"Name?"
"Yagami Light."
"Age..."
"Wait, you're Director Yagami's child?!"
The female officer who was questioning outside the bridge railing suddenly looked up sharply at the brown-haired boy before her.
So similar! Really looks alike!
"If Director Yagami means the former Chief of the Criminal Investigation Bureau, then yes, that's me," Yagami Light said stiffly, swallowing hard, looking as shaken as someone witnessing death for the first time. His reaction was perfectly fitting at the moment.
After confirming his identity, her gaze softened and became friendlier toward Yagami Light, naturally treating him as one of their own.
She withdrew her hand from writing the record, closed the notebook, and sighed: "Yagami... you must still be studying."
"Yes, I'm currently a first-year high school student."
"Did that woman say anything to you before she jumped into the sea?"
"No, she didn't say anything." Yagami Light showed a thoughtful expression, then shook his head. "She probably had some kind of mental disability. The things she said were... hard to understand."
"What did she say?"
The policewoman looked hopeful. This might be the key to cracking the case.
"Boyfriend, down there, find him."
"Bastard!!"
The policewoman slammed her fist heavily on the railing, causing a low humming sound. Her beautiful face, half-covered by a black eye mask, twisted in anger. Each wrinkle seemed to come alive, all speaking of her rage.
"Um... Officer onee-san, could you tell me what exactly happened?"
The policewoman took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down, shaking her head at Yagami Light. "This is a police investigation. I can't disclose the details to you."
"I see. That's okay. I just thought... that woman was very pitiful. She must've been deceived by someone."
The policewoman gave a noncommittal nod. "Mm."
"Yagami-kun, you've inherited Lord Sōichirō's sense of justice well. But remember, someone dying in front of you—carrying the weight of a life—is far too heavy for a child your age."
"A person's death happens three times. The first is when your heart stops beating: biologically, you're dead. The second is at the funeral: when society acknowledges your departure. The third is when the last person who remembers you dies: that's when you're truly gone..."
"I'll remember that girl. As for you, Yagami-kun, forget everything that happened today. Go to class as usual tomorrow. After you graduate university and pass the Professional Track exam, become an official police officer before you confront the weight of lives like this."
Given the policewoman's age, calling Kusuko Tsuruta a "child" might have seemed excessive. What she didn't know was that the boy before her, Yagami Light, was in a sense the true "murderer" behind Kusuko Tsuruta's death.
"I understand." Yagami Light nodded solemnly.
There was no disappointment in his heart. Now that he had remembered Kusuko Tsuruta and Endō Makoto, all he had to do was wait until he got home, sneak into Miss Makima's computer while she was asleep, and retrieve the case file.
'At that time...'
'Leave no one alive. Kill them all.'
Yagami Light's heart was ice-cold. But on his face, he wore the sunny, bashful smile of a big-hearted boy. "Police onee-san, how should I address you?"
"Me?" The policewoman pulled out a lady's cigarette, lit it with a lighter, and took a deep drag. "I'm Himeno. You can call me Officer Himeno."
"Officer Himeno, I got it."
"By the way, what are you doing here this late?"
"Uh… well, I was heading to cram school. This is on the way. But with what happened just now, looks like I won't make it."
"What time was your class? I'll give you a ride."
"Seven o'clock. Are you sure?"
"Don't worry, I've already arranged for someone else to handle things here."
Himeno got back into the patrol car and thoughtfully opened the door for Yagami Light, patting the passenger seat.
"Enough talking. Get in."
'Seriously… In the end, I still got escorted by a police officer, huh.'
...
...
"This is the place?"
Himeno parked steadily by the roadside and glanced toward the dark, quiet alley nearby. Her expression grew strange. If she remembered correctly, this was the residence of the yakuza group Ryōgi-gumi's oyabun?
Cram school? Here?
"Yes."
"What are you studying here?"
Yagami Light had already prepared his answer and replied without a hint of hesitation, "Kendō lessons."
"..." Himeno held her forehead. A flawless answer, yet something about it felt off.
Going to the yakuza boss's house late at night for kendō lessons? Not long ago, Himeno had read a report about a high school student who took his own life due to the stress of college entrance exams.
And yet Yagami Light was out getting kendō lessons at night.
If Himeno had to guess, this child of Lord Sōichirō likely wouldn't pass the Professional Track exam in the future.
But maybe that was for the best—living a happy, ordinary life wasn't bad either. At least it meant not becoming a police officer, getting dragged into darkness, and ending up like Lord Sōichirō.
"Well then, take care of yourself. Also, here's my number. If you ever run into trouble, contact me right away."
She handed him a business card through the window.
Yagami Light took it naturally and gave it a quick glance before slipping it into his pocket.
[Himeno – Metropolitan Police Department, Criminal Investigation Bureau, Division 1, Unit 3 – Detective]
"Thank you, Officer Himeno."
As he watched the patrol car drive away, Yagami Light found the woman quite amusing. Judging by her words earlier, she must've become a cop through the Professional Track exam.
But considering she'd known his father for so long and was still only a detective, she was probably not from the Professional Track after all.
"Trying to inspire me like that? What a well-meaning female cop."
"But in this world, a police officer like that probably won't meet a good end~"
Now someone like his guardian, Miss Makima—a carefree, relaxed tax-money thief could probably live a good life.
Yagami Light shook his head, pushing away these distracting thoughts, and slowly stepped into the wooded path.
———
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