STRAWBERRY MEMORIES- ICHIGO NO KIOKU
Chapter XII
"L to Misa no kagi"
I do not own Death Note nor its characters, who are owned by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata.
"You wanted to save them both, but finally you understood that it is not possible, and you made your own choice ... I hope for you that it is the right one, although you already know that I do not support either of them."
Rem's voice came clear to her ears, while the detective beside her was already looking to the video tapes from the day before again, in which Light was asking the policeman to show him the badge.
"Are you sure it was written Reye Penber on it?"
He asked turning to her.
"I'm very sure."
She replied without showing emotions to him.
She saw him while he was touching his lower lip thoughtfully.
"Why didn't you tell me right away?"
"I still didn't want to believe it."
She replied, and actually it was the truth.
"This proof is important, you know, don't you?"
He asked, staring at her.
"Sure..."
The model replied throwing herself on the bed exhausted.
"But we need more."
The boy answered looking at her again.
"So hurry up and pack your bags, tomorrow I'll call Watari to take you to the headquarters's private apartments."
Misa widened her eyes and stood up abruptly.
"What?!"
"It's no longer a safe place for you here, Light knows where you live so is better if you move where I can keep an eye on you."
"But ... he's there too, you told me!"
"He is on the fifth floor, you will be in a secret area where only I will have an access, a sort of second secret headquarters."
"But..."
The girl tried again to retort.
"It's called witness protection."
L's face did not admit replies, and even her known that he was right, that it was the best thing to do, but at the same time she was hoping that he could change his mind ...
The next day Misa woke up with a great concern, she wished so much not to feeling guilt, although she always convinced herself that it was the right choice and that she had not spoken like this about the bus case because of her hurt pride.
She put on her dressing gown and headed for the kitchen, all that concern only increased her appetite, if all of this would end up making her fat she would kill L!
She saw Rem watch her but saying nothing, it was very strange, there was surely something wrong ...
"Rem ..."
Misa was about to ask about her mutism but the shinigami silenced her immediately.
"Shut up!"
Misa froze on the spot and turned to her friend.
"There is an acquaintance of L in the house, a gentleman with a mustache and all dressed in black ..."
Misa mentally thanked Rem and ran toward her bedroom to dress up.
Once dressed, she looked in the mirror to cover her horrible dark circles with some makeup and finally headed to the living room.
"Good morning, Miss Amane, did you sleep well?"
As Rem had said, there was a man in the centre of the room with a steaming cup of tea in his hand (held very elegantly) that he had probably prepared for her.
Misa stopped to stare at him for a moment in awe, that old man looked like a noble butler, he had a English top hat and at first glance it was obvious that he came from there, even his accent left no doubt, like his moustache, while his glance was very sweet and kind and it was exactly what Misa recognized as the glance of the man who came to take Eru chan from the park many years before.
"Oh excuse me so much I didn't want to frighten you with this sudden entrance, but you see ... in these cases it is better to act quickly, I hope you don't mind that the suitcases have been prepared without your permission, but L warned me that you would got up late because of the events of the past evening. "
Misa only then noticed the huge bags that were all around the gentleman, he must have put everything in it. She noticed that even her own photos had disappeared from the various furniture.
"Of course, all your furniture will move with you, we have hired specialists who will take everything away tonight, with reserve ..."
Misa didn't know what to answer, if not blush from the fact that the old man had put his hands in her extremely private drawers.
"Ah, don't worry, Miss, as you certainly know, it's not a good mannership for a gentleman to rummage in a young lady's things, so L hired his personal maids to do everything, even with reserve. By the way it seems that all in all you slept well tonight."
"Well, all thanks to the blusher." The model smiled, touching slightly under her eyes, where a little before dark ugly dark circles persisted.
"Ahaha unfortunate L never knows how to handle with young ladies, I really apologize for him, from now on I will try to convince him not to tire you too much."
"Thank you very much Mister ..."
Misa whisper in slight embarrassment, that gentleman was as extravagant as he was nice.
"Oh, how rude of me to didn't even show up, call me Watari, I'm Mr. Watari."
He finished saying with a broad smile, Misa Misa smiled back.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Watari, call me Misa."
She replied holding out her small hand which the man squeezed warmly.
"Come on Miss Misa it's time to go, the sun is now turning to the top, keep the tea that ought perk it up."
Having said that he began to load the suitcases and opened the door.
"When the phone rings, get off, I'll wait for you on the back, I apologize in advance for not being able to take the limousine, but we absolutely have to keep a low profile."
Misa nodded silently and Watari, after a small bow, went out taking the suitcases.
The young model returned to her bedroom and opened all the wardrobes, incredible, they had taken away everything except the clothes that she would wear today day. And all of that was done without waking up her.
After a long goodbye to the beautiful panorama of her window, she took the bag and put the few things left in it: the cell phone, the wallet and the pyjama she had on that night.
As soon as she closed the bag, she heard the cell phone ring and rushed downstairs.
"I was used to your home; I hope so much that you won't be locked too long in that lair of deranged people."
Rem was following her from above as Misa was entering in the car.
She couldn't believe that things could change in such a short time, nor that she had acquired enough courage to accept that impossible challenge ... having to give up a part of herself.
Certainly for the trust she had received and the justice she hoped to obtain, she could have done even more; but there was still that part of her, the less rational and more romantic part, which kept screaming at her that she could find another solution, that there was no need to go that far.
However, it was too late, she had made decisions and had to bring them to extreme consequences, whether painful or not.
"I hope the apartment is to your liking, I tried to do everything possible according to your taste."
Having said that Watari opened the door with a magnetic card and let her in.
Misa was literally open-mouthed.
"Are you kidding me? Of course it is to my liking! It's fabulous!"
In front of her stretched what she had always dreamed of, everything was to her taste: the spiral stairs that led to the upper floors, the huge windows that allowed to admire the whole bright center of Tokyo, the crystal table, the black leather sofas , the futuristic lamps scattered around the room, the burgundy red walls, the dark carpets, the small lights that outlined the white marble floor so shiny that you could mirror yourself and finally the work of art par excellence! The column of water around which the wooden stairs twisted.
The ceiling was not high and gave it that air of welcome and protection that she often sought, and even on that surface there were bulbs in wire which twisted together.
"Well then I am very glad that the apartment is to your liking, Miss."
Watari smiled happily.
"The suitcases will soon be brought to your room, which is located upstairs, while the kitchen is to the right of this living room, there you will find your lunch."
"Thank you so much!"
The happy model cheered.
"Not at all Misa, it was a pleasure, I will always be happy to help Eru chan's first friend."
He declared with a broad smile on his face, Misa blushed suddenly without knowing what to say, fortunately Watari was a perfect gentleman, and understood the situation, he left with discretion.
Left alone, Misa admired the landscape from the immense windows, before leaving Watari had informed her that these were semi-reflective glass so she could have admired the breathtaking panorama without problems while from outside no one could have seen her, even though only a plane could notice her from that height.
When she settled in her bedroom, the suitcases, brought by men with dark glasses and dressed in suits including jackets and ties, arrived, while the men left without saying a word.
Misa threw herself on the bed exhausted, noticed that the furniture was missing, probably because they still had to bring her own.
After sitting around for half an hour she decided to start unpacking, but she heard someone open the door below.
"Watari informed me that you enjoyed your new home very much."
He had entered, of course without asking for permission, and had quietly started looking for sweets in the various drawers in the kitchen.
"Good morning to you too Eru chan!"
Misa replied irritably going down the stairs.
L did not answer and found a poor chocolate, swallowed it instantly, Misa smiled to herself.
"Anyway, thank you very much, I don't know how you guessed everything."
The model exulted, looking around for the umpteenth time.
"Was enough to know what Misa chan is like."
The detective answered opening another drawer.
"Not even a candy ... and yet I made it clear."
He muttered to himself with a sigh.
"What do you mean?"
Misa asked without having listened to his latest complaints.
"Was you who decided everything?!"
She asked in surprise, looking first at him then at the rest of the apartment.
"You can't be good at this too!"
She went on, dropping into a chair.
"I hate repeating myself, I am absolutely not interested in the furniture, I only captured what Misa chan would have liked, otherwise I would not be a detective."
He replied puffing at yet another empty drawer.
"I was probably so good at reading you that I found the kitchen devoid of food ..."
Misa started laughing out loud.
"I really hope you are joking! You speak as if you knew everything about Misa! "
L turned to her and looked her straight in the eye, Misa immediately stopped laughing.
"I know all about you Misa Amane, otherwise you wouldn't be here."
The young woman felt her heart skip a beat, but despite the fear, she absolutely wanted to know more.
"What if something escapes you?"
She asked in a low voice and L smiled slightly.
"If something escaped me, it would only be due to force majeure, like Kira, but I know perfectly well who Misa is and what she would never do, and for now you have behaved as expected."
Misa felt Rem approach her ...
"And I? Will I ever know all about Eru chan? "
Asked the girl with a throbbing heart.
"It seems to me that you already know me enough Misa, enough to kill me ... this should be enough for you."
The boy answered in an extremely serious voice, Misa felt a strange feeling of sadness at the sound of that phrase.
It was true, if he hadn't trusted her, if he hadn't left her free to act, she wouldn't have been there ... but it was also true that if she had never united her soul with death, getting closer to what he was fighting, they would never meet again and they would never be so close.
"Are you all right Misa chan?"
L looked at her in surprise, at that moment the model's gaze must have been frightening.
Misa looked him in the eyes and felt the usual warmth expand in her chest, so she embraced him suddenly while the boy widened his eyes in surprise.
"That force majeure event," she whispered softly in his ear, "the one that could escape you, is the same that allowed us to get closer and I thank you every day, because for Misa Eru chan it's a miracle ..."
Having said that, she slowly moved away from him and stared intently at him in his dark eyes, L could read well what was hidden in her gaze and although he could not give a name to the power he could see in those big hazel eyes, he suddenly understood to have just received Misa's key, the key that would have solved the mystery, and the key that would have allowed the girl to receive all his trust ... the one he had never given to anyone.
Perhaps only partially to Watari.
"You made another choice, but this time among the three you saved him only... After all, you had already chosen him about 12 years ago ... and I will follow you anyway, Misa."
Author corner:
Hi to everyone, all I have to say is that the title's meaning is: "The L and Misa's key" and it is referred to the trust between them. In fact, now Misa have said something really near the truth, the major force are the shinigami and the Death Note's existence, which are the only things which maintain L far away from resolving the Kira case. If Misa will choose to say everything to him it will be simple to defeat Kira himself. But it's only the beginning of the story and you will see what is next.
Bye Juliette.