***Hello, everyone... I couldn't sleep, and here we are. I don't own any of the characters, and let's go!
Chapter Four: Learning About Him
It wasn't hard to set up a meeting with Misa. The hard part came afterwards for L.
Well, it wasn't hard, per say. Just time-consuming.
L's social anxiety haunted him, but he could take advantage of Misa's fame to get an idea of what she was like and what to expect when they met up in a few days over coffee.
After reading a few articles and watching multiple interviews online, he had an idea of what to expect. Misa Amane was bubbly, optimistic, had a bit of a liking for dark humor, and wasn't necessary the sharpest crayon in the box.
It eased some of L's worries that he was talking to a relatively simple person about what Light was like before he was emotionally changed.
XxX
The café was one Misa had been to a handful of time during her most recent photoshoot. Sometimes, she would drop in to pick up a cup of coffee in the mornings.
During one afternoon, she was able to meet up with the psychiatrist who was giving the love of her life back to his family and friends. She waited at a table for two, idly checking her phone for a few minutes.
"Are you Misa Amane?"
The model turned around at the quiet, somewhat monotonous voice. "Are you Light's psychiatrist?" she asked.
"Yes. We spoke to one another over the phone. You can call me L," L said. "Okay. It's nice to meet you," Misa said, extending her hand.
However, L just crouched down in the chair opposite of her. "You'll have to pardon me. I'm not much for handshakes. But formalities aside, let's get down to the matter of Light Yagami," he said.
Misa's expression went from relaxed to solemn. "What would you like to know?" she asked. "Start from the beginning. Where did you meet?" L inquired.
"We met a few years ago. He was sixteen, I was seventeen. He actually helped tutor me in some of my classes in my off time. We started spending more and more time together outside of tutoring sessions, and we started going out together," Misa explained.
She recalled the day she met Light. She had been struggling with some math work, sitting in a small café. Light had walked by, having just gotten a coffee, and stopped to help. The rest was history.
"What was he like before his depression consumed him?" L asked.
"He was intelligent, kind, talkative, caring... he seemed like the perfect guy. Handsome, at the top of his class, a girlfriend, a promising career ahead of him," Misa recalled. One detail among the list caught L's attention.
"What career did he have?" he asked. "He worked with his father. He was an intern for a few months, then when he turned eighteen, he began working with his father on the police force. I never pried very much into it because a lot of it was classified information," Misa said.
L nibbled on his thumbnail in thought. "What did you notice when Light began to spiral?" he asked. Misa was dreading that question.
"It started off when his sleep schedule got messed up. He would stay up or sleep in every now and then, but there would be a reason pretty much every time. But he would stay up later and later and keep sleeping in. Eventually, he started relying on sleep medication. He was much more withdrawn than before. When we went on dates, he was so much more quiet and dismal. I didn't realize that he was self-harming until I went by his house one afternoon to check on him, and Sayu told me that Soichiro and Sachiko had just taken him to the hospital. I went right away to see him, and he just got worse from there..." she explained.
The timeline seemed to make sense. But there had to be more to it. "Thank you, Misa," L said, "you've been most helpful." He stood up, but internally jolted when he felt Misa's hand grab his wrist as he turned to leave.
Her eyes were filled with a pleading hope. "Please tell me how he's doing. You got to ask me tons of questions, but I want to know how he's doing, even if I'm not allowed to see him yet," she said.
L looked at her, removing her fingers from his wrist. "He's able to communicate, but through sign language. He's distant, but still there. I don't believe he's as much of a lost cause as people say he is," he said.
"Please... just did whatever it takes to get him back," Misa said. "I'll do what I can," L promised.
"If he can be brought back, then I can bring him back."
***A little bit more dialogue-heavy here, but Misa can actually converse. Be sure to leave a review on the way out, and I'll see you all in the next one! Bye!