"*Two Bodies with Gunshot Wounds Found Near Beika City Aquarium*"
"..."
"*Police investigation indicates one of the deceased, Tsukida Taku, had been committing motorcycle robberies in the area prior to his death.*"
"*At the time of the incident, Tsukida Taku had successfully carried out two robberies, with a total stolen amount of 23,601 yen.*"
"*Forensic analysis of the wounds suggests—*"
"..."
"..."
Seated at his computer desk, a satisfied smile touched Haruki's lips as he extracted the key details from the next day's newspaper report.
The experiment was a success.
For now, he would set further testing aside. His immediate tasks were twofold: first, formally establish and register his detective agency; second, inscribe the two names provided by Gin into the Death Note. Neither posed a significant challenge.
As for longer-term objectives…
Haruki flipped to a fresh page in the Death Note. He drew a neat circle and wrote a single word inside it: *Spider*.
His thoughts turned to the phantom-weaving assassin from the world of Kaitō KID. The man's abilities held intriguing potential. The problem was acquiring his true name.
Currently, he saw three potential paths.
The first was through the Organization's intelligence network, but asking Gin directly would raise too many flags. Perhaps he could use the Death Note to orchestrate a conflict between the Organization and Spider's own syndicate, creating chaos from which he could extract the information.
The second path lay with the witch, Koizumi Akako, and her divination magic. Her abilities seemed versatile enough for the task.
The third, and in Haruki's view, the most reliable, was the artificial intelligence "Noah's Ark" from the Baker Street's Ghost movie. An AI of that caliber could effortlessly trace any digital footprint. The only issue was timing—it wasn't active yet.
His pen hovered, then he also circled *Gin*'s name on the page. He vaguely recalled an easter egg from the original series revealing 'real names' for Gin and Vodka—Kurosawa Jin and Saburo Uozuka. But were those their true identities, or merely another layer of alias? He might find an opportunity to sound out Vodka when Gin wasn't present.
**Ding-a-ling-ling Ding-a-ling-ling!**
The desk phone shattered his reverie.
Haruki pressed the answer button. "Hello?"
"Haruki-niisan? It's Ran."
"Speaking."
"Are you free today? I… I have a bit of a favor to ask." Ran's voice carried a note of hesitance and slight embarrassment. Before he could respond, she rushed on. "It's like this… A friend and I were having cake at a café recently, and two boys started hitting on us. They've… invited us to a Valentine's Day party this afternoon…"
Valentine's Day?
The date meant nothing to him, but his tone gave nothing away. "You couldn't refuse them, but you have no interest whatsoever. Is that it, Ran?"
"Yes…" Her voice grew even quieter, thick with sheepishness. The invitation had been pushy, the boy talking over her attempts to decline… She'd originally tried to call Shinichi, but the line just rang and rang. Haruki was her next best option.
"Understood. I'll accompany you."
"Really? Thank you! But, Haruki-niisan, my friend will be there too."
"The young lady who was with you at the book signing?"
"Yes, that's Sonoko."
"Alright. I'll pick you up when it's time."
After hanging up, Haruki pondered for a moment, then picked up his pen and made a brief entry in the Death Note.
—
*1:30 PM*
Haruki arrived as agreed outside the Mouri Detective Agency. He immediately spotted a lively, short-haired girl waiting by the curb.
She had a small cross-body bag slung over her shoulder and was checking her phone, her gaze frequently darting toward the building's staircase as if expecting someone. Hearing his approach, she turned. The moment her eyes met Haruki's, they lit up with unmistakable brilliance.
"Ah! Haruki-sensei!!"
"Good afternoon, Sonoko-san."
Haruki closed the distance.
"You remember me?" Sonoko's eyes were practically sparkling.
"Of course. You had me sign six books at once that day."
"Eh—!"
"A joke. Ran has told me about you. She says you're her best friend."
"Well, of course!" Sonoko replied, her expression instantly shifting to one of proud satisfaction.
However, under the continued gaze of Haruki's smiling eyes, Suzuki Sonoko's initial bravado quickly gave way to a renewed flush of shyness.
"I… I've read all of Haruki-sensei's books recently! They're really incredible! Though some parts were a bit… scary."
"They are mystery novels, after all…"
"But, Haruki-sensei, why are you at Ran's place?"
"Has Ran not told you yet?" Haruki asked, noting her surprise. His smile remained pleasant. "I'm here to accompany you both to the Valentine's Day party."
"!!!!"
Hearing those words from that face, in that tone, felt like a burst of sunlight directly into Sonoko's soul. The world seemed to instantly brighten, the colors more vivid.
The sky was so blue.
The sun was so warm.
Even the incessant chirping of the sparrows nearby sounded like a symphony—
"Sonoko? Sonoko! So-no-ko!"
"Huh? Ran? Is that you?"
Jolted by a push, Sonoko snapped back to reality to find Ran staring at her, utterly perplexed.
"When did you get down here?"
"Just now. I called your name like, three times."
"…Ah. Hahaha…"
Sonoko's laugh was strained. While Ran turned to speak with Haruki, Sonoko risked another glance at him. Seeing his expression was still nothing but gentle and amiable, she secretly sighed in relief.
"It's about time we should head out," Haruki said.
"Right."
He raised a hand, effortlessly flagging down a passing taxi. Sliding into the passenger seat, a thought crystallized: Buying a car needs to move up the priority list. Relying on taxis or the Organization for transport was becoming inconvenient.
The Organization's funds would be transferred soon. As a lower-tier member, Haruki received a modest monthly stipend. Completing assigned tasks came with an additional, performance-based bonus.
—Not that he needed the money, strictly speaking. But it was a useful tool, and maintaining the appearance of needing it was part of the role.
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