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Light Yagami, the top high school student in all of Japan, thrust out a belligerent lower lip as he glared down at his acceptance letter to To-Oh. It was his second time reading through it and the words seemed even more unbelievable than the first time.
Congratulations on your acceptance! Blah blah blah...You’ll be delivering the freshman address on the first day of the semester along with Hideki Ryuga, who also got a perfect score on the entrance exam….
“I can’t believe it.” The whispered words crept past his lips, forgetting his mother was still standing with him in the entranceway. Was there really someone as intelligent as he was coming into his class at To-Oh? The prospect was equally thrilling and disturbing, posing the possibility of the challenge he craved but also of a rival.
Sachiko only beamed over his shoulder, excitedly focused on the promise of a full scholarship. “Light! This is incredible news!” She leaned over to hug him and he didn’t resist, the letter dangling limply from his hand. “When your father gets home, we’ll celebrate, alright?” She leaned back, holding him at arm's length and proudly admiring how very
well
he’d turned out.
Light nodded and smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Of course, Mom. It’s very exciting.” He watched her bustle off into the house, humming a tune to herself before going to call her husband with the good news.
And it should be good news, shouldn’t it?
He sighed, folding up the letter and thrusting it into his pocket as he headed up to his room.
All of this
would
have been exciting had it not been for the letter he’d received yesterday, before the official one from To-Oh. There had been no return address on the plain envelope, and the note it contained had only confused him. Light picked it out of his trash can, flopping onto his bed to smooth it out and read it again.
Yagami Light-
Congratulations on getting into To-Oh, a singular achievement. It seems that we will be sharing the dual honor of delivering the freshman convocation speech in four weeks. In light of that, perhaps you’d like to meet beforehand. I know a lovely little cafe 3 blocks from your house with the fluffiest marzipan pastries. Perhaps we can share a dozen. Please let me know before 6:30 pm tomorrow.
Hideki Ryuga
Of course, Light had only snorted at the cheek of the letter, barely giving it a glance before tossing it in the garbage. But that had been before he’d gotten his official letter confirming the very same thing.
How did he know before I did? Did he get his acceptance letter before I did? It would have been days ago, for him to then send me a letter too.
It made no sense and also irked him that this Ryuga person was possibly accepted before he was. How in the hell would this stranger know what cafes were near his house?!
That means he knows where I live. Is he throwing the glove down with this stunt? Trying to best me before classes even start?
“Well, it’s not going to work.” Light swept the letter off his bed in a huff.
Ryuk floated down through the ceiling, hanging upside down like a giant bat. “Eh, what ain’t gonna work, Light-o?”
Light grit his teeth and scowled at the shinigami, “Some student who’s trying to mess with me, hmph.” He got up from the bed, taking the letter with him. “Says we’ll be giving the To-Oh speech together, but somehow he knew that before I did. Wants to meet.”
Ryuk cackled, righting himself and hovering behind Light at his desk. “Somebody’s smart as you huh, and that just grinds your gears?”
Light ignored him, focusing instead on a particular sentence in the letter. “He says to let him know if I’ll meet him by 6:30 pm today.” The letter had come the day before, and Light assumed that whoever Ryuga was would know when it would be delivered if he went to this much trouble. “But he doesn’t give any means to contact him. No return address.” Opening his computer, a search for the name ‘Hideki Ryuga’ only returned thousands of fan pages and press stories on the soap star. Anything about regular people with that name was lost amid the sea. Grumbling, “Of course he has to share a name with some dumb celebrity.”
“Ooooh, I like that soap! Do you think it’s really that guy?” Ryuk often watched soaps with Sayu, not that she was aware of it. “He’s kinda dreamy. And smart! Cracked some code in the last episode--”
That pulled a giggle from Light, and he looked up at the star-struck shinigami. “Don’t death gods have better things to do than watch trashy TV shows?” But he didn’t listen to Ryuk’s retort, another thought invading his mind.
A code.
He hurriedly scanned over the letter, and--yes!-- double meanings started to pop out he didn’t notice in his haste before.
Singular. Dual. Four Weeks. Three blocks. A dozen. 6:30.
Light scribbled out the string of numbers, reading it to himself. “124312630. A phone number.”
The code isn’t exactly subtle, but maybe he’s not trying to be. Maybe he’s just trying to snag my interest enough to call this number.
He took his phone out and placed it on the desk, weighing what to do.
Ryuk clapped his hands excitedly, “Call it! Call it! And get his autograph for me, oooooooh!”
“Ryuk….” Light smiled and shook his head, but there was no point in arguing. He picked up the phone and dialed the number, butterflies in his stomach and preparing to apologize for bother someone with a wrong number. Light tensed as he heard a soft, deep voice answer almost immediately.
“Yes?”
Light stood up, starting to pace his bedroom. With irritation, “Who is this?” He batted Ryuk away who was begging for him to put the phone on speaker so he could hear his idol’s voice.
“You’re the one calling me. Who is
this
?” The voice was deadpan, but there was something wry beneath it too.
“
You’re
the one sending me letters like a stalker. So I think you know who this is.”
The voice was quiet a moment but then Light heard a soft huff that might have been a noise of bemusement. “Fair enough, Yagami-san. Does this mean you want to meet?”
Right to the point. Well, I’ll do the same.
“How did you find out you were getting into To-Oh so fast? And that we were both giving the speech together?” Light heard crunching and munching on the other end, and held the phone away from his ear.
“Oh that.” More crunching sounds. “Easy. I hacked the university admissions database.”
Light couldn’t help but suck in a breath at how easily that was admitted.
Who is this guy?!
“You did what?! But you’d be expelled if they found out!” Light had been hacking into his father’s laptop for weeks to get information on the Kira investigation and knew how to cover his tracks. But he already knew he’d get into To-Oh so there was really no point in hacking
that
system.
Wonder how he did it though, how fast he did it? Could I get some ideas on how to hide myself better?
“Are you going to tell on me? That’d be the only way they’d find out.” When Light didn’t say anything, Ryuga went on. “How about I tell you how I did it over cake? I’ll buy the coffee and you keep my secret?”
Light grinned a little, turning away from Ryuk so he wouldn’t see that his expression didn’t match his annoyed-sounding words.
I kind of like this guy a little.
“That would be bribery! Completely inappropriate.”
“So?”
“So?!!” Light huffed into the phone, but he was mainly trying to hold back the laugh that threatened to pop out.
“Yes I’m bribing you with dessert and yes it’s inappropriate. I also downloaded the first semester of assignments, and you can rest easy they are nothing to worry about.” Loud slurping echoed into the phone followed by a clink like a cup on a saucer. “So will you be at Gombei in an hour or not?”
“I don’t know! I…” Light ran a hand through his hair, at a loss. The right thing to do was to hang up the phone and call the school, report the security breach. But he was consumed by curiosity about ‘Ryuga,’ who seemed to have no qualms about openly breaking the rules so blatantly.
And was skilled enough to do such a hack.
Loud smacking and another slurp. “You’ll be there. See you in an hour.”
Light was left staring down at the phone, only a dial tone left to be angry at.
-----
Light cursed himself as he sped his steps to the cafe, barely believing what he was doing. Yet one foot followed the other, stubbornly propelling him forward while his mind said to go back.
Ryuk was dogging his steps, somehow still believing that he’d be seeing his favorite TV star. “This is so exciting. Eh...just make sure you don’t get his autograph in you-know-where. Else I won’t find out how that cliffhanger ends, hyuk!!”
Light rolled his eyes and ignored the shinigami, finally sighting the cafe. Under his breath, “Remember, stay out of this. Don’t you dare do anything stupid.”
“Me?” Ryuk grinned sharklike, pointing an incredulous talon at his chest. “Pahhh, I’ll behave. I’ll be as good as gold.”
Fat chance.
Light pushed through the door, tiny bells tinkling and announcing the arrival of a customer. He slowly walked inside, taking in the cozy atmosphere as well as scanning for any wayward movie stars. There were only a few people in the place today, mostly students studying with coffee. Light turned sharply when he heard a voice behind him.
“See. I knew you’d come.”
Light whipped around, his brow knitting at the odd-looking man slouching in front of him, dressed in a plain white shirt and baggy jeans. He cocked an eyebrow, ignoring Ryuk’s mournful wails of ‘it’s not him.’ The man was definitely no movie star but there was something else mysterious about him, those wide searching eyes, the wild black hair. His skin was nearly transparent as if it had never seen the sun, and dark circles rimmed eyes that stared unblinkingly now. “Are
you
Hideki Ryuga?”
Oh that came out ruder than I meant it to.
Ryuga stuck his hands in his pocket, tilting his head. “Depends. Are
you
Yagami Light?” He lifted a foot to scratch at his ankle, revealing sneakers but no socks. “But anyway, I already know you are.” He breezed past Light, gesturing him to follow as he went to crouch in the farthest corner booth in the cafe that was already laden with various plates of dessert.
Light followed him in a daze, his curiosity increasing by the moment. He slid into the booth across from Ryuga, giving him a confused smile as he gestured to the crowded tabletop. “What’s all this?” He noticed but didn’t comment on the odd way the other man was sitting, figuring he’d been rude enough.
Ryuga pressed a thumb to his lip, looking down at the dozens of treats. Some he’d already tried, others he hadn’t gotten to quite yet. “Well, I wasn’t sure what you’d like so I just ordered one of everything.”
Light stifled a snort, “Looks like you’ve already eaten half of most of them.”
Ryuga nodded in agreement, “Yes, I wasn’t sure which one I’d like the best either. But with a bit more experimentation, I’m sure we’ll reach a conclusion.”
Light pushed some of the dishes away, enough for him to lean onto the table. “Hideki-san...why did you bring me here? The letter, the code…” Lowering his voice and glancing around briefly, “Hacking the school?”
Ryuga brought his eyes up to meet Light’s, perfectly serious, “I just told you Yagami-kun. I intend for us to determine which of these pastries is the best.” He picked up a cherry by the stem in pinched fingers, popping it into his mouth stem and all as he continued to stare at Light.
“What?” Light could only blink, leaning back in the seat with a sigh.
What an odd person.
He wasn’t feeling particularly hungry, and he’d already rushed through his ‘celebration’ dinner with his family before coming here. He watched Ryuga work the cherry in his mouth and then pluck the knotted stem from his lips, placing it on his cup saucer. “Why does it matter which one’s the best? Isn’t that just a matter of personal taste?”
“Perhaps.” Ryuga picked up a teapot, pouring some tea into an empty cup by Light. “But if something like deliciousness can theoretically be measured, then there must be one dessert that is objectively the most delicious one.” The slight tug at the corner of Ryuga’s mouth made Light wonder if he was being serious or not, but it was said with zero inflection. “For example, if you try this cheesecake you’ll notice that it has a gritty texture that is most unappealing.”
Light considered the cheesecake, taking a small bite out of curiosity. He chewed slowly, frowning a little.
It is gritty, yuck. But would I have noticed it as much if he hadn’t mentioned it?
“That’s true. But deliciousness
cannot
be measured, it’s like trying to rate the beauty of a painting or the validity of a religion. You’re primed by your own preferences and experiences as well as the expectations of the outcome. One expects the Mona Lisa to be beautiful so we see beauty there. You need your religion to be composed of essential truth as it is what you’ve built your whole life upon. It would be nearly impossible to separate the internal experience from objective reality.”
Ryuga had been listening to him very closely, smiling slightly in a different way now. “So, without trying any of these, which do you think you’d prefer, given those ‘internal experiences’?”
Light quickly eyed them all, his gaze settling on a cup of chocolate mousse. “That one. I’m rather partial to chocolate mousse.” He smirked up at Ryuga, “Plus, I’ve had it before. It’s the best thing here.” It was true. This cafe was close to his house after all and had been here a long time. He’d gotten around to trying nearly everything on the table at one point or another, even though he didn’t have that much of a sweet tooth. He held up a finger, qualifying his statement, “Actually I haven’t tried that strawberry mousse, but I sincerely doubt it could be better.”
L placed his hands on his knees, “But Yagami-kun cannot speak with certainty until he tries it.”
Light cocked an eyebrow, “If I go along with your little game, will you tell me how you hacked To-Oh?” It was the reason he’d purportedly come but he’d stayed because he’d never met anyone quite like Ryuga before.
“Yes.” Ryuga plunged a finger into the chocolate mousse, scooping some up. “I suppose I must try this one first to make a fair comparison myself.” He sucked the mousse off his finger, making a noise that sounded slightly obscene for a quiet cafe. “Mmmmmm. Delicious. You might indeed be correct. However,
I’m
rather partial to strawberry.”
Light picked up the strawberry mousse and set it between them, smiling to himself at the silliness of this. “Ok then, we have to try it at the same time.” He picked up a spoon and handed one to Ryuga, who took it reluctantly. “Ready?” Their eyes met over the table and then both spoons were plunging into the dessert, scooping up the fluff for the taste test. Light paused as he savored it, surprised by the layers of flavor, the creamy texture, the balanced sweetness that wasn’t overpowering.
And something unexpected.
His eyes flicked down to the cup that held the mousse. “There was chocolate in the middle. That same chocolate mousse from before.”
“This one is better.” Ryuga was already hurriedly finishing off the rest of it, shoveling it into mouth before Light could protest.
Light didn’t really mind though, Ryuga looked like he was enjoying it so much it would have been rude to deny him. “I guess I stand corrected. This one is the best. But only because it had chocolate
and
strawberry. I was surprised.”
Ryuga wiped his mouth on his sleeve, leaving a faint pink mark. “Is Yagami-kun not easily surprised?”
“No.”
“But he likes it. To be surprised?”
Light gave him a curious look. “Sometimes.”
“Well, as the matter is settled, I must be going.” Ryuga leaped up from his crouch, opening his wallet and tossing some bills onto the table. “It was nice to meet you.”
“W-wait!” Light scooted out of the booth too, voice quiet so not to make a scene. “You didn’t hold up your end of the bargain.”
Ryuga turned to him, “I would guess you already know how I did it. You just wanted to see if I could do it faster, better than you.”
Light was speechless, because yes, that was exactly right.
And something suddenly feels very wrong.
“Who
are
you exactly?”
Ryuga smiled cryptically, reaching out to shake Light’s hand and holding it a little longer than necessary. “You already know that too.” He dropped Light’s hand, his expression completely unreadable once more, as if he’d been surprised and wasn’t sure if he liked it or not. “Are you going to tell the school about my indiscretion?”
Light slowly shook his head.
It can’t be him. There’s no way he’d be so bold.
“Thank you.” Ryuga mumbled at his shoes, “I look forward to being your classmate. See you on the first day, Yagami-kun.” He turned and slouched out of the cafe, and Light saw him get into a black car idling across the street which sped off right away.
Light took a deep breath, not sure what to think about what had just happened.
Either he’s a completely eccentric student who has zero social skills or he’s...
He pondered the question as he unhurriedly walked back home, Ryuk floating dejectedly at his side.
“Hmph. Should be illegal to impersonate people if you ask me.” The shinigami was still sulking that he hadn’t gotten to meet the
real
Hideki Ryuga, arms crossed sullenly.
Light took a few steps more before he stopped in the sidewalk, turning to look at Ryuk with a triumphant smile spreading across his face.
Impersonate, hmm? What did your shinigami eyes see?
He knew he couldn’t ask but that was as good a clue as any. “Yes, Ryuk, it should be.”
Am I really surprised?
He started up walking again, faster this time. There was work to do, but the biggest surprise was how much he was looking forward to seeing ‘Ryuga’ again, and he wasn’t sure if he liked it or not.