T.A series volume 1: The Extinction Heist

Chapter 27 - A Detective's Rookie mistake

It was a cold winter afternoon, and the snowflakes were falling gently from the sky. Everyone was running out of the school bundled up in their warm clothes, amazed by the view of the falling snowflakes.

Unfortunately, neither of the children in the association are fascinated by the snowflakes right now. Regarding one issue.

"Shinichi! Please open the door!" As more kids go by, they can hear the banging and observe the escalating spectacle. "You promised, didn't you, deshou? Please open the door!"

Out of all the boys, Shinichi was panicking, or even frazzled by the situation while Michio and Takuma observed how tense Shinichi is feeling. Meanwhile, his mentor Ranran was feeling otherwise.

Drumming her fingers on the surface of the table, she could care less about how they are feeling, her expression remains unchanged. The boys quietly observe her, awaiting her response. Finally, she answers, "I want all of your opinions on this, what do you think of her joining this association?"Eh?! She ain't gonna decide for them!? The boys were stunned, "Well?"

Takuma was the first to speak out when the door was repeatedly pounded, "I don't think you should let her in, she is too emotional."

"Even if it's for a friend?" Ranran confronted him.

"Friends do that...however, not in the way Mouri has done towards Shinichi or you alone."

"Don't get me wrong, but you lost a total of 8 friends, deshou?"Shinichi asks Takuma, "How would you know that?"

Takuma knows Shinichi is demanding credibility in his words, so he goes, "After befriending Ranran...I realize I didn't have to feel the constant need to fear that she will leave me, even when I didn't call her for several days whenever I feel tired from football practice, nor if I was out spending dates with Reina unlike my ex-friends do. Even if we do quarrel, which is very rare nowadays, and she pointed out I am in the wrong or that she is in the wrong...I know she'll still be there for me. Because that is what friends do."

"Takuma..."Shinichi's voice almost died out.

"That's why, to me personally, the fact Ran isn't acknowledging what Suzuki did was wrong...that may not necessarily make her a bad friend to Suzuki, but it is to Shinichi."

"...fair point," She then turned to Michio, "what about you?"

"Hmm...alright, I'll start."Michio clears his throat before he goes, "We all make mistakes in life. I think it is to soon judge her character because of this situation."All eyes are on him as he went on, "We all tend to do things we don't mean, I think that is what Mouri-kun is trying to prove that Suzuki meant no harm."

"Yeah right! Because of what Suzuki did to Ranran, she had to be confined to a wheelchair for three days! There's even an X-ray to prove how brutal Sonoko was! If that ain't murder, I don't know what is."Takuma argued.

"It doesn't necessarily mean she did it out of malice-"

"Enough!" Ranran smashes the table like a judge, silencing everyone as she returns her focus to Shinichi, "Your turn."

"Eh?"

"You are one of the members, you have the right to say all of this."

One of the members huh...After a heavy sigh, he goes, "She shouldn't be allowed to be a member here."

I knew it.

The two boys thought of this as Ranran goes, "Why?"

"She is too emotional to join here, also, she is still defending her friend who hit Ranran till she was wheelchair-bound!"