"I..."
Akemi bit her lip, unable to make up her mind.
She'd been waiting a long time for this call. Of course she wanted to answer it—wanted to hear Moroboshi Dai's voice.
But!
Why did it have to be now, of all times—and right next to this guy, no less.
Beep!
A soft, light sound.
Before Akemi could make up her mind, Makoto had already reached over and pressed "Answer" for her.
"Akemi!"
A man's voice came through the phone.
Calm and gentle—nothing like what you'd expect from a member of the Black Organization.
"Y-yes!"
Akemi answered quickly, unable to hide the excitement in her voice.
"It must be nighttime already in Japan, this time of day."
"Here in New York, though, it's still daytime."
Akai kept his tone light and easy, making small talk.
He knew he needed to make this call, but he had no idea what to say.
This so-called "girlfriend," this so-called "partner"—she was really just a tool for his undercover work in the Black Organization.
He knew he didn't actually have feelings for this lively, gentle girl. At most, what he felt was pity.
Even this so-called boyfriend phone call weighed on Akai like a tremendous burden.
After all, he already had a girlfriend.
And that girlfriend was an FBI agent herself—a partner in justice, as far as he was concerned.
Not like this girl, who stood on the opposite side as a member of the Black Organization.
"Oh, o-okay!"
"It's like this...ah!"
Akemi let out a sudden shriek, purely reflexive.
She turned her face away and shot a fierce glare at the culprit responsible.
"What's wrong?"
"What happened, Akemi?"
Akai asked hurriedly, concern in his voice.
Even if he didn't have feelings for this girl, even if nothing had actually happened between them, on the surface, she was still his girlfriend.
And he did feel some guilt toward her, at least.
"N-nothing!"
"It's a cockroach!"
"A horrible cockroach!"
"I want to kill it! Kill it! Kill it!"
Akemi said through gritted teeth.
At the same time, she fought to hold herself together, trying her best to keep her voice sounding normal.
"Why would there be a cockroach?"
"Is the apartment you're living in too old, maybe?"
"Tell you what—I'll wire you some money. Go find yourself a nicer place."
Akai said, full of concern.
Spending a little more on her, giving a little more—it seemed like it might ease the guilt weighing on him.
"Okay..."
Beep beep!
Akemi hung up the phone in a hurry.
Only then did she dare speak up angrily. "Ow! What was that for?"
"He doesn't love you."
Makoto suddenly stopped what he was doing.
His expression was calm, his tone flat, as if nothing had happened at all.
"What did you say?"
Hearing that, Akemi was clearly angry.
Angrier, even, than she'd been a moment ago.
"I said, your boyfriend doesn't actually love you. Not even a little."
"Or rather—he doesn't even think of you as his girlfriend."
Makoto rolled down the window.
Cold wind poured in, and he took a deep breath.
All at once, he felt himself grow a good deal calmer.
After all, the woman beside him was Miyano Shiho's older sister—her only sister in this world, her only family.
Play the long game, and you land the bigger fish.
Some things couldn't be rushed. They had to be taken slowly.
"What do you even know?"
"You clearly don't understand anything. You don't know a single thing."
"You only met me today, for the first time. You don't even know me—so how could you possibly understand Dai-kun?"
Akemi grew more worked up the more she talked, as if he'd struck a nerve.
"Akemi, I miss you!"
"Akemi, I love you!"
Out of nowhere, Makoto turned to Akemi and delivered a confession that left her utterly stunned.
Under the moonlight, her delicate, lovely face went blank, frozen in place.
For a moment, she had no idea how to respond.
"Those two lines—he's never said either one of them. Not once."
"He won't even say a few simple words. Not even one sentence."
"Do you really believe a man like that could love you?"
Makoto's manner shifted abruptly, and he asked with a perfectly straight face.
"He..."
"He's busy!"
"He has missions to complete for the Organization. He's in danger every second of every day. Just getting this one phone call from him is already enough for me."
Akemi lowered her head, her voice growing smaller and more subdued.
Makoto: "How long?"
"Huh?"
Akemi blinked, caught off guard.
"How long did you wait for this one phone call?"
He pressed on.
Silence!
A long, drawn-out silence.
In the moonlight, the girl bit her lip gently, looking achingly fragile.
"You've never actually been in a relationship, have you?"
Makoto changed the subject.
"I..."
Akemi desperately wanted to say yes.
But the word wouldn't come out.
From childhood to now—twenty-five years old, twenty-five years—she really had never once been in a relationship.
Moroboshi Dai, right now, was her first love.
"But he has!"
"Maybe he still does, even now."
Makoto said, deliberately vague.
He'd made his point, without quite spelling it out.
"You think I'll fall for that so easily?"
Akemi frowned and scooted away from him angrily.
She wanted to put some distance between herself and this guy.
"How much do you actually know about him?"
"Besides his codename, Rye. Besides the name Moroboshi Dai."
Makoto asked again.
And once again, she fell silent.
She didn't know anything!
His family situation. His past relationships.
What he liked. What he hated.
His hobbies. His areas of expertise.
Akemi racked her brain, trying hard to recall—but nothing came.
It was only then that she realized she knew absolutely nothing about Moroboshi Dai.
And they were supposed to be lovers!
"Dai-kun?"
"Moroboshi Dai?"
"Maybe even that name is fake. Maybe it's all just a lie to you."
Makoto smiled faintly and climbed back into the driver's seat.
The Porsche Cayenne started up once more.
Its snow-white body sliced through the night like a blade.
That night, she didn't say another word—silent the whole way home!
…
…
Higashino Makoto — Protagonist. Transmigrated.
Miyano Akemi — Miyano Shiho's older sister. Series: Detective Conan.
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I apologize for making you guys wait. I have a situation to deal with.
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