On the day the Tsukikage Island incident concluded, Hayato Masaki returned to Beika City with Kogoro Mouri and his group.
Ran, in particular, had no desire to linger on the island. The two eerie deaths there left her thoroughly unnerved.
The day after their return, Hayato received a text from Seimii Asou.
Seimii Asou: "Mr. Masaki, I've arrived in Tokyo."
Hayato Masaki: "That was quick."
Hayato Masaki: "Not staying on Tsukikage Island a bit longer?"
Seimii Asou: "No, I don't have any attachment to that place. Honestly, I've always lived in Tokyo."
Hayato Masaki: "I see."
Seimii Asou: "…May I ask where the missing Hideo Kawashima is?"
Hayato Masaki: "He's in Tokyo, too. You might read about him in the papers in a few days."
Seimii Asou: "Alright."
On the other end of the conversation, Seimii felt an inexplicable sense of relief at Hayato's reply.
Mr. Masaki wielded terrifying methods she couldn't fathom…
Perhaps sending him that request had been partly due to her father's spirit watching over her.
After the incident, Inspector Megure had passed Keiji Asou's keepsake—a musical score—to Seimii. Hidden within its notes was a father's final message to his child: "Live well."
Seimii resolved to honor it.
Still, she typed, Seimii Asou: "I don't know how to repay your kindness, Mr. Masaki. Is there anything I can do?"
Hayato Masaki: "Nothing for now."
Hayato Masaki: "Perhaps one day I'll need your help, Dr. Asou."
Hayato Masaki: "Until then, consider this justice a gift."
Seimii's heart swirled with complex emotions at his response. In the end, she could only manage a simple "Thank you."
Hayato, meanwhile, flicked open a lighter. With a soft click, he set two pages ablaze, reducing them to ash.
One page remained on the desk.
"Hideo Kawashima"
"May 19, 1:05 a.m., awakened in his bedroom by frantic knocking. Upon opening the door, he encounters Ken Nishimoto. Witnessing Nishimoto's self-immolation, he flees to Tokyo in panic."
"Thereafter, he roams Tokyo's streets."
"Seven days later, he is arrested by police, taken to the Metropolitan Police Department for questioning, and dies of a sudden cerebral infarction under emotional distress."
Hayato was testing the Death Note's "causality"—how far its power could bend fate.
Evidence from Tsukikage Island had already branded Hideo Kawashima a drug trafficker, now a wanted man. Could someone with so little skill in evasion truly elude capture in Tokyo for seven days before being caught?
Ring-ring-ring!
His phone chimed.
Hayato answered, said a brief "Alright," then tidied the desk. He adjusted his appearance and headed downstairs.
A black sedan waited below.
Hayato approached, opened the back door, and slid inside.
"Ahem… buckled in?" Vodka, in the driver's seat, cleared his throat and glanced back.
"Yes, we're good to go, Mr. Vodka."
"Alright."
Vodka started the car with care.
It was a black Toyota, its interior surprisingly luxurious. Vodka was alone—Gin was absent.
The burly man in dark sunglasses drove steadily, his eyes fixed on the road ahead, almost as if he didn't dare glance elsewhere.
"You seem tense, Mr. Vodka," Hayato observed.
"Huh? Nah, I'm fine. Not nervous at all!"
"Really?" Hayato offered a gentle smile. "If the pressure's getting to you, you can talk to me. I've been studying some psychology lately—it's quite useful."
Who do you think's causing this pressure?! Vodka wanted to shout, but the word that slipped out was a calm "Sure."
He drove Hayato toward their destination, and Hayato didn't press further.
The ride passed in silence.
Eventually, Vodka pulled up outside a pharmaceutical research institute.
A few unremarkable security guards stood at the entrance, but as Vodka led Hayato inside, their demeanor turned cautious.
"This place is highly confidential, Cointreau. Don't wander off alone," Vodka warned.
He swiped an ID card to access the elevator, then pulled another from his black suit's inner pocket as they reached the upper floors.
"Lord Vodka." "Lord Vodka."
The armed guards at the door, holsters visible, gave Hayato's unfamiliar face a curious glance.
Gin was inside.
The lab was a model of precision, with a dozen white-coated researchers working in quiet focus. Gin's gaze, however, was locked on the youngest among them—a short-haired brunette girl, also in a white coat.
"Speed up the drug research. If you need more data, run more human experiments. I expect your report for the boss," Gin said flatly, ignoring the girl's grimace. Hands in his pockets, he strode toward Hayato.
Hayato watched with a faint smile.
The brunette girl caught sight of him, her expression freezing for a moment before twisting into something like disdain. She turned back to her computer, face dark.
"Let's go, Cointreau," Gin said.
"Guess I'll call this a new-hire perk," Hayato replied with a grin.
Gin led him into a bright room, almost like a medical office.
A woman in a white coat was already there, rising the moment she saw Gin.
"Lord Gin…"
"He's here for the psychological evaluation. Start now. I'll wait outside."
"Yes, sir."
The psychologist nodded, a touch nervous.
Once Gin left, she turned to Hayato, meeting his warm smile.
"First time meeting, Doctor. I'm Hayato Masaki."
"Hello, Mr. Masaki. I'm Yumi Iwaki."
She remained cautious, guiding him to a seat after introducing herself, then shifted to professional mode. "From what I've been told, Mr. Masaki, you're dealing with a time orientation disorder, correct?"
"That's right."
"Do you have any history of medication?"
"None at all."
"Very well. We'll proceed with a series of tests, starting with…"
***
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