My Sweet Love

by Nightcore2001

Summary:

This is an L Lawliet x reader fanfiction. I will be using the manga and anime as my references. The storyline and the characters belong to Tsugumi Ohba, Viz Media, and Shonen Jump. The songs I use belong to the original creators. Please support the original releases. The only things that belong to me are my characters and storylines. A new chapter is on the 1st of every month.

Chapter 1: Boredom

Notes:

Abbreviations:

Y/N= Your name

L/N= Last Name

M/N= Mother's name

F/N= Father's name

E/C= Eye color

H/C= Hair color

H/L= Hair length

If any other abbreviations are used, I will put them before the chapter.

Warnings:
This story contains the topic of death and killing. This story will also include some swearing.  This story also contains moments of physical and/or emotional abuse. Please keep these in mind when reading.

Also, I will not be using lemons in this book. I am not comfortable writing them. There will also be no make-out scenes. It will be very mild when it comes to that topic.

Please feel free to comment, share, and like my story. Thank you for reading it.

Y/N POV:

"L," I screamed. "Open your eyes for me! Don't you dare give up on me! L!"

It didn't matter how much I screamed or begged. The pale-faced ravenette was dying, and he couldn't hold on much longer.

“I love you, Y/N." With those last words, he closed his eyes for the final time. Or so I thought.

~Months Earlier~

Y/N POV:

I put my chin on my hand as I stare out the classroom window. I couldn't help but feel jealous of the students talking outside. I hated being stuck in school on a lovely afternoon. I started to daydream about the walk home.

"L/N!" I heard the teacher shout, throwing me out of my daydream.

I stood facing my teacher and shouted, "Yes!"

"What's the answer?" He asked, pointing to the board.

I quickly answered the question, and after he told me it was correct, he started teaching again. After I sat down, I heard laughing coming from behind me. Knowing the owner of said laugh, I turned and playfully glared at my best friend, Light Yagami. He stuck out his tongue in response, and I turned around with amusement sparkling in my eyes. Light and I have been best friends since we were in diapers because our families were friends. Since the very beginning, we've been stuck at the hip. Our parents like to joke that we were twins in another life.

"Daydreaming again, are we?" Light asked a few minutes later as we left the classroom.

I rolled my eyes. "Don't act like you weren't doing the same," I said. "We both know we can't pay attention during that class."

"Well," He said with a teasing smile. "Only one of us truly needs to pay attention in that class. And I'm not her."

I only rolled my eyes, knowing he was teasing me. Although he was right, I was the only one who should be worried about focusing on that class. I spread my arms and twirled around as we finally made it outside, earning a laugh from Light.

I grinned as I turned back to look at him.

"You look so goofy," Light said teasingly.

"My face isn't a mirror, Light," I shot back.

"That's not what the girls say," He retorts.

"Damn," I said, faking disappointment. "You got me there."

It was true that Light was more attractive than the other guys at our school. He had light brown hair and matching, caring eyes. He was reasonably tall, not to mention smart. He was the ideal man for everyone but me. It was one of the main reasons we were still friends. Light knew that because I didn't see him as more than a friend, he could be his true self with me. And in a world where fake people constantly surround you, that is everything.

"Hey, what's that?" I asked, pointing to a black object on the ground.

Light walked over and picked up the object. I walked next to him to see what he was holding. He held a simple black notebook with the words 'Death Note' written on the cover. I didn't know why, but I instantly felt terrible about it. The book had a strange sense of death around it. I was about to tell Light to leave it behind, but he was already looking through it.

"This book belongs to a Death God," Light said before flipping through it more.

I felt a shudder go through me at those words. I hugged myself as I looked around, almost expecting a Death God to appear suddenly.

“Light," I said, making him look down at me. "We should leave this book here. I have a bad feeling about it."

Light opened his mouth to argue, but seeing how serious I was, he nodded. He then gently set the book on the ground. I looked around again, feeling like I was being watched. Light, seeing how uncomfortable I was, quickly grabbed my hand. He squeezed it lightly before letting go, and we started walking home. On the way home, I tried shoving that notebook to the back of my mind. But I couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible was about to happen.

That night, a criminal died of a mysterious heart attack while holding a nursery school hostage. Nobody knew that this criminal would be the first in many to pass by these mysterious heart attacks or other mysterious deaths. However, it wasn't possible to know what caused the notebook or what would become the norm in the following months and years. If only I could go back to the beginning, then all the deaths that followed over the years wouldn't have happened. If only I hadn't pointed out that book to Light. If only.

Chapter 2: L

Y/N POV:

"That's when I said-"

I stopped talking when I noticed Light was no longer paying attention. It has been five long, terrible days since I found the notebook. Since then, criminals left and right have been dying of sudden heart attacks or other blizzard ways. I still wasn't sure if these deaths and that creepy notebook were related. The public, naturally, has discovered that all these deaths are not random, but they could all be linked to an unknown killer. Kira was the name that the media had given him. But, I've also heard him referred to as 'Kira the Savior of the World' or 'Kira, God of the New World.'

I turned my attention back to Light. He still had an unusual spaced-out look on his face. I was starting to worry about him. Light isn't the type of guy to space out; he's always focused. Between the two of us, I'm the one always spacing out. Light constantly teases me about it, resulting in me pouting, only for him to tease me more. But over the last five days, he's been completely different.

I've noticed small changes, but it was the type of change that only a best friend would notice. Light is more spaced out, paranoid, tired, and busy. I'm half tempted to ask if he's Kira because these changes have only happened since Kira appeared, but I was afraid of his answer.

"See you later, Y/N." Light said, cutting my train of thought as he rushed inside his house.

I huffed in annoyance before walking home.

Later that night, I was watching TV when suddenly the program was interrupted.

"We disrupt the current program for an important live global statement from Interpol. The Japanese voice-over from Yoshio Anderson."

The female voice stopped, most likely to let a black-haired man sitting in a chair with the nameplate 'Lind. L. Tailor' in front of him speaks.

"I am Lind. L. Tailor, also known as L," the man said. “I can mobilize police in every country around the world." I could only stare in shock at my TV.

Why would L suddenly show his face? Rumor has it that nobody, not even the police, knew what he looked like. So, what made this case so special? Could it be this person wasn't the real L? Was he using this fake to draw out Kira? I turned my attention back to the TV.

"Criminals, as of late, have been victims of a killing rampage. This had become the biggest mass murder case in history. This egregious crime has to be stopped no matter what. 'Kira,' as the killer is generally known, will get captured, I promise this. I suspect I know the reason why you've been doing this. But your reasons don't matter, because it's evil!! Police all over the world have started a coordinated investigation."

Suddenly, the man clutches his chest before he falls forward, dead. As he is carried off-screen, a man's computer-generated-sounding voice starts speaking.

"T-this is unbelievable. I did this trial to test my theory, but I didn't truly think... Kira...You can kill people with explicit contact...I needed to see it with my own eyes to believe it, but you're able...You'd have to, I suppose. It wouldn't have made sense any other way. Pay attention to me, Kira. If you truly killed the man you saw on your TV, Lind. L. Tailor was scheduled to die today at this very hour. His incarceration and conviction were kept secret from the media and were unrecorded even on the internet. There wasn't a way you could find him, even for you. I, L, do exist. So, come on! Kill me if you're able! Well, what are you waiting for? Go ahead! Kill me!"

The man's voice fell silent as he waited for Kira to kill him. The air was tense as the world waited with a bated breath. As the seconds passed, I wondered who would win, Kira or L?

 

"It seems you aren't able to kill me." The man's voice spoke as the world released a collected sigh of relief. "It seems like there are some people you can't kill. This is beneficial information. So, I'll give you something in return. Even though it was said that this was being aired globally... It was only aired in the Kanto Region around Tokyo. We planned on airing in other areas, but there's no need. Since you're in the Kanto Region of Japan, Kira, the police may have missed this; the first of your victims was the Shinjuku Killer, who had taken eight people hostage in a nursery school. When you consider his crime to those of the infamous murderers who had died of heart attacks, it was not very important. Also, since this case was aired only in Japan, I didn't need any more information. This means Kira, you were in Japan! Your first victim was a test subject for your powers. We aired first to Kanto because it has the largest population in this country. The fact that you're there is luck. I didn't think it would line up with my plan. I believe it will not be long before you're sent to die. Kira, I wish to know how you carry out these murders, but that's something that can wait until after I catch you. Kira... I will catch you and end you before I take my final breath. I'm right! Until we meet again, Kira."

With that, the broadcast ends, leaving only a blank screen and a million questions.

Chapter 3: Blissful State

Y/N POV:

I stared blankly ahead as people walked all around me. I vaguely knew someone was trying to talk to me, but it didn't matter. Nothing mattered to me anymore, not with them being gone. I kept asking myself how this could happen to me. Everything was so normal yesterday; today should've been average, too, just like all the days before and after were supposed to be. I just wanted everything to be normal, but nothing will be normal again, not after today.

"Y/N," a familiar voice said, breaking me out of my haze.

Standing before me was the Chief of Police, Soichiro Yagami, Light's father. I felt my eyes fill with tears at the sight of his face. His eyes held the same sadness as mine. I imagine he was thinking the same things as I was: that this was all a dream, that they weren't gone. They would walk through my front door any minute with grins, telling me it was some sick joke. But we both knew the truth: My family was killed, and they are never coming back.

"I'm sorry, Y/N," Soichiro said, "We were able to take the killer into police custody. It seems like a robbery gone wrong, but there were no survivors. I'm sorry."

Sobs started to rack my body as I screamed. I felt Soichiro hug me as he tried to calm me down. Of course, we both knew his attempts were pointless, but it didn't matter.

After the funerals, I decided to stay with the Yagami family until I was ready to move out on my own. Luckily, they had a spare bedroom I could use. No family left, so they were happy to take me in. Besides, my parents arranged for me to live with the Yagami family if everything happened to them. We never imagined that this arrangement would happen. How wrong we all were.

A few days later, the man who killed my family had a mysterious heart attack. It was evident that he was a victim of Kira. Even though he killed my family, I couldn't help but feel bad for the man. Nobody deserved to die, not even someone like him.

Life is a fragile thing, but we never really think about death. We know that we could die at any moment, but it isn't until someone dies that we are reminded of this fact. I wish I could go back to my blissful state of life, where death was never on my mind, but I don't think it's possible. That's the funny thing about death, I suppose. Once you're reminded of it, you can never go back to that blissful state you once had.

Chapter 4: Family

Y/N POV:

"I know you gone, but I can still feel you. Why would you leave us? Why would you leave us here? How could you leave us here?"

How Could You Leave Us by NF was playing on my phone. It's been about a week since my family's passing, and I wasn't handling it well, as one could imagine. All I did was sit in my room and cry. I wasn't talking to anyone, hardly eating, barely sleeping, and never went anywhere besides school. There were multiple times when I thought of joining my family in whatever afterlife there was, but I never did. Was it because I was a coward? Or was it because I felt I had something worth staying for? I didn't know, but whatever the reason, it was the only thing saving my life. My thoughts were cut off when I heard someone knocking on my door.

"Y/N, it's me," Light's voice called through the door. After a moment of silence, he continued. "I'm coming in, okay?"

After coming in and closing my door, Light lay by me. He studied me for a moment, taking in every feature of me. I knew he was worried about me from the look in his eyes, and I didn't blame him one bit. I had huge bags under my eyes since I was hardly sleeping because of all the nightmares. I had lost some weight, not much, but enough to make it noticeable to the people around me often. Every time I looked in a mirror, I didn't recognize the girl staring back at me, and it terrified me more than anything else. I wasn't sure if I could ever return to the girl I was before. I didn't even know what I wanted anymore.

Light brushed my hair away before letting his hand rest on my cheek. I leaned into his touch, not realizing how much I missed human contact until then. I felt my eyes fill with tears before I started sobbing. Light pulled me close to his chest as he ran a hair through my hair, whispering how everything would be okay. After a few minutes, we pulled away from each other, but Light still had an arm around me.

"Y/N, can I ask you something?" Light asked, breaking the comfortable silence.

"You just did," I replied with a slight smile. "But since I'm in such a great mood. You may go ahead and ask your queen another question, pleasant."

Light grinned before trying and failing to do a bow. "You're ever so gracious, your Highness, to let a pleasant like me ask you more than one question."

We both laughed, and I felt like my usual self again. Maybe Light was the reason I was still holding on. With him by my side, I could make it through this. He was my best friend; it would be him if anyone could help me.

"Okay, here it goes," Light said, nervous. "What do you think about Kira?"

"Was I stupid to love you? Was I reckless to help? Was it obvious to everybody else? That I'd fallen for a lie. You were never on my side. Fool me once, fool me twice. Are you death or paradise?"

No Time To Die by Billie Eilish started playing on my phone.

I felt my stomach drop at the subject. Everyone has been careful about bringing Kira up in my presence. They have even gone as far as to keep any media away from me. L and Kira have been all over the press lately, including my family's murder. So, it didn't feel right for Light to ask me about it. He was the one working the hardest to make sure I didn't get exposed to anything related to L and Kira.

"Why do you want to know?" I asked, my voice small.

"I wanted to know, " Light replied. "I keep seeing things online, but I wanted your take on it."

"Truthfully?" I asked, causing Light to nod. "I think he's a coward, a murderer. Nobody deserves to die, no matter what they've done. It doesn't feel right; it feels like he's playing god. There's a reason morals aren't supposed to be able to choose who lives and who dies. Morals let silly things control their decisions on who lives and who dies. Gods, however, don't care about any of that. Nothing a human has mattered to a god; if they decided you will die, that's it. However, what Kira is doing is the opposite. He's letting his sense of justice control who lives and who dies. It doesn't make him anything but a man playing god. A coward who others cowards believe is a god. I can't help but pity both Kira and his so-called followers. When L captures Kira, they are going to get a rude awakening. Once they realized that Kira was not a god but a man. A man who believed he was a god while forgetting he was nothing but a mortal."

Light was silent momentarily, turning my answer over in his mind. His face had an unreadable expression, which unnerved me. Before he had a chance to respond, however, we heard the front door open. I quickly looked at the clock on my nightstand and turned back to Light.

"It looks like Soichiro is home," I said as I stood up and held out my hand. We should head down for dinner; I suddenly have an appetite."

Light looked at me surprised before smiling and grabbing my hand. After I pulled him off my bed, we walked downstairs. And that night at dinner, I ate more than I had in a week. I talked and smiled more, too. While I know I have a long way to go to fully healing, I was starting to take the steps I needed to get there.

After a few moments of polite talk, the conversation turned to the Kira case. Sachiko tried to move the conversation to another topic, but it was useless. Soichiro did mention something interesting; they figured out that Kira was most likely a student.

"Maybe Light would have an idea that could help us with this investigation. He's done it before with other cases." Soichiro reasoned.

Light put down his bowl, saying he was finished. He proceeded to get up from the table and head to his room. However, he stopped just as he was about to leave the room.

"Don't worry about cleaning my room, Mom," Light said. "I can take care of it."

I raised an eyebrow as I watched his back. Since Light and I started high school, he's cleaned his room; his mom knew this. It was an inside joke between us, with me constantly trying to get him to tell me what he was hiding and continually replaying, 'Wouldn't you like to know?' So, why would he even bother telling her? Is he hiding something?

Chapter 5: Meeting Him

Y/N POV:

 

I sighed happily as I stepped into the sweet shop; the smell of pastries filled the air. With each breath I took, I felt like I was a child again. It was a place that reminded me of my family. We would come here every few weeks, and my parents let my sisters and I pick out one thing to buy. Being here without them was surreal, but I was starting to do the things I used to do. So, it was only natural I would come back to the place I held dear to my heart.

Placing a basket on my arm, I started walking around the shop. I was alone, so I could take all the time I wanted to. Even though it hasn't been long since I've shopped, there were a lot of new products. After selecting a few things, I decided on one last thing, and luckily, one was left. I reached up to grab it when my hand hit someone else going for the same product.

"Oh it's not like the movies, Oh but that's how it should be. When he's the one, You'll come undone, And your world will stop spinning, And it's just the beginning."

Not Like The Movies by Katy Perry was playing, and at that very moment, I looked up and swore my world stopped spinning. I stood there, staring at the man beside me.

He seemed to be about my age, maybe a few years older. He had black hair, matching black eyes, and huge eyebrows under them. He was pale, and it was hard to tell exactly how tall he was because he was slumping; he was still taller than me.

However, the most bewildering part about him was how he was dressed. He was wearing an oversized white T-shirt and baggy blue jeans; however, while he was wearing shoes, they weren't on right. He barely had them on; he might as well not have worn any. Based on how he was wearing them, it looked like he never wears shoes.

I snapped out of my daze as I realized he was laughing at me. He didn't seem to be laughing to be mean or to make fun of me. It seemed like I genuinely amused him. Realizing I got caught staring at a stranger, I blushed before handing the product to the strange man.

"Y-you should take it," I shuttered out. "I have plenty as is."

Before the man could reply, I quickly walked up front and paid for my items. After, I decided to go to a nearby coffeehouse. So, after placing and receiving my order, I found a small table to sit at. I had just begun to read when the chair opposite of me was pulled out, and someone had sat down. I was confused as to why someone would be sitting at my table since the coffeehouse wasn't busy and had plenty of other seats.

I proceeded to freeze as I looked up to see the newcomer. Sitting across from me was the man from the sweet shop! But the part that made me freeze up wasn't the fact that it was the same man. It was the fact that he was sitting in his chair with his legs pulled to his chest that caused the reaction. Everything about this man was strange, but the most bizarre was the fact that I found it adorable. I couldn't help but want to know more about him.

Realizing once again that I was staring, I quickly looked down and started playing with the pages of my book. I heard the man laugh again, making me blush. I'd never been this awkward before. What made this stranger so different?

"Thank you for the candy," He suddenly spoke, causing me to look up in shock.

"You're welcome," I replied. "You seemed to want it more than me, so I wanted you to have it. It's not anything you need to thank me for."

"Maybe not to you," he replied, smiling, "But any act of kindness is a big deal. Especially when someone is kind to me."

"I feel the same way," I replied, smiling back, "I tend to get ignored, and most people seem to look right through me. So, whenever someone notices me and is friendly to boot, it sticks out. It's one of the reasons I only have one friend."

"It looks like I met a kindred spirit then," He replied.

We continued having a conversation about our shared interests, hobbies, and many other things. However, we were careful not to mention our real names and how much personal information we gave out. We both loved the same sweet shop, loved the same authors, and even loved chocolate. By the end of our conversation, it truly felt that I met a kindred spirit. After that day, we would always meet at that same coffeehouse every chance we could. It wasn't long before I considered him a close friend. It wasn't long before I started falling for the ravenette.

Chapter 6: Target

Y/N POV:

"You want to go to Spaceland?" I asked Light. "Why do you want to go there? We haven't been there since Junior High."

It was another winter day, and Light had asked me to go to Spaceland out of nowhere. Granted, I had nothing better to do, but it was still a strange request. Besides, it differed from the type of place you wanted to visit during this time of the year.

"That's exactly why I want to go," Light said. "Because it's been so long. Besides, it's been a while since we hung out. With you going to that coffeehouse all the time now. Do you have a boyfriend I don't know about?" He asked teasingly, although his voice had an undertone of hurt.

I bit my lip, knowing I couldn't tell him about the ravenette. Granted, we were just friends, but I doubted Light would believe me. "Of course, I don't have a secret boyfriend. I like their coffee. But you've got a point. Alright, let's go to Spaceland!" I exclaimed, causing Light to laugh.

~Timeskip, on the bus~

"So, what do you want to ride first?" Light asked as we sat in our seats.

"Hmm," I put a finger to my lip, trying to decide. "I don't know, I can't remember what rides they have. Do you have any ideas?"

Light smiled and pulled out a map of the park. Multiple rides had circles around them, indicating that he had put a lot of thought and effort into this. It made me happy that he would go through all this trouble for me. However, Light might've considered this a date. Before I could tell him it wasn't, the bus doors opened, and a man walked into the bus.

The man then proceeded to pull out a weapon and yelled for everyone to stay quiet. I recognized the man as a drug addict who was on the news as of late. If I remember correctly, he had held up a bank and killed three people.

I quickly ducked down as I felt fear course through my body. My whole body started to shake violently as I wrapped my arms around myself in an attempt to calm myself down. I closed my eyes as I tried to get a grip on myself.

Suddenly, I felt Light tap my leg, making me open my eyes. In his hand, he held a note. 'Everything will be alright, Y/N, I promise. This guy won't lay a finger on you, I promise. I know he won't lay a finger on you. There's going to be a chance for me to grab his arm. I'm going to pin it down so he won't be able to use his weapon. Dad taught me what to do in these situations, remember? This man is small and seems weak. I'm positive I can hold him down.'

I looked at him wide-eyed and rapidly shook my head. Granted, there was a chance that Light could take him down. However, I wasn't willing to take that chance. I didn't want him to get injured or worse. Before I could protest, the man behind us leaned forward.

"No, it's dangerous. I'll take care of it," He said. "As long as we keep our voices down, we can talk. The bus will drown out our voices."

Light crumbled up the note and stuck it in his pocket.

"This isn't meant to be rude, but you have a small accent. You aren't Japanese?" Light said.

"That's correct," the man said, although I had no idea why this mattered. "My mother is Japanese."

"Is there anything that would prove that you aren't with the hijacker?" Light asked, sending a new wave of fear through me.

"Partner?" I asked fearfully.

"You've seen it before in those true crime shows you watch," Light reminded me. "This could be the same thing. So, where's your proof?"

"Here's your proof." The man said before handing Light something.

I looked over and saw it was an FBI badge. What was the FBI doing in Japan? Could it have to do with L? I imagine that L thought that Kira might've been someone who works on the NPA or someone related to them. However, the most Kira-related deaths have been in America, so maybe it was for that, too.

After a couple of minutes of Light and the man known as Raye Penber talking, the note fell out of Light's pocket. He grabbed the paper even though I tried to pull him back. Why he cared so much about that note, I wasn't sure. It wasn't anything to risk his life over. The hijacker didn't even notice that he dropped the note.

But, with Light leaning over, the hijacker noticed and marched over to us while holding his weapon out. The man grabbed the note, thinking that we were planning something, which we were. Penber reached into his pocket, most likely to get his weapon. However, the hijacker unfolded the note and realized it was the address for the bus stop.

The hijacker threw the note at us, hitting Light in the head. He started walking towards the front. I quietly asked Light if he was okay. He nodded and smiled at me, causing me to sigh in relief.

The hijacker looked back and started screaming in terror. He started shouting, claiming a monster was in the back of the bus. He waved his weapon, making Penber shout for everyone to get down. Light quickly pulled his arms around me as we ducked down.

The man quickly ran off the bus and got hit by a car, putting an end to the hijacker's life.

Light and I quickly got off the bus. He held me close to his chest as I was still shaking. He stopped to talk to Pender for a few moments. However, due to my shaken-up state, I ignored what they were saying.

~Later that night~

"I'm sorry you had a go through that today, Y/N," Light said as he held me close to his chest.

It was later that night, and due to today's events, Light and I were sharing his bed. It was a common occurrence for us. We would sneak into the other's bed whenever the other couldn't sleep. It made it easier to sleep when you had someone besides you, especially when you couldn't bear the thought of being alone.

"It's okay, Light," I said, smiling at him. "It's not like you had anything to do with today. You can't blame yourself for something you had nothing to do with. Although, I do have a question about something. How did you know he wasn't going to hurt me? There's no possible way you could've known that."

He mumbled something under his breath, causing me to look at him in confusion.

"I wasn't going to let him hurt you, Y/N," Light said. "I was going to do everything in my power to ensure you were safe, and that's what I did." Light said, leaving me with more questions than answers.

He smiled at me and tucked some loose hair behind my ear. I looked up at him before smiling sleepily. I moved away from his chest and settled on my side of the bed. I made sure, however, to hold onto his hand. I heard Light sigh in annoyance before he turned off the lights and closed his eyes.

Lately, it has felt wrong to do what I usually do with Light. With every bit of touch and every conversation, I was worried about what Light thought it meant. Especially after today because Light may want to be more than friends. However, I could be imagining it because I've made it clear that I think of Light as my brother. Also, I've felt this way ever since I met the ravenette. I haven't thought about it much, but maybe I was starting to gain feelings for him.

Chapter 7: Slots

Y/N POV:

"Is everything okay, Mr. Yagami?" I asked.

The Yagami family and I were sitting down for a family meeting. Initially, I thought Soichiro wanted to plan something for New Year's. But due to the serious look on his face, I had a bad feeling that it was something more serious—something that may have had to do with his job.

"I'm not sure, Y/N," he replied. "However, it doesn't feel right to hide it from you all due to recent events. I'm the head of the special task force that's in charge of investigating the Kira case. However, this isn't what you need to know. Twelve FBI agents were brought here to help find Kira. However, all twelve of them were found deceased yesterday."

"Were they killed by Kira?" Light asked. However, he didn't get a straight answer.

"This means," Soichiro continued. "Anyone who makes an effort to try to catch Kira may get killed. Resolve is low. There have already been a lot of my detectives quitting the case."

"Maybe you should quit," I said, causing everyone to look at me in shock. " I understand wanting to catch Kira; believe me, I do. I think I know that more than anyone. However, I don't want to lose you too. And if you continue looking for Kira, I feel it'll be just that. I'll lose you, just like I lost everyone else." I balled my hands as I fought back tears. I felt Light squeezing my hand.

"I'm sorry, Y/N; I know this must be hard for you," Soichiro said. "But, I will be seeing this case all the way through. I will not bow to evil."

I could only nod at his words. He had every right to see the case through. If the roles were switched, I would feel the same way.

"You're exactly right, Dad. I'm proud of you," Light said before grabbing my hand and pulling me away from the table. I let him lead me away from everyone else. I had to get ready for the coffee shop anyway. "If something does happen, I'll make sure Kira gets the death sentence. I swear to it."

"Are you okay, Y/N?" Light asked after we entered his room.

I nodded a little as I looked at the ground. As usual, a million thoughts were running through my mind. I was worried about Soichiro's and everyone else's safety. I was afraid that even the slightest misstep could get one of us killed. I was scared because I had no idea who Kira was. There was too much uncertainty for me, driving me insane. I wish I could no longer live in fear of Kira. But I know that as long as he's around, that's impossible.

"How come you're never afraid of Kira, Light?" I asked. "How are you not afraid that the slightest misstep could get you killed? How are you not afraid that you could die any moment because of Kira?"

"Y/N, are you afraid of Kira?" Light asked, not answering my questions.

I didn't answer, almost like I feared Kira being in the room himself. But the only other person in the room was Light. And there's no way he could be Kira. I know he has a strong sense of justice, but he knows that killing people, criminals or not, is still wrong.

Light moved, so he was standing in front of me. He brushed the hair back from my face and tucked it behind my ear. I looked into his eyes, seeing nothing but worry in them. I knew I could be truthful with him.

"Yes," I said. "I'm afraid because I don't know who Kira is. It makes me scared to trust people. I'm terrified that I could drop dead tomorrow because of a small mistake that I made. I'm afraid that I could die tomorrow because of Kira. I don't want to live in fear anymore, Light. I don't want to die; I'm not ready!"

Light quickly grabbed me and held me close to him. I started to sob as he comforted me. After a few minutes, I calmed down enough for him to talk to me.

"Listen to me closely, Y/N," Light said, touching my cheek. "Nothing is going to happen to you. You will not die at Kira's hands, no matter what. As long as you remain good, you have nothing to worry about. You're safe from him, I promise."

I nodded as I saw the sincere look on his face. I believed what he said. However, a small part of me didn't trust him. A small part also didn't like how he knew that Kira wouldn't kill me. There was also a strange look in his eyes. It made me uneasy, as I couldn't quite tell what the look was. But I pushed these thoughts to the back of my mind. I was overthinking it, that's all.

~Later that day, at the coffeehouse~

"Is everything okay? You seem a little distracted today." The ravenette asked as we both sat at our usual table.

"Yes," I replied, smiling at him. "It's been a long day, that's all."

I could tell by his face that he didn't believe me. He had every reason to doubt me, however. I wasn't okay, but I didn't want to worry or bother him with my problems. I felt the ravenette grab my hand, pulling me out of my train of thought. I felt my heart beat a little faster at the contact.

"I know when you're hiding your feelings from me," he said, staring into my eyes. "You're my best friend; it's my job to hear about your problems. You don't need to worry about bothering me, because that's impossible. Please let me be there like you've been for me."

I looked at him in shock. We didn't even know each other's names, and we didn't meet outside of the coffeehouse. So, for him to consider me his best friend meant the world to me because I felt the same; I thought I could tell him things I could never tell Light. I felt more of a connection with him than anyone else. It was a whole new feeling for me.

I proceed to tell him the same things I did Light. I expected that he would say precisely what Light did, but he didn't. The ravenette took my hands into his and looked earnestly into my eyes.

"I promise that I won't let anything happen to you. Kira will be stopped soon; you no longer have to live in fear. I will do everything possible to ensure you make it through all this. I won't let Kira kill you; I don't care what I have to do. You're safe with me, I promise. Your safety is my number one concern. As long as I'm by your side, you're safe; I guarantee it."

"Desperate for changing. Starving for truth. I'm closer to where I started. I'm chasing after you. I'm falling even more in love with you."

Hanging By A Moment by Lifehouse started playing as I stared at him in shock. I could tell with every fiber of my being that he meant every word. At that moment, I felt nothing but safety and love from this man.

I didn't feel any hidden meanings like I did with Light. I didn't feel I was being told lies like I did with Light. It felt like the ravenette cared more about my safety than anyone else. I trusted this man more than I have anyone else. I knew then that I was falling in love with the ravenette.

Chapter 8: God

Y/N POV:

"You are the first to say. That we were not okay. You were the first to lie. When we were not alright."

I sang horribly along to Last To Know by Three Days Grace. Usually, I wouldn't sing along to a song, but for some reason, I've been relating to the song recently. So, I decided to sing along to the fantastic music. I was interrupted when I heard someone laugh behind me. I turned to see Light leaning against my doorframe. I blushed a little in embarrassment.

"How long have you been there for?" I asked.

"Long enough to hear you sing along to Three Days Grace." Light said, laughing a little bit more.

I raised my eyebrow, confused about how he knew who they were. The only time I tried to get Light to listen to them, he refused. Because in his words, 'Why would I listen to emo music?' That was only a year ago, too, and the last time I knew, he still felt that way about the band.

"How did you know who they were?" I asked Light. "You don't like this type of music."

Light rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. "I decided to give them a chance since I knew how much you love them. They are not as bad as I thought. Anyways, that's not important. Mom wants me to drop off some clean clothes for Dad. Do you want to come with me?"

I thought about it for a second before nodding and grabbing my coat. I walked past Light and grabbed his hand, making him follow behind me. After we made it outside, I let go of his hands and stuck them into my pockets. As we walked, I heard Light laughing at me again.

"What's so funny this time?" I asked him.

"You're wearing your sleeping clothes." Light said.

I looked down and saw that I was wearing my sleeping clothes. But that fact didn't bother me. I wore a long-sleeved top and fuzzy pants, so I was warm. Besides, the streets were deserted because of New Year's.

"What can I say?" I said. I was so excited about hanging out with you that I didn't want to waste any time by changing my clothes."

I turned toward Light and noticed his goofy grin. I couldn't help but smile back. It was nice to see him look happy; he had seemed so troubled lately. I wanted to help but couldn't because he wouldn't tell me what was wrong. After a few minutes of walking and talking, we finally reached the police station.

Walking into the police station, I noticed a black-haired woman at the front desk. As we walked closer, I heard the woman and a man talking. She wanted to speak to someone in the Kira Task Force. However, the man told her that no one was there right now. I couldn't help but wonder why she was so determined to speak to someone.

"I'm Light Yagami," Light said as we stood at the front desk. "I'm here to drop off some clothes for my father, Detective Superintendent Yagami. Since he isn't here now, could you please give these to him?"

"Light, it's great to see you again!" The man said as Light handed him the bag.

"I apologize, but all the reception people look alike to me." Light said.

"I suppose that makes sense," The man says. "Receptionists are small fry. Remember the insurance money murder you helped solve? I was on duty then, too."

Light looked at me for confirmation, but I shrugged my shoulders. I was terrible at remembering names and faces, so it wasn't surprising that I wouldn't remember him.

"I beg your pardon, then." Light says. "I need to put down my name, right?"

Light then moves to put his name on the sign-in sheet. I saw the woman stare at us out of the corner of my eye. I turned and gave her a polite smile. She looked surprised but smiled back.

"Are you solving the Kira case, too?" The man asked.

"Of course I am," Light replied. "As long as I'm on the right track, I should be able to beat L."

I raised my eyebrow at his choice of words. Why would he want to beat L? Why did he sound so sure that he could beat him? I know that Light is brilliant, but L has solved every case he's worked on. So, I highly doubt Light could beat someone like L.

"Excuse us," Light said, breaking me out of my thoughts. "My father is the chief of the Kira case. I could contact him if you're interested. However, his phone is currently off, so it'll take some time. They must be low-staffed because many people have left since the FBI agent murders."

"You don't need to tell people that Light!" the man exclaimed.

"It's common knowledge anyway. Who cares if I tell her?" Light said.

"Light, I don't think you should've said that. Even if it is common knowledge, it's still something the police should tell the public." I said.

"Exactly! You should listen to your girlfriend, Light!" The man exclaimed.

I felt my eyes widen. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Light had a satisfied look on his face, like he just won a contest. I was about to tell the man that Light is not my boyfriend. But before I could, Light started talking again.

"Besides, based on the look in her eyes, I know I can trust her. Also, she's a careful person. The FBI murders show that the NPA has issues, which is why she wants to talk directly to the task force. So she doesn't have to take any chances. My father will return my call once he gets my voicemail. If you're able to wait, you can talk to him then. But you'll have to trust my father and me to make this work." Light said as he led her to some couches in the lobby.

He smiled friendly at her, which was strange. I wouldn't have raised an eyebrow if I had seen this before he started acting off, but it was odd since he began to act more hateful and judgemental toward others.

"Are you sure it's alright?" The woman asked as I walked beside them.

"Of course, because I can't tell you his phone number, it'll be alright since I'll have you use my phone." Light said.

The woman nodded before bowing and saying thank you. I was about to sit down and face the widows; however, Light positioned me so I was facing the front desk. I gave him a questioning glance, but he ignored me. Instead, his eyes moved around the room, almost like he was looking for something.

"The way I see it," Light said. "Kira has much greater powers than most people believe."

"That's why I'm here," the woman said. "I noticed that."

"That's amazing that you noticed it, too," Light said before standing up. "We should go outside the NPA; it is most likely dangerous." With that, we walked outside and started walking around.

"When I don't want people listening in, I like to walk outside. I hope you don't mind. How I look at it, Kira," Light trailed off for a second. "Could you tell me your name? I'm Light Yagami. Light is written with the kanji for 'moon,' but you read it as Light. Strange, right? Yagami is written with the kanji for 'god' and 'night.' "

"I'm Shoko Maki," Maki said. "'Sho' is written with the kanji for 'shine' and 'Ko' is 'child.' Maki uses the kanji for 'tree' and 'between.'"

The woman looks at me, most likely expecting me to give her my name.

I smiled apologeticly. "I'm sorry, but I don't feel comfortable giving out my name," I replied.

"It's possible that Kira can do more than kill people. It looks like he can control their actions before they die." Light said.

The woman looked at him in shock. "I didn't think anyone else had thought of that, too! I think he's able to control people before they die. I also believe Kira can kill people using other methods besides heart attacks, at least if my theory is correct. I don't realize anyone else noticed this. If the police knew this, then they could catch him." She said.

"Now that you mention it," I said. "I believe that you're right. Think about it: if he can kill someone just by knowing their name and face, who knows what other powers he has? The police have only been looking at heart attacks. But, the second, they look into other suspicious criminal deaths. It could bring them even closer to catching Kira."

"I never thought about him killing people besides means of a heart attack." Light said. "But if you're correct. For any secret murders Kira does, he would use these other methods."

"That's correct," she said. "Also, I'm betting that someone I knew met Kira."

I frowned as I heard this information. If the person had met Kira, I highly doubt they would have been here to tell the tale.

"Someone you knew had met Kira?!" Light exclaimed before laughing suddenly. I looked at him, horrified, not understanding how it was funny. "I apologize. I don't think it'll be easy to convince the police that."

"This is why I want to tell the task force in detail." She said.

"If your friend did meet Kira, why don't they talk to the task force?" Light asked.

"He isn't able to do that," she said sadly. "He was one of the FBI agents that was murdered. He was my fiance, too. He said he was involved with a bus jacking. But, if my theory is right, Kira was on that bus."

I frowned as I tried to remember the people on the bus on the day of the hijacking. I remember meeting an FBI agent on the bus, but I can't remember his name or face. I wanted to tell the woman what I knew, but I didn't want to since I couldn't remember. Light, however, had a shocked look on his face. Maybe that meant he remembered, and he would tell her.

"I'm surprised to hear about your fiancé, that's all," Light said, returning me to the conversation.

"Yeah," Maki said. "This is why I refuse to rest until the police arrest Kira. I'm going to do everything I can to help them."

"How come you think that Kira was on the bus?" I asked curiously.

"The person who hijacked the bus had been wanted for holding hostage a bank two days prior," Maki said. "He had passed when he got hit by a car. Then, eight hours before, there was another criminal who was wanted for trying to rob a convenience store. He was stabbed to death. It's unusual when two wanted criminals have committed crimes on the same day and have passed at the scenes in accidents. Then, eight days after the hijacking, my fiance and the other eleven agents died. During the eight days, there were more than twenty people who had a link to crime; even more minor criminals had been killed in Tokyo because of heart attacks. However, when the FBI agents passed, these deaths stopped suddenly. The hijacker, convenience store robber, and my fiance had all been made pawns by Kira so that the agents would be murdered in Japan. I'm sure of it."

"The more I think about it," I said. "I think you're on to something. But how do you think they were all used?"

Maki smiled, looking relieved that someone believed her. "Well, I believe the robber was used to practice for the hijacker's passing. The hijacker was a cover for Kira to get info about the FBI from my fiancé." She said.

I nodded, putting the pieces together. The more Maki explained it, the more I believed she was right. It all made sense. Kira was far more powerful than I thought. However, Light had a different view.

"So because the hijacker and robber died from means besides a heart attack, that's how you came up with the idea Kira can kill people besides a heart attack?" Light asks. Maki nods. "That seems like a stretch to me." He said.

"I don't think that's the case," Maki said. "Kira had to be controlling the hijacker. When I heard about the hijacking, something ate away at me. When I asked my fiancé about it later, he didn't say who it was. However, he told me he had no choice but to show his badge to two other passengers. He wasn't supposed to show his badge to another soul. He was on a case that wasn't known to the Japanese police. He made me promise never to mention anything to anyone. This is why I'm positive he unknowingly made Kira aware of the presence of the FBI in Japan."

"In other words," Light said. "Kira made a criminal hijack a bus, so your fiancé had no choice but to reveal his identity. After, the hijacker was hit by a car. This would mean that Kira can use other means to kill someone. Your theory is based on things you only know. Your emotions lead to your conclusion. This means your personal feelings cloud your judgment. You also have no proof. However, I do think it's something to look into. Your statement will bring a lot to the task force. At the moment, they don't have a clue. This may help their investigation." Maki nodded. "So, if what you say is right. They'll catch Kira, I agree. Which means Kira was one of the two people your fiance showed his ID to."

I froze as I realized who Maki's fiance was. Her fiance was Raye Penber. This means that Light is most likely Kira. After all, Penber showed his ID to both Light and I. I knew I wasn't Kira, which only left Light. He has been acting strange lately, and I can't say that I haven't thought that Light was Kira.

However, Light was right; Maki had no proof, and her emotions could cloud her judgment. The more I thought about it, the more my head started to spin. I couldn't tell the difference between fantasy and reality anymore.

Chapter 9: Countdown

Y/N POV:

A million thoughts rushed through my head like a tidal wave. I wanted to tell Maki that Light and I were the ones Penber showed his badge to. If I did that, however, what would happen? Would the police arrest Light and I convinced one or both of us were Kira?

Or would they not take Maki seriously? Would it mean that Kira would kill her, whether it was Light or not? If I told her and Light sensed danger, would he kill her and then me? Would that mean I would be sending this woman off to her death? Would not telling her mean she gets to live? I had this woman's life in my hands.

"Is everything okay?" Maki asked me.

I looked up at her and noticed the innocent and caring look on her face. This woman had so much more to live for. At that moment, I made a decision that would most likely haunt me for a lifetime. I smiled and nodded, signaling everything was okay. She smiled and started walking again.

"I was thinking about everything you told us," Light said. "We should look into your theory as soon as possible."

I felt a surge of relief flow through me. There was no doubt in my mind that Light realized the same thing I did. So, if he thought her theory should be looked into further, he couldn't be Kira, right?

"Have you mentioned this to anyone else?" Light asked.

"No," Maki replied. "You two are the only ones I've told."

Light nodded before he pulled a piece of paper and pen out of his pocket. Strangely, Light angled the paper away from me. I didn't understand why he did that, but I decided not to question him. I highly doubt he was hiding anything anyway.

"Would you please tell us the time and date of the hijacking?" Light asked.

I was confused at first about why Light had asked that. After all, he was there. But since Maki didn't know that, it made sense for him to ask. I wondered why he didn't tell Maki that he and I were the individuals Penber showed his ID. Could he have the same thought process I did?

"It was on the 11:02 a.m. from Asagao-Oka to Spaceland. It was on December 20th." Mali said.

"Thank you," Light said, putting the paper back in his pocket. "We could tell the task force what you said. If you would prefer it."

"I think someone may return to the task force," Maki said. "Also, I want to tell them as soon as possible. I appreciate your offer."

After walking in silence for a few moments, Maki said she was heading back to the NPA. So, the three of us started heading in the NPA's direction.

"Hey, Light?" I asked, drawing his attention to me. "Why are we heading back to the NPA? We don't have any business there. Plus, she'll be fine by herself."

He smiled a little. "Yes, you're right." However, we kept walking in the same direction.

"Thanks, you two," Maki said, stopping. "I'm positive I'm on the right path."

After that, she started walking again, still with Light and I following her. What's happening here, and why is Light insisting on following her? Why does he keep looking at his watch?

Chapter 10: Temptation

    "Excuse us," Light said, causing Maki to stop. "I should tell you, you can't talk to someone on the task force. It was unusual that nobody was on the task force. The Kira investigation unit is trying a new way to help keep the members a mystery. The detectives can't meet everyone who comes to the NPA. If they did, your fiancé's death could be repeated. Which is why they said no one was there. You'll get the same answer even if you went a million times."

"How come you know a lot about the investigation?" Maki asked.

I looked at Light curiously. I wasn't sure how he knew so much about the investigation.

"I guess there's no other option," Light said. "I've been helping with the task force. L is heading the investigation. Since they've lost so many of their members, L was worried that there weren't enough members. I know I'm still in high school. But I've helped with solving two other NPA cases before. On a flexible basis, L allowed me to join the investigation. I'm able to go in whenever I have the chance. Every member has been personally chosen by L. Which means it's a small group of qualified and trusted individuals."

I thought about this new information for a few moments. It made sense that he would be a part of the task force. After all, he's brilliant and solved two other cases. If there were anyone L would want on the Kira case, Light would be the best choice. However, I wondered why this was the first I had heard of. If Light was meant to stay a secret member, why did he tell someone he'd known for a few minutes?

"In other words," Maki said. "Talking to you is equally good as talking to L. Since you are a task force member, which most likely means my message will get to L, that works for me. Two years back, I had worked with L in a U.S. case. However,  he was a voice through a computer. That case showed that he can solve any case and that I can completely trust him."

"Woah!" I said in awe. "That's amazing that you worked with L. It shows how amazing of an agent you are!"

"Thank you," Maki said, smiling. "You're sweet. I was an FBI agent. I quit about three months ago."

"That makes complete sense!" Light exclaimed. "Your determination and actions to find and catch Kira are completely professional. Your prudence, caution, and your sharp analysis are impressive."

"Regarding the case," Maki said. "I thought it would be too risky to trust the police and task force. I completely trust L. I figured they could verify my identity if I went to the task force. That was the only way I thought I could speak to L directly."

"Yes, that makes sense," Light said. "However, why did you tell us something that was meant for L?"

"I was hurt that I wasn't allowed to the task force," Maki said. "And when the Chief's son shows up. Well, they had reminded me of L. Somehow, I feel that you and him are alike."

I looked over and laughed at Light. Light looked like someone told him the most terrible thing ever. It made sense, though; after all, he was so sure he could beat L. It must've crushed his pride to be compared to him.

"Would you like to be a part of the Kira investigation?" Light asked. "Why don't you join us? If you can do that, you could work with L directly. You would also be able to bring Kira personally to justice. Since I was able to help solve cases before, I joined due to my father's recommendation. Even though they are that short-staffed, they aren't able to take anyone. You would be perfect with your FBI background since you've already worked with L. The only things you'll need to join are your identity records, a current member's recommendation, and L's permission. It's fate we met today! I'll even give the recommendation!" Light suddenly stopped and rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. "I apologize; I got carried away. I know you have other things to consider, even if you have a flexible basis. Also, it seems you live in the U.S."

"After we married, we were going to live there permanently. But since he's dead, I don't know what to do." Maki said.

"I understand that," Light said. "However, this is a dangerous case, and you're still a beautiful young woman." I saw Light look at me, almost like he was waiting for a reaction.

"I don't have anything left!" Maki yelled. "Getting Kira is the only thing that matters now! Please let me join."

"Certainly," Light said. "I need you to show me your ID."

"About that," Maki said. "The name I've already given was a false one. I apologize."

"It's okay," Light said. "Honestly, it's better that you did that. I should've done something similar to what my best friend did. Since you did that, it shows even more that you belong on the task force."

Maki nodded before handing over her driver's license. Light then pulled out the piece of paper from before. After writing down the information, Light kept looking at his watch. Mali asked him about this, but before he could answer, she started walking away. She had this strange spaced-out look on her face.

"Hey!" I shouted. "What's the matter? Where are you going?"

"I have to do something." She replied with an emotionless voice.

"My father's phone is turned on," Light said. "Do you still want to talk to him?"

"I have nothing to tell him." She replied.

Light and I watched in silence as Maki's figure got smaller and smaller. Once she disappeared completely, I turned toward a Light.  However, he was already looking at me. At that moment, I didn't recognize the man beside me. He had a crazed look in his eyes, and it was at that moment I realized my worst fears had come true.

"I was wrong," I said. My voice shaking with fear. "I thought you weren't Kira. But you are Kira, aren't you?"

Light continued to look at me, not saying a word. But we both knew he didn't have to. He was Kira, and we both knew it. I took a few steps back before I turned around and ran away. He didn't shout for me to come back or threaten to kill the people I love.

There was no need for that. I knew if I told anyone, people would die because of me. And we both knew that I would rather die myself than cause other people's deaths. I would have to live with these secrets until L catches Kira. What do I do now?

Before I could think further, I ran into a tree. I landed on my back and looked at the snow falling from the sky. My head spun, knowing I wouldn't be awake much longer. As I lay there, I heard someone running towards me. I turned my head a little to see a familiar head of black hair before I passed out.

Chapter 11: Ryuzaki

Y/N POV:

The bell above the door rang as I walked into the deserted coffeehouse. It was eerily quiet, and the air was tense like the coffeehouse was breathing. Something terrible was going to happen; I was sure of it. Suddenly, a series of grasping breaths rang through the building. The grasping breaths sounded familiar and far away, so I had no choice but to walk further.

The breaths got louder as I walked forward until suddenly, they were beside me. I looked under the familiar table and gasped as I identified the breaths. I quickly approached the person and pulled their head into my lap. I moved the black hair back and rested my hand on their cheek.

"What happened?" I asked as they grasped their chest. "Who did this to you?"

"You did this to me," he said. "Kira found out about me and killed me. If I never met you, I would still be alive. It's your fault, and my blood is on your hands. You're a murderer, just like Kira." And with those words, the ravenette died, and I woke up.

I gasped as I shot up and held my chest. After my breathing was under control, I looked at my surroundings in confusion. I was in a bedroom I didn't recognize, and there wasn't anyone around. However, I was still wearing my clothes, and my belongings were on the nightstand beside me.

The last thing I remember was someone running towards me, so they must've brought me here. Suddenly, the door opened, and an older gentleman walked through the door, holding a towel and a white long-sleeved T-shirt and blue jeans.

"Ah, it looks like you're finally awake. He'll be pleased to hear that," he said. "Oh, right, my name is Watari."

Watari was an older man, possibly in his 70s. He was tall, with grey hair and a grey mustache. Watari had a kind smile.

"Can you tell me what happened after I passed out, Watari?" I asked.

Watari smiled gently before shaking his head. "I'm sorry, but Ryuzaki wants to be the one to tell you. Why do you take a shower? And I'll lead you to where he's waiting for you."

I nodded as Watari handed me the clothes. After he pointed me toward the bathroom, I grabbed my phone and went inside. I set my phone up to play music before I removed my clothes and stepped into the shower. I stood there as I let the water fall down my back.

"As he goes left, and you stay right. Between the lines of fear and blame. You begin to wonder why you came. Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend. Somewhere along in the bitterness."

How to Save a Life by The Fray started playing as the events of the previous day ran through my mind. I couldn't help but blame myself for everything that had happened up to this point. He wouldn't have become Kira if I hadn't pointed out Death Note to Light.

If he hadn't become Kira, all those people would still be alive, and I would still have my best friend. I lost him the moment he started using the Death Note. Granted, I didn't know if that's where he got his power, but it was no coincidence. At that moment, I made a decision. A decision that would change the course of everything.

"Are you done, Miss?" Watari asked as I walked out of the bathroom.

I nodded at him. "Great, I'll lead you to Ryuzaki now." He said as we walked out of the bedroom.

The sounds of our shoes were the only noise heard as we walked down the hallway. The silence was unnerving, amplifying the tension in the air. I felt my mind begging for me to run in the opposite direction. However, my legs kept moving forward, and curiosity overcame the anxiety. Finally, we walked through a door, and multiple sets of eyes fell upon me.

"Y/N!" Soichiro exclaimed as he walked towards me. "I'm so glad you're okay. You gave us quite the scare there." He hugged me for a moment before leading me to a seat.

I quickly looked around the room. I noticed five other men, four of whom I recognized from the NPA. Matsuda, Aizawa, Ukita, and Mogi looked at me with concerned yet relieved faces. But as I turned to look at the last man, I felt shock run through me. Sitting in his signature position, the man was smiling at me, looking relieved.

"You're the man from the coffeehouse!" I exclaimed, pointing at him. "You were the one I saw running towards me before I passed out!"

"Y/N," Matsuda said. "How do you know L?"

"Matsuda," L said. "You idiot. Yes, I am L, but please call me Ryuzaki. I had to keep my identity secret from you for safety reasons. If Kira had discovered you knew me, you would've been killed. I'm sorry, and I can understand if you hate me now."

I smiled at  Ryuzaki. "I could never hate you, Ryuzaki," I said. "You've always been there for me, and I care deeply about you. It would take a lot of me to hate you. I understand your reasoning and appreciate what you did for me; thank you."

"Thank you, Y/N," Ryuzaki said. "I hate to ask you this now, but could you tell us what you were running from?"

I looked down at my feet and frowned. "I met Kira," I said after a moment of silence. "He hadn't outright said he was Kira, but I watched him send someone to their death right in front of my eyes. When I confronted him about his being Kira, I was met with silence." I then proceeded to tell them about Mika's theory. I didn't mention her name, however.

It was silence for a moment as everyone processed the information. "You're not going to tell us who it is because you're afraid. You know that if you told us who it was," Ryuzaki said, "then there's a chance Kira would find out and kill us. Also, you don't know how they kill. And you didn't get direct confirmation that this individual was Kira. The theory you told us about is essential, however. It will get us closer to capturing Kira. While it may not be ideal, I plan to help us find these things out."

"What's the plan?" I asked.

"Y/N," Ryuzaki said. "I want you to know it would be perilous. This means it's our last option. I don't want you to risk your life for this case."

I smiled and sat on the coffee table in front of him. "Ryuzaki," I said, grabbing his hands. "I love that you care so much for my safety. But now that I know Kira's identity, my life is already in danger. Since I can't tell you his identity, I want to do whatever I can to help. So, what's the plan?"

"You're so stubborn," Ryuzaki said, smiling fondly at me. "But that's one of the things I love and admire most. I want you to get close to Kira to see firsthand how he kills. The more evidence we have, the easier it would be to put him behind bars for the rest of his life. You can start the day after tomorrow; I want you to stay here until then. I want to be able to keep an eye on you."

I nodded and smiled. I couldn't help but notice the slight blush on his face. As Ryuzaki talked to everyone else, I got up and looked out the window. After a few moments, he walked beside me. Since everyone had left, a comfortable silence had fallen upon the room.

"You look amazing in my clothes," I blushed bright red and said nothing. "Y/N," Ryuzaki said as I turned to face him. Ryuzaki was looking at the ground, clutching his fist, shaking slightly. "I'm so sorry. Everything that happened to you was my fault. I promised to protect you, and I did the opposite. Your life is in danger because of me. I realized how much you mean to me when I thought I lost you. Y/N, I like you. More than a best friend. You're my world, and I never want to lose you."

I looked at him, shocked before I placed my hand on his cheek and turned his face to look at me. I felt tears gather in my eyes as I saw the guilt and heartbreak on his face.

"Ryuzaki," I said. "I want you to listen closely to what I'm about to say. Everything is going to be nothing but the truth. It breaks my heart that you blame yourself for something you couldn't predict. Everything that happened wasn't your fault. I thought it was my fault, too, but I was wrong. The only person to blame here is Kira. My life has been in danger from the moment Kira started killing criminals. The fact that I know his true identity doesn't change the amount of danger I'm in. You protected me the best you could, and I'm still alive because of your protection. You did nothing wrong here, so please don't blame yourself for the past day's events. Now, it's my turn to protect you. Ryuzaki, I like you. More than a best friend. You're my world, and I never want to lose you."

He stared in shock before he started smiling. I smiled back, and then we both started leaning in.

"Your electric lips have gotten me speaking in tongues. I have prayed for a power like you. To see deep down in my soul. Oh, you make me bloom like a flower, a desert rose."

Spiritual by Katy Perry sang in my mind as our lips collided. It felt like I'd been sleeping for a lifetime, and I was rewoken because of Ryuzaki. I've never met someone like him before. Ryuzaki was kind, funny, awkward (in the best way), and cute. It didn't matter if he was L; I would still have had feelings for him.

After a few minutes, we pulled away from each other. We both had goofy grins and blushes on our faces. It didn't matter if the first kiss was awkward; it meant the world to both of us. We both liked each other, and that's the only thing that mattered.

"Y/N, would you do me the honor of being my girlfriend?" Ryuzaki asked.

"Yes!" I shouted before kissing him again.

I felt him chuckle against my lips as he kissed back. We both knew this relationship would be a secret we would carry to our graves. It didn't matter if we didn't make it through this alive. All that mattered was that we had each other at that very moment. And that was good enough for both of us.

Chapter 12: Phone Call

Y/N POV:

~Two days later~

"That's, unfortunately, all the security camera footage we found showing the murdered FBI agents," Aikawa said as he started playing said taps.

I looked at the tapes lying on the floor. Aikawa was correct; there were only a few tapes. Honestly, I didn't think we would be able to find anything. But we did have Ryuzaki leading the team, so if anyone could see anything, it would be him.

"Three of them were on camera as they had heart attacks. Knick Staek was at a department store in Ginza. Raye Penber had been on a Yamanote line platform. Lastly, Nikola Nasberg was at a bank in Ikebukuro. Most of the footage of the other four was taken when they left their hotels." Aikawa continued.

 

As I watched Penber on the tapes, I noticed something small but concerning.

"That's strange," I said as I turned to Ryuzaki. "Did you notice that too, Ryuzaki?"

Ryuzaki turned towards me and smiled. "Perfect, you noticed it too, although it's unsurprising you did. After all, you are amazing at noticing small details." I felt a slight blush appear on my face. "Please playback the sections where Penber goes through the turnstile. When he gets off the train, then when he passes away, I need to see those parts next to each other." He said.

I saw Ryuzaki quickly look around. After he was satisfied, he promptly gave me a quick peck on my lips before settling down in his original position. I felt a slight blush as my heart sped up slightly.

"Y/N?" Soichiro asked. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes," I replied. "I'm a little tired, is all."

Soichiro was pleased by my answer and smiled at me before returning to work. Ryuzaki winked at me with a slight smirk on his face. I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't help the slight grin on my face.

It's only been two days since I stayed at Ryuzaki's hotel. It has been amazing, don't get me wrong. However, it felt like I was drowning in my fear and anxiety. Every time I had my head above the water, it was pushed back down.

I knew Kira's true identity, and I couldn't tell anyone. I was too scared to lose the people I cared about most. Since I figured out Light was Kira, I had no idea what he could do. If you asked me a few days ago, I would swear before a judge that Light would never do anything to hurt me and that he wasn't Kira. However, I didn't know what to believe anymore regarding Light. I was a threat to him, and he would do anything to silence me, including hurting me.

I don't deserve to keep my head above water.  I deserve to have it pushed down again and again. I was putting people's lives in danger because I was being selfish. I was weighing the lives of my loved ones over innocent people. I was as bad as Light. I was choosing who gets to live and who gets to die. What gave me the right?

I lightly shake my head to get rid of these thoughts. I knew that the longer I dwelled on them, the more guilt I would feel. Maybe it was selfish to loosen the guilt, but if I was going to help prove Light was Kira once and for all, I couldn't dwell on my shame, fear, or doubts. I could worry about that later; right now, catching Kira was the only thing that mattered. With that, I turned my attention back to the tapes.

"Penber goes into a turnstile at the West Side of the Shinjuku station. The tape shows him doing this at 15:11 (3:11), which matches the time on Penber's pass. It's not the cleanest picture, but we can identify it as Penber. There's no need to send it to get tested." Aikawa said.

"Did you notice that?" L asked me.

I nodded. "At 15:33 (3:33), Penber gets on the train," I explained. The second he gets off, he passes away at 16:45 (4:45). A complete circle on the Yamanote line loop takes about an hour. As stated, Penber gets on the train at 15:13 (3:13).

"He could've been following someone," Ryuzaki says, taking over. "However, it's impossible to know with the image. A little before he passed, Penber got a file with the faces and names of every FBI agent on his computer around 15:21 (3:21). This had occurred eight minutes after he got on. Penber had sat on the same train for an hour and a half with this file. We know that Kira can control people's actions until they die. This may be the reason one of the agents acted strangely on that day. However..."

Suddenly, Ryuzaki stopped talking and took a closer look at the screen. His expression was shocked, and it was clear he saw something unusual. I tried to see what Ryuzaki saw but couldn't find what surprised him.

"What is it, Ryuzaki?" I asked, concerned.

"Did you see what happened to the envelope he was carrying, Y/N?" he asked.

We quickly rewinded the tape to when Penber was going through the turnstile. Also, we returned to the footage of him getting on the platform and then on the train. In all three cases, Penber held a Manila envelope.

" You're right, Ryuzaki!"I said. "The envelope is gone! I didn't even notice that. Although you're a fantastic detective, if anyone would notice that, it would be you." Ryuzaki grinned shyly as I saw a slight blush on his cheeks. I felt a slight blush, and my heart beat slightly faster. He was adorable.

 

"Was a Manila envelope found on his body?" I asked, turning to Soichiro.

"No," Soichiro said. "There was no evidence of any envelope on his person."

"Which means Penber left it on the train!" Ryuzaki and I said at the same time. We looked at each other and grinned.

"It's possible the envelope has a list of the FBI agents in Japan at the time." Soichoro theorized.

"Kira could've gotten the envelope from Penber. Then, somehow forced him off the train and killed him." Matsuda also theorized.

"I don't think that's the case," Ryuzaki said. "Penber had only gotten the file on the train at 15:21 (3:21). It wouldn't be possible for him to get it beforehand. We need to get to every station on the Yamanote line to give us all the footage for December twenty-seventh. Also, the last image we have of Penber looks to me like he's gravely trying to look in the train."

"Almost as if Kira is on the train! There's a chance Penber saw Kira at this last moment and recognized him!" I exclaimed.

"Exactly," Ryuzaki said, smiling at me. "It seems that Y/N came to the same thought I did. Good job."

I grinned at Ryuzaki as I felt pride swell in my chest. It felt good to hear Ryuzaki praise me. It made me feel more intelligent than I was. Also, it made me think that even though I kept Light's identity a secret, I was still helping to catch him.

"However," Ryuzaki continued. "If Kira can kill from a distance. Why would he be on the train? He could've risked coming out into the open knowing we would think that. Although, Kira wouldn't be caught on camera with the envelope. There are a few ways he could've done this. Kira would've checked where the cameras were because it's a public place. He would've used the blind spots or hidden behind people if he couldn't use any blind spots; however, there's a chance he did get caught on camera with the envelope. Then we could call Kira in as a material witness."

~Later that same day~

"I want Aizawa and Yagami to keep looking at any connections between the heart attack victims and the FBI agents. Y/N I would like you to help Matsuda discover what Pender was doing." L said, earning a nod from everyone.

In the background, I heard Watari answering the phone. After a few moments, he turned to Ryuzaki.

"Ryuzaki," Watari said, drawing Ryuzaki's attention. "Ukita from the other office says an individual he has on the line has essential information."

"Okay," Ryuzaki said. "Please give him the number for the fifth line and have the individual call back on that line." Ryuzaki then turned to Matsuda and me. "Please turn your cell phone back on, Matsuda."

Matsuda did as Ryuzaki asked, and not a second later, the phone started ringing. Before Matsuda could answer it, Ryuzaki quickly took it from Matsuda's hands. He then answered it, holding the phone with two fingers near the top. Matsuda looked annoyed, causing me to snicker at him. I saw Ryuzaki grinning at me.

"Hello," Ryuzaki spoke into the phone. "I'm Suzuki, the head of the information-collecting unit for the Kira case. Raye Penber's fiance?!" Ryuzaki exclaimed in shock, causing me to frown and look at the ground as I felt a wave of guilt crash into me. "Naomi Misora? That name sounds familiar." Ryuzaki then turned to Soichoro as he hung up the phone. "Is there any way of tracing a cell phone turned off?"

Soichoro shook his head. "I'm afraid it's not possible."

As I looked down, I felt someone place their hand on my knee. I immediately recognized the hand, and despite everything I just learned, I felt my heart speed up a little. The warmth and the caring touch were making me feel better. It felt wrong to be receiving any comfort; however, we both knew I gravely needed it.

"Y/N," Ryuzaki said as he started using his thumb to rub circles on my knee. "Is there something you need to tell us?"

"The person that made me realize who Kira was," I said, finally looking up at Ryuzaki. "Was Naomi Misora. She had unknowingly told him something important, and Kira had killed her to keep it secret. Her theory got her killed."

It was quiet for a few moments as everyone processed this new information. I saw Ryuzaki's head turn as he considered his following action.

"Y/N," he said after a moment. "I want you to wait in our bedroom until I come to get you. In the meantime, I want you to get your things together to go home. I need to tell everyone my plans, but I don't want you in the room as I do so. I'm afraid if you know about them, it will cause you to be a bigger target than you already are. Do you understand?" I nodded, causing Ryuzaki to smile at me. "Good, now get going." I smiled before doing as he said.

As I sat there with my bag at my feet, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by fear. Now that I had to return home, I had no idea what Light would do to me. I don't think he would kill me; even though I know his true identity, I'm still breathing. This leads me to believe that Light had something bigger planned for me, which terrified me most.

As I was thinking, I heard the bedroom door close and lock. I then felt the bed dip as Ryuzaki sat beside me. It was as quiet as death in the room. There was so much to say, yet neither knew what to say. We both knew there was a chance I was being sent to my death, yet we didn't have the guts to say it out loud.

"Y/N," Ryuzaki said as he touched my cheek, making me face him. There was sorrow evident in his voice.  "Please be as careful as possible. I can't protect you out there like I can here. I'm terrified of what Kira could do to you. I'm not ready to lose you. I wasn't ready yesterday and wouldn't be ready any day before or after that. I need you like the sun needs the moon. You are the ray of sunlight in my life, and if I lost you, my life would fall back into the dark abyss. Please stay by my side for as long as you can. Promise me."

"You won't lose me, Ryuzaki," I said, touching his cheek. "I can't leave my ray of light behind; the dark abyss no longer feels like home. You feel like home to me, and I'm not planning on leaving you anytime soon. I promise to stay by your side as long as I can."

Ryuzaki and I kissed as tears fell on our faces like mini waterfalls. Neither of us had ever cared for someone as much as we did each other. We hadn't been together long, and the fact that one of us wouldn't be around much longer terrified us. It didn't matter, though; all that mattered was this moment. And at that moment, I was with My Sweet Love.

Chapter 13: Handstand

Y/N POV:

I groaned in pain as Light threw me against my bedroom door. My shirt was clutched tightly in his fist. I've only had time to unpack before Light burst into my room. It was evident that he was waiting for my return like a predator waits for prey. But I wasn't going to allow myself to be prey anymore. When Light least expects it, the predator will become the prey.

"Did you tell anyone my little secret?" Light asked me, suspicion evident in his voice.

"Do you see police bursting in? Are you sitting behind a jail cell? No?" I said, speaking like I would to a child. "Then that means your secret is safe, genius. Seriously, why ask such a stupid question? I thought you were the best student in Japan. I suppose that's not the case if you had to ask a question like that anymore."

He signed in annoyance before letting go of me. Light then walked over to my desk and picked up a white envelope.

"This came in while you were away," he said, handing me the envelope. "You should be thanking me for giving it to you after how you've just spoken to me."

My eyes widened a little as I looked at the envelope. I quickly tore it open and scanned the letter. I frowned as I read the contents. With every word, I felt my heart sink deeper and deeper. I sunk into my bed, putting my head into my hands. I felt Light grab the letter from my hand before he read it out loud.

"Dear Y/N L/N," Light read. "We had a chance to look over your application. While you have a good record, we regret to inform you that we've denied your acceptance into our college."

I felt my bed dip as Light sat beside me. He wrapped an arm around me in a side hug. Before, I would've welcomed his comfort, but now, it made me sick to my stomach. I quickly pulled away, walked over to my window, and looked out.

"Y/N," Light said. "I'm sorry. I know how much you wanted to go to that college. But, look on the bright side, now you can attend college with me in Japan. That means we can stay together! Besides, you don't have to attend the same college your parents did."

"You're an idiot!" I shouted, turning towards him. "I didn't want to attend just because of my parents. That college is in America so that I could escape Japan! I want to explore the country where my parents met and fell in love. I want to escape this place so badly that I can't think of anything else. I'm slowly starting to forget things about my family. I could regain that connection if I went to my parents' old college. But it looks like that won't be happening now. I'll keep forgetting about them until they're fragments of my imagination."

I dug my fingernails into my palms as I felt tears threatened to escape. I knew tears wouldn't bring back the family I lost, but it didn't seem to matter. I thought I was done crying, but I kept adding to my tears.

"I'm done talking about this," I said. "I'm also through hearing your false sympathy. So get out and leave me alone." I heard Light sigh before he left my room.

Once I heard the door close, I walked over and locked it. I quickly finished unpacking before changing my clothes and sliding into bed. I wanted nothing more than to be in Ryuzaki's arms again. What hurts the most is that I don't know when I can see him. We both agreed to stop meeting at the coffeehouse since Kira would be watching me closely. The only thing I have of him is my memories of us, which wasn't enough.

~Timeskip; The next day~

"Baby, you're just harder to see than most. I put the record on. Wait 'til I hear our song. Every night, I'm dancing with your ghost."

Dancing With Your Ghost by Sasha Alex Sloan plays through my earbuds. I was walking ahead of Light as he and his two friends walked behind me. Although I was in a good mood because school had finally ended, I still didn't want to deal with Light. I quickly jogged to our front door, and after unlocking it, I ducked inside. Even though Light was a few steps behind me, I slammed the door before he could enter.

After removing my shoes, I entered my room and shut the door. I walked to my desk after I noticed a box on top of it. I picked up the box, trying to figure out who it came from. However, I couldn't find any information on the box, so against my better judgment, I opened the box.

I gasped as I saw a stuffed panda. An envelope fell out as I took the panda out of the box. Looking at the envelope, I noticed the letter R written in the same font Ryuzaki uses. I carefully opened it and took out the letter.

"'Dear Y/N," I read out loud. "I've been having a hard time without you around. I knew you would feel the same, so I got you the stuffed panda. I remembered that pandas are your favorite. Now, every time you think of pandas, you'll remember me. I hope this helps you, as you've helped me. Yours, R.'" I grinned before hugging the stuffed animal. Ryuzaki's comforting scent greeted my nose.

"Y/N," Light said, coming into my room. "Are you still- what is that?"

"None of your business," I said. "Now, what do you want?" I asked as I put the panda on my bed.

"Are you still planning on going to the bookstore?" He asked.

"Yeah," I replied. "My favorite band released their new record. That bookstore is the only place that sells records for miles."

"Well," Light said. "I'm coming with you. So, let's go."

With that, Light grabbed my wrist, and we left the house. As soon as we started to walk down the street, I ripped my wrist out of Light's grasp. He didn't seem to mind as he looked around in his jacket.

"What in the world are you doing?" I asked, confused.

"I think there are hidden cameras and microphones around the house," Light said. Then he started murmuring to his left, almost as if he was talking to an invisible entity. "Oh, right, you can't see him, Y/N. Here." Light touched me with a piece of paper. I looked to his left and stopped in shock and fear.

Standing beside him was a tall monster. He was dressed in black leather from top to bottom. He had a wide and unnerving smile as it stretched from ear to ear. His skin was tight against his face, and he had stitches around his neck. He had tall, spiked black hair. His eyes were an unnatural yellow-green color with red pupils. He also had giant black wings that he was using to glide next to Light.

"This is Ryuk," Light said. "He is the Shinigami that dropped the Death Note."

"So, that's how you do it," I said. "Wait, isn't that the notebook I pointed out to you?"

"Yes," He replied. "Also, I know what you're thinking. I'm not going to show you where I hide the Death Note. I know the second I would tell you, you would go straight to the task force. And I can't have you interfere with my plans."

I scoffed as I glared at him. "I knew it wouldn't be easy," I said. "There you go again, being stupid. Looks like you're not as smart as you want everyone to think you are."

I heard Ryuk laugh. "I like her," He said. "How do you know about the cameras? The slip of paper was still in your door."

"The paper's a smokescreen," Light said. "It makes people think I use it to check if anyone has been there. I checked the door handle and how it is designed; when the door is closed, it returns to a horizontal position. It doesn't go any higher than that. After I leave the room, I wait until it goes to that position. After, I lower it to a quarter of an inch. However, I can't be sure just by doing that. I place a piece of mechanical pencil lead on top of the upper hinge. When I close my door, I ensure the lead is hardly visible. Once the door is reopened, the lead breaks. I usually remove the lead before I go in. But it was broken today. This proves someone entered my room because of the handle and lead."

"Do you think it could be your Mom?" Ryuk asked.

"No," Light said. "The paper was placed back where I left it. My sister or Mom wouldn't have done that."

"Yes, that doesn't align with something your Mom or sister would do." Ryuk agreed.

"This leads me to believe that my room has cameras and bugs. I know they didn't find the Death Note, which is important. It doesn't matter if they saw the piece of paper." Light said.

"So, that's why you wanted to come," I said. "To buy books about cameras and microphones."

"Something along the lines of that." Light replied as we reached the store.

"Well, whatever," I replied. "I don't care anymore. I'm not worried about the cameras or bugs because I have nothing to hide. So, I'll leave it to you and Ryuk. I'll have to be careful with what I say and do, but it's no big deal. I've been doing that for a while now."

With that, I made a beeline towards the records, leaving Light and Ryuk to decide. Walking down the street later, I heard the two talk about it. I wasn't paying attention as I was looking at my new record.

"Are you okay with that, Y/N?" Light asked me as I looked up.

"Sure, whatever," I said.

I heard Light sigh. "Ok, Ryuk, to eat your apples, you must look for the cameras and bugs. If they are left for too long, I can tell Dad I found one. Then he'll deal with it. It would be suspicious if I tried to look for them. Also, make sure you find any blind spots. Look around the house, and don't forget Y/N's room."

I was not too fond of Ryuk looking around my room. But I decided not to make a big deal of it. Even though I wasn't hiding anything, I didn't want to make Light more suspicious of me than he was. However, if this makes Light less suspicious of me, this would be perfect. I would be able to find more evidence of Light being Kira!

Chapter 14: Trash

Y/N POV:

"Hate to give you the satisfaction, asking how you're doing now. How's the castle built off of people you pretend to care about? Just what you wanted."

Vampire by Olivia Rodrigo sings through my room as I lay on my bed. I felt like screaming into an unforgiving void, trying to find where Light hid his Death Note. I wonder if I could get Ryuk to tell me.

"Found one!" Ryuk exclaimed as he poked his head through one of my vents.

Getting an idea, I put my arm in front of my mouth.

"Hey, Ryuk," I said. "Is my mouth visible to the cameras?"

"No," Ryuk said. "What's up, Kiddo?"

"If I asked, would you tell me where the Death Note is?" I asked. "I know it's risky asking you because Light could find out. But I want to do whatever I can to stop him."

Ryuk was silent for a moment. "Truth be told, I'm neither on Light's nor L's side. The game would be over if I did spill the beans. And I'm enjoying it far too much for it to end now."

"I figured it was a long shot," I said. "Thanks anyway."

"I'm sorry, Kiddo," Ryuk said. "I would be more than happy to mess with Light for you."

I felt Ryuk pat my head with sympathy. His eyes were filled with sadness that I couldn't quite place. I couldn't understand why he was so kind to me.

"Why are you so kind to me, Ryuk?" I asked.

"You remind me of a human I used to know," Ryuk said. "Plus, I enjoy how mean you are towards Light. His reactions are priceless!" He started to laugh as small sounds of 'hyuk' escaped him.

I laugh as well. "After all Light's done, I'd say he deserved it." I was quiet for a moment. "What was that human like?"

A dark look fell upon Ryuk's face, and tears filled his eyes. He seemed to be trying to repress something. It was clear something had happened to this human. I moved my arm from my mouth before sympathetically patting his hand.

"I'm sorry for bringing up bad memories," I said after I moved my arm back. "If you're ever ready to talk about it, I'm here."

"Thanks, Kiddo," Ryuk said. "I'll tell you about her someday, I promise."

"I can't wait for it!" I exclaimed.

Ryuk and I shared a smile as my bedroom door opened. We turned to see Light in the doorway, staring at me. I sighed as I sat up.

"What do you want Light?" I asked harshly.

"Dinner's ready." He replied, still staring.

"Cool," I said. I walked past Light before stopping. "You'll fall in love with me if you keep staring."

I turned and smirked suggestively at him, causing him to go beet red. As I started walking again, I felt Light's gaze on me. Deciding to tease him further, I began to sway my hips from side to side. It must've worked because as I started down the stairs, Ryuk's laughter followed me.

"Don't you agree, Y/N?" Sayu asked as I sat down. "Hideki's gorgeous, right?!"

I laughed a little. "Sure, he's cute," I replied. "He has a great voice too."

"See!" Sayu exclaimed. "Y/N agrees! It's not our fault you don't like anyone."

"Whatever you say, Sayu." Light said.

"There's a news bulletin," Sayu said, drawing our attention towards the TV.

"'The Interpol will send 1,500 agents from different countries to Japan to assist in the Kira case'". Rang the message on the bottom of the screen.

"The Interpol is so dumb," Light said. "I don't see the point in announcing this. They should let the team work in hiding and keep it from the public. We saw what happened to those other agents. Once Kira finds out about these agents, he'll kill them. It's clear this is all an act; Kira probably figured that out, too. I'm finished." Light stood up, grabbing his dishes. He then pulled out a bag of chips from the closet.

"You're kidding!" Sayu exclaimed. "You're going to eat potato chips now? You're going to gain weight."

"I'm eating it later," Light said as he walked out. "I'm staying up late studying."

I sighed in contentment as I lay in bed for the night. I've been on edge since I found out about the cameras. I've been overthinking every little thing. I ensure I don't raise suspicion and watch everything I do and say. It felt nice to relax because what do I worry about when sleeping? I knew Light wouldn't be caught while the cameras were around. He's too careful, which makes everything more problematic for me.

I grabbed the panda stuffed animal and turned to my side. I held it as tightly as I could. I felt an indescribable peace wash over me as  Ryuzaki's scent reached me. "I miss you," I murmured as my eyes finally closed.

Chapter 15: Gaze

Y/N POV:

I turned away and burrowed my face into my pillow as harsh sunlight hit me. I was starting to fall asleep when I felt a hand running through my hair. I felt at ease for a split second, thinking the hand was Ryuzaki. But then I woke up and slapped the hand away.

"What the hell, Light!" I shouted angrily. "What in the world possessed you to do that?!"

"I was trying to wake you up," Light said, smirking. "It's not my fault you were being difficult."

"Difficult my foot!" I exclaimed. "You just wanted an excuse to touch me!"

"Believe what you will," Light said coldly. "Get dressed; we need to be at the entrance exam soon. I will drag you there if I have to."

I frowned as I watched Light leave my room. It seemed that he was starting to get colder. Usually, he would deny it, causing me to tease him further. It was clear to me now that he had feelings for me. So, I decided to act like I had no clue and exploit his feelings. Normally, I wouldn't ever do that. After all, he was making my life a living hell. So why can't I?

~Timeskip; One hour later~

"So, the cameras and bugs are gone?" I asked Light as we walked down the street.

"Yes," Light said. "I had Ryuk check before we left for our college entrance exams."

"If I had gotten into my dream college," I said as the entrance exam building appeared ahead. "I wouldn't be stuck going to the same college as you."

"I don't understand why you're saying that," Light said. "Why can't you be as excited as me? Will it be that bad for you?"

"Yeah," I replied. "It'll be like a train wreck. On the plus side, the grounds are so big. So, I'll be able to avoid you easier."

"Trust me," Light retorted. "I'll make it as hard as possible for you to do so."

"Hey, kids," a man yelled as we approached the college gates. "The test will begin in ten minutes! You need to hurry up!"

"I can't stand waiting inside," Light responds. "I got here a little bit early. I was hoping to get here three minutes before it starts."

"I hate you," I said, frowning. "It pisses me off that you have the scores to be that confident. I wish someone would knock you off your high horse."

"Oh, please," Light said arrogantly. "Like that would ever happen."

~Timeskip; The start of the test~

"Please begin." The test instructor said.

The room began to fill with the sounds of pencils and the occasional page-turning. I tried my best to ignore the noises and focus on my test. Granted, I didn't want to attend the same college as Light. The thought of it made my skin crawl. But, with few options, I would do my best to beat Light, even if it was something as small as our test scores.

"Hey," The test instructor said, breaking the silence. "Number 162, please sit right."

I was about to turn around when I felt a slight pressure on my arm.

"Don't you dare turn around," Light hissed in my ear. "Focus on your test or so help me. You will attend this college, and I don't care what it takes."

It felt like my whole body was dropped into a tub of freezing water. I felt fear course through my body as Light's grip painfully tightened. I don't think I've ever been this afraid of anyone. It hurt even more when the person I was scared of most was once someone I loved more than anyone else.

I nodded to stop the pain coursing through my arm. Satisfied with my answer, Light let go and returned to his test. Tears quickly filled my eyes as I looked down and saw the bruise forming. I put my head down and tried to forget who my best friend had become.

Chapter 16: Humiliation

Y/N POV:

The air was filled with a light breeze, causing petals of cherry blossoms to dance through the sky. A banner reading 'Welcome T-OH University Freshmen' softly swayed in the wind.

"I'm filled with happiness that you're now college students," Ryuk said. "Gosh, I'm so proud of you, Light, Kiddo."

"Thanks, Ryuk," I said with a grin.

"No problem, Kiddo," Ryuk said. "Truthfully, I'm more proud of you than Light."

"I would be, too," I replied. "Who would be proud of someone like Light?"

"I'm right here," Light said with a roll of his eyes.

"Doesn't matter to me," I said. "I don't care if I hurt your little feelings."

As we walked into the entrance building, Light remained silent. Ryuk and I laughed at him as we walked to our seats.

"We'll take this moment to hear from our freshmen representatives," A man on the platform said. "Light Yagami and Hideki Ryuga."

I groaned in annoyance as Light made his way upstage. Honestly, I couldn't be bothered to listen to his speech. I slide down a little in my chair, closing my eyes and resting my head on the back. Suddenly, I felt someone brush a hand across my kneecap as they walked by. I felt a strange jolt of familiarity with the touch.

"That wasn't Light's hand, Kiddo," Ryuk said. "You might want to look at that person standing next to Light. He was the one who touched your knee."

I shot up straight as I looked at the man next to Light. Standing there with a bored look on his face was none other than Ryuzaki! He caught my eye and gave me a slight smirk. I couldn't focus on either speech as a small pit of fear grew in my stomach. If Ryuzaki was coming out in the open, what did this mean?

My eyes trailed after the two as they walked off the stage and towards my seat. Light sat to my left, and Ryuzaki took the previous empty right seat. The air around us was tense as we played a waiting game to see who spoke first.

"Hello," Ryuzaki said as he turned to face me. "Who might you be? A friend of Light's?"

"No, I'm-" I started to say before Light interrupted me.

"It doesn't matter who she is," Light said. "Not to you, at least."

I sighed in annoyance. "Ignore Light; I know I do," I said with a smile. "I'm Y/N L/N, but I would barely count myself as a friend of Light's. It's more of a one-sided friendship."

“Is that any way to talk about your childhood best friend?” Light asked, hurt evident in his voice.

After everything Light’s done, he still had this crazy notion that we’re still best friends. I would wake up one day and be okay with him being Kira. But I can’t forget the sins of his past and present. That’s why I’m working so hard to take down Light. This isn’t about lessening guilt or trying to save Light from himself. It’s about doing the right thing, even if Light has long forgotten what that is.

“It’s nice to meet you, Y/N,” Ryuzaki said, bringing me back to earth.

“It's nice to meet you, too,” I said.

“So, what do you want from us?” Light asked. “You want something; otherwise, you wouldn’t have sat with us.”

“I have important information regarding the Kira case, but you must keep it secret,” Ryuzaki said

“You don’t have to worry about us telling anyone,” Light replies.

“I’m L,” Ryuzaki said.

I felt the blood drain from my face, panic surging through my veins. Why was Ryuzaki telling Light of all people this? While Light looked calm, I knew he was worried.

“If I can believe you’re truly L,” Light said calmly. “Then I offer you nothing but admiration and respect.”

“Yes,” I said, agreeing with Light. “I’ve always wanted to meet the famous L in person. But I can’t help but wonder why you chose to reveal your identity to us. As far as I know, your identity is very secretive.”

“Yes, thank you, and that’s correct,” Ryuzaki said. “But I have a good reason for revealing my identity. I think the two of you can help us somehow in this case.”

“I’m impressed,” Ryuk said. “If this guy is L.”

It was indeed a brilliant plan. Light most likely thought Soichiro knew what L looked like. This ensures that Ryuzaki can safely reveal his identity because Light can’t kill him yet. Light doesn’t know what Ryuzaki’s real name is. It would still be suspicious if L died right after meeting Light.

Also, since Ryuzaki is used as the name of a famous pop star, Light might accidentally picture the real person and kill him instead. Killing Ryuzaki now will be like making a neon sign that screams Light is Kira. Last time I knew, Light was still a possible candidate for being Kira in Ryuzaki’s eyes.

As Light, Ryuk, and I left the ceremony hall, Ryuk laughed.

“ Who knew that a graduation ceremony could be so exciting?” Ryuk said.

“Hey, Y/N,Light,” Ryuzaki said off in the distance.

“You guys hear that?” Ryuk asked. “It sounds like your new friend is calling you.”

“It was nice meeting you two.” Ryuzaki said, standing close to us.

“It was my pleasure,” Light said.

“Yes,” I said, smiling at Ryuzaki. “Hopefully, we’ll see each other around campus.”

“I hope so,” Ryuzaki smiled at me as he walked towards his car.

A man exited the front seat and opened the back passenger door. My eyes widened a little, and I was in shock as I saw that the man was Watari. I was surprised that Ryuzaki would want to be seen with Watari.

Also, the car was nothing to scuff at. It was a black car that looked worth a good amount of money, so much so that I heard people murmuring around us about how rich he was. If he was trying to blend in, he was doing a terrible job.

I sighed in relief as I walked into my room. The whole way back home, Light was quiet. Usually, I won’t mind, but after the bombshell Ryuzaki dropped, it made me nervous. Making up my mind, I walked over to Light’s room only to find him sitting silently. It didn’t last long, however, and as soon as I walked in and shut the door, he started shaking with anger.

“Damn!” Light exclaiming, clutching his hands over his head. “He got me! Damn L! I don’t think I’ve ever been so embarrassed in my life.”

“You should just take the Shinigami eye deal,” Ryuk said, trying to reason with Light. “Then it’ll be easier to kill him.”

“Shinigami eye deal?” I questioned.

“Yes,” Ryuk said. “If I give him the power of Shinigami eyes, Light can see people's real names and the date of their deaths. But in return, I get half of his remaining life.”

“Yes, but if this is a trap,” Light angrily shouted at Ryuk. “Then the eye deal doesn’t work! If I kill him and he isn’t L, then the real L will know I am Kira.”

“Sorry,” Ryuk said, shocked.

“Don’t go around thinking Shinigami killing people and humans killing people are the same,” Light said. “Because that’s the farthest thing from the truth. I want nothing else but to kill him. But I would be asking to get caught if I did so. Unfortunately, the Death Note can only kill the person whose name is written in it. So I can’t make it, so someone else kills him. It’s annoying and a flaw with the Death Note.” Light said, turning his chair around to face us.

I can tell that Ryuzaki's plan was working. Light was usually calm, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this worked up.

“In the beginning,” Light continued. “I figured once I found out his name, I could have him die in an accident or kill himself. That won’t do me any good, though, unless I’m sure this guy is L. Unfortunately, it’s too late since he approached me and introduced himself as L. It doesn't matter if I’m sure or not. It doesn’t matter how L dies, because the police will suspect me. I didn’t think he would go this far. I didn’t know he would purposely show his true identity to me. I imagine him telling the suspects the same thing; it doesn’t have to be him. There’s a chance he sent a double instead. This is a solid plan for L, because he can confront Kira in person. He’s able to defend and attack. It was a great move, and he was able to get me. I know I haven’t seen the last of Ryuga. As long as he plays the part of the absent-minded genius, he’ll keep coming after me, and we will pretend that everything is fine.”

Light started laughing like a manic. His eyes went from anger to pure insanity.

“This is amazing,” Light said. “This is proof they don’t have a thing on me yet. This is a contest between L and me—a match of brains. On the outside, it’ll look like we’re friendly classmates. But we’ll be investigating each other. This is fun, Ryuga. I’ll gladly accept your friendship if that’s what you want. I’ll earn your trust in time. Then, when you tell me what I need to know, I’ll kill you. Even if I have to do it with my bare hands.”

As Light smirked sinfully, it drove home how insane he had become. He was talking about killing someone in cold blood as calmly as he would about the weather. I couldn’t help but wonder, did this insane side of him always exist, waiting for the right moment to surface? Or did the Death Note cause this insane side to form? It doesn’t matter now because the result is the same. The once normal boy turned into a monster of his own making.

Chapter 17: Doubt

Y/N POV:

I sighed as I flipped through my records, trying to find something to fit my mood. It’s been a few days since Ryuzaki exposed himself to Light. I’ve been trying to avoid Light, so I don’t get wrapped up in whatever he’s planning for Ryuzaki.

Finally, I found a record and placed it on the turntable when my phone started ringing. After moving the needle off the record, I answered my phone.

“Hello?” I asked into the phone.

“Hello, Y/N,” Ryuzaki’s voice flooded through the phone.

“Ryuz- Ryuga,” I said quickly, correcting myself.

“Quick thinking, love,” Ryuzaki said, as I blushed at the nickname. “Mustn’t let anyone know who I am. I know I shouldn’t call you, but I need your help. I still believe that there is a 1% chance that Light is Kira. I want to find some way to get a reading on him. To do that, I need to get closer to him. Do you have any ideas?”

“Well,” I said. “Light used to play tennis. There’s a chance you can get a read on him based on how he plays.”

“Perfect as always,” Ryuzaki said.

“I do have to warn you, though,” I said. “As much as it kills me to say this, Light’s amazing at tennis. He even won some awards back in the day.”

“Don’t worry about me, love,” Ryuzaki said.

“By the way,” I said. “Why didn’t you call Light directly? You could find his number if you found mine. Not that I’m complaining, of course.”

“What’s wrong with wanting to hear my beautiful girlfriend’s voice?” Ryuzaki said before hanging up.

“I was slightly surprised at the sudden invitation,” Light said as he dug through his tennis bag.

I was surprised that Light agreed in the first place. I only got off the phone with Ryuzaki an hour ago, and now we are at the tennis courts. But it makes sense why Light agreed, he wanted to use this chance to get a better read on Ryuzaki.

“I would’ve never thought of tennis as a way to get to know each other,” Light said as he grabbed his tennis racket.

“It’s not a problem, is it?” Ryuzaki asked.

“Of course not,” Light said as we began to walk towards the tennis court. “Did you happen to know how good I was? Before you asked me to play.”

“Naturally,” Ryuzaki said. “I can manage, though. It’s been a few years, but I was the British junior champion at one point.”

“Woah!” I exclaimed. “That’s so cool! I’ve always wanted to visit Britain. You’ll have to tell me what it's like.”

“Of course, Y/N,” Ryuzaki said. “I lived in Britain for a few years. And no, you can gain nothing from knowing I’m from Britain.”

“We can play a single match,” Ryuzaki said as they both went on their respective sides of the court. “Since it’s our first match. First one to six?”

“Yes, that works,” Light said.

With that, the game began with Ryuzaki serving. It didn’t take long for a crowd to form around us, which included a line judge and an umpire. They were both fantastic, which surprised me, given Ryuzaki’s posture. I can see the wheels turn in both boys’ heads.

This tennis game was a cover-up. Ryuzaki was using it to try to get Light to say something only Kira would know. However, Light wanted a third party to confirm that Ryuzaki was L, which means that someone from the Task Force must prove it.

“Game and set won by Light Yagami!” The line judge shouted. “Six games to four.”

“Just as I thought,” Ryuzaki said as we walked down the path towards the front gates. “You won.”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve played that hard.” Light replied. “There's something I need to ask you about. Plus, I’m starting to get thirsty. Should we stop somewhere for a drink?”

“You entertained me with a tennis match,” Ryuzaki said. “It stands to reason that I can answer some of your questions. I want to mention something before this conversation goes any further.”

“What is it?” Light asked.

“I suspect that you, Light Yagami, are Kira,” Ryuzaki said. “If there is still something you’d like to ask, then go ahead.”

Light stopped, causing us to stop a few steps ahead.

“You think I’m Kira?” Light asked, laughing. “Y/N, do you believe this?”

“You don’t need to worry, Light,” I said. “If you’re not Kira, it won’t take long for your name to be cleared.”

“It’s only about a 1% possibility that I suspect you.” Ryuzaki reasoned. “I don’t mind telling you more once I’m sure you’re not Kira. Also, once I know how good your deductive skills are, I would like you and Y/N to help us with this case.”

“This is a favorite coffee shop of mine,” Light said. “Also, with us sitting here, no one can overhear us.”

“Thank you for bringing me here,” Ryuzaki replied.

“It’s not a problem,” Light replied, although there was a harsh undertone.

Anyone who passed us could feel the tension between Light and Ryuzaki. And unfortunately, I was the cause of said tension. I had sat across from Light in the booth earlier, without thinking. I tend to sit across from someone to give them my undivided attention. Before Light could react, Ryuzaki had slid into the spot next to me.

“At least no one can give you a hard time about how you sit,” Light continued.

“I’m not sitting this way because I want to,” Ryuzaki replied. “I have to sit this way. If I were to sit normally, my deductive ability would immediately be reduced by about 40%. What did you want to talk about?”

“Yes,” Light replied. “It can wait until you’re sure I’m not Kira. So we can talk about whatever you’d like.”

“You don’t need to do this,” Ryuzaki said. “But I would like to test your deductive reasoning skills.”

“Why not? It sounds like fun,” Light said.

“Ok,” Ryuzaki said. “We’ll start by looking at these.”

Ryuzaki pulled three pictures from his pocket and placed them on the table. Each image had lines of Japanese writing on it.

“These three photographs are notes written by prison inmates,” Ryuzaki said. “They were under Kira’s control before their deaths. This information hasn’t been made public. Please let me know what you think, and take the time to look them over.”

“These are interesting,” Light replied, picking up the photos. “It would be amazing to learn that Kira can control his victim’s actions. I think Kira wrote these as a message to you. It seems like he might be mocking you through this message. You'll find the message once you line the notes up and take the first letter of each line.” Light then proceeded to line up the photos. “‘L, do you know gods of death love apples?’ But if you arrange it in the order of the numbers on the back of the photographs. ‘L, do you know love apples, gods of death’ is the message you get instead, which doesn’t make sense. So, Kira won’t want you to read it that way.”

“That’s not right, “Ryuzaki said, pulling another picture out of his pocket and placing it next to the others. “There were four photographs. When we add that one, it says, ‘L do you know gods of death who love apples have red hands.’”

“Since I only had three pictures to work with, my deduction was perfect.” Light reasoned.

“That’s not true,” Ryuzaki said. “In truth, there were four of them. It would've been perfect if you managed to figure that out. You decided there were only three notes, even when the message wasn’t completed. You didn’t even consider a fourth note. What do you think about that?”

“You’re right,” Light said. “I didn’t even think of that. Still, the chance that this message would lead you to Kira is small. Gods of death aren’t real anyway.”

“If you were put in my shoes,” Ryuzaki said. “And facing someone who might be Kira, how would you try to find whether the person is innocent or guilty. You have to be sure.”

“I would get him to say something only Kira would know,” Light said. “Exactly what you were just doing.”

“That’s remarkable,” Ryuzaki said. “I’ve asked other agents, and it took some minutes to come up with an answer. You, however, thought about a situation where Kira is talking face-to-face with the investigator. I’m impressed. I’ve seen Y/N’s deductive skills up close, and I think you’ll both make excellent detectives.”

Light lets out a little laugh. “It’s a double-edged sword, unfortunately. The more impressive my answers, the more of a suspect I am.”

“Yes,” Ryuzaki said. “It’s 3% now. However, I want to work with you two on this investigation. Even if you are Kira, working with you would only benefit me. Do you know why I say this?”

“If I worked with you,” Light said. “There’s a chance I can help move the investigation further along. I might reveal myself if I’m Kira. You gain something whether I’m Kira or not. It’s a clever play on your part. You have the wrong idea, though. While I do have an interest in the Kira case, and deductive work is a hobby. I’m positive I’m not Kira, and I don’t want myself to be killed by him. Besides, what proof do you have that you’re not Kira? It’s not fair for one of us to be investigated. Neither of us can prove that we’re not Kira. But if you are L, it wouldn’t be hard for you to confirm that. I would be more convinced if someone from the task force or my father could verify your identity. I’m not willing to work for you otherwise.”

“I do wonder, Light,” Ryuzaki said. “Why aren’t you considering Y/N to be Kira? Or why don’t you talk about her being killed by Kira if she works with us? Why is that?”

“There’s no way Y/N could be Kira,” Light said. “She doesn't have the guts to do what Kira does. And she won’t die because I’ll be there to protect her.”

Ryuzaki stared at him for a minute. The way Light said that I don’t have the guts to do it makes him more suspicious, in my opinion. It sounds like he is putting Kira on a high horse, as someone would have to be a hero to do such terrible things.

“Yes, you have a point.” Ryuzaki finally said. “I didn’t recall saying you couldn’t meet someone from the task force to verify my identity, however. I’m working with your father and multiple other senior detectives from the NPA. So if I take you both to the task force headquarters, you’ll help with the investigation. Correct?”

Light’s and Ryuzaki’s phones started ringing, making me uneasy.

“Light, it's your-” Ryuzaki started to say, panic evident in his voice.

“My father had a heart attack.” Light finished, frightened.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” I asked Soichiro for the millionth time since we’ve arrived at the hospital.

“Yes, I am,” Soichiro said. “The tests all said it was stress-related. So there’s no need to worry. ”

“I know,” I said. “But I never had to go through this with my parents. Besides, they would be rolling in their graves if they knew you gave yourself a heart attack. Since they’re not here to look after you, I must do it for them instead.”

“I appreciate that Y/N, I do,” Soichiro said. “I know your parents would be proud of you.”

“Thanks, Soichiro,” I said, hugging him. “I hope they are, too.”

“I thought it was Kira at first,” Soichiro said. “But I’ve been pushing myself too hard.”

“Yes,” Ryuzaki said from beside me. “Light being a suspect added to your stress.”

“You told my father that?” Light asked angrily.

“Yes,” Ryuzaki calmly replied. “I’ve told him that I’m L. He knows everything.”

“That’s right,” Soichiro said, as Light turned to him. “This man is L. The task force calls him Ryuzaki to protect his identity. It’s him, though, make no mistake. Since you talked to him, has Light been cleared as a suspect, Ryuzaki?”

“I only suspect him a little,” Ryuzaki said. “We went over this before, but Kira had killed twelve FBI agents not long ago. They had come to Japan to help us. They had followed people who had connections with the Japanese police. Raye Penber, one of these agents, had shown odd behavior before he died.”

“I understand,” Light said, leaning back into his chair. “I was one of the people whom Raye Penber was looking into before he died. It makes sense why I would be a suspect.”

“I find both Y/N’s and Light’s deductive skills impressive,” Ryuzaki said. “They are both quick to the point.”

“Ryuga, I would like to help in the investigation,” Light said. “I no longer have any doubts about who you truly are. I want to prove that I’m not Kira as well.”

“I would like to help as well,” I said.

“No, you two,” Soichiro said. “Light, this is the time you must study to be a police officer. You can help us when you’re done. And Y/N, I promised your parents that I would protect you.”

“That’s not right, Dad,” Light exclaimed. “That might take years. Besides, remember what I promised you? I will find Kira and have him executed.”

“Besides, I can’t sit here and do nothing as more people die,” I argued. “If I have the skills to help, I will. I know my parents would agree with me.”

“Kids listen to me,” Soichiro said. “There’s no question that Kira is pure evil. But I have been thinking about this situation differently. The power to kill people is what is truly evil. People who have this type of power are cursed. You can’t have true happiness by killing people.”

“You’re right,” Ryuzaki said. “If Kira is a normal person who gained this terrible power, he would be cursed.”

“Ryuzaki,” Soichiro said. “I apologize for the trouble. Once the doctor lets me go, I’ll be back.”

“Excuse me,” A nurse said, poking her head in. “Visiting hours are over.”

“Alright, old man,” I said. “I’ll swing by tomorrow to see if you need anything.”

“Thank you, Y/N,” Soichiro said.

“Say, Ryuga,” Light said as we left the hospital. “Is there anything I can do to prove I’m not Kira. There has to be something!”

“Like Y/N said,” Ryuzaki said, approaching the car waiting for him. “If you aren’t Kira, you have nothing to worry about. You can only let it run its course, and the truth will come out.”

“I can’t stand this anymore!” Light shouted. “Put yourself in my shoes. How would you feel if you were accused of being Kira?”

Ryuzaki started ahead for a second. “It was one of the most horrible feelings ever.”

“What would happen if you locked me up for a month?” Light questioned. “Somewhere, I didn’t have access to TV or any media. Where someone can constantly watch over me?”

“That won’t work,” Ryuzaki said. “I can’t deprive you of your basic human rights. Also, it’s not right for an investor to use ideas from the suspect.”

“Right,” Light said.

“Don’t worry,” Ryuzaki said as Watari opened his car door and got in. “Just have patience. We’ll see soon if you’re Kira or not. Listening to the conversation between Light and his father made me almost believe you aren’t him. Y/N, Light, please look after Mr.Yagami.”

“One more thing,” Light said, bending down to talk to Ryuzaki through the car window. “I know both Y/N and I agreed to help in the investigation. But we won’t be able to do much until my father’s health is good again.”

“Yes,” Ryuzaki said, and the car drove away.

“Ryuk,” Light said. “I’ve never felt cursed by picking up the Death Note. The fact has never even crossed my mind. Thanks to its power, I’m happier than I’ve ever been. I’m going to create the perfect world.”

“I couldn’t care less,” Ryuk said. “If you feel happy or cursed to have a Death Note. I’ll leave the sentimental crap to humans. However, humans who come into contact with Shinigami have nothing but misfortune.”

“That’s curious,” Light said as we started to walk home. “But I don’t have any intentions to repeat that pattern.”

Ryuk laughed. “I hope you’re right.”

“I know you’re wrong,” I said. “I know whatever curse you inherited from the Death Note takes its time with you. Sooner or later, it’ll come, and you’ll be the victim, no one else. ‘Cause that’s the thing about curses. They all come true, no matter how hard you try to outrun it, you can’t, that’s why it’s called a curse.”

Chapter 18: Fool

Y/N POV:

“I don’t understand,” Light said in frustration as he paced his bedroom floor. “Dad returned to the task force a few days ago, and nothing! How can I take L down if I can’t learn anything about him?!”

I sighed as he continued to rant, trying to block him out as much as possible. I honestly hoped that Ryuzaki would never invite Light to the task force. I knew, however, that it wouldn’t be long until that happened. Since Ryuzaki still believed that Light was Kira, he would need to make a move soon.

“Are you even listening, Y/N!” Light shouted, breaking my train of thought.

“Yes,” I said. “You’re bitching about Ryuga again like a love-stuck teenager. If you miss him that much, why don’t you pick up the phone and call him? Your thumbs still work, don’t they?”

“I’m not complaining about him because I want to. I’m trying to figure out a way to kill him. Besides, I would call if I could,” Light said. “But it would look suspicious if I called.”

“That’s partly true,” I said. “However, Ryuzaki knows how much you want to disprove that you’re Kira. So, getting on the task force is the fastest way possible.”

“You make it sound so easy,” Light said.

“‘Cause it is,” I said. “Jesus, for someone who claims to be the only genius able to create the ‘new world,’ you sure are dumb.”

Light glared at me with a bizarre look in his eyes. “You know, if I didn’t think you were an important person to my new world, I would’ve killed you by now.”

I felt a shiver run down my spine. I knew that if I were anyone else, I would likely be dead now. But even so, I would still fight to put Light behind bars. Even if it killed me in the process.

“Don’t worry, Kiddo,” Ryuk said, patting my head. “I’ll do anything to protect you from Light. You’re not going to die as long as I’m around.”

“Thanks, Ryuk,” I said, smiling. “It feels nice knowing I’m protected by a Shingami.”

“Of course, Kiddo,” Ryuk said.

Suddenly, the TV, which was on a random show, started to show static. A few seconds later, Kira, which was written in the font Ryuzaki uses, popped up.

“Hello,” a computer-generated voice said. “It’s a shame the answer is no. As it seems, the police oppose me. It will not go unpunished. I will start by taking the life of the director-general of the NPA or the detective known as L. Since he is actively leading the investigation against me. So, which will it be? The director-general or L? Whose life will be lost because you refused to cooperate in creating a peaceful world? You have only four days to decide.”

With that, the message came to an end.

Light laughed. “It seems that even god is on my side now. Actually, it’s a god of death.”

“Seems like it,” Ryuk said, laughing.

“It also seems like there is another Shinigami in the human world,” Light said. “And that Shinigami’s Death Note is now in the hands of someone who sides with Kira. This person also seems to have the Shinigami eyes, which makes him extremely deadly. His power to kill is greater than mine. There’s only one thing for sure. L will be dealt with in a few days if I leave things as is. But I can’t forgive this fake Kira for the way he’s tarnishing Kira’s name with these senseless killings. Also, if he slips up and gets captured, the Death Note might get found. I can’t have that happen. I won’t be able to leave him alone for long. I have to join the task force soon. This way, I can watch both L and the fake Kira.”

“Have you ever considered that this fake Kira is a fan of yours?” I asked.

“No,” Light said. “Why would you think he’s a fan?”

“Because of the fact that he wants L dead for one,” I said. “Maybe you can try talking to him about working together.”

Light hummed in thought. “I didn’t think about that. It’s about time you started to help me, Y/N. Now, how should I do this?”

As Light started to plan, I tuned him out. If Light started to believe I was on his side, even a little, fine. Now that there’s a second Kira, I have to worry about Ryuzaki getting killed by them, too. So, if I got Light and the second Kira together, I can find a weakness and use it. I’ll have to be careful with how I do this, though. If I slip up, I can get killed by the second Kira. I’m positive I’m safe from Light as long as I have Ryuk. However, how safe will I be with the second Kira? Whatever the risk, though, I have to see it through. I don’t care what happens to me, as long as the people I love are safe.

Chapter 19: Reversal

Y/N POV:

“Hey!” I shouted in annoyance as Light burst through my bedroom door. “You could’ve at least knocked.”

“It’s finally happening,” Light said. “L has finally invited us to join the task force. I had no idea that they would approach me. I was trying to figure out how to get hold of the classified information. This makes it easier to find out about the second Kira! I have to figure out what this false Kira is about. I need to figure it out before someone else on the task force does.”

“Come on,” Light said, grabbing my wrist and pulling me out of my door. “I want to get there as soon as possible.”

 

“Thank you, Y/N, Light,” Ryuzaki said as he shook our hands.

“It’s no problem,” Light replied. “We want to catch Kira as much as you do, Ryuga.”

“Please call me Ryuzaki here,” Ryuzaki said.

“I’m Matsui,” Matsuda said.

“I’m Aihara,” Aizawa said.

“I’m Asahi,” Soichiro said.

“Right,” Light said. “That would make me Light Asahi?”

“Yes,” Ryuzaki said. “And Y/N will be Yuki.”

“Yuki, huh?” I said. “I like it, it’s cute.”

“Yes,” Ryuzaki said. “I thought you would like a cute name like that. It suits you well. To keep things simple, I will call you Y/N and Light. Now, let’s get to work. I will have you both look over everything we’ve collected. Also, I will need you two to examine these videos.” Ryuzaki led Light and me to two chairs in front of a TV. “The videos were sent to the TV station but were not aired. Notes are not allowed, and nothing is allowed to leave for security reasons. We will start now.”

Ryuzaki pressed play, and the name ‘Kira’ appeared on the screen.

“Now that you’ve seen my powers first-hand, you must realize I am Kira,” the distorted voice started.

I stopped paying attention as I tried to get clues based on the video alone. The video was so plain and went against everything the real Kira stood for. It made me think even more that this false Kira was a fan, that they were only doing what they thought the real Kira wanted. Nobody had explained the video to us before they started it. It made me wonder if they had the same line of thinking I did. One thing was sure: this was Ryuzaki’s way of testing Light.

“So,” Ryuzaki said, walking up to us. “What do you two think about this? Have you come up with anything?”

“It’s difficult to say,” Light said, standing up. “It’s possible that there’s someone else with Kira’s power.”

“With Kira’s Power?” Soichiro asked in shock. “What do you mean by that, Light?”

“The Kira that we know didn’t make this video,” Light said, pointing his thumb at the TV. “It’s not like him to use these types of victims for his killings. We know that he needs a name and a face to kill someone, which makes you think how he was able to kill that detective and the two police men outside the TV station.”

“I mentioned this to Light the other night,” I said. “But I think this second Kira is a fan. He might be trying to get into Kira’s good graces by wanting L to die. This goes against everything the real Kira stands for. I imagine he is using these tapes to contact the real Kira. He would be willing to do whatever the real Kira says.”

“That’s exactly what L- I mean Ryuzaki said,” Matsuda said.

“I think you’re both right,” Ryuzaki said. “We believe this is the work of a second Kira as well.”

“I figured you would know about this the whole time,” I said. “I found it weird that you didn’t explain the video to us.”

“Are you trying to test me?” Light asked.

“No,” Ryuzaki replied. “I wasn’t trying to test either one of you. It wouldn’t be too convincing if I were the only one who thought there was a second Kira. But since we have the same theory, it’s much more believable. As I thought, you two didn’t disappoint us. You’ve both been a great help. It’s decided. We need to worry about stopping this copycat, that’s first. He seems to sympathize with Kira, but doesn’t have his sophistication. We can use Y/N theory to our advantage. We can lure him into a trap by using his loyalty to Kira. We need to send a message from the real Kira to do this.”

“It seems that you took the words right out of my mouth,” Light said.

“Light,” Ryuzaki said. “You would be the best person to play the real Kira.”

“Me as Kira?” Light asked, shocked.

“That’s right,” Ryuzaki replied. “I don’t think anyone else could pull it off. Besides, we don’t have any time to waste. Can you write a message from Kira in time for it to be shown on tonight’s national news?”

“Ryuzaki, does this look good to you?” Light asked a little while later with the finished message. “I made it as believable as I could.”

“I think it’s great,” Ryuzaki said after reading. “But, if we don’t remove the part about being able to kill L freely, then I’m going to end up dead.”

Light laughed. “Sorry about that. I think I got carried away. If I were him, I would most likely demand your death. I was improvising. Please change it however you see fit.”

“Right,” Ryuzaki said. “Aihara. The script is done. I’ll leave the rest to you.”

 

“Now breaking news,” the TV reporter's voice rang through the room. “A mysterious person has contacted the news station claiming to be the real Kira, in response to the threatening video from a few days ago. Long story short, he has demanded that this network and multiple others show you the message you will see. The NPA has also allowed us to share this message. Could this be the real Kira? Unfortunately, we don’t have that answer at this point. However, we hope this message will give us the much-needed answers we deserve.”

The station went quiet for a second before Kira’s message started to play.

“Hello,” The distorted voice said. “I am Kira—the real Kira. A fake, a pretender, sent the message a few days ago. I’m using this as a message for the impostor to communicate my will. I know he wants to cooperate with me in helping create a new world; that is the only reason I am so lenient with him. However, this taking of innocent lives is not my will; I want to make that clear. If this person truly wants to help and aligns with my cause, I have two things to ask. He stops killing without a reason and goes along with my basic principles. That is all.
I look forward to hearing from you.” With that, the message ended.

“Ryuzaki,” Watari’s voice spoke through the computer a few days later. “The second Kira replied. I will bring over the tape and envelope we got. However, until then, I will stream a copy of the video for you.”

The word “Kira” popped up on the screen. “Kira,” the distorted voice said. “Thank you for your response. You don’t need to worry. I will follow your orders and do as you say. I desperately want to meet you, and I take it you don’t have the eyes. I would never try to kill you, so there’s no need to worry. That’s a promise. Please tell me how to meet without the police knowing. I’m positive you’ll think of something. We can show each other our Shinigami; that’s how we will know each other's true identities.” With that, the message ended, casting the room into silence.

The silence was suddenly broken when a scream filled the room.

Chapter 20

Y/N POV:

Suddenly, a scream filled the room.

Ryuzaki threw his arms into the air as he screamed. He flew out of the chair, which came crashing to the ground. Ryuzaki sat in front of the TV, shaking with fear.

“Ryuzaki!” I shouted in alarm as I ran over to the man. “Are you alright? What’s wrong!”

Ryuzaki grabbed my shoulder. “Shinigami? Are you telling me I’m supposed to believe that Shinigami exists?”

“That’s impossible,” Matsuda said.

“Nobody in their right mind would think they exist,” Aizawa reasoned.

“Ryuzaki, that’s right,” Light said. “Think about what you’re saying. Shinigami don’t exist.”

“I know that,” Ryuzaki said, his voice slightly shaking. “I recall that some of the prisoners’ notes mentioned the existence of Shinigami.”

“That could mean we’re dealing with the same person,” Soichiro said. “We are hearing the exact words, after all.”

“If it were the same person, he wouldn’t have replied to our message,” I said. “Unfortunately, he’s too careful.”

“Y/N’s right,” Light said. “Besides, he won’t spare L’s life after wanting him to appear on TV so bad. The real Kira wants L dead. It doesn’t make sense.”

“There could be another connection between him and the real Kira,” Aizawa suggested. “They could have met up and are using the word ‘Shinigami’ to confuse us.”

“That’s unlikely,” Ryuzaki said, his voice stable now. He picked his chair up and sat in it. “It’s as Y/N and Light said. If the two Kiras are connected somehow, he wouldn’t give up on killing me so easily. I believe that the second Kira is acting on his own agenda. Y/N theory is correct; his true motivation is to meet the original Kira.”

“Yes,” Light replied. “Initially, I wasn’t sure of Y/N’s theory, but this new tape changed my mind. He’s acting out an interest in Kira. ‘Shinigami’ could be a code word for their killing abilities. ‘“We can show each other our Shinigami; that’s how we will know each other's true identities.”’ might mean that they can confirm each other’s identities by showing their ability to kill.”

“That’s it,” Ryuzaki replied. “The word Shinigami has a meaning only the two Kiras know. The next step would be to convince the fake Kira to tell us what that is.”

“Are you going to respond and demand that he be more specific?” Light asked. “We need to be careful how we handle it. If we make it too obvious, he’ll know we’re not Kira.”

“No,” Ryuzaki said. “I think we should leave it up to the two Kiras.”

“What do you mean?” Aizawa asked.

“The second Kira is probably happy with the current situation, since he received a televised reply.” Ryuzaki said, “He sent that message for Kira’s attention. He now has it, as far as he’s aware. Also, there’s the word he used that only the two Kiras know. We will have Sakura show this reply on their 6 o’clock news. This will interest Kira, and he’ll follow the situation we made between the copycat and the one we invented.”

“If I were Kira, I would try to stop the second Kira from contacting the police; that would be the most important step,” I said. “Which is good for us because the real Kira will feel pressured to reply this time.”

“Okay then,” Aizawa said. “What happens if he doesn’t reply? What happens then?”

“Right,” Ryuzaki said. “I’ve thought about what happens if the second Kira doesn’t get a response. To force him into a meeting, the second Kira might reveal something that’s supposed to be kept secret. Which would make Kira nervous, which would make it interesting. To prevent this from happening, Kira would send a message of his own, which is more interesting. It might cause physical evidence to appear, which would help build a case against him. In the meantime, we’ll need to get as much information as possible on the copycat.”

 

“So, what are you going to do now, genius?” I asked Light as we walked home.

“Well, it isn’t good,” Light said. “This second Kira can’t act independently for much longer. I can’t allow that. He’s too careless. He’ll slip up; it’ll only be a matter of time. The police will be waiting as soon as he does. They might discover the Death Note when they have him in their custody. I don’t know what I should do. How am I supposed to contact the second Kira without L noticing anything suspicious? Impostor, I wonder what kind of person you are?”

“All I know is,” I said. “I hope they are easier to stop than you are. If they slip up and reveal something to the police, good. The sooner you’re both defeated, the better. Even if you somehow get rid of this second Kira, stop them from slipping. It won’t do you any good, because you’ll slip up sooner or later. Trust me, I’ll do whatever it takes to ensure that happens. You’re hurting the people I love and care about, Light. You won’t get away with that forever. I can guarantee you that much. Sooner or later, karma will come for your soul, and no god, death god or otherwise, can save you. False god or not, the Grim Reaper will collect your soul like anyone else.”

Chapter 21: Judgement

Y/N POV:

I groaned in annoyance as my phone rang. I opened one eye to look at the clock on my bedside table. 8:00 am shone brightly at me, almost like it enjoyed the fact that I was up so cruelly early. Realizing my phone was still ringing, I picked it up.

“Hello,” my voice croaked into the phone.

“Good morning, love,” Ryuzaki said. “I’m sorry for waking you up. But at least I get to hear your morning voice.”

I smiled. “Good morning,” I said. “It’s fine, though. I imagine you have an important reason for calling. It’s not like you to call out of the blue, especially this early.”

“Yes, I do,” Ryuzaki said. “The second Kira had sent another message to Sakura TV, and we intercepted it. It’s a journal and a video this time. We’ll go over it when you get here. Don’t keep me waiting for long.”

 

“The second, Kira wanted the journal shown on TV?” Light asked as we walked into the hotel room where Ryuzaki was staying.

“Yes,” Soichiro said, handing Light and me some papers. “This is it.”

On the page were the journal entries that the second Kira had written. The journal entries were from May last year, starting on the 1st through the 30th, with a few missing dates. Most of the entries were your run-of-the-mill type. However, two dates stuck out to me: the 22nd and the 30th. According to the diary, on the 22nd, the second Kira and their friend showed off their notebooks in Aoyama. And on the 30th, the second Kira and the Kira show each other their Shinigami at a Giants game at Tokyo Dome.

The second Kira used the term notebooks, which most likely meant the Death Notes. Only Kira would understand this. The police will most likely be more interested in the May 30th entry. The real message is the 22nd diary entry; the 30th diary entry was meant for the police.

“So,” Ryuzaki said, walking up to us. “What do you two think? Is it real?”

“At the moment,” Light said. “All I can think is that he’s stupid.”

“That’s what I was thinking,” Matsuda said. “It’s clear that he wants to meet Kira at the home game.”

“I wonder if he thought about what would happen if we aired his message?” Soichiro said. “The game would be canceled due to the immediate panic.”

“I’m not sure how to handle this situation,” Ryuzaki said, as he popped a piece of chocolate in his mouth. “That’s how stupid it is. We must cancel the game on the 30th if we air this message. The second Kira wouldn’t do anything if we didn’t air it.”

Ryuzaki walked over and sat in a chair. There was a small coffee table with a lamp beside Ryuzaki. There was also a loveseat, a small chair across from the loveseat, and a coffee table. In front of Ryuzaki were some chocolates, a small teacup with coffee, and a couple of smaller containers, most likely holding stuff for his coffee. Aizawa and Matsuda walked over and sat in the loveseat, and Soichiro sat in the other chair. Light and I walked over to stand behind Soichiro.

“Could canceling the game make him mad?” Matsuda asked. “Who knows what he would do?”

“From what we’ve seen,” Ryuzaki said. “It’s a safe bet that the second Kira admires the real one. He gave the invented Kira a promise that he would stop killing mindlessly. I believe it. We should make it public and announce that we’re canceling the game. We will also announce that we’re setting up checkpoints on the 30th on all roads leading to Tokyo Dome. Lastly, we’ll send a reply from the invented Kira. It will be something along the lines of, I understand and agree to meet you at Tokyo Dome.” Ryuzaki finished.

“Do you genuinely think the second Kira would come if we set up checkpoints, Ryuzaki?” Soichiro asked.

“I think the second Kira would,” Ryuzaki said, holding his cup with one hand and the journal in the other. “But I doubt Kira would. It depends on how stupid he is, really. There could be another hidden and less obvious message in this diary if he’s not the idiot we think he is. There would be no way for me to crack the code if it’s something only people with this Shinigami power understand. However, we still need to look into the places mentioned in the journal. He’s meeting a friend on the 22nd in Aoyama. Meeting a different friend in Shibuya on the 24th. There is a possibility that all of our efforts are pointless. We should look out for people with notebooks on the 22nd in Aoyama. Also, people in clothing stores in Shibuya. To have the chance to capture someone, we will have to place surveillance cameras in Aoyama and Shibuya. We will also need undercover officers in both locations on these dates.”

“I’ll blend in better,” Matsuda said. “Maybe I should go to Aoyama and Shibuya.”

“Y/N and I will go too,” Light said as Ryuzaki placed his cup back on the table.

“No,” Soichiro started to say.

“We’ll be fine, Soichiro,” I said, interrupting the man. “I want to do my part in helping to catch the second Kira. Besides, if something happens, I’ll always have Matsui.”

“You’ll have me, too,” Light said. “Besides, Shibuya and Aoyama are places we’d go to anyway. Y/N and I would look the most natural hanging out with Matsui. The second Kira won’t be looking for the police since they’re looking for Kira.”

 

“We’ll talk more about the trips tomorrow,” Light said as Matsuda, Light, and I walked out of the hotel's entrance.

“Sounds good,” Matsuda said as we walked towards and got in a waiting cab. Matsuda stood by the cab door, holding it open for Light and me. “See you guys tomorrow, and be careful going home.”

“Thanks,” I said, smiling as I entered the cab. “Be careful going home, too.” Light quickly slid beside me.

“You’re welcome,” Matsuda said. “And I will, thanks.” He closed the door and waved as the cab drove off.

 

“We’re home,” Light announced as we walked inside the house.

“Y/N, Light,” Mrs.Yagami said as she stood by the front door with a towel. “You two are home late. What have you been up to?”

“I was at the library studying,” I said. Ryuzaki told us to keep the fact that we were helping on the Kira case a secret. I hate lying to the woman; she’s been like a second mother to me my whole life. But I knew it was safer for her and Sayu. “I don’t know what Light has been up to. We both just happened to get home at the same time.”

“I was with my girlfriend,” Light said.

I heard a loud thump coming from the living room. A second later, Sayu came running into the hallway with a bag of potato chips.

“No way!” Sayu shouted excitedly. “Light has a girlfriend!”

“It’s not that strange,” Light said. “I’m in college now, and I’m 18. Good luck to you, Sayu.”

“I don’t need luck yet,” Sayu said. “What about you, Y/N? Have you found anyone yet?”

“Yes, Y/N, have you?” Light asked, not bothering to hide his eagerness.

“No, I haven’t yet,” I said. “I’m not planning on dating anyone anytime soon. There’s no one I’m interested in anyway, so I’m not worried about it.”

“I’m sure you’ll find someone, sweetheart,” Mrs.Yagami said. “Are you two hungry?”

“No,” Light said. “Y/N told me she got food at a cafe. And I got food at the hotel.”

I started to walk up the stairs, with Light following behind.

“No way,” Sayu shouted after us. “A hotel?! What a scandal!”

I just made it to my bedroom door when Light grabbed my wrist and dragged me into his room. He quickly shut the door behind us and locked it.

“Ryuk, we need to talk,” Light said, his back facing Ryuk and me.

“I thought so,” Ryuk replied.

“If two Shinigami are in the human world at the same time. Are they allowed to acknowledge them? I want an answer if you could.” Light asked.

“Good question,” Ryuk said, causing Light to turn to him, confused. “In my case, I don’t believe they should unless the human they’re attached to gives them the go-ahead. But since there’s no rule, other Shinigami might talk to me.”

“The fake Kira’s Shinigami could reveal that I’m Kira if he sees you?” Light asked, placing his jacket on his computer chair before sitting down.

“It depends on the Shinigami’s personality,” Ryuk said. “But he shouldn’t normally.”

“I can assume I know your personality, right?” Light asked, turning on his computer.

“Personality, I think Y/N knows me more,” Ryuk said. “Even still, I won’t tell you if I see a Shinigami with another human.”

“Well, I can agree with that,” Light said.

“Thanks,” Ryuk said.

The room filled with the clicks of Light’s keyboard, as silence washed over us. I wasn’t sure what Light was looking for, so I turned and headed for his bedroom door. I wanted sleep, and Light was the last person I wanted to be with.

“Fake Kire put this much thought into this?” Light asked, stopping me from opening his door.

“What is it?’ I asked, heading back to Light’s computer.

“The 22nd, Aoyama, Notebook,” Light listed. “I was trying to figure out where we would meet since Aoyama is such a large town. At a club called Note Blue, a concert is being held. Ao means blue. Add the word note.”

“Must not be as stupid as we thought,” I said.

“That’s what I was thinking, Y/N,” Light said. “Which means I have to be more careful. The Note Blue club seems to be a good place to look.”

“I had just told you that I won’t tell you if I saw another Shinigami,” Ryuk said. “And you’re still going? I thought you didn’t want this person to know you’re Kira.”

“I’ll think of something,” Light said, walking over to his bed and lying down. He crossed his legs over each other and placed his hands behind his head. “I still have time until the 22nd.”

Ryuk and I shared a look as I left Light’s bedroom. If it was true that this second Kira had the Shinigami eyes, then it was possible that Light might not be able to spot him. From what I’ve gathered by asking Ryuk more about the eye deal, you can see everyone's real name and lifespan. Everyone, that is, except someone who also has a Death Note.
There’s also a chance they can see Ryuk, and it would be easy to see who he is attached to. All in all, Light going was a terrible idea for him. All I can hope for is that something good comes out of this trip, and maybe we can get rid of this second Kira.

Chapter 22: Weapon

Y/N POV:

“Excuse me, Y/N, Light. What’s going on?” Matsuda asked, confused.

I didn’t blame Matsuda for being confused; it was only supposed to be the three of us at Aoyama today. But Light had invited a few of his friends from college. I would’ve told Matsuda about them, but Light told me he would handle it. But knowing Light’s lack of caring about other people, even though he claims the opposite, I should’ve handled it myself.

“Sorry, Matsui,” I said. “I wasn’t too happy about them coming either. But Light thought it was a good idea.”

“It is a good idea,” Light said a little defensively. “These are some of my friends from school.”

The small group of friends laughed shyly as Matsuda bowed. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Matsuda said.

“This is my cousin Taro,” Light lied. “This is his first time in Tokyo. So he wants to see Roppongi and Aoyama. The least we can do is show him a great time. I’m counting on you guys. Also, he’s looking for a girlfriend. Does anyone want to volunteer?”

I wrinkled my nose in disgust. “Taro never said that Light,” I said. “It’s not nice to mirror your issues about not having a girlfriend onto him. All you have to do is walk up to someone and ask them out. Seriously, it’s not rock science.”

“You’ve got a point,” Light said. “So what about it, Y/N? Want to go on a date with me?”

I gagged at the mere thought of Light and me dating. “Yeah, no way in hell,” I said. “I would rather lose my mind than date you.”

Light scoffed. “Whatever,” He said harshly. “We should get going.”

It was quiet in our small group as we walked around, which I was glad for. It was a beautiful day outside, as birds sang through the air. Parents walking around with their children, laughing and playing as though the world's darkness could never reach them.

I knew that Matsuda wouldn’t question the friends that Light had brought. Matsuda likely thought he wouldn’t stand out because a police officer would never be with students. However, the real reason was Ryuk. Light thought that if the second Kira were here, he wouldn’t know who Ryuk was attached to. This proves that Light doesn’t know that because he uses a Death Note, the second Kira can’t see his lifespan. So, using his friends as a decoy was pointless. But it worked out in my favor because as soon as the second Kira knew that Light was Kira, there was a chance that the second Kira would reveal his true identity to Light.

Light was also using this to protect himself from Ryuzaki’s security cameras. While he needed to watch for the Blue Note, Light didn’t need to go inside. He just needed to look at the entrance when it opens and closes. Light told me to keep an eye out for someone with a notebook. Once I did that, he wanted to try to touch the second Kira’s Death Note without him noticing. Throughout the day, however, I didn’t see anyone or anything out of the ordinary. Did the second Kira not show up, or was he better at hiding than we thought?

 

“There is no evidence that anything occurred in Aoyama on the 22nd or Shibuya on the 24th,” Aizawa said, the day after the Shibuya diary entry. “The 30th at the Tokyo Dome is the only thing left.”

Since neither Light nor I saw someone with a notebook, does that mean Light is supposed to go to Tokyo Dome? The second Kira could be waiting for Light to figure out how to meet. I don’t see the second Kira wanting to meet at the Tokyo Dome because of the police presence. But how does the second Kira plan on them showing each other their Shinigami?

“Ryuzaki,” Watari’s voice spoke through Ryuzaki’s laptop. “Sakura TV has gotten a tape from the second Kira. The postmark is from the 23rd. The file will be sent to this computer first.”

The screen changed from the letter ‘L’ to ‘Kira.’ “I found Kira,” the computer-generated voice said. “Police officers, reporters at Sakura TV, thank you from my heart.” With that, the message ended.

While I didn’t see him at Aoyama, that’s where the second Kira saw Light. Light only went to Aoyama, while other agents went to Shibuya. I didn’t see anyone following us, so the second Kira must’ve been in one of the many shops lined on that street.

“This is terrible!” Aizawa exclaimed.

“This must mean that Kira and the second Kira are working together,” Soichiro said.

“There’s a chance that’s not true,” Ryuzaki said. “We can’t assume that they’re working together. Until this point, the second Kira mentioned wanting to meet Kira. But now he said he found him. The second Kira could’ve located Kira but has yet to contact him. Up to the 23rd, we can assume they haven’t worked together. Kira wouldn’t have let the second Kira know that he had found Kira. Since it has come to this,” Ryuzaki said, stopping to sip at his coffee. “We have no other opinion than communicating with the second Kira as the police.”

“You want to send a message?” Matsuda asked.

“Yes,” Ryuzaki said. “We’ll contact the second Kira and offer him a deal. We must bargain with him to find out Kira’s real name.”

Ryuk laughed from behind us. “That’s the last thing you wanted to hear.”

It wasn’t suitable for Light; there was no telling how the second Kira would react to this plan. But, unfortunately for Light, he can’t stop the police from sending the message.

 

“If you are willing to work with us, it might not be too late for you as long as Kira doesn’t know your real name,” The TV announcer said, as Light and I watched the TV later that night in his room. “We ask you not to approach Kira out of curiosity. If you contact Kira, he will kill you, there’s no doubt about that. You will be used and disposed of. You need to think about your own life right now. Even your life has value to it. You can make things right by telling us what you know about Kira. You are the only one who can help us bring his era of horror to its knees.”

Chapter 23: The Second Kira

Y/N POV:

Light turned off the TV as the message ended. Now that the police have sent the message, the only thing Light can do is wait. I doubted that the second Kira would go to the police with what they know. It won’t surprise me if he tries to contact Light now. I don't see it going any other way after he went through all the trouble of meeting him. Suddenly, the doorbell rang, causing me to jump slightly. It was quiet for a minute before I heard Sayu yelling up the stairs.

“Light,” She yelled. “There’s someone at the door.”

“Stay here,” Light said. “Wait till I get back. I’m not expecting anyone; it could be the second Kira for all I know. And, I’m not about to let that moron talk to you without me.”

“Sure, whatever,” I said as Light left the room.

 

I walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, turning my back as I looked at the limited view of the night sky. I turned to face Light’s door as I heard it open. Walking in front of the Light was a woman about our age. She had blonde hair in ponytails with a half-up, half-down style. She also had blue eyes and was dressed in a goth style.

“Who’s this?” I asked after Light closed and locked his door.

“This is Misa Amane,” Light said. “The second Kira. Misa, this is Y/N, my childhood best friend. She knows that I’m the real Kira. I’ll warn you now, I have no intention of killing her, so if you do something to her, I’ll have no problem killing you.”

“Okay,” Misa said. “If that’s what you want, I promise not to harm her. I could never forgive myself if I did something to make you mad.”

Light nodded as he pulled out his computer chair. “Please take a seat,” he said.

Misa nodded before sitting in Light’s computer chair. Light sat on his bed facing her, and I stood by the window. Ryuk stood behind me, protecting me from the two Kiras.

“So what do you want?” Light asked.

“I figure you would be worried after you saw the message from the TV,” Misa said. “I couldn’t handle it anymore, so I bought the notebook.”

Misa held the notebook, and Light touched it, and looked at the empty space beside Misa. “Y/N, touch the notebook,” Light said.

I nodded, walking over and touching the notebook. Immediately, I saw a Shinigami behind Misa. The Shinigami was the same height as Ryuk. He had a pale, skeletal body with two lines stitched up around his neck. He had gray-purplish hair, with two separate purple lines that started at his mouth and disappeared into his forehead. He also had gold hoop earrings in both of his ears. He had a white bandage around his forehead and covering his left eye.

“You’re the second Kira,” I said, taking the spot on the bed by Light.

“So how did you find me?” Light asked.

“I thought that was the case,” Misa said. “You didn’t make the Shinigami eye deal. If you made the deal like I did, you could see almost everyone’s name and life span, just at a glance. But you can’t know the lifespan of anyone with a Death Note.”

Light looked at Ryuk in annoyance. “I didn’t know that,” Light said.

“I did,” I said. “I asked Ryuk more questions about the eye deal because I was curious.”

“Why the hell didn’t you tell me?” Light asked me angrily.

“Did you forget I’m actively trying to get you caught, or are you just that dumb?” I asked. “Why the hell would I tell you something that would help me, but possibly ruin you? Besides, it's not my fault you didn’t ask more questions. It seems like you lack more common sense than I thought.”

“It looks like you found me now,” Light said, with anger still in his voice. “You were careless. What about if you got caught by the police? They would know everything about Kira.”

“The police missed me,” Misa said. “They will never be able to as long as I do what you say. So we’re safe. Don’t you need someone to find out L’s real name? I’ll be your eyes. Can you please make me your girlfriend?”

“Girlfriend?” Light asked in shock as Ryuk laughed behind him. “Impossible. In Aoyama, there were three times as many surveillance cameras. We were caught on camera on the 22nd, along with everyone else. It wouldn’t look good if we were seen together. It’s a problem for us to be together now. You need to understand that.”

Misa pulled two pictures out of her purse. She was dressed in a school uniform in both pictures, with short black hair, glasses, and brown contact lenses. “I was in disguise at Aoyama, " she said.

“I wouldn’t think she was the same person,” Ryuk said, as Light took the pictures.

“What about fingerprints?” Light asked. “The tapes you sent to the TV station had the identical fingerprints.”

“They're not my fingerprints,” Misa said. “I thought about these things first. I lived in the Kansai region until recently, and I had a friend who was into occult things. I lied to her and suggested that we send a false poltergeist to many TV shows. She had agreed and made all the dubbing to hide my fingerprints. After, I added the Kira graphic and recorded the message with a voice effect.”

“Where is the friend you made these tapes with?” Light asked.

“Why are you doing this?” Misa shouted angrily. “If you want me to kill her so bad, just say so! If you can’t trust me, here.” Misa then held her Death Note out to Light. “You can hold onto my Death Note. I’ll still be the owner since you’ll just be having it. I’ll also keep my Shinigami eyes.” Light took the notebook from Misa. “I can’t kill you now, and you can kill me if I become a burden.”

“You could’ve removed pages from your Death Note.” Light said, slightly shouting. “You could’ve hidden them.”

“I don’t understand why you’re suspicious of me!” Misa shouted, jumping up from her chair as tears gathered in the pools of her eyes. “I’ve told you that I don’t care if all you do is use me. Please believe me.”

“I don’t understand how you can say that.” Light said.

“One year ago, my parents were killed in a robbery,” Misa said, sadly, as she fell to her knees, looking at the ground. “I was home then, and I saw the whole thing. I wanted the man to pay for his crimes. But the trial took a long time, and people claimed he was innocent. Then Kira punished him for killing my parents. That’s why Kira means everything to me.” Misa looked up at Light now, still with tears in her eyes. “I wanted to meet you, to thank you for what you did.”

Light was quiet momentarily as Misa started sobbing and turned her face back to the ground. Light then stood up and got on his knees as he hugged Misa. Misa gasped in shock, tears in her eyes and mouth opened wide.

“I understand,” Light said. “I won’t be your boyfriend, but I can act like it. You went to a lot of trouble to meet and help me. By sacrificing half of your life for those eyes, you became my weapon.”

“I’ll try as hard as I can to make you love me,” Misa said, closing her eyes, with tears streaming down her face. “I promise you.”

Chapter 24: Bomb

Y/N POV:

Light breaks from the hug and puts his hands on either side of her shoulders.

“I guess I can settle for you playing the part of my boyfriend,” Misa said. “At least for now. You’ll fall in love with me someday.”

I couldn’t help but feel a little pity for Misa. I was luckily not to have witnessed my family’s death, since I was with Light at the time. I couldn’t imagine how much trauma she had to go through, and unfortunately, that trauma seemed to have warped her mind. She, in a way, will be Kira’s victim multiple times. Misa had become a victim when Light had killed the criminal. In a twisted way, Misa believed she owned Light for doing something that was as twisted as the criminal. That false debt has made her run into the arms of a serial killer. Then, when Light gets rid of her, Misa will be his victim for the last and final time.

Light stood up and sat beside me on the bed again, and Misa got back on the computer chair.

“Can I see your Shinigami?” Misa asked.

I knew Light would show Misa Ryuk because he needed Misa to trust him more. It wouldn’t be a disadvantage to him either, especially since Light is most likely planning on killing her after she finds out Ryuzaki’s identity.

“Sure,” Light said, standing up. “Turn around first.”

“Sure,” Misa agreed, turning the computer chair to face the wall.

Light grabbed his wallet from his back pocket and opened it. I was confused, but saw Light open a small hidden fold. Light then pulled out a small piece of the Death Note; it was only big enough to write the name of one of his victims. He then touches Misa on the tips of her fingers with the paper.

“You can turn back around,” Light said, after hiding the paper in his wallet and putting it in his back pocket.

“Whoa,” Misa said. “You look entirely different from Rem. You’re Ryuk. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Same here,” Ryuzaki said.

“Light, darling, do you know how to kill a Shinigami?” Misa asked.

“Darling?” Light asked in shock, before Ryuk and I descended into laughter.

“Would you rather me call you Knight, then?” Misa asked. “Because you’re like a knight in shining armor!”

“I can’t believe she called you, darling! That’s amazing! She also is crazy enough to think that you’re a knight!” Ryuk and I continued laughing as I spoke shrilly between gasping breaths. After a minute, our laughter died down, leaving our chests heaving.

“It’s not funny, guys,” Light said in annoyance. “Just call me Light.”

“Whatever you say, Darling,” I said. “So, how do you kill a Shinigami Misa?”

“If a Shinigami has feelings for a human and kills another human to extend their life beyond its natural end, the Shinigami dies,” Misa said.

Ryuk laughed. “You’re not going to be able to find a Shinigami who would do something like that,” he said.

Light laughed. “You’re not wrong,” he said as he intertwined his hands and brought them to his mouth. “I don’t see you doing that. Also, I have a question about the Shinigami eyes. Can you see a person’s remaining life and names from pictures or videotapes, even from long ago?”

“Yes, that’s right,” Misa said.

“How much of someone’s face do you need to see?” Light asked.

“It’s not set in stone,” Misa said. “I just need to look at someone’s face long enough to know it’s that person. From behind won’t work, but a profile is fine. Drawing their face won’t work either. You most likely need to see their eyes, but sunglasses won’t matter if you can see their whole face.”

“You did a good job explaining that,” Light said, causing Misa to blush. “Also, where did you send all those tapes, those sent to the TV station?” Light moved his hands from his mouth and placed them into his lap.

“Let me think,” Misa said, putting a finger to her mouth. “Osaka, the first time, then Tokyo, another one from Nagano. To stop the police from pinpointing my location, I took the bullet train.” Misa moved her hand back to her lap.

“One last thing,” Light said, moving forward slightly. “Do you still have the envelopes and videotapes with your friend's fingerprints?”

“Yes,” Misa said.

“Then you’ll need to get rid of everything you used to make the videotapes,” Light said. “Understand? You need to send one final video before you do, though. And it has to be from somewhere you haven’t used yet. It must say,” Light trailed off briefly, moving his hand before his mouth. “‘I’m going to stop looking for Kira. For all of its advice, I want to thank the police. I will still be helping Kira in his mission, and I hope he will see me as an ally someday.” Light said as he stood up and walked to Misa. “‘I will use my energy to kill criminals that Kira hasn't judged. I will also share my abilities with people who will use them to their full potential. I will encourage them to do the same thing. Together, we will make the world a better place.’”

“Spread the power?” Misa asked, confused.

“That part will be added to throw off their investigation,” Light said. “Since they already know that two people have this power, it wouldn’t be outlandish for more people to have this power. They’ll start to panic if they think there are more people. Are you able to do it?”

“Like you need to ask,” Misa said. “I’ll do whatever you want.”

“There’s something else that’s very important,” Light said, turning his head away from Misa. “If you’re ever bought in or questioned by the police, you can never talk about us, the Death Note, or Y/N. There’s no proof of you doing anything, as long as they don’t have the notebook. Can I trust you not to say anything?” Light asked, turning to face Misa again.

“I swear!” Misa exclaimed. “Are we officially dating now?”

“I suppose so,” Light said hesitantly.

“I want one date a week,” Misa said, holding up one finger. “That is my condition.”

“That’s impossible,” Light said, shutting down the idea.

“Why?!” Misa asked, shocked.

“I can’t believe I have to explain this to you,” Light said. “L has a slight suspicion that I’m Kira.”

“L is amazing,” Misa said. “I had no idea. I keep hearing rumors that L is useless and can’t solve this case.”

“Luckily, Y/N and I have been able to get closer to L because of this,” Light said.

“Yes,” I said. “But unlike Light, I am actively trying to defeat Kira, so I’m working with L, not against him. Fortunately for me, I didn’t give Kira a god-complex just because he killed the criminal who took my family away from me.”

“Interesting,” Misa said. “Does that mean L and Kira are friends? That’s incredibly exciting!”

“L thought he was safe just by hiding his name,” Light said, placing his hands on his hips. “Even though he suspects that I’m Kira. He even outright told me that he was L. Since no other persons of interest and no evidence exist, he still suspects me. I’m investigating with him to gain his trust.”

“That works great,” Misa said excitedly. “Now all you have to do is take me to him, and I can see his real name.”

“It’s not that easy,” Light said. “It was hard enough for Y/N and me to get close to him. If there was someone new that I recently met who gets too close. At precisely the same time, the police see changes in either the second Kira or Kira. That person will be suspected of being the second Kira. Then I’ll be under even more suspicion. We can’t be seen too close to each other to prevent that connection from being made. Do you understand?”

“Yes, I do,” Misa said. “Is that the reason we can’t go on dates? It’ll look too suspicious for us to be seen in public?”

“See,” Light said, as he put his hand on his desk, leaning on it slightly. “We have to make some time to come up with a plan. We need you to see L without him knowing your existence. I can’t take down L without you. I’ll call and see you whenever this situation allows.”

“You will?” Misa asked hopefully.

“However,” Light said. “I will see other girls to ensure our meetings don’t stand out, alright?”

“That’s not right!” Misa exclaimed. “You can’t date other girls!”

“That’s what I’ll be doing,” Light said, standing up straight.

“I don’t want you, too!” Misa shouted, before she stood up and stared into Light’s eyes. “I’ll kill any girl I see you with.”

“Scary,” Ryuk mocked.

“Sweetie, look,” Light said, causing Ryuk and me to snicker. “This isn’t a game.” Light placed his hands on Misa’s shoulders. “We are putting our lives on the line to change the world.”

“You’re right,” Misa said, looking away for a second, before looking at Light again. “But I love you more than the world.”

“You’re confused,” Light said. “You admire Kira, no matter what you feel, so you’re here. You don’t know me from a stranger. We only met today.”

“Don’t you believe in love at first sight?” Misa asked, still not getting the picture.

“Yes,” Light said, looking at me. “Unfortunately, you’re not her.”

“Everything you said was true, yes,” Misa said as she sat down. Light turned back to look at her. “I wanted to meet Kira out of respect and gratitude, not love. I knew, however, from the second I saw you.”

“I bet you hate being popular now, huh?” I said.

“You can obey me,” Light said. “That’s how you can show me your love. I thought you didn’t care if I used you? You already said you would do anything I asked.”

“That’s true!” Misa shouted. “But I never said it was okay for you to date other girls. Those are two totally different things.”

“Did it slip your mind that I have both notebooks?” Light asked as he leaned in, threatening. “I can kill you without blinking if you don’t obey me.”

“That’s how it would never happen, Light Yagami,” Rem said, as his shadow loomed threateningly over Light and Misa. We looked at Rem in shock. “I’ll write your name in my notebook if you kill Misa. If she dies before her remaining lifespan, then I will assume you killed her. If I see that you’re going to kill her, I’ll kill you before you can.”

“You’ll die if you use the Death Note to save her,” Light asked, not believing that Rem would go that far.

“He’s right,” Misa exclaimed. “You’ll die, Rem!”

“I’ll still kill anyone who wants to kill Misa,” Rem said. “I don’t care if I die, too.”

Before any of us could reply, there was a knock on Light’s door. “Can I come in, Light?” Mrs. Yagami’s voice rang through the door.

“What do you need, Mom?” Light asked as he quickly turned towards the door, fear evident in his voice.

“It’s almost midnight,” Mrs.Yagami said as she entered the room. “The trains will stop soon.”

“I guess we lost track of time,” Light said calmly.

“We’re sorry, Mrs.Yagami,” Misa apologized.

 

“Sorry for staying so late,” Misa apologized again as she walked out the front door. “Bye, Light!”

“Walk her to the station, Light,” Mrs. Yagami said, worried for the girl’s safety.

“That’s okay,” Misa said. “I can manage by myself! Goodnight!” Misa walked into the street and started running. Light, Sayu, Mrs. Yagami, and I stepped into the street to watch her.

“She’s pretty,” Mrs.Yagami said.

“I wasn’t sure what to think at first,” Sayu said. “She seems nice, though.”

 

“So, what now, genius?” I asked Light after I followed him into his bedroom.

“If I try to kill Misa, then Rem will kill me.” Light said. “I might have to deal with her for the rest of her life. I also have to ensure she doesn’t get caught by the police.”

“Well, then,” I said. “I must work extra hard to ensure you both get captured. Or at the very least, try to talk Rem into killing you. Either way, you and Misa will fail, I guarantee you that.”

Chapter 25: Easy

Y/N POV:

“For a Shinigami to die, they have to use their notebook to save the life of a human they fell in love with,” Light said, turning on his computer. He then pulled up Google and began to search for Misa. “I could try to kill Rem first. I could control someone to attack Misa, forcing Rem to save her.”

“Which wouldn’t work,” I pointed out. “Rem would see right through that since you’ve already threatened to kill Misa.”

“You’re right,” Light said. “She’s turning into a bigger problem than L is.” Light put a hand on his forehead. “Crap, she’s famous.” On Light’s computer screen was a magazine with Misa as the cover.

“Yeah,” I said. “You’ll be in more trouble if the public finds out about you two. With how pretty she is, I can’t even begin to imagine how many crazed fans Misa has.”

Light continued looking up at Misa, trying to figure out how famous she is. He even found Misa’s model page, which had everything from where she was born to her measurements. As Light continued researching Misa, he found her featured in teen magazines, fashion magazines, and even late-night TV. She wasn’t a minor celebrity by any stretch of the imagination. I had no clue what she was thinking by getting involved with Light in the first place.

“It looks like it’s common knowledge that a burglar killed her parents,” I said, pointing at the screen as it showed a fan site. “It’s all over the internet, I keep seeing it. This is an even bigger problem if someone finds out you two have met. Anyone with two brain cells could tell you that Kira murdered that burglar.”

“I didn’t murder him, I punished him,” Light defended.

“There’s a fine line between punishing someone and killing them,” I said. “You’re not flirting with that line as much as you think you are, Light. At this point, you coexist with it. Someday, you’ll realize that you’re not the story's hero, but instead the villain that deserves to feel the pain and misery they had inflicted on others. Your death will not be mourned, but instead celebrated.”

Light said nothing for a minute before returning to his computer. I know it didn’t matter what I told him about his questionable morals. Even though he claims to hate criminals and wants to get rid of all of them, he has become one of the worst criminals in Japan’s history. What a strange twist of fate. Unfortunately, Light will only realize this fact when it’s too late.

“As long as Mom and Sayu don’t tell anyone, I should be fine,” Light said. “I don’t think anyone saw Misa leave here. There’s no way I can get out of this situation, due to Misa’s personality. I have no idea what she could tell others, so I’ll have to be more careful around her. There’s nothing that I can do now. Damn, she’s such a pain. I need to get rid of L as soon as possible, so I need to focus on how to use her eyes to get L’s name. When L is gone, Misa won’t be as big a problem. In two weeks, I must get her to follow my plans.”

 

“Y/N,” Light said behind me the next morning as I walked down to the kitchen. “Remember, you can’t tell anyone about Misa. Try not to talk about her in front of Mom and Sayu. With any luck, they won’t ask too much about her.”

“Yeah, whatever,” I said, walking into the kitchen.

“Good morning, Y/N, Light,” Sayu said as she ate her toast at the table.

“Good morning, you two,” Mrs.Yagami said as she placed food on the table.

“Morning,” I said, taking my place next to Sayu.

“Do you think you guys can do me a huge favor?” Light said as he walked to his seat and sat down. “Please don’t tell anyone about Misa, which includes Dad. We don’t want anyone to know about us, because Misa is an up-and-coming model.”

Light laced his fingers together, bringing them under his mouth. As he talked, he got a cocky expression on his face, making me want to punch him. This guy was getting more insufferable and more cocky by the day. If Light continues to act this way, he’ll slip up, making his already numbered days even shorter.

“Wait!” Sayu exclaimed. “She’s pretty, but I had no clue. That’s impressive, even for you. I’ll keep it a secret if you give me money!”

 

“Please turn to page 200.” Light and my professor spoke.

I tuned him out as I drifted into my thoughts. Misa’s last message will go out today. It would go through the task force before any TV stations broadcast it. Light wants to get to Ryuzaki’s hotel as soon as possible to see his reaction in person.

I haven’t told Ryuzaki about Misa or anything about the second Kira. I know it was only a matter of time before Ryuzaki realized that Misa was the second Kira. Also, since Misa revealed herself to Light, Light closely watched me. He doesn’t know that I told Ryuzaki I know who Kira is. Since Light knows I want to stop him at all costs, he knows there is a likelihood I’ll tell Ryuzaki about Misa.

“Light,” I heard a voice whisper close to Light. I turned my head slightly to see that it was Kiyomi. I quickly nudged Light and nodded at Kiyomi, sitting to his right.

“Yes?” Light asked Kiyomi.

“I thought we were seeing each other,” Kiyomi said. “I mean, we’re more than friends, right?”

“Of course,” Light said.

“It’s why we’re sitting next to each other in class,” Kiyomi said. “But you seem somewhat disappointed.”

“That’s not true,” Light said. “I’m just wondering what everyone thinks now that I’m dating Miss. To-Oh. You are the most beautiful woman in this school, after all.”

“Please don’t call me that,” Kiyomi said, blushing as she fake coughed into her fist. “I hate that nickname. I’m not even sure who came up with it.” She liked the attention but wasn’t self-centered about it. It made me feel even worse knowing that a nice person was getting taken advantage of.

“Okay,” Light said with a smile. “We should just go at our speed.”

“Sure,” Kiyomi said.

 

I sighed as I stood in the elevator at Ryuzaki’s hotel. Light was quiet as he stood beside me.

“I can’t believe you’re dating Kiyomi,” I said. “That poor girl likes you for whatever crazy reason, and you’re just playing with her feelings.”

“I’m not dating her, I’m using her,” Light said.

“Exactly,” I exclaimed, throwing my hands up. “The person you were before you found that damn notebook and who you are today are night and day. I can’t believe you’re so casual about using people like this.”

“I’ll do whatever it takes,” Light said, exiting the elevator and walking to Ryuzaki’s hotel room.

“Hello, everyone,” I said, walking into the room.

“Hello, Y/N, Light,” Ryuzaki said, twisted slightly in his chair to look at us. Soichiro was beside Ryuzaki, and in front of them was a TV with ‘Kira’ on the screen. The rest of the task force stood around them. “You’ve come at a great time.”

“Is that from the second Kira?” I asked, gesturing to the screen, walking up to the pair.

“Yes,” Ryuzaki said.

“That was quick,” Light said, putting his school bag on a nearby chair.

“It said this was the last one,” Ryuzaki said. After a second, he began the tape.

“I decided not to contact Kira,” Misa’s computer-generated voice said. “I would like to thank the police for warning me. I’ve decided that until Kira accepts me, I will help him rid the world of evil. To the criminals Kira hasn’t punished, I will pass judgment on them. To make the world in Kira’s image, I will spread the power to people who deserve it.” The TV then turned to static, meaning the message was over.

“This tape makes me believe that Kira and the second Kira have teamed up,” Ryuzaki said.

“What makes you think that?” Light asked. I could tell he was slightly panicked that Ryuzaki figured it out so fast.

“Yes, I agree,” I said. “Why would someone who wanted to meet Kira more than anything else suddenly give up? It makes sense that they’ve met or at least started working together.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t feel it, Light,” Ryuzaki said. “But I knew that you would feel the same way, Y/N. I agree with your point as well. Also, why hasn’t he passed judgment on the criminals that Kira hasn’t yet? Did he not think about it? I think Kira told him to do it. Kira most likely ordered the second Kira’s cooperation to be a secret.” Ryuzaki picked up a donut and started talking in between bites.

“If that’s the case,” Light said. “Kira isn’t thinking before acting.”

“That’s right,” Ryuzaki said. “Did something make it so he couldn’t think things through? Or is he looking for how we would react when we found out they started working together? This is a serious blow for us. This does bring down the percentage of Light being Kira.”

“What do you mean, Ryuzaki?” Soichiro asked.

“This isn’t the message that I think Kira would send us if Light were Kira,” Ryuzaki said. “It doesn’t fit. Kira would make the second Kira demand that I appear on TV. Then he would make the second Kira take the blame for my death. He would make him say, ‘I did agree not to go through with this, I’ve realized that Kira’s true intentions were not to have me stop. I’m sure the real Kira wants L to die.”

“Ryuzaki,” Light said. “I wouldn’t do that if I were Kira.”

“Oh?” Ryuzaki asked.

“Since you’re L, I know your personality,” Light said. “L would never appear on TV; the threat doesn’t matter. He also wouldn’t let someone else take his place instead. You would find a way out of it.”

“Besides,” I said. “You promised Kira that you would be the one to capture him. You’re not about to roll over and die before you fulfill that promise.”

Ryuzaki laughed. “I can’t get anything by either of you.”

“I don’t like it when you say ‘if I were Kira, ’” Soichiro said. “I know you’re not Kira, and it still doesn’t feel right.”

“I understand,” Light said. “I’m sorry, but I want to be honest with Ryuzaki. I want to clear my name and solve this case quickly. I’m not Kira, which is why I’m comfortable saying it. You’re putting too much thought into it, Dad.”

“That’s right,” Ryuzaki said. “I don’t believe that Light is Kira. Truthfully, I don’t want Light to be Kira.”

“Why’s that?” I asked.

“Because you’re my first friend, Y/N,” Ryuzaki said. “And I know how important Light is to you. I know how heartbroken you would be if Light were Kira. I want to make sure not to cause you any heartbreak. Besides, having to get to know Light, I consider him a friend as well.”

“Thanks, Ryuzaki,” I said, smiling.

“No problem,” Ryuzaki said.

“You’re a good friend too,” Light said. “Seeing how much you care for Y/N makes me happy. The three of us seem to have a lot in common.”

“Thank you,” Ryuzaki quietly said. “And you don’t need to worry, I’ll do whatever I can to ensure Y/N is safe and happy.”

“I know you will,” Light said. “You’re one of the few people I trust to do so. Y/N, and I miss seeing you at school. We should play tennis again.”

Ryuzaki twisted in his chair to face us. “Yes, we should,” Ryuzaki said, before facing forward again and taking a drink.

 

“A friend?” Ryuk asked as we walked home later that night. “Ryuzaki’s your friend? That’s a good thing, right?”

“That damn Ryuzaki figured out that Kira and the second Kira made contact,” Light growled. “I need to kill him as soon as possible.”

“I have to say that I’m surprised,” I said. “I didn’t think you would trust Ryuzaki, let alone anyone else, with my well-being.“

“I can tell that Ryuzaki cares for you,” Light said. “However, I won’t let him get too close to you. I’m the only one who is truly capable of protecting you from the evils of this world. Remember, I can easily kill him if he hurts you. Keep that in mind when you decide how close you want to get to him.”

“I won’t get close to him,” I said. “Not because I believe you genuinely care for my well-being or you’re the only one capable of protecting me. I’ll do it to protect him and the other people I care about from you, Light. I won’t let you hurt anyone I love, ever.”

Before Light could reply, we heard a shrill woman’s voice calling Light’s name. Light quickly turned around, only to be knocked to the ground as the woman threw herself into him.

“I’m sorry,” Misa said. “I couldn’t wait two weeks, like you wanted. I was just on my way to your house.” Misa giggled.

I could tell Light was pissed just by the glare he had that Misa seemed blind to. I imagine this was the first time in Light’s life that he ever wanted to hit a woman.

“Ryuk,” I said. “If you see Light going to hit Misa, stop him. I don’t care for her, but that doesn’t mean that Light should hit her.”

“You got it, Kiddo,” Ryuk said.

“I wanted to see you so bad,” Misa said apologetically as she got off of Light and stood up.

“You should probably come over,” Light said with a grunt as he stood up.

“Yay!” Misa said happily.

With that, we started walking home again. I walked behind Light and Misa as they walked side by side. As we walked, I couldn’t help but feel like we were being watched. I would see a dark shadow in the corner of my eye, but when I looked, nothing was there.

“Misa!” Suya exclaimed as we walked into the front door. “I saw you in a lot of magazines.” She held up a magazine that had Misa on the cover.

“Come in, please,” Mrs. Yagami said as she wiped her hands on her apron.

Misa giggled. “Sorry to pop in like this,” she said.

“Would you mind making some tea, Mom?” Light asked as he closed the front door.

 

“Rem?” Light asked as he locked his bedroom door. “You’re Misa’s ally, correct?”

“That’s right,” Rem said. “I’ve seen her multiple times while in the Shinigami realm. After certain events, I developed feelings for her.”

“Feelings?” Ryuk asked, shocked. “But you’re a Shinigami.” Ryuk laughed.

“I take it,” Rem said. “You didn’t like how I said I’d kill you if you tried to kill Misa.”

“If Misa is happy, will you be happy too?” Light asked.

“That is true to a point,” Rem said. “I don’t want her to suffer.”

“As you know,” Light said, grabbing Misa roughly by the arm, causing her to smack into his chest. “Misa loves me.” Light pushed her away a little and rested his hands on her arms.

“Oh, Light,” Misa said, dreamily.

“Oh, brother,” I said, disgusted.

“Misa,” Light said, sweetly. “Would it make you happy if I were happy?”

“Yes?” Misa said, eagerly placing a hand on Light’s chest, as Ryuk laughed.

“Would you please have Rem kill L?” Light asked. “Rem has said that you being happy was important to him. But what would happen if L caught you or me? Our happiness would be over.”

Ryuk laughed. “It is against the rules for a Shinigami to give out a person’s name. But there is no rule saying that Rem couldn’t kill anyone.”

“Right,” Light said. “If Rem does this for us, I’ll love Misa more. I’d be grateful as well. Then the two of us will finally be happy together.”

“I want Light to love me, Rem,” Misa said, interlacing her fingers and holding them under her chin. She looked pleadingly at Rem. “I know we can be happy together. I want it more than anything else.”

“That’s too bad,” Light said, after Rem said nothing. Light started to walk away from Misa and towards me.

“Okay,” Rem said, causing Light to look at him in shock. “I will do as you wish, Light Yagami. I do not like you, however. Even if it lengthens your life, it will not kill me. I will kill L for you. It doesn’t make any difference to me. L is just another human to me.”

“Yay!” Misa exclaimed happily as she ran over and hugged Rem. “Thank you so much, Rem! I knew I could count on you!”

Ryuzaki would die. I can’t believe that Rem agrees so easily. I knew then that I had to warn Ryuzaki as soon as possible. However, I can’t tell him that Misa is the second Kira. If I did that, and it somehow got back to Light, it would put Ryuzaki’s life in even more danger. I can’t let Ryuzaki die, not now or ever. I promised to protect the people I love and love Ryuzaki more than anyone else. So, I’ll do whatever I can to warn him, even if I end up dying in the end.

Chapter 26: Gaming

Y/N POV:

“When can you kill L?” Light asked Rem.

“I can kill him whenever you need me to,” Rem said. “You just need to tell me where and what he looks like. Shinigami can move through walls, so it shouldn’t be an issue.”

“I want him killed as soon as possible,” Light said. “I must think it over; rushing anything won’t do well. I won’t be able to see L tomorrow, so I’ll think about it tonight and contact you tomorrow.” Light turned to Rem. “Rem, don’t kill him until I tell you, no matter what.”

“Ok,” Rem said. “I’ll only promise about L.”

“Misa,” Light said, facing Misa. “I need your cell phone number.”

“Ok. You should tell me yours, too!” Misa said, excitedly. “It would probably be a good idea to get Y/N’s too.”

“Hell no. I don’t like you, Misa. I don’t know why you would think I would willingly give you my number like we’re best friends. While you’re not as bad as Light is, you’re still a monster. You’re a bit more human than he is, but you won’t be like that for much longer. Soon, there will be no difference between Light and you. You’ll both be consumed by your greed and your so-called justice.” I said a bit harsher than I meant to.

“Right, sorry,” Misa said sadly.

Some of me wanted to apologize, but a larger part knew I did nothing wrong. Misa was willing to kill just about anyone to further Light’s agenda. I hope Misa can break herself from Light’s chains of control one day, but that’ll never happen as things stand. She’ll be Light’s puppet forever, forced to do his bidding until he throws her away.

“I can’t tell you my number either,” Light said.

“Why not?!” Misa retorted. “We’re lovers!”

“The police can bug phones now,” Light said calmly. “L still has me under surveillance.”

“Oh!” Misa exclaimed. She sat on Light’s bed and started to dig through her bag. “I’ll give you one of my spare phones. I have three since I keep getting new ones.” Misa pulled out a red flip phone with a white rabbit charm, a small blond-haired doll, and a white strap.

“That’s a great idea, Misa,” Light said, taking the phone from Misa. “Yours should be okay.”

“I’ll email and call you every day!” Misa said happily.

“I’ll have to keep the phone turned off and hidden,” Light said, placing the phone in his pocket. “I’ll use it only when I have to contact you.”

“When will you call me, then?” Misa asked sadly as tears pooled in the corners of her eyes.

“I’ll contact you either way tomorrow,” Light said. “Since L’s execution will be tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?!” Misa asked excitedly in a sing-song voice. “Can we have a love-chat after we talk about L?”

“You’ll need to leave now,” Light said.

“It’s only seven! The time of love has just started.” Misa argued.

Light walked over to Misa and put his hands on her shoulders. “Misa,” he said.

“Yes?” Misa asked.

Before Misa could react, Light leaned forward and kissed her. I gagged, turning away from the disgusting scene.

“Light,” Misa said in surprise.

“Go home now, alright?” Light asked.

“Okay,” Misa said dreamily.

“Make sure you whisper and make sure you’re alone when you talk to Rem outside,” Light said, opening his bedroom door. “That’s how Y/N and I talk to Ryuk.”

“Okay,” Misa said dreamily. I honestly wasn’t sure if she knew that Light was even talking.

“Stay here,” Light said, turning to face me. “I’ll walk Misa outside like I did the other day, then come back.”

“Whatever,” I said, waving a dismissive hand as Misa and he left the room. Ryuk stayed with me, and we talked while waiting for Light.

 

When Light returned to the room, he locked his bedroom door before sitting in his computer chair.

“That kiss was sudden,” Ryuk laughed, closing Light’s bedroom curtains, which he used to spy on Light and Misa. Ryuk stood behind me as I sat in the computer chair Misa previously sat in.

“Of course,” Light said. “I have to make sure that Misa stays infatuated with me.”

“Obsessive is the right word,” I said. “I have no idea what she sees in you or her idolized version of Kira.”

“I’m sure you’ll understand one day,” Light said cockily. He leaned back in his computer chair and crossed his arms. “I have to figure out if L dies tomorrow, that’s the most important thing. The police force would suspect me the most if Ryuga dies since he hasn’t gone public yet. I need to plan everything perfectly.”

“I understand. I thought you would have second thoughts since L thinks of you as a friend,” Ryuk said.

“A friend?” Light laughs coldly. “I just gave him what he wanted, that’s all. I’ve always said from the start that I would find a way to get his trust, even if it was by friendship. Light Yagami and Ryuga seem to be friends. L is still Kira’s enemy. Ryuga has to die because he revealed that he is L. I could kill him in an accident, which should make people less suspicious of me. There would be no proof, even if they did suspect me of being Kira. I can only guess what would happen after his death. Ryuga and Ryuzaki’s or L’s last day alive.”

 

I groaned in pain as I opened my eyes. I slowly sat up, clutching my head as a sharp pain overtook my body. Cursing under my breath, I tried getting up from bed, only having to fall back into the mattress as the world started to spin. I curled into a ball, screwing my eyes shut.

“Up and at ‘em, Kiddo,” Ryuk said, walking through my bedroom wall. “Are you okay?” Ryuk asked, placing a hand on my shoulder.

“No, my head’s killing me,” I said, pain lacing my voice.

“No school today for you,” Ryuk said. “You’re staying here and resting, Kiddo.”

“Like Light would let that happen. You know how much he’s been watching me. If there were a way I could do that, I would.” I said.

Light knocked on my door before opening it and coming in as if on cue.

“Speak of a monster and he shall appear, off to take my body somewhere,” I mumbled.

“What are you talking about?” Light asked. “And why are you still in bed? We should’ve left for school by now.”

“I’m talking about my killer headache,” I said, sitting up. “You’re worried that I’m going to get in the way of killing L, so you’re going to take me out before him.”

“I’ve told you before, Y/N, I’m not planning on killing you. You haven’t exactly been quiet about stopping me, so there’s no point in killing you. Besides, I doubt even you could stop Misa, especially with her Shinigami eyes.” Light said.

“Whatever,” I said. “I’m not going to school unless you want me to pass out in front of everyone. If that happens, people would ask questions, and you don’t want that.”

“She’s got a point, I’ll stay here and watch Y/N. Besides, I’m not ready for this game to be over.” Ryuk said.

Light sighed and looked at his watch. “You’re right, Y/N, Ryuk. Fine, I’ll trust you to watch her, but don’t let her go anywhere, which includes near Ryuga. I don’t want to take any chances with this plan, even if it’s nearly impossible for Y/N to mess it up.” Light said.

“Sure, you can trust me,” Ryuk said.

Light sighed as he walked over to me. “I’ll stop by the store on the way home and pick up some headache medicine.” He said, leaning down and kissing my forehead. Light started to make his way towards my bedroom door. “I’m trusting you, Ryuk, take care of Y/N.” Light then walked out of my bedroom.

“Is Light gone?” I asked Ryuk after a few minutes. I quickly wiped my forehead to get rid of Light’s germs.

Ryuk walked over and looked out my window. “Yeah, he’s gone. Why?”

“I’m going to see Ryuzaki, that’s why,” I said, standing up. I held onto my wall as I made my way towards my dresser. “My head may be pounding, but I can’t let Ryuzaki die. This is my only chance if I’m going to save his life. Besides, I will have you watch me if anything happens to me. You’ll be my guardian Shinigami.”

“You really love Ryuzaki, don’t you?” Ryuk asked, warmly.

“More than life itself,” I said, looking Ryuk in the eyes.

“Aw, hell,” Ryuk said as he smiled. “I can’t say no to that. Alright, I’m in Kiddo. I’ll have your back, now and forever.”

I smiled at Ryuk, grateful I had someone like him by my side. I can’t even imagine what my life would be like without Ryuk. Granted, Kira probably won’t exist, and Light would still be my goofball of a best friend. But I wouldn’t have met L or Ryuk, so at least this nightmare had a silver lining.

 

“Y/N, what are you doing here?” Soichiro asked as I walked into Ryuzaki’s hotel room. “Shouldn’t you be in school with Light?”

“I have a bad headache, so I didn’t go today. Besides, that’s not important right now. I’m here to save Ryuzaki’s life.” I said. “Ryuzaki, I need to talk to you alone.”

Ryuzaki nodded. “Please follow me,” Ryuzaki said. We walked into his bedroom, and Ryuzaki closed and locked the door. I sat on the bed, and Ryuzaki sat beside me.

The bedroom was basic. A queen-size bed with white sheets was against the wall opposite the door. Two small tables with lamps were on both sides of the bed. A double window with a white curtain gently swaying from the air conditioner. A small desk with a chair was in the corner of the wall. A tall, brown dresser with a TV was on the other wall.

“What are you talking about, Y/N?” Ryuzaki asked after a moment.

“Kira and the second Kira have met in person. And they are talking about killing you, today.” I said.

“How do you know this?” Ryuzaki asked.

“Because I was in the room with them. The second Kira met Kira because she’s a crazy fan in love with him. The second Kira made a deal called the Shinigami eye deal, which means she can see someone’s real name and face, just by looking at them. She also has a Shinigami attached to her that will kill anyone who gets in Kira’s or the second Kira’s way. This Shinigami has already agreed to kill you, L, because he will do anything to make her happy.” I paused to take a breath. “Kira also has a Shinigami attached to him; his name is Ryuk, and he’s more on my side than Kira’s. Ryuk is my protector against the two Kiras.”

“I see,” Ryuzaki calmly said. “Can you tell me who the second Kira is?”

“No, I can’t,” I said mournfully. “I wish I could, but if this gets back to Kira, your life will be in more danger. However, I can hint: knowing you, you should figure out who it is. Are you still having Mogi follow us?”

“How do you know that?” Ryuzaki asked.

“Ryuk,” I said. “I kept seeing a shadow in the corner of my eye. It would disappear as soon as I looked away. I thought I was losing it at first. But Ryuk told me that Mogi has been following Light for a bit, meaning you still suspect him. Mogi has seen Light with three different women, so the second Kira has been one of these three women. Looking at these women, it would be clear which one she is based on how she acts with Light. You might not be killed today, but it will be soon, very soon. I’m not saying that Light is Kira, but please take my warning seriously.”

Ryuzaki grabbed my hands and held them close to his chest. “Trust me, my love. You could tell me the sky is pink, and I would take you seriously, " he said, smiling. “I can’t tell you how brave you are to tell me this, even knowing the risk. Although I would do the same thing, and you’re more important than life itself to me, you’re still braver than I am."

I smiled as Ryuzaki and I leaned in. I closed my eyes as we kissed. After a few moments, we pulled away, both with goofy grins.

“How’s your head?” Ryuzaki asked, concerned.

“It still feels like someone is playing bowling with my skull,” I said, leaning on Ryuzaki’s shoulder.

Ryuzaki placed his head on top of mine as he chuckled. “I don’t think I’ve heard that one before. But lucky for you, I have headache medicine in my bedside drawer.” Ryuzaki said, getting up from the bed. He opened one of the drawers and grabbed the medicine.

“Here you go,” Ryuzaki said, handing me the pills and a glass of water. “Lucky I put some water in here last night. I remember you saying you can’t take pills dry.”

“Thanks, you’re a lifesaver,” I said, taking the pills.

“Anything for you,” Ryuzaki said, kissing the crown of my head, taking the water. “It’s a good thing you came over here. I found something for which I could use your eyes.” Ryuzaki returned the water to the bedside table and walked over to me. “It’s only small pieces of evidence, like a piece of hair, but still. Since you’ve seen both Kiras, your insight could be helpful.”

I nodded, standing up. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go.” I said.

Ryuzaki nodded, and we walked over to the bedroom door. “After you,” He said, unlocking and holding the door open for me.

Chapter 27: Wager

Y/N POV:

“Hair,” Ryuzaki said, holding a strand of black hair in an evidence bag up to the ceiling. “Snack crumbs.” Ryuzaki paused doing the same thing with the snack crumbs. “Hair.”

Ryuzaki and I were sitting at a small table in the hotel room. Several small evidence bags were on the table. Soichiro, Matsuda, and Aizawa were seated in an area with a loveseat, an armchair, a coffee table, and a small table with a lamp, by the chair. Soichiro sat in the chair, while Matsuda and Aizawa sat on the loveseat.

“Mr.Yagami,” Ryuzaki called out, holding another evidence bag up to the ceiling. “Light is Kira if I die within the next few days.” Ryuzaki grabbed another bag. “Hm, another hair.”

Soichiro gasped in shock and stood up. “Ryuzaki, what did you say?” He exclaimed in shock and anger.

“That’s right! What are you talking about?” Matsuda questions.

“Watari will make himself available to you, per my instructions, if anything happens to me. I’m counting on Y/N and the team.” Ryuzaki says, still looking at the evidence bags.

“I thought you said he was mostly cleared, Ryuzaki, and now this?” Soichiro questioned. “How much do you think my son is Kira?”

Ryuzaki pauses for a second. “I’m not sure what to think lately,” Ryuzaki said, holding another evidence bag. “I’ve never had a problem like this. With the information Y/N just gave me, things aren’t looking great. Also, my mind isn’t as clear as usual, which can cause problems.” Ryuzaki pauses to sip his coffee. “We don’t have any other suspects, and that’s why I think he’s Kira.” Ryuzaki places his cup back on the table. “Assume your son is Kira if I’m killed.”

“Same thing for me, too,” I said. “If I’m killed, then Light is Kira. I know you don’t want to hear or believe it, Soichiro. But I’ve seen Kira, so if you trust anyone, trust me.”

“Yes, I understand. I do trust you, Y/N.” Soichiro said.

I nodded as I stood from my seat. Quickly looking at my watch, I cursed under my breath. “I have to go now if I want to return before Light,” I said.

“If you want, I can give you a ride back home,” Soichiro offered.

I shook my head. “I appreciate the offer, but if Kira saw me getting a ride home from you, it might make him suspicious. Ryuk won’t tell Kira, but I would rather be safe than sorry. I promised myself that I wouldn’t let anyone I loved get hurt by Kira. Which, like it or not, includes everyone in this room. I’ll be fine, I promise.” I said.

Soichiro walked over and placed a hand on my head. He ruffled my hair, causing me to laugh and swat Soichiro’s hands away. “Thank you, Y/N. I wish you could just go to college without worrying about this. But, I know until Kira is captured, that isn’t possible.”

“I wish you didn’t have to worry about it, old man. The stress isn’t good for a man your age.” I said.

Soichiro and I laughed. “Y/N,” Ryuzaki said. “I’m glad to have you working on the case with us. Do you mind if I walk to the door with you? I have something I would like to discuss with you.”

I nodded and turned to the men in the room. “Take care, everyone.”

As Ryuzaki and I walked to the door, I heard a chorus of goodbyes behind me. “I think I figured out who the second Kira is,” Ryuzaki said as we reached the door. “I have a plan, and I would like your help. I plan to attend your college tomorrow to implement the plan.” Ryuzaki then told me the plan. “Can I count on you?” Ryuzaki asked.

I nodded. “Of course, if there is anything you need help with, I’m your girl,” I said.

Ryuzaki smiled, leaned in, and kissed me on the lips. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then, love.”

“Are you sure you want to do this, Kiddo?” Ryuk asked as we left.

“I’m 100% positive about this, Ryuk. Misa needs to be stopped before Ryuzaki dies.” I said.

“I’m behind you all the way, then. If anyone tries to kill you, they will have to get through me first, and nobody gets past me.” Ryuk said.

 

Kiyomi, Light, and I walked outside the next day after class. “I wouldn’t say that,” Light says with a laugh. “I know how to get by, is all.” Light gasps in shock and surprise. He stops walking, causing Kiyomi and me to stop as well.

“Is something wrong?” Kiyomi asks in concern.

I look at the bench ahead of us and see Ryuzaki sitting there. He held a book in one hand, while the other was on his kneecap. His tennis shoes were under the bench, leaving him barefoot.

“I wonder what he’s doing here,” I said in false surprise.

“Oh,” Ryuzaki said as he noticed us. He lowered the book and waved with his hand on his kneecap. “Hey, Y/N, Light!” He said Light’s name with a barely noticeable undertone of hate. “How’s it going?” Ryuzaki asked seriously.

I laughed a little at his sudden tone change. “Hey, Ryuzaki!” I said happily, walking towards him. “I’m surprised to see you here.”

Light turned to Kiyomi. “Do you mind if we catch up later? Y/N and I need a moment alone with him.” Light said.

“Ok,” Kiyomi said. Light walked over to where Ryuzaki and I stood.

“I hope she’ll be okay,” Ryuzaki said as Light approached us.

“It’s not important,” Light said, raising an arm slightly. “Is it okay to be out in the open like this? I thought it wasn’t safe to be seen in public?”

“I was unsafe, yes,” Ryuzaki said. “But I know I’m safe since I know that Y/N and you aren’t Kira. After all, you two are the only ones who know what L looks like. Also, suppose something were to happen to either Y/N or me. In that case, I’ve told everyone at headquarters and your father to assume you’re Kira. I know you’ve both missed me at school, so I thought I would return for a change in scenery. College is a lot of fun, after all, as long as it doesn’t kill me, that is.”

“Without you, finding someone to have a deep conversation with could be hard. Although Y/N helps out with that sometimes.” Light said.

“Yes, I imagine that Y/N is the best person to have a deep conversation with. Although I imagine Kiyomi helps as well.” Ryuzaki said.

“Something like that,” Light said, causing Ryuk to laugh behind us.

I can tell that Light was debating whether or not to kill Ryuzaki today. Ryuzaki, being here, threw a monkey wrench into Light’s plans, which we had been hoping for. Light is most likely thinking that Ryuzaki's sudden appearance might be a way to distract him from killing Ryuzaki. Light knew this was Ryuzaki's way of guaranteeing his safety. And right now, Light is playing right into Ryuzaki’s hands.

“Would you two like cake with me in the cafeteria?” Ryuzaki asked, getting up and putting on his shoes.

“I’m down,” I said.

“Me too. We have a break now anyway,” Light said.

With that, the boys and I start heading towards the cafeteria.

“That’s great,” Ryuzaki said. “I’m starting to crave shortcake about now. What about you, Y/N? What are you going to get?”

“They have an amazing triple chocolate cake,” I said.

“Really? I might have to try that one, especially since you speak highly of it.” Ryuzaki said.

“We could always share. You can get a shortcake, and I will get the triple chocolate. The only thing that they could do better is put more chocolate on it. There’s no such thing as too much chocolate, at least that’s what I think.” I said.

“That sounds like an amazing idea,” Ryuzaki said, smiling.

“Don’t get your hopes up, Y/N,” Light said, monotoned. “Let's just hope they have it.”

“Light!” Misa’s shrill voice called behind us, causing us to turn around. “There you are! I was looking for you. I had a photo shoot nearby.” Misa giggled, running up to us. She stopped a few feet away with her hands behind her back.

“Is this a friend of yours?” Misa asked, walking closer. “I’ve never seen anyone like him before. He’s so unique. Hi! I’m Misa Amane, Light’s girlfriend. It’s so lovely to meet you! And it’s nice to see you again, Y/N!”

“Hello, I’m Hideki Ryuga,” Ryuzaki replied, shocked. His eyes were slightly wide. It was clear that Ryuzaki never thought the second Kira was this dumb.

“Hideki Ryuga?” Misa asked, confused.

Before she could say anything else, Light walked in front of her and touched her shoulders. Light pushed her back a little to get Misa away from Ryuzaki. “Yeah, it’s crazy, isn’t it?” Light said. “He has the same first and last name as a famous idol. Funny, isn’t it?”

Ryuzaki chuckled, placing a finger in his mouth. He was looking intently at Misa and Light. Light's face looked panicked because he thought Ryuzaki had figured it out. Even though Ryuzaki decided to use a popular idol as a fake name, Misa’s confusion was still strange. I, and no doubt Ryuzaki, noticed that Misa had looked above Ryuzaki’s head, like she saw something we didn’t. If I had to guess, it was likely Ryuzaki’s real name.

“Light,” Ryuzaki said, causing Light to visibly swallow as Ryuzaki paused. “I’m so jealous.”

Ryuk laughed behind me at how shocked Light looked. Honestly, he looked like he saw a car crash.

“I’ve been a huge fan since the March ‘Eighteen issue!” Ryuzaki exclaimed, his finger still in his mouth.

“That’s so nice!” Misa exclaimed.

I knew Light would be confused about how Ryuzaki knew about Misa. She is a model, but Misa has only been in a few teen magazines. Misa is nowhere near an A-list celebrity. Ryuzaki lowered his finger from his mouth and stuck his hands into his pockets.

“Isn’t that Misa Misa?” I heard a woman ask her friend.

“Who’s Misa Misa?” Her friend asks in confusion.

“You’re right, that’s her!” Another woman exclaims in awe.

“She’s so pretty!” The first woman exclaimed.

“Is she a celebrity or something?” Her friend asks in confusion.

“She’s a model!” Another woman exclaims.

“That’s interesting. I wonder why a model would be at our college?” Another woman asks.

“She’s so adorable and small!” Another woman exclaims.

“I’m getting so famous,” Misa said as more students surrounded us.

“This isn’t good,” Light mumbled in concern.

When Misa was distracted, I quickly took the phone from her back pocket. Luckily, with everything going on, Misa didn’t even notice that I touched her. Opening up her phone, I sent a message to her manager telling her where Misa was. Since we needed to ensure Light couldn’t ask about Ryuzaki’s real name, we needed Misa out of here as soon as possible. I then passed Misa’s phone off to Ryuzaki, watching him pocket it.

Since Ryuzaki found out about Light’s and Misa’s “relationship,” Light can’t have them talk much. Luckily, the crowd made it hard for Light to ask Misa what Ryuzaki’s real name is.

“Misa!” A woman shouted, shoving through the crowd and grabbing Misa by her wrist. She had black hair, brown eyes, and glasses. It was clear from her business clothes that she was Misa’s manager. “We need to leave now! We can’t have you be late again!” The woman shouted frantically.

“I’m so sorry, Yoshi,” Misa apologized.

“A woman manager? Cool!” A woman shouted in the crowd.

“I’ll see you after work, Light!” Misa shouted as Yoshi dragged her away.

“She’s with Light? What about Kiyomi?” A male student asks.

“I’m off to class now,” Ryuzaki said, as the last of the crowd left. “We have psychology now, right?”

“Yes, I’m going to head to the bathroom first,” Light said, placing his hands in his pockets as he walked away.

“I’ll come with you, Ryuzaki,” I said, smiling.

Ryuzaki smiled too, and we started heading opposite from Light. I knew it would only be moments until Light called Misa’s phone. She would be alone with Yoshi, meaning Misa telling Light Ryuzaki’s real name wouldn’t be an issue. Light most likely was saying goodbye to Ryuzaki, thinking that it had been fun. He was probably happy that he was the one to kill Ryuzaki. If only Light knew he was walking into a trap.

Chapter 28: Removal

Y/N POV:

Suddenly, a phone rang from Ryuzaki’s pocket. Shooting me a grin, Ryuzaki dug the phone out of his pocket and, flipping it open, held it to his ear.

“Hello?” Ryuzaki answered the phone. There was a moment of silence from the other end. “Yes?” Ryuzaki asked again.

“What do you mean, ‘hello’?” Light’s angry voice said. “This isn’t funny, Ryuga.”

“That you, Light?” Ryuzaki asked. “I thought someone dropped this phone in the crowd earlier on.”

Light went quiet on the other side of the line. Light would suspect that either Ryuzaki or I slipped Misa’s phone. He also knew there was a chance that Ryuzaki thought Misa was the second Kira. Light knew that the suspicions of him being Kira had deepened.

“Hello?” Ryuzaki asked.

“That’s Misa’s phone. I’ll give it back to her,” Light said.

“Sounds good,” Ryuzaki said, snapping the phone closed and hanging up.

Light walked over to us, and Ryuzaki handed the phone to him. Grabbing Misa’s phone in the first place would be almost pointless. Misa had another phone, but luckily, we accounted for that.

Ryuzaki's phone started to ring. “It’s my phone now,” Ryuzaki said. He answered it and put the phone to his ear. “Ok. Ok.” Ryuzaki paused. “You did it then?” He paused again. “I understand.” Ryuzaki snapped his phone shut, ending his call.

“This is a case of bad news-good news for you, Light,” Ryuzaki said. “But Misa Amane has been taken into custody as we suspect her to be the second Kira. We found evidence after a warrant was served to investigate Misa’s house. We found cat hair, cosmetic products, and clothing fibers. These were found in the glue of the envelopes sent with the tapes. While we’ve arrested Misa, we decided to keep it under wraps, as it could cause the public to go into a frenzy. We decided to take her manager into custody on a drug charge, which will be a secret as well.”

Fortunately, Light was careless about Misa’s videos. He should’ve discarded every piece of evidence before the police got their hands on it. I knew that Ryuzaki would stay close to Light instead of hiding. Ryuzaki did things in the light instead of the dark. However, I knew that the real battle was just starting. Unfortunately, Light wouldn’t roll over and die easily. We still have a long way to go until Light’s reign of terror and misery is over.

 

After Ryuzaki told Light about Misa’s custody, Ryuzaki and I returned to the hotel room. Ryuzaki sat in front of the screen, and I stood behind him.

“Has she said anything, Watai?” Ryuzaki asked.

“No, she hasn’t said anything,” Watari said through the computer.

“Please go ahead and send the images immediately,” Ryuzaki said.

“Are you positive?” Watari asked.

“Yes,” Ryuzaki said.

On the screen was Misa in a pure-white room. The room had two spotlights trained on her. A speaker in the corner of the room was using a switch with a microphone that changed Ryuzaki’s voice. Misa was up against a steel dolly. She had a steel blindfold with a straitjacket on it. Misa wore a tight white suit with black straps that made it so she couldn’t move, even without the straitjacket. Rem was behind her, looking none too happy.

“That is the second Kira,” I said, gesturing towards the screen. “Kira and the second Kira have met up in person. While I know how they both kill, I can’t tell you how they do it yet. Whenever I find a way to get what they use to kill away from them, I will. But, unfortunately, both Kiras keep it close to their chests. It might be hard to think that someone like Misa could be the second Kira, but plenty of evidence shows that she is.”

“While the fingerprints belonged to someone else, and the video equipment was gotten rid of,” I continued, laying out the evidence. “The same paper as the diary, an express delivery stamp, the ink, and components were a match. There was also a ticket stub for the Tokyo-Nagano train for the day a tape made its way to Nagano. You’ll most likely find her in any security cameras. Kira isn’t as sloppy as that, much as I hate to say it.”

“Now, all we need is for her to tell us how she kills,” Ryuzaki said. “We’ll have to make her confess. Watari, do whatever you need to make her talk. Make sure to take any precautions.”

“Yes,” Watari said.

“Mr. Yagami,” Ryuzaki said. “Light is now our number one suspect. I’m going to have to bring him in for questioning. You need to be prepared for that.”

 

“Do you know where Misa is?” Light asked angrily as he stormed into my room.

“No, I don’t. Besides, even if I did, why the hell would I tell you?” I said.

“What do they know, then?” Light asked.

“All I know is that they suspect that Misa is the second Kira, and that you’re still the prime suspect,” I said. “Since they think we’re still friends, Ryuzaki is careful how much I know. Although if I were you, I would sleep with one eye open. Rem was with Misa, and she wasn’t happy.”

“It sounds like they don’t have any clear evidence against me,” Light said thoughtfully. “But, I’m still a prime suspect. I took out the pieces of the Death Note in my wallet and got rid of the protection that I used for the Death Note. I can’t stop her from talking because you don’t know where Misa is. She knows what to say and do if she were taken into custody because I told her. I don’t know how long Misa can last, though, and I can’t kill her because of Rem. Considering Misa got caught in the first place, that might justify killing me to Rem. I can’t talk to Rem because he is attached to Misa.”

“What are you going to do now, genius?” I asked. “I’m not helping you with anything, so you’ll have to figure it out. I hope that Misa won’t last long, but I doubt that’ll happen. Unfortunately, she’s obsessed with you and sees you as a god. She’s not about to leave or give you up that easily; she’s far too brainwashed.”

“I’ll figure it out, I always do,” Light said, without saying another word, he left my room.

 

“Has Misa said anything yet?” I asked three days later as I walked into Ryuzaki’s hotel room.

“Oh, hello, Y/N,” Ryuzaki said with a smile. “How was school today?”

I smiled and walked over to the group of men. Ryuzaki sat in an armchair; beside him was an open laptop with the letter ‘L’ on the screen. A microphone was beside the computer, and a TV was on a small stand beside it. Next to the TV was another armchair in which Matsuda was sleeping. Across from the TV was a third armchair where Soichiro was asleep. A coffee table between them had a couple of teacups, plates, and Soichiro’s glasses. Aizawa was also sleeping in the fourth and last armchair against the wall behind everyone else. I stood next to Ryuzaki, trying to be quiet and not wake the other men.

“Hello, Ryuzaki,” I said, smiling. “It was alright. It took forever for me to shake Light off my back, though. I basically had to run through the school to lose him.”

“I’m sorry to cause you such trouble. Although it’s thanks to you that we’re able to put Misa into custody. Light doesn’t need to be a part of this; we must keep Misa and Light apart.” Ryuzaki said.

“There’s nothing to apologize for, Ryuzaki,” I said, shaking my head. “Misa is loyal to a fault when it comes to Kira. It’s safer for everyone that she is off the streets. Although I feel a little bad that we had to contain her like we did. While Misa is a killer, she’s also a victim. Criminals and victims are either on the same or the opposite side of the coin; there’s no in between.”

“I think it’s admirable that you can empathize with a killer. I must admit I struggle with seeing a criminal as human. Having someone with your line of thinking on a case is essential. While we need to stop Kira and the second Kira, it’s important to remember that they’re human, so we don’t take things too far. Once you take things too far, you become as bad as the criminal. You’re a fantastic person, Y/N. I’m so happy that I have you in my life.” Ryuzaki said.

He leaned up towards me, and I leaned down. Our lips met, and we shared a short but sweet kiss. I pulled away with a smile and straightened back up. Suddenly, a voice came from Ryuzaki’s computer, shocking everyone awake.

“Ryuzaki, Amane is talking,” Watari said.

Ryuzaki gasped and leaped out of his chair. Grunting, he ran over to the bigger TV on the other side of the room and dove onto the loveseat beside it. Ryuzaki lay on the loveseat for a second before sitting up. The rest of us made our way over to the TV.

“Finally talking after three days,” Aizawa tiredly said.

“Get me audio and visual, quickly,” Ryuzaki said urgently.

The static that was once on the TV was replaced by a crying Misa. “I can’t take it,” Misa said through sobs. “Kill me.” The room was filled with shocked gasps. “Please kill me.”

“This probably was too much for a young girl to take,” Aizawa said in concern.

“Aizawa’s right,” Matsuda said with equal concern. “We pushed her way past her limits.

Ryuzaki pressed the button on the microphone, distorting his voice. “Can you hear me, Miss. Amane?” Ryuzaki asked.

“Yes, I can hear you,” Misa said. She stopped crying, but her voice was still shaking. “Kill me now, please.”

“Are you ready to admit you’re the second Kira and give up?” Ryuzaki asks.

“No, because I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Misa lied. “I would rather die, I can’t take this anymore. Hurry up and kill me, now! You can do it right away, right?!”

I realized then that she was begging Rem to kill her. My suspicions were confirmed when Rem started talking to Misa.

“Do you mean…?” Rem trailed off, afraid of Misa’s answer.

“Yes, I want you to kill me,” Misa confirmed.

“You want me to kill you?” Rem asked.

Once again, Misa repeated, “Yes, kill me.”

Rem leaned in slightly. “Light Yagami dies, too, then. This is his fault.”

“No!” Misa protested. “Kill me, please.”

Rem was quiet, likely trying to understand why Misa was so okay with dying for Light.

“If you wouldn’t do it, then I will!” Misa shouted.

Before Misa could bite down on her tongue, Ryuzaki yelled into the microphone for Watari to stop her. Watari places a rag into Misa’s mouth.

“Y/N,” Ryuzaki said, turning to me. “Is it likely that Kira is controlling her before he kills her?”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “The second Kira is still too helpful for Kira to kill her. With her blind loyalty, Misa will do anything for Kira, no matter who it hurts. Misa’s doing this because she’d rather die than give Kira up.”

“When this is over, Misa, you’ll forget everything,” Rem said. “Including Shinigami and the Death Note.” Misa was whimpering, shaking her head. “It’ll be alright. The human you love is Light Yagami. Those feelings will not fade.” Misa stopped whimpering and shaking her head, satisfied with her feelings remaining. “Leave everything to Light Yagami, and forfeit ownership of the Death Note.”

Misa was quiet for a second before nodding. Misa’s head fell forward as she passed out, and a tear dripped down her face. Rem brushed a few strands of Misa’s hair. Ryuzaki leaned forward in confusion, seeing Misa’s hair move, but not who was responsible. I watched Rem go through a wall, leaving Misa.

“Was that Misa’s Shinigami just now, Y/N?” Ryuzaki asked.

“Yes,” I said. “Misa gave up her power to kill to save Kira. That means she will no longer remember anything to do with Shinigami, or anything else. It means she can’t tell us who Kira is or how they kill. However, Misa will remember her feelings for Light, so there’s that. Although it’s pretty useless if she doesn’t remember who Kira is. If Light wants it bad enough, he will use Misa’s feelings to help remove Kira. If I had to guess, Light will offer to be locked up, like Misa, to prove that he’s not Kira. But I don’t know what will happen with Kira after that. Kira could try to pin it on Light or eliminate his power like Misa did. The only thing we can do now is wait, hoping we're closer to finding Kira and stopping him forever.”

Notes:

Abbreviations:

Y/N= Your name

L/N= Last Name

M/N= Mother's name

F/N= Father's name

E/C= Eye color

H/C= Hair color

H/L= Hair length

If any other abbreviations are used, I will put them in the before the chapter.

Warnings:
This story contains the topic of death and killing. This story will also contain some swearing.  Please keep these in mind when reading.

Also, I will not be doing any lemons in this book. I am not comfortable writing them, There will also be no make out scenes. It will be very mild when it comes to that topic.

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