The party was held at the home of one of the two boys who had invited them.
It was a stand-alone house with a spacious lawn and located in a fairly upscale part of town.
Ran Mouri rang the doorbell.
"We're here—been waiting for you!"
A loud voice called from behind the door, which opened almost immediately.
A tall, muscular man stood in the doorway.
His face was average, but his chest and arm muscles bulged beneath his shirt. He smiled warmly—until he spotted a young man standing behind Ran Mouri and Sonoko Suzuki.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Hayashi Yoshiki, and I'm here to accompany these two ladies to the party."
Staring at Hayashi Yoshiki's calm, elegant smile, Wakamatsu Toshihide's expression slowly stiffened.
He looked at Ran, the girl he clearly liked, and then at the impossibly handsome man standing behind her.
Whatever high hopes he had for the afternoon were quickly dashed.
"Wakamatsu, stop blocking the door. Didn't you say two girls were coming—ah! Are you Hayashi Yoshiki, the mystery novelist?!"
A girl's excited voice came from behind Wakamatsu, and she quickly pushed past his broad frame.
The moment she laid eyes on Yoshiki, they sparkled.
"Oh my gosh, really?! I'm such a fan!"
"I'm honored. But could we come inside first?"
"Oh! Of course, of course! Please come in!"
She stepped aside immediately.
The three of them stepped inside, exchanged polite greetings, and changed into indoor slippers.
A small crowd had already gathered in the living room.
The girl who'd just greeted them walked in ahead and announced gleefully, "Guess who's here!"
"Ah! Teacher Hayashi?!"
A pretty girl jumped to her feet in surprise.
"Hello." Hayashi Yoshiki gave a small nod and scanned the room calmly.
Aside from the girl named Yoshimi, most people wore confused or indifferent expressions—Who is this? or Never heard of him. One boy looked mildly startled but said nothing.
Judging from the ratio, Futaba Publishing's promotional reach was decent—but for now, the fanbase was mostly female.
"Let me introduce you. This is the mystery novelist Katsuhiko and I adore—Hayashi Yoshiki!"
"A mystery novelist!"
"He looks like he's our age."
"Everyone, please introduce yourselves," the cheerful girl said. "I'm Kaori Sekiya, and we're all members of the Rice Flower Medical University Tennis Club."
"I'm Katsuhiko Minagawa, the club president. Glad you could make it."
Minagawa was a handsome young man. He raised his hand in greeting.
"I'm Watanabe Yoshimi. Thank you for being here."
Next came a boy who was drinking silently. He looked gloomy and had no interest in speaking up.
"Don't mind him. He's always ," Kaori Sekiya said with a laugh, waving it off.
Then Ran and Sonoko introduced themselves.
When Wakamatsu Toshihide heard that Hayashi Yoshiki was only there to accompany Ran as her cousin, the heavy tension in his chest lifted, and he smiled again.
"Everyone done introducing themselves? Then let me go last!" He raised his arms to show off his muscles with exaggerated cheer. "I'm the sensitive type—tough on the outside, soft on the inside! I cry easily, but I'm strong. Name's Wakamatsu Toshihide!"
Hayashi Yoshiki gave a polite smile.
Then he leaned slightly toward Ran and whispered, "Is he the one who invited you?"
"Yeah," Ran replied, slightly embarrassed.
Yoshiki gave a small nod in understanding.
The college students quickly invited everyone to sit. As Sonoko and Ran settled in, Wakamatsu made sure to plant himself beside Ran with obvious intent.
Hayashi Yoshiki lightly patted him on the shoulder. "Excuse me, Mr. Wakamatsu, could you give up that seat? Ran isn't comfortable sitting so close to someone she just met."
"...Ahaha, we're not strangers! Right, Ran?"
"I'm sorry," Hayashi Yoshiki continued with a warm smile. "But your sweat has a very strong scent."
Wakamatsu turned toward Hayashi Yoshiki, expression hard to read. He looked like he wanted to argue, but under Yoshiki's calm, unwavering gaze, he finally slid a few inches away.
At least he was cooperative.
If he hadn't moved, Hayashi Yoshiki might've been tempted to write his name in the Death Note just to get him to budge.
"How tasteless..." Sonoko muttered to Ran.
The awkward tension in the air lingered for a moment, but Kaori Sekiya raised her glass and broke the silence.
"Come on, everyone—have a drink!"
"Try the snacks too! Yoshimi and I made some of them ourselves."
"Cheers to Valentine's Day!"
Cups clinked around the table.
As everyone drank, Ran turned slightly toward Yoshiki.
"Thanks, Yoshiki-nii."
"It's nothing. Just enjoy yourself."
Hayashi Yoshiki smiled gently.
But then, his eyes flicked toward the glass doors.
Out in the yard, the bushes rustled—not just naturally, but as if someone had moved through them.
Before he could dwell on it, a woman in a kimono emerged from the kitchen carrying a large pot.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. The main dish is here!"
"Wow! Sukiyaki? That looks amazing!"
"There's sushi too—I'll bring it out next."
Watanabe Yoshimi expressed her gratitude, and Sonoko blinked in surprise.
"Eh? Auntie… is this Mr. Minagawa's mom? She looks so young!"
"Haha, little one, you have such a sweet mouth."
The woman covered her mouth and laughed gracefully.
She looked around thirty at most—yet Katsuhiko Minagawa was already a college graduate.
Hayashi Yoshiki noticed that Minagawa wasn't smiling.
He was frowning slightly, gaze fixed, clearly not in the best of moods.