The Morning After
"Please… just let me rest…"
A sticky, barely audible, and sweet voice.
Okino Yoko flushed and exhausted, clung to Hayashi Yoshiki, her slender arms wrapped around his shoulders, fingers loosely curled behind his neck. Her cheeks were a deep pink.
Hayashi Yoshiki gently stroked the back of her head.
Her silky chestnut hair slipped softly through his fingers, cascading down the smooth curve of her pale back. Under the dim, amber-tinted lighting, her snow-white skin was dusted with a subtle, rosy hue.
The sweet, heady blend of perfume and sweat mixed with the warmth of her skin lingered in the air.
"You're so cute, Yoko."
"Mmm… Isn't she?"She replied coyly, echoing his words with a foggy, self-indulgent smile.
Adorable—no wonder she was one of Japan's top idols.
Hayashi Yoshiki smiled, tender and unhurried.
"What time is work tomorrow?"
"Mm… Commercial shoot at 2 p.m. It's a new lip balm endorsement."
"Will it run late?"
"Not really… I'm only booked until 4:30. I have a TV show recording after that."
"Got it."
His gaze softened. The hand stroking her hair slid lower, brushing across her bare back.
"I just remembered… This was the last one."
"Eh?"Yoko Okino blinked. "We're out?"
"Yes."
"Then…"
"It's a pain to go buy more, isn't it?"
His eyes smiled. The subtle seduction in his expression made her heartbeat skip.
She knew what he was implying.
And then he said it—gently, but with purpose:
"If not… it's okay, right?"
No, of course not.
As a national idol, Yoko Okino couldn't risk a pregnancy scandal. But when those bewitching eyes met hers, the logic in her mind scattered like feathers in the wind.
"But still… I mean…"
"I'm really happy, Yoko."
"Aah—"
Right in the heart.
Flushed, dazed, thrilled—her thoughts became a whirl of joy and confusion. And before she could form another sentence, Hayashi Yoshiki acted.
The Next Day: The Billion-Yen Robbery
The following morning, Hayashi Yoshiki received a call from Ma Chengshi.
"Mr. Hayashi, it's all over the papers—Beika Bank was robbed! One billion yen gone!"
Efficient as ever—but Hayashi Yoshiki had already seen the news.
"Beika Bank Robbed!""Billion Yen Heist!""Getaway Car Discovered""Dead Robber Found—Suspected Internal Dispute!"
The headlines filled every TV and newspaper column.
The robbery had occurred the previous day. By now, two of the culprits were already dead.
The police were still speculating about an internal fallout, having found plans and blueprints for the armored vehicle escape at one of the dead suspect's homes.
But Hayashi Yoshiki knew the truth.
It wasn't internal conflict—it was Gin and Vodka.
They had intercepted the plan, eliminated the two male accomplices, and cruelly planted Akemi Miyano's lipstick at the scene—framing her. A strategic move to isolate her and make her an obvious suspect.
An Unlikely Call
Hayashi Yoshiki pulled out his phone.
"Hello? Is this Kaito Kuroba, Class B, 2nd Year, Ekoda High School?"
"Eh? What? Ahh~ The signal's kinda bad~"
"Then I'll just go talk to Inspector Nakamori."
"W-Wait! What do you need?"
"I'd like you to prepare some practical props for me."
Ignoring Kuroba Kaito's flustered reaction, Hayashi Yoshiki said calmly:
"This is important. I can only ask you."
After a bit more persuasion, Kaito agreed—grudgingly.
Hayashi then turned to a blank page in his Death Note.
He twirled the pen between his fingers.
But didn't write.
The Dilemma: How to Save Akemi Miyano
From the beginning, Hayashi Yoshiki had planned to save Akemi Miyano.
But how was the problem.
He couldn't act directly. Gin was sharp, obsessive, and paranoid—especially toward targets he failed to kill. If Akemi simply vanished, Gin would turn the world upside down to find her.
No—he needed Gin to believe she was dead.
The Death Note couldn't save someone. Only kill.
He considered a reckless move:
Should I write "Kurosawa Jin"—Gin's suspected real name—and kill him now?
But that would destabilize everything.
A known enemy was safer than an unknown one. A new boss might suspect him.
Still—Akemi Miyano's survival was critical.
If she lived and Shiho Miyano eventually learned it was because of Hayashi, his position within the Organization would remain undetected.
The Decision
Hayashi Yoshiki hesitated.
And then, he wrote:
Akemi Miyano
The Bait Is Set
In her Beika apartment, Akemi Miyano received a cold call.
Gin had chosen a meeting point: an abandoned factory at Mihua Port.
His voice over the phone was as emotionless as ever.
But it chilled her.
She knew it was probably a trap.
Still, for her freedom—and for Shiho—she had to try. Even if Gin's promises were nothing but summer mirages.
Suddenly—knock knock knock.
She froze.
"Who's there!?"
Her hand darted to her purse. She drew a concealed pistol, inching toward the door.
Silence.
When she finally opened the door, she found no person—but a package.
Roughly wrapped.
Cautiously, Akemi Miyano brought it inside.