Case NOT Closed (Patreon)

Chapter 21: Free Assistant

After the brief conversation between Conan and Haibara, Kensuke had a rough idea of what had transpired between them. It seemed that Conan and Haibara had talked about the case involving Masayoshi Sakaguchi, which led to Kensuke being mentioned. Conan's lack of social finesse had caused some tension, leading Haibara to leave the scene, and now they were separated.

"Is this the so-called butterfly effect? Quite peculiar..."

Kensuke mumbled to himself in words only he could hear. He had never even interacted with Haibara before, only having a limited confrontation with Conan, yet this had indirectly influenced the people around him, altering the course of events.

However, Kensuke had no particular interest in Haibara. In his view of Conan's world, the characters from the original work should stay where they belong and not create trouble for him.

"Hey, little one, your friend is gone. Why are you still here?"

Despite knowing that Haibara had come out of curiosity, Kensuke issued an eviction notice to this young girl.

"Is this how you treat job applicants?"

Haibara remained in her spot and glanced at the lawyer's badge pinned to Kensuke's chest. A faint smile played on her petite lips.

"It looks like there's a high probability that your so-called law firm might turn into a shady business in the future."

Upon hearing this, Kensuke squinted his eyes.

"I don't understand what you mean."

"I specifically investigated your blog, your Twitter, and all your social media accounts, as well as the personal website you recently created for your law firm."

Haibara spoke calmly.

"As a recently established law firm with only one owner, which is you, and very few staff, you seem to be in dire need of some subordinates. Although I personally believe that a small company like yours has little potential, I'm willing to adopt a 'better safe than sorry' attitude and give it a try by working here. So, are you not welcoming me?"

Kensuke frowned, and then scrutinized Haibara's calm expression.

Under the porcelain doll-like appearance, Haibara could speak words as sharp as a venomous snake.

"Why should I hire you? What qualifications do you have to be my employee?"

Kensuke stared directly into Haibara's eyes.

Haibara silently looked at him and then suddenly spoke.

"Japanese Penal Code, Part 1 General Provisions, Chapter 1 General Provisions, Article 1: This law applies to individuals committing crimes within the territory of Japan and also to individuals who commit crimes on vessels and aircraft registered in Japan, but outside the territory of Japan..."

She began reciting the Japanese Penal Code from the first article and continued without any hesitation, pausing, or mistakes. It was as if she had a book in front of her and was simply reading it aloud.

"Very impressive. To be able to do something others cannot at your age is truly remarkable."

When Haibara had recited up to Chapter 10 of the Penal Code, Kensuke interrupted her, clapped his hands, and lavished her with praise.

However, he quickly changed the topic.

"But, you're still an elementary school student, right? I'm a law-abiding citizen, and I don't want to unexpectedly face charges of employing child labor, so I'll have to ask you to leave."

"I can work without a salary."

"Alright, you're hired!"

Haibara hesitated for a moment, looking at the man who had suddenly changed his stance with a blank face.

Kensuke raised an eyebrow. "Why are you staring at me?"

Haibara snapped back to reality and shook her head. "No, it's nothing..."

"In this day and age when the eight-hour workday is the norm, where can you find an employee with skills who doesn't want a salary?"

Kensuke mumbled to himself and then pulled out a piece of paper from his bag. He quickly jotted down a few lines of text.

"Sign it!"

Haibara glanced at the paper. It contained details about her employment, job responsibilities, and, most importantly, the salary – or rather, the absence of a salary. It was written there as "unpaid."

"This has no legal effect," Haibara said in a calm tone as she picked up the paper, tore it into pieces, and discarded it in the nearby trash can.

Kensuke watched her, chin in hand. He knew perfectly well that what he had just written was useless. The other party was in a childlike demeanor, and in a real courtroom, it would only result in a charge of child labor recruitment.

His previous action had merely been a test. He understood that there was a vast difference between book smarts and street smarts. It was now evident that the girl was truly a genius.

An employee who worked for free, regardless of other considerations, was valuable. The rest was just nonsense. After all, the distillery was filled with counterfeit liquor, and apart from the gin and a few lunatics, nobody did any work.

"Get yourself ready and report to my law firm tomorrow."

Kensuke handed Haibara a newly printed business card with the address of his law firm in Shibuya.

Without even looking at the card, Haibara shook her head. "No need, I'll go with you today."

"Are you sure?" Kensuke looked Haibara up and down, studying her petite, undeveloped frame, and he grinned slightly. "Aren't you afraid I might turn into a children-ravishing monster in the middle of the night and attack you?"

"The likelihood of that happening is nearly zero," Haibara replied in a calm tone. "Based on my analysis, you have a completely self-centered personality. Your eyes are focused solely on material possessions and money. You don't care about anything else. If you were to commit such an act, the end result would be the loss of a free employee, and in the long run, the disadvantages far outweigh the benefits. With your personality, you would never allow such a situation to occur."

Kensuke couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

If the other person weren't genuinely over eighteen, hearing such words from a child would make one believe they were possessed by a ghost.

And so, the matter was settled. Haibara Ai, as an employee of Komemon Law Firm, would temporarily stay at his home without payment, but her room and board would be covered.

Afterward, Haibara went outside the café and discussed this matter with Masayoshi, who was waiting in the car.

Of course, the fact that she was becoming an employee was kept a secret. She only mentioned the need to find a different place to stay, using the excuse that she was a child who liked Uncle Masayoshi, and so on. In short, it was full of lies.

At first, Masayoshi was a bit surprised. After all, Kensuke didn't seem like someone who could take care of a child.

However, with Kensuke's assurance and Haibara's strong insistence, he eventually agreed to the arrangement.

The meeting for the case and the addition of their new employee concluded.

Next was the preparation for the upcoming lawsuit.