The sun sets on the classroom as gossip and chattering fills the air, the low droning of the teacher's lesson doing little to muffle the noise. One way or another, most of the students find a way to do anything but pay attention to the lesson, and the soon to be relevance of the passages go over their heads as they indulge in ignorant bliss. "Listen to the voice of God and then follow it. Know that in time you will find your salvation…" Shinoska focuses on the reading as her eyes follow along the text with her teacher's voice. While the lesson is a bit different from their usual ones, she finds herself intrigued by it enough to pay attention, though even she'll admit that her teacher is making it a bit hard to do so. 'It's a shame, really. The text is actually not too bad once you get a good look at it…' She thinks to herself. Her eyes then trail over the classroom before they fall onto a familiar face, her lips turning up ever so slightly as she notices that Light is hardly paying attention at all. " , are you still with us?" The teacher asks. Without missing a beat, Light responds and, when prompted to continue reading the passage, he does so with ease.
"Follow the teachings of God and receive his blessings. And so it shall be that the seas will then become bountiful and the raging storms will subside." Shinoska isn't surprised that he was able to read so smoothly despite his lack of really paying much attention. It's something not unusual for his abilities, though she'll be sure to ask him about what was so distracting to him later. Even if practically all school subjects come easy to him, it's still not a bad idea to at least try and listen during class. Sometimes the supposedly obvious can uncover things not yet clear.
"And… Ms. Mimiki, can you continue?" The teacher says, fully confident that his other top student was listening well. "Of course," she answers as she stands to her feet, clearing her throat before she speaks. "Once the seas become bountiful and the raging storms subside, the earth shall renew. On its return and with the upbringing of mankind, beware of kindred false teachings and cursed blessings that preceded the chaos. Falsity shows in the face of deceivers. Recognize their fruits for what they are."
Light's eyes don't leave Shinoska as she speaks, his attention drawn to her. As per usual, the definitions and context of the text doesn't escape the boy, but any deeper analysis is tossed aside in favor of his own pride and adoration for the familiar speaker.
And thus is the beginning of his downfall. The school day finishes uneventfully, Shinoska preparing to head outside to meet up with Light to begin their walk home together. She slides her school slippers into her designated cubby, then slips on her sneakers back on and grabs her bag only to come face to face with some guy standing by her. He's unfamiliar, but the behaviors he's exhibiting are far from it. The slightly too quick blinking, the almost undetectable fidgeting, and the way his eyes focus on hers—he's here to ask her out. "Hey, Mimiki! I'm, uh, in your Chemistry class," he starts off a bit formally, Shinoska offering a small smile as she nods. "Yeah, I remember. Obana, right?" She says, the boy's face lighting up in response to her remembering him. "Yes! So, I know we haven't spoken to each other that much, but I was just wondering if…" He starts, but he's quickly interrupted as he feels a leering presence from behind him. Light stands there, looking between the two of them with a calm, yet analytical gaze as he shuts the book that he was reading and puts it into his bag.
"Shinoska, are you ready to go?" He asks, practically ignoring the presence of the boy before him. Obana looks between the two, his mouth a bit agape as embarrassment fills his body. His confidence all but withers away in the face of the most popular boy in school being so obviously close to Shinoska. "E-excuse me," he says, his voice cracking a bit weakly as he scurries away. Shinoska feels a bit bad as she watches him run off, almost wanting to offer an apology of some sort, even if she'd intended to turn him down in the first place. Besides, based on the look on his face, he presumed the two were a couple of some sort and that just simply wasn't true. Though, Shinoska can't exactly put her finger on why that is the case. "Shinoska?" Light asks, snapping her from her small daze. "Oh, sorry. Yes, I'm ready!" She replies and then the two are off. Their walk is quiet but comfortable, the two quite used to each other's presence. The hustle and bustle of the city does little to sever the obvious connection between the two, Light sticking close to Shinoska as hurried members of the crowd rush around them. The two pause at a crosswalk, Shinoska glancing up at her longtime childhood friend with thinly veiled curiosity. "What had you so distracted in English class?" Light wets his lips as he glances up at the light changing and the two begin to walk once more, his mind in more places than one. "It's kind of hard to explain…" He says, trailing off as the sound of the news fills the streets. "Today at approximately 11 a.m in Kanagawa Prefecture in Yokohama, the body of a man appearing to be about 30 years old was found in an apartment covered in blood. Kanagawa Police have opened a homicide investigation. In other news…" The onslaught of gut wrenching news continues to fill the air, Shinoska's lips pursing as she listens intently. 'Things like this happen every day, but it doesn't get any easier to hear. That's why I want to do something; be a part of some real change…' She thinks to herself, her promise to Light coming to mind as she does so. 'Together… He promised that we'd change the world. I wonder if he still thinks about that promise?' She turns her attention toward him, his expression unreadable as he begins to speak.
"...This world is rotten." The words are simple, but startling coming from his unmoving expression. Her heart sinks a bit, but she is quick to recover her composure as she offers a hopeful smile. "Maybe right now it is. But… I believe it can be changed," she says, the determination in her eyes unwavering. Light is shocked for only a moment before his lips settle into a fond smile as he looks down at her. "You have always believed that, haven't you?"
He asks, Shinoska nodding in response as she clasps her hands behind her back and walks with a bit more spirit than before. "Of course. After all, we promised to make the world a better place when we were little, remember?" "How could I forget?" He says without missing a beat. Shinoska feels her heart thump in her chest, but she tucks away all her questions and wonders about what he means for later, opting to simply relish in the warm feeling. "We didn't ever really get into the specifics though. I know I said I wanted to be a lawyer since it's basically family tradition at this point," she says with a small laugh as the two turn a corner, "But, that's not all I want to do. It's a big part of it, but there's more. There has to be if I really want to make an impact." "Well, I can definitely see you as a lawyer. You make top marks consistently and can pay attention to even the most boring topics," he says, Shinoska playfully rolling her eyes and offering her thanks.
"Thank you. Though, what about you? You never said how you wanted to change the world, Light. I know you don't even need to pay attention in class most of the time. While I still think you should, I understand school has always been a bit different for you. So…what's your plan? Shinoska asks with genuine curiosity, Light going quiet as he genuinely contemplates her question. "...I don't know," he says, sincerity clear in his tone. He's comfortable enough to admit that to the girl, knowing that anyone else in the world would give him the usual surprised reaction. After all, he's a genius, so shouldn't he have it all figured out? Shinoska remains quiet as she waits for him to continue speaking. Light lets out a sigh, not directed toward her, but the unending dissatisfaction that the topic of his future brings him. "Or…maybe it's more like I don't care. Whatever it is, I'm sure I'll be good at it. I could follow in my dad's footsteps and join the National Police Agency. Or I could be a doctor or perhaps even a politician. Maybe I could even be a lawyer," he says, looking up in the sky with an almost bored expression.
"Whatever it is that you choose, just know that I'll support you! As long as you dedicate your all to it, I'm sure it'll be unlike anything ever seen before," Shinoska says as she makes a motion to cheer him on. "Thank you," Light says after a moment, a genuine smile on his face. While the prospect of getting some job he could do with his eyes closed isn't the most exciting, he can't deny the idea of having Shinoska cheering him on sounds quite nice. Once he drops Shinoska off at home, his eyes linger a bit longer once the door is shut. He then heads home, having an unusual feeling for tomorrow.
The next day, Shinoska stays after school for her duties as the Historian of the Student Council. Once she finishes organizing a few materials and bidding goodbye to her peers, she heads off to go home. Since Light's attending cram school, she's content to walk home by herself. It's a bit unusual not having him with her, but she doesn't mind it too much. She opts to read a book to pass the time as she walks and, before she knows it, she's already home. Shinoska steps into her home and the door quietly shuts behind her. She drops her stuff off in her room before making her way toward the kitchen, a familiar note on the countertop telling her about some leftovers in the fridge. The girl heaves a small sigh as she pops a small container into the microwave as she prepares dinner. Noticing the TV remote on the couch, she grabs it and flicks through the channel's before she's stopped by the breaking news currently being aired. "The assailant who killed six people in Shinjuku yesterday has now taken eight hostages, including teachers and children, at a local daycare center.
The police have now identified the suspect as Kurou Otoharada, an unemployed man," a news anchor says with a grave tone. "Oh my God…" Shinoska mutters as she covers her mouth with her hands. The microwave goes off but she doesn't move a muscle, too absorbed by the event unfolding right before her eyes. "It's reported that the police will begin to start negotiations. It's terrible what's happening, hopefully it will be resolved quickly," the news anchor says. Shinoska's heart aches and flutters with rage at the same time, the idea of having to accommodate the negotiations of a murderer deeply unsettling. However, she still recognizes that to navigate such a highly charged situation, not letting one's morality take hold is essential. And yet still, it hardly seems fair. "Wait, more information has come in! The hostages have been safely released and the SWAT team is storming the building. It appears that… Yes, it's now been reported that the hostage has died in the daycare. According to one of the suspects, the man just suddenly collapsed."
"What…?" Shinoska mutters aloud, the sudden turn of events giving her whiplash. She shakes her head and gets up to get her food, sitting down at the table in front of the TV as she continues to watch the news surrounding the event. 'It's…can this sort of thing be called a miracle? I mean, it's wonderful that the hostages weren't hurt, but what are the odds of such a coincidence?' Her mind spins as even the reporters seem frazzled at the sudden turn of events, it almost feels as if some misinformation was spread, but it is continuously confirmed to be all too true. Shinoska's eyes drift toward her phone resting on the couch, the girl grabbing it and messaging the first person she can think of.
SM: 'Hey, were you watching the news?'
He takes a few minutes to reply.
LY: 'Yeah, why?'
SM: 'The guy who was holding hostages suddenly died! It was so quick and the timing…Isn't it
like some kind of twisted miracle? Or at the very least really strange.
He seems to write a few things and delete them before finally sending a response.
LY: 'I guess so.'
He doesn't write anything else after that, Shinoska setting her phone down after a few minutes of waiting. Light's always been not all that great of a texter, but she wonders if perhaps he's a bit shaken up by the events. Honestly, she is too. She resolves to take her mind off it, changing the channel to a more relaxing documentary channel as she begins to eat her food. However, despite her best efforts, she can't get it out of her head for the rest of the evening. She falls asleep as she turns over the events in her head again and again.