I am Ryoko || L Lawliet x Kira!OC

24. Reunion

Ritsu was not stupid. Quite the opposite, he was very clever. He could be of few words but he was not blind. He saw her, his mother...talking to herself while handling a strange red book. Each time he walked closer to her, that book would disappear and Ryoko acted as if nothing happened.

The four years old boy was playing at Qwirkle (a/n: a tile-based game for two to four players where you score one point for each tile placed within a line, including existing tiles within the line) but he was using the tiles to create geometrical figures chromatically pleasing. He played –and won- that game so many times that the other children didn't want to play with him anymore. It seemed that it wasn't funny if it was Ritsu to win.

At the Wammy's House Ritsu didn't have many friends. Actually, you could say he had no friends at all. The fact that he rarely spoke didn't help him socialising. But he didn't mind, he created his own comfort zone where there was space just for him.

Soon enough, Ritsu got tired of Qwirkle and put it aside. He decided to go to the music classroom, where his mother usually held lessons, but he stopped the room before. With the corner of his dark eyes he saw a figure, crouched on the ground, surrounded by...leaves? It was a girl of the same age as Ritsu: long black hair combed into two separated braids, a long fringe covered her eyes and nose and a cute white dress.

Now Ritsu remembered her, her alias was Vivienne. Much like him, she didn't like the company of other people even if sometimes he saw her with many teachers.

«Are you going to stay there all the time?»

Normally, at those words, Ritsu would turn around and leave but for some reason that girl intrigued him. So he entered the room, a tiny library, and walked closer to her. He noticed Vivienne was surrounded by many types of leaves: oak, willow, elm, beech and so on. They were perfectly organised in a specific order which Ritsu didn't get yet.

«Are you here to bother me? I suggest you to do more productive activities if the answer is yes» her voice could appear feeble but the tone was strong and somehow intimidating for a four years old girl.

Ritsu removed his boots and sat down in front of her, with each foot placed on the opposite thigh, careful not to scatter the leaves with sudden movements. The girl didn't flinch, it was difficult to understand what she was feeling since most of her face was hidden behind the fringe.

Vivienne continued to organise her leaves in an album. Meanwhile, Ritsu noticed her movements: before putting a leaf inside the album, she touched the page with her fingers but only when she would find the opening she would insert the leaf. Moreover, it seemed Vivienne wasn't really looking at the album but again, it was difficult since her eyes were hidden behind the hair.

«So you must be the boy who doesn't talk...I'm Vivienne» the little girl tried to start a conversation pretending to sound confident but truth was that she was afraid. The other children always bothered her for her appearance or her...distinctive trait. Hence she really didn't like her peer's company.

Ritsu nodded loud enough to let her know he replied. In the meantime, he kept staring at her leaves trying to figure out what she was doing.

«I guess you're not going to talk, right? At least you're not as loquacious as the others»

Vivienne kept sorting her leaves when one of them flew a bit far from the girl. Ritsu noticed it but it seemed Vivienne didn't and this confused him: did she see a leaf just flew away? The little boy was still thinking about it when the girl started to touch the wooden floor where the two were sitting.

«Wha-Where is it? Did you steal my oak leaf?» Vivienne asked quite annoyed but Ritsu took her hand and guided it towards said leaf. The girl sighed in relief.