Chapter Four
Unexpected Encounters
"You know, you don't have to come with me every morning," Light said, glancing sideways at Sayu. The sun was bright, and there was a noticeable bounce in his sister's step.
"But I want to say hello to L!" Sayu insisted, her eyes lighting up with excitement.
"You said hello yesterday," Light reminded her, wondering if this was becoming a daily thing. He hoped not. He preferred walking alone, and didn't Sayu have her own school day to prepare for?
"Yeah, but he's so cool! Anyway, I thought of another good present to give him!" she quipped, her enthusiasm radiating off her like sunlight.
"Another? Don't you think it's too much?" Light raised an eyebrow.
"Last one. I promise!"
Light sighed, knowing he wouldn't be able to stop her. "By the way, did you finish those equations last night?"
"Yep! Thanks for helping me. And sorry if I teased you too much... You know I was joking, right?" Her tone was playful, but Light felt a hint of sincerity there.
"Yeah," Light replied, though his tone wavered. Up ahead, he spotted L leaning against the same tree as yesterday, a book once again in hand.
"Other big brother!" Sayu shouted, and a wave of embarrassment crashed over him. Other big brother? He'd need to stop her from tagging along tomorrow before L got the wrong idea.
"Don't worry, it's just one more present," she said to L, holding out a small bag. "I wanted to give you something special. It could teach you a lot." She pulled out a wrapped, suspiciously book-shaped object.
"Um, Sayu," Light started, his heart racing. What if it was that book she'd caught him reading last night? The manga about two guys falling in love at school... He could've died from embarrassment right then and there. Was she about to give L that book? She wouldn't—
"What?" Sayu blinked innocently. "It's just a book."
Light's stomach twisted. "What book exactly?" His voice betrayed his unease.
"Something that can teach you many things!" she exclaimed, turning to L. "Light likes this book, too! I think you'll find it really interesting," she declared triumphantly.
Light tried to snatch the book from her hand, but L quickly intercepted it, and Light swallowed hard. Slowly—too slowly for his liking—L began to unwrap it.
"Hm, A Traveler's Guide to the Highlights of Tokyo ," L read aloud, his voice as monotone as ever.
"Yep! You can look at all the neat stuff to do here," Sayu beamed, tugging on Light's sleeve as he let out an inaudible sigh of relief. "Right, Light? Even if you've seen some places, Tokyo is a huge city. Light knows many nice spots, too."
"Thank you, Sayu-chan. I didn't bring another book today," L said, pulling out a small container instead. "But here. Strawberry shortcake."
Sayu's eyes widened with delight. "Oh! It looks delicious! Thank you, Mister L!" She waved goodbye as she left, and Light felt a weight lift from his chest.
"Sorry about that... Sayu is just really excited to meet someone new, I guess," he said, embarrassment creeping into his voice.
"There's no need to apologize. Your sister is smarter than you give her credit for," L replied, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
"What do you mean?"
"She was able to get you flustered about something, after all," he said with a small shrug. "What kind of book did you think she was giving me?"
Light hesitated. "It's not like that. I just thought it'd be something childish."
"You enjoy childish books?"
"Ah—no."
"I can tell you're lying."
"It was a misunderstanding, that's all. Anyway, on that note, here you are again this morning," Light said, shifting the topic.
"A perceptive observation," L replied, his tone as deadpan as ever.
"How do you feel?"
"Better. Probably thanks to you. Remind me to return some debt to you when you need it later," L said casually but seriously. He did look better, too. In fact, he looked better than he had before he got sick. Maybe the medication had knocked him out, and he'd gotten some extra sleep.
"There's no debt. I'm just glad to hear that."
"Are you?"
As they walked, the city around them came to life—cars passing by, the hum of a convenience store filling with morning customers, the steady rhythm of a businessman's footsteps heading for the train station. For a moment, Light realized something that startled him. He'd always liked walking to school alone... until now.
"Like I said, it wouldn't be fair competition if you were sick. And anyway, I don't want you to be unwell."
L tilted his head, an eyebrow raised. "Odd phrasing. Why not just say you want me to be well?"
"If I didn't want you to be well, then why would I have helped you get the medicine?"
"A guilty conscience for playing tennis with me in the rain?"
"You weren't going to go home anyway."
"I was considering it before you challenged me to a game," L countered.
"You say that like a game with me was something interesting," Light said, shrugging it off. "It's annoying me that I can't figure this out."
L paused, his gaze sharp. "Can't figure what out?"
"Nothing," Light replied, feigning ignorance.
In class, Light's focus wavered as the teacher droned on. It was Wednesday, only a few days left before summer break, and the thought of having to pretend to pay attention for that long felt tedious. He was drawn out of his thoughts when Haruto Fujimoto, the student with messy brown hair and glasses sitting beside him, passed him a note.
Light frowned at the scribbled message. It was gibberish at first glance—but he recognized the handwriting. He glanced at L, sitting across the room. L's gaze was locked onto him, as if daring him to decipher the puzzle.
He studied the note. Was it a substitution cipher? Alphanumeric? He was so focused that he almost didn't hear the teacher call his name.
"Yagami-kun," the teacher said. He wore a suit, but he always smelled of cigarettes, and judging by the stains of dirt around his shoes, Light suspected he didn't wash it more than once a week either. "Explain your opinion in English. Do you believe that the ends justify the means?"
Light blinked. What kind of question was that for English class? It felt more suited for a debate club. But he supposed it was on theme with what they'd recently been studying - 'Macbeth' in dual translation. Nonetheless, the answer was obvious, even if most people wouldn't admit that they'd agree.
Light sighed and stood. "It depends on the end. If it's something worth the sacrifice, then yes, the means are justified."
"And what kind of end would justify such means?" The question wasn't from the teacher, but L's quiet voice which cut through the room like a knife.
Light hesitated, then met L's unwavering stare. Another challenge.
"For example, we imprison criminals to protect society. Is it morally acceptable to deprive someone of their freedom? Maybe not. But the end result is worth the moral compromise. If we didn't make sacrifices, innocent people would suffer."
"So you're saying humanity is secondary to the result?"
Light smirked, ready for the volley. Finally, there was something during class worth his time. "If the result is worth it, then yes. The greater good must prevail."
L rocked back on his chair, looking more interested than he had all morning. "And how do you define the 'greater good'? Who gets to decide whose freedom is expendable? That sounds dangerously close to a dictatorship."
"It's not a dictatorship if it's for the safety of the majority. Would you rather see chaos because we're too afraid to act?"
"Ah, but what you're advocating for is a slippery slope," L countered, his eyes narrowing. "One person's 'greater good' could easily become another's tyranny. The very fabric of justice is rooted in the rule of law, and if we begin to justify illegal means for questionable ends, then we risk losing the very moral compass that guides society."
All the other students in the class were stunned into silence. Light Yagami and the foreign transfer student, L Lawliet—the two students who had nearly scored equally for first place—in a confrontation. Usually, the two were so quiet that hardly anyone noticed them. Now they were bickering back and forth in a language barely understood.
At least, it looked like a confrontation. Light would be lying if he said he wasn't thoroughly enjoying it.
"Are you really suggesting we just let crime flourish because no one can be trusted to make any moral decisions?" he shot back, crossing his arms defiantly. "Without law, society would fail to protect the innocent. Sometimes rules are required to uphold justice."
"You speak of justice as if it's an absolute. But isn't it subjective? What is just for one person may be unjust for another. It's not as simple as you make it sound."
"Then what do you suggest we do? Leave justice to interpretation?" Light's voice was sharper now, and rising.
Their heated back-and-forth was abruptly interrupted by the teacher's exasperated shout. "Enough! Both of you, outside!"
L stood with a casual defiance. "I wasn't exactly learning anything in English class, anyway. But they told me I couldn't skip it. Another example of rules becoming an opressive tyranny."
Light followed reluctantly, feeling the teacher's angered stare on his back.
It was the first time that Light had been sent out during class. But more important than that, the note L had passed kept playing in Light's mind as he sat in the hall. Annoyingly, he couldn't figure it out. What kind of code was it? He couldn't just ask him. No, he had to solve it himself.
"How long will we be here for?"
Outside the classroom, L leaned against the wall, his gaze fixed on the ceiling. His dark hair was ruffled, and his lips slightly parted. The way he stood, leaning against the wall, with confidence and nonchalance was both alluring and intimidating.
"Probably until lunch." Light replied.
"This is an early lunch, then."
"That's not exactly how it works."
L shoved his hands in his pockets, and shrugged.
"But it works in my favor. What's the difference between waiting outside a classroom or doing something else?"
"And who was playing devil's advocate with me in the classroom, saying that the means don't justify the end? Wait—where are you going anyway?"
"Why? Do you have a suggestion?"
The sound of their shoes echoed in the empty gymnasium, the air thick with the scent of sweat and polished wood. Other students were out now for lunch, leaving them alone since class time in this arena of competition. Light ran a hand through his damp hair, pushing it back as sweat trickled down his forehead. For every shot he managed to sink into the basketball hoop, L had effortlessly matched him. Frustrated, he tossed his tie aside, letting it land unceremoniously on the floor before sinking onto the cool wooden bench, the chill against his skin where his sleeves were rolled up a welcome relief.
Light felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He flipped it open.
"Yumi Nakamura..."
"The girl who sits at the front of the class?"
"Yeah." Light replied, frowning. Who had given her his number? He still needed to let her down gently, a thought he mentally shelved for later.
L watched him. "You gave her your number?"
"No. Someone must have given it to her."
A beat of silence passed between them before L said, "By the way, it's another draw."
Another draw? It couldn't end like this, not again. There had to be a way to settle this.
"Try shooting blindfolded," Light said, his voice low, almost daring.
L blinked, tilting his head. "What?"
Light stepped closer, picking up the tie and wrapping it around L's eyes with deft hands. "Either we're both terrible, or one of us will finally score higher and break the draw." He adjusted the knot, fingers lingering slightly as the warmth of L's body radiated through the thin layer of fabric between them. Their faces were inches apart, and for a second, Light's breath caught.
"Can you see anything?" Light asked quietly.
"No,"
"Alright."
Light stepped back, arms crossed as he watched L shift, now blindfolded. The fabric of L's shirt rode up slightly as he raised the ball, hesitating. Then, with a fluid motion, he released it—a perfect shot.
"Okay, a step back."
L complied, shooting again with pinpoint accuracy. Another perfect score. He continued until, on the sixth step back, the ball finally missed its mark, bouncing off the rim.
"Six steps. You lose." Light smirked, moving closer to untie the knot. "Now I just need to make it at seven."
His fingers brushed against L's hair as he loosened the tie, faces once again just inches apart. But this time, Light didn't immediately pull away. He paused, his heartbeat quickening.
There it was again—that electric jolt. The same one he'd felt when their hands had brushed during their tennis match. Light had tried to ignore it, to suppress whatever it was, but now, so close to L, the feeling surged back.
L wouldn't care, right? He'd already dated a guy before.
Without another word, Light leaned in, pressing his lips against L's.
Time seemed to freeze, the world around them fading as colors surged to life. Then, reality crashed back in. The shrill sound of the bell cut through the silence, sharp and intrusive. Light's heart stuttered as he pulled back, the weight of what he had done crashing down on him.
L's eyes were wide, staring at him in shock. Light's stomach twisted. Maybe he'd acted too impulsively. Maybe he—
He had just done something crazy.
He had just done something that had felt too real.
As they moved down the hallway, the usual white noise of school life returned—a buzzing chorus of voices, footsteps, and distant laughter. Light's pulse quickened, his thoughts a tangled mess. Should he apologize? How could he possibly explain the chaos of his own feelings? But just as the thought crossed his mind, he froze at the foot of the stairs leading to their classroom.
Yumi Nakamura was waiting for him.
Her presence hit him like a wave. The moment he glanced up, he felt her eyes lock onto him, an anxious energy radiating from her. Yumi was undeniably pretty—beautiful, even. He remembered she'd had a boyfriend last year: Sudou Inoue, the class bully. Their relationship had always puzzled him. What could she possibly have seen in Sudou? It hadn't come as a surprise when the gossip surrounding them faded, their breakup more of a relief than a shock. Light had even speculated that she'd been coerced into dating him. Knowing Sudou, blackmail didn't seem far-fetched.
"Oh, um—" Yumi's voice trembled, caught off guard despite clearly waiting for him. Her cheeks flushed, and she cast an awkward glance between Light and L, who stood silently behind him. Light braced himself. He'd seen this play out before. His looks and grades had always drawn attention—it was nothing new. But the familiar weight of being admired felt suffocating today.
"Um, I wanted to talk to you," Yumi continued, her voice small. The flush in her cheeks deepened, and for a moment, Light thought he caught the faintest whiff of strawberries in the air. Was it her perfume?
Strawberry shortcake. L had it in his bag this morning, but he'd given it to Sayu; he hadn't eaten it. If he had, his lips might have tasted like—
"About the note you passed me, right?" Light interjected, trying to steer his mind away from L and the confusion of falling for his rival in that moment.
"Yeah, I um—" she stuttered, her confidence wavering.
Yumi faltered, her confidence evaporating. But then, to Light's surprise, she suddenly leaned in and kissed him.
The kiss lasted only seconds, but it felt like far too long. It felt hollow, mechanical, devoid of any real emotion. Panic flared inside him. His gaze darted to L, who stood at the bottom of the stairs.
Yumi pulled away quickly, eyes filled with hope, waiting for some kind of response from him.
"Can we… talk about this later? We have to go to class. You can go ahead," Light managed, his voice strained.
Yumi blinked, the disappointment in her expression unmistakable. "Oh… right." She glanced at L before walking away, perhaps wondering if Light's hesitation had been out of embarrassment.
"Looks like you have a date," L remarked, his voice dripping with sarcasm as she walked away, and he stepped closer.
"I'm going to turn her down," Light stated firmly.
"Then why didn't you?"
"I just… froze. What was I supposed to do? I couldn't just shove her away."
L's dark eyes glinted with something unreadable. "You'd make a cute couple," he said flatly. "She seems really into you."
"L—"
"You should go ahead. I'll be in class soon," L cut him off, turning away before Light could respond.
For a split second, Light hesitated, watching as L walked away, a cool detachment in every step. Something in Light snapped. Without thinking, he reached out, grabbing L's wrist.
L froze, staring down at Light's hand with a detached curiosity. Slowly, he shook his wrist free from Light's grasp, eyes flickering with something indecipherable. It wasn't anger, but it wasn't exactly indifference either.
"You're going to be late, Light-kun," L said, his voice soft, but with an edge that made Light's chest tighten. "And I doubt you want to get into any sort of trouble again."