"Professor Agasa, do you know of anyone that Professor Shibuya could've been friends with aside from you?" Emiko probed.

"He didn't have many friends, that's for sure. Especially the ones in NASA, but if I were to say one....there was one person he was particularly close to, a fellow student from his university days when Professor Shibuya was a lecturer before he became a rocket scientist. Now, what was his name?" While he thought, he carefully searched on his phone and then he snapped his fingers."Ah yes, another professor. The name is Professor Hoga Eiichiro," he recalled

"Do you know where we could find him?" asked Junko.

"That's easy," Professor Agasa grinned. "He's still at Teitan University. He lectures in nuclear physics."

"Great! Let's head to Teitan University and talk to Professor Hoga," Ran suggested, feeling hopeful that he might have some valuable information about Professor Shibuya.

"By the way, I know I shouldn't ask this, but I noticed that you and Shinichi rarely drop by together anymore, why is that?" Professor Agasa frowned worriedly at the 6-year-old girl.

Ran hesitated for a moment, not sure how to respond. Then Emiko took it a step forward by revealing, "He had been extremely busy after becoming Ranran's apprentice, especially since we have been dealing with a few dangerous cases lately, that is all."

The brown-haired little girl appreciated Emiko's attempt to deflect the question, as Agasa sighed with relief, "That is good, cause recently, Shinichi told me to call him if Ran-san was ever here, let him know so he won't drop by. I was thinking whether he was doing so since he is avoiding you, but now that I hear this, I guess he must be doing so to protect you."

Ran's heart sank a little upon hearing this. She had noticed that Shinichi seemed distant and preoccupied lately, but she didn't realize that he had asked Professor Agasa to inform him when she visited. 

"Maybe he needs some space," Junko suggested, trying to be supportive.

"Yeah, he's been working hard on his detective training," Emiko added. "He probably just needs some time to focus."

Ran nodded, trying to hide her disappointment. "I guess so."

"It wasn't just that, Shinichi also informed me to let him know that should Ran-san ever drop by his place, I am to tell her to leave since he would be very busy," Agasa adds.

Ran's heart sank even further at Professor Agasa's words. It was evident that Shinichi was intentionally avoiding her, and it hurt to know that he didn't want her around thanks to what happened last night, especially those words she directed towards Ranran.

Feeling a mix of hurt and frustration, Ran tried to put on a brave face. "I understand. If he needs space and time to focus, I won't bother him."

Junko and Emiko exchanged concerned glances, sensing Ran's true feelings beneath her words. 

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

"Huh!? Protect Ran!? Pure nonsense! It's clear cut Shinichi is avoiding Ran!"

Those were the words Junko ranted in the shared cab with Emiko and Ran, while the cab took them to Teitan University. Emiko glanced at Ran, who was sitting quietly in the backseat, looking lost in thought. She knew that Junko's words had struck a nerve with her, but she also understood Junko's frustration. 

"Junko, I think what you're saying is getting to Ran," Emiko said gently, trying to diffuse the situation. "We don't fully understand what's going on with Shinichi, so let's not jump to conclusions."

"What is there to jump!? It's clear cut that Shinichi was biased towards Ranran, which is why he is more than eager to kick Mouri Ran out of the association!" Junko blasted at no one in particular, "She cares so much about Shinichi, and look what happened."

Ran remained silent, her heart heavy with emotions. She knew that Junko's outburst came from a place of concern and frustration, but it still hurt to hear those words. She couldn't help but wonder if she had made a mistake by joining the association

Maybe Shinichi was right; maybe she was just getting in the way and causing trouble for him.

"In the first place, I bet even if Ran and Rokuro were not seen together by Shinichi, he would've come up with another excuse to remove Ran out!" Junko argued in anger, "First he is falsely accusing Ran of hiding Rokuro's identity as the intruder who attacked Ranran, then this!"

Emiko sighed, trying to find the right words to address Junko's concerns without adding more fuel to the fire. "Junko, I understand that you're upset. But in the first place, all of this wouldn't have taken place, had that video of Sonoko and Mamiko joking about discouraging Shinichi's dream as a detective just to marry him off to Ran surfaced in Ranran's tablet!"

"But it ain't as if Ran masterminded all of this, right?!"Junko retorted. "If it were, things would be different. Ran has no idea about this anyway!"

"True, but it didn't mean she was any less guilty regardless," Emiko refuted, "When Sonoko broke into Ranran and Shinichi's grandparents' house that day to check whether they had feelings for one another, after beating her up for mistaking her as an intruder, who was the one who marched all the way to the association office and demanded Ranran to apologize to Sonoko?"

"Ran did," Junko admitted with a frown. "Although it was a misunderstanding, Ran wasn't completely guilty!"

"She isn't, I will admit that," Emiko said sympathetically. "But to Shinichi, it may not be otherwise."

As Emiko tried to explain the situation from Shinichi's perspective, Junko grumbled in frustration. "That's just ridiculous! Shinichi should know better than to jump to conclusions without even hearing Ran's side of the story!"

While the two girls bicker a bit, Ran who had to remain silent up till now felt all sorts of emotions flooding through her head.

Ran's heart was torn, ravaged would've been the proper word to describe this. How did they become from close friends to total strangers overnight?

Tears welled up in Ran's eyes, but she quickly wiped them away, not wanting to show her vulnerability. "Maybe I should just leave the association and give him the space he wants."

The two girls stopped arguing while turning to Ran.

"In the first place, the reason Ranran and Shinichi didn't like me in the association was because I did overstay my welcome," Ran rubbed her eyes as she wept, "When I joined the association, I shouted at Ranran to restore Sonoko's reputation, even though I knew Sonoko was in the wrong for breaking into their house. And I did promise to leave, yet, I didn't and choose to stay when neither Ranran nor Shinichi forced me to, because I wanted Shinichi back. I assumed that he and I would patch up our friendship and leave that cunning girl, but who knew...I truly didn't think he really didn't want me back in his life anymore....."

Emiko and Junko were taken aback by Ran's confession. They hadn't expected her to open up so vulnerably, and they could see the pain in her eyes. 

"Also, I may have said things I shouldn't have last night at Shinichi, so....." Ran's head sunk low, "I think I really messed up big time."

"Ran, don't blame yourself. We all make mistakes, and it's okay to have disagreements with friends sometimes. That doesn't mean your friendship with Shinichi is over." Junko pointed out.

"But he's avoiding me," Ran whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. "He asked Professor Agasa to inform him when I visit so he can avoid seeing me. And he doesn't want me to go to his place because he's 'busy'. And he willingly help Ranran around, which he never once did with me when were friends!"

Junko placed a comforting hand on Ran's shoulder. "Ran, I know it's tough right now, but maybe Shinichi just needs some time to sort through his own feelings and thoughts. Maybe he's dealing with something difficult, and he doesn't know how to talk about it."

"But why do I get the feeling that he knows what he is talking about last night?" Ran said, her voice choked with emotion. "Why do I have a sense of feeling...I really won't be seeing him anymore...."

The two girls were at a loss over what to do with her, as the cab driver who was busy paying attention to the road wonder what is with the girl behind crying.

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

Back at Professor Shibuya's mansion, Ranran, Takuma, Michio, and Shinichi were hiding in their respective spots at the birdless Aviary, carefully observing the surroundings. The mansion had an eerie atmosphere, with the faded grandeur of its past contrasting with the neglect it now suffered.

As the mysterious figure stood in the doorway to the aviary, he was wearing a business suit. His face was flushed with anger, Shinichi guessed this said the man was in his fifties.

The children exchanged cautious glances, but it was Ranran who stepped forward to address the stranger. "Professor...you know Professor Shibuya?'

"Who are you?" the stranger demanded, his gaze sweeping over the 4 children. "What are you kids doing in the professor's house?"

"We could ask you the same question," replied Shinichi before the rest of them left their hiding spot.

"Don't be smart, boy," the man snapped. "There are laws against breaking into people's homes."

"So the same couldn't be said for you?"Takuma refuted.

Ranran then decided to defuse the situation, then explained, "We're actually working for the professor regarding his....personal affairs. It is regarding an item that was stolen from his residence."

"Oh, is that so?" the man retorted suspiciously.

"You could have just asked him if you don't believe us. Depending....."Michio glanced at him in silence," Who are you to him anyway to come here?"

"Well, I'm actually his neighbour. My house is next door there."He pointed at the house several blocks not far from where they are from before he moved inside for a closer look at them."Hang on a minute, weren't you the kids who were here last night with the police? I think I saw you guys not long ago while washing my Aston Martin at my place."

Michio nodded. "We found the professor after he'd been knocked out. So I assume you must be the one who contacted the cops?"

"That is right, it was me," He nodded, not before shaking his head bitterly, "Actually, long before this, I have been wanting him to move out for a long time. I didn't want to believe he did move, till I come here to actually confirm."

"Oh really?"Shinichi reacts in surprise at his hostility towards his said neighbour," Do you have a legit reason?"

"I do. Cause ever since he moved here, there was no peace since then."He dropped his shoulder, looking rather wearied off.

"Really?"Ranran's eyebrow raised, "How so?"

"When he moved back last year, we found all kinds of strange things have been going on in here since he moved here. Loud noises, shouting matches, motorbikes, and then the police coming here almost on a daily basis because of the noise......I'm quite glad to see the last of Professor Shibuya."

The children exchanged glances, trying to process the information. It seemed like there was more to Professor Shibuya's life at the mansion than they had initially thought. His neighbour's complaints indicated that there were ongoing disturbances and conflicts that might have contributed to his decision to move out.

"Could you tell us more about these disturbances?" Ranran asked, trying to gather as much information as possible.

The neighbour sighed, his frustration evident in his voice. "It's been a nightmare, I tell you. There were all sorts of people coming and going from his house at odd hours, shooting sounds, and even late-night sounds of motorbikes driving around his place outside. I had to call the police several times because of the noise, and it became a constant headache for everyone in the neighbourhood."

Shinichi raised an eyebrow. "Did you ever try talking to Professor Shibuya about these issues?"

The man shook his head. "I did, but he was never really responsive. He seemed lost in his own world most of the time, and whenever I tried to address the problems, he brushed them off as if they were inconsequential. It was as if he didn't care about the disturbances he was causing."

Ranran pondered for a moment. "Do you know anything about his recent activities or if he had any visitors before he disappeared?"

The neighbour hesitated before answering. "Well, I did notice some people coming and going in the past few weeks. Only one man in a lab coat. Didn't get a good view of his face. I assumed he was working with Professor Shibuya on some project. But I couldn't really say much about their specific activities."

Takuma chimed in, "Then, do you happen to see any moving trucks outside his place? Cause we noticed that his furniture is missing. So are his 150 birds."

"Or 150 plus, if what Junko said is true," Michio quipped.

The man looked surprised at the children's words, not the part that Professor Shibuya moved away, rather, he was more fixated on the other thing, "Wait, 150 plus birds?! Is that was Professor Shibuya told you!?" He grew pretty riled up at that.

And judging his behaviour, Ranran can conclude why Professor Shibuya's neighbour is furious, "His birds pooped on your Aston Martin, didn't it?"

The man's face turned red with anger as he confirmed Ranran's assumption. "Yes! Those birds made a mess of my precious car multiple times! I've spent a fortune getting it cleaned and repainted because of those nuisances! That's one of the reasons I wanted him gone!"

Shinichi tried not to laugh at the man's reaction, but it was difficult. Still, he managed to keep his poker face. While Michio tries to comfort the unfortunate man a bit, Takuma took his friend aside while Shinichi followed them to ask, "How did you know it is definitely that issue?"

"When you live in the U.K, especially in a luxurious neighbourhood with a very open driveway, there are those rich people who love to flex their expensive luxury cars, an Aston Martin itself is considered one." Then Ranran revealed something interesting, "Yesterday night while observing my surroundings, he didn't park his car in the driveway. Neither did their neighbours."

"It could have been a coincidence." Shinichi suggest.

"True, but you can tell he is a exotic car enthusiast based on those high-end car magazines sticking outside in his mailbox today, and I mean tons of it." 

"Figures," Shinichi again once more struggle to contain his smile.

"I don't understand...."Takuma grew confused, "Ain't his birds locked up in the Aviary?"

The neighbour let out a frustrated sigh. "They are, but the Aviary is not exactly well-maintained. It's old and rundown, and some of those birds are crafty enough to escape occasionally and wreak havoc in the neighbourhood. Professor Shibuya didn't seem to care much about it, and it became a constant nuisance for everyone around. I have to put up with this nonsense for over a year since he moved here."

Shinichi frowned, trying to piece together the puzzle. "So, the disturbances, the noise, and the mess caused by the birds... It seems like there were ongoing issues in Professor Shibuya's life, which may have contributed to his decision to leave."

Ranran nodded in agreement. "And the stolen stuffed eagle that he asked us to find might be connected to all this. Maybe someone took advantage of the chaos and stole from him."

"And this has been going on for a year before Professor Shibuya moved away, right?" Michio inquired.

"This morning, about 9 am sharp," the man confirmed. "The removal company van arrived just when I was having breakfast. I dropped everything and came running in here to see what was happening, hoping he finally moved away when I asked one of the people in charge of moving his stuff. Imagine when I confirmed he was finally leaving, I was actually relieved. I've had enough of the disturbances caused by his birds and the constant noise. But I had no idea he had 150-plus birds in that Aviary. That's just absurd!"

"Did he pack up the birds as well?" Shinichi probed.

"Yes, they packed up everything, you know, birds and all. Now, at last, I may be able to get some peace," he sighed. "Just in case it was a joke, I made sure to come to the house in person to ensure he is gone, good riddance!"

"So that was the last time you saw the Professor in person?"Shinichi wanted to know.

The neighbour raised a surprised eyebrow, "Not really. I didn't even see him in person. But a friend of his actually supervised the move. That is how I know about this. Someone called Hoga Eiichiro from Teitan University where Professor Shibuya used to work as a lecturer. I haven't seen Shibuya since yesterday."

Without warning, the glass wall of the aviary shattered as the first bullet drove through it.

All four of the children dropped to the floor.

With a terrified cry, Professor Shibuya's neighbour joined them as another bullet slammed into the aviary. More bullets whined through the air. The ceiling exploded in a cloud of splintered glass. Shards of broken glass cascaded to the floor and sprinkled like glittering rain onto their backs.

"I'm going to call the police! How dare they cause further disturbance!" shouted the neighbour furiously.

He was getting to his feet, but Shinichi gripped his pants. "Stay down!" Shinichi warned. "If you stand up you'll be an easy target for whoever's out there!"

The neighbour's eyes swept around the scene of destruction. Fear and anger struggled on his face

"This is outrageous!" he blustered. "This used to be a decent place to live. There should be a law against this kind of thing!"

"I'm sure there is," Michio responded grimly.

"But try telling that to the man with the gun!"Takuma yelled.

It was as though the gunman had heard him. Another round of gunfire sent bullets slicing through the air and smacking into the walls of the house. Then there was silence. After a minute, Takuma heard a car speeding off in the distance

"I think we should get out of here," he suggested urgently just in case he comes back to finish us off."

"Agree," agreed Ranran.

Keeping low, their shoes crunching across the sea of glass, they raced for the safety of the house. As they moved, dozens of fine glass splinters showered on the ground from their clothes.

"Do you need us to help you escort you to your home, sir?" Shinichi asked the neighbour politely.

The man was dusting himself down with quivering hands. "I'll be fine," he snapped. "But I'll tell you something. If the 4 of you ever see Shibuya Jirou again, you let him know that if he ever returns here, I am personally going to give him a piece of my mind about bringing criminals into this neighbourhood ever again!"

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

The 4 children made their way down the drive as Michio called Sergeant Genzo on his phone and made his report. Needless to say, Sergeant Genzo didn't take it well with this conversation. 

The sergeant's voice blasted in his ear through his smartphone, "Michio, didn't I tell you not to get involved after informing you about the motorbike incident with The Snake? You could've got yourself killed!"

The 10-year-old boy winced as though he'd been hit. He thought quickly before lying upfront, "But, Sergeant Genzo," he said pleasantly, "To be fair, the reason we headed over to Professor Shibuya's place is to drop him the note that we will not be taking on his case."

"You could have done that through the smartphone, could you all not?!" Sergeant Genzo bellowed.

"I will handle him," Shinichi snatched the smartphone from the taller boy before stating, "Sergeant, we tried, but he ain't picking up his smartphone the whole day, so we had to go there to notify him. Who knew he moved out since 9 am today?"

"Oh....is that so?"He scratch his head for a moment, before he said, "Now, please wait out there. Don't leave. I'm sending out a patrol car and our ballistics people."

Shinichi soon killed the call and toss the phone back to Michio. With a grunt, Takuma goes, "Shouldn't we have told him about our theories regarding The Snake being involved? Especially...a potential war in the works?"Takuma queried Ranran.

"Again, we could not confirm whether or not he is a rocket scientist or a bird professor at the moment, let alone, verify the contents inside the stolen eagle....that remains missing as it is," Ranran argued. "Once we verify all of this, call Sergeant Genzo. No questions ask."

At his point, Michio is feeling the anxiety.

"I don't know who Michio should be worried about, "Takuma nudged Shinichi, "The Snake, Sergeant Genzo, the potential war if this fails, or Ranran herself!"

Shinichi chuckled softly, trying to lighten the mood. "Well, Michio has a lot on his plate right now, that's for sure. But we'll handle this one step at a time."

Suddenly, Takuma pulled hard on his cap and glanced at Ranran. "It had to be The Snake's men shooting at us, right? They must have followed us here from headquarters."

"Obviously. I am certain that at some point, he is certain that we know he is interested in that stolen eagle. "Ranran stopped by the gate.

"Buy guys, Sergeant Genzo wants us to wait till his men arrive." Michio reminded them.

"We can't," argued Takuma at Michio, "We have to find the professor's friend... what was his name again?"

"Someone called Hoga Eiichiro who works as a lecturer in nuclear physics at Teitan University," Shinichi showed the search results on his smartphone for everyone to see, "You know, when I spoke to Professor Agasa the other day, this guy's name had popped up before from his mouth. Said that he used to be a student under Professor Shibuya when Professor Shibuya was a lecturer there."

Michio folded his arms and thought hard. "I get it that he is Professor Shibuya's student, but who would simply head over to their former lecturer's house to aid in moving their birds and furniture away?"

"That's a good question," Ranran chimed in. "If he's just a former student, it seems odd for him to be directly involved in helping Professor Shibuya move out. There must be more to their relationship than just that."

Then Takuma then froze."Neh guys, I've just thought of something. If The Snake's men did follow us here all the way from our headquarters, they could be watching the girls whom we left behind, right?"

Shinichi's eyes widened at Takuma's realization. "We'd better warn them not to go out," Ranran fished out her smartphone and hastily contacted them.

But when she tried to call Ran, Emiko and Junko, there was no answer.

The anxiety in Ranran's voice increased as she tried calling them multiple times without success. "They're not answering. What if something happened to them?"

Shinichi tried to stay composed, but he couldn't ignore the worry creeping into his voice. "Let's not jump to conclusions. They might just be busy or have their phones on silent." 

Suddenly, Ranran received a notification from her smartphone. Checking her phone, her expression widened before growling, "No need to."

"Eh?!" All the three boys grew wide at her words.

"The three are perfectly fine," Ranran continued as the cab arrived to pick them up.

"And you know this, because?" Shinichi prompted her to share.

"You will soon know why," Ranran opened the door before urging everyone to enter the cab, "What I am about to show the whole lot of you.....it will be an interesting sight."

With a mix of curiosity and concern, the rest of the children climbed into the cab. 

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

While the cab including Ranran and the boys are on the way, this was taken place at the entrance.

"No smartphones, bags or any other electronic devices are allowed in the Nuclear Physics Department," The security guard of Teitan University had told Ran, Junko and Emiko when they arrived at the university. "You'll have to surrender them here."

Ran, Junko, and Emiko exchanged glances, slightly taken aback by the strict security measures. They hadn't expected such restrictions, "But the boys and Ranran herself won't know where we are if they need anything," Emiko frowned.

"Good," snapped Ran."It'll do them good to worry about us for a change."

"Especially since that Shinichi is far more worried towards that precious Ranran than her." Junko agreed.

The security guard raised an eyebrow at the girls' conversation but remained professional by not asking for the details. "Is it alright if we keep our bags with you?" Ran asked the security guard politely.

"Of course," the guard replied, gesturing towards a secure storage area where they could leave their belongings. "Your items will be safe here. Once you're done with your visit, you can collect them."

Reluctantly, the girls handed over their bags and smartphones, feeling a bit uneasy without their usual gadgets. However, they knew that this was necessary if they wanted to meet Professor Hoga and find out more about Professor Shibuya.

The guard placed their phones and bags in a locker before escorting them down a long corridor to the office of Professor Hoga Eiichiro. As they walked towards the Nuclear Physics Department, they couldn't help but notice the serious and studious atmosphere of the university. Students and professors were busy going about their work, and the halls were lined with scientific posters and academic displays.

Emiko looked at the groups of study with serious faces who passed by. Some were weighed down with piles of lecture pads and thick textbooks.

"Maybe I should come here and study one day," Junko told the two.

"But you hate Math alone!" said Ran.

"True, but I can always focus on the subjects I like," Junko replied with a grin.

"Neh Ran, what are you going to do if Ranran and the others find out we are no longer in the association? Are you willing to face punishment again?" Emiko whispered lowly to ask her.

"Of course, I thought this through carefully," Ran whispered back. "I didn't want to leave the association, but after what happened and how Shinichi reacted, I felt like I didn't belong there anymore. If they find out, I'll face the consequences, but I have no regrets about doing so."

"But don't you think you should talk to Ranran about it?" Emiko insisted. "Maybe she'll understand, and you two can work things out."

"When it comes to Kudo Ranran, it's either her way or no way." Ran chuckled bitterly at that thought. 

Emiko frowned, not fully accepting Ran's reasoning. "Ranran may not be your friend, but you should at least try to talk to her and explain your feelings. The reason she keeps on lashing out at you is because you are not straightforward with your intentions of being there, which is why she detests you in the first place."

Ran sighed, feeling torn. She knew Emiko was right, but it was difficult for her to approach Ranran and have a heart-to-heart conversation with her, especially after their recent arguments. "I just don't know how to talk to her about all of this," Ran admitted, her voice tinged with sadness. "Everytime I try to communicate, she looked as if I am the most idiotic girl in the world."

"Ran-san...."

As they approached Professor Hoga's office, they could hear the sounds of students discussing scientific topics and the faint hum of laboratory equipment. The security guard knocked on the door, and a voice from inside called out, "Give me 5 minutes."

"In what way did Ranran paint you as one? She never called you names of that sort." Emiko wanted to know more about what Ran meant.

Ran hesitated for a moment, choosing her words carefully. "It's not that she directly calls me names, but her attitude towards me makes me feel like she sees me as a nuisance, a pest."

"Exactly, like how?" Emiko demands in specific.

"I don't know how to put it, but...Ranran treats me like I'm always in the way like I'm interfering with things I shouldn't," Ran explained with a touch of frustration. "Whenever I try to help or join in any task that is meant exclusively for Shinichi, it has always been the dangerous ones given to him, so I offer to help. But she always dismisses my efforts and makes it clear that she doesn't need me around him, and he would side with her. It's like she's always looking for a reason to be angry with me."

Emiko listened attentively, understanding the pain and frustration in Ran's voice. "Did you not tell her any of this?"

"I did. But she said since he is the only member who is studying her apprenticeship under her, it only seems fair to assign him those tasks. The worst part was Shinichi wanted it, and I didn't want him to keep endangering his life. Instead, he would just yell at me to leave, and stop meddling with his apprenticeship."

Digesting all of these facts, Emiko decided, "Have you...thought of attempting to live in Shinichi's shoes."

"Eh?"

"I think....I know why she is behaving that way. And the only way for you to figure this out....is to live like Shinichi, all the way to the part when he was your friend, the fallout, then everything in between...."

Before Ran could respond, the door to Professor Hoga's office opened, and the security guard stepped aside to allow them entry. Inside, they found a man who is around the same age as Professor Shibuya Jirou, who they assumed was Professor Hoga Eiichiro.

"Good afternoon. Are you here to see me?" Professor Hoga greeted them.

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

When they were shown into Hoga's office they discovered a man of about the same age as Professor Shibuya. He looked like a startled bird, with his eyes darting behind a pair of heavy wary spectacles.

"I'm very busy," he scowled."The office said you were all here to discuss something about nuclear physics for all of your upcoming school assignments. Aren't you all merely elementary school children?"

Mouri Ran got straight down to business. She pulled up a chair and met his gaze firmly"Professor Hoga Eiichiro, we know you're a friend of Professor Shibuya Jirou, and we think you might be able to help in our investigation."

It was then Professor Hoga's manner changed. He leapt up.

"Who are you?" he demanded angrily.

"Let's cut straight to the chase," Emiko upfront confronts the man, "Professor Shibuya, your lecturer way back when you were a student, arrived at our office, Tantei Association, requested of locating a Taxidimized Eagle that was stolen from his residence around a week ago."

"Ah! So you are those children he told me about!" Then Hoga seemed to relax. as he resumed his seat with a sigh.  "The damn eagle...ever since it went missing, things had not been smooth sailing for him."

The children exchanged glances, intrigued by Professor Hoga's response. "So, you know about the missing eagle and its significance to Professor Shibuya?" Kimlp asked.

Hoga nodded. "Yes, Jirou-senpai had been quite distraught since the eagle was stolen. He seemed to believe that it held some sort of secret or important information, but he never disclosed the details to me. He only mentioned that it was of great sentimental value and that he needed to find it urgently."

"I am sorry, senpai!?" Emiko and the rest of their jaws drop at that mention, "Weren't you his student when Professor Shibuya was a lecturer here?"

Professor Hoga chuckled, shaking his head. "Yes, that's right. I was a student of Professor Shibuya when he was a lecturer here at Teitan University. But not many are aware that we enrolled on the same semester together under Foundation back then. He just happened to be so smart, he graduated earlier than me."

The children were surprised by this revelation. It seemed that Professor Hoga and Professor Shibuya had a deeper connection than they initially thought. "So, you two were classmates," Ran said, trying to process the information. "That's interesting. It must have been nice to have someone you knew well during your studies."

Professor Hoga nodded, a nostalgic smile crossing his face. "Yes, it was. Jirou-senpai was brilliant, and always top of the class. We spent a lot of time together, studying and discussing our research ideas. In a way, he was the one who inspired many of our peers to pursue a career in nuclear physics."

"That's really impressive," Emiko remarked. "It must have been quite an experience to learn from such a talented professor."

"It was," Ran noticed the sadness in Professor Hoga's voice as he spoke about his old friend.

"Have you seen it before? The stuffed eagle that was stolen?"Emiko quizzed him.

"Of course, he sent photos to me all the time from America," Professor Hoga revealed, "He loves that bald-headed eagle. Told me he bought it while on a holiday in Alaska with his first paycheck as a rocket scientist."

"Actually how is it possible for Professor Shibuya to purchase a taxidermied eagle there in Alaska? That place is cold, I doubt eagles would want to live there." Ran who has no knowledge of Bald-eagles grew confused at that.

"You would be surprised. Alaska has the largest population of bald eagles in the United States, with about 30,000 birds there." Hoga remarked lightly. "The reason Jirou-senpai was able to purchase the stuffed bird is that a lot of fishermen make a living fishing there, and there is a large population of salmon, it ain't surprising why tons of eagles mingled there. Oh yeah, at some point, fishermen believe they are a threat when it came to making a living, the only solution was to shoot it down and sell it off as a stuffed eagle. How do I know all of this? I blame Jirou senpai senpai on this."

The children listened intently to Professor Hoga's explanation, absorbing the information about Alaska and its population of bald eagles. It was fascinating to learn about the unique circumstances that allowed Professor Shibuya to purchase the stuffed eagle during his holiday.

"Professor Hoga," Emiko interrupted, "Aside from the stuffed eagle that was stolen, were you aware that around yesterday night, there was a shooting that took place at Professor Shibuya's residence?"

Junko saw surprise flood Hoga's face but it didn't look genuine, she thought. Her suspicion deepened."Now why would anyone want to harm Jirou-senpai?" Professor Hoga hedged with a nervous laugh.

"Someone knocked him out last night when they searched his house, we found him beneath the curtains in his study room," Junko informed him. "What do you think they were looking for at his place?"

Hoga glanced down at his desk. "I'm sure have no idea," A hostile crept into the edge of his voice. "Now, if the whole lot of them don't have any real questions about nuclear physics. I'm afraid I have to get back to my work."

Professor Hoga Eiichiro isn't good at lying, Emiko concluded.

"Why don't you tell us the truth?" she demanded "Is Professor Shibuya in danger?"

"Of course not," Hoga snapped. "I haven't seen him for a long time. Now, I think you should all leave. If you don't, I'll call the security people."

An urgent knock on the door brought Hoga to his feet. A moment later, Ranran and Shinichi hurried into the office, followed by Takuma and Michio.

"Hi, we came here to-"When the boys saw the girls, their jaws dropped.

"What are you all doing here?" Shinichi asked, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"We came to talk to Professor Hoga about Professor Shibuya," Ran explained, trying to sound composed despite the tense atmosphere in the room.

"No, I meant what are you doing here, when Ranran specifically told you to remain in the Association HQ." Shinichi corrected her sternly.

Michio and Takuma exchanged a quick glance with each other, realizing that they had disobeyed Ranran's instructions to stay at the Tantei Association headquarters. 

"Again, you disobeyed the rules of the association, Mouri Ran, "Shinichi asked coldly."Sneaking out to talk to Professor Hoga Eiichiro just to prove you can do better than any of us?"

Ran felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment and frustration.

"Ooi Shinichi! Are you not being unreasonably harsh towards Mouri!? She just broke the rules just to aid in the investigation, not to prove her place here!"Junko countered with icy sarcasm.

"Ehem!"Ranran clears her throat, sending waves of authority from both parties as heads turn to them, "Case first, personal feelings second. We were talking about this once the case is over, in the meantime, "She points to them at Professor Hoga, "Finish up where all of you started, we will talk about this when all of this is over."

The tension in the room eased slightly under Ranran's firm command, and everyone turned their attention back to Professor Hoga.