𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄

十六 | 𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒

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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐈𝐗𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍
𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒

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"(L/N)(Y/N)?" Aizawa raised his brows at the girl's picture and information in front of him, his arms folding over his chest whilst an expression of skepticism washed over him. "You really think she could be Kira's Successor?"

"I have no doubt that she has no qualms about the matter," Near replied immediately, his voice low.

After arriving at Headquarters not even an hour earlier, Near had already relayed his suspicions to the rest of the original SPK members before informing Matsuda and Aizawa who had also returned ten minutes after he and Commander Rester. Naturally, their reactions were less than convinced.

"Still... after only seeing her once, isn't casting suspicions on her far too early in the investigation?" Matsuda laughed sheepishly.

"So far, Kira's Successor has given us no clues as to where or who they are besides living within the Kanto region due to the greater influx of criminals killed there," Near hummed as he propped his head up. "Therefore, I have one theory that I am leaning on." Blinking slowly as he stacked legos up to make a rather complex building of all colors, he continued, "Before Kira's Successor came to light, there seems to have been a vigilante or a group that's been targeting criminals of all types in one, gruesome, particular way: a single stab wound to the neck. Those killings corresponded with times before and after school, and during usual lunch breaks of high schools and colleges. However, as soon as that first heart attack victim was killed in Kamakura, those killings stopped completely."

"Wait..." Matsuda leaned forward, his eyes widening in disbelief whilst his jaw slackened. "Are you suggesting that that serial killer and Kira's Successor... are the same person?"

"And this young girl at that?" Aizawa included, still finding many doubts in the theory.

"Precisely," Near nodded.

This is it.

I'm sure I have found her.

Kira's Successor.

She stays well maintained in society, high grades, however only gives enough to never reach first.

But I know she can.

Because I know that she is Kira's Successor.

At that exact moment, (Y/N) sneezed twice, then twice again, Ayako beside her turning to her in concern to whisper a quiet, 'Are you okay?,' something she merely gave a small smile to in response.

"Are you sick?" Edu questioned, his bones creaking as he bent over her.

Shaking her head slightly with a small exhale of breath, her eyes lingered on Edu's tall form as he then weaved in and out of the wooden pews of students, boredom written along his otherwise bony, blank features. All throughout the day, she kept quiet, only engaging in small talk if she was spoken to first. It was only until the three synchronized tolls of the bell that rang throughout the building, signaling the end of school, did she finally let emotion show, the sound of laughter echoing off the empty streets as she continued walking home, the sheer amusement written over her features confusing the limping Shinigami behind her.

"What is it?"

"Edu, have you ever heard of the superstition that if you sneeze twice, somebody is talking about you?"

"Uh... no."

"Is that so?" She hummed whilst stopping abruptly just outside her house, turning towards him with a small glare brimming in her gaze. "Well, I suppose you can guess why I'm asking, can't you?"

"You sneezed earlier today twice, but isn't that common?"

"Well, I'm a very superstitious person."

"Then, are you wondering if it was L?" He commented with a cackle, (Y/N)'s expression wrinkling as his words sank in, remembering that only she had noticed the small camera the agents had hidden. "By the way you spotted that camera so easily compared to the rest of the students, I'm sure you'd stick out like a sore thumb."

"You're right... and L will probably see that immediately."

Great.

I said I wouldn't get involved and now here I am, getting involved in a way that I couldn't control.

"Edu," she spoke up, catching his then drifting attention. "Over the next few days, don't do anything out of the ordinary, like hold things and they then disappear when you eat it, etcetera. I have a feeling that I'll be followed."

"What do you mean by 'followed?'"

"Exactly as the word implies," (Y/N) concluded, swiping a lock of her hair out of her face as she unlocked the front gate of her house. "If L really is as clever as they say, then I have no doubt that he had noticed my little... observance of his secret camera. And I'm guessing that he'll do whatever it takes to find Kira's Successor... even going out on a limb. Honestly, I should have known not to do anything out of the ordinary. That was on me. However, I'm telling you this in advance, Edu, so don't do anything to give my position away."

"You act as if I will."

Shaking her head with a chuckle, she entered the empty house and slipped off her shoes to go upstairs to her room, studying for an hour, annoyance only building when the Shinigami that also occupied the space kept distracting her. It started small, bouts of laughter or movement that she could see from the corner of her eye, it only growing in volume though, soon enough.

"God, will you quit it!" She finally snapped, turning around abruptly in her chair to glare at Edu. "Why are you suddenly so noisy when I'm trying to focus on my schoolwork?"

"I'm bored," he merely shrugged, at that moment having sat on her bed. "This isn't the entertainment I was promised."

"Well, it isn't always so."

"That may be the case... so then why don't you enlighten me?"

Raising an eyebrow, she let her pencil slip from her fingers to clatter on the desk, leaning back and motioning for him to continue, slightly amused as to where he was going with the conversation, and knowing he wouldn't let up any time soon.

"What's the story on you and your parents?" He questioned, a groan leaving her lips when he did. "Tell me, I want to know. No matter how I look at it, they both love you, though show it in different ways, yet you despise it. Why?"

"You're asking why?"

"Tell me."

"If you really want to know, yeah, my parents love me, but that doesn't meant they know me," (Y/N)'s eyes narrowed. "We all may be living together, but we're strangers. So, now you tell me, would you be happy in that situation?"

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To be continued...