Back at his temporary residence, Kanjuro tossed the FBI encrypted file folder he had forcibly taken from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department onto the table. Akemi Miyano immediately stepped forward, carefully tore open the seal, and took out the documents to spread them out. Ai Haibara also leaned in nervously, her icy blue eyes fixed on the text that might record her mother's whereabouts.
Most of the files were records of the FBI's past clashes with the Black Organization, including many bloody failures and sacrifices. Kanjuro's gaze swept across the yellowed pages and encrypted telegrams like a scanner, finally stopping on an agent file marked "Extremely Dangerous/Deceased."
The photo in the file showed a middle-aged man with sharp eyes and a resolute face, with an unyielding will between his brows. The name column clearly read: Akai Tsutomu (Moroboshi Dadashi/Akai Tsutomu).
"Akai Tsutomu..." Kanjuro softly repeated the name, his finger tapping on the file.
The file recorded that Akai Tsutomu was an outstanding FBI agent who had deeply intervened in the investigation of the Black Organization years ago. However, he later disappeared during a secret operation against the organization and was eventually determined to have died in the line of duty, suspected of having fallen victim to the organization. A small, inconspicuous line in the remarks column caught Kanjuro's attention:
"It is believed that this member had contact with a high-level researcher within the target organization, 'Miyano Elena' (defected/missing); the nature of the contact is unknown."
"Mom... knew this person?" Ai Haibara murmured, a strange sense of connection rising in her heart.
Akemi Miyano continued to look through the family information column related to Akai Tsutomu and read out the contents: "Spouse: Akai Mary. Children: Eldest son—Shuichi Akai, second son—Akai Hideyoshi (?, incomplete information), eldest daughter—Sera Masumi."
"Shuichi Akai?!" Akemi Miyano cried out in surprise; she was all too familiar with this name! The man who had once infiltrated the organization under the codename "Rye" and was later killed by Akemi Miyano under Kanjuro's orders.
Kanjuro's mouth slowly curved into an understanding and playful smile, as if all the clues had been connected at this moment.
"Shuichi Akai... so he's the son of this Akai Tsutomu." Kanjuro's voice carried a hint of pleasure at seeing through everything. "I was wondering before, an FBI agent who could infiltrate the organization and almost cause a stir shouldn't have a simple background. Now it seems, 'like father, like son' indeed. Unfortunately... they've all become ghosts under the organization's guns, or rather," he glanced at Akemi Miyano, "at least that's how it is in your understanding."
Akemi Miyano nodded with mixed emotions. She indeed had feelings for Shuichi Akai back then; one could even say his "death" was one of the triggers for her defection from the organization.
"What does Father mean?" Akemi Miyano asked.
Kanjuro stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the busy street outside, his eyes deep:
"Akai Tsutomu died investigating the organization, and he had contact with your mother, Miyano Elena. His son Shuichi Akai followed in his father's footsteps and also infiltrated the organization, eventually (in your understanding, Akemi) dying at the hands of the organization as well."
He turned around, his gaze sweeping over the two sisters.
"This Akai family can almost be said to have a blood feud and countless ties with both the organization and the Miyano family."
"Shuichi Akai is dead, but he must still have a network within the FBI, and his younger brother and sister... perhaps they know something too. It's even possible that Miyano Elena's escape back then was related to some arrangements or connections left by Akai Tsutomu."
His analysis was clear and hit the core.
"Our next goal is to first investigate the exact identities, whereabouts, and information known by Akai Tsutomu's children. Especially the second son, Akai Hideyoshi, and the eldest daughter, Sera Masumi."
Kanjuro's eyes flashed with the light of a hunter locking onto new prey.
"From them, we are likely to find a breakthrough regarding Miyano Elena's whereabouts, and perhaps... even unearth more truths about the organization, the FBI, and all the past grudges."
Listening to Kanjuro's analysis, new hope ignited in Ai Haibara's heart. The Akai family... her mother might have a connection with them... this was undoubtedly the clearest clue so far!
"I understand, Father," Ai Haibara said proactively, her tone more determined than before. "We need to find Akai Hideyoshi and Sera Masumi as soon as possible."
Akemi Miyano also nodded vigorously: "Everything will be done according to Father's arrangements."
Kanjuro looked at them with satisfaction. He needed them to maintain this initiative and "hope," because it would make them more dependent on and obedient to him, the controller who could bring "hope."
He took out his phone and directly contacted Vermouth, who had recently infiltrated the organization.
"Vermouth, prioritize investigating all records within the organization regarding the surname 'Akai,' especially concerning Akai Tsutomu's children, one named Akai Hideyoshi and the other named Sera Masumi. I want their detailed profiles and latest movements."
At the same time, he also issued orders to Gin and Vodka, who were waiting outside the door, to use their remaining organizational intelligence network to search for relevant information in the underworld.
A large net targeting the remaining members of the Akai family was quietly cast under Kanjuro's command. The journey to find Miyano Elena was intertwined with settling old scores and digging up secrets, pointing toward the Akai family, which had a fated connection with the Miyano family. And Kanjuro, the ruler in the darkness, was preparing to bring the fates of both families completely into the chessboard under his control. Through cross-referencing and analyzing information from various sources, Kanjuro soon locked his target on Akai Tsutomu's eldest daughter—Sera Masumi. Compared to the second son, Akai Hideyoshi, whose whereabouts were more hidden and information almost blank, this high school girl currently attending Teitan High School was undoubtedly an easier target to approach and break through.
"Teitan High School..." Kanjuro looked at Sera Masumi's student profile and photo displayed on the screen. She was a short-haired girl who looked lively and cheerful with a bit of a tomboyish air. A meaningful smile curved at the corner of his mouth. "What a coincidence."
He certainly remembered that place. Not only was his daughter, Ran Mouri, whom he had just "subdued" not long ago, there, but also her friend whom he had also taken control of—Suzuki Sonoko. After a series of mental guidance and power influences from Kanjuro, these two girls were no longer ordinary high school students. Their bodies and minds were branded with Kanjuro's mark, and they held a twisted dependence and adoration for him.
"Ran and Sonoko... are both at Teitan High School," Akemi Miyano said softly, her eyes complex. She knew the current state of those two girls; they were completely immersed in the dark dream Kanjuro had woven.
Ai Haibara also remained silent. To her, Teitan High School had once been a symbol of brief and precious peaceful times, but now it was about to be shrouded in Kanjuro's shadow once again.
"Since the target is there, and there are ready-made 'insiders'..." Kanjuro stood up and stretched his wrists, a look of almost mischievous interest appearing on his face. "Then, experiencing high school life seems like a good choice."
His decision was casual, as if he had just decided to go for a cup of coffee in the afternoon.
"Father, you're going to... transfer to Teitan High School?" Akemi Miyano was somewhat surprised, but she soon understood Kanjuro's intention—to get close, observe, and eventually control Sera Masumi, digging up clues about the Akai family and her mother's whereabouts from her.
"Yes." Kanjuro nodded, his tone matter-of-fact. "Approaching her as a transfer student, getting to know her, and then... making her 'honest' and 'dependent' just like Ran and Sonoko, isn't that the most direct and effective method?"
His words were full of absolute confidence in his control over the human heart. To him, infiltrating a high school and playing a student was just another role-playing game, and Sera Masumi was a new and interesting target to conquer in this game.
"Do you need me to prepare your identity and enrollment procedures?" Akemi Miyano immediately entered her role and asked. With the power Kanjuro now secretly controlled, arranging a seamless high school identity was easy.
"Go ahead, get it done as soon as possible," Kanjuro instructed, then added, "Tell Ran and Sonoko that they will soon see 'Daddy' at school. Tell them to... cooperate well, and especially, help me keep an eye on that classmate Sera."
A cold smile played on his lips. Using the daughters he already controlled to approach and control a new target was an efficient method that also carried a cruel beauty of trampling on interpersonal relationships.
Looking at Kanjuro's calculating appearance, Ai Haibara couldn't help but feel a chill for Sera Masumi, who was still unaware of the approaching danger. Once targeted by this demon, her fate was almost sealed.
Not long after, all arrangements were in place.
A few days later, Class 2-B of Teitan High School welcomed a stunning transfer student.
When the homeroom teacher introduced the new student, the entire classroom fell into an eerie silence, followed by uncontrollable whispers.
The boy standing on the podium was tall and handsome to an almost unreal degree. Under his messy black hair, a pair of deep eyes seemed capable of sucking away one's soul. He wore the well-fitting Teitan High School male uniform, yet it could not hide his heart-palpitating maturity and mysterious aura that surpassed his age.
"Hello everyone, I am Kanjuro. Please take care of me from now on." His self-introduction was brief and plain, but his voice had a strange magnetic quality, instantly attracting everyone's gaze.
In the corner of the classroom, Ran Mouri and Suzuki Sonoko looked at Kanjuro on the podium, their eyes instantly exploding with fanatical and obsessed light. But they remembered Kanjuro's instructions and tried their best to restrain themselves from pouncing on him immediately, only following him closely with burning gazes.
Sera Masumi, who was sitting at another window seat, also sized up this new classmate with curiosity. In her sharp, cat-like eyes, besides the instinctive appreciation for his handsome appearance, there was also a hint of scrutiny and curiosity born of professional habit. This transfer student... gave off a very special feeling.. 0
Kanjuro's gaze seemed to sweep across the class casually, eventually meeting Sera Masumi's probing eyes briefly in the air. He gave her a gentle, harmless, and friendly smile that perfectly suited his current identity as a "high school student."
However, beneath that smile was the cold and determined calculation of a hunter locking onto his prey.
"Sera Masumi..." Kanjuro repeated the name in his heart, as if he could already see her struggling in his palm and eventually sinking.
The new stage was set, and the actors were in place. A dark erosion wrapped in a sugar coating, set in a youthful campus, officially began. Kanjuro's high school "life" was destined not to be peaceful. And the gears of Sera Masumi's fate also began to turn slowly toward an unknown and dangerous direction due to the arrival of this special transfer student.
The gears of fate turned quietly, and Kanjuro's seat was arranged next to Sera Masumi's. When this new desk mate sat down with a faint, crisp scent like cedarwood, Sera Masumi's body stiffened imperceptibly.
Regarding rumors about Kanjuro, she had heard some fragments through various special channels (mainly stemming from investigations into Shuichi Akai-related incidents) and gossip from Tokyo's high-society circles. Those pieces of information formed a vague and dangerous silhouette—confronting the police, unpredictable methods, and being surrounded by women with complex identities... All of this made Sera Masumi, the daughter of an FBI agent who possessed a keen intuition for danger, instinctively maintain a high level of vigilance and a trace of undetectable fear toward her new desk mate.
She was like a wary cat, secretly observing Kanjuro's every move, ready to respond to any potential threat at any time.
However, the following days of interaction completely overturned her expectations.
In class, Kanjuro behaved like any other honor student—listening attentively and occasionally giving precise and concise answers when the teacher asked questions, showing off his intelligent mind. But he never flaunted it; sometimes, he would even deliberately show a thoughtful expression on simple questions or "accidentally" calculate a math problem wrong, then ask her for advice with a slightly embarrassed smile.
"Sorry, Classmate Sera, I don't seem to quite understand this step. Could you please explain it again?" Kanjuro held his textbook, pointing to a trigonometric function problem, his eyes clean and sincere, completely lacking the overbearing pressure of the rumors.
Sera Masumi froze for a moment, looking at his sincere (feigned) eyes, and subconsciously took the textbook to start explaining. During the explanation, Kanjuro listened very seriously, nodding from time to time, and occasionally asking appropriate questions, showing that he was indeed following her train of thought.
This equal and even slightly "clumsy" interaction caused Sera Masumi's tense nerves to relax slightly. Perhaps... the rumors were wrong? Or were those just malicious speculations about a powerful person?
Between classes, Kanjuro wasn't surrounded by girls as she had imagined (in fact, although Ran Mouri and Suzuki Sonoko's gazes were burning, they seemed to have been warned in advance and didn't get too close). Most of the time, he just sat quietly in his seat looking out the window or browsing through some seemingly profound books. When other classmates (especially the boys) approached him out of curiosity or defiance, or even with a bit of provocation, Kanjuro always responded with a calm attitude, resolving conflicts in just a few words and even making the other party feel an involuntary liking for him.
Once, Sera Masumi accidentally knocked over her water bottle, spilling water all over the desk and soaking the notebook Kanjuro had placed at the corner. She apologized in a panic, clumsily wiping it up.
"It's okay." Kanjuro's voice was still gentle; he even took the initiative to take out a tissue and help her wipe it, his movements natural and smooth, without the slightest impatience or anger. He picked up the soaked notebook, looked at it, and smiled. "I was just thinking of reorganizing some notes anyway; now I have a reason."
His tolerance and sense of humor significantly reduced the guilt in Sera Masumi's heart, while also fostering a bit of goodwill toward him.
At lunchtime, they would sometimes run into each other on the rooftop or in the hallway. Kanjuro would greet her naturally and chat about school, classes, or recent interesting events. His talk was witty and his knowledge broad, always able to bring up thought-provoking or hilarious topics, but without overstepping into privacy, handling the sense of boundaries perfectly.
Sera Masumi found that being with Kanjuro was very comfortable. He was like a warm, non-glaring sun, just right for dispersing the slight sense of loneliness she felt as a newcomer (although she had transferred a while ago, she always felt a bit out of place due to her special background).
That initial fear and vigilance born of rumors melted away bit by bit, like snow under the sun, during their daily, seemingly ordinary and friendly interactions.
"Maybe... he's not the kind of person I imagined?" Sera Masumi watched Kanjuro's figure on the basketball court (where he was pulled in to make up the numbers during PE class), moving clumsily yet still working hard, and listened to the admiration and curiosity of the girls around her (excluding Ran and Sonoko), and she couldn't help but have such a thought.
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