Disclaimer: Detective Conan is not mine. This fanfic is a translation.
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Taking the elevator back to Laboratory No. 5, Ritsu stopped by the vending machine near the stairwell and bought two cans of Calpis.
After going through the tedious verification process to enter the lab, he noticed Shiho sitting upright in front of the computer. Judging by how focused she was, she had most likely received an email from the higher-ups in the organization.
Placing one can on the desk, Ritsu easily popped open the tab with one hand, took a large sip, and said, "So, are we starting the experiment preparations?"
"Mm. All the information on the drug has been sent over. I've forwarded it to your computer as well."
Pulling out his chair, Ritsu sat down and immediately adjusted the mouse settings to left-handed mode. It was the first thing he did, otherwise he couldn't use it comfortably.
"What did Vodka take you for?" Shiho asked.
"Just a physical exam. Nothing to worry about."
"I wasn't worried."
Shiho paused, then glanced at the can of Calpis beside her. "Do you really like this drink?"
"Yeah. Same way you like high-sugar foods," Ritsu replied. Even though his attention was fully on the documents in front of him, he answered her without brushing her off.
APTX4869.
The name was a bit of a mouthful, but not hard to understand.
"APTX" was derived from a combination of "apoptosis" and "toxin," forming the hybrid term "Apoptoxin." That also explained why the organization had taken an interest in him.
Ritsu carefully reviewed the contents. The drug had already been developed once before, but not long after its creation, the research had suddenly been halted. There was no specific date listed, but that wasn't important.
What he needed to do now was restart the development of APTX4869 and, building upon previous results, recreate the drug to achieve its intended goals—
Reviving the dead and granting eternal life.
'…What?'
Ritsu blinked rapidly, making sure he hadn't misread the objective.
There was no way such a fantastical drug could exist. The higher-ups in this organization were seriously delusional.
"Miyano, did you already know APTX4869 was meant to be something like this?"
"Yeah. That's why everything I've studied is related to it."
"This isn't something that can be completed in a year or two," Ritsu said, taking another sip of his drink. "If you're trying to manipulate programmed cell death… one wrong move and you're just creating poison."
He paused before continuing, "And not only that, you'd have to ensure it doesn't affect the brain at all. Otherwise, perfectly healthy people could end up with severe cognitive impairment."
"I know all that," Shiho replied calmly. "But this is the 'dream drug' the organization demands. I don't have the right to refuse. All I can do is try to recreate it first, then continue the research."
Ritsu recalled what she had said before, she hadn't seen her sister in six years. That meant she had been sent abroad by the organization at an age when she had only just begun forming memories. She couldn't interact with peers, couldn't build normal relationships, and had lived under constant surveillance.
Her entire life had been planned out. Her studies existed solely to develop this absurd drug. As a genius, she should have had a bright future but instead, she was nothing more than a puppet of the organization, dedicating everything to this research.
And he himself was using her position within the organization for his undercover mission. Whether he succeeded or failed, he would eventually leave.
What would happen to her then?
It was unlikely to be anything good.
"What do you want?" Ritsu suddenly asked.
"…What do you mean?"
The topic shift was abrupt, one moment they were discussing science.
Feeling a trace of guilt, Ritsu kept his eyes on the screen and casually made up an excuse. "As thanks for introducing me to such a high-paying job, I'll get you a gift once I receive my salary. Anything you want."
'Captain Date… I've learned well, haven't I? Though when it comes to making things up, you're still better.'
Shiho didn't answer immediately. Instead, she opened a webpage and quickly navigated to a brand's official site. Pointing at an image on the screen, she said, "I want this."
Leaning slightly to the left to look, Ritsu's expression turned odd. "You want me to kidnap the president of a fashion brand? That's… not a good idea."
"??"
Shiho turned to look and realized the mouse had shifted slightly, causing the image to change to a photo of Fusae Campbell Kinoshita, the brand's founder.
"…Wrong one," she muttered, before enlarging the image of the bag she actually wanted. "I want this Speedy series handbag."
Glancing at the price, Ritsu asked, "Don't you want something more expensive?"
"I wouldn't mind if you bought me a new one every time you get paid," Shiho said with a sly glint in her eyes. "A big splurge is nice, but I prefer something steady over time."
Steady over time… So she was planning long-term damage to his bank account?
Kids these days sure had sharp minds. He had underestimated her.
Still, he decided to treat it as compensation for using her to enter the organization. Anything that could be solved with money wasn't really a problem.
"Heh, got it."
Ritsu turned his attention back to the documents. He noticed that some sections were missing. It didn't seem like the organization had deliberately sent incomplete data…
More likely, something had happened during its preservation that caused parts of it to be lost.
What could it have been?
At the end of the document were four signatures. The surnames of the first two were barely legible, while the latter two were so hastily written that they were almost impossible to decipher.
However, judging from the earlier content, the last two individuals likely shared the same surname, either a married couple or blood relatives.
"Miyano…"
"What is it now?"
"I noticed the signatures at the end of the document… the first two surnames look like 'Miyano.'"
Shiho's expression didn't change much as she replied calmly, "Oh. Those are my parents' names."
"Your parents?"
"Mm. They were the primary developers of APTX4869."
"What about the other two?"
Shiho shook her head. "I don't know. The organization never told me anything about them. But I've heard that one of them didn't participate in the research, just accompanied the other."
Accompanied?
Kids really were naïve. That clearly meant someone had been detained in the lab, most likely used as leverage against one of the researchers.
"I see."
Ritsu didn't press further. According to Shiho's file, her parents had died in an accident. The missing parts of the research data were likely connected to that incident.
As for the other two researchers, whether they were alive or dead, most likely the latter. Otherwise, the organization wouldn't have assigned him and Shiho to restart the project.
Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Shiho. She wasn't as composed as she sounded, her eyes were reddening as she struggled to suppress her emotions.
A stubborn kid… hiding her feelings like that.
In that regard, she was a lot like him.
"At eleven, it's okay to cry. You don't have to hold it in."
"Shut up!"
Ritsu lowered his head with a bitter smile. Being seen through, having a piece of your vulnerability exposed, tended to provoke anger.
He used to be the same. Wrapping himself in a hard shell, covered in thorns.
Yet deep down, he had always longed for acknowledgment… for someone to care.
All he could do now was ensure, without exposing his identity, that she and her sister would stay safe.
At the very least, he could protect that last bit of warmth she still had.
When it came to family, she was still better off than he was.
He… had nothing left.
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