April 7.2004

Tomoko's POV

I watched with bored a tennis match between Light and Ryuzaki, who played the match as if their lives depended on it. Of course I always played the role of L so Ryuzaki was almost a neutral observer or as others would say just ,a listless student who didn't even want to be here and had something interesting to do outside of class. In this case it would be a tennis match between him and Light who was glancing at me from time to time to check if I was keeping a sharp eye on him or not. Honestly, I was most worried about this match because nothing important will be able to come out of it, but I did not dare to lower my mask of an exemplary and elegant student who is smiling and mature, while inside I wanted to sit back and take a nap now.

For the few days we went to university, Light never took his eyes off me, which made every hair on my tail stand on end, especially when he was near me. Eventually I realized that I could sense when the shinigami was present because I was overcome with a sudden cold followed by a uncontrollable nausea which I had a problem, while still following him so I had to skip breakfast and barely ate anything for lunch as it had no effect on the purpose. But I seem to tolerate the presence better in angry form which is a relief as Ryuzaki told me not to follow Light like a cat which also gave me enough time to recover.

While I was watching the match, the students around me were arguing about who would win, the Japanese junior champion Light Yagami or the British champion Ryuzaki. Even the two girls argued about who would win and it was obvious that one had a big crush on Light and the other on Ryuzaki. , Oh girls if you only knew. Life is really cruel when you have a cold-blooded mass murderer with a god complex and an arrogant detective who disappears as soon as he appears and doesn't give a second thought to others unless it's an investigation or injustice, for crush.' After all, any girl who falls in love with Ryuzaki is doomed because the only female he has contact with and talks to regularly is Kei, who is a cat.

Finally the match was over and as expected Light won by a small margin, or anyway I don't understand tennis or a lot of sports that don't even involve hitting or knocking out the opponent. When Light got changed together with Ryuzaki and me he headed towards the exit of the university. ,, Oh there you two are. That was quite an interesting match, congrats on victory Light by the way." I spoke to him in a sweet polite voice as they approached me. ,, Ohh.. Thanks tenshi. I have to admit Ryuzaki was a good opponent. I can't remember when I had to make such an effort . But I'm thirsty, would you like a drink and I have a few questions for you, Tenshi." this was my call to go with the L role and insert the Ryuzaki self into all of this unnoticed. It was a good thing that yesterday after the university we worked out a few details of the story so that the fog around Ryuzaki would not be called into question.

,, What a coincidence, I have a few things to ask you both but first I have to tell you something." I think I still had a little creepy smile on my face as I looked into the eyes of Light who looked surprised while Ryuzaki still had an emotionless face on him. .,, I doubt that one of you two Light Yagami or Hideki Ryuga is actually Kira." Then they both froze in place looking at me lost as Light looked first at Ryuzaki with a look of,, This guy here to be a magnificent kira god,,, then back at me with the words,, "You're kidding right." that's me she just put her finger under her chin, slowly rolled her eyes, pretending to think and check what I said, and then said shortly and sweetly.. ,, Nop." With poping effect at the end of my lips and then turned around slowly continuing to walk talking. "You had something you ask."

While I was walking like that he whispered so that Ryuzaki could only hear but also my cat ear under the wig. "You don't seem at all affected by what she just said." Ryuzaki then answered that with her thumb on his lips and being irritated by my behavior on the last sentence. "I have to admit that I am interested in why she suspects us, but I know that I am not Kira ,so investigating me alone is a waste of time because the fact that I'm innocent won't change." This was a good answer on his part that made Light panic a bit because as Ryuzaki himself said, no matter how much you investigate and question innocents they won't suddenly become guilty. Light took us to his favorite coffee shop where we could talk in peace and I could drop my respectable smart lady mask and get down to serious stuff like

,, Would you mind taking a little test so she could see your detective skills . You don't have to do this, it's only voluntary so you don't feel forced." They both agreed and I took out the pictures of the messages in front of them from my pocket and told them to think while I watched Light think how much of a risk it really was to pretend to be a smart student because one was sure. Having Ryuzaki here fueled my competitive spirit and his flaw of not liking to lose. First Light started explaining and quickly found the message and then Ryuzaki arranged the pictures and explained the order so it felt like a team effort. He also passed the test with the fourth picture he walked away and seemed to scream that I spat in his face when I said he made a mistake while Ryuzaki acted completely surprised. This gave Light the idea to try to use his poor speech to explain how he would use the same method he did, to have Kira drop something that only he would know because it wouldn't be released publicly. He also continued to attack me about how this was not fair and how they would know that she was not actually a Kira posing as L, where I was waiting for him.

"Interesting Light Yagami, now my suspicion has jumped from three to fifteen percent and Hideki's from three to five." This made him choke on the tea he was drinking while Riyazuki who was looking at her with a knowing look,, this is not was part of the plan,, as well as with the clues to see what he had missed. ,, You see Light, when the people were subjected to such a test, they would first ask for proof from me to confirm that I am not a Kira, so that they would not so easily run blindly into danger and possible trap. Like you said yourself Kira can control people so when you realized your instincts would tell you to be careful and shut up unless you're Kira and you already know you're safe." I spoke as I gave him napkins to wipe himself and try to clean the excess tea off his clothes. ,, Tenshi.." anyway I didn't let him continue with the story but I continued with the explanation. ,, I also never said that you can meet or join the Task Force, so that makes it quite suspicious. Lots of people lying or trying to to manipulate the situation they talk a lot and try to focus on more useful scenarios, "I said then I turned to Ryuzaki who stared at his eyes not expecting this from me and somehow excited to hear what I prepared for him. "But you Ryuga. You simply let Light do the talking and defend yourself while leaving an open field for my condemnation. Which would mean you don't care what I think because you already know you're innocent or you fell through my trick with the fourth image and didn't want to seem more suspicious." It was simply priceless how Light dived behind his mask after so much talking and tried to convince me that he was not a threat but I was able to read between the lines due to my previous experiences.

Although L was a genius and logically he could think of every possible scenario and interrogate people and get the desired information, however about how people react to these situations he is not often listened, and especially since he had never been eye to eye with the recipient. That was his flaw, he could not see clearly the little things that indicate that someone is lying or manipulating or hiding something, nor could he read their emotions and their perfect acting. He could he supposed to try to prove her but he didn't know how to spot me while I had enough. At that moment, Light's phone rang and it was his mom who told him that Soichiro had a heart attack.

When we arrived at the hospital where Soichiro was placed, the doctor informed us that everything is fine and that he is currently resting in his room with his wife and that he has recently regained consciousness but that he is very tired so we should not disturb him too much. I was surprised that they allowed us to enter so quickly, but I had to make sure with my own eyes that everything was okay, because Kira or not, a heart attack is no small matter.

When we entered, Soichiro looked at us with a tired look and a slight smile, happy that he was actually alive and that the attack was not from Kira. His wife Mrs. Yagami seemed quite exhausted and still reeling from the shock of hearing the news and calling Light. Then I breathed a sigh of relief knowing that everything was going to be alright and mentally prepared for the show that Light was going to put on to convince us that he wasn't Kira and that he was dedicated to his capture. This time I'll have to try not to burst out laughing myself at his first-rate acting. After a few minutes Mrs. Yagami left so we could talk in peace about more sensitive topics. "So the doctors think that stress was the only cause?" Light asked, wanting to know the exact cause, although he assumed it was because his father spent a few days at work not sleeping and constantly working. "Yes. To be honest, I thought it Kira when I collapsed for the first time, but I'll be fine. It seems that I push myself too hard lately" Trying to make a joke to lighten the atmosphere between us a little because it seemed more like we came to his funeral and not a hospital visit. ,, Indeed. It must have added to your stress when we told you that Light was a suspect in this investigation." I said calmly as I watched from the corner of my eye to see if Ryuzaki was going to do something to expose this identity-swapping game of ours or let me lead the way. "At times like these I'm not sure what's going through your head in situations like this," I thought as Light complained about me saying that to his father. "this as well as the test she gave us earlier. After all, she doesn't want mistrust to creep in now that such a serious case is on the line. I wouldn't even be surprised if he already knows she's L." Ryuzaki said .

At that moment I was mentally high-fiving myself overjoyed that Ryuzaki decided to continue our little show and indirectly tell Chief Yagami about our plan without Light noticing and making it sound like an obvious thing. Light looked at his father to confirm to him that I am L and that for now he only has my face and that he just needs to find another name so that he doesn't get rid of himself. I know he was celebrating a small victory when his father confirmed Ryuzaki's explanation and assumption that I was L. But it won't be easy at all to get hold of my name Light because I'm practically a non-existent person here and I don't have a birth certificate or a picture of me anywhere , and since you assume that Aoi Shoko is dead, then you don't even know my real face. ,, Tenshi now that you've had a chance to talk to Light do you still consider him a suspect." With hope in his hoarse voice he asked me wanting to know if Light was clean and if he could even put his worry aside for a little bit. , , I don't mean to lie to you Mr. Yagami. Not long ago twelve FBI agents were killed who came to investigate the Kira case. One of them, Raye Penber, exhibited strange behavior during a heart attack on the platform before he died. and as I told Hideki and Light my suspicions about them only jumped higher." The boss seemed upset by this last bit of information but I couldn't push him around and lie about his son not being Kira when he was. Light straightened up, crossed his arms and pretended to understand the situation from a living perspective and accepted the fact that he was a suspect. "I understand. I was one of the people Raye investigated before he died. It would only make sense if Hideki and I were the suspects. Not to be precise there's no one else to be a suspect." Ryuzaki nodded agreeing with Light. ,, Interesting. However I find their detective skills very good and they quickly find a point and a solution." she commented as I looked thoughtfully through slowly realizing how late it really was and hoping we'd finish here quickly because I didn't want Watari to worry.

,, Tenshi. I would like to help you with your investigation. Since my father cleared all doubts that you are indeed L, I also want to capture Kira to prove once and for all that I am not him." Again he went about that nonsense of wanting to prove that he was not Kira. How did the others not realize that this constant repetition is just an attempt to convince them that Light isn't Kira when he is. But I haven't had any proof yet so it was better to take it slow. ,, I'd like to join if you don't mind. I like challenging puzzles and so does Kira the case is much more serious than I first thought." Riyazuki intervened and with a slight smile followed up on Light trying to make the scene seem believable as well as being satisfied that everything went according to plan. This was followed by their sweetly pitiful performance and Light promising to eliminate Kira if anything happened to his father. It took me a little bit to throw up now and then when I saw how good Light's acting is actually here and hardly transparent that I almost got goosebumps. ,, Listen to me Light, Kira is pure evil, we can all agree on that. But recently I started to look at this in a completely different way. What is truly evil is the power to kill people. And any person who possesses these powers is cursed. No matter how it is used, true happiness cannot be achieved that way. Not with killing and other people." I was convinced that it hurt. How Light reacted to the provocation when Lind called him evil, what kind of mind is in his head now when his own father called him evil and cursed. He must have harnessed every atom of his the strength not to rebel and start countering it but his mask was more important than that.

"I think you're absolutely right. If Kira is just an ordinary person who somehow gained this kind of terrible power, I'd say he's cursed." Ryuzaki agreed with the police chief who was looking tiredly at the three of them and seemed to be on the verge of falling asleep from exhaustion. So it's better to end it for now, but still... ,, Once upon a time, a friend of mine told me. "Attitude is a choice. Happiness is a choice. Optimism is a choice. Kindness is a choice. Giving is a choice. Respect is a choice. Whatever choice you make makes you. Choose wisely.,, In this case Kira did have a choice. He chose to kill, he chose to raise himself above everyone as some kind of god, he chose a wrong path. Just like I chose to stop him once and for all." I explained as all three of them looked at me in surprise as if I had grown a third head or something. Then a nurse came in to kick us out because visiting time had passed so that the three of us found ourselves outside the hospital in less than a minute all deep in thought until someone decided to speak. Light grabbed my shoulder and made his puppy eyes as he spoke. ,, Please Tenshi, what can I do to convince you that I am not Kira." I first looked at his hand, which was lightly squeezing my shoulder, and then at his eyes, which had mixed emotions at the moment. ,, Please imagine what it's like to be accused of being Kira." I can't describe how pathetic this sounded coming from him. Ryuzaki was the one who answered for me saving Light from ending up with a slap across the face. ,, If you are not Kira you do not need to prove. The truth will come out no matter what." He then turned to us as I grabbed Light's hand and squeezed it so hard I could almost feel the tinkling of his bones.

Maybe the other girls dream about Light touching them and taking them out on dates, but it makes me sick. Light jerked his arm back, rubbing it to relieve some of the pain and bruising I had caused. ,,What if you isolate me..." Then I turned my whole body towards Light and didn't let him talk because he started to annoy the ladies a lot, especially when he tried to touch me and flirt with me imperceptibly. Well, Light is not aver of that I am not that easy to play with.' I couldn't hide the displeasure from my face and if a look could kill a man Light would be dead seven feet under the ground right now. ,, Let me ask you? Is it wise for a Detective or the police to take tips or offers from suspects? What if you are a renter and offer this as a consolation while you were actually figuring out how to kill people in solitary confinement. After all Kira can control the time of death and distribute murders during solitary confinement or even a year in advance. And since he had access to the criminal files of the police he could easily accomplish this ." I could feel the sneer coming from Ryuzaki standing behind me, while an embarrassed and furious Light stood in front of me speechless. Then we escorted Ryuzaki to the car, in which he offered to drive at least halfway, since it was very late. ,, Oh, by the way, you don't have to hurry. First, it would be wise to take care of your father until he is better. I'll see you in class." With that I rolled up the window and Watari began to drive us to our destination about twenty minutes from their hotel where they would drop me off.

I noticed that Ryuzaki was watching and analyzing me, which did not give me the most pleasant feeling. Even though he seemed thoughtful, I knew he was waiting for my reaction to start a conversation, but I didn't want to give it to him like that. It was as if he had no patience and decided to speak on his own. "I have to admit that I misjudged you Tenshi." I knew he would try to get me to stop him, but I myself was curious as to what kind of image he could have created of me. "How did you imagine me if I may ask?" . I asked, still looking out the window without moving towards him. In the reflection I could see that he started biting his cuticles again and that he was thinking about what to say and what to do. "I expected you to be more like Light and I, but it seems I was wrong. Although you got a perfect score, I can say that you are not at the same intellectual level as us, but you are far higher than anyone in the task force. Your observations are not based solely on logic, but also on reading people like a book, as well as personal experience, I would assume. You understand the mentality of people and their emotions much better, how to pressure them and in that way you get small clues with which you trap them. You are very interesting and think in a totally different way than the two of us. That is one of your greatest strengths. For us and Kira, you are totally unpredictable. " This time, in addition to the smile, there was a small sparkle in his eyes that I only saw for a second. His words were not introductions but pure compliments which was very rare to get from him. It seems that now after this he had complete confidence in me and realized that I actually have his back.,, It sounds like you finally trust me completely." She turned to him with a small sneer wanting to test him a bit to see if he would take back his words. ,, Exactly. I'm also curious as to what else you can do, because just when I think I've got you figured out, you turn everything I've concluded upside down. You're not boring at all." He was right about that. I've never let people take me for granted and I'm the kind of person who likes to have at least ten aces up her sleeve. Also, Lily often called me a wild card, the one who gets up to turn everything around at a moment's notice, sometimes in a positive sense sometimes in a negative sense. "If nothing else you don't have to worry about dying of boredom while I'm here." In the next second, I couldn't believe my ears. Ryuzaki let out a faintly silent smirk at my joke. Last time I checked on this guy he only knew dark humor and now he's laughing at my stupid joke. Looks like I wasn't paying enough attention during the series marathon with Lily. And some, I like when there are surprises.