"You have a plan for your future work, and now you also need to change your identity."
"No one knows you've shrunk, and they won't believe it. That's your biggest advantage. Even if the Organization finds out you're still alive, they won't think to look among children."
"I'll help you forge a fake identity. You'll live in my house as the daughter of a relative, my sister."
Toru spoke slowly. This was something he had planned long ago.
"Sister?"
Shiho frowned.
"Don't like that identity? You can also be my daughter. Though it would be strange for someone my age to have such a grown daughter, with my abilities, it wouldn't be difficult to legally arrange it."
Looking at Toru's teasing expression, as if he found the daughter option more amusing, Shiho shivered and quickly said, "Let's not go with daughter. I think sister is fine."
"Alright, then the last thing is, you need to change your name. You can choose one yourself."
"Do I need the Fujiwara surname?"
"No need. Relatives don't necessarily share the same surname."
"Is that so? Then I'll go with... Haibara Ai."
"Haibara Ai?"
Toru didn't expect the world line to converge in the end.
Haibara, who should now be called by her new name, said calmly, "Detective games are popular in Japan right now. I just had a sudden thought that this name sounded good."
"'Hai' as in gray, from Cordelia Gray. And 'Ai' comes from Irene Adler."
Toru naturally wouldn't reject such a familiar name. He smiled and said, "Excellent. From now on, I'll call you Haibara."
"I need to take a bath!" Haibara had endured for two days and finally couldn't hold it in anymore.
She had been bedridden for two days. With all the sweating from the fever, she felt unbearably sticky. Especially after walking barefoot in oversized clothes through the heavy rain, her body was still covered in mud that hadn't been washed off.
Now, her fair skin looked like she had just returned from working in a coal mine. For a girl who valued cleanliness, she had reached her limit.
"Although I still don't recommend a full bath right now, a quick warm shower should be fine."
Toru sat in his chair and spoke leisurely.
After a moment of silence, Haibara said, "Besides your clothes, do you have any for children? You're not expecting me to keep wearing these oversized clothes or walk around naked in your house, are you?"
By the end, her tone was laced with sarcasm.
Toru stood up and pulled out a set of brand-new children's clothes wrapped in plastic from the wardrobe nearby.
"These were prepared for you in advance."
Looking at the cute bear-printed children's clothes, Haibara felt a wave of helplessness.
Forget it. In her current form, sexy or stylish clothes weren't appropriate. Besides, there was nothing wrong with a little bear.
She got out of bed, curled her legs up while covering her chest, took the clothes from Toru with a blank expression, and walked toward the washroom.
Soon, the sound of running water echoed from inside.
After two days without a shower, the sticky sweat and grime slid off her smooth skin. Seeing the darkened water swirling down the drain, Haibara finally felt a bit of comfort in her otherwise gloomy mood.
Bathing truly was something that made people feel human again.
But very quickly, she called out in embarrassment, "Can you please come here for a second?"
"What is it?"
Toru, who had been playing on his phone outside the washroom, heard her and put it away, walking over.
Mist filled the washroom. Amid the steam, Haibara's fair skin carried a faint blush. She leaned against the corner, covering her chest, her cheeks flushed—whether from the heat or embarrassment—as she said:
"Help me grab the shampoo and body wash. I can't reach them."
The shelf was about 1.7 meters high.
It had been installed based on Toru's height, very convenient for him. But for Haibara's current body, it was out of reach.
Toru smiled, handed her the bottles, and didn't tease her this time. After doing so, he quietly stepped out again.
Seeing this, Haibara let out a small sigh of relief.
She wasn't used to being alone with a man in a private room, especially when she was completely vulnerable like this.
Back in the living room, Toru took out his phone again, opened Line, and saw a message from Haruno.
[Haruno: You haven't come to Karate Club lately, and you haven't replied to my messages either. I went to your class to ask, and you haven't been at school. Did something happen?]
The first time Toru missed club, Haruno didn't message him, avoiding the impression of being too nosy. But after he missed a second time, she had a reason to reach out.
At that time, Toru had been busy with a helicopter shootout in Tokyo and had naturally missed the message.
Haruno had found it odd, so she went to ask around at his class. After learning he hadn't been to school for several days, she started to worry.
[Toru: Sorry, senpai. My sister's been sick the past few days. I've been taking care of her and didn't check my phone.]
[Haruno: Sister?]
Haruno didn't quite believe it. No matter how busy someone was, they would check their phone at least once. But she was also puzzled—her uncle didn't have children. Could this sister be from one of the other Fujiwara family branches?
She was familiar with the general structure of the Fujiwara household.
[Toru: A sister from America. She just entered elementary school and ran off to Japan. As soon as she arrived, she got sick. I've been so worried.]
In Japan, Toru's public info was easy to find, but his background in America was full of false records and impossible to verify.
So by linking Haibara to America, even if someone wanted to investigate, it would be extremely difficult to find anything.
[Haruno: I see. How is your sister now? Is she alright?]
[Toru: Thank you for your concern, senpai. Her fever has subsided. I should be back to class tomorrow. Is there a club activity scheduled?]
[Haruno: That's good. I'll send the club schedule to your phone. Just follow that. Next time, let me know beforehand so I won't worry.]
Toru looked at the message and smiled.
This woman really knew how to talk. In just a few messages, she portrayed herself as someone close to him and concerned for his well-being.
[Toru: Got it. I'll let you know in advance next time, senpai.]
...
At Tokyo University, Haruno looked at the reply on her phone during a break between classes. Although Toru's response was polite and flawless, she felt he was just brushing her off.
This man was more troublesome than she expected.
When Toru first tried to get her Line ID, she thought she could handle him easily. But now, his hot-and-cold attitude felt more like he was playing hard to get.
"Interesting."
Haruno smiled brightly. The more interesting someone was, the more attention she gave. If he were boring, she wouldn't even bother.
...
"Texting a girl?"
At home, Haibara, who had just finished her bath, was drying her hair with a towel as she walked out barefoot.
Water droplets clung to her hair and skin. Her fair calves were visible below the hem of her skirt, and her jade-like feet padded softly across the floor.
While drying her hair, she glanced sideways at Toru. "At your age, hormones should be in overdrive. You're probably highly interested in women."
"But don't let that interest cloud your judgment. That's just your endocrine system reacting."
"I'm staying with you now. If anything happens to you, I'll be in danger too."
Toru raised a hand. "Alright, alright. I don't need a chemistry lecture. Let's talk about your plans, Haibara."
Haibara touched her tea-colored hair. "Should I dye my hair?"
"Up to you. If dyeing it makes you feel safer, go for it."
"Forget it. We can talk about that later. As for my plans, what else can I do? I'll continue with drug research."
"You brought the real APTX4869, along with complete data. Even without lab equipment, there's still plenty to work on."
Toru smiled. "I thought you might want to go to school."
"School?"
"...Even if I skipped grades and went straight to middle school, high school, or university, it would attract attention."
"As for elementary school, I'm not interested. That would be a waste of time. I'd rather do research here with you."
She paused, then cautiously asked, "...Do you live in the dorms?"
Toru could sense her anxiety. He didn't point it out and simply said, "This place is close to Tokyo University's campus. I always come back to live here."
Haibara let out a quiet sigh of relief.
If Toru lived in the dorms, she'd be left alone in this big Western-style house. Given her current anxiety, being alone would only make her more afraid.
She was scared the men in black would suddenly appear outside.
But Toru had already shown what he could do back in the Tokyo suburbs. Even Gin had to flee after being beaten.
Plus, as a top CIA agent, being by Toru's side gave her a sense of security.
"But I also need your help."
"What kind of help?"
"Kudo Shinichi, now going by Edogawa Conan, is the only other person I know who shrank after taking the drug."
"Besides me, he's the only test subject I can observe. I need his blood."
Haibara spoke like a researcher.
Toru nodded. "Easy. Just knock him out and draw some blood. If you need a long-term blood bag, we can just keep him here."
"I've got a CIA-run construction crew digging out a basement. It'll be done in half a month. We can lock Kudo up there for your experiments."
Haibara's mouth twitched. "No need to go that far. If anything happens to him, it'll be a problem. He's still useful."
"Useful how?"
Haibara snorted lightly, looking at Toru like he was an idiot. "Are you dumb? Drug testing needs lab rats."
"If I develop an antidote and need human testing, would I take it myself? Of course not. I'd let Kudo test it first."
Toru applauded. "As expected of Sherry."
It had to be said, Haibara had been in the Organization for years. She wasn't a saint. She had her ruthless side and a fearful one.
If she truly mourned everyone who died because of her, she would've taken her own life already. But she didn't. She kept researching.
The Organization's biggest mistake was going after her sister. That was what broke her.
Without that, she probably would've just kept going with the flow. She wasn't that brave. You could tell from how she acted when Gin threatened her.
"I don't like being called Sherry," Haibara said, pressing her lips together.
"I'll have the housekeeper come clean your room later."
Toru ignored her complaint and glanced at the filthy bed. Covered in dirt and mud, it definitely wasn't fit to sleep in.
"No need. Do you have a spare duvet cover? I'll do it myself."
Toru looked at her. In her beautiful blue eyes, he caught a flash of fear.
After a moment's thought, he understood. Haibara didn't want to see outsiders. It reminded her too much of the Organization.
For now, she didn't want any contact with the outside world.
"There are extras in the closet. You can clean it yourself."
Haibara let out a breath and finally relaxed.
...
The next day, Tokyo University.
"Fujiwara, the teacher said you had stuff going on at home and haven't been to class lately. Is everything okay?"
During the break after a large lecture, a few classmates who were on good terms with Toru came over, asking with concern.
Toru had always been good at maintaining social relationships. Even though he didn't live on campus, he made sure not to isolate himself.
"It's nothing serious. My sister from America just arrived in Japan. She got sick from the sudden change in environment, had a high fever. I didn't trust anyone else to care for her, so I stayed home."
He smiled as he spoke.
"Sister? Fujiwara, is she cute? Introduce us!"
A few male classmates perked up.
Toru's so good-looking, his sister must be adorable.
"My sister is in first grade. Should I still introduce her?"
"First grade? Never mind, then."
"What? First grade? That's even better! Introduce me!"
"Damn, we've got a pervert here! Someone call the cops!"
Everyone burst into laughter.
University, even though close to the real world, was still the last ivory tower.
After classes ended, Toru finally made his way to the Karate Club practice he had skipped several times. He also planned to meet Haruno.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)