During the early years of Suzuki Sonoko, no one ever denied or rebelled against her of anything.

When a kid is born into a wealthy family, the sky is the limit. Everyone obeys you like royalty. It was thanks to this that Sonoko is arrogant, but she personally thinks she ain't as evil as those mean villainess who were born into rich family that goes after men who belonged to the sunny heroine. No, she has her own morals when it comes to that.

If one loves someone despite her feelings, one should let that person go. What is the point of tormenting yourself with someone who barely returns one's affection?

But for Mouri Ran, it was different for Sonoko. The only best friend since kindergarten days, Ran was that one friend that has always been humble, a little hot-tempered, but overall a kind person who is also loyal to her friends.

The one shortcoming Ran was back then was she lacked the backbone when it came to what she liked and disliked

Ran gives, when she gives, she never put herself first and never expected anything back in return. And in Sonoko's opinion, someone like her deserves all the love one could get. She is lovable, so when Ran's parents split up, Sonoko felt like Ran need to have some further positivity surrounding her, as Ran is starting to believe she doesn't deserve any of this. And Shinichi was a good influence on them, despite his obnoxious behaviour.

And yet, that she-demon Kudo Ranran thinks the opposite.

She takes and takes, but never returns. A selfish little pompous tyrannical princess who sits above the throne, looking down at them like peasants. The worst part? Everyone bought into Ranran's act as if she is the victim!

Even Shinichi is thinking what Sonoko did was the worst betrayal in the history of Teitan Elementary school. Shinichi had shown up behind Ranran, making her jump up in surprise, Sonoko grew pale the moment her eyes met his. Approaching with a dangerous expression on his face, he initially turned to Ranran, "You too! You knew the entire time!? Why didn't you say anything!?"

"In the first place, I just got the evidence randomly submitted to me to the association's website using a disposable email today, it was a video of her talking to someone in a cafe. This said someone was the one who suggested to Sonoko the idea of doing this to you." Ranran pointed out, that everyone who was listening to all of this is mindblown by the development of this case.

"Someone!?" Shinichi blinked repeatedly before demanding, "Did you see who it was!?"

"No, it was secretly recorded unbeknownst to Sonoko," Ranran shook her head at him but then realizes something, "But I can tell it belonged to a child, the voice sounds very much like a girl our age."

"A girl!?" With a collective gasp, everyone naturally assumed, "Mouri Ran!"

"No! It ain't her!" Sonoko is so not having this! No way she is going to allow anyone to talk crap about her best friend like that!

"I doubt it's her, I worked with her in the association and would've recognised her voice if it was her." Ranran disagrees, before thinking about it, "But it's definitely a girl. There is no mistaking it."

Suddenly, everyone began to murmur among themselves as to who this mysterious girl could be. "What sicko girl would do this to Shinichi of all people?! Also, what is with all the hate on him to go that far!?"

"Maybe it could be Ran? I mean she and Sonoko are close friends."

"No, Ranran said it didn't sound like her. It had to be someone so evil that they want to split Shinichi up from Ran and Sonoko. I mean to use his former enemy's name...that is a step too far!"

"Maybe Ran got someone to manipulate Sonoko to do it so it can't trace it back to her? Ran hates her after all."

"That's true, but does she have it in her to do it?"

"Who is she to hate Shinichi so much so, that they sent the video to his mentor anonymously!?"

"You know rather than everyone guessing the whodunnit, I might as well ask straight from the source: Sonoko, who suggested to you this idea?" Ranran finally had it before she and Shinichi turned their attention to Sonoko, demanding she spill the beans. "Look, I know we are never on good terms, but I am sick and tired of the idiocy your friend kept endangering us all. Tell us who is the idiot who did this so we can move on with our lives!"

"Exactly! We have no time for nonsense and I have had it with you!" Shinichi grabbed Sonoko by the collar, "Who is the girl in the video!? I need names!"

"Slow down a minute, Tantei geek! Also, are you just going to blindly listen to what that she-demon said!? Maybe the video doesn't even exist in the first place!"

But her attempt to downplay this later falls flat when Ranran went into the association during the chaos, only to return with an IPAD pro and key in things, before holding it for the whole world to see, "You mean this video?"

Everyone moved to look at the screen, some of them had smartphones in their hands to record the footage of Sonoko agreeing to this idea in the Ipad Ranran held high above her head.

"I don't know...it's wrong to spread rumors about others that ain't true." Sonoko's voice sounds of hesitation played out.

"Relax, Suzuki. It won't be that bad. After all, this boy is always obnoxious and always brushed off anything that is said about it anyway. Also, what harm could it do to him anyway? He doesn't get jealous of anyone who does better than him. Plus, look on the bright side: Would anyone die literally out of the words one said? If he quits, he can end up becoming your best friend's husband."

The thing that really struck a nerve with everyone was when Sonoko said, "You know what? It's about time someone put him back to his place, and remind him to be humble."

Sonoko's stomach filled with dread while everyone booed in response she felt her face turn red, both from embarrassment and anger. "Where did you get this?" She hissed at Ranran who took a step back away from her as Shinichi stood before his mentor, shielding her from the heiress.

Funny, how damning that sounded now. "Like Ranran said! From an anonymous email!" He barked before taking a step forward while Sonoko turned pale, backtracking with each step he took, "Who was that girl in the video!? I know you are not smart enough to come up with this sort of thing!"

"Tantei geek! You are seriously not going to believe a word that she-demon-"

"Give me a name." Shinichi feels a righteous sort of anger beginning to burn in his chest. "If no names, I will go after that person and have her and you kicked out of school, permanently!"

"Yeah! Give out the name to that boy!"

"What is wrong with you!? Calling an innocent girl a thief when you were working hand in hand with the real devil!"

Anger, booing and jeering were spewed directly at Sonoko, and with all of the consequences of her life decisions being blown open in plain sight, she knew she has to either reveal it or be screwed by the entire school. No, it gets worst. With her eyes on Ranran who gave a sly smile behind Shinichi as she held the iPad tightly to her chest, Sonoko knew from then on she had walked into another trap of Kudo Ranran.

As for Shinichi, she knew whatever she said to him would be pointless. Shinichi is seething nothing but red all over. "Shinichi, this isn't what it looks like..." The hazel-haired girl swallowed. "Don't listen to what she had to say! Are you going to disregard our friendship for over a year!? Just to listen to that she-demon you only knew for a couple of months!?"

Shinichi was silent for a long time as he suddenly stops, at some point, Sonoko was hopeful that her words rang in his head.

Instead, he bitterly scoffs, "If I should be reminded to be 'humble', then the other should be reminded to do the same."

"Oh snap!" Ranran was amused at her apprentice's witty comeback, and so did everyone.

Sonoko felt sick, he was using the very words she spoke about him against herself. "Who was the girl in the video? It doesn't sound like Ran."

"I-"

"Did she pay someone to give you this idea!?"

"Kudo Shinichi!" Sonoko became enraged at that accusation, "Do you think so lowly of Ran like that!?"

"If she is innocent, then what can't you just say out the girl's name in the video? Are you scared that it will link back to Ran? Or is there more to it!?" Ranran joined Shinichi, now standing next to him side by side. With her eyes narrowing on the other, Ranran proclaimed to her, "I have a couple of names I could think of who either hates me or Shinichi to be capable of this. Whichever name that gains a reaction out of you, we will soon know...."

Sonoko felt fearful by this point, facing two angry children as well as a potential mob building up from the back, giving her traumatic flashbacks of when Ranran put out a hit on her during the break-in. "Uyehara Sumiko? No? Fukuhara Hideko?"

"Still no." Shinichi thinks before he too pushes her with his own list of names, "Otake Aiko? Hamasaki Bunko?"

Whichever names were thrown to the heiress, Sonoko kept insisting no no no! But they wouldn't stop and continued to press, the hallway Sonoko was walking away from those two felt long, she hoped it ends so they can't pester her any further. Suddenly, Sonoko could recall buried voices playing out in her head, it was in English and all so confusing.

"Suzuki Sonoko shall be punished, by kneeling on the ground floor and bowing with her head touching the floor, for 2 hours nonstop!" A familiar voice announced in a cold tone.

Wait, whose voice was that?!

"Make her kneel! Make her kneel!" Some voices filled with hate and grief were chanting at her.

Suddenly, pain blossomed slowly in Sonoko's head as she had both hands held to her head, "Stop!"

Thinking she was pretending, Shinichi pressed her further, "Don't pretend! Give us a name!"

Suddenly, images flashed in her head that brought Sonoko the worst kind of agony. Sonoko hated this kind of migraine. Hated them with a burning passion.

Images of an angry crowd, parents and children scolding her viciously, even...a faceless child standing before her, who is it? Who is this child...

In between dealing with migraines while dealing with the interrogation, Sonoko refuses to budge and reveal who was the girl who suggested this idea. Obviously, she knew who. And don't get her wrong, she wants to reveal it more than anyone. But..."I don't know!"

She has to deny this no matter what! Everything is on the line if that girl's name is revealed!

While Sonoko is facing the worst hell she has ever gone against, Ranran was thinking about a memory that happened this morning.

..........

"Hold on, you want to use me as bait!? To lure Ran and Sonoko into this plan?!"

"No, the both of us will be bait."The two children discussed this further while walking to school, while Shinichi ran through the plan he wrote on a paper last night before he drifted to sleep, as Ranran is reading through the details, "Ran doesn't like you the most, and the main reason she joined the association was to get me back. If you belittle me in front of her, she will use this opportunity to try and get me to leave, especially when you put me in a humiliating situation."

"And then when she does, you are going to accused falsely Ran that she is capable of sabotaging the stakeout. This is supposedly a way to lure Sonoko over, since she is protective over her whenever someone makes her cry, right?" Ranran scanned down the text further, "Then this is the part where I supposedly 'exposed' Sonoko for the rumours that she was misusing my name as 'The Fox'?"

"Yes." He confirmed before adding in all seriousness, "When all of this is going on, this is where I later 'stumble upon' by accident."

While Ranran remain fixated on the notes, Shinichi explained further.

"The reason why Ran and Sonoko were gullible to Mamiko's lies is simple: The three of them hate you in their own way. Hate is after all a good way to fuel motivation. Making matters worst is that the three of them dislike seeing me being around you because they want to own me like some property. What we are going to do is cut the strings that tie between those girls by going after their reputation, mainly Mamiko."

"You want to go after their rep to ensure Mamiko cut off the strings, right?"

"It's normal for one to distance themselves if one has a bad reputation, and doing this to those two, everyone associated with them would be in serious trouble." Shinichi snaps his finger, "I already made a public announcement during the table-sitting arrangement, you blatantly hate them openly, and the rest are mostly just still trying to get to know the stage in the association, so we would be spare of this. Since Moriko mentioned that Mamiko had supporters following her blindly through her lies, we are going to start chain chaos by setting 3 feuds in total."

"3 feuds!? Bruh!" Ranran was flabbergasted by his ambition, wondering if he had hit his head. Staging a feud is simple between two people who are aware. Triggering one requires provocation, but 3? He is asking a lot.

But it doesn't seem to be the case, as he climbs and hops from one rock bench to another like a cat while Ranran remains on the ground. He was exhibiting a confident expression that contrast against the gloomy sky above him, "We will start between us about the stakeout, then I will go after Ran when she is tricked into trying to convince me out, and then Sonoko will be our bullet to go after Mamiko, since she will do anything to defend Ran. With all of the chaos taking place, everyone will witness that this is the first time I learn of Sonoko's schemes."

"Hmph," Ranran hummed, glancing at the notes before staring up at Shinichi, "Although you already knew of this in advance, you are doing this to have public anger directed onto one-brain cell heiress and that idiot friend of hers, right? Since you convinced others to believe that you had no idea, everyone is obviously going to hate them because it sounds very meddlesome and cruel to do that to someone who was their friend. Then..when we interrogate them as mentioned in the paper..."

"....is where you bring out the puppet master's name by random. This will spark rumours from others into realizing everything about Mamiko was nothing but a facade."

"I am sorry, but how long did you came up with this idea?" Ranran couldn't help but wonder.

"20 minutes, I couldn't sleep last night because I was thinking about how unfair those girls put you and me through, and I wanted to make them suffer in the worst way possible."

"Jesus..."Ranran's mouth fell at that revelation, how much hate did he had that he was able to come up with this idea within 20 minutes!?

Balancing one bench after the other, he finally land right next to Ranran's side with both of his feet, it made Ranran think he is a monkey from a past life.

"Puppets in general can't think for themselves, Suzuki Sonoko is well known for having a scattered brain similar to Ran, so by right, blaming Ran for being the mastermind for sabotaging my stakeout, and you accusing Sonoko for doing this slandering would naturally give others the false impression that we were both doing this out of personal vendetta towards two morons who ain't smart enough to come up with a such scheme. This is a flaw that would lead others to never suspect Mamiko. However, there is a saying that if someone has a bad reputation, one naturally distances themselves."

As soon as they reached the school entrance, Ranran figures, "If Mamiko's name was dropped at random, it would be an element of surprise since it would not look as though I deviously and specifically chose to drag Mamiko's name down the mud. By ruining the puppets' reputation, and with that name drop, Sonoko and Ran would be far too desperate to get Mamiko to talk. But knowing her true nature...I am certain she will throw them to the wolves to save her own skin."

"It's also a way of minimalizing her influence over those two."

This plan however doesn't sit well with Ranran. "I read through part of the plan that I confront her for misusing my name as 'The Fox'....what if people look into it? The truth is that I am The Fox is something one can't deny."

Shinichi is aware. Ranran's identity as 'The Fox' is a very precarious situation. If all of this breaks lose...

"Don't worry about it," He reassures her with a pat on the shoulder, "As for that...that will be phase 2 of the plan."

.........

"Ishibashi Mamiko?" Ranran's last name finally gains the response she and Shinichi seek from the horrified heiress.

Sonoko's mouth twitched, and she rarely does unless she is hiding something. Sonoko was in general a confident person, so for her to act that way meant Ranran hit the bullseye.

It was then Ranran decided to stir the hot boiling pot even further, "You know, there was one incident that bothered me...when one of the idiots who called me a bastard years ago, Amaya, tried to apply for V.I.P. parking Reina was offering for the students of this school a few days ago, his application was rejected because the appearance where it quote 'rabbit imprinted bike' did not match the actual one when we saw it in person. He accused me of scrapping out the pattern to make his application invalid and claimed that I did it because of a grudge. So without telling anyone, I too look into that incident as well. What I discovered...led me to that girl."

By pacing around the hallways, "Since she was also formerly a political rival against my friend Reina, and there were rumours that she was never happy that she won by a landslide thanks to me...it would make sense for her to not only frame me as 'The Fox' but also against Amaya since everyone in the school knows that I made an enemy out of those who called me a 'bastard'."

With everyone quieting down to listen to Ranran's deductions, she decided she was going to gaslight it even further.

"What was the reason for the landslide was allegations of 'bullying' because of one victim she enjoyed torment, one of whom was Moriko, Reina's cousin. When Reina became head president, her toy was no longer available. That got me thinking...maybe those rumours that suggest I tampered with his bike, not to mention, the true criminal who planted the bike with the camera filming our stakeout that night, and the person who is using Sonoko to ruin Shinichi who has unexpectedly become my apprentice...what if it was Mamiko after all? "

By this point, Sonoko could hear everyone's dramatic gasp as if this is a live TV drama. "Cause when you all think of this deeply, Sonoko couldn't have come up with such idiot plans, right? She didn't have the brain cells when she broke into our house, so it made sense for Mamiko to use their common hate against us."

"You!" Sonoko practically screamed at this point. She lost all her reasoning and grab Ranran's collar, glaring at the unreadable expression of Kudo Ranran.

"Let her go!" Ranran could feel Sonoko's grip on her shirt loosen as Shinichi slap her hand off her.

"Judging how you are reacting, as well as why Ran hates me right now, I guess I hit the mark!" Ranran snarled before accusing further, "Or if we want to see the bigger picture, perhaps Ran was truly behind it since she has more to gain if I ended up dead, but you are covering all of this up!"

"You better shut your damn mouth!" Looking at how sincerely angry Sonoko was, left a clear impression that what Ranran said was clearly the truth. Observing Sonoko who looks visibly panicked, it was evident that Ranran brought out the worst in her once more.

"That ain't true! Ran isn't involved! And I didn't had any intention on killing Ranran! But as for Mamiko, she merely suggests it stop him from his dangerous activities, what nonsense are you-" she cut herself off quickly when she realized what she just said.

The crowd gasped, "So what Ranran said was true all along!?" Shinichi found himself about to blow up with all of the revelations blowing up at him.

"S-Shinichi... I... I can explain.." Sonoko try to reach Shinichi and the instinct in him just snapped and slapped her hand away further.

"It's one thing if you tried to ruin everything I worked through my own efforts, but HOW DARE YOU to frame an innocent girl out of nothing, let alone, literally endanger her life by those criminals with your damn mouth! Ranran may have been someone I hated, but she has never once stooped as low as you into using my name to be blamed for something that I didn't do!" Shinichi yelled at Sonoko, "For all the things you had done to me, even when we were friends...I feel very much ashamed that I was even your friend right from the start!"

Ranran could actually feel a sense of rage pouring out of Shinichi, or the amount of hurt behind the meaning of those words was evident in Sonoko's eyes.

Although Sonoko and Shinichi bickered a lot, they were considered as close as siblings.

....but now.

It seemed like she was replaced by that she-demon!

If Ranran wasn't born into the Kudo family, or even closely physically resembles that blue-eyed boy, would he had listen to her instead!? That girl...maybe because the reason Shinichi stop listening to her is that that she-demon reminded him of himself.

"I may not know whether Ran is truly innocent out of all of this," Shinichi lowered his voice to a dangerous simmer, "But if I ever do find evidence, I won't stop Ranran from bankrupting your entire family."

Sonoko stared in shock, glancing between Ranran and him.

"Now if you don't mind, get out of our office as we have cases to handle. Or else I will strike you in the face."

Before everyone knows it, he stormed into the Tantei association and shut the door.

"Shinichi!? Wait! I can explain-"

"Just shut up for once, did you ever not regret how meddlesome you are with people's lives?!" Ranran stood before Sonoko, blocking her from entering with a voice that screeched so loud, Sonoko's non-stop splitting migraine is about to burst her head wide open. But Ranran didn't care if she was in pain as she ranted, "You are the daughter of a wealthy family! If one makes a mistake, don't bother to justify unless you want to become a far worst pathetic person than a lowly village bumpkin with morals!"

Sonoko found herself unable to respond to that as she found Ranran's words stabbing through her heart in the most vicious way possible. What could she reply to the angry founder after what she did to Shinichi?

"You had many chances to tell him when you were all friends. Even before he asked me to take him in as an apprentice, or even before what has happened...and yet, with your obvious favouritism on Ran and not him...meant you had no intention to tell him, right?"

Ranran's intense stare just sends more chills down Sonoko's spine, doing little to stop her migraine. She wanted to argue further but Ranran cuts her, "But you know what the worst part is, Suzuki?"She asked the other female who shook her head in response. "You hid such ugliness within you...it sometimes makes me wonder...what other despicable things are you willing to do to the point you would use innocent kids to sacrifice for her happiness?"

Sonoko tried to avert her gaze away from Ranran and tells herself it was for Ran's sake, she truly did. And yet, seeing into her eyes filled with disgust, Suzuki begins to doubt herself whether any of this was worth it.

If those children weren't around watching all of this, Ranran would've whacked the living crap out of her. But she has to stick to the plan of her apprentice.

With a sigh, Ranran told her, "Leave our Association while you can, while I have some matters to attend to with Shinichi."

"I am sorry?" She blinked profusely.

"Whatever you came here to do for Ran, it probably ain't good news for his mental state." Ranran pushes the door open, and a look of disdain was evident on her beautiful doll-like features.

Before she could enter, Sonoko yelled, "Why should I!? He made her cry!"

That does it, Ranran then whipped her head to the crowd who were spectating this scene, "Children of Teitan Elementary, how many of you were nagged by your parents that study is important to a point that all of your parents cut short all of your playtimes, please raised your hands up."

All of them did.

"Do you all hate their nagging?" They nod in response, "Does it feel like torture?" Another nod. With her smile having widened, she goes, "If you were Shinichi having to work several hours after school on detective cases feeling very tired, but you are being nagged by a former friend 24/7 to quit the same way your parents would, to those who say they will swallow and accept this with open arms...raised your hands now."

That soared alarm bells in Sonoko, "Ranran! How could say such-"

But Ranran dismisses Sonoko with her eyes trained on the other children, to the heiress's surprise, no one did.

"Then to those who will snap and fight back, please raise your hands."

Stunned, everyone raised their hands, making the heiress grow pale.

"There is a limit to how much patience one can endure, Suzuki Sonoko. Now Shinichi may have all of the patience in the world, but I don't. And for that reason," The click sound of Ranran's mary jane shoes carries such dominance, it made the heiress gulp and tremble as if she was about to head to the slaughterhouse, "He is allowed to snap at someone who emotionally abuse him! Cause in certain cases we handle, it's called self-defence from being tormented!"

With tense silence, Ranran entered the office and the door gave a loud 'SLAM', signalling the end while leaving hostile stares and finger-pointing as the only companions that accompany the disgraced Sonoko.

"Tantei Geek..." Sonoko practically whispers with her head hung low.

For the first time ever, she feels defeated. No, guilty and embarrassed if she was honest with herself.

Never in her life had she ever seen Shinichi act like this, not since Ranran-

Her chest aches. She feels ashamed of himself... ashamed that what Ranran said was true, she had remained biased over Ran's happiness over Shinichi's for so long, everything was disregarded. What the founder said was right, Sonoko was a bad friend and that hurt her heart.

And as if the sky knew how Sonoko was feeling while her face felt wet, it mirrored her feelings by raining heavily outside their school.

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

As soon as the door closed, Ranran draw the curtains to prevent anyone from peeking into their office, she even went as far as to latch the window lock so no one would pry it open to eavesdropping on their conversation.

Their association is their sanctuary, hers and Shinichi's. A world of child detectives that need not gain the understanding of anyone.

The complete anguish that she saw in Shinichi had not completely decapitated, all he did was lay his head on his table while remaining in his seat, face covered by his folded arms, refusing to show anyone his real expression. There was no sob sound, Shinichi never cries in front of anyone, as he was a mentally strong boy on occasion, a point proven true during his days with her as an apprentice.

But the feeling of depression remains as it is.

As much as this feud was fake to drag Mamiko out, it flush out answers that were far too ugly from Sonoko that he wasn't expected to hear from. And in her opinion, anyone would.

Shinichi foresees this, of course, he did. His deductions, no, Ranran's as well had always been accurate and distinctive. What to expect from this feud.

But that didn't make it any less hurtful despite the fact he was prepared for this. If anything, it just made them feel worse.

It was so confusing, yet it isn't, just how despicable was Suzuki Sonoko?

He recalled the conversation they had at the bar when Ranran dropped the bombshell between Mamiko and Sonoko.

.........

"Is this a picture of....cat corpses!?"

At the Crooked Baron Pub, the bar was crowded and noisy. Everyone was all too busy drinking and laughing and forgetting. But Shinichi couldn't forget.

Forget the fact that Mamiko was a serial animal killer.

Shinichi was almost sick to his stomach as he looked at the photo of the cat corpses on Ranran's smartphone, luckily he is wearing a wolf mask, as he didn't want Ranran to see how sick he was feeling. It was a gruesome sight, and he couldn't imagine how anyone could be so cruel. He knew that there were people in the world who did terrible things, but this was just too much.

Especially Mamiko who was only 5 at that time having murdered animals was mindblowing.

"Another thing, the teachers you saw in the videos, even the school superintendent were all her mother's clients." The girl in the Fox mask revealed, tucking her phone into her skirt pocket.

Shinichi was shaken further, the last thing he expected to hear was that the adults who are supposed to represent as good examples to them would do such shady things behind their backs! For the first time, Shinichi was disgusted.

Towards the end, she finished the story with, "I knew from there a moment on...." Ranran gritted her teeth. "Kicking her out of the school was no longer an option," The flat tone was gone, replaced with angst.

"For a year...you never said any of this for over a year." Shinichi mouthed all of this before confronting Ranran, "Even though you did everything, why didn't you reveal any of this while we were working together?"

Now Ranran knew she had to be cautious with how she was going to deliver her answer.

Then again, ever since she was 3, each day always felt like walking on a tightrope. One misstep, one wrong word, and the whole delicate balance would come crashing down. The old her was constantly on edge, never knowing when the next bombshell would drop. It was exhausting, and she often wondered how much she could take back then.

But with experience and all of that. she had no fear anymore.

"She was able to get people to turn a blind eye to all the horrible things she'd done, who am I to share any of this? Much less you who had a huge distrust towards me after whatever she said to you in the school hallway the other day?"

"Sonoko and Mamiko...I never could've guessed they shared that kind of bond." His words dried out.

"Of course, you wouldn't, Mamiko wants to make sure no one knows how manipulative she is anyway. In fact," She beckoned Shinichi to lend his ear for a moment before whispering another bombshell. "Sonoko and Mamiko once studied under the same etiquette class. And Sonoko was in that class due to 'rueful behaviour'."

After distancing his head from her, it is clear from Shinichi's stunned silence and crest-fallen look that he's never known any of this. "Sonoko never revealed any of this to Ran or me!"

"Of course, she wouldn't."

"Jesus, that girl! What is wrong with her!?"

"She has no class of elegance, that's why." Ranran scoffed bitterly at that tone before adding, "The things she did, even when I confronted her about it, she never fessed up."

Kudo Shinichi was never one for surprises, but it seemed like that was all his life was made of lately. One bombshell after another. First, Mamiko isn't what he assumed her to be. Second, the teachers were her mother's boyfriends. To top it all off, Sonoko and Mamiko were secret friends. Shinichi wondered if things could get any worse.

Also, is Sonoko participating in etiquette class!? Why didn't she reveal any of this!? And why would someone like her who is far too outgoing bother to enrol in such a rigid class? It ain't like her personality at all!

"She scored the lowest, that is why." Ranran sipped from the glass.

"Lowest!?" He flickered his eyes, before asking, "How low was she graded?"

Setting the glass aside, she answered, "E!"

Shinichi was in shock. He couldn't believe that she had done so poorly. Then again, it's loudmouth Sonoko. Wondering how Ranran knew, she revealed, "I was attending this event, reunited with my etiquette teacher back in the U.K and I learn she landed a job in Japan. When I asked how were the students, she brought up one in particular that left her a sour impression. Like, she never even bothers to try!"

"A teacher huh....?" That made sense for Shinichi, since she did her studies at Edgewood Academy where noble and royal children enrol, and it is necessary to learn some of that etiquette. "Did she reveal why Sonoko took those lessons?"

"Her parents requested her to, it wasn't Sonoko's decision. Said something about her causing a scene that humiliated the family in the worst way possible."

Yup, that is something Shinichi foresee in Sonoko. She is always unapologetic in the things she does. Man, he needs a drink now.

Drinking his coke, he put the glass aside before demanding from his mentor, "What about Mamiko? Why was she there?"

"She wanted to, under claims she was to be an elegant lady. But truthfully, after hearing what you said about her resenting me for taking her spot in Edgewood, I guess she assumed if she took it she can enter high society. Since her attempt to enrol in Edgewood to build connections is now fruitless, that is the only way I guess...to nab herself a wealthy man so she could enter the same life as I am having. Cause think about it now, she has her own admirers in our school, also the fact that her mom is...what she is."

The more he hears of this, the more he can think about how much he needs a drink.

Asking for a refill in coke, the cup made it to his mouth as the ice-cold drink soothe his throat. It wasn't alcohol, but he roughly kinda gets why adults like his parents drink it in the first place: To forget about the problems of the world.

But Shinichi is still a kid, so he has a long way.

Now another question looms above him: Why and how did they become friends?

Ranran who had all the answers began her story, "I didn't have much to go on, but Sonoko did so poorly that Mamiko who scored the highest was in charge of her."

"Eh?"

"Etiquette classes in general are difficult for first-timers. It gets worst if one learns it too late, and that time, Sonoko started when she was around 4 or 5 years old."

"I don't think that is considered old."

"But for anyone who is born into a wealthy family, it is. For me, I started at the age of 2."

"2!?" Shinichi's eyes widened in realization, "It must have been difficult as hell!"

"Oh yes, it is," Ranran self-admitted nodding to him, recalling the painful memories, "I hated it so much that I quit for 3 months by the time I turned 3."

"But from what I see, you seem to carry yourself well with your posture and everything." Shinichi couldn't help but think.

"My mentor got me another teacher, the same one I told you about, and I owed it to her that I was able to pick it back up." Swinging her legs from the bar stool, her finger held on to her face in a thoughtful pose, "When I asked further about this, apparently my teacher explained to me that the Suzuki's second daughter was unteachable. She and her always buttheads at each other, Suzuki shouted that this is unnecessary. Things got so bad that the girls in class quickly took notice of her and started to pick on Suzuki. They would whisper and giggle about how she walked and behave around them."

"Sonoko was bullied?!" This is unheard of! Suzuki being bullied by a cackle of girls felt strange.

Sonoko was very outspoken, this is the same girl who physically punch a boy their age to defend Ran back in kindergarten when he bullied her.

"When did the class thing take place?" Shinichi questioned.

"Around December when she was 4."

4!? That meant this had been going on even after Shinichi met Ran and Sonoko in kindergarten. And she never said a thing!

Now that Shinichi thinks back, around December, Sonoko seem to have walking problems when they hung out together in kindergarten. She couldn't climb up the slide, play the swings or even play anything without feeling pain in certain parts of her then 4-year-old body because she felt sore. At that time he and Ran suggest she go to a clinic or something as they were worried it could be something huge, but she kept refusing and around January, it seems like the pain had vanished out of nowhere and life went back to normal later on. Perhaps she quit around January.

Now that he knows...who knew it was from etiquette lessons?!

"Mamiko who was the best student at that time tried to guide her, and I think since we know how manipulative Mamiko is...I think Sonoko was misguided, otherwise, she wouldn't have quit around January. Then again," Ranran shrugs as if she thinks of this, "She never had an ounce of patience in her to behave like a lady right from the start."

He couldn't help but agree with her.

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

Thinking back on that conversation, Shinichi now begins to wonder when did Mamiko become obsessed with him. They only met once during the parkour event, then at school as acquaintances but that is about it. He never could've guessed that such obsession lingered in Mamiko's head the entire time, she was even willing to resort to using his friends and pin any wrongdoing onto Ranran who did nothing to her.

The only wrong was framing Amaya, Mamiko's brother, for pushing her. But so what?! He deserved it for calling Ranran a 'bastard', and she was doing this in self-defence.

Now that the tension had passed and Sonoko was exposed, plus with the plant bug recently moved away, both of them could breathe relief from their acts. Even so...he felt very down today.

He tried to clear his thoughts and he looked out of the window, but all he see were nothing but the rain where everything is grey, even the association he loves.

"I can't imagine how you deal with someone like her for that long." He could listen to his mentor's disapproving voice, shifting the curtains to peek that there are kids still whispering about them before drawing the curtains.

Shinichi fretted before turning to the back to face Ranran who was still ensuring the windows are locked. "She didn't break your vocal chord, right?"

"No, if she did, I would've wanted the worst for her." Ranran chuckled without looking back at him.

"That's good," He sighs with relief before having his head buried into his arms once more, dealing with his sorrowful feelings.

Now Ranran may not be a therapist, but it didn't take her long to realize the tone in his voice was of defeat and betrayal, and he needs someone to tell him it was going to be alright.

The problem was...when was the last time she knew how to instinctively?

During Fox and Deer's days, she always knew how because she was able to relate to them on a personal level. After 'his' death and all, although Ranran remains in contact with their former clients even to this day with her usual self, she seems to have lost touch with anyone she comes across here because of her blunt bitter words.

That's right when Takuma scolded her for being insensitive that one time after the American Football scandal, Ranran just bluntly pointed out he is running away from reality before leaving him to shed tears of his own. Even 'O', her online friend thinks she needs to be sensitive to one's feelings, but it has been a long time since "The Boy's" death. Whatever emotions came with 'him', they all died that night.

And it's a shame that the projector didn't reveal how he copes when he isn't happy. Sure, Shinichi in the future ain't inhuman, it did reveal he cried once at the age of 17 when it came to his girlfriend Ran when he assumed she died during a case, but not when he was betrayed.

"Ranran is good when it comes to comforting people."

What did 'Deer' see in her to say those words?

Ranran could tip-toe around this, but she ain't Majima Michio to Junko. She can be her usual harsh self, but they need no more drama than it already is. So there is only one way to settle this once and for all.