The next morning Shinoska slowly stirs from her sleep as she shifts and turns. Despite her sleepy haze, the lack of a mattress beneath her body is all it takes for her to quickly realize that she's not in her bed. Her eyes slowly flutter open and she's met with the sight of Light by her side, his arm draping around her body.
Resting against the couch together, their bodies are close and Shinoska finds herself looking at him with tenderness as she relishes the feeling of being closer to him than ever before.
He appears to still be asleep, the young man unmoving aside from the slow rise and fall of his chest. The ray of sunshine that peaks through the curtains shine down upon his features with an illuminating glow.
In truth, he woke up quite a long time ago and had watched her sleep with an eerie focus and a satisfied grin. While he wasn't foolish enough to talk of his plans to dispose of Raye Penber with Ryuk while Shinoska was within earshot, he spent much of his time going over the sinister plan in his mind.
Just as he felt her begin to awake, he closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep, though he resumed his planning as he did so. The dark nature of his thoughts in contrast to the seemingly gentle moment is rather unsettling, but Shinoska is not privy to the fact that he teeters on the edge of depravity day by day.
Instead, she continues to watch her now boyfriend as she recalls the events of the previous night. She feels her cheeks begin to heat up as the reality of their relationship finally sets in.
'So…I guess it wasn't a dream after all. Light and I are finally…'
She doesn't dare finish the thought, the idea is almost too much to process. She's been waiting years for him to finally make the move, but in all honesty, the suddenness of the confession has her caught a little off guard, which is a somewhat unusual feeling for Shinoska.
Her intentions to postpone their relationship until after school fell by the wayside once he confessed. Her mind had changed in part due to what had happened on the bus.
'Emotions were pretty high yesterday. And after such a scary situation, maybe he felt like he didn't want to waste any more time or risk not living his life without regret. At least, it was kind of like that for me. It's even making me think a bit differently about a few other things too…'
Despite her happiness about their official relationship, she can't help the somberness that sets in her heart as she recalls the sound of shattering glass, gunshots, and terrified screams. She shudders as she shakes away the thought.
'It's just a good thing that FBI agent was there. In a twisted sort of way, seeing him in action has motivated me to try even harder to achieve my own dreams. Being able to serve justice and keep people safe, even if I'm doing it in a courtroom…Well, I'll do whatever it takes to be in the league of someone like him. And maybe even someone like L.'
Before her mind can wander any further, she feels Light's hand twitch at her side. She looks over at him just as his eyes open, a soft smile on his face.
"Good morning," he says as he slowly pulls his arm away to give her some space, though he remains sitting rather close to her.
"Good morning," Shinoska replies with a bit of bashfulness. She looks down before tucking a section of hair behind her ear, then lets out a small laugh. "It's a good thing my parents didn't come home last night. If they'd walked in and seen us like that, I'm sure they would have had more than a few things to say."
"Ah…That's definitely true," Light mutters, though internally he acknowledges he was never all that worried to begin with. He's relatively familiar with her parents' often demanding work schedules and, even if they were caught, he'd simply have done whatever was necessary to smooth things over.
"I don't think they would have been too mad though. Maybe not even very mad at all, honestly. More than anything Mother would probably tease me to no end. And Father would probably give us both some kind of speech," Shinoska jokes as she looks away with a blush on her face and shakes her head in a bit of embarrassment.
"That sounds about like what my parents will do since I've been out all night," Light mutters.
Shinoska muffles a small gasp as her eyes snap over to look at him.
"Oh, you're right! I wasn't even thinking of what they would say…" She says, internally chiding herself for not realizing it sooner.
But Light doesn't seem concerned, merely laughing a bit as he waves her off.
"There's nothing to worry about. Once I explain the situation, they'll take it well, I'm sure," Light replies with a comforting tone.
"I mean…You're probably right, but…" Shinoska trails off, still not feeling right about the whole thing.
Light looks at the young woman fondly, her sense of right and wrong prevailing in even the smallest of situations. It's such a simple trait of hers, yet it draws him to her with undeniable strength.
'I've always known that you're the only one for me, Shinoska…The only person whose sense of justice is close to my level,' Light thinks to himself, his craving to have her growing by the moment.
Of course, his ego won't allow him to consider her exactly on his level. In his mind, such a thing is simply not possible.
"It'll be alright, Shinoska. It's not like my parents haven't wanted us to be closer," Light admits and Shinoska holds back a smile as her pinkened cheeks darken once again.
"You're being really bold today, Light," Shinoska admits as she peers over to look at him.
"Sorry, is it too much? It's just that I've been waiting to speak with you like this for a long time now," Light replies.
It's been far longer, with a much more frightening intensity, than Shinoska even realizes. Yet she only takes the phrase as endearing, her heart growing warm as she leans her cheek against the couch and looks at Light with love in her eyes.
"I've been waiting for this too," she admits and her words hang in the air.
Neither of them speaks, looking at each other seemingly enough for the moment. But after a few more, a soft tension settles and then quickly grows with every passing second. Shinoska feels her heart quickening in her chest when the sound of a small beep pulls her from her daze.
Light pulls out his phone and checks it, then looks toward her apologetically.
"It's my parents. Apparently, they heard about the bus incident and they're worried. They want me to come home now," he says before he closes his phone and slips it back into his pocket.
The tension is gone as quickly as it came, Shinoska clears her throat and then shakes her head.
"It's nothing to apologize for. It makes sense that they're worried," Shinoska says as tucks away the swirling feeling from the tension mere moments ago. A deep sense of longing replaces it, the young woman wondering if her parents have heard anything about the bus hijacking.
She'd told them she was going to the amusement park with Light already, but with how busy they are, she wonders if they even remember or have connected the dots to realize she was on said bus. When Shinoska and Light got home yesterday, so many things happened that she didn't get the chance to text them herself, yet she can't help but feel a bit of sadness that she's heard nothing from them.
'I guess that's how things have always been, so there's no reason for me to be sad about it…' Shinoska tries to convince herself, but the feeling in her heart betrays her.
"Is everything alright?" Light asks, noticing her change in demeanor.
"Oh, I'm sorry! I'm just thinking about my parents," she admits, her voice trailing toward the end.
"Shinoska…" Light says as he reaches over and squeezes her hand comfortingly, "Do you want to come with me? I'm sure my parents will want to know you're alright too."
She gives him a small smile and lightly squeezes his hand back, the feeling of his hand around hers bringing a gentle comfort despite the unfamiliarity of it. Just as she's mulling over her reply, her phone begins to ring.
Pulling the phone from her pocket, Shinoska's eyes widen a bit when she sees who it is.
"It's my father," she says as she looks over at Light before stepping away to take the call.
"Hello?" Shinoska asks.
"Shinoska! Your mother and I heard about the bus hijacking. Are you hurt? Is everything alright?" The man asks, sincere concern in his voice.
"Honey, we're so sorry. We're coming home now," her mother says, her voice a bit muffled on the other end of the receiver, but Shinoska doesn't care. To hear their voices has a weight lifting from her chest as she feels a few tears well up and spill over.
She quickly wipes them away and clears her throat, not wanting to worry them, but beyond glad to know she'll get to see them soon.
"Yes, I'm okay. Light was with me the whole time and made sure of that," Shinoska replies.
After reassuring her parents that she and Light are okay, Shinoska ends the call with a lightness to her spirit as she sets the phone on the coffee table.
"My parents heard about the bus hijacking too. They'll be coming home shortly, so I'll stay here and wait for them," Shinoska says, an undeniably bright smile on her face.
"That's great to hear, Shinoska," Light says with a smile of his own, though like many of his smiles, it lacks sincerity.
While he has no intentions of disposing of her parents since they've done nothing to inhibit his progress toward championing true justice in the world and since he's well aware they mean quite a bit to her. Shinoska's complicated relationship with them aside, while he doesn't necessarily have a reason to hold ill will toward them, Light can't help the small pit of jealousy that swirls within him.
'I'll see her again soon enough. Spending time with her parents seems to be quite important to her, so I won't do anything to disturb that. It'll be easier that way,' he thinks to himself, his thoughts rife with condescension and an unsettling thought process. He heads to the front door and slips on his shoes, Shinoska following behind him.
"I'll see you later, Light," Shinoska says as she bids him goodbye, leaning against the wall by the entrance.
"Of course. I hope things go well with your parents," Light says as he offers a small wave before turning and stepping out the door. It shuts behind him and Shinoska lets go of a heavy breath.
'I was wondering if I should kiss him, but that felt too forward,' she thinks to herself before she heads back to the living room and sits down on the couch, leaning into the soft cushions as she sinks into her thoughts.
'After we talk about the bus incident, I'll need to tell my parents about us dating,' Shinoska thinks to herself.
"Dating, huh…" She mutters aloud, a smile forming on her lips.
In that moment, it feels as if things in her life are beginning to look forward, the future seeming brighter than ever before.
A week passes.
After Shinoska's parents came home, they had a tender conversation that left the young woman comforted from thoughts that had plagued her since their careers had seemingly pulled them apart. Glad to know they cared for her wellbeing, their frequent absences from her life aside, she was more than happy to share the news of her and Light's relationship.
As Light had expected with his own parents, Shinoska's parents weren't phased at all. In fact, they were rather pleased about the whole thing. After all, in their eyes, they valued potential success that in their minds would guarantee their daughter's happiness and it was all but assured that Light would go on to do great things. So, they easily gave their blessing.
Light did so too the very same night, his mother particularly overjoyed about the news. Their families formally celebrated with a dinner, the looks on their faces and the atmosphere making it clear they were expecting much much more from their relationship. Though Light and Shinoska were aware of these expectations to be wed without delay, they easily navigated the conversation away from it for the time being.
Since then, Shinoska has settled into the usual, yet unusual routine Light and her shared. Things were the same in some ways, the two of them still spending much of their time together and their banter still the same, but the air sometimes felt very different.
'It's not as if I don't like it. I suppose I'm just still getting used to it,' she thinks to herself as she absentmindedly chews on some buttered toast. It's a simple Saturday morning and nothing seems to be out of the ordinary. Her parents are gone as per usual, their frequent absences returning to normal after the bus hijacking.
She's caught between a sigh and a laugh as she thinks it over. She wasn't exactly naive enough to have expected them to change their ways and spend more time with her, but she couldn't deny the incident had made her a bit hopeful.
"Enough of that. Thinking about it won't make me feel any better," she mutters as she switches between channels before settling on the news.
'After this, I need to get some studying in. But later…Maybe I can head over to Light's place,' she thinks to herself, feeling a bit giddy despite her urge to be otherwise.
The feelings are fresh and exciting despite her having known how she felt about him for some time. Try as she might to be relaxed about the whole thing, she just can't get over the initial jittery feeling that pools in her belly. To be fair, she's never dated anyone else since she always figured she'd end up with Light, so her feelings are understandable.
Shinoska snaps from her thoughts when the news reporter utters the name "Kira."
'So, he's made his next move.'
She grabs the remote and turns the volume up, her interest thoroughly piqued. His gruesome concept of justice is something she cannot find within herself to abide by.
'During the first incident, I thought it was mere coincidence. I couldn't help but find it to be a miracle, but…Knowing that someone out there is being judge, jury, and executioner isn't something I can accept.'
Her lawyer spirit holds true despite the chaotic nature of the modern day. But, despite already having decided she cannot agree with his methods, she listens to his actions with an open heart.
'Maybe this will reveal some of his motivations or his reasoning for doing all this…'
"The shocking death of a man exiting a subway adds to the body count of Kira's continued spree. Apparently an FBI agent, Raye Penber was…"
Shinosk's breath catches in her throat as the familiar name hangs in the air. The face of the man from only a couple days ago served as a comfort and a figure to admire. Yet now, it only brings up disbelief and a pang of deep sadness as she lifts her hand up to her mouth in horror.
"I can't believe it…That man…"
She'd only known him for a short time, but his dedication to serving the innocent left her impressed. He'd inspired her to pursue her own just future, yet was snatched from the world in such a short time.
"He was kind and he risked his life to save us. What could he have possibly done to earn Kira's ire or even his attention?"
The question hangs in the air and she knows she will receive no answer.
With no one at home to talk to, she pulls out her phone without thinking and dials Light's number. He picks up within a few rings.
"Shinoska," he greets.
"Hi, Light…" she mutters, unable to muster a happier tone.
"What's wrong?" Light asks, calculated concern in his voice.
"Are you watching the news? The man who saved us-the FBI agent named Raye Penber. He…died. Kira killed him," Shinoska says, voice weak as she utters the fact into the world. He's gone and he's never coming back. The very thought sickens her to her core.
Light pauses for dramatic effect, the man even mimicking a genuine look of a person ready to offer condolences for a truly tragic loss.
"That's terrible. And we only saw him a few days ago. It almost feels unreal," Light says.
"I know. And he seemed like such a good man too. I just…feel terribly for his family," Shinoska replies as she can't help but think of all those that have been left behind.
"I do too," Light replies with his sincerest attempt at a comforting tone.
Shinoska goes quiet, just happy to have Light there for her. She holds the phone close to her as she continues to watch the news as it's announced that 12 other FBI agents died via heart attacks, no doubt from Kira's doing.
She can no longer contain the swell of emotions in her chest and the shakiness of her hands. She clenches them as she feels a familiar heat in her throat, tears welling in her eyes as she watches with disbelief and anger.
"Is this justice?" She speaks into the phone.
Light does not answer. In his mind, he doesn't need to.
In her mind, his silence is an answer in and of itself. But she presumes his answer incorrectly, her love for her childhood friend and her devotion to justice as a scholar of the law clouding the truth of what is right in front of her.
That same night, Shinoska comes over to have dinner with the Yagami family.
As they begin to dig into the delicious homecooked meal, Light's father clears his throat and then looks around the table.
"I'm sure you all have heard the news. We're under attack and the danger of the situation is only increasing. That's why I'll be stepping up to lead the team assigned to catch Kira," he says with finality.
"Mr. Yagami…" Shinoska mutters, her voice filled with respect and worry. His dedication to his job is admirable, but she can't help but fear for his well-being. It seems Sayu and Ms. Yagami feel similarly, looking at him with conflicting emotions in their eyes.
Just then, Light clears his throat as well, cutting into the tense atmosphere in the room.
"If anything is to happen to you, make no mistake, Father. I'll catch Kira, no matter what it takes," Light says with righteous resolve. The unflinching smile on his face to tackle such a challenge head-on is enough to leave one breathless.
The assured nature in his tone and the quiet, yet strong charisma he exudes are enough to lift the spirits of the room. His family looks on at him with proud smiles as Shinoska nods, her heart full of love and a strengthening desire to pursue justice.