"Professor Hoga," Ranran spoke in a composed tone, "I'm Kudo Ranran, also a member of Tantei Association," She introduced herself before inquiring, "I will go straight to the point, these girls here," Ranran pointed at Emiko, Ran and Junko, "How far did they ask you?"

Professor Hoga looked slightly taken aback by Ranran's direct approach, but he composed himself and replied, "They asked me about Jirou-senpai, his missing stuffed eagle, and if I knew anything about last night's shooting at his residence."

"Wait, who is Jirou-senpai?" Takuma was the first to interrupt.

"Jirou-senpai refers to Professor Shibuya Jirou as that, they studied under the same semester together since foundation," Emiko clarified for Takuma, his eyes still fixed on Ranran, trying to gauge her reaction.

"Only he graduated earlier than him," Junko adds.

"Huh, who knew...." Michio muttered.

"And what else did you tell them?" Ranran asked, her eyes steady on the professor.

Hoga hesitated for a moment before replying, "I told them how important the stuffed eagle was to Professor Shibuya. But as for the shooting and his whereabouts, I honestly don't know anything about that. Now, could you all please get the hell out of my off-"

Before Hoga blasted them to get lost, Ranran spoke ahead of him.

"And just for your information, we just returned from Professor Shibuya's place not long ago. Were you also not aware of the shooting that took place earlier? Unless you want to lie about the fact that earlier this morning, one of Professor Shibuya's neighbours allegedly spoke to you that you were aiding in moving your former lecturer/senpai out of the home he was residing in?"

Professor Hoga's eyes widened in surprise, and so did the three other girls.

"EEEEHHH!? SO SERIOUS!?"Heads turned to the three girls, especially Ran who turn white as a sheet by Ranran's revelation."Why didn't you say any of this earlier!?"Ran blasted at them.

"Maybe if you had obediently remained in the association instead of being a shameless bull who decided not only to not text us in advance before doing so, let alone, endanger the other two members besides you just to prove Shinichi wrong, you would've been notified, Mouri."Ranran folded her arms, glaring at them, forcing Ran to shut up by the response.

For a moment, Ran grew red in the face, but she was obviously angry with Ranran's choice of words. The tension in the room escalated as everyone waited for his response.

"I...I don't know what you're talking about," Hoga stammered, trying to regain his composure.

"Come on, Professor Hoga," Shinichi interjected. "We know that you were involved in helping Professor Shibuya move out of his mansion. We spoke to the neighbours, and they mentioned seeing you there."

Hoga's face paled slightly, and he looked visibly uncomfortable. "Alright, fine. I did help him move some of his belongings, but that's it. I don't know anything about shooting or where he went afterwards."

"Are you telling the truth?" Ranran asked, her voice firm.

"I swear, I don't know anything about the shooting or his current whereabouts," Hoga insisted.

Ranran exchanged a knowing glance with the others, silently communicating that they needed to be cautious with their trust in Professor Hoga's words. It seemed like he was withholding something, and they couldn't afford to take everything he said at face value.

"Alright, even if you don't know about his whereabouts, then what about the part that Professor Shibuya lost his job at NASA for allegedly embezzling funds for some project to feed his 150 exotic birds, do you believe he is capable of that?" Emiko's unexpected question caught the boys and Ranran off guard.

"Where did you discover that part of the news?" Michio demanded.

"Ran took us to Professor Agasa to ask," Emiko adds.

"Without contacting us?" Shinichi growled as he glared at Ran, who is growing pale while her fists trembled.

"We will talk about 'that' earlier," Ranran had her hand on the apprentice's shoulder before turning to Professor Hoga, "Sir, about that earlier question Emiko had posed, do you believe your senpai is capable of doing so?"

Professor Hoga Eiichiro surveyed his visitors from behind his thick spectacles.

For a long moment, he was silent. Then he rested his elbows on his desk, steeped his fingertips, and began to speak. "You've met Jirou-senpai, so you know the kind of man he is. He can be very secretive at times. But he has been my friend since our university days together. His career took him into rocket science. He worked in Britain and America for years. I'm probably the only person he would call a friend."

"Don't avoid the question, give me your point of view." Ranran confronted Professor Shibuya's former student.

After a long silence, he answered, "No, of course not. Not for a minute."Eiichiro shook their head vigorously, "If there is one thing about Jirou-senpai, is that he isn't the type of man that focuses his attention on money. As much as his birds are his number 1 passion, he will never ruin his dream as a rocket scientist for them, be it stealing money or selling scientific secrets, that would be the last thing he would do to betray his own conscience."

"If that really were the case, why was he under suspicion?" asked Emiko.

"He actually came up with a plausible explanation," Eiichiro explained."Rocket science itself is a very specialized field. A lot of famous scientists are involved in it. And whenever famous people compete with one another, there is always an element of jealousy."

"So are you saying that someone who was jealous of him made a false accusation against him?" asked Michio.

"Or they framed him to cover up their own crime," Eiichiro added. "Jirou himself wasn't sure who was behind it. As far as he was concerned, he'd been disgraced due to the scandal, so he came back here to Japan. That was a little over a year ago. He lived very quietly, and only kept to himself. I saw him occasionally for lunch, or he'd drop by my office for a chat. And then one day, his face clouded with anxiety."

"What happened, Professor Hoga?"Michio pressed.

"About a week ago, Jirou-san called and told me his stuffed Alaskan eagle had gone missing. He was very upset, very agitated. He also sounded... well, frightened might be the best word to describe it."

Ran then leaned forward in her chair, "What could have frightened him?"

"He didn't tell me. But I could hear it in his voice. Then I had a strange phone call a couple of days later I was from someone asking me if I knew Shibuya Jirou?"

"Who was it?" queried Takuma.

"The caller didn't leave a name. But I didn't like the sound of him, "Hoga shuddered."I thought he sounded quite threatening. It was a very nasty voice."

"What did you do after that?" Shinichi wanted to know.

"Obviously the first thing I did was to warn him about it through the phone. Then he flew into a panic. And then last night he called me at home. He said didn't feel safe in that neighbourhood anymore and that he was moving out, but he didn't mention anything about anyone searching his house and knocking him out. He said he'd just booked a removal company and begged me to go out to the house and keep an eye on things."Hoga gave a grim smile. "I had to cancel my 9 am lecture immediately today as a result.''

"Where did they take all his furniture?" question Michio.

"To the storage depot. And the birds went to an aviary where they'll be well looked after"

"So where is Professor Shibuya now?" Ranran asked.

"That's just it. I don't know," Hoga threw up his hands in despair, "He didn't tell me."

"But surely you did ask him where he was?"Shinichi demanded.

"Of course I did. I said if he was in trouble he should let me know where I could contact him, but he didn't. He said it would be better if I didn't know."

"What do you think he meant?" Emiko asked.

"I suppose he thought I'd be safer if I knew nothing. And maybe he was right."He hesitated "That man with the nasty voice called me again just over an hour ago. He demanded to know where Jirou-san was."

"I think you should talk to the police," Junko said firmly, glancing at Michio, as he too nodded in agreement.

"But he told me not to," Hoga stressed.

"But you might be in danger too," Ran reminded him.

"That's not important'" Hoga stated. "I had to help him, didn't I? How could I have refused? I'm the only friend he has ever had."

"Did Professor Shibuya ever mention any names?"Ranran probed. "Like someone called The Snake?"

He then looked at her, startled."Who's The Snake?"

"A master criminal," Shinichi replied. "We suspect he might have something to do with all this."

That is when Hoga got up and gripped the back of his chair, "What do you think I should do?"

Shinichi frowned. "Where do you live, Professor?"

"I have a small apartment here at the university. Sometimes we work all night, you see, and then I have to give lectures the next day

"Then stay there," Shinichi told him. "Don't leave the university, don't go anywhere alone. And be on the lookout for strangers or anyone who might be following you."

"I just don't understand," Hoga said, dabbing sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief "Why all this fuss about a stuffed eagle?"

Emiko met his troubled gaze. "Professor, would you happen to know whether Professor Shibuya was still working on a rocket project?"

Hoga then shot her a strange look, "After what happened in New York, he swore he'd never want anything to do with rocket science again."

"But he'd still have records of his work, wouldn't he?"Junko asked.

"This ain't like homework or a storybook where you can just keep the draft while you publish it officially, my dear girl," Hoga smiled faintly. "When scientists develop rockets and missiles, they work in highly guarded facilities. They certainly can't take their work home. Everything Jirou knows about rocket science is safely stored in one place only...."He then tapped the side of his head."It's all in his brain."

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

As they walked out of Teitan University, the tension among the members of the Tantei Association was palpable.

Especially what Mouri Ran did earlier didn't sit well with Ranran and Shinichi one bit.

The atmosphere was heavy with unspoken words and disapproval. Ranran's eyes were cold, her trust in Ran hadn't been at its best, but it had plummeted way worst than it already is, thanks to her reckless actions earlier. Even Shinichi, who is a bit more the calm and composed one between the two Kudos, couldn't hide the disappointment in his eyes as he glanced at Ran.

The sun started to rise above the horizon, casting long shadows across the streets. The group walked in silence, their footsteps echoing in the empty streets. The weight of their failed investigation and the rift between the members hung heavy in the air. Even Michio and Takuma knew better than to say a word, seeing how furious Shinichi and Ranran were.

If Mouri Ran was wishing Ranran or Shinichi would snap, she would be glad that they do so.

The unspoken words and disapproval seemed to be way more suffocating for Mouri Ran, making every step feel heavier than the last. The coldness in Ranran's eyes cut deep into Ran's heart, and she couldn't help but feel the weight of whatever hatred she had for her. But it ain't as bad compared to Shinichi, who is Ran's former friend.

The silence was deafening, broken only by the soft rustling of leaves in the chilling breeze. Ran's heart pounded in her chest, feeling as though the darkness was consuming her from within. She stole a glance at Ranran and Shinichi, but their gazes remained cold and distant.

Emiko and Junko who had been witnessing all of this remain silent, whatever is going to happen, Ran is going to suffer in the worst way unimaginable.

Finally, having enough of this, Ran was the first to break the silence, "Just scold me if you need to! No need for us to walk all the way to the HQ!"

Ranran stopped in her tracks, her eyes flashing with anger. "You think a simple scolding will make everything alright?" she said, her voice cutting like a knife.

"Doesn't it!? You always find all sorts of excuses to scold me unnecessarily just so you can keep Shinichi away from me!" Ran refuted.

"Uncncessarily? Also, you away from Shinichi?" Ranran's eyes narrowed, and her voice turned icy. "Who was the one who choose to remain like a squatter in our association after I settled your tattered reputation of that dumb heiress friend of yours? For breaking into Shinichi and my house?"

"I-"

"I am not done yet," Ranran calmly yet coldly replied, "And who was the one who burned that bridge between him, yourself and that dumb heiress friend of yours a long time ago the moment you sided with Rokuro, the boy who framed Shinichi for instigating the feud? Even doubting his own words? Despite knowing Shinichi is smarter than you both think? You both did it."

"Ranran-"

"With both of your meddlesome, disgusting hands." Ranran spat in disgusts.

Ran's face paled, and she couldn't find the words to respond. She knew Ranran was right, but hearing it out loud only made her feel more ashamed of her past actions.

"And if you want to talk about coming up with 'excuses', I have plenty that came from you," Ranran sneered while she listed, "You avoided signing the contract I gave to you the first time as a member, tried to overstay your welcome like all squatters do to get Shinichi back, that is one. You interfered and endangered our lives multiple times, one time when we almost drowned at the quarry when we tried to call either you or Emiko for help, you both vanished into thin air. The second was when you sabotaged Shinichi's phone while we were kidnapped by The Snake's men in 'The King of Rubies'  case. Oh yeah, did I forget to mention the time you ruin a lot of Shinichi's tasks as an apprentice? Who did that? And yes, that video of your friend with Mamiko...I am surprised, despite all of the evil that lunatic girl did, she and you had yet to apologize to me. Then again, ignorant girls belonged to each other."

Ran felt a lump forming in her throat as Ranran continued to list all the ways she had endangered them. But she refused to back down. "How dare you imply I am the troublesome one!? You are the evil one! Constantly scheming and being cunning towards everyone's back! That is why Shinichi refused to even patch up our friendship with me and Sonoko, I knew you had to be the one behind it! Because he never does this until you came around!"

"Mouri Ran!" Shinichi stepped up to defend his mentor, "How dare you speak ill of Ranran that way!?" The tension escalated as Shinichi stood up for Ranran, his voice laced with anger. "You have no right to accuse her like that."

"Why shouldn't I!?" Ran then listed the things she found out through Professor Agasa, Shinichi's neighbour, "You never told me that Ranran lived behind your place, you never revealed that you secretly told Professor Agasa to tip you off if I ever dropped by, hell, you kept inviting Ranran over for meals at his place! But you never willingly do that for me!"

As Ran unleashed her accusations, the atmosphere grew even tenser. Emiko and Junko watched the confrontation, feeling like they were caught in the middle of a storm. They had never seen Ran fight so fiercely before, and it was clear that their bad blood was taking a turn for the worst.

"Why do I have to share with you all of that? We are no longer friends anymore, remember? Also, who are you to expect me to keep reporting you whatever I happen to be doing!? Are you even my Okaasan!?" Shinichi's face turned red with anger, but he tried to remain calm.

Ran scoffed, her frustration boiling over. "No longer friends? Is that how you see it? After being friends for over a year, you're just going to throw it all away because of Ranran?"

"Don't pretend like you don't know what happened, Ran," Shinichi retorted. "You made your choice back then, and Ranran wasn't even in the picture when you made that decision. You chose to side with Rokuro, the one who framed me for starting the feud with you and Sonoko. You didn't even give me the benefit of the doubt, despite knowing how smart I am. Especially that video with Mamiko and Sonoko....that idiot brain cell little rich girl still owes Ranran an apology for the things she did, yet, she hasn't yet. And now you want to blame everything on Ranran? That's just pathetic."

"That is right! Only a sore loser would do that!" Takuma sided with Shinichi, and so did Michio.

Ran felt a stab of pain at Shinichi's words. She had always admired his intelligence and skills as a detective, and she had regretted not believing in him back then. But she couldn't let go of her anger towards Ranran, who she saw as the reason for their rift.

"Just admit it, Shinichi," Ran said, her voice trembling with emotion. "You like her more than me. You've always favoured her, and I can't stand it anymore."

Shinichi's eyes widened in disbelief.  "Why does it matter to you anyway?"

Here was it, the moment Ran will confess her feelings for Shinichi.

But before that could happen, Ranran took a step forward, defending Shinichi from the front before confronting her, "If you are going to profess her feelings for Shinichi, thanks to that psychopath, Ishibashi Mamiko, for manipulating you into thinking that Shinichi had feelings for you, Mouri Ran, the first thing I am going to do is to call your parents and lock you up at a mental hospital! You hear me!?"

In an instant, the tension in the air grew even thicker, and everyone stared at Ranran in shock. The dark tone of her words sent shivers down their spines, and for a moment, it seemed like Ranran might actually follow through on her threat.

Ran's eyes welled up with tears, her heart aching at the harshness of Ranran's words.

"Ranran!" Junko blasted Ranran for being insensitive, though the shock on Shinichi's face was priceless.

"Feelings for me?" Shinichi's expression was a mix of confusion and surprise. "Ran, is that true? Mamiko....had she been-"Before Ran could say a word by taking a step forward, Shinichi took several steps back."No wonder...no wonder you wished for Ranran to die! In the beginning, I thought it was strange why you still detested Ranran even after Mamiko was exposed....now, no wait, how long had Mamiko been manipulating you to think otherwise!?" Shinichi said, raising his hands defensively. "Does this mean you were truly the mastermind who got Sonoko's scheme about in discouraging my Tantei dream!?'

"Wait, what feelings!? Rokuro didn't like me that way! But aside from that...." Ran felt her heart sink further at Shinichi's reaction. She hadn't expected him to distance himself even more upon learning about her feelings. The pain in her chest was overwhelming, but she knew she had to be honest. "Shinichi, I-"

"Enough! I don't want to hear it!" Shinichi is suddenly feeling sick, recalling Ishibashi Mamiko's bedroom with photos of him. "Ranran getting attacked by Rokuro, the harassments Ranran and I had to deal with because of your and Sonoko, and Rokuro messing with my soccer schedule.....it made a lot of sense now. No wonder he....." Shinichi found himself staring at his former friend in disgust, "I can't believe...you rather listened to that she-satan than your own kindergarten friend for over a year!"

"Shinichi, Mamiko didn't-"

"You are right, she didn't," Ranran again cuts in, "But she did influence your best friend, so who knows what you truly feel for Shinichi!"

As Shinichi's words sank in, Ran felt a mix of emotions surges through her. "But my feelings are..." Ran stammered, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"They are not real, Mouri. They are not real!" Shinichi screeched at her, now it was his turn to grow pale before hiding behind Ranran.

The reason why Ranran dropped this trump card was simple: Misguided feelings can never be a solid foundation in the name of love.

The other day when Ranran shared her suspicions with Shinichi that it was rather likely Ran could've had feelings for Shinichi thanks to Mamiko's manipulation through Sonoko, he was in denial since Ran kept on stating she didn't feel that way whenever Sonoko teased them together. At some point after learning of Sonoko's gaslighting plan with Mamiko towards Shinichi and Ran after that video of them together, the last thing he would've suspected would be that Mouri Ran would entertain this idea.

But he was wrong, so wrong.

Hearing all of this from Ranran upfront, and watching as Ran choked and struggled to explain made it all so evident that Ranran hit the mark: That Ran did see things that way, enough to want Ranran to die. And it sickens him to his stomach, that Ran would think of it the same way as Mamiko.

Mamiko, Sonoko and Ran...they are all the same kind! Shinichi dreaded.

Of course, Ranran could've simply let Ran go about her romantic confession to Shinichi as a form of proper justification to go against the cunning founder of Tantei Association. But too many has happened between them, enough for Shinichi to no longer trust Ran anymore, Ranran just supplied the nail and hammer to Shinichi to put an end to this madness.

In the midst of the heated confrontation, Emiko couldn't take it anymore. "Enough!" she shouted, her voice cutting through the tension like a knife. "This is getting us nowhere. Fighting amongst ourselves won't solve anything."

Emiko's outburst shocked everyone into silence. She took a deep breath before continuing, "Ranran and Shinichi, as much as I am aware that you are both paranoid about Mamiko's involvement in manipulating Sonoko and Ran, I don't think you both have the right to treat her like a plague."

"Emiko...." Michio's words died down hearing this.

"That is right!" It was Junko's turn to step up, "I know the things that have happened were all thanks to Mamiko, but you both shouldn't be treating Ran so harshly because of what Sonoko did to you both through Mamiko's influence! Let alone, treat Ran-san's feelings for Shinichi as if they were a plague to be avoid!"

"So in other words, are you implying that we should simply take in whatever crap Mouri dump on us and take it with stride?" Shinichi gave her a blank stare, and so did the boys surrounding her.

"I didn't mean that. You know it," Emiko asks in disbelief.

"No, that is what it sounds like," Shinichi nodded with his mentor, "I know you meant well, Emiko, but Ran-san is beyond the girl I knew since kindergarten."

"I mean this is the same girl who leached her way into the association, a shameless leech wouldn't know they are one anyone." Ranran pointed out.

Ranran's choice of words made Ran tremble in anger, but she held herself back. How dare she call her a leech?! Also, a leech!? Is she serious!? She is the one who broke the rules of the association but doesn't get punished, but when it came to herself, it was a different story!

"Leached her way?! You gave her a hard time compared to the rest of us!" Junko sided with Mouri before bringing up her own points, "What happened yesterday night with Shinichi and Rokuro's situation, Ran told us everything! About claims that Ran intentionally hid Rokuro's identity as Ranran's attacker away from everyone in the room to hurt Ranran, it merely lies to remove her from the association!"

"Lies?!" Shinichi grew angry at the secretary, "So is that what she told you!?"

"Also, Ran didn't say anything, but she hung an Ema the other day with Sonoko at a temple, but someone ruined Sonoko's Ema with a permanent marker, then added a note to Mouri by calling her a Devil in English! We all know that within the association, the only few who are good in English are either you or Ranran! And Ranran lived in the U.K. for the past five years!" Junko confronted head-on, "And though I may not have any proof, I know you both are eager to get rid of Mouri because of a mistake Ran made with Rokuro, which is why you all purposefully didn't show a video to her about Rokuro breaking into the association! I bet that is fake, ain't it!? To remove Mouri?! Now that you caught her breaking the rules today, are you going to punish Ran and exclude us from it?! That way, you would be getting away with targeting your hatred towards her?" Junko retaliated at Ranran, who had remained calm till now after hearing her judgements.

"So that is the reason for all of your rebellion, against me, huh?"Ranran chuckled amusingly, "Listen, I ain't some dictator who orders the both of you whether to follow her of sympathy instead of using your heads. You are all free to make your decisions on what to do."

"Eh!?" This was not what Emiko and Junko were expecting. Were they wrong about Ranran?

"The both of you are older than us by a couple of years to know what is right and wrong, who am I, a 6-year-old girl, to tell you what you all should do and not? I ain't your mother."

As much as Emiko and Junko were going to argue with her, they were rather taken aback by the fact that Ranran did not scold them.

"But just to let you know...if it comes a day when criminals would strike the whole lot of you when you all choose to put your trust of safety in the hands of an emotional girl like Mouri Ran, if and only if, both of your lives ended thanks to this decision, I will notify all of your parents that it ain't my fault, because at the end of the day...I admit, while my words may sound as unpleasant as reality, I did not convince both of you to side with a girl who uses emotions with false hopes and promises, which did lead to both of your deaths."

"You!" Junko snarled at the rude little girl, rushing over to slap Ranran but Michio blocked Ranran, knowing that her grandparents will certainly give Junko a hard time if they find out she inflicted any bruises or marks on her.

"Ranran is right, you know!? Also, targeting you out of personal hatred!? Where did your brain go, Mouri Ran!? Is that what you all think? Do you think Ranran has all the time in the world to keep going after you out of personal vendetta?! You want to know why she didn't punish Emiko and Junko but you? I will explain in detail if you are that curious!" Shinichi was appalled before growling in anger as he defended Ranran while listing a couple of issues, "You said she did it because she disliked you, but Mouri, did you forget she didn't like Junko coming here because of whom?"

Shinichi speaks in a rather dangerous tone, which sent chills to the other girls, "That was-"

"You may not have worked here that long, but I am certain you ain't that dumb to not notice that she always tells us to contact Genzo in every since case we have worked on. Also, 'that girl' having appeared in Michio's life did little to stop her abnormal behaviour with Michio. Though Fuyuko-san has all of the meddlesome traits, she has yet to interfere or break any rules of T.A. The one good thing I can praise her is that her writing skills haven't let us down, let alone, report to detail. Unlike you who kept making mistakes but refuse to correct it!"

"What are you-"

"Regarding the statements you make in your report."

"That again!? Why does it matter!? It's just a tiny mistake! Everyone makes mistakes!" Ran screeched.

"True, especially when you happen to be cornered with something traumatic such as dealing with dangerous criminals like The Snake and all, I don't expect everything to be in the right on paper, because it was events that includes death threats after all. Even so, there were certain events when I was reading your report that was completely inaccurate. The ones that didn't include you being fearful."

Seeing Ran looking hostile towards Ranran, Shinichi went on like a charging bull by stating the harsh facts. "The case the other day....when you used my smartphone to silence Ranran from contacting me while she was at the mall using Sonoko as bait to lure that man....you wrote it as if she was seeking revenge towards you for malicious reasons. Did you not?"

"What part of that was in the wrong!? It ain't a secret that she despise me, no!? That is why she used Sonoko-"

"Exactly, that is the problem. Again, I am reminding you that she used Sonoko, because you silence my phone while she was attempting to call me for help, which is why she had to adapt and used Sonoko who came by chance. If this was premeditated on Ranran's part, such as her knowing beforehand that Sonoko will be present at that mall, then she is at fault. But that isn't the case, " Shinichi's voice cut through the tension like a blade. "With opinions written like that, the court will set any criminal we put behind bars free if the culprit finds out about this little loophole. They will paint Ranran as if she is a emotional child Tantei who is driven with petty feelings the way you are having right now, while that criminal will walk away freely to harm more children like us." Shinichi's seriousness boomed before her.

It was thanks to those words of the matured detective apprentice, that Emiko and Junko both had their fist hit their respective palm, an unexpected 'aha' moment as to why Ranran was harsh on Mouri alone. "I-"

"And that is the problem with you — you refused to listen to Ranran when she told you off about it, you said everyone makes mistakes and that she should be lenient on you. If she does it as you said, it's one thing if our HQ is looked down upon, but it's another that the clients who wants to seek help from us doubt us, because we lack credibility....hinking we want fame and won't hesitate to go after some innocent person to shut the case! The worst is that they would think we are no different than the incompetent cops who were arrested last year for corruption!"

"He is right! Your mistake could've make other think as if we were morons!"Michio sided with Shinichi as Ran gulped as more of her mistakes were brought up by the intelligent apprentice.

"Also, did you think Ranran is the type to be intimidated by you enough to warrant getting kicked out? I would like to remind you that Emiko's presence is enough to earn more hatred from Ranran than you, considering she could leave Tantei Association anytime to disclose anything she finds that would paint Ranran in a bad light. Emiko is after all an intel girl, she can easily make a profit out of anything within this association. Furthermore, you mentioned Ranran ruining the Ema of yours, it ain't possible. Cause she has an alibi." Shinichi shook his head at them.

"Oh really!?" Junko crossly demanded, "Who is that alibi?"

"You, you moron!" Junko reacted in shock at Shinichi's words, "Who was the one who suggested herself to teach Ranran to write in Kanji properly with a brush? Because your favourite caligraphy teacher was lamenting to her favourite student, which happens to be you Junko, about Ranran putting half-hearted efforts in writing calligraphy without a care in the world, you volunteered to guide her whether she liked it or not!?"

"Wait, that happen around the same period?" Junko asked, her expression changing from anger to confusion.

"Yes! I did a private investigation myself, this was around the same period before we were due to leave to see that dead comedian at that time." Shinichi clarified.

"Oh yeah, I did remember that!" Takuma suddenly recalled before giving a sympathetic look towards Ranran, who is wearing a sour expression, "You kept on whining about not wanting to do it, but she ended up making you finish your homework at the cafe in front of me and Reina, or else she was going to rat out this dangerous case to Sergeant Genzo at that time."

Junko's anger subsided as she realized that she had wrongly accused Ranran without considering the facts.

"I know what you are thinking: Even if the Ema plaque you and Sonoko wrote could not have been vandalized before that comedian murder case, Ranran could've done it after her arm broke, or that she could've hired someone to do it. Not possible, for starters: Due to Ranran's hospital stay, homework had to be delivered to her patient room, this included her calligraphy."

Seeing their confusion, Shinichi persisted, "Everyone in school is aware about Ranran's relationship with the calligraphy sensei, considering she broke her arm, Ranran would've definitely again intentionally use her functional yet weak dominant hand to do her homework, which irked sensei the greatest. Sensei is after all a perfectionist when it comes to that. Which is why everyday without fail, after school when I drop by Ranran's ward, it wasn't surprising why I spotted Junko, who is always there to monitor Ranran's progress while rambling at her to take it seriously."

"Ooi, how is it did you forget about something this important?!" Michio called out his classmate/kindergarten friend, whose glasses fell a bit at Shinichi's deductions.

"Oh Michio, that was one of the worst period of my life since Ranran is so stubborn!" Junko looked torn, her earlier anger replaced with uncertainty. "Also, I though the Ema plaque that was destroyed happened after Ranran was discharged from the hospital, not during that period since Mouri didn't mention when it occurred, she only briefly mentioned it could've taken place either before or after, so...."

"And anyway, aside of that, it wasn't just me who witness all of this." Shinichi continued, "Aside of the rest of the boys who were with Ranran all the way leading up to the day she was discharge, the teachers of our class paid her a visit one after another! This also include the calligraphy sensei, do you know why? So that she doesn't skip her homework! Because Ranran had a history of not wanting to do so! They are they to ensure she completes them!" Shinichi defended Ranran's actions, as he elaborated further, "Now, Mouri, are there any actual evidence that Ranran was behind all of the things you had accused her for!?"

The question hung in the air, and Ran's heart sank. She knew she had crossed a line, but she couldn't control the overwhelming emotions she was feeling. The darkness within her was consuming her, clouding her judgment and causing her to lash out at the people she cared about. "It could've been possible that Ranran manipulated the teachers to come to fix her alibi up, right!?"

With the apprentice's patience wore thin, his voice was sharp with disbelief. "Mouri, be honest with me, how many teachers Ranran is genuinely close to just to be manipulated!? Aside of our science teacher who is about to move to the States with her husband!?"

Silence.

"Exactly! Ranran hate homework, so why on earth would she be close to any of the teachers who is fixated on her damn hatred towards homework!? Did you really had to come up with some rubbish story of Ranran's conspiracy to secure an alibi!?" Shinichi snapped.

The accusation hit Mouri Ran like a blow to the chest, and for a moment, she yelled. "Is that what you think?! You really think so little of me to be that petty?"

"Then why do you keep on going against Ranran, then?" Takuma stepped up to defend his friend, "She told you nicely without being sarcastic, and you kept trying to find fault with her! Plus she has an alibi! And yet, you kept on prodding!"

"It's the truth!" Ran retorted, her voice wavering with emotion. "She always finds a way to come between me and Shinichi. She is always there, lurking in the shadows, trying to take everything away from me!"

"You said she took everything from you, but did she force you to remain in the association?" Takuma confronted.

"Eh?"

"Say if Ranran did want to keep Shinichi away from you, you can always see him in class, remember?" Takuma paced towards the long brunette, "Ranran, Sonoko, even you are under the same class of 1-A with the rest of us. You can always walk up to his desk to talk to him, right? If what you said is true about Ranran, why didn't she stop you from talking to Shinichi whenever you came up to his desk? She didn't even stop you when you tried to talk to him after school had ended."

"I-"

"The way I see it, he is merely avoiding you because you can't be reasoned. You knew deep down that Shinichi would no longer want to interact with you anymore as soon as he became Ranran's apprentice, which is why you kept harassing Ranran. And that is a fact!" Takuma's words stung Mouri as he continued to challenge her, "You also said she was being hostile unnecessarily towards you, but Mouri, had she ever once brought up the fact that because your parents are separated, you are incompetent?"

That made her shut up.

"You know better of the hardships that you had gone through, if Ranran is being hostile for all the wrong reasons, she could've used this against you and said things like 'As expected from a child of a broken family, how incompetent you are'. Or even Emiko for that matter, since her parents are divorced, while your parents split up. And so far, Junko," Takuma called out to the startled secretary, "Had she ever once brought up such insensitive words towards you?"

Junko shook her head, feeling ashamed of her earlier accusations. "No, she hasn't," she admitted quietly.

"Exactly." Takuma's voice held a mix of frustration and disappointment. "So if one were to say 'Ranran took everything away from you', Mouri, it's pure nonsense. It ain't as if she robbed away your voice to speak to Shinichi, or your rights to talk to him." Takuma replied, his voice steady. "You even accused Ranran of being cunning and scheming, at that part, I agree with you, since I am her friend after all. But who are you to guilt her into that, when you barely knew a thing about her!?"

The weight of Takuma's words hung in the air, and Ran felt a knot form in her stomach.

"While Ishibashi Mamiko, that psychotic 6-year-old girl is misusing her lies for selfish reasons, at least Ranran here is doing things that not even the cops here are capable of doing to make sure this entire Beikai District is safe once more! So for you to simply take it out on Ranran and blame her for every single fault you had personally caused on Shinichi, won't solve anything....."

The athlete's words had hit Ran hard, but she merely scoffed, "Of course, you would say that you are her friend after all."

Takuma's eyes narrowed, his frustration evident before staring at Shinichi with sympathy, "Shinichi, about what I said once that Ran could've been mad at you because you were being too obnoxious, I will take back the words and apologize to you, cause now I know how it feels to be you now."

"Even you are thinking I am crazy!" Ran's voice rose with frustration. "What is wrong with all of you to be manipulated by Ranran!?"

"Maybe you are so delusional, you barely could tell the difference." Ranran's eyes flashed with anger. "I really am beginning to think Shinichi made the right decision to sever ties with you."

"He wouldn't have, had you not taken him in as your apprentice!" Ran's voice cracked with emotion. " All I know is that you're tearing us apart!"

"You already did the moment you sided with Rokuro," Shinichi's expression turned cold again, and he took a step closer to Ran, his voice low and dangerous. "I don't care what you think of me or Ranran, but I don't appreciate anyone who stands in the way of my Tantei dreams for their meddlesome purposes. You too are no exception."

Those words felt like a slap in the face to Ran, and tears welled up in her eyes. "You don't mean that," she whispered, her voice trembling.

"I do, Mouri. I meant every word I said, especially what I said to you last night when you falsely accused Ranran of offering me the apprenticeship in exchange for severing ties with you and Sonoko. If I had to do it again, I wouldn't hesitate anymore." Shinichi spoke with a hardened expression, wondering where things went wrong for them. "Ranran, let's leave her."

But before they could leave, "And what about me?!" Ran shot back, her voice tinged with bitterness. "I've been through my fair share of hardships too! It ain't like Ranran or you were the only ones! Why should I be overlooked while Ranran gets all the credit?"

"Because you don't have the right to blame everything on her!" Shinichi's patience was wearing thin. "You've been given chances, and she's been understanding towards you, but you refuse to change your ways. You continue to act on your emotions, making reckless decisions that put yourself and others in danger."

"You have no idea what I've been through!" Ran shouted, her tears mixing with anger. "You all have no idea, because of what that she-demon-"

"Let me ask you something, Mouri. Tell me a list of things you have actually done to benefit the association. Tell me that, and we will let you remain in the association." Shinichi challenged his former friend.

Ran's breath hitched, and she struggled to find the right words.

"I... I've helped with some of the cases," Ran stammered, trying to recall her contributions. "I've been there during stakeouts and provided backup when needed."

"You did, I'll freely admit that along with the others," Shinichi nodded, acknowledging her efforts. "But what about the dangerous tasks?"

Ran's voice faltered as she struggled to answer. "I... I tried my best," she finally managed to say. "I've put myself in danger to help solve cases."

"But has any of them involved Ranran's permission?"

Ran fell silent, her gaze avoiding Shinichi's piercing eyes.

"Did you not think for a second as to why Ranran always put the pressure on you compared to the rest of the members here? No, it ain't because she detested you, Mouri. It's because whatever Ranran does, to you, it is merely her being blessed by Kami-sama and you are way too inferior towards her background. And that, Mouri, is the reason why I decided when I went up to her in person to seek an apprenticeship, and she suggested that I don't talk to either you or Sonoko while attempting to solve our first major case out of our safety concerns, I made the decision never to reconcile with you ever again."

"I didn't mean to be inferior," Ran whispered, her voice barely audible. "I just... I wanted to prove myself too."

"Also, guys, you all said I made up a lie about some video involving Rokuro breaking into the association to attack Ranran....here is your video." Shinichi took out his phone and sent the video to everyone, "I want all of you to watch the video, then think properly why I didn't show it to Mouri last night."