Hi, again. Please forgive me for the long waiting. I was kind of generous lately, dunno, maybe I had hit my head accidentally while sleeping. I helped my friend and even juniors doing their project assignments, not that I like busying my head with something that could give me headache, but I just couldn't say no to people who had asked me nicely (those juniors even knew my weakness, big puppy eyes!!).
Well, enough with my rambling!
Many thanks to Kagome-chan LP, oztan, and Translucent Darkness for reviewing my fic, your reviews were the main reason I still have the spirit to continue this fic. And for all of you who put my story on story alert and didn't leave a review, I also want to thank you. Actually it was amusing to me to know that there were a lot of people putting this fic into story alert but only three left a review..
Okay, just go to the story!
Chapter II: Suspicion
After the long and boring day at One Temple, Kira finally got the chance to return to his house. He couldn't stop himself from remembering all that happened to him in the last two days during the way home.
The young strategist felt a bit disappointed actually. He rarely met with L, even after his second day at work.
Today, on the second day, he had only met with him twice. The first was when he reported his arrival. After that, the bishop just gave him instruction of what to do and dismissed him to work on his own room, just like the first day.
He spent hours to reviewing all of the data that was presented to him by the bishop himself and compiling them into documents, a job that he had been doing since yesterday. He didn't know why that man asked him to do this job when surely there were a lot of his other aides that could do this job for him. But he did his best for the job nonetheless. He wanted to impress his superior with his flawless work.
The second meeting was in the afternoon, when he had finished his job and brought the documents that were asked by the bishop to his room. His heart was fluttering with excitement by the thought of the chance to meet and talk to him again.
When Kira reached the door of the bishop's office, he stopped and checked himself. He would make sure of himself not to show his excitement. He must look calm in front of the man. After he was sure of himself, he knocked the door.
"Excuse me."
There was no answer at first.
Well, maybe L was too busy doing his job until he didn't notice him. He would just try again. "Excuse me."
There was a sound of papers rustling, and then quiet again.
"Who is this?" there was a voice from behind the door asked him finally.
"I'm Kira Yagami."
There was a pause again. Kira frowned. Something felt suspicious.
"You may enter." The voice finally spoke to him again after a moment.
The excitement and curiosity made him had a hard time controlling himself not to rushing into the bishop's office. Kira turned the door knob gently and entered the room gracefully.
When he entered the room, he found out that the bishop wasn't alone.
There, sat on the chair across the bishop's was a red haired boy that wearing long black cloak. He was sitting with one leg dangled from the chair, and the other was on top of the other leg's lap. His chin was resting on a hand that was propped by the elbow on the desk and the other hand was just resting on the desk, playing with papers.
He was sure the red-haired boy was not a member of aristocrat family, or a servant that working on the temple judging by his clothes and his manner in front of the bishop. Educated people will keep their manner in front of the bishop.
The brunette wasn't sure who the boy was, or why the boy was in that room, alone with L. He doubted the bishop have any business with that boy.
The boy in question was just eyeing him and smiling lazily.
Kira was trying to act cool even though inside he was really confused. He just bowed to them and then walked toward the bishop. Before he could speak, the pale-skinned man cut him.
"You already finished your job?" L asked him.
Kira gave him a polite smile. "Yes, Sir. I come to give the documents to you."
"Good. Please give them to me."
The young Yagami quickly gave the documents into the waiting hand. "You can check them to make sure-"
"Yes, I will. Thank you for your hard work. You may return to your home now. We will discuss about your work tomorrow," L cut him in, not waiting for him to finish his words first.
Kira startled. The man clearly seemed to want him to go soon. It annoyed him to think that the man just dismissed him like that.
"Fine then. Excuse me, Sir," he said politely and bowed to L, trying hard not to show his annoyance. He then turned to the boy's direction and bowed at him too, just for the sake of politeness in front of the bishop.
"Please give my greetings to your family, Sir Yagami," the bishop told him when he had turned and started walking to the door.
Kira paused in his steps and glanced back, smiling. "Yes, I will. Thank you, Sir." He then continued his steps and left the room.
'Tomorrow. I will ask him about that boy tomorrow.'
"Big brother!" Sayu yelled at Kira as soon as she saw her older brother entered their house. Wide smile plastered on her innocent face.
Kira smiled at the sight of his beloved sister. "Finally you're back. How is grandfather?"
"He is fine, really fine even!" Sayu answered him energetically. "Did you miss me and mother?"
Kira couldn't help but chuckled at her question. Surely Sayu knew how to gain his affection.
"It's just three days. Not enough to make me miss you."
Sayu pouted at him.
"Just kidding. Of course I miss you." The older twin ruffled her sister's hair.
"And how was your day, big brother?" Sayu asked him again. That girl was a bundle of energy that didn't know how to be quiet.
Kira smiled at his little sister.. "It's a good day, almost boring even."
"Boring?"
"Yes. Just imagine it. I just worked with never-ending papers all day!"
Sayu shuddered at the thought. "Well. It's seems horrible."
Kira chuckled at her reaction.
Light suddenly appeared behind them and piped in. "So, are you expecting something less boring? Like involving in a war like what our famous predecessors did?"
Kira frowned at him. "No. Of course not, Light. War is something that better avoided, unless there is no other way to make the condition better. And from what I had read, our legendary predecessors were involving in wars because there was no other way to stop the war unless one side comes out as the absolute winner."
Light became quiet, thinking about Kira's words. He then sighed softly. "I know. It must be hard for them to involve in a war, to choose whose side was better and abandoned the other side when they fully knew that whoever win the war will get everything, and the loser will lose everything. I just hope that we wouldn't experience it. Not now, not ever."
"I agree with you entirely, Light," a new voice joined their conversation.
The three siblings turned their face to the direction of the voice.
"Father!" the three of them exclaimed in unison.
Soichiro smiled kindly at them. "Come on. Let's go to the dining room and continue our conversation there. Your mother has been waiting for you. Don't let her wait anymore."
All of them then walked together to the dining room.
"Oh, what a surprise! I never thought that the famous bishop, L Lawliet, actually is still so young!" Sachiko exclaimed, the spoon stopped halfway from her mouth.
"And neither did I," Soichiro added. "I never met with him before."
"How could he get a high position like that when he is actually just a bit older than you, big brother?" Sayu asked the older twin.
Kira seemed to think for a moment. "Well, I can see that he is quite brilliant and hard working. So I believe he reached that position by his own effort."
'Me too, someday will reach a high position in the kingdom,' he added in his mind.
"Just two days and you are admiring him already, imagine if you know him longer," Light told his twin with teasing tone, covering his intention of mocking him. But of course Kira knew it.
Kira frowned at him. "After I met and spoke with him directly, my judgment told me that he was not like what we had thought before, so I just have no objections toward him. I'm sure you will have the same thought after you meet with him," he told the younger twin firmly.
Sayu looked at her brothers. The youngest sibling knew sooner or later they will engage in a verbal fight if the conversation continued. She decided to do something to cease the tension.
"Well, well. I know that both of you has lots of similarity, but it would be difficult if you also have the same taste! " Sayu teased her brothers, successfully made them sent a glare at her.
"Please stop, all of you!" Soichiro told them firmly.
Kira and Light just growled and turned their face away from each other, while Sayu was smiling victoriously.
Sachiko just chuckled at the event. "Now, now. I want to tell you something, Kira."
Kira slowly turned his face into his mother's direction. "What is it, mother?"
"Tomorrow your father's comrades from the Soledt Academy will come to have dinner with us. Do you think Bishop Lawliet will want to join us?" Sachiko asked his eldest son.
"I think it's too early for that, mother. We just met yesterday."
"He is right, Sachiko. Besides, he is the second highest bishop in the temple's hierarchy. Do you think he will accept the invitation easily?" Soichiro decided to add in.
Sachiko frowned at them. "Oh, well. Just make sure to ask him someday!"
Kira smiled reassuringly at his mother. "Yes, I will."
The young strategist was coming early to One Temple the next day. The annoyance was gone, but the suspicion was still nagging on his mind, encouraging him to get the answer today by asking the bishop directly. He walked steadily to the bishop's office, passing several people in his way.
Once he arrived in front of the office's door, he knocked it two times. "Excuse me. May I enter?"
He was expecting a voice to answer him, that's why he wasn't prepared and almost jumped back when the door suddenly opened, revealing a blond boy.
Kira took note of the boy in front of him. The blond boy was about two or three years younger than him. And judging by his clothes, he was a member of the temple's staff.
The boy was standing in front of the door, not letting him to enter the room. "Who are you?" he asked suspiciously, eyes narrowing into slits.
Kira tried to control his rage at the boy's behavior and instead smiled politely at him. "I'm Kira Yagami, Bishop Lawliet's new subordinate," he introduced himself.
The boy seemed to be surprised upon hearing his name. "Oh, so you're his strategist! Well, just come in then." He stepped back to allow Kira entering the room.
Kira entered the room and saw the bishop was looking at him with amused expression. Maybe he had witnessed the event in front of his door entire time and found it as a morning show. The brunette must fight the urge to glare at the skinny bishop after that thought. He just bowed at him instead.
"I see that you have met with my chief of staff, Sir Mihael Keehl," L told him.
Kira glanced at the boy direction, surprised that a young boy like him was the bishop's chief of staff. The said boy was just smirked at him.
"Just call me Mello!" the boy walked closer to him and offered his hand.
Kira took his hand and shake it. He smiled at the boy. "Nice to meet you, Mello. I'm looking forward to work with you."
Mello smiled back confidently at him. "Nice to meet you too, Yagami. I also want to work with you to see the skill of the infamous Yagami family."
Kira fought the urge to counter his words. 'And I want to see if a brat like you is really suitable for that position!'
Mello then turned his face to look at L. "Well, excuse me then. I must return to my own office. I will come again later, L!" With that he walked out of the room, leaving Kira alone with L.
'He…he just called him L. Without salutation!' The strategist was a bit taken aback by how the boy was calling L.
"He is a unique individual, right?" the bishop asked him suddenly. A small smile formed on his face.
Kira looked at the bishop and found himself enchanted by the innocent-looking smile. He quickly recollected himself. 'He has opened a chance for me to find out about that boy. I must use it quickly!'
The brunette managed a smile that looked rather awkward to make his act believable. "So, do you have known each other for a long time? I heard him calling you without salutation."
"Yes. We had known each other for almost two years now. Before works for me, he was an ordinary temple's staff. He showed great skills and dedication to his work that made me took him to work directly under me." L answered him nonchalantly, didn't realize the effect of his words toward the younger man.
'So, it's true. I wonder how long it would take me to become that close to him...' he wondered quietly, feeling a bit jealous but unconscious of the existence of that feeling inside his heart.
"Sir Yagami?"
The bishop's voice made him realized that he once again spaced out. He quickly composed himself. "Yes, Sir?"
The pale-skinned man gestured his hand toward the chair in front of him. "Please sit down."
Kira obediently walked toward the chair and sat on it.
Once the younger man had sat down, the bishop took a paper from a stack and showed it to him. Kira immediately noticed the writing on that paper as his own writing.
"I must say, Sir Yagami, that you did a great job. You have a great deduction skill and also vast knowledge. I had purposely asked my staff to slip wrong information on a certain document, but you didn't fall for it. Actually, if you fell for it, I would send you back home and call your twin brother to replace you. I would give him a similar test of course," L stated in his usual monotone.
Kira looked a bit surprised upon realizing something. Anger was built on his chest after he heard the bishop's plan to replace him if he had failed the test. "So, that job you had asked me to do since the first day was a test?" He tried very hard not to show his anger.
L nodded, smirked slightly. "Don't worry, Sir Yagami. You had passed the test."
Kira just sighed. He had just found out that the bishop could be really annoying sometimes.
The strategist suddenly had an idea. He decided to try his luck.
"Well, now since I had passed the test, may I ask you something?" he asked L politely.
The smirk was disappeared from L's face, leaving it blank once again, and Kira almost regret his idea of voicing his question. The older man seemed to think for a moment before he replied. "Sure. What is it?"
'Got it!' Kira smiled triumphantly inside.
"It's about yesterday…umm…who is that red-haired boy that was in this room yesterday when I came to gave the documents to you?" the master deceiver asked with a face that showed hesitation.
If the question had surprised the bishop, he did a great job of covering it. His facial expression didn't change, just as blank as before Kira asked him.
"Why do you want to know about him?" L asked him with a hint of suspicion on his voice. He tilted his head to aside while staring at Kira.
"Just out of curiosity," Kira replied smoothly.
L looked like pondered over something. He eyeing the brunette silently with penetrating gaze that made him felt uncomfortable.
"Please promise to me that you will keep this as a secret between us," L told him firmly, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
The bishop's words just made Kira more curious. He quickly agreed with him. "Yes, I promise."
L sighed. "His name is Matt. He works for me secretly as spy."
"Spy?" Kira wondered out loud.
"My information network was severely lacking in a few places, and he proved gifted at filling in the blanks," L explained to him.
"And as for the 'secretly'?"
L smiled at him. "Good question, Sir Yagami. You're sharp."
Kira couldn't help but felt proud of himself upon hearing the compliment from the bishop.
"I have a reason for making him doing his job secretly," L started his explanation. "Actually, he was from a noble family. For some reasons, his life was threatened and he was forced to leave his family. His best friend had asked me to help him, and I had done it by hiding his whereabouts and changing his name into his current name. Since that time he has been working for me as the payment of my help. He works secretly for his own safety. That's all. Please refrain from asking for more details."
The explanation had stunned the young Yagami. He never thought that the bishop was capable of doing something like that. Hiding a wanted.
"It's enough for me. Thank you for trusting me with this secret," Kira spoke softly, almost whispered. He smiled genuinely at the bishop, feeling happy because the bishop had trusted him with something important, proving that the man had acknowledged him.
"I hope you would never disappoint me, Sir Yagami."
"Never," Kira promised him.
The brunette once again found himself enchanted by the man's sweet smile.
TBC
How is it? Do you like this story? It's the longest chapter I've ever written!
For all of you who wondering when Light will meet L, I already have 2 versions of the scene and it will be hard for me to decide which one is better since I like both. Let's just say version A and B. If I choose version A, then Light will enter the equation on the next chapter. And if I choose version B, then you must wait for one or two chapters more. :)
If you like this fic and want this to be continued, please review. I must admit that my writing spirit is dying slowly, so what will stop it from turn back into hibernating mode are your reviews!
By the way, chapter 2 of 'The Scientist and the Jungle King' will be coming soon, as soon as I have the time and the spirit to stay in front of my laptop…
PS: Sorry if you found grammatical errors. English isn't my mother language, and even isn't my second language.