Death Note |Hyunlix|

~Nice To Meet You~

Hyunjin POV-

As Hyunjin looked up, he glanced around the now-empty office room. All the detectives had already returned home, leaving him alone with the quiet hum of the overhead lights and the faint ticking of the clock on the wall. Seungmin, Han, Chan, and Changbin had left hours ago, each exhausted from the day's tense discussions and the lingering questions about Felix.

That picture, that enigmatic expression, and the mystery surrounding him. Hyunjin felt an urge, a pull he couldn't ignore, and his decision to meet Felix himself now felt inevitable. It wasn't just about answers; it was about seeing Felix in person, understanding the man behind the growing suspicion.

Hyunjin leaned back in his chair, Felix's picture still fresh in his mind as he gathered his thoughts. Finally, he closed the file with a soft thud, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

He reached for his phone and dialed Minho's number, letting it ring a couple of times until he picked up. "Hey, Minho," Hyunjin greeted, his voice light yet laced with a hint of mischief.

Minho sounded wary. "What's going on? You never call me this late unless it's serious."

"Oh, it's serious," Hyunjin replied, fighting back a chuckle. "I've decided I'm going to meet Felix myself."

The silence on the other end was almost comical. "You're what? You think that's a good idea?" Minho's voice carried a mix of disbelief and caution.

"Oh, I'm more than capable of handling it," Hyunjin teased. "Besides, I just have a few... questions for him. Simple, really. But I need to know something first."

Minho hesitated, sensing Hyunjin's playful tone. "What is it?"

"Does Felix like tennis?"

"Tennis?" Minho repeated, caught off guard. "What's that got to do with anything?"

"Just curious," Hyunjin replied, his voice lilting with amusement. "Figured it could be a good way to get to know him. Maybe I'll see him at the courts sometime, get a feel for him in a... less formal setting."

~

Felix POV-

The morning light filtered into the classroom, soft and unassuming, casting a warm glow over the desks. Felix leaned back in his seat, letting out a small sigh as he scanned the lesson plan for the day. It was just another ordinary day at school, at least on the surface. His friends were chatting nearby, a lazy energy settling over the room. In moments like this, Felix felt he could almost forget about everything—the mounting tension in his life, the covert meetings he'd been sneaking out to attend, and, most pressing of all, the secrets he guarded like armor.

He pushed those thoughts aside and focused on the here and now, determined to blend in, to appear as ordinary as everyone else. When the bell rang for Physical Education, Felix was almost relieved to get up and join the others. A run around the track was something simple, straightforward, something that wouldn't demand more from him than he could give. With that thought in mind, he jogged with his friends to the gym, a small smile creeping onto his face as he kept up with their jokes and conversations.

But as he rounded the track, the world shifted around him in a way he couldn't quite explain. He felt an unsettling sensation creep over him, like the moment before a storm hits. And then he saw him.

There, standing by the bleachers, was a figure he hadn't seen before—a man with long, red hair and a sharp, poised stance, his gaze unwavering as he watched Felix with an intensity that made the air between them feel charged. Felix's heart skipped a beat as he realized who it was, his mind racing through possibilities, fears, and scenarios he hadn't prepared for. His classmates ran on, oblivious, but Felix slowed, his attention caught in the pull of this stranger's gaze.

The stranger took a step forward, his movements calm and assured, and Felix instinctively felt the urge to keep his distance. But before he could decide what to do, the stranger approached him directly, stopping only a few feet away. The faintest hint of a smirk played at his lips.

"You must be Lee Felix," the man said, his voice smooth and unassuming yet holding an authority Felix couldn't ignore.

The man extended his hand, and Felix hesitated for just a second before shaking it. "Hyunjin," he introduced himself, his smile easy but his gaze unyielding. "Though people usually know me as L."

Felix's exterior remained relaxed and composed, but inside, his mind was spinning. Every instinct screamed at him to run, to put as much distance as he could between himself and Hyunjin—L. He fought to suppress the chaotic flood of thoughts that threatened to consume him, keeping his expression calm. Hyunjin was a force, one that seemed to radiate an energy that dared people to keep their secrets hidden. Felix knew he couldn't afford to crack, not now, not in front of the very person who could bring his entire life crashing down. The easygoing front he wore so well was, for once, straining against the panic simmering beneath.

For a split second, Felix's pulse hammered, but he quickly hid any reaction, keeping his smile in place. "Oh, so you're that L?" he asked, pretending to mix admiration with nonchalance. "I've heard a lot about you."

"I imagine you have," Hyunjin replied, eyes glinting with a mixture of intrigue and something else Felix couldn't quite place. "But don't worry, I'm not here to talk about my work. I'm actually hoping to make some friends now that I'm joining your school."

Felix felt a flicker of surprise. "Friends?" he echoed, trying to mask his astonishment. This is L?

"Yeah," Hyunjin continued, a playful smile dancing on his lips. "I've realized that knowing people makes for better learning experiences. And I've heard you're someone worth getting to know."

Felix chuckled, though the tension inside him was palpable. "I'm a pretty normal guy," he replied lightly, as if the whole thing was some harmless joke.

"Normal, hmm?" Hyunjin's smile softened, but his gaze remained intense. "In that case, do you want to play tennis? It'd be a good way to break the ice."

This entire exchange, as lighthearted as it seemed, was merely a taste of what was to come. The game had only just begun, and if he wasn't careful, Hyunjin would see through every carefully constructed lie he'd built around himself.

Felix hadn't expected this. He stared at the figure across from him, Hyunjin—L—who had just asked him, of all things, for a tennis match.

Felix could hardly believe it. He kept his face neutral, but a mixture of disbelief and confusion churned inside him. This was what L looked like? He'd imagined someone stern and intimidating, maybe even a little older. But here was Hyunjin, standing across from him with a relaxed smile and a calm, approachable demeanor, completely different from what Felix had expected of the world-renowned detective.

Keeping his expression steady, Felix forced a light chuckle. "Alright, let's see if you can keep up," he replied, masking his surprise with a touch of humor. He walked over to grab his racket, still wrapping his mind around the idea that this was the same L the one he had been trying to kill.

~Sani