Ryoko Shiraishi/Colleen Clinkenbeard as Kohaku Hatashi
Shiori Izawa/Kira Vincent-Davis as Sakae Shiraki
When clothing isn't described, either school uniforms are present (we all know what those usually consist of) or an aforementioned outfit is still being worn.
Another wondrous day of life begins anew.
Kohaku, Light, and Sakae are seated within their English classroom again, silently listening to yet another boring lecture about whatever-it-is inside their educator's book of tedious words. Slowly but surely, their class becomes a bit irritable; they're hearing a continuation of what they heard the previous day, which explains why most of their classmates never pay attention. "'He found himself overwhelmed with happiness and satisfaction, knowing that, at long last, his dream had finally come true'," their teacher reads.
Kohaku scoffs, instinctively glancing towards Light; that sentence alone perfectly describes him. "Alright then." She watches as their instructor stops, eyes gazing amongst the crowd of students. Immediately, she predicts that he'll choose her aforementioned friend again. Ultimately, she rolls her eyes when he does. "Yagami? Please recite this line for us in Japanese." Seriously, this again...?
"Sure." Light pauses his writing to stand. Picking up the book on his desk, he turns a few pages before speaking, quickly finding the line without assistance. "'Having finally made his dream a reality, he was overwhelmed; both by the magnitude of his achievement and by the joy and happiness that it brought him'." As soon as he finishes, he sits back in his chair, placing the book onto the desk again. He continues writing.
"That was very well done," their teacher unnecessarily compliments, using a flat tone and keeping a neutral expression. "But I'm not surprised, of course." Kohaku scoffs again; how can anybody possibly tell if he's surprised or not when he never shows emotion? "Absolutely flawless." She resists the urge to roll her eyes again. She watches as he closes the book in his hands. "Well then, we'll leave it at that for today." Thank the Gods.
Although most students hadn't paid attention throughout class, a large number of them groan; it's like they'd been suffering in silence the entire time, except they hadn't because they'd been far too busy with their texting and talking. Shortly afterwards, the bell rings. Everyone stands; half of the students leave, eager to get the hell outta there, while the other half remains inside to chat amongst themselves. Ryuk, unseen by everyone but the three friends, stands beside Light's desk, stretching and cracking his joints after crouching for so long. "I thought it would never end," he comments, rotating his shoulder.
"I know, right?" Kohaku utters, gathering her belongings, under no rush. She huffs in annoyance when she turns around and finds Sakae standing extremely close to her, items already collected; she's simply waiting for her, but perhaps she should've stepped back a little. Together, they stroll by Light's desk before pausing, both turning to face their mutual friend as they wait for him. Light remains silent as he slowly gathers his belongings.
Continuing to rotate his shoulder, Ryuk speaks again. "How do you do this everyday? It's so boring here."
Kohaku holds back laughter, amusement coursing through her body and spirit; she hadn't expected to hear that, but it's kinda amazing that even a God of Death can be turned off by the makings of high school bullshit. The comment from him causes Sakae to be as amused, but she doesn't hide it; she smiles. "It depends on how you look at it." Around them, their remaining classmates are too busy chatting to overhear. "A brilliant mind, or someone like Light, would find school enduring whilst other people, such as Kohaku, would find it tormenting." She giggles when Kohaku pushes her slightly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make it sound like you aren't intelligent; I was only trying to say that you're somebody who finds no joy in being here." Kohaku puffs, but nods in acceptance. Ryuk doesn't say anything else.
The silence of the Shinigami lasts a good half-minute before he begins speaking again; he wants Light to make conversation with him. His attempts are futile, but merely for a few moments. By the time the teen finally speaks, the four of them are outside, surrounded by other students. "Don't talk to me," he utters, walking alongside his friends, Ryuk floating directly behind him. "Unlike you, people can still hear me when I talk aloud."
"If you're that worried about it, just pretend you're talking to me or Kohaku when you address him," Sakae suggests. "Then, it wouldn't look like you were speaking to yourself." She pauses. "Actually, you don't even have to pretend; they'll probably think that either way."
"Or," Kohaku butts in, speaking very loudly. "You could talk as loud as you want and not give a good goddamn about your reputation!" Immediately, students around them start glancing in their direction, giving off looks of annoyance, interest, confusion, and/or disapproval; however, when they recognize her, they look away just as quickly; the entire school knows far too well of her odd and violent tendencies.
"Unlike you, I actually care about what people think," Light remarks. "My reputation doesn't consist of violence and immaturity, like yours." However, his rep outside the public is both, but he'd never admit this, aloud or to himself, because his actions are meaningful, to him.
"You're boring, Light, unlike your friend," Ryuk comments, making Kohaku almost laugh aloud, again. She'll definitely consider this a personal achievement; he likes her presence more, ha. Furthermore, she's extremely pleased; Light's statement kinda pissed her off. "What's your name again?" he asks, looking at her, still following behind. Instantly, her pleasure vanishes; Ryuk hadn't cared enough to remember her name (despite that he can easily spot it over her head with his abilities, a fact not exactly known to the teens, yet). She keeps quiet, which causes Sakae to answer instead. "Why couldn't she say it herself?"
"Because I hate my goddamn name," Kohaku responds. "It's a ridiculous reason, I know, but it's true." In actuality, she hadn't spoken her name because she just hadn't wanted to, thanks to negative emotions. "I'm female, obviously, and that clearly isn't a feminine name. It doesn't fit, so I hate it. It's as simple and stupid as that."
"What a strange reason to hate a name," Ryuk remarks as he contemplates. He can't see why that's a valid reasoning; it seems pretty dumb. A name is just a name. If she hates it so much, why doesn't she change it? Given she hasn't, she likely likes her given name more than she lets on.
In reality, Kohaku's reasoning for hating her name actually goes beyond what she stated; she's correct that the name isn't suited for females, but it isn't the reason behind her hatred for it. Her problem lies with her parents; they'd hoped for a son and never thought of the possibility they'd have her instead. When she was born, they hadn't bothered finding a correct name, giving her the only one they had in mind for months. She was basically a surprise; a mistake, an accident, a female. She also doesn't particularly care about getting it changed; why switch it when she already has built herself a rep as a violent, hot-headed tomboy named Kohaku?
Eventually, the four find themselves back within Light's bedroom. They quickly go about their usual order of business; using the Death Note to end more sinful lives. Light sits at his desk, maliciously eyeing his television as he writes the names of offenders being shown; Ryuk is chilling on the bed, munching on another red apple while lying in a somewhat suggestive pose; Sakae is sitting on the floor, back against the bed frame, and is gazing at the laptop laying on her legs; Kohaku, located beside Sakae, is also eyeing the laptop, pointing at random criminals she believes Light will be interested in killing, whose names are, then, written down on a normal sheet of paper for Light, even though he'd still have to look them up to get a glimpse of their faces for the Death Note to actually fucking work. In the end, Light truly is doing most, if not all, of the hard work.
Kohaku rests her head against the bed frame, sighing in frustration as she overhears the news report about a recent stabbing. Beside her, Sakae tenses at the mention of said crime; instantly, Kohaku wraps her arm around the younger female's shoulder, comforting her. "Why does there have to be so much fucking crime in the world?" the older teen asks, to no one in particular. "I don't see why these criminals didn't think their shit through. Like, they should've thought about what would happen to them after they killed, harmed, and-or sexually assaulted someone. I mean, maybe they did, but then went through with that horrid shit anyway. Who fucking knows. I'll never understand it either way, anyways." She sighs and shakes her head, ceasing her rambling. "Don't answer that; it's just a thought I've been having lately. I guess I should've figured out a lot sooner that some people just don't have any good in them, or common sense. So, ignore all that. It wasn't of importance." Again, Sakae is triggered by another word mentioned on the television (invasion), additionally bothered by what her ranting friend said, and Kohaku sighs, pulling her closer. "Sorry. I didn't mean to further stir old memories," she apologizes, uttering her words only for Sakae to hear.
"...It's okay," Sakae whispers back, smiling sadly. She knows Kohaku hadn't tried bringing up the horrific past, one they endured together in some fashion; it's too painful to fully recall, so she brushes those unwanted memories away. Clearing her throat, she speaks. "It's, uh, it's the thrill." She scrolls through the list of criminals on the laptop. "The thrill of the kill, the escape, and thinking they can get away with it. It's how their individual minds work; they don't care about who they kill, as long as they get the stimulation they desire." She removes her hands from the laptop, rubbing them together. Her sadness hasn't faded yet. "They don't care who it hurts in the process because the pain of others pleases them, too..."
Light pauses his writing briefly. He'd forgotten. How could he disregard that moment so easily? It had been such a traumatizing time for Sakae... For Kohaku, too. They could've died; Kohaku almost had. However, the past doesn't seem to phase her as much as it does Sakae; it makes sense, though, because she hadn't lost anyone dear to her that day. Damn it... He can't recall if he dealt with those criminals yet. He hopes he had; he could've lost his friends because of them. "Don't get distracted," he comments. "We have lots of work to do."
Kohaku releases a purposely drawn-out sigh. "Seriously? Do we really have to work late into the night again? I'm tired enough as it is." Removing her arm from Sakae, she stands, stretching. "The criminals aren't gonna vanish, you know; they'll still be around later. So, may we take a well-deserved break from all of this insanity? A girl can't take but so much at once." Truthfully, she is tired but mainly she wants Sakae's mind off the past.
Light sighs, but nods. "Fine, but only for a few minutes." He turns off the television, placing down his pencil and closing the Death Note.
Sakae closes the laptop, placing it beside her on the floor. "Light, I know you're very passionate about this, but you can't consistently deal with it." A frown forming, she stands and stares at the back of his head. Kohaku watches from nearby. "I'm becoming scared of what may happen if you continue on like this." He turns to look at her and does so with a blank expression. He's been writing so much lately... I'm surprised he hasn't lost most of his sanity... It's still affecting him a lot, though... Oh, Light... I hope you see reason soon... We can't lose you like this...
"I don't need your pity," Light states harshly. "The world can't be corrected if corruption continues to breed. When evil finally rests, maybe then I'll stop for a while." As they speak, more crimes are being committed and, thanks to their break, Light can do nothing about them, for the time being. When the world finally realizes there's someone ridding the Earth of scum, he'll take a longer break from the Death Note, just as he said. Until then, evil isn't resting and he needs it known to everyone that those who are felonious will be executed without thought; no criminal is safe under the watchful eye of Light Yagami, God of the New World.
Kohaku blankly stares at her corrupted friend, taking in his words. Moments later, she grunts. "You nimrod." He hums, turning his seat around entirely, eyeing her curiously as she slowly approaches. He blinks in surprise when she suddenly leans down, getting in his face, and places her hands on his shoulders. Her eyes narrow. "Corruption will always breed, you idiotic fool. That's how life fucking works. Evil will never rest, not even when it notices that most of its minions are missing. There will always be people who'll be willing to risk everything just to satisfy their hunger to hurt others." Her eyes soften. "You need to start taking breaks. The world isn't gonna run out of criminals, not any moment soon." Maybe someday, Light will succeed in writing all the names of the culprits in the world, but even then, it's likely more will come out of the darkness. On a side note, she's slowly accepting that Sakae and herself don't really have any control over who lives or dies, something she'd been denying when they met Ryuk; in reality, they are just a form of moral support. "Don't allow the Death Note to take over any more than it already has..." she utters, dropping her hands from his shoulders, frowning with sadness in her eyes. She doesn't want to lose him as a friend, as barely of a friend he is, not to the evil of the Death Note.
Light scoffs. "What are you talking about? The Death Note hasn't done anything except made me happier." He crosses his arms, staring at her with narrow eyes. "It hasn't changed me and it isn't going to. Don't get such crazy ideas stuck in your head." He scoffs again, rolling his eyes. "Like I'd allow it to corrupt me. I'm not some weakling, Kohaku. I can handle it."
Kohaku steps back, continuing to stare at him with sadness. I see... You don't even realize how much it has already corrupted you. Your constant writing, that's what's making your personality shift so drastically. I wonder how long it'll be before it makes you turn on us... She releases a low sigh, still frowning. "You never know what could happen. I just don't want to lose you as a friend. With that being said, you, of all people, should understand why we're so worried."
Light stares back and forth between them. "Really? That's what you two are worried about? You think I'm going to change, no longer be your friend? Seriously?" That confession makes him feel more...aggravated than blessed. They're his friends; they aren't supposed to doubt him, they're supposed to support him, no matter the cost. Maybe the Death Note is corrupting them. Maybe they're seeing him as a liability. He mentally shakes the thought away; doubts about each other will only bring out the worst in them.
"Well," Sakae chimes in. "We're not worried so much about losing your friendship than we are about you changing for the worst." She looks at the floor, avoiding his gaze. "You'd never lose our friendship. We'll always stick by you, no matter what." She glances back at him. "Even if you do change," that earns an eye roll from him, "We'll stay by your side. We'll continue to bug you like we always do, that way things will never be different." She's, unfortunately, speaking with false hope. Even she can see he's becoming more and more twisted, especially after using the notebook so much at one time. She has very little hope left, only believing that perhaps they can prevent him from fully turning to the darkside.
"I think you should rethink that plan of yours, Sakae. You know, the one you just stated, where we bug him to death," Kohaku remarks. "Cause, uh, I quite enjoy being very much alive. I also love breathing and your plan could potentially end that for me. Because if the Death Note does change him and we bug him too much, there's a chance that neither of us will still be living above the ground." She needs to avoid revealing her complete thoughts, mostly because he'd probably get in a negative mood again. She isn't sure if his attitude is even returning to a positive one yet. It probably isn't; honestly, she can't tell a difference between the two anymore; they overlap.
Although the statement greatly annoyed him, Light speaks to them reassuringly. "I would never think about ending your lives. That's not a possibility. You two mean far too much to me. I won't just toss your friendship aside like that." Despite that he's frustrated with the new information he's discovered, he still cares a lot about their safety and that won't ever change. Probably.
Sakae slightly smiles, her gloomy mood fading a tad. "That's..." She glances at him again before looking away, slight redness in her cheeks. "...That's really sweet of you..." She still has her doubts about his behavior, though.
"Wow, don't I feel special," Kohaku remarks with sarcasm, causing Light to glare at her. Anyone can say something like that; people make empty promises all the time. She wants to believe he'd always think highly of them, but she can't see what the future holds. Only one thing is certain, though; she doesn't want to find out if their luck will run dry. There can't be a happy ending for any of them, not with the Death Note in existence.
"Human relationships seem like such a complicated thing," Ryuk comments, sitting up from his lying position, bored after long finishing the delicious red apples that had been in his possession. He doesn't bother looking in the direction of the humans he's spending all his time with. "I'm glad I don't have to deal with them."
Sakae blinks, looking towards him. "What?" Did she hear that correctly? "Don't you have anybody in your world that you like spending time with? You know, is there anyone that you like?" She hadn't thought about the Shinigami being without any form of relation; she thought everybody had someone in their life, even the magnificent creatures.
"Not at all," he replies, sounding disinterested. "In my world, relationships of any sort are unnecessary and unheard of. We speak to whomever we please when we're bored. Other than that, we don't really socialize with one another."
"Oh..." Sakae utters, turning from him, dropping her eyes to the floor. Her expression becomes sad. "How lonely..." She can't imagine a life where she'd have no one to truly bond with. Friendship is probably the only thing keeping her going; if she didn't have that, she'd probably go insane with guilt or just go crazy in general. She has her brother, too, but considering he isn't aware of her situation, his presence in her life isn't very helpful, apart from having someone to go home to.
Suddenly, the handle of the door turns downward and clicks as it stops its motion, preventing the intruder from entering the room without permission. However, such actions cause everyone, in the bedroom, to look towards the door. The voice of Light's younger sister, Sayu, can be heard. "Huh? Weird. Hey, Light, why is your door locked?" She pauses very briefly. "Are you doing secret things with Kohaku and Sakae again? Do you want me to come back later when you're finished?"
Kohaku tilts her head and glances at Sakae, whispering. "What kind of polyamorous shit does she think we're into?" She crosses her arms. "Why does she even think this is a polyamory sort of deal, anyway?" It feels implied, especially with the weird tone the young girl used towards the end of her questioning.
Sakae cracks a smile, shaking her head. She speaks softly. "I don't think she insinuated that, but it would be kinda disturbing if it's true. She's very young; she shouldn't know about things like that."
Light shakes his head, briefly staring at the females. The things they tend to say, it confuses him sometimes. He looks back towards the door. "What is it, Sayu?" Immediately, she responds with another question; it's about getting help with homework. "Uh, yeah, okay." He looks at his desk, grabbing the Death Note. He opens a drawer; he doesn't hesitate to stash it away. He stands and approaches the door. Unlocking it, he allows her inside.
Sayu enters, dressed in a beige short-sleeved turtleneck dress over an orange long-sleeved shirt and black leggings. Light closes the door behind her as she walks across the room at a slow pace. Her chocolate-brown hair is held in a high-ponytail, bangs covering her forehead and strands of her locks framing her face. She glances between Kohaku and Sakae with innocent brown eyes, giving them a smile. She's carrying a workbook. "We're doing quadratic equations in math," she informs them, walking to Light's desk. Kohaku and Sakae step aside to allow her by. "Sorry for interrupting. I know you guys were studying or whatever, but I'm, like, the only person in my class who doesn't get this stuff." She places her workbook onto the desk, taking a seat in the chair.
Sakae smiles. "It's really no problem, Sayu. We'd be delighted to help you."
"Yeah, you guys have fun with that," Kohaku remarks, walking over to Light's wide bookshelf, located near the door. "Math was never my best subject." She skims through the various titles.
Light approaches Sayu from behind, leaning over her shoulder. She flips through her workbook to where she needs assistance. Glancing through the work she has already done, he fails to see any problems in how she found her answers. "Everything seems to be in order." He skims through the word problems again, rechecking; perhaps he missed something.
Sakae approaches them, standing beside Light. She glances over Sayu's shoulder. After carefully studying the problems for a minute or two, she comes to a conclusion of sorts. "It may be that the division is wrong," she suggests. "If you're trying to find the roots, I suggest completing the square or quadratic formula, the second option being the best." Hearing Kohaku utter nerd under her breath, she half-smiles.
Out of nowhere, Ryuk starts speaking. "I'd be careful if I were you." He sits crisscrossed on the bedding. "If anyone else touches that notebook you've got hidden in your drawer, they'll be able to see me, too." The friends tense in unison; he should've told them before Sayu entered. Quickly recovering from their sudden unease, Light and Sakae continue to help the youngling.
Nearby, Kohaku remains tense, clenching her fists; she'd forgotten all about that fact. She doesn't like the thought of Sayu getting involved; her naivety will be tainted and she'd be a shell of her former self. Shaking away the fear of her potentially touching the notebook, too, she relaxes a bit as she stares at the bookshelf. She doesn't want to remain in here anymore, not this evening. Glancing towards her friends briefly, she approaches the closed door. "I'm heading home, you guys. I'll be seeing ya tomorrow." She exits the bedroom quickly, shutting the door behind her without waiting for a returning farewell.
She needs some space...
Silently entering her household, Kohaku huffs; she can hear the distant, but muffled, yelling of her parents. They're arguing in the kitchen again, probably speaking about her behavior or something of the sort. Her father, Kyoya, is likely drunk again. Her mother, Yue, is probably a bit tipsy herself; whenever her dad's drinking too much, her mom will get about as drunk in retaliation, which only makes matters worse. Quietly, she makes her way to her bedroom, frowning. Why is life difficult sometimes?
Shutting the bedroom door, she approaches her nightstand. Clicking on the lamp, she makes her way to the wardrobe, getting dressed in her nightwear, not wanting to sleep in her uniform again (even though nightfall is a long way from now). Removing her dress shirt, she tosses it carelessly onto the floor. She pauses her movements when she catches a glimpse of herself in the over-sized mirror, which hangs on the opened door of the closet. Sighing, she places her hand against her side, tracing the horizontal line that's permanently marked there...
"Stop struggling!"
"You little bitch!"
"I'm gonna enjoy slicing you open!"
She hates the memory. Such a horrid event occurred inside the Shiraki household. She, thankfully, managed to save Sakae from a more traumatizing fate than what was bestowed on her loving parents, but even so, it was too late to stop her from witnessing some horrifying things. Kohaku's interference had gotten her stabbed, but she would've been worse off if she hadn't called the authorities before she snuck into the house. She, too, had seen some shit, but Sakae definitely saw worse. She was so sad and terrified after the police arrived, but Kohaku couldn't blame her since it was the worst day of her goddamn life; Sakae lost both of her parents to a house invasion and nearly lost her friend in the process. Kohaku pities her. Only two decent things came out of it; Sakae's life was spared and Kohaku's parents went an entire week without fusing as they took care of her...
Leaving her scar alone as she pushes the memory away, she continues removing her uniform before throwing on a random black nightgown. Closing the closet, she strolls to her bed and sits, reaching to turn off the lamp. Shortly afterwards, she finds herself lying down, staring at the dark ceiling as very little light enters the room through the curtains.
Too much is occurring, all seemingly revolving around the Death Note. She sighs lowly. The Death Note; the source of her newfound problems. She's already starting to regret having suggested keeping it; it's only causing more pain, considering the innocent can get involved. She hadn't anticipated that outcome. It's far too late for them to go back to how life was; Light already seems too far gone from the madness building in his head. She doesn't know what to do now...
The International Criminal Police Organization, or ICPO, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation. A far more common name is INTERPOL. As of late, the ICPO has been made aware that many criminals across the globe are suddenly dying from unexplained heart attacks. Within the main headquarters, an important meeting is taking place to discuss the mysterious events.
Universally, there are fifty-two known cases of criminals dying from sudden heart attacks, all which occurred in just the past week, and it's likely there's been more, but one can't be too certain without thoroughly researching the exact times and dates that the culprits passed, leaving one to assume that perhaps the death toll is somewhere over one-hundred. During the rambling discussions occurring in the crowd of professionals, Soichiro Yagami (father of Light and Sayu; a fairly tall middle-aged man with a mustache and short combed-back black hair, brown eyes somewhat concealed behind rectangular spectacles, and attired in formal Western clothing) enters a room in a late fashion; he had to take an urgent call beforehand, so the meeting started without his presence. Sitting beside Touta Matsuda (a naive young detective lacking seriousness for his work, he has black hair that hangs over his ears and primarily above his right eye, brown eyes, and is also dressed in formal wear), the two have a very short conversation about the reason behind Mr. Yagami's lateness before listening in on the discussions.
One representative questions why the killings are contemplated as a problem, considering all the people who died were either sentenced to life or death row. Instantly, a different delegate responds; murder is still murder and the person responsible needs to be found. However, another commissioner replies; it's far too early for them to consider any of the deaths as a homicide when they're only heart attacks. Another butts in; even though such is the case, someone is seemingly killing off the criminals through some form of mass homicide. Without pause, the bickering between representatives escalates until the apparent head silences them, saying that INTERPOL has no choice but to bring in L.
The statement results in the entire room whispering amongst themselves. Matsuda seems confused. Recalling it's the first time the younger man has been part of the conference, Mr. Yagami explains everything to the best of his ability; L is the name taken on by a mysterious person whose real name and identity remains unknown, and he has been able to successfully solve every single case that has been given to him. L is their final resort, their trump card; if anyone can solve the mystery, it's him.
The whispers grow louder; one particular delegate questions how they're gonna contact him, especially when he's known to only take on cases that interest him. His question is answered quickly when someone states that L is already involved; the response comes from a tall man in a black trench coat, his face hidden by his black hat and the collar of his coat. All eyes are on him. Everyone goes silent. The mystery man merely repeats his previous words but in a different manner. During such, Mr. Yagami briefly comments to himself the name of the mysterious man; Watari, the helping hand of L. Asking for silence, Watari opens a laptop, which displays an enormous letter, L. A voice-scrambled tone begins speaking from the electronic device, introducing himself as the mysterious detective. Without pause, L informs them that he will need the cooperation of every organization being represented in the ICPO, especially the Japanese Task Force, since he has great suspicions that the mass murderer resides somewhere in Japan...
As the conference takes place, something else of importance is taking place elsewhere in the same country. Inside what appears to be a run-down building, Light is fumbling with various objects; after relearning anyone could see his Shinigami upon touching the Death Note, he eventually left his house. With him, Ryuk and Sakae watch with slight curiosity. Light continues with his handiwork, silently experimenting as he remains on the filthy floor.
"What are we doing here anyway?" Ryuk asks, suddenly breaking the silence. "I don't understand why we're sneaking around this dump. Tell me."
"Isn't it obvious?" Light remarks, immediately overhearing Sakae reply with apparently not. Half-smiling, he partially explains what he's trying to accomplish. "You told me, Ryuk, that if anyone touches the Death Note, they'll be able to see you. We can't afford carrying something this dangerous around anymore. Up until now, I thought that if my family ever saw the notebook, I could tell them I was keeping records of various criminals in preparation for becoming a detective someday." He glances at the Shinigami momentarily before proceeding with what he's doing. "We're walking a very fine line right now." Mixing two liquids, he watches as they ignite. "I don't want to think about it, but if I make one mistake, I might end up killing my own family," he thinks. "I could even cause harm to Sakae...or Kohaku. I can't allow that."
Sakae watches him for another minute, thinking back to what happened earlier; Kohaku left in such a hurry, something she'd never do without explanation. She's worried, anxious to know if she's alright. Unable to help herself, she decides to address the matter. "Hey..." she starts with hesitation, frowning. "I need to talk to you about Kohaku..." Blinking, Light turns his attention towards her. "Do you think that maybe something is wrong...?"
Light narrows his eyes. "What do you mean?"
Hesitating, Sakae speaks what she feels, as best she can. "Well, she kinda left in a rush... I mean, she tends to do that sometimes, but she usually tells us why... She seemed distant, too, like she didn't want us to know what was bothering her... I don't know if it was because she felt distressed over what Ryuk told us or maybe she felt uncomfortable being around us while we dealt with mathematics since, like she stated, she's not that great at the subject..." She sighs, rubbing the back of her head as she shifts. "I might just be a little paranoid or something... Maybe nothing is wrong... But, I just feel like something's off, you know...?"
"Hmm..." Light glances back at his work. "She seemed alright to me, until Ryuk spoke up. Maybe she was worried about what would happen if Sayu touched the Death Note." It seems like the more logical explanation for what occurred; it was ridiculous to believe Kohaku rushed off because of feeling uncomfortable with their brilliance.
Her worries diminish slightly. Sakae nods shortly as she half-smiles. "You're probably right... Anyway, let's get this over with... I don't wanna stay here any longer than necessary..."
Shortly thereafter, they return to the Yagami household, finding themselves in the bedroom again; Light is sitting at his desk, fumbling around with the drawer, and Ryuk is watching because he still has nothing better to do. From the bed, Sakae is looking in their direction but is too occupied with her thoughts to really notice anything; her concern for Kohaku vanishes, however, when she's brought back to reality by Light, who starts speaking. "That was easier to make than I thought it'd be." He relaxes in his chair. Upon questioning by Ryuk, he continues; he devised a trap to prevent anyone from touching the Death Note, something that needed to be done to prevent a catastrophe. While he explains it, he opens the drawer to reveal an ordinary diary, which will interest anyone that is snooping around and likely stop their search there; underneath it, however, is a false bottom hiding the notebook that, if pried open incorrectly, will set fire to the Death Note and Light's desk. Hearing claims of risk from the Shinigami, Light speaks up again, but with a neutral expression, his smirk gone. "You say the strangest things sometimes, Ryuk. This whole thing has been a risk since the very beginning, from the moment we obtained the Death Note. I'm sorry, but compared to that, this doesn't even qualify as a risk to me. In fact, it actually protects us." Leaning back, he folds his arms behind his head. "It all comes down to a choice; would I prefer to be executed or deal with a little house fire."
Sakae frowns. Although she's impressed that he'd done that within a few hours, she isn't pleased with his tactic. "Regardless, this just seems too risky. Sure, a house fire would stop anyone from reading or touching the Death Note, but it could get the snooper killed... It could get his family killed... I honestly don't understand you sometimes, Light... I hope you don't end up regretting this later..."
When approaching her friends the following morning, Kohaku nonchalantly dismisses their concerns and falsely states that she rushed off because she had better things to do; it isn't the best fib she created on the spot, but it's good enough. Neither of them believe her, of course, but they don't question her further; she isn't gonna tell them either way, so why bother?
Everything continues like normal; they're bored throughout the day at school. However, something different occurs in their final class; a large variety of their classmates speak of someone named Kira. It doesn't take much effort to realize that they're speaking of the person killing criminals. Needless to say, Light smirks his head off as he listens to their hushed ramblings. His friends are looking uncertain; Sakae always has been unsure about what they were doing, but the fact that Kohaku's beginning to feel the same only means something definitely is wrong with the entire situation. Maybe it has always been bad; they just hadn't wanted to believe it. One thing is certain, though; neither is as corrupted as Light.
Ultimately, school ends, for the day, and they eventually find themselves back inside the Yagami household, hanging out in Light's bedroom (like usual). Kohaku and Sakae are lying in bed, staring at a phone that belonged to the latter, and Light is sitting at his desk again, using his computer instead of writing in the Death Note. Ryuk stares over his shoulder, floating in place. They're looking at various sites revolving around Kira; many civilians are seeing the entity as an anti-hero, many on its side; some believe that maybe there are multiple persons. Light is pleased by the information and chats, but Kohaku and Sakae are quite dissatisfied.
"Ryuk, you should check this out," Light suggests. Ryuk, still looking over his shoulder, starts paying attention to what's shown on the screen, briefly praising the human by stating he thinks the name is 'pretty cool'.
Sakae sighs. She sits up, handing her phone to Kohaku; seeing more of those websites will just make her feel worse. She throws her legs off the bed and remains there, contemplating everything. Her white-gloved hands grip tightly onto the lower portion of her casual white dress, which she changed into shortly after they arrived there. Maybe she could've prevented everything if she hadn't helped Kohaku suggest taking the Death Note; then, perhaps everything would've still been the same, boring and uneventful. Standing up in her white flat-shoes, she paces lightly around the room, unable to stay in one place as she frowns. "Before long, there will be so many sites about Light, Kohaku, and I, or rather, they'll be about Kira. Light's so proud about that... Yesterday, I would've thought Kohaku would be proud, too, but she's not; I think maybe she finally sees how wrong all of this is. Maybe she can convince Light to stop... His vision is getting out of hand..."
Kohaku glares at the phone, skimming through many chat-rooms which mention Kira; many anonymous persons are requesting deaths of random people they know, who likely aren't criminals, and it's making her sick. How could I have been a part of this? She's seeing the light of the situation, or rather its darkness; killing criminals isn't justifiable and they should've left the decisions to the authorities. Even though many criminals would've gotten away, it would've been better than what's happening now; life is meant to be unfair. I should've known better. Grunting, she slaps the flip-phone shut. She sits up, her grey hoodie rising slightly to reveal her school shirt underneath. Pushing the sweatshirt down, she huffs and throws her legs off the bed, too, but remains where she is without contemplating anything. Kicking her legs, she quietly waits for someone to speak, her hands gripping her black pants.
"...Can't say I'm too happy about that, but it looks like that's the name they've decided to give me," Light remarks. He isn't bothering to even try giving the females credit anymore, but neither teen care; the lack of recognition is left unheeded. Kohaku scoffs; if anything, the name fits perfectly. Silently, the females listen as Light continues, his eyes on the computer screen. He's smirking and, apart from the lack of jacket, is apparently still wearing his school uniform. "...The media hasn't picked up on it. They're still calling it 'a succession of unexplained deaths among the world's most hardened criminals'. However, the people of the world can already sense that there's something happening; they know there's someone out there passing righteous judgment." Kohaku rolls her eyes.
Sakae glances at Light. She pauses her pacing, shrugging. "Or, you know, they're just noticing that someone is killing off criminals... But hey, who's paying attention..." It isn't righteous judgment; it's murder. Hundreds of sudden deaths aren't just going to go unnoticed. These people online, everyone seeing Kira as their hero, they only see him as somebody who's getting rid of bad folks; they aren't thinking about if it's right or wrong.
"This is a pain in the ass," Kohaku thinks. "I should be happy about the glory, but I'm not. I don't necessarily wish to continue, but I can't just ditch Light. Can I? Nowadays, he'd have no problem with ditching us, so maybe I should. I mean, I don't entirely regret what we've done, but I'd take it all back in a heartbeat if it meant that Light wouldn't be so..." She sighs. "I blame myself entirely... I never should've opened my mouth... Killing criminals, making the world a safer place; as if that can ever happen." Huffing, she stands and crosses her arms, looking towards the single window. "You must be proud, Light. Support for Kira seems to be growing. No one's afraid to speak what they feel online." Glancing towards him, she continues. "I suppose that means you're becoming the God you wanted to be." She makes a face as she looks away, disgusted with herself; he's no God, he's a menace. She frowns.
Light looks at her. "Of course." He smirks. "But I'm surprised you haven't said anything about your new stature. Sakae, I can understand, but you?" He narrows his eyes as his smirk vanishes momentarily. "Have you changed your mind?" There's a dangerous glint in his eyes. "You aren't backing out, are you?"
"Course not," Kohaku remarks, no hesitation visible as she looks at him with returning narrowed eyes. "I just don't care for titles, as I've told you before. You can keep all of the titles for yourself, if you want, Kira. After all, you've been doing the real work."
Light frowns but, after a few seconds, starts smirking again. "This is true. I have been doing all the work and now it has finally paid off. Those who have done no wrong are cheering for Kira in their hearts because they have nothing to fear while those who have are on the run. They are forced to hide from an unknown enemy. This is how it should be. It's perfect. Everything is going just as planned." His smirk starts to look too creepy for comfort.
Sakae glances at him, grimacing. "Uh, creepy much?" She's quickly startled by the sudden sound of snickering. She gazes towards Kohaku; she's covering her mouth. "Hey, look!" she exclaims, pointing at Kohaku. She looks at Light again. If anything can ease the tension, it's probably this moment of short-lived happiness. "Kohaku looks like she's gonna laugh!" She smiles a little. Laughter seems to be a rare occurrence with their aggressive, anti-social friend alongside smiling fully.
Kohaku coughs forcefully, trying to hold back her impending laughter. "I do not." She doesn't remove her hand entirely. She forces out another cough. "I don't look like I'm gonna do anything."
"Oh?" Sakae looks back at her, still smiling. "Well, then I demand you explain why you have your mouth covered like you're trying to hide your laughter."
Removing her hand as the impending laughter fades, Kohaku half-smiles. "I was gonna sneeze."
"How come you didn't sneeze, then?" Sakae counters. "I'm gonna keep on asking questions until I get the truth, Missy."
"Because I held it in, you goober," Kohaku replies, sticking out her tongue. "I can do this all night long, baby girl. Bring it."
Sakae studies her face. "I didn't see the expression that signals one is about to sneeze."
"That's because my hand was blocking it," Kohaku counters. She steps forward, getting closer to Sakae. She pokes her nose. "You're such a stubborn dingus sometimes, you know."
"Hey!" Sakae scrunches her nose. Acting offended, she swats at Kohaku's arm, but fails to keep a smile off her face during the performance. "No poking the Sakae! I'm a delicate creature and I demand to not be jabbed with the fingers of Kohaku!" Kohaku can't help herself; she laughs aloud. Sakae claps her hands in delight. "I knew it!" She probes her arm, poking it frantically. "I knew it! You did laugh!" She turns her attention towards Light. "She did laugh, Light! I knew it!"
Momentarily reverting back to his former self, Light genuinely smiles. "I can see that." Relaxing in his chair, he stares at them. "For a moment there, I thought you two had forgotten about me." Beside him, Ryuk silently watches, taking in the sudden scene of affection.
Kohaku's laughter dies down. She smirks at him. "Oh, we definitely forgot all about you, Light. Probably because of your natural glow of boredom." He pouts, demanding to know who thinks him boring. "Uh, me; I think you're boring. Did you not hear my previous words? Should I repeat them, your royal majesty of disinterest? Man, you concentrate on one thing and ignore the rest, but hey, I guess that's just part of your personality, which is, you know, mostly boring and a bit overly dramatic." Sakae giggles, nodding slightly.
Light glares at her. "Are you making fun of me?"
"Perhaps." Kohaku continues smirking. "That's what friends are for. They make fun of your flaws, the ones that everyone else is oblivious of." Since her mood is still positive, she gives her friends some additional affection; without hesitation, she hugs Sakae and, reluctantly, does the same with Light. Shortly afterwards, when Light brings the Death Note back out, her mood sours back into negative territory. Ultimately, Sakae's mood is brought down, too.
That afternoon, absolutely everything about their friendship changes...
Interrupting the program displaying on the television, a special worldwide broadcast from INTERPOL begins airing. Inside what the teens assume is ICPO, a man in a suit is sitting at a desk. As the three watch with slight interest, the man starts speaking. "I head up an International Police Task Force, which includes all member nations. I am Lind L. Tailor, otherwise known as L." Light and Sakae appear dumbfounded, but Kohaku seems indifferent. "Criminals around the world are being murdered by a serial killer. I consider this crime to be the most atrocious act of murder in history. I will not rest until the person or persons responsible are brought to justice. Kira, I will hunt you down. I will find you."
Light stares at the television, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape; he gawks. Sakae, standing behind him, frowns, arms crossed as she hugs herself, fidgeting on her feet. Kohaku, standing beside Sakae, remains unfazed, but interested; she isn't concerned about potentially being found out but is curious about the man's abilities of having such happen. Logically, she doesn't believe that he's L; the man has never shown himself before, so why would he suddenly go against everything he's built? It doesn't make sense; perhaps Lind is just a stand-in.
Behind them, Ryuk watches the television. "He seems certain he'll catch you."
Humming, Light's expression turns boastful. "That fool. He'll never find us." A crazy look soon replaces the boast. He stands, picking up the Death Note. His intense gaze remains locked on the television. "He'll have to get this first and as long as the police don't find it, none of us can be convicted. That makes catching us absolutely impossible." Dropping the notebook onto the desk with a plop, he sits back down and relaxes. "I anticipated that the police would get involved and that something like this might happen."
"Of course you did," Kohaku utters. "Why wouldn't you?" She glances away from the television momentarily. "I feel like he contradicted himself, but I could be wrong; he said L wouldn't be able to find us, but then said that we can't be convicted if the police don't find the Death Note. So, we can't be found, but also, we can be. I'm confusing myself. I wonder which will happen; will L be unable to find us or will the police be unable to locate the notebook?" She looks at Light, studying his manic expression. "Even if we get caught and they find the Death Note, I'm almost certain that Sakae and I will be safe from a death penalty since we never actually wrote a name inside it."
"...Is persons a word?" Sakae asks, trying to avoid her building anxiety. Kohaku hums positively, gaining her attention. "Really?" She blinks as her friend nods. "Huh. Well, you learn something new everyday, I suppose..." She glances back at the television, trying to keep her worries away.
Lind starts speaking again, calling out Kira for being evil. Hell breaks loose inside the bedroom; Light losses his cool, standing back up as he glares at the television. "I'm not evil, I am justice! I protect the innocent and those who fear evil! I'm the one who will become the god of a new world that everyone desires! All those who oppose that god, they are the ones who are truly evil!"
Sakae trembles, taking a step away from Light. "Please, don't do anything rash..."
Light opens the Death Note, pen ready. "What the fuck are you doing?!" Kohaku exclaims. "Light, don't you fucking dare! Don't be so goddamn stupid! He's just a professional speaking his opinion! You can't kill him just because of that! Not everybody is gonna like you and your ways, so stop this! Put down the pen already, goddamn it!" Ignoring her, Light starts writing Lind's name. "No!" She reaches towards him, only to get elbowed in the side. She grunts in pain. "What the fuck, Light...?!" she yells, not accepting her failure to stop him, as he has already fully written the name. Never did she think he'd deliberately go after innocent people. They're only supposed to kill criminals... Why would he do this...?
Sakae's in shock. "Light, what did you do...?" The man is gonna die in front of millions worldwide... He doesn't deserve it... No one does... How could he...?
Forty seconds pass quickly; Lind L. Tailor gasps as he grasps his chest, gripping his shirt tightly as he struggles for breath. Not a moment later, he collapses against the desk, no longer breathing. Light maniacally laughs as two suited men with sunglasses remove Lind's body from view. Nearby, Kohaku and Sakae look on in horror; they can barely recognize him anymore. However, when Light's laughter pauses suddenly, the females look back towards the screen, their eyes widening; displaying on the television is a simple screenshot of the letter, L. "Ah," the real L says, through a voice modifier. "I had to test this, just in case, but I-I never thought it would actually happen. Kira… It seems you can kill people without having to be there in person. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't just witnessed it. Listen to me, Kira. If you did, indeed, kill Lind L. Tailor, the man who you just saw die on television, I should tell you that he was an inmate whose execution was scheduled for today. That was not me. The police arrested him in absolute secrecy, so you wouldn't have heard of him on TV or through the internet. It appears not even you have access to information about these types of criminals."
Kohaku sighs in relief. "It was just an inmate, some random asshole we weren't aware of. Thank fuck for that. Holy shit." Hands on her hips, she leans forward slightly. She releases another sigh of relief. "Jesus Christ." She throws her hands in the air. "Hallelujah, there is a God out there somewhere and he, she, it, whatever isn't Light! Thank fuck for that, too!" Light glares at her furiously but says nothing; how can he be God if he's so easily deceived? He'd have to make up for his mistake. As he looks away from Kohaku, she looks towards him. "This motherfucker could've killed someone that hadn't done anything wrong! What the fuck was he thinking?! If he honestly thinks doing such will make people love him more, he is mistaken! Killing innocents will make everyone fear him, not praise him!" Looking towards the television, she finds herself grinning despite her anger. "L is one smart bastard," she states aloud, placing a finger to her lips. "I wonder what he really looks like..."
Sighing in relief, Sakae relaxes a bit. However, she's still quite dismayed. "He's definitely got one on Light," she mumbles. She shakes her head slightly, glancing down at her trembling hands. "Light could've killed an innocent man... He would've killed one because he felt insulted... He didn't even hesitate... He just did it... He hurt Kohaku when she tried to stop him, but maybe that wasn't intentional... I don't know... I just... I never thought he'd..." She blinks back tears. "He's further gone than I thought..."
"But I assure you, L is real. I do exist. Now… Try to kill me!" L challenges. Light stares at the television incredulously. Kohaku nearly finds herself snickering because not only is she being entertained but she feels like rooting for the mysterious man. Although she's eager to see more of L's capabilities, she doesn't entirely wish for Light to get caught; he's still her buddy, sorta. "What's wrong? Go ahead! Come on, right now! Kill me! Can't you do it?" L questions through the television. Light clenches his fists and glares at Kohaku again when she speaks ("He sure as hell can't, L."). In the background of the bedroom, Ryuk is laughing his ass off. "Well, Kira, it seems you can't kill me after all. So, there are some people you can't kill. You've given me a useful hint. A dealer to a saver, I'll tell you something that I think you'll find interesting. Although this was announced as a worldwide broadcast, the truth is we are only broadcasting in the Kanto region of Japan. I had planned to broadcast this message around the world until we found you, but it looks like that won't be necessary. I now know where you are." Ryuk laughs louder.
"Goddamn," Kohaku comments. "He really is one smart bastard."
"The police treated your first killing as an unrelated incident, but in actuality, the first of your victims was a suspect in Shinjuku. Of all the criminals that recently died of heart attacks, this one's crime was, by far, the least serious. Furthermore, his crime was only ever reported inside Japan. I used that information to deduce this much; you are in Japan and your first victim was little more than an experiment, which means you haven't been killing for very long. We decided to broadcast in Kanto first because of its large population, and, luckily, we found you. To be completely honest with you, I never expected it would go this well… But it won't be too long now before I'll be able to sentence you to death. Naturally, I am very interested to know how you're able to commit these murders without being present, but I don't mind waiting a little bit longer. You can answer all of my questions when I catch you… Let's meet again soon, Kira." The broadcast cuts out, leaving the screen with static, a fuzzy sound filling the silence of the bedroom. Kohaku and Sakae glance at one another.
"Really? He's gonna sentence us to death?" Light questions as he stares at the screen, ignoring Kohaku's comment ("What's this 'us' you're speaking of? It's you he's after."). "Sounds interesting." He smirks. "I accept your challenge, L."
Ryuk watches with joy. "Each of them has to hunt down the other without knowing the other's name or face and the first one whose identity is revealed will die. Humans are so much fun." His time on Earth is becoming more amusing; he wonders how long the chase will go.
"L," Light states to himself, causing Kohaku and Sakae to look towards him. "I will hunt you down wherever you're hiding and I will eliminate you! I am justice!" He glances at his friends and eyes their looks of brief amusement. "What?! I am!"
Kohaku raises an eyebrow. "Mm-hmm, right. Well then, Justice, mind answering this question? Earlier, you said you'd kill anyone that was against you because you'd consider them to be truly evil, correct?" Light nods. "Well, I'm certainly in a pickle, aren't I?" she quizzes, causing him to look confused. "Oh? You didn't see this coming? I thought you were smarter than this." She places her hands on her hips, staring at him with confidence. "I don't wanna help you anymore." Immediately, Light gives her an evil look; if looks could kill, Kohaku would be sixteen feet under. "Glare at me all you want, hate me all you wish, and kill me if you must, but I'm done with this bullshit." She glares. "You went too far this time. None of us had known he was an inmate and you still killed him. He could've been an innocent man, but you didn't care because he called you evil. Guess what? You are evil, in the eyes of perhaps half of the fucking world. You just gonna kill all of them? Kill them for having opposite opinions? You're a goddamn asshole and you're fucking stupid if you think that you can rule the world with fear." Approaching him, she shoves him. "I'm not just gonna sit around and watch you kill innocent people, Light. I'm not gonna stop you either, though, because I doubt I'll be able to, plus you're my friend, barely." She fights back tears; she wants to hate him, much so, but as she said, he's her friend, barely but still a friend nonetheless. She hopes he'd, at least, spare her for opposing him. "This isn't what I wanted. It was supposed to just be criminals. Even so, perhaps we shouldn't have started this mess. It's only caused a lot of trouble." She stares at him sadly. "I'd ask you to stop and hope you'll agree, but that would be wishful thinking..."
Although Light feels extremely angry, he doesn't hate her enough to wanna kill her, yet; they've been through enough for him to spare her. However, if something like this happened a second time, he'd probably end her life; he can't have anyone compromising the mission. He'll give her a second chance, when she asks for it and she will. He hopes, for her sake, that she'll gain her senses and rejoin him; she just needs some time away. He looks at Sakae; she's still on his side, right? "I..." She hesitates, taking a step forward. "I agree with Kohaku." Light clenches his fists again; her, too? He'd have to give her a second chance, too? Maybe he should kill them right now instead of later; however, once the thought crosses his mind, he immediately pushes it away. No, he won't kill either of them. Not yet, anyway. They can still change their minds. Maybe L riled them up; maybe that's why they're talking nonsense. "I was always against this. I should've never agreed, but I couldn't just let you two do this alone. Now, after witnessing that, I can't do this anymore. I'm sorry, I really am." Tears in her eyes, she takes another step closer, standing beside Kohaku again as she stares at Light. "I have faith in you, enough that I know you won't just murder us in cold blood. We're your friends and we always will be, but we can't help you anymore. I promise we won't say anything; we're just as at fault as you are. If the time comes where you go down fighting, we'll go down with you, but until then, please don't expect us to help."
Light doesn't want to hear anymore; he slams his fists against the desk, surprisingly not alerting his family, just like the yelling hadn't. "Get the hell outta my house. Both of you. Leave before I change my mind about sparing your lives." He glares at the desk, refusing to look at them. Without another word, Kohaku and Sakae leave. After a few minutes, he speaks to himself, staring at the Death Note. "I'll finish this on my own if I have to." He glances towards the pen, another brief thought of killing them appearing in his mind. Pushing it back once more, he sits down and starts working on trying to calm down...