[Conan] Black And Silver: The Bond Of Rivals Chapter 5

The Out-of-Control Boundary

Shuichi Akai stood in the alley for a long time, only slowly walking away once the night wind had carried off the last trace of Gin’s scent.

The mess in his heart was harder to untangle than any high-risk mission he had ever undertaken.

He had thought that once his identity was exposed, nothing would remain between them but a life-and-death struggle.

But Gin’s obsession, his concern, and that almost blunt declaration had all exceeded his expectations.

When he returned to the safehouse, Jodie Starling was already waiting in the living room. Seeing him enter with such a heavy expression, she immediately stepped forward. “Shu, you just went out… did you run into someone from the Organization?”

Shuichi Akai took off his soaked knit cap and tossed it aside, his voice flat and devoid of emotion. “Yeah.”

“Who was it?”

“Gin.”

Jodie’s face tensed instantly. “Did he attack you? Are you hurt?”

“No.” Shuichi Akai walked to the table and poured a glass of cold water, his fingertips icy. “He just… said some insignificant things.”

Insignificant?

Jodie clearly didn’t believe him.

For the always calm and self-possessed Shuichi Akai to wear such an expression, it could never be over something insignificant.

But she didn’t ask further.

Some things, if probed too deeply, would only push a person into a more dangerous predicament.

“The Organization’s movements have been getting more frequent lately, and the higher-ups are already arranging our next move.” Jodie composed herself and pulled out a file. “We suspect they have a large-scale transaction coming up soon. The location is likely… Haido Port.”

Shuichi Akai’s hand holding the water glass paused slightly.

Haido Port.

That place again.

It was like a deliberate cycle of fate, binding him and Gin to the same rainy night over and over again.

“I understand,” he replied softly, his eyes darkening. “Notify me once the time for the operation is confirmed.”

Jodie nodded and left, leaving the living room in silence once more.

Shuichi Akai stared out at the pitch-black night, the scenes from the alley uncontrollably resurfacing in his mind.

The scent of Gin as he drew near, the temperature of his fingertips, and those green eyes swirling with dominance and concern.

“You can’t escape.”

“Next time, I won’t let go.”

The low words seemed to still be echoing in his ears.

Shuichi Akai closed his eyes, forcing himself to suppress his stray thoughts.

He was an FBI agent; the mission was paramount, and his stance was clear.

He could not be swayed by personal emotions, and he certainly couldn’t allow himself to be shaken in the slightest by a killer from the darkness.

But only he knew that his line of defense was already teetering after so many confrontations and entanglements.

At the same time, the black Porsche pulled up beneath a secluded building.

Gin pushed the door open and stepped out, the hem of his trench coat sweeping across the ground, carrying a cold, piercing aura.

Vodka followed closely behind, reporting cautiously, “Big Brother, Shuichi Akai has returned to the FBI safehouse. There were no unusual movements.”

Gin didn’t speak. He walked straight into the elevator, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing together.

It felt as though the delicate sensation of touching Shuichi Akai’s chin still lingered.

Soft, warm, and possessing an attraction that made it difficult to look away.

“Big Brother, the transaction plan for Haido Port has been finalized. It’s set for three days from now,” Vodka continued. “The FBI will definitely interfere. Shuichi Akai… should show up as well.”

Gin’s eyes darkened slightly, and then he curled his lips into a cold smile.

Show up?

That was for the best.

He was just worrying about not having a suitable opportunity to get close to the man again.

“Pass the word down. The transaction will proceed as planned,” Gin said, his voice low and filled with a sense of inevitable dominance. “There’s no need to hide our movements. The more conspicuous, the better.”

Vodka was taken aback. “Big Brother, you mean…”

“I want Shuichi Akai to come here personally.”

Gin leaned against the elevator wall, his green eyes flashing with a resolute light.

“I want to meet him face-to-face at Haido Port, the very place where we first confronted each other.”

“I want everyone to understand—”

“Shuichi Akai is someone deeply entangled with me.”

The elevator doors slowly opened, and the cold light fell across his face—half hidden in shadow, half steeped in a chilling frost.

This entanglement, which had begun with an undercover identity, would finally reach its most violent collision at the place where it all started.

The boundary between light and darkness was about to be torn apart completely.

And he and Shuichi Akai would either face their destiny together, or they would never be able to part again.