Part 5

The next day came and Oki was walking home after school. She was deep in thought, a state which had occupied her mind for the earlier parts of the day as well.

“Would you like to go get a soda and talk? You look to be troubled by something.” Oki turned toward the familiar voice and saw L speaking to her from his car. The car slowly came to a stop beside her. “Come on. I am sure you could use a friendly ear,” he said.

Oki smiled as she stepped toward the car. L stepped out opening the door for her to get in. Once inside the car and seated, L motioned for his driver to proceed.

“So, what has you’re pretty little head all a worry.” L asked her.

Oki sat with her hands folded in her lap looking down at them, “Light.”

L looked slightly confused by her answer. “Light? May I ask what he has done to upset you?”

“I never knew Light was so uncaring,” Oki responded, looking up at L.

L sat back in his seat, not sure what to say. He sighed softly, “Oki, I am not sure what you thought about Light, however, I have told you my suspicion about him.”

“Yes, L, I know you have. You were right about him. I should have listened to you.”

“Now wait, Oki,” L said. “I only told you what I thought about Light for your safety. I mean, if my suspicions are correct about him being Kira, you could be in real danger.”

“Light is not Kira. That much I know. He may be heartless and uncaring toward people, but even he is not that heartless.”

L blinked his eyes a few times looking at Oki. “Light, heartless? How did you come to that conclusion, Oki?”

“He is...” Oki exclaimed, slightly raising her voice. She looked down at her hands again and saw that they were now clinched.

“Ok,” L watched Oki as she sat next to him in the car. It seemed to him that she was thinking out loud, repeating the thoughts that were on her mind.

“Why can’t he come to my work? It is not as bad as he says. The people there are good people. Sure, they are dying, but it is not as if he can catch what they have. I do not understand why he said that. If he feels that way about sickness and death, why does he hang around with me? I am sick and dying, but still there he is by my side almost every day!”

“Every day?” L questioned.

Oki looked over at L. “I am sorry L this is not your problem. And here I sit going off about it.”

“You are fine, Oki. I asked you to come along so we could talk about this. However, I did not know it had you this upset.”

Oki growled under her breath shaking her head. “Why did he say that?”

L’s car started slowing down as it came to a stop in front of the café they were at the night before.

L’s driver stepped from the car and opened the door for them. L stepped out and leaned down to look back into the car. He offered his hand to Oki, his soft eyes gleaming at her as he smiled.

“I would love to come to your work, Oki. Maybe I could do that this weekend. Spending time with you, no matter where, is always a joy for me.”

Oki smiled back at L as her anger started to lift. She took L’s hand in hers and proceeded from the car.

---

It was the morning of the third day since Oki had become upset at Light and had decided not to speak to him. The weekend was coming up and Light felt he needed to explain his feelings about their conversation, so he hoped that their plans for the weekend could still proceed without a problem.

He walked slowly toward the school campus pulling his phone from his pocket, and looking blankly at it.

“Are you going to try and call her again?” Ryuk asked.

“If I do, she will only hang up on me again. That is, after she is done yelling at me for being a jerk. I should have never asked L to use his phone to call her,” Light said.

“Why didn’t you use your own phone to call her?” Ryuk asked.

“Because she is not answering my calls, they all go to voice mail. I wanted to know if she just not taking just my calls or if she is like that with everyone’s. I am worried about her,” Light told Ryuk.

“You? Worried about her?” Ryuk said sarcastically.

Light looked back at Ryuk with an offended expression on his face. “Are you saying I cannot care for someone, Ryuk?”

“Why would I say something like that?” Ryuk asked before fading into the nothingness that surrounded them.

Light looked at his phone again as he walked onto campus. He slowly flipped it open pushing the redial. Oki’s number appeared on the screen. He pushed the send button and then slowly closed his phone.

Light stopped walking as he lifted his hand to his head. He ran his fingers through his hair. “What is wrong with me? Why can’t I do this? It is not as if I have never apologized before. It is only Oki...” Light paused to look at his phone once more. “Oki...”

“Talking to yourself, Light?” A familiar voice asked.

Light turned slightly in the direction of L’s voice and saw that he was standing behind him. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to get Oki’s books,” L told him.

“Her books? Why would she need her books?” Light asked.

“She fell ill the other day while we were at the café getting a soda. She asked me to come get her books and assignments so she would not fall too far behind. Have you not noticed her absence? ”

Light turned quickly so that he was facing L, “ILL! Is she alright?”

“Umm… I guess not,” L replied quietly as he rolled his eyes. “The doctors sent her home after an extensive examination. They said her time was drawing near, and symptoms like this are only going to happen more often for her,” L walked past Light.

“So she is home now?” Light questioned as he spun around to face L.

L did not stop walking or even look back at Light, “yes, she is at home now.” L heard Light turn and walk away.

As Light made his way off campus, his phone rang. He reached into his pocket and could only groan when he saw that the caller was L.

“Why is he calling me?” Light asked himself. He opened his phone, putting it to his ear.

“Do you really think that going to see her now is a good idea? She is not feeling well and your presence may only make this worse on her. After all, she is still very upset with you.”

Light stopped walking holding the phone to his ear not saying a word. “He is right. It might make Oki worse,” Light thought to himself.

“Are you going to answer me, Light or just stand there speechless?”

Light turned to see L standing at the school gates. “Fine. I will not go see her. However, you have to tell her I am worried about her and to please get better...” Light paused. “At least for me.”

“I will be sure to let her know. She will be glad to know you’re not as heartless as she thought.”

Light watches L close his phone and walk back onto the school campus. He stood there shocked by L’s last words to him.

“Heartless?”

---

A couple of hours later, L was at Oki’s house with her books and assignments. He took a seat next to her and set her books on the table.

“I came across Light this morning,” he said.

Oki picked up one of her books. “Did you? I am guessing he asked about me.”

“As a matter of fact he did. I told him you fell ill the other day.”

“I am sure he did not care either way,” Oki retorted in hurt tone.

“On the contrary, he was very worried about you,” L told her.

Oki looked up from her book and towards L. “He told me to tell you he was worried about you, and to please get better, at least for him.”

“Get better for him?” Oki asked.

“He was going to come see you after I told him what had happened to you. However, I suggested it would not be such a good idea. I was not sure if you were ready to see him.” L picked up the teapot sitting on the table and poured tea for Oki and himself.

“I do not think I am ready to face him yet,” Oki admitted.

“I thought the same. That is why I told him that.” L picked up Oki’s cup and carefully handed it to her. “Oki, may I ask you a question?”

“Sure,” Oki replied before taking a sip of her tea.

“What is it about Light that attracted you to him?”

Oki, taken aback by his question, was not sure what to say. She could not tell him the truth of why she and Light are friends. “I would not say I was attracted to him,” Oki replied.

“Well you two do seem to be moving past the friendship stage. That is why I said ‘attracted’,” L told her.

“Moving past?” Oki questioned.

“You mean to tell me you have not noticed how Light acts around you?”

Oki chuckled, “In all reality, L, I have seen how both of you act with me.”

L sat back slightly, the look on his face telling her that he was caught. “Me?” he looked up at Oki, smiling.

Oki laughed at him. “Playing dumb does not suit you.”

L gave a chuckle. “Well I have to say I have found myself at times very attracted to you.”

“At times? What about the other times?” Oki asked giggling.

“I am trying not to get too attached to you,” L told her.

Oki sighed sadly and looked at Amaterasu who was standing by the window.

“I understand, L. Getting close to me means heartache.”

L reached across for one of Oki’s hands which currently rested on her lap. “That is not it, Oki. I know you are dying and will not be here with us much longer, but losing you is going to affect me either way. The real reason I can’t get attached… Well, it’s not your life that keeps me from wanting to be more than friends, its mine.”

“Yours?” Oki asked, looking back at him.

“Yes, the life I live is not something I would wish anyone else to endure. Even if you were well, I would not have you by my side, because that would put you in danger.”

“But wouldn’t that be a choice for me to make?” Oki asked him.

“Yes it would, but I would never ask you to be with me because of that. I will never let you make that choice,” L told her.

Oki smiled at L. “That’s very sweet of you, L, but if you keep thinking like this you will never get a girl in your life.”

L chuckled, “I am sure I will not be doing this all my life. I do have to retire someday.”

“Yes, I am sure one day the right girl for you will walk into your life,” Oki said.

L looked deep into Oki’s eyes and smiled.

“She already has.”

Oki smiled back and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “Thank you, L.”

L patted Oki’s hand and stood up.

“Well I need to be getting back to headquarters.”

He turned and walked to the front door. “Do not overdo it with your homework. I do not want to be going to the hospital to visit you.”

“I won’t.” Oki said as she opened her book.

L looked over his shoulder at Oki. “I will call you later to see how you are doing.”

Oki nodded then quickly looked up. “L?”

“Yes, Oki,” L stopped walking and turned to face her. Oki was holding a paper in her hand, looking down on it.

She waited for a few seconds then looked back towards L, “I have a favor to ask of you.”

“Sure. Anything. What is it, Oki?”

“I am writing a paper for my journalism class. It so happens to be covering a case you worked. It was a few years ago, but I would love to be able you get an interview with you. I am sure my professor will be very impressed that I was able to talk to you about it.”

“Well since that case is already closed, I see no harm in that. I would be honored to help you out with it,” L told her.

Oki smiled, “thank you, L.”

“Are you up for the interview tonight, or would another night be better?” L asked.

“Tonight is fine with me. We can have dinner together. Say, seven?”

“Seven is great. I will see you then.”

“I will see you then.” Oki repeated.