Japan
2004
The university exams had been insulting. L would achieve the highest score with little effort, right alongside Light Yagami. But they hadn't spoken, not yet. L had studied him during the exams, though, in between the proctor's reprimands for his preferred seated position. He grinned. Just the right amount of genius and eccentricity: Yagami-kun had certainly noticed him.
His ears perked when the door softly creaked open behind him. "L?"
Something was amiss. Watari should have been surveying the Japanese police; it was not time for them to communicate in person. L didn't turn when he spoke. "What is it, Watari?"
Watari was unusually slow in his approach. He crouched beside L and silently stared at his prized detective, as if taking him in. L side-eyed him through his heavy fringe. He didn't know much of nostalgia, but there was no mistaking the wistful look and dried tears caked around Watari's eyes.
"L… Beyond Birthday is dead."
L immediately averted his gaze to the computer screen, refocusing on the charts and graphs for the Kira investigation. He rubbed the back of his head. "Heart attack?"
"Yes."