Chapter Twenty-Two

The shot displays a helicopter flying above Washington D.C. along with Demigawa addressing the public on the megaphone: 'My comrades and I have found the hideout of the evil organisation bent on capturing our beloved god, Kira. We now have the building completely surrounded!'

Another shot displays a full-on riot at the SPK headquarters. Signs demonstrating against the group; people vandalising and breaking in to capture the SPK members, hiding at the top of the building. Demigawa's freakishly charismatic voice continues to rile the Kira supporters further, trapping the SPK inside with no exit available to them. I can't imagine what everyone in office must be going through. I almost feel bad for bad-mouthing Near. Ironically, as I think of him, Light places the call forward. 'What's going on, Near?' he begins, 'could it be that this is some sort of plot by Mello to finish off the SPK? It couldn't be that the SPK's security was so laxed that an average citizen could locate it?'

If I'm the only one hearing the taunt in his voice then the others are either too focused on the live feed or too stupid. Either way, I lock all observation not just on his behaviour but on any movement from the SPK. This excitement almost reminds me of the day of the Second Kira's appearance, which not only involved a rather grotesque live feed but a miraculous end to the safety of everyone on the Task Force and the public. Speaking of which, is this an elaborate plan to somehow find and kill Near? Sure, Demigawa spouts nonsense to the zealous protesters about handing the SPK members out as a sacrifice to Kira, but even so; how does he plan on actually killing them? Does he possess the Shinigami eyes? Or…is he using Misa Amane, the Second Kira, to do his dirty work for him? On the one and rather logical hand, I should find this alarming, and I do. Anything can go wrong with this kind of set up, and I believe that it has gone wrong before. The people out there may be jeopardising their own lives all for nothing. On the other hand, I find this to be rather stupid. Has he become so careless that he actually set this up immediately after he's suspected by the SPK?

'Near, you've got no choice, you better evacuate,' he continues to taunt.

'You've got some nerve to say that, being Kira,' responds the composed child's voice; although I can tell he's very irritated.

'Are you still going on about that nonsense?' Light whines.

'Think about it, with all the anti-Kira groups around, why is it we're being targeted, and right after I start suspecting you? Pretty convenient, if you ask me.'

'Near, with all do respect, you're wrong. You're jumping to conclusions.'

Ignoring him, Near says: 'Members of the Task Force, please listen to me. Kira is likely amongst you. Even as we speak, he's in that room. I'm simply asking you to think about this carefully.'

'May I?' I ask Light, pointing at the speaker.

He nods, curtly.

'Near,' I say, 'regardless of Kira being amongst us or not, you all need to plan some route of escape. The building looks like it's gonna be taken over by these freaks.'

'I understand that. You don't need to worry.'

Meanwhile, Demigawa continues to yell tyrannical preachy orders. Later on, a new group emerges, distracting and fighting against the Kira supporters, doing everything they can to delay the vandalism from going further. Screams, riles, glass breaking and flags set on fire for the sake of Kira, it's too much but part of a plan to kill the SPK members. What miracle have the Saints planned to get them out of there alive? In a poetic answer, from the sky, large amounts of money pour down like rain, distracting the protesters. Even Demigawa shows his true colours as a money-hoarding con man by reaching out greedily for himself.

'Man, I wish I were over there right now,' Mr Matsuda ponders aloud.

'Matsuda!' Mr Ide, scolds.

'A man can dream,' I scold Mr Ide. 'Although the love of money is the root of all evil.'

'Heh,' the floating Shinigami scoffs, 'Humans are so interesting. Of course you can get money and buy apples, so I can understand.'

'What is it with you and apples?' I whisper, more to myself than the Shinigami.

Light flips through some American news channels recovering the scene. One of them alerts the public of the police's arrival. Thank god! Masked blue uniforms with batons and shields arrive, shaking off the protesters. Masked policemen, huh. Good job, Near! Having prepared for a situation like this, he's blending in with the police rather than the large crowd to escape the cameras. Even as they storm out of the building, I can't see the small child amongst them. I'm sure he was looking for Near too. This round belongs to the SPOK for being smart but this is just another step closer to finally finishing this off and ridding the world of Kira for good. I take the seat next to Light, breathing in a sigh of relief. We check the news about the situation which reports of the chaos slowly dying down. No one was injured in the process, not even slightly. It could have gone worse for everyone but the only one who list this battle today was Kira, and for that, I'm truly grateful. With everything calmed down and the Kira killings back to their usual stance, the Task Force allows for some cooling off. Mr Ide, Mr Aizawa and Mr Matsuda sit on the couches while Mr Mogi remains by his computer on the table adjacent to the one Light and I share. Instead of continuing my work, I use this time to think about what my next move is, barely ware of the coversation around me. I try to incorporate what advantages I have so far: unlike Near, I'm relatively close to Kira, knowing his true identity for certain. This means I have a clear shot at him and can easily do my part of the job. However, now that some of the others probably suspect Light, it might become harder to get him somewhere alone. Everyone might want to keep an eye on him, rethinking everything since Light's first involvement with the Task Force. I think that the case may get one to re-evaluate Light's active part in the Kira investigation, especially around the time of the Second Kira's arrival. Which reminds me, the Second Kira stood apart from the first Kira because of her ability to kill by seeing just a face. Come to think of it, in one of the journal entries, she mentioned something about having 'the eyes'; and if she still possesses those eyes, somehow, that means she could still be acting in Kira's place, with another Notebook. By the Saint! This is a lead worth pursuing, something I can check on personally and without alerting the others.

I squirm, getting up from the chair until I notice the Shinigami staring and stop. The two Shinigami who've bothered sticking around with us mentioned not being able to see my lifespan. Chief Yagami, before he died, confirmed that Light couldn't be Kira with those same eyes which saw a series of numbers along with Light's name. For argument's sake, let's say that Light pulled that trick by manipulating the rules of the Notebook to protect himself. That means if Chief Yagami had looked in my direction, he would not have seen numbers above my head. However, I suspect that because the Shinigami are supernatural creatures, the rule may not apply to them. If Light has ownership of the Notebook, I don't think it stops the Shinigami from seeing the numbers atop his head. But if the Shinigami themselves can't see my lifespan, it means humans with these eyes will definitely not see it either. If this is the case, confronting Misa is out of the question. Looking at me, she'll notice the numbers are missing and there's no doubt she'll tell him about it. With the way things are going, I can't afford to expose myself so carelessly. There's a chance he already knows about the Shinigami's inability to see my lifespan but if he did, he he would not hesitate to expose me. The fact that he hasn't so far is proof that I should be safe so long as anyone with those eyes cannot see me.

Beep, beep.

Light's computer screen displays an iPhone shaped box with N's symbol in the centre. 'Near,' Light exclaims.

'Already?' Mr Aizawa gasps.

All of us put on individual headsets to listen in on the conversation.

'This is Near. We've re-established a secure connection so I thought I should give you a call to let you know.'

'You're safe,' Light breathes, 'that's a relief.'

'To all of you at the Task Force, I'm sure that some of you by now are starting to suspect that Kira maybe among you. Given the timing for the attack at our headquarters, I don't think anyone can blame you for having any doubts. If you don't suspect the Second L of being Kira by now, you're in the wrong line of work. The number I gave you the day before is reconnected; please feel free to call any time you'd like.'

I can practically hear a smile in that talk.

'Well then, I'll be waiting for your call.'

He disconnects with a chuckle.

Oh boy.

'Those are some strong words,' Mr Matsuda observes, 'this guy's pretty sure of himself.'

'I've been thinking,' Light says, standing up, 'if any of you want to cooperate with Near, please go ahead. I'm not particularly satisfied with the way things are going either; ideally we should cooperate with the SPK. This may clear the air a little.'

Didn't he use this same kind of cooperation before? It didn't solve anything last time. It may actually make him look more suspicious. Of course I shouldn't care so long as it provides a way in for me to finish my job as quickly as possible; this may be my trump card in.

I look out the window. It's late. With some more time to relax, Mr Aizawa and Mr Ide head home while Mr Matsuda, Mr Mogi and I stay here with Light. I fill my time with updating the information on the Kira investigation, a mindless task really, as I focus my energy on how to approach Misa while protecting myself. So long as she carries the Notebook and has the Eyes, she too is part of my mission and I ahould not hesitate to do what I must. For some reason, I can't help but be saddened by it. While Misa and I have had our differences, I can't see her as someone less human than Light. There's also the factor that I haven't felt an ounce of betrayal from her. I think what really gets to me is h er devotion to Kira, punishing criminals while also killing anyone who has openly defied Kira in some way or another. Even if it was all an attempt to get Kira to notice her, she seems, in reality, like the rest of us: a follower of a god and wishing to please that god in every way she can. I don't know if I should call her a fool or a tragic character but either way, she's placed herself in a dangerous spot and as long as I'm here, she cannot go back. If I approach her now, regardless of the eyes, and attempt to do my job, the Task Force will attack me with questions I cannot answer, leaving my chances with Light thin. Not to mention I'll be the first and only person they'll suspect of foul play even if I disappear. So I'm stuck with that for now. Seems the only way to get rid of this problem is by waiting for him to mess up.

'You look tired, Frejda,' Light comments.

'It's—been a long day.'

'Yeah, it has. So they think as well,' he nods to the couch.

I turn to face the others; both of them take a couch and sleep soundly, light snores coming from Mr Matsuda. 'Aww,' I whisper.

'Yep.'

'Although that does not sound like a bad idea, I think I'll keep myself awake a little longer.'

'It's not healthy to do that to yourself, you know.'

'As long as it doesn't affect my performance too much, I think I can handle this.'

He looks sceptical.

'Did you know that Indira Ghandi trained her body to function on only four hours of sleep?'

'Really?'

'She's an inspiration. I get an hour more of sleep but like her, I've disciplined my body to do the same. Plus, my body feels drowsy precisely at 2:00 a.m which helps get that five hours to about dawn.'

'Even if there's little to do during the day?'

'There's never too little to do a day. Besides, I can always fill those moments up with exercise.'

'Right.'

After a small pause, I announce that I'm off to get some more hot chocolate. 'You want some more tea?' I ask.

'Sure, thanks.'

'No problem,' I take my mug and his teacup (and saucer) and walk to the kitchen.

Boiling the water on the kettle, I warm my milk in the microwave, after which I mix in the coco powder and some sugar. I make Light's tea afterwards. With the cups in my hands, I walk back to the office, finding Light more or less in the same state as I left him. I set his tea by him while I sit with my hot chocolate. 'Thanks,' he says.

'Sure.'

Silence.

'Uh, I know I shouldn't be asking you this,' he begins, 'but it's only because you took L's positions on a lot of things, and now there's Near: do you think I'm Kira?'

Oh. Zut! The last time he asked me this I always answered the truth, which was much easier to admit at the time considering I was oblivious to the clues of his play in the whole investigation. On top of that, the possibility of a supernatural Notebook was not in my mind. This time, I know the truth. I know he is Kira. Regardless of the reasons behind his asking, I hoped to avoid this kind of interrogation. Oy! How can I tell him? What can I say? I can't lie about something like this! Zut! Zut! Zut! I hope I don't look as stressed as I feel but if I take any longer to provide an answer, I may look suspicious. I have to play with the fact that he thinks I'm just as bewildered by all the information pointing to him. 'It doesn't matter what I think,' I finally answer.'

'It does to me.'

'Why?'

'I told you, you're one of my close friends. And if you think I am Kira, it's okay, because, I mean, it should look that way right?'

'What does it matter what I think, Light? Shouldn't the evidence speak for itself? If I say 'no' and it turns out that you are Kira, who will that help? If I say 'yes' and it turns out not to be true…you get?'

I take his silence as an indication he's thinking my answer through.

'If it makes you feel any better, I can promise you this. Whether you are Kir or not, it won't mean you'll lose my friendship.'

More silence.

I suspect I wasn't wrong to think that he wanted to trap me with the question. My answer may or may not given something away about who's side I'm on. But it keeps my identity a secret. He probably suspects I gave Near enough information about Kira to start the boy's suspicion of Light, but I made deliberate care to leave out any information that could lead back to Light. Still, even if it sounds to Light like I did leak information, his paranoia may end up working in my favour. It doesn't stop me, however, from taking Light's hand into mine as a gesture of my reassurance. The twitch in Light's hand shows both his surprise and his tense body relaxing a little. Whatever stress he feels, it's either completely calmed down or temporarily subsided. Either way, he clenches my hand in a gesture of either thanks or some reassurance for himself, then resumes his work. I continue updating all the information regarding the investigation up until 2:00 a.m, by which do take a break to sleep, and wake up early in the morning to continue where I left off. Instead of eating breakfast before I start my work, I eat while I work, while careful to keep the area tidy and free of peanut butter stains. Mr Ide and Mr Aizawa show up at around 9:00 a.m. Since I came back, I have noticed a change in Mr Aizawa. Before, as logical and reasonable as he was, he was also pretty heated, responding passionately in order to get his message across. These days he seems a little quieter, taking his time with information, willing to accept the truth no matter what, even if it hurts. Today, he looks—not stressed but, rather, determined to see something to the end. I don't miss how conflicted it has made him feel in the last couple of days, making it no surprise that it does today.

'Light,' he calls. 'There's something you should know; I phoned Near and talked to him.'

Pause.

'Don't worry about it,' Light says calmly, 'after all I was the one who recommended it. So, what did the two of you end up discussing? Uh, no, on second thought, I probably shouldn't ask. I guess it's not appropriate if I'm a suspect.'

'Don't get me wrong; I want to believe that you're not Kira, but I've gotta be certain. I'm sorry to have to do this again but I want to put you under surveillance until we catch Kira. I'm afraid that goes for Misa Amane as well. I'm gonna search your place right now. There's a possibility that Amane may have a Notebook.'

By the Saint! I couldn't have been granted a better opportunity. This works in my favour so much so that I don't have to risk complicated exposure in order to get to Misa Amane. If this checks out, I can think of a good way to thin her out later. The real target makes sure he stays out of reach all the time, so this should speed things up. Of course there's a chance he anticipated this and prepared ahead of time, which I will have to look out for. All things considered, there will be a window open for me to make my move.

'H-hang on a second, Aizawa!' Mr Matsuda protests.

'No,' Light interjects, 'Go right ahead. Look at it this way; at least you can prove to everyone that I'm not sneaking around and contacting Misa in private, right?'

'Oddly specific,' I murmur. Anyone can hack into his phone or email to do something like that.

Without response, Mr Aizawa leaves and Light resumes his work. Now all I have to do is wait on the results. It's a miracle anyone in the room can breathe properly with the thickening fog of tension in the room. I can feel Mr Ide and Mr Matsuda stare at Light as if they were staring at me. My head pounds with both frustration and excitement, and sitting still to work becomes difficult. What goes on in that apartment, with or without Light's consent, is essentially an invasion of privacy, and still he looks so calm, as if he's innocent. But we've all seen this behaviour before. Even if Mr Aizawa and Mr Mogi, who left moments after to join him, find nothing suspicious, this may uncover an opening. Light maybe confident in sending the two men on a wild goose chase; even if few of us are onto him, I will not let him have that victory. If he were any other, I'd lure him away with some trap, thin him out and cover all my tracks. But every long moment I've spent with the Task Force makes all the difference as to how I handle this. I hate being stuck, and the possibility of his suspicion of me is not exactly lost on me either. I need to take this at the best chance I have, and if I have to wait for it, I will.

While we wait for Mr Aizawa and Mr Mogi, I confer with Light about a lot of the information I've gathered regarding Kira's online presence. Even if he's mocking, he still pulls out ideas of where I could look, especially with that sad excuse of a show, Kira's Kingdom, busting up supporter's need to get his attention. The show runs daily in the evenings, meaning some rise may be expected in tonight's episode. To my surprise, the response to Kira's Kingdom from viewers who support Kira is mixed if not polarised. The role between the supporters should have been easy to distinguish but from what I can gather, especially from viewers in Japan, is their enraged response to the selfish ambition behind the show. As if to prove their point, when Mr Matsuda switches on the TV, Demigawa's new announcement would probably anger Kira if not everyone else: 'Greetings to all our fellow Kira worshippers. I'm Demigawa the voice of our beloved god, Kira.'

The man sits on a gold throne, inspired by the book of Revelation in the Bible, I'll bet, filled with decor of a cherub's wings and the famous heart-with-wings symbol dedicated to Kira above his head.

'Behold,' he says, showing a construction site on the screen, 'this is the new Kira's Kingdom, which shares its name with the programme. It's construction is going smoothly, but will depend on the generous support of our viewers.' The screen reverts to the sanctuary, where a Greco-Roman gold sculpture of a bearded angel standing atop the heart-with-wings sits; in front of it stand Demigawa and four other comrades of his, as he declares it a place of worship.

'Whoa, talk about bad taste,' Mr Matsuda sighs.

'Indeed,' I nod. 'Exactly what you'd expect from a conman. How on Earth did Kira choose him to be a spokesperson?'

'It really isn't like him to be this careless,' Light comments.

While none of us are impressed with what we see, Light looks very irritated. I can't blame him.

Demigawa continues to preach garbage about donations which I hope no one bothers giving.

'It really doesn't seem like Kira's style,' Mr Matsuda comments.

Btu this is the perfect trap for him. If he acts in retaliation to the criminal on stage, it will set the trap perfectly. We'd have to watch him write the name down.

Mr Aizawa walks in at that point, approaching Light, Mr Mogi nowhere to be found. He must have been left behind with Misa. Poor guy.

'We didn't find the Notebook,' Mr Aizawa says, 'not in Light or Misa's room. But still—'

'I understand,' Light says calmly, 'you're more than welcome to watch over Misa and I until satisfied.'

'Misa and me,' I whisper.

Light gives me a confused look. 'What?'

'It's "Misa and me" not "Misa and I".'

Catching on, he smiles: 'When did you become a grammar police?'

'Always have been, Light.'

'Right.'

'Next on the programme,' Demigawa continues, 'It's time for me to introduce the leaders I've chosen for Kira's Kingdom.'

A spotlight shines, revealing the faces of the four men behind Demigawa, standing in white monk robes. The sight alone twists my stomach.

'The first gentleman is—'

Before Demigawa could utter the name of the man, his face transforms from calm to panicked. Questions don't rise fast enough; he suddenly falls to the ground, dead.

The men's calm faces freeze in fear. Even Demigawa, who tries to take control of the situation by continuing the programme, loses control. But he doesn't have time to utter the next name. The second unnamed man tumbles down the stairs, panic and pain stricken, before finally lying still. Dead.

'Someone stop this,' I beg.

The third follows.

Then the fourth.

It leaves Demigawa staring at the chaos in frozen trepidation. Like a ghost is in the room, he walks backwards, seeking sanctuary beneath the angel who signifies Kira.

But there is no salvation.

Demigawa clings his heart, which adds pain to the panicked expression on his face, before he collapses on the stage: dead.

Sakura TV shuts down the screen.

Everyone, save for Light, stands on their feet, confused and alert.

'What—in the name of the Saint just happened?' I demand.

'Why would Kira kill his own supporters?' Mr Ide snaps.

'Could it be because they're going overboard with this?' Mr Matsuda asks.

'That may be a possibility,' Light says, 'but this is so horrible.'

Wait a minute; he didn't do anything, and Mr Aizawa just confirmed that another Notebook wasn't hidden in Light or Misa's possession. Either this is some other trick or…someone else is playing Kira.

Only two days and it's hard not to replay the deaths of Demigawa and his associates in my mind; it's worse that I feel some sort of remorse for them. This is not the first time Japan has witnessed Kira killings on broadcast media, though I assume it's the first time it's been witnessed by viewers world wide. The question that stirs me back to reality is the reason for their sudden deaths without Light or Misa's involvement. According to the rules of the Notebook, the only way for an owner of the Notebook is to see a person's name and face in order for the Note to take affect. There's no way the person could have known the names of the men before Demigawa could introduce them; unless whoever did this has Shinigami eyes. Whoever killed these men had to either work out their names or used the Eyes to his advantage, and in order to do that, they must have come into contact with the Shinigami. Come to think of it, I have not seen that thing around in a while, so if it's not with Misa, it's with someone else. Possibilities swim through my mind, every scenario I can think of mixing together into a format I have trouble keeping up with. I have to write this down. Getting out a notebook and pen, I jot down my thoughts in French as they come to me, trying to grasp one scenario at a time:

Light Yagami is suspected of being Kira by both the Task Force and the SPK, heightened by the recent attack on SPK HQ. Although he feels cornered by the suspicion, and a possible murder plot gone wrong, Light Yagami must think of a way to remain being Kira without any evidence pointed against him. So he has Misa play Kira in his place, until a situation such as this, provides an opportunity to expose him as Kira:

(1) The definitive possibility of the 13-day rule being fake

(2) The Shinigami lying on behalf of Kira

(3) The attack on the SPK

(4) The death of Kira supporters, Demigawa and his associates

The jump happens around the time Near told the Task Force members to cooperate with him, given that Kira is among us. That being said, Kira feels cornered even more, and sets up preparations to be put under surveillance. Mr Aizawa places Light and Misa under said surveillance until the capture of Kira, providing an opening for him and Mr Mogi to search Light's apartment; finding nothing.

There's the problem; the jump. How could he have prepared himself in the short time he hand to get rid of the Notebook? If the possibility lies in Misa having a Notebook, that's one out of two Notebooks that have been on Earth since this mess began. Then there's the issue of the two Notebooks themselves. One Notebook was in police custody after the arrest and death of Higuchi. So where was the second Notebook this entire time? Was it hidden? Could that other Shinigami have left behind another Notebook? Would that make sense? I've noticed that they carry those things on their person, so why or rather how would have Misa gotten her Notebook in the first place? Is there some sort of Faustian agreement that I'm missing? If the god of death 'possesses' a human with the Notebook until death, that means that the Shinigami would have to carry one on their person as they following the human owner around. So the Notebook the human is given should be some sort of spare. That was the case with the Notebook under Japanese custody. So if all this depends on spare Notebooks falling out to humans, does that mean there's a third Notebook?

Of course! Three Notebooks would be convenient! One in the police custody, the other two with the Kiras. So, how many Notebooks are there left? For now, it seems that there is only one Notebook used between the two Kiras, which may explain why there were none at Light's place. Or…does it? 'By the Saint!' I groan.

'What's wrong?' Light asks.

'This is a mess! That's what's wrong! Kira's childishness, if anything, is only obvious by this game of catch he's set up. It's annoying.'

'Well,' he eyes the notebook I use, 'everything isn't going to help us move on.'

'I know. I'll have to revisit this later.'

'I can help this time,' Mr Matsuda volunteers.

'That's actually not a bad idea,' I smile, 'I'll call you over when I've gotten back to this, yeah?'

'Sure.'

'By the way, Mr Matsuda, are you going somewhere?'

'Yeah,' he says slipping on his coat, 'just a quick restock shopping. Be back in a bit.'

He leaves.

Huh. I wonder if it's safe to see Misa for myself right now. With the Notebook gone…

'Eureka!'

'You really are excited today,' Mr Aizawa comments.

'Some of the puzzle pieces don't fit in this, I just realised it's because the vital ones are still missing.'

'And that's a good thing?' Light asks, confused.

'It is is if it reveals more information, ironically. That way I'm not stuck banging my head against the wall. Think outside the box, they say.'

'Yeah, well, don't forget to keep an eye out for the demographic response to Kira. Especially in regards with what happened tonight. The world watched Kira kill off his own supporters. Is there a change in their response.'

'Right. I'm on it. Just let me—'

I make note of my thought about the disappearance of the Notebook concerning Misa. It's a jump but I will have to test it by paying her a visit sometime soon. Mr Aizawa left Mr Mogi with Misa and if I visit them, what I see should help me place something together about this. I set my notes aside for now and focus, as Light says, on the demographic response to the recent killings on live TV. Unsurprisingly, both Kira supporters and anti-Kira establishments respond positively and negatively to the issue at hand. Aside from some people posting names and faces on the net, several sites dedicated to Kira are bombarded with comments ranging from why the five men deserved their deaths to why Kira is not as worthy of being the people's god. Kira loses some followers and gains enough, if not more, followers in return. The support for Kira, based on this move alone, makes quite the impression: Kira's intolerance for shady businesses in his name speaks loud and clear. This debate heats up the internet for the next few days, which takes up my time in terms of monitoring Kira's next move. Although things seem to develop, something about the movements Kira makes seem different; it's not like the way the Second Kira did it with careless killings and theatrical messages. While I can't say for sure, I suspect that whoever killed them is somehow mimicking Kira but not entirely with the same identity. It's almost like this person and Kira think alike but not alike enough. So could it be that this isn't really Misa's doing after all? I don't know that I feel okay about this: on the one hand, it's nice that the killings are controlled, meticulous and more in line with the original Kira; on the other hand, because it's still a mimicry, who knows how this will work!

That reminds me: I need to go see Misa and confirm…

'Extra, extra,' Mr Matsuda announces, coming with bags of food while holding a newspaper, 'There's a new spokesperson to take Demigawa's place.' He walks to the table and grabbing the remote, he points at the TV: 'Take a look.'

On the screen, a young woman around my age, maybe younger, stands in front of a blue screen. Wearing a sleeveless white collar shirt, her pixie cut hair and soft voice almost seem familiar. I know I've seen her before.

'Good evening,' she says, 'this is Kiyomi Takada from News 6. starting today, it will be my duty to spread the word of Kira accurately and quickly. From now on, NHN will fairly—'

'So he picked NHN's star newscaster, huh?' Mr Matsuda comments.

Where have I seen this woman before? Seriously? Something about her seems too familiar, like I've encountered her in person. But where?

By the Saint! I remember her presence around Light, about the same time as the surfacing of the Second Kira. Light and I shared a class with her. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, this is the same girl he dated while we attended Toho University.