"What? The councilman from Nishitama City was killed?!"
The day after returning from the Twin Towers, Hayashi Yoshiki received a call from Inspector Megure Jūzō.
Councilman Ōki Iwamatsu held more local power than even the mayor. The Tokiwa Group's twin-tower skyscraper project had originally been rejected due to local regulations, but Ōki had personally pushed through a legal change to approve the construction.
And now, that same councilman had turned up dead—found last night in a suite inside the towers he approved.
"I'm sorry, Inspector Megure. I've got something going on today and won't be able to come to the station," Yoshiki replied apologetically.
"Maybe you could email me the details the department has gathered? I'll take a look when I get a chance…But if Uncle Mōri-san is on the case, you probably won't need me anyway."
Although Megure sounded a bit disappointed, he still accepted Yoshiki's excuse.
Hayashi hung up the phone.
"You just lied to the police like that."came a voice beside him.
"That's not true. I said I have something to do today. And I do."he replied smoothly.
"…If going out to watch a movie counts as something."Haibara Ai muttered.
"Of course it does. I don't break promises to girls."
Yoshiki's tone was light and teasing, his smile as easy as ever.
Haibara Ai turned to look at him—her expression unreadable.He seemed perfectly content, even casual. And that bothered her a little.
As if sensing what she was thinking, Yoshiki spoke again:
"To be honest, this case doesn't interest me that much.The man who died—a councilman who rewrote city laws for his own benefit—maybe his death was a blessing for the public. Besides, isn't Kudō Shinichi involved?"
Haibara Ai blinked, a little surprised.
So he applauds the death of corrupt politicians...Cointreau's values seemed unusually simple for someone so tangled in the underworld.
It reminded her of the female criminal Yoshiki had once used to fake her death—a woman who had murdered a notorious trafficker.
He had used her and discarded her.It was a crime—no question. But…
Haibara Ai didn't find it disgusting.
Once you leave the Black Organization, no matter how clean you try to be, you've already got blood on your hands.
Even Haibara, who spent her time behind a microscope, had contributed to the deaths of many—at least a dozen victims by her drug designs alone.
Still, when she looked at Hayashi Yoshiki, a strange feeling stirred.
Can someone like him—who holds such straightforward ideas of right and wrong—survive long in the Organization?Will he be able to carry the weight...?
Her thoughts drifted back to her own sins…To the faces of test subjects screaming in agony…She felt the familiar tightness in her throat.
"...Why the sudden pale face?"Yoshiki asked, eyeing her gently.
"It's nothing..."she shook her head.
Then, with quiet seriousness in her tone, she said:
"If something ever happens… please talk to me about it."
Yoshiki glanced at her.
"Hmm... If that's the case, there is something."
"Yesterday, when you saw Ayumi and the others walk up—what did you call me?"He smiled as he said it.
Haibara Ai immediately fell silent.
She turned her gaze away from him—right as the theater lights dimmed and the film began to roll.
Yoshiki turned his eyes to the screen too.
He had brought her here to avoid the murder case Megure had mentioned.It didn't interest him right now.
He already knew the killer: Kisaragi Minemizu, once a celebrated painter and teacher to both Tokiwa Mio and Hara Yoshiaki.
Minemizu loved painting Mount Fuji—his life's passion. But as he aged and became too frail to climb the mountain, he built a small cabin for painting.
Then, Mio and Hara—his students—bribed Councilman Ōki and erected the Twin Towers right in front of his view.
Blinded by rage and betrayal, Minemizu planned to kill all three.
Hayashi Yoshiki's goal had been to let Minemizu kill Tokiwa Mio during the tower's grand opening—then stop the old man before more damage could be done.
A life saved during a crisis earns deeper gratitude.
Besides, the project Noah's Ark—likely tied to Tokiwa Group—was far more important.
If it really was an artificial intelligence system, it might prove more useful to him than even Koizumi Akako's magic.
The morning cinema was mostly empty.Hayashi Yoshiki and Haibara Ai had chosen a feature film—partly because she was curious, and partly because Yoshiki wanted to assess the director.
This same director was in talks to adapt the Kindaichi series into film—something Yoshiki wanted to observe firsthand.
He watched attentively.
But Haibara's mind wandered.
It's just a name... why does he care so much?
She glanced sideways at him.
Even in the dark, she could make out his focused profile, his expression completely immersed in the film.
Should I say it again...?
She didn't have any hidden feelings.She just felt… concerned.
He always carried so much on his shoulders—always calm, never tired, never asking for help.
She opened her mouth—then hesitated.
This is embarrassing.
Had her body returned to its original adult state, maybe she wouldn't have hesitated. After all, Yoshiki was several years older than her.
But now? With this child's body and voice?
Saying something like that would sound... coquettish.Too childish. And that was hard for someone like her, with such a cold personality.
How does Kudō say things like "Ahhh~" without shame?Seriously...
And finally, she whispered:
"Yo—Yoshiki... nii..."
She didn't even know how she managed to say it. Her voice was stiff, her expression frozen.
But... Yoshiki didn't react.
He kept watching the movie, eyes locked on the screen.
Did he not hear me?Was the film's volume too loud...?
She gritted her teeth.
Two minutes later, she gathered her courage again and softly said:
This time, he turned toward her.
"You called me twice. Is something wrong?"