A/N: Hey! So if you're coming here from my other fic The Ultimate Sacrifice, I did delete that one because I wasn't really satisfied with how it was going. I do want to go back and rewrite it someday, but for now, here's a one shot. Takes place just before Death Note itself. Maybe you can see it as a sort of prerequisite to TUS lol
It was a fact that Light Yagami, at best, tolerated most other people.
Their conversations were boring. They were boring. Whenever they went on about meaningless nonsense, he zoned out, thinking about all the studying he could be doing instead.
But of course, he had to keep up the image of a well-loved Straight-A student, so he smiled and waved as he politely turned down hangout requests. Luckily study school gave him plenty of excuses, but sometimes, he really felt his limits being pushed.
Naturally, most would've expected a studious and aloof student such as Light to detest having a younger sister who bothered him about homework and giggled about pop idols. The two were polar opposites.
And of course, Sayu definitely annoyed her brother from time to time. It was inevitable. But he never found himself staying angry with her for too long. It was hard to; she was an optimist, going with the flow.
She was a kind and genuine person underneath. She loved friendship and frivolous nonsense and procrastinating from school work, she wore her heart on her sleeve, she laughed and smiled and actually seemed to like living on the planet, excited by everything going on day to day. Most importantly, hopeful.
Light envied her, in that way. He felt his hope in humanity draining all the time. It was hard to stay positive. The weight of despair dragged his shoulders, pulling him deeper into the pit of apathy.
Normally he found the overly positive to be insufferable, but Sayu was different - she just lived, not to please anyone, but to truly be herself.
She represented the people Light wanted to protect the most. The good, kind and innocent souls. The ones who made the world a place worth living in.
As more and more criminals were convicted and more terrible atrocities happened all over the world, Light lost more faith in humankind. He wished he had some sort of power to erase all of the criminals from the world, if only to protect the people that actually mattered.
"Light?" Sayu waved her hand. "Helloooo? Now who's the one zoning out!"
Light rolled his eyes. He gestured to the textbooks laid out in front of Sayu. "Have you decided on a topic yet?"
"Sure…" Sayu said, looking away.
Light raised a brow.
"I've nearly decided, okay?!" Sayu grumbled.
Light sighed. As long as Sayu was here, perhaps he could hold onto a shred of hope for humanity. Just a shred.