Chapter 11: Yet Fail To Grasp It
Having received permission from Hirota Masami to visit his house to collect the disk containing the data for Aptx-4869, the three set off in Agasa's yellow beetle.
"So, Ai-kun…" the professor began, asking her details about herself once they were in the car. Since she was going to be under his care, he wanted to learn more about the young girl. The only other "child" he had looked after was Shinichi, but that boy was as independent as they came. This girl, on the other hand, seemed almost melancholic. He had heard part of her backstory from Shinichi, but he wanted to encourage her to speak more.
Shinichi had been surprisingly reticent during the car ride, allowing the professor and Ai to converse freely. He understood the importance of fostering a good relationship between the two, so he stayed quiet. But he did listen as she talked more about herself.
"So, their parents really were dead all along," Shinichi mused quietly to himself as he listened to her opening up about that part of her life.
As they progressed on their journey, Prof. Agasa didn't hesitate to share some details about himself as well. About his inventions, about his experiences. The revelation that he had also met her father in one of the conventions he'd been to in the past, shocked both Conan and Haibara. He informed her that her father was a well respected man. And a doting father, in fact.
...
"Onee-chan was right all along, wasn't she? Mom and dad really loved us."
Conan chose to disregard the soft murmur that came from the girl sitting next him, closing his eyes, and granting her a moment of peace at her realization. If he had kept his eyes open, he'd have seen the biggest grin on her tiny face.
The ride to the Shizuoka prefecture would take a couple of hours, but they would reach there by mid-afternoon and return back home by evening. That was the plan at least.
"Good evening! Sorry to bother you today." Agasa-Hakase greeted Hirota Masami's wife as she opened the door for them.
"Ah, hello!" She replied. "You must be Agasa-san! I heard about you from my husband. Please come on in." She ushered them inside and led them to his study.
As they made their way to the room, Agasa-Hakase inquired about the other guests. Their mission was to only retrieve the floppy disks, and they didn't want to disrupt any ongoing activities by their arrival.
"Yes, a few of my husband's students dropped by today, one after another. But now it should just be him in his study." They arrived at his door. She knocked to get his attention, but there was no response, not even after she called out to him.
"Dear?…Dear?"
Sensing something amiss, Conan quickly glanced through a window to assess the situation. What he saw was a room in disarray, with Hirota lying on the floor buried under a fallen bookshelf.
Without hesitation, Conan told Prof. Agasa to help him knock the door down, much to the shock of the woman behind him, but he was desperately hoping to find the man still alive. However, his efforts were in vain.
"I believe the cause of death is this ornament." Officer Yokomizo stated firmly, his gaze fixated on the innocuous yet deadly object that had led to this tragic accident.
"Hirota Masami must have tried to remove something from the top of the bookshelf and lost his balance, hitting his head on it," Officer Yokomizo explained what must have happened as he tried to resolve this case.
…
The Shizuoka Police had swiftly arrived at the scene of the incident, their initial observations leading them to believe it was a tragic accident. However, as was often the case, Conan had delved deeper into the details, determined to unravel the truth hidden within this seemingly straightforward scenario.
Conan leaned closer towards Agasa-Hakase, his voice hushed as he quietly shared his own findings about the room. The professor, in turn, relayed that information to Officer Yokomizo, who listened attentively to the old scientist, who was held in high regard for his newfound fame as a detective, famous for his insights.
"If the phone was knocked down from the table, why is the receiver still intact underneath?" Agasa-Hakase noted, his brow furrowed in contemplation. "Moreover, why was there a book camouflaged on top of it?"
"Are you certain, it couldn't just be a coincidence? After all, the room was locked, and the key to the door was found inside the room." Yokomizo countered with his own perspective. The chances of this being a murder was slim, because otherwise, it might turn into a locked room murder mystery.
"It's not here." A new voice interjected, drawing the attention of the three people currently investigating the case.
Haibara had immersed herself in examining Prof. Hirota's computer.
"The floppy disks." She pointed out, highlighting the crucial absence of a part of the puzzle, bringing to light their own reason for visiting the house.
This ended up further complicating the case for the police who couldn't help but wonder who she was.
"Furthermore, the data inside this computer has also been wiped off." She continued her assessment, before she was picked up by the inventor, suspending her examination midway.
"Um, and who's this girl?" Officer Yokomizo turned his inquisitive gaze toward the duo, unsure about what the girl snooping through the computer's deal was. Agasa-Hakase, not missing a beat, casually excused her presence as that of another relative's child.
But this, along with Conan/Agasa-Hakase's initial observation made it clear that this was more likely to be a murder. Now their focus was on finding out who else had visited Prof. Hirota, and destroyed the evidence from his computer.
As Haibara observed his deductions, she couldn't help but feel a sense of shock and admiration wash over her. Kudo Shinichi was truly as brilliant as the newspapers had proclaimed, if not even better. Even she, with her own considerable intellect, had not been able to decipher the intricate trick the murderer had employed. Yet, in such a short span of time, he had unraveled the mystery with ease.
A glimmer of hope ignited within her. Maybe, just maybe, he possessed the potential to unveil all of the Organization's dark secrets and expose their extensive web of crimes to the world.
However, as her gaze shifted away from him, it fell upon a stack of newspapers resting on the professor's desk. It wasn't every day that someone with the same name as your own had committed a significant crime. The professor had kept those on his desk as an odd yet sentimental reminder of the curious twist of fate. Perhaps he found it amusing or even thought of it as a quirky coincidence, his way of acknowledging the unusual connection between his name and that of a criminal.
Nonetheless, the lure of curiosity drew her in, compelling her to pick up the papers.
In an instant, her burgeoning hope shattered like fragile glass, replaced by an overwhelming wave of despair as she read the article detailing the infamous 10 billion yen robbery case. Apart from the familiar name involved, there was a striking picture of the boy now standing right in front of her.
She could only wait until he was done to inquire that of him.
…
"And that's how he did it" Conan used the bowtie to mimic the professor's voice. The officers apprehended the culprit and approached their vehicle with him. The only people left behind who could hear her were Conan and the Professor.
Her voice trembled as she finally managed to speak, tears welling up in her eyes. "Why?" She stammered, her emotions breaking through the dam that had held them back for so long; for far too long.
"Why...did you not help my sister?"
He was rendered utterly speechless by her little accusation.
"With your skills!" She exclaimed, her voice trembling with a mix of anguish and frustration.
"Someone with your level of skills should have easily seen through her plan! And yet, why couldn't you…" Overwhelmed by the intensity of her emotions, her legs gave way beneath her, and she collapsed to the ground.
"…Why didn't you save her?" She clutched at his shirt, her tears soaking through its fabric as she sought it as a source of support.
Conan stood there, the weight of her words sinking in. Memories of a past case, resurfaced in his mind.
He contemplated for a moment, his brow furrowing in deep thought. "How can I very well confess the truth?" he pondered quietly. "That your sister is still alive."
The dilemma weighed heavily on his mind, as he recognized the immense risk involved in revealing such a secret.
It was already quite risky—in his mind.
Akemi Miyano, despite agreeing to enter the witness protection program, had made the daring choice to remain in Japan, determined to rescue her sister. The rules of the program were unequivocal—participants were strictly prohibited from disclosing their new identities or revealing their locations to anyone, even their closest kin. This ironclad secrecy was an essential safeguard to shield them from harm and to ensure the program's efficacy.
Of course, Conan knew where she was staying…Since he was the one who had asked the FBI for their assistance in orchestrating her disappearance after she barely survived facing Gin and Vodka right after he had allied himself with them.
And yet, here lay his conundrum, If both sisters were to cross paths in their current circumstances: Akemi would realize the truth about who Conan really was, and no doubt, so would the FBI.
Too many people knowing that Kudo Shinichi was alive was risky. To him, their finding out about this effect of the Aptx-4869 drug could also lead to unforeseeable consequences. No, he couldn't risk that.
And so he chose to remain silent. Letting her speak her mind freely. He owed her that much, at least.
The two of them were silent the entire ride back at his house. Prof. Agasa tried to make conversation, but neither of them could really speak.
By the time they had arrived, Yukiko had finished preparing Haibara's admission forms to Teitan Elementary. She'd be transferring next week—after her injuries had fully healed. Luckily, Yukiko had experienced how to do it with her own son's transfer, so it was a lot simpler the second time around.
But the opportunity to learn wasn't exactly at the top of the shrunken scientist's list of priorities.
"What?! Why do I need to attend school? It's not like I'm going to learn anything in elementary school!" Haibara protested, feeling even more frustrated with the young detective.
"I feel like I've heard this before." Yukiko said glancing at her son with a teasing face.
Conan just made a face that screamed shut it towards his mother, to which she playfully stuck her tongue out.
"And unlike you, Kudo-kun, I've already graduated from university!" Haibara shot back, still upset with him.
"I'm not going to let you stay at home with only the professor," Conan finally responded, though his voice was rather cold. "We still don't fully trust you, and having you be in my class lets me keep a close watch on you." The accusation in his tone was unmistakable. He still didn't trust her.
Haibara huffed angrily, visibly displeased with this arrangement. But knowing that he was right to have doubts about her, she couldn't really complain either. She sighed with defeat and retreated to her new room, gently closing the door behind her as she buried her face on her new pillows, to muffle her resurging tears.
As she observed this exchange, Yukiko couldn't simply let it slide. Concerned for both her son and the troubled girl, she approached Conan once Haibara was out of earshot. Her tone was gentle yet insistent as she inquired, "And? What's the real reason?"
If her son was being mean for no reason, she would certainly be having none of it. But she knew he wasn't this cruel. Whatever happened between the two children, she needed to find out, in order to not let any unnecessary conflicts persist between them.
Conan paused for a moment, sighing in response. He gazed upward in thought before explaining, "Now that she's free from their clutches, I want her to have the opportunity to make friends and find something else to fill her life with. I don't want her to live in constant fear of them. And if I'm right there next to her, I can keep her safe."
Of course, he couldn't say that to Haibara directly. She would never feel comfortable enough to join in if he encouraged her openly—especially not after what she felt about her sister's death. But if he forced her to participate instead, at least she could find something else to occupy her mind.
This heartfelt response revealed his genuine concern for Haibara's well-being.
...
"Awww!" His mother swooned, clasping her fingers together and bringing them closer to her mouth. Her eyes sparkled with maternal pride as she continued, "My son has grown up to be so caring and kind!" Unable to contain her delight, she leaned in to embrace him.
"Stop!" Conan protested with a hint of embarrassment as he found himself lifted off the ground in her warm and affectionate embrace.
"Stop it, I say!" He squirmed, trying to free himself from her grasp as she showered him with kisses.
"I thought you were really arrogant growing up." She pretended to wipe a tear from her eyes.
"Oi!" He shouted as he failed to release himself. This body really had its disadvantages at times. He'd need to have a talk about that antidote with the shrunken scientist soon.
"But I'm glad you've learned sympathy!" She added, before putting him back down.
He had a disgruntled look on his face after this skirmish.
"But you know, Shin-chan?" His mother said, her tone turning serious as she fixed her gaze upon him.
"You should be honest about your true intentions. It's fine to keep secrets sometimes, but deliberately lying to someone isn't good for anybody." His mother advised him with a knowing look. Her words carried a touch of parental wisdom, urging him to be open and sincere in his interactions. "Especially not someone you wish to be close with."
Conan merely shrugged in response. This had been the best method he could devise, and it appeared to have yielded the desired results.
As the clock turned to midnight, Conan stifled a yawn as he prepared to return home, mindful of the upcoming school day. Turning to his mother, he inquired, "Will you be staying home for the night or returning back to the hotel?"
Yukiko's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. "Hotel!" she exclaimed with a bright smile. "Sharon-chan must be worried about me by now!"
"Ah, right. That friend of yours," Conan mused. He had only met that actress once or twice when he'd gone to visit New York with his mother. "So, have you considered how you're going to fool her?"
Yukiko's confidence shone through as she replied, "Of course!" Despite retiring from her acting career, her talent remained intact.
She had used the excuse of visiting relatives to leave initially, but now she would return to her role as a grieving mother.
A/N:
Welp, a lot to unpack here. I've made a few rather glaring changes here as you might have noticed, so feel free to ask if you have any questions!