In the early morning, the alarm clock blared through the room.
A small hand reached out from under the covers and slapped the alarm clock.
Lin Jianhe rubbed her eyes, drowsily getting out of bed.
She looked around the room, then remembered that she was no longer with the organization.
Now, she was Lin Jianhe, a first-grader.
She made her bed and stepped onto a stool to wash her face and brush her teeth.
Even though it had been almost half a month since she became small, it was still difficult for her to adapt.
After all, she had lived in such a world for over a decade, and it was hard for her to suddenly relax from such high-pressure intensity.
Just like now, even though she knew she was safe, there was a military knife hidden under her pillow, and in this house, weapons, surveillance, and anti-intrusion traps were placed everywhere.
After brushing her teeth, she put on her backpack and shoes, ready to go to school.
"Oh, little Jianhe is going to school?"
As soon as she opened the door, she saw the landlady next door returning from taking out the trash.
Lin Jianhe immediately put on a well-behaved child's expression and politely nodded, "I'm going to school now, Auntie."
Seeing Lin Jianhe so well-behaved and sensible, the landlady couldn't help but touch her head with overflowing maternal love.
"I wonder when your parents will be back.
If you have any difficulties, be sure to come to Auntie.
Come have dinner at my house tonight."
"No need, Auntie, Dad and Mom will be back today!"
This residence was her temporary haven.
For a primary school student like her, being alone at home was very strange and would attract attention.
So, in the short term, she had to find another place to live.
A place without neighbors, where no one would disturb her usually...
"Lin! Let's go watch a soccer game this weekend!"
As soon as she entered the classroom, Ayumi and the other two ran over.
Lin Jianhe put down her backpack, and while taking out a book, she said, "A soccer game? I'm not interested."
"Eh?! All of us Detective Boys are going!
Lin can't miss it either!"
"All of you?"
She glanced in Haibara-san's direction, and at Conan sitting beside her.
"Soccer games are great!" Genta then added.
The moment her eyes met the brown-haired girl's, she smiled and nodded: "Okay, I'll go, what time?"
But no one knew what Lin Jianhe was truly thinking behind that brilliant smile.
— She absolutely couldn't let Haibara and this Four-Eyed Detective be alone together.
Weekend
Amidst the lively shouts, the soccer game began.
Their seats were in the front row of the stands.
Ayumi, Mitsuhiko, Genta, and even Conan were all leaning over the railing, wanting to see the situation on the field more clearly.
Listening to Mitsuhiko and the others cheering, Lin Jianhe sat in her seat, leaning against the backrest, bored.
She had no interest in soccer games whatsoever.
Just then, the whistle blew on the field, and someone scored a goal.
Ayumi: "Who scored that goal just now?"
Mitsuhiko explained: "That's Hero from the Soul team.
Naoki passed the ball to him from the middle, and Hero then headed the ball into the net."
"He really is a hero," Genta couldn't help but exclaim.
Mitsuhiko: "That's right.
I heard if he hadn't been injured this time, he might have made it into the Japanese national team."
Listening to these kids discuss soccer players, Lin Jianhe yawned sleepily.
The sun was dazzling, making her feel drowsy.
To keep herself awake, she turned her head and glanced at Haibara sitting beside her.
The person had large sunglasses on her face and was holding a fashion magazine.
It made her mouth twitch.
"You came here just to read a magazine?"
"I'm not interested in soccer games," Haibara-san stared intently at the magazine, her expression and demeanor completely unlike a primary school student's.
Anyone who saw her would find it strange, right?
"Besides, in a place with so many live cameras, I can't show my face.
You know, those people in the organization know what I looked like when I was little."
"If we're discovered, both you and I will be finished."
"You don't have to dress up like this, though.
This is counterproductive."
Lin Jianhe took the magazine from her hand, then took off her sunglasses, and amid the girl's panic, placed her own black baseball cap on Haibara-san's head.
She herself pulled the hood of her tracksuit over her head.
"Even disguises should fit the identity of the disguise.
No child would sit here wearing sunglasses and reading a magazine."
There was some truth to that, and Haibara-san had no retort, so she could only honestly accept Lin Jianhe's kindness.
"I couldn't refuse these kids.
Since you find it boring, why aren't you staying at home?"
"Me?"
The two of them leaned against the railing, and Lin Jianhe answered naturally, "Of course, I'm here to protect you, after all, that's my responsibility."
"Responsibility..."
They had both left the organization, so what responsibility was there to speak of?
Haibara-san was about to speak when Ayumi's voice suddenly appeared.
"Lin, Haibara-san, what are you talking about bodyguards for?"
"I..."
She hadn't expected their conversation to be overheard by Ayumi, but before Lin Jianhe could answer, a gust of wind suddenly blew, carrying Haibara-san's baseball cap under the railing and onto the field.
"Your hat..."
Lin Jianhe hadn't finished speaking when she saw the soccer ball that had fallen near the hat suddenly bounce away on its own.
"This is..."
Before Conan could react, Lin Jianhe had already put an arm around Haibara-san's shoulder, cautiously observing their surroundings.
The sudden closeness caught Haibara-san a bit off guard.
She saw Lin Jianhe looking around vigilantly and also sensed that something was wrong.
"What's wrong?"
"Shh..." Lin Jianhe put her index finger to her lips, "The soccer ball that fell on the grass just now bounced on its own.
I think I heard the sound of a suppressor.
There should be someone with a gun nearby."
Her gaze fell on the bullet hole Conan had dug.
"It should be a 7.62 bullet."
"Listen to me!"
Just then, Conan, who had been rushed to the stands by the staff, also looked serious.
"There's someone with a handgun in these stands.
We need to go find Inspector Megure quickly."
"We already know!"
"What? How do you know?"
Seeing Conan's surprised expression, Genta said proudly, "Lin found out!"
"Lin?"
Conan heard this and went to look for that figure, but he couldn't find Lin Jianhe, and even Haibara-san was gone.
Seeing this, Ayumi explained, "Lin said she was hungry, and that the rest was up to us and Conan."
"So she was hungry and took Haibara-san with her..."
Conan looked helpless.
She probably made up an excuse because she was too lazy to get involved and was afraid Haibara-san would be in danger if she stayed there.
"Hello, I'd like two iced Americanos, please."
The vendor saw two children who weren't even as tall as the counter and immediately smiled, "Okay, please wait a moment."
"You're so amazing, helping adults buy coffee at such a young age."
Facing the vendor's praise, Lin Jianhe responded with a fake smile, while Haibara-san beside her stood there as if it had nothing to do with her.
The iced Americanos were ready.
She took the cups, handed one to Haibara-san, and seeing the girl a bit distracted, she silently bit her straw: "I don't think you need to worry so much.
With that Four-Eyed Detective there, the case should be resolved smoothly."
Haibara-san took a light sip of coffee and said faintly, "I'm worried about those kids.
But with their help, it might be easily resolved."
"Exactly, usually children can make adults lower their guard," Lin Jianhe nodded in agreement, then added, "After all, even I once got the short end of the stick from a child assassin."
This made Haibara-san look at her curiously, "I haven't heard that story from you before."
"It's not that complicated, really," Lin Jianhe leaned her hands on the railing, looking down at the field from the stands, "It happened when I first joined the organization.
During a vacation, I met a lost child on the road, only about seven or eight years old, looking incredibly innocent and cute.
Who would have thought that in the blink of an eye, she'd pull out a knife to slit my throat?
It scared me to death!"
"And then?" Haibara-san asked with interest.
"Then..." Lin Jianhe held her cup and reached up to scratch her silver hair: "Then I snatched her knife and gave her a good spanking!"
"And then she ran off, eyes red with humiliation."
"..." Haibara-san was silent for a moment.
"That's all?"
"Did you think I would kill her?" Lin Jianhe smiled and shook her head, "My price is very expensive.
Killing her would mean cleanup work, and it would get messy.
Thinking about it, it's really not worth it."
"At her age, even with a hundred chances, she couldn't kill me."
Recalling Lin Jianhe's story, Haibara-san's lips curved into a smile: "Unwittingly, you might have destroyed a child's dream."
"Dream?" Not knowing what she was thinking of, Lin Jianhe lowered her eyes, "I actually think that child will grow into an excellent assassin."
"But the prerequisite is that she has to survive."
After finishing the last sip of coffee, she threw the cup into the trash can.
Then she looked at the kids running around in the stands.
And Conan, standing on the soccer field, next to the camera.
"It looks like the incident is about to be resolved," Haibara-san also said faintly.
"In that case, I should be able to go home and rest, right...?"
Saying this, Lin Jianhe stretched with a big yawn.
Seeing Lin Jianhe's bored expression, Haibara-san suddenly asked, "Where are you living now?"
She wasn't worried about the other person's situation, of course; a top assassin would have maxed-out survival skills in such circumstances.
What concerned her was that, no matter what, she was currently in the form of a child, which should still pose many inconveniences.
"In an apartment.
There are a bit too many residents, so I'm planning to move to a less crowded place soon."
"Then..." Haibara-san paused for a moment, then continued, "Why don't you come live at Professor Agasa's house?
I'm sure he'd be happy to have you."
"Professor Agasa?"
Lin Jianhe's hands, which had been clasped behind her neck, dropped, and she looked at the girl with some disbelief: "You mean you want me to live with you?"
"You don't want to?" Well, actually, I also..."
"I'm going!" Not giving Haibara-san a chance to tsundere-ly retract her offer, Lin Jianhe nodded eagerly, "I'm very rich, and to repay Professor Agasa's kindness for taking me in, I can cover the monthly expenses!"
Seeing Lin Jianhe so eager to agree, as if afraid she'd change her mind, Haibara-san couldn't help but shake her head with a smile.
"Are you a nouveau riche...?"