"Any information to report for today?" Near asks a tired Gevanni who just came into the main room of the S.P.K headquarters.
"I still can't believe you, you out of all people, told me to follow someone around for a week because they breathed the wrong way!" The detective sighs in frustration, sitting on the simple couch and trying to calm himself down.
"She was very suspicious. She still is." Near says by way of explanation while still facing away from Stephen, playing with one of his toys.
"True, she is secretive and apparently smart, but that's not a reason! Besides, I thought our main suspect was Light Yagami." The detective growls.
"You can quit whenever you like." Near shrugs lightly, "We'll understand."
"You haven't answered my question."
"It wasn't a question, it was a statement- no, an opinion." Near picks up another toy.
"Still, I'd like you to answer it."
"He is indeed our primary suspect. But this girl, what was her name again?"
"You're serious or you're testing my patience? I've been following her for five days, and I still have two left, which means she's a suspect of some kind, and you don't even remember her name?" Gevanni takes a deep breath to keep himself from yelling.
"I have other matters to think of. But back to the point, her name..?" Near doesn't even spare his colleague a glance.
"Ximena Chin."
"Right, Miss Chin. She is...interesting." Near hums a bit, as if deep in thought.
"That's it? That's the reason I've been told to waste a week on her?" Stephen pinches the bridge of his nose, doing his best to cope with the boiling anger rising in him.
"Near has his reasons. It is not a waste." Rester responds simply.
"Commandant is right." Near nods, "The task I assigned you has a goal."
"I find that hard to believe."
"I believe that she may be one of the Kiras or in a close relationship with him." Near suddenly reveals, catching Stephen off guard.
"It's- It's that deep?" He asks, eyes widened.
"That's why your spying is necessary."
"I understand." Gevanni nods gravely.
— Time Skip—
The detective watches as Ximena walks out of the building where her apartment is situated. And again, she is wearing the same blue trench coat she always has on. Then suddenly, she literally takes off, running down the street. Although with slight difficulty, Stephen still manages to catch up with her, staying at a fair distance so she wouldn't take notice. He sees her turn a corner and follows her. Only when a dead end comes in sight at the end of the passage that he realizes that she is gone. Vanished into thin air. However, before he could even think about what to do next, a very familiar voice echoes behind him.
"And what is a very respectful and handsome man like yourself doing following me around?"
Stephen curses under his breath as he whips around. He has been caught. What will Near think?
"Oh, I didn't realize who you were. Apologies." She smiles, having taken in notice his face, "Good morning, Stephen Gevanni."
He sighs, relieved; at least she doesn't know his real name. Though he becomes more and more alarmed as she starts to walk towards him in a confident manner. In a matter of seconds, they are standing in front of each other, faces centimeters appart.
She then leans in to whisper in his ear, sending shivers or fear and uncomfortableness down his spine, "Or shall I say, Stephen Loud?" She then leans back, inspecting his face with a smile.
He freezes, "...What?"
"Gevanni suits you better though."
"What did you just call me?" He asks, louder this time, a hint of shock in his voice.
"I called you by your real name, why?" He notices a glint of amusement in her eyes and a small smirk on her lips.
"Stop being so reckless before I remove that little smirk from your face." He growls in annoyance.
"That isn't a thing you'd say. Very different from your usual character and doesn't fit in." She shakes her head, "So I suggest we discuss this over some tea at my place instead of you trying to threaten me."
'Great,' Gevanni thinks, 'She's trying to lure me where she can poison me and nobody will find out. I hope she wouldn't start a fight if I said no.'
"Don't be silly, I'm not that stupid. Don't you think the rest of the S.P.K will realize that you were last seen spying on me and their suspicious towards me will rise?" She tilts her head a bit to the side, her smile amused.
"You read my thoughts?" Stephen looks at her as if she's a ghost.
"No, I knew what you'll think. Well, maybe that's kind of the same thing, but whatever. It's now up to you to choose, either we go to my place, or I'll have to come with you to the S.P.K and let Near realize that he's being stupid."
"You know Near?" His confusion grows.
"Obviously." She shrugs, "So, what's your choice?"
"Come with me to the S.P.K headquarters." He says after a brief pause.
"You're actually ready to take the risk of revealing its location to me? Partially didn't expect that from you, but not like I mind."
They make their way out of the dead end and to the S.P.K headquarters.
—Time Skip—
As Near is playing with his robot, a knock is heard.
"Gevanni, you're a bit early. Something happened?" He asks not turning around as he hears the door open.
"Our little genius is spot on." An unfamiliar, yet somewhat- somehow familiar, voice says. And...that nickname...so familiar...no, it can't be, it's not possible.
The albino sits there, contemplating whether he should look around or not, but finally gives in to the curiosity and raises a brow as his eyes land on her, on Ximena Chin. The one person who was last on the list of people that could be here right now.
"What are you doing here?"
"Really, Near? You still consider me Ximena, the character I created when you put Gevanni on my tail?" She rolls her eyes, "The flirtatious curious woman with no aim in life? I thought better of you."
"Who are you then?"
"Oh wow, that's a new level of stupidity." She throws her arms in the air, "I'm Y/a (your alias)."
"Y-Y/a? From- From Whammy's? The Y/a what was considered...dead...by many?" Near stares at her, his eyes wide.
"The one and only." She smiles victoriously.
He basically jumps up and rushes towards her at extreme speed, engulfing her in the tightest of hugs.
"I missed you." He mumbles into her shirt.
"I know; I missed you too." She smiles at his head.
"You changed so much..."
"I only grew up, lost weight, and cut my hair." She shrugs.
A polite "Ahem." from Stephen interrupts their little reunion.
But Near just mumbles a "What is it, Gevanni?" without even looking up. Come to think of it, he's hugging her so tightly that, in other words, he's literally clinging onto her for dear life.
"Should I take my leave?"
"You may retire to your room and spend the rest of the day however you want, within reason, that is." The albino says.
"Alright." And with that, he leaves, closing the door behind him.
"So you set Gevanni on my trail because I looked suspicious? Or something in my behavior alerted you?" She asks the little genius (that's her official nickname for him).
"I guess I was...curious." Suddenly he starts to shake a bit, rocking back and forth, "Damn you, Y/a! You come to Whammy's, you turn my world upside down, then fake your death, transform into another person and stir things up in me all over again."
"You know my 'death' was necessary, Near." She shakes her head, sighing, "And you know that I'm sorry. But I'm here now, and that's the most important thing."
"Y/a, I want to tell you something I have never told anyone else, that I don't trust to tell anyone else." He suddenly says, making her raise an eyebrow.
"And what is that?"
"My name." He says simply.
She tilts her head a bit, "That's dangerous."
"But I trust you. In fact, there's a 90% chance that you'll be my successor if I die." Percentages? Very Near-ish. Also very L-ish. But L...is gone. And she has accepted that. So now she should focus on what is here now, the present, the current world situation, Near, Kira.
"90%? Isn't that a bit too much?"
"Not in the slightest." He then stands on his tiptoes so he could be closer to her ear and whisper more quietly the name Kira would give everything to have, "Nate River."
