Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. This story contains sexual elements, blood, and dark themes. Viewer discretion is advised.
Higuchi impatiently tapped his pen on the conference table, glaring irritated at the door as he waited for the rest of his coworkers. "Punctuality doesn't mean a damn thing anymore, does it?" he thought with a scowl.
"The others will be here soon," Higuchi looked over to Namikawa, who read the annoyed expression on his face.
"They better. I've got other shit to do." Higuchi grumbled.
"You would work late into the night. I'm baffled how you even make time to sleep."
"You're too smart to be 'baffled.' You started this conversation to ask me something. What is it?"
"You see right through me, Kyousuke," Namikawa gave a small smile, leaning forwards. "I know you have a tight schedule, but it wouldn't hurt to make room for an outing would—"
"Yes, it would," Higuchi interrupted his fellow executive.
"If taking a break hurts your work performance, I'll help you catch up. Actually, I think getting out of the office for a friendly kendo session would improve your work ethic."
"Was that a joke? I don't see how it would, and you were never the athletic type. I'm not interested either way."
"I thought you enjoyed kendo?"
"I do; I just can't let myself be distracted." The door opened, and the rest of his coworkers finally walked in. "You shouldn't let yourself be distracted either, Reiji." The Kira meetings could be annoying at best and time-consuming at worst, but they were necessary for Higuchi to plan what names he'd be damning with his notebook. "If this Coil detective turns out to be useless or screws up, L could ruin all I've built. I need to do more. I'll make time to experiment more with the Death Note. I doubt the Shinigami will help in that endeavor. I will succeed as long as I get rid of competition and stay focu—" His thoughts were broken by an unfamiliar man walking into the conference room. Well, more so, tripping into the room and falling onto the floor. "What the hell?!"
"Who are you?" Ooi questioned the air tense in the conference room with intense glares honed on the intruder. The man froze momentarily, Higuchi seeing his body tense with a hand on his gut and his head hung low, face hidden by his black bangs. "Show your face, bastard." He blinked, and the man sprung to life, sitting up and pulling out a business card from his suit jacket.
"I'm a manager at Yoshida Productions," the man introduced himself; he was much younger than Higuchi had expected. One with a pure face void of malice and rich brown eyes beaming with a passion that cut cleanly through the tension. "My name is Matsui Taro," Matsui's lips curled into a luring smile, and Higuchi's heart caught in his throat, a sensation he near forgot existed. "Matsui…" "This is our most popular star, Misa Amane. I hope you'll get her to become your spokeswoman. What about getting her to act in your commercials?" the manager boldly proposed, though Higuchi couldn't find any words to say, his eyes drinking in the image of the new arrival. Ooi broke the silence, sending Shimura and Mido to keep an eye on the manager in a separate room for the rest of them to freely discuss.
"What should we do?" Hatori asked with worry drenching his words.
"The question is whether he heard what we talked about," Kida said.
"There's a possibility he did. Let's just kill him," the words bit Higuchi back, stinging his tongue. "Focus, Kyousuke! Now's not the time for that lovey-dovey bullshit. I can't take the risk. It's not worth it… Right? There will be plenty of other bachelors and bachelorettes… Though he's the only one that's got my attention too quickly. Maybe—No!" "It doesn't matter who he is. We have no choice but to kill him," his chest painfully clenched, and he gritted his teeth. He noticed he was crushing Matsui's business card, and his hand immediately released, sparing the card from further harm. "Regardless of whatever we decide as a group, it's ultimately up to me whether the manager lives or dies. Matsui's fate is in my hands."
The pop idol herself arrived at the company office with a cheery smile dolled face, and all proving Matsui's claim of being the model's manager. Her alluring appearance alone was enough to sway some of his coworkers; Higuchi could tell from their glazed-over stares and flushed faces. "Did I look that stupid?" Amane and her coworkers offered to treat the executives to an exclusive party, and Higuchi couldn't stop his mind from imagining on his own. "I could interrogate him and determine if he knows what we're scheming. If he does, I can easily take him out, and if he's as clueless as he looks…" He glanced down at the business card, rereading the name printed in bright blue ink. "Matsui Taro…" he felt his lips tug themselves into a smirk that made his eyes gleam with delight. "Let me see if you're as special as I think you are."
Matsuda felt like a dainty gazelle trapped in a den of ravenous lions, too frail to fight off the beasts and too slow to run. He couldn't shake off the intense dread of doom that loomed over him as he carefully stepped around the crowded room. Thankfully he wasn't alone with the group of intimidating executives with the power of the most prolific serial killer at their fingertips, but putting Misa in harm's way wasn't a better feeling. Of course, the one time he tried to make a move on his own, to prove himself, he had to butcher it royally.
"No, I can save this," he thought to himself as he clutched onto his drink, "I just have to think." His phone felt like a heavyweight in his pocket as if to remind him of its presence. "Right. I'll sneak somewhere off private and call Ryuzaki. I bet he already has a plan to get me out of—"
"It's Matsui, right?" the sudden question pulled him from his thoughts, and he jumped a little, turning to face the man speaking to him. It was one of the Yotsuba executives, one with spiky dark brown hair and an angular face, who sat comfortably leaning back on the couch. A toothy smile dawned on his flushed face, drink in hand.
"Y-you mean my name?" he nervously stuttered.
"I'm sure as hell not talking about your dog," The executive snickered.
"Oh, right," Matsuda chuckled, a light nervous sound to buy time for him to regain his composure. "Yes, my name's Matsui. Matsui Taro."
"Matsui Taro," the executive repeated the name, a curl to his lips. "I like it; it rolls off the tongue nicely."
"What's your name, sir? Sorry, there are so many of you executives. I get you mixed up."
"I'm Higuchi Kyousuke," Higuchi smirked.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Higuchi," He respectively bowed his head.
"The pleasure's all mine," Higuchi held out his hand, and Matsuda took his hand, a warm grasp taking a firm hold of him as they shook hands. Matsuda did his best to keep the executive's intense stare when the shake lasted longer than it should have, dark eyes gleaming slyly in the artificial light. "Why don't you sit and rest for a bit?" Higuchi offered, tugging Matsuda's hand closer to himself, taking the younger man by surprise. "You've been wandering around like a skittish deer ever since we got here. Doesn't Misa's hardworking manager earn a break?" "Why is he so insistent? Is he that suspicious of me?"
"Well, uh," Matsuda muttered, glancing away as if the Chief, Ryuzaki, or anyone would be there to tell him what to do. "I really am alone right now, aren't I? Though Misa's here, I don't want to put her in any more danger. I have to get somewhere private without being suspicious." He turned to Higuchi's expectant gaze and smiled."Misa-Misa does say I can be too uptight at parties." He sat down on the couch, the armrest and the executive, brushing sides with the older man, closer than he wanted. The scent of the executive's spicy cologne that reminded him of orange blossoms wafted in the air, tingling his nostrils. "He wouldn't try anything with so many people around, would he?"
"So, how'd you become a manager for a pop idol?" Higuchi asked, his warm breath tickling Matsuda's ear.
"Oh, that's a long story," Matsuda anxiously circled his finger around his cup.
"I'm eager to hear it. If I'm going to let you collaborate with Yotsuba," the executive's dark eyes raked him up and down, "I want to know all I can about you, Mr. Matsui."
"I would've kept my tie on if I knew you'd be conducting an interview," he joked to buy himself a few precious seconds to concoct a believable story, "Before I started working for Misa-Misa, I was… an entertainer of sorts. I performed at events, parties, and whatnot."
"Oh, you were an entertainer?" Higuchi perked up. "What kind of entertainer were you exactly? Would I hire you for dinner parties or…" his smirk returned, "Find you working at a nightclub?"
"Oh, no, no, I-I wasn't that type of performer," Matsuda stuttered, rubbing his neck as he blushed at the implication. "I don't think anyone would pay to see me half naked. I'd just perform circus tricks like handstands and juggling. But after I got injured in an accident, I was out of the job for a while. I needed another way to make money, and I found a job opening as Misa-Misa's manager, so I took it."
"Why be Miss Amane's manager? If you applied to Yotsuba, I would've ensured you were hired."
"Really?" "Is he trying to flatter me for some kind of gain? He can't really mean that."
"Yeah, we could use some fresh faces around here, so I don't have to stare at Hatori's ugly mug every day," he gestured to his associate mingling with one of the girls.
"Well, I chose Misa-Misa since she was a fellow performer and very popular. If her face was plastered on nearly every magazine, it was for a good reason."
"So, what drew you to Yotsuba?"
"The company has hit major strides this year, which caught my attention, and I've been searching for a big score after Misa-Misa's hiatus. I thought your company would be the key for that, though I got a bit carried away barging into your conference room like I did."
"Nothing fun was going on in that meeting anyway, but," Higuchi took a sip of his drink before stretching; Matsuda tensed, feeling the executive placing his arm behind him atop the couch, leaning uncomfortably close. "You didn't hear anything weird, did you?" His voice was low, near threatening; his glare bored into him, watching every twitch of his face. Matsuda felt his heart clench. "Stay calm, Matsuda. Don't give him any reason to be more suspicious."
"Weird? No, I wouldn't describe anything I heard as weird," he nonchalantly shrugged and leaned back to relax, forgetting that was where Higuchi rested his arm. However, the executive made no action to move or expression of discomfort. "It sounded like the hundreds of other meetings I've attended; I think you all talked about sales. Are you the head of sales?" He didn't look away from Higuchi's glare as it slowly eased into a softer gaze, and internally jumped when he felt the warmth of Higuchi's hand grip his shoulder.
"No, that's headstrong Namikawa. I'm head of Technology and Development." Higuchi proudly stated with a flash of his pearly whites. "And as head of Technology and Development, I can pull many strings at Yotsuba if given the right incentive. You understand that?"
"Um, I think so." "He's still suspicious of me! I have to get out of here before he makes a move." Matsuda tightly gripped his cup.
"I have a proposition in mind that'll be in your favor, but to discuss it in public wouldn't be… too appropriate. Let's—"
"Oops!" Matsuda dramatically gasped as he "accidentally" spilled the rest of his drink on his dress shirt, making Higuchi recoil in surprise. "Oh, I'm so clumsy. A million apologies, Mr. Higuchi. I'm more tipsy than I thought." He stood up and gave an apologetic bow. "Please excuse me while I clean up in the bathroom. I'll be right back." He didn't wait for Higuchi to answer and made a breakout of the room and to the bathroom down the hall. He double-checked that the bathroom door was locked before pulling out his phone and dialing Ryuzaki's number. His heartbeat thumping in his ears synched with his ringing phone, and he breathed a sigh of relief when Ryuzaki finally answered.
"Ryuzaki, are you watching this?" Matsuda asked, keeping his voice near a whisper.
"Yes," Ryuzaki's calm voice was a breath of fresh air.
"I'm sorry, I..." "I screwed up again."
"Don't worry about it."
"Okay. Those eight people were having a meeting just now to get Kira to kill someone. I heard them very clearly. It's them. I'm very sure of that."
"It's probably true. But if you did overhear them, then they should be trying to kill you."
"I know that. Is there a way for you to save me?"
"It's good that you're still alive. Maybe we can save you. But—" A creak in the floorboards just reached Matsuda's ears, icing his heart.
"Wait!" he slapped his hand over his phone's speaker, listening to the approaching footsteps with dread. "… I hear someone coming." Begrudgingly, he slowly shut his phone and put it back in his pocket as whoever was trudging down the hall stopped at the door. He waited for a knock or the person behind the door to say anything, but there was nothing. Except for the twist of the doorknob that was thankfully stopped by the lock.
"I'm still in here," he meekly called, "I'll be out in a moment."
"Good, I wanted to finish our conversation." He wasn't surprised to hear Higuchi's voice come from the other side though he was still frightened. "Would telling him to go away even work with how persistent he's been? If he plans to kill me, he wouldn't just leave. Maybe I can fight him off if he tries anything. We're about the same height; I could take him… I think." Filled with trepidation, he approached the door and unlocked it. He didn't have a chance to grab the doorknob as Higuchi opened the door himself, a sly smirk tugging at his lips and a nasty gleam in his dark eyes. He didn't move out of the doorway.
"So uh," Matsuda muttered, stepping back from the executive. "Do you want to finish our interview?"
"Certainly," Matsuda's heart sunk to the depths of his gut as Higuchi stepped inside the bathroom, closing the door behind him and swiftly locking it. "He's going to kill me!"
"What a-are you doing, Mr. Higuchi?" Matsuda hoped he sounded strong as he took another step back, hands curled into fists.
"I told you I wanted to offer you a deal in private, didn't I?" Higuchi said like he was stating the obvious.
"And what is it?"
"Getting impatient? I feel the same way." He took a step forward, Matsuda stepping back as if there was a force around the executive he refused to enter. "Ever since the birth of desire, everyone who has walked on this hunk of rock believes they have some need. From all I've heard about you, Mr. Matsui, you desire money, am I right?"
"Yeah," Matsuda weakly nodded. Higuchi stepped forward.
"And me?" Matsuda had never felt as caged as when he felt his back collide with the wall, allowing Higuchi to invade his space once more. His presence was like a daunting mountain, too great to walk past and too sturdy to move. "What do you think I desire, Mr. Matsui?" Higuchi's question was tainted with the scent of fresh alcohol rolling past his lips.
"You… Want money too?" Matsuda replied, unsure. "Why hasn't he attacked me yet?"
"Money," Higuchi scoffed, "No, I already have ways to earn my wealth. What I want is much more carnal. I desire…" Matsuda was shocked frozen when Higuchi's warm hand connected with his face, not in a vicious punch but a soft caress on his cheek, a gentle touch that trickled shivers down his spine. "Intimacy."
"… What currency does that come in?" was all Matsuda could think to say.
"Does being so sweetly silly come naturally to you?" Higuchi chuckled, stroking his thumb across Matsuda's cheekbone. "Listen, Mr. Matsui, I'll gift you more money than you'll know what to do with. In return, you'll allow me to be intimate with you. I want to explore every treasure and taste every delicacy your body has to offer."
"Oh, you mean…" Matsuda felt himself burn up inside as he finally understood why he had been cornered. "You want to— with me?! Why? I'm not that very good-looking or have much for brains." He tried turning his head away from Higuchi's hand, but the executive's touch followed.
"Are you saying I have bad taste?"
"No, not at all, sir. It's just… I'm not really that special."
"I'll see for myself. Let me kiss you, Mr. Matsui, to help us decide what we want."
"A kiss?!" Matsuda's eyes widened. "That's uh— a bold offer, Mr. Higuchi." "This could be my way out. Surely, he'll let me go if I give him what he wants. But what he wants is a kiss. I… I can do that. I made this disaster, and I can fix it. I won't let everyone down." He took a deep breath. "…You can kiss me, Mr. Higuchi." He agreed and nervously watched Higuchi's gaze spark with excitement, and his lips spread wide enough to flash his teeth in his elated grin.
"Thank you, Matsui," Higuchi thanked him, bringing his other hand to cup Matsuda's cheek and keep his head still. "I'm really doing this." Higuchi leaned forwards, and Matsuda shut his eyes, waiting anxiously for the touch on his lips. Even though he was prepared, he still flinched, surprised by the contact of Higuchi's firm lips enveloping his own. They stole the very breath from his lungs and brought a warmth that traveled down his lips to his nestle deep within his chest. "I can hardly remember feeling this kind of warmth… Was it always so… soothing?" Not knowing what to do with his hands, he kept them by his side, his nails digging into his palms. However, Higuchi knew perfectly well how to maneuver his hands as one traveled to run through his hair, and the other went to caress his neck, thumb tickling his Adam's apple.
Matsuda breathed a gentle sigh as Higuchi pulled away, and he cracked open his eyes, seeing Higuchi's cheeks flushing a rosy red and his dark brown eyes glossy. They stared at each other in fragile silence. Matsuda parted his lips to speak, but no words left him, ignorant of what to say after being kissed by a Yotsuba executive. The startled gasp that slipped out of him was muffled by Higuchi's lips crashing into his own, being pushed back into the wall as Higuchi pressed his body against his. The acidic taste of liquor overtook his tastebuds as Higuchi slipped his eager tongue into his mouth, greedily exploring with aggressive excitement, his tongue only retreating to nip at Matsuda's lips before swiftly returning. Matsuda gave a muffled whimper at the sudden sensation of a foreign organ combing his own, gripping Higuchi's shoulders to grasp some kind of anchor and keep himself from drowning.
"Is this supposed to be a kiss? How am I supposed to breathe—" Matsuda jolted with a gasp as the heat in his chest continued its journey didn't down further to his most private regions when Higuchi's knee pushed between his legs to rub against his crotch. Hearing his blood pump in his ears, Matsuda felt himself harden from the pressure messaging his cock through the fabric of his pants, the pleasuring sensation stirring up an arousal eager to flourish, to Matsuda's dismay.
"No, go back down! I can't make this weird. Why do I have to be like this?" Even if he knew how to tame his overwhelming arousal, he didn't know if he even could with how Higuchi was devouring him in a fashion so alien to him that his mind and body could barely comprehend it. Matsuda gripped on tighter to Higuchi's shoulders with his intensifying stimulation; if it pained the executive, Higuchi didn't show it, only humming with satisfaction into his mouth. His budding arousal was growing, ready to blossom, feeling a warm moisture trickle from his throbbing cock as his head spun. "I don't think I can hold on much longer. If he keeps doing this, I'm—" Their lips parted for a moment, a low whine escaping Matsuda.
"Mr. Higuchi, I th-think—ah! I-I'm gonna—" The last of his sentence was devoured by Higuchi as he reconnected their lips, and Matsuda dissolved into abandoned moans, shutting his eyes from the bright fog clouding his vision. In the dark, feeling Higuchi's hot tongue swirl in his heated mouth and his knee roughly rubbing his sensitive crotch, he went over the edge. He trusted his hips to meet Higuchi's as he came, deeply moaning into his mouth and holding on tight to his shoulders, his crotch sticky with a climactic release. Higuchi slowly pulled away, a string of saliva connecting their glistening flush lips, Matsuda's soft pants accompanying Higuchi's deep hum as he worked to gain a grain of his composure.
"I've made a mess of you, haven't I?" Matsuda's eyes shot open at Higuchi's remark, and he immediately felt embarrassment crash into him like a tidal wave, blushing from the anxious burn.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Mr. Higuchi," Matsuda apologized, ashamed in his soiled pants. "I didn't mean to…"
"Sorry? That must be another joke," Higuchi chuckled, grinning. "There's nothing to be sorry for when you've made my night, Mr. Matsui. Did that kiss make up your mind about my deal" "If I'm going to be working with Yotsuba, being close with Mr. Higuchi would help with finding who Kira actually is..." He tapped his damp lips, still tingling with the lingering taste of liquor on his tongue. "I can handle some kisses if it means I can help stop a serial killer."
"I… I can agree to your deal, Mr. Higuchi." He finalized, and Higuchi grinned wider than he'd seen all night, patting his cheek.
"You don't know all the trouble you saved yourself from, Matsui." He stepped back, and Matsuda felt a chilly tingle replace the warmth of Higuchi's touch. "Get yourself cleaned up while I tell my coworkers our deal is finalized."
"Our deal?" Matsuda nervously asked, gesturing between the both of them. Higuchi barked out a laugh.
"No, the commercial deal with the idol. Our deal will be a sweet secret we keep between ourselves." He winked before leaving the bathroom, leaving Matsuda alone. Matsuda cleaned himself up with water and paper towels before redialing Ryuzaki's number, waiting with a strange mixture of accomplishment and shame for the other man to pick up. Ryuzaki picked up on the third ring but didn't say a word, leaving Matsuda to speak first.
"Ryu—" Matsuda paused to clear his throat. "Ryuzaki, I have some good news. I…" "He doesn't need to know what I did with Higuchi, right? That's not what matters." "I got one of the executives to accept me into Yotsuba. I don't think they're going to kill me… For now, at least, but that's still great, isn't it?" He expected some form of praise or, at the very least, an acknowledgment of his temporary safety, but all he got was radio silence. "Ryuzaki, are you there?"
"… Sorry for the delay, Matsuda. I was calling off the rescue plan for you. I'll see you after the party."
"Right, see you." He hung up, a bit disappointed his achievement wasn't acknowledged. He checked himself in the mirror, straightening his collar and ensuring his shirt was untucked to hide the stain on his pants, before leaving the bathroom to hear a round of cheering and clapping. Matsuda quietly joined the clapping as he slipped back into the room, hoping to go unnoticed in the celebration, which didn't go entirely as planned, as foreshadowed by the fruity fragrance of peaches.
"Hey, Matsu," Matsuda jumped as Misa silently slunk beside him to speak in his ear, "Where've you been? You missed Mr. Higuchi's big announcement. I got the job!"
"Oh, that's fantastic! I was just in the bathroom cleaning my shirt," he replied with a sheepish smile, which was technically true. Misa raised a skeptical brow.
"Is that all you did? You were in there a while; also, why are your lips so red? Were you biting them?"
"Y-yeah," he agreed, hoping to quell Misa's curiosity. "I nip at my lips when I'm nervous."
"Well, you don't have to be nervous. I'm right here by your side, Matsu."
"Thanks, Misa-Misa. C'mon, let's celebrate our victory. I couldn't have done it without you."
"Aw, thank you, Matsu!"
Matsuda took part in the toast, downing his cup with a proud grin, but kept to the sidelines for the following festivities, noting every time an executive shot a critical glance his way. He didn't cross paths with Higuchi for the rest of the party, the executive ignoring him to talk with his coworkers and eventually latching onto Misa to flood her with compliments and list his credentials. When the party died down, and the guests were preparing to leave, Higuchi approached him as he threw away the leftover cups, startling him by slipping a card into his back pocket. Matsuda jumped and spun around to face Higuchi's pleased grin.
"My thanks for tonight," Higuchi said, pointing to the paper in Matsuda's pocket. "You know, I almost believed you when you said you weren't special until," he lowered his voice and leaned in closer, his eyes locked with Matsuda's, "I sampled what you had to offer. A liar's tongue never tasted so saccharine. Despite what you say, Matsui, there's something special about you."
"Really? I…" Matsuda uncertainly muttered. Despite not knowing if the compliment was honest, he felt his face heat up in a praising warmth, and he couldn't stop the small smile that pulled at his lips. "Thank you, Mr. Higuchi."
"Until we meet again," Higuchi left with one last smile, following after his fellow executives. Matsuda pulled out the card Higuchi had put in his pocket and was shocked to see it was a check written in his name. "No way, 144,000 yen! I could buy so many magazines with this!" He flipped the check over to find a phone number and a note written on the back. 'Call me soon. I look forward to our partnership ~ H.K'.
Matsuda felt proud of himself for the first time in a long while. He was proud to have gotten himself out of his own mess without any casualties and establishing a connection with the Kira suspects. Though with all the elation from his accomplishments, a thick coat of shame clung to him with how he achieved them; the stickiness in his pants ensured that. He intended to keep that part to himself. "I told Higuchi I'd keep it a secret, didn't I?" He arrived at headquarters with a proud strut and Misa in tow. The rest of the task force was gathered in the main room with Wedy and Aiber sitting on the couch, the latter wearing an outfit very similar to his own, and Mr. Yagami, Light, and Ryuzaki were at the computers. When Matsuda and Misa entered the main hall, Ryuzaki was the only one not to turn away from his computer screen.
"Mission accomplished!" Misa cheered and skipped over to Light to give him a hug, though he paid her little mind.
"Are you hurt at all?" Light asked, keeping his gaze focused on Matsuda.
"No, we got out without a…" Matsuda fumbled the last word of his sentence as his eyes miraculously caught one of the TV screens, his body freezing like he just jumped into an icy lake in winter. The surveillance camera of Misa's apartment restroom was plastered on one of the screens, a clear live picture telling every story it captured. "I forgot about the camera!" "Scratch," he mumbled, tugging at the collar of his suit jacket. "Did they see what happened with Higuchi and me?! I don't think I could survive that humiliation."
"I still can't believe you two pulled it off," Wedy said.
"It's a shame I never got to play my finest role," Aiber sarcastically sighed.
"Still, you two got out there by the skin of your teeth," Mogi said.
"Mogi's right," Mr. Yagami spoke up, a concerned crease on his brow. "That was too close of a call, Matsuda. You can't rush in like that. You could've gotten yourself killed." "I guess they didn't see it. They would've brought it up by now."
"I know, but I cleaned up my mess," Matsuda replied. "I convinced one of the executives to let me work with Yotsuba, so I can be close to the suspects."
"Really? How'd you convince him?"
"Simple I …" the aftertaste of liquor lingered in the back of his throat, "I just uh—"
"Matsuda agreed to help cover Namikawa's under-the-table dealings in exchange for his freedom," Ryuzaki spoke up, not turning away from his screen and nipping at his thumbnail. Matsuda went to retort but promptly bit his tongue before he could utter a stupid word. "Why would he lie? Wait! For him to lie, he would have to… know the truth." "Despite Matsuda's careless methods, we have a way into the Yotsuba company. I'll work with what we have. You all can retire for tonight." Matsuda took the opportunity to excuse himself, quickly heading to his room, though he felt a pair of eyes on him as he walked up the stairs and glanced down. He met Ryuzaki's black eyes following him up each step, the light from the surveillance video reflecting in his ebony orbs. Matsuda quickly looked away and hurried to his room, where he took a shower.
It was refreshing to wash the grime from the day's work off his body and let it swirl down the drain, though the warm water couldn't match the heat of Higuchi's touch. He was bashful to say that no one had touched him so intimately. There were a couple of close calls, but those rare encounters never passed a tender hug and quick kiss. He didn't know how to feel sharing his first non-self-induced orgasm with a wealthy executive suspected of being a serial killer. He certainly didn't want to think about how much Ryuzaki knew about their lustful interaction. He forced those thoughts from taking shape in his mind as he gurgled his minty mouthwash, spitting it out into the sink along with the taste of alcohol. A knock sounded at his door, and he looked up from his latest pop idol issue, setting it underneath his coffee table.
"Coming!" he called out, getting up from his sofa to answer the door. "Oh, Ryuzaki," he gasped, anxious to see the workaholic detective away from his computer accompanied by Light, who was probably dragged by the cuffs connecting the two together. "Wait, if Light can't leave Ryuzaki's side, he must have seen the surveillance too! That's so much worse!" "So, how can I help you two?" he cursed himself, hearing the quiver in his voice.
"We'd like to talk with you, Matsuda," Light spoke softer than usual. "Inside your room, if you don't mind."
"Of course, come right in," he smiled as he stepped aside to let the duo in, hoping his overconfidence shadowed the shakiness in his movements. Matsuda sat in his armchair across from Light and Ryuzaki, clasping his sweaty palms together.
"So… what do you want to talk about?" he asked with the slim hope that the topic wouldn't be what he dreaded. Light took a deep breath before speaking.
"About tonight."
"Of course, stupid Matsuda!" Matsuda flicked his temple, "What else would we talk about tonight? I'm sure everybody's talking about it. How could they not?" he dryly chuckled, and the two other men looked at each other, a disturbed silence falling in the room. "Stalling will just make this more painful. Just ask them how much they saw, like ripping off a band-aid."
He sighed and lowered his head, unable to look either man in the eye. "How… Did you… Was it…" his lip trembled, incapable of asking the simple question.
"We saw everything between you and Higuchi." Ryuzaki calmly spoke the dreaded words, and Matsuda wanted to throw himself into a bottomless pit.
"Everything," Matsuda hollowly echoed, shame devouring his insides.
"Ryuzaki, we agreed only I would speak!" Light chastised, shooting a glare that Ryuzaki shrugged off.
"With how you dragged it out, you might as well have been pulling off Matsuda's fingernails." He redirected his attention to Matsuda. "Only Light and I saw what happened in the bathroom; the others were out preparing for your rescue."
"And… You won't tell them?" Matsuda muttered, still processing his reality.
"I don't see a reason to. I'll devise an excuse for why you can't work with Yotsuba."
"You'll what?" Matsuda looked up, meeting Ryuzaki's gaze.
"I'll figure out a way to get you out of Yotsuba that doesn't hinder the investigation."
"You want to take me out of the Yotsuba investigation?"
"We thought that's what you would have wanted," Light said. "You've done enough already. You don't have to get entangled with Higuchi. We'll figure something out." "Enough?"
"But I want to do more," Matsuda argued. "I can do more to help. I can figure out who Kira is by getting close to Higuchi and the other executives."
"That's too dangerous."
"Being a part of this task force is dangerous. Everybody's willing to sacrifice for this investigation, and I'm no different." Matsuda clasped his hands together and pleadingly bowed his head. "Please, trust me with this. Let me prove myself to you guys… I'm useful."
"… I see the slightest error from you, and I'll pull you out of Yotsuba faster than you can blink," Matsuda almost couldn't believe Ryuzaki's words.
"You're giving me a chance?" he smiled brightly. "Thank you, Ryuzaki! I promise I won't screw this up."
"Is this really a good idea?" Light asked Ryuzaki, skepticism rooted in his tone.
"If I tell Matsuda 'No,' he'll run off on his own again. I'd rather monitor him than have another disaster. Matsuda's willing to take the risk, and I'm willing to let him try. Though, if Higuchi ever takes your engagement too far, Matsuda, step out."
"Don't worry, I can handle Higuchi. Really," Matsui, there's something special about you "… I really don't mind it that much."
"You're certain letting the manager go is the best course of action, Higuchi? You were the one advocating to kill him." Higuchi confidently smirked at Ooi's question, leaning back in his conference chair.
"Like I said, my position's changed. I questioned the manager on the night of the party, and the gnat knows nothing."
"What if he fooled you?" Shimura argued, and Higuchi shot him an irritated glare, "I could sense the fear in him when I questioned him. If he thought his life was in danger, he'd say whatever you wanted to hear, Higuchi." "Damn your paranoia Shimura."
"What he feared was losing money. He doesn't have the wits to know what is truly at stake. He's a manager for a pop idol; he's duller than you, Shimura." Higuchi shot back. "If you're worried about him, also worry about the flies on the wall."
"Higuchi has a point," Namikawa spoke up. "The idol manager is our most harmless threat, if that. He shouldn't be our main concern. If he wanted to sabotage us, he's had plenty of time to do so. We have more important concerns," A ringtone chimed through the conference room as Kida's phone went off. "Speak of the devil," Kida answered his phone, and the following conversation proved Namikawa's words true as the hired detective had to complicate their arrangement. Higuchi wasn't surprised by Coil's greed but boldness to demand such wealth upfront.
"Is he dumb enough to speak out if we don't pay him? He must be using a fake name if he's so confident. How could I get his real name?" He glanced over his shoulder, the shadow of the looming monster behind him creeping into his periphery. "I doubt that thing will tell his name if I asked. And I'm not wasting half of my life on that slimy detective… I'd hate to ask, but Reiji could probably help with his connections."
"This doesn't look good." Hatori's weary voice was like a drop of blood in a sea of sharks. "I want to get out of this meeting. I don't know who Kira is, but I don't want to get involved and get arrested." His careless words signed his death warrant, a fact he realized too late, though Higuchi shed no tears. He wondered when the spinless executive would shatter under the pressure.
"I knew you were a coward the moment I heard your name, Hatori." The black ink soaked into the crisp pages of the notebook as Higuchi weaved his pen. "You don't deserve a sunrise."
'Hatori Ayayoshi hangs himself in his closet before dawn.'
He fiendishly grinned as he finished the damned sentence, and his pen returned to the paper, meeting the line below Hatori's name… A black blotch formed underneath the tip of the motionless pen, the dot growing larger by the second.
"Are you going to write the manager's name?" It had been so long since he heard the Shinigami speak that he flinched when its low eerie voice croaked behind him. He rhythmically tapped his pen on the dot, ink so dark in the dim lighting it could be mistaken for an empty void.
"… I should," he replied. "If I kill him now, the others will be less likely to suspect me of being Kira, and if he's truly a dirty liar, I've gotten rid of a liability…" he glared at the paper, absent-mindedly gnawing on his lip. The ghostly taste of Matsui still lingered, fleeting in flavor, and Higuchi savored it, his heart fluttering as Matsui's sweet brown eyes took shape in his mind. An image so real he could feel Matsui's warmth as he caressed his cheek, the soft skin like a satin pillow compared to his own sandpaper skin. "Is the rest of him that soft?" Higuchi dragged his tongue over his bottom lip, a low hum rumbling his throat.
"Is there a reason you're hesitating?" It asked.
"You'd know if you didn't cling to that model's shadow for the party."
"Do you plan on killing him or not?"
"When did you start being so chatty?" Higuchi twirled the pen between his fingers, imagining a loaded gun in his hands with Matsui facing down the barrel. The nauseating stir toiled at the bottom of his gut, and he promptly blinked away the image. "… No," He set down his pen. "I'll let him live," He shut the notebook; the words' Death Note' scrawled into the cover staring back at him. "I wish you found me sooner, Matsui."
