A little later, the sky shifted into the warm glow of evening.
Under the red, beautiful sunset—
"Hello~ handsome."
A lively female voice approached from behind.
Haruki had just finished his shooting practice for the day and had only recently stepped out of the Organization's secret firing range when he was stopped. He wasn't surprised. Instead, he offered an elegant, courteous smile.
"May I help you?"
"Uh—ah…"
The girl who had confidently approached him suddenly faltered.
Haruki took a calm look at her.
She was the flashy, gyaru type—long dyed-blonde hair, bright makeup, pale skin. She wore a standard school uniform, but she had altered it to the very edge of the school's regulations. Her glittering phone case and the tiny decorative stickers on her face matched her lively style perfectly.
"Are you interested in karaoke?" she asked.
"I'm sorry, but I'm not very good at singing."
"…Oh. Okay."
She hesitated. Bubble tea? Maybe that would work? But the moment she looked at his overwhelmingly handsome face, her courage evaporated before the words could leave her mouth.
Haruki remained polite, still smiling softly.
"But may I ask why you approached me?"
"Do you need a reason to flirt with a handsome guy?" she muttered.
Realizing her attempt had failed completely, she turned around and left in a straightforward hurry.
Haruki glanced at the time on his watch. Ignoring the middle-aged man walking past him, he calmly concluded:
"I see. Although she approached me according to what I wrote, the action itself was something she carried out of her own free will."
He mentally reviewed the earlier entries he had written:
"T. Misawa
March 28, 5:47 PM — while passing the entrance of Beika Imperial Bank, witness a gyaru fresh out of school flirting with a boy holding a shopping bag.
April 16, 10:08 PM — angered by Michiko Miyazaki, engage in conflict and cut her throat with a knife, then escape.
April 17, 3:17 PM — during the process of being apprehended by police, accidentally fall from the rooftop and die."
Just a few lines could manipulate a person's every action, even determine their entire life.
The Death Note was terrifyingly useful.
Through the girl's behavior just now, Haruki gained deeper insight into how to use the notebook as a kind of "script.''
He still had many experiments to conduct, but for now, he decided to call it a day.
The arrangements for T. Misawa and Michiko Miyazaki's deaths were also intentional. Whether they were gang members or minor criminals, too many sudden deaths at once could draw the attention of certain… observant individuals. Creating a situation where they "eliminated each other" was far less suspicious.
Buzz~! Buzz~!
His phone vibrated.
The message was from Yoko Okino's agent, Yamagishi Sakae:
"Haruki-sensei, is this Detective Kogoro Mouri you recommended really reliable?"
A very straightforward question.
Haruki paused briefly before replying.
"Have you and Yoko-san already gone to the Mouri Detective Agency?"
A response arrived almost immediately.
Yamagishi Sakae: "Yes. We're at the agency now, but… I feel Detective Mouri is a bit rash."
Yamagishi Sakae: "But Yoko-san said that since *you* recommended him, Haruki-sensei…"
Haruki:"That may simply be one of his characteristics."
Even as he sent the message, Haruki couldn't help feeling conflicted. Kogoro Mouri leaving such an unreliable first impression… well, that was the Mouri he knew.
Yamagishi Sakae: "Alright. Yoko-san has decided to entrust the case to Detective Mouri."
Haruki: "If anything happens, feel free to let me know as well."
The conversation ended.
It was still early, and Haruki began thinking about dinner.
Eri Kisaki always worked late on Mondays, and usually by that time she was thinking about a late-night snack. He'd grab something light first…
He found a restaurant, placed an order, and had barely settled into his seat when—
His phone rang again.
He answered.
"Haruki-sensei—there's a body in Yoko-san's residence!!!"
"Do you need me to come take a look?"
"Yes! Yes—please! I'm sorry to trouble you!"
Yamagishi's voice was shaking with panic.
After he and Yoko formally entrusted the case to Detective Mouri, they returned to her apartment to check for signs of the stalker. But the moment they opened the door—
A dead man was lying in the living room.
Yoko Okino screamed. Yamagishi froze.
Even with a detective right beside him, he still reached for his phone.
Something told him… that detective might not be reliable enough.
"Yoko, Haruki-sensei said he's coming over now."
"Okay…"
"Who are you talking about? No! We should call the police immediately!"
"Oh, oh! You're right—"
At Kogoro Mouri's reminder, everyone suddenly remembered to call the authorities.
While Ran Mouri was on the phone alerting the police, the little boy nearby—Conan Edogawa, actually Shinichi Kudo—was frowning as he carefully observed the corpse lying in the living room. Habitually, he leaned closer to inspect.
"Ah!!!!!"
The piercing scream made the adults spin around. Several little children had somehow snuck into the apartment and, terrified at the sight of the corpse, collapsed to the floor.
"Where did these brats come from?!" Kogoro Mouri roared.
"Conan!" Ran Mouri quickly pulled him back. Seeing this, Kogoro swung an iron fist at Conan's head.
Bang!
Conan's eyes immediately saw stars.
Kogoro Mouri lowered his hand, then glanced up. "Who is this Haruki-sensei you were just talking about?"
"Huh? Mr. Mouri, you don't know?" Yoko Okino looked at him in surprise. "We actually came to you on Haruki-sensei's recommendation."
Kogoro looked even more confused.
Ran Mouri, unable to hold back, scolded him. "Dad, didn't you read the newspaper today?"
"Oh… I woke up early this morning and drank… Uh! No, I just woke up late and forgot to read it!"
"So you were drunk again this morning?!"
"No, no! Just a tiny bit!"
Kogoro Mouri chuckled awkwardly, cornered by his furious daughter advancing step by step. He glanced at Yoko Okino, who looked flustered but composed despite being scolded.
It's better to wait for Haruki-sensei to arrive, his eyes seemed to say.
Yoko Okino nodded gently in agreement.