“Mr.
Shouichi, welcome back.”
“Yeah.
Is dinner ready?”
“It is already prepared.”
Dinner had been set out by Ms.
Yuuko.
Shouichi sat down at the table, ready to enjoy his meal.
Ai was also called down by Ms.
Yuuko.
Right now, Ai had no idea what her status was sitting here.
*Was this an adoption?*
“Sign this contract.” Shouichi handed a document over to Ai.
Ai’s eyelid twitched as she looked at it.
The contract in front of her was not an adoption agreement.
The contents stated that Party A would provide Party B with living expenses, food, housing, transportation, and education costs amounting to two million yen per month, which Party B would be required to repay once she gained financial independence.
The interest rate this time was actually standard.
Ai didn’t think two million yen was particularly expensive either.
This guy named Shouichi seemed incredibly wealthy, so two million yen might actually be a massive bargain for her.
*But I don’t want to…*
“You don’t have to sign it.
The contract is already in effect anyway,” Shouichi said dismissively.
“Huh?”
*Is this the power of a conglomerate family?
You don’t even need to sign your own contracts.*
Ai didn’t understand.
*Why would this conglomerate heir collude with the Organization?
And why would he adopt a little girl who has absolutely nothing to do with him?*
*It can’t be because he’s both evil and kindhearted, right?*
Shouichi swallowed his food and said, “I’ve already had someone handle your transfer paperwork.
Don’t go to your old school anymore, lest it remind you of your parents and upset you.
From now on, you’ll be attending Teitan High School.”
Ai listened to Shouichi’s arrangements for her without saying a word.
*How considerate.
He even knows how to take care of a little girl’s psychological and emotional well-being.*
Suddenly, she raised an eyebrow.
“Teitan High School?”
“What’s wrong?” Shouichi asked, looking puzzled.
“It’s a pretty good school, and it’s close to my house.
You don’t need to go to Ekoda High School anymore.”
“Oh.”
Ai nodded.
*So ‘Haibara Ai’ was actually a genius.*
*A child who skipped grades to reach high school at this age would be useful to a conglomerate family.
No wonder he wanted to adopt me.*
*Once I grow up, Shouichi will definitely arrange for me to work like a dog for his family.*
*Sure enough, these types of people never show kindness without a reason.*
*Someone groomed from childhood is obviously more trustworthy.*
*It’s only been a day, yet this guy has already investigated ‘Haibara Ai’ thoroughly and arranged a school transfer.*
*Is this the speed of a conglomerate?*
The conglomerate heir seemed very busy.
Even during dinner, someone called him.
“Hello, Gin.
What is it?”
Ai’s ears perked up.
Although Shouichi lowered his voice, he made no move to leave the room or hide the conversation.
Taking a call from the Organization so openly was incredibly arrogant, as if he wasn’t afraid of anyone knowing he was colluding with an evil syndicate.
Ai continued eating with a calm expression, but she listened carefully to the conversation between Shouichi and Gin.
“I threw Miyano Akemi’s corpse into the sea.”
Hearing news of her sister, Ai nearly bit her chopsticks in half.
She forced down the grief in her heart, refusing to let any excess emotion show on her face.
Shouichi displayed a visibly impatient expression and said, “What does it matter to me if you can’t find the body?
Maybe it got eaten by fish, or maybe you guys just didn’t look hard enough.
He shot her three times, alright?
She’s definitely dead.”
“So annoying.
Don’t bother me over such trivial matters, okay?
I’m busy every day.”
“Where was she shot?
In the hair, is that okay?
Do you really have to ask that?
Do I need you to teach me how to kill someone?”
“Also, don’t come to me with this garbage in the future.
Getting a stain on my record would be very troublesome for me.”
Hanging up on Gin, Shouichi resumed eating.
Ai’s expression turned icy.
*My sister was killed by the man sitting right in front of me.*
“You’re a growing child.
Eat more meat.” Shouichi placed a piece of beef into Ai’s bowl and affectionately patted her head.
Ai forced a fake smile.
*Endure!*
*Even though he’s the murderer who killed my sister, the enemy is strong and I am weak.
I don’t have the power to take revenge yet, so I can only continue to endure.*
*Sooner or later, he’ll let his guard down.
I will definitely avenge my sister.*
Shouichi continued to pat Ai’s head.
Now he didn’t have to worry about the little loli he was raising suddenly sneaking away.
“Get to bed early tonight.
I have to take you to school tomorrow,” Shouichi said.
…
Midnight.
The lights in Shouichi’s room were already out.
Ai tiptoed out of her bedroom, hiding a fruit knife in her sleeve—the very same one Shouichi had mocked as being for cutting baby food.
She simply couldn’t stand the feeling of living under the same roof as her sworn enemy.
She quietly opened the door to Shouichi’s bedroom, thankful that this guy didn’t have a habit of locking his door at night.
Tiptoeing, she approached Shouichi’s bedside.
Ai glanced at Shouichi, preparing to strike.
*Sister, once I avenge you, I’ll come find you!*
“Ai?”
Hearing Shouichi’s voice, Ai frantically scrambled to hide the fruit knife, nearly tripping over her own feet in the process.
A large hand pulled Ai onto the bed.
“Are you scared of sleeping alone?”
After pulling Ai under the covers, Shouichi patted her back and then went completely still.
Ai didn’t even dare to breathe.
She glanced at Shouichi, confirming that the guy hadn’t opened his eyes once this entire time.
A flush of shame appeared on her face.
*How humiliating.
Just one word from this guy scared me half to death.
Like this, how am I supposed to avenge my sister?*
Pumping herself up again, Ai pulled out the fruit knife, only to end up staring directly into Shouichi’s open eyes.
Her heart skipped a beat under Shouichi’s gaze, and her body went completely limp.
Ai said in a soft, sweet voice, “Thank you for taking me in.
This fruit knife is a gift for you.
You accepted my knife that night, so I thought you liked this kind of thing.”
“Thanks,” Shouichi said, taking the fruit knife from Ai’s hand.
*Gifting the same knife twice.
What a stingy brat.*
Ai didn’t say a word, putting on a perfectly obedient facade.
She felt incredibly pathetic.
*I clearly wanted to assassinate him, but it ended up turning into a gift-giving session.*
*If I had been just a little more decisive, I’d already be in prison right now!*
Shouichi patted Ai’s head and said, “Go to sleep.”
“I…” *I want to go back and sleep in my own bed.*
“Have you ever read *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*?” Shouichi suddenly asked.
“N-No,” Ai stammered.
Shouichi looked at her suspiciously and said, “Is that so?
You giving me a knife reminded me of the scene where Cao Cao presented a sword to Dong Zhuo.
Maybe I’m just overthinking it.”
Ai meekly shrank back under the covers.
*Durr, I have no idea what you’re talking about.*
*What Romance of the Three Kingdoms?
What Cao Cao and Dong Zhuo?
Never heard of ’em.*
*Time to sleep, time to sleep.*