A week ago on a Tuesday at Teitan Elementary School, 10-year-old Fuyuko Junko thinks today will be the day things will finally change between herself and Michio.

Ever since she joined Tantei Association, nothing has been smooth sailing to change their casual friendship into romance.

And she has plenty of scenarios to prove it!

There was this one time when they were tasked to involve looking for a missing pet.

Shinichi was the one who assigned them the case because he thinks they needed more training in problem-solving without having to heavily rely on them, so of they went.

As it was only the two of them, Junko was hoping to use this opportunity to get closer to Michio.

However, things didn't go as planned, since both of them forgot to read on crucial detail regarding this pet.

When they arrived at the pet owner's house, they learn that the missing pet was none other than a Kimura Spider, basically a tarantula. 

And Junko herself was shit terrified of spiders and immediately panicked, while Michio tried his best to keep a cool head and reassure her. As they began to search for the missing tarantula, Junko couldn't help but feel jumpy and nervous. At one point, she mistook a rubber band on the floor for the tarantula and ended up almost jumping into Michio's arms.

In a perfect like scenario, like a romantic movie or drama Junko watched, Michio would've been a prince like catching her like a fallen princess from the sky.

But that wasn't what happened.

Instead, funnily, Junko fell flat on the floor while Michio froze.

Junko quickly got up, trying to brush off the embarrassment as their client, the owner of the spider tried to stifle a laugh.  After hours of searching, they finally found the tarantula hiding in a dark corner of the room. Junko was relieved but still shaken up from the experience, while Michio couldn't help but chuckle at her reaction.

After that incident, Junko made a mental note to check the case details more carefully next time before agreeing to take on the job.

The second time it happened, this case involved a haunted house.

Now Tantei Association in Ranran and Shinichi's own unison words ain't a ghost-busting agency, but a detective agency that solves cases of serious dark nature. But when you keep getting reports of the tap water being able to function despite no one living there, especially the lights and fan being easily switched on, the client who is the landlord had to send them to check.

But his mother was a superstitious lady, who didn't want her only son to look into it, so hence, sent the children to do their job. Talk about Adult of the Year.

Still, they are getting paid, so off Michio and Junko went.

As they were walking around the house, Junko thought it would be the perfect time to confess her feelings. A hunted house wasn't an ideal location, but it's rare that the two are alone.

But as she opened her mouth, a gust of wind blew a door shut, making her scream and jump. Unfortunately, Michio was so startled that he accidentally punched Junko in the face, knocking her out cold.

Which later earned every single member laughing at Junko's predicament, even Ranran and Shinichi who rarely laughed couldn't help but snicker, realizing how ridiculous the situation was.

Poor Junko was left with a black eye to be medically treated by Mouri Ran, plus one broken heart, knowing that her chance to confess was ruined. It didn't help that when this case was posted on their social media account, it had the entire Teitan Elementary School laughing for a week. Then another additional week, because the association's artist, Emiko, grew so inspired by it, she took the time to learn how to do animation and feature Junko's failed confession, which went viral.

Though they didn't use real names, Teitan Elementary students were not that obvious to Junko's pursuit towards Michio, so it has become a running joke for over another week. But the views amounted by the clip were enough to have a celebratory meal for Tantei Association.

Of course, Junko tried to avoid the teasing and jokes by burying herself in their next case.

This one involves Takuma's side of the case when one of his friends from the baseball team said they suspected their rival team customize the bat in plain sight, they kept losing every round.

So that day, she, Michio, especially Ranran and Shinichi tagged along to the rival's school and tested every single bat. While Ranran and Shinichi were busy analyzing the bat, whereby Ranran toss the ball while Shinichi hits the bat, Junko couldn't help but get distracted by Michio's smile and the way he pushed his hair out of his face under the sun.

Junko mustered up the courage to confess her feelings to Michio while they were alone, but as she opened her mouth to speak, Shinichi who was already hating that he is sweating in his cape coat clothes under the damn sun, suddenly shouted to Ranran to put more effort into throwing the ball, since Ranran was in one of her half-hearted moods of throwing the ball with minimum effort.

Again, Ranran refused. She hates physical activity.

When Ranran hates something, she barely puts effort into it, which pissed Shinichi off. When it comes to detective cases, she has no issues. But sports is another.

Then Shinichi finally yelled, "If you don't put more effort into throwing the ball, I'll make your mom force you to eat natto for a month straight!"

Now, Ranran has always been picky when it comes to food. She could eat sweets all day, but when it comes to anything savoury, she's very particular.

And there's one thing that she absolutely hates: natto.

Fermented soybeans, basically anything fermented is out of the question for her.

So when Shinichi threatened her with eating a whole plate of natto if she didn't cooperate, Ranran's eyes widened in horror. The thought of her mother making her eat natto made her stomach churn, also, she doesn't like it when she is threatened.

Ranran, who couldn't stand the thought of natto, finally put more effort into throwing the ball. And as soon as Shinichi struck, to his surprise, it struck further, "This is it! We found it! The customised bat!"

As everyone cheered while the rival members know they are screwed, Michi and Junko were so startled by the sudden interruption, the ball Shinichi hit struck Junko, hitting her right in the face.

Junko then stumbled back and fell to the ground.

Before they know it, Junko ended up hospitalized and ended with a broken nose.

Michio felt terrible about what had happened to Junko and visited her in the hospital to apologize. Junko, however, was too embarrassed to face him and turned her head away.

As Michio tried to talk to her, he accidentally knocked over a vase of flowers, which spilt all over Junko's bed.

No matter how hard one looks at it, one would think ever since Junko joined Tantei Association, fate was conspiring against her to be with Michio. But despite the failed attempts at getting closer to Michio, Junko knew that she wouldn't give up on her feelings just yet.

After all, there were plenty of other opportunities to confess her love, even if they involved tarantulas, ghosts, and modified baseball bats.

So today, after school, this will be it.

No more half-hearted excuses, Junko is finally going to do it!

As Junko watched Michio leave the classroom, she could feel her heart racing with anticipation. She took a deep breath and call out to Michio, ready to confess her feelings.

Before she could say anything, a gust of wind blew a tarantula and landed on her spectacle face, causing her to freak out. Michio, seeing the spider on Junko's face, immediately jumped into action and tried to get it off.

But then Michio's smartphone suddenly rang out of the blue.

Michio quickly took out his phone and saw that it was a call from Ranran.

Not long ago, the founder of Tantei Association Ranran, apprentice Shinichi, and the other 2 remaining members Takuma and Ran were dragged into a camping trip, so to get a call from Ranran isn't really surprising, since Ranran hates camping to death.

Michio answered the phone, "Hello Ranran, what's up?"

On the other end of the line, Ranran's voice sounded panicked. "Michio, get the remaining members to meet up in the main Tantei Association HQ, right now!"

Michio's heart raced as he listened to Ranran's urgent tone. "What's going on? Are you guys okay?"

"It's hard to explain, but I have reasons to suspect that there could be a murderer, on the island where we are camping!" Ranran exclaimed.

Michio's mind raced as he tried to process what he was hearing. A murderer?

It sounded ridiculous since it only happens in movies and tv dramas, but knowing Ranran's keen detective skills, he knew there had to be something to it. "Okay, we'll be there as soon as possible. Just hang tight and stay safe."

Michio quickly ended the call and turned to Junko. "I'm sorry, Junko, but we have to go. Ranran needs our help, and it is urgent."

"Wait, I still have a spider on my face!"

Michio quickly tried to remove the spider from Junko's face before realizing that it had already scurried away. "We'll deal with that later. Right now, we have to go."

"Why!?"

"Ranran said there is a killer on the loose, on their camping trip!"

Junko's eyes widened in shock as she heard Michio's words. "A killer? Are you serious?"

Michio nodded gravely. "Ranran sounded pretty convinced. We need to hurry and get to the Tantei Association HQ."

Junko felt a chill run down her spine as she realized the seriousness of the situation. "Of course, let's go!"

As they run across the school hallway, Junko suddenly said, "Wait! Who is going to call Emiko!?"

Michio paused for a moment, realizing that they couldn't leave Emiko behind, especially in a situation like this. "I'll call her. You go ahead and make sure the other members are safe."

Junko nodded and ran towards the Tantei Association HQ, while Michio quickly dialled Emiko's number. As soon as Emiko answered the call, Michio explained the situation and urged her to come to the Tantei Association HQ as soon as possible.

Emiko was surprised by the news but promised to come right away. Michio hung up the phone and quickly made his way to the HQ, hoping that they would be able to solve this mystery before anyone else got hurt.

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

"Set up the laptop, now!" Michio shouted out his orders

Junko quickly complied, setting up the laptop on a nearby desk and turning it on, while Emiko pulled the curtains and locked the door.

Michio quickly got to work, opening up their Zoom call, and waiting for Ranran to answer.

A few seconds later, Ranran's voice came through the laptop's speakers while the video revealed her to be in some sort of lavish-looking living room, with a worried expression on her face. "Michio, Junko, Emiko, thank goodness you're all here."

"Wait, hold on a minute," Junko noticed something wasn't right, "Were you not on a camping trip now!?"

"Of course I am."

"Then why is it in the video, you are in some sort of lavish-looking living room!?" Junko exclaimed.

Ranran sighed. "It's a long story. The campsite Shinichi, Takuma, Ran and I were on had no Wi-fi, and literally no good form of communication. So I rode on a horse and-"

Emiko interrupted, "Wait, you rode a horse to get here?"

"Where did you even get the horse from!?" Michio was shocked, and so was Junko.

"Our campsite had horse stables, so I just took it, rode it to some hotel not far from the campsite, and then checked in myself there in the penthouse."

"Wait, hold on a minute," Junko is trying to make sense out of the 6-year-old girl's words, "So you stole a horse from that campsite, then rode to a hotel and checked yourself into the penthouse? How does a 6-year-old like you simply able to find money to just simply do that!? Do you know how much penthouses are!?"

Ranran just shrugged her shoulders. "I just do it."

"No, you don't!" Junko is once again overwhelmed by the ridiculousness of the situation in Tantei Association, "What 1st grader would just simply steal a horse, ride off at some hotel, checked into a penthouse!?"

Michio intervened, trying to bring the conversation back on track. "Okay, let's focus on the matter at hand. What's going on with the supposed murderer on the island?"

Ranran's expression turned serious. "It's not a supposed murderer, Michio. It's a real one. Yesterday Monday, while two instructors were doing a safety demonstration on cliff climbing in front of us, one of them had their rope cut out with a knife, and then fell to his death in front of us all!"

Junko gasped, and Emiko looked horrified. "Seriously!? That's terrible! Did you call the police?" Emiko asked.

Ranran shook her head. "We can't. The island we're on is pretty secluded, and bad weather in the coming days would make it difficult for anyone to rescue us! Making matters worst is thanks to the corruption scandal regarding police officials last year, all of the cops here are removed from their position, and since this is a rural away, no officer is willing to work there! Hell, I don't even know when will they send officers over here to patrol this place!"

"Oh snap!" Michio was appalled. "This is a serious situation," he continued, "We need to figure out who did it and make sure they don't harm anyone else. Did any of you see anyone acting suspiciously before or after the incident?"

Ranran thought for a moment. "Not really. Everyone seemed shocked and scared. But I did notice that one of the instructors, Jun, was acting a bit strange before the demonstration. She was pacing back and forth and muttering to herself."

"Who is Jun?" Emiko asked.

"One of the instructors who opened the activity centre, Kodama Forest on this island. She opened it with her husband, Miki. And man," Ranran rolled her eyes, "Get ready to write this down, it is one heck of a roller coaster story."

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

After summarizing everything from the beginning to the end, Ranran finally finished her story, leaving everyone stunned and trying to make sense of it all. "Any question?"

Michio took a moment to gather his thoughts before asking, "I haven't seen Shinichi, Takuma and Ran with you while you were sharing all of this. Why are they not with you?"

"Oh, that? I left them at the campsite and came here all alone yesterday midnight, while all of them were asleep."

"Are you serious!?" Junko frowned. "You should have woken them up and told them about what happened."

"Yeah, but I decided if I do so, the other kids are going to know I moved to a lavish hotel and make me pay for their stay here."

"Typical Kudo Ranran doing the usual," Junko muttered sarcastically.

"Seriously?!" Michio's jaw dropped, "No freaking TV!? What sort of a sick monster would do this to all of you!?"

"Hey, Michio! I think that should be the least of one's concerns, besides Ranran abandoning the other kids just to live in a lavish penthouse!" Junko reminded Michio.

"And worst, no computer!" Ranran complained.

"Don't ignore my words, Ranran!" Junko's dual ponytails flared up.

Emiko intervened, trying to calm things down. "Let's focus on finding the murderer first, and then we can discuss the campsite situation later. Ranran, you said you have concerns because you ain't sure whether Eiji killed himself or was murdered thanks to the rope safety demonstration with Miki, do you want us to look into his life?"

"Yes," Ranran nodded to them determinedly, "I think it's worth investigating. After seeing the rope demonstration video, I have been trying to look into it non-stop.  While discussing with Shinichi, I felt like if we have gotten to know Eiji's personality by retracing his activities, maybe on social media, we might know what was his mental state whether he is capable, or that someone murdered him."

"But Ranran, isn't it straightforward that Miki killed him?" Michio suggests, "You mentioned that he and Miki were tied together for safety demonstration purposes, in fact, you, Shinichi and everyone watched from below."

"But there were tree branches that blocked out views, even in Takuma's recording that I sent you all earlier, I couldn't see whether he or Miki cut the string. I felt like even if Miki did it...it is too brazen of him to do it in front of all of us." Ranran thinks.

"That's a valid point," Emiko acknowledges. "It's possible that Miki had some sort of motive to harm Eiji, but we shouldn't jump to conclusions without evidence. Let's start by looking into Eiji's social media and online presence to see if there were any red flags or signs of distress. Maybe we can also talk to people who knew him well, like his family or close friends, to see if they noticed anything unusual."

"I agree," Michio chimes in. "We can also investigate Miki's background and behaviour. Maybe he had a motive to harm Eiji, or maybe he's just acting suspiciously for some other reason."

"Jun too," Junko reminded them, "I may not be married, but her behaviour for a married woman is like what Ranran said: Very unusual. I mean, Ranran," The 10-year-old spectacle girl began, "You said you saw her kept glancing at Eiji when he was coming out of the jeep with Miki, and Eiji specifically told your sensei that he only briefly knew Miki and Jun at the bus you were all on."

"That's right," Ranran affirmed. "It was just a passing observation, but I did find it odd."

"Ranran, are you suspecting that Jun and Eiji could've been secretly having an affair behind Miki's back? Because of how Jun reacted to that ghost story Eiji told?" Emiko figures.

"I won't be surprised after hearing Ranran's observations!" Junko believes and grows a bit fired up, "That is no way how a married woman would behave around her own husband! Especially after 12 years of marriage!"

"Also, besides this," Ranran thought hard before revealing, "Look into the university Jun and Miki used to study in."

"Why?" Emiko asked.

"Well," Ranran muses, "I heard from their boat instructor friend, Yoshinaga Iwao, that Jun and Miki used to attend the same university, which is how they met. So I want to know how did they reach this point in their marriage."

"That's a good idea, Ranran," Emiko nodded. "We should definitely look into their university and see if there's anything relevant to our investigation. Maybe they had some kind of connection to Eiji that we don't know about."

"Anything else do you want us to look into?" Michio probed.

Ranran thought for a moment before speaking, "Actually, there is one more thing. Look into Rika."

"The horse instructor?!" Junko blinked profusely, "Why?"

"The way she behaved around Miki, a married man...it reminds me of the way you behaved around Michio, Junko."

"I don't always behave that way," Junko's face turned red in embarrassment while Michio didn't seem affected by Ranran's statement, but she nodded in agreement. "Why do you think it's important to investigate Rika's behaviour?"

"Are you suspecting that Miki is having an affair with Rika behind Jun's back, Ranran?" Emiko guessed.

Ranran shook her head, "I'm not sure. It's just a hunch. But considering how she was acting around Miki, it wouldn't hurt to look into her background and see if there's any connection to Eiji or anyone else in this investigation."

"Alright," Emiko said, making a mental note of their next steps. "So we'll look into Eiji's social media and online presence, as well as talk to people who knew him well. We'll also investigate Miki's and Jun's backgrounds, especially their university, and see if there's any connection to Eiji. Finally, we'll look into Rika's behaviour and see if there's any connection to our case."

Everyone nodded in agreement. "Anyone else you might want us to look into, Ranran?" Emiko pressed

Strumming her finger in silence, Ranran spoke, "Yes, our form substitute teacher, Arima Nao sensei."

"Your own teacher?" Emiko repeated, surprised. "Why do you want us to investigate her?"

With a glint in Ranran's eye, she says, "Do you all want to know how was I able to come here smoothly?"

Everyone looked at Ranran with curiosity, wondering what she meant.

"When I snuck out around midnight with plans on hiding at the hotel, Arima-sensei caught me and almost dragged me back to my supposedly hijacked bedroom filled with the girls of 1-A. So do you know how I told her to let me go?"

Everyone leaned in, waiting for Ranran's answer.

"I threatened to tell the school principal that she violated a school rule," Ranran said with a mischievous grin.

"What rule did she violate?" Michio asked.

"This camping trip....she justified it as a means to broaden our horizon rather than being up in the classroom all day. But the truth was...she was using this trip as a guide to finding anyone to go on a date. Also to get paid as a teacher. Plus, she admits that she roughly knew Miki for a while back at the bus through a mutual friend."

Emiko and the others were shocked to hear this. They knew that Ranran knew about it, but then a question not related to the case popped up in Junko's head, "Wait, if you knew about it, why didn't you blackmail her to avoid joining this camping trip?"

"I didn't want her to tip my parents, who threatened to sell off the parts of my computer if I tried anything funny." Ranran shrugs casually.

Emiko chuckled at Ranran's explanation. "Well, I guess we can add Arima-sensei to our list of people to investigate then. It sounds like she might have some personal motives for being on this trip."

"But is murder one of them?" Junko doubts, "She wants to date someone she likes, not go simply murder someone she barely knows."

"True," Michio agreed. "But we can't rule her out completely until we investigate her. It's better to be thorough and consider all possibilities. Who knows what we might find?"

Everyone nodded in agreement. They knew that they had to investigate all possible leads to solve the case. With their plan in place, they continued their discussion, making notes of what they needed to do next.

After the meeting ended, Michio asked out of worry, "Neh Ranran, are you going back to the campsite after this? I am certain your friends are right now puzzled and worried over you?"

"Well," Ranran tilts her head amusingly, "Nope, not coming back till the 2 weeks are over."

Junko's eyes widened in surprise. "What? But that's dangerous! What if something happens to you?"

Ranran shrugged. "I'm not worried. I can take care of myself. Aside from remaining here to investigate the case, I know that if I remained there....more of my painkillers would be stolen. And I don't know if that man which I shared with all of you in the video would come back again to steal my medication."

Michio looked at Ranran with concern. "But it's not safe for you to be alone. What if someone tries to harm you?"

Ranran smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry about me, Michio. I'll be fine. Besides, I have the laptop supplied by the hotel here to keep me occupied. I'll also be working on the case, so I won't be bored."

Michio nodded in agreement. "We'll check in on you regularly and make sure you're okay."

Ranran smiled gratefully at her friends. "Thanks, guys. I appreciate it."

"And Ranran," Junko pointed at her directly, "Don't eat too much sweets, it's bad for you."

And with that, Ranran's video feed shut down.

Emiko smiled at Junko's remark before turning to the rest of the team. "Alright, let's get to work. We have a lot of investigating to do."

The team nodded and began to split up to start their individual tasks.

While Junko and Michio did their research on which university Miki and Jun used to be in, Emiko remained back at the HQ to search for any clues or leads regarding Eiji.

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

"Alright, let me relax a little," The 6-year-old Ranran stretched herself in the penthouse.

As Ranran settled into her comfortable spot in the penthouse, she glanced around the room. This is way better than the campsite, at least she didn't have to share with those other girls who moved into her room without asking just like squatters.

She decided to grab a book from the shelf and curl up in the oversized armchair by the window. As she read, she couldn't help but think about the case and the people they were investigating. She wondered what secrets they might uncover and if they would be able to solve the case before anything else happened.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Ranran felt like a lot of facts doesn't add up.

If Miki killed Eiji, that is very bold of him to do it in front of the 24 of the kids of 1-A.

If Jun or that boat instructor Yoshinaga Iwao was behind doing it a day prior, Eiji wouldn't be that much of a blind bat to not notice this, right? He is a climbing instructor after all. Even if he did want to commit suicide, they are other more comfortable options besides falling to one's death. After all, there is no guarantee that even if one falls from high up, one might not secure death the way one wants it. Also, this is a painful way to go.

Ranran then thought about Eiji's face filled with scars.

According to him, while they were on the bus, Eiji mentioned he got it from a severe car accident. While this isn't something one would doubt, why did it feel like

She wondered if those scars had anything to do with his death. Was he involved in some kind of dangerous activity that could have led to his demise? Or was he the victim of some kind of attack? Why does it feel like that there was more to the story? Ranran wondered if there could be a connection between Eiji's scars and his death. Maybe someone from his past had something to do with it?

As she pondered on these thoughts, Ranran couldn't help but feel a sense of unease.

And the source of it is mostly the ghost story Eiji recounted.

To summarize his ghost story, involved two men who are as close as brothers falling in love with the same woman. The poor one fell in love with the daughter of a farmer, who is so beautiful that it attracted many suitors. Although the farmer's daughter and the poor man agreed to spend the rest of their lives together, it ended with betrayal when the poor man served the army for the king, only to return and be back-stabbed when she married the other.

Similar to the mermaid story, instead of killing the person who betrayed him, he jumped into the sea beyond return.

Ranran then thought hard about it.

There is a huge difference between the fairy tale of a mermaid and Eiji's own story, in a way, the prince in the mermaid story has no idea he was deceived, which is why the mermaid killed herself and became a saint. But for Eiji's version, however...from his narration, the farmer's daughter seemingly knew he was alive, but married the other guy anyway.

This begs the question...if the farmer's daughter is aware, isn't she just merely playing with fire since she knew her fiance is alive before marrying someone else?

Although the story ended with a tale of revenge...Ranran finds one thing odd: Why must the man die to commit revenge on the two people who betray him in that story?

As she sat in the armchair, lost in thought, she can't help but think if she knew the answer to this question, perhaps the answer to this case will reveal before her eyes.

But as she turned another page in her book, another thought was her friends whom she left at the campsite.

In some way, she did feel a little weeny bit guilty for leaving her friends behind at the campsite, especially since she knew Shinichi, Reina and Takuma is definitely going to be worried about her. But on the other hand, Ranran is certain they would be pissed off if they find out she is living in luxury rather than being with them.

At the same time, however, this is her hard-earned reward with 'The Boy', so she has no reason to feel guilty for living like this now. She wondered how they were doing and if they were okay without her. But she can't dial even if she wanted to, the campsite area there is like a Bermuda triangle where no signal for smartphones can ever reach.

She got up from the armchair and walked over to the window. As she looked out at the forest below, she couldn't help but feel like Eiji's death is only the beginning of blood being splattered across the woods.

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

At first, when Ranran sent them out on a task to look into this, Junko and Michio felt like they were heading nowhere.

Due to limited information, Ranran wasn't even sure which university did they attend. If it wasn't for Sergeant Genzo, Michio's family friend and his late father's friend, to give out a name, they would've been stuck till Sunday.

On a Saturday, Michio and Junko were in awe as they set their footing at Midori no Daigaku (University of Greenery).

"One day, I must attend a school with such a wholesome view." Junko was dazed by the sight of the campus, which Michio silently nods.

A campus well known for its stunning architecture and lush greenery, the campus provided a peaceful and inspiring learning environment for its students.

The university was divided into several faculties, each with its unique buildings and facilities. The Faculty of Science and Technology was home to state-of-the-art research labs and classrooms, while the Faculty of Humanities boasted a vast library and performance spaces for music and theatre students.

One of the most striking buildings on campus was the Main Hall, a grand, multi-story structure made entirely of glass and steel. The Main Hall housed the administrative offices and was a popular venue for guest lectures, conferences, and other events. Its open design allowed natural light to flood the space, creating a bright and welcoming atmosphere.

The university's grounds were meticulously maintained, with carefully curated gardens and paths winding through the campus. The central plaza was a hub of activity, with students and faculty members gathering to chat, study, or relax under the shade of towering Plum Blossom trees.

As Michio and Junko strolled around the campus, they couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for the university's commitment to sustainability and environmental conservation. Recycling bins were scattered throughout the campus, and solar panels adorned the roofs of many of the buildings. The university even had its own vegetable garden, where students could learn about organic farming practices and participate in planting and harvesting.

"I know that the university is famous for being environmentally friendly, but just look at all those bicycles and electric cars!" Junko was particularly impressed as they passed by a row of charging stations. "This is a campus that truly cares about the environment. The world we are living in should set the same example as them."

Michio frowned, "Though I think that would be difficult."

"Why?"

"Cause Ranran said it would take tons of money."

"Seriously, is she for real now?!" Junko spats, "Then I supposed she wouldn't mind sacrificing the entire world in the name of money?!"

"Uh no, it's not in the way you might imagine," Michio sighed, "Do you know how much a hybrid car is compared to a petrol car?"

Junko shook her head, looking confused.

"Hybrid cars are more expensive to produce, so you can imagine it is way more expensive compared to petrol cars if you want to afford one," Michio explained, he then adds, "Do you even know how much a sun solar panel here in Japan? I thought they were cheap, till Ranran revealed to me the price."

Junko grew confused, "How much is it?"

Michio sighed, "It's actually quite expensive. The cost of a solar panel in Japan is about three times more than in other countries. The reason is that Japan doesn't have a lot of natural resources and relies heavily on imported materials. This, coupled with the high cost of labour, makes it more expensive to produce and install solar panels."

Junko looked thoughtful, "I never thought about it that way. By the way," She turned to Michio, "Isn't Ranran 6 years old?! I don't recall our school covering this, especially now that we are both in 4th grade."

"Her old school, Edgewood Academy taught her all of this," Michio revealed.

"Ah damn, our school syllabus is way behind Ranran's old school," Junko muttered to herself.

Michio chuckled, "Well, Ranran is quite exceptional in many ways. But don't worry, we'll catch up soon enough."

Junko nodded, feeling slightly embarrassed that she didn't know much about these things. No wonder Ranran looks down on her.

As they continued their walk, they stumbled upon a group of students practising a traditional dance under the shade of a Plum Blossom tree. Michio and Junko were captivated by the graceful movements and the sound of the music.

"Can't believe that even though it is February now, there would be cherry blossoms growing at this time of the month," Junko commented.

"Plum Blossom," Michio corrected.

"I am sorry?" Junko blinked.

"Those are Plum Blossoms, not cherry blossoms," Michio clarified. "Cherry blossoms bloom later in the year, around April. Plum Blossoms, on the other hand, bloom earlier in the year, usually in February or March."

"Oh, I see," Junko nodded, impressed by Michio's knowledge. "How can you tell the difference? They look the same."

"The easiest way to distinguish them is by looking at their petals," Michio explained. "Cherry blossoms have a slightly curved petal with a small notch at the tip, while Plum Blossoms have a rounded petal with no notch. Cherry blossoms are also pinker in colour, while Plum Blossoms are more white or pinkish-white."

Junko nodded in understanding, "I never noticed the difference before, thank you for letting me know. They watched the dance for a while longer, enjoying the tranquil atmosphere of the campus. "By the way, who are we paying a visit with?"

"Someone who knows Jun and Miki well enough," Michio said.

Junko raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"Their classmate," Michio answered.

The spectacle girl is taken aback, "The classmate works here?!"

Michio nodded. "Yes, she does. She's been working here as a part-time staff since last year."

Junko looked surprised. "I didn't know that. What's her name?"

"Her name is Akane Fujita," Michio said. "She's been close friends with Jun and Miki since they enrolled here together since foundation days, so she might have some information that could be useful to our investigation."

"May I know how did you manage to track her down? Cause when I was searching around their social media account, no such name pop up."

"I asked Sergeant Genzo to see if he knows of anyone who studied on this campus, and after explaining Ranran's situation, plus him having to lecture us about getting involved with serial killers but then realising this was beyond anyone's control, he knows of someone which later led me to her," Michio explained.

Junko nodded in agreement. "I see. It's always good to have someone on the inside who can give us a different perspective. But anyway, now that Genzo knows...did he not try to send people there now that he knows there is a potential killer?"

"I did consider it, the problem is this time Ranran could not determine if this is a murder or a suicide....so we can't simply bother Genzo unless we find proof. Also, Ranran was right," He showed Junko what he searched on his smartphone, "The weather report showed that even if one sents a helicopter or car over....it isn't advisable to do so due to the current weather conditions."

Junko sighed in understanding. "I was assuming when they head on a camping trip, nothing like a potential murder would occur. At least it gives us a break after dealing with the major cases. And yet...."

"And yet here we are," Michio finished for her. "But we'll do what we can to solve this case and keep everyone safe."

Junko nodded. "Right. Let's go meet with Miss Akane and see what information she has for us."