Kousaka Daisuke questioned them carefully, then told his officers to haul off the unconscious suspect on the ground—the man still twitching in pain now and then.
Looking at the tall, handsome Hayashi Maki, he couldn't help patting his shoulder in praise. "Kid, not bad—taking down a thug like that. Good work!"
Kousaka Daisuke didn't exactly enjoy going out on calls; he wished there were none. Too often the police arrived only to a completed crime scene, and the victims' condition made him loathe perpetrators to the core. So seeing Hayashi Maki arrive in time and subdue the attacker genuinely moved him.
"Um, officer… Maki-kun won't be in trouble, right? I mean… that guy looked a little miserable…" Nibutani Shinka asked timidly. She'd seen Hayashi Maki stomp the man's crotch. Satisfying as it was, she worried it might land Hayashi Maki in hot water.
Kousaka Daisuke shook his head with a smile. "Don't worry, miss. This was courageous intervention. And this guy is almost certainly the serial killer we've been hunting."
"Hayashi Maki won't be in trouble—in fact, we'll commend him. You can relax."
Only then did Shinka breathe out. Hayashi Maki ruffled her hair with a grin. "It's fine. I'll be okay."
"Now," Kousaka said gently, "because of procedure, I'll need the three of you to come down for statements. It'll be quick, and I'll drive you home myself afterward."
Hayashi Maki had no objection. He and the two young women got into the patrol car and headed for the station. On the way, Kousaka talked about the case: they'd been after this suspect for a while and already had decisive evidence—compare it with this man and they'd have their answer.
Hayashi Maki nodded along, though he didn't place much faith in the police. If not for the necklace's protection, by the time help arrived it would've been far too late. In this world, if you want to protect the people who matter to you, you can't afford to be careless. Learn from the cautious hero—be careful, then be even more careful.
Kousaka seemed to take a shine to him and exchanged private numbers. Hayashi Maki didn't refuse. Given who he was, Kousaka could be a useful connection. If he was going to build the Hayashi Empire, he'd need people in every field—and Kousaka looked like a good pick.
Ahem—definitely not because he wanted to meet Kousaka Kirino.
After the statements, the three got out at a park near Nibutani Shinka's place. Kousaka left. Hayashi Maki smiled at the two young women. "Come on—there's still time. Let's walk. I know you've got questions."
Shinka gave him a complicated look and unconsciously touched the necklace at her throat. She really did have a bellyful of questions—but somehow couldn't bring herself to ask. This was Maki-kun's secret; was it really okay for him to tell her and Kato?
Well… she wanted to know. She was dying for him to explain. As someone who'd had a chuunibyou phase, she'd once imagined a world split into black and white—the everyday surface and a hidden world of people with special powers.
Hayashi Maki strolled easily, Shinka and Megumi Kato flanking him. "First off, thanks to Megumi. Quick thinking to ping me—that let me lock your location and get there fast. As for you, Shinka, you need more practice with crisis response."
Hearing him praise Megumi—and call her "Megumi-chan" so familiarly—Shinka couldn't help pouting. "Who expects to run into a killer on the way home? And how do you 'practice' for that? Most people go their whole lives without it!"
Hayashi Maki's mouth quirked. "From the moment you met me, your life stopped being ordinary. So steel yourselves."
Shinka fixed her eyes on him. "Then what are you, exactly? And that necklace you gave me—why does it have that kind of power?"
Megumi's body gave a tiny jolt; a sour pang prickled in her chest. So the necklace was from Hayashi Maki after all. But she'd known him first. They'd sat front-and-back since grade school. Why hadn't he given one to her?
Her face stayed neutral, but the displeasure was obvious.
Seeing Shinka's curiosity, Hayashi Maki smiled. "I'm a demon. Sign a contract with me and you can become a mage. So, Mori-sama—tempted yet?"
"Mm… stop calling me 'Mori-sama'! How long are you going to hold my black history over my head?"
"Oh, probably for life?"
"'Probably'? Can't you be a little more definite?" she snapped automatically—then realized she'd blurted out what she really felt, and her cheeks flushed.
"That depends on you," Hayashi Maki said with a helpless shrug. "Anyway—we're at your door."
He patted her head, eyes warm. "Get some sleep and forget today, okay? See you tomorrow, Shinka."
"…Mm. Then—Maki-kun, Kato… see you tomorrow."
Blushing, Shinka gave him a look and headed inside.
Hayashi Maki, acting the gallant escort, walked on with Megumi. She said nothing, following in silence, her expression a little frosty. He knew she was upset he'd given Shinka a necklace and forgotten her. Luckily, he'd come prepared.
He stopped, turned, and looked straight at her. "Megumi-chan doesn't have anything to ask? About the necklace? Or me being a demon?"
She averted her gaze, awkward. "We're just ordinary classmates. I don't really have the standing to pry into Maki-kun's business. Who you give a necklace to is your freedom, isn't it? Nothing to ask. Besides… why tell me who you are on purpose—what are you trying to do?"
Hayashi Maki opened his mouth, but Megumi sped up and kept talking: "Anyway, it's none of my business. I'm grateful you helped me—that's all. I'll remember it. And I won't tell Shiina about you and Nibutani."
Hearing her distance herself, Hayashi Maki could only sigh inwardly. Megumi might seem easygoing, but once she was mad, she could be stubborn and intimidating.
He didn't like cold wars. Watching her back, he simply spread his arms and pulled her into a firm hug.
"Mm—Maki-kun, is this… harassment?" Megumi's body trembled and her cheeks colored—it wasn't what she'd expected, him boldly hugging her from behind.
"Yep. You said we had no connection—so now we do. I didn't forget you, Megumi-chan. I just hadn't had the chance."
He took her hand and slipped a delicate bracelet onto her wrist. "Don't take it off, okay? It'd make me sad."
Megumi looked at the bracelet, and the sourness in her heart evaporated by half. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and turned to face him. "I'll cherish—mmph!"
She couldn't finish. The kiss-obsessed Hayashi Maki moved in again. Since he'd given her the bracelet, he had to stamp it with a seal—call it… the first step of a contract.
~~~
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