It was a rainy day in April. Citizens of Japan would walk down the streets with their hoods or umbrellas. Some people enjoyed it, as the cameras would not be able to see their movements. Not that they had something to hide, but rather they enjoyed the privacy, and to be out of Kira's sight. Each and every person in Japan older than three years of age had to have a special ID, with only their name and face. Some other countries enforced this, but not all. Either way, citizens of Japan, as well as the tourists that come to visit need to have one.
Alice, an exchange student from the UK, had her special ID in her purse. She had to have it for around two weeks now, as it was that long since she came to Japan. She had forgotten her umbrella this morning, and her hood was getting wet as well. Her shoes were also getting wet. At least her hair wasn't wet, she had washed it that morning, and was not eager to have it all soaking wet in school.
First out of the tree bells at Maigo High School rang as Alice was entering the courtyard. Once inside the locker room, she took off her wet shoes and sapped them with another, dry pair that was only worn in school. She left her jacket to dry and took a cream-colored blazer. After looking in the mirror, she realized that she should comb her hair that got a bit messy under the hood. Seeing how she had ten more minutes before the start of the class, she slowly walked to her classroom. There wasn't anyone else besides her, but soon, one by one, students were coming to their seats.
No one was late, except for one boy that is sitting right behind Alice. That boy, whose name is Teito Yagami, was somewhat bored with regular school stuff but was also one of the best students in the generation. Around six minutes after the beginning of the class, Teito showed up.
"I'm sorry for being late, Sensei," Teito said without even looking at the teacher. Everyone knew that this kind of behavior was only allowed because for one, Teito was one of the best students, and two, his father was one of the best detectives in the country. The teacher sighed and continued with the lesson. They were in English class, one thing where Alice was clearly much better than anyone else. Maigo High was a school for kids with above-average intellect. And both Teito and Alice were considered among the best students of their generation.
"Hey, hey, Asi," Teito tugged at her sleeve, whispering her name. She ignored him, and Teito huffed. "After the class then," he murmured for himself. Alice wasn't happy about that. In fact, she found Teito as someone stupid for wasting his potential. For her, Teito Yagami was a jerk.
The class ended and they had a fifteen-minute break. Not a type to socialize, Alice stayed in the classroom. She took a book from her backpack. She was currently reading "The Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafón.
"You reading Zafón over there, Asi?" Teito asked and sat on Alice's table. She closed the book and put it back in her bag.
"Why you ask? Are you a fan, Yagami?" She rose a brow and gave him two contra questions.
"Nope, but my dad made me read it… Spoiler warning, that creep that asked Daniel for the book in the beginning, is actually Julian Carax."
Alice was so very pissed, and if they were not in school she would have punched him in the face. "Thanks, now I officially don't like you."
"Aww, why such a face, Asi? You never had a book spoiled before?" That cheeky bastard had a smirk on his face.
"Don't call me that!" She got up and was on his eye level. "My name is Alice Rivers, and you need to respect that."
"Why, because you said so?" She grabbed his collar.
"Listen, you ass, if I do something reckless, such as attack you, I'd be sent back to the UK. And I don't want to go back to the UK. I worked too damn hard to get here, and I won't be back because of you." She let go of him and went to the girls' bathroom.
"What a girl…" Teito felt his friend rising. He put his hands over it and went to his seat.
It was lunchtime when Alice's phone rang. She walked to the far end of the school roof, where she was eating, and answered it.
"Hi, Uncle… Why are you calling?" She was careful not to say her uncle's name out loud.
"Hello Alice, how's your mission?"
"Not that good… Guy's a jerk… Was there anyone else you could've sent?"
"You know there isn't. You are the one of the few people that know about the notebook and who owns it. Besides, you are Teito's age. Speaking of… does he have the eyes?"
"Maybe… He never spoke to me about my real name. Besides, I might already be dead if his father had found out."
"Intressting… Call me if you have more information."
"Affirmed." Alice sighed and put the phone back in her bag. Rest of the classes went fast. In the afternoon, it was still raining. Without the umbrella once more, Alice started walking towards the student dorms not far away from the Maigo High.
"Hey, Alice!" She heard Teito's voice behind her. He was running through the people, somehow managing to keep his umbrella up high.
"What do you want, Yagami?"
"I uhm… do you want to get under my umbrella first?"
"No, I'm perfectly fine like this," it was a lie, but Alice wasn't going to admit how she'd like to be under an umbrella.
"Fair… I wanted to ask you something." Alice didn't wan't to do anything with him, but she knew it was neceserry for her mission to succeed.
"What is it?"
Could you help me with math…? My dad would usually do it, but he's been very busy lately," he'd rub the back of his neck, looking at the ground ashamed.
"So you behaved like an asshole earlier and you think you can just come to me asking for help?"
"I guess I didn't really think this through."
"You are an idiot Teito Yagami," Alice turned around ready to leave. Teito grabbed her arm. She slowly turned her head towards him.
"Don't touch me."
"Why? Because you asked?!" There was a wide smirk on Teito's face. A smile that was taken off by Alice's fist. Yagami fell to the ground, hoding his bleeding nose.
"What the fuck Rivers? I thought you didn't want to cause incidents."
"And that gives you right to behave like an asshole?" Alice raised a brow. Two teens were alone on the street, so no one saw what had just accured. The girl turned to leave, walking away towards the dormitory.
"You are one crazy bitch, Alice Rivers."
She didn't say a word, but she did show him her middle finger while walking away.
It took Teito a whole hour to drag himself to his home. It was evening, but the rain made it so it looked like it was night.
"I'm home!" He shouted, taking off his shoes.
"You should have called me to pick you up! Did you walk in the rain the entire way here?" Detective Light Yagami told him. Light was in his work room, not really doing his detective job tonight.
"Meh, it was fine," Teito took off his coat and put it on a rack. Once in the bathroom he took a shower and cleaned what little blood was on his face. By the time Teito was in his room, it was already past six. Students should spend this time studying, but Teito was not in the mood.
After Teito didn't go down for dinner, Light got worried. It was unusual for the boy to skip meals. For his height, and he was fairly tall for his age, Teito had a lean body, and was on a diet. The boy to the gym several times a weak. Once his father asked him for whom he trains so hard, and Teito responded with: "When I find out, you will be the first one to know."
Detective knocked on his son's door. "Can I come in, Teito?"
Teito was shocked by his father's voice. He did not expect the man to come talk to him so soon. Even if they lived by themselves for the most of Teito's life, two males had almost no common themes to talk about. Boy closed the forbidden manga that he was reading and put it in his warderobe.
"Yea, you can," he said as he sat on his bed. Light came in holding a tray with a bowl of hot soba on it. He put it on his son's desk and went to sit next to the boy.
"What's the problem?" Light asked his son, who was visiably shaken by something.
"There isn't one… I'm just tired."
"Teito, when you are lying your back is sweating, I know that much. So tell me what's the problem and I'll help you fix it."
"There is this girl in school… She's an exchange student from the UK…"
"And you like her?" Older Yagami raised a brow.
"I uhm… maybe… but I know she doesn't like me."
"Huh? That's a first. I thought you are popular with the girls."
Teito had to let out a chukle. He was quite handsome, and a lot of girls liked him. But they were all empty and with little to no personality in them. On the other hand, Alice was smart, sassy, and she cared for no one.
"I am… but she is different." Teito sighed and looked down.
"What's her name?" Light asked.
Teito hesitated for a second before answering: "It's Alice Rivers…"
Light was shocked to hear the last name Rivers. It was too similar to the last name of Near, L's successor. Or was it just paranoia, Light was unsure. Either way, it would not be hard for Light to search through the list of all children that Teito went to high school with and find her.
Kira tapped his son's back. "Eat something before you go to sleep." Willinglesly, Teito got up and pulled the chair from beneath his table and sat to eat. Once he made sure that his son is eating, Kira left the room and headed for his office.
"Ooo, someone has fallen in love," Shinigami Ryuk commeneted for Kira to hear. Kira ignored the Death God and moved through the house. Upon arriving to his office, Kira logged onto the network of Teito's school, something he had access to since the boy enrolled. In the list of all the exchange students he found the name Alice Rivers.
Kira was shocked to see the eyes of his old enemy looking at him from the girl's face.
