Chapter 142: Haibara Ai Squatting at the Door

The Ford Taurus was driving along the Beika Highway.

"Achoo!"

Sitting in the driver's seat, Fujino sneezed.

"Am I catching a cold?"

Fujino murmured, showing a puzzled expression: "With my constitution enhanced by the system, that shouldn't happen..."

"Maybe someone's talking about me behind my back."

Soon, Fujino drove back home.

"Did you take that kid back?"

Miyano Akemi, who had already cleaned up the dishes and was watching TV on the sofa, asked as Fujino returned.

"Yes, I did."

Fujino casually took off his coat and hung it on the coat rack by the door, "Guess whose relative she is?"

"How would I know that?"

Miyano Akemi rolled her eyes and asked Fujino, "Is she a relative of someone we know?"

"She's a relative of one of my classmates..."

Fujino slowly walked into the room, "And she has some connection to that kid at the detective agency next door."

"No wonder those two kids always seem so mature."

Miyano Akemi nodded.

Thinking of a particular child from across the street who seemed like a husky, she suddenly realized.

"But that little girl is really cute."

"Indeed."

Fujino nodded.

Compared to Conan, Haibara Ai was not only much cuter but also had a more pleasant personality.

At least, to Fujino.

"This is the Beika Evening News!"

At this moment, the Beika Evening News started its broadcast at 11 PM:

"According to our sources, one of the two Cupido teachers who were brutally beaten by the Beika Batman recently jumped to their death from the hospital roof... The reason is currently unknown, but sources indicate that the suicide was likely due to the disability caused by the beating... The other teacher is now undergoing treatment at Aoyama Mental Hospital due to extreme mental instability."

One committed suicide, and the other ended up in a mental hospital?

Fujino stood aside, watching the news report on TV, deep in thought.

If they were to be sentenced, those beasts probably wouldn't get the death penalty.

Unlike China in Fujino's previous life, the death penalty in Japan was more like a decoration.

...

On the other side, late at night, Conan sneaked out of the Mouri Detective Agency after receiving a phone call and hurried to Dr. Agasa's house.

Upon arriving, Conan first looked cautiously at Haibara Ai and then asked Dr. Agasa, "You mean, this person escaped from that organization?"

At this moment, Haibara Ai was leisurely sitting on the sofa, gently arranging the clothes Fujino had bought.

"Yes, Haibara Ai took the same drug as you, which is why she became smaller."

Dr. Agasa glanced at Haibara Ai and then explained to Conan, "As for the name Haibara Ai, it was decided after our discussion... Initially, I wanted to use 'Ai' (love), but she insisted on changing it to 'Ai' (sorrow)..."

"The name doesn't matter!"

Conan urgently asked, "What's important is, why is she at your house?!"

"I was picked up by a kind person..."

At this point, Haibara Ai paused her actions, then turned around, "After escaping from the organization, I collapsed in the heavy rain... Then I was picked up by someone and brought to Dr. Agasa's house."

"Speaking of which, you seem to know that person too, named Fujino."

"Fu... Fujino?!"

Subsequently, under Conan's serious gaze, Haibara Ai began to recount her journey, including how she discovered that Shinichi Kudo was still alive, how she escaped from the organization, and how she was picked up...

Of course, the part about being picked up was somewhat vague.

"Now I have nowhere to go, and the only person I know is you."

Haibara Ai looked at Conan and continued calmly, "I think, as someone like me, you should be able to understand my situation, right?"

"How could I possibly understand a murderer like you?!"

Conan shouted angrily, "I and an accomplice of the Black Organization like you are not the same at all!"

For a moment, all the grievances Conan had suffered recently were vented.

The grievances turned into anger towards the Black Organization.

And all this anger was directed at Haibara Ai.

"....."

Haibara Ai was stunned by his words, looking at Conan in surprise.

"Shinichi..."

Dr. Agasa tried to step forward to persuade, but was interrupted by Conan's continuous speech: "Do you know how many people have died because of the poison you developed?! How many families have been destroyed because of your drug!"

Haibara Ai opened her mouth, but couldn't say anything.

She could only lower her head silently and walk towards the door.

Indeed, everything Shinichi said was right, the so-called kinship was just her wishful thinking.

Ever since her sister died.

There was no place for her in this world anymore.

"Sister..."

Haibara Ai tightly clutched her clothes, tears streaming down her cold face.

The quiet late-night path, her small figure reflected in the cold moonlight.

Like a lonely gray butterfly, unwelcomed and not accepted by her kind.

Lost in thought, she didn't know how long she walked.

She arrived again at the detective agency she had just left.

......

In the morning, Fujino woke up from his dream.

He sat up on the bed and stretched.

He turned to the balcony; the sky was still dark.

Taking advantage of the early hour, Fujino put on a black tracksuit, intending to go for a morning run.

Just as he opened the door and was about to go downstairs.

He noticed a small figure in the hallway, Haibara Ai.

"Why is she here?"

Looking at Haibara Ai squatting at his bedroom door, Fujino raised an eyebrow in surprise.

He remembered dropping her off at Dr. Agasa's house last night...

So why was she at his door?

Thinking about it, Fujino noticed Haibara Ai's flushed face.

He gently touched her forehead.

Very hot.

"Is her cold back?"

Fujino frowned slightly, then picked her up.

It looked like she had been squatting in the hallway all night.

Her cold, which had just been treated, had relapsed...

But why was she in the hallway?

She shouldn't be...

With Dr. Agasa's personality, even if he didn't take her in, he wouldn't kick her out in the middle of the night.

What happened?

"Why is this child back again?"

At this moment, Miyano Akemi, who was about to clean the room, noticed Haibara Ai in Fujino's arms and asked with a puzzled expression.

"She seems to have a fever again."

Fujino carried Haibara Ai into the room and told Miyano Akemi, "Akemi, can you go next door and borrow some cold medicine from Ran?"

"Okay."

Miyano Akemi agreed and quickly went to the next-door house.

After Miyano Akemi left, Fujino returned to the bedroom.

After gently placing Haibara Ai on the bed, he looked around.

After confirming that no one was around, he took out a fever-reducing injection from his portable space.

At this time, only two-sixths of the fever-reducing injection was left, not enough to achieve a rapid fever-reducing effect.

The reason he asked Miyano Akemi to borrow the fever-reducing medicine was to combine its effect with the fever-reducing injection, and also to send her away...

After all, for some unknown reason, whenever he gave Haibara Ai the fever-reducing injection, she would revert to Shiho Miyano.

If Haibara Ai's transformation process was seen by Miyano Akemi, it would be troublesome.

An injection was given.

The girl's body size changed again.

"The cold medicine is here!"

Just as Fujino covered Haibara Ai with the quilt, Miyano Akemi returned with a box of cold medicine.

Fujino took the medicine and fed it to Haibara Ai.

Miyano Akemi also didn't stay idle, bringing a wet towel from the bathroom and placing it on her still-hot forehead.

"Why is this child back again?"

After Haibara Ai's condition stabilized, Miyano Akemi belatedly asked Fujino.

Her face showed a worried expression.

Besides worry, there was also confusion.

Clearly, she couldn't understand why Haibara Ai had come back.

"I don't know either."

Fujino shook his head, "I was just about to go for a run and found her at the door."

"Did she sleep in the hallway all night?!"

Miyano Akemi frowned slightly.

"It seems so."

Fujino nodded, "It was cold last night, so I guess her cold relapsed because she got chilled."

"This child, coming back and not even knocking."

"Maybe she didn't want to trouble us."

Fujino looked deeply at Haibara Ai.

Thinking about her personality... that was probably it.

But personality put into action is influenced by many things.