It had begun to rain. Rainy nights on the island had never been quiet—the sound of rain hitting leaves filled the woods outside, and waves c
It had begun to rain.
Rainy nights on the island had never been quiet—the sound of rain hitting leaves filled the woods outside, and waves crashed in the distance.
Boom!
A flash of lightning lit up the sky, followed closely by the rumble of thunder.
"It suddenly started pouring like this..."
Gazing out the window, Hayashi Yoshiki sighed. Then he turned to the others and said, "Let's stay here tonight. We can radio for pickup first thing tomorrow morning."
"…It's the only choice," Hakuba Saguru agreed with a nod.
After confessing her intent to commit murder, Koshimizu Nanatsuki had given up on revenge.
She had originally planned to destroy the radio equipment here.
Furthermore, no boats were scheduled to arrive anytime soon—she had instructed the captain who brought them that unless he returned after four days, he wouldn't receive his remaining payment.
What Nanatsuki didn't tell anyone was that… she'd actually intended for the captain never to return at all.
But…
Looking at Hayashi Yoshiki, who now stood smiling and chatting casually with Hakuba, Nanatsuki lowered her head in emotional turmoil.
Yoshiki began writing novels two years ago.
Back then, Koshimizu Nanatsuki had been a proud high school student detective—bold, youthful, and brimming with spirit. That was when she first discovered The Kindaichi Files.
When she learned its author was only two years older than her, she couldn't help but pay attention.
Then, Futaba Publishing began promoting Hayashi Yoshiki himself.
With his outstanding appearance and polished demeanor at book signings, Yoshiki quickly won over a legion of female fans.
Though Nanatsuki wasn't easily swayed by appearances, she found herself more and more drawn to him.
A year later, her best friend was driven to suicide.
While she began digging into the identity of the high school detective responsible for that tragedy, she also kept following Yoshiki.
From the rising popularity of his Kindaichi series to the time he was unexpectedly forced to solve a real mystery on a TV show—his first public case—Yoshiki had swiftly become a celebrated detective as well as an acclaimed writer.
Watching him go from an unknown novelist to a dazzling public figure in just two years, Nanatsuki's interest had transformed into admiration… even reverence.
Before she knew it, she had become his fan.
This entire event was supposed to be part of her revenge plot, and yet, inexplicably, she'd invited Hayashi Yoshiki to be part of it.
Maybe…
Maybe, at the edge of a life soon to be ruined by guilt and crime, she just wanted to see her idol in action with her own eyes.
What she didn't expect was—Hayashi Yoshiki was far beyond anything she'd imagined.
His reasoning skills exceeded all her predictions. He was so perceptive, he even suspected someone might use the opportunity to commit murder.
As a fan, Nanatsuki didn't even know whether to feel proud… or devastated.
But now, as a failed murderer, she only felt ashamed.
"Wah! That sounds terrifying!"
A sudden gust slammed against the window, making the glass rattle. Heiji Hattori jumped and complained, "This storm isn't going to blow the whole place over, is it?"
"Don't be ridiculous. Come on, aren't you guys going to eat?" HayashiYoshiki chuckled.
"…You only just reminded me—I'm starving," someone said.
"The food must be cold by now."
"No way, cold seafood stinks."
"I'll go reheat a few dishes."
The group chatted as they began heading downstairs.
Tokitsu Junya silently followed, but Yoshiki, noticing that Nanatsuki hadn't moved and still hung her head low, spoke gently:
"Come join us for dinner, Miss Nanatsuki."
"…Huh?"
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Nanatsuki replied, shaking her head.
Then, with a self-deprecating smile, she added, "You really are incredible, Mr. Hayashi… And here I am, a would-be murderer—"
"Don't say that."
HayashiYoshiki looked at her seriously.
In his dark, clear eyes, Nanatsuki could see her reflection. His voice was calm and soft:
"Everyone strays in their thoughts sometimes."
"I completely understand your grief and anger over your friend's death. Honestly, if I were in your shoes… I might have reacted even more harshly."
"But don't place a crime on yourself that you haven't committed. If you didn't do it, then you didn't do it."
"Even an attempted crime is still just an attempt… and you didn't even get that far. I think, deep down, you would never have gone through with it anyway."
"Now, come on. Let's eat."
"…Would you like to hear what I think of your new book?" she asked softly.
Looking at the smile on Yoshiki's face, Nanatsuki pressed her lips together—and finally smiled too.
"Yes."
It wasn't that she had come to terms with everything.
But HayashiYoshiki had offered her a way to step down, so she took it.
He walked out of the room first—only to find Heiji Hattori, Conan, and Hakuba waiting outside.
The three of them grinned.
As they descended the stairs together, Heiji asked:
"Hey, when's your new book coming out, Yoshiki-nii?"
"Very soon. I've already submitted the manuscript to the publisher," Yoshiki replied with a smile.
"Want me to tell you who the killer is in advance?"
"Don't you dare!" Conan shouted.
"That's just low," Hakuba said, shaking his head.
"Well, now I really want to spoil it," HayashiYoshiki teased, laughing.
Nanatsuki, following behind, couldn't help but smile a little herself.
So this is what the refined, elegant Mr. Hayashi Yoshiki is like in private…
Downstairs, Renzo Koya was reheating the dishes, while Tsuchio Hiroo rummaged through the fridge for beer. Tokitsu Junya, however, was nowhere to be seen.
"Where's Mr. Tokitsu?" Yoshiki asked after sitting down.
"I saw him head back to his room earlier," Heiji replied. "Guess he doesn't have the face to eat with everyone right now."
It was understandable.
After what he'd done, it was no surprise he didn't want to show himself.
HayashiYoshiki, hearing that Junya Tokitsu was alone upstairs, just smiled quietly.
Then Renzo Koya brought the reheated dishes to the table and said,
"I'll take some of this up to him later."
"Thank you, Mr.Renzo," HayashiYoshiki replied gently.