Chapter Text
CHAPTER 1: Exposition
TOKYO UNIVERSITY, entrance ceremony
In the center of the country's premiere university stood a majestic hall where the year's grand opening ceremony is being held. Inside sat a new batch of promising students as well as their close relatives. Although… despite its long history, they had never received two extremely outstanding students in the generation - let alone the same year.
"...our student representatives: Yagami Raito and Mukahi Lawliette." the proud principal announced enticing quite a bit of murmurs from the crowd. Everyone watched the two top notchers walk to the stage with blunt interest.
"Did you hear? They both got a hundred in all subjects!"
"Dear G- Is that even possible?"
"That guy is cute…"
"Is that a girl… she reminds me of Sadako."
"Maybe she is Sadako."
"Yeah, Sadako with waivy hair and scarf."
"Sadako is a crazy genius girl?"
"Not impossible…"
"At least she walks like a normal girl…"
"Yeah but otherwise she's the opposite."
"But seriously… the guy is hot."
"For a student of TODAI you sure can be shallow."
"What did you say?"
"It's true, anyway."
Someone cleared his throat and everyone lost their voices. They stared at the young man with charisma and authority that a boy his age should not even know about. No one dared to make any noise, and they passively looked at him as he stared at them - all of them - as if ensuring that they had every but their attention.
They all listened intently to the boy who speaks as if he was the president himself.
...
SOMEWHERE IN TOKYO, a few hours prior
Yagami Raito woke up at the usual time he wakes up, 6:00 am- his biological clock as accurate as always. He stood up and nonchalantly got ready for the day everyone is making such a fuss about. Doing speeches for opening ceremonies is practically second nature to him, after all and he had never experienced not being the top. He was rather certain that fact won't change, either.
In any case, his mother prepared an even more-special-than-usual breakfast for the family that day. She prepared his 'favorite' pancake and bacon combination; although, in reality, he never actually had a favorite food. It's either they're good or bad, but he knew at a young age that that is a very unusual thing and so he invented a list of his so-called 'favorites'.
The family chatted about a lot of things wherein he shared a lot. Despite his actual indifference in most of what they were talking about, he loved his family and that pretty much showed. The topic, though, is mainly on him being basically the smartest kid of his generation.
Of course, he took it all graciously despite the fact that he was barely flattered. He knew that fact a long time ago, and practically thought of it as a law.
His father, a very firm man, who was the chief officer in the Police department soon cleared his throat to catch everyone's attention.
"Now, to commemorate our very own Light being top student again. Cheers."
He just smiled and followed his father's lead. "Cheers!"
...And pretended to be as ecstatic as everyone else.
…
WINCHESTER, ENGLAND- Weeks prior
Quillsh Wammy, also known as 'Watari' by a small group of trusted persons, stared at his adoptive daughter anxiously. She had just taken an entrance exam in Japan, and he cannot help but worry. No, he was not worried about her not getting the highest grade – he was worried on how she would fare. If she finally decides to go through with it, then Tokyo University will officially be her very first school.
Lawliette had been home-schooled her whole life… and he knew that the children in his orphanage are all odd. Some are normal, of course, but most have such a high IQ that they simply do not see the world the same way. The most extreme case he will ever see is this 'little' girl, and maybe... her two most beloved friends.
The little girl had a monstrous sweet tooth, odd habits, and she will always wear that gray and worn-out scarf of hers no matter where she is . There is also the fact that people say that she looked like a fictional character from a Japanese Horror Film called 'The Ring' because of her long hair, except that hers isn't as straight.
Heck- he even let them watch the movie in an attempt to -maybe- show her how people from the outside actually looked at her. But it proved to be vain – no, counterproductive in fact… since the little girl actually took a liking at the character and ended up even trying to look like the woman even more. The children even invented a game based on what they watched.
He sighed. The young girl had always baffled him – and he was the greatest inventor of his time.
Although… when he saw her all those years ago, he knew immediately that she was the perfect child he was looking for to raise to become what he calls the 'greatest detective' in the world. But due to certain… events that he did not dare recall, he had lost hope for that dream and did his best to keep her from doing any sort of detective work. It was ironic, really, but he wanted her alive and well. To ensure that, he needed to keep her from what he had wanted for her in the first place. It was his way to take care of the only daughter that he had ever had.
Well, admittedly it was his fault he was having such a hard time letting her go. He had been too over-protective of the girl, and he refused to expose her to the world. He knew it was a very unintelligent decision – but he cannot help it. He had cared for her parents deeply and he promised them her full safety. He just took it to a different level altogether.
She had been happy with the kids of the Wammy House anyway, so he didn't see why she needed to go to a public school of sorts. But when those two almost simultaneous events happened, he started doubting himself and the orphanage that he had created.
But it was too late… The idea of her venturing into the world and becoming a normal person was no longer an option.
For years, it went on. She had indulged herself in activities that normal brains would not be able to even visualize. At the age of 15, she was able to recreate most of the inventions that took him years to comprehend.
But then, one day, for a reason she has yet to tell him, she suddenly wanted to get to know more about her parents. Apparently, she had been unsatisfied with what he knows about them and wanted to find out more.
And so, she took the entrance exam of the school where her parents had studied, met, and fell in love.
It was touching, but he still found that a huge part of him did not want her to do that. Lawliette… was still too innocent for her age, and he was afraid people will take advantage of that. Despite her deductive skills and inhuman ability to empathize, she still doesn't have the concept of immorality.
But she is almost 18 years of age, now… Customs state that she can do whatever she wants by then.
He sighed.
Of all the customs that they didn't follow, she just had to choose that one.
So he had to agree, begrudgingly, that she will go and study in Japan…with a couple of body guards, of course.
And maybe he should come with her, too.
...
TOKYO UNIVERSITY, Present
And applause were heard across the stadium for their speeches. They both had wonderful content catching the willing and full attention of the audience. Sadako was a bit monotonous, though… which made her odd charm all the more impressive.
Well not for Light, though… or so he thought.
How could someone possibly be on par with him? And such a disheveled-looking person as well. She had her barely-combed hair uncomfortably cover a huge part of her face, she was wearing inappropriate gray-on-gray informal attire overarched by a very worn-out scarf, and… she was sitting Seiza on a chair.
Light, of course, did not deny her capabilities. She was smart, he could tell, despite that bizarre appearance of hers. But she is also a woman. Women are supposed to be rationally inferior to men… not that he's extremely sexist for his mother was a smart woman, but to be on the same level as him?
He was Light Yagami, and all his life he had been far superior to anyone he had met. He would not expect the person who will challenge him would be someone like her.
He frowned. He knew he had an ego - but its not like it showed, and he certainly had the right. He stared at her with his peripheral view, and to his surprise she noticed him. She made a slight but polite bow.
"Nice to meet you."
"Ah. Likewise." He replied, smiling his usual automatic smile. And in response she just stared at him, and he looked forward as if he did not see her do so. A minute or so passed and he could sense his irritation grow. She was still staring at him, with an almost analytical eye that he had always used on other people. Others, on the other hand, can only look at him admiringly, and that was a fact - so far.
He mentally glowered into thin air.
He disliked her already.
.
.
END OF CHAPTER 1
Coming Soon:
CHAPTER 2: The Start of an Odd Friendship