Working at a Liquor Company, Spreading Pure Hate

“Have you heard? At the corner of the central park in the early morning, on the observation deck of the Sky Tree at dusk, or in a bar at the edge of the city after dark... If you happen to meet a young medium, buy him a glass of ice wine and he'll tell you a prophecy about your fate.” The latest urban legend circulating in Tokyo concerns Hakusan Kagami, the medium who recently stole the show on television. On screen, he's gentle and elegant. Off screen, he's mysterious and reserved. Rumors about him are everywhere. The most widely circulated photo shows a young man with black hair and white clothes, delicate, almost feminine features, and distant, melancholy eyes. His ethereal presence is like a thin mist that might vanish at the slightest breeze. * Hakusan Kagami is a bottle of ice wine, made in-house by the Black Organization. Origin: Japan. Vintage: 23. Ingredients: wine, with a little water added. Looks: 8. Physical fitness: 2. Talent: 10. In short, he has low attack, low defense, and 1 HP. He's never killed anyone, can't go undercover or disguise himself, isn't good at detective work, and is gentle, sensitive, harmless, and burdened with a fragile-heart debuff. The only reason he became the youngest member of the organization ever to receive a codename, and the reason the organization was willing to spend money raising him, was this: Hakusan Kagami is a medium. His talent is what kept him alive. He has always served only “that gentleman.” To protect this fragile little guy, who looked like he might quietly drop dead somewhere at any moment and attract all kinds of suspicion, that gentleman assigned a top killer to be his guardian when he was a child, and to watch over him until he came of age. Ultimately, Hakusan Kagami's mysterious guardian, the man surnamed Kurosawa, deserves much of the credit for keeping him alive and kicking until adulthood. Even though Mr. Kurosawa was an absolute materialist who believed only in strength. He scoffed at everything Hakusan Kagami believed in. In short, they couldn't get along. But he still kept his promise and raised Hakusan Kagami to adulthood. On the day he came of age, he handed Hakusan Kagami a glass of wine. “Well, kid, you're all grown up. Let's part on good terms.” Hakusan Kagami summoned the greatest courage of his life, added a little something to the wine, and clinked glasses with him. His hand was shaking, and he added a bit too much. When he woke up, he found the room in disarray and his guardian furious, ready to kill him. Hakusan Kagami wisely chose to run. Many years later, he returned to Japan. All the people he once knew were dead, dead, or dead. At last, Hakusan Kagami understood that his guardian had been right back then. Love wasn't such a big deal after all. He handed a glass of wine to his former guardian, now his direct superior, Kurosawa Jin. “Everything you said back then was right. I was young and foolish. Drink this, and let's put the past behind us.” His guardian's expression darkened. Without a word, he took the glass and clinked it against Hakusan Kagami's. When he woke up again, Hakusan Kagami shifted his ankle, and the iron chain fastened to the corner of the bed rattled. He rubbed his aching back and stared in bewilderment at the wrecked room. He swore he hadn't put anything in the drink this time. So how had things ended up like this? [Older guardian and top killer gong x prickly, catlike, ghostly shou] [Reading guide]: 1. Expect some angsty, satisfying stories about an older guardian. (This isn't a light, feel-good wish-fulfillment romance; the tags are for a serious drama.) 2. The protagonist is a medium and an ordinary person by the standards of the Detective Conan universe, not a supernatural-power, magic, or summoning type. 3. To be continued... Coming next: “Sakusa, Any Idea Why You're Being Haunted by a Man Obsessed with Having Sons?” Years later, MSBY players appeared as guests on a TV interview show. The host asked Sakusa Kiyoomi if he had any regrets from his youth. The usually gloomy, coldhearted man thought for a long time before answering slowly. He regretted hitting a serve no one could receive. Everyone assumed it was Sakusa-style deadpan humor. Only Sakusa Kiyoomi knew he was serious. And he'd lost the contact information of the person he wanted to apologize to a long time ago. Theme: Life means having to thank, apologize to, and say goodbye to many people.