For a witch, today was just another mundane day.
No surprises, no mysteries—just tedious, indifferent hours.
As the teacher droned on with flat intonation, Koizumi Akako propped her cheek on her hand, gazing boredly at the sky outside.
It was raining.
A fine drizzle had persisted since morning, the overcast sky casting a gloomy pall that grated on her nerves.
While she stared out the window, several boys in class stole glances at her. When she occasionally met their eyes, the hormonal teens flushed and looked away.
Hmph…
Koizumi Akako was used to it.
It was only natural.
She was keenly aware of her stunning beauty and reveled in it. With magic, she could captivate nearly any man's heart.
"Koizumi-san, someone from outside school is here for you," the homeroom teacher announced from the doorway.
Koizumi Akako froze.
She couldn't imagine anyone from outside school seeking her out. Her pride left little room for friends—maybe Nakamori Aoko counted as half one.
Puzzled, she stood and left the classroom.
Following the teacher to the hallway, she saw him—and her breath caught.
"Good afternoon, Koizumi Akako-san."
The impossibly handsome man greeted her.
His voice was refined and gentle, his clear eyes reflecting her tense figure.
He smiled warmly.
Yet, a dark, deathly aura cloaked him…
"You—"
"Thank you for returning my lost item. It held something very important to me, so I came to thank you in person," Hayato Masaki said smoothly, cutting her off.
The teacher beamed. "You did a good deed, Koizumi-san."
"Yes, Sensei. May I have a moment alone with Koizumi-san to thank her? Just a few minutes," Hayato asked.
"Of course, Masaki-san."
Fame had its perks.
At Ekoda High, Hayato had flashed a business card and a simple excuse, and doors opened effortlessly.
"Who are you?" Koizumi Akako's eyes burned with wary suspicion.
"No need to be nervous, Koizumi-san," Hayato said calmly, his smile brightening. "The 'elusive fortune-teller'—that's you, right?"
"…"
How had she been exposed?
Koizumi Akako's gaze darkened.
She instinctively wondered if this man wielded magic like her. His terrifying, lethal aura suggested as much.
"That day at the fortune-telling, I noticed your hands under the cloak," Hayato explained.
"…"
"They were slender and youthful, so I figured you were a young girl. Plus, from gathered info, the 'elusive fortune-teller' only appears after school hours until dinner, sometimes on weekends. That pointed to a local student."
"And you, Koizumi-san, transferred to Ekoda High this year, didn't you?"
"The fortune-teller rumors started shortly after you arrived."
"Of course, the main reason is you stand out so much. Otherwise, spotting one student among Ekoda High's crowd wouldn't be easy."
This "deduction," crafted after knowing the answer, was Hayato's prepared excuse.
Koizumi Akako hadn't expected that response. Confusion flickered in her wine-red eyes, but she quickly snapped, "Even so, you're no ordinary person! What's your goal?"
"I just need your help, Koizumi-san. I want to divine someone's true name," Hayato said gently.
His calm facade hid heightened caution—her reaction was unexpected.
Not ordinary?
To Hayato, who saw himself as normal save for the Death Note, her words were intriguing.
Had he slipped up?
Was believing in fortune-telling too suspicious for a regular guy?
Or… could this witch sense things others couldn't?
That wasn't good.
Shortly after earning the codename "Cointreau," Hayato had scoured the Organization's intranet. Even a group spanning nations, capable of creating youth serums and black tech, knew nothing of magic.
Cautious but composed, Hayato hadn't come to confront a witch unprepared.
"I told you, divining a name requires an item tied to their essence or traits. It's a must," Koizumi Akako said.
"I've got that covered."
"…"
Taking the handwritten signature from Hayato, Koizumi Akako glanced at it. "Fine. Consider it finishing the reading we didn't complete. But don't expect a perfect answer."
"It's not guaranteed?" Hayato asked, not disappointed. "That's okay. Any chance is enough, and… if you have conditions, Koizumi-san, name them."
"Any condition?" The proud witch didn't hold back. "What if I want your secrets?"
To her, Hayato's deathly aura was terrifying—something she'd avoid at a distance.
But in her sixteen years, she'd never met such a being. Curiosity tugged at her.
Hayato's smile didn't waver.
His secrets? No way he'd spill.
Yet, he answered earnestly, "Sure."
***
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