Enjoy and onwards, readers.

"I guess I'll see you around."

"I guess so."

Ryuga -no, L- opened the limo's door and was half-way in when he heard Cathy speak.

"Hey," she smiled. "Your mom and sister told me that yo-.. Oh, I'm sorry." She bowed respectfully. "I didn't see you there. My name's Cathy Caitlyn. You are?.."

By that point, the woman had straightened up and saw Ryuga, or L, if it wasn't another proxy. The calm exterior she always seemed to have melted into horror mixed with confusion as her eyes flicked between Hideki and Light as if the weird man might not really be there. Then her initial reaction changed to adopt a sheepish embarrassed smile.

"Hideki Ryuga," the weird man replied, appearing unfazed. He turned to the graduate. "It was nice meeting you."

The limo drove off, leaving Cathy and Light. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye while pretending to watch Ryuga's ride bland into the traffic. Her expression was as to be expected: surprised to see someone dressed like that attending an Acceptance Ceremony and be picked up in a limousine.

"..Who was that guy?" she asked, not wanting his name, which she already knew.

"He's the second Class Representative," he answered.

"Really?" Her shock displayed in her voice. "What'd he make?"

"Like me, a perfect score."

Frowning, she nodded her head, but I could tell she was thinking of something else. The look she had shown moments before her mask slammed back into place had appeared like recognition. Did she know that 'Ryuga' as L?

They started walking aimlessly, her cat bounding out of the shade of a nearby cherry blossom tree to trail behind his master. A short silence ensued while he pondered how to phrase his question without sounding too interested.

That was highly unlikely.

"You looked pretty startled when you saw Ryuga." Cathy gave a distracted nod. "…Do you know him?"

Brown eyes suddenly exhausted, the woman shook her head and spoke slowly. "I knew someone who looked like him, but he's dead.."

So she had mistaken L for another person?

"…..Correct me if I'm overstepping boundaries, but how did he die?"

Giving the ground a soft, sad smile, her hair blocked his view of most of her face. A lone tear rolled down her cheek, but she paid it no attention. "Because he was being stupid."

"What?!" Mr. Yagami was clearly angry at L -no, infuriated. "It wasn't enough for you to accuse my son of being Kira, but now you're saying Light's involved in another case?!"

"He is not a suspect," L responded blankly. "But he is associated with a potentially dangerous individual, Karra Clayton. I simply wish for his cooperation and assistance to confront the main suspect." In reality, the detective would use the chance to further analyze Light Yagami.

"So he'll be your bait," Aizawa summarized, arms crossed. He, too, wasn't pleased with the situation at hand.

If only they could see it like L could..

Hideki Ryuga; popular Japanese actor with a fan-base the size of China. Just about everyone called him 'dreamy,' 'hot,' and 'perfect in every way.'

The man at the ceremony definitely was NOT the renowned celebrity. The only person who looked like him was..

Beyond Birthday.

B.B. never explained why he dressed the way he did, at least, not directly. 'I'm taunting L,' was the closest he'd ever come to answering that question. He said I'd understand one day. Could that have been L? The L? I knew he was in this part of Japan, but meeting him –out in the middle of the day- could lead Kira to discover what the detective looked like.

Why take such a risky gamble?

My mind jumped back a few hours. Light. He had been talking to the graduate when I found them. Was he, in some way, tied to the Kira investigation? What was Light Yagami's connection to the heart attack murders or L?

Yagami. Where had I heard that surname before?

The Police Chief! That was it. But that wasn't a strong enough link, not for someone like L. What other reasons could there be?...