"Kusuda Rikumichi."
"March 19th, 17:56. Died from being crushed by a steel coil."
Before his death, he was riding in a companion's car, sitting in the passenger seat, heading out to execute an organization mission. During the journey, the vehicle lost control and drifted on the expressway, colliding with a guardrail on the passenger side, causing injuries. After his companion safely exited the vehicle, Kusuda Rikumichi attempted to escape from the driver's side, but was crushed by a steel coil that accidentally rolled off during transport.
The Death Note cannot cause the death of a third party. That is, only the person whose exact name is written will die. It's impossible to write something convenient like: "Kusuda Rikumichi drives into and kills an innocent passerby, then is crushed by a steel coil."
Even if written, it would simply result in Kusuda Rikumichi dying of a heart attack.
However, if the victim's name were specified—say, "Kusuda Rikumichi drives into and kills Shinichi Kudo, then is crushed by a steel coil"—then it would be valid.
Therefore, Haruki had to carefully add the line: "companion safely exited the car" in Kusuda Rikumichi's cause of death.Without this, any implied death of a third party would render the Death Note's effects invalid.
Fortunately, Kusuda Rikumichi, a minor character with an officially stated name, had been the one sent to monitor Haruki.Otherwise, this would've become far more troublesome.
Riiing—Riiing—Riiing—
"Hello, this is Haruki."
"Excuse me, Teacher Haruki. I'm Asamiya Nanae, an editor from Futaba Publishing."
"Editor Asamiya."
"Yes, through our marketing and promotions, your new work will be released in three days.Would you be available for a book signing on the release day?"
"How are the details arranged?"
"The first signing will be held at Futaba Bookstore in Mihua City. It starts at 3 PM this Sunday and ends at 6 PM. Does that schedule work for you?"
"Yes, that works."
"Wonderful. Then we'll proceed with that. Also, I personally recommend that Teacher Haruki dress up a bit that day. You'll be the centerpiece of the promotion, after all. If needed, we can also arrange for a professional stylist to assist you."
"That won't be necessary… but I'll make sure to look presentable."
Haruki hung up and marked Sunday—three days later—on his calendar with a pen.
This had been agreed upon when the publishing contract was signed:how much promotional effort the publisher would invest, including in-person events like book signings.
A good opportunity.
Although he hadn't officially become a detective yet, building his public reputation was a wise step forward.
Incidentally, Haruki was fairly confident in his own fashion sense.
Sunday Afternoon – Mihua City
The commercial street buzzed with weekend energy, and a long queue snaked in front of Futaba Bookstore.
"This is insane… Shinichi, are you sure you want to line up?"
"…I didn't think it would be this long."
"Still, it's rare. I didn't expect you to show interest in a book signing."
"It's not interest. I'm just curious."
High school detective Shinichi Kudo replied with his usual dry wit, brushing off the amused smile of his childhood friend.
Another voice chimed in with a mock complaint.
"What's the difference in what you just said?"
"Of course there's a difference!"
Shinichi rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed.
The novel series "The Kindaichi Case Files" had captivated him recently—particularly The Strange Mansion Village Murder Case, with its intricate tricks, vivid detail, and morally ambiguous characters.
It was said that the author was incredibly young, which made Shinichi all the more intrigued.
After Shinichi's explanation, Sonoko Suzuki let out a dismissive scoff.
"I don't get it. Ran, we might as well go get cake. This queue looks like it'll never move!"
"Sonoko…"
Ran Mouri gave a helpless smile.
She and Sonoko had originally planned to just grab dessert and do some book shopping. Then Shinichi called out of nowhere, and suddenly their girl's day turned into a literary pilgrimage.
Suddenly—
"Oh my gosh!"
"How is it? Did you get a different photo?"
"So handsome!!"
"Is he really not a celebrity?"
"He looks amazing..."
"So refined!"
"Hey, let me print that picture!"
Sonoko, who had been completely disinterested in the event until now, perked up.She overheard several young women squealing in excitement nearby, each holding copies of a book and what looked like printed photos.
Who were they talking about?
Her curiosity piqued, Sonoko leaned in and stretched her neck.
"Excuse me, who are you talking about?"
The girls stopped their conversation when they heard the question. Noticing it was just a high school girl asking, they eagerly shared their excitement. One of them, particularly enthusiastic, even held up a photo for her to see.
Just one glance—
"!!!"
Sonoko Suzuki's eyes widened dramatically. The next second, she darted back to Ran Mouri's side like a gust of wind, seized her hand, and exclaimed:
"Let's go! Ran, we're buying the book and getting in line—now!"
"Eh? Huh?!"
Ran barely had time to react before she was dragged straight into the bookstore by her best friend.
Shinichi Kudo, trailing behind, sighed as the corner of his mouth twitched.
Now he was the one not particularly interested in queuing.
Still, after a moment of thought, he stepped forward and followed the two girls inside.With the look Sonoko had on her face, there was no way she was walking out without that signature.
But the moment Shinichi stepped into the bookstore, he blinked and frowned.
"This is... kind of ridiculous."
The once-bright, airy Futaba Bookstore was now packed to the brim.The queue had wound itself deep into the store, and the signing table at the far end was completely surrounded—mostly by enthusiastic women.
The bookstore staff and manager were doing their best to keep the flow moving, guiding fans who had already gotten their books signed toward the exits. Meanwhile, Editor Asamiya and several assistants from the publisher were equally overwhelmed trying to manage the crowd.
From the chaos, Ran's voice rose, puzzled but soft:
"Sonoko… weren't we supposed to get English materials today?"
"We can do that after we get the signature!"
"…"
That girl works fast… Did she already buy the book?
Shinichi let out a sigh of mild disbelief.
Meanwhile...
Haruki was aware of the fine print in the Death Note's rules—especially the nuance that mattered most right now.
The Death Note cannot involve third parties in the cause of death.That means he couldn't write something like "Kusuda Rikumichi drives into a crowd and kills innocent passersby."
The moment a third party's name isn't specified, the cause becomes invalid.
But if the note stated:"Kusuda Rikumichi drives into and kills Shinichi Kudo"—and Shinichi Kudo's name is also written in the Death Note—then it becomes valid.
Why? Because Shinichi Kudo would no longer be a third party in that scenario. His death was accounted for by name—thus, the chain of causality was accepted by the Note.
That was the key detail Haruki exploited.