Chapter 8

Seven days had passed so fast at the National Police Institute. Every day I worked on sorting low-class files and checking over some of the equipment used by the police, frequently being invited to attend some interrogations and observing them from the outside glass panel. It was remarkably interesting, how the criminal came out from their bars, being roughly shoved into the darkroom and restrained into a chair full of electric pads with a blinding light shone directly into their eyes.

Some of the criminals had even experienced the cold room before directly pressured into the interrogation, giving them no space to rest or breathe. The observation deck was dim enough to feel comfortable and give off an eerie atmosphere. The glass panel that separated the interrogation room was a see-through glass from the observation deck, yet not vice versa.

Cameras and microphones were stationed neatly and orderly in front of the glass, a marble table supporting all the equipment as the voices of the interrogator and the interrogated rang clearly and loudly through the deck. They had amplified the sound, most likely taping a mic somewhere on the criminal's chair or underneath the table.

I watched countless interviews and questions pass roughly out of the officer's mouth, him retaining a callous expression throughout the whole hour before getting the answer out of the convict after threats and curses.

Threat after threat, warning and intimidation burned into my curious mind. I had, unconsciously, learned many ways to harass a person through mental pressure.

I watched the prisoner struggle under the gaze of the law. I watched them tremble in fear and hatred. I watched their desperate will to survive.

I liked how the officer threatened them with their life, as if life was such an easy thing to throw away in their hands. Although I already knew that the interrogator did not have the authority or power to sentence the man to death, the idea of pretending to, tasting a sip of that authority thrilled me.

I wanted to watch more gruesome things. I wanted action.

Torture them. Where was the torture chamber?

Where is the blood? The gore?

Where is the screaming and begging for their death?

I often found myself frowning in disappointment after every session.

Japan was a quite civilized place, not directly implicating violence onto the offender to speed up the process. But had they realized that they were basically letting a 14-year-old girl witness and learn about the arts of interrogation and command? Because if they did, then it was probably the difference in culture. I had heard that Japan's system valued absolute perfection in all of their jobs, which probably resulted in them training young children about their occupations and ways before they even hit the legal age.

There was once I had asked about directly using violence, and most of the staff stared at me like deers in headlights at my suggestion. They probably weren't expecting a child to advise direct actions which could cause harm to any person. It was then I was told that the interrogations they had invited me to, were the bloodless and boring ones.

Seems like they were aware of child mental protection.

"Miss Sayu, it's your last day?!" Matsuda's eyes widened before staring at me with a gaping face. "Oh good lords, time flies so fast."

"I agree!" I sighed before grouping the last bundle of loose papers in front of me. "I was having so much fun."

"You can always apply for the NPA during your university years! We would be glad to have you here!" Matsuda placed down his last files before turning around to face me fully.

"Have you considered the interrogation team? You seemed pretty interested in it." He tilted his head, waiting for me to finish before we both stepped out of the filing room, walking together in silence.

"I have," I answered slowly, still pondering on which step I should take for my future career. "You know, it's really funny since I was so dead set on becoming a lawyer until I volunteered here."

"Then it's good that you're young!" Matusda patted my back gently, flashing a merry smile. "No matter what you do, I know you'll succeed in it!"

I smiled at his polite words for a minute, contemplating my choices.

Sayu would have chosen to become a lawyer. Yet I would go for the interrogation team.

And I am the one who is currently standing in her place. Although I did not feel bad for taking up Sayu's life, I did feel guilty for ignoring her plans for the future. If I were to follow the plot, Sayu would have to become a lawyer and be kidnapped by-

My eyes widened.

Holy shit, Sayu gets kidnapped by Mello the chocolate guy!

"I'll take the interrogation team." I blurted out as Matsuda beamed immediately.

"Then I'll be expecting you to be calling me your 'senpai' in a couple of years now!" He teased, jabbing an elbow into my side as I laughed at this foolish grin.

"Then you'll have to watch out and cover for my mistakes, senpai!" I deliberately dragged the 'e' vowel, watching as Matsuda pounded his chest once with his fist.

"Leave it to me!"

What's more dangerous than being aimed by a gun is being oblivious to the situation that could endanger your life. Sayu was kidnapped by Mello as a pawn to threaten for the death note, I believe.

If she had stuck close with the NPA or her brother, they would have never had the chance to catch her off guard.

I need this.

I need to keep track of the events so that I can predict and place my next move.

I need to be closer to Kira.

But by this, I would also be derailing from the actual plot. Well, at least for the second half after L dies and Near shows up like the jack in the box. But even if things start derailing from the original plotline, Sayu was a side character at best. She probably didn't even have more screen time than that Ryan dude who stalked Light after L's orders.

Things wouldn't change that much. Granted, the moment I transmigrated here, I was now the main character of this whole show.

It's my time to shine, bitches!

I choked in my air at my sudden comment, gaining concern from Matsuda.

"Hey, Sayu, did you buy 23 cups of coffee...?" Kotoro greeted us at the front of the reception desk, trailing off with a lost expression as he pointed to the humongous try of fresh, delivered coffee.

"Yeah, now that you actually mention the number, it sounds so strange." Laughing, I went over to the packaged box, searching through the first layer for Matsuda and Kotoro's name. The strong scent of chocolate and coffee beans bombarded my nostrils, creating a screech of hunger from my own stomach before handing them their cups.

"You brought those for the entire office?" Matsuda thanked me and took the coffee from my hands as Kotoro did after thanking me with wide eyes. Kotoro sniffed the coffee and took off the lid, smiling as the warm steam hit his face.

"Well, not the entire office," I pointed out, smiling widely as they both took a sip from their cups. "There would be a total of 209 cups if I really were to do that. Just everyone who has helped me in the past few days."

"Mine is Mocha!" Matsuda blinked at me with his jaw dropped down as Kotoro's eyes widened.

"You brought us our own preferences," Kotoro announced slowly, making sure that his words were correct as disbelief crossed his face. "But how?"

"Now that you mention it..." Matsusda's own doe-like eyes glittered with interest. "I never mentioned it, how?"

Both adults turned to be with curious eyes, waiting for my explanation. I mentally groaned, knowing that I wouldn't be able to brush the conversation off with just a single sentence.

"Matsuda drank Mocha five times out of seven throughout the week, the other two being dark coffee in which he grimaced around three times that day when sipping it." I tilted my head and then turned my gaze to Kotoro.

"You like warm coffee, and you don't have any particular taste in what kind of coffee." Trying to keep my explanations short, I gave a grin and tried to cover it up.

"But I never drank in front of you." Kotoro protested as Matsuda's eyes twinkled at my casual usage of his name, fully discarding the 'Mr.' I knew it was rude in Japanese culture, but seriously, with three hours each day of calling him Mr. Matsuda, I think I just had my soul ripped from my body from reminding myself each time for their so-called 'formalities.'

"You never noticed that you would often leave the plastic lid of your coffee on the table after throwing the cup?" I gestured calmly to the lid on the desk that was still warm from the heat.

"Each time I saw your lid covered in water droplets." I shrugged, earning a bit of a flinch from Kotoro.

"Dammit, that old habit of mine." I heard his teeth grind before he lifted his eyes back to mine. "Then how did you know that I didn't have any preferences in coffee?" He questioned again.

The hell is this situation? Interrogation on the brought coffee? I resisted all urge to narrow my eyes and sprout, 'what's it gotta do with you? My mouth is getting dry from explaining. Can't you just take the damn coffee and get on your way?!'

So much for leaving good impressions.

Breath, moron. Breath and exhale.

"Hey, Mr. Kotoro I don't think we should question her like an interrogation, should we?" Matsuda interrupted before I could open my mouth. Kotoro snapped back with an embarrassed chuckle, opening his mouth to apologize.

Yes! Mastuda! My hero!

"Ah, no worries, I could have explained more thoroughly." I forced my mouth to lift into a cheerful smile despite my insides rolling with bubbling frustration.

"After I noticed your cup lid, I would glance often at the trash behind the register. Each time the shade of the insides would be different. Sometimes dark brown, other times in different shades of brown." I finished, before adding on quickly, "and you're the only one on shift at this time. Your next shift ends in three hours."

I saw Kotoro inhale as he held it, releasing them all in a puff of resignation.

"I never want to be your enemy." He murmured under his breath, overwhelmed.

"Well, it's good that she's on our side!" Matsuda wiggled his eyebrows. "Future interrogation member!"

"Interrogation team suits her." Kotoro nodded slowly before glancing back at me. "You'll become a monster, kid."

"I'll take that as a compliment then." Mischievously grinning, I turned to look at the clock, instantly my smile disappearing into a frown. He should be here then, anytime soon.

"I see you're all dallying around here with nothing to do." A low voice gruffed out as Shinori stepped out of the halls, his icy eyes flashed to me before flicking out each of his words like some kind of snake, "what a pleasant day to see you, Miss Yagami."

I turned into the cardboard box behind me, instantly reaching out to the cup which had his name on it and held it out to him.

"What's this?" He eyed the cup with apparent disgust, throwing my gut into my stomach as I squeezed out a strong smile.

"Your cappuccino latte, Mr. Shinori." The cup stood bravely out in the open, glaring back at Shinori's suspicious gaze.

"How do I know that you haven't poisoned it?" His eyebrows lifted as he waited for my response.

Hook, line, sinker!

I knew this was the hour he craved for coffee the most!

"Mr. Shinori, I know that my first impressions on you haven't been ideal. I would like to apologize for my rude behaviour the other day."

In which 'other day' meant the first day. Honestly, I had steeled myself to be extra polite to him so that we did not clash in the halls every time his shift was over. Although it did not work out for the first three days, his guard being iron-hard, on the fourth day he did cave an inch, still observing me with watchful eyes, yet from the formalities of calling me 'miss' instead of 'Yagami,' I could tell that he was beginning to differentiate me with my dad.

"You..." He pursed his lips and confusion up in his eyebrows. I could see that he was struggling with his words, battling the internal monster inside of him. Today, he had missed his morning coffee.

"Do not expect any gratitude from me, miss Yagami. Since this is your apology, I will begrudgingly accept it." His hand reached out carefully to the cup, guard up as if he expected me to drop the cup on his shoes.

After successfully transferring the cup to his hands, he paused hesitantly, checking over the cup contents to make sure I ordered the cup correctly.

"Good day." He lifted his eyes off the cup and glanced at me before wandering slowly out the door. He probably didn't know this was my last day.

The three of us were quiet for a moment before Matsuda broke the silence.

"I've thought Mr. Shinori would accept things from his rival's daughter," Matsuda glanced back and forth from the door to me before widening his grin. "You're a miracle, Sayu."

"Thank you, thank you!" I curtsied dramatically before smiling with my eyes closed. "Now, 20 more cups to go."

"Good work today, dad." I pushed myself off the wall as Soichiro stepped out of his conference room.

"Sayu," his gaze wandered from my face to the cup in my hands. It was still mildly warm. "Today's your last day."

I nodded sadly, shrugging my shoulders before passing him the cup and taking his suitcase away from his hands as usual.

"I've heard so much positive feedback from my colleagues about you." Dad took a sip out of his coffee, sighing with contempt. I let him finish his statement as my eyes flickered to some of the people passing by, lifting my hand to wave at the cheery staff who greeted me by lifting up their cups.

"Sayu," Soichiro called for my attention before stopping before the NPA automatic doors. "Do you have anything you want?"

Confused, I blinked rapidly at his question.

"Ah, you want to buy something for my successful volunteer work?" I asked incredulously. He nodded slowly before resuming his pace outside of the department, turning to wave at his coworkers a final time before we disappeared out of their peripherals.

"Good work should be rewarded." He explained, looking at me for my answer. I paused for a moment, once in my life feeling a bit out of place. I had never received a present from my parents before. If I had shelter over my head and food, I was already quite thankful.

Granted, Sayu received many presents from her parents, but none of them was given to me specifically. But this time, Soichiro was actually offering me something.

"I'll take you up on that offer then." Making sure I didn't take too long mopping over my thoughts, I said the first innocent thing that came out of my mind. "Could I please get a chessboard with glass pawns?"

I've always wanted a chessboard with glass pawns. The queen especially glimmered in the movies that I've watched in my previous life. They were all so pretty and...fragile. Well, another reason was that I was also interested in chess, not that I've ever played it before, but listening to countless chess strategies that my dad forced me to sit through did rub off of me.

I waited for a moment for his reply, and when nothing came from Soichiro, I bit my lip and cast my gaze onto the ground.

Was that...too much to ask for?

Dammit, I should have asked for food or something!

"If-if that's too expensive, then never mind..." I trailed off shyly, feeling the morbid embarrassment clawing up my face. Never in my life had I wanted to hide in a hole and bury myself in the dirt.

"No, of course not!" Dad cleared his throat, making me lift my head up at him with widened eyes. "I'm just surprised you would ask for something like that."

"Don't most teenage girls want the newest backpack or stuffed toy? Or even a phone?" A blush started to rise upon his unshaven face.

Wow, so stereotypical...No wonder he was a straight guy. But then again, even for my age, I didn't have a cellular device. No wonder Yagami's family was so well brought up. No phones, barely TV...all they could do at home leisurely was study or read the magazine. Oh gosh, I'll be bored after my finished volunteer work. But do I even need those traditional flip phones? I could just call with the house number.

"That's true, but I think it depends more on the person." I hummed as we walked into the station, swiping my transport card on the machine as the steel doors parted for my entrance. To be honest, what did normal teenage girls like? Boys?

My nose wrinkled up at the repulsive thought of having a boyfriend. No, I was not going to go, 'eew! Cooties!' I just honestly thought that boyfriends were more of a liability than an asset.

Like, I can't even feed myself, how the heck am I supposed to wash their mess and comfort them? I don't have the time, nor effort to waste on trivial things like these. Maybe in the future, I'd try to find an average suitor who could keep their noses out of my business and not drag their weight onto my plate.

"There's a store just down the street from our house that sells board games. We can drop by there today." Nodding to himself, we let the train carry us down lines and lines until our stop came to a halt. We stepped off the train as something in my chest burst out in wails, forcing me to tear up.

"Thank you, daddy!" Gushing, I wrapped my arms around his stomach as I heard his surprised yelp.

"Sayu, we're out in public!" He whispered, trying to break free from my grasp. I pouted, burying my face into his back before letting go reluctantly. Although Soichiro glared at my actions, his eyes softened, smiling to himself before scoffing it back down.

Thank you...dad.

Thank you for giving me something that I could never have imagined.

And...I am sorry.

"Sayu," Tsubame called me from the group, nodding her head towards the door as I gestured to her an 'ok.' It was here, and I hoped that my money was well spent.

"What's this? Is there anything you two are hiding from us?" Aoiko batted her eyelashes rapidly, placing both her pedicured nails under her chin. Miyara and Isame both tore their gazes from each other to look at us. Tsubame locked gazes with me as I nodded silently back, both of us forming a quick plan in our minds.

"We're about to get some drinks, any of you guys want some?" Tsubame stuffed her hands in her skirt pockets, shrugging casually as I whistled at her smooth lie in my mind.

"Oh! I'll take Oolong tea, the sweet one!" Isame raised her hand energetically.

"Milk tea for me~" Aoiko sang and looked expectantly at Miyara, expecting her to go along with the tea pattern.

"Coffee." Miyara rolled her eyes back at Aoiko's wrinkled nose. "I don't give a fu-"

"PG 13 Miyara!" I cut her with a loud holler, smirking when she returned a blank stare.

"Leggo TsuTsu," I called out and whisked her away before Miyara could counterattack.

We walked towards a secluded spot in the halls, shadows casting themselves all over the ground at the dead end.

"Here." Tsubame held out a plastic bag with the logo 'Panda Eats' on the front. I blinked in surprise, applauding to her details.

"This business actually suits you, Tsu." I dug into my left pocket, pulling out the pink wallet decorated with a cute bear in the front. Pulling out the exact amount of money, we did the exchange, me checking the conditions of the gadgets and her counting the money at blinding speed.

"Is everything in order?" Tsubame asked and peered into the bag, curious at my lack of words.

"How...do I use this?" I repeated slowly, suddenly feeling stupid.

Tsubame flinched, blinking slowly as she repeated my pace in words.

"You...bought this without knowing how?"

Was I supposed to know how? I was expecting an instruction manual packaged neatly in the bag!

"Ahhh, just answer the question!" I blushed furiously and facepalmed my forehead, dragging down my hand to cover my eyes. Tsubame stifled a chuckle before immediately putting on her poker face.

"This is the earpiece." She pointed into the bag at a small cylinder-shaped thing. "You just place it in one of your ears. It's the smallest we have in store, even if you wear it in public, no one would notice. On the side, there is a small rectangular button. It's so small that you can't see it, but after you get home, try to feel the side that you can squeeze in."

"Those three, are the listening devices." She gestured to another three small rectangular pieces. Though they were small, they were much bigger than I expected them to be. Ah...2003 is so less advanced...

Both of them were black, index fingers long and three fingers wide. The thickness was around a standard white eraser.

"The listening devices work similarly to a recorder. The earpiece is linked to the listening devices, so when you press that button, they will automatically start transmitting the sound into the ear." Tsubame finished, looking back at me. "Any questions?"

"When you press the button," I started, "will the devices make a sound?"

Tsubame shook her head. "All noiseless."

"How long can the devices stay recording?" I asked.

"24 hours before you need to change the batteries. They use 1.5V batteries. Those ones you use for watches."

"24 even when it's not on, or 24 when on?" My head tilted as I gestured to her to leave the secluded spot and head towards the vending machine.

"24 when on." She answered.

"That's quite long." I whistled, smiling before hitting all the options of drinks before waiting for them to clunk into the bottom of the pickup area.

"Depends where you use them." Tsubame grabbed two and I grabbed the other. Flickering her gaze at one of the clocks in a random classroom window, she took the third drink out of my hands.

"You're heading home directly, right?" Tsubame stopped her tracks, glancing over to me. My eye twitched as she rolled her half-lidded eyes quietly.

"You didn't tell your parents your classes finish at 1?" Her tone was in disbelief as I shook my head.

"No...I did, but only for a week. Well, no matter, my mom isn't home anyways until 4:30." I'll just make some sort of excuse if they ever find out.

"Sayu, you can't just bet on them not finding out, they will sooner or later." Tsubame's voice reflected cooly, not urging me to tell my parents, but just pointing the facts out.

"But Tsu," I whined. "My parents would never allow me to come back home early! They'll march directly to my teacher to cancel it!"

"Well, you were the one who finished one curriculum's test in two continuous days. You practically begged for it." Tsubame shrugged.

"Well, that's because school is so boring! There's nothing to learn here!" I whined again as my shoulders drooped.

"And thus the entire staff room is celebrating another newborn genius from the Yagami family," Tsubame said. "I can't believe you were hiding all of that even from us."

"I wasn't trying to," I grunted out, finally dropping the pathetic act. "You know how it feels when you're constantly being compared to a genius."

Tsubame nodded, "my cousin."

Tsubame's cousin was a whole different case apart from Light though. All her cousin did was study hard enough to travel abroad and get enrolled at Yale University.

I scoffed in my mind.

Light could probably get into that school while being high on alcohol.

"Then why the change?" Tsubame uttered quietly.

"You know the stabbing accident that occurred months ago?" I started walking again, this time to the downstairs cupboards that held all our outside shoes.

"Yeah, all of us were there," Tsubame said as I quirked an eyebrow at her words.

"Us?"

"I heard that you're missing some of your memories from the past, but on that day, we were all shopping at Ginza center." She explained. I mouthed an 'oh' before continuing on my part.

"Well, after that, I realized that I could just die at the snap of someone's fingers." I shrugged, tapping my feet on the last stair separating the first floor from the second. "I thought how disappointing it would be if I actually died without trying to compete with my older brother."

"You know I gave up in the first place with him, right?"

Tsubame nodded at my words.

"Well, I decided not to be a sore loser anymore. If I want to whine about his fame and glory, I might as well attempt to up him." I stopped at my cupboard, lifting the flap and taking my shoes out.

Tsubame was quiet as she listened to me.

"Tsu, you know I'm not a genius, right?" I looked back and stepped into my brown shoes.

"Smarter than us, at least." She scoffed at my words, closing her eyes for a long moment before opening them. "Are you aiming to graduate early?"

"Depends on when I'll get bored of this life," I said.

Fury swelled into Tsubame's eyes. "Bored? Is that what we are? Toys that you can play with and discard when you want to?"

I blinked back at her outburst, taking a moment to ponder over her words before bending down to pick up my white inside shoes.

"You know I don't mean that," I warned her, not meeting her gaze.

"But you sound like it." She spat out harshly.

"Will our friendship change if I leave the school early?" I paused a second before answering my own question. "No."

"We're going to be separated once we take our entrance exams to university," I added on, closing my cupboard and turning to face her.

"The reason why I'm so nonchalant on leaving you guys is because I'm confident that we won't change because of distance," I explained, watching her overall expression soften at my words. Realization seeped into her eyes before she lowered them at our feet.

"Sorry." She murmured. "I was too hasty."

"No problem. That's another reason why we need each other. You hold me in place when I get in trouble, alright?" I winked before walking out of the doorway, waving behind me without looking back.

...Yes, I just hope I'll succeed in killing off Light when his time comes.

Author's note:

If you feel that I'm wasting too much time on the side side, useless characters...WELL BEHOLD, THEY ARE NOT THE SIDE SIDE CHARACTERS.

Stay tuned for more!