Leaning against the counter with her chin propped on one hand, Touka Kirishima watched the two people with vastly disproportionate hand sizes shaking hands and raised an eyebrow:
"Hold on a second."
"Let's not even mention the whole rejuvenation drug or resurrection thing."
"From the looks of it, are you trying to abduct the child from my household?"
Hearing this, Luo Shu released his grip and turned towards Touka Kirishima:
"You've been standing there listening for so long, you should have figured it out by now, right?"
As he spoke, Luo Shu pointed at Ai Haibara beside him and said with a smile:
"This child's real age might actually be older than yours!"
"So rather than abduction, it's more accurate to call this a collaboration between adults."
"I get what you mean - a child who took the rejuvenation drug."
Touka Kirishima's expression remained completely unfazed, even somewhat nonchalant:
"But what does that have to do with her currently being a love-starved little kid?"
As she spoke, Touka picked up the coffee in front of her and said calmly:
"This child is registered under the shop owner's name after all. I can't just let you take her away."
"Why don't you go along too, then, Touka?"
Accompanied by a kindly elderly voice, Yoshimura emerged from the kitchen carrying a cup of warm milk, chuckling:
"I would indeed be very worried if little Ai went alone, but if you accompanied her, there wouldn't be any major issues."
Watching Yoshimura place the warm milk before Ai Haibara, Touka responded with some dissatisfaction:
"Why should I go?"
"Because Touka is a good kid." Yoshimura chuckled, like an elderly man watching a child throw a tantrum.
"Tch." Touka clicked her tongue, regretting having spoken up earlier.
She shouldn't have said anything - she was dead tired as it was.
"Having Touka come along would work." Luo Shu looked up slightly towards Yoshimura: "By the way, shop owner, there's something I need to tell you."
"Hmm?" Yoshimura looked puzzled.
At this, Luo Shu smiled and said, "Touka has agreed to report to the Hidden Management Department the day after tomorrow. I expect she'll be taking on an additional job alongside her café work. I'll probably have her serve as my liaison with you from now on."
"Is that so?" Yoshimura nodded in understanding before smiling at Touka: "Don't overwork yourself!"
"Nagging. I just want to earn some extra money." Touka lifted her coffee cup.
Luo Shu glanced at Touka Kirishima, who was saying one thing but meaning another, chuckled, then turned to look at Ai Haibara beside him, who was sipping milk while flipping through photos:
"Alright, Miyano... no, let's stick with Ai Haibara."
"So, little Ai Haibara, any thoughts on what comes next?"
Hearing this, Ai Haibara shifted her gaze, her eyes like deep pools as she stared at Luo Shu:
"What are the conditions for reviving my sister?"
"Just sign a contract selling yourself into servitude." Luo Shu joked.
Ai Haibara's reaction was eerily calm, though with a hint of suppressed emotion:
"I'll sign. But I need to see my sister alive first."
"And it has to be done as quickly as possible."
At this, Luo Shu pulled out his phone, checked the time—11:06—and immediately said:
"If you don't mind pulling an all-nighter, I can take you to the Hidden Management Department garrison right now to begin the revival process."
"Fine!"
Ai Haibara agreed instantly, but then seemed to realise something and glanced at Touka Kirishima.
The already exhausted Touka sighed deeply, downed the rest of her coffee:
"I knew it would come to this."
Placing the empty cup in the sink, she looked up and said:
"Manager, I'll probably be staying out tonight."
Yoshimura, accustomed to such situations, walked over to the sink. Before starting cleanup, he smiled and said:
"Remember to check in before you sleep."
"Got it."
Touka muttered, then shot Luo Shu a look:
"Why are you still staring?"
"Let's go!"
"Someone's impatient."
Luo Shu took out his wallet, placed 10,000 yen on the table for the coffee, then stood up from his chair.
...
Half an hour later.
After transiting through a residence in Nerima Ward, Luo Shu led Ai Haibara and Touka to the basement of Kamijo Hospital.
As they stepped through the portal into the silver-white underground lab, a drowsy Touka scanned the surroundings and couldn't help muttering:
"I knew we'd end up here."
"Which hospital is this?" Ai Haibara asked, puzzled by her first visit.
One moment, they'd been in a room at Sakura Apartments in Nerima; the next, after opening a door, they were in a clearly hospital-like facility. It left Ai Haibara's head spinning.
Touka replied nonchalantly:
"Kamijo Hospital in Kanda Nishikicho, Chiyoda Ward. Pretty easy to find."
Because of Ghoul body modifications, Touka was familiar with Kamijo Hospital's underground facilities and recognised them immediately after transit.
But for Ai Haibara, this spatial shift was shocking.
"...Before opening that door, we were in Nerima Ward, right?" Ai Haibara felt as if her brain were being violated.
Touka remained unfazed: "Spatial teleportation tech. Rare, but normal for this guy here."
"Normal...?" Ai Haibara's eye twitched before exclaiming: "This isn't normal at all!!"
"Don't sweat the details."
Luo Shu waved it off with a laugh as he led them forward, asking: "Speaking of which, before reviving Akemi Miyano, there are some things I need to discuss with you, Ai."
"Calling me so casually already? You're really presumptuous..."
Ai Haibara muttered under her breath before coldly asking:
"So what exactly do you need to discuss with me?"
"It's regarding the method of your sister's revival."
Luo Shu waved to the waiting staff ahead before turning into a nearby laboratory.
Ai Haibara followed in small steps. Upon entering, she saw Akemi Miyano's corpse preserved in a cryogenic chamber-like device.
Staring at the lifeless yet perfectly preserved face, Ai Haibara said nothing, though her eyes began reddening:
"Is there any difficulty in reviving my sister?"
Noticing she was on the verge of tears, Luo Shu handed her a handkerchief while explaining:
"No difficulties, really. The issue is which revival method you'd prefer."
"Should she return as a spirit body, an undead, or an ordinary human?"
"Beyond these three, there are various implementation methods. Honestly, it's quite troublesome for indecisive people."
"..."
Ai Haibara fell into deep silence at this.
Even revival techniques came in such a wide variety.
Just what bizarre organisation was Luo Shu affiliated with?