"But One Piece just started serialization, so taking first place right out of the gate isn't that unusual. Oda probably doesn't want to brag about something this small."
"When he takes first again, he'll definitely be losing his mind."
Ando scratched his backside and started reading Death Note.
As Oda's assistant, he already knew what happened in chapter three of One Piece. But right now, he was more curious about Death Note.
Last week, L had removed the surveillance cameras, and Light Yagami had relaxed.
He was convinced he'd shaken off L's suspicion.
During the university entrance exam, Light was at ease. As an honor student, he didn't need to be as tense as the other examinees.
But after the exam started, the proctor called out one of the students for their sitting posture.
Just a few desks behind him.
Light turned around, curious. The panel swept over to the student in question. No shoes. Feet on the desk. Messy hair. Staring at him with wide, unblinking, neurotic eyes.
This examinee...
"Is L!"
Ando felt his scalp prickle the first time he read this.
L suspected that Light Yagami was Kira and needed to prove it. But the agents he'd sent to investigate were dead, and the surveillance had turned up nothing. What was left?
He hadn't expected L to show up in person.
The meeting of kings was so casual, so simple. It blindsided him completely, and he fell in love with this part of the story on the spot.
Death Note's pacing was relentless. One plot point locked into the next. Suspense, conflict, tension, all of it woven so tight it never let go.
What would L say to Light?
What kind of clash would erupt between them?
How would L test whether Light was Kira?
Ando was burning to know. He'd woken up early on a Monday just to get to the next chapter faster.
...
"Cards on the table. I am L."
Seeing the title of chapter nineteen, Ando flinched.
Figuring it might be bait, he forced his racing heart to settle and dove in.
Light had gotten into Japan's top university with a perfect score, so he served as the freshman representative and gave a speech on stage.
The other student who had also scored perfectly was named Ryuga Hideki, the same name as a popular idol.
That student was L.
At this point, Light didn't know his identity. He just thought the guy was strange. Beyond both being top students, their styles couldn't have been more different.
On stage, one of them stood ramrod straight, like a scholar raised in a greenhouse. The other radiated wildness, the eccentric aura of a genius.
The speech ended, and Light prepared to leave the stage.
As Kira, he had no real interest in any of this.
But "Ryuga Hideki" leaned in and whispered about his father, Chief Soichiro Yagami, and about Kira.
He even said that if Light promised not to tell anyone, he'd share a secret.
Light agreed, wondering what was coming.
"Ryuga Hideki" said: "I am L."
The direct strike made Light Yagami's pupils shake and his hands tremble.
He could never have imagined that one day, someone would just walk up and say that to his face.
Completely blindsided. If not for his immense mental fortitude, he would have short-circuited on the spot.
His brain running at full speed, Light turned and shook hands with L as the police chief's dutiful son.
"If that's really the case, then you're someone I deeply respect and admire."
Calmly waiting for the orientation to end. Calmly saying goodbye to L. Calmly taking the train home. Walking into his bedroom as usual.
Then Light Yagami completely lost it.
He was furious. Humiliated beyond words.
It was the first time anyone had played him like this.
And yet he couldn't touch "Ryuga Hideki."
If "Ryuga Hideki" died, Light would be exposed. After all, only he knew that "Ryuga Hideki" was L.
On top of that, this L could easily be a decoy. Getting caught because of a stand-in would be beyond pathetic.
"The fake name L chose is the same as the idol Ryuga Hideki, and Light knows what the real idol looks like. If Light accidentally pictures the idol's face while writing 'Ryuga Hideki' in the Death Note... L really is devious."
Ando was impressed. He'd initially thought that L showing himself openly beside Light was reckless.
Turns out L had seized the initiative entirely.
From here, all he had to do was keep testing Light.
A face-to-face battle of wits was about to begin.
Whether Light could protect his identity or L would crack his defenses, Ando was dying to find out.
'Every chapter of Death Note is like this. Climax after climax, suspense that never lets up. You just have to keep reading.'
'I want the next chapter so badly. If I could close my eyes and skip forward a week, I would.'
...
The park was shaded by green trees, the pond water was clear, and there were plenty of people out strolling.
It would be a shame to enjoy the scenery alone.
Rin looked at Kai, sitting under a tree eating snacks.
Even while chewing on a delicious daifuku, he was frowning, head bowed in thought, with no interest whatsoever in the view around him.
"Fujin." She bent down to look at him, her hair brushing against his cheek. "What are you thinking about?"
Kai jolted and looked up, dazed. "Ah, sorry. I forgot I was in the park. I thought I was still in the studio."
He rubbed his temples. "I was working through the storyboards for Death Note. Trying to figure out how to make the plot even better."
"Put that down for now," Rin said gently. "Death Note is doing better than ever, and the story keeps getting stronger. Nobody can touch you. So set the manga aside and rest."
"When you draw, draw well. When you rest, rest well. That's the only way to stay healthy."
"Nobody can touch me?" Kai stood up and gazed into the distance. "I don't know about that."
"Tsukasa, there are monsters behind me."
"The higher you climb, the colder it gets. I might fall before I know it."
Rin didn't fully understand. Someone who'd found success this young should be brimming with confidence, maybe even arrogance.
And yet Kai was cautious, like a man walking on thin ice.
"Tsukasa," Kai looked at the pond. "Do you think I can make it to the other side?"
"The bridge is right there," Rin replied. "Fujin, you're constantly improving. As long as you have the drive to keep moving forward, you don't need to worry about falling into the abyss."
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