Mass release 1/10
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The afternoon sun was bright and warm.
Cherry blossom trees lined both sides of the street, their branches bursting with vibrant blooms swaying gently in the breeze. Petals floated down like snow, spreading across the ground like a soft pink carpet.
Shops on both sides of the street had their doors wide open, lively cries of merchants echoing along the alleyways.
Occasionally, a bicycle would pass by, its bell ringing crisply—a refreshing note amid the cacophony of voices. Cats strolled leisurely through the streets, pausing now and then to curiously observe the passing pedestrians. On this afternoon, it felt as if time slowed down, allowing the unique vitality of Chūō District's streets to be savored.
This peaceful bustle belonged to the daytime.
But once the sun set and night took over the world... everything changed.
The majority of crimes occurred at night. If one didn't make the most of this vibrant time, there would be no opportunity once evening came.
Day and night—two distinctive Vyome divided the time in this world.
Yagami Light carried a small shoulder bag, one hand tucked into the pocket of his trench coat as he strolled along the sidewalk.
His eyes scanned the distance. At the end of the street, a tall girl brimming with youthful energy was already waiting.
She noticed Yagami Light too and began to jog toward him.
"Long time no see, Tsuki-kun!!" Her voice reached him before she did, a cheerful tone that belonged to a lively young girl.
Her long golden hair had soft pink highlights at the tips. Her fingernails were painted a matching pink, gleaming under the sunlight.
She wore a white shirt, and her light blue necktie was pulled into a graceful arc. Her style was Inspired by Makima's, yet conveyed a completely different impression—where Makima was cool and intellectual, this girl was fresh and peach-like.
A bright purple jacket was tied around her waist, and she wore a short skirt that radiated the high school girl's youthful hormones with every step.
If Yukinoshita Yukino was the distant snow-capped flower on the mountain, then Kitagawa Marin was the juicy, fresh peach. That was the thought that crossed Yagami Light's mind.
When she saw him, Kitagawa Marin smiled brightly, her eyes curved, and a tiny fang peeked out from her grin.
"It really has been a while."
Yagami Light felt a soft impact, and before he could react, Kitagawa Marin had clung tightly to his arm.
'Don't overthink it. It's just pure friendship.'
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Kitagawa Marin was the type of gyaru who let her guard down completely around friends she was close to—but she was surprisingly innocent. She usually hung out only with girls and, aside from Yagami Light, there weren't any rumors of her getting close to other boys.
"How's your recent cosplay going?"
"Eh..." Kitagawa Marin sighed. "I've been saving up since summer break. Cosplay outfits are so expensive!"
"You really…"
Yagami Light shook his head and lectured gently, "Even if you're not aiming for college, you should at least put a little more effort into your studies."
He genuinely regarded this girl as a friend.
Back in her middle school days, Kitagawa Marin's mother was attacked by a group of underage delinquents on her way home from work. Due to the severity of her injuries, she passed away. The incident had severe impact on society negatively that it was personally overseen by Makima, who was head at the time.
It was around then that Yagami Light got to know Kitagawa.
At the time, he had only just obtained the Death Note and didn't have the nerve to act boldly. In order to avoid drawing the attention of the Public Security Bureau's Division 4, he waited a long time before sentencing those teenage devils to death.
'Come to think of it, what kind of people are in Public Security's Division 4 anyway? Even someone like Makima, with her authority, couldn't access information about them—as if everything had been locked away in a vault.'
"Tsuki! Don't talk about stuff like that when we've finally met~" Kitagawa Marin shook Yagami Light's arm playfully, as if begging him to stop.
She loved cosplay. Her father, who worked in another city, would regularly deposit large sums into her account for living expenses. But since it was her own hobby, she insisted on earning the money herself—that was Kitagawa Marin's principle.
Because of that, she was different from most highschooler.
After school, she didn't join any popular clubs or go out for fancy teas.
Instead, she put on her convenience store uniform and started her dull part-time job to save money. Due to public safety issues, she couldn't work at night. The only time available to her was the brief window from the end of school until sunset.
The pace of saving money was hopelessly slow.
After coming home from school, she had to play erotic-themed games to deepen her understanding of the characters for cosplay. Under such tight circumstances, the time allocated for studying was virtually nonexistent.
"Getting into a good university is still really important. You'll meet a lot of interesting people there, and after graduation, it'll be easier to find a job that satisfies you."
Light didn't let it go, allowing Kitagawa Marin to cling to her arm as they headed toward an unknown destination.
"Onii-san~"
Light's body stiffened. Instinctively, she looked at Kitagawa Marin—those dazzling eyes paired with such a deadly line…
The sense of discomfort shot straight from the soles of her feet to the crown of her head.
"Hehe, I'm just kidding~ Tsuki-kun, when you were lecturing just now, you really looked like my dad~ So how about I just start calling you Daddy from now on~ How's that sound?"
"If your father heard that, he'd be heartbroken…"
Light couldn't help but rub his forehead and sigh, then followed Kitagawa Marin as they walked into the café and sat down.
Dumb girls like this… they're really beyond saving!
Just like Dazai Osamu wisely said, you can never wake someone who's pretending to be asleep.
Seeing that it was truly impossible to ignite Kitagawa Marin's interest in studying, Light gave up.
"So, Kitagawa, what did you call me out for this afternoon?" Yagami Light asked curiously, casually ordering a mascarpone raw cheese latte.
The girl had only actively invited him out once before. That time, she had just emerged from the shadows and wanted to try changing herself at a comic convention. Since she was cosplaying a female character, she needed a bodyguard to accompany her.
What about this time?
Yagami Light was a bit curious, shaking his coffee cup and quietly waiting for Kitagawa Marin's next words.
Kitagawa Marin hesitated, then frankly stated, "I heard Tsuki-kun started a club to help people and take requests?"
"Yes, what about it?"
"Actually, there's something I'd like to ask Tsuki-kun to investigate. Can you?"
"What is it? If it's very troublesome, I'll charge you, you know~" Yagami Light said playfully.
"Well... I recently heard them say that the older students are bullying a girl with a hearing impairment. Some of my friends seem to be involved..."
Kitagawa Marin's face was incredibly conflicted. Finally, she made up her mind: "I personally looked into it. But, from their reactions, it doesn't seem real... The girl with the hearing impairment also didn't tell me anything."
"I'd like to ask Tsuki-kun to help me investigate. Because if it's false, and I investigate it myself and get caught, it would be really awkward... Tsuki-kun understands, right?"