"Wow~~! The view from up here is amazing!"
Ran Mouri stood beside Ren Kuroda on the mountain trail overlooking Tsukikage Island.From their vantage point, the seaside town below shimmered in the morning light, the golden stretch of beach glittering where it met the waves.
She drew in a deep breath, smiling as the sea breeze filled her lungs."Ahh… the air's so much cleaner up here in the mountains!"
Just then, a soft click-click broke the moment.
Ran turned in surprise and found Ren holding up a camera, snapping photos of her.
"Sorry," he said, not sounding sorry at all. "When I see something beautiful, I just can't help taking a picture."
He took another shot before she could respond.
Shinichi Kudo — the boy she once liked — would never have said something like that so easily.Ran wasn't used to hearing such direct compliments, and she had absolutely no defense against them.
When Ren called her beautiful, the words made her cheeks flush and her lips curve upward before she could stop herself.
"Eh? You… you want to take pictures of me?" she asked shyly.
"Of course! What's a trip without some photos to remember it by? Come on, give me a smile."
Ran hesitated. "I'm not really good at posing… maybe like this?" She raised her hand in a hesitant V-sign.
"It's fine," Ren said casually. "I'm not exactly a pro either."
That, of course, was a lie. He'd long since bought professional photography skills from the Outlaw System's black-market shop.
He snapped several shots in quick succession, watching Ran's bashfulness melt into laughter.Girls her age were simple — a few kind words, a camera, and sunshine were enough to make them glow.
Ren gestured for her to come over and showed her the preview screen. "Well? Not bad, right?"
Ran leaned close, eyes lighting up. "Wow! They're really good! I didn't know you were so good at taking pictures, Kuroda-kun! You have to send them to me later, okay?"
"Of course. Let's keep taking some as we go," Ren said with a grin.
"Mm-hm!" Ran nodded enthusiastically, her steps turning light and bouncy as they continued along the path. She practically radiated happiness, the picture of youth in full bloom.
Ren kept snapping photos — some of Ran, some of the surrounding scenery.But truthfully, he wasn't here for the view. He was mapping the terrain.
Under the guise of sightseeing, he was carefully memorizing every turn of the mountain roads.If he got lost during the actual operation later, it would be humiliating.
According to the intel Gin had given him, those so-called "vacation villas" tucked into the hillside were actually the drug cartel's safehouses, stacked with narcotics smuggled from overseas.Buyers were brought there for transactions — meaning every inch of this mountain was enemy territory.
The path was steep, narrow, and full of forks. Without a guide, it'd be dangerously easy to get lost.
He was lining up another photo of Ran when a familiar voice called out from behind them.
"Hmm? You two… are you tourists?"
Ren turned.
Walking toward them was a woman in a floral summer dress and a wide-brimmed sun hat — Akemi Miyano.But what caught his eye wasn't her outfit. It was the camera in her hand.
So she had the same idea — scouting under the pretense of sightseeing.
"Yup! We're visiting from Tokyo!" Ran answered brightly.
"Really? What a coincidence! I'm from Tokyo too," Akemi said cheerfully as she approached. "I quit my job recently, so I came out here on my own to unwind a little."
"Alone? That's so brave!" Ran gasped. "If it were me, I'd never have the courage to travel by myself."
Akemi smiled. "It's not as dangerous as people think. Though…"She cast a playful glance at Ren. "I would like to find a handsome travel companion like you — but no luck so far."
Ran couldn't help but blush, her heart fluttering at the compliment.
"Oh! I forgot to introduce myself," Akemi said quickly. "I'm Akemi Miyano. And you are…?"
"I'm Ran Mouri, and this is Ren Kuroda!"
"Ah, such young faces! University students?"
Ran laughed. "Not yet — we're still in high school!"
"Let me guess… Teitan High, right?"
Ran blinked. "Huh? How did you know?!"
Akemi giggled. "Because I graduated from Teitan High myself."
"Then that means… you're my senpai!" Ran said, delighted.
Ren stayed quiet, watching the exchange unfold.
So this was how Akemi worked her magic. He had to admit, she was good.Beautiful, approachable, and quick to build trust — her charm could disarm anyone.
Before long, Ran was happily chatting, unaware that she'd already revealed more about herself than she probably should have.Satisfied, Akemi raised her camera. "Why don't I take a picture of you two?"
"Really? Thank you, Miyano-san!" Ran said, stepping to Ren's side and flashing another peace sign.
Ren smiled easily for the camera.
"You two look too stiff," Akemi teased. She stepped forward, gently taking Ran's hands and placing them around Ren's arm. "Here — pose like this. Much cuter!"
Ren had to fight the grin threatening to spread across his face. Not bad, Akemi. Excellent assist.
"L-like this?" Ran's cheeks turned crimson, but she didn't pull away.
"Perfect. Trust me — I'm a professional," Akemi said with a wink toward Ren, as if to say, You're welcome.
She stepped back, lifted the camera, and smiled mischievously. "Beautiful expression, Ran~~"
Click, click, click.
After several shots, she lowered the camera and made an OK sign. "Got it!"
"C-can I see?" Ran asked shyly, stepping closer.
"Of course," Akemi said, showing her the display. "See? You two look great! I'll send them to you when we get back down the mountain."
"Thank you so much, Miyano-san!" Ran said, bowing slightly.
"Don't mention it." Akemi smiled warmly. "Would you mind if I tagged along with you two for a while?"
"Of course not," Ran replied, smiling back.
"The more, the merrier," Ren agreed. Refusing would've only drawn suspicion anyway.
"Great!" Akemi's eyes lit up.
Just like that, she had a perfectly good reason to accompany them without drawing attention.
The three of them set off together, wandering "aimlessly" along the mountain path — one snapping photos, one smiling in the sun, and one quietly memorizing every route that led toward the cartel's hidden dens.