Chapter 10 - Move Towards Hope?
Feeling the bright light on his face Conan roused from his nap, his eyes flickering open before the shrunken scientist in the sofa beside him. The morning light seeped gently through the curtains, casting a warm glow over the room. A sigh of relief escaped him as he remembered it was Sunday, granting him respite from the rigor that was elementary school.
Considering her injuries, he decided that today would be a day spent indoors. He informed the trio of kids that he wouldn't be able to join them in their adventures, to their disappointment. Luckily, the professor's absence was a convenient excuse. With that settled, he turned his attention to the matter at hand—what to do with the girl next to him? He was certain by now that she wasn't sent here on a mission to eliminate him. After all, she had plenty of opportunity late at night, when he had seemingly let his guard down. Accepting that she had truly turned against his enemies gave him a huge sense of relief. He had another powerful ally on his side now! Going back to his previous question he recalled his mother will be dropping in soon.
His mother was currently in Japan. Apparently, his mother's friend had wanted to visit the place as she hadn't been here in a long while. And having heard of Yukiko's son's disappearance, wanted to aid in the search as well, through her own contacts...
He had left a message to his mother, instructing her to drop by, at the house with some clothes for the shrunken scientist late at night while the latter was busy bathing. The prospect of Yukiko Kudo's imminent arrival loomed over him.
He decided to freshen up in the washroom.
By the time he returned to the living room, he found Shiho already awake and sitting on the sofa, looking uncertain about what to do next. It was evident that he had caught her in an awkward position, she was torn between feeling like a prisoner and a guest in his home. Well, he had been interrogating her. Trying to ease the tension, he asked.
"And...how are you feeling now, Miho-neesan?" The concern was evident in his voice.
"Could you stop calling me that? I know you're aware its not my real name." She responded, slightly miffed at what he had called her.
"But to answer your question, I'm feeling much better. Looks like I can walk by myself now." She said as she gracefully rose from the sofa and pranced towards him, her movements reflecting her newfound independence. She was happy she didn't require anyone's assistance to walk.
He nodded in acknowledgement. It was a relief to see her recovering swiftly.
"Right, I had been wondering what you would prefer being called. Shiho, maybe? Or Sherry instead?"
"Sherry was the codename I was given by them. Since I no longer wish to have any ties with them I'd rather you avoid using it." She said rather coldly, though it was geared towards the members of the organization rather than him, he figured.
"And Yashino Miho was just an alias. My birth name was Shiho Miyano." She continued.
"Shiho Miyano…Yashino Miho…even a child could see through that anagram!" His laughter spread throughout the entire room. In a playful tone, he couldn't resist adding, "You really should learn how to come up with better aliases."
...
True, she had been under immense pressure, tasked with crafting a fake name within mere seconds. In her defense, it had seemed like a reasonably suitable choice given the circumstances. Nevertheless, she saw the opportunity and seized it, responding with a mischievous glint in her eyes as well, "Oh? Then why don't you prepare one for me...?"
"...Though with your naming sense, I'd be better off just naming myself ~Edogawa Conan-kun~" Flashing a sly smile as she pronounced each character of his name with a flair.
"Ah, you said it now! I actually have a name that would fit perfectly well for someone like you: Haibara Ai (灰原愛)."
Her eyebrows shot up in genuine surprise. "Oh, that's surprisingly a reasonable name coming from you." She remarked, hearing the name he had come up with.
"Of course!" He exclaimed with a playful grin:
"灰 (Hai) - Meaning gray. It symbolizes how you consider yourself to be neither black nor white. Gray is also a tribute to Cordelia Gray, a female detective from a popular novel."
"Hmm, so it's still got something to do with detectives," she thought. "This mystery-loving dork."
"原 (Bara) - Meaning field. It represents an open or empty field. Now that you're free you can fill your world with whatever you want!"
She was mildly perplexed at his reasoning. This didn't seem like something he would come up with by himself. While he excelled at deductions and logic, matters of the heart felt like uncharted territory for him, she felt.
"And finally, 愛 (Ai) - Meaning love , because you're such a lovely little sister..., " he emphasized each word rather affectionately, mimicking the way she had pronounced his name earlier.
Shiho's face turned completely red from a mixture of embarrassment, irritation, and downright astonishment. This guy could be such a smooth-talker!
"...From V. I. Warshawski, another popular detective series!" Ending with a stupid grin on his face. Though she had missed this explanation, her mind was still coming to terms with his previous remark.
"You…you! Forget that ever happened!" She stammered. He had used the words of her dear sister against her.
"That was said in confidence to a 7 year old kid named Edogawa Conan. Not to a 17 year old highschooler who doesn't know how to mind his own business!" Her voice again wavering between annoyance and embarrassment.
He just snickered in response.
She refused the kanji for love, opting for 哀 (Ai) meaning sorrow instead. Thus keeping the name, Haibara Ai.
Conan noticed a faint smile gracing her lips after their exchange, though he couldn't quite fathom its reasoning. The reason, of course, being that there was someone else who cherished the memories of her sister as well.
With the name settled upon, he headed towards the kitchen wondering what to prepare for breakfast.
Although he had prepared a nutritious meal the previous night, individuals suffering from malnutrition required adequately portioned meals served at regular intervals to facilitate their smooth recovery.
So, he asked her directly, "What would you like for breakfast, Ai-chan?"
"It's Haibara to you," she shot back, her icy glare piercing through him like a frigid wind. He'd faced the stern gaze of his mother on numerous occasions, but Haibara's glare was a lot more terrifying! He made a mental note not to tease her too much as he had done earlier.
"Ri…Right, What would you like for breakfast, Haibara-san?" He corrected himself. He had slipped into his usual childlike speech pattern. He had grown accustomed to it while conversing with the other kids, but he realized he didn't need to do the same with her.
"Are you preparing something?" Haibara inquired as she saw him prance around in the kitchen.
Conan nodded. "I was planning on making some pancakes for myself."
"I'll have the same. But let me do it." She offered to take over the task, a subtle way of extending her gratitude to his help from yesterday.
He shook his head, rejecting her kind gesture. "No, you still haven't fully recovered."
Brushing aside her mild protests, he gathered all the necessary equipment. He hadn't exactly prepared pancakes before, but how hard could it be?
He added the pancake mix to the bowl…and with complete confidence in himself, started the mixer at max setting.
"You're supposed to add the water to the dry mix before you start!" She almost yelled in disbelief as the pancake mix flew all over the kitchen creating a comical mess.
"And why would you even start it at full speed?" She ended up joining him in the kitchen, having moved from the dining table they had previously been chatting in.
Conan mumbled something about trying to get things done faster, feeling a tinge of embarrassment by the mishap.
"How did you even survive up until now?" Haibara smirked as she made fun of his cooking skills—or the lack thereof.
"You don't need to be a chef to survive," Conan rebutted. "I managed just fine with ready-to-eat meals and eating out." He muttered under his breath.
The congee from the previous night was also something that simply required adding the instant mix packet to some hot water. Something that even a real 7 year old would have no trouble with. Of course, he wouldn't openly admit this to her, but he had a feeling she had sorta caught on to it by now.
...
While they were busy arguing, the door to the entrance swung open, a new voice greeting the bickering kids as she made her way towards them.
Yukiko Kudo was back in her home after a long time, after all!
"What have you done to my kitchen?!" Her eyes widened in shock as she took in the chaotic scene before her. Her once tidy kitchen now looked like a disaster zone, with pancake mix scattered across the countertops and floor and the two children in the middle of it all. Her mouth hung open in disbelief as she dropped the bags she was carrying, the sound of clothes rustling faintly amidst the mess.
With no hesitation, Conan pointed a finger towards Haibara. "She's the one who did it!"
*Whack*
Yukiko swiftly smacked him on the head.
"Ouch! What was that for!" Conan protested, rubbing his head.
"I know you very well. Only you'd be dumb enough to make such a basic mistake," she retorted, not buying his attempt at shifting the blame.
...
"Sorry about my dumb son," Yukiko said, giving Haibara an apologetic smile. "You can leave the cleaning to me. I'll prepare the breakfast."
Haibara, not wanting to appear ungrateful, offered her assistance. "Please let me help."
"No way, who knows what kinda poison she might add to our meal?" Conan joked, promptly earning another strike on his head.
"Worth it."
"Don't mind him. You should go clean yourself up. I've brought some clothes for you." Yukiko said with a warm smile.
"Th…Thank you," Haibara replied, her meek tone and faint blush melting Yukiko's heart, prompting a hug that took Haibara by surprise.
Aww, you're so cute! You're like a child I never had! Yukiko squealed, while the girl didn't know how to react.
"Um, hello?" Conan pointed towards himself.
"You're just a mischievous little rascal I am occasionally reminded to take care of," Yukiko grinned.
"Oi oi"
...
"Okay, I'll go wash up." Haibara conceded with a small smile. She wasn't sure how to interract with the older woman. After all, she was the person who had almost caused her son's death. By all means, she should be angry at her, yet she was treating her nicely.
Honestly, the way the mother-son duo treated her, trying their best to make her feel at ease by poking fun at each other instead, was something she had never experienced before. It was a stark contrast to the life she had led until now, and it stirred deep emotions within her.
The genuine care and warmth they showed reminded her of the family she had longed for but never had. Their efforts to make her feel comfortable by pulling a silly ruse (after all, no one could be that horrible at cooking, could they?) touched her heart, and though she wouldn't admit it, she couldn't help but feel grateful for their kindness.
But she also felt a bit conflicted...her sister was dead, and here she was allowing herself to feel happy. A pang of guilt struck her as she thought about her sister's unfortunate fate. She rid her mind off those feelings, focusing on finding out more about the events leading to her sister's demise first so she could take her revenge on Gin and the others.
After the girl left, Yukiko turned her attention back to Conan and asked him for details about his plan.
"So are you going to tell your friends in the FBI about her?" Shinichi had informed his parents that he had allied himself with the person he had asked them to investigate. So, Yukiko knew this could end up rather awkwardly if they realized that the scientist had now turned into a child.
"I'm not sure, yet. I don't want to give away the fact that Aptx-4869 has this kind of a side effect since that might bring suspicion towards me as well. So, I'm going to keep it a secret." While it made sense to tell them that the scientist was now on the run, there was no telling what they might do to her. So he decided to hide things for now.
"I see, and what about her living arrangements? I know you two are in those bodies right now, but I can't help but worry about leaving two teenagers alone," her fingers tapping her chin in contemplation.
"No!" His face turned to the color of a ripe tomato as he blurted out, "She's moving in the professor's house!" His mother could get fixated on the strangest things, he felt ~
"Living with him might offer her some stability and a sense of family," his voice slowly regaining composure. "And hopefully, it could prevent her from ever considering such drastic actions again."
...
He drew in a deep breath, thinking back on her admission from the previous night. As a seasoned detective, he had unraveled numerous mysteries, but he had yet to understand the reason why a person would take another's life. Including their own. That action felt like an abyss of despair, born from the depths of hopelessness and pain that he couldn't fully comprehend. He recognized his fortune, having been born into a family that provided him with everything he needed.
Conan's decision to keep Haibara under the professor's roof was met with approval from Yukiko. "That sounds like a good idea, Shin-chan. I'm sure Agasa-san will take good care of her." And the ruffling of his hair sure showed it.
Ignoring his mother's hand on his head, Conan continued. "And if she's the one who made the poison, maybe she has the antidote with her as well. If not, perhaps she could create one!" He added hastily.
The thought of divulging the secret that he was still alive, in this form, to more people made him uneasy. After all, the larger the number of individuals who knew, the greater the potential danger to them all. Thus, for the time being, he could only operate within the confines of his current limitations.
But he definitely felt certain that once he was back to his real self, it would be far easier to collect evidence and collaborate with the cops to put the organization behind bars once and for all. Working with the FBI had its advantages, but they had no real jurisdiction in Japan, since their mission wasn't sanctioned. They had prepared fabricated records to enter the country to take out the clandestine organization.
Once Haibara was back from the bath, the three of them had another long discussion. The first priority, for him at least, was the antidote. Unfortunately, she had never developed one before. Not to mention, years of research had gone into creating the Aptx-4869. While she held a vague understanding of its composition, the sheer complexity of recalling every chemical component and their concentration levels was impossible, even for her. Reconstructing the drug would require the research data she had conducted herself; otherwise, any effort to produce an antidote would prove futile.
However, she was also certain that the organization would have disposed of her laboratory by now, seeing as she had escaped. Any hopes of retrieving the data from that place would be met with disappointment.
She did want to help him though, because she wanted something in return from him as well.
Yes, one of the reasons for seeking refuge at his place had been to request his aid in investigating her sister's death. She wasn't able to look for clues before, having been locked inside her lab. But despite her newfound freedom, she hesitated in asking him for assistance. He had already allowed her to stay there, and she couldn't really ask for any more favors before being able to do something for him first. So she agreed on helping him return back to his old self.
Haibara sifted through her memories, searching for anything that could aid in their quest. Suddenly, she remembered an event from her past. Several weeks ago, one of the backup disks had vanished from her lab. Curiously, this coincided with the time she had received a bundle of disks from her sister, showcasing her travel photos. It occurred to her that there was a slim possibility that the missing disk might have been inadvertently mixed up with her sister's belongings. But her sister's house had been ransacked by them as well.
She remembered that Akemi had mentioned that the pictures belonged to Professor Hirota Masami from her University though. If luck was on their side, perhaps the missing disk had been in his possession instead.
With nothing to lose, they decided to give the professor a call—to check if he had the disks from the trip, using Akemi Miyano's name as a reference. Fortunately, he still had them and was also aware of that peculiar disk within the lot. He extended an invitation for Akemi's acquaintances to retrieve it, driven by the fondness for his now-deceased student.
Conan had initially planned to go with only Agasa-hakase as his sole companion, but Haibara insisted on going there as well. Part of her wanted to meet the people her sister knew—to glean insight into her life through their perspectives. And another wanted to get closure. He warned her to be careful, but allowed her to tag along.
With their goal clear, they patiently awaited Prof. Agasa's return. His mother had been assigned another task by Conan, unbeknownst to Haibara, so she wasn't able to join them. After Agasa-hakase's arrival, Conan explained the plan and they set out to the residence of Hirota Masami—the name Akemi had adopted as her alias, albeit with different kanji so it wouldn't raise suspicion.
A/N:
So…As you may have noticed from the tags, this story will be a slow burn. So, for the people who have read/remember the original manga/anime, you probably know what the rift in their relationship will be, for now. Feel free to leave your thoughts or comment if you have any questions!
