𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄

三十 | 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒

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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐘
𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒

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"You know, this is starting to get really annoying," Ryuk commented as he floated next to Arata, the boy casually strolling down the street on his way to (Y/N)'s house.

"Oh, and why is that, Ryuk?" He made sure to speak lightly, yet his smirk didn't fade.

"It was the same with Light," Ryuk shrugged. "Even though I am not the one being followed, it still feels like they're staring right at me and it's freaking me out."

He then stopped short and gave a surprised grunt when Arata suddenly stopped in his tracks, the lighthearted expression he had been wearing only moments before vanishing instantly. Narrowing his eyes, he turned his head ever so slightly so that he could peer behind him, finding nothing but a deserted street that was increasingly becoming more eery from the setting sun

Followed?

Who the fuck would be following me?

"What's worse now is that there are two of them," Ryuk continued to complain, completely ignoring Arata.

Two!?

So, L's already come to the conclusion that I am the Second Successor, but why the hell is he suddenly getting so paranoid?

Gritting his teeth, he continued to walk towards (Y/N)'s house, his irritation only doubling when Mio answered the door instead of (Y/N). She even had the nerve to tell him that she wasn't there but should still come inside and wait. While he didn't like the idea of having to be with the parents of the girl he desired—who also disliked them greatly—he waned to the thought of being able to see her if he did.

"Sorry about that, Hayato-kun," Mio apologized as she set down a tray of tea and cookies. "(Y/N) went out earlier with—" Cutting herself off abruptly, she stuttered to find her words before finally ending the sentence with, "...w-with her friends. She should be back shortly."

Arata raised an eyebrow at that as he sipped his tea, giving Mio a polite smile in understanding.

I've been watching (Y/N) closely, and she hardly ever goes out with friends.

She only really had that one.

Besides, why would she choose to hang out with that girl rather than me? And at this time when planning to eliminate L is so crucial?

She's lying.

It's obvious.

So, where the hell is (Y/N)?

Said woman was currently still under Near, his question lingering in the air as her puzzled mind tried to fit all the pieces of information from the past ten minutes together.

What would I say if he's jealous?

He must be faking, right?

Masking her confusion and anger at his provocations by provoking him herself, (Y/N) lifted her hand so that her fingers ran through Near's hair, watching as his entire form stiffened at the surprising touch.

"Oh, L," she chuckled. "If this is what you wanted, you should have just told me."

In an instant, Near had untangled himself professionally from her grasp and was standing with his back faced to her so she wouldn't see the conflicting emotions cross his expression. (Y/N) let herself rest back on her elbows as she partially sat up, giving a small pout at his unwillingness to play along with the little act that they had going.

"Couldn't you have played along a little longer?" She voiced her thoughts, fully sitting up at that point with her legs crossed.

"How crass you are astounds me," he instead answered, sounding quite hollow as he did.

"Crass?" She laughed, rocking her body back and forth. "Is that how you see me? Especially after you were the one to climb on top of me?"

"He flinched.

"Exactly, and besides..." she crept up behind him, letting her hands slide along his back while she came to a stop in front of him. "...we both know that I am not the only one here who thinks such things."

Giving his nose a small tap with her pointer finger, (Y/N) then left without another word. Halle, who had been standing outside the soundproof room, escorted her back to her house. Near continued to stand there, for once the analytical part of his brain failing him.

What?

Not the only one?

And she means me?

Not only is this little act of hers pretentious, but she thinks that dragging me into it will somehow make me lower my suspicions surrounding her.

No...

No, no, no.

Sifting through his pocket, he pulled out the tiny Kira-S figurine that he usually kept on the chessboard. Now looking at it, he tried to sort through his conflicting thoughts. Finally, he did indeed set the figure back down on the board, but that time, he found another and labeled that one Kira-S2.

(Y/N)(L/N) is Kira-S.

Arata Hayato is Kira-S2.

They will continue to interact with each other to likely plan and kill me. What unnerves me is how... complicated this situation is turning out to be.

His fists tightened when remembering the way (Y/N) spoke to him, and how he let her when he encouraged her by practically throwing himself at her the way she had done him. He lacked his usual composure, and that's what astounded him the most, but since such a situation was irreversible, he had to shove that inconvenience to the dark corners of his mind. Exhaling softly, he frowned when glancing back at the chessboard.

It's wrong.

Taking two more figurines, one eery looking and the other a blank slate, he then labeled them 'Ryuk' and 'Shinigami #2.'

There.

That's better.

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To be continued...