"Also, if I were a 'bastard', doesn't mean you too are no different than me?"Ranran's smile grew wider as she pointed at Ryoko, "Your mom had you during a one night stand when she was 14 years old, having to drop out of high school just to raise you. While all she had is elementary school education, my mother on the other hand has a master's degree by the time she turned 16 and had me!"

Others gasps as Ryoko's eyes widened at her exposing his family secret, "How did you know that!? Also, who told you-"

"Whenever I am free, my grandmother often takes me to the market not far from our house."Ranran cuts him off as she paced with a grin, her eyes filled with glee at the horrified Ryoko, "There was a homeless man who always begs around the streets not far from where she buys salmon for me, cause I love eating salmon. She then pointed at the man and said, 'Ranran, you see that man over there? He is a peasant who once slept with a 14-year-old girl whose surname is Ashikaga. She got pregnant and end up naming a son around her age called Ryoko. When you grow up around her age, don't ever open your legs or else you end up having a child with a vagrant. Let alone, end up thinking as foolishly like him.' Boy, she was so right about you."

The more Ranran said it, the more Ryoko grew paler.

"I did research, the surname Ashikaga isn't common in our neighbourhood, let alone, the name Ryoko. So as soon as I found out it was you, I knew you were a peasant's son. Kinda expected for someone to behave the way towards me, because you have a mentality of a peasant."

Ranran's shrug irked the boy more. How dare she call him a peasant!? Sure, his dad was one because he couldn't get a job after that scandal broke where he slept with a minor, but did Ranran have to insult him to such an extent!?

"I ain't done yet, I got more to share, "Ranran chuckled darkly before pointing to Shoji next, "Shiro Shoji, the only one who has old parents in the group. But guess what? They are in reality, his biological grandparents because their bloody daughter couldn't keep her pants down sleeping with a con-man like a loose woman, who I heard is serving 20 years in prison for duping more women into sleeping with him and having scammed their money. Oh yeah...the last I check, how many half-siblings do you have now thanks to your pig of a dad? Around 20?"

"Wait, Shoji has 20 siblings?!"Amaya, Shinichi and Ryoko's jaws dropped at her revelation.

"Do you even know? What do his stepmothers consist of?"Ranran went on to list what she recalled in her research, "Lawyers, doctors, judges, police...well all of them are smart, what does Shoji's mom work as? She doesn't even have the qualifications to brag. No, all she has is a job as a loan shark-"

"You better shut your damn bloody mouth!"Shoji grew mad at the little girl speaking ill of his family secret. How does this girl know all of this!? He never told anyone, let alone, the boys in his group! The more he sees her devious expression, the more he grew scared of Ranran. How much does this girl know about his secrets!? If word ever got out...

"Then we have Fuse Amaya, oh ho ho...this one is the juiciest of them all."Shinichi could see Amaya's face growing pale at Ranran amusingly expressed, "You and your little sister's father-"

"You better shut the hell up! If you ever said a word, I swear I will beat you to a pulp!"Amaya raised his fist in a threatening manner, at the same time, however, he was terrified of what she knows about their family secret.

"Fine, "Ranran laughs a little, not feeling intimidated at their fears, "It will be more fun if I keep it to myself to torment you further."

Ranran's words made Amaya's face quiver, she then turned to Shinichi."As for you...you have nothing to hide actually, except wanting to be a Tantei. We are after all under the same family. Yet...you couldn't even tell I can speak this whole time...Aaah, everyone is going to laugh when they find out your detective skills are nothing but a pure joke. Oh ho ho ho..."

Ranran's haughty laugh resulted in the boys lowering their heads and their faces growing redder and redder as though they were about to explode. With a shame-filled expression, they kept their mouth shut.

One of them feels like they are going to kill her.

With them having different expressions, she sighed and looked at them.

"But you know what is going to be funnier? This?"Ranran shook her smartphone, playing the video of their insults as the boys grew pale in horror," Wait till I send this video to the school board on what you boys did to me. Aside from all of your secrets coming to light, can you all imagine what life will be like? In 1-E, the dumbest class?"

Ranran swears she could've laughed a lot more at their angry expressions.

"All of you will be treated like zoo animals, everyone will look down on you 24/7 and be warned of your stupidity, "Ranran paced with a sinister grin, "But that will be nothing, though all of you be stress-free, you will all never have a better head start in life unlike the other classes, you all will grow up like failures. Then every day without fail, I will mock all of you on what fool all of you are. When all the kids in school hear of this, you all will be labelled 'fools' and 'doofus' for the rest of your lives, till the day you all graduate! Won't it be fun?"

"Give me the phone!"The ringleader Amaya was red with fury as he demanded, making attempts to snatch her smartphone but she was too evasive. The cold gaze along with her taunts dampened the children's spirits a little differently than before. At this point, fears set onto their eyes one by one. Everyone began to feel uneasy and embarrassed.

"Why should I? Boys that behave like animals deserve to belong in a zoo for tourists to amuse them."Ranran scoffed mockingly as she gave him a dismissive wave.

"You ain't going to get away with this! Give us the damn phone!"Shoji demanded as a lot of things were going through his head. If the video ever got out, Shoji will never get to live a normal life. Let alone, his 20 siblings' situation will be his downfall.

"Exactly! Do you know who we are!?"Ryoko confronted as anger was about to erupt, "You will regret it trying to mess with us!"

Shinichi was helpless as he looked into her eyes for the very first time.

The more he looks, the more he realizes how very similar they are, not just in appearance, but those eyes....what did it remind him of in his younger days?

The days when not a single adult in his life believe him, those eyes...were empty, void and bitter.

And, he couldn't help but immerse into her gaze.

And sink completely.

For a moment, a new thought flitted across his mind, that maybe he shouldn't have treated her coldly as he did.

But what she did next soon brushed away such thoughts.

She smiled coldly before the boy, sending chills down his spine. A freaking five-year-old girl in front of a five-year-old boy, with such cold eyes.....why? There is even hatred towards him, even though...this is the first time they meet in person.

Somehow, a trace of uneasiness crept up within Shinichi, but before he thought about it any further, the three of them suddenly rushed over to snatch her phone.

High up in the sky, the sun was setting through the cracks of the ceiling window of Beikai mall. Everyone was doing their business. The children playing were running and laughing, but there was a strange atmosphere in the air.

Something was wrong, dead wrong.

Before anyone knows it, Ranran was standing at the edge."Alright, if you are not going to give it back to us. Then die!"

Amaya finally lost it and pushed Ranran alongside the other two boys, much to Shinichi's horror.

"KYAAAAAAH!!!!"

The screams of a little girl could be heard echoing in the mall as she looked scared, while adults and kids alike turned to see the source of the voice, only to be horrified when they saw her being pushed by a group of kids from a high obstacle course.

The crunch reverberated through Ranran's entire body; Ranran didn't hear herself screaming but she was loud enough to startle the other adults nearly a mile away from them.

The little girl was crying on the ground, and she was clutching her leg with her smartphone next to her.

"Ranran!"Her parents became petrified when they see their daughter laying on the ground. Shinichi and the others were about to sprint to where she had fallen.

"What on earth happened!? Who did this to my daughter!?"Her father grew enraged as he and his wife approached Ranran.

The pain was so great she felt dizzy. Through her swirling vision, she caught a glimpse of blood and a twisted limb. Ranran was crying and her leg was clear cut in a bad shape, while she whined in pain before pointing up, "They pushed me! They pushed me!!!"

Everyone in the mall was in shock, looking at the little boys before them from the top.

The boys' parents were equally horrified when they saw their sons expressions, never realizing that their sons were capable of such violence.

As the little girl was being huddled in the corner, Shinichi and the boys found themselves to be surrounded by a group of their peers and adults as some of them climb up to the top to confront their sins."What is wrong with all of you to push a defenseless little girl down!? Have you lost your mind!?"One of the parkour instructer shouted at the four.

"I-"Shinichi tried to argue, but it was useless.

"You could've committed murder! Do you not realize that!?"A mother blasted at them.

"What were you all doing that the four of you have to resort to pushing her down!?"One of the kids demanded answers, but neither of them could answer. The three idiots couldn't say a thing, as they had mixed emotions of feeling scared, yet at the same time, they didn't have a choice. If word ever got out about their family secrets, it would be worst for them.

"Nothing happened," Ryoko blatantly lied.

"Nothing?"One of his bullied victims, a freckled spectacle little girl scoffed, "You always bullied others including me, I doubt what you did earlier was nothing!"

"She fell on her own! That's what happened!"Shoji suggested.

But then another of their victims, a little small scrawny boy was also in disbelief, "You think we are idiots or what!? The camera caught what you all did to her!"

That wipe out the hesitant smiles on their faces, "Excuse me!?"The three became appalled in their unison expressions, even Shinichi too was no different.

"The tv camera was filming everyone when we stood in front of the obstacle course where the whole lot of you were!"A little girl who had a ponytail then pointed to the cameraman below them, as he and the others were inspecting the footage, their camera was left pointing in their direction."We were being interviewed then he saw the whole thing! Are you all going to vehemently deny with all of this caught on camera!?"

Suddenly, it was clear to Amaya that Ranran probably set them up.

"You monster! What is wrong with all of you!?"

Suddenly, everyone was busy accusing the boys of being a monster as the 3 tried to lie their way out except Shinichi. Shinichi didn't know what to do, for he was scared."I didn't push her! I swear!"He vehemently denies it, but they remain undeterred.

"Everyone saw you all coming up from the top! And she shouted you all pushed her! What is there to lie about!?"A woman screeched at him.

"And her leg is broken! Are you going to deny responsibility!?"The school board director was obviously livid.

Shinichi then saw the looks on his parents' faces. They were looking at him like he was a monster. He didn't understand why they were treating him this way, but he knew he didn't do anything wrong.

The plan was to provoke one of them to be pushed her down.

And for Shinichi to confront her, was a big mistake. He fell for her trap.

Make it look as if he pushed her for mocking his stupidity alongside the group of boys, in front of the many adults and children who had watched what happened, their expressions? Priceless.

It had been Ranran's plan all along. She pushed and pushed till they cracked and push her down, in front of horrified adults and kids alike. Now the boys and Shinichi are the monsters, while Ranran is the victim. The more Shinichi thinks about it, the further the terror sets in.

It was at this point, he realizes he had walked into her devious trap.

A trap she laid for them that is so inviting, the setback is going to be awful.

She exploited their angers and taunts to turn them into villains while she, their victim. For her to come up with this must have taken a long time. A lot of factors that this plan can go wrong was evident to Shinichi, but isn't this a little too far? They only just met the first time to draw into conclusions that they, him and the boys, were the enemies!

But as he thinks further about this, he was reminded of that time he was vulnerable in that party he set onto his enemies. The feeling for being wronged, producing out in its ugliest form.

The enemy Shinichi set the trap on, she did the same to him. Does this make him...no different that the kids he got rid of? For the first time, 5-year-old Kudo Shinichi began to feel like he was a monster, and he didn't know why. The little boy thought she was going to behave like those other insecure kids who happened to be labelled 'bastard'. He underestimated her ability to be cunning.

Within a few minutes, the ambulance pulled up, along with some police and all of their parents. Two paramedics lifted her onto a stretcher and took her and her parents to the back of the ambulance. They drove off, leaving everyone else behind.

.....

Shinichi and his family made their way to the hospital, as soon as they arrived, all of them were directed to the waiting room while Ranran was in surgery. It was tense in there, with everyone waiting for news about Ranran having fallen so high. Shinichi tried to focus on his thoughts, but he couldn't help but listen to everyone's conversation.

It was already full, and he could tell that things were tense.

Worry and anger wrote all over the man's face."Uncle, I'm..."

But Ranran's father cuts Shinichi off."Who the hell you think you are to hurt my daughter, huh?!" he lost his temper and redirected his gaze to the 5-year-old boy, who seemed to be taken aback."Why didn't you do a thing!?"

"Honey-"His wife tried to reprimand him, but it was unsuccessful.

"Irene, let me go!"Her husband tried to hit the little boy, but it was futile given his wife's strong grip, "That boy called her a bastard! It was on the bloody video!"

But Irene's grip was firm, "Honey, he is still a child—"

"A child?!"The man scoffed in anger before pointing at the little boy, "This boy is the reason why our daughter is in the bloody hospital!"

Yusaku and Yukiko were silent, they were helpless in their situation as they learn Shinichi was involved. To think their perfect son was capable of such cruelty...where did they go wrong with him?

Of course, although their son was in the wrong, Yusaku tried to calm Ranran's father down and defend Shinichi's actions as he and Ranran's dad were close. But Ranran's dad was not having it.

"Yusaku, forgive me, but right now, I have to know why is everyone pointing the finger and saying Shinichi was responsible for Ranran having broken her leg and sobbing now, alright?!"

The glasses man is helpless as Ranran's dad confronted the scared blue-eyed boy, "You boy! Tell me the damn truth! I'm not a damn idiot, why did you push her!?"Yoichi demands.

"I did not push her! I swear!"Hesitant and fearing for his life, Shinichi confesses, "I...called her a bastard because she is more talented than me! Ah, but she later started to tease and mock every single boy including me that all of us are dumb because she said our mom and dad are stupid fools, so they produce idiots like us! Finally, before I could even react, all of them ended up pushing her down! It's true! Ask her!" he tried to argue but a solid glare for Ranran's mother and maternal grandmother successfully silenced him.

It was clear that Ranran's father turn pissed when he discovers this.

"Tease and mock the whole lot of you!?"Ranran's dad was in disbelief, "In the footage, there were only two videos. One was the 4 of your calling her a bastard, the other was her being pushed down! What mocking? What teasing!? She did nothing and you all spoke ill of her."

"Say what now!?"Shinichi gasped in confusion, before he argued, "You are lying! She did insult and mock us all!"

"Did you think I got all the time in the world to lie to a little boy like you!?"The man lashes out at the little boy," Or you are the one who chooses to deny the fact that you are no different than those boys?!"

Furious, he passed Ranran's smartphone to Shinichi to take a good look. And lol and behold, Shinichi froze in terror as he learns Ranran filmed none of their interactions about her exposing their secrets. Instead, she only filmed the parts where they ridiculed her when she pretended she didn't know a single shred of Japanese.

That scheming little prick!

Snatching back his phone, the man then proceeded to yell,"Kudo Shinichi! If it wasn't for your stupid dare and ego, would she had ended up with such a predicament because of you!?"

"Uncle, I can explain-"

He tried to argue further, but the man was hearing none of it.

"Do not address me as uncle!" You should be ashamed of yourself! What's the matter with you?! To be that intimidated by someone with more talent than you simply because she is a girl and a bastard?! I thought you are smarter than this! Instead, you're hanging out with those buffoon fools, who, even if their IQs were combined, could never defeat you! And yet...you're prepared to sacrifice some brain cells for this? Over your ego!? And to think you were Yusaku and Yukiko's ostensibly ideal son. " Shinichi glances down, guiltily, as the man raised questions. " You know, Ranran hadn't made a single friend since arriving here," the man spits out."  The transition is already hard on her, and did you have to make her life harder by bullying her, all thanks to your inferiority?!"

"I didn't think she would fall off on purpose!"Shinichi numbly says.

"On purpose!? Are you saying she schemed for you to push her down and break her leg!? My daughter isn't capable of that! This was all your fault, and if you at least have some conscience, you better man up. Otherwise, you will always be worst off than my daughter."Ranran's dad spits out.

Shinichi just gritted his teeth, angry that that girl put him in this position.

"If she becomes disabled..."The father shakes his head.

"Honey, calm down!"Irene attempts to soothe the situation but it wasn't working out.

"I am sorry my son did this to your daughter."Yukiko was feeling helpless in both of the situation. As a mother, she wanted to defend her son. But the video was clear cut to her that they went wrong with their parenting ways.

"Same as well, "Yukiko's husband laments in an apologetic stance, "I didn't think he would go this far as to hurt Ranran."

"I am sorry, Yusaku. Forgive me for saying this to your son, but if this is how he is going to turn out as he gets older, I see no reason why I should let my daughter visit you both! To think that he is yours and Yukiko's son.....I admit I am quite disappointed at his life choices."Yoichi shook his head, his voice dripping with extreme disappointment.

Shinichi obviously didn't have it easy with Ranran's mom either, as the young woman, the very one who caused him pain, address him sternly.

"Shinichi, right? I do not know what situation you had faced that made you choose to inflict hurt on her, but what I do know is, that no innocent soul deserves to be hurt because of what you had faced! You are very lucky you are related to us because if you ain't, I won't mind teaching a thing or two about bullying girls! What you did just now, could've made her disabled for life," Irene's motherly instincts kicked in and then she looked up to her husband."Yoichi, the doctor says we can go see her now."

After the door was open, they could hear Ranran crying in pain from the inside, it didn't stop earlier when the doctors took to get her into the operating room. She only quieted down when they gave her a sedative so they could set the bones.

By this point, this incident was the beginning of the end of his friendship with the three boys.

For many years even before Shinichi met them, the three idiots never had a good reputation from the start among other children. If anything, everyone knew that they were far worst monsters. No one could deny it, even if they wanted to. The three stooges had bullied so many kids around them, and they had done it without any remorse.

But, even though everyone knew it, no one could bring themselves to say it to their face because their overprotective parents, overlooked their sins and accused the victims of being the ones at fault. Their victims all knew that if they did continue to go against those 3 boys, it would only make them do it even more. So they kept quiet and hoped that one day, they would eventually come to their senses and stop behaving like a monster.

However...this incident with Ranran would ultimately become their worst ever mistake.

They did it at the worst timing when the press is around. It was live broadcasting when all of this took place, and their faces were revealed. Fortunately, Shinichi stood at an area by coincidence where his face couldn't be seen, but Amaya, Shoji and Ryoko were not so lucky. Soon, the public would become outraged by this incident and then pressure the school board of Teitan Elementary to place them in the worst class of their grade as punishment. Shinichi faired out lucky as he was born with a privileged background, but it caused further outrage. Still, nothing could be done as his grandparents are very influential people.

The same couldn't be said for those boys' as their reputations were ruined, and they were further humiliated when all of their parents kneeled as they bowed apologetically in front of Ranran's parents at the press, pleading for forgiveness for what their sons did to their daughter. The boys knew their parents had always looked down on Ranran and her family due to the illegitimate issue, so for them to be kneeling before them made them ashamed. At the same time, enraged.

Ranran was the one who schemed all of this, but no one believed them. Why is it she is being portrayed as a saint!? She made them push her!

However, the adults didn't buy a word he said and punished him by heading over to Ranran's home to apologize. Initially, he refused, but then after his parents threatened that they won't take him to that Sherlock Holmes convention for his upcoming birthday unless he does so, he reluctantly agree.

Ranran's right leg was then wrapped in a plaster cast,

They gave her a pair of crutches to get around on, which was all right for walking around, but at home, she didn't feel like doing anything except sit on her bed and watch TV. When the weekend rolled around, she stayed in bed and re-read a few of her favourite comic books. The doorbell rang, and her parents answered it.

As soon as Yoichi sees who it was, he is about close it but sees the boy with a bag of goodies."I come to make amends," Shinichi comments reluctantly.

Immediately, the man wanted to slam the door on him, but then his wife stopped him."Yoichi-"

"Look, Irene, if this boy thinks he really feels sorry for this, I will really let him in," Yoichi turned to his wife for a brief moment before turning back to the little boy with a basket full of goodies.

Meanwhile, Ranran heard footsteps approach her room and for a moment she swore she could hear her dad yelling for someone to leave the residence, but her mother could be heard telling him to calm down. After a long thought, Ranran sees her reluctant dad open her bedroom door and said, "Ranran, if that Shinichi boy continues to bully you, call me over and I will immediately throw him out the bloody window without hesitation!"

He then stepped aside and let Shinichi in. Shinichi stood awkwardly at the front of the room with both hands behind his back, and after a moment, he left them alone.

"Hey," Shinichi said, as Ranran gave him a cold look. Even so, Shinichi pushed on,"My parents are in the other room, talking to your parents."

"Did they make you come here to apologize?"Ranran guessed.

"Yes. Though...I felt like I needed to know certain things from you."

"Certain things..."Ranran muttered, "Kinda expected from a future detective."

Shinichi could feel the child's chilling aura. He had never seen someone with such a dark aura before and he was unsure of what to do. The little girl may be smaller than him, but he knew not to underestimate her, those blue eyes of hers are very wary and tense, as if she held some sort of grudge against him for whatever he has done to her. 

After listening to the things she did, he knew he had to be cautious.

Ranran put her comic book down and listened."Can I see it?" he asked, "Your cast?"

Rolling her eyes, she moved the blanket aside and showed him the cast. He looked at it a moment and cursed, "Oh damn...."

"Whatever."

He shifted his weight and place the basket."Though you ain't 100 percent innocent in all of this, I have to admit I took it too far calling you a bastard. So my parents chipped on sending this to you as an apology."

He put it at the foot of the bed, and she leaned over to pick it up.

Ranran ripped through the transparent plastic around the basket. It was full of snack foods. Protein bars advertising calcium fortification. British biscuits and chips of all flavours. And lots of sweets. There were bags of different kinds of candy, and digging down she found a pack of frosted caramel-flavoured cookies.

"Thanks...from your parents." Her red lips formed a grin, much to Shinichi's anger.

As she puts the basket aside, "Aren't you going to apologize to me now?"

This made Ranran stare at him again, with a blank look, "Excuse me?"

"You provoked us on purpose. To get me into huge trouble. Am I wrong?"He confronted her as he adds, "Why did you do this? Are you not afraid that I will let them know about it? Your parents!?"

"Afraid? That I had no intention of hiding it, especially if you rat this out to the adults."Ranran chuckled to a stunned Shinichi. He did not see that coming.

Most kids he used to come across would panic whenever he confront them with evidence and threats using his observant skills, and she is the first one to laugh at him. 

"Excuse me?!"He found himself saying this as he pressed her further, how brazen can this girl be!? "You could've pushed me down and no one would've blamed you, and yet...you framed me. Why!? I know I said things I shouldn't had, but did you have to take this too far!?"

Ranran closed her eyes with a frustrated sigh before she admits the truth, "I am a stranger in a foreign country. If I do so, no matter how sad the truth is, everyone, will naturally side with you."

That wasn't what Shinichi expected, "What did you just say!?"

"If I pushed you down, the kids and adults would naturally side you, given that they've known you all your life since you were born and raised here." Sensing Shinichi was too stunned to speak, Ranran went on, "According to our grandparents, you had established a good reputation for preventing a kidnapping of your friend in kindergarten. Judging them, they are the type to proudly brag about your achievements up to a point...the neighborhood admires you near and far."

Shinichi wanted to say something, but Ranran cuts in.

"If one is a hero, everyone will worship them regardless of bad rumours. But if there is proper evidence that is shown in a public display, an action that is disregarded as unacceptable...the public adoration can overnight switch to hate."Shinichi gulped at her statement, as Ranran observes his expression quietly, "You were hanging out with them to stop the nagging, but in reality, in my opinion...I believe the real reason is that you despise yourself, over the fact this talent you had is distancing yourself from being normal, so you secretly wanted to blend in by calling me a 'bastard'."

"How dare you!"Shinichi grew furious at her accusation, "I ain't a coward! I accept my true self!"

"Oh really?"Ranran folded her arms as she went on, "Then why aren't you hanging out with Ran and Sonoko then? Your supposed two true good friends?"

Shinichi's pupils dilated at the cold blue eye girl, "You...how did you-"

"You got mocked not being tough for a boy? Because you only had two female friends with you? Also, do you enjoy reading books all day while they enjoy being tough?"

Shinichi wanted to argue, but he dropped it when Ranran turned her head towards him with a stern expression.

"I don't know what you had gone through in your life that made you wanna do this to me, but I am going to give you a good warning, whether you listen to it or not."Ranran gave him a cutthroat expression, "If you ever try to pull something like this again, I will do worst than what I did earlier. So better live in peace and stay out of my way, or else I will make you live a life so cruel, you will literally beg me to end your life with your knees on the floor. You hear me?"

Shinichi gulped at Ranran's threats, at the same time, he was seething in rage. Who the hell is she to tell her what to do!?

"I am Kudo Ranran, "Ranran answered as if she read his mind, catching him off guard before announcing, "Now scram! We have no reason to be in each other's lives now after what had happened."

For the first time ever, Shinichi felt like a scum thanks to her words.

........

Upon arriving home, his parents could tell Shinichi was in a very sour mood upon having left Ranran's house as he entered the house. Although he was no longer going to see Ranran anymore, his heart felt heavy for some reason thanks to that child's harsh words. A lot was going through his mind as he struggle to process this.

Growing up, he always detest the bad guys in the Sherlock Holmes novels and swore never to be them. And yet, for Ranran to call him one rings true for some reason.

Sensing that their son was still unremorseful for what they had done to Ranran, Yuusaku (his dad) reminded him, "Shinichi, I know it's difficult to say sorry for what you had done, but you shouldn't continue to carry resentment. It is your fault along with the others, regardless of the fact you may not have pushed her down. Not preventing a crime while you watch it happen from afar does make you equally a villain as well."

"Yuusaku is right, you know?"His wife chimed in, as she frowned at their son, "You did after all call Ranran a 'bastard'."

"Even so, you two shouldn't have sent me over to apologize to her!"Shinichi finally had his bottled up emotions lashed onto his parents, "That girl whenever she goes, chaos follows her!"

"You are at fault, Shinichi! What is there to say!?"Yukiko argue back at her son.

That made him flinch, "I did not push her, alright?!" he bellowed, clenching his fists, "Why do the both of you not believe me?! I am your son! Do you think I am capable of that?!"

"Ranran and the boys you were with pointed that you were the one who spoke ill of her! Why would they want to lie about that?! Alright, even if Ranran lied, why would your friends lie?!"Yukiko pointed out as her husband struggled to resolve the two parties from arguing.

"I did speak ill of her, but I didn't push her! When will the both of you believe me?! Was it because I ain't the daughter you want?! I am still your son regardless! And Ranran ain't your daughter!" He shouted the tears coming again. He didn't even wait for her response just ran past her back to his room.

An hour later there is a soft knock on his door. He ignored it burying his face into his pillow further muffling a sniffle.

"Shinichi" his mother tentatively sticks her head around the door. "I'm sorry if you think of it that way. Your father and I are happy when we found out we were expecting you, so don't think of it that we always wanted a daughter, cause that ain't true. At the same time, however, you were in the wrong on how things played out. Fine, even if you didn't push her, you were not innocent either as you did nothing when she was being harassed by those boys you were with."

She promised consolingly, coming to sit on the edge of his bed.

He doesn't say anything in response, just lays there, head facing away from her.

"Shinichi, when will you stop detesting Ranran? What has she ever done to you? It's only the first time you both met in person" she asks gently after the silence had stretched on too long, wanting to save something of the day.

Ranran isn't your daughter, she is a product of someone whom father had an affair with! Why are you all treating her as if she is one of your child!?

He knew he shouldn't feel like a tragic hero in a story, who isn't loved by others as they favor the evil one, given that his parents never mistreated him the way he read in the books. Even so...she is evil! She framed him!

At the same time however..."She...did nothing."

This was a bitter truth to swallow, Ranran never said anything bad about him. Not until...not until he called her one. "The why-"

"But there can only be one intelligent Kudo in the family, and it ain't going to be her!"He declared, "When I grow up and become a successful detective, I will throw her in jail and make her pay! As Sherlock Holmes did with Moriarty!"Shinichi croaks with sworn determination.

And that was the beginning of his dream of becoming a detective, and consequently the end of his innocent childhood.

But life is funny, he never would've guess that in a not to distant future, things would turned out differently.