STRAWBERRY MEMORIES- ICHIGO NO KIOKU
Chapter V
Agreement
It was about five minutes that she stared out the window torturing her fingernails, which was forbidden by her manager. She felt his gaze on her and what worried her most was that he could hear the strong beating of her heart; but surely the world's greatest detective would have wasted no time in sharpening his hearing for something so futile.
Although she knew that all he was doing was analyzing every single move of her, she was feared that he could have noticed the deep embarrassment and happiness that flooded in her only by being so close to him, and so she tried to break the ice.
«By the way, where are we going L?» she asked provocatively, turning to him.
«I am taking you home Misa chan, I mean…do you want to walk back home all alone so late in the evening?»
He replied, biting his nail.
«Er no ... so why didn't Eru immediately tell Misa Misa?» she asked bowing her head.
«Because I was still studying you.»
He replied impassively looking at her with his black eyes.
For the first time in 10 years Misa felt herself peering inside like that day.
«Ah ... understood, but I don't understand how Eru chan recognized Misa, the disguise was perfect!»
«I do not understand…»
L answered looking at her perplexed.
«What do you not understand Eru chan?»
She asked turning to look at him.
«Didn't Misa tell me to look for her in the best magazines?»
He naively asked, leaning slightly.
Misa blazed.
«Oh ..» she only managed to say «Yes indeed, Misa did it ... but she didn't think ...»
The sentence remained pending because L had put a newspaper under her nose, it was the new issue of Teen Idol, on the front page there was her with her school uniform and a flowered hat on her head, smiling as always.
«Misa chan hasn't changed at all in 10 years.» he sentenced looking at the photo and then at her.
Misa immediately thought that he saw her as the girl of the time, she wanted to tell him that in reality many things had changed, but she could not.
«Then Eru chan recognized me right away ...» Misa sighed, looking down and returning to glance her black nail polish.
«Um, I didn't mean to offend Misa, the disguise was good and Misa is a great actress, even the fainting seemed real.»
Misa turned white but this time for real.
«But even if Misa tries to hide behind those big glasses and to disguise the smiles there is always something that makes her recognize ...»
«What ... what do you mean?» she asked, more perplexed than ever.
«I don't really know ...» he answered looking at her and crouching more on the seat «but the first time I saw Misa at the university I saw the blue dress and the pigtails ... I still can't explain why ... »
«Not everything has an answer ...» Misa sighed, looking out and licking her sugary lips.
L looked at her again.
«And then Misa is L's first friend right?» Misa turned to him.
«Of course!» she answered with a big smile «So Eru chan followed Misa because he was worried about her and because she is her only friend?» she asked hopefully leaning towards him.
«No» as he replied Misa became sad .
«Not really, actually Misa is my friend but she is a suspect of L too.» Misa's eyes widened.
«Wait, why do you suspect me? What did I do?»
«You seem to already know that I'm hunting Kira, right?»
«Yes, that is it, every now and then your voice interrupts the news on tv and the newspapers are talking of you everyday ... it's obvious that I know it, since I know your identity.»
«Well, Yagami Light is Kira and you just went to his house.»
Misa was amazed at his direct response.
«And does that make me an accomplice?» she asked indignantly.
«Not exactly, but for some reason Light invited you, he never invites girls to his room ...»
«And how does Eru knows it?» she asked in amazement despite knowing about the cameras, she wasn't stupid at all.
L, however, continued his reasoning.
«Never, not even his sister is allowed to enter ...»
Misa watched him nibble his thumb as his brain went faster then anyone else.
«But surely it is a new tactic, he has adopted many different ones lately, I wouldn't be surprised if he had already discovered the presence of the cameras, otherwise it is not clear how the murders can go on despite the fact that nothing suspicious appears on the tape, your presence was probably just a source of distraction for the police as he tried to improve his remote killing techniques, but until we can only have evidence that confirms my high suspicions (about 40% probability that he is Kira) we will never catch him.»
He casually replied looking up at her.
«Why is Eru chan saying all these things to Misa?»
L turned to her.
«If you were his accomplice, the fact that Misa can report everything does not bother me at all, it would not change our current situation of collaboration to capture himself at all (simply for now he cannot act to my detriment), plus my suspicions over you are 1%, and if Misa chan is innocent there is nothing to worry about ... »
He replied looking at her in the eyes.
«Well you're wrong because Misa is 100% innocent.»
She answered proudly.
«Then I can't wait to find out.»
He added, removing his finger from his lips.
«Why don't you collaborate with me Misa chan?»
«I what?»
«Misa doesn't have to answer right away, she can also answer tomorrow ...»
«Ah well, Eru chan is giving me a long time to think on it!»
She replied chuckling.
«It doesn't seem very difficult for you to decide,» he replied seriously. «Misa will not run any danger if she continues to play the part of the dumb with Light kun.»
Misa frowned.
«Ah thank you very much ...»
«Well, isn't that what Misa chan does the best?»
«The dumb?!»
«No, acting, it seems to me that Light has fallen well enough for now. But if Misa thinks that being stupid is also her talent, L absolutely doesn't want to disappoint her ... »
Misa laughed softly.
«I seem to have experienced this scene before.»
She replied looking at him with laughing eyes.
«You haven't changed at all Eru chan!»
«Not even Misa chan has changed much ...»
The car stopped suddenly, Misa looked around disoriented.
«We arrived in front of the entrance to your apartment.»
L said, pointing the finger out the window.
«Ah yes, thank you very much Eru chan, it was a pleasure.»
She answered with a broad smile, she saw L trafficking in his pockets and pulling something red out of it.
«Another strawberry candy? Eru already knows that Misa doesn't eat these things ...»
«It was the only way to thank you, and Misa ate it the last time.»
Misa's eyes widened.
«And how do you know?»
«Misa has a strawberry lip gloss and licks her lips very often, if she had never tried a strawberry candy she would never have bought a lip gloss of such taste to taste it without gaining weight.»
He replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, naturally ignoring the redness on Misa's cheeks, whom was embarrassed only by the fact that in order to draw those conclusions L's eyes had surely landed on her lips.
«Then, do you want it? If Misa doesn't want it, I'll eat it.»
L continued, wondering why this mutism of her occurred.
«No, no, I'll take it! Eru chan is right ... actually Eru chan is always right, Misa is very happy that he has not changed!»
She twittered happily and grabbed the candy.
«Good night Eru.»
She said opening the door.
«Good night Misa chan, see you tomorrow.»
L answered impassively as he watched her get out, Misa was about to close the door when L blocked her.
«Hey Misa.»
«Yes?»
«Megumi doesn't really suit Misa chan, to Misa chan only suits Misa.»
The girl chuckled.
«I'll try to fix it as soon as possible, not even Hidecki suits you, Eru chan is just Eru.»
«Mmm I hadn't thought of that.»
Misa laughed.
«Maybe you lack of sugar, Mr. Ryuga, good night!»
«Night Kurenai-san.»
He replied amused.
Once at home Misa threw herself on the bed exhausted and happy.
«Now what are you going to do Misa?»
Asked the shinigami appearing from behind.
«About what?»
Misa asked puzzled.
«Are you going to collaborate with him or not?»
Rem insisted again.
«Oh Rem…» replied the model, sticking her head under the pillow «Just now that I had forgotten about it, now Misa just wants to sleep, she will think about it tomorrow.»
«Do what you want Misa, as much you know what I think.»
«That I don't have to approach Light for anything in the world, not even to frame him.»
«Exact.» sighed the shinigami «But I know you won't listen to me.»
«Exact.» Misa answered pulling her head out of the pillow and pulling the covers up.
«So good night Rem!»
Author little corner:
Here I am!
This is the absolute chapter that I had the most fun writing, I love when Misa and L talk to each other, they seem so in tune!
Furthermore, a twist is always to be expected (most of the time by L), this time the surprise was the detective's request to ask our protagonist to collaborate with him, which entices and scares Misa to the same time (despite having already said yes to Light for the date) ...
In the next chapter we will find out the definitive answer of Misa ^^
but you already know who she is going to choose, right?
Or maybe not ... ^^