T.A series Volume 2: The Illegitimate Extra

Chapter 5 - Stay in the Past

Slightly startled, the two swung round to find a short, worried man glaring at the two kids. His black tee shirt and jeans were hopelessly crumpled.

"Oh, that's easy to explain..." Ranran shot him her most charming smile. "We bumped into Sergeant Genzo outside. He's investigating the damage to the same film a few nights ago in the Movix theatre."

The man relaxed and held out his hand as the two kids shake.

"Well, if you know Genzo, that's okay, I guess. I'm Tanaka Kirin," he introduced himself. "I directed The Origin of My Childhood."

"So you're the one who made that dumb movie," Ranran muttered.

"What did you just say?"Tanaka didn't manage to hear properly.

"Nothing," Shinichi quickly jump in," She said so it was you who make that movie."

"Ah, I see."

Tanaka then led them down corridors lined with huge posters of movie stars. They passed through a small studio crowded with lights and pieces of scenery as they spoke in low volumes, "Why did you stop me from saying it?!"Ranran questioned Shinichi.

"As much as that movie suck, doing this won't get him to corporate on our case Ranran!"He hissed at her.

"But it's true, the movie suck."Ranran remarked, before forming a Cheshire grin, "You know, we can break into this place if he took it as an insult."

"No," Shinichi has to put his foot down, as he had enough since her Dark Web antics, "We are going to do it civilly, not resort to violence!"

Eventually, they reached Tanaka's office where the director flapped his arms angrily.

"It's crazy what's happening to my film," he said. "We'd just started sneak previews in one theatre when someone ruined the print. And then last night, somebody broke in here and stole the other ten prints before we could send them out. It was supposed to start screening in ten different cinemas tonight."

"But now you can't," Shinichi remarked.

"That's right. It will take us weeks to replace those prints," Tanaka told the two children as he entered his office.

"Good."Ranran mouthed, "That movie is a waste of time and money."

"Eh? I am sorry?"Tanaka blinked.

"What she meant is what bad timing it is," Shinichi said, hoping he sounded heartfelt. "That was the film I was working on for our school drama. Now I guess nobody can see it," he probed.

"Well, I can show you the out-takes," Tanaka offered. He crossed to an editing machine and switched it on."There are the shots that we didn't use in the final movie, the ones that didn't turn out so well for whatever reason."

Shinichi elbowed Ranran, nudging her to do her thing."I don't want to do it."Ranran replied in annoyance.

"Just do it for the investigation!"Shinichi hissed at her.

"We can just break it in the warehouse-"

"No violence!"Shinichi reminded her.

"But that movie really sucks! Why should I bother to lie over something? That be sugarcoating!" Ranran rolled her eyes.

If there is one thing Shinichi has to learn since working as her apprentice is that threats won't work on someone like Ranran. So, he has to resort to an alternative. "How about I'll buy you pancakes from that cafe you kept rambling on wanting to eat for breakfast, for the entire week!?"

She then groaned, Ranran does anything for a sweet breakfast. Not to mention, it is free.

Ranran chose her words carefully. "It was such an interesting movie," she began, as she sounded convincingly truthful. "There was one scene that left a very memorable impression for me... the scene where the woman cried in the street."