Sorry it took so long to get this chapter put up, but it's really long. This is because most of it is in L's POV. He uses really long sentences and analyzes subtle and open body language.
This chapter explains why Ryuzaki had the Kira Academy for Youths built and what the separation is for. It also introduces the fact that someone could not be who they seem. It took me a while, but I also got around to explaining most of KK's hatred towards Kira, her family's reasons as to why they support him, and KK's and Katie's relationship as sisters and twins.
Hope you enjoy reading about the Panda Man's thought process and such. (Note: Panda is Snowpea's nickname for L because she thinks he looks like the human embodiment of the black-and-white creatures. This is showed in a later chapter.)
Onwards to the story!
Ventus' POV:
The bell rang, signaling first period's end.
I grabbed my things and waited back as the other four students left the classroom. I needed it empty.
Snowpea stayed seated on my desk top. Her arms were crossed over her chest, head refusing to turn my way. I could safely say she was still pissed off about me ignoring her when Reece knocked her away, but what had she wanted me to do? Didn't she remember I wasn't able to talk to her around people?
Glancing about, I saw everyone had exited. Slowly, I approached the still-standing headmaster. His black holes watched me with little interest.
"May I help you?"
"Uhm, yeah, I think so."
I took a few steps closer before stopping. How to go about this without giving away too much?
"You see. . . that girl, Katie Draco.."
"Yes, she is quite. . .something. Very smart, yet incapable of stopping her drifting thoughts. She speaks frequently. It's a wonder she has such a high GPA-,"
"No, it's not that. It's just, how did she get her nickname?"
"And what nickname are you referring to?"
"'Katie,' sir. It's completely off from her actual name. They don't even begin with the same letter."
The pale man was silent for a moment, thumb firmly inserted between his lips. I could tell he was thinking a few things over in his mind, the wheels turning.
". . . I do not understand what you are referring to. All her records say that 'Katie' is her legal birth name. You must be mistaken as to which student you are talking about."
I furrowed my brow. 'But.. That's not true. It wasn't Katie that was above her head..'
Scratching the back of my neck in fake embarrassment, I nodded at my teacher. Was he lying, or did he not know?
"S-sorry, I must have. I-I guess I'll be going now. Thank you for clearing that up, Headmaster Law– er, Ryuga.."
Bowing apologetically, I made my way out of the class as fast as I could without looking like I was in a hurry. I was SO stupid! Nearly using his real name like that..
Snowpea flew by my side, still not speaking. If she had, she would have scolded me for sure.
Closing the wooded door behind me, I turned, only to be greeted by the last person I had expected to see. I faced Reece, a small scowl fixed on his mouth, looking pointedly at my invisible friend. His red-ish eyes turned to me, then back to Snowpea. He let his arms fall to his side, smirked knowingly, then walked away without a word.
"Well, Mistress Scythe, it seems he CAN see me after all."
L's POV:
I looked at Vanitas Ventus as she spoke in an unconvincing tone.
"S-sorry, I must have. I-I guess I'll be going now. Thank you for clearing that up, Headmaster Law– er, Ryuga.."
As she left, I stared after the teen, my eyes widening in an unusual display. Had I been mistaken? Heard her wrong, perhaps? Had she about to call me by my real name, Lawiet?
No, she couldn't have. No one could find any records pertaining that information, and Watari would never disclose any information to anyone. Not even Kira had yet to find my name.
An odd sensation struck harshly at my chest. I gripped my shirt, initially thinking Kira had finally caught up to me, but, after a moment, I noted there was no actual pain which meant I was not undergoing a heart attack. Then why did my breath hitch in my throat like some sticky substance? Why had my heartbeat feel like it skipped? Perspiration dampened my back, neck, and forehead.
Surely this was not fear. In my entire career, in all of my cases, never has anyone instilled FEAR inside me. I planned on dying in the Kira Case to see to his downfall, but only if the time came. I cannot fear about uncertainties.
And yet a 17-year-old girl had single-handedly caused my blood to freeze in its natural course throughout my systems.
Fear. . . I do not like it. No. No, this was not that. This was purely shock resulted from the notion that someone had figured out who L was.
I must inform Watari of our situation right awa–
Knock knock
Collecting my wit as quickly as humanly possible –if not sooner– I trained my eyes to the one who was trying to get my attention. Standing in the doorway, stood one of the two siblings.
"May I… Can I talk to you, Headmaster Ryuga?"
Being addressed by my alias helped slam my defenses back into place, my unemotional mask taking on once more. I nodded my consent to her request, making my way over to the large desk. Sitting in my preferred crouched position to help rationalize my thoughts, I eased my nerves further, the discussion that was exchanged temporarily evaporating from my mind.
"Y. . . You said my sister's on the other side, right?"
"Correct."
"I-is she.. Can I?.."
"Speak to her," I finished bluntly.
Looking at the floor, she nodded her head, clearly ready for me to turn down her request and send her away as I should. Communication was not allowed between dorms as per my rules. But. . . I could see how crushed she would become should I deny her. Her eyes sparkled from unshed tears. This made me silent in contemplation.
Should I allow it? How close were these twins? They seemed like night and day personality wise. Katie being a prodigy, and Kitkat a soon-to-be drop-out, at least, that's what it LOOKED like at the moment.
I refused to believe that Kitkat, with her high scores in school being so promising, could have suddenly plummeted like there was led bogging her intelligence down.
"Hmmm…" I bite my thumb. "IF you answer a few of my questions to my satisfaction."
Her wood-brown eyes glistened brightly as if receiving a fresh coat of wax.
"Really? Ask away!"
'I wouldn't readily agree.'
"First and foremost, will you go down to the nearest vending machine and bring me back something containing a high sugar content?"
I was in desperate need of sustenance. I'd gone without food since seven this morning, and it was now nine seeing as how classes on this side were two hours long.
"..Huh?"
"You see, it's been some time since I last ate, and my body is heavily reliant on calories. When one exercises their mental capacity to the extent that I do, your body requires additional supplies of energy, to which I provide mine with in the form of sweets. This is the best and most efficient way to deliver said supplements into the blood stream, keeping my bodily functions, such as thinking, from experiencing any difficulties."
She stood for a moment, clearly taken aback by my explanation. I was sure I had made it as simple as I could manage.
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"Okay, I brought you a package of two double-chocolate chip cookies. What else?"
Carefully and skillfully, I opened the delicious confection and took one out with my index finger and thumb. Taking a sample bite, my mouth watered for the rest. Instead, I swallowed and spoke, trying to sound as absentminded as I could while still being monotone. To show interest would look suspicious. I needed to catch her off guard.
"Your grades are note-worthy. Ever since sometime this summer, you have surpassed your sister, Kitkat."
She nodded her head, her smile no longer reaching her eyes. Either she was confused by my words, or she was weary as to where I was taking our conversation. In the first instance, she'd be innocent of all suspicions. In the latter, she'd be hiding something. THIS was what I was trying to determine in my round-about tactic.
"I'm curious: What changed her so drastically in such a short amount of time?"
Chomp. My cookie was now half its intended size.
There was a small lapse into silence. Katie pursed her lips in thought. It didn't LOOK like she was trying to dance around a big issue, but looks can be deceiving a lot of the times.
Eventually, she shook her head 'yes' and clicked her tongue.
"It's true. KK was better at school then I was –honestly, I think she still IS– but," she drew a steady breath that I instantly noted.
". . . You see, we had a brother.."
"'Had?'"
I picked up my second and last cookie, eyebrow cocked in questioning.
"He was. . judged by Kira not long ago. He was convicted of theft and assault. Further into the investigation, police found drugs in his locker, though none were found in his system. He pleaded not guilty, but the woman he had robbed identified his cloths he had worn that day. This swayed everyone –the jury, judge, and us, his family– to the conclusion that he most likely sold the drugs and had, indeed, attacked the woman."
"So he was a criminal Kira terminated, and your sister cannot forgive his death," I summed up.
She made a face like she disagreed with my assumption. I licked away some smeared chocolate from my smaller digit.
"Please elaborate."
"Well, KK was rather close to him, and it broke her heart when we were told by police Semmuh was in their custody for the crimes he did. The thing she couldn't understand was WHY he did it. No one could. He wasn't THAT type of guy; he never had been. He was likable, responsible, kind, caring; the works. There should have been no reason he. . . We still.."
Leaning forward in my seat, I waited for Katie to come up with the preferable words to end her explanation. As a detective, I lived for the detailed stories. They held more depth, were open, and usually brimmed with facts.
More tears shimmered behind her glassy eyes as she shifted them towards the ground. This action told me she was apprehensive. She did not want any misunderstandings to be brought up, or was treading around an embarrassing/flawed way of thinking.
Her finger fidgeted with the hem of her uniform. This displayed pent up feelings such as nervousness, being ashamed or something/someone, an inactive mind, habits formed from shyness in younger years due to trauma or bullying, or plain confusion.
Her eyes shifted restlessly, avoiding direct and indirect contact. This was a sign that she was about to lie or exaggerate, disliked to current topic, or had mistrusting and secretive thoughts.
These traits told me she answered someone else's orders, or, in less complicated terms, was a lackey, follower, or underling. She was not the one to come up with her own plans, usually referring to commands on how to function. Without said ringmaster, the 'henchman' would be unable to think for themselves, making them vulnerable to scrutiny. I'd use this analysis to my advantage.
"It was uncharacteristic," I supplied."
She nodded, a grateful smile showing me that she was glad I arrived at such a conclusion on my own. So, she didn't want misunderstandings; that's why her eyes seemed to search out answers from around her. Moving on.
"No one expected it. KK, being the youngest, was reliable on our brother and I. Even after the court sent him to prison, she remained loyal to him, saying Sem wasn't guilty a few days after his death. She blamed his best friend, Hannagochi. We were never told why she felt that why, though. She wouldn't tell anyone, just went on that it was his entire fault."
"Kitkat is the younger of the two of you? Your mother said-,"
"Yeah, Mom gets it confused a lot, but I'm the eldest."
"Hm. . . I see. Tell me, how close is Kitkat to you and your family now?"
Katie gladly switched to the next topic.
"Our parents and her argue about her grades just about every time they talk. She usually ignores them and their threats, though. KK and I, on the other hand, spend a lot of time together. Some of our friends told me she'd like my shadow; dark and mysterious. We get along so long as no one mentions Sem and Hannagochi."
"And you thought she would end up on the Pro-Kira side even with her grudge against him?"
"Well, I had hoped she was just saying that stuff to make our brother look like a decent person. He did a bad thing, and he paid the price. . I tend to not think about it. In a way, it feels like he's off at camp and not dead. Any day now, and he might come back, duffle bag in tow. ."
Even with her long bangs covering her face, I saw the glint of water as a single drop trekked down her cheek. Obviously, this was a sore subject still. She isn't over her sibling's death, but does not wish to push the blame onto anyone, neither Kira nor her brother. She had a heart of gold. In other words, completely innocent.
Nodding, I ended our conversation.
"I'll set up a way for you to communicate with your twin. See Mr. Aihara after school tomorrow evening."
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Taking a strawberry off the top of my cake with my fork, I typed into the computer I sat in front of.
I was in the 'Office Building' which acted as Task Force Headquarters. One wall was covered in monitors that displayed the Anti-Kira school buildings. The wall to my left was where we could listen into the wiretaps that were strategically placed as well. To my right was a wooden table, a few chairs, and stacks of paperwork from earlier today. Behind me was the door.
Running an academy was proving to be problematic. We could not keep watch around the clock like I wished for each member –myself included– was busy running classes. We could have hired more staff, but I felt at least one member had to be present should one of the top students speak about anything of significance. After all, that was why I had built this academy.
My goal was to find some of the most promising students to help give us an insight as to how teenagers think and act. Initially, this was the reason I had Light put on the Task Force. Well, that is what I told the other members. That, and because I had reason to believe that Light is Kira.
Another reason I chose to watch Kira supporters as well as those who did not like him, was to come up with other potential suspects, or to see if they would notice something we could miss.
The Draco twins, however, were almost an additional matter entirely.
Katie was by far the least likely to be Kira, as was Kitkat, yet I felt there was something they were hiding. Why would such a sweet girl throw her lot in with a murderer, especially someone who had killed her own flesh and blood? And why would someone suspect their deceased brother's best friend was the cause for said sibling's criminal actions without any evidence? There was also the fact that one of the students had reason to believe Katie was using an alias, yet all her records say that is, indeed, her name. Add that to her claim that she was older when her mother said otherwise. Why didn't she correct her yesterday?
What was just as unsettling was Ventus' slip of the tongue. Once I had gone over all the security tapes, I had confirmed she had meant to call me 'Mr. Lawiet.' I could not simply write it off to nerves any longer. This girl knew my identity.
I'll inform Watari to set up a private meeting in which I will interrogate said girl. She was neutral about Kira, but should she inform any of her peers, then a student could find a way to leak it to the serial killer. I could not leave such sensitive situations such as these to stay unattended.
Starting this academy resulted in many more mysteries than I could have planned for.