After a two-hour drive, Kogoro and his group finally returned to Tokyo.
Noticing how exhausted the two children were, Kogoro had no intention of sending them to school.
After calling the school to request a leave of absence, he drove them to Eri's apartment.
As soon as the car stopped, Akashi hopped out, holding Haibara's small hand as they entered the building together.
Kogoro watched the apartment for a moment, then grumbled under his breath:
"Hmph, she really doesn't take me seriously."
"First, she adopted a boy and now a little girl without saying a word to me? Absolutely outrageous!"
Hearing her father's growing resentment, Ran quickly tried to smooth things over.
"Mom probably just forgot to mention it, Dad. Don't take it too seriously."
She beamed. "Besides, Ai is so cute! Isn't it nice to have her around?"
Ran still held onto the dream of her parents reconciling.
Listening to her father's grumbling grow heavier, she silently started plotting in her heart—
Next time, I'll find a way to bring the two of them together!
What she didn't know, however, was that at that very moment, the "cute little girl" she was defending…
Was discussing something downright terrifying.
Inside the apartment, Haibara spoke in a calm, clinical tone:
"...Blood must be drawn at least once a week—200ml each time should be enough for the experiment."
She adjusted her posture, crossing her arms.
"Also, from what I've observed, that guy isn't very smart. He doesn't even know how to disguise himself properly. The moment he sees a murder, he just rushes right in."
Shaking her head, Haibara sighed.
Compared to Akashi, Conan was utterly hopeless.
Just a reckless brat who keeps getting beaten up.
Akashi chuckled. "That's easy then. We'll just anesthetize him once a week—or knock him out. Then we can take the blood as needed."
He grinned. "Leave it to me. I'll make sure no one even notices!"
Hearing this, Haibara's expression darkened, black lines forming on her forehead.
"Do you always have to be so barbaric?" she scolded. "You're not in the organization anymore. Act like it."
She frowned. "Besides, he's in a child's body now. If we take 200ml per week, that's 800ml a month—he'd be completely drained in no time."
Akashi paused.
Now that she mentioned it, children didn't have that much blood to spare…
Then, as if realizing something, his face suddenly changed.
"Hey, don't do anything reckless. And don't even think about using your own blood for research!"
His voice was unusually firm. "If it comes to that, just wait—I'll figure something out."
Akashi was confident.
As long as he kept checking-in from his system, he knew he'd eventually unlock the perfect APTX antidote.
After all, if temporary antidotes existed—then a complete one had to be possible, too.
Hearing his determined words, Haibara's lips curled into an almost imperceptible smile.
Oh?
Does this guy actually care about me?
How suspicious.
Her blue eyes flickered as she studied him.
"Who said I was going to use my own blood?" she asked, tilting her head.
"I was thinking of using yours."
Akashi froze.
Wait.
WHAT?!
That's when it hit him—
He had lied to them, claiming he shrank after taking APTX.
And now…
He had backed himself into a corner!
His lips twitched. "I-I don't think that's a good idea. I'm… different from you."
Haibara's eyes narrowed as she leaned in.
"Different how?"
Her voice was suddenly sharp.
"Did you take another drug from the organization?"
"Or were you involved in some experiment?"
She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Now that I think about it, you've been acting strange ever since you shrank. Something about you just doesn't add up."
Akashi looked away.
"It's useless to tell you."
He waved a hand dismissively. "You just need to know my body is… unique. My blood won't work for experiments."
Haibara scoffed.
"Oh~~? Is that so?"
Then, with a dramatic huff, she turned her back on him, crossing her arms.
Her displeasure was obvious.
"Are you angry?"
"How could I possibly be angry with you? You're my savior!"
That sarcastic tone, paired with her cold expression—she was definitely angry.
Akashi smirked, stepping forward. Without warning, he pulled the little loli into his arms, rubbing his cheek against her soft, porcelain-white face.
"Don't be mad. When the time comes, I'll tell you everything myself—so you can experience it firsthand."
Had I picked up this kind of teasing after spending too much time with Ran? He thought.
Haibara froze.
Her entire body stiffened, her little face suddenly turning crimson.
What did he just say?!
Even after being utterly exhausted last night—having collapsed countless times—this was still too much for her.
Her voice trembled. "W-What do you mean by 'personal experience'?"
Experience what, exactly?!
Does he even realize what he's saying?!
She looked up and met Akashi's gaze—full of mischief and meaning.
At that moment, unhealthy thoughts flooded Haibara's mind.
Her eyes widened in alarm.
Then—she bolted.
Without hesitation, she turned on her heel and dashed into her room, slamming the door shut behind her.
Her little heart pounded wildly in her chest.
Pervert!
She clenched her tiny fists, pressing them against her burning cheeks.
And yet—despite her protests—a tiny, inexplicable flutter of excitement stirred in her heart.
Akashi chuckled at Haibara's adorable reaction.
Just then, his phone rang—a video call.
He answered, only to be greeted by a familiar, playful voice.
"Hic-hic-hic~ Akashi, I haven't seen you for two days! Did you miss your big sister?"
The screen lit up with the face of none other than Yukiko.
It seemed she had originally intended to give Akashi some space.
But the moment she left, all she could think about was the little shota.
Unable to hold back any longer—she called.
Akashi, however, was confused.
"Two days? What are you talking about? Aren't you at home?"
He wandered into the living room, spotting a sticky note Yukiko had left behind.
Picking it up, he read it over, then muttered:
"Oh, so you're gone."
Damn brat!
She was gone for an entire day, and he didn't even notice?!
What a heartless guy!
On the other end of the call, Yukiko's forehead twitched.
Veins threatened to pop as she clenched her teeth.
This little devil…
She wanted to rush back to Tokyo and give him a proper scolding—but unfortunately, that wasn't an option.
Right now, Yukiko was on a friend's cruise ship.
Just then, another familiar female voice chimed in from behind her.
"Yukiko, who are you talking to?"
The camera shifted slightly—revealing a new face.
A delicate, ethereal beauty appeared on the screen.
Her blond curls were tied up, accentuating a face so stunning it could captivate an entire audience.
A thin, elegant veil concealed the lower half of her face, adding to her air of mystery.
She was like a performer in an old painting—hiding just enough to make her even more alluring.
But it was her eyes that stood out most.
Cool. Indifferent. Unreadable.
They carried the kind of calm that made it seem like nothing in this world could faze her.
Yet, beneath that composed exterior was a woman of danger and intrigue.
And the moment Akashi laid eyes on her—he froze.
That face. Those lips.
How could he ever forget them?
It brought him back to the years of chaos and deception in the organization.
This woman was—
Chris Vineyard.
No—Vermouth!
Yukiko was with Vermouth?!
Akashi clenched his jaw.
But it made sense—after all, Yukiko had always been good friends with Sharon Vineyard, Vermouth's other identity.
Of course, she would have a connection to Chris as well.
On the other side of the call, Vermouth's expression subtly shifted the moment she saw Akashi.
Her eyes glinted with something unreadable.
This is bad!
Akashi immediately cut in:
"Sister Yukiko, it's getting late—I'm about to be late for school."
"I'll talk to you later!"
And before anyone could stop him—he hung up.
On the other end of the call, Yukiko pouted.
"Hmph! How heartless!"
"He didn't even chat with me for a bit! How irritating!"
Her tone was light—almost like a girlfriend whining about her neglectful boyfriend.
Vermouth raised an eyebrow, amusement flickering across her features.
She chuckled. "Yukiko… Who was that child?"
Her voice was smooth, almost teasing. "He's quite cute."
The ever-changing witch had taken an interest.
[Note: For those who don't know, Sharon Vineyard is Vermouth's older disguise, Chris Vineyard is Sharon Vineyard'sdaughter in name.]