Light stared down at the files, his eyes burning with the struggle to take in all the information that was laid out in front of him.
He had been analysing documents every day for three weeks and even L could see that the experience was beginning to affect him.
"Light-kun…" L began, making Light blink in surprise and look up to where the detective was perched in front of a computer screen. The lengthy handcuff that connected them was draped over the back of the couch between them.
"Yes?" the boy responded.
"I think we should take a break." L nibbled at his thumb nail while fixing Light with a wide-eyed stare.
"We can't afford to take a break! Kira-"
"No developments have been made in three weeks and five days. You know as well as I do that investigative abilities decrease with such monotony. We should go out and do something."
"Alright…" Light rubbed his eyes tiredly, seeing his counterpart's point. "Where do you suggest we go?"
"Lunch." L smiled happily and Light sighed.
"Alright, lunch it is. But I get to pick the place."
"That sounds fair."
Ten minutes later they were strolling down a street and away from a train station that Light realised he hadn't visited since he'd left high-school. They wound their handcuff around their wrists and walked near to each other so as to not make casual observers stare.
Light had chosen a small café which he knew provided sweets that would suit L's sugary palate, but as they neared the entrance, L suddenly stopped.
"Light-kun, do you play Igo?" he asked. Light gave him a strange look.
"I did for a couple of years in high school. Why?"
"There's a Go Salon just across the road." L pointed. "Interested?"
Light's eyes followed to where the detective was indicating. The large building across the street did indeed have a large sign out the front indicating the presence of a Go Salon. After a moment he nodded.
"Alright. A friendly match before lunch sounds good."
The pair crossed the road, Light leading the way inside and pulling the door smoothly open.
"Hello, welcome." said a young woman from behind the front counter as the young men entered. She gave L's dishevelled appearance a slightly curious look before asking, "Is this the first time here for both of you?"
"Yes, it is." Light said, a charming smile on his face. The lady beamed at him.
"Alright. Could you both please write your name and Go level down here?" she said, pushing a form towards each of them. Light pulled a pen from his trouser pocket and wrote his name at the top of the page. As he did so, the lady noticed the handcuff that connected the two. She opened her mouth to ask about it, but then decided not to pry.
L held the sheet up in the air with his thumb and forefinger, staring at it.
"What rank are you, Light-kun?" he asked, head tilted to the side.
"I'm not entirely sure…it's been such a long time since I played." Light frowned, tapping his pen against the counter.
"I occasionally play Go on the internet, but I do not think that I could accurately calculate a rating from that." L said, still staring at the page. Across the room there was a loud crash.
"How could you not notice something that obvious, Shindou!" came a rather young, obviously incensed voice. Light and L simultaneously turned towards the scene.
"Obvious! You missed attaching five moves before that! You wouldn't have even gotten far enough to make that move if I hadn't pointed it out!" Two boys were standing over a Goban at the end of the room; one with black hair that reached just below his ears, the other with a brightly bleached fringe.
"They're at it again." muttered an elderly man as he made his way past the front desk, towards the other side of the room.
"Not again!" the young woman at the counter sighed, before glancing at Light and L speculatively. After a few moments she asked, "Would you two be interested in playing some young pros?"
"Oh, no; but thank you for offering. We came here to play each other." Light politely declined.
"Don't be so hasty, Light-kun…a team battle might prove interesting." L interjected softly, eyeing the squabbling boys with curiously. Light raised an eyebrow.
"Team battle? You think so?"
"I do." L said, finally picking a pen up off the counter and scribbling 'Hideki, Ryuuga' at the top of his form. Light shrugged.
"Alright, we'll play them."
"Excellent! I'll go organise it while you finish filling out the forms." the lady jumped off her stool and made her way across the room. L dangled the pen in the air thoughtfully.
"Ichikawa-san, I am afraid that Shindou is in no condition to play at the moment if he is missing moves as obvious as-"
"Says you who keeps going 'oh yeah' to the most obvious things!"
"Come on, you two." the lady, Ichikawa, said, attempting to reconcile the pair. "I've already promised them a game!"
Light frowned slightly. L recognised the expression as the one which Light wore when they were going down a path of investigation which he saw as worthless or irrelevant.
"Don't be so tense, Light-kun." the detective said, a smile more in his voice than on his lips. "Instead of trying to beat each other, let's see who can beat their opponent more thoroughly."
Light chose not to respond as Ichikawa led the young pros to the front counter. They were still shooting each other dirty looks.
"Shindou-kun, Touya-kun, meet…" she grabbed the forms that the two boys still held, "Yagami Light and Hideki Ryuuga. Ohh, you have the same name as the pop star!"
"I do." L replied simply, staring up at her with his usual blank stare and bad posture. Light refrained from rolling his eyes.
"I'm Touya Akira. It's a pleasure to meet you both." the one with longer black hair said with an open smile on his face, his previous quarrel seemingly forgotten. The other one was still glaring at him for a moment before looking up.
"Shindou Hikaru." he said gruffly. "How good are you guys?"
"Shindou! Show some manners!" Touya once again looked outraged.
"We aren't actually sure." Light said with a gentle laugh. "Neither of us have played for a while."
"That's fine, we can work it out." Touya said. "Let's go find a table."
"Wait, you two haven't paid yet!" Ichikawa said. "It's 800 yen per adult."
Light reached into his pocked and fished the money out of his wallet.
"I don't seem to have brought any money with me, Light-kun." L said, emptying his pockets out in demonstration. Light raised an eyebrow and took another 800 yen, handing it over the counter.
"I suppose you were going to make me pay for lunch too, eh Ryuuga?"
"Hey, why are you guys handcuffed together?" Shindou asked, finally noticing the chain that connected them.
Light opened his mouth to respond, but L beat him to it.
"We like this sort of thing." he deadpanned, accompanied by his usual wide-eyed stare. Light almost choked.
"Ryuuga, don't be stupid. We're doing this for a dare." he clarified. Shindou sniggered and Touya tilted his head in confusion.
"There's two spare Goban next to each other up at the back there." Ichikawa cut in, biting back a grin.
"Ah, thank you Ichikawa-san." Touya led the group up to the spare tables. A few of the patrons stared at the two newcomers, before going back to their own games.
They sat down, L facing Touya and Light facing Shindou.
"How many stone's handicap would you like?" Touya asked politely, pulling the white stones towards his side.
"No handicap." L said, pulling his legs up onto the small wooden seat and settling into his usual foetal position.
"For me either." Light added, hands delicately folded on his lap and posture unfaultable.
Touya and Hikaru glanced at each other uncertainly.
"Are you guys sure? You said you hadn't played in a while." Shindou said.
"Yes, we're sure." L picked up a black stone between two fingers and stared at it as though it were the most intriguing piece of evidence he had ever bore witness to, before lowering it onto the board much like an industrial crane lowers its load.
Light frowned at him before giving a small bow to his opponent. "Please."
Shindou tore his gaze from the detective and returned the gesture. L glanced at the two.
"I've never played Go in real life before. I don't know the proper procedure."
Touya smiled sheepishly and picked up a stone. "Ah, that's alright." He went to bow, before deciding not to and simply placed his stone on the board.
Light picked up a black stone and placed it with such professional ease that he might well have played the game his entire life.
Shindou raised his eyebrows and fingered a white stone for a moment, before striking it against the board with a soft 'pa-chi'.
The game had started.
About ten minutes in to the game, Ichikawa had approached the table to ask if any of them would like something to drink, but had received no response.
Twenty minutes into the game, a few regular customers had glanced over to see how the supposed 'teaching games' were progressing. They could only stare and wonder what handicap had been given to make the games appear so even.
Thirty minutes and no one had budged an inch.
Forty minutes on and Ichikawa glanced over, surprised that the games were continuing as long as they were.
Suddenly Touya placed his hand on the table, the first movement he'd made the whole game which hadn't been to place a stone. There was an indecipherable expression in his eyes which didn't leave the board.
"It's a tie." he said in a quiet voice. L nodded and bit on the end of his thumb.
"Yes, there has been a 43.5 chance of that result since twenty seven moves ago. You play well." He tilted his head to the side to stare at Light and Shindou Hikaru's game.
There was a thin sheen of sweat on Hikaru's forehead and Light's mouth was pressed into a tight line.
"I have nothing." Shindou abruptly choked out, his fists clenched white. Touya's eyes widened and he finally looked up from his own board.
"You played an excellent game." Light said in a smooth voice, but L looked closely and saw the slight tension that had built in his shoulders. "Several times you almost had me. You have an unusual…and interesting style."
The young pro was staring at his opponent wide-eyed.
"You said you'd only played Go for a bit in high school. Was that a lie?" Hikaru near whispered.
"Not at all." Light said, eyes narrowing at the accusation.
"Do you…I mean…have you…been taught by someone?" Hikaru continued in the same tone. This time Light allowed a slightly confused look.
"I was taught the basics by my high school instructor, but otherwise, no."
"No, what I mean is…" the boy looked like he was torn. He ran a hand through his hair fretfully. "Have you…been guided? By someone unusual?"
"Shindou, what are you saying?" Touya asked suspiciously.
"No, I cannot say that I have." Light said with finality. Shindou exhaled slowly.
"Alright. Sorry for asking weird questions like that." He said, a half smile creeping onto his face. "Though I still can't believe I lost."
"And for someone who has only ever played on the internet…" Touya shook his head. "You played a very thoughtful game, Hideki-san. Thank you for the honour."
L nodded, chin balanced atop his knees. "It was a good mental exercise. You were an excellent opponent, though I admit to being very disappointed I didn't win."
Light gave a barely perceptible smirk.
"Would you two like to stay and go over the game?" Touya offered.
"No thank you. We should go get lunch." L said, staring at Light in a way that plainly said 'I'm hungry.'
Light rolled his eyes and nodded. "Yes, alright; lunch it is. But thank you for the offer." He said, addressing the two young pros. "And thank you for the games."
Light and L rewrapped the long chain around their wrists, before making their way towards the front of the salon.
"Yagami!" Shindou called out. "Maybe we can play again some time?" Light turned around and smiled.
"Maybe." And then he was gone.
The two young pros stood in silence for a while. Touya finally turned to Shindou, a curious look in his eyes. "That was similar to the first time you arrived here."
"Mmm…but it isn't the same, is it?" the blonde pro said.
"I suppose not." There was a moment's thoughtful silence. "What were you saying to Yagami-san about having an unusual teacher?"
"Oh, err…nothing really. I was just wondering-"
"Don't lie, Shindou. Does this have something to do with Sai?"
"Ahh…Touya…" Shindou scratched the back of his head. "I better be getting home. I was only planning to stay for one game." He hurried over to the counter, leaving a protesting rival to fume behind him.
"How did the games go?" Ichikawa asked, handing Shindou's bag to him.
"They were interesting!" the boy said simply, hooking his backpack over his shoulder. "See you Ichikawa-san, Touya!" he exclaimed before taking off out of the front door. Touya huffed in annoyance.
"There goes Shindou-kun." L waved a cake-skewered fork at the boy racing down the street.
Light delicately sipped his tea and stared coolly out of the front window of the café.
"I'm glad you suggested a game of Go. It turned out to be quite an enjoyable break from the investigation."
"We shall have to have a game against each other some time." The detective said, licking some stray frosting off his fingers. Light nodded and his lips twitched upwards.
"I look forward to it."