Disclaimer: Detective Conan is not mine. This fanfic is a translation.
Enjoy Reading!
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Columbia University's library was exceptionally quiet. The two men in black, who usually stayed close to Shiho, didn't follow her inside this time. Instead, they stood guard at the two entrances, one at the front and one at the back.
Over the past six years, they had come to understand that Shiho wouldn't do anything reckless. After all, the person she cared about most, her sister, was still in the organization's hands. If she tried to run… Miyano Akemi would be the one to suffer.
In the organization's eyes, Shiho was "well-behaved." Today, she wore a lab coat slightly too large for her frame as she searched for books on cell death and mitochondria. In about a month, she would graduate and return to Tokyo to begin research on APTX4869.
After finally locating the book she needed in a library with over 8.7 million volumes, she found herself unable to reach it due to her height.
Frowning, she hesitated. Should she ask those two annoying watchers for help, or find a stool herself?
Just as she was debating, she caught a faint scent of soap. Clean, fresh, and warm. Turning around, she saw a tall, black-haired young man standing behind her. His pale hand reached over her head and effortlessly took down the book she wanted.
It was the same man who had been sitting near her in the cafeteria earlier. His striking appearance had left an impression.
"Thank you."
Just as she reached for the book, she felt it being pulled away. Ritsu lowered his gaze to the small hand gripping the edge of the book. Raising an eyebrow, he said coldly.
"Little girl, I'm afraid you're mistaken."
"??"
Mistaken? What did he mean?
Seeing the confusion in her eyes, Ritsu applied a bit of force and pulled the book out of her grasp.
"It's not for you. It's a book I need myself. Bye."
Watching the black-haired young man walk away with the book she had been trying to get, Shiho froze for a moment. Then, snapping back to her senses, she kicked the bookshelf in frustration. Fortunately, not hard enough to cause any damage.
"I can't believe I ran into such an annoying guy… zero gentlemanly manners. (｀へ´*)ノ"
To make matters worse, her luck today was terrible. The library only had two copies of that book, and the other one had been checked out two weeks ago and hadn't been returned yet.
When she was in a bad mood, she craved sweets. Before heading to the laboratory, Shiho stopped to have a slice of blueberry cheesecake.
But when she arrived at the shared lab, she found someone already there.
'Since when do these jet-lagged researchers show up this early?'
When the man in the lab coat turned around, Shiho felt like she must be having the worst luck possible.
Why did she keep running into him everywhere?
Despite being a genius who entered university at a young age and was about to graduate, she was still a child at heart. She had her immature moments.
Like avoiding a plague, Shiho deliberately kept her distance from Ritsu, choosing a workstation farthest from him. Instead of conducting experiments, she took out a chemistry book and began reading.
The lab was even quieter than the library, and the temperature was comfortable. Perfect for studying.
Ritsu naturally noticed her small actions, a faint smile playing at the corner of his lips. It seemed this member of the organization wasn't the irredeemable type.
According to the file, she was the daughter of an important scientific researcher within the organization. While he needed to use her to gain entry into the organization, he was also supposed to protect her.
Why protect her?
That was something only the man behind the screen could answer. Perhaps whatever she was researching had value to the National Police Agency as well.
Shiho found it hard to concentrate today, mainly because of that annoying guy who kept making noise while working on his experiment.
He had borrowed a book but hadn't read a single page. Who knew what he was messing around with?
"Thirty-seven times."
"???"
Was he talking to her?
Having already embarrassed herself once by assuming something, Shiho frowned. Maybe he was just talking to himself.
"From the moment you came in until you sat down, fifteen minutes, you looked at me thirty-seven times."
Ritsu removed his protective goggles and strode over with long steps, stopping beside her. His blue-gray eyes looked straight at the girl, who was barely five feet tall.
"Someone behaving like that is either after my experimental results… or interested in me."
Leaning against the lab table with both hands, he added lazily.
"Either way, the answer is the same. Don't get your hopes up."
Shiho blinked, momentarily stunned. This level of narcissism was a first for her.
Sure, she had glanced at him a few more times than usual but that didn't mean she liked him.
Wait… why was he speaking Japanese?
As if reading her thoughts, Ritsu answered.
"I can't believe I ran into such an annoying guy… zero gentlemanly manners."
That was exactly what she had muttered earlier in the library.
So he had heard it?
Her cheeks flushed slightly. Pointing at the book abandoned on the lab table, she said:
"I wasn't looking at you. I wanted that book."
Ritsu straightened up, unfazed, walked over, picked up the book, and handed it to her.
"Oh, that book isn't useful to me. You can have it."
"You study cell death and mitochondria too?"
"Pathological cell biology was something I got interested in during my graduate studies two years ago. I've also studied apoptosis and autophagy." He pointed to the English name printed on the book. "I wrote this book. If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask me."
That wasn't a lie. The English name on the cover was indeed Sasajima Ritsu's, and he had written the book during his university years. It just hadn't sold well, since the topic didn't attract much interest.
A non-bestselling academic book with no publicly disclosed author details, that was precisely why the National Police Agency had chosen him for this undercover mission.
After all, there were no geniuses in this field within the agency. Ritsu met too many ideal criteria. Infiltrating the organization's research division and uncovering the purpose and effects of their drug, only he could accomplish that.
Shiho widened her eyes slightly. The young man in front of her didn't look much older than her sister. If he were a professor, she would recognize him so he must be a student.
If he had been in graduate school two years ago and could write a professional book like this… then he must be a PhD student.
"You really wrote this book?"
"Yeah."
"Then tell me, what's written on page 39?"
"No text. Just an image of telomerase. By the way, pages 40 to 42 introduce telomerase, and pages 43 to 45 explain why its activity is suppressed in normal cells."
Ritsu narrowed his eyes, looking down at her as she flipped through the book to confirm.
"I can even lend you the handwritten manuscript, assuming you can understand it."
Feeling slightly provoked, Shiho closed the book, stood up, and said.
"Would you be willing to work with me on a certain drug research project? I think you'll find it interesting."
"???"
He was surprised for three reasons.
First, she invited him far too quickly. Second, this genius girl didn't get angry despite being "outmatched." Third, she was actually inviting him to participate in research assigned by the organization.
In truth, Shiho's decision was influenced by something the silver-haired man had mentioned before she came to the U.S. That "that gentleman" was very interested in this book. If she could recruit its author, she would be granted one request.
And so, without either side fully realizing it, they had fallen into a situation of mutual exploitation.
One wanted to use her as a gateway into the organization. The other wanted to bring him into the organization in exchange for a chance to see her sister.
Both had their own hidden motives.
"That depends on how interesting it is."
"I'll be returning to Tokyo after graduating in May. I can cover your airfare and accommodations. Why not come and see for yourself?"
"…Human trafficking?"
"I already told you I'm not interested in you! (▼ヘ▼#)"
"Oh. Then we'll talk in May. You should focus on your reading."
Shiho rarely found herself at a disadvantage like this. It left her feeling frustrated, like she had nowhere to vent her irritation.
Looking down at the book in her hands, she gritted her teeth and sat back down, quietly flipping through the pages.
She had to admit.
He was better than her in this field.
For the first time, the genius girl felt a sense of defeat.
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[Author's Note: the timeline, Miyano Shiho is only 11 years old at this point~]