Shiho had just finished her experiments and was preparing to return to her room to rest. Upon leaving her personal Laboratory No. 4, she unexpectedly noticed that the lights in Laboratory No. 5 were on.
Even though she knew he was no longer alive, a tiny sliver of hope still lingered in her heart.
She hurriedly opened the laboratory door. The moment she saw the tall figure standing with his back toward her, the name "Macallan" escaped her lips before she could even think.
What answered her was a voice devoid of warmth, like a venomous snake hidden within the bushes, coldly flicking its tongue and sending chills down her spine.
A white dress shirt beneath the Organization's trademark black coat. White hair completely unlike his. Crimson eyes.
Shiho couldn't help suspecting that the man before her was some kind of successful human experiment conducted by the Organization. Eye colors like that were incredibly rare.
Especially that cross-shaped scar.
She could instinctively tell that, just like Gin, this man had cruelly killed many people.
"Nice to meet you for the first time, Second Young Lady of the Miyano family."
He stood against the light, his tall and elegant figure clearly outlined beneath the fluorescent lamps behind him. At first, his features hidden in the shadows were only vaguely visible, but once he slowly stepped forward, his full appearance came into view.
The white-haired young man resembled a refined gentleman from the previous century. Whether it was his appearance or his aura, there was a distinctly sickly elegance about him.
For some reason, Shiho felt afraid.
This kind of fear... She had never even felt it from Gin.
Ritsu narrowed his long eyes slightly, realizing he seemed to have frightened the girl quite badly. His tone softened a little as well. Instead of continuing forward, he stopped in place.
"My apologies. I should've introduced myself first."
Looking directly into Shiho's ice-blue eyes filled with alarm, Ritsu gave an extremely elegant gentleman's bow and smiled.
"My codename is Augier. I look forward to working with you, Miss Sherry."
The laboratory was not a place just anyone could enter. Shiho had absolutely no recollection of the codename "Augier."
Frowning slightly, she asked, "This isn't a place just anyone is allowed into. Please leave."
"I'm afraid I must refuse your request. Thatperson ordered me to follow up on the APTX4869 project. If you don't believe me, I can reluctantly sing that folk song for you."
The familiar melody surfaced in Shiho's mind, and her expression immediately darkened.
Anyone capable of contacting that person directly definitely held a very high position within the Organization.
'So... That person was dissatisfied with my research progress.'
"Oh? You want the research data?"
Without answering directly, Ritsu slipped one hand into his pocket and leaned slightly forward with interest.
"Are you very afraid of me?"
Shiho subconsciously tried to step back, only to realize her back was already pressed against the laboratory door.
There was nowhere left to retreat.
No wonder he asked that question.
She bit her lower lip lightly, desperately suppressing the fear rising uncontrollably inside her, and denied it:
"Not at all. If you want to review the experimental data... follow me."
"Oh?" Ritsu looked mildly surprised.
"The data isn't here?"
"Laboratory No. 5 is no longer used for APTX4869 research, Mr. Augier. Your information network doesn't seem very up to date."
"Heh. Perhaps the person who informed me... deliberately wanted to mess with me."
"Oh, then congratulations."
Shiho clearly had no interest in continuing the conversation. Turning around, she pressed the button beside the door to close Laboratory No. 5 and headed toward Laboratory No. 4, where she now conducted experiments alone.
Compared to Laboratory No. 5, Laboratory No. 4 looked far more simplistic.
Metallic instruments paired with cold-toned xenon lights gave the entire space absolutely no warmth whatsoever.
After turning on the computer and operating it for a while, Shiho didn't immediately copy the experimental data onto a USB drive for Ritsu.
Instead, she first sent an email to that person to confirm exactly how much access he was permitted regarding APTX4869.
After all, even Organization members of Gin's rank still believed APTX4869 was merely a newly developed poison.
Standing quietly nearby, Ritsu carefully observed Shiho. In just one year, she had grown much taller. At this point, calling her "shorty" no longer really fit.
At least in Tokyo, where girls around 150 centimeters were everywhere, her height of nearly 170 centimeters absolutely stood out among women.
She really grew up.
If she were an ordinary child from a normal family, she'd probably be living a regular high school life right now, just like Shinichi and the others.
Maybe she'd even get the chance to fall in love. Though whoever dated her definitely couldn't have a low IQ, or she'd bully them to death.
Less than three minutes after sending the email, a reply arrived.
The moment Shiho read the contents, her expression darkened.
[Boss: He is a child who can be trusted.]
Can be trusted. In other words, he was one of that person's trusted confidants? Then his status was either above Gin's or at least very close to it.
Shiho's dislike toward Augier deepened even further.
With a sour expression, she copied all the experimental data onto the USB drive. Rather than handing it to him politely, she simply slapped it down on the desk and said coldly,
"Everything's in there. You can leave now."
Throwing him out already?
Ritsu had originally wanted to stay and mooch a cup of coffee, but it seemed he had thoroughly earned her hatred.
Without making things more awkward, he simply picked up the USB drive and turned to leave.
Listening to his fading footsteps, Shiho stood up, shut down the computer, and turned off the lights in the laboratory before dragging her exhausted body back toward her room.
She turned around and looked at the door that had remained shut for an entire year.
How badly she wished she could hear him teasingly call her "shorty" one more time.
Back then, Shiho believed she would feel completely numb no matter who in the Organization died, because in her eyes they were all rotten to the core.
But when the news of his death reached her, her first reaction was disbelief. In her eyes, he was someone overwhelmingly powerful.
How could someone like that die?
It was only then that Shiho realized that, before she even noticed it, he had already become the second most important person in her life after her sister.
If she could go back one year, she would definitely say, "I'm sorry."
Because once upon a time, she had harbored thoughts of using him.
Unfortunately... she no longer had the chance to say those words.
----
After leaving the laboratory, Ritsu stuffed the USB drive into his pocket and hailed a taxi toward Cocktail Bar in Beika Town.
A whole year without seeing Gin, and somehow even the place he drank at had changed.
Cocktail Bar was located on the top floor of the Daikoku Building in Beika Town. The environment was elegant and highly private. Occasionally famous singers even performed there.
Clearly, it wasn't the kind of place ordinary people could enter.
Ritsu took the elevator directly to the top floor. After speaking briefly with the security staff at the entrance, he received an exclusive membership card.
What left him speechless was the terrible taste of whoever designed it.
The card was gold-plated.
The flashy design felt tacky, like something a nouveau riche millionaire would wave around proudly.
After successfully entering the bar, Ritsu relied on past experience and immediately looked toward the corner seats.
Sure enough, he spotted the two men dressed entirely in black, completely out of place among the other guests.
"Long time no see, Gin, Vodka."
With no outsiders nearby, Ritsu didn't bother pretending to be unfamiliar with them. Naturally pulling out a chair and sitting down, he rested his cheek against one hand and looked at Gin, who was quietly sipping alcohol, with a half-smile.
"Gin, got a cigarette?"