"Are You Kidding Me!?"
2-22, Beika-cho — Agasa's Residence
"How can I understand you—a person who invented a deadly poison?!"
Conan's voice rose sharply.
Standing in the entryway, his eyes burned with fury as he glared at the cool, expressionless girl before him—Haibara Ai.
She had just finished narrating her past as if it were a detached tale, calmly saying, "Since you and I are in the same situation, perhaps you can understand what I went through."
But her composure only inflamed him further.
"Have you really thought it through? Do you know how many people have suffered because of the drug you invented?!"
His words struck her like a slap.
Haibara's calm mask cracked slightly, her expression wavering.
It was then that she truly realized that sharing the same fate did not mean sharing the same guilt. What Kudo Shinichi said was right.
As a developer of APTX4869, she was complicit—a collaborator of the Black Organization, her hands metaphorically stained with the blood of strangers.
Ran had once told her they might understand each other. She had believed it.
But that had been arrogant—naive.
Her gaze fell, dark and remorseful.
Seeing the tension, Dr. Agasa stepped forward to defuse the situation.
"Okay, okay, Shinichi. She was forced to research that drug… Besides, she's left the Organization now. And think about it—if she's the one who created it, isn't she also the most likely to develop an antidote?"
"That kind of thing—!"
Haibara began to respond, but just then—
The sudden sound broke the charged silence, cooling Conan's rage in an instant. He looked at the door, nerves flaring: Could someone from the Organization have come for them?
He didn't have time to stop the unsuspecting Professor Agasa, who went to answer it.
"Mr. Hayashi?" Dr. Agasa blinked in surprise. "Why are you here so late?"
"Sorry for the hour, Professor," said Hayashi Yoshiki, flashing a courteous smile. "Work kept me late at the office, but I still wanted to check in."
"You really go the extra mile!"
"Would it be alright if I spoke to her?"
Agasa stepped aside and looked back.
"Ai, Mr. Hayashi is here to see you."
Haibara rose quietly from the sofa and approached.
Yoshiki's gaze passed over Conan, who stood in stunned silence.
"Oh? Conan's here too?" he said, feigning mild surprise.
"Ah! I came to play the newest game with the professor, Yoshiki-nii!"
Haibara almost laughed.
Just moments ago, Conan had been exploding with righteous fury—and now he looked like the picture of innocence, pretending to be just a cheerful child.
Even she had to admire his ability to shift gears.
As Hayashi Yoshiki chatted amiably with Haibara by the door, Conan pulled Dr. Agasa aside.
"Hmm? Didn't Ai tell you?" Agasa blinked. "When she escaped the Organization, she had a high fever. Mr. Hayashi found her and brought her to me—using the excuse that she was my relative."
"Then… your reaction must've been really surprising, right?"
"Oh yes," Agasa said, rubbing his head sheepishly.
His eyes fixed on Hayashi, who now gently ruffled Haibara's hair as he spoke to her.
A troubling thought crept into his mind.
Hadn't Hattori warned me that Hayashi Yoshiki might have figured out who I really am…?
And then there was Dr. Agasa—hardly someone good at hiding emotion. If a random kid suddenly claimed to be his relative, wouldn't his face give it away immediately?
Wouldn't Hayashi Yoshiki have noticed?
But if so… why did he never question it?
And that suit... that cold, dark suit.
Conan's mind raced. Could it be… were Hayashi Yoshiki and Haibara Ai actually in league with the Organization?
He quickly shook the thought away.
No—Yoshiki-san is kind and gentle. He even risked his life to save me before.
Understanding and Reassurance
"Why aren't you smiling?" Hayashi Yoshiki asked softly. "If you keep a stern face, people will get suspicious."
He ruffled her hair gently.
Her hair was soft and well-kept—like a house cat's. She didn't resist his touch.
But something about her was tense, he could tell.
"Did someone upset you?"
"No," she replied flatly. (Do you really think I'm a child?)
"You don't have to say it. I can guess—it was something Edogawa Conan said, wasn't it?"
His tone remained warm, and kind.
"Don't take it to heart. You didn't mean to harm anyone. Just like a bullet's evil isn't born from the factory that forged it."
It was the first time she'd ever seen him smile this way.
His refined face looked… almost luminous. His dark eyes held warmth. His lips curved gently, with a sincere, thoughtful light.
Is this… an act? she wondered.
But no—it didn't feel like that.
The warmth from his hand, still resting on her head, was real.
"I heard there was a disk containing drug data that was accidentally sent to your sister's university professor, right?"
"...How do you know that?"
"We'll talk to Conan about it tomorrow night. Not today."
Hayashi looked over to Conan and Agasa with a pleasant expression.
"Has this girl always been , Professor?"
"Ah, ah! Yes, yes… Ai isn't the type to be outwardly affectionate, hahaha."
"As long as she's doing alright, that's all that matters." He turned to Agasa again. "By the way, Professor, can I ask you something?"
"Is there a kind of coating or chemical that could make paper more fire-resistant—without interfering with how it's normally used?"
"Hmm… a flame-retardant for paper?"
Agasa frowned, rubbing his chin.
"That's a tough one. I'd need time to think it through."
"That's fine. Let me know when you have something."
Hayashi smiled again.
Using invisible ink on the Death Note was incredibly effective.
But there was one issue: the paper itself wasn't fireproof. It could burn too easily.
That's why Hayashi Yoshiki always carefully hovered it above the flame, using heat to reveal hidden writing instead of risking direct contact.
But that wasn't enough.
He needed to improve his methods—refine the craft.
Because the stakes were only going to get higher.