It was rush hour at 6 in the night, and the lively streets of Kanto were swarmed with a sea of students and businesspeople making their way back home. Some students chattered excitedly, making their way to cram school or entertainment, while others were simply heading home. Meanwhile, businessmen strolled around with their phones glued to their ears, chatting away and looking forward to a satisfying dinner or a drink with colleagues. Bicycles and cars whizzed past pedestrians, and the vibrant energy of the Kanto region showed no signs of fading away.
In the commotion stood a woman, her suit jacket tailored to fit closely, accentuating her slim figure, with her black skirt just above the knee. The suit was made of fine quality of sleek, smooth fabric, giving it a polished and sophisticated look. She wore heels, and her hair was tightened in an elegant bun, exuding confidence and competence.
M couldn't help but feel a sense of surrealism.
She had been in Japan for almost a month, working on the wrongful conviction case of Okada Yutaro that she had been assigned back in England. The Innocent Movement was a global organization committed to exonerating individuals who had been wrongly convicted, using DNA testing, and advocating for reform within the criminal justice system to prevent future injustices.
The case grew increasingly challenging, and the Japanese branch had no choice but to seek additional help from other branches, recommending the addition of another attorney to aid in the investigation. It was then that the British Branch approached M, also known as Saotome Rin (早乙女凜), for her consent to take on the case. With her experience in handling similar cases in England, fluency in Japanese, top scores in law school, and role as the branch's contact person for reaching the FBI, she was the ideal candidate for the job. For M, this was an excellent opportunity to work in Japan, especially since she had heard about L's plans to investigate the new case, which would bring them both to Japan.
Her mind was still reeling from the case she had just wrapped up at work, as she had successfully applied the evidence and complaint of Okada Yutaro to the court, and the relief she felt was palpable. Earlier that day, when they had announced that newly discovered evidence was being gathered to submit to the court for a retrial, Okada's mother had cried bitterly in front of her, stating that Yutaro will never be able to see his name to be cleared. All that M could do was wrap her arms tightly around her and offer words of comfort.
The weight of her thoughts was almost too much for M to bear, so she decided to take a detour on her way back to the apartment she shared with L. As she passed by a crepe and souffle shop, she halted her footsteps, entranced by the intense aroma wafting from within. The scent was delicate and sweet, almost floral in nature. Recently, M didn't feel like having sweets, unlike L, who was borderline obsessed with sugary treats, especially since taking on the Kira case. But as she perused the menu board outside the shop, featuring mouthwatering images of the desserts, she thought it might be a nice gesture to surprise L with a little treat. So, she purchased two servings, one for L and one for Watari.
The sounds of the clerk flipping and sizzling filled the air, and as M waited for the souffles to be prepared, the TV program in the shop suddenly switched from the local news to a broadcast featuring Lind L. Tailor, the self-proclaimed world's top detective who was investigating the Kira case. The other patrons in the shop were also captivated by the sudden change and wondered what was happening.
Previously, she had knowledge of L's plan to use a death row inmate as bait to confirm Kira's existence. Though she had concerns, she recognized it as the only way forward. Among the convicts scheduled for execution in the following week, she selected Lind L. Tailor to give the speech, so as not to burden L with all the responsibility.
Suddenly, the man's face contorted in pain, and he clutched his chest before collapsing motionless on the desk. A group of men rushed to Lind L. Tailor's side and began trying to revive him, but it was clear that the situation was dire.
Standing in stunned silence for a moment, M tried to process what had just happened. Then, the familiar letter "L" appeared on the screen, followed by his voice, deeply altered as always.
"Unbelievable," the voice reverberated across Kanto, seemingly emanating from every corner of the region, as if it were the very air they breathed, "I had to test this just in case. But I never thought it would actually happen. Kira, it seems you can kill people without having to be there in person. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't just witnessed it."
"Listen to me, Kira. If you did indeed kill Lind L. Tailor, the man who you just saw die on television, I should you tell you that he was an inmate whose execution was scheduled for today. That was not me. The police arrested him in absolute secrecy, so you wouldn't have heard about him on TV or through the internet. It appears that not even you have access to information about these types of criminals."
M's heart sank as she struggled to believe that a murder had occurred without anyone being present. It seemed impossible, almost supernatural. Yet it had happened, and even though Tailor had committed an unforgivable crime and had been sentenced to death, she still had mixed feelings about the situation, especially she was the one who selected him.
"But I assure you, L is real, I do exist. Now,"
"Try to kill me!" the voice taunted.
"What's wrong, come on, right now! Come on and kill me!"
The crowd murmured amongst themselves, discussing the image of the letter L displayed on the screen. Suddenly, a man's voice rose above the rest, shouting, "Do it, Kira!" However, M remained confident that Kira was unable to act, as she had deduced that Kira required a name and appearance to remotely commit a murder. She was also aware of L's determination to solve the case, and she sensed that this move was bringing him closer to checkmate.
L confidently addresses Kira, revealing that despite Kira's attempts, he cannot be killed. He then stated that the broadcast is only being aired in the Kanto region of Japan and that he now knows where Kira is located. He goes on to explain that Kira's first victim was a suspect only reported in Japan, and that his crime was by far the least serious of all the criminals that have recently died of heart attacks. From this information, he deduces that Kira is new to killing and that broadcasting in Kanto was a strategic move to locate him. L expresses his interest in how Kira is able to commit the murders without being present but is willing to wait until he catches him to get his answers. The tone of the message is determined and confident, indicating that he is getting closer to catching Kira.
After the screen resumed to normal news, the audience was awed by L's deductive skills and discussed with excitement.
"The battle of the best detective and Kira! Who would win?"
M didn't want to stay any longer, so she grabbed her order and headed quickly to the railway station.
Upon returning, she noticed L lounging in his chair, his microphone set aside, as he stared at the ceiling. While she could sense his excitement at being closer to solving the mystery of Kira, she also noticed the exhaustion etched on his face, and she knew that the timing of her dessert was perfect.
"I saw your broadcast on TV when I bought this for you," she said, placing the souffles on the desk in front of him. L's eyes lit up as he lifted the lid to reveal two perfectly risen souffles. Each souffle was delicately topped with a generous dollop of whipped cream and adorned with slices of ripe bananas, juicy strawberries, and plump blueberries. A single leaf of peppermint sat atop the whipped cream as garnish. She made her way to the other side of the room where Watari was sitting, engrossed in reading the newspaper, with a cup of Earl Grey resting on the side table. M offered the old man his serving, which was another delightful souffle dish with matcha sauce and red bean paste.
As L was about to indulge in his souffle, he noticed that M didn't have her own serving and beckoned her over, offering her a spoonful.
"Here, try some."
M shook her head, her lips curving into a faint smile. The memory of Lind L. Tailor's sudden death still churned her stomach with waves of nausea. But if sharing some of L's burden could ease his stress, she was willing to do it.
"No, you have it. I don't have much of an appetite," she replied.
L's expression turned concerned as he noticed that M hadn't been eating much recently. She had been consuming less food since they arrived in Japan, and L wondered if it was due to the case she was working on or if the death of Okada Yutaro had left her feeling discouraged.
"Maybe some sugar would help you feel better," he suggested, hoping to ease M's bitterness. He spooned the dessert she had rejected into his own mouth. "This is delicious," he exclaimed.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it," M said, wiping away a fleck of whipped cream from the corner of L's mouth before planting a kiss on his cheek. "I think I'll head to bed early tonight."
Since Watari frequently helped the new boy by delivering meals and tea, and spent more time with him, Meredith also started assisting Watari in her spare time. Most of the time when she helped, it was during dessert time. She would meet Watari in the kitchen and assist him in plating the desserts that were prepared for the boy. During one of their conversations, Watari revealed that the new boy's name was L.
"L?" she asked, her voice tinged with suspicion. The scent of warm apple crumble, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves mingled in the air, the aroma filling the kitchen with feelings of warmth and comfort. Watari had just taken the dessert out of the oven and was now scooping generous portions into bowls.
"Yes, that's his name," he said, glancing down at the small girl who stood on a stool beside him. "It's quite unique, with L as the initial."
Still pondering over the name, Meredith added a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of the crumble. She couldn't help but wonder if L was an alias, much like her own.
When they arrived at L's room, L carefully stepped over the tangle of cables on the floor and reached the door, where Meredith handed him his dessert tray. Without looking up, he muttered his thanks and settled down beside the chess board he and Watari had been playing recently, ready to devour his dessert.
Initially, L had been wary of Meredith joining Watari on his visits. But as time passed and she continued to assist with the desserts, he had grown accustomed to her presence. To him, she was simply Watari's assistant, and as long as she brought him his dessert, he had no complaints.
Watari placed the tray on the floor, carefully arranging the bowls of warm apple crumble in front of each of them. Watari sat cross-legged, Meredith her legs folded beneath her, and L sat with one knee raised. They started a new game of chess, while Meredith sat between them.
The only sounds in the room were the soft clinks of spoons against bowls and the gentle rustling of the chess pieces as they were moved across the board.
Meredith held her dessert bowl, savoring each bite as she watched the game intently. Despite her focus on the game, she couldn't resist stealing glances at her bowl. Earlier in the kitchen, Watari had mentioned that the warm apple crumble was a traditional winter dessert, and this made Meredith reminisce about her own experiences about winter's past and the cozy traditions that came with them.
As the chess pieces moved across the board, Meredith spoke up in a soft voice, adding her words to the ambient sounds in the room.
"私は以前、Wammyの前に冬に家でぜんざいを食べたことを覚えています。(I remember eating zenzai in the winter at home before coming to Wammy.)"
Watari replied in fluent Japanese and making the next move,
"ああ、それは素晴らしいですね。ぜんざいは冬の季節にぴったりです。(Ah, that's wonderful. Zenzai is perfect for the winter season.)"
L briefly glanced at both of them, intrigued by Meredith's sudden interjection and Watari's reply, before returning his attention to the chess game. Although he didn't understand the language they were speaking, he could sense the sentimentality in Meredith's tone. The chess pieces were scattered across the board in a strategic pattern, and it seemed like the game would take some time to conclude.
Suddenly, Watari's phone rang, interrupting the game. "Excuse me for a moment, Meri," he said, gesturing towards his phone. "Would you like to take over while I take this call?" With that, he stepped out of the room, leaving Meredith and L alone to continue their game.
As the sound of Watari's footsteps faded away, the room fell into an eerie silence. Meredith nervously fiddled with her spoon as she stole a quick glance at L, who was intently studying the chessboard. She had never been alone with him before, and the thought made her uneasy.
L glanced over at Meredith, putting his thumb to his lips, unsure if she knew how to play chess. He had never seen her play before, but he didn't want to insult her by assuming she was inexperienced. On the other side of the board, Meredith hesitated for a moment, feeling unsure about playing against L. She had observed Watari and L's games before, but she had never played against L herself.
Finally, she reached to make a move, carefully selecting a piece and placing it on the board. L studied the board for a moment, considering his response.
"What language was that? When you talked to Watari in the middle of the game," he inquired after taking his move, looking directly at Meredith.
Meredith moved the knight, "It was Japanese," she replied, bemused by L's sudden interest.
"I see," said L. He didn't want to dig further, as he thought that it might be a personal matter for Meredith, but he couldn't help but wonder about her background and upbringing.
As they played, L found himself increasingly impressed with Meredith's skills. She put up a good fight, almost cornering him into a checkmate situation, but L's strategic moves allowed him to turn the game around and ultimately emerge victorious.
"Checkmate," L announced calmly, moving his final piece into position to end the game. Meredith looked at the board, nodding in acknowledgment of her defeat. "You win," she said, offering L a gracious smile.
L looked at her with newfound respect. "I didn't know you played chess," he said. She smiled modestly as they both gathered the chess pieces and carefully put them back in the box, closing it up.
"I learned to play shogi before, and I've watched Watari and you play many times," she disclosed. "I think the tactical part is similar. I just needed to understand the differences in rules between chess and shogi."
L nodded, impressed. "Interesting," he remarked. "Do you play any other games?" Puzzles had started to become boring, and he was yet to beat Watari at chess.
"I've learned to play Go, but I'm not as good at it as I am at shogi," Meredith acknowledged.
L looked intrigued by her response. "I've always found Go to be a fascinating game, but I've never had the patience to learn how to play it properly," he admitted. "Maybe you can give it a try," suggested Meredith. "There are Go manuals in the library, and I could check out some chess manuals for myself."
"I will consider checking that out," said L, contemplating whether to ask about her conversation with Watari during their game. However, before he could ask, she sensed his hesitation and explained, "We were talking about Japanese winter food. I apologize for speaking in Japanese and leaving you out of the conversation. I mentioned apple crumble, which reminded me of Zenzai, a Japanese winter dessert."
Curious, L asked, "What's that?"
Meredith paused, trying to find the terms for describing the dessert, "It's a sweet red bean soup that's thick and combined with mochi, a sticky rice cake…. It's hard to explain."
L nodded and remarked, "You don't have to apologize for speaking Japanese. In fact, I might even try to learn it myself."
She was taken aback by his eagerness to learn new things, even if the language didn't hold as much significance to him as it did to her, being her native language.
They sat there for a moment before L stood up and walked over to his computer screen, where he had a box of chocolate balls. He retrieved one and handed it to Meredith, and offered, "I'll make a deal with you. I'll give you this chocolate ball if you can borrow a Go manual for me from the library."
Meredith accepted the chocolate ball and took a bite. It was extremely sweet, but also tasty.
"Okay," she replied with a smile.
Author's note:
Depicting young L's character is challenging.
It's possible that he was different when he was younger, as people do change over time. However, if L was childish, then it's likely he has always been that way. It's important to note that we only see his analytical and calm side, but I believe he may have shown his emotional and kind side to those he trusted.
As I continue to write, I've been striving to provide more detailed descriptions of the scenes and characters that I envision in my mind. I also aim to achieve a better balance in depicting both L's and M's perspectives, instead of focusing solely on M's journey with L. I'm doing my best to improve my writing and create a more engaging fanfic.
When writing about L's childhood, I found myself placing a significant emphasis on the sweets and food that he enjoyed. It's difficult not to include them as they play such a crucial role in shaping his character. Naturally, this means that Meredith would also have her own fond memories of certain foods and desserts, perhaps even sharing some with L.
This fanfiction won't turn into a full-fledged culinary piece, will it?
***As you may have noticed, my chapters is divided into two parts: the first part follows the storyline with Kira's case, while the second part explores L and M's childhood and their relationship. I want to do justice to both parts, but I'm worried that the second part might take too long to develop and might not be as engaging for readers who are more interested in the Kira case. On the other hand, I also don't want to rush through the first part and miss important plot points. So, I wanted to ask for your opinion: do you prefer a faster-paced storyline that follows the canon closely, or would you be interested in a more in-depth exploration of L and M's past and relationship, even if it means deviating from the canon timeline for a while? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for reading!***