Near sat in the centre of the room, fiddling with one of the many blank puzzle pieces, vaguely trying to recall its' exact position on the board in front of him.
"Near, why don't you come outside for once?" a girl asked from the doorway.
He didn't glance her way, knowing exactly who it was.
"Forget him, Linda," muttered one of the boys with her.
"No thank you," Near replied, as if he hadn't heard the bitter comment.
He didn't need any trouble from the other children. It was easier for Near if he stayed inside. Aside from Linda, the others in the orphanage had a tendency to express a certain level of dislike whenever it was convenient for them.
Then again, Mello was outside. For some reason, the rest of the students were inclined to leave him alone when the older boy was around.
Near didn't bother to pay the matter attention any longer, instead opting to continue along with his puzzle.
He proceeded to place the white cardboard, piece by piece, into place. Not long after, there was only a small pile, perhaps five or six pieces large, sitting on the floor beside him.
Pausing, his hand hovering for a moment over the almost-completed puzzle, Near listened to the drumming of students' feet down the adjacent hallway, and the quiet sound of a girl saying, "Oh, Mr. Roger."
"Mello," the older man said. "And Near, come to my room."
"Yes," the pale boy said simply.
Near picked up his puzzle and the remaining pieces calmly, and walked to Roger's office. When he and Mello were both settled, a deafening silence blanketed the room.
"What is it, Roger?" Mello asked, breaking the quiet stillness.
The adult hesitated for an instant, before his lips formed the words that everyone had been dreading for years.
"L is dead."
Mello's jaw dropped as he opened his mouth in a voiceless gasp. Even Near, who was known for his constant emotionless façade, halted, letting his eyes widen just slightly.
Rushing up to the desk, Mello yelled, "Dead!? W-Why!?"
Roger didn't respond. The only thing that could be heard was the sound of the last piece of Near's puzzle, sliding into place with a quiet snap.
"Y… You mean he was killed by Kira? Is that it…?" Mello persisted.
"Most likely."
"He promised he would see Kira dead!" Mello yelled, now screeching at the top of his voice. "L was killed…? Are you sure!?"
"Mello…" Roger strained out, eyeing the hand that was now pulling on the front of his shirt.
Suddenly, the clattering of hundreds of puzzle pieces hitting the floor echoed around the room.
"If you can't beat the game, if you can't solve the puzzle, you're nothing but a loser," Near mumbled softly, dropping the last few pieces to the ground.
Mello glanced back, stunned at his rival's sudden change in attitude.
"So then which of us did L…" he started, turning slowly back to the desk as Near began to start the puzzle again.
"Neither of you, yet…" Roger sighed. "He can't choose, now that he's dead…"
Mello's wide-eyed, shocked expression twitched, if only for a second.
"Mello, Near… How about you two work together…?" Roger suggested.
"Yeah, sounds good," Near replied, who had decided to switch most of his attention to his puzzle form that point.
Mello glimpsed behind him and chewed on his bottom lip in frustration.
"That's impossible, Roger… You know Near and I don't get along… We're always competing," said Mello with an unmistakable tone of distaste in his voice.
Another pregnant silence filled the room. Again, Mello was the one to break it.
"It's fine, Roger… Near can be L's successor," he said, his voice surprisingly tranquil. "Unlike me, Near will calmly and unemotionally solve the puzzle."
Said boy gently slid the last piece into his puzzle again.
"I'm going now… I'm leaving the orphanage, too."
Mello turned and walked to the back of the room, brushing past the voiceless boy on the floor. Near wanted to call out, to reach to his opponent and companion. He wanted to beg the boy not to go, and to stay with him just a little longer. Instead, he stayed still, staring without a sound at the smooth grains of the wood floor.
"Mello," Roger said simply.
"I'm almost fifteen anyway, Roger," Mello said, a sour tone creeping into his voice. "I'll live life my own way."
He slammed the door loudly and rushed to get his belongings quickly from his room. Then, Mello stepped into the icy rain outside, and walked out on everything he had come to know forever.
Or so he had thought.
This story is dedicated to llamaglamasama, because without me constantly trying to get her to like Near, I probably wouldn't have thought of this. How about now, Llama? Do you like him now!?