Sunday came and went. Kyoko spent most of it nursing a headache, and alternating between trying to throw up already and trying not to. Yuki looked just as groggy as she left in the morning with a limp wave and grunt goodbye. Kyoko hadn't even thought she had that much, but the empty cans left scattered about told a different story. The seductive sweet drinks had ganged up on her somehow. A lesson learned for next time...
The next day at school, Yuki spotted her between classes and said one quick thing to her in passing.
"Don't think I forgot, now. You're going to do it. Right?"
Kyoko nodded. After that, Yuki quickly dropped her teasing from before to fall into a kind of warzone solidarity. Kyoko stopped her random gushing and daydreaming around Yuki too. The only time they mentioned "him" was in short, utilitarian reports on where they'd looked, or should look next. It was like they believed this was seriously going to happen. As a whole month went by with no sign of Ryuuga, Kyoko's fear and "oh no I just couldn't!" anxiety slowly made way for impatience, determination, and the thrill of the hunt. Where was he, anyway? Did he think he could turn down their date already? By hiding at home?
Yuki felt proud of the change in her friend, but she was worried it wouldn't last if it kept dragging on like this. Had Ryuuga dropped out? Switched schools? Maybe she needed to start asking around a bit. Without letting Kyoko know, of course. Someone had to know about him, it's not like he never talked to anybody. He used to hang around with Light after all, and Yuki had certainly spotted him on campus plenty of times...
She couldn't.
No way she could ask Light.
But it's not like I'm asking him out, I'm asking him about somebody else, an innocent question, nothing to do with him at all!
It would be a good excuse, just to talk to him...
Finding Light certainly was an easier task than finding Ryuuga. But Yuki didn't find him alone. Damn it, she did like the fact that he was wild for a preppie boy, but did he have to be making out with that snotty bitch Shiho of all people? So much for Plan A. Yuki thought with a vindictive smirk that for a 100% genius, he sure needed to find a better hiding spot to get his mack on. Not only had she spotted him, some weird old guy with a face like a brick sat off in the distance watching them the whole time.
It only got worse from there. One day, the two friends sat out in the courtyard, catching some fresh air as they ate lunch together. Yuki was finally getting in a good habit of bringing lunches for herself, even if it was just a lazy pile of eggs on rice. As she tipped the last of it over her mouth, Kyoko just stared down at her bento, picking slowly at each little piece. Yuki wanted to ask what was wrong, but it seemed too flippant - Kyoko looked like she was seriously about to cry.
"What if... he was killed by Kira...?" Kyoko whispered. Yuki's eyes bugged a bit. She hadn't been expecting that kind of theory.
"Why would you think that?"
"It's just... all the new stuff happening lately, on the news, with the new Kira or fake Kira..." Kyoko pulled off her glasses and rubbed at one corner of her eye. "He even killed policemen, and newspeople, just anyone who speaks out against him--!" she hiccuped as the tears started coming out. It wasn't just about Ryuuga. She was scared for herself, too. Yuki instinctively wrapped an arm around her.
"Kyoko..." Yuki's teasing tone was toned down a bit to sound comforting. "I know, it is scary, but even if Kira is going nuts, why would he go after us? We aren't on TV or in the police... we're taking accounting for crying out loud!" One of Kyoko's sobs broke up into a soft laugh. "I don't know what the deal with Ryuuga is, but..." Yuki thought about making a segue to some moral lesson about going for it and making your move, but it really felt shallow all of a sudden.
"Thanks, Yuki." Kyoko made one last wipe over her face and put back her glasses. She took a slow, deep breath, as if to declare the episode finished. "Do you want the rest of my bento?"
