You scrolled down the news tab on your phone as you crossed the courtyard, a large square in the centre of the various college outbuildings. There were a number of benches and picnic tables dotted around, in and amongst the various greenery and shrubs that pocketed the slate tiles. It was one of these you were planning to go to, where you'd sit and continue your search for anything relating to Kira in the headlines. After the incident with the stalker, you'd been taking a much more active interest in the ongoing investigation, the fight between L and Kira, their true identities. 

A section of the courtyard diverted into another road that led to the sports facilities. It was as you passed this that you noticed a crowd assembling around one of the outdoor tennis courts. A low din surged forward as the crowd muttered excitedly amongst yourself. You couldn't help it, your interest was immediately piqued and, Kira momentarily forgotten, you picked your way over to the court, slipping easily through the throng with muttered apologies and 'excuse me's. You reached the fence at the front, threading your fingers through the gaps to keep your place, and peered through. Your lips parted with a small breath of surprise. 

It was Light and Ryuga. Yagami was in a gym kit, his shorts showing off toned legs, while Ryuga was still donning his shirt and jeans, only this shirt was short sleeved and exposing his pale, skinny arms. They were playing tennis, one-on-one, and the match was intense; you could see the beads of sweat on their skin, foreheads glistening, and the concentration on their faces. Light kept licking his top lip, his eyes sharp and calculating, not missing a thing, the gears in his mind turning as he swung the racket in pre-determined movements. Ryuga looked calmer, more casual, as if he was swinging the racket wherever seemed appropriate, but it was a calculated calm. He was working just as hard.

You, like everyone else around you, were transfixed. You'd never seen a game so intense, so electric. The air was static with the heat and pressure emenating from them both.

And then, as quick as it had started:"Set! Won by Light Yagami, six games to four," the umpire called, blowing his whistle.

You stirred, uncurling your fingers from the fence and walking all the way down to the gate that opened out onto the court. People called for an encore behind you, but you ignored them like the two players. 

"You beat me, Yagami," you heard Ryuga say as you stepped onto the court. He was panting quick, heavy breaths as he walked over to Light, extending a hand. The brunette shook it warily.

"That's the first time I've played for real in ages, Ryuga," Light admitted as you drew closer, trying not to focus on the defined muscles of his legs in comparison to Ryuga's scrawny frame. His cheeks were pink and peppered with beads of sweat.

"Light, hey!" You shouted to get his attention. He looked over at you and smiled faintly. "Holy shit, guys, that game was crazy."

Ryuga turned to you with interest, his face as white and ghostly as ever. "You seem to hang around with Yagami-Kun a lot. Are you his girlfriend?"

Your brows quirked, and you gave him a sarcastic smile. You saw Light's lips twitch in the corner of your eye. "Only in his dreams."

Light swiped a fist through the air, as if batting away an invisible opponent. "Damn it. I'll win you over one day," he said, winking. You rolled your eyes, convincing yourself he was one hundred percent joking. 

Ryuga watched the exchange blankly. "If you're not dating, could I have your number?" He asked, looking you dead in the eye. You figeted under that stare, looking past him, to the empty courts.

"Uh, can I ask why?"

Ryuga's shoulders rolled back in a casual gesture. "No reason. But can I have it?"

Mirroring his shrug, you fumbled your phone out of your pocket and held out the screen displaying your number. He studied it carefully for a few seconds, then waved his hands to dismiss you.

"Don't you want to write it down?"

"No, I'll remember it."

You didn't doubt that. He had, after all, come top of the class with Light. "Okay," you said warily, sliding your eyes to meet Light's. His lips were pursed and his gaze elsewhere, almost as if he was avoiding you. "That was a really great game. Where did you both learn to play like that?"

Light met your eye this time, and you could see the smugness on his face, a smugness that made his eyes seem a touch darker, his lips a touch more crooked. "Oh, you know, I was a Champion in the Junior Nationals. No biggie." 

You rolled your eyes. "Sure, show-off," you muttered under your breath, cocking your chin away from him to show you weren't impressed. Even if you were, just a little bit.

Was there anything this guy wasn't good at?

————

L's P.O.V

L was sat in usual crouched pose, knees tucked up to his chin, the pad of his thumb pressed to the crook of his mouth as he absorbed into his thoughts.

It was a tricky decision, whether or not to involve Light's friend. From what he'd seen, they seemed close. And if he was Kira, as he suspected, there was always the chance - however minimal - that she knew. Or, if not, there was the possibility she would slip up on a crucial detail that would reveal him as the mass murderer the world was currently hunting. 

But there was also the chance she was smart enough to cover Light's tracks. Involving her might give Light an advantage.

It was definitely a risk, a decision that could work in either favour. 

But nobody ever got anywhere by being cautious.

Picking up the phone between his thumb and forefinger, L dialled her number from memory and held it adjacent to his ear. She answered on the fourth ring.

"Uhm, hello?" Her voice sounded wary, suspicious.

"Good evening [Y/N]-San. This is Hideki Ryuga. I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

_______

Your P.O.V

Ryuga's phone call had indeed interrupted something - a study session - but you didn't bother telling him that. You had to admit, you largely regretted giving him your number. You didn't really know him, after all, and he was most definitely a strange character. But you were also curious, curious to find out what he wanted from you. So you accepted the call and told him you weren't busy.

"No, not really. What can I do for you?"

"I'd like to know what you think about Light." The request was simple and to the point. There was no emotion, no obvious intention behind it.

You scrunched up your face, frowning at the desk, at the notes scattered over it; the more you stared at them, the more the pages merged and swirled into one big puddle of white. "Can I ask why?"

"I'm just curious. He's an interesting individual. I'd like to know more about him."

"Yeah, interesting's one word for him," you muttered, pushing off from your desk and moving over to the window. It was still fairly light outside, the horizon dipped into a palate of pale blues and pinks as the sun retired for the evening. The pavement below was basked in a pale glow. "He's your usual smart-ass college kid. Plus the added good looks and charm."

"You're just friends?"

"Yes. Just friends," you agreed simply, easily. You appreciated Light, were grateful for him. He was nice and friendly, albeit a pain in the ass at times, and maybe your heart did speed up just a little when he gave you a certain look, and your knees wobble when he gave you a certain smile, but that was a natural response to any guy who gave you that kind of attention. You certainly weren't going to go as far as considering him as anything more than a friend, no thank you.

There was a prolonged silence through the phone, a silence that itched at your ears and made you wonder if perhaps he'd already hung up and the phone hadn't yet registered it. And then he said, "I'm going to tell you something that I need you to promise you'll keep secret."

Your heart gave a funny little judder at this. "Uh, okay. What is it?"

"I'm sure you've heard of the Kira case," he started in his usual drawl. "And of the investigation into him, led by a certain individual named L."

"Yeah, of course. Mass murderer killing off criminals. Some secret, genius detective whose identity nobody knows hunting him down," you dismissed as if talking about a manga. "What about it?" Despite the calmness of your voice, your head was spinning and your throat felt tight with anticipation. What did he know about the Kira case? Was he aware of that incident you'd had a few nights ago? 

There was another silence, a silence that seemed a bit too long, a bit too tense. 

Then: "I'm L."

The sentence came out so short and blunt and unexpected that it took you a few seconds to realise what he'd just said.

You laughed. A short, dry bark that reflected not even a speck of humour.

It was the only response you could muster to such an absurd statement. 

This guy... L? No way. Impossible. He was messing with you. He had to be. He must have taken you as some gullible fool who gave out your number to just anyone. 

"Yep, okay. Sure you are," you said in an equally straight voice, despite your racing heart.

Ryuga wasn't finished. "And I suspect Light Yagami is actually Kira."

This made you freeze. You made a strange, choking noise, and then you clenched your teeth together, hard.

"Look, I don't know who you are or what you want, but I don't like this game you're playing. So just... just stop it." And then you hung up. The response was childish and pathetic, but it was the only thing you could choke out in response to his ridiculous claims.

Ryuga was the genius detective L. Light was the mass murderer Kira.

There's no way in hell that could be true. If anything, it seemed more likely to be the other way around.

Impossible.

It had to be impossible.