unison the act or an instance of speaking the same words simultaneously by two or more speakers

"Light," Sachiko says, once Sayu's left for school, "what happened to that girl you were seeing? Uoya-san?"

Unseen, Light grimaces, before turning to her with a smile. "I just dated her once, Mom. I was hardly seeing her."

Sachiko frowns at him. "That's the fourth girl this year you've said that about."

He shrugs. "What can I tell you? They just aren't right for me."

"I see the way they look at you." She crosses her arms. "You're breaking their hearts."

Light frowns back at her. "I can't help how they feel. Mom, what's your point?"

She sighs. "When are you going to get a girlfriend, Light?"

He blinks. "I'm sixteen. What's the hurry? I'll get one when I find one that I feel is right." Which will be never, he suspects, but the platitudes usually work well enough. "Don't worry, Mom, you'll have grandchildren."

"That's not what I'm worried about," she begins, but then she glances at the clock. "Never mind. You're going to be late. Have a good day, dear."

"All right. See you later." He shoots her one last glance as he heads out the door, puzzled.

"Hey, Light."

Light sets down his book and looks at Takashi—Yamamoto, he calls him, now that they're almost adults. Yamamoto doesn't seem to have caught on to that one yet, though.

"Yes?" Light says.

"What happened with Emi-san? You went out with her, right?" Yamamoto eyes Emi from across the classroom. She's talking with her friends, her back turned to the two of them.

Light wonders if Yamamoto and his mother have been talking behind his back. But all he says is, "I did, yeah."

"And?" Yamamoto nudges him.

"And it was a date." Light shrugs. "I didn't feel particularly drawn to her, so we didn't go out again."

"You didn't feel drawn to her?" Yamamoto is incredulous. "You didn't feel drawn to her? With that body?"

"Some of us," Light says loftily, "have other criteria."

"Well, then, what are your criteria, man? You've dated, like, six girls this year—"

"Four."

"—and you've said the same thing about all of them."

With a sigh, Light tells him the same thing he told his mother. "I don't know, Yamamoto. I'll know her when I find her."

Yamamoto huffs. "It'd better be soon, or you'll run through all the girls in the school."

"Light, I have a question!"

Light sets down his pen and turns in his chair to face Sayu, who, as usual, has entered his room uninvited. "Did you look in the back of the book?"

"Not a school question. A dating question."

This should be good, Light thinks. "Go on."

"Why haven't you ever had a girlfriend?"

Light blinks at her. If everyone is so curious about this, why have they all waited until today to ask him about it? Emi Uoya was more than a month ago. "I haven't found anyone I want to be my girlfriend," he says, his tone a bit testy. "Did Mom put you up to this?"

"What?" She looks genuinely startled. "No. Why?"

Light decides he believes her. "She was asking me the same thing earlier, that's all. Listen, Sayu, I'll get a girlfriend eventually. Why does it matter?"

"I was just wondering." She grins at him. "I want to see the girl you end up liking. I bet she'll be really hot."

He rolls his eyes. "If you don't have any real questions, go finish your homework."

But he doesn't pick up his pen again once she's gone.

He's told the truth today. He doesn't know what he wants in a girl, but he knows he hasn't found it. He always thought intelligence would be the most important thing to him, but he's all but given up on finding a clever girl, and that leaves... what?

He knows he'll have to choose a girl eventually, and spend his life with her. It's a horrible thought, so he turns back to his homework, putting it out of his mind.