"Teitan High School. Can't you guess?" Tsuneo smiled at her.
Why she would go there... it's easy to guess, isn't it?
"You... you mean she's there to investigate Kudo?" Haibara's expression changed instantly.
Hiding within Teitan High as the school doctor—there was likely only one possibility.
But what is with that indifferent look on your face?
The Organization has already taken notice of the high school student Shinichi Kudo. What on earth are you thinking? How can you sit there so calmly reading gossip news?
"Is something wrong with Shinichi?" Dr. Agasa noticed Haibara's expression was off and, hearing her words, couldn't help but ask.
Why do you look as if a catastrophe is imminent?
"The school doctor at Teitan High," Haibara said, turning her head.
"The school doctor?"
"The school doctor over at Teitan High... that should be Dr. Araide concurrently holding the post, right?" The Professor thought for a moment before speaking.
During the school festival a while back, Shinichi seemed to have mentioned that the man had gone to the high school to serve as the doctor.
"Heh heh heh." Tsuneo chuckled, though whether he was laughing at the gossip news on the computer screen or something else was unclear.
"Dr. Araide???"
Hearing this name, Haibara was shocked once again.
Recently, Tsuneo has visited the Araide Clinic several times in his capacity as a repairman, hasn't he?
Has he already investigated that far?
"Scared?" Tsuneo noticed Haibara's face had turned slightly pale. He let go of the mouse and turned to ask.
"You knew all along, didn't you?"
It suddenly occurred to Haibara that his calm, composed reaction after reading the email was the expression of someone who had known the truth from the start.
"What are you two talking about?" Dr. Agasa was having trouble following the conversation.
"That witch from the Organization... using the word 'tracking' isn't quite accurate. Let's call it an investigation," Tsuneo nodded and said.
Her primary goal was to investigate the death of her godson.
However, if she were to actually catch wind of where Sherry was, she would definitely bite down without hesitation.
The Organization, a witch, Dr. Araide, investigation...
Listening to these terms, Dr. Agasa was still a bit confused.
However, looking at Tsuneo's expression, it shouldn't be anything too serious...
"What do you intend to do?" Haibara turned her head to glance at Dr. Agasa and the figure busy in the kitchen.
"I don't know. It's not like she can cause much of a stir anyway."
"However, I am interested to hear about the connection between this ageless witch and the A-drug." Tsuneo did have things he was curious about.
Since her identity was completely exposed before his eyes, she naturally posed no threat.
But what exactly was the reason Vermouth wanted to kill Sherry so badly?
"Ageless... It's obvious that the version of APTX 4869 she took wasn't developed by me." Haibara nodded, composing herself before speaking.
Jokes aside, since the Repairman said so, it meant nothing terrible would actually happen.
"The dream-like, mysterious drug that can resurrect the dead—Silver Bullet," Tsuneo said with a smile, glancing at the Professor.
Dr. Agasa seemed to have known the Miyano couple as well.
The web of relationships involved here was messy, chaotic, and extremely complex.
"No, we can't be certain she actually took that drug," Haibara said thoughtfully.
"Does she not age?" Dr. Agasa picked up on the key point.
If there really was such a drug, he would actually want to try it.
"It's possible she was used as a test subject and strapped to an operating table; you never know." Tsuneo patted the Professor, who was staring up at the ceiling.
This was the most likely conjecture.
Vermouth herself was an existence akin to a lab rat.
Considering her special relationship with the Boss, it was even possible that the blood of Karasuma Renya flowed through her veins.
"Are you saying..." Hearing this, Haibara fell silent.
Did my parents do such things during their drug development research?
"I believe that even if that is the truth, it wasn't what they subjectively wanted to do." Tsuneo vigorously rubbed her head.
Usually, he only used this move on that dog-headed detective, but today he would use it to comfort her.
Threats, intimidation, or perhaps experiments conducted secretly by other researchers—anything was possible.
After the Repairman finished rubbing her head, Dr. Agasa also patted Haibara's shoulder with his warm hand, asking curiously, "Tsuneo-kun, are you saying that drug has the effect of stopping aging?"
Won't age?
Then what about these two children?
Will they stay looking like seven-year-olds forever?
"Oh, children grow up fast. It's not an exaggeration to say they change every day. But as for their height..." Tsuneo shook his head as he spoke.
Haibara had likely begun to notice this gradually as well.
"That is indeed the case. Edogawa hasn't felt it yet, but as time passes, this point will become increasingly obvious. First and second grade are manageable; we can use various excuses to gloss over it."
"But if it goes on longer, neither he nor I can live a normal life in bodies forever frozen at a certain age." Haibara's tone betrayed neither joy nor sorrow.
"Ai-kun..." The Professor didn't know what to say.
If they could grow up normally year by year, even if the antidote was never developed, it would be fine. But this situation...
"Relax. First grade lasts a long time; it's enough for you to do your research." Tsuneo smiled, turning back to browse the gossip news online.
This 'first grade'... who knows how many days and nights it will take to pass.
Perhaps the key to breaking this chaotic timeline was inseparable from the development of the antidote.
"Don't let the sky fall down." Haibara shook her head and turned to go back to her laboratory alone.
People from the Organization were lurking nearby, which was truly unsettling, yet this guy had a look of utter indifference on his face.
"Are you confident?"
"Should we call the police or something?" Dr. Agasa felt that Inspector Megure was quite reliable.
"If the Public Security Bureau wanted to make arrests, they could catch many people at any time, including those spy organizations. Everyone is holding onto a few fishing lines." Tsuneo was surprised to actually see a forum post about himself online.
"Then why don't they?" Dr. Agasa was a bit puzzled. The people in the Black Organization were not kind souls.
"Once you pull up these fishing lines, the biggest fish will only hide deeper. It might even vanish without a trace from then on." Tsuneo nodded while reading the post.
Not bad. Quite a few people are praising me.
It seems I, a famous detective, am not completely without fans.
However, there are a few replies that are really unfriendly.
I'm going to counterattack ruthlessly!
"Should we tell Shinichi about this?" Dr. Agasa wiped the sweat from his forehead as he watched his own account ID bombarded the comment section of that post.
"If the main contestant knows the answer to the riddle, what fun is there left for us spectators?"
Tsuneo asked in return, his fingers never stopping as he typed away, engaging in a crackling counterattack.
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