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"BOOM—————"
Thunder exploded overhead, and the torrential rain drenched Shiho Miyano completely.
Her pupils contracted, her small red lips parted, and her heart raced at an unprecedented speed.
In that instant, an overwhelming sense of fear caused her brain to be deprived of blood flow. She nearly fainted, her limbs freezing up.
Black coat, black hat, black umbrella, and a black pistol equipped with a silencer.
That towering figure standing amidst the storm appeared to her like the gates of hell flung wide open. Before her stood a demon crawling out from the abyss.
And after this, she would face a hellish nightmare.
"In the end... it was all for nothing," Shiho Miyano thought bitterly.
She had indeed failed to escape the Organization's pursuit, and death seemed to be her inevitable fate.
No, perhaps something even more terrifying than death awaited her.
Currently, she was the miniature version of herself after consuming APTX 4869.
Even so, she had still been discovered by the Organization and intercepted.
Faced with her own incredible transformation, the Organization's inevitable response would be to capture her and subject her to human experimentation and research.
The life that lay ahead of her would likely be far worse than death. As a researcher, she would endure the cruelest tortures imaginable.
Her fleeting hope of escape had turned into despair. The side effects of the drug, combined with the exhaustion of fleeing as a child all day, and now the cold, pounding rain—
All these factors converged, causing Shiho Miyano's brilliant mind to shut down entirely. Her subconscious chose the most fitting scenario for the moment.
Shiho Miyano's body went limp, and she collapsed unconscious.
Tōru Fujihara, who had been holding the gun to intimidate Sherry, paused momentarily.
Had he gone too far? Had he really scared her into fainting?
Wasn't Sherry supposed to possess a unique ability to sense whether someone belonged to the Organization?
Perhaps it was because of his own past misdeeds—he did resemble one of those Black Organization assassins.
Muttering inwardly, Tōru put away his gun and waded through the water to reach the unconscious Shiho Miyano lying in a puddle.
At this point, Shiho Miyano had completely lost consciousness, her small body sprawled in the water.
If left unattended in such a downpour, she would surely drown in a puddle.
Being drowned in a puddle might just make it onto the list of the world's top ten strangest deaths.
Tōru squatted down, removed his waterproof coat, wrapped Shiho Miyano's tiny body in it, and picked her up like a cat.
His car was parked nearby. He placed her on the passenger seat, turned on the car heater, and didn't care if she soaked his vehicle. He placed his hand on her forehead—it was burning hot.
Then he gently touched her body, which felt icy despite the warmth inside the car.
"She has a fever, and it's pretty high."
Tōru frowned, started the car, and drove home through the storm.
Back at the mansion, Tōru carried Shiho Miyano into the guest bedroom and removed her rain-soaked clothes. Since she had suddenly transformed from an adult into a child, she had no children's clothing.
Even her underwear was too large, discarded somewhere. Apart from the oversized white coat, she wore nothing else.
Her pale skin, delicate body, and flat chest were exactly what lolicon enthusiasts would adore.
Tōru mentally reminded himself that Shiho Miyano was now just a child. He couldn't let himself degenerate into some grotesque state like Hawking's character and suppressed the strange emotions welling within him.
His gaze swept downward, and he muttered, "Even her hair has regressed; there's not a single strand."
Because Shiho Miyano had walked barefoot all day, her little feet were dirty, with some visible wounds on her delicate soles.
After all, she used to live a pampered life, and her skin was too tender to endure walking barefoot all day.
At this moment, Tōru couldn't clean her. After tucking her in, he fetched some children's fever medicine, extracted some liquid medication, and slowly administered it into her trembling mouth using a dropper.
"Her temperature must have been at least 40 degrees earlier. Removing her wet clothes and warming her up has brought it down somewhat. Let's observe for now. If it doesn't improve, we'll take her to the hospital first thing tomorrow morning."
Tōru pulled up a chair and sat beside the bed.
He wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight. He needed to keep watch over the child. If an emergency arose, they couldn't wait until morning—they'd have to rush her to the hospital immediately.
Though Tōru urgently needed Shiho Miyano's help to retrieve the data from the hard drive, he couldn't afford to neglect her condition. If she found out he was bluffing, it would be disastrous.
Thus, he needed her to help organize the pharmaceutical data, then send over useless but plausible information to Spencer.
The reason Tōru couldn't handle this himself was twofold: First, the files on the hard drive were password-protected, and he didn't have time to crack them. Second, the pharmaceutical data was beyond his comprehension—it wasn't within his field of expertise.
A quiet night passed.
"I'm... still alive?"
After a night's rest, Shiho Miyano's physical condition improved somewhat, though her mind remained foggy, and her body weak. Her night spent sweating under the covers left her feeling sticky and exhausted.
"No!"
Dazed-eyed Shiho Miyano suddenly shuddered, snapping awake.
What she remembered before losing consciousness was being discovered by the Organization. Was she now in one of their experimental research facilities?
As soon as this thought crossed her mind, she was seized by terror, her senses becoming acutely sharp in that instant.
She quickly surveyed her surroundings to determine where she was.
At first glance, it appeared to be an ordinary residential space. Though the room's decor and furniture were luxurious and high-end, they also exuded a warm, homely atmosphere.
"No, my body isn't in good condition. This could very well be a research facility's resting room. No matter how cozy it looks, it's all a deception—a trick."
Struggling to climb out of bed, Shiho Miyano noticed her lack of clothing.
Overwhelmed by shame, she wondered who had undressed her yesterday and whether her shrunken body had already been subjected to thorough examination. Now, all she wanted was to escape.
"They haven't restrained me—do they think I've lost the ability to flee now that I'm a child?"
Shiho Miyano forced herself to remain calm, checking her body while searching for a way out.
Crawling out from under the covers, her frail body shivered when hit by the cold air outside the blanket.
Not far from the bed was a window—the easiest escape route for her.
On all fours, she crawled toward the window, puzzled. When did research facilities start providing rooms with windows for their subjects?
When she reached the window and looked outside, she froze.
Beyond the window lay a courtyard combining European and Japanese styles, filled with crimson roses and cherry trees in full bloom.
Outside the courtyard was a quiet path leading to what appeared to be a residential area, with skyscrapers visible in the distance.
No matter how she looked at it, this place resembled a typical Tokyo streetscape, except for the unusual mansion yard outside.
While Shiho Miyano was lost in thought, the door behind her opened.
Tōru Fujihara entered the room and paused.
Before him, the childlike Shiho Miyano lay sprawled on the bed, limbs spread like a vulnerable animal.
Without any clothing, her back was exposed to Tōru's view. To him, she resembled a pristine cherry blossom tree in early spring—delicate petals barely unfurled, tinged with a soft pink hue.
Shiho Miyano turned her head slightly, startled to see Tōru at the doorway with a suggestive smirk. Immediately, she dove back under the covers, her face flushing red.
"Who are you?"
Last night, the heavy rain had obscured her vision of Tōru's face; all she remembered was the black-clad figure.
"You're awake? I suggest you don't move around too much. Although your temperature is lower than yesterday, you're still running a fever."
"A child's body isn't as resilient as an adult's. Your immunity is weak right now, making you susceptible to illness. You should rest."
Tōru placed a small bowl of rice porridge on the bedside table. "Patients should eat light meals. Rice porridge is suitable and can help reduce inflammation."
With the blanket covering her, Shiho Miyano felt a layer of protection restored. Despite her fear, her rationality returned.
"Who are you? Are you part of the Organization? Where am I, and what do you plan to do with me?"
Tōru was taken aback by her rapid-fire questions. But upon closer inspection, her eyes widened.
"I recognize you."
"Huh? You recognize me?"
This surprised Tōru. He didn't recall ever meeting Shiho Miyano.
"If I'm not mistaken, you're this year's freshman representative at Tokyo University. I watched your speech during orientation."
"You remember me even though my speech was only ten minutes long?"
"Well, it hasn't been long since the university's opening ceremony, and my memory is quite good. That's why I managed to remember your face."
There was another reason she didn't mention: she had been intrigued by the content of Tōru's speech and listened attentively, which is why she remembered him.
"I didn't attend the ceremony in person—I just happened to catch it online. Normally, people forget strangers' faces quickly."
"But since it was recent, and my memory is sharp, I managed to retain your image."
"Since you know I'm a Tokyo University student, focus on recovering. I took a day off to ensure you don't die here."
"Skipping class so soon after school started won't reflect well on you."
Despite her words, Tōru's tone suggested he wasn't overly concerned.
"Are you... part of the Organization?"
Shiho Miyano asked, her voice trembling.
"Why ask that? I'm just a regular university student."
Tōru smiled.
"It's a disguise! That's all it is!"
Although Tōru's smile seemed innocent, to Shiho Miyano, it was merely a facade—a crocodile hiding beneath the surface of the water. His clear eyes and cheerful demeanor were all fabricated.
If anything, he resembled a Gin pretending to be a college student!
Moreover, Shiho Miyano felt this man was far more dangerous than Gin. While Gin was ruthless and emotionless, he didn't hide behind masks. In comparison, Gin almost seemed... simple.
"I am indeed part of an organization, Sherry."
Tōru's smile remained, but his voice grew darker.
Shiho Miyano's pupils contracted, and she laughed bitterly. "So this is yet another punishment from the Organization? Are you here to interrogate me before they begin their experiments?"
Tōru chuckled softly. "You misunderstand. While I am part of an organization, I never specified which one."
"The Black Organization is an organization, but so is mine."
"Regardless, your existence is invaluable to any organization—your talent, and your current body."
As he spoke, Tōru's gaze roamed over Shiho Miyano's blanket-covered form, his eyes gleaming with fervor.
Shiho Miyano felt a chill run down her spine. Could she have encountered some kind of pervert obsessed with little girls?
Though Tōru's gaze reflected interest in her as a test subject, it also held appreciation for her as a woman.
But wait—she currently looked like an elementary school student!
At this moment, Tōru suddenly produced a box and tossed it to her.
Seeing the familiar box land on the blanket, Shiho Miyano's expression changed. She recognized it immediately—it contained something she herself had placed inside.
Her hands trembled as she opened the box, revealing the red-and-white capsules within.
These were the very pills responsible for shrinking her into a child—the poison she had personally developed: APTX 4869!