Sorry, Shuichi

"Mr. Lin, I've already washed the clothes you left behind last time."

"Speaking of which, Mr. Lin, one of your socks was torn. When I went to the supermarket today, I picked up a new pair for you too."

".What do you think of these slippers? I didn't buy them too small, did I?"

"And..."

"Cough, cough." Vermouth suddenly cleared her throat, interrupting Miyano Akemi and Lin Xinyi's engrossed conversation. "Miss Asai~"

"Your 'boyfriend' has already gone far away."

"Don't get too immersed in the act, okay?"

As she spoke, she shot her an undisguised glare.

As though she were still playing the resentful Miss Chris.

Haibara Ai also craned her little head and secretly gave her a strange look.

"Mm..." Miss Akemi finally came back to herself.

It seemed she really had unconsciously grown used to her current life.

They had merely been chatting with Lin Xinyi about trivial everyday matters, yet it felt as warm as spending leisurely time with family.

Gradually, she had forgotten that this was all an act.

And gradually, she had forgotten the man who had once been etched into her heart.

So this was not a forced farewell born of lingering old feelings.

She truly could not go back.

She could not go back.

"Phew..." Miyano Akemi let out a long breath, as if reminiscing about the past, and as if finally setting down a huge weight in her heart.

However, another new weight had now settled onto it.

"Although there's no evidence..."

"I feel that Okiya Subaru might... might be Shuichi."

"And just now, he specifically told me that he wanted to talk to me about something private."

Miyano Akemi looked at Lin Xinyi with slight nervousness.

"Mr. Lin—"

"Do you think Shuichi might already know about us?!"

Her voice trembled faintly.