The Same Secret

Chapter 5 — The Same Secret

The house was unusually quiet.

Professor Agasa stood up from his chair.

“Oh! I almost forgot.”

“I need to pick up a package from my workshop.”

He smiled awkwardly.

“You two can wait here. I’ll only be gone for a few minutes.”

The front door closed.

Silence filled the room.

Conan glanced at the girl sitting across from him.

She quietly held a warm cup with both hands, staring at the steam rising into the air.

“…You’re pretty quiet.”

No response.

Conan scratched his cheek.

“Professor Agasa says you’re staying here for a while.”

“…For now.”

Her voice was calm.

Almost emotionless.

Conan frowned.

She didn’t sound like an ordinary child.

She spoke carefully.

Like every word had already been considered before leaving her mouth.

“So…”

“What school did you go to?”

Shiho looked at him for a brief moment.

“I don’t remember.”

Conan immediately knew she was lying.

Not because of what she said…

But because of how she said it.

There wasn’t the slightest hesitation.

She had prepared that answer long ago.

Conan leaned back in his chair.

“…Interesting.”

He decided to change the subject.

“Have you ever heard of Shinichi Kudo?”

For the first time…

The girl’s expression changed.

Only for a fraction of a second.

Her fingers tightened around the cup.

Then everything returned to normal.

“…No.”

Conan narrowed his eyes.

“That pause…”

“Who are you?”

Conan had met many strange people before.

Witnesses.

Criminals.

Detectives.

Even dangerous men who smiled while hiding the truth.

But this girl was different.

She wasn’t trying to deceive him.

She was trying to protect something.

Or perhaps…

Someone.

There was sadness hidden behind her calm expression.

Not the sadness of a child.

It was the look of a person who had already lost everything.

For reasons he couldn’t explain, Conan felt an unusual sense of familiarity.

It was almost as if…

They were carrying the same burden.

Neither of them spoke.

Neither of them smiled.

Yet the silence between them felt strangely heavy.

Neither realized it then…

But fate had already tied their paths together long before that morning.

At that moment…

The front door opened.

“I’m back!” Professor Agasa called cheerfully.

Conan quickly stood up.

“I should get going.”

Agasa handed him the Detective Badge.

“Don’t lose it again.”

Conan laughed.

“I’ll try.”

As he walked toward the front door…

A quiet voice stopped him.

“…Be careful.”

Conan turned around.

“Hm?”

Haibara lowered her eyes.

“…Nothing.”

Conan smiled politely before leaving.

The door slowly closed behind him.

The room became silent once again.

Shiho walked toward the window.

She watched the small figure disappear into the distance.

“…You still don’t know.”

Her voice was barely a whisper.

“The Organization is closer than you think.”

She gently closed her eyes.

“And if they ever discover you’re still alive…”

“…they won’t hesitate to kill you.”

Outside…

Snow began to fall once again.

Neither of them knew everything was about to change their lives forever together.

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