Yukiko dared not be careless and immediately followed Akashi's instructions.
The car roared past Kudo's house, speeding by the front gate without slowing. After circling around, she turned toward Dr. Agasa's side entrance and brought the car to a halt.
Yukiko, still unsettled, turned to Akashi.
"Akashi, what should we do now?" she asked before quickly adding, "Wait—how did you even know that was my house?"
Akashi replied casually, "The last time Sister Ran brought me here, I went in. That's when I met Conan for the first time."
"Oh, I see," Yukiko muttered, nodding in realization.
Feigning curiosity, Akashi asked, "Who are those people? Why are they guarding your door?"
Yukiko hesitated. She couldn't explain Shinichi's situation to this peculiar young boy.
"I don't know either," she replied evasively. "Let's head to Dr. Agasa's house and observe from there."
Together, they stepped out of the car and approached the side door of Dr. Agasa's home. Yukiko knocked lightly, and the doctor quickly opened the door to let them in.
Once inside, Yukiko rushed to the second-floor window. Pulling back the curtains, she hoped for a better vantage point to observe the mysterious men guarding her home.
To her shock, the scene that unfolded before her included a small, familiar figure—Akashi!
The young boy hadn't followed her into the house. Instead, he was outside, confidently confronting the ominous figures dressed in black.
Yukiko's heart leapt into her throat.
Yet Akashi remained unnervingly calm. His sharp, calculating eyes swept over the group of strong men.
He recognized the operational style immediately. Eight guards—four on watch, four protecting the perimeter. They were clearly low-ranking members of the Black Organization, without code names or high-level roles.
"They're not hard to handle," Akashi thought to himself.
Although the opportunity was tempting, Akashi hesitated. His gaze shifted briefly to the Kudo residence and Dr. Agasa's home behind him. If he acted recklessly here, Yukiko and the others would undoubtedly be caught up in the aftermath.
Akashi didn't particularly care about most people, but Yukiko was a different matter.
After a moment's thought, he abandoned the idea of engaging the guards.
Meanwhile, two of the men stationed near the gate noticed him and began moving closer, intent on intercepting the boy.
But just then, the door to Kudo's house creaked open.
Out stepped a figure as cold and imposing as a winter storm.
The woman's white coat, lined with red, swayed slightly as she walked, revealing slender, fair calves. Her hands rested casually in her coat pockets, and her short brown hair framed an expressionless yet breathtakingly beautiful face.
Her blue eyes were sharp, filled with intelligence and quiet resolve. She radiated an air of untouchable elegance, as distant and forbidding as a flower blooming atop a snowy peak.
This was Shiho Miyano—Akemi's younger sister.
She strode out in quiet authority, her steps soft but deliberate in cream-colored sheepskin shoes.
The two guards at the gate immediately bowed slightly in deference, a clear display of respect.
One of the men in black spoke hesitantly, "Ma'am, there's a child here. Should we..."
Shiho's cold blue eyes flicked toward him, cutting him off. "Don't waste your time. What could a child possibly know?"
But as her gaze lingered on the boy's face and eyes, a sense of familiarity stirred within her. Her suspicion grew, fueled by the ongoing search of the Kudo residence.
A sudden, inexplicable thought struck Shiho, and her composure wavered. She began walking toward Akashi.
"Ma'am!"
One of the guards stepped forward to intercept her, but the higher-ranking female bodyguard next to Shiho raised her hand.
"It's fine," she said dismissively. "It's just a child."
The female bodyguard's eyes lingered on the young Akashi. She couldn't help but think the boy had an iconic charm. Were she not on duty, she might have been tempted to tease him.
She guessed Shiho might feel the same way, though Shiho would never show it.
With her reassurance, the male guard stepped back, and Shiho quickened her pace toward the boy.
Her mind raced. 'Could it be him? '
Lost in thought, she didn't notice the small puddle on the pavement until it was too late. Her foot slipped, and she lost her balance.
The once-imposing figure of Shiho—cool, untouchable, like a flower atop a high mountain—stumbled. She fell forward, colliding with Akashi and pinning him to the ground.
The boy groaned, his small hands instinctively pushing at her chest to free himself.
It was an ungraceful moment for Shiho, but the proximity allowed Akashi to whisper something only she could hear:
"Akemi is safe. Your suspicions were correct. Shiho, come out—I'll pick you up."
Shiho's blue eyes widened, trembling as the words sank in.
It 'was ' him!
Before she could respond, her female bodyguard rushed over, joined by the other operatives. They helped her to her feet, fussing over her.
Shiho stood up, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She cast a lingering glance at Akashi, who was now rolling on the ground, feigning pain.
With a calm yet strained voice, she ordered, "Let's go back."
The guards in black exchanged furtive glances, barely suppressing their laughter. The sight of their usually composed superior stumbling—and colliding with a child—was comically unexpected.
But a sharp glare from Shiho silenced them. They scrambled into their vehicles, maintaining an air of professionalism.
Shiho climbed into one of the cars, her heart racing. She didn't dare glance back at the boy, knowing her subordinates might notice something unusual.
The car engines revved, and they drove away.
As soon as the vehicles disappeared, Akashi jumped to his feet. Dusting off his clothes, he dropped the act entirely.
The door to Dr. Agasa's house burst open, and Yukiko ran out, still partially disguised. She threw her arms around him in a tight hug.
"Akashi, are you okay?" she cried. "You scared me half to death! How could you be so impulsive?"
Yukiko had been midway through her disguise, planning to retrieve the boy herself, when the situation outside escalated. She hadn't been prepared for this turn of events.
Dr. Agasa appeared at the doorway, frowning. "Who were those people?"
Yukiko sighed. "Who knows? It's probably something Shinichi got himself into. And now I can't even go back home!"
She couldn't help but grumble as she held Akashi tightly.
Akashi, however, smiled faintly. 'Why does she seem more worried than me? '
But his mind was elsewhere. The message had been delivered.
Inside the black car, Shiho stared at the passing neon lights. The cold emptiness in her eyes had begun to thaw, replaced by a glimmer of hope.
Her recent days had been fraught with despair. The death of Bacardi, the inability to contact her sister, and the suffocating isolation imposed by the organization had left her feeling lost in a fog.
But now, a small crack had appeared in that fog, allowing a sliver of light to shine through.
Her lips twitched, almost forming a smile, but she suppressed it.
'Hmph. That guy... Even as a child, he's as bad as ever. '