With his index finger pressed to his nose and his palm propping up his chin, Kai thought for a long time.
He'd never been this prominent before. His collected volume had surpassed a million copies. He was a pillar of Jump and a fan-favorite author. The sudden weight of it left him uneasy, like his reputation had outpaced what he'd actually earned.
Slap.
Rin looked at Kai in surprise. Out of nowhere, he'd smacked himself across the face. The sound was crisp and loud.
"Fujin...?"
"I've figured it out. Worrying about whether I deserve this is pointless." Kai laughed. "Keeping myself wound up all the time just makes mistakes more likely. You're right, Tsukasa. I just need to give it everything I've got."
"But that doesn't mean you should hit yourself." Rin stared at the red mark blooming on his cheek, flustered.
"True," Kai said, touching the spot. "It really hurts. I don't know what came over me."
"Anyway, forget about that. Let's enjoy the scenery."
It was late October. The maples had turned, spreading a brilliant red carpet across the park.
He lay down on the grassy slope, rested his head on his arms, and let the view wash over him.
"I haven't been this relaxed in ages."
He murmured the words and closed his eyes.
"You really do whatever you want." Rin shook her head, helpless, and sat down beside him with her legs tucked up.
The wind blew her hair into her eyes, so she pulled a tie from her pocket and gathered her long hair into a high bun.
"Fujin." She tilted her head, showing off the new look. "How is it? Cute?"
The answer she got was the steady rhythm of Kai's snoring.
He'd fallen asleep without realizing it. His chest rose and fell, and every now and then he smacked his lips. He was out cold.
"This is terrible."
Rin muttered, pressing a hand to her forehead.
For today, she'd prepared desserts and tea, scouted the surrounding area before picking this spot, and even managed to line up the comfortable weather with a gap in both their schedules.
After all that effort, he'd just fallen asleep. He hadn't taken any of it seriously.
Kai was an industry figure, accomplished, and good-looking. From their handful of interactions, she could tell he understood boundaries and was considerate of others. He was within her range.
But looking at it now, he was far too self-absorbed.
Forget it.
...
"Fujin, wake up... It's getting dark. You'll catch a cold."
Kai woke to a gentle nudge.
He rubbed his eyes and found the sky painted in sunset reds, the light already fading. A thin blanket had been draped over him, and Rin was kneeling beside him.
"I'm sorry. I fell asleep."
He rubbed his head. The headache had vanished, and he felt incredibly refreshed.
That had been a wonderful sleep.
"It's fine." Rin shook her head slightly, folded the blanket, and tucked it into her basket.
"Let's go home."
On the walk back, neither of them spoke. Kai wanted to say something, but Rin's calm, closed-off expression made the words stick in his throat.
By the time they reached their doorsteps, the streetlights were already on, stretching their shadows long.
"Goodbye, Fujin." Rin waved and turned toward her house without looking back.
"Oh... Goodbye." Kai nodded, blank.
As his hands dropped, his fingers brushed against something hard in his pocket.
"Tsukasa, wait!"
He called out and hurried after her.
"I completely forgot." He pulled something from his pocket. A small gift box.
He opened it. Inside was a pair of silver openwork earrings, delicate and shimmering, catching the streetlight like tiny stars.
"You've been looking out for me ever since we became neighbors, and I've been nothing but trouble. This is just a small thank-you. Please accept it."
Rin froze for a moment. "I can't take these."
"They're not expensive," Kai said. He took her hand and placed the box in her palm, closing her fingers around it. "It's just a token."
Under the streetlight, Rin's eyes caught the glow. "Alright, Fujin."
He exhaled. "I'm glad I finally got around to giving you those. Well then, see you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow." Rin pressed her lips together and waved softly.
Kai watched her go inside, then walked into his own house.
...
The Japanese economy had been struggling for years, still recovering from the collapse of the bubble.
A few months ago, the Asian financial crisis had struck, throwing the banking industry into panic. Capital fled. Household wealth shrank rapidly.
The social mood was bleak.
This was also one of the reasons Death Note had exploded the way it did.
"To lighten things up, Jump is running a short manga event. Several big names are participating, including Akimoto-sensei."
Heishi sat on the sofa, laying out the purpose of his visit.
Kai nodded, eyes still fixed on the manuscript page, his hand moving without pause.
"I wasn't planning to bring this up, Fujin. Your priority right now is Death Note. But it didn't feel right to leave you out of the loop, so I figured I'd let you decide."
"What do you think? Want to participate?"
"What's the theme?" Kai asked without looking up.
"Venting and Perseverance. Fifty pages max."
"Hmm." Kai thought about it. "That sounds interesting. When's the deadline?"
"End of December."
"So two months." Kai raised his head. "I'm in. I'll have the storyboard to you soon, Heishi."
...
The theme was Venting and Perseverance. A short manga, around fifty pages. Kai couldn't recall any existing work from memory that fit perfectly.
But that was exactly why he wanted to try. He'd been grinding on Death Note for so long that he wanted to see what he could do on his own.
A few days later, Heishi sat down with Kai's one-shot. It was titled "Kenji Tachibana."
"A political assassination, the kind Japan hasn't seen in decades."
"Wearing a mask and a sling bag, the assassin looks like any ordinary person in the crowd. He ends the life of a powerful politician with a crude, homemade weapon."
"The audience scatters. Bodyguards scramble, but their response is seconds too late. Some throw up protective barriers. Others rush to the fallen politician. The assassin doesn't resist."
"His name is Kenji Tachibana."
"He came here for revenge, carrying a grudge that had been festering for years."
Heishi read it carefully.
"This is intense," he said after finishing. "But the tone is completely different from Death Note. You're not glorifying him, Fujin. It reads more like a warning. Like you're saying this is where society ends up if nothing changes."
"That's the idea," Kai nodded. "A man pushed past his limit by a system that failed him. It's not heroic. It's inevitable."
______________________
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