"Thank you for your support, and sorry for the wait."
A soft, clear voice—so gentle it could melt the coldest heart.
Even with her eyes closed, Suzuki Sonoko could tell: this guy was ridiculously handsome.
Clutching the book she'd just bought, her heart thumped wildly as the line grew shorter and shorter.
Almost my turn!
She could barely contain her excitement.
Finally, the person in front of her received their signed book and left.
Now it was her turn.
"Hello."
Hayashiki greeted her with a warm smile.
So. Handsome.
Sonoko practically screamed in her heart.
She had never seen a boy like this before—his appearance was almost unreal.
There was something about his whole presence: that glossy black hair, that calm and sweet smile, and above all—that face. Delicate, yet undeniably masculine. It wasn't feminine beauty. It was the kind of aesthetic that made people instinctively say:
"Beautiful."
Is he a fairy? An elf?
Had he not been dressed in a shirt and suit, Sonoko would have mistaken him for one of the fantastical protagonists from her romance novels.
"Please, could I get your autograph?"
"Of course. Though… you bought quite a few books."
"Yes! I'm a loyal fan, Teacher Hayashiki!"
"Thank you."
Hayashiki accepted the stack of books—six in total.
Before signing, he smiled and said:
"Apologies… My right hand's getting a bit tired from writing. Would it be okay if I signed with my left? Don't worry—the handwriting's still quite legible."
He had practiced left-handed writing specifically in case he ever needed to write in the Death Note with that hand.
To Sonoko, it only made him seem even more dedicated.
"Of course! Please go ahead!"
"Thank you."
Hayashiki began signing smoothly.
It's worth noting: because of the Death Note, he was always cautious when signing his real name in public. He would deliberately change two strokes in the kanji to avoid any risk.
His fans simply thought it was a quirky stylistic touch.
"Here you go, all signed."
"Thank you!"
"No, thank you for supporting my work. Standing in line must've been exhausting. There's a dish of my favorite candies here—please take a few."
Aaaahhh~!
His voice was so gentle, Sonoko felt like she might float away. Not wanting to make a scene, she quickly grabbed some candy and stepped aside, heart fluttering.
Next in line was Mōri Ran, Sonoko's best friend—who had originally just come along for the ride.
"Hello…"
She shyly placed her book on the table.
Hayashiki looked up, and a smile formed on his lips.
"Nice to meet you… Mind if I call you Xiaolan?"
"Huh?"
Ran blinked in surprise.
Sonoko's eyes widened.
And behind Ran, Kudō Shinichi tensed instinctively.
Fortunately, Hayashiki quickly explained with a chuckle:
"Did that catch you off guard? Actually, I'm related to your mother—Eri Kisaki. So I already knew about you."
"You're… my mom's…"
"Technically, I'd be your cousin."
"Seriously?!"
Sonoko reacted before Ran, practically bouncing with excitement.
If he's family, and I'm best friends with Ran… does that give me a chance?!
Ran was mostly just curious.
Still, since the line behind her was long, she didn't want to delay. She accepted the signed book and stepped aside.
Next up was Kudō Shinichi, who wore a sour expression.
"Your book's not bad. But there's something about The Ijinkan Village Murder Case that doesn't sit right with me. In the story, Wakaba wants to elope with Ryuichi—who's pretending to be Odagiri—on their wedding night. But they didn't need to kill anyone to do that, right? If anything, committing murder would just make eloping harder."
"Shinichi…"
Ran looked a little embarrassed by his tone and tugged on his sleeve.
Definitely jealous, Hayashiki thought, picking up on the sharp edge in Shinichi's voice.
He didn't mind. Smiling, he replied calmly:
"You're absolutely right, Kudō-san. But let's consider this: what if Ryuichi's revenge list included Wakaba's biological father? Maybe Wakaba begged him to spare her father. She might've said, 'If you let my father live, I'll do anything for you.' And maybe Ryuichi pretended to agree—just to manipulate her into helping him."
"That… does make sense."
Shinichi didn't argue further. He took his signed book and left, still frowning slightly.
Ran glanced back, as if she wanted to say goodbye properly—but the assistant was already ushering them out.
She waved quietly.
Hayashiki waved back with the same calm smile.
There were still dozens of people waiting, so he quickly returned his focus to the table.
The three-hour signing was exhausting.
Editor Nanae Asamiya had insisted on giving him short breaks throughout, worried about overworking him. By the time the event was finally wrapping up, it was nearly 7:00 PM.
Only a dozen fans remained in line.
"Thank you for your hard work, Teacher Hayashiki. Could I get your signature?"
"Of course. Thank you for coming."
As he took the book, Hayashiki noticed something unusual about the fan in front of him.
Sunglasses. Face mask. And… that voice…
Just as Hayashiki was trying to place it, the assistant beside him hesitantly asked:
"Miss… Yoko Okino?"
"Wait—Yoko Okino? The pop idol?!"
"Seriously? The Yoko Okino?!"
A ripple of excitement swept through the bookstore.
As one of Japan's most popular idols, Yoko Okino had a massive fanbase—both male and female.
Recognizing she'd been identified, she gracefully removed her sunglasses and mask, revealing her stunning face.
Smiling warmly, she gestured for the crowd to stay calm.
"I'll sign autographs for everyone later, okay?" she said, before turning back and waiting patiently like any other fan.
"The pleasure is mine," Hayashiki said, smiling as he signed her book.
At the same time, he noticed someone photographing the scene.
Judging from the position and angle, it had been arranged in advance.
He didn't react—just made a mental note.
When the last signature was done, Editor Asamiya rushed over and handed him a bottle of water.
"Thank you for your hard work, Teacher Hayashiki."
"It all went smoothly."
"So, how does it feel to have a top idol as one of your fans?"
Asamiya grinned.
Hayashiki glanced at Yoko Okino, now surrounded by fans and signing for them with kindness and grace. He also noticed the man beside her quietly managing the flow of fans.
He turned back to Asamiya with a knowing smile.
"To be honest, I'm a little embarrassed. I didn't expect the publishing house to invite Miss Yoko Okino."
"How did you figure it out?"
"Isn't it a bit odd for an idol to go out in public with her manager and allow photos? Her manager didn't stop anyone from filming earlier—that was the giveaway."
"Impressive. So you noticed all that."
Asamiya looked slightly awestruck.
A few moments later, Yoko Okino's manager approached and politely handed Hayashiki a business card.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Sakae Yamagishi, Yoko's manager."