The sun dipped low on the horizon, casting a warm, amber glow over the quiet neighborhood. Light sat under the shade of a towering oak tree with Shinoska right by his side. The softness of youth had not yet left them, the young pair comfortable in the familiarity they offered one another. They'd been friends nearly all their life, and though that was not especially long in the grand scheme of things, to them it was everything.
Elsewhere, their parents were catching up over tea. Since the two had finished their studies early, they were allowed to go to the park together. Though neither of them had ever really been the kind of children to climb jungle gyms or run around very much. Or rather, they didn't do so unless it was asked of them by other children.
Despite the innocence of their youth, they'd already become accustomed to the demands and expectations of the world around them. While they were expected to only associate with kids their parents found acceptable while maintaining perfect grades and exemplary behavior, they were also expected to not decline an invitation to play from said kids. To do so was to be rude and they knew that was simply out of the question for them.
It was what their parents expected of them, after all. So they'd accept and carry on with their duties as children worthy of being bragged about.
In Light's case, his parents were very kind and rather loving. His father could be a bit stern, but he never faltered in making sure he took care of his family. And his mother was sweet and caring incarnate, frankly. Still, it couldn't be denied that the supposed ease with which their son achieved greatness only made their expectations grow higher.
For Shinoska, it was different. Of course, from the outside, they were a picturesque family. They were well-off financially and never faltered in giving off well-maintained appearances. And it wasn't as if they were awful, horrible people. Even thinking of considering her parents in such a harsh way made the young girl feel incredibly guilty.
But they were…distant. Shinoska often felt like she was outside, looking in on a family that she struggled to feel connected to.
Even so, she worked hard for their approval and harbored admiration for the duties. Even if she felt lonely, she at least took comfort in believing her parents fought for justice.
But, while Shinoska and Light had their reasons for working hard to excel, be it for their family or otherwise, they two truthfully preferred the quiet spots under trees with soft patches of grass, especially when they were together.
A gentle breeze rustled the leaves overhead.
"My dad helped catch a really bad guy the other day," Light said, breaking the silence.
"Yes, my parents told me. They said lots of people will feel much safer now," Shinoska said as she turned to look at Light.
The boy met her eyes in return, a glint of intensity in his gaze that seemed out of place for a child. "But for how long?"
Shinoska tilted her head, light brown strands of hair falling over her shoulder. "How…long?" A pensive expression fell over her face before she spoke again, "Not that long, I think. He's not the only bad guy, so…More will come."
An enigmatic, yet fond smile played on Light's lips. "That's right, Shinoska. He did a good thing, but I don't think we should celebrate yet."
"Then when should we?" She asked, leaning the side of her head into the crook between her propped-up knees, her arms pulling her legs tightly to her chest.
"When we're all safe. For good," Light replied as he reached out to pull a stray leaf from her hair. It was a simple, yet sweet gesture.
Her round cheeks grew a bit flushed, but she elected to let the moment pass in quiet. As she gathered her words, their shadows grew longer as the sun continued its descent.
"If more bad guys will always come, then it sounds like there will never be a good time to celebrate. Not unless they're all gone."
A harsh breeze carried away the leaves as if her words had startled the winds into action.
On the one hand, Shinoska hadn't meant it seriously. At least, not with malicious intent. All her life she'd believed in justice, but she'd also believed in due process. In the sanctity of law.
But Light had already begun to take a darker turn. A disturbing determination glowed in his eyes, unnoticed by the girl beside him. While his mind had grazed over such thoughts before, her words had taken root in his mind and heart.
"Let's promise, here and now," Light said suddenly. He reached out toward Shinoska, his pinky extended, "We'll uphold justice and make a better world. Together."
Shinoska smiled softly as she reached out and wrapped his pinky tightly in hers.
"Together."
As the last rays of sunlight dripped over the horizon, Light and Shinoska sealed their promise with the exalted certainty of childhood.
Three months had passed since the day of the college entrance exam.
Light and Shinoska had, of course, passed with flying colors. Light achieved a perfect score while Shinoska's was near perfect, the woman only missing a single question.
They were both admitted to To-Oh University, which their families were ecstatic over. They'd thrown a huge celebration in their honor, though Light and Shinoska remained ever humble.
Today is their first day at the prestigious university, the surrounding crowd of incoming students bustling with energy tinged with both anticipation and excitement. While she didn't exactly dislike the sizable crowd, in fact, Shinoska found the bright faces and smiles of so many people to be quite heartwarming, she did find it to be rather overwhelming to be surrounded by so many people.
She lets out a light gasp as Light discreetly slips his hand into hers, pulling her to the side until they're standing beneath a cherry blossom tree.
"Light…?" She says, questioning his motive.
"The crowd was getting a bit too big, so I thought it would be nice to get a bit more space over here," he says nonchalantly, though her heart warms at his consideration.
"Thank you," she says with an appreciative grin, though it quickly turns into a well-meaning stern one, "But we can't stand here too long. I don't want you to be late for your speech."
Light lets out a light laugh, amused by her willingness to forget her own discomfort in such situations.
"I won't be, so there's no need to worry," he says, easing her mind.
The two of them then take a moment to take in the sight before them. Banners are hung up across the school, welcoming the new class to the campus.
As sakura blossoms cascade down from the trees and springtime air fills their lungs, a sense of new beginnings permeates the atmosphere.
For Shinoska, she'll be dedicating much of her time to achieving her dream. While getting into To-Oh University was no small feat, she was not ignorant of the fact that failing out of the cutthroat university was not exactly unheard of.
The law program is especially strict, allowing very little room for error. At the very least, her family background and consistent studying of law-related materials put her ahead of many of her peers, but she won't simply rely on pedigree or diligence. To be a lawyer, especially one that truly seeks justice and not simply a paycheck, requires far more than just that.
The sincerity in her gaze attracts Light's gaze, just as it always has. A comforting silence descends over them as they pause beneath the sakura tree.
Beneath his fond gaze, gears turn with sinister intent as Light also begins to look toward the future.
'This will be a good place to start branching out, potentially making some connections. Kira's popularity has only grown, but I'll have to be careful about my contacts,' he thinks to himself as he continues to stare at Shinoska with well-hidden adoration that reached far beyond "normal" levels.
'I'm finally able to take more steps toward building a perfect world for us, Shinoska,' he internally mused, His thoughts took a brief pause as he watched a sakura petal flutter down before settling on Shinoska's head.
He reached out, his fingers brushing against her hair as he gently removed the petal before releasing it, the soft pink blowing away in the quiet winds.
"Some things never change," Shinoska remarks, glittering nostalgia filling her eyes as she watches the petal go.
Light pauses for a moment, his thoughts still reeling from the self-righteous wickedness that plagues his thoughts only moments before. His eyes widen as he recalls the tender moment from so many years ago. It's a moment, one that others may consider very small, where he'd begun to deeply think of what a better world would look like; what kind of world he'd want to bring forth.
He never could have imagined he'd have ended up where he is now.
Neither could Shinoska.
"I know this is only just the beginning, but we've come a long way since then. We're finally taking steps to keep our promise," she says and Light responds with a simple nod, the gravity of the response remaining a tightly kept secret to the woman he proclaims to love.
"We should get going. The ceremony will start soon," Shinoska says as she slowly steps forward.
Light walks alongside her and the two of them soon arrive at the auditorium. They take their seats, both of them in the front row. Several professors and administrative staff recite their speeches and welcome the new student body until it's finally Light's turn to deliver the freshman address.
"And now for the freshman representatives, Light Yagami and Hideki Ryuga," an administrative staff member says before stepping down from the podium.
'That's right…I remember him telling me he'd be giving the address along with one other person,' Shinoska thinks to herself as Lights stands tall, his demeanor poised and collected.
He makes his way up to the stage, the person he'll be giving the speech with following closely behind him.
'It's that man!' Shinoska thinks to herself, her eyes widening a bit before her expression goes back to a polite default. 'Honestly, I wasn't exactly expecting him since he got reprimanded… But, then again, sitting unusually doesn't have much to do with academics.'
The woman hears gossip from her sides and behind her, students commenting on the sharp contrast between the two students.
"That guy looks nothing like Hideki Ryuga!"
"Yeah, he doesn't look anything like that Light guy either. They're like total opposites."
"The black-haired guy seems kinda…like a mad scientist, doesn't he? He's kind of cute…"
"What? No way! The guy with brown hair looks way better. Just look at the way the other one's dressed, his clothes are all baggy!"
Shinoska held in a small sigh, not expecting to have escaped gossip simply because of the university's reputation, but she hadn't expected it to kick in full force on the very first day either. She's not one to get jealous, so the remarks about Light don't really bother her, the woman is more than certain that Light only truly has eyes for her.
Light begins his part of the speech and Shinoska watches intently as he delivers his words with well-practiced precision and passion, not missing a single beat. When it's the supposed Hideki Ryuga's turn, he seems entirely uninterested, his tone sounding nothing short of monotonous.
While the woman is proud of Light's performance, she also can't help but think this other student is a rather…interesting fellow. She can't tell if he's purposefully trying to show simply doesn't care or if he's operating as he's comfortable with. Either way, she can't exactly place how she feels about him.
The auditorium fills with thunderous applause as the address finally concludes. As Light and the new student begin to make their way back to their seats, Shinoska notices the odd student whispering to Light.
She's taken aback when the new student sits beside Light, continuing the seemingly one-sided conversation now within her earshot.
"...You're planning to join the police agency when you graduate, to follow in your father's justice-bound footsteps. And you've already got experience since you've helped the police with a number of cases in the past. And now you're showing an interest in the Kira case. I'm impressed by your abilities and your sense of justice."
His eyes then finally shift over to Shinoska, the unlit depths of his eyes seemingly analyzing her very being.
"And you…" The student begins.
Light's heart drops to the pit of his stomach, uncertainty and rage swirling inside him. The very idea of Shinoska becoming involved in whatever this conversation may or may not spiral into puts him on edge.
Shinoska can only listen with bated breath, her stomach tied in knots. How did this man know so much about Light? What does he want to do with him?
And…What does he want with her?