Chapter 38: The Death Notebook’s Owner Revealed

“What happened? How did Edogawa Rin suddenly die?”

“It wasn’t even time yet!”

“I don’t know either! I was just video-calling and arguing with him, and in the middle of it, he suddenly clutched his chest and collapsed!” Hirata Kiba exclaimed, on the verge of tears. “Did I… did I scold him to death?”

Just as chaos erupted in the group chat, Bai Yuliang posted a message that stunned everyone.

[I accuse Hashimoto Makoto of being the owner of the Death Notebook!]

At that moment, everyone’s breath hitched. Immediately, a flurry of messages flooded the chat.

“Hashimoto Makoto? Yuliang-kun, are you crazy? Hashimoto-kun is the most honest student in our class!”

“Exactly! He always protects the girls, and he even greets someone like Takashima with a smile.”

“Ah, Yuliang-kun is really a pity…”

Just as everyone lamented Bai Yuliang’s accusation,

Teacher Mori: “Congratulations to Bai Yuliang for a successful exposé (applause 👏)! You are awarded one [Life-Buying Underworld Coin]. Hashimoto Makoto has failed and will receive the obliteration penalty!”

Teacher Matsui: “Yuliang-kun (smile 🙂), come choose a method of death for this despicable killer. Hahaha, this is an excellent opportunity to avenge our deceased classmates!”

The group chat exploded with exclamations.

Bai Yuliang was pondering his reply.

In the next second, he received a private message.

Hashimoto Makoto: –I never expected that fake Edogawa Rin was you. So be it, I admit defeat wholeheartedly this time.–

Bai Yuliang: –It seems you can no longer use the Death Notebook.–

Hashimoto Makoto: –That’s right. You can easily order my execution now. Choose any way you like; I don’t care.–

Bai Yuliang: –Before that, I want to ask, do you regret killing those people?–

Hashimoto Makoto: –Of course not. They all deserved to die. Kuroda Yuto, with his high IQ, often manipulated girls and played them like puppets. Okubo Matsu even bought girls’ bodies with money. Takashima wasn’t any good either; he owed many girls in our class money and never repaid it. Yoshimura Taku was the worst; he constantly harassed girls. He deserved death the most!–

Bai Yuliang: –It seems your motive for killing was mainly for the girls.–

Hashimoto Makoto: –That’s right. Everything I did was for the girls. You can call me foolish, but I believe I am a great protector of flowers!–

Bai Yuliang: –Did those who bullied girls include Edogawa Rin?–

Hashimoto Makoto: –No, but given the circumstances at the time, I had no choice but to kill him.–

Bai Yuliang: –Alright, I’ve decided on your method of death. Do you have any last words?–

Hashimoto Makoto: –You are truly formidable. Perhaps you’ll be the final victor. But throughout this process, please don’t harm girls indiscriminately. I beg you.–

After he finished speaking, the other party’s avatar turned gray, indicating he had put down his phone and resigned himself to fate.

Bai Yuliang sent a message in the group: [Let Hashimoto Makoto die peacefully.]

The two ghost teachers sent a smile. With a message of “Execution complete,” Bai Yuliang knew another classmate had perished.

At this moment, everyone in the class was rejoicing in their survival, yet Bai Yuliang remained remarkably calm.

He meticulously counted the student names.

Asakura Mirai, Ogiwara Tai, Koda Hikari, Iwata Noriko, Yuto Kirigaya, Maruta Tsuchiya, Tanaka Hama, Kuroda Yuto, Okubo Matsu, Takashima, Yoshimura Taku, Edogawa Rin, Hashimoto Makoto…

From the beginning until now, thirteen students had already died. This particular assignment had claimed an especially high number of lives.

Only twenty-seven people remained in the class. At this rate, they would certainly not survive another month.

Bai Yuliang felt no joy; the constant vigilance against the crisis still suffocated him.

As he was lost in thought, he suddenly noticed a copper coin on his desk.

‘When did this get here? I didn’t sense anything at all!’

He picked up the copper coin in surprise, feeling as if he were holding a piece of ice.

‘A [Life-Buying Underworld Coin]? It seems useful only for ghosts. How do I use it? Can money make ghosts work?’

He put the coin into his backpack, already planning what he should do tomorrow.

****

The next day, when Bai Yuliang returned to class, he was surprised to find everyone already present. Upon seeing him, their eyes lit up.

“Everyone, stand up!”

Class representative Nishionji Mitsuki called out, and the remaining students all stood, applauding Bai Yuliang.

Clearly, due to the previous death assignment, Bai Yuliang had successfully established an incredibly formidable image in everyone’s minds, significantly boosting his presence.

“Yuliang-ge, why don’t you come up and say a few words?” a male student asked, looking at him with admiration.

Unable to refuse, Bai Yuliang somewhat shyly approached the podium. He delivered a couple of generic motivational speeches, urging them not to give up easily. His words made the students below beam, causing him to sigh at how easily impressionable people in Sakura State were.

Afterward, class resumed as usual. However, this time, the two ghost teachers announced that today’s death assignment would be given later, and everyone should study independently for now.

With no actual classes, studying felt pointless. Consequently, students skipped class altogether. Those with money headed to karaoke, while those without went to internet cafes to play games. Even the usually well-behaved students ran wild around the school, much to the exasperation of the disciplinary committee members.

During lunch break, Bai Yuliang, as usual, went to the rooftop. After securely closing the door, it was time for his delightful meal.

“Mmm~”

Today’s dish was tempura, and the eating utensil was a beautiful girl’s soft tongue.

This made it impossible for Bai Yuliang to discern whether the deliciousness came from the food or the ‘utensil’.

Perhaps because of his exceptional bravery yesterday, the young girl Qichuan Feng actually took the initiative to invite him to lunch today.

There was certainly no reason to refuse.

During the meal, Bai Yuliang ultimately did not maintain his usual composure. His hand began to move mischievously, touching the young girl’s back and gently kneading it.

He was still a bit too shy to venture into more intimate areas.

He hoped she would take the lead!

“Haaah… you were unexpectedly persistent today…”

After finishing their meal, Qichuan Feng said, her face flushed.

“Mm, delicious food should, of course, be savored slowly. Besides, isn’t it better when it lasts a bit longer?”

Bai Yuliang spoke meaningfully, with a double entendre.

“I understand the first part, and I understand the second part, but together, I don’t understand…”

“You’ll understand later.”

“Oh…” Qichuan Feng nodded, half-understanding, then sighed.

“What’s wrong? Why so down?”

“Nothing.” Qichuan Feng pursed her lips and shook her head.

“When you girls say ‘nothing,’ it always means ‘something.’ Tell me, perhaps I can help you solve it.”

Upon hearing this, Qichuan Feng lowered her head and hesitated for a long time. Finally, as if having made up her mind, she slowly buried her head in Bai Yuliang’s chest.

“Since today, my right eyelid has been twitching constantly, and my heart has been pounding. It feels like something bad is going to happen.”

“What could possibly be more headache-inducing than a death assignment?” Bai Yuliang couldn’t help but retort.

“Ugh…” Qichuan Feng pouted, looking quite speechless, and then hummed softly, “Yuliang-kun, have you never had a girlfriend before?”

“Indeed, I haven’t… why?”

“No wonder your words are so clumsy!” Qichuan Feng rolled her eyes, pulling away from his chest. “Shouldn’t you be comforting a girl at a time like this?”

“Comforting a girl?”

“Yes, I just… I was like that…”

“I understand.”

Bai Yuliang nodded, then suddenly grasped the girl’s soft hand and pulled her close to his chest. The irreverent look on his face faded, replaced by sincere and deep eyes.

“Please rest assured, Miss Feng. I have promised to serve you diligently and will never break my word. Even if there are mountains of knives and seas of fire ahead, I will brave them for you.”

Upon hearing these words, the initially bewildered Qichuan Feng’s eyes widened instantly, and her face flushed crimson. Her gaze awkwardly darted away, flickering.

“Al… although I’m very happy you said that, I still need to remind you… we… we only have a purely transactional relationship…”

“Is it just a simple transaction?”

Hearing this answer, Bai Yuliang felt a pang of inexplicable heartache. He pressed on, unwilling to accept it.

Qichuan Feng hesitated before saying, “Of course… it’s just a transaction.”

Bai Yuliang carefully gazed into the young girl’s eyes. Although he sensed she wasn’t revealing her true feelings, he still felt a touch of discouragement.

This, in turn, stirred an uncontrollable wicked thought within him.

“What if… I wanted a more intimate transaction?”

Bai Yuliang suddenly exerted force, lifting the light, soft loli body onto his lap and embracing her.

“Could you accept that?”

“I…”

Qichuan Feng’s eyes instantly filled with panic, and her breathing became erratic.

And then, a message suddenly popped up in the class group, interrupting the ambiguous atmosphere.

The ghost teachers had posted a new assignment!