6-year-old Kudo Shinichi had seen his fair share of how people react when they receive bad news.

The first time when he was around 4, Shinichi remembered the time when the family told him he will no longer be 'the only child' within the Kudo family. At first, he misunderstood as if he would be getting a sibling his age.

But then things took a pretty dark turn when he began hearing rumours.

"Is it true that your father cheated on your mom and had a daughter the same age as you?"

He heard from his kindergarten classmates. Shinichi didn't know what 'cheated' meant, but he knew it wasn't good. When he asked his parents about it, they were quiet and solemn, and Shinichi could feel the tension in the air.

Eventually, when he realized that he could potentially have a half-sister through infidelity, it was a lot to take in for the then 4-year-old him. Sure, he knew his dad at times would be flirty, but to have a kid with a woman that ain't his mom is still outrageous.

The most ridiculous part was when he overheard his paternal grandparents saying that she will be moving here next year, it was a tough pill to swallow for Shinichi, who had grown accustomed to being the centre of attention and the sole recipient of his parents' love and affection. Of course, they didn't push it further, since for some reason she is living in a different residence, but it was better than seeing the evidence of his father's betrayal wandering around the house.

Around the age of 5, things turned so bad the first time they met, that when she broke her leg at the parkour event, the word that remained with him even to this day never left his mind.

"Send me back to the U.K, I want to go home! This isn't my home, I did not grow up here for 5 years the way all of you did, I have no emotional attachment. Nor do I want to get to know that boy who called me a 'bastard'!"

She screamed all of this in English before being sedated, but Shinichi had learned enough of the language to understand what she was saying.

He felt guilty for what he said to her, but at the same time, he couldn't help feeling a bit resentful towards her. It wasn't her fault, but the whole situation had caused so much pain and turmoil in their family that it was hard for Shinichi to feel anything but anger and confusion.

Now, at the age of 6, as he stood with the other members of the Tantei Association, Shinichi could sense that something big was about to happen. He tried to calm his nerves by taking deep breaths, but his heart was pounding in his chest.

"Did you read this one unproven record back in the day somewhere in China?"

Shinichi shook his head at the little red lip girl while they were at a luxury restaurant, Ranran grins and explained, "There was this incident where this small rural village had a severe case of measles. Since back in the day there was no cure, it means death. As this disease is infectious, the emperor ordered the village to be sealed so it doesn't reach the capital city. Anyone who flees will be sentenced to death."

Wondering where Ranran was heading with this, she then adds, "And yet, despite this cruel warning, not a single villager listened to the most powerful man in the kingdom and ended up heading to the capital city, there were deaths that day. Do you know why the villagers didn't listen to the emperor despite the death penalty?"

Shinichi was intrigued by Ranran's story and shook his head, waiting for her to explain.

"Because people in general are selfish beings," Ranran said, her eyes sparkling. "Selfishly, they want to live. They didn't want to die for the people who are living luxuriously in the capital, especially the emperor. The same goes for this serial killer announcement you are about to make," She used her fork to tap, getting Shinichi's attention, "Telling our classmates the truth would make them want to leave, even come to this luxury hotel I am hiding out. Hell, I won't even be surprised if they demanded me to pay for living expenses here, which is not going to happen. But this part is nothing, if they all move here, the killer will be alerted that we all know he committed a murder in the guise of an accident."

Shinichi listened intently to Ranran's words, feeling a bit surprised by the comparison between the villagers and their current situation. He knew that people could be selfish, but he never thought of it in that way before.

"The solution to this announcement is to tell a half lie and half truth."

Taking a deep breath, Shinichi stepped forward and began his announcement. "After a very thorough investigation, Tantei Association has reason to believe that the recent accidents...lack sufficient evidence to suggest that this is a work of a serial killer."

The room was silent as Shinichi spoke, while Ran and Takuma remained quiet. Some of the children looked relieved, while others looked sceptical. "Are you lying?" One of the doubts.

"No, to be honest, all the evidence we had gathered was in a way, circumstantial, so we couldn't really pinpoint if that is the case," Shinichi admits.

"What is circumstantial evidence?" Some of the 6-year-olds grew confused at that term.

Shinichi paused for a moment, looking at the faces of his fellow Tantei Association members. He knew that some of them might not be satisfied with his announcement, but he also knew that he had to do what was best for the safety of everyone involved.

"Circumstantial evidence," Shinichi explained, "is evidence that suggests a fact or event, but doesn't directly prove it. For example, if you see footprints leading to a window that's been broken, it's circumstantial evidence that someone might have broken in. But it doesn't prove for sure that they did."

The children nodded, seeming to understand. Shinichi continued, "In this case, we have found several pieces of circumstantial evidence that suggest that the accidents were not natural, but we cannot be sure if they were all the work of the same person or if they were intentional. Therefore, we cannot make the conclusion that a serial killer is behind it."

Observing his hesitant look, Shinichi then said, "...However," Shinichi paused for a moment before continuing, "It's too much of a coincidence to believe that all of these are accidents."

There was an immediate gasp from the crowd, and Shinichi could see the fear in their eyes.

The hallway fell silent as everyone tried to process this information. Reina glanced around, taking note of everyone's reactions. Some looked scared, some angry, and some were crying. Even Sonoko who hasn't fully recovered from her seasickness was close to passing out hearing this announcement.

It was a lucky thing that all of the adults here are outside right now, discussing what is the next step after putting Iwao's corpse in the fridge. Cause if they see what Shinichi is seeing now, he is certain the killer would strike them since they know they are no longer safe, and that they know too much.

Just as Ranran predicted as Shinichi recalls that conversation, one of the children could be even heard saying, "We must pack our bags and leave! I don't care about the typhoon, but we must leave!"

Shinichi waited a few moments for the shock to subside before speaking again. "If you leave, and if there is a murderer, they will kill you. After all, they staged it like an accident, and all of us aren't supposed to know."

"But Ranran left and checked herself into some hotel, did she not!?" Sonoko grew riled up, but weakly as she was still ill, "If she can leave, why can't we!?"

"Ranran left because everyone here, including the adults, were under the assumption that she hated camping," Takuma stepped in, arguing on behalf of his friend, "The killer would only suspect her as someone who is spoilt and ran away since she hates camping, not because she knew that there is an ongoing murder, Sonoko. Also, she didn't flee the hotel merely for that reason, she is still contacting the rest of the members back at Beikai District to look further into the deaths."

Shinichi nodded in agreement with Takuma's words. "That's right. Ranran left to investigate and gather more information. We need to find out who is behind these accidents and stop them from hurting anyone else. And we can't do that if we all leave."

"But what can we do? We're just kids," one of the younger children piped up.

"I don't want to die!" One of them even sobbed, "I am too young to die."

"Where is the hotel Ranran is in!? Tell us where!" Sonoko demanded.

Eeriely, seeing their faces made Shinichi shiver a bit, over how Ranran had the foresight to figure out what would their classmate's response be. Similarly to that China story, Ranran recounted to him earlier at the hotel before he left her to go to the campsite to check, the kids here are all out for themselves.

They don't want to die. 

Shinichi thought for a moment about Ranran's other words to convince the children to stay, before responding. "Listen, all of you. I know things are difficult now at the moment, but even if all of you wanted to go, you all can't for good reasons.

"First of all, from the hotel I was in with Ranran earlier, there will be a typhoon coming later around the evening. Which is too dangerous to travel in. It's better to stay here where you are all safe. And secondly, we need to find out who is behind these accidents and stop them. That's why we're all here, to work together and protect each other."

"What about you, are you going to remain with us at the campsite?" Reina asked.

"No, I am going back to the hotel on a horse after this, Ranran is doing all of the heavy load investigation on her own with the other 3 members, she can't do without her apprentice, "Shinichi pointed to himself. "But don't worry, I'll make sure to check on all of you regularly and keep you updated on any developments."

"But if anything happens, how are we to contact you?" Ran can't help but ask, "The phone signal in this area is dead, while the hotel there has Wi-fi and a phone signal."

"I have a walkie-talkie with me, I bought it from the hotel," Shinichi replied, "I will hand it over to Takuma, you all can contact me in case of an emergency. I will leave it with you before I go."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "But I want all of you to promise me that you will stay safe, look out for each other, and follow the safety protocols that the campsite has provided. Don't wander off into the woods alone, don't touch any unfamiliar plants or animals, or go swimming in the sea during the typhoon to flee if there is a killer. Understand?"

The children nodded in unison, some wiping away their tears. Shinichi gave them a reassuring smile before turning to leave. He knew that he had to get back to the hotel as soon as possible to assist Ranran with the investigation.

As he walked down the hallway, Shinichi couldn't help but think about the gravity of their situation. He knew that they were all in danger, and he needed to find the killer before it was too late.

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

"Why did you insist on accompanying me?" Shinichi grew annoyed as Reina accompanied him while he was heading back to the horse he parked in the forest.

"Cause I need to ask a couple of things, about the hotel Ranran is living in. Of course, not in front of the other kids so to speak." 

Shinichi sighed, "Alright, what do you want to ask?"

Reina hesitated for a moment before speaking, "The hotel Ranran had checked in, is lavish, isn't it?"

Shinichi nodded, "Yes, it's a five-star hotel with all the amenities you could ask for."

"I thought so," Reina chuckled.

That made Shinichi react in surprise, "You are not mad that Ranran has been hiding in a luxurious hotel?"

"I have been her friend for a while now, enough to know the things she is capable of."

Shinichi raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, Ranran hates camping. I ain't surprised at that. Though I admit I am a bit bothered by one thing out of curiosity rather than jealousy," Reina then asked, "Did she not try to get people to let us live in the hotel?"

"Ah, so that's what has been bothering you, huh?"

Reina nodded, "Yeah, I mean, we could have avoided all of this trouble and stayed in a comfortable and safe place."

"Well, not like she didn't try," He sighs, "But this is her reward from one of her old cases while working as The Fox. The client will not pay for any friend or person she brings into the penthouse."

"Wait, Ranran is living in a penthouse!?"

Shinichi nodded, "Yes, it's one of the best rooms in the hotel."

Reina whistled, "No wonder she didn't come back to this campsite, especially you, packing your things so soon and eager to ride back to the hotel."

Shinichi chuckled, "I have to admit, the thought of a comfortable bed and a hot shower did cross my mind."

Reina shook her head with a smile, "Typical Shinichi."

"Hey, don't judge me," Shinichi teased.

Reina laughed before wondering, "Wait if that is the case, did Ranran's client make an exception to let you move into the penthouse?"

"Ah no," Shinichi shook his head.

"Then how are you supposedly going to check into the hotel without money and without Ranran?"

"Well, I have my ways," Shinichi smirked.

Reina raised an eyebrow, "I don't want to know, do I?"

Shinichi chuckled, "Not really, but don't worry about it. I have a plan."

Reina nodded, "Alright if you say so."

As they reached the horse, Shinichi mounted it, "I better get going now. You take care, Reina. As well as the others while I am away."

"You too, Shinichi. Don't get yourself into trouble, and tell Ranran don't eat too many sweets! It's bad for her health! And that we missed her!" Reina warned.

Shinichi chuckled, "I'll try not to. Bye, Reina."

"Bye, Shinichi," Reina waved as Shinichi rode off.

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

Meanwhile, back at the penthouse, Ranran was busy investigating the case while having another meeting with Emiko, Junko and Michio through the laptop in the living room.

Ranran sat cross-legged on the sofa, with her laptop open in front of her, and a notebook beside her. She listened attentively to Emiko, who was presenting her findings on the case.

"So, according to my research, Itsuki Jun's family was not really well off," Emiko explained. "Their family used to run a shoe shop called 'Dozing Shoemaker'."

"Eh? Dozing Shoemaker?" Ranran repeated in confusion, "Ain't that shop a luxury shoe brand? I went there not long ago since Okaasan dragged me there to buy new pairs, after learning I hid all of my shoes to skip this camping trip I am on. Also, why the odd name?"

"That is because before all of this had happened, the shop used to be run at Namakemono-shi (なまけもの市), a.k.a in English Lazy City."

"Wait, Lazy city!?" Ranran was baffled by the choice of names.

"That's right, the name Namakemono-shi combines two Japanese words: "namakemono" which means "lazy person" or "slacker," and "shi" which means "city." So the name literally translates to "Lazy City". It received this name after a survey was done that the citizens there were very unmotivated or lacking ambition."  Emiko explained before reading out her report, "This shoe shop is located at the edge of town at that time, but it wasn't doing well financially at that time when Itsuki Jun was a student. Around that period, Itsuki's father passed away a few years ago, and her mother was struggling to make ends meet. Itsuki used to work part-time at a convenience store to help support the family. It was only after Jun married Miki that the shoe shop became a luxury brand."

"Eh!?" Michio grew startled, "That means those rumours that Miki is from a rich family must be true, huh!?"

"....so she and her late fiance, Kichiro, are both equally poor." Michio muses.

Emiko nodded, "Yes, and from what we gathered, Kichiro was also working part-time while studying. It seems like they were a couple who understood each other's financial struggles and were willing to work hard to overcome them."

"Were their parents alright with them getting engaged while studying at university?" 

Junko, who had been silent until now, spoke up, "Both families were against it."

Ranran leaned forward, "Is it because they are both poor?"

Junko nodded, "Yes, but that is only a small part of the reason. The other reason is that Itsuki's mother....looks down on Kichiro."

"In what way?"

"I ain't sure, since Jun's mom had dementia, but when I asked around with Junko, they have been rumours that Kichiro is the son of a single mother, which is why Jun's mom did not approve of the marriage. In her eyes, she thinks her daughter deserves better. And as for Kichiro's family...his relatives are expecting them to pay a dowry for an unreasonable sum that Jun can't afford." Michio read his own report.

Ranran frowned, "But Jun is also raised by one since her dad died, no difference," Ranran tap her pencil on the book, "Anything about Mr Miki's background." 

"Ah yes, I dug around the name Yasuo Miki, to see whether there were any ties to the wealthy community," Emiko frantically searches for Miki's files on the table, "Here it is."

"It took you days to get a hit, huh?" Ranran scowled a bit.

"It wasn't easy to locate the family," Emiko admitted, "And I will be honest with you, I still ain't sure whether if they had any ties to Mr Miki."

"Why? It's so unlike you to not be certain when collecting intel on someone," Junko quipped. 

"Well, when I started out digging about Yasuo Miko, there were pictures of him like any other rock climbing enthusiast," Emiko then tap her finger on the table, "I then checked on his wife, Jun's profile, and hers is no different. No photos of them attending events with some high-profile individuals, such as CEOs of big companies and politicians. And there were strange things I notice about their accounts," 

Emiko then sends the profile links to Ranran while she elaborates, "Ranran, tell me what do you see?"

Ranran clicks on the links and starts browsing through the profiles. She then notices that the profiles of Yasuo Miki and Itsuki Jun had very few friends, and most of the posts were about mundane things like food, pets, and hobbies.

"It's normal for people to not post a lot, you know? In Japan, not everyone does this as they are private people," Junko suggests.

"It's true, but I ain't asking her to pay attention to that," Emiko said.

"Hey, why are they no photos of their wedding? Let alone, photos of them being a couple?!" Ranran suddenly noticed.

"That's what I'm talking about," Emiko nodded in agreement. "It's strange that there are no photos of their wedding, especially since it's such an important event in one's life. And I also couldn't find any photos of them being a couple."

"It's possible that they are a private couple," Michio suggested.

"But if that's the case, then why in Jun's profile, does she still keep photo albums of herself with her late fiance, Kichiro? In fact, she kept resharing it on a specific date, on his death anniversary," Emiko added.

"It doesn't make sense," Ranran pointed out.

"I will tell you what makes sense, is that Miki's wife Jun is a heartless woman, to keep doing that even though she had been married to Miki for 12 years," Junko commented.

"And there's more. You notice that they all had friends in their photos, correct? But there don't seem to have photos of themselves taken with their respective parents. Who takes photos without their parents in their social media accounts besides their friends?" Emiko continued.

"It's definitely unusual," Michio agreed, "Although I know of some who don't take pictures with their parents since some of them are photo shy, it's odd that not only there are no photos of Miki and Jun's wedding, but also their parents are absent."

"Exactly. And that's not all," Emiko said, leaning forward. "You do know that usually, it is easier to look for children of prominent wealthy figures online, right?"

Ranran nods in agreement, "Yes, their children often have a digital footprint, with pictures of them attending prestigious schools, travelling around the world, or being involved in charity events."

"I was getting nowhere with Miki's profile, so  I used my artistic abilities to reconstruct Miki as a child before doing a reverse search," Emiko said. "I did not find anyone, however...I found a man, however, who looked like Miki."

"A man who looked like Miki? Who is he?" Junko asked, intrigued.

"He is a financial businessman, named Yasuo Tsuyoshi," Emiko replied, pulling up a photo of him on her phone. "Look at this picture of him when he was younger. Doesn't he look just like Miki?"

Junko and Michio leaned in for a closer look, and they all agreed that the two did indeed look very similar. "What does he have to do with Miki?" Michio asked.

"I googled about this man, he had a wife named Yasuo Shizuku. The two used to have a son named Tatsuo. Tatsuo attended a prestigious private school, and his mother was involved in various charitable organizations," Emiko explained. "But here's the thing, Tatsuo suddenly died when he was around nine years old."

"What did he die of?" Michio asked.

"It doesn't say, the information is vague," Emiko replied, shaking her head. "But what caught my attention was that after his death, Yasuo and Shizuku adopted a boy in their son's stead. Oddly, there were no photos taken of them together with that boy."

Junko furrowed her brows, "That does sound suspicious. Is there any information on the adopted son?"

Emiko shook her head, "No, I couldn't find anything on him. It's like he doesn't exist, at least not in the digital world."

"This is all starting to sound like a conspiracy," Michio commented.

"I am sorry, what does this adopted son have anything to do with Miki? Let alone, the death of Eiji, Kichiro, Kiryu and Iwao?" Junko became confused.

Ranran who kept observing Miki's photo on the laptop, then compared it with Yasuo Tsuyoshi, "Emiko is implying...Miki is the illegitimate son who is adopted into the family."

Everyone in the room fell silent as they let that sink in. "If that's true, it would explain a lot," Michio said finally. "But how did you come to that conclusion?"

"I mean, look at the similarities between Miki and Yasuo Tsuyoshi. And the fact that there are no photos of Miki's childhood or any information about his parents, it all seems to fit," Emiko explained.

"Emiko, only that would happen in the movies," Junko laughed at that conclusion, "They are children who look like their adoptive parents. Also, what idiot rich family who adopt the child their respective spouse cheated on with another woman!?"

"Oh, if you even bother to move into my hometown, you will see plenty," Ranran interjected, as she listed the reasons why, "Usually, in some cases, the legal wife can no longer produce children anymore. If IVF and everything is no longer an option, that is where the child of the mistress becomes the heir overnight. Back in my school in Edgewood, I have seen this happen so many times, it has become a norm."

"What!?" Junko's glasses almost fell, "But won't the wife be pissed off!?"

"Of course, they would, but it's usually the husband or the husband's mother who gets the final say." Ranran chuckled, "They need heirs to take over their wealth, trust no one but their own blood. Even if it ain't theirs."

Junko looked horrified by the revelation. "That's terrible! It's like the child is just a pawn in their games of wealth and power."

"I know, it's really messed up," Emiko agreed.

"But even if Miki is the illegitimate son of Yasuo and Shizuku, how does that connect him to the deaths of Eiji, Kichiro, Kiryu, and Iwao?" Michio pointed out.

"A rich illegitimate son, if I may add," Junko adds.

"So what Miss Akane said is true, which explains why Jun and Miki were able to easily afford 2 weddings," But then Michio frowns deeply, "But why are they no photos of their wedding?"

"Another thing I found odd is Eiji Ishida, the victim who fell off the cliff," Emiko crossed her fingers before staring back at Ranran on the screen of the laptop, "Ranran, I search high and low for Eiji Ishida's social media accounts you gave me again, but it seemed to have erased completely. I even did a reverse image search on his profile picture and couldn't find any matches for days," Emiko replied. "It's like his social media presence was completely wiped off the internet."

"That is concerning," Junko said, looking worried. "If his past company say that he doesn't work for their company, let alone, any trace of him is erased...then who is this man really?"

"It's possible that he was using a fake identity," Michio suggested. "Maybe he was involved in something shady and needed to disappear."

"But why would he be involved in something shady?" Junko asked, "He is just a rock cliff climbing instructor. What is there to gain?"

"That's a good point," Emiko said, nodding in agreement. "But we don't know much about him yet, so it's hard to say for sure. It's possible he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and got caught up in something he shouldn't have."

"I think we need to dig deeper into Eiji's background," Michio said, "Maybe there's something there that could give us a clue. I mean he is the only one who doesn't study at the same university as Miki or the others for that matter."

"Do you have a clearer photo of Eiji, Ranran?" Emiko suggests, "The previous one you sent me was too zoomed out. If you got a close proximity photo of him, perhaps I can try to do a search on his life online."

"I have a clearer photo one of the kids from 1-A took the other day and sent it in our group chat," Ranran sent the others the photo, "But his face is so full of scars, I don't know if you can find him. Rarely people with that many scars would upload their photo on the site."

As soon as Emiko took a good look, she can't help but say, "You know...what if I remove the scars and reconstruct his original face?"

Junko and Michio both looked surprised. "Can you do that?" Junko asked.

"It's possible," Emiko replied. "Recently I started to pick up lessons on how to create 3D models  If I reconstruct what he would look like without the scars, it should get me somewhere."

Junko and Michio both looked surprised. "Can you do that?" Junko asked. "But you are a sketch artist."

"I can give it a try," Emiko said confidently. "I've been experimenting with some software that can reconstruct faces based on photographs. It's not perfect, but it might work."

"Okay, let's give it a shot," Michio said, eager to uncover more about Eiji's background.

"But it will take days since I ain't familiar with it," Emiko insists.

"That's okay," Ranran said. "It's better to take our time and do it right than rush and make mistakes."

"Agreed," Michio said. "Emiko, take as much time as you need. We'll wait for your results."

Emiko smiled gratefully. "Thank you. I'll get to work right away."

"And as for Fuyuko-san and Majima-san," Ranran orders through the laptop, "I need you both to do some digging. First is the financial records of the shoe shop owned by Jun's family, Dozing Shoemaker, and Jun and Kichiro's family. The second is to dig into the Yasuo family's background."

"Ranran, you must be joking!" Junko exclaimed, "While it would be easier to dig around Kichiro and Jun since they are poor, the Yasuo family however, they are one of the most powerful and influential families in the city. It's not going to be easy to find anything on them."

"And we are children, let's not forget that," Michio reminded Ranran.

"You have someone at your disposal," Ranran commented.

"Who!?" The three senior members grew confused, exchanging puzzled glances.

"Do you remember the movie investor from the second major case we worked on?" Ranran tried to jog their memory.

"I do remember him," Michio said, "He was a wealthy movie investor who hired us to investigate his half-brother, who he suspected of embezzling from him."

"Didn't we end up uncovering that it was both of their mother's greedy decisions that later led the half-brother to embezzle the money?" Junko remembered, "While the half-brother is serving time now, his fiance is now working for the client as a secretary."

"Yeah, that one," Ranran nods, "Call Mr Muniko, I remembered reading that he has some connections in the business world aside from the entertainment industry. With his influence, he might be able to help us find out more about the Yasuo family."

"Oh hell no!" Everyone turned to Junko, shaking her head in disapproval, "I do not want to make that call."

"Why not?" Emiko asked.

"Cause that would mean I would have to call his secretary, Miss Ohta!" Junko pouted.

"Why? Is it because Miss Ohta said in the years of learning how to hold a gun, she never met anyone who sucks using a gun the way you do?" Ranran recalled.

"Hey, that was just one time," Junko protested.

"One time? Oh yeah, that was memorable," Michio scratched his chin, "I remembered it punctured the tire of a car."

Junko's face turned bright red as she tried to defend herself. "It was an accident! I didn't mean to aim at the car!"

"Of course, you didn't," Emiko chimed in, "Because the bullet you fired from the gun ricocheted and ended up puncturing the tire of a Mercedes."

Ranran giggled. "I remember the owner of the car was so angry. He was yelling and screaming which idiot did it. Though I was tempted to rat you out."

"I still don't know how I managed to do that," Junko sighed, shaking her head, "I mean that owner was going to force the shooter to pay up! And judging the car he was with at that time, Okaasan would've been furious to sell off the house just to pay up the damage."

The group erupted in laughter as Junko buried her face in her hands, embarrassed.

"Okay, okay, enough with the teasing," Michio intervened, trying to diffuse the laughter. "Let's focus on the task at hand. We need to find out more about the Yasuo family, and if Mr Muniko can help us with that, then we should reach out to him."

Junko let out a sigh but eventually nodded in agreement. "Fine, I'll make the call. But let's not forget that we are still just kids, and we need to be careful with what we do. We don't want to get in over our heads."

"I agree," Emiko chimed in. "We need to be careful and approach this with caution. But I think it's worth it if we can uncover the truth and bring justice for Miki and Eiji."

With that, the four of them continued their discussion, making plans and delegating tasks to each other in order to further their investigation. They knew it wouldn't be easy, but they were determined to uncover the truth, no matter what it took.

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

"Ah finally! Another break in this penthouse!" Ranran plops on the sofa after calling off the meeting.

As Ranran leaned back on the sofa, she closed her eyes. The investigation had been intense, and the kids had been working non-stop. But now, with a new lead in hand, she could finally take a break and catch her breath.

Ranran breathed a sigh of relief as she settled onto the plush sofa in the penthouse. Planning her way here into this penthouse wasn't easy, before the shoe scheming incident she did with her parents so they couldn't send her to go out camping, she contacted her other clients while she was working as The Fox back in the U.K. She hated camping, and the thought of spending a weekend in the woods with the other kids made her feel anxious and uncomfortable.

So, when they arrived at the campsite, Ranran initially planned to leave on a Thursday originally, on that particular day on the camping schedule, since they were supposed to pitch their tents and learn survival skills out in the woods. The research on bear attacks, bad facilities etc was bad enough around the area, but then Eiji's murder and her medications having been stolen just sped up the process.

For the first time in a long while, Ranran felt at ease. She had the whole place to herself and could do whatever she wanted. She could watch her favourite TV shows, play games, and eat as much junk food as she wanted without anyone nagging her to eat healthier. 

And if she ever feels lonely, Ranran just chats with her online friends or even her clients back in Edgewood Academy. The moment they heard that she checked into a penthouse after fleeing the campsite, they were in huge disbelief.

After all, what 6-year-old is capable of doing these things?

And the moment she heard the horrible stories that Shinichi recounted about how they had suffered in tents these past several days with the bugs, typhoon and stuff, thank lucky stars Ranran had fled with the horse.

Seriously, Ranran can't imagine sharing this penthouse with anyone. 

When she thinks back to how those girls just moved into her room without telling her back at the campsite, expecting them to protect them, it irked her greatly.

Even the first time she introduced herself in class, the other girls whispered among themselves that since she is spoilt, and can't live a day without luxuries.

Well, they are not wrong, but then whenever she is seen eating an expensive meal like her mother once paid a chef from some 5-star hotel to deliver her a lobster meal for recess, the other kids would give her dirty looks or make snarky comments.

But what they didn't know is that their eyes give way to wanting to eat it, which makes things so satisfactory.

Which is why if they ever knew about the penthouse where Ranran is seeking refuge to hide, Ranran is certain they are going to either make her feel bad and drag her back to the campsite, or shamelessly make her feel bad that she is enjoying all of this privilege and demand her to pay for their accommodation, which is so not going to happen. Well, maybe for Reina she would.

In the mix of all of this chaos, there is also a serial killer among the adults at the campsite where Ranran fled from, but till now, she has no idea who is it yet.

While heroes would simply let go of their resentment and be all noble about taking in their haters to the hotel in her shoes to protect them from the killer, Ranran doesn't see why she should bother.

It's not like she was completely heartless, she want to bring in Reina and Takuma over, but they knew better than shameless leaches are in 1-A class after all.

Although the drama that has taken place between herself, Shinichi and Ran had shifted public opinion in Ranran and Shinichi's favour, what is taking place on this island may also potentially flip in Ran's favour due to this serial killer situation.

As Ranran reclined on the sofa, her thoughts drifted back to the investigation. She couldn't shake off the feeling that the serial killer was someone they knew, someone who had been at the campsite with them from the beginning.

And the reason she knew this was because-

Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted when the door knocked.

Ranran jolted upright and looked towards the door, her heart racing. She wasn't expecting anyone, let alone, having to contact any hotel service. She cautiously approached the door and looked through the peephole. To her surprise, she saw a familiar face. "What the!?" Before she knew it, she hurriedly open the door to reveal Shinichi, her apprentice with his own luggage. "You returned back here a lot sooner than I imagined, and what is with those?" She pointed at his bag on the floor.

Smirking, he said, "Do you remember me telling you that I will find a way to check into this hotel?"

"I remember," she said, giving him an odd look. "What about it?"

"Well, I contacted Ojichan and Obachan," Shinichi said, grinning from ear to ear. "This morning while you were still asleep, I explain to them through the phone why you ended up in the penthouse alone, and then I convince them to let me move in with you out of safety reasons."

"What!? You can't do that!" Ranran huffed with her hands on her hips, "This place is covered under my client! You are technically freeloading off my client!"

"Let me get to it," Shinichi stopped her before continuing, "Anyway, when I request a room at the hotel, Ojichan actually said couldn't I just simply share the penthouse you are in? Since you had tons of spare bedrooms in there. And then I realize he had a point."

"And so what? You are going to basically freeload from my client in expenses here?!"

"I ain't done," Shinichi continued, "I knew you would say that, so I put on my detective cap over who was this client who paid for your stay in this penthouse. As soon as I tracked them down, I explained to them why I had to move in all for the sake of your safety reasons."

"And let me guess, they said no, right? Since I can take care of myself."

"Not exactly," Shinichi said with a smirk. "The expenses of this penthouse, I made a deal with your client that I will get Ojichan and Obachan to pay half, and they gladly accepted. And so for now," He kicked his bag a bit to say, "You have a new roommate to share."

"Seriously?" she asked, stunned, before becoming mad, "But I worked hard for this penthouse!"

"And I don't care! I am already sick and tired after being in that campsite for days!" Shinichi who had grown used to Ranran's selfish ways, retorted. "Besides, you have a total of 4 bedrooms in this suite! Don't tell me you were going to continue using all of it for 2 weeks!?"

And so, the bickering between wanting to keep the penthouse to herself lasted for an hour.