23:17 PM – Black Widow Bar
Several men in black suits sat quietly at the brightly lit bar, each with a cocktail in hand. The atmosphere was strangely harmonious.
"I advise you not to mess with that guy Jundu."
"The way he kills people is just unbelievable."
"It's like he can do anything, at any time, and in any way... He doesn't even show his face."
"My big brother said he's got a really dark soul."
"He might smile gently on the outside, but who knows what he's thinking inside—probably how to kill someone..."
"I even heard he has some kind of mental illness."
Vodka had drunk a bit too much and couldn't help letting his mouth run.
Honestly, it was a little terrifying to keep all this bottled up. Talking to Gin never got him any reaction, and since Chianti and Korn were here tonight, and everyone got along pretty well...
"Mr. Vodka."
A gentle male voice spoke up behind him.
Vodka turned around instinctively—
And froze.
"Jun... Jun... Jundu—!?"
The cigarette dropped from his lips and landed on his thigh as his jaw fell open.
Hayashi Yoshiki stood behind him.
There was a faint smile on his handsome face, but the look in his eyes was deep and unreadable.
"I thought we were friends."
Vodka felt nauseous.
He gripped his thigh hard, as if trying to suppress a tremble, and muttered quickly:
"O-Of course we're friends."
Hayashi Yoshiki ignored him.
He turned to the bartender behind the counter.
"A glass of lemonade, please."
"Coming right up."
The bartender was in the middle of mixing Vodka's drink but, sensing the mood, quickly switched to the lemonade.
Vodka immediately stood up.
"Forget mine for now. Make his first."
"Understood."
The tension was palpable.
As soon as Hayashi Yoshiki's lemonade was placed in front of him, Vodka frantically searched for a way to fix the awkwardness.
"So... Jundu, why are you here?"
Chianti, still reclining against the bar, looked over curiously.
"Gin asked me to come."Hayashi Yoshiki answered calmly.
Apparently, Gin had stepped outside to take a call just as Yoshiki entered, which was why Vodka hadn't noticed.
"Cointreau..."
"Don't worry. I'm not that petty."
Yoshiki sipped his lemonade and gave Vodka a dismissive smile.
Vodka nodded awkwardly—but he still didn't trust it.
Seeing him look so uneasy, Yoshiki said:
"Well, how about you take off your sunglasses so I can see your eyes?"
"...Why?"
Vodka hesitated, but ultimately did as asked.
They were sharp, double-lidded eyes—surprisingly expressive, and without the shielding tint of his usual shades.
Hayashi Yoshiki memorized them calmly.
—Now he had both Vodka's face and name.
In the world of the Death Note, a target's name and face are essential to execute a kill. For someone like Vodka, whose eyes were always hidden behind sunglasses, having just his name wouldn't have been enough.
Just then, Gin returned.
He cast a glance at Vodka and Yoshiki, then sat down beside them.
"Fighting within the organization is forbidden."
Yoshiki said nothing, merely sipped more lemonade.
After his glass of Curacao earlier, he wasn't in the mood for alcohol.
Chianti, for once, didn't shout about ordering a Chianti-and-Cointreau combo.
"How did you know we were operating there?"Gin asked suddenly.
"Hm?"
"Those text messages... You were clearly trying to set up a twist. That means you knew we were nearby."
"...You were actually at the scene?"
Yoshiki looked genuinely surprised.
He had been setting up for dramatic effect—but he assumed the Organization would just pull the site's security footage afterward.
Seeing his honest expression, Gin believed him. It seemed unlikely Yoshiki would lie about something that trivial—and poorly.
"You did well. But be quieter next time."
After all, three people had died just to get one target.
And yet Gin didn't think for a moment that this man was an undercover agent.
"What's the problem? One reckless driver and a drunk with no friends. It's practically charity work."
"Hmph. I'll schedule you for a full psych evaluation."
Gin's eyes narrowed, but Yoshiki remained calm and met his gaze without flinching.
Vodka stayed silent, nursing his drink, thinking: He really is on the same level as big brother...
Wait.
Vodka's face stiffened.
If he and Gin always acted together... wasn't he dragging Gin into Cointreau's crosshairs too?
The silence at the bar was heavy.
Eventually, Yoshiki chuckled.
"It's rare for everyone to be so quiet."
"If it weren't for you, Jundu, I'd have collected at least two heads tonight!"
Chianti scowled, still bitter about missing her kill.
Yoshiki seemed thoughtful.
Chianti and Korn were tools—sharpshooters who didn't worry about fallout. Just pull the trigger.
"Doesn't the organization have people to handle cleanup?"
"Why are you asking?"
"Just curious."
"Of course we do. But don't go creating messes on purpose."
Gin's tone was calm, but not threatening.
Now that Yoshiki had proven himself, Gin was at least speaking more than before.
Yoshiki lingered for a while longer, downed another lemonade, then stood and left the bar.
Outside, under the streetlights, he pulled out his notebook and flipped to a filled page. He struck a lighter, set the page ablaze, and watched it curl to ash in the wind.
The flames danced in his dark eyes.
One of the men he used had been a street racer—who once hit a pregnant woman and escaped punishment.
The other, a drunk who beat his family.
Hayashi Yoshiki felt no remorse using trash like that to accomplish his mission. In fact, he felt rather comfortable.
Buzz~!
"Taking a break, Yoshiki-kun?"
"I've almost finished packing now."
"And tomorrow is May 7th!"
Yoko Okino's text came in later than usual.
"? ?o.o`?"
No emojis.
Buzz~
There it was—made up for.
Hayashi Yoshiki smiled and stared at the time she mentioned.
He had already forgotten.
And he was used to it.