"The deceased is Kuroiwa Tatsuji. Cause of death: heart failure..."
"Before he died, he was in a state of panic and nearly strangled himself—almost to the point of asphyxiation."
"It looked like he was experiencing a terrifying hallucination."
"Let me ask—did he walk out after 9:30, and then suddenly react like that after seeing the name 'Aso Keiji'?"
Because Tsukikage Island falls under the jurisdiction of Tokyo, it was Inspector Juzo Megure who arrived with his team after the police were contacted.
Before conducting any interviews, Megure had the letter of authorization collected as evidence—curious to see what kind of mystical power this simple document held, to cause such madness.
In the end, there was nothing unusual about it.
"I think he must've done something wrong, and just seeing the name Aso Keiji scared him to death," said Kogoro Mouri, confidently giving his opinion.
Megure rubbed his chin thoughtfully and nodded in agreement.
Given how many people witnessed the incident, it seemed like the most logical explanation.
Even Conan didn't voice any doubts.
But something still nagged at him—Kuroiwa Tatsuji's extreme reaction to the name Aso Keiji made it obvious: the fire twelve years ago must've hidden a dark, unspoken secret.
Moreover, one line in the letter of authorization stood out ominously: "On the night of the next full moon, shadows will begin to disappear again on Tsukikage Island."Conan had already marked it as a murder notice.
He was now thinking of where to start his investigation into the true cause of Kuroiwa Tatsuji's death.
The three men—Kogoro, Megure, and Conan—stood deep in thought, not realizing that Ran was trembling from fear.
"Are you okay?"Hayashi Yoshiki asked her softly.
"Brother Yoshiki..."
"Aunt Eri told me you're afraid of ghosts. Were you scared by what just happened?"
Ran nodded sheepishly."Brother Yoshiki, do you think it really was the ghost of Keiji Aso?"
"How could that be?"Hayashi Yoshiki replied gently. His calm voice gave off a reassuring presence."You didn't see any ghosts, did you? Even if one did appear, it seems only people who've done something wrong can see it. That has nothing to do with us, right?"
"...That's true."
"Here, wear this."
He took off his suit jacket and handed it to her with a smile."It gets cold on the island at night."
"But what about you, Brother Yoshiki?"
"Shh."He raised a finger to his lips, smiling to signal her not to insist.
Ran felt a quiet warmth blossom in her heart.
She obediently put on his jacket. Only then did she realize… Brother Yoshiki was actually quite tall.
Maybe because his refined demeanor and striking features stole attention, his height had gone unnoticed.
Masashi Asanami stood nearby.
He secretly watched Hayashi Yoshiki, trying to make sense of what he was witnessing.
No matter how you looked at it, Kuroiwa Tatsuji's death had nothing to do with Hayashi Yoshiki.
But Asanami knew full well that Kuroiwa was a cruel, despicable man. Even without his drug trafficking, he had ruled as a tyrant during his term as village chief, earning the hatred of many.Could such a man really be frightened to death by a mere name?
"Anyway, that's enough for today. I think we should all rest here tonight," suggested Kogoro Mouri.
Given Tsukikage Island's remote location, it had taken more than an hour for the police to arrive. It was now past 11 PM.
"Here? At the town hall?"
Ran looked uneasy.
After all, a memorial had just been held for the late village chief, and now the current village chief had died only an hour ago.
"We don't have much choice. There are no hotels here," said Inspector Megure, trying to comfort her."Don't worry. We officers are staying too."
"Ran-sis, why are you wearing Brother Yoshiki's coat?"
"Ah, this is—"
After some discussion, the group decided to spend the night at the civic center.
It had originally served as a tourist resting area and a meeting space for the villagers.
Just as everyone was preparing to sleep on the floor, Asanami Masashi suddenly spoke up:"Mr. Hayashi, may I speak with you alone?"
"Oh..."
Kogoro Mouri raised an eyebrow and gave Hayashi Yoshiki a teasing look, as if saying, "You're quite the charmer, huh?"
Hayashi didn't explain. He simply nodded and followed Asanami.
They headed toward Asanami Masashi's clinic.
The village streetlights were faint and flickering. The only consistent sound was the distant rhythm of ocean waves.
"...Was that your doing, Mr. Hayashi?"
Asanami finally asked the question weighing on his mind.
Hayashi Yoshiki smiled.
"Wouldn't it be easier to believe it was a ghost seeking revenge? Or that Mr. Kuroiwa died from his own guilt and paranoia?"
"...It really was you."
Asanami didn't know how to feel.
Was it excitement? Bewilderment? Fear?
He couldn't sort out the swirl of emotions overtaking him.
Finally—
"You said you were willing to help me. What do you want from me in return?"
"Doctor Asanami."
Hayashi Yoshiki stopped and turned around. His voice carried weight."I may need your help with something in the future."
His smile was gentle, almost ethereal.
Like mist—beautiful, but untouchable.
Asanami had never met anyone like him before... and Hayashi Yoshiki didn't even seem to care about his response.
"....."
Asanami stood silent for a moment, then nodded."I understand. As long as you help me..."
He had nothing left to lose.
Hayashi Yoshiki wasn't surprised.
In truth, even if Asanami had refused, it wouldn't have mattered.
He would have acted as though nothing had happened.
Truly—as if nothing had ever happened, including the truth hidden in that sheet music.
As long as no one got in his way, Asanami would eventually be consumed by the hatred he'd harbored for years.
He would burn with his enemies in the flames of revenge.
And Hayashi Yoshiki would never speak of it again.