STRAWBERRY MEMORIES- ICHIGO NO KIOKU
Chapter XVI
Born to destroy and born to create1
I do not own Death Note.
The next day Misa woke up with a beautiful feeling, the night before it had been wonderful. Eru was slowly opening his heart to her and even though she could never have had a normal relationship with him, it was enough for her to be closer to him and to express the feelings she has started to have for him. She didn't care at all if she had to have Kira arrested to protect L, even though she was still grateful to Kira for avenging her parents' memory.
The girl got ready for college. This time she dressed more appropriately with a pair of tight jeans at high waist and torn at the knee, a white t-shirt and the usual leather jacket.
As if it were a daily thing, she gone downstairs to say good morning to the detective.
As soon as she entered, she saw him in front of a thousand documents and screens on, as usual.
"Good morning!"
She cried out happily as she ran to meet him. She saw that there was a huge tray full of pastries by his side, so she took one to eat it.
"I see that you decided to eat properly at the right times. Although I still have something to say about the amount of sweets."
She laughed pointing at the tray.
The boy turned at her surprised, looking amused at the way Misa was stealing part of his beloved breakfast.
"I see instead that L is changing Misa's habits."
He replied with the same grin of the night before.
Misa blushed and she felt terribly attracted to him, she had to keep calm in order not to seek physical contact with the boy. She had to compose herself, or Eru would think she was not a good girl at all.
"You know what Eru chan? You're right. This morning without even noticing I even dressed like you!"
She said showing her outfit to the detective.
"If we'll go out together again, we're gonna do matchy matchy!"
She said with a laugh.
"match... what?"
Asked the boy, bending his head amused.
"I'll explain it to you, only if you go out with Misa again."
She answered giving the last bite to the sweet.
"Now I have to go, see you later!"
She told waving to him.
"Misa!"
He stopped her again, this time without turning from the screens.
"Mhh?"
"those clothes, look much better on you."
The model smiled shyly to him and exited the room, she could clearly hear her heart in her ears.
He practically said that I'm pretty!
She thought to herself out of joy.
L's cheeks instead were flushed, and he had stopped eating, he didn't know why but lately he was losing his usual appetite. When Watari had brought him the tray full of sweets he had looked at it almost reluctantly, it was as if that morning he felt already satiated, it was a very strange feeling. Then the model had arrived and after seeing her, his appetite had gone, the only desire he had at that time was to see her again and as soon as possible.
Misa arrived at college with a new energy, the enthusiasm for the collaboration with the detective had returned, while the lessons passed slowly as always, the model promised to herself, that once that whole thing was over, she'd be done with college forever.
While she was sitting in the campus courtyard with a cup of coffee in her hand, she heard someone sitting next to her.
"Hey, Misa."
The girl immediately turned recognizing Light's voice.
"Hi Light kun!"
She smiled at him crossing her legs nonchalantly and pulling on her fake glasses.
"I don't want to disturb your break from classes, but I wanted to ask you if you had time later, I should talk to you."
He said politely and with a strange glint in his eyes.
"Of course, Light."
She answered, holding the steaming cup.
"I always have time for you."
"Perfect."
He smiled back at her, so he touched one of her leg and approached her ear.
"You are highly recommended to bring your death note."
He ended saying in a hashed tone, so he detached from her with a grin.
Misa was paralyzed and before she could answer, the boy had already disappeared. She was so traumatized by what he had just whispered to her that she had not even noticed that she had burned her fingers with coffee, coffee that was overflowing from the cup due to the shaking of her hands.
Misa perceived that grin as an irony of fate, the day before she had giggled for the lips bent like that by another boy and the next day instead, she had been shivering with fear.
Her mind immediately ran to L and she feared that something might happen to him because of her. She was a fool to get involved in that story, a fool and a selfish: just to get close to the detective she had put his life in danger. She didn't care if she died, but just the thought of Eru's life-deprived face made her heart beat worse than the news of her parents' death.
"Rem..."
The Shinigami emerged from behind a building and approached the girl. Her monstrous face usually did not have human expressions, but that time Misa saw a worried face.
"Misa, I'm sorry, I think Ryuk told him of my presence yesterday."
The girl lowered her head hiding her face in her arms, upset.
"Rem... we must do everything to protect L, even if it will cost my life. If I order you to write my name on the death note, will you do it, promise me?"
She said to her, turning to the Shinigami.
"Misa... I could never do such a thing. Specially to protect that detective."
"Swear it!"
The look of the model had become terrible, and, despite Rem not known human feelings, she saw a deep despair in those eyes.
"I swear it, Misa, but on the condition that first we will try everything to save the lives of both of you."
Two hours later, Misa, with her face drier and more confident, was waiting for Kira outside the college. Rem was at her side; it was useless to try to hide her presence.
From a distance she saw the boy approaching them with a serious gaze.
Misa took a deep breath and smiled at him.
"Where are we going then, my beloved Kira?"
She asked him with a whisper.
Light smiled at the sound of that name, so he approached her and kissed her on the lips. Then he leaned back on her ear.
"Follow me."
So, he took her by the hand, and led her out of there.
Looking at the strong grip that the boy had on her little hand Misa had a flash of the night before, when Eru was leading her into that nice club. It was amazing how only a hand grip could say so much about a person. Light was dominant, charming, deadly; L was kind, sweet, he made her feel more alive than ever, and especially, with him she did not have to play a role. She felt like an eternity had passed since she saw her L and suddenly, she felt the need of him.
When she awoke from that numbness of thoughts, Misa realized that Light had taken her to an empty bookstore. She looked around confused, thought they were going to a different place.
"Don't worry,"
He said.
"and look at that spot."
He ended up pointing at an empty spot on the road. Misa noticed that on the asphalt there was a faded spot.
"That's where I killed my first criminal, voluntarily."
"At the time I didn't do many calculations because the notebook seemed to me only a stupid game for kids, but that time it worked, and I was there to see it. I saw how that bastard's eyes turned off, in a sudden, a fearsome man had become an empty box, one less scum in this corrupt world."
He went on saying while he was looking at that spot too.
"Luckily this place hasn't a wire, and so my first execution looked like an accident and no one could tie it back to me. This allowed me to go on undisturbed and calculating my moves as well. I have never been so exposed."
Light finally turned to her.
"But then L came to me at college saying that I was Kira and the fate had a bizarre twist with your arriving. I don't want to be petty, so I won't doubt you right away, but when I found out your true identity, I really thought you were hired by those fools just to spy on me. I was sure until yesterday. But then you said that thing about your parents. That wasn't a play of you, no, no, I'm sure of that. Do you know why, Misa?"
The girl kept staring at him without even being able to nod.
"Because in your words, in your eyes, I clearly saw your admiration for Kira. Your admiration for me, the God of a new world."
Light was getting closer and closer.
"And as if that wasn't enough, Ryuk, my shinigami, revealed to me the presence of a white shinigami yesterday at my house. Just when I was downstairs in the kitchen. It was easy to understand why you suddenly appeared in my life, Misa Amane."
Misa watched Rem flying over her head, Light could not see her yet but immediately understood what the girl was looking at.
"You came to me to build a new world together, didn't you?"
Light asked her with a spooky smile. Misa approached him and took his hands with hers.
"You finally figured it out, Light. I exist only to serve you, you are my saviour and from now on I entrust my life to you."
She concluded by kissing his hands.
"Then close your eyes, Misa."
He smiled at her.
She closed them and heard a sheet of paper touching her index finger.
"Now open."
The girl reopened her eyes and the ringing voice of Ryuk came to her ears.
"Here you are! We are gonna having fun finally, doesn't it, Light?"
Light's Shinigami was looking at her and on his deformed face she was able to distinguish a laugh.
"Good evening, you must be Ryuk."
The model said waving to him.
"I am Misa and she is Rem."
She concluded.
Light was surprised by the calm attitude of the model, he expected at least a minimum of fear at the sight of a Shinigami, although she already had one of her own.
"Ah right…"
Misa said as she turned to Light.
"Here you are."
She opened the bag and took out her notebook.
"When I told you that I entrust my life to you I said it on purpose, here is my notebook, I entrust it to you, do whatever you want. If one day you'll get tired of me and you'll want to get rid of me, write my name on my death note."
She said to him with a serious gaze.
Light was amazed by the girl's words and smiled as he took the notebook, already anticipating the sweet taste of the power entrusted to him.
"But what's in it for you to do all of this?"
He asked looking to the death note and then to her.
"My goal is to be at your side as an ally."
She answered, looking straight into his eyes.
Light saw Rem and greeted her with a nod.
"I only have one thing left to ask you, Misa... I don't understand how you knew I was Kira, when even L doesn't have any proof."
Misa felt breathless but outwardly remained calm. She knew that by confessing about the eyes trade, she would be condemned to help him in his crimes, and yet she had to do so to protect the man she loved. Because it was at that moment, at that moment when she was so close to falling into the abyss of Kira's evil, that she realized that she loved L and she didn't care about the world, nor about the criminals, but only about him. After all, all of them were, in that corrupt world, a bit selfish.
"It's really simple actually, Light, I made the eye trade. But not immediately, before I approached you I analysed where the first killings took place, then after several months I managed to circumscribe Kira into a boy of about 17/20 years old who lived in Shinjuku and who was definitely smart enough to enter the best university in Tokyo. When I saw you at the To-oh's ceremony, I knew right away that you were my saviour, but I wanted to know for sure. So, I did the eye trade and it was immediately clear that you had a death note because I couldn't see your life span."
She concluded with a smile.
Light showed a smile much more like a grin.
"This means that you can tell me the name of L!"
Misa rejoiced inside for the lie she was about to tell him, Light was so intelligent but so confident that he had seen on her the admiration for Kira, but he didn't realize that her admiration was also devoid of love. Love that she dedicated entirely to someone else.
"Unfortunately, no... when I did the eye trade, I didn't see anyone with that name. And unfortunately, I was so stupid that I didn't immediately realize that L was the guy next to you during the opening ceremony. Just thinking about it late, I got it, and now I have the confirmation thank to you... when you told me that L showed up in your life at the same time as me. I should have done the trade before, but unfortunately, as a cost for it, the Shinigamis takes you half of your life and it hasn't been an easy choice for me."
She told him with a sorry look.
"Don't worry Misa, I'll make sure you're going to see him and when you tell me his name, we can finally work undisturbed to achieve our goal. We will build a new world, Misa. Together."
Ryuk's laughter roared in the room.
"Let the fun begin!".
Author Corner:
So, are you guys worried? Finally, Light and Misa are back together as in the manga. Who knows if this will complicate the things with L? What will Misa do now? Is she gonna start to kill criminals? You will find out soon!
Finally, I'd like to thank leonardo18anime for putting this story among the favourites.
Yuuki B
1 The title is a reference to Manic Streat Preachers' song "Autumn song"