"Shinoska Mimiki, daughter of Hiroto and Nozomi Mimiki. They've handled cases that have made national headlines as they've dedicated themselves to the pursuit of law. As their daughter, you intend to follow in their footsteps. Your dedication is commendable," Hideki says with pinpoint accuracy.
While Light makes sure to have a believably surprised expression, internally he fumes as paranoia sets in.
'Who is this guy? What does he want with the both of us?! At first, I wanted to use him to gather intel, but I could be getting the both of us into something we can't back out of. I don't have enough information yet!'
His concerns about keeping his identity as Kira hidden while protecting Shinoska swirl in his mind as he carefully glances over to see Shinoska's expression.
Shinoska's mind is left reeling, the woman completely at a loss as her face settles into a look of caution. She's uncertain of how to respond to his sudden revelation of apparently memorizing an entire synopsis of her.
"Impressive," he mutters, "You two make quite the pair."
Light's eyes meet with Shinoska's, the looks in their eyes making it clear that they've no idea who this man is. But unbeknownst to the woman, Light's mind races with questions and concerns as the unknown man's identity gnaws at the security he felt only moments ago.
"I have information I'd like to reveal to you two, as long as you both promise to keep it a secret. It's related to the Kira case, which I'm sure you've been seeking answers for," he says, glancing between the two.
The two of them pause, though for very different reasons.
'I don't know who this man is or if what he's saying is even true, but…If this could help Light and his family, then I at least want to hear him out,' the woman thinks, her convictions well-meaning.
"You have my word. I won't tell anyone," Shinoska says, her eyes clear and honest.
'If I decline now, will it look suspicious? Shinoska accepted rather easily, no doubt because she wants to be able to help in this case in any way she can… While this is why she's the ideal woman for me, the situation just makes things much more complicated! I'll just accept too! Doing otherwise might look unnatural and besides…If possible, I want to use this intel to my benefit.'
"I won't tell anyone either," Light chimes in simply as if he hadn't been agonizing over his decision mere moments ago, "So, what is it that you have to say?"
"I want to tell you both that I'm L," the man says, his voice falling to a barely audible whisper toward the end.
But Light heard him loud and clear, as did Shinoska.
'He's…This man…Is L?' The woman feels a chill run down her spine as the revelation hangs in the air. If what he says is true, then the man before her is nothing short of legendary. Despite his achievements, his identity has remained uncertain until…Now?
'He doesn't appear to be joking, but what reason do we have to believe him?' Shinoska wonders, questions piling up in her mind.
"If you are who you say you are, then you have nothing but my respect and admiration," Light says after a moment's pause.
"The same goes for me," Shinoska chimes in, internally admiring Light's ability to be respectfully suspicious.
"Thank you," L says simply, "The reason I've revealed my identity to you both is because I think your contributions could be of some help to us in the Kira investigation."
"Well, if what he says is true, then this complicates things for you quite a bit, no?" Ryuk asks with an almost teasing lilt woven between his scratchy voices, the shinigami's voice an irritation only Light can endure.
'It more than complicates things! I basically can't do…anything. If what he says is true, then he's probably already shown his face to my father. If I were to do anything now, it would only confirm any suspicions they may have of me. They've even gone as far as involving Shinoska!' Light holds back the urge to grit his teeth.
'While I doubt that they're suspicious of Shinoska, in this situation I just can't be certain. She's often in the same places as I am and the hidden camera stunt made it clear I'm obviously under the spotlight as a target. The absolute last thing I want is for anything to happen to her because of all this!' Light internally wrestles with the complexity of this predicament, even L's alias as Hideki Ryuga proving to be a problem, 'If this isn't just some ridiculous alias and he turns up dead, I'll be suspicious. If I accidentally kill the famous actor, then I'll still be suspicious!'
"I see. If we can be of help in any way, then we're more than willing to lend a hand," Shinoska says with righteous determination.
L nods in response to her declaration, acknowledging her efforts in his own quiet way.
The conversation tapers off, the entrance ceremony eventually coming to a close. As the student body disperses from the auditorium, Light and Shinoska make their way out together.
"That man…Do you believe him?" Shinoska asks Light, her voice kept low and barely above a whisper.
"Well…I'm not sure," Light says, masterfully wearing a mask of feigned innocence, "But, either way, I suppose talking to him didn't hurt. If he truly is out to help my father, then I'll do what I can to help. I intend to make good on my promise, after all."
Whether it was the promise to take over the Kira case should his father need it or the promise to make the world a better place, Shinoska trusts him to do just that.
Their conversation is interrupted when L appears beside them once more, walking along with the distinct air of going where he pleases whenever he pleases. Still, he stops beside them, turning to acknowledge them.
"Goodbye, Light, Shinoska. It was nice meeting you both," L says as he pauses in front of a sleek limousine.
"What a nice car…"
"No way, it's that guy who gave the speech. What is he, loaded or something?"
Gossip already begins to fill the air, but the mysterious young man is completely unbothered.
The chauffeur opens the door for him, L casting one last look at the two as he says, "I'm sure I'll be seeing both of you around campus. Until then."
"Yes, until then," Shinoska says with a small wave.
"Goodbye. Until then," Light replies.
The chauffeur closes L's car door before settling into the driver's seat, the nearly inaudible hum of the expensive car trailing behind as it rolls off to its next destination.
"Well…I'm not certain that confirms his identity, but it does make it clear that he's very well off," Shinoska says before turning back to face Light.
"Yeah…Guess it does," Light replies offhandedly, trying to appear as if he's not too concerned with the topic at hand, "We should probably start heading home."
"Good idea. After that whole situation, I could use some time to relax," Shinoska agrees, her expression softening as she looks at Light. Despite the tenseness of the earlier conversation and her uncertainty about L, she still finds comfort in Light's presence.
They start on their way home, the walk a bit quieter than usual. While Shinoska isn't as worried as before, she still can't help but wonder about L's sudden appearance. Light's father hadn't mentioned anything about it, though she figures it may not exactly be the protocol to reveal such highly sensitive information. That and, even if she'd only spoken to him briefly, she got the feeling that L liked to do such things in his own way, at his own pace.
Light's thoughts are equally preoccupied, the young man internally dissecting the encounter over and over again.
Before they know it, they've arrived at Shinoska's house.
"I've got some things I want to go over before classes tomorrow," Shinoska says steps onto her porch, then turns to face Light, "But this whole thing definitely isn't over. We're obviously both still thinking about it and I have no doubt that we'll be seeing plenty more of L."
"We can talk about it later, then. I don't want to keep you from your studies," Light says as he takes her hand into his, offering a small squeeze, "I just want you to know that whatever's going on, whether it be with L or Kira or anything else, I'm here for you. We'll be able to get through it as long as we stick together."
Shinoska's heart softens at the tenderness of his words. She gently grasps the sides of his face, pulling him in for a kiss.
The brief contact is nothing short of heartfelt, the chaste nature of it more than enough to convey her feelings.
"I'm glad it's you," Shinoska says with an enamored sigh.
"What do you mean?" Light asks, perplexed by her choice of words.
"That we're going to university together and handling this case together and…Just that we're together. That it's you I've fallen in love with. That's something I'll always be glad for, Light."
Despite his inner turmoil, the love dripping from her very words is enough to calm him for a brief moment. A genuine smile plays on his lips despite everything, the weight of his secrets seeming to vanish.
He pulls Shinoska into his arms, savoring the feeling of her.
"I'm glad it's you too," he says, an adoring look in his eyes.
They share another lingering look as they remain in each other's arms. Time hardly seems to pass in those few tender moments, though eventually, they bring themselves to part.
"Take care, Light. We'll talk more tomorrow," she says, glancing behind her one last time, her eyes scrunching up with affection before she steps into her home, the door closing behind her.
As she sets down her things, her thoughts still linger on the day's events. Even once she settles in her room, her textbook propped open, she finds it hard to focus her thoughts.
"Get it together," she mutters to herself, shaking her head as she tries to clear her thoughts.
But her mind continued to swirl questions that only seemed to grow with few answers in sight. Light's words did comfort her, yet she can't shake the feeling that she should be worried.
L's sudden appearance, even if it's for the sake of the Kira investigation, does not exactly bode well for the police force.
'While L is legendary for his detective skills, he's also well-known for keeping every aspect of his true identity private. So, if he's going far enough to show up in person, then it's fairly clear that they've run out of options,' she muses to herself, her grip on her pen tightening.
'Still, Light and I are, for the most part, civilians. Going far enough to directly involve us seems far more intentional than simply being a last resort… It's true that Light's father is leading the investigation and Light himself did promise to solve the case should his father be unable to. Did his father recommend this course of action? Or did L?'
She lets out a sigh, taking a moment to inhale, then exhale as many times as she needs until her mind is clear.
'Sitting here wondering won't do anything. I should focus on studying. Light and I said we'd discuss it later. Besides, if it comes down to it, then I'm not above looking for answers myself.'
Her attention returns to her books, her pen flowing across the page as she begins to annotate and organize information with well-practiced movements.
Light, on the other hand, has just come out on the other side of a momentary near collapse of his mental state.
"This is perfect. I have nothing to worry about," the man mutters to himself as a cock grin spreads across his face, "It proved that they don't have anything on me. So, this is nothing more than a competition between L and I."
Ryuk watches intently as Light muses about his plan aloud, the shinigami suffering from the slightest bit of whiplash. The young man had gone from agitated and uncertain to self-assured in mere moments.
"On the surface, we'll be classmates. But, underneath it all, we'll be investigating each other," Light says, chuckling to himself at the mere idea. He can't deny that feels a sense of giddiness, the man is not used to being challenged in such a way.
"If he wants a friend, then I'll give him one. Then, once I've earned his trust and gotten all the information I need from him, I won't need him anymore," Light says with an eerie grin, "This is how I'll be able to keep Shinoska and me safe. She might get wrapped up in all this for now, but I will win against L. Then, I'll kill him. Even if I have to do it with my bare hands."
The dark determination in Light's eyes sends a pleasant shiver down Ryuk's spine, the shinigami glad there's hardly ever been a dry moment since he came to this world.
'The look in his eyes is different from before. Something tells me the games have just begun.'