the lies and all, what has this 10-year-old boy done to deserve this?

After finding out all of this, Shiro had to spend several more days in the hospital, recovering both physically and mentally from the shock of his newfound identity. Of course, the staff member from his former band Red Illumination, including Ogawa, visited him every day, bringing him books and games to keep him occupied. The relationship between Shiro and the staff has been much more open and improved drastically after the truth of the kidnapping was revealed, and Shiro is learning to open up to them. Even Salome had come by to visit.

From what Emiko last heard from him, it seems like tons of lawyers are going to get involved in many aspects of Shiro's life. Even so, Shiro's mind was elsewhere, still grappling with the knowledge that everything he had known about his life was a lie. He had lost everything, his family, his home, his identity. And for what? Money? Greed? It was all within the family.

Emiko sighed, her voice heavy with emotion. "Shiro."

"Hmph?"

"As someone who once had the same kind of meltdown as you do....there was come with time that you start to despise this world, whether this place is even worth living in the first place."

"Emiko...."

"But eventually," She finds herself saying, "There will come a time that you will eventually find kids or adults who will see past all of that nonsense you had to go through in life. Perhaps a newfound family, it doesn't...it doesn't really need to share the same blood as you, Shiro. And I can say this because...." Emiko paused, before staring at the group picture of Tantei Association, "Because you are right about one thing, I found my own family here."

Shiro's eyes widened as Emiko's words sank in. He knew she was right. He couldn't change his past, but he could choose his future. He could choose who he surrounded himself with and who he allowed into his life. "Thank you, Emiko," Shiro said, his voice trembling. "Thank you for being there for me."

"Always, Shiro," Emiko replied softly. "Always."

With those words, Shiro ended the call by saying, "And Emiko?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you...for telling me the truth."

Shiro closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep after ending the call, feeling a sense of hope and comfort he hadn't felt in a long time. He knew the road ahead would be difficult, but he was ready to face it.

Speaking of family...Emiko waited in the HQ, as the door opens to reveal the member's arrival.

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

"Alright, we have all gathered here to talk about the mystery, regarding why Ranran and Shinichi have been limping around the entire school recently?!"

The five remaining members of Tantei Association: Michio, Takuma, Junko, Emiko and Ran gathered in the HQ, while Takuma begins the meeting. Everyone nodded in agreement, concerned about their friends' physical condition.

Michio spoke up first, "I have heard rumours in school that they were involved in some kind of fight recently. Perhaps that's why they are limping?"

Takuma added, "I heard that they were attacked by some delinquents from a rival school."

Emiko shook her head, "That doesn't seem right. Shinichi and Ranran are not easily overpowered. They wouldn't have been taken down so easily with those taser batons."

"Something ain't right, Takuma, like seriously, the case has already ended 4 days ago, and yet, Shinichi and Ranran are still staggering wherever they went!" Ran frowned.

"And they seemed more and more tired each day even after it ended," Michio thought about this, "Are they any high-profile cases we might not have known of?"

"Not possible," Junko shrugs, "I am the secretary, even if there is any and they didn't tell me a thing, it would have been recorded in our case files. And there's nothing new in there."

Michio rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "Maybe we should ask them directly. It's better to hear it from the source rather than relying on rumours."

"Yeah, but the last time we did...." Ran thought back about that conversation:

"Hey, guys," Takuma greeted them as Ranran and Shinichi entered the HQ, "We've been hearing some rumours about you two. Are you okay?"

Shinichi and Ranran exchanged a look before Ranran spoke up, "We're fine, just a little tired."

"But why are you both limping?" Emiko asked.

Shinichi hesitated before replying, "It's nothing. Just some...activities."

"Like what?" Takuma demanded them to be more specific.

"Err...something like re-enactment on certain movie scenes. Like Tik Tok," Ranran beamed convincingly.

The Tantei Association members exchanged a look, not quite believing Shinichi's explanation. "Can you tell us more about the It?" Junko asked.

Shinichi and Ranran exchanged another look, before Ranran spoke up, "It's a long story. We'll tell you guys about it another time."

The Tantei Association members nodded, sensing that Shinichi and Ranran didn't want to talk about it further. They decided to drop the matter for now, but they couldn't help but feel worried about their friends.

That's why Ran and the gang decided today is the day to take action.

The five members followed them to Shinichi's home in true stalker style, hiding behind bushes and things as they had always seen in movies. Not long after that, all of them stopped only in front of Shinichi's front gates. He had left them open."This ain't good," Ran's worries increase.

"Why?" The others head's turned to her.

"Shinichi always made it a point to lock the gate, it's not like him to not lock it up since he lives alone most of the time while his parents are out working overseas."

"Really?" Junko and the others were startled by the information.

"Now that you mention it," Even Takuma thought about this, "Ranran always made it a point to lock the gates up at her place as well."

"You forgot to lock the gates again, Shinichi!" Ranran's groaning voice could be heard emitting from his house, "You wait here, set the things up while I go out and lock."

Horrified, the group of children immediately fled from the gates back to their hiding spot, observing Ranran closely as she walked out of the house and locked the gate before returning back inside.

"Okay, now what do we do?" Emiko whispered, looking at the others.

"We have to find out what happened to them," Michio replied, determined.

"I have an idea," Junko said, "Let's sneak into Shinichi's house and see if we can find any clues."

"Break in? Are you crazy?" Takuma exclaimed, "We can't just go into someone's house like that!"

"Did you not recall the last time that Sonoko did that?! She got beaten up with bats by Ranran and Shinichi!" Michio pointed out.

"We have no choice, boys," Junko said, "We need to find out what's going on with Shinichi and Ranran. If something bad has happened to one of us, I am certain they would do anything they can to do something about it."

Takuma sighed, knowing that Ran was right. They all looked at each other and nodded in agreement. Together, they cautiously made their way into Shinichi's house, hoping to find some answers.

A part of Ran knew this was an invasion of privacy, that they are repeating the same things Sonoko is doing. And she honestly feared getting struck in the bat by both Shinichi and Ranran, after what happened to Sonoko. 

Even so, this part of her insisted that she needed to get to the bottom of this and that this could only help him. She decided to side with the latter part.

The five children crept into the house silently, fortunately, the entrance of the main door wasn't locked, and the rest of the children except Ran were honestly in awe that Shinichi's house was a lavish-looking mansion. "Dude, I know Shinichi's family is rich, but how is it that he is able to live in a large mansion?" Takuma couldn't help but comment.

"Shinichi's tousan is a successful best-selling author for writing mystery novels, while his mom is a successful actress," Ran shrugged, "So it's not surprising that they live in a big house."

As they tiptoed through the house, they noticed that everything was in order, and there didn't seem to be any sign of a struggle or disturbance. Then, the five heard loud noises coming from one of the rooms.

"Dude, did you hear that?" Takuma can't help but say.

"That's the living room!" Ran grew a little horrified.

"Wait, how do you know-" Then Emiko figures, "Oh yeah, you two used to be friends since kindergarten."

Ran nodded in confirmation, "I used to drop by all the time. That's definitely the living room."

The others nodded, and they slowly made their way towards the room where the noise was coming from. This scared Ran more than everything else. What in the world could Shinichi and Ranran be doing?

The group slowly made their way towards the living room, and as they peeked in, they were met with a sight that shocked them. 

In the middle of the room were Shinichi and Ranran, sweating in concentration, dancing in front of the Playstation Camera while dancing to the song 'Bring it On' ft Kagamines!

The group stood there in shock for a moment, watching their friends dance. It was a sight they never expected to see. Staring at the screen and saw the flashing letters spelling out, 'Dance Dance Revolution, the two are dancing to whatever is shown on the screen.

Shinichi was struggling to sway back and forth to the beat as he attempted to dance with Ranran, where Ranran was mirroring every single dance move with such accuracy on the TV as if she was born to be a pro dancer.

The five children were stunned, "Oh my goodness....who knew...Ranran dances like a pro!?" Takuma was the first to say.

"The same can't be said for Shinichi though," Junko can't help but comment while Michio nods alongside her in agreement. "I agree with Fuyuko, I mean his dance moves are...cringe."

"Oh no, it's worst than cringe, it's like a dying duck attempting to dance," Emiko added.

As they watched Shinichi struggle with the dance moves, "You know, Shinichi always claimed that he couldn't dance, but I never knew it was this bad." It shocked Ran so much, like, how could Kudo Shinichi of all people, be even worse at dancing than singing? Like, does horrible dancing even exist?

"Oh lord, I need to wash my eyes to unsee Shinichi's dance moves...." Michio pinched his nose bridge while cringing, and so did Junko and Emiko. Even Takuma n had no words to describe this.

"You know, I know that he may not be a professional dancer, but still....this doesn't excuse bad dancing! Just look at Ranran!" Emiko pointed to the girl next to Shinichi, it was as if Ranran could've turned pro as an entertainer, "Her dance moves are enough to put the recently disband Red Illumination band to shame!

It was unbearable to witness this any longer. One Kudo being able to dance while the other can't, it hurts their eyes.

"Stop, both of you!" Ran yelled, bursting into the room. That is when both Kudo children spun around in horror and sighed in relief when they both realizes it was only Ran and the others.

"Ran..." He breathed out, for that was all he could say in between his panted breaths.

"What the hell are you guys doing here!?" Ranran confronted.

"We were worried about you and Ranran," Takuma replied, "We thought something had happened to you since you both limp to school every single day!"

"And now we see why," Michio pointed to their legs, "Dancing all day everyday even while investigating a case, no wonder you both are exhausted."

Ranran glared at them, "Mind your own business! We're perfectly capable of taking care of ourselves."

Emiko stared at them both while Takuma blurts out, "Anyway, what is with you both dancing while juggling the case in the first place!?"

Shinichi sighed before collapsing on the floor while Ranran threw herself onto the couch to lie down she reminded them, "Do you all recall the previous meeting in Tantei association when we all do a poll on what we needed to improve the other day?"

The others nodded in agreement. "Something about increasing physical endurance? Because we all keep getting into dangerous situations, it ain't possible to go up against the adults." Junko recalled.

"Exactly," Shinichi continued. "Ranran doesn't like physical activities that involved having to be beneath the sun due to the fear of getting tanned. And I do. So after tons of discussion later, we went with Ranran's video gaming with a combination of physical stunts: You guess it, that is how we ended up here."

"But we didn't expect this case to come up so suddenly," Ranran added. "So we've been juggling both the case and our dance practice, which has been quite challenging."

"Wait, I get it that you both were into this, but if that were the case..."Ran folded her arms, "Why didn't you both put it in our association for all of us to use?"

"After the Snake broke into our place, it was unnecessary. Also, Shinichi's parents was the one who bought it, imagine this whole thing getting stolen, it wouldn't be worth it." Ranran dismisses.

"I see," Emiko said thoughtfully. "Made sense."

"Also Ranran didn't just do it because she wanted to," Shinichi then urged everyone to see the ranking board in the game, "There is a prize if one gets no.1 for this particular song."

Michio leaned forward to get a better look at the screen. "Wow, a 4k UHD tv!"

"Really!?" Soon, the others cowered around the tv screen, visibly showing the prize. "I think those TVs are expensive,"  exclaimed Junko.

"Yeah, but it's not just any TV," said Shinichi. "It's one of the best models on the market, with the latest technology and features. It's worth a lot of money."

"Unfortunately, the prize would be granted to the player who scored the highest in dance moves, we have been trying to dance accordingly for 2 weeks...at first, Shinichi didn't want to do it. Even so....."

"....she was right, like, we can't live without a tv. So we both played and couldn't stop. Things got very competitive, then yeah."Shinichi then explained in between his pants from over-dancing, "Ranran, passed to me the bottle of water, will you?"

"Are you two idiots or what?!" Ranran handed the bottle to Shinichi as he drinks in a hurry, while Ran yelled, " No wonder you both kept limping here and there" Ran exclaimed, before realizing, "And you guys were at that time doing it since....what? Solving that red illumination case at the same time! This is overkill to both of your bodies at the rate the both of you are going!"

"So let me guess since the deadline is around...what, around Wednesday!? That is only in 2 days' time!" Junko noticed.

"So much for the suspicion, " Takuma rolls his eyes in disbelief, but couldn't help staring at the expensive equipment, wondering if he should try it one day.

"I mean the tv is free, so why not? " Ranran said solemnly.

"You know what? You both are doing it wrong! What you have both been doing is a waste of energy! I will show you!" That was when Mouri Ran scoffed at the detective girl, before jumping in front of the screen to join as played and picked out a song, much to the Kudo children and the other members' horror.

"Ran don't, "Shinichi said, horrified. "You'll get roped in... don't do it, Ran."

"Shinichi is right! Don't do it! Do you want to get addicted to it!?" Ranran warned.

She turned to the two, then at their friends, then glared, before beginning to play.

The following day at school, no one was surprised to see a worn-out Shinichi arriving ten minutes late while Ranran was dragged from the back by Shinichi. "I don't wanna go to school, Shinichi."

"No choice, we have to." He groaned.

What shocked them most was Takuma struggling to support a very exhausted Mouri Ran, who dragged herself behind the Kudo kids, and nearly collapsed at her desk by the time Takuma was able to escort her to Sonoko's side.

Sonoko immediately noticed Ran's condition and asked, "Ran, are you feeling okay? You look really tired."

Ran shook her head and let out a small groan. "I didn't get much sleep after dancing with Ranran and Shinichi."

Sonoko's eyes widened in surprise. "Eh!? Dancing!?"

They were not the only children who struggled to head back to class later day, "I just can't believe how clumsy I was yesterday," Michio replied, looking down at his feet. "I kept tripping over everything, and I couldn't even dance properly after being roped in."

"Hey, it's okay," Junko said reassuringly, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Nobody's perfect, and we all have off days. You'll do better next time."

Michio smiled weakly. "Thanks, Junko. I hope you're right."

Emiko stumbled back to her class, her head spinning and her vision blurry. She couldn't believe how tired she was feeling. She had barely slept the night before, and now her body was paying the price. Why did she decide to do it in the first place?

As she entered the classroom, she heard the teacher calling her name. "Emiko, are you okay?" the teacher asked, noticing her unsteady gait.

Emiko nodded weakly. "I'm just feeling a bit tired, sensei."

The teacher frowned. "Maybe you should go home and rest. You don't look well."

Emiko shook her head. "No, I'll be fine. I don't want to miss any classes."

The teacher sighed. "Alright, but if you feel worse, please let me know."

Emiko nodded and stumbled to her seat, feeling more exhausted than ever. She couldn't wait for the day to be over so she could go home and sleep.

It won't be long before as soon as school ends, the cycle would continue viciously to a point, all of their parents would later put a stop to this. And they did end winning a TV, but that would be a story for another time.

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

Several days later, Sonoko is on her way home from Teitan Elementary School, eager to head home and watch that new romance drama that had recently caught her attention, something about childhood romance that reminds her of Ran and Shinichi.

"One day, I wonder if Shinichi will see it the way Ran sees things."

As Sonoko walked down the street, lost in her thoughts about the upcoming drama, she bumps into someone.  "Oh, I'm sorry!" Sonoko exclaimed as she looked up to see who she had bumped into.

"I guess you are still ditzy as you were when we first met."

Startled, Sonoko looks up and sees that it's, "Rokuro! How long has it been since we last met!?"

"It's been a while, Sonoko," Rokuro replied with a smile. "How have you and Ran been? Last time I left...I think I didn't leave Shinichi on a good note."

"Oh, I am fine," Sonoko reassures, but that smile eventually faded a lot, "As for Ran, however...."

"Ran....?" Rokuro's eyebrows rose, "Is everything alright with her?"

"Well..."Sonoko hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Well, Ran has been having a rough time ever since...a girl captured Shinichi's attention."

Rokuro's expression turned serious, "I see. A girl....may I know who is she?"

"Ah, forget it," Sonoko tries to dismiss Rokuro from looking for her, "She isn't...someone you can easily mess with."

"Why? She is 6 years old like you anyway."

Sonoko glares at Rokuro. "Don't underestimate her just because she's a child. That girl..." Her hands trembled, "Ran and I suffered a lot under her."

Seeing Rokuro not pleased with hearing this, the conversation ends with, "Where can I find her? This girl who has been bullying the both of you?"