"Two bodies found shot near Beika City Aquarium."
"After police investigation, it was confirmed that one of the deceased, Taku Tsukita, had committed multiple robberies before his death."
"At the time of the incident, Tsukita had successfully robbed two victims, stealing a total of ¥23,601."
"Based on forensic analysis of the gunshot wounds..."
Sitting at his desk, Hayashi Yoshiki smiled faintly as he skimmed through the news article on his screen.
The results matched his script exactly.
With the experiment concluded successfully, he decided to put it on pause for now.
At the moment, he had only two main tasks to focus on:
Officially setting up and registering his detective agency.
Writing the two names Gin had given him into the Death Note.
Neither posed any real challenge.
As for longer-term objectives...
He picked up a pen and circled a single word in the Death Note:
He'd been considering how to obtain the real name of the illusionist who operated on Kaito Kid's film set. That ability... could prove quite useful.
Currently, three approaches came to mind:
The Organization's Intelligence Network – effective, but asking Gin directly would raise suspicion. However, perhaps the Death Note could be used to pit the Organization against the group behind Spider. A little confusion in the shadows would go a long way.
Koizumi Koroko's witchcraft – her divination seemed capable of incredible feats, and might offer a clue.
Noah's Ark – the advanced AI that appeared in The Phantom of Baker Street. In theory, such an entity could retrieve any digital footprint. Unfortunately, that technology hadn't surfaced in this timeline yet.
With that in mind, Hayashi Yoshiki flipped to a different page in the Death Note and wrote a simple label: "Gin".
He vaguely recalled that Gin's and Vodka's real names were once hinted at—Kurosawa Jin and Uozuka Saburo, respectively—but it was unclear whether those were genuine or aliases.
Maybe he'd find a chance to test Vodka on the subject… when Gin wasn't around.
Ding-ling-ling~ Ding-ling-ling~
The phone on his desk rang, pulling him from his thoughts.
He pressed the answer button.
"Are you free today? I… I have a small favor to ask."
It was Ran Mouri. Her voice sounded slightly reserved and nervous.
Before he could respond, she continued quickly:
"It's … A while ago, I was at a café with Sonoko, and we were approached by two boys. They ended up inviting us to a Valentine's Day party this afternoon—"
So today was Valentine's Day?
Hayashi Yoshiki honestly hadn't noticed, but his tone stayed warm:
"You couldn't say no? And you're not interested in either of them?"
Ran's voice dropped to a whisper, clearly embarrassed.
One of the boys had been especially persistent, and she hadn't known how to firmly decline. She'd originally wanted to call Kudo Shinichi, but he hadn't picked up.
So now, she was turning to Hayashi Yoshiki for help.
"Alright, no problem. I'll go with you."
"Really? That's great! But just so you know, Sonoko will be coming too."
"Is she the girl who was with you at the book signing?"
"Got it. I'll come pick you up then."
After ending the call, Hayashi Yoshiki thought for a moment, then turned to the Death Note and began to write again.
As scheduled, Hayashi Yoshiki arrived in front of the Mouri Detective Agency. Waiting downstairs was a short-haired girl in a stylish, energetic outfit.
A small handbag hung from her shoulder. She stared at her phone, occasionally glancing toward the stairwell with growing impatience. When she heard footsteps and looked up, her eyes sparkled upon meeting his gaze.
"Good afternoon, Sonoko-san." Hayashi Yoshiki approached with a calm smile.
"You remember me?" Her eyes lit up.
"Of course. You were the one who asked for six book signatures last time."
"I'm just teasing. Actually, Ran mentioned you. She said you were her best friend."
Beaming with pride, Sonoko Suzuki puffed out her chest.
But as Hayashi Yoshiki continued to watch her with a gentle expression, her pride gave way to flustered embarrassment.
"I just finished reading your books! They're so good… though some parts are a little scary."
"It is a mystery series, after all."
"But… why are you here at Ran's place?"
"Didn't she tell you?" Hayashi Yoshiki raised an eyebrow playfully. "I'm here to accompany you two to the Valentine's Day party."
Hearing those words from such a gorgeous man, Sonoko's world instantly turned magical.
The sky looked bluer.The sunlight felt warmer.Even the birds seemed to chirp in harmony.
"Sonoko? Sonoko? Sooonoko~?!"
A gentle nudge brought her back to reality. She stumbled slightly and turned to find Ran looking at her, confused.
"When did you get here?"
"I just came down. I called you like three times!"
Sonoko laughed awkwardly.
While Ran turned to talk to Hayashi Yoshiki, Sonoko sneaked a glance at him.
Still smiling. Still warm. Still gentlemanly.
She let out a breath of relief.
"It's about time. Let's head out."
Hayashi Yoshiki raised his hand and hailed a cab.
As he slid into the front passenger seat, he made a mental note: he really needed to get a car.
Situations like today made it obvious.
Besides, the Organization's next payout was approaching.
As a low-ranking member, Hayashi Yoshiki received a monthly stipend. In addition to that, every completed mission came with a performance-based bonus.
It wasn't much by his standards—but it was more than enough for something like a car.