That's wrong, he thought. He understood it in his head. He knew that because of the threatening message that had arrived Sunday night, Shiho was trying to shoulder everything alone again. And yet — when he saw her profile in the Agasa residence's living room after school on Monday, she wore the same gentle smile as always. A laptop sat open on the living room table, its screen displaying an overseas medical journal. Shiho sat before it, pretending to type, and didn't lift her head even when Shinichi entered. [gentle] Welcome back. "...Yeah." Shinichi set his school bag on the sofa and moved to sit beside her. But Shiho subtly shifted her body away. Just a few centimeters. Yet to Shinichi, those few centimeters felt impossibly far. (Again.) The warmth of the kiss they'd shared yesterday in the Kudou residence study felt like a lie. Back then, Shiho had definitely smiled. A genuine smile, from the heart, tinged with vulnerability. But now — she'd returned to that fabricated smile again. [serious] Shiho. About that message yesterday— The moment Shinichi opened his mouth, Shiho's shoulders stiffened faintly. But she answered immediately, without looking away from the screen. [gentle] It's fine. Please don't worry about it. "Don't worry about it? That's impossible. There might be someone tailing you." [gentle] ...You're the one worrying too much, Shinichi-san. Her voice clearly carried the will to end the conversation there. Shinichi clenched his fists. (Why do you always, always—) That was when it happened. *Ding-dong*, chimed the front door intercom. Both of them froze at the same moment. "...Who could that be?" Shinichi stood and walked down the hallway toward the entrance. The instant he peered through the door scope, his heart lurched. Standing there — was Mouri Ran. Something deep in his chest tightened painfully. Shinichi held his breath for a moment, then opened the door as if resigning himself. [surprised] Ran... what's up, coming by all of a sudden? Ran lowered her brows slightly and looked up at Shinichi with a worried expression. Her long, straight black hair swayed gently in the afternoon breeze. Her bright hazel eyes were as direct and unclouded as ever. [gentle] ...You haven't been in touch lately, and you've seemed kind of off. Her voice was made entirely of pure concern. Straightforward words, without any hidden meaning. Shinichi stood frozen, unable to say anything. [gentle] I thought Shinichi might be at Professor Agasa's place. Sorry for dropping by so suddenly. "...No, it's fine. Come in." Shinichi couldn't find a reason to refuse. He led Ran into the living room. The moment she entered, her eyes met Shiho's. Shiho closed her laptop and quietly stood up. [surprised] Ah, um... Haibara-chan... Miyano-san? Ran tilted her head slightly, hesitating over what to call her as she greeted her. Shiho lowered her eyes for just an instant, then slowly smiled. [gentle] It's been a while, Ran-san. On the surface, it was a calm voice. But Shinichi could tell. Hidden behind that smile was pain. The three of them sat on the sofa. Shinichi in the middle, Ran on his right, Shiho on his left. A strange triangle. Ran, knowing nothing of the circumstances, began talking in her usual bright tone. [laughing] Honestly, Shinichi, it's always cases, cases, cases with you. I was worried about whether you're eating properly. [sarcastic] ...You worry too much. [angry] Of course I do! If someone isn't watching you, you push yourself too hard right away. Don't you agree, Miyano-san? Suddenly put on the spot, Shiho's hands clenched tightly on her lap. But she immediately crafted a smile. [gentle] ...Yes, truly. He's quite a handful. [laughing] Right, right! Oh, but I'm glad you're here, Miyano-san. Thank you for keeping such good watch over Shinichi. Ran said it with an innocent, guileless smile. In that instant, Shiho's pale blue eyes wavered unmistakably. Like a crack forming on the surface of ice — faint, but definite. Only Shinichi saw it. Ran's words were pure gratitude. No hidden meaning, nothing. But how deeply those words wounded Shiho — Ran had no way of knowing. The air grew so tense it was suffocating. Standing between the two of them, Shinichi felt crushed by the weight of words he couldn't say. (I'm hurting both of them.) For about ten more minutes, Ran talked about school and karate, and then finally stood up. [gentle] Well then, I should head home soon. Shinichi, stay in touch, okay? I'll be waiting. "...Yeah." Ran left through the front door. Her footsteps faded into the distance, and soon they were gone. Returning to the living room, Shinichi looked at Shiho's face. She was staring out the window, and her profile revealed nothing. As if she had frozen every emotion solid. [serious] Shiho— Just as Shinichi was about to call out to her— *BANG!* The front door flew open with force. Then, footsteps clattering down the hallway. [scared] Shinichi-kun! Shiho-kun! Professor Agasa burst into the room, his face pale. Behind his round glasses, his eyes had lost their usual gentleness and were trembling. In his hand, he clutched a laptop. [scared] This is terrible! Look at this! The professor set the laptop on the table and turned the screen toward them. It displayed surveillance camera footage from around the Agasa residence. [serious] This is... three days' worth of footage? [scared] That's right. What I need you to see is here. In the footage the professor pointed to, a man in a black jacket appeared. The man stood across the street, pretending to fiddle with his smartphone, but his gaze was fixed on the Agasa residence's front door. And every time Shiho went out, the man began moving too. [angry] This bastard... he's tailing her. [scared] That's not all. Look at the dates on the footage. The man is different every day. They're rotating shifts to conduct surveillance. This isn't the work of an amateur stalker. These are the movements of trained personnel. Shiho stared at the screen in silence. Her fingertips trembled faintly. [scared] Most likely, they're remnants of the Organization. We should assume they've begun moving to exact revenge on Shiho-kun. At this rate, she's in danger. Shinichi stood up immediately. [angry] Don't leave this house right now, Shiho. I'll stay with you. I'll definitely protect you. He grabbed her shoulders and declared it clearly. But. Shiho gently removed his hands. [gentle] ...No. It was a small but definite refusal. She looked straight up into Shinichi's face. In her pale blue eyes, there was no longer any hesitation. [gentle] I can't drag you all into danger. This is my problem. Her voice was quiet, not even trembling. That composure only fueled Shinichi's fear. [angry] What are you saying?! This isn't someone you can handle alone! [serious] ...You saw Ran-san's face, didn't you? Shiho's voice wavered, just a little. [serious] She worries about you from the bottom of her heart. She's waiting for you. You have a proper place to return to. I... don't. "You do! You have—" The moment Shinichi opened his mouth to argue, Shiho turned on her heel and ran up the stairs. [angry] Shiho! Wait! Shinichi immediately chased after her, reaching the door to her room. He grabbed the doorknob, but it was locked. "Open up, Shiho!" He pounded on the door. But there was no answer. [serious] Don't try to carry everything alone. I— That's when he heard a voice from the other side of the door. [whispers] ...Make sure you live, Shinichi. That voice was soft — the same voice as the warmth of those three nights they'd held each other. And that was precisely why — the worst possible premonition shot through Shinichi's entire body. "Stop it, Shiho! Where are you planning to go?!" Shinichi threw his weight against the door, but it wouldn't open. The professor came up the stairs, his face ashen. [scared] That girl... she couldn't possibly... Ten minutes later. When Shinichi and the professor checked the entrance, Shiho's shoes were gone. The back door was unlocked. [angry] She's outside! Shinichi rushed out without even grabbing an umbrella. It was raining. Hard, cold rain. The sky hung low and dark, and the lights of Beika Town's shopping district bled into the wet pavement. (Where — where did she go?) Shinichi ran through the rain. He instantly deduced the places Shiho might head toward. The station, the bus stop, the back alleys of the shopping district — but. She wasn't there. Nowhere. She had calculated her escape route in advance. Threading through the surveillance cameras' blind spots, erasing her footprints, completely severing all traces. The knowledge she'd gained as a former Organization scientist was now being used to reject Shinichi. After fifteen minutes of running through the rain, Shinichi returned to the Agasa residence. He was soaked to the bone. His shoes and jacket were drenched, water dripping from his hair. He was out of breath. The professor silently handed him a towel. His eyes were red. [scared] Shiho-kun... you couldn't find her. Shinichi didn't answer. Still holding the towel, he went up to the second floor. The door to Shiho's room was open now. The moment he stepped inside, cold air bit into his skin. The room's lights were off, and only the rainy light filtering through the window dimly illuminated the space. The fashion magazines that had always been on her desk, the laptop, the small pouch — all of it was gone. Several books had been pulled from the bookshelf, and when he opened the closet, about half her clothes were missing. All that remained was the scent of the room. Floral, faintly sweet — the lingering fragrance of her. And — on the desk, a single sheet of paper had been folded. With trembling fingers, Shinichi opened it. It was her handwriting. Neat, unwavering, direct. *'Goodbye, Shinichi. I can't be the one to destroy your life.'* Just that. Nothing more. Still clutching the note, Shinichi slowly sat down on the edge of the bed. Three days ago, he had held her here. That night, they had crossed the walls of their hearts for the first time and felt each other's warmth. She had been crying. Crying, and yet — she had definitely been in his arms. (And now—) The room was empty. Only the sound of rain beating against the window echoed through the silence. The inorganic *shaaa* of the downpour filled every inch of the emptiness in the room. Thought vanished from Shinichi's mind. Deduction, logic, everything. All of it dissolved into the sound of the rain. (I—) He had sworn to protect her. The professor quietly entered the room and sat beside Shinichi, unable to say a word. His hands trembled as if wanting to say something, but no words came. The two of them sank into a long silence. Outside the window, the rain grew stronger and stronger. As if trying to wash the entire world away. And in Shinichi's hand, the note grew slowly damp from his wet fingers. Her handwriting blurred. Only the word "Goodbye" remained there, undissolved by the rain.