"Who's the message from? I can see you can't hide your smile."
Haibara glanced at Toru, then turned back and gently placed the beaker in her hand back where it belonged.
She carefully checked the label and the liquid inside, then finally relaxed.
Fortunately, it was not anything dangerous.
She must not make such basic mistakes again in the future, carelessly handling chemical reagents whenever she was in a bad mood.
But this was also Toru's fault. If it were not for him, how could she be in a bad mood?
In her mind, Haibara blamed everything on Toru.
Toru pressed a hand against his mouth and asked doubtfully, "Am I really that bad at hiding my smile?"
Of course, he knew Haibara was joking. With his control over his facial expressions, how could something like that happen?
However, since Haibara said so, Toru also played along.
Haibara did not like this kind of cooperation. She snorted, walked to the computer, climbed onto the chair, adjusted the plain glasses on her nose, and typed hard on the keyboard.
Judging by the force of her typing, it was as if the keyboard in front of her was Toru.
Toru walked behind Haibara and looked at the various symbols on the computer screen, which he could not understand at all. He smiled and said, "The person who sent me the message is Momiji."
"Momiji?"
Haibara thought carefully and finally remembered who it was. "The granddaughter of that old man from the Ōoka family in Kyoto?"
"Don't call him that. Given the current situation, he's very likely to become the next Prime Minister of Japan. You should call him Prime Minister."
"Heh, what does it have to do with me whether he becomes Prime Minister or not?"
Haibara smiled disdainfully. She did not care about political matters. Whether the other party was the Prime Minister of Japan or the President of America, she would not give them a second look.
Unlike the original course of events in Toru's memory, Haibara had no friends by her side because she did not go to elementary school. She had not played with those children, nor had she regained any childlike innocence.
It could be said that Haibara was lonely, like a kitten raised by humans from birth. Her living environment was limited to the few hundred square meters of space at home, and the only person by her side was Toru.
The only thing she cared about, the only thing she had, was Toru.
Although Haibara herself did not care about these things. As a genius since childhood, she was already used to loneliness and had adapted to it.
But Toru always felt that this was not good for Haibara's mental state. She should find her own friends and step out of that loneliness.
However, this matter was not up to Toru. His idea was good, but Haibara might not agree.
Of course, Haibara's complete immersion in research also had its benefits. The development of APTX4869 and the research on the antidote were progressing quite quickly.
"What does Momiji want with you?"
Haibara's gaze seemed to be on the computer screen, and her hands kept typing on the keyboard.
But her attention was not there at all. It was all on Toru and the reason that woman named Momiji had sent him a message.
"She said she's free recently, and her grandfather let her go out. She invited me to Hokkaido for a trip."
"You agreed?"
"I had to agree. Right now, the Fujiwara family and the Ōoka family are in their honeymoon period. My grandfather and the head of the Ōoka family seem to be intentionally setting me up with Momiji."
Toru shrugged.
"You also call that old man from the Ōoka family an old man, and yet you still lecture me."
"Because he is an old man."
Toru's words made Haibara feel a little happier.
"With your ability, you don't have to care about family matters, right?"
"Of course I don't have to care. If my father had been arrogant and contemptuous from the start, refusing to acknowledge me as his son, I could have made a dramatic return, put the Fujiwara family in their place, and made them understand the consequences of offending me."
Toru said with a headache, "But who would have thought that my irresponsible father would be so humble the first time he saw me and beg me to return to the family?"
"My grandfather was also good to me. He decided so quickly to entrust the Fujiwara family to me, and even reprimanded my unqualified father in front of me."
"My sisters didn't have that condescending attitude of spoiled young ladies either, pointing at my nose and cursing me as an illegitimate child while saying the Fujiwara family would never let me in. My uncle also had a kind personality, which made things difficult for me."
Haibara could not help but say, "Isn't that a good thing? Your family doesn't have those messy problems, and everyone is harmonious. Isn't that what everyone hopes for?"
"It is a good thing, but this way, I lost the opportunity to show off, humiliate them, and trample the Fujiwara family underfoot."
Toru felt helpless for a while.
When he came to Japan from America, he had actually been prepared for the people of the Fujiwara family to dislike him and treat him as less than human.
Then Toru would use his CIA identity and his abilities to shock them, make them lower their heads, and stage a dramatic family showdown.
But who would have thought that the Fujiwara family was too harmonious? So harmonious that it did not give Toru this opportunity.
It could only be said that the Fujiwara family, which could produce Fujiwara Chika, had a way of thinking different from ordinary people.
Haibara rolled her eyes at him and almost could not hold back a laugh.
She had not expected Toru's thoughts to be so strange. Well, they were exactly the same as Fujiwara Chika's, just not as exaggerated as hers.
Was this what they called like father, like son?
"So, you understand too. I have a good impression of the Fujiwara family. Since it concerns the family's current cooperation, I can only agree to Momiji's request."
Toru found a very suitable excuse for himself, leaving Haibara speechless.
Because family was Haibara's greatest pain. When Toru used family as an excuse, she could not say anything to refute him.
"But Haibara, don't worry. I'm someone who won't marry. I will never get married in this life."
Getting married meant giving up an entire forest for one tree.
Although with his status as the heir of the Fujiwara family, he could ignore these legal restrictions, it would still become his fault and place him at a disadvantage.
But as long as he did not get married, he was invincible. It was a private relationship and did not involve any marriage laws.
"You don't need to explain it to me. What does it have to do with me whether you get married or not?"
"Oh? I was just afraid you'd be unhappy."
"I won't be unhappy because of this kind of thing."
"Really? Well, actually, I have someone I like. Someone I want to marry."
Haibara said coldly, "Who is it? This Momiji? Or Kaguya, who no longer has a marriage contract? Or is it the current maid Hayasaka, or the previous maid Sakiko?"
"Maybe it's those high school girls who often come to your store? Or that pair of sisters living in Chiba Prefecture?"
"Anyway, as long as it's not that woman Vermouth, it doesn't matter."
Toru looked at Haibara in surprise.
You know my private life that well? How long have you been paying attention to it?
Toru pretended to be coy and said, "Actually, the person I like is your grandaunt Mary. Haibara, please call me Uncle from now on."
"Get lost!"
"See? You won't even call me Uncle!"
"Get lost already!"
Haibara was so angry she laughed.
She completely took Toru's words as a joke and thought he was teasing her.
Little did she know that sometimes jokes were the truth.
Toru really could be her uncle now.
(To be continued.)