Icy water cascaded from the ceiling, forming curtains that blurred everyone's vision.
Panicked visitors scattered; the entire science museum instantly descended into chaos.
Sharon narrowed her emerald eyes. Water dripped from her golden strands, ruining her flawless makeup into mottled streaks.
She irritably shook her hair, peering through the downpour for the Miyanos—only a sea of frantic people.
"Vermouth, was this you?!"
Vodka stormed up, face purple with rage, sunglasses dotted with droplets.
"Even if you didn't want us reaching the Miyanos first, this is too much! We finally tracked them—if they vanish for good, then what?"
Sharon spared him a glance and said nothing.
"Enough," Gin's low voice came from behind as he restrained his fuming subordinate.
The silver-haired killer looked equally miserable—black coat plastered to his body, signature hat heavy and soaked.
"This wasn't her."
"Big bro, if not her, then who?" Vodka whipped around, eyes bulging behind wet lenses.
Gin didn't answer immediately. He tilted his head, sharp gaze sweeping the still-spraying sprinklers.
"Who knows. Could just be an accident."
Right as he spoke, the automatic fire system abruptly shut off; the piercing alarm died with it.
Only puddles and endless complaints remained.
The PA crackled: "Please remain calm, do not run. There is no fire. The sprinklers activated due to a possible sensor malfunction. Staff are investigating. Thank you for your patience."
"Big bro, what now?" Vodka wiped his face.
Gin pressed his sodden hat. "We're leaving. The Miyanos are gone. No point staying."
Sharon didn't follow. She pulled tissues from her bag and dabbed her hair.
Glancing at her soaked clothes clinging to every curve and her ruined makeup, she sighed in frustration and headed for the restrooms.
No way she'd step outside like this—tomorrow's tabloids would feast.
At the restroom entrance, staff carrying ladders emerged from the men's room, grumbling.
"No wonder the system triggered—some idiot held a flame to the sensor."
"Good thing nothing serious happened. Probably just a prank."
"Definitely some brat who didn't want to be here and decided to wreck things!"
Sharon's brows furrowed; she unconsciously twisted her wet hair.
Not an accident? A sharp glint flashed in her emerald eyes.
She refused to believe a kid's prank would perfectly sabotage both her and Gin's mission.
Meanwhile, Hayashi Shuichi had already found Reiko and a mournful Dr. Agasa cradling his drenched voice changer.
"What happened?"
"The sprinklers soaked the doctor's voice changer," Reiko explained sympathetically. "He tested it—it's dead."
Dr. Agasa looked up, round glasses fogged. "Bad luck… That was my latest improved version…"
"Ah… yeah," Hayashi Shuichi gave an awkward laugh, eyes drifting away. "Well, let's check the other exhibits. We still have a few left, right?"
"What about big sis Elena?" Reiko asked worriedly. "Did they get away safe?"
"I saw them leave the museum," Hayashi Shuichi ruffled her hair. "By now they're long gone."
Reiko exhaled in relief. "Oh—Doctor's moving to Mikan-cho tomorrow, Block 2!"
"Already picked the house?" Hayashi Shuichi asked casually. "Not next to the Kudos, right?"
"Kudo? Who's that?"
Dr. Agasa scratched his now even messier wet hair. "No family by that name nearby."
"Onii-chan, let's help the doctor move tomorrow!" Reiko tugged his sleeve excitedly. "He says his house is full of cool inventions!"
"Sure," Hayashi Shuichi nodded—he wanted to see if the current Dr. Agasa had already built any of Conan's future overpowered gadgets.
They set a time and parted ways.
Thanks to the sprinklers, the halls were flooded; besides the voice changer, plenty of exhibits were damaged. Luckily it was a kids' event—nothing too valuable.
With little left to see, Hayashi Shuichi took Reiko toward the exit—only for a tall figure to block them.
Sharon, makeup perfectly retouched, golden hair glossy again, but emerald eyes blazing.
"You."
Reiko instantly stepped in front of her brother, face tight.
"Onii-chan promised to spend today with me. You can't—"
Before she finished, Sharon theatrically covered her mouth. "He promised you the whole day? Then why did he find me and kiss me first?"
She raised her voice just enough for passing visitors to turn and stare.
"Kiss? Onii-chan kissed you?!" Reiko's eyes went round, tiny fists white-knuckled.
"That kiss… I'm still savoring it," Sharon winked at Hayashi Shuichi. "Right, Shuichi?"
"I—"
Hayashi Shuichi opened his mouth, but Sharon pressed a slender finger to his lips.
"You still have my lipstick on you. Let me wipe it off~"
Her voice dripped honey, her action pure revenge.
Reiko looked up—sure enough, a vivid red smudge on her brother's mouth.
Her eyes instantly welled up, chest heaving.
Oh no, I forgot about that—
Hayashi Shuichi frantically tried to wipe it, but Reiko was already trembling, voice cracking. "You told me and the doctor to warn the Miyanos because they were in trouble—"
"You just wanted to get rid of me! So the second I'm gone you run to this foreign woman!"
"…It really was you!" Sharon's fake smile vanished the moment Reiko confirmed it.
She stared coldly at Hayashi Shuichi, disappointment and fury almost tangible. "Everything you said, that kiss—all just to protect the Miyanos?"
"What did they ever do to deserve that from you?"
Her voice was low, laced with ice.
To Sharon, the Miyanos were her mission. Failure meant answering to the Boss—who valued the upcoming drug project above all else.
Learning Hayashi Shuichi was the reason she'd lost them—she was livid.
"The Miyanos are genius biopharmaceutical researchers. They must not get involved with the organization behind you,"
Hayashi Shuichi met her eyes squarely.
"I know you work for the Karasuma Group and the syndicate behind it. Some research should never, ever be conducted."
"You know far too much. Looks like I underestimated you, great detective."
Sharon gave a bitter laugh.
"Was getting close to me just so you could dig for intel on the organization?"
"I never approached you for information," Hayashi Shuichi sighed helplessly and reached for her—only for her to dodge.
"You expect me to believe that now?" she sneered. "That time we were buried in the landslide—was your desperation all an act to earn my trust?"
"How could you think that?" Hayashi Shuichi laughed helplessly. "We really thought we were going to die. I wasn't acting."
Sharon stared into his sincere eyes, wanting to believe him—but memories of earlier flooded back.
As the organization's top intelligence operative, she'd seen too much deception.
She knew he was likely telling the truth, yet years of paranoia had taken root.
She could no longer fully trust him.
"I said it when we parted last time, and I'll say it again," Sharon said coldly. "It's best we never meet again. Next time you interfere with my work, I won't hold back."
With that, she turned and left without looking back.
Hayashi Shuichi watched her retreating figure, emotions swirling.
I kept you away from the Miyanos for your own good!
He didn't know exactly what "Silver Bullet" would become, but he remembered clearly—in the original timeline, Sharon despised the Miyanos and their research so much she hid Conan's and Ai's true identities.
"What landslide? Almost dying?" Reiko looked up, eyes red and teary. "Onii-chan, how many more secrets are you keeping from me?"
He'd forgotten—Sharon was gone, but Reiko's crisis remained.
Hayashi Shuichi rubbed his temples. "It's complicated… Just trust that I never meant to hide things from you—"
"You promised you'd never lie to me again!" Tears spilled down Reiko's cheeks. "I hate you most right now!"
She ran crying out of the museum. Worried, Hayashi Shuichi chased after her.
One sobbing ahead, one silently following—they walked home to the Mouri building in heavy silence.
The moment they entered, frantic rustling came from Reiko's room.
Hayashi Shuichi pushed the door open—Reiko was stuffing clothes into her bag, face streaked with tears.
"You—"
"I'm moving back home," she choked. "You've always found me annoying, right? With me around you can't chase after Eri-nee or Yukiko-nee! You like them more than your own sister, don't you?"
"Stop it!"
Hayashi Shuichi strode forward and grabbed her hands.
"Fine. I'll tell you exactly what happened with the landslide."
"That day Yukiko had to report to the set alone and felt lonely, so I went to see her off…"
…
"When Sharon dropped me home, you'd just come back from school. My clothes were torn and dirty—you thought I'd been fighting. I was afraid you'd tell Auntie and she'd make me move back, so I let you believe that."
"And today?" Reiko clenched her fists. "What about that woman?"
"I didn't lie at the museum," Hayashi Shuichi explained. "The Miyanos once worked for a pharmaceutical company researching a certain drug. Sharon and the organization want them to continue it."
"Isn't research good?" Reiko frowned.
"Normal research, yes," Hayashi Shuichi said patiently. "But remember what Dr. Agasa said Mr. Miyano is called?"
Reiko tilted her head. "Mad scientist?"
"If his research were normal, he wouldn't have that nickname. That's why the Miyanos must never join the organization behind Sharon."
He gave a wry smile. "That's the whole story. Yes, I'm a bit of a playboy—I can't let go of the girls around me. But I swear I've never once found you a burden. What kind of brother thinks his little sister is a burden?"
(End of chapter)
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