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Me: WHOA, THE STORY HAS 109 FLIPPIN' REVIEWS! *tears of joy* THIS IS JUST SO...SO HUMBLING! I want to thank all my wonderful reviewers, as well as ANYONE who favorited/ subscribed. It really means a lot, and without you, I would be unable to write as I do. It's you who keep the story going. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. ^^

Mello: What heart?

Me: YOU RUINED THE MOMENT!

Mello: Whatever. You're just way too sappy. Besides, while reading these reviews, you're not helping my esteem by making everyone find Near "super cute".

Matt: As if you couldn't GET any more emo, Mello. *smirk*

Mello: As if you couldn't GET any more retarded, Matt. -_-

Me: SPEAKING OF MELLO, you'll never guess what I stumbled across the internet.

Matt: What? o.o

Me: An ACTUAL MALE Mello cosplayer! THEY EXIST! It was hot. xD

Mello: OH, WHAT THE *CENSORED*

Matt: FEEL MY WRATH!

Me: HOW'D YOU GET A HOLD OF- *CENSORED*

Matt: BWAHAHAHA!

Me: MATT I'LL *CENSORED* YOU! Oh, crap....

*stampede of fangirls in the distance*

Me: O.O

Mello: RUN, BITCH, RUN! Their jealousy can overpower the heat of the sun!!!

Matt: :D Misseh does not own Death Note or its characters. She does own Far, the OC. AND ME AND MY ARMY OF FANGIRLS SHALL TAKE OVER THE WORLD.

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Nine: What the Heart Knows

Confusion: (noun) - a mental state characterized by a lack of clear and orderly thought and behavior.

Near, in a way, was his own dictionary, and by analysis, this was his definition of confusion. This was exactly what he was feeling right now; his mind had completely gone blank the moment his lips met Far's, even if for a moment. He never expected that someone could have this effect on him.

Confusion, by Near's analysis, will make a person unable to control their actions, because if the mind is disorderly, and the mind is what controls all, then a person's actions will most likely not make sense. Confusion, also, can affect a person's control so much so that they will jump to drastic conclusions, leading to the result of displeasing situations.

By all of what was explained, Near had the perfect platform to experience yet another emotion besides this feeling of "infatuation" Far seemed to give him.

That emotion is fear.

Fear is exactly why Near ran.

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Far's eyes widened as she felt Near's face come closer and closer to hers. Before she could comprehend what was happening, she felt his lips press against hers in an unsure peck, and one that lasted for a total of three seconds, perhaps less. When he pulled away, Far stared at him blankly, eyes wide and a blush tainting her cheeks.

"Tag, you're it….," he whispered quietly.

"N-Near?" she questioned, and the moment his name was called, it was as though he snapped out of some trance. His eyes widened and almost bulged out of his head as he took two steps back.

"Near, you don't have to look so….afraid," Far comforted, reaching out for him. He flinched as she motioned to touch him, as though she were infected with some disease. Her chest ached at his recoil, disappointed by his actions.

Near eyes flickered from the door to Far. "I….am sorry," he mumbled quickly. Turning abruptly, he exited the room in silence, leaving Far standing alone in the middle of the dorm.

"But Near….," she whispered. "….You…."

Near, you've got nothing to fear from me…

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Near found it impossible. For the first time in his life, he was unable to give a logical explanation for an occurrence.

What happened just now…I need a reason for my actions. I have a hunch, but….it's simply not that, he reasoned, walking in a fairly fast pace down the hall. He passed the door he recognized to belong to Mello and Matt.

…..I can't believe I'm doing this, he thought bitterly as he opened the door a crack. Peering inside, he noticed the room contained only one of its occupants; a familiar redheaded gamer.

"….Matt," Near said quietly, knocking once as he entered. The said boy turned around, goggles hanging loosely around his neck.

"Yeah? What's up Near?"

"I….am in need of your assistance."

"Oh, shit, Near needs my help…I'm only seven, and it's already the apocalypse," he muttered, turning in the beanbag chair he was seated on. "So, what do you need?"

Near took a seat awkwardly on the floor, pulling a knee up to his chest. "It is regarding Far. I need your opinion."

"An 8 out of 10."

"…Pardon?"

"OH, you mean about something that happened! Never mind."

"Yes, moving on…It's about Far. After the game of Tag, I acted rashly, and….," Near stopped midway sentence. He couldn't even find the words to describe what happened, his mind was such a mess.

Even without a full explanation, Matt was able to figure out what happened. His eyes widened and a smile broke across his face. "No way! You kissed her?"

Near flinched at the mention of the word "kiss"; the scene replayed in his mind once more. Stop! This is complete and utter chaos! Nothing makes sense, his mind scolded him, the words harsh and demanding.

"Near, you're acting like this is a bad thing," Matt said, snapping Near back to reality. "If you ask me, I think it's a good thing."

"But that is your opinion on the result. I want to know what you believe was the cause."

Matt furrowed a brow, taking a long look at the albino. "You want me to tell you why you kissed her? Sorry, man, but that's not for me to decipher. I'm not you!" he stated obviously.

Near frowned, dissatisfied. "But I've been thinking and thinking, and I get no reason whatsoever as to why I did it."

Matt smirked. "You know, Near, maybe you should do less thinking up here," he said, pointing a finger at his head. "And more thinking down here," he completed, putting a hand on his chest.

"…In the lungs?"

"Oh, sorry," Matt mumbled, shifting his hand to the left a little. "I mean here." Matt smirked once more before turning around in his beanbag chair, leaving Near to ponder over what he had said.

As Near got up and left the room, he put his hand to his chest just as Matt did, feeling a constant beat. That is physically impossible. No organ in the chest can perform the same actions the brain can. What a strange statement.

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L swiveled around in his chair, sitting in Roger's office. Watari was busy putting away his things in preparation for the limo's arrival. He was sad to be unable to stay longer after this short visit, but he had been called on a new and important case in Japan.

L popped a strawberry in his mouth, glad to have been introduced to the tantalizing fruit by his little friend Far. He swallowed one fruit and reached for another when he heard a subtle knocking on the office door.

"Come in," he said, turning in circles as the visitor entered.

"I thought you'd be here," Near said smugly, a hand twirling his white locks. "I come seeking…assistance. Matt was most convenient, but his answer proved useless."

"Was his answer in the form of some sort of moral?"

"Somewhat, yes."

"Then your question is regarding Far."

Near rose his eyebrows a bit, curious at how quickly he had come to that conclusion. "Your reason for saying that?"

"Matt likes to remain 'mysterious' when he is trying to show off. The only reason he shows off is to gain admiration from the opposite sex. Since you are clearly not a member of that opposite sex….or so I know, though I'm not one to judge….Your question must've had something to do with a member of the female gender. From what I see, the only person you seem to associate with of the female gender is Far. From that explanation, your question is about Far, and your curiosity of my answer only proves it."

Near frowned at his mentor's smugness, holding the lock of his hair more tightly. "Yes, your statement is liable. With your permission, I would like your opinion on this matter with Far."

L bit into another strawberry, turning towards Near with interest. "Go on."

"I'm going to be…blunt. My….My lips have met with Far's…..and I want to know why."

"I'm beginning to question your reasoning myself, since you come to the man with almost zero social skills with such a question," L said flatly, nibbling on his fruit.

"However, I'm always open to a challenge. Tell me, Near, has this occurrence made you lose focus."

"Yes, it has."

"Does Far's presence make you do things you normally wouldn't dare do?"

"…Yes."

"Have you pondered over why you did this yourself, but came up with nothing?"

"Yes, I have."

L smirked, turning in his chair a few times. "Congratulations, Near. Your sanity is safe and sound."

Near crossed his arms, extremely irked. "I'm sorry, but I simply don't comprehend. If anything, my sanity has been endangered ever since that girl arrived."

"It's not extinct, is it?"

"My sanity is not some sort of species of animal."

L sighed, peering into the now empty basket of strawberries with a pout. "I suppose in literal terms, that's right. But I'll tell you one thing: What the mind does not know, the heart will."

Near stood frozen in his spot, vividly recalling someone else who said just that. Suddenly, everything seemed to fall into place, and things were becoming clear. Well, that was perhaps somewhat of the truth.

In actuality, things were becoming clear because Near was no longer thinking with his mind, but with his heart.

Near was no longer thinking, but feeling. And it was all because of one girl.

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Far sat sadly in the middle of the floor of her dorm, rooted to the same spot Near had left her in. She cleaned up the room to be spotless, and organized every toy in sight, despite how long it took. The sheets on his bed were made and tucked in, ready for him when he came back. If he came back, that was.

Far feared the worst. N-Near…Do you hate me now? Forgive me for any confusion I have caused you, she thought depressively. Her head shot upwards when she heard the doorknob turning, and her eyes widened as a familiar blob of white entered the room.

"Near. Please, I'm sorry for anything I've done. Don't be mad," she said quietly, bowing her head in shame. Near looked down at her with a blank expression, slowly shuffling forwards.

Far gasped when she felt Near sit next to her. Her eyes snapped to him, and widened when he sat with his arms held out hesitantly towards her. She smiled widely and embraced him gently, wrapping her arms around his middle just as she did during lonesome nights.

It's so much warmer now though, she thought curiously. I wonder why…

"Far….," he said quietly, his voice trembling slightly. "I decided to listen to what you said, and it turned out my heart knew something quite…important. Even interesting, you may call it."

Far smiled, scooting closer just a bit. "Oh really? What's that?"

"I….I lo-"

Stop, his inner voice hissed, once again preventing him from completing the sentence. I failed…I'm sorry, he thought sadly, sighing at his inability to express himself properly.

Far, however, could only smile. She squeezed him tightly once more before pulling back to look at him. "It's okay, Near. It's a wonderful start, and I understand. I'll wait for you!"

Near stared with a blush clearly coated on his cheeks. She'll wait for me…

Falling once again into that trance he'd grown used to, Near moved forward, holding Far once again. She leaned her head in his shoulder as he ran small, tentative fingers through her hair, twirling the soft strands.

She'll be waiting…