While all of this is going on, outside the rainy streets, the wind clutched at the body of a certain little boy and clawed at his damp clothes. The rain streamed down a grey wall, obscuring his view. He stumbled into the forest where branches tore at his arms and legs.

The smell of rotting vegetation filled his nostrils.

It was the odour of death. His heartbeat drummed in his ears.

Once or twice he heard heavy footfalls in the forest behind him, but mostly just the slap of rain on broad leaves. But he knew they were still out there.

The school that he left as he rushed out of the building was now lost in the storm. He'd thought he would be safe there that day when his father shipped him back to the U.K. all the way from Norway, but they'd come for him. The two men arrived in a big car. He recognized them immediately across the school hallways, having just left the classroom not long ago to head to the washroom, only to spot them midway while returning.

His father had pointed them out on his last visit home. His father had called them dangerous individuals that should be avoided at all costs. The big man with the shaved head was a general, the other an assassin.

The boy had fled from the school several days earlier, then took an emergency flight to Japan in haste. They must have seen him. Now they were keeping track of him. He ducked beneath the fallen tree that blocked his path and then plunged into the shadows. His fair skin merged with the darkness. He waited, listening.

Truthfully, this wasn't the first time he came around this area. The first time he remembered coming here, he was around 7 years old with his parents, especially when his mother was still alive and well. His family enjoyed their time here so much so, they came together as a family around 5 times, before illness claimed her life.

The boy's breathing was rapid, his small form huddled against the damp earth. He knew he needed to keep moving, but fear rooted him in place. The forest around him which isn't far of the city streets seemed to close in, suffocating him with its oppressive presence.

Now he heard their voices. One sounded far away to his left. The other was directly behind him.

One false move and that spells the end.

After fleeing from the airport by taking a quick cab, he had the cab driver drop him nearby a forest, which led him into this predicament. The boy's breaths came out in rapid, shallow gasps, his small chest rising and falling with each panicked inhale. He strained his ears, trying to discern their words, but the pounding rain and rustling leaves drowned out most of the sound.

Moments later he heard a man mutter a curse as the called The General slammed into the fallen tree. The boy pressed his body against a trunk in the darkness, feeling ants clamber onto his neck. With wide, terrified eyes, he watched as the huge man rushed on, crashing through the thick foliage.

Once more, was alone again, alone with the thunder the rain and the stench.

Landon Lockwood then fingered the small key that hung on a chain around his neck. His frenzied mind was forming a plan. He knew that once he left the rainforest he would be vulnerable, but he had to take that risk. A busy highway bordered the forest on the right. Once he reached he knew he would find a bus or taxi heading into the city where Beikai District. It was his only chance of escape.

And once he arrives in the city, he will try to locate the association HQ. The same ones he overheard one of the kids sharing about at Edgewood Academy.

He reached inside his windbreaker. He could feel the slip of paper in his pocket.

On it, he'd written a name and address.

A name of someone he had read about, someone in this foreign country who could help him

"That girl who was formerly The Fox, she will get me out of this."

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

"Mouri Ran, sometimes the choices you make in life disappoint me. It made me question if taking you back to the association is worth it?"

As 6-year-old Ranran pinched her nose bridge from her desk in class, so does her seatmate/apprentice, 6-year-old Kudo Shinichi, who happened to be holding a smartphone as he showed Mouri Ran getting caught in a hilarious scandal in school, much to Ran's horror.

Mouri Ran's face turned several shades of red as she watched herself on the screen, arms flailing and shoes slipping on a banana peel she never saw coming.

If that wasn't bad enough, the title of the video reads 'POV: Former Member of a Tantei Club returns 2 months later', and it was posted on an anonymous confession site of Teitan Elementary school.

Not long ago during the events of 'The Feathers of Fury', Mouri Ran voluntarily quit the association after an ugly dispute between the three rejoined the association, admitting wanting to make amends after realizing she had been manipulated by 6-year Mamiko, not to mention, making the two suffer while under Mamiko's influence.

Now still attempting to recover her disgraced reputation, it seems like once more Ishibashi Mamiko has humiliated her again.

"I know I ain't your friend to tell you this, and it would've been pretty unfair to say you should be careful, but again, Mamiko is ruining your reputation once more." Ranran continued with a wary tone.

Kudo Ranran and Mouri Ran were never close, although their mothers were, their relationship was mostly strained, since Ran kept falsely accusing Ranran of stealing Shinichi away from her at that time. While Mouri disliked Ranran for being cunning and scheming, Ranran on the other hand disliked her for being naive and meddlesome.

Nowadays, Ran hasn't meddled since rejoining the association, but as Ran stared at the screen, a mix of embarrassment and frustration welled up inside her. "2 million likes is awful." Ran groaned to herself.

"To be fair, you didn't put yourself in a good light when you went after her," Her former friend, Shinichi concluded, "Especially after all of the false accusations you made towards me and her, I think it may take even months to restore your reputation."

"But with Mamiko around, I think you are in for an uphill battle." Ranran sighed.

Ran nodded, acknowledging the truth in both of their words. "I wish Mamiko could get easily expelled someday, it would've made everyone's lives so much easier."

"I wouldn't go for the expel route, but rather, the death penalty route." Ranran suggests, "Because if she dies, the world will be a better place. "

Shinichi raised an eyebrow, surprised at Ranran's unusually candid response. "I know you have a knack for saying harsh things, but even if I myself wish for that, a child can never be granted that."

"Exactly," Ranran let out a bitter laugh. "Mamiko and her family are like cockroaches that just won't go away, always slipping through the cracks."

Ran's eyes widened at Ranran's dark humour. She had always known Ranran had a sharp tongue, but this was a new level. "Ranran, that's... quite the vivid metaphor."

"Well, it's safe to say Mamiko won't be getting any Christmas cards from us." Shinichi couldn't help but chuckle, despite the seriousness of the situation.

"No, I don't think so."Ran joined in with a small smile.

As soon as Sonoko called out Ran, she left the two on their own. "Are you sure it is better you don't step in? I mean Mouri-san is having a hard time with Mamiko." Shinichi turned to his mentor.

"Everyone has their own pride when it comes to fighting their battles, Shinichi," Ranran shut her book on her desk without looking at him, "If I offer to aid Mouri's battles, it will give the enemy the opportunity to use Ran against me and you all over again. Normally, I wouldn't care if she doesn't trust me, but the fact that prick was able to manipulate Mouri-san into endangering the both of us days before we opened Tantei association together...that makes her a dangerous sociopath, don't you think?"

Shinichi wasn't going to deny what Ranran said was true, after all, this entire revelation popped open his brain like a Pandora's box in the ugliest of ways. The fact that this girl would pin Ran against Ranran despite knowing it would eventually endanger their lives sent chills to him since that also made him more alert now that he knows that girl is far more morally corrupt and devious than he could've imagined.

The one plus side he has on their side to deal with this issue is Kudo Ranran, a girl with a scary psychopath-like intelligence. As far as he knew, that girl had never feared anyone since they were all her puppets till Ranran stopped her by blackmailing her. Whatever it is she has against the anarchistic girl was unclear, but it was enough to stop her from trying to get anything from Tantei association to report on the news.

Shinichi leaned against the desk, contemplating the gravity of the situation. "Should we stage something to get her into serious trouble, she would get kicked out of school?"

"Mamiko brought a knife and openly tried to stab me, the only punishment she had was ending up in a mental hospital, then return." Ranran rolled her eyes, "If kids like her can't be removed, then make her a punching bag. She is already a pariah of the entire school thanks to me."

Shinichi scratched his head, struggling to keep up with Ranran's ruthless tactics. "I have to admit, your approach to problem-solving is... unique."

Ranran shot him a sly grin. "Well, desperate times call for desperate measures, right? Besides, it's not like I'm suggesting we go full-on 'Mean Girls' on her."

Shinichi chuckled. "True, we don't want to end up in detention ourselves."

As they continued to plot their next move, Ranran's phone buzzed with a message. She glanced at the screen and raised an eyebrow. "Oh, someone triggered our cameras at our main HQ."

Not long after their previous major case, Ranran finally had motion cameras installed as they were a previous break-in during the events of their previous major case, so it only seemed fair to install those cameras not long after that.

Curious, Ranran switched on her smartphone to check who it was.

Before Ranran could even finish unlocking her phone, the screen flickered to life, revealing a dark small figure standing near the pink vending machine door inside the boutique shop. Ranran's eyes narrowed, judging the size, it seemed to be a child their age.

Ranran and Shinichi exchanged puzzled glances, their curiosity piqued. "Who could it be?" Shinichi mused, his eyes fixed on the screen.

The figure seemed to be looking around, clearly unaware that they were being watched. Ranran's mind raced, trying to make sense of the situation. "What's a kid doing here?"

Suddenly, the intruder froze, as if sensing that they were not alone. They turned slowly, their eyes meeting the camera's lens, and Ranran could see a mix of surprise and determination in their gaze.

"Uh-oh," Ranran muttered, her heart racing.

Shinichi leaned in closer, studying the figure's face. "Do you recognize them?"

Ranran squinted at the screen, trying to get a clearer view. The child's face seemed familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. "I'm not sure..."

The intruder hesitated for a moment, then turned and bolted for the exit, clearly realizing that they were caught. Ranran and Shinichi watched in surprise as they made their escape.

"Looks like they're making a run for it," Shinichi observed.

Ranran nodded, her mind racing with questions. "I will try to set up a trap if he or she comes around. Though I doubt this person is a criminal."

"And how can you tell?"

As she continued to analyze the situation, she pointed the live stream video to the apprentice, "If you can tell, he or she kept on darting around his surroundings, as if they were being followed around, not wanting anyone to know he or she arrived at our doorstep."

Shinichi nodded, starting to piece together the puzzle. "What is stopping this person from coming in?"

They quickly reviewed the security footage, trying to gather any clues about the intruder's identity. The child's face was still a bit blurry, but they could see that they were wearing a school uniform.

"That uniform...." Shinichi pointed out as he recognized. "Ain't that from your old school, in Edgewood Academy?"

"Huh!? Let me see." Ranran leaned in closer to the screen, squinting at the uniform. "You're right! That's definitely the Edgewood Academy uniform. But....my school is based in the U.K. Why would he fly all the way to Japan?!"

Shinichi furrowed his brows, equally puzzled. "It's quite the journey just to pay us a visit. And what's with all the secrecy?" His mind was racing with possibilities. "Maybe it's someone who knows about our detective work and wanted to seek our help."

"But...." Ranran leaned herself to the back, as the chair tilted rocking back and forth, "Usually a lot of Edgewood kids come from rich families, they can afford someone who is better qualified not far from home. No need to purchase an air ticket and fly all the way here. Also, Tantei Association is around 2 months old and all, they would never bother to come here, let alone, know of this existence, unless my friends told them about it."

Shinichi pondered Ranran's words, nodding in agreement. "You're right. This whole situation is strange."

As the two children quietly observed the footage, they checked on the customers coming in and out of the boutique shop owned by Michio's mother, so far, nothing suspicious was going about. Eventually, the figure left the shop without opening the pink vending door.

Ranran leaned back, her fingers drumming on the edge of the table. "I can't shake the feeling that this kid is connected to something bigger. It's just too strange."

Shinichi nodded, his eyes fixed on the screen. "Agreed. And if they're from your old school, I think you better call them to ask around."

She nodded to him in silence before suddenly, a thud sound hit against the window of their classroom. Startled, the two turned to see a macaw and 3 cockatoos hit against a window before flapping away. "Oh come on...." Ranran groaned, "Don't tell me Junko didn't shut the door of the animal hutch at our school again!"

In the previous major case, after Professor Shibuya, their former client was arrested for stealing the Nuclear Rocket plans upon having been framed for embezzling money last year, his 150-plus birds that were initially seized by the authorities of Japan were initially placed at some temporary undisclosed location at that time. However, since that so happened that most of the aviaries and zoos in Japan were congested with exotic animals, they were not in a position to take them in.

To cut a long story short, 6-year-old Ranran eventually brought the birds to their school, Teitan Elementary, till they could figure something out what to do with them. Though, the teachers and administration were not pleased with the girl's antics, since she brought them over without their permission, which later led to some chaotic results.

Anyway, with the screams below their classroom, Ranran needed to get one thing straight.

Leaving her desk, she headed over to the window before whistling out loud, a sharp and melodic tune that flew out into the skies. In response, the colourful birds circled back and flew back into the hutch, finding their way inside without much trouble to the shock of the other kids below them.

"I told all of you before, don't open the door too wide!" Ranran turned back to Shinichi with a triumphant smile. "There we go, crisis averted. Now, back to our mystery visitor."

"How did you......?" Shinichi is at a loss for words, "150 plus birds!"

"I have my ways," Ranran chuckled at Shinichi's astonishment.

It had been 3 weeks since the birds had settled, and if Shinichi were to be honest, they had brought chaos to this school in ways he never could have anticipated. The once tranquil hallways now echoed with the squawks, chirps, and occasional songs of the colourful avian residents. Ranran had taken it upon herself to care for them, showing an uncanny knack for understanding their needs and quirks. She had even set up a makeshift feeding and bathing station in a corner of the schoolyard, where the birds could frolic and interact with the curious students.

Not long ago, Takuma befriended one of the birds in that area and he had become a regular visitor, and he claimed that he and 'that bird' had a good solid broship bond. As Shinichi isn't sure what breed it is, when he was thinking of bringing it over to introduce to the members, 10-year-old Fuyuko Junko who had a huge fear of birds forbade him from doing so.

"As good as you are with the birds, I don't think the school can do it without you." Shinichi shook his head in amazement before frowning, "Anyway, are you still working on how you are going to allocate these birds?"

Ranran leaned against a nearby desk, her eyes scanning the classroom absent-mindedly. "I've been giving it some thought. I've reached out to some local aviaries, but they're all overcrowded right now. It's a tough situation. And in the first place, what part are those birds causing chaos here?"

"Do you want me to remind you of that rabbit incident?"

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

3 weeks ago, for a project about understanding rabbit behaviour and writing an essay about them, their teacher gave the children of class 1-A permission to bring the rabbits home before bringing them back a week.

Although every single child was brought back in tip-top condition a week later, Ranran was the only one who brought the decapitated foot of a rabbit, with some fresh blood evidently placed on the teacher's desk, much to the teacher's horror, so did her classmates react in shock. "Kudo Ranran, what is the meaning of this?!" The teacher angrily confronted her.

"This was the rabbit I was given, it was killed by George the Third."

"Who is George the Third!?"

"A Peregrine Falcon. It went one swoop before killing the rabbit," Ranran replied nonchalantly as if it meant nothing. "All I manage to salvage is the foot."

The teacher's jaw dropped, utterly flabbergasted by Ranran's matter-of-fact explanation. "Why is there a Peregrine Falcon in your house!?"

"Well, the bird couldn't get along with the 150-plus birds I brought over to the school, so I brought it home with me." Ranran nodded calmly.

The teacher blinked in disbelief, struggling to process Ranran's words. "You... brought....George home because of....that?"

"Yes, is there a problem? If one is unhappy in that environment, one must leave." Ranran confirmed, her expression unwavering.

The teacher sighed, pinching the bridge of their nose. This was definitely a situation they hadn't been prepared for. "Ranran, you can't just bring wild birds into your home like that. It's not safe, and it's not allowed. Also, did your parents not say anything about bringing such....animals into your place?"

"They did, but they are pretty alright with it." Ranran shrugged as if it were the most normal thing in the world. "Even bought him a stand to perch on."

The teacher was at a loss for words. "Wait, the bird ain't locked up in a cage!?"

"The birds my late great-grandmother has are not locked up. Also, George the Third is very well-behaved and toilet trained."

The teacher struggled to find the right words to respond to this revelation. Inspecting the bloodied foot on the table, the teacher pressed further questions, "I doubt the bird would be able to devour the entire thing to a point, it was left with a foot! Surely you did something to the rabbit!?"

"I did not," Ranran leaned in, examining the foot with a thoughtful expression, while Shinichi who was watching all of this struggled not to laugh over how absurd the situation was becoming. "If you don't believe me, you can check all of this on the homework I submitted to you."

The teacher's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You included this in your report?"

"Of course," Ranran replied matter-of-factly. "It's an important observation about predator-prey relationships in the animal kingdom."

Out of curiosity, the teacher took the report to read before narrowing their eyes, "Wait, why is the entire report consisting of the life of George the Third and not the rabbit I assigned you with!?"

"Sensei, the moment I brought the rabbit home, it preyed and gobbled it up. Apparently, my Okaasan took George the Third to the vet, claimed it was dealing with depression with the 150-plus birds, it was deprived of food for days till I took it home. I had no rabbit to write about, so I ended up writing about George the Third."

The teacher's shock and disbelief seemed to grow with each revelation. They were now faced with the most peculiar and unexpected situation they had ever encountered in their teaching career. "Ranran, what is the purpose of bringing the foot of the dead rabbit over then!?"

"My parents say I should bring it over, in case you think I am making up excuses about not submitting my homework," Ranran explained matter-of-factly.

"You don't say............." The teacher's voice wavered between exasperation and sheer bewilderment, before letting out a long, resigned sigh. "Your parents certainly have a unique approach to these things, Ranran."

Ranran nodded, seemingly unfazed by the teacher's frustration. "They say it's better to have evidence just in case."

The teacher couldn't argue with that logic, even if it was unconventional. 

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

"In the first place, the rabbit was elderly and close to dying. George The Third probably knew about it, which is why it attacked and killed it eventually." Ranran pouted at Shinichi.

"Alright, then how do you explain the chicken incident the following week?" Shinichi reminded her.

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

Not long after the rabbit incident, Ranran placed a chicken head on the astounded teacher's desk once more.

The teacher's eyes widened in disbelief. "Ranran, did you not lock up the bird?"

"I did!" Ranran protested, her frustration evident. "But it learned how to unlock the latch itself from the cage, then proceeded to... well, you know."

"Are you sure you didn't kill it?"

"I installed CCTV in my house, you can watch it on my smartphone if you want." Loading the video on her smartphone, she showed the teacher before the rest of Ranran's classmates gathered around to watch it.

The teacher blinked, their eyes fixed on the video Ranran had presented. The footage showed the Peregrine Falcon deftly manipulating the latch of its cage, eventually making its escape before flying around the living room to pounce on the unsuspecting chicken, eventually 

Later on, the teacher couldn't help but shake their head in disbelief. "Well, I must say, this is certainly a unique situation. It seems your bird is quite the escape artist, Ranran."

"Not to mention, that bird is incredibly intelligent, cunning and resourceful." Ran found herself saying.

"Like Ranran?" Shinichi suggested.

"Hey!"

The class erupted into laughter at the exchange, finding the whole situation utterly amusing. The teacher let out a long sigh, trying to process the absurdity of the situation. "Ranran, this is... highly unusual, to say the least. You can't just substitute the subject of your assignment like this."

"Well then, what am I supposed to write since the chicken died?" Ranran found herself asking.

The kids snickered at Ranran's matter-of-fact response, finding the situation both bewildering and oddly amusing. The teacher rubbed their temples, still trying to wrap their head around the situation before grumbling. "I suppose... you could write about George the Third again."

Ranran nodded, seemingly content with the solution. "Alright, I'll do that then. It'll be a tragic angst story of George the Third, the Peregrine Falcon."

The teacher could only nod, realizing that there was no stopping Ranran once she had set her mind on something. The rest of the class watched with amused expressions, already looking forward to reading Ranran's undoubtedly the best sequel of this unique assignment.

However, as soon as class ended, the teacher told Shinichi to stay back in class to put an end to such shenanigans.

"I am sorry!?" Shinichi's jaw fell as he repeated the teacher's request, "You want me to....pair up with Ranran for our next upcoming assignment?!"

"Listen, I don't believe that all of these incidents involving that eagle were merely an accident, but staged. I am going to prepare another animal, which is a young healthy guinea pig. By the following week, I am hoping she doesn't bring in... 'evidence' and put it on my desk. It's highly unorthodox and frankly, I don't want her to keep coming up with excuses to avoid doing her homework. The last thing I would want to deal with is for her to continue her series of unconventional "evidence" presentations."

"I understand, sensei," Shinichi replied, his expression more relaxed now. "I'll do my best to talk to her and make sure she doesn't bring in any more 'evidence' for her assignments. We don't want things to get any more... interesting."

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

"I told you before, George the Third is too smart." Ranran casually shrugs from her desk.

"Really?" Shinichi was in disbelief.

"I mean otherwise, that incident with the guinea pig last week wouldn't have happened."

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

Last week, as per the teacher's request, a healthy guinea pig was provided for the assignment. It was placed under the careful supervision of 6-year-old Shinichi to ensure that no "unusual incidents" occurred this time.

Throughout the week, the guinea pig remained in the living room of Shinichi's house.

As the week progressed, Shinichi took extra care to ensure that the guinea pig was safe and secure. He even set up a small enclosure with plenty of food, water, and toys to keep the little creature comfortable.

Back in class, he approached Ranran with a confident smile. "Looks like everything went well with the guinea pig this time, Ranran. No surprises."Ranran nodded, seemingly unfazed. "Of course. I wouldn't want to traumatize the poor thing."

The teacher, observing from a distance, couldn't help but feel a mixture of relief and surprise. It seemed that this time, the assignment had gone off without a hitch.

"I'm glad to hear that, Ranran," the teacher commented, walking over. "Let's hope this sets a new trend for your assignments."

But the teacher probably spoke too soon, when without warning, a falcon swooped into the classroom to snatch the guinea pig before flying away.

Shinichi and the teacher could only watch in shock as the falcon made off with the guinea pig, leaving them utterly speechless. The entire classroom erupted into chaos as students screamed and scrambled for cover.

Ranran, on the other hand, remained surprisingly calm. She merely glanced at the scene unfolding before her and sighed. "Well, that's unfortunate."

The teacher, now both frustrated and bewildered, turned to Ranran with an exasperated expression. "Ranran, did you have something to do with this?"

Ranran shrugged nonchalantly. "Not directly. I did mention that George the Third is smart, and he probably got wind of another potential prey. Nature can be quite unpredictable, sensei."

Shinichi, still in shock, managed to mutter, "You didn't lock up George the Third this time?"

"I did," Ranran shook her head. "I seriously have no idea how it knows its way around here."

"It can't know all its way from your house to here!" The teacher refused.

"It does, I taught it to. Just that I didn't think it decided to come here."

As Ranran whistled, the Peregrine Falcon, George the Third, swooped into the classroom, landing gracefully on Ranran's outstretched arm. It seemed as though the bird had been eagerly awaiting Ranran's call.

Ranran looked at the falcon with a knowing smile. "You really are something, George the Third."

The teacher, torn between frustration and astonishment, finally managed to speak. "Ranran, you can't just bring a falcon into the classroom!"

"Why not?" Ranran asked innocently. "He's my pet, and he wanted to see what school is like."

The teacher struggled to find a response. The situation had spiralled beyond anything they could have anticipated. They sighed deeply, realizing that reasoning with Ranran might be a futile effort.

As for the guinea pig, it seemed that it had become the latest addition to George the Third's menu, much to the surprise and dismay of everyone involved.

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

"To cut a long story short, after three incidents in a row, it is decided by the school administration that they can't keep them here indefinitely. The school's not equipped for it, and it's causing quite a commotion." Shinichi chided as he glared at his partner-in-crime/seatmate who was sitting next to him.

Ranran looked at Shinichi with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Oh, come on, Shinichi. It's not like I planned for all of this to happen. George the Third just has a mind of his own."

"Look, the bottom line is those 150-plus birds of Professor Shibuya can't remain in school. The problem is that all of the bird sanctuaries and rescue centres across Japan can't afford to take in those birds. If we don't do something, they'll end up scattered and potentially in worse conditions," Shinichi pointed out, his tone serious. "We need to find a solution, and quickly."

"I know," Ranran knowingly nods.

"Honestly, I had to know....why couldn't you just sell those birds to those licensed pet shops? It earns you money and stuff.  Cause I know you would've simply done that." Shinichi suggested.

"Don't get me wrong, I am very tempted to do so as my last option," Ranran frowned at him, before processing Shinichi's question, "At the same time however......"

"......hm?"

"The thing that got Professor Shibuya in trouble back at NASA a year ago, was the false accusations that he embezzled money meant for the nuclear rocket project to feed his 150 plus birds, which later led him to lose his job." Ranran explained, "He could've gotten rid of the birds not long after he was forced to resign, right? But he didn't." 

Shinichi listened intently, piecing together the complexity of the situation. It was evident that there was a deeper connection between Professor Shibuya and his birds than met the eye.

"He chose to keep them, even when he was in a difficult situation," Shinichi acknowledged. "He never....blamed those birds for losing his dream as a rocket scientist."

Ranran nodded solemnly. "Exactly. Those birds meant the world to him, and I can't bring myself to just sell them off without trying to find a more suitable solution."

Shinichi's expression softened as he understood the depth of Professor Shibuya's attachment to his feathered friends.

"You don't just heartlessly sell off something, not even pets who had been with you through your darkest of times. Considering Professor Shibuya is going to be in jail for a long time, the least I can do is find a good place for the birds to thrive well." 

As he deeply ponders Ranran's words, he leaned against his chair to ask, "But would you be able to relocate them?"

"Of course," Ranran scoffed with a smile. "And I have a plan to do so while they stay in this school...."

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

Meanwhile, Mouri Ran and Suzuki Sonoko were dealing with a different kind of problem.

At their shoe locker, there were horrible demeaning Japanese words written on their shoes.

Mouri Ran's eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at the offensive words scrawled on her shoes. "Sonoko, look at this! Who could have done such a thing?"

Sonoko's face turned red with anger as she examined her own vandalized shoes. "It is obviously Mamiko and Amaya since the two knew that they could never be expelled from school!"

Not long ago, Mouri Ran had brazenly exposed the two children for the manipulation in ruining both of their reputations, which resulted in Shinichi angrily yet rightfully stomping onto Mamiko's laptop, as well as earning the slap session from almost 90 percent of the entire school organized by Kudo Ranran.

Although Ran and Sonoko did slap Mamiko and Amaya as well for justifiable reasons, it appears the devious siblings still feeling humiliated by everything that had transpired, decided to target Ran and Sonoko once more, since the two cowardly knew that there was no way they could defeat Ranran, going after the two was easier.

Mouri Ran clenched her fists, her anger simmering beneath the surface. They knew their circumstances were not good. Although Sonoko belonged to a rich family and had a certain amount of influence, somehow Amaya and Mamiko's mother who had a questionable career as a hooker has embedded so deeply within the wealthy community, that even as Mamiko was caught bringing a knife to school in an attempt to stab 6-year-old Kudo Ranran, she was merely thrown into a mental hospital and allowed to return to school.

"If someone like Kudo Ranran who is cunning and scheming couldn't get them expelled despite her coming from an influential wealthy family, what makes you think Sonoko's family could?"

Those were the words from 6-year-old Shinichi as he sighed back then.

Ran clenched her fists, a mixture of frustration and anger bubbling within her. "Why can't we just get the cops to throw her in prison!?"

"You heard what Shinichi said, she is 6. The legal age for a kid to end up in jail is around 14." Sonoko's voice was filled with frustration. "The only thing she will end up in is a mental hospital, but she will just come back out within weeks. And it ain't like the two didn't try, they were hard evidence to the cops, but it is thanks to the stupid rules, there is no prison time for Mamiko. Also, that aunt of hers had the teachers under her spell!"

Ran's jaw tightened. The frustration of being bound by the constraints of the legal system weighed heavily on her. She wanted justice, but it seemed elusive in this case. "What about your Tousan, did he say there is something he could do with her mother?"

"Here is the problem," Sonoko sighed, "As Ranran said, because of the laws in our country regarding....what was the word she said again?"

"Prostitution." Ran reminded her.

"Right," Sonoko nodded, her expression grim before wondering, "Wait, why did Ranran make you learn that word again?"

"She didn't like it that everyone in this school was stupid to keep referring to those women who work in such profession as BSL (Blue square lady), thanks to that glasses censorship thing they introduce to kids at the cinema, where the blue squares covered up those adults when they are not wearing clothes, or doing odd things on the bed with some guy."

"Oh.... anyway, according to my Tousan's lawyer, prostitution is illegal, it would've justified the right to arrest her mother. However, as your mother said, she was right. The meaning behind the law wasn't clarified even up till now, therefore, they can't use it to prosecute her. It's a loophole she seems to exploit."

Ran's face darkened with frustration. "So, in other words, her mom gets to do whatever she likes!?" Sonoko nodded.

Ran clenched her fists, feeling the weight of the injustice. "This is so unfair!"

"Exactly!" Sonoko's anger mirrored Ran's own. "It's just not fair! They get away with everything because of this."

As the two girls simmer in anger, Ran sighed, "I tell you what, for now, let's clean our shoes at the girls' washroom. After that, when our heads are cleared, let's figure out how to proceed with this. Cause if we can't throw them in prison, the least we can do is to protect ourselves."

Sonoko nodded, her resolve firm. "You're right, we will figure something out."

Together, they headed to the girls' washroom, determined to wash away the hurtful words and symbols. As they scrubbed, their determination only grew stronger.

"By the way, Ran-san, why do you think Mamiko and Amaya targeted us?" Sonoko sat on the bench while scrubbing her school shoes.

"Because I took her laptop and exposed her in front of the entire school? Without her permission?" Ran scoffed.

Sonoko couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. "Well, that might have something to do with it, but Shinichi ended up taking the laptop and threw it against the wall out of anger."

"It can't be helped! Who wouldn't after finding out he is a target of obsession by that psycho!" Ran pouted, before revealing, "By the way, I was shocked when Ranran offered Shinichi a chance to commit revenge, he went out to slap Mamiko and Amaya in front of us."

"We did the same too when Ranran offered us the chance," Sonoko remembered, before recalling, "But I was shocked that you took it from Ranran, even though you both hated each other thanks to Mamiko's manipulation towards you."

Ran smirked, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Well, desperate times call for desperate measures, don't they? And trust me, cooperating with Ranran is a lot more palatable than letting Mamiko and Amaya have their way."

Sonoko chuckled. "You've got a point there. I'd rather team up with the devil I know than dance with the angels I don't." Then a thought occurs on the heiress, "How are....things now by the way? Between....you, Ranran and Shinichi? I heard they accepted you back into the association, especially after all of the.....' meddling' you did."

Ran's expression turned thoughtful. "It's... different."

"In what way?" Sonoko raised an eyebrow.