A/N: Last chapter for the night. Sorry if it's a bit lackluster, I'll fix anything I can tomorrow, but I gotta get some sleep.

Thank you all for sticking around, reviews appreciated, and I hope to see you all tomorrow!

Enjoy!

(Light P.O.V)

"Why exactly are you taking from just the dessert line?" I asked the strange teen.

"Because I have low blood sugar and a love for sweet things. It works out quite well actually. But I need the cake and sweets to help me function. It's actually a well-known fact that a person with a high metabolism and thin frame is more likely to enjoy sweets."

"So, that's all you eat? Sweets?"

"And the occasional restaurant food. I do go out to eat more times than not. But there are many foods my body cannot take. Sweets have a natural sugar to them that I need in order to function. It's a deeper process than I'd like to get into."

"Question withheld then."

After getting our food from the line we headed for a table. After sitting, the questions began.

"Something has been on my mind, Light."

"Oh? And what's that?" I asked before taking a bite.

He paused for a moment. "It was my understanding that English is a compulsory course here in Japan. So why have you not learned it by now? Surely you were at least given the opportunity."

I shrugged. "I was, but my father pulled me out of the course in school after a few years. He hired a tutor for me that taught me how to speak English. He said I wouldn't need to learn how to write it. I can understand English. If you were to speak to me in such I'd know what you were saying. But I can't read or write it."

He seemed unimpressed with this answer. "How can you understand it, but not read or write it?"

"Well, I also have two friends from overseas who taught me as well. They weren't very good teachers when it came to writing English though."

"But why would your father pull you out of the class? That doesn't make sense. English is the most common language in the world, and you'd need to know it."

"Like I said, I can speak and understand it. But I can't read or write it. It's just confusing for me. By the time I was offered the course again I turned it down. My father told me I wouldn't be leaving Japan anytime soon anyways, so why learn it?"

He didn't answer me. He simply huffed as he dug into his bag and pulled out a few sheets of paper and wrote down something on them.

When he finished writing, he put the paper in front of me and asked, "Do you know what this is?"

I looked down and saw all the English letters going from A to Z. "Yes. It's the English alphabet. Teri showed it to me once, but I couldn't quite grasp what she was trying to teach me. Then again, Tamlen was messing with me and telling me all these made up words in English to screw me up."

He ignored my story. "Write each letter so it looks like the ones I wrote."

I blinked before picking up his pen and expertly copying them down. He seemed rather impressed by this.

"So now write what I am saying to you." He said in complete English.

And this is where I faltered a bit. I'd taken a few English courses, about three years' worth as a child, but I couldn't remember what it was I'd learned.

He waited patiently as I remembered what he'd said. As smart as I was, and I was a genius in the trade, I still hated myself because I never learned to write in English. And now it was coming back to bite me.

I took a chance and used the letters I thought would fit then handed the page to Ryuzaki.

He studied it closely and was once again impressed. "I thought you told me you didn't know how to write in English?"

I shrugged. "To be honest, I took a guess. I guess I retained a few things from elementary school."

"I see. Well, if you can at least speak the language I suppose you aren't hopeless. I suggest taking up an English course while you're still here even if your father doesn't allow it."

"To be honest, once more, he wanted me to learn it but thought I'd just waste my time on learning to read and write English. As long as I could partially speak it, I would be alright…"

"Wrong." He said bluntly as he took a bite of his cake. "When learning a language you have to know all the ins and outs of it. Even reading and writing it. Take up the course, Light. It'll save your life. Just tell them you want to learn how to read and write it and the teacher will help you. If not, come to me. I'm more than willing to give you a lesson."

I cocked an eyebrow at him. "Why would you help me?" I asked.

Another bite of his cake. "First things first, when speaking to me, speak in English. You'll grow more fluent in the language and start to understand what letters to use while writing words. With how much you know right now, I doubt it'll take you very long to learn."

I suppose I could agree to this. So this time I asked in English. "Why would you help me?"

"Hm… not bad." He commented as he finished his cake off. "To answer your question, because it's a good side project for me. I'm bored to death of this school and I've only been here a day and a half."

"So I'm a project to you?" I asked, feeling a little insulted by this.

"I suppose you are. But it benefits both you and me. You can learn all English has to offer you, and I can relieve some boredom. So what do you say?"

I thought about the offer for a quick second before turning it down. "No thanks. I have enough on my plate at the moment."

"Then do you read?" He asked.

I nodded. "Yes, it's one of my past times."

He then brought out a book and handed it to me. "Read this, then. It's in English but I have confidence that you will be able to read the entire thing."

Since I couldn't quite understand the title, I asked what book it was.

He sighed. "Light, it's three simple words. Read it yourself."

I groaned a bit before doing as told. It took a few moments but I managed to read them easily after a bit.

"War and Peace? I've already read this."

"Good, so you know the English words to it already."

I blinked a bit. "I… suppose… We just finished it in my literary course."

"So then read it this week. It shouldn't be too difficult for you. Top of his class, best grades of the school. If you can read that entire thing in a week, I'll stop bugging you about English."

This sounded like a challenge to me. "Alright, but when I do finish it you have to do something for me."

"And I thought I was being childish before today." He commented. "But proceed."

"If I can read one paragraph from the novel, without stuttering, you give me some more of those Emperor's Choice candies."

He seemed almost hesitant about that, but showed no fear. "Fine. But I pick the paragraph, and if you can't read it, you give all the credit to me on our science project."

I stuck out my hand. "Deal."

He took my hand and we shook on it.

"Now, back to the business of our project." He started.

The bell rang and it was time to change our classes.

I blinked in surprise. "Dammit! We used up our entire lunch hour!"

"I have drama next, but I suppose I could text you the details of where and when to meet tomorrow."

"Drama?" I asked in surprise. "I have the same class…"

"Good, then we can talk while we're there." He slid out of his odd sitting position. "Let us be off."

"But…"

"Light, we don't have all day. I may not like the school but it's rude to be late. Let's go."

I was taken aback by his rather chastising nature. I mean… we weren't exactly friends, so why did he care about my welfare? Was this just the way he was?

I decided to ignore it and grabbed my things, running to catch up with him. "By the way, I should warn you about the drama teacher."

"Oh? What's she like?"

It was a long pause before I said anything. "She's… a drama teacher."

She just kept spinning around and around our teacher. Staring at the ceiling at some unknown entity. I had to admit… she was one of my favourite teachers. Miss Tycko, she called herself, but I highly doubt that was her real name. I think she just liked that name more than her real one. She was always happy, bubbly, and ready to put on a good show. She said she'd lived and worked on Broadway, but again I doubted that.

She was quite the teacher though.

She finally stopped spinning and looked at us happily. "So, has everyone completed their assignments?"

Ryuzaki leaned in to whisper to me. "First of all, thank you for the warning."

This made me smile. "Don't mention it."

"And second of all, what assignment?"

"We all have to do a famous soliloquy in one of Shakespeare's plays. English or Japanese, it doesn't matter. She just wants to see how well we do in a performance. But no one here likes going first. Nerves and all that. Well, everyone but…"

"Did no one complete the assignment?" Miss Tycko asked. "Not even you, Mr. Yagami."

"I completed it, Miss. I'd be happy to go first."

Ryuzaki coughed. "Kiss arse!" And coughed again.

I narrowed my eyes at him, standing up before the audience. Once I was center stage, I explained which soliloquy I chose.

"I will be performing the rather famous soliloquy from Hamlet."

Miss Tycko began to clap. "What a nice choice!"

I took a breath before reciting the lines in practiced English.

"To be, or not to be? That is the question—

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles…"

"Might I stop you there, Light?"

Everyone turned their attentions towards Ryuzaki who had interrupted me.

Miss Tycho seemed put off by this. "Is there something wrong, Ryuzaki?"

"Yes. Light seems to be butchering Hamlet's greatest act in the entire play. I can't stand the mistake he is making with this soliloquy."

"Oh, but, I thought it was perfect!" Miss Tycho complimented me.

Ryuzaki took a breath before slowly rising from his seat.

"To be… or not to be?" He began. "That is the question."

"Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

"The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune…

"Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,

"And, by opposing, end them?" He paused, looking to the floor in sorrow. "To die, to sleep—

"No more—and by a sleep to say we end

"The heartache and the thousand natural shocks

"That flesh is heir to—'tis a consummation

"Devoutly to be wished!" He cried, sending shivers down my spine. He then turned morbid again.

"To die, to sleep.

"To sleep, perchance to dream—ay, there's the rub," he offered sadly, turning away from the audience.

"For in that sleep of death what dreams may come,

"When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,

"Must give us pause. There's the respect

"That makes calamity of so long life."

He ended the soliloquy there and the audience went crazy over his performance. Even Miss Tycko was in tears. My friends, who had sat at the back of the class that day, were cheering loudly for Ryuzaki's performance. And I had to say… he deserved the praise.

He then spoke to me. "There is no way on earth you will ever be able to comprehend and perform that scene, Light, unless you know what it is to almost end your life in pure agony. Hamlet is losing everything in this play. His father, his mother, his own MIND! What is losing his life to him but a mere relief? Have that emotion behind it next time you want to entertain the idea of performing a piece as masterful as that."

As we both sat down in our seats once more, after he showed me up in my own scene, I leaned in to whisper to him.

"You were quite wonderful, Ryuzaki. Maybe I should learn to read English from you."

"You've made your choice, Mr. Yagami. I only give out offers once."

I hummed at this. "Then I hope I can learn to read English before my next Drama assignment."

"You can." He encouraged. "You did alright with this scene. But you just didn't have much emotion behind the words. Pick and choose your scenes carefully."

I nodded at this. "I'll try. Oh, and Ryuzaki," I captured his attention. "Just call me Light. Okay?"

(L P.O.V)

As Miss Tycho began to get more people out on stage to perform, more nervous now because I'd embarrassed Light Yagami himself, I looked up at the brunette.

He seemed less… angry at me than yesterday.

I looked away again. "Alright then… Light."

The name rolled off the tongue rather well now that we were on better terms. But I had no intention of befriending him. I still had a case to work on and friendship would not suffice during this.

Besides, we were just lab partners for science…

Nothing more.