Disclaimer: Detective Conan is not mine. This fanfic is a translation.
Enjoy Reading!
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Over the next period of time, Ritsu's life became exceptionally busy.
During the day, he was shuttled back and forth between Nishitama City and Yokohama under Calvados's supervision, undergoing tedious sniper training.
On the first day, he could only achieve a 100% hit rate with stationary shots within 100 yards. By the second day, however, he was already capable of firing on the move with an accuracy rate exceeding 80%.
Was this really someone who had just begun sniper training? Calvados found himself wondering, but he didn't dare think too deeply about it, afraid that the answer would only deal a harsher blow to his pride.
Including today, it had been exactly eighteen days of sniper training. Now, Ritsu could achieve a perfect hit rate in simulation tests with stationary shots at 300 yards.
Looking at the data from these past days, even Calvados, usually expressionless, couldn't help but look a bit deflated.
He couldn't help but think of his two sniper partners. After two years of training… they had only reached an effective range of about 300 to 350 yards.
After firing his final shot, Ritsu ended today's training session and prepared to return to the research facility.
In truth, he hadn't used sniper rifles during his time at the police academy. The reason he could improve so rapidly was largely due to his exceptional endurance and sharp eyesight.
Combined with long-term training and his studies at the academy, his reflexes, physical strength, and judgment had all improved significantly.
With strong mental resilience, a calm and adaptable mindset, and outstanding reconnaissance and counter-surveillance abilities, it was precisely these qualities that led the National Police Agency to select him as an undercover operative to infiltrate the organization.
"I've taught you everything I can," Calvados said. "A new sniper training facility has been set up in Nishitama, it's much closer to your lab. From now on, lower-ranking members will handle your transportation."
"Thank you for your guidance these past few days, Calvados-san."
Calvados wasn't used to being treated with such politeness. After all, his two partners in the action unit… well, that was a long story.
"No need to thank me. Maybe we'll have the chance to work together in the future." Noticing a change in Nanase's expression, Calvados mistakenly assumed he was worried about his 300-yard range being insufficient. He added reassuringly, "In reality, assassination missions don't usually require such extreme distances. Most are within 300 yards, situations beyond that are rare."
It was clear Calvados had misunderstood, but Ritsu had no intention of explaining what he'd really been thinking.
"I see. Still, I'll keep working to improve."
"Let's go. I'll take you back to the lab."
.
June 21st, Monday, 23:29
Laboratory No. 5 was still brightly lit. Wearing his white lab coat, Ritsu was fully focused on high-throughput screening.
At its core, a drug was nothing more than a molecular formula. The difficulty lay in arranging and combining molecules correctly.
That was why the most crucial step in development was identifying the target. Once the target was found, high-throughput screening could be used to obtain valuable data.
"How are your calculations coming along?"
"I've finished them and recorded the results… We should be able to complete optimization of the lead compound within this year."
"That would already be impressive. Without these instruments, if we had to screen only a few dozen substances per day, who knows how long the two of us would be stuck here."
Shiho handed him a freshly brewed cup of coffee and said calmly, "Blame the organization for not trusting other researchers. If they assigned more people, we wouldn't have to work ourselves this hard every day."
"You should be grateful we even have these materials. If all you had was a broad direction and had to figure everything out on your own… even with your talent, it would probably take over twenty years just to reach the development stage."
"…I can't deny that."
After blowing on the coffee a few times, Ritsu cautiously stuck out his tongue to test the temperature. Watching him, Shiho said in exasperation, "Why are you acting like a cat?"
"Hm?"
"Nothing."
Recently, Ritsu had been disappearing from the lab during the day, yet Shiho had never asked about it. As he sipped his coffee, his thoughts wandered. Just last night, he had received a message from Gin. His first mission as a member of the action unit would be assigned tomorrow.
That's right, just yesterday, while training at the new facility in Nishitama, he had received a call from an unfamiliar number.
The most ridiculous part?
He had hung up.
Fortunately, Gin hadn't gotten angry. Instead, he patiently sent an email telling him to call back.
"Tomorrow at 18:20, Calvados will be waiting for you in front of a convenience store at 1-13 Sekidochō. He'll brief you on the mission."
"Gin-san, do I need to prepare anything?"
"Bring yourself." Gin paused slightly before continuing, "And your clear mind. The mission must succeed, otherwise, you won't qualify to join the action unit."
So that was how the evaluation worked.
"Understood, Gin-san."
"Mm."
With that, Gin hung up immediately. Unless necessary, he was the very definition of a man of few words, not even a simple goodbye.
Ritsu didn't mind. At this stage, he was nothing more than a low-level tool. Someone who could help Shiho accelerate drug development. He was still expendable. He couldn't afford to offend his superiors with any careless thoughts.
Leaning against the lab bench, he absentmindedly sipped his coffee, not even noticing it spilling from the corner of his mouth and dripping onto his lab coat.
Looking up, Shiho noticed his distracted state and teased, "Wow, you're already this grown and still manage to spill coffee on yourself?"
Snapping back to reality, Ritsu calmly took out a handkerchief and wiped his mouth, then glanced down at the stain on his coat. "Can you keep an eye on the equipment? I'll go change."
Shiho set aside her teasing tone and asked, "It's rare to see you this distracted. Did something happen?"
Ritsu hesitated but ultimately chose not to tell her. Shaking his head, he said, "Probably just haven't been resting well lately. How about we call it a day? The organization's given us plenty of time anyway."
Before leaving, he turned back and gave her a faint smile. "Thanks for the coffee."
"…Sure."
The lab door opened and then closed again.
Shiho let out a quiet sigh as she turned her gaze back to the data on the instruments. Saying he wanted to rest was clearly an excuse, he just didn't want her to keep asking questions. For someone so intelligent, that was a remarkably poor lie.
People were like that. When they wanted to deceive someone, they could come up with a thousand convincing excuses. But when they didn't want to lie… their excuses were often so flimsy they could be seen through at a glance.
"Seriously… how dumb. After drinking a whole cup of coffee, there's no way you'd fall asleep."
Besides...
He'd been disappearing every morning for an entire month. Did he really think she was that oblivious?
More likely, the organization had assigned him some task, one that had to be kept secret from her.
Shiho washed the two cups and put them away in the cabinet, then returned to watching the data on the instruments, waiting for something useful to emerge.
The waiting process was always long…
Just like the request she had made to Gin, yet even now, it still hadn't been granted.
'Nee-chan… I miss you.'
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