XXIV – Rumors

Mornings could easily be the equivalent of hell for some. Add a strange dream you can't remember, burning pain in the lower abdomen, and having a very annoying song stuck in your head that is, in some way, related to that dream and you have the recipe for a cringe-worthy wake-up call. As soon as the auburn-haired girl went to the bathroom, she knew the most fun part of her life was officially over. Sighing, she thanked her doctor for warning her about it. At least she didn't have to yell for her dad to go running to the nearest store and buy her pads. That would have been awkward…

Self-control was the only reason she didn't look so panicked on the outside. However, inside her mind, behind her usual slightly ironic smile and relaxed pose, Caterina was freaking out every time she sat down or stood up.

Of course, Shin noticed something was up right away. The boy was poor, working to support his two younger brothers who will be starting school soon. If he wanted the quick and easy way to a good life, he had to pay attention – and he did. The boy approached Caterina during the second break. He found her in class, sitting at her desk and staring outside the window. It was quite unusual for her to be seen that way, so he sat in front of her.

"Morning, sunshine!" he said in order to catch her attention. In return, Caterina gave him a little smile and a sigh. "…Is that all?"

"Yeah… I'm not feeling well," she answered in a plain, tired voice.

To Shin, this was a sign the girl was growing a little more comfortable around him and perhaps willing to be a little honest. He knew Caterina was good at acting and usually wore her smile like a mask. There were many girls who did it, so much Shin had learned to identify them as actresses at first glance.

"What's wrong?" he asked, apparently worried. "Did your boyfriend do something?"

The girl frowned in confusion. "What boyfriend?"

"You know, Yagami. I mean, that's the rumor, that you're going out." When he saw her sighing and rolling her eyes, the boy changed his approach. "I know, rumors are stupid, but when people don't know you, they're going to assume things… That's why I ask."

"He's not my boyfriend, we're not dating. We just happened to meet when I first moved here," she tried to explain their complicated relationship in a few words.

"I see…" The boy understood quickly enough that whatever happened was not something Caterina wanted to discuss and neither did Light Yagami, so he decided to change the topic. "By the way, where did you say you're from?"

"Italy," came the short response. "I don't think I mentioned it before."

"No? So that's why I couldn't remember it," Shin attempted a joke, "I have this habit, you see. I like to know where everyone is from, I think it influences people a lot – and I'm not talking about skin color. I talk about mindsets, habits, quirks, all kind of ideas that we pick up from others."

Her smile returned as Caterina looked at Shin with a hint of curiosity. "Oh, really? How do you think it influenced me?"

Of course, it wasn't difficult to foresee this following question, so Shin had already prepared an answer. "For instance, I see you drinking coffee more often than tea, or you speak more openly and accept compliments without turning into a blushing, babbling mess."

Caterina chuckled. "I didn't think anyone would think of that. I mean, in Italy, it's perfectly normal."

"That's what I am talking about. You see, foreign students are always more interesting." Shin was glad to see some progress. With a little bit of luck, if he played his hand well, he could use Caterina's material situation to benefit himself and his brothers. And besides, the girl was pretty. How difficult could she be? Shin really didn't mind a possible relationship.

"Is that so? Then why not go abroad?" she asked.

After a split second of panic, he smirked and leaned closer while looking around. "Don't tell anyone, but I have a job in town." He knew that for westerners, closeness was not a taboo. They didn't mind being a few inches from someone, contrary to how sacred personal space was for some Japanese.

"So you're working and studying at once, in high school?" Caterina had heard such stories before, but usually about college students. It was impressive, even if she didn't want to use the word.

"That's right. And I plan on going to To-Oh University after graduation." Shin noticed the girl was interested to find out more. He observed this technique of a book character in some novel of Murakami… but somehow, Shin couldn't remember the name of the character or the title of the book. By not saying much about himself and only giving girls a few hints about his life, that character managed to seduce any girl he met into his bed – so much it had became a matter of choice. Shin didn't necessarily do the same, but he thought he could use the same strategy in grabbing Caterina's attention. For him, it was a matter of need – a race to get the prize before his time would run out.

Shin thought about his two younger brothers all the time. If he didn't have enough to send them to school, that would be the greatest failure of his life. As a last resort, he thought about dropping out of school and working full time. Now though, with Caterina being single and rich, he may have a chance to a better life for all three of them.

The more he thought about it during the next hour in class, the more Shin began to like the idea. The girl was pretty and she had a sharp mind. Getting along shouldn't be that hard – he even thought there was a chance for them to actually fall in love. At the same time, he had to think about a safety net and keeping his expectations realistic. What if it didn't work? He did hear from some colleagues that they saw Light and Caterina much too close to be "just friends" the other day.

At lunch, Caterina looked for Shin, but didn't see him. He was probably skipping the rest of his classes, yet again. She sat down with a few other girls calling themselves little divas, all enjoying their little salads and pretending it was good. Bullshit. A salad without any oil in it was nothing but sour from all the excess lemon juice. Eating it every single day was enough to turn it into the most disgusting lunch – it was probably why some girls gave in to sin. Today, Caterina saw another one buying herself a muffin. She was kicked out of the group immediately and the auburn-haired girl watched as the others began expressing their hate towards the weak one. This morning, she was part of the group, encouraged, loved and supported. Now, the girl was an outsider, a fallen… Pathetic.

Their lives were a constant diet. 'It's the only game where you win when you lose,' as Karl Lagerfeld put it. Caterina never really understood the meaning, but the struggle was real. She was one of the girls who didn't want to grow up, simply because the Chanel jacket isn't suited for women with boobs. Simply because girls must be like kittens – small, frail, adorable little toys. As she looked at the girls in front of her, she remembered the words of a glorified character from a movie about the fashion industry. 'I'm on this new diet. Actually, I don't eat anything and when I think I'm about to faint, I eat a cube of cheese.'

When she stood up, the girl saw everything fading to black. A loud ringing in her ears made her freak out for a bit. Her hand reached for the edge of the table. Gladly, the moment was just that – a second of not being in control. As soon as she swallowed her saliva a few times, the ringing stopped and her vision returned. Her head was light and heavy at once, a very strange feeling she didn't remember. It was probably the first time it happened… The first of many. That's what the older girls said – it was normal, no need to worry. Caterina drank the little water left in her bottle and went to buy herself another. It would be the third that day.

She saw Light going to class and he turned to look at her. Panicked, she turned to talk to the nearest girl of the unofficial club. She wanted him to be different, warmer, more open towards her. She longed for those late nights on the phone and sneaking out for a walk at midnight and a cup of tea while contemplating life. There was something dangerous that sent chills down her spine whenever she remembered his sudden mood swings, like a switch had been flipped and he was a different person. There was something warm and relaxing in being alone with him in a public place, safe and not really, sipping hot drinks, staring at the people on the street, turning small talk into philosophical debates of ethics and politics…

Around the same time the fourth class of the day began, Shin was just checking in. He was working for a company in the Yotsuba corporation. For the next few hours, he will be loading trucks. It wasn't like he was going to be alone, but… being the youngest in the team, the other men usually let him work more.

Shin didn't drink. He didn't smoke either – he could not afford it. Card games and shogi were only allowed during the short break they had in another six hours when he would have a chance of getting some extra money in his pocket. Sport matches were another occasion to raise his income, but only during that fifteen minute break. There was also a catch – someone up there in the hierarchy of the company hated useless subordinates. None of the lazy could last for more than a month. Shin had already a year since he had been working there.

"How's school goin', kid?" the supervisor asked him as he stacked packages in the first truck that day.

"Doing great, I'll pass the year fine," he answered with a smile.

To the supervisor, it was difficult to imagine Shin in school. He was used to seeing the kid covered in sweat, wavy black hair sticking to his forehead and neck, the same shirt sticking to his back. He had the same pair of jeans he wore to work, a little too big for him and held in place with an old belt. Though when he thought about it, the man could see that Shin didn't want to ruin his school uniform – if the kid was willing to work at that age, he probably didn't afford much.

He watched him catching packs thrown at him by the others and stacking them together perfectly, loading truck after truck with never-ending energy. The man thought about doing something good and writing Shin's name on the promotion list this year. The kid deserved a raise – he worked without complaint, always there on time, and he respected authority. The supervisor wasn't very educated. Actually, nobody there was. The schooled people were in the office, they didn't even know the face of their subordinates. The man smirked. He had a boy about the same age as Shin – a problem kid, stealing, drinking and partying in strange places with strange people. He would have liked to have a child like Shin. He hoped to see him working in an office one day – clean and easy work. In his eyes, Shin didn't fit in the lower class of society.

During the last class, Light sneaked a text for Caterina. Although nothing more than a 'Hey' meant to catch her attention, he was expecting an answer. He was well aware he may lose her for good if he didn't take immediate measures. Caterina was probably mad at him – he could see it in how she looked over him in the crowd then turned to talk and laugh with some other girls. She ignored him and perhaps he deserved it – even if his darker side didn't even want to think about the possibility. Either way, she seemed to have found someone capable of replacing him, which was not something he had planned.

Caterina saw the text, but didn't reply right away. She thought about why would Light text her at the time. He didn't come up to her for a chat the whole day. He was certainly after something… Question was, would it be worth it to chase her curiosity this time? There were already some rumors surrounding them as a couple, and going out now would only give people more reasons to talk about it. The girl decided to ignore his text.

It took Light half an hour to understand he won't receive a reply. In all his bitterness, his darker side thought about leaving the girl be. Or perhaps he could kill both her and her daddy, leaving nobody to seek revenge. Once the bell rang, with a slight frown and more quiet than usual, Light gathered his things and dragged his feet down the hall. Again, he was one of the last to walk out of the school and was surprised to see Caterina walking much slower than usual.

"Bad day?" she asked when she noticed Light catching up with her, though without much enthusiasm.

"Something like that," he answered, "Are you waiting for someone?"

With a shrug, the girl shook her head. "Are you?"

"…You have no right to ask," Light answered, trying his best to sound calm. Still, anger was present in his tone and in his eyes. Aware of that, he looked over his shoulder, past Caterina, at the ground, anywhere but at her.

"Oh, I see… But you do, for some reason."

Boiling, he breathed in and out before answering her. "You dare say that?!" he asked in a low voice.

Caterina rolled her eyes. "If it's about Shin, you have no right to ask."

"Right." Taking a step away from her, he turned back to look at her. Caterina was watching him with the same green eyes that tried to look indifferent, but begged to be heard. "What's with that look?"

"You know… people talk, and they're saying we're together."

"I heard. You said we're not, so what now?" Light returned her question from a year ago.

"I don't know, guess I haven't planned this far," she replied with his answer from the same past conversation and a weak smile. "I was waiting for you to tell me, but you asked if I could find someone to want me." She shrugged a little, "Well, I think I did."

Light stared at her for a moment, trying to understand. "You're going out with that loser to prove to me you could replace me? And with him, too?"

She had that bitter smile on her face. "Well… You told me I couldn't. I proved it to you, I can."

Sighing, Light's mind tried to wrap itself around her words. The Voice had given up the idea of getting rid of her again, turning back towards using Caterina as a back-up. Shaking his head slowly, a half-smirk showed on his face. "I didn't think we were still playing games," was all he managed to say.

"I don't know, are we? You tell me. Because I'm confused. You come to me and leave again. You take me back and forget about me. What do you even want?" she asked him in all her bitterness and frustration, though using a voice so weak Light barely heard in the loud buzzing of the street.

"We don't have to… You know, we can leave the games." Light began walking again, but this time took her hand and pulled her along. For a moment, he saw Caterina surprised by the gesture, right before she gave him a half-smile. "Where do you want to go?"

"I don't know…" she mumbled. "White Elephant?"

At the same time, Diego was at the airport, waiting for a certain businessman to arrive. He was just returning to Japan after graduating from Harvard and working as his father's subordinate for two or three years. Diego looked at his watch – it was almost 3 pm. He looked around for anyone eyeing his sign, but didn't see anyone. He checked that he held the paper right and looked at the name – Namikawa Reiji. The driver remembered someone with this name being a very valuable contact of his employer. Whenever they were in the States or when this Reiji would come to Italy, they helped each other out and discussed financial matters. Diego assumed Namikawa was the son of that man.

Soon enough, a tall young man in his late 20's walked up to Diego and nodded shortly. "Good afternoon. I assume you are the driver sent to expect me?"

Diego instantly labeled Namikawa as 'pretty boy'. He probably had the face of a girl until his late teens and was wearing his dark hair a little long, reaching his shoulders. "I believe so, sir. May I ask who are you here to meet?" Diego had thought about it many times. What if someone else pretended to be the one expected? These scenarios were risky exactly because of how vulnerable his position was.

"A contact of my father. It would be best not to use names in a public place like this." With the reply, Diego knew he had the right man in front of him.

"Of course. Please follow me, sir." The driver helped his employer's contact with the luggage. Diego carried a bag and a suitcase – he thought pretty boy would at least take his suitcase to the car himself, but he showed no intention. Holding back a sigh, Diego put both the bag and the suitcase in the back of the car and opened the door for pretty boy to get in.

"Do you have any special requirements about the hotel, the room, meals or anything of that nature?" Diego asked as he sat in the driver's seat and turned on the engine.

"None that I have not mentioned before. I hope your master took care of that." There was something in the tone of his voice that made Diego wonder if the pretty boy saw him as any different from a dog or a slave. Probably not, now that he thought about it.

"I see." It wouldn't be the first time Diego disliked the associates of the Dragon, but he had no say in it. Pretty boy must have been smart to get his ass out of Harvard with a diploma in his suitcase, it was probably why the Dragon needed him. Though from what he remembered, the loyal driver of the Dragon thought Reiji the elder was much more sociable and less stuck-up than Junior here…

With a few notes about illusory expectations, Diego drove to the hotel and stopped the car at the entrance. He opened the door for pretty boy to take off, gave him his suitcase and a lobby boy the bag, then went to park the car. Immediately, he called his employer.

"Pretty boy is here," he said the moment the Dragon picked up.

'Pretty boy, you say?' the man asked back with a hint of confusion.

"You know, Junior. The American…" Diego tried to hint who he was talking about without giving too many details. Names were something to be avoided over the phone.

'Yes. Anything else?' It seemed the Dragon was having a good day, he was calm and patient for once.

"Just called to ask if you want me to do anything else today. I thought of taking a few hours off."

'Stay around town, I may need you later this evening.'

After a very grateful 'Thank you, sir,' the Dragon hung up. So, Namikawa Reiji was there… Good. The man stood up from his bathtub, rinsed, dried himself and went to choose a suit. As he was putting on his pants and securing the belt, the man noticed his arm still a little sore. About three months ago, he had been caught in a rather heated discussion… Had he been younger, that would have been long healed. Now though, it still hurt whenever he flexed his arm. He had to take certain things into consideration, age being one of the most important, his daughter just the same… Had she been just a little bit older, he could have arranged her to marry someone like Namikawa – intelligent, a born strategist with a brilliant mind, from a good family with a considerable fortune and influence, someone who could take over when he was to fall…

The more he thought about it, the more he wished he had Caterina a few years earlier. The idea of spending his last few years as a retired man watching over two or three grandchildren, drinking soda in the garden of a beautiful villa on the western coast of southern Italy… That idea seemed much too far for him to ever reach it. Yet, it had caught roots in his mind and was growing more and more with every month.

The man put on his shirt and buttoned it. His tie was next. Why was there such a great age difference between these two? There had to be about 11-10 years between Reiji's son and his daughter. His little girl was too childish, she still had a lot to experience and learn before she could keep a man entertained. It wasn't only about sex, it was about conversation, about spending time… The Dragon wouldn't want his little girl to have a loveless marriage where she served the same purpose as a whore, to satisfy the needs of a man who would leave the room as soon as it was done because he couldn't bear to listen to his much younger wife talking.

On the other hand, what could be expected from the boys Caterina found attractive at her age? They were smart, with questionable manners, with some education and no real fortune that could contribute to his own. They couldn't be considered very responsible either at 17-18 years old. Give a teenager from a lower class family a thousand dollars for the week and they would have no idea what to do with it – they might even get themselves killed, getting involved with the wrong people and with no experience in certain situations.

The Dragon thought about Light. Brilliant, indeed, but that wasn't enough. He was unpredictable, much too dangerous for him to even consider leaving everything to Light. The fact that his daughter didn't forget about him during the year they spent away from Japan was worrying him. She was in danger of being used and couldn't see it.

In the mean time, Diego was driving to where he knew he could find Misa. He considered her childish behavior an effect of her family disappearing so suddenly from her life. The girl had been heartbroken, if she admitted it or not. The driver had come to know her well enough back when she worked with Anastasia, he could tell when Misa grieved. Now, he hoped she would still be as open and friendly towards him after being more or less on her own for a year.

The man ringed the bell. He could hear music from inside, so he assumed Misa was home. He rang the bell again. Because he had been traveling, Diego had to change his number a couple of times. He had lost her number one of these times, along with other contacts – yet it was the first time he regretted it. Following the Dragon with such loyalty, he could not take roots anywhere. He had to remain anonymous, changing his identities according to the situation.

Eventually, he heard someone at the door, but it still didn't open.

"Misa, do you remember me?" he tried, "I told you I didn't know when I'd be back. I know it's been long, and you're probably mad, I just-"

The moment the door opened, Diego found himself taking half a step back in order to maintain his balance. The girl had her arms around his neck and her head on his shoulder, jumping into the embrace without a word.

"Misa thought… Diego wasn't coming back," she whined on the edge of tears.

Once he realized what had happened, the driver pat her back and waited for Misa to let go so he could actually see her. She was in a pretty short… dress? Was that a dress, or just a little longer top? Her hair was messy and she didn't seem to be wearing makeup. Diego thought he could get used to seeing her like that – Misa looked much better without her makeup, going all-natural.

"Now, I promised you I'd be back, didn't I?" he smiled, glad to see the girl was alright.

She nodded her head fast, wiping away tears. "Misa didn't expect anyone today." That was probably an excuse for the slight mess that was her apartment. Well, once she let him in, he could see several shoe pairs not very ordered in a corner and some clothes thrown over the back of an armchair in the living room.

"That's alright. How have you been? I heard the news, I'm sorry for what happened," he began. Diego noticed right away Misa seemed a little thinner than before.

"…Let's not talk about it, alright?" she said with a wide smile that threatened to break any moment.

"Of course. How about I take you out and we'll talk about something else? Like your new contract."

"What contract?" Misa stopped on her tracks to look at him with wide, curious eyes.

"Oh! Silly me, I shouldn't have said that…" Diego pretended. In fact, he really shouldn't have mentioned it, but thought it would be some good news to cheer her up. "You know, Caterina's father will probably ask you to advertise for one of his companies tomorrow or so."

The moment she heard it, Misa squealed and clapped her hands together so fast, the driver wondered how many times she had practiced it. "Oh, that's great! Misa would love to! It's been almost eight months since Misa last had a photo shoot."

"I thought you'd be glad to hear about it – but don't tell the man I told you, alright?" With a wink and the illusion they were some sort of partners in crime, Diego managed to get a very excited nod and the promise to keep it a secret.

"Misa doesn't want Diego to be in trouble!"

"I know. Now, get dressed. We'll go out and celebrate, alright?" Diego watched Misa going into her room to get dressed. He mentioned it was "a little cold this evening", which meant a change of outfit for Misa. She came out and went to the bathroom at least three times, wearing three different outfits.

To Diego, it was amusing how much thought she put into everything. Did it really matter? Who would see her, anyway? Still, he waited patiently in the hallway for her to get ready.

Diego didn't really know what was their relationship. He wondered, sometimes… He was the driver of a man that most of the world wanted dead. This meant he had a pretty risky job. It meant he would have to disappear every now and then – for a few days, a few months, maybe over a year at a time. He didn't really have much to offer. Misa didn't seem to mind, though. She was pretty and fun, innocent in some ways and still a child, despite being in her 20's. She was natural in front of the camera and that could be her ticket to a pretty easy life.

He felt sorry for her parents. Although he didn't remember his mother well and never got to meet his father, Diego still suffered when he heard she had been killed. It was a heavy blow for any child, much more so if both would disappear at once. The man could only imagine how Misa felt. Well, if he hadn't been there for her when it happened, hopefully it won't be too late to help her get over this unfortunate event and look forward to a brighter future.

Author's Notes:

Chapter proofread by Eat4Fun, as usual. Also, you probably noticed it took me a while to post this. Expect slower updates because I need more time for schoolwork and therefore, I have less time to write. I will be back in a bit, so don't worry. It's NOT a hiatus, just a major slow down. Thanks for the reviews, PMs and support, by the way. Keep doing that and as soon as I find the time, I'll write some more.