Chapter 65 Shrinkage "This little guy looks familiar, and he's actually quite good-looking..."
The moment the door opened, Rei Furuya's hands trembled uncontrollably.
He was afraid to see anything he couldn't accept.
The young man lay curled up on the living room floor, blood seeping into the cracks of the wooden floor. But the half of Kitagawa Ryusei's face that was exposed was smiling, as if he had thought of something that made people laugh.
At that moment, as if sharing a common feeling, Rei Furuya felt his heart clench tightly. He had never seen Ruki Kitagawa in such a disheveled state.
Never.
"Ryuu!"
Rei Furuya rushed forward, half-kneeling on the ground, but dared not easily touch the other person.
Kitagawa Ryusei lifted his face; it was a simple movement, yet it required all his strength.
Sweat blurred my vision, making it difficult to see even a blurry shadow.
"No, it's okay, it'll be fine in a bit."
My heart felt like it was being squeezed in a glass bottle, and the pain radiated from my back and upper abdomen, spreading throughout my body.
He didn't even know if he had made a sound.
Rei Furuya seemed to want to say something, but was interrupted by him.
Kitagawa Ryusei seemed to be trying to divert attention by saying, "Are we cleaning up the scene...? There are still shell casings upstairs, should we burn them all, it'll be more convenient..."
He had only spoken halfway when a wave of pain distorted his voice, leaving it stuck in his throat.
"If it hurts, don't talk..." The blond youth tried his best to hide his panic and make his voice sound gentle.
His gaze trembled for a moment when it fell on the gunshot wound, but he carefully avoided the wound, wrapped his arms around Kitagawa Ryusei's legs and back, and scooped him up and held him securely.
Blood soaked the cuffs of his shirt, but no one cared at that moment.
The flames behind them engulfed the entire house.
Without turning back, Furuya Rei tried to steady himself so as not to aggravate the wounds of the person in his arms, and carried Kitagawa Ryusei into the car.
Familiar, enclosed spaces are the easiest places to wear down a person's pretense.
Rei Furuya's hands, capable of defusing bombs, kept missing the locker's switch, and his breathing trembled as he searched for a bandage.
If Kitagawa Ryusei were still conscious, he would definitely ask him in a sincere tone who exactly fought with Gin.
But the young man in the passenger seat didn't say anything.
He was completely absorbed in just trying to keep his throat from making any broken sounds.
My heart was pounding uncontrollably, contracting and expanding. My limbs, on the other hand, had lost all feeling.
If Kitagawa Ryusei still doesn't know what he's been fed, then all his years of dealing with the organization have been for nothing.
APTX-4869.
—The cause of death for all the bodies found by the special search team who died from this drug was myocardial infarction, and no drug residues were detected.
No more than five people know the true effects of this drug, and Shiho Miyano, the drug's developer, is one of them, currently under police protection, attempting to create an antidote.
Therefore, there is currently no solution.
Feeling as if his head was taut like a watermelon about to burst, Kitagawa Ryusei turned to the side, pressing his head against the door, trying to relieve the pain with the cool touch.
He tried his best to clear his thoughts.
The best outcome right now is to die of a heart attack, and then gloriously refresh the game, with all gunshot wounds and sprains completely healed.
The worst outcome would be to become a crippled version of Shinichi Kudo.
In a daze, his thoughts wandered, and he heard Rei Furuya making a phone call.
"Kazemi, contact the central hospital. I'll be there in an hour and a half."
Kitagawa Ryusei exhaled slowly, which made him feel much better.
That's speeding, zero.
Furuya Rei was unaware of the young man's thoughts. He gripped the steering wheel with one hand and tightly held Kitagawa Ryusei's wrist with the other.
Beneath his fingertips, through the thin skin, he could feel Kitagawa Ryusei's pulse pounding so hard it was like a drumbeat, indistinguishable from a single beat.
When it gets fast enough, it seems to stop.
This is a heart rate that is far beyond what an ordinary person can withstand.
The world swayed violently before my eyes, the colors melting together like heated candles, a muddy mess, and Kitagawa Ryusei's body seemed to be pulled in all directions by an invisible force.
The heart finally exceeded its capacity.
He felt difficulty breathing; no matter how hard he tried to draw oxygen in, it wouldn't get into his lungs, and a feeling of suffocation overwhelmed his mouth and nose.
"Looks like I'm not one of the lucky ones..."
[Special Ability - Trayastrimsa Heaven.]
Rei Furuya realized something, suddenly froze and slammed on the brakes. His body lurched forward due to inertia, but the seatbelt pulled him back to his original position.
He suddenly turned his head.
Golden light enveloped the young man, and upon closer inspection, it seemed to defy gravity, lifting him from his seat and suspending him in mid-air.
Kitagawa Ryusei's fingertips dangled from inside his coat.
Time stood still for a moment.
The piercing wound on his shoulder healed, his heart calmed down under the gentle force, and the scrapes from falling down the stairs disappeared as if wiped away.
Hearing about something is never as shocking as seeing it for yourself. Furuya Rei watched the scene intently without blinking.
The next moment, the tall, unconscious young man suddenly disappeared before his eyes!
The coat covering Kitagawa Ryusei lost its support and fell down.
The person who had been trying so hard to remain calm forgot about their seatbelt and rushed forward with a startled cry: "Ryusei!"
Although her limbs were still weak, at least her heart didn't hurt anymore. Just as Kitagawa Ryusei was about to speak, her face was covered by her falling coat, and then she heard Furuya Rei shout in surprise.
Something seemed to have gone beyond his expectations. In desperation, he desperately stretched out one hand and scrambled to his feet, shouting, "I'm here! It's alright, don't be afraid..."
The sound is wrong.
He covered his mouth and reached into his throat.
The coat was suddenly ripped open, and Kitagawa Ryusei's head emerged from the layers of clothing.
He met Furuya Rei's eyes, which could not hide his shock.
Those eyes contained only a face the size of a palm.
The emotions were contagious, and a look of surprise gradually appeared in Kitagawa Ryusei's eyes.
He lowered his head, his gaze slowly moving towards his palm, and clenched his right hand.
Her fingers were thin and short, completely lacking the slender, bony shape she had when she was holding the gun.
He then reached out to touch other parts of his body, but the feel was still off.
But the gunshot wound has indeed healed, and there are no problems with the superpower.
"—I've shrunk?!"
Before he could fully get up, Kitagawa Ryusei was caught off guard and suspended in mid-air again.
This time, someone lifted me up by my armpits.
Furuya Rei didn't come to his senses. He was afraid that he was just being naive, but seeing Kitagawa Ryusei's incredulous reaction, he finally couldn't help but ask.
"...Is this also a superpower?"
"Perhaps... no, I mean, although there are also abilities that can change age, but—"
Even when facing Gin, Kitagawa Ryusei remained calm and composed, but at this moment he was incoherent: "This is not my special ability."
What happened to the promise to poison him?
Why has it gotten smaller?!
"..."
At this moment, Kitagawa Ryusei was as light as a cotton doll, and Furuya Rei could easily lift him up and sway him from side to side.
He mumbled in a daze, "It really is Ryusei."
As soon as he was lifted up and shaken around, Kitagawa Ryusei's expression became even more terrified. His eyes, which were no longer shaped like peach petals after shrinking, widened in horror: "Zero, put me down! My pants are going to fall down!!"
I don't know how old he is in terms of his physical age, but his chubby little body, which can barely hold a shirt, definitely can't fit into suit pants!
Upon hearing this, Furuya Rei immediately put the person down.
The hospital that had been arranged in advance was definitely out of the question. Furuya Rei restarted the vehicle, turned the steering wheel, and could only drive towards the National Police Agency Research Institute.
After repeatedly confirming that Kitagawa Ryusei was no longer in pain, Furuya Rei asked a series of questions along the way: "Do you feel any discomfort anywhere? Is your wound really healed? Is your heart still beating fast? What's going on?"
Unfortunately, Kitagawa Ryusei was also shrinking for the first time and had no experience, so he couldn't answer him.
Having a different worldview, Kitagawa Ryusei quickly accepted it and immediately examined her face in the vanity mirror on the sun visor.
“It’s not going back to the past, it’s just getting smaller,” he concluded after looking around, speaking in a flat tone, “I didn’t look this healthy when I was a child.”
Orphans who have just been taken in for training after ending their life as homeless children will not have healthy baby fat.
This proves that the Black Organization's research is at least still within the realm of science, and has not yet devolved into metaphysics.
Furuya Rei was driving when he glanced at Kitagawa Ryusei in the rearview mirror, looked away, and then couldn't help but glance at him again.
The lingering fear from what had just happened hadn't subsided when Furuya Rei found herself struggling to adjust to her boyfriend's sudden transformation. The boyfriend now appeared to be no more than ten years old, speaking in a familiar tone but with an unfamiliar childlike voice.
Forgetting the pain once the wound heals is a fundamental quality of Kitagawa Ryusei, and even now he still manages to spare some attention for his work: "The list has been sent back to the police department, and it has been confirmed that it contains a list of spies that the organization has sent abroad and their job assignments."
These seemingly casual words were nothing short of a bombshell for Rei Furuya.
The blond policeman slammed on the brakes a second time.
"The list has been found?!"
Rei Furuya thought the mission had failed, and Gin had taken the list...
Before he could adjust his seatbelt, Kitagawa Ryusei stumbled and nearly flew out of the seat.
He immediately guessed what Furuya Rei was thinking, crossed his arms, and said with dissatisfaction, "Is Rei underestimating my strength?"
If he weren't forced by circumstances, he could have held his own against Gin and Vodka!
Upon seeing his appearance, Furuya Rei blinked rapidly.
If it were 29-year-old Kitagawa Ryusei who made this gesture, it would have a certain deterrent effect even on him.
But right now, her boyfriend is just a tiny little bundle, and when he crosses his arms, he looks more like a child throwing a tantrum.
So without thinking, Furuya Rei gave him a hug.
He held the person tightly in his arms.
Everyone knows what it means to have the organization's list.
Countless undercover investigators have remained in the shadows for many years, hesitant to close the net, because they fear the organization is too large to be wiped out in one fell swoop.
Half a day earlier, Kitagawa Ryusei had told him that things would be over soon.
Half a day later, everything really took a turn for the better.
"Ryusei, thank you."
The valley descends in a low voice.
"..."
After a moment of silence, Kitagawa Ryusei raised his hand, only to find that he couldn't wrap his arms around him. So he patted Furuya Rei's back with his tiny hand and rested his chin on the blond youth's shoulder.
"No matter what, now that I'm getting paid, I'm a policeman too."
"I must be a good comrade-in-arms of Zero."
...
After a physical examination at the research institute, confirming there were no other sequelae, Kitagawa Ryusei, whose bone age was measured to be only eight years old, was wrapped in a coat by Furuya Rei, held in his arms, and put back into the car.
Rei Furuya carefully placed the person in the position and instructed with concern, "Make sure to press the cotton swab firmly, otherwise there will be bruising."
Dissatisfied with the other party's childlike attitude, Kitagawa Ryusei tried to remind Furuya Rei, with a stern face, that his core was completely that of an adult, only his voice always carried a childlike clarity and ambiguity: "I know, I've shrunk in size, but I haven't become stupid."
Rei Furuya: ...But Ryusei looks like he could be crushed with the slightest touch, making one want to handle him with care.
Of course, he would never say those words out loud.
"What should we do next?" Furuya Rei asked.
Without looking up, Kitagawa Ryusei tapped on her phone with two fingers, replying to the already chaotic work group chat, and taking a moment to answer:
"Knowing that only a few people have access to the list, and that it's strictly limited to a safe area, the criminal evidence that the Special Investigations Team has been collecting and organizing over the years can finally be put out. We'll be checking it against the Zero Team, and it shouldn't be long before we match the names on the list..."
He said he was confident of victory, but when he didn't hear a response from Furuya, he turned his head to look.
The blond youth, crouching outside the seat and keeping eye to eye on him, had a deep, unsettling gaze.
After a long pause, Furuya Rei snatched his phone away: "I wasn't talking about work, Ryusei. Don't you think you should take a break?"
Kitagawa Ryusei: ?
Rei Furuya finally understood how Yuya Kazami felt when facing him. He let out a deep sigh and decided on the next schedule without hesitation: "I'll go to the mall to buy you clothes. You can't go back to your apartment for the time being. I asked Matsuda to pick up the cat. You can stay at the Furuya residence for the next period of time."
After saying this, he quickly explained before Kitagawa Ryusei could speak, "I didn't mean to stop you from working, but Ryusei, your situation is too dangerous right now! Both the organization and Team Zero will be very busy from now on, I—"
He had been listening quietly until Kitagawa Ryusei reached out and covered the blond youth's mouth.
What he could do with one hand now required him to put both hands together, and the cotton swabs fell onto the seat, losing their support.
“I know,” Kitagawa Ryusei said earnestly. His eyelashes were long, and when he lowered his eyes, the light and shadow could be reflected in a small patch on his lower eyelid. “I don’t disagree.”
Rei Furuya thought that Ryusei Kitagawa must have been the most handsome child.
He smiled, his fair and delicate face making it hard not to think of the little cherubs in church murals, the kind that radiate golden light and have a healing power: "And I've been looking forward to visiting the Furuya residence for a long time."
"..."
Rei Furuya took a deep breath, silently recited a few words in his mind, and after a while opened his eyes, trying to remain calm as he said, "It has been looking forward to Ryusei for a long time as well."
...
Among the other contemporaries, the first to know that Kitagawa Ryusei had shrunk was Morofushi Kagemitsu.
He rushed to the address given by Furuya Rei and opened the door with the spare key.
As soon as I stepped into the living room, I saw a child who looked exactly like Kitagawa Ryusei, wearing a children's bathrobe, a panda bath cap, and clutching a simple white shirt and black pants tightly in his arms, with an expression of unyielding defiance.
His upright childhood friend, Inspector Zero of the National Police Agency, was half-squatting in front of the sofa, holding a pair of yellow overalls with a bear printed on them, his eyes full of anticipation.
Morofushi Kagemitsu: "..."
Putting aside all the fantastical elements, he really wants to call the police right now.
Kitagawa Ryusei clearly shared the same sentiment.
"Zero, I will never wear clothes in any color other than black and white."
He shrank further into the corner of the sofa and loudly accused, "And your expression right now is exactly the same as my middle-aged, balding boss who's obsessed with young girls!"
Although he didn't know who Kitagawa Ryusei was referring to as his boss, Furuya Rei, who went to bed early and woke up early and didn't have a receding hairline, looked hurt.
He even used his dog-like eyes, which he hadn't used in a long time: "...But I already bought it, and I can't return it once the tag is removed."
"..."
Stunned by that gaze, Kitagawa Ryusei swallowed hard and vehemently refused, "No, I won't wear it!"
He had just gone through the process of choosing between children's underwear printed with Superman, trains, and stars, and this time he absolutely couldn't back down!
"Ahem," Morofushi Kagemitsu's gaze darted back and forth between the two, especially Kitagawa Ryusei, before he finally couldn't stand it any longer and spoke up to stop them: "You two..."
"Can someone explain this to me?"
When Furuya Rei looked up, he saw his childhood friend with a strange expression, looking at him with a look that was hard to describe, and with a heavy feeling of disappointment.
He immediately tried to cover his ears and pulled his hand back behind his back, before he could even speak.
"—Bang bang bang!!"
There was a banging sound coming from outside the door.
"It should be Matsuda and the others."
The blond youth tried to change the subject and go to open the door, but Kitagawa Ryusei, who jumped off the sofa, pushed him back.
"I'll go open the door, you guys chat." With that, he sprinted towards the door, giving no chance to refuse.
What a joke! Finally, someone has come who can punish Furuya Rei. Kitagawa Ryusei won't give him a chance to escape.
On the way here, Matsuda Jinpei was not as calm as Morofushi Kagemitsu.
He sensed something was wrong when he received the message from Rei Furuya that he was going to pick up a cat. When he asked the Metropolitan Police Department for leave, he met his superior's hesitant gaze.
It's no secret that Inspector Kitagawa of the National Police Agency and the "Bombing Twins" have a good relationship; many people have seen them together in the cafeteria.
The head of the mobile unit then patted Matsuda Jinpei on the shoulder and said in a sorrowful tone, "Please accept my condolences."
Thus, the scene of Matsuda Jinpei slamming the door with a flight case came about.
No matter how much Kenji Hagiwara tried to persuade him to calm down, it was to no avail.
Even the little Siamese noticed that the curly-haired human was acting strangely, and unusually, it obediently shrank into the carrier and was carried away by him.
"Jinpei, everything will be alright. Didn't Furuya not say anything?"
Kenji Hagiwara tries his best to comfort his childhood friend, while also comforting himself.
No one would feel at ease upon receiving news of their comrade's death in the line of duty.
"Didn't you also lose contact with that Kitagawa guy?"
Matsuda Jinpei was still worried, so he banged on the door so hard that the door frame and the windows of the house shook.
As soon as the door opened, he caught sight of Furuya Rei's haggard face, and his brow furrowed deeply.
"You blond bastards, what are you doing? Why isn't Kitagawa answering the phone?"
As he spoke, he strode inside, nearly kicking a radish sticking out of the doorway.
Faced with her shrunken boyfriend, Furuya Rei was now extremely paranoid and immediately shouted, "Watch out!"
Because of his insufficient height, he was overlooked. Kitagawa Ryusei dodged the sudden attack of the long legs and tilted his head back with dead fish eyes.
...However, even at his current height, he could only see Matsuda Jinpei's chin when he looked up.
Damn it, why are these guys so tall?!
He said fiercely, "Lower your head."
Upon hearing the sound, Matsuda Jinpei noticed someone in front of him and slowly lowered his curly head.
His reddish-brown hair was styled in small curls, and the speechless look in his light-colored eyes seemed incongruous on his face, but the panda bathrobe helped to soften the effect.
Make the child in front of you look like a little devil pretending to be an adult.
The little bastard in the carrier in my hand meowed obediently like it was seeing its mother, while the big bastard in the living room had already rushed up to me, looking as anxious as if his wife had almost been kicked.
His sunglasses slipped off his nose, revealing a pair of beautiful blue eyes. Matsuda Jinpei took a step back, raised his hand and pinched his childhood friend's arm hard. He only realized he wasn't dreaming after hearing a scream.
He murmured:
"This familiar-looking guy is actually quite good-looking..."
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