Bang! Bang! Bang!
Clear gunshots echoed in the underground shooting range.
"Reload, continue."
Hayashi Yoshiki followed the instructions, removed the magazine from the M9 handgun, and quickly loaded bullets into it as fast as possible.
"Hurry up!!"
The stern-faced instructor urged loudly.
After reloading and chambering a round, Hayashi Yoshiki raised his gun again, aimed at the target, and pulled the trigger without being told.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The muzzle flash illuminated the flying bullet casings, and brass-colored bullets successively passed through the paper target, leaving behind bullet holes.
"Good accuracy, but your arm movement is still stiff."
"This is just a stationary target. If it were a moving target, or even a person making various movements, this rigid initial action of pulling the trigger is too inflexible."
"...It is a bit difficult."
Facing the instructor's cold pointers, Hayashi Yoshiki's face showed a slightly troubled smile.
The instructor returned a "Hmph."
This kid's soft, refined demeanor was something he quite disdained.
He didn't understand why Mr. Gin valued him so much.
However, his skill was indeed quite good. Although his strength was a bit lacking, his reaction speed was very fast...
After several more rounds of practice,
"That's enough shooting practice for today. You can leave."
"Okay, but before I leave, would you mind signing here, Coach?"
Suddenly taking out paper and a pen, Hayashi Yoshiki asked with a smile.
"What?"
"I have a habit of collecting people's names. Sometimes when I meet interesting people, I can't help myself."
The stern-faced man was somewhat speechless.
"Nonsense."
Although he said so, facing the ever-smiling Hayashi Yoshiki, he still wrote his name—because Mr. Gin had instructed him to try his best to satisfy this kid's requests.
Hayashi Yoshiki, having gotten the name, still smiled.
But that smile seemed to have a subtle change.
"This is not nonsense."
"Names have weight; they carry a person's entire life... It's not an exaggeration to say they are equivalent to life itself."
What idiotic talk?
The man paused, then sneered disdainfully and left, seemingly reluctant to stay any longer.
Hayashi Yoshiki had no intention of lingering either.
After cleaning himself to ensure no gunpowder smell remained, he left the underground training ground.
It had been almost a week since the book signing, and nothing particularly noteworthy had happened during that time.
Gin was also quiet.
What was worth celebrating was that, thanks to Futaba Publishing's vigorous promotion, Hayashi Yoshiki's newly released work had received an extremely good reception, and his personal popularity was steadily rising.
This was mainly due to his appearance at the book signing, which attracted a large number of female fans. Futaba Publishing even heavily promoted this as a selling point... almost to the point of printing Hayashi Yoshiki's photo on the new book cover to sell.
Additionally, Yoko Okino's appearance at the book signing that day even made it onto entertainment newspapers, which indeed brought a lot of traffic to Hayashi Yoshiki.
Apparently, many female fans were currently hoping that Hayashi Yoshiki would debut as a celebrity... Even Eiichi Yamagishi, Yoko Okino's manager, who had left his business card that day, occasionally called to inquire about his interest in entering the entertainment industry.
Ring, ring, ring~ Ring, ring, ring~
"Hello, it's me."
"Excuse me, Mr. Hayashi, this is Asamiya Nanae."
"Good afternoon, Ms. Asamiya."
"Good afternoon, Mr. Hayashi. I'm calling suddenly because our publishing house plans to have you participate in a detective program on Yomiuri TV. What are your thoughts on this?"
"A detective program... Can you tell me more?"
"Certainly. It's 'All Japan Detective Agency,' broadcast by Yomiuri TV every weekend evening. The program features the host revealing difficult cases sent in by people nationwide, and occasionally invites celebrities to participate in the recording."
"That sounds interesting."
"After all, Mr. Hayashi is a mystery novelist, so participating in this program is a perfect fit. Moreover, this program is very famous and will be very helpful for promotion."
"I understand. Can I watch the program first and then give you my answer?"
"Of course. I'll await your news then."
He hung up the phone and kept the matter in mind.
Then Hayashi Yoshiki took a taxi back to Beika Second Apartment.
After going upstairs, he didn't return to his own rented room but went to the opposite door and pressed the doorbell.
Click—
The door pushed open, and Eri Kisaki stood behind it.
"Come in, Yoshiki."
"Okay."
"Did you go out for exercise again just now? Aren't you tired?"
"A little," Hayashi Yoshiki said as he changed into indoor slippers. "But I've been quite relaxed lately, so I should exercise more."
"Hmm, I think a guy who likes to exercise is a big plus."
Eri Kisaki turned her head and gave a graceful smile.
Although her features indeed exuded the unique charm of a mature woman, she truly showed no signs of being old enough for her daughter to be in high school. Not only was her face beautiful, but her skin was also supple, and her plump figure had no excess fat—she seemed to radiate a strong feminine aura.
"Auntie Eri, were you just watching TV?"
"Actually, I was mainly on the phone with Ran," Eri Kisaki poured a glass of water and placed it in front of Hayashi Yoshiki. "Speaking of which, she just asked me the day before yesterday if she had a cousin like you. She said she happened to run into your book signing when she went to the bookstore with a friend that day."
"That day was indeed quite a coincidence. Although we only met briefly, it's clear that Ran is a very excellent girl."
"Why do you sound so old-fashioned? You're only a few years older than her," Eri Kisaki said, then couldn't help but laugh. "By the way, Yoshiki, if you don't mind, you can hang out more with Ran and her friends. It's not good to stay at home all day... And with you around, I'd feel much more at ease."
"Hmm, if there's a chance."
"I heard her say she's going to Tropical Land this Sunday. Are you interested, Yoshiki?"
Seeing that Hayashi Yoshiki didn't refuse, Eri Kisaki seemed quite happy.
Mainly, she knew that her daughter seemed to be somewhat revolving around Yukiko's child...
After all, they were childhood friends, and Eri Kisaki could understand that. Moreover, she had watched Shinichi Kudo grow up, and his personal abilities and character were indeed good... But his only flaw was being a high school detective; he always rushed headlong into cases whenever he encountered one, sometimes even recklessly.
Partially due to the influence of a certain person, Eri Kisaki now had a somewhat unfavorable view of the detective profession.
Compared to that, this child Yoshiki was definitely more reassuring.
He was gentle, polite in his interactions with people, and his abilities were also outstanding... Especially with his excellent appearance, Eri Kisaki couldn't find a single fault.
"I am somewhat interested, but I think I'll be recording a show this Sunday."
"A show?"
"Yes, 'All Japan Detective Agency' on Yomiuri TV. Ms. Asamiya just called to tell me about it."
"Oh, that show."
Eri Kisaki's eyes lit up, and she smiled: "Auntie will definitely watch it then."
"Okay, perhaps they'll offer seats for the live audience. I'll do my best to perform well."
Hayashi Yoshiki replied with a smile.
However, what he was thinking about more was "Tropical Land." If nothing unexpected happened, the plot would soon begin.