Chapter 67

July 23rd (con)

This was not what I had in mind when Ryuzaki told Light he'd be under 24hr supervision…

Ryuzaki pulls out a pair of cuffs with the longest chain I've ever seen, he puts one around Lights wrist and then one around his own. I understand now what he meant about being together 24/7 but I didn't think it would be so literal; because now Light cannot physically go anywhere without him, and they will forcibly be spending every minute of every day together. I stand in silence, my arms folded in quiet objection, I have no words to describe how I feel about all this; Misa however fills that void with enough words for the both of us.

The chain rattles as Light raises his arm to look at it. "Is this really necessary Ryuzaki?"

Ryuzaki sighs. "I'm not doing this because I want to…"

Misa stomps her foot. "So, this is what you meant by being together 24 hours a day. I figured after the confinement that you might be into some weird stuff, but I didn't realize you were on that side of the fence too, Ryuzaki." I pinch the bridge of my nose, embarrassed and irritated.

"I'm not doing this because I want to, besides-" He points to me. "Suzuki is my girlfriend." She looks at me, her eyes nearly popping out of her head.

"Oh my god, that's totally right; I forgot, but wait, wasn't his name Ryuga when we ran into each other at the college?"

"Yes, but please call me Ryuzaki from now on."

"Fine, but if you're chained to Light all the time, then how are we supposed to go on dates? Light belongs to me y'know." I roll my eyes; I just can't help it.

"Well naturally it would have to be the three of us." I stand back and watch the show, my patience slowly thinning.

"What?! That's weird, are you saying that we'd have to kiss in front of you?!"

"I didn't say you'd have to do anything, but I would be there, and watching." Ryuzaki sighs, and I can tell the other Task Force members are getting irritated too, especially Aizawa.

"What the hell?! You are into weird stuff aren't you, you pervert!" She looks over at me like I might have some control over Ryuzaki. "Suzuki, your boyfriends a pervert!" I sigh, annoyed.

"Misa, he's not a pervert, he's just doing his job. Would it make you feel better if I joined you on your dates? That way Ryuzaki wouldn't be a third wheel, but it would turn into a double date instead?" Her face light's up excitedly.

"That's a great idea!" She looks at Light who looks like he couldn't care less. "You hear that Light? We'll be able to go on double dates! I wish we'd be allowed some alone time, but this will have to do." I look at Ryuzaki and shrug, he gives me a look that says, 'thank you'.

"Misa don't be such a pain." My head snaps to Light as he scolds her. "You were definitely the one who sent those Kira videos, you should be grateful that they're allowing you any freedom at all.

Wow wasn't expecting that.

"Hey! What do you mean by that Light?!"

And neither did she, I guess.

"I'm your girlfriend, don't you trust me?" Misa goes from excited to pouty in seconds and it's actually kinda impressive.

"Girlfriend? All I know is you say you fell in love with me at first sight, and you haven't left me alone since.

Ouch Light…but that's also interesting. If their meeting was based around the Death Note and when they gave it up, they lost their memories, then this is how Light remembers it now…

"But you kissed me!" She starts pounding her fists on his chest.

"About this love at first sight." Ryuzaki breaks up the lover's quarrel and I look at him, interested in what he has to say. "It was in Aoyama on the 22nd, correct?"

Ryuzaki, how can you expect her to remember the date?

"Yeah…" She backs up a bit toward Light as Ryuzaki thinks for a minute.

"Why did you go to Aoyama that day? What were you wearing?"

She went to find Light and she was in disguise as a schoolgirl, with a wig and glasses.

"How many times do I have to tell you? I went because I felt like it. And how am I supposed to remember what I wore that day? I'm an adult, I don't need a reason to hang out in Aoyama." She gets defensive and grabs Light's arm, hiding behind it.

"So, you went to Aoyama, and when you got home you were in love with Light, and somehow you learned his name?"

"Yes."

"But you don't remember how you came to know his name…" Ryuzaki bends down, meeting her eyes as an intimidation tactic. I put my hand on his shoulder to make him stop scaring the poor girl.

"Yeah, but I probably heard someone say it, he was with a big crowd after all." It's my turn to butt in.

"Misa, did you know I was there too?" She looks at me confused, which is weird considering she literally bumped into Matsuda and spilled her purse everywhere. I even helped her pick it back up.

"You were?"

"Yeah, and I don't remember you ever coming up to Light at all." She thinks about it for a minute.

"That's weird. I know I saw him and fell in love. It was like magic." She looks up at him, eyes sparkling, clinging to his arm.

"Misa…" Everyone turns back to Ryuzaki. "How would you feel if Light was Kira?" I raise my eyebrows.

Interesting question.

"Huh? What if Light was Kira?" Ryuzaki nods and Misa grips Light's arm tighter. "That would be awesome. I've always been grateful to Kira for punishing the man who killed my family, so if Light was Kira, I'd like him even more. Although, I love him so much already, I don't think I could love him more."

I was ready for her to answer something along those lines, but it sounds really weird coming out of her mouth, not to mention self-incriminating. But Misa doesn't care, she just continues to cling to Light with a smile. Meanwhile he looks like he needs saving.

Ryuzaki clears his throat. "We're talking about Kira here, aren't you frightened?"

"We're talking about if Light was Kira, right? I wouldn't be scared of him at all, I love him, so I'd look for ways to help him."

And that's exactly what 2.0 would say, way to go Misa.

"Misa, according to what you've said, there's no mistake you're the Second Kira…but it's also so definitive that it's suspicious…you didn't even try to hide it.

Yeah…she might be an idiot…

"Well why would I? I know I'm not Kira." She makes a disgusted face, like 'how dare Ryuzaki say such things when it's so obvious she isn't'; like she knows therefore we should all know.

"Misa, that's not really the point right now…anyway, you'll be put under surveillance. And for the moment, I've also gone out of my way to give you a room that connects to Light's. So, try to be patient with us for now." Ryuzaki raises his hand pulling a keycard from who knows where. "Your room can only be opened with this keycard, when you want to leave call us and we'll let you out. When you go out, whether it be privately shopping, or for a modeling job, Matsuda will accompany you as your manager, Matsui." I raise my eyebrows in surprise.

He listened to my suggestion…hmm

"We've already paid off your agency to agree to this, but they don't know he's a police officer, so you can't tell them." Everyone looks at Matsuda who waves, it's quiet for a second, but then Misa loses her shit.

"What?! I can't have this guy as my manager!" Matsuda looks hurt and I glance at Aizawa who looks like he's about to explode.

"Hey, what's wrong with me Misa-Misa." I look back to Matsuda.

Misa-Misa? Why did he say her name like that?

Aizawa slams his hands on the coffee table making everyone jump. "Enough with the dating and kissing and Misa-Misa crap! This is the Kira Case, damnit, take it seriously!"

Matsuda faces him and scratches the back of his head awkwardly. "Sorry Aizawa."

A look comes over Aizawa's face like he's embarrassed and has just realized what he's done. "Yeah…sorry about that, I know you're taking it seriously…but…" He trails off and stands, coming over and grabbing Misa's arm, dragging her to her room. "Go to your room Amane." She doesn't struggle until he tries to close the door.

"Light, let's go on a double date soon with Ryuzaki and Suzuki." If she adds anything to it, I don't hear it because Aizawa wins the struggle, closing and locking the door. I chuckle softly.

"That was entertaining." Aizawa grunts at me as he passes by on the way to sit back down, I assume he disagrees, even though I was joking.

Ryuzaki scoffs. "Indeed…" He turns to Light, his face looking like he's just thought of something. "Light…" He responds with a 'hmm' noise. "Are you serious about Amane?" I fold my arms, curious to his answer. Light smiles tenderly, but I get the feeling there's a joke I'm missing.

"No…like I was saying earlier, it's totally one-sided."

Interesting, kinda expected it though.

Ryuzaki nods. "Then could you act like you're serious about her? We know she's involved with the Second Kira from the evidence gathered from the tapes…and because she loves you…"

Ryuzaki! That's fucked up! How could you ask him to play with her feelings like that?!

"You want me to get close to her and make her confess things about the Second Kira?" Light's tone suggests he's as surprised as I that Ryuzaki would even ask that.

"Yes, I think you'd be able to do it. It's also one of the reasons I released the both of you." He says it so flatly and heartlessly that I have to interject.

"Ryuzaki." All eyes are on me. "How dare you ask Light to lead someone on for our own gain. That's super fucked up." They're all a little surprised that I'd swear at him and a look comes across his face like he's ashamed of what he said and didn't think it through.

Light shakes his head, his arms folded. "Relax Suzuki, I wouldn't have done it anyway. Even if it was to solve the case, I could never play with a woman's emotions like that. To me, taking advantage of someone's feelings like that is the most despicable thing a person could do." Light stands his ground and makes his feelings know, surprising all of us.

Wow Pure Light, you're more of a cinnamon roll than Kira Light could ever be.

Ryuzaki stares at Light and I can see the wheels turning. Light doesn't realize it though and thinks he's spacing out. "Ryuzaki, what's wrong?" I watch his glassy eyes fade as he comes out of his thoughts and back to Earth.

"Nothing Light. You're right though, it was wrong of me to ask, but it was sort of a test. I believe Kira would kill his own family to gain power, so I wanted to see if manipulation was beneath you…I was impressed by your answer. I'd appreciate it if you could remind her every so often not to tell anyone anything about the investigation." Light nods.

"Of course, but now I have a question. Is there anything you can do about this constant need to change hotels? Wouldn't it be better to just stay in one location?" A smile forms on my face, but it turns to laughter as Ryuzaki walks away and pulls Light along with him via the chain.

Where one goes the other must follow.

"Funny you should ask, Light." Ryuzaki taps on his laptop and brings up an image of the new Headquarters Building. "Construction started when I first met face to face with your father and the others, it should be completed in a few days, take a look." Everyone crowds around and I almost forgot the others were here. "There are 23 floors above ground and two below. You can't see from the outside but there are two helicopter pads on the roof." Ryuzaki gives me a longing glance. "This is actually where Light and Misa were confined, and where I had Suzuki stationed." Everyone gives their wows of approval, their awes of surprise that even in the beginning Ryuzaki could have thought this far ahead, and then he continues. "The outside looks like an ordinary high-rise building, but to enter you need to go though various security checkpoints inside. All the equipment and computers are state of the art as well. The 5th to the 20th floor all have private rooms, so I'd like all of you to live there as much as possible. Also, in the off chance that we increase our numbers, we have the ability to accommodate up to 60 people." Everyone nods as Ryuzaki turns to look at Light. "Misa will get her own floor. That should keep her happy." He pauses giving Light time to respond.

"Yeah, she should be happy with that, but Ryuzaki, to go this far…" He trails off.

"Where did you even get the money to do all of this?" Matsuda says what everyone's thinking.

Good question, pretty sure I asked the same when he told me.

"I want to solve this case no matter what…I have a lot riding on finishing it, seeing it to the very end…so that when Kira's caught…" He trails off, but I have a feeling I know what he was gonna say.

So you can finally rest.

Everyone's aware that he dodged Matsuda's question, but no one cares because he's done it again, motivated our team without even trying.

"Yeah, I'm with you Ryuzaki, the mass murder is bad enough, but I'll never forgive Kira for what he's put my dad and I through. I want to catch him no matter what, too."

But Light, you're Kira.

"But Light," I look to Ryuzaki. "If you really mean 'no matter what', how about getting closer to Misa and making her reveal things…" I know he's joking, but Light doesn't miss a beat.

"I can't do that; it goes against my principles."

"I see…that's unfortunate." I try to hide a smile, but Aizawa makes a stifled laugh noise and our attention goes to him.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to laugh, but I'm really motivated now. Ryuzaki, Chief, Suzuki, Light, let's catch Kira, no matter what!" I laugh as Matsuda points out he wasn't mentioned then look at Ryuzaki, a tender smile on my face.

How does he do it? How does he effect us so? With words he motivates us and the words themselves aren't even that great. Coming from anyone else they wouldn't have the same effect. So why? What drives us to be better? What drives us to go on when there's no end in sight? For me, it's the hope of a future with Ryuzaki, a hope that after all of this is over, we get a chance, to rest.