Shinichi's eyes widened in shock. "That's... pretty extreme. Are you sure it's a good idea?"

As far as Shinichi knows, anything to do with drugs, be it heroin or cocaine will never go well with anyone or anything. "Ranran, did you not read news about murderous cocaine and heroin users?"

"So?"

"So?!" Shinichi repeatedly blinked his eyes before confronting, "It's dangerous and could have serious consequences! We don't know how the killer will react to it, and there could be innocent people who get caught in the crossfire."

"You think I don't know that?!" Ranran sighed, "When I arrived at this hotel, I asked around and I learn that there are no police officers here till Thursday on this island thanks to the corruption scandal. If that isn't bad enough, two people practically died in the campsite where our class was camping, and it has been a week plus since we have been on this island. I don't know about you, but I don't think the killer is planning on stopping with these killings, and this medicine really is our last resort if we want to weasel them out."

Shinichi sighed, understanding the gravity of the situation. "I see your point. But still, we should be careful with how we use it. We don't want to cause any more harm than necessary. We are talking about innocent lives here!"

Ranran nodded in agreement, "Of course, I genuinely don't want to use it unless it's absolutely necessary. But we need to be prepared for the worst-case scenario."

"And where on earth did you obtain the cocaine anyway!? You are 6 like me!" Shinichi can't help but ask.

Ranran looked at Shinichi with a mixture of amusement and annoyance. "It's not actual cocaine, truthfully, my late mentor found a recipe for a non-lethal substitute that has similar effects."

"Your late mentor!? Wasn't he like 8 years old when he passed away!?" Shinichi's face fell in horror.

Ranran nodded solemnly, "Yes, he was. But he is a talented prodigy. He left behind a notebook filled with various recipes, including this one. I've been using it for a while now in my own experiments, and I've found it to be very effective."

Shinichi still looked uneasy, "How old were you when he taught you all of this?"

"3."

"3!?"

"Yes, I was 3 years old when he started teaching me this. He saw something in me that no one else did, which is why he took me under his wing in the first place."

"What...?" Shinichi silently mouthed to himself, wondering what sort of child this boy is, to teach a kindergartener how to concoct poison of all things!

It's official, whoever that boy is who taught Ranran all of this...is the son of drug addicts or drug lords in Shinichi's opinion.

"Hey, don't look at me like that," Ranran said, noticing Shinichi's expression. "My mentor was a decent boy who is very responsible in how he taught me. He made sure I understood the dangers of what I was doing and taught me how to handle the substances safely. I'm not just some kid playing with chemicals."

Shinichi sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Ranran...let me ask you something. Do you ever seen my neighbour, Agasa, ever taught me things like this?"

"No."

"Exactly," Shinichi tries to remain calm, "Because, in the first place, this is not something that kids should be messing around with. We should leave this kind of stuff to the adults who are trained and know what they're doing."

"Alright, then Shinichi, answer me this question." Ranran put aside her fork and spoon before looking him straight in the eye, "How many cops are on this island?"

Shinichi paused, thinking back to what Ranran had said earlier. "You said earlier that there are no police officers on this island until Thursday, due to a corruption scandal."

Ranran nodded. "That's right. And how many people did the killer kill?"

Shinichi paused for a moment, considering the question. "Four people," he replied finally.

Ranran nodded again. "Exactly. Four people in less than a week, and there are no cops on this island until Thursday. What do you suggest we do then, Shinichi? Sit around and wait for the killer to strike again?"

Shinichi thought for a moment before replying. "No, of course not. But there has to be another way. We can't just resort to using....drugs that are equivalent to the effects of cocaine just to catch the killer."

Ranran leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "Then what do you suggest, Shinichi? We've been here for over a week, and we haven't made any progress. We don't know who the killer is, and we don't know why they're doing this. We can't just sit around and wait for someone else to solve the case. We have to take matters into our own hands."

Shinichi sighed, knowing that she was right. "Okay, let's say we use this drug of yours. How was Takuma going to administer it to the killer?"

Ranran smiled triumphantly. "Spike his or her drink."

"Do you even know where is the killer even living on this island of all places!?"

"No, of course, I don't," Ranran admitted, "But if we think about it, there is a typhoon in a couple of days. That means no one can leave, nor anyone could come to the island."

Shinichi nodded slowly, seeing where Ranran was going with her plan. "So, you are thinking that since the killer can't leave the island just like us due to the typhoon, he would need to live somewhere to hide from the bad weather, correct?"

"Exactly," Ranran replied, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "If the murderer is one of the instructors in Kodama forest, it makes narrowing down easier."

"....but if the murderer isn't?" Shinichi challenged.

"Tell me, Shinichi, when the murderer broke into the girls' bunkbed room and steal my painkillers, what do you think is their motive?"

Shinichi thought for a moment before answering, "Maybe because they are sick or they are injured?"

"Exactly," Ranran said with a nod. "The killer must have needed the drugs for a reason. If that's the case, then they must be staying somewhere on this island to hide from the typhoon. But in your opinion, if you were a serial killer hiding out, but you targeted Kodama Forest, would you live near or far from the campsite before targeting your next victim in the campsite?"

"I would probably live as far away as possible from the campsite to avoid suspicion. But that also means it would be harder for the killer to get to the campsite to commit their next crime."

"True," Ranran acknowledged. "But it's also possible that the killer could have already scouted out the area and found a way to get to the campsite without being detected. But one way or another," Ranran muses, "The killer is definitely someone within the inner circle of Jun and Miki."

Crossing her fingers, Ranran spoke in all seriousness, "The fact that the killer knew where my bag was, if it was a stranger, there was no way he or she would walk towards my bag, steal it and leave without going through the bags of the other girls in the video, let alone, even knew which room I was sleeping in at Kodama forest."

Shinichi nodded in agreement. "That's a good point. It definitely suggests that the killer has some knowledge of the campsite and its surroundings."

"Exactly," Ranran said with a satisfied smile. "So, if we can figure out who on this island has that knowledge, we might be able to find the killer."

"But if you said that the killer is familiar with their surroundings on this island...." It suddenly dawned on Shinichi, "I wonder if the trap Takuma set would have any effect? Cause that would mean they may have found a way to bypass the trap Takuma set up. Maybe they're even watching us right now, waiting for an opportunity to strike."

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

"I can't believe that in 20 minutes' time, our situation is going to be so messed up."

Reina and Takuma remain vigilant in their tent, it was raining heavily outside the campsite right now, waiting for the killer to set the trap.

"I know," Takuma replied, his eyes fixed on the entrance of the tent. "But we have to be prepared for anything."

Reina nodded, feeling the tension in the air. "Do you think the killer will take the bait?"

"I hope so," Takuma said, his grip tightening around his makeshift weapon, a slingshot. "But we can't be sure. We have to be ready for anything."

The two of them remained silent for a while, listening to the sound of rain pattering against the tent. Suddenly, they heard a noise outside, causing them to tense up.

Takuma immediately stood up, grabbing his slingshot tightly. "Stay here, Reina. I'll go check it out."

Reina nodded, her heart pounding in her chest as she watched Takuma leave the tent. She tried to calm herself down, taking deep breaths and telling herself that everything was going to be okay.

After what felt like an eternity, Takuma returned to the tent. "It was just a raccoon," he said, his expression relaxing.

Reina breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the tension in her body dissipate. "Thank goodness," she said, laughing softly. "I don't think I can handle any more surprises tonight."

Takuma chuckled, sitting back down beside Reina. "Yeah, me too. But we still have to be careful. The killer might be waiting for the perfect moment to strike."

The two sat in silence for a few more moments before Reina spoke up again. "Neh Takuma, do you remember...the time when we were both dealing with our illnesses at the hospital when we were 3?"

Takuma looked at Reina with surprise before a smile crossed his face. "Of course, I remember. We used to play together all the time, even when we were feeling sick. Or that the doctor ordered us to recuperate in bed."

Reina smiled back, "Yeah, I also remembered how much we hated each other since we both like opposing football teams."

Takuma laughed at the memory. "I remember we used to argue about it all the time. Even come up with all sorts of pranks to get rid of the other, since I didn't have to share this patient room with anyone till you came along."

Reina chuckled. "Yeah, but then we realized that we had more in common than we thought. We both loved American Football regardless of the team we like."

Takuma nodded. "That's right. But who knew..."He and Reina looked at the tent entrance, "Who knew after we both recovered, we are still battling it out to make it out alive on this camping trip."

"Out of the tiger's den and into the lion's den," Reina shook her head with a bit of despair in her tone, "Who knew staying alive is so much more difficult than remaining dead?"

Takuma sighed. "Right? That our lives are on the line, because of all of the camping trips he or she could've chosen to strike, it had to be ours."

"Like what Ranran said is true, God has His favourites." The two fell silent again, their minds drifting back to the present danger. 

As they sat in silence, listening to the sound of the rain tapping against the tent and the occasional hooting of an owl, Reina suddenly spoke up. "You know, I told Ranran off about her views of camping several days ago, that she was being overly dramatic," she said, her voice low.

"Eh?" Takuma asked, turning to face her.

"Ranran is someone who can't live a day without privileges, kept complaining non-stop about mosquitoes, hot weather, and sleeping in a small tent. So I told her off and said that camping won't be as bad as it is, and it's her attitude that was the problem," Reina continued, her voice shaking slightly. "But now, I regret it. I should have listened to her. Maybe if we had been more prepared, we wouldn't be in this situation right now."

Takuma placed a hand on Reina's shoulder, "Hey, don't blame yourself. It's not your fault that we're in this situation. We all underestimated everything, and the last thing one would think is that there would be a murderer on the island we were in. We just have to focus on getting through this and getting out alive."

Reina nodded, "You're right. We have to focus on the present and do everything we can to survive." She took a deep breath and steadied herself. "We can do this."

Takuma gave her a small smile, "That's the spirit. And who knows, maybe after all of this, we'll have a newfound appreciation for camping."

Reina chuckled, "I highly doubt that, but anything is possible at this point."

The rain outside intensified, the sound of it hitting the tent becoming louder. In another tent, both Ran and Sonoko sat in silence for a few moments, the tension in the air almost palpable.

"Neh Ran, do you remember the scariest haunted thriller movie we have ever watched in our entire life?" Sonoko's two small hands held firmly onto the frying pan she stole from the kitchen, on standby with Ran in their own tent.

Ran chuckled nervously, trying to ease the tension. "You mean all of the final destination movies!?"

Sonoko nodded, her eyes wide. "That one! I still have nightmares about it sometimes. How all the well-thought-out plans always end up killing those people."

Ran smiled faintly, trying to keep her fear at bay. "Well, let's hope our plan doesn't end up killing us."

Sonoko giggled nervously, but the fear was evident in her eyes. "Yeah, let's hope so."

They sat in silence for a few more moments, the sound of the rain beating against the tent filling the space between them. "Ah shoot!" Sonoko cursed.

"What!? Is the killer here already!?" Ran grew alert.

"No, I just realized that...."Ran turned to Sonoko, who is in deep serious thought, "When Shinichi dropped by here earlier, I could've told him to drop a call to our parents back in Beikai District, since the hotel had Wi-fi, and anyone can make phonecalls there easily."

Ran sighed. "It's too late now, Sonoko. We're in the middle of a typhoon and we're trying to catch a killer. There's nothing we can do about it at the moment."

Sonoko frowned, feeling a little disappointed. "I guess you're right."

Once more there was silence.

"Neh, Ran," Sonoko spoke up suddenly, "Do you ever wished...that you didn't tell Shinichi that you sided with Rokuro?"

"Eh?"

"Cause if you think about it now...." Sonoko paused, but she went on, "Tantei Association, the detective club you joined was born, because Shinichi decided not to patch things up with you as friends, he has been sticking with Ranran like glue since. And I know...this serial killer situation has nothing to do with the club's existence, but I was thinking...if you two had remained friends as we are now, I think he wouldn't have headed to the penthouse to accompany Ranran and remain in the campsite to protect you. Let alone, we all didn't have to deal with dangerous situations ever since you became a member."

Ran remained silent for a moment, contemplating Sonoko's words. "You know, Sonoko, I have thought about that before. But at the end of the day, I do regret it."

"Why is that?" Sonoko asked, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

Ran took a deep breath, her gaze falling to the ground. "Because I miss him, Sonoko. I miss our happier days, I miss the times I didn't have to keep getting past Ranran's permission just to even speak to him. And now, with this situation, I can't help but wonder if things would have been different if we had remained friends."

"Ran-chan..."

"To be honest...now that you mention it, this camping trip...if we do die, I wondered if Shinichi would even bother to spare a glance at my gravestone."

Sonoko's expression softened as she placed a comforting hand on Ran's shoulder. "Don't say that, Ran-chan. Of course, he would. He may act tough and cold sometimes, but deep down, I know he cares about you. And besides, we're not going to die. We're going to make it out of here alive and together."

Ran managed a small smile at Sonoko's words, despite feeling a pang of sadness in her heart, "Thanks, Sonoko. You always know how to cheer me up."

"Of course, Ran-chan. That's what best friends are for," Sonoko replied with a smile.

As they sat in the tent, waiting for the killer to strike, Ran couldn't help but think about her relationship with Shinichi. She knew that deep down, she still cared for him and missed their friendship. But at the same time, she couldn't help but feel hurt by his actions and the way things turned out between them.

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

After a nice dinner, Ranran and Shinichi returned to the penthouse and do the necessary tasks needed as a detective.

As there wasn't much progress in the case, Ranran was busy watching the weather channel, reporting that there might be 2-3 days of non-stop heavy downpours around the island area there were on. "Just great." Ranran can't help but think.

Shinichi, on the other hand, was staring out the window in silence, the lighting was clapping and the thunder was roaring, shaking the building slightly. He couldn't help but feel anxious about the killer's next move.

"Hey, Shinichi," Ranran spoke up, trying to break the tension. "You okay?"

Shinichi turned to her, giving her a small smile. "Yeah, just thinking."

"About the case?"

Shinichi nodded. "And about the kids at the campsite."

With the tv still playing, Ranran said, "You know, if you are still worried about our classmates and everyone there, why not you just remain there earlier? You didn't have to move into the penthouse."

Shinichi sighed. "I know, but I couldn't risk leaving you alone here. Plus, I...don't want to see that person."

Ranran raised an eyebrow. "Who? The killer?"

Shinichi shook his head. "No, not the killer. Someone else."

Ranran furrowed her brow in confusion. "Who are you talking about, Shinichi?"

Shinichi hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I'm talking about...Ran."

Ranran's eyes widened in surprise. "Woah, so seeing a serial killer there is the least of your concern, but seeing your former friend is a big deal?"

Shinichi sighed, "It's not that simple, Ranran. I just...a serial killer is something I would be more than willing to go after because that person is a straightforward menace to society that I can easily throw in prison. But when it came to Ran..." He paused.

Ranran frowned. "What about her?"

Shinichi looked away, his expression pained. "When it came to her...she won't leave me alone, even though I wanted nothing to do with her. And the worst part is that, unlike a serial killer, I can't find any grounds to kick her out of our association, let alone, her coming after us to harass us 24/7."

"True," Ranran massaged her forehead, "I can't tell you the countless times she has caused nothing but trouble for everyone. The worst part is that she doesn't see the things she did as her own fault and blames everyone but herself."

"Normally....I never flee away from any confrontation that has ever come my way. I was not raised to run away from one's problem. It's unlike me to just flee to the campsite and abandoned our classmates and friends to go hide in a penthouse, even so...." Shinichi trailed off, his gaze turning back to the stormy night outside. There was a moment of silence before Shinichi spoke up again. "Neh, Ranran, do you remember what I told you happened to me at my 1st birthday party?"

"Something about a despicable man who tried to do inappropriate things towards you? When you were around 3 or 4 years old? But then you ended up having to sacrifice a boy as his victim, just so you could throw that bastard into prison?" Ranran summarized with ease.

Shinichi nodded, his gaze distant. "That's the one. I didn't tell you this, but when I was given the list of the attendees, those children's names so to speak, I was considering sacrificing myself for them to that man."

That made Ranran's face fall before replying sarcastically, "Eh, that is so noble of you. But what changed?"

Shinichi took a deep breath, his expression serious. "Do you remember the ballerina I told you to see?"

"I do, she was one of that man's victims, right?"

Shinichi nodded. "Yeah, she was. At...the very last moment as soon as I recalled how...broken her eyes were, and that there was literally an endless whirlpool of emptiness in her eyes who no longer dream to be a ballerina because of that man, I asked myself so many questions on that day."

"What kind of questions?" Ranran asked, intrigued.

Shinichi hesitated for a moment before continuing. "If I sacrificed myself for the other kids, what kind of life would I be living if I let that man have his way with me? What kind of future would I have as soon as it was over? Will I no longer want to become a tantei anymore? Would I have such huge distrust towards everyone, I would end up becoming a hikikomori like that girl? And most importantly, if I don't sacrifice someone today out of all days, or choose to do nothing at all...would I be able to live with myself? Knowing that by the time I become a great detective and stop people like that man from hurting anyone else ever again, it would take years. So during that period, how many innocent kids had become his victims while I was busy becoming one!?"

Ranran listened intently to Shinichi's words, with a silent expression.

"In the end...I knew deep down it wasn't possible for me to degrade myself in front of this man for the other children's safety. I have to become a detective, and waiting is no longer an option anymore for me, "The bright flash lighting illuminated the room, its loud boom didn't make anybody flinch due to the nature of this conversation. "I guess, in a way, I was selfish. I wanted to protect everyone else, which would mean sacrificing my future, myself, and my dreams. But at the same time, I couldn't see myself over why must I do such a thing like an idiot. Deep down, I just know that I couldn't let him win. I am...such a coward, just like dealing with my problems with Mouri Ran." He chuckled bitterly.

For a while, Ranran didn't know how to respond to this.

After processing all of this, Ranran suddenly said, "You know, Shinichi, in life...it's ok to run away."

Shinichi looked at her, surprised. "What do you mean, Ranran?"

Ranran took a deep breath before continuing. "You were only 4 when all of this had taken place, and had the adults in our family listened to you right from the start, you wouldn't have resorted to this extreme. Also, even if Superman was in your shoes, he will fly back to Krypton in his red underwear and cape, just to save himself rather than degrade himself if he was your age."

Shinichi was taken aback by Ranran's words, "Ranran..."

"Which is why in life, it's necessary to run away in order to remove yourself from a dangerous situation," Ranran explained. "You didn't have to sacrifice yourself for those children. It's understandable that you wanted to protect yourself and your dreams just so you could continue to balance the scales of justice, and there's nothing wrong with that. You had to flee, to protect your sanity in order to save more innocent people, while that idiot boy you sacrificed barely did a thing to contribute to society unlike you do."

Shinichi was quiet for a moment, absorbing Ranran's words. He then nodded slowly, "You're right. I guess I never really thought about it that way."

"The road to becoming a detective is never going to be smooth sailing, as long as situations like your past for example, or even issues with Ran exists, we would have no choice but to keep making decisions like these in the future. What you did back then...although was by far cruel to that kid, you saved many innocent kids along the way because of this decision you made. A psycho is off the streets, thanks to you sacrificing a bully who will never change his spots. So don't ever....don't ever think this was a cowardly decision, cause it's not. And not many kids are like you who would be brave enough to become a tantei after dealing with such horror." Ranran said softly.

Shinichi felt a wave of relief wash over him as he listened to Ranran's words. 

"Thank you, Ranran, I never realized that running away....was actually something heroic. I always thought that to be like a hero, I had to be brave and face everything head-on."

"It's important to be brave, but it's also important to protect yourself," Ranran replied. "You can't help others if you don't take care of yourself first."

Shinichi nodded in agreement, feeling grateful for Ranran's support and understanding. "I'll remember that," he said. The two of them sat in comfortable silence for a while, before Shinichi spoke up again. "Ranran, do you ever feel like running away sometimes? When the problems as a detective become too much to handle?"

Ranran hesitated for a moment, recalling her painful past.

About 'The Boy', and the tears that came when she realized she lost him to evil. With the plastered menacing yet suffocating smile from 'her', Ranran will never forget and forgive the child who robbed 'his' life away.

"In the beginning...after my mentor passed away, I felt like the world is so scary...I contemplated whether the job I did was a mistake because it led to his death. I did want to run away at some point. I mean I was only 4 when it happened."

Shinichi listened intently as Ranran continued, with a hint of bitterness and hate. "But then...I realized that running away...especially from his killers who did this to him, breathing the same air as me out there, while he was laying six feet underground.....as I thought, seeing them alive laughing and talking as if it was nothing...is way scarier than running away."

The apprentice nodded with a knowing look, "Understandable, I will go mad if someone I cared about died in such a horrible manner, and their killers were still out there, free and living their lives like nothing had happened."

Suddenly recalling Ranran's words back at the hospital during the parkour incident, on wanting to go back to the U.K with tears in her eyes thanks to fracturing her leg, Shinichi asked, "Is that why you wanted to go back to the U.K so desperately? Besides our family circumstances...you desperately wanted to go back to put 'his' killers behind bars."

Ranran looked at Shinichi with surprise, then with a nod, she confirmed his suspicions.

You didn't even care if you have no friends in a foreign country, you were more concerned about that poor boy who died overseas...

Shinichi said nothing, but his sympathetic look says it all.

The apprentice turned away from the window, then took up the phone to say, "Hotel service, may I order two parfaits, please?"

Ranran looked at Shinichi with confusion. "Parfait? Why are you ordering dessert now?"

Shinichi grinned mischievously. "It's time we treat ourselves once in a while, isn't it? And I heard the parfaits at this hotel are amazing."

Ranran rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smile. "Fine, but you're paying for it."

"Of course, my treat," Shinichi said, already dialling the phone. "And don't worry, Ranran. We'll get through whatever problems come our way together, be it your late mentor, or Mouri Ran, or even dealing with this serial killer for that matter....if we choose to flee, then we shall, if we go head on, so be it."

Ranran smiled back at him, feeling a sense of camaraderie between them. "Hmph, that will do."

The two of them enjoyed their parfaits together, savouring each bite and forgetting their worries for a moment. They knew that their jobs as detectives would always be challenging, but they also knew that they had each other's backs.

Then, the two observed the clock in the living room, "So they have only 2 more minutes till the killer makes their appearance at the campsite." Ranran commented.

"I hope their trap works," Shinichi is hoping, "Too bad that there is a typhoon out there, so we can't come out."

Ranran nodded in agreement, "Let's just hope the killer takes the bait."

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

As the children of 1-A waited for the time to pass at the campsite, Mouri Ran couldn't help but feel a sense of nervousness and anticipation.

Earlier before 12am, the four of them had took turns to keep watch and making sure the trap was still in place. The rain didn't let up, and the wind was howling outside. Every little sound made them jump, but nothing happened.

And unbeknownst to them, the death of the boat instructor, whose corpse remains in the walk-in fridge at the activity centre, has taken a toll on all of the adults, both mentally and physically, as they remain in their tents.

Finally, the clock struck the designated time, and the kids tense up.

"Ran, if you ever want a frying pan to whack the killer, I have an additional one," Sonoko held on to the pan while both little girls are under the tent, in all seriousness.

Even Ran could feel the tension in the air, but she let out a small laugh at Sonoko's comment. "Thanks, Sonoko, but I hope it doesn't come to that," she replied, trying to lighten the mood.

"Reina, I want you to know," Takuma said to Reina under their own tent, as they are certain it is about time the killer surfaced while Takuma held on to this slingshot, aiming at the entrance, "If I don't ever make it out alive, I just want to say thanks for being a supportive girlfriend for a month."

Reina looked at Takuma, her heart filled with warmth and concern. "Don't say that, Takuma. We'll make it out of here alive, together," she replied, holding his hand tightly.

Takuma smiled at her, feeling comforted by her words. "I know, Reina. But I just had to say it, you know? Just in case," he said, his voice trailing off.

The group of children huddled together, trying to keep warm in the chilly night air, listening to the sounds of the forest around them. Every rustle of the leaves or snapping of a twig made them jump, their hearts racing with fear. 

Hearing footsteps in the camera footage, the 4 children instinctively grabbed their makeshift weapons, ready to defend themselves.

As the night wore on, the rain picked up again, making it difficult to see or hear anything outside. 

At 12:05 pm, Sonoko noticed something odd on the camera footage. "Hey Ran, look at this. There's someone outside the forest area near our tent."

Ran gathered around the camera with her friend, watching as a shadowy figure approached their tent, moving slowly and cautiously. Suddenly, there was a loud clattering noise as the trap was sprung, echoing through the forest, causing the group to freeze in terror. They could hear the sound of pots and pans clanging in the distance. 

Without hesitation, the group rushed out of the tent, shining their flashlights after they quickly put on their raincoats and headed out to investigate. 

As they approached the trap, they saw a figure struggling in the air, hanging upside down from a tree. They couldn't make out who it was, but they knew that they had caught the culprit.

"Who are you?! What do you want!?" Takuma demanded.

The figure struggled and tried to speak, but the rain was too loud, and they couldn't make out what he or she was saying. 

To the surprise of the 4 others, the figure took a pocket knife and cut off the rope.

The figure fell to the ground with a thud, and the group quickly rushed to restrain them, with Takuma holding them down. But it was an impossible task for 4 6-year-old children to hold a grown adult man or woman.

Eventually, the figure overpowered the children and fled the scene.

"Hey! Get back here!" Takuma chased after the suspect.

"Takuma!" Reina and the other two girls chased after the little boy.

The group was left standing there, panting and shivering in the rain. They were scared and unsure of what to do next.

"What the heck just happened?" Sonoko exclaimed, looking around at the group.

"I don't know, but we need to get back to the activity centre and tell the adults," Ran replied, trying to keep calm.

Ran and Sonoko stayed behind to help the other children, who were still in shock from the sudden turn of events. They tried to calm the children down, but it was no use. They were all scared and didn't know what to do.

"We need to call for help," Ran said to Sonoko, who nodded in agreement.

Ran took out her phone, but there was no signal. "Great, just what we need," she muttered under her breath.

"We need to find a way to get out of here and get help," Sonoko said, looking around the campsite.

As they were thinking about their next move, they heard a loud scream coming from the direction Takuma and the other girls had gone.

Without hesitation, they ran towards the sound, praying that the children were alright.