Yagami Raito paced anxiously outside the second briefing room, waiting for the pre-flight meeting to start. The 17-year-old adjusted his tie, checking his reflection in the mirrored, clean surface of the windows at the station. Perfect, of course, except for the glint of worry in his eyes. It wasn't often that he was even remotely nervous… but making a positive first impression on his father's colleagues was very important to him. After all, working on this case could affect his entire future.
"Ah, Yagami-san!"
Raito turned around in the direction of the voice and, relieved, found a familiar face.
"Hello, Matsuda-san. It's good to see you."
Touta Matsuda smiled. An honest, good-natured smile. Raito could smile like that, but it was rarely genuine. When Matsuda smiled, it was always because he really was pleased to see someone. Raito noticed that Matsuda, while simple and not overly bright, was the kind of person people liked to have around. He was caring, kind, and loyal- all qualities that seemed to have decided not to jump into Yagami Raito's gene pool. Matsuda's disposition meant that he was one of the most popular officers at the station. There was practically no-one who wasn't friends with him, and he was one of the closest officers to the Chief of Police- despite his average investigative abilities.
Must be nice to be so well-liked for who you really are.
"Yeah, it must have been at least two years… You've grown!" Said Matsuda, looking thoroughly amazed at human growth.
Well, that's generally what teenagers do over the course of a few years. Pleased to see that Matsuda is as dim as ever, thought Raito.
"Heh.. Yeah."
Matsuda looked troubled and bit his lower lip.
"Am I late?"
"No, you're early."
"Really?!" Matsuda looked astonished. "I'm early for once! I'm always late.. But your father often entrusts me with a lot of important and elaborate work, so I'm busy a lot of the time." Matsuda puffed his chest out slightly with pride. Raito didn't know if he was proud of the work he had done for his father, or for understanding what 'elaborate' meant.
"I guess this means you'll be working with us, Yagami-san?" Matsuda looked hopeful.
"Yes.. My father seems to think I'm ready for such an opportunity."
Matsuda nodded in understanding.
"Good.. It's nice to have someone closer to my own age on the case for once. I feel outnumbered most of the time…" Matsuda gave a sorrowful smile. "It'll be good to have someone to talk to in France!"
Raito seriously doubted that he would have anything to talk about with Matsuda. Of course, he didn't often have a lot to talk about with… well, anyone. His dad, sometimes, sure, but it wasn't the same as having a best friend or confidant. This didn't stop him being popular at school, though. All the while he was growing up, Raito Yagami would have a lot of friends. A different one that he'd bring home each week, usually. Lots of people had an interest in Raito. Assuming that anyone who'd have an interest in him would be interesting too, Raito would find out everything about them, He would dissect their every word and gesture, masquerading under the pretence of friendship. Eventually, he realised that, well, they weren't interesting in the slightest. They were drawn to him for the aesthetic qualities, shallow reasons; looks, intellect, charm, meaning they were also shallow themselves.
They weren't like him. There would never be anyone who understood him, who could see underneath. Raito Yagami was a very lonely boy, and had grown into an even lonelier man. It didn't bother him, of course. Or rather, he didn't let it bother him.
"Yeah!" Raito laughed.
Before Matsuda could speak again, the door to the briefing room slid open.
"Hey, chief!" Matsuda grinned.
Raito noted that his father looked well-rested for once. Usually, his father would be so worried the stress and the discontent in his face was ever present. Today, he looked a lot younger.
"Hello, Matsuda. I see you're on time for once. Did you get those documents I asked for?" Raito's father enquired.
"Sure did!" Matsuda handed the documents resting under his arm and as his father flicked open the first file, they were invited inside.
Raito counted the number of people in the room. Five, including himself. His father, Matsuda, and two other people who he couldn't recognise.
"So Chief, what's happening?" Asked Matsuda eagerly.
"Wait, Matsuda." Soichiro held up a hand. "Raito, this is Aizawa and Mogi. They will be working on this case alongside us."
Raito offered a winning smile and handshake to both.
"There's not so many of us, is there, Dad?" Raito wondered out loud.
"Well," Soichiro spoke. "As only one of the victims was Japanese, those in charge of the case only asked for a small contingent of agents to come from Japan."
"Just who is in charge of the case?" Raito enquired.
"I'm sorry Raito, I can't discuss that for security reasons. Everything will be explained by those in charge when we enter France- until then, please try to be patient. I know it's irritating, son."
Raito sighed. If there was one thing he hated, it was being kept in the dark.
Stepping off the plane into the fading French sunlight, Raito decided he had never been more glad to leave anywhere as he had seat A14. The plane had been fine, the food sub-standard (not like he felt like eating) and the temperature was too hot for his liking- but that wasn't the problem. The problem was that Matsuda had used his shoulder as a living pillow for the entire duration of the flight and he now had a massive drool stain that looked as though his shoulder leaked or something equally strange.
Listening to Matsuda's apologies all the way to the hotel, Raito wondered if this was what it felt to be so annoyed that he actually didn't care anymore. He'd had to take his suit jacket off and carry it over his shoulder. Better to look informal than drool-stained, after all.
"So, this is where the investigation team is staying, then?" Asked Matsuda, as they entered a fairly impressive looking Grand Hotel, a mile or so from the scene of the murder.
Mogi nodded silently.
"Working on this case is going to be fairly difficult," Aizawa spoke. "We're the only foreign team coming into France, right?"
"That's correct." Soichiro nodded. "Raito, you speak a little French, don't you?"
Raito was fluent.
"A little."
"Then you can be our translator, though I'm sure the French police will have one of their own. Do hurry up Matsuda," He scolded the man who was pulling their luggage cart clumsily along the sliding, clean floors of the hotel. "We have to set off in ten minutes, for the conference."
After Matsuda had successfully checked in their luggage (with more than a little help from Mogi), the five bundled into the car waiting outside.
Wow.
Raito had only ever seen a house as big as this on television. What on earth could one person need so many rooms for? Especially a pop star..
It's not like he'd have thousands of books to read, he thought.
The manor had the dark charm of that which is slowly falling into disrepair. Green ivy crept up the stone walls and the windows, growing from nowhere and yet covering the house. Following behind his father, treading the overgrown path carefully, Raito could see the warm glow of a fire in the left wing of the building. The low hum of chatter served as background noise, mingling with the sounds of birds singing and the light wind lifting up the leaves on the trees. It would have been quite pleasant were it not a crime scene, thought Raito.
"Nice place, isn't it?" Raito was surprised to hear perfect Japanese spoken in his left ear. The man to his left was tall, with dark hair and sharp, strong features. Raito assumed he was American from the slight twang he had heard in his Japanese accent.
"My name is Raye Penber. Welcome to France."
A/N: I'll be putting the next chapter up within the next few hours, as long as I can fine-tune it to make it sound okay. To be honest, I'm not overly impressed with this chapter, but I'm doing my best to introduce the story before we get fully into it (I really want to start writing the juicy murderous and lustful stuff now, but I've gotta set the scene!)
I hope you liked it!