"Two bodies found shot near Beika Aquarium"
"…"
"Police investigation confirms one victim, Tsukita Taku, was robbing passersby on a motorcycle prior to his death."
"At the time of the incident, Tsukita Taku had committed two successful robberies, stealing a total of 23,601 yen."
"Based on wound analysis—"
"…"
"…"
At his desk, Hayato Masaki scanned the next day's newspaper, a satisfied smile curling his lips.
The experiment was done for now.
He had two tasks ahead: set up and register a detective agency, and write the two names Gin gave him into the Death Note.
Neither was a hassle.
For longer-term goals…
Hayato drew a circle in the Death Note, labeling it "Spider."
The phantom killer from Kaito Kid's turf—Hayato was fixated on unmasking his true name. That ability seemed too useful to ignore.
He'd mapped out three paths.
First, the Organization's intel network. He couldn't just ask Gin outright—that'd be too obvious. But maybe he could use the Death Note to spark a clash between the Organization and Spider's group, fishing in the chaos.
Second, Koizumi Akako's divination magic. Her spells seemed capable of plenty.
Finally, the AI "Noah's Ark" from The Phantom of Baker Street. Hayato pegged this as the surest bet.
An AI could unearth any digital trace left online.
Problem was, that AI hadn't surfaced yet…
His thoughts drifted, and he jotted "Gin" in the Death Note.
He vaguely recalled the manga dropping Gin and Vodka's real names as an Easter egg: Kurozawa Jin and Uozuka Saburo. Were they legit or just aliases? Hard to say.
Maybe he'd probe Vodka someday when Gin wasn't around.
Ring-ring! Ring-ring!
His phone buzzed on the desk.
Hayato answered.
"Hey, Hayato-nii?"
"It's me."
"Are you free today? …I need a favor."
Mouri Ran's voice carried a shy hesitance.
She didn't wait for a reply, plunging ahead. "So, a while back, my friend and I were at a café eating cake, and these two guys hit on us. They invited us to a Valentine's Day party this afternoon…"
Valentine's Day already?
Hayato had no clue, but his tone stayed steady.
"Couldn't say no, but you're not into them at all, right?"
"Yeah…"
Ran's voice dropped, embarrassed.
The guy's pushy, one-sided chatter had cornered her. She'd meant to call Kudo Shinichi, but his phone didn't connect, so she turned to Hayato.
"No problem. I'll go with you."
"Great! Oh, my friend's coming too."
"The girl from the signing event?"
"Yup."
"Alright, I'll pick you up later."
Hanging up, Hayato pondered, then began writing in the Death Note.
---
1:30 p.m.
Hayato arrived outside Mouri Detective Agency, spotting a lively short-haired girl waiting.
A small bag hung over her right shoulder, her other hand clutching a phone, eyes darting to the nearby stairs like she was expecting someone. When she turned and met Hayato's gaze, her eyes sparkled.
"Masaki-san!!"
"Good afternoon, Sonoko-kun," Hayato said, approaching.
"You remember me?" Sonoko's gaze gleamed.
"Of course. You had me sign six books right off the bat."
"Uh—"
"Kidding. Ran mentioned you're her best friend."
"That's right!"
Sonoko puffed up with pride.
But under Hayato's warm stare, she grew bashful.
"I read all your books recently, Masaki-san. They're amazing! Though some parts are kinda spooky."
"It's a mystery novel, after all…"
"Why're you at Ran's place, though?"
"She didn't tell you?" Hayato smiled at Sonoko's surprise. "I'm tagging along to that Valentine's Day party."
"!!!!"
Hearing such words from that striking face, Sonoko felt the world burst into color.
The sky was so blue.
The sun so warm.
Even the chirping birds—
"Sonoko? Sonoko? Son~oko~?!"
"Huh, Ran?"
Snapped back by a nudge, Sonoko saw Ran staring, puzzled.
"When'd you get here?"
"Just now. I called you a bunch, but you didn't answer."
"…Haha, oops."
Sonoko laughed awkwardly.
As Ran turned to talk to Hayato, Sonoko stole a glance at him, relieved by his gentle expression.
"Time's about right. Let's go."
"Okay."
Hayato flagged a taxi.
Taking the front seat, he mentally added "buy a car" to his to-do list.
Days like this made it clear how inconvenient relying on cabs was.
Good timing—the Organization's next payment was due.
As a low-ranker, Hayato got a fixed monthly stipend, plus bonuses based on mission details.
Not that the money meant much to him.
***
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