"Sensei, please accept this."
After the year-end bonuses were handed out, Majima had something for Kai too.
It was a bright red amulet, obtained from the famous Kanda Shrine in Chiyoda.
Kai took it with both hands and turned it over. The inscription read: ward off evil and impurity, health and longevity.
"Thank you." Kai accepted it and tucked it close. "What made you go get an amulet?"
"Because..." Majima's expression turned grim. "I think I've been cursed by a Shinigami."
Kai's ears perked up.
Yuta leaned in closer.
Amasaki let out a yelp, curled into himself, and swallowed hard.
"Because I drew Death Note, I offended the Shinigami." Majima licked his dry, pale lips. "I keep getting stopped by police for random license checks. Delinquents stare me down on the street. When I take the train, girls won't come anywhere near me, like there's something wrong with me..."
"You forgot about your own stupid hair!"
Yuta cut him off loudly, furious at himself for actually buying it for a second.
"Huh?" Majima blinked. He touched his golden mohawk and gave a sheepish laugh. "Yeah... yeah..."
Before that wave could settle, another one rose.
"Speaking of curses... I have one too." Amasaki raised his hand to get everyone's attention. His voice was eerie.
Yuta flinched. "Go on."
"Money keeps disappearing without me knowing it! There has to be a God of Poverty following me around!"
A vein bulged on Yuta's forehead. "You're the one spending it all!"
These two were going to be the death of him. Scaring him for no reason.
But at least these were all just nonsense. Shinigami didn't exist.
Yuta placed a hand on his chest to calm his pounding heart.
"Kai, don't take any of this seriously..."
He turned to comfort Kai, but the man wasn't where he'd been standing.
"The Shinigami, huh..."
A low sigh drifted through the room.
Yuta looked toward the voice. Kai was sitting at the drafting desk, hands clasped, chin resting on them. His eyes had a faint, hollow gleam, and his whole presence was unsettling.
"It does exist, you know."
Yuta's eyes went wide. Majima and Amasaki grabbed onto each other.
Kai's voice echoed through the room, flat and distant. "Legend has it that when a Shinigami follows someone like a shadow, that person will die without peace."
"Its body is about the size of a child's. Its eyes are hidden behind a white glow. And it grows restless whenever there are no dead nearby."
The more Yuta heard, the more his blood ran cold.
What Kai was describing fit the image of a Shinigami too perfectly.
"Do you remember? There was a criminal suspect who, after being dumped by his ex-girlfriend, started killing women who looked like her... That was the influence of the Shinigami."
Kai stood up.
"I'm going to make contact with the Shinigami. You guys go home."
...
Yuta couldn't sleep that night. The shadow of the Shinigami wouldn't leave his mind.
He was terrified that somewhere in the pitch-black room, a Shinigami was watching him.
He pulled the blanket over his head and breathed hard beneath it, when something clicked.
He sat bolt upright.
"He was just describing Detective Conan!"
...
New Year was approaching, and winter break had arrived.
Rika came to Tokyo again, planning to stay for a week.
Kai went to Tokyo Station to pick her up.
"As promised." Rika held up a purple scarf riddled with uneven holes, her cheeks flushed. "This is my first time knitting a scarf, so don't laugh at me."
"Of course not." Kai patted her head, took the scarf, and wrapped it around his neck on the spot. "It's really warm."
His breath came out in white clouds, and a warmth spread through his body.
"Thank you, Rika."
After bringing his sister home, he realized their winter supplies were running low, so he headed out to the supermarket.
"Rika, you don't need to come. Just stay inside and keep warm."
He blew a puff of air, pulled the scarf tighter, and said goodbye to Rika with a happy grin.
...
Winter break had arrived, and Mei Tsukasa, being a teacher, had time to visit her sister in Tokyo.
She ran around the house first, taking in everything.
"Rin, you've cleaned the place so well! Even the storage room is spotless. Any man who marries you is going to be the happiest guy alive."
She spotted the knitting needles moving in her sister's hands, then looked at the grey men's scarf gradually taking shape, and grinned.
"So?" she said, testing the waters.
Her usually composed sister was blushing.
She really did have someone she liked.
Curious, happy for her, and just a little worried, Mei waited for the answer.
"This is just a return gift."
The weather had turned cold, and Rin had taken off the earrings and put them away. Her earlobes were bare, but she touched them out of habit.
"Oh? A return gift? Does a return gift require knitting a scarf by hand?" Mei smiled knowingly.
"Who is it? To make my sister put in this much effort."
Rin pursed her lips. "It's… Kai Fujin next door. He's a really good person. He gave me a pair of earrings, so..."
"He's right next door!"
Arms spread wide, Mei bolted out the door. "I'm going to see for myself!"
"Mei!" Rin jumped up in a panic, forgetting to set down the scarf.
"Don't do anything crazy!"
...
Kai had just stepped onto the street when a woman collided with him head-on. It knocked the wind out of him.
A full-speed headbutt. Terrifying.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"
She bowed over and over, apologizing profusely.
Kai didn't have the energy to make a fuss.
"Please watch where you're going."
"Yes, yes!"
Seeing her nod so earnestly, Kai lifted his foot to leave, when Rin came hurrying up.
"Fu... Fujin?"
"Oh, Tsukasa. Good morning. Today's weather is..."
Halfway through his sentence, snowflakes began to drift down from the sky, fluttering softly. Winter had arrived in full.
"...not great."
The weather wasn't cooperating. That was all Kai could say.
Rin didn't return the greeting. Her eyes had locked onto the purple scarf around Kai's neck.
It was crudely made. One look and you could tell it wasn't bought. It looked like a gift from a girl.
Kai noticed her staring and lifted one end of the scarf, his voice brimming with pride. "Strange color, right? But there's nothing I can do about it. My little sister said purple has charm, so I went along with it."
"Oh! What a coincidence, Tsukasa. That scarf you're knitting doesn't seem like your style either. Are you making it for someone?"
Rin's hand trembled slightly on the knitting needles, and her eyes grew damp.
"Yeah. For someone really unbelievable."
Mei couldn't take it anymore. She grabbed the purple scarf, ya
nked Kai's face toward hers, and demanded, "Little sister? Just which little sister are we talking about?!"
Kai was completely blindsided.
"My sister Rika! Who else would it be?!"
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Bonus chapter at 500 Power stones
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