The boy soldier next to the famous detective

Ai Haibara paused slightly while operating the coffee machine, then looked up in confusion at Jonah, who was sitting on the sofa looking at her with innocent eyes. Realizing that she had been overthinking things for a moment, she shook her head with a chuckle.

"Why are you suddenly asking that?"

"I'm not quite sure either, but when Sonoko came to my house to play with Ran, she asked me if I had gotten any chocolate from you, Ai."

Jonah blinked. He was always a straightforward kid, not to mention the expressions on Sonoko Suzuki's face when she said those words, and Ran Mouri's expression when she heard them, which both puzzled Jonah.

They were probably smiling and meant no harm to me, but why did they seem so strange?

"She said if we're really close, you should give me chocolates, just like she gives them to Makoto Kyogoku, and Ran gives them to Conan."

"I don't quite understand why close friends give each other chocolates, but Sonoko-neechan said so, and I was going to buy you one too, but she wouldn't let me, saying it wasn't the right time yet."

Jonah had asked Ran Mouri and Sonoko Suzuki the same question, and both gave him strange laughs. Conan Edogawa did the same; neither of them gave him an answer.

Jonah had originally intended to ask Kogoro Mouri, but forgot about it halfway through. Now that he saw Ai Haibara, he suddenly remembered it.

"Is that so?"

Ai Haibara took the coffee cup from under the coffee machine, but didn't leave the kitchen immediately. She took a small box and a can of milk from the cupboard, and while doing something, she looked up at Jonah, who was still puzzled on the sofa, and said with a light laugh, "Don't worry about it too much. It's just an adult's bad intentions playing a trick on you. Jonah, you're too young to think about such things."

"Let me think about it. We can consider it after you go to high school, Jonah."

"High school, huh? I understand."

Although he didn't get a definite answer, Jonah decided not to ask any more questions since Ai Haibara had already said so.

Click-

A steaming hot drink was placed in front of Jonah. Jonah instinctively said thank you, picked up the cup with both hands, blew on it a couple of times, and took a small sip.

"It tastes great. Is it hot cocoa? It tastes a little different."

"It's hot chocolate, so the flavor is richer, but it's too high in calories. It's okay to drink it once in a while."

Holding her coffee cup, Ai Haibara watched Jonah sitting across from her, happily drinking hot chocolate. A smile flickered in her eyes, and she quietly began to drink her coffee as well.

After finishing her coffee, Ai Haibara didn't rush back to continue her research. Instead, she guided Jonah through his weekend homework. When Professor Agasa returned to the living room with the modified camera, looking quite pleased with himself, the three of them began setting up the defensive equipment together.

Unfortunately, because Professor Agasa's house is too spacious, apart from the small cameras that are easy to hide, the rest of the equipment can only be placed in the inner rooms and the corridors and staircases. There is no way to put anything in the living room and the unique open-plan bedroom, which are the main areas of activity.

Jonah was very troubled by this situation, but he gave up the plan after being persuaded by Professor Agasa and Ai Haibara.

Dr. Agasa's concerns were valid. Although the Mori Detective Agency was usually frequented by many people, the Mori family home on the third floor was rarely visited.

But on Professor Agasa's side, not to mention his other friends, the three little ones who come to play every now and then are quite a problem.

Given their lively and energetic personalities, if they were to actually set up something in the living room and it were discovered, it could lead to a major disaster if Professor Agasa and Ai Haibara were to be careless. So, it would be best to just install a camera; weapons are out of the question.

"So, Kudo discovered so many suspicious things."

After finishing the preparations, Conan Edogawa and Heiji Hattori still hadn't returned, so Ai Haibara cooked dinner, and the three of them ate together.

At the dinner table, Ai Haibara asked about Conan Edogawa and Heiji Hattori's whereabouts again, and Jonah, without hiding anything, recounted their previous conversation.

"Ai, Shinichi didn't mean to hide it from you, it's just... we were all worried that you would be scared if you found out."

Looking at Ai Haibara with concern, Professor Agasa, who had spent every day with her, was also the one among them who could best understand her.

Dr. Agasa knew very well that although Ai Haibara was gradually getting better, she still couldn't help but feel fear when the organization was mentioned.

There was no other way. Ai Haibara's life had always been controlled by the organization, and the shadow it cast on her mind was too great. Not to mention, her sister Akemi Miyano also died at the hands of the organization.

"Jonah, do you also think we need to keep this information from me?"

Not angry about being kept in the dark, Ai Haibara turned to look at Jonah, wanting to see if she was the same person in their eyes.

"I don't think so, but there's no need for Haibara to know everything."

Why?

"I know Haibara is changing, but..." Jonah blinked, thinking about how to answer. After a brief pause, he looked at Haibara Ai seriously and said, "Haibara is not resolute enough."

"On the battlefield, those who are not resolute will find it difficult to survive."

"Am I not resolute enough? Jonah, you're right, I am indeed not resolute enough."

After hearing Jonah's words, Ai Haibara remained silent for a moment, then nodded with a wry smile and did not continue the topic.

The next day, everyone went to the stadium to watch the game. During the discussion after the game, the children's attention was drawn to the television in the display case of a shop on the street.

Amidst the chattering discussions, a player named Ryusuke Higo caught Ai Haibara's attention.

Both were "traitors who left the Black Organization" (Ai Haibara betrayed the Black Organization, while Ryusuke Higo's former team "Novar" means "black" in French), and both were in dire straits. Watching Ryusuke Higo on TV, who was not favored by anyone, Ai Haibara felt a little empathetic towards him.

Noticing that Ai Haibara was in a bad mood, Jonah didn't ask any questions. He just silently followed by her side, ignoring the body that was found on the return train.

Jonah.

After painstakingly finding the culprit, Conan Edogawa looked around and spotted Jonah and Ai Haibara, who hadn't been there at all, and ran over breathlessly.

"Jonah, you said before that I wasn't resolute enough, right?"

Just as Conan Edogawa was about to say something, he suddenly heard Ai Haibara's voice and blinked, quickly trying to make himself less noticeable.

"I don't know if I can completely overcome my fear of the organization, but I know I won't be lost anymore."

"I will not let you down, and I will fight against the organization with all my might!"

Ai Haibara shifted her gaze from Ryusuke Higo, who was being celebrated by his teammates on TV, and turned to Jonah, speaking earnestly.

"I understand. I'll prepare a suitable weapon for you, Haibara... Do you have any preferences regarding the color?"

"...That's not what I meant, but if I had to, I'd say scarlet."

"it is good."

"This is terrible! Haibara, are you really going to take it? Jonah, stop giving away weapons as gifts!"

"Don't be envious, Conan. I'll give you one too. If you don't like Doraemon, how about getting 'Sherlock Holmes' engraved on it?"

"That sounds good... No! It's not about the design! Do you really think Haibara suits what you're giving her?"

"...So girls really do prefer pink, right?"

"No! None of it is right!"