"Tsuneo-kun, what's with this kid?"
Dr. Agasa opened the door to find Tsuneo, clad in black, holding a little girl, and froze.
Where'd you go tonight—raiding some shady organization to rescue kids?
"This kid…" Tsuneo started to explain.
"Shi… Shiho?!" Akemi, standing behind Dr. Agasa, stared at the small figure in Tsuneo's arms.
"Probably her sister," Tsuneo continued.
"Sister?"
Dr. Agasa gaped at Akemi, then, after a beat, turned to Tsuneo in shock.
"No way!"
Did this girl, like Shinichi, take that drug that shrinks people into kids?
But wasn't she part of the Black Organization? How'd she end up like this?
"Mr. Tsuneo, is this really Shiho?" Akemi asked, taking the girl—who looked exactly like her sister from childhood—from Tsuneo's arms, disbelief in her voice.
"Let's wait till she wakes up," Tsuneo said.
He went home, showered, changed into fresh athletic clothes, and returned to Dr. Agasa's house, ready to watch the drama unfold.
…
"I already killed that stupid woman!"
"The body?"
"Heh, probably fish food in the ocean by now."
"Vodka, lock her in the gas chamber. Let her cool off."
…
In her dreams, a silver-haired demon in black, face cold as ice, sneered.
His bloodless blade carved into the girl's heart, slice by slice.
"No…"
"No!"
With a cry, the girl jolted awake from the nightmare, sitting up.
"You're up?" Tsuneo set down a boring magazine, turning with a smile.
"Shiho Miyano!"
Took her long enough—over an hour of sleep.
"Who are you?!" Shiho said, sweat beading on her forehead, heart racing.
How could anyone recognize her in this form?
Was he an ally of that black-clad man she saw before passing out?
Wait—her clothes!!!
She realized she was naked under the blankets.
Organization goon?
Or a creep?
"What's your deal?" Tsuneo asked, puzzled by her pale face and the way she clutched the blanket, shrinking toward the wall.
Was something wrong with his foolproof client-charming smile?
Dr. Agasa and Akemi had just driven off to buy her clothes, leaving him alone. What was he supposed to say?
In the room, the two—one big, one small—stared at each other in silence.
"I know your sister," Tsuneo said, breaking the tension.
"Sister…" Shiho's eyes flickered, dazed.
"She's dead…" she said softly, clutching the white blanket tightly.
"Who told you that?" Tsuneo took a bite of a sandwich, turning with a puzzled look.
"Who are you?" Shiho asked, sidestepping his question, probing his identity.
Tsuneo pulled a business card from his pocket and flicked it onto the bed. "Your sister's my client."
"Re… repairman?"
Shiho stared at the card—name and number on the front, a dense list of services on the back, from appliances to cars to houses.
"What did my sister hire you to fix?" she asked, looking at Tsuneo.
She didn't know how he recognized her or what tied him to the cold-voiced man in black from the rain, but screaming wouldn't help now.
"Gin."
"You're familiar with that name, right?"
Tsuneo sipped his coffee, smiling.
"???"
Shiho frowned, her small face full of confusion.
Fix… Gin?
"The mission wasn't exactly a success. Vodka got the worse end of it, though," Tsuneo said with a sigh.
His plan was to derail their ten-billion-yen deal, save Akemi, and test Gin's skills.
But things went sideways. Who could've predicted Gin would turn into a dual-wielding granny with a pile of ammo?
In the end, it took Public Security's Amuro and the dog-brained detective to save the day.
"Oh, right, this is for you. I tried one," Tsuneo said, passing her a plate with a sandwich.
"Peanut butter and blueberry jam—what a weird combo."
The repairman shook his head, grabbed his coffee, and left to get the kid some milk.
A few minutes later.
Tsuneo returned with the milk to find Shiho had finished the sandwich, staring at him intently, her gaze heavy with scrutiny.
"Why do you make sandwiches like this?"
"Huh?"
Tsuneo tilted his head. Me, make a meatless sandwich like that?
You'd better apologize to this carnivore quick!
Suddenly, a woman's voice came from downstairs.
"Mr. Tsuneo, is Shiho awake?"
"It's late, so we only got some pajamas."
As the familiar voice grew closer, Shiho's eyes widened, locking onto the woman at the door.
"Sis… ter?"
Despite the changed hair, makeup, and look, that smile and voice!
"Shiho." Akemi, holding cartoon-patterned pajamas, tears in her eyes, gave a warm smile.
"You two talk," Tsuneo said with a grin, setting the milk on the table, leaving the room, and closing the door. He plopped onto the couch downstairs.
"How's it going?" Dr. Agasa asked, mimicking Akemi by making peanut butter and blueberry jam sandwiches, munching happily.
"Sisters reunited. Let them chat," Tsuneo said, eyeing the doctor's belly with a wry look. Those sweets were best eaten sparingly.
"I remember Akemi saying her sister worked on drug research for the Organization. Should we tell Shinichi?" Dr. Agasa glanced upstairs.
"No rush," Tsuneo said.
Twenty minutes later.
Akemi led a small girl in pink cartoon pajamas out of the room.
"Pfft, haha!" Tsuneo lost it when he saw the bunny ears on her hat wiggle.
Shiho, face flushed, turned away, glaring at her sister, who was tugging the hat's strings to make the ears flop.
I may look seven or eight, but I'm eighteen!
"Not bad, right? I picked those bunny pajamas!" Dr. Agasa said, smacking Tsuneo to stop his laughter, nodding in satisfaction.
"Yeah, Shiho looks adorable," Akemi said, smiling.
No matter what, her sister escaping the Organization alive was a miracle.
Sure, she was smaller now, but… cute!
"Speaking of which, we should give her a new name!" Dr. Agasa said, stroking his chin, deep in thought.
As the mood warmed, the small figure suddenly looked up, her expression serious, staring at Dr. Agasa.
"I'm not like my sister. I'm a codenamed member of the Organization."
"My existence puts everyone around me in danger."
"No matter how well I hide, the crows will find me, drag me into the abyss, and leave nothing behind."
(End of Chapter)
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