T.A series volume 1: The Extinction Heist

Chapter 28 - Removing an eye sore

If there is one word to describe Kudo Ranran, she was always different from the other girls in her class.

Ask anyone in 1-A and the first word that would ever utter out of someone's mouth be 'different'. However, when they say the word 'different', Ranran took the meaning 'different' to extreme lengths. Things got so bad, the label 'psychopath' is used more often among the kids of Teitan Elementary. No one ever wanted to be around her, and she pay no heed to their whispers and stares, as they feared the retribution for crossing her.

Back in Tantei association, that definition of her has come into play.

Everyone stared at her dumbfounded by her behaviour, as she was laughing over the fact that their HQ had been ransacked by the criminals behind Watanabe's jailbreak.

"How can this be funny, Ranran?  We just were raided for crying out loud!" hollered Shinichi.

"They did raid our place, but their corpse will most likely wind up in some river or junkyard, later on, to say the least." Ranran breathes.

"What exactly are you trying to imply, Ranran?" Takuma couldn't help but be curious.

"The notes they're looking for are right here!" Her hands rummage through her uniform blazer before pulling out the notes and flashing them in front of the stunned kids.

"You got our notes this whole time!? Why didn't you say a thing! Mou!"Shinichi folded his arms, giving her an annoying glare, as others rejoiced while she chuckles.

"I'm sorry, " As she excuses her actions, the girl apologises to everyone "While the rest of you left, I sought to produce a backup plan in case it was a trap. So, before I left, I switch all of the notes on the table."

"Switch it...with what did you switch it if our notes are with you?" Emiko couldn't help but be intrigued.

"Well, ah heh heh." Ranran scratched anxiously, her gaze averted from Shinichi's. "It could have affected Shinichi's reputation a little."

"Hmph? What precisely does that imply, Ranran?" Shinichi can't help but be troubled about what Ranran allegedly did.

....

"What kind of notes are these kids writing for God's sakes!?"

The man in the passenger seat was shuffling the papers they stole, his face contorted with shock and disbelief, while his partner (the driver) had eluded police officers by stealing the tow-truck, where their punctured car is dragging along to the back as his partner reads out, "Beikai's Justice League!? Beikai's Deer Stalkers!? The Pink Panther's door? What the f**k are these!? Are they even one we should be wary about, as Aniki (superior) suggested!?"

"Perhaps those were the names they were thinking of for their detective club?" The partner was compelled to make a rational assumption. "They are, after all, children aged 6 to 10. It's not unusual for them to do so. I used to do it for an Anime club when I was their age."

"Even so...wasting their time coming up with titles for their dumb little club rather than going after us...Aniki squandered resources for nothing to be worried about kids like them coming after us."

"Well, children are children. We've all been there at some point in our lives." The driver justifies as he drives back to their criminal boss's workplace.

...

Meanwhile, back at Tantei Association, laughter boomed across the corridor when they learned what Ranran had done, not to mention the list the names Shinichi had come up with for the agency.

This annoyed Shinichi greatly.

Sure, his mentor did a wonderful job preserving the agency's intel, but he was furious when he learned Ranran had to do so at the expense of his dignity and character. He didn't want to be mocked for the names he came up with before coming up with the name Tantei association.