TWO

"I see..." Soichiro murmured over the phone, covering his mouth and speaker with his hand so that his voice didn't carry. "And what about the other two?"

He listened to the reply carefully and gave a deep frown. The information he was receiving certainly wasn't good.

"Well then... It can't be helped. I give you permission to carry it out, however make sure to be very careful. Alerting anyone at this point could compromise everything."

He waited for the response and mumbled in goodbye. Then ended the call.

"Uh... Chief?"

Soichiro started and turned around. He hadn't realized that Matsuda had been standing there. He thought he had been careful.

"Matsuda - What is it?"

"Sorry to bother you," the young officer said, bowing his head slightly and smiling sheepishly. "I just got a call from forensics. Seems like you were right. The DNA matched our main suspect."

"You seem hesitant?"

"Well, I - I mean, I still think it's a bit of a coincidence."

Soichiro considered him for a long while.

"We'll go with what we've got."

Matsuda licked his lips, and nodded, before walking away.

"And Matsuda?"

"Yes Chief?"

"How much of that conversation did you hear just now?"

"Oh, um, I didn't. I mean, you just hung up? Why was it," Matsuda turned his voice to a whisper, "something classified I wasn't supposed to hear?"

"No..." Soichiro said, shaking his head. "Forget it. I'll send out another email to have a meeting in an hour."

"Yes Chief!"

"... Also tell Aizawa that he'll probably have to stay back late again today. I doubt any of us will be getting home on time again this evening."

"Right!"

'~'~'

They were both sitting under the shade of a tree. There was a small retaining wall that encircled it where there were only another couple of people sitting on the other side. It was away from the main eating area, and quiet. Light watched as the guy next to him picked off some fruit and icing from the cake he'd bought from the cafeteria. He knew that people in the UK were said to love baked sweets, but he'd never heard about cake being eaten for lunch before. And certainly not in the manner that it was being eaten. It was more like a dissection, than anything.

His new classmate lowered a strawberry into his mouth, then scraped some icing off the top of the cake with his fingers, sucking on each of them slowly. Light swallowed. This guy sure was weird.

Lawliet caught him looking and grinned.

"Would you like some?"

"Uh. No thanks." Light declined the offer that was being held out to him, raising a hand and shaking his head. "I don't really eat sweets."

Not to mention... you've had your fingers in it.

Lawliet looked at him as if Light may as well have said that he liked to kill people in his spare time. Complete incomprehension mixed with horror.

"...Why?"

Light shrugged.

"Just never been fond of the taste? I guess I grew up eating a lot more savory food."

The guy next to him contemplated this while sucking on his thumb. Then he took it from his mouth, suddenly saying.

"Yagami-kun?"

"Mm?" Light asked, mouth busy chewing his own lunch.

"I've never seen sakura before. This is a sakura tree, isn't it?"

Light stopped chewing then glanced at him nodding.

"Mm."

"I haven't seen any others around yet."

Light swallowed.

"Actually, neither have I. This must be one of the first to bloom."

Lawliet twisted his back, staring up at the tree. He was still sitting in a crouch, perched on top of the short wall.

He stayed like that for a long moment and they both sat in comfortable silence until Light asked, "Were you in any clubs at your old school?"

"Mn, we didn't have clubs." He replied. "Although I used to play tennis and chess."

"Ah, really? I played tennis too."

"Maybe we should have a match sometime?"

Light hesitated, then nodded.

"Although, I warn you," Lawliet continued, "I used to be British junior champion. And I wont go easy on you."

Light smirked. "Fine by me. I'm not so bad myself."

"Most people would be a lot more modest..."

"Well... Says you." Light said, still smirking.

"I suppose that's true."

"So, have you ever been in a debate before?"

"You could call them that."

Light's brow furrowed. He wasn't sure what to make of the answer.

"Well... I hope we get to choose our own side at least," he said, stretching his legs. "I don't want to have to speak in support of something I'm against."

This caught Lawliet's attention.

"You're right. I wouldn't want to do that either."

...

"Uh... Lawliet-san...?"

Lawliet shifted in reply.

"Just call me L."

"...Huh?"

"My first name - it's L."

"Oh... L-san - "

"Just L is fine."

Light bit his lip in frustration.

"...L... How long are you staying in Japan for? Is it just until you finish this year? It seems a bit random... coming the last term before most people go to college."

"I'm not sure." L admitted, "I thought that I might attend college here. But... I'm also already feeling homesick."

"I see..."

"Are you going to college, Yagami-kun? If I do stay here, I was thinking of getting into police enforcement and applying to To-oh."

Light's back straightened and he stared at L in surprise.

"Mm?" L asked, "Is To-oh not a good university despite it's reputation or something?"

"No! That's exactly what I was going to do."

They stared at each other for a moment.

"I mean - that's a weird coincidence."

L nodded.

Did he know I was doing that or something...?

"My father's a police chief, I always wanted to follow him." Light explained, "It's the sort of job that takes its toll but... he really helps a lot people. I admire him for that. Why... did you want to join?"

The bell sounded indicating the end of the short lunch break before L replied, "I lost someone close to me when I was younger. I'd like to make sure that less things like that happen."

"Oh..." Light bowed his head.

It sounds like something tragic happened then. This is the reason... why I want to help put the people who are rotten into prison. No one deserves this.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be." L shrugged, getting off the wall and standing up. Straightening himself to a height that was surprisingly tall compared to when he normally hunched. "There's nothing for you to be sorry about, Yagami-kun... Anyway, we're going to be late for class."

"...Yeah..." Light agreed, also getting up. They walked in silence until Light thought he ought to break it. Bringing up something like that and then leaving L in his thoughts probably wasn't a great feeling for him.

"Hey... In class, I noticed that you were about to say something. When we got our results back."

"Oh."

L took out the test he had shoved into his back jean pocket.

"I got half a mark taken off, but actually, the teacher had marked it incorrectly. There wasn't a comma needed where he said there was."

The exact same mistake.

Light stared at the paper.

"I thought... that was wrong too."

"It depends on what the meaning is," L agreed. "The sentence is different with or without one. Seeing as it's impossible to know what the intended meaning was, it could be read either way. It was just a poor question, with no right or wrong answer. I considered saying this, but thought it wouldn't be good to embarrass the teacher in front of the class. Also, I'm just the weird foreigner. People already seem to have bad impressions about me."

Light bit his lip again. He didn't want to admit that he'd thought of L at the beginning of class the same. Maybe he'd even already guessed it...

They were interrupted by a group of girls walking past them both and giggling.

Probably because I'm hanging out with him, Light thought.

Well, like L had said earlier, it wasn't like he cared much anyway.

"Thank you for having lunch with me." L said.

"No worries..."

It was actually...

"I'll see you in the class after."

Light nodded.

"Yeah."

The next class went slowly. It was mathematics, and they both had different teachers. Although Light was surprised in afterthought, that L had actually paid attention to the fact that they were both in separate classes for maths. It was obvious to Light, because L stood out. But Light was just another student among twenty-six. Did L just notice those sorts of things?

He turned when he felt a light tap on his shoulder, and saw Miho, his classmate, there. She was holding out a paper which he reluctantly took and unfolded while the teacher had their back to them.

'Were you and Lawliet-kun together at lunch?'

Light felt like crushing the piece of paper up in his hands as he rolled his eyes.

So, the gossip had already begun.

'Yes. Why?'

He wrote back.

'What sort of person is he?'

Light hesitated.

What sort of person was he... exactly?

'He's nice.'

'Maya-chan asked if I could ask you to get his email address for her.'

Light let out a breath in frustration. Then wrote,

'I don't have his email address. Maybe she should ask.'

'...okay.'

Light focused back to the board.

Even despite his weirdness, L was attracting girls?

Well... he supposed girls probably just didn't know how to approach him.

Another tap.

'Aiko asked too.'

Light let out a more impatient sigh.

'Sorry Kumi, I'm trying to concentrate. Let's talk about this later...maybe after school.'

Hopefully that small suggestion is enough.

It was. She didn't write a note back, and Light was relieved.

He twirled his pen around in his hand out of boredom.

Relieved not because he needed to concentrate, but he hated being caught up in those sorts of things. Usually, if he talked to a girl it was just to pretend he was interested in them.

Another tap.

Although this time it wasn't Miho. It was Aiko.

Light tried not to glare in her direction, and masked his face with a look of vague questioning instead.

Another note.

He wasn't really happy with his new role in this situation.

"Some girls in maths class asked me for your email before."

L glanced up at him.

"I don't have an email."

"Huh?"

"I usually just use my phone."

"Maybe... you could give them your phone number then..."

"But I don't know them."

"Yeah... I know. Just thought I'd pass it on that there are a few who seem to like you, anyway."

"Oh... Thank you."

L had taken a seat behind him in the next class. And they were still waiting for the teacher to arrive.

Light looked at his hair. Black, and un-brushed. His face. Eyes rimmed dark from lack of sleep, and complexion pale from probably spending a little too much time inside. His clothes. A plain white long-sleeved t-shirt and baggy jeans. Light really didn't understand what the girls saw in him. They usually went for people like Light. And him and L were complete opposites in that way. Still, he wasn't unattractive or anything. Actually, he -

"Yagami-kun, why are you staring at me?"

"Sorry. I was spacing out again."

"Do you do that often?"

"Actually, I didn't think so."

The chatter in the room quietened down which signaled that the teacher had probably just walked in. Light turned to the front.

The teacher cleared her throat loudly, then said, "Class will be cancelled today. There has just been an incident at the school. It's advised that you should call your parents to pick you up, or teachers will escort you in groups to a bus."

There was a sudden outburst from the students.

"What?! What happened?!" Eito, a guy with a loud voice asked.

"I don't want to cause alarm, and there are no details yet," the teacher replied, "but the police are one their way now. Somebody has been attacked on school grounds."

Light's eyes widened and his gaze darted out the window. There were several teachers and a police officer down below, in the main area.

No sign of an attack, or people panicking. Although one of the teachers, the one talking to the police officer, looked distraught.

"Was it a student?" Light heard himself asking before he could stop himself.

"It's... not certain yet. Like I said, what's important now is that all students get safely home. Leave the questions for the police."

Light clenched his fist.

The police... Sometimes the police are useless.

He started walking out of the classroom - leaving his books and bag there. He pushed the door, and moved quickly down the hall. Although he was forced to a stop when a hand grabbed him.

"What are you doing?" L asked him. Light wasn't able to tell if it was curiosity or concern.

"It'll be at least another fifteen minutes until the rest of the police get here," Light answered, shaking him off. "Whatever happened, and whoever did the attack - they might not be able to find out by then."

"I'm coming with you."

"What? - No."

"Yes. It's safer if there's two of us, and I agree with you."

"But - " Light caught sight of the teacher emerging from the classroom door, looking after them, and Light grabbed L by the sleeve -

"Fine."

- and ran.

'

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'

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Author's Notes:

Thanks for reading another chapter :) As promised, L is now "L" again now! It was strange to write him as Lawliet. And this chapter's a little longer. I'm not sure how the story is going so far... I hope it's okay though. I guess you can choose not to read it anyway if it isn't so good :S Hope you're all well xx

B.