Keiko’s POV:

Keiko was unable to fall asleep that night, tossing and turning in her bed as the day’s events replayed in her mind. Her thoughts were on a constant loop, and no matter how tired she felt, she just couldn’t stop obsessing over her meeting with the world’s greatest detective.

The fact that he suspected Light of being Kira was certainly overwhelming for her, but she had to admit, it wasn’t entirely out of the realm of possibilities. In fact, the more Keiko thought about it, the more she realized that, unfortunately, L had a point.

Light’s definitely smart enough to be Kira...and like L, I suspect that he must have a strong sense of justice like his father...as well as having access to his father’s police records. Also, now that I think about it, while this might not be connected to Kira, twice when I was with Light, criminals died...it’s certainly odd, however, it’s never been confirmed that Kira can kill in ways other than a heart attack. So those could have just been a coincidence but still. Is it too much of a coincidence? I honestly don’t know. Ugh...while the possibility is slim, Light very well could be Kira. I can’t ignore that fact, no matter how much I might be interested in him...especially if he’s dating me only to cover his tracks. If he is, of course I’d want to find out sooner than later.

Keiko also noted, that whenever she was with Light, the Kira investigation never really came up in conversation. On the other hand, who would want to talk about the criminals of the world dying while on a date? Considering the events of their first date, and what happened that night at the convenience store, Keiko came to the conclusion that perhaps Light didn’t want to possibly bring up those horrific memories.

While it’s odd, perhaps I shouldn’t be too quick to judge him on that...

She considered L’s proposal. If she took it, she would have a spot on the Task Force. She would be free to come and go at headquarters when it fit with her schedule, provided that she did a little spying on Light for them.

Working with L would be a dream come true, and this would also give her the chance to prove her worth as an investigator. One side of her really wanted to say yes, however, the other side of her knew that spying was wrong, and even if was for a good cause, she would be lying to Light.

Her thoughts were tearing her apart. L’s words were haunting her, and she wished that she could go to her best friends for advice. Although, she already had a good idea of what each of them would have said to her. Maki would have told her, in a rather shrill voice, that she would be dumb not to take L up on his offer. While Maki didn’t understand Keiko’s fascination with detective work, she wouldn’t let her friend give up such a great opportunity.

On the other hand, Akito would have said softly that, despite Keiko’s dreams, if the cost was much too high, then it wouldn’t be worth it. That would be Akito’s way of telling Keiko that she should decline L for even suggesting something as outrageous as spying on Light Yagami.

So it would have been one to one anyway, and in the end, I’m still stuck making an impossible decision. But wait...he’s probably not even Kira, and if he isn’t, then perhaps I can help him prove his innocence. If I prove that Light is innocent then, if Light wanted to, perhaps he could join the Task Force himself. So, even if I am keeping an eye on him, maybe that could end up being a good thing? But still, what I would be doing would be wrong...no! While it is wrong, I can’t think like that. In the end, I have to do what I feel is right, otherwise I know I will end up regretting it forever!

Keiko sat up in her bed, her sweaty night shirt clinging to her back. After countless hours of mulling it over, she felt that she had finally come to a solid decision.

Light’s POV:

Light sat across from the chestnut haired girl, examining her carefully as he sipped his coffee. He watched her compose a quick text to one of her friends before focusing her attention on him again. Today would be the day that he executed his plan, and he figured that a coffee shop would be the perfect way to start the first part of their date. He was confident, and so far, their little coffee date had gone well.

There was no doubt in his mind that when he asked her to be his girlfriend later on that day, she would probably say yes. The chances of her refusing him were slim, so slim that Light wasn’t even worried. In fact, he had a little plan to ensure that she couldn’t say no to him, no matter what.

By now, he suspected that L had probably gotten to her. However, there was no good way of asking her, not without appearing suspicious. The two hadn’t even talked about the Kira investigation before, not properly, and to bring it up now would ring some alarms for sure. He had no choice but to trust his intuition.

If L had indeed gotten in contact with her, that would mean that there was a good chance she was now spying on him to report back to L later. Even if she refused to spy on him, if Light and Keiko got together, then that would mean he could still use her as a cover. She was pretty much his type anyway, attractive, intelligent, and goal-oriented. Either way, having Keiko agree to be his girlfriend would benefit him.

After investigating Keiko, he figured that it was a pretty safe bet that Keiko would agree to L’s conditions. No matter how much she liked Light, she wouldn’t be satisfied unless she could rule out for sure that he wasn’t Kira.

Light was confident that he could eliminate her suspicions about him and fully earn her trust. Also, with Keiko on the Task Force, Light figured that there was a good possibility that he could get closer to L sooner. If he got Keiko to vouch for Light, he himself could become a member of the Task Force. Although he knew that sooner or later, L would probably want Light on the Task Force anyway, being with Keiko could hasten that development.

Light started to laugh, a smile forming on his face.

It looks like yet again I’ll win. This will be too easy.

“Hyuk, hyuk, you’re that confident, huh?” He heard Ryuk comment from behind him. Light ignored him, still focused on the girl in front of him.

“What’s so funny, Light-kun?” Keiko asked, staring up at him with her gentle brown eyes. Light’s heart gave a little lurch, which he fought hard to ignore. There was no way he could go falling for her charms now, not when his victory was so close. He had to remain level headed, falling in love would only weaken him.

“Oh, it’s nothing, don’t worry,” Light replied, giving a little stretch as he stood up, “I’m done. Are you finished with your coffee?”

Keiko nodded and Light reached for her empty cup, throwing it in the trash along with his own. She had stood up as well, “shall we go now then?”

Light nodded and grabbed her hand, leading her out the door, “I was thinking we could go for a walk, if that’s okay with you, of course.”

Keiko bit her lip in a failed attempt to hide her smile, “I think a walk sounds great.”

The two of them fell in step together, walking side by side. Light knew exactly where he wanted to take her, there was a scenic park with benches scattered around nearby. He figured it would be a pretty romantic place to take a girl. Also, if they were out in public, there would be no way that Keiko could refuse him, not without causing a scene. It was the safest bet.

The walk there didn’t take long, and soon they were entering the nature park. All around them were tall cherry blossom trees. They were in full bloom this time of year, and a few petals were blowing about in the wind.

“It’s so gorgeous,” Keiko commented upon entering the area. She had paused almost right away to look at the nature surrounding her in awe, confirming to Light that he had made the right decision in taking her there.

Light nodded in agreement, “yeah, it’s pretty amazing out here. Would you want to sit down for a while, relax and soak it all up?”

Keiko looked back at him, there was a smile on her face as she said, “sure, why not?”

He led her to one of the benches beneath the tall trees, motioning for her to sit down next to him.

“Heh, you’re about to ask her to be your girlfriend now, aren’t you?” Ryuk chuckled, “that’s why you dragged her out here.”

But of course, Ryuk, Light thought, just you watch. I’m going to play the part of a teenage boy in love, and I’m going to do it well.

Light scooted a little closer to Keiko, his leg brushing up against hers as he did so. Keiko, who had been looking away at the time, glanced over when she noticed the intrusion. There was a light pink color spreading across her face, which got even pinker as Light brushed a loose strand of hair away from her eyes and tucked it behind her ear.

Now that he had her full attention, he figured it was high time to take action, “Keiko-chan, now that we’re here, there’s actually something I wanted to ask you…”

Keiko’s eyes slightly widened, and Light could sense her sudden nervousness. Her face was still pink though, which Light took as a good sign.

“Heh, well would you look at that. It appears you have quite the effect on her,” Ryuk laughed, wishing that he could have had an apple to chow down on while watching the show.

Light continued on, “I know we had a bit of a weird beginning, the convenience store incident, you forcing me to pose as your current boyfriend in front of your ex boyfriend, and then with what happened on that bus...but…”

He trailed off, watching Keiko stare at him in wonderment. “But...what?” she questioned him, and Light smirked, enjoying the little show he was putting on.

I’ve got her.

Light finally finished, “but...somehow, I feel like we understand each other. That, and I really enjoy spending time with you…I guess what I’m saying is...Keiko Kagami, would you like to make things official by saying you’ll be my girlfriend?”

Keiko’s POV:

Keiko swore that, for a second, her mind entirely stopped working and shut down. Sure, she knew it was coming, especially when she saw where Light had led her, but hearing him actually ask her out properly? She could feel her insides slowly turning into one big, gooey puddle. After spending so much time with Light, she couldn’t deny that, slowly but surely, she could feel herself starting to fall him.

The logical side of her was screaming that there was a chance, however slim, that he was Kira and that by saying yes to him now, she would end up hurting because of him later on. How would she feel if she got closer to him only to discover that he was the murderer, the bad guy she was chasing? Keiko knew that if Light were Kira then sooner or later he’d slip up sometime and reveal himself to her. If that were to happen...well Keiko didn’t want to know what she would do, and she hoped that she would never have to know.

She knew that she could have just turned down Light, turned down L’s offer, and walked away right then and there. However, if she did, she knew that she would regret it for the rest of her life. Keiko couldn’t waste the opportunity the world had presented her with. All she wanted to do was prove Light’s innocence to L once and for all, and assert herself as being a competent investigator, despite being only a young woman about to enter her freshman year of college.

The only way she could do that was by saying yes to him. It was risky, but then again, life was full of risks, and she decided that she was up for the challenge.

“Why, Light Yagami, I have to say, I thought you’d never ask,” Keiko flashed Light a flirtatious smile, “of course I’ll be your girlfriend.”

With that, she leaned over working on closing the gap between them. Light leaned forward as well, meeting her in the middle as he pressed his lips up against hers. It wasn’t their first kiss, nor would it be their last, but Keiko thought it was their best kiss. Why? Simply because this time, Light and Keiko were officially boyfriend and girlfriend.

/timeskip/

Later that evening, after Keiko and Light had said their goodbyes for the day, she received a phone call. She paused the movie she had been watching and checked her caller ID.

The Task Force...right on time.

Keiko figured that the call was coming, and she was now more than ready to give her answer.

“Kagami-san,” the voice on the phone said once she picked up, “It’s Matsuda from the Task Force, just checking up on you. Have you come to a decision yet?”

“I have,” Keiko replied, although she knew Matsuda couldn’t see her in person, she was smiling.

“Wonderful, Ryuzaki will be happy to hear that. I’ll be over there soon to pick you up.”

/timeskip/

Fifteen minutes later, Keiko was sitting face to face with Ryuzaki and the rest of the Task Force, except this time she noted they had a different hotel. Matsuda explained to her on the way there that switching hotels every few days was the best way to keep a low profile and ensure that no one caught on to them.

“So, Kagami-san,” L started once she had settled in, “I hear that you made your choice.”

“Yes, I have,” Keiko replied and took a sip of the water bottle in front of her, hoping that her stalling would arouse more curiosity within the members of the Task Force.

“So, what will it be?” L asked her, barely even raising an eyebrow. Keiko watched as the rest of the members of the Task Force leaned in a little closer towards her. Mr. Yagami was looking at her with a determined look on his face, out of the bunch, he seemed the most intent on hearing her response.

On the other hand, out of everyone in the room, Ryuzaki seemed the least interested, and Keiko had no doubt in her mind that it was because he already knew what she was about to say.

Keiko stared straight into L’s eyes as she spoke, “I’ve decided that I’ll do it...but you already knew I would, didn’t you? Otherwise you wouldn’t have bothered to reveal so much classified information last time. It was a risky move on your choice, meeting me in person. But you counted on the fact that, in the end, I’d agree to your conditions. Well, you were right Ryuzaki, you got me.”

L gave her a slight, playful smirk, “wonderful. Yes, you’re right. I knew there was no way you would turn me down, and I took advantage of it.”

Light’s father sighed, “so, this means that you, too, suspect my son?”

Keiko shifted slightly in her seat. The one thing that would be a little awkward was the fact that she would now be working alongside Light’s father without Light’s knowledge, “Mr. Yagami, by doing this, I can possibly confirm that Light really is innocent. I want to confirm that just as much as you do. However, I can’t just ignore the fact that he is still a suspect, no matter how much I like him...” she trailed off, a light blush spreading on her face.

“I see,” My Yagami replied, seemingly satisfied with her answer, “well, in that case, we welcome you to the Task Force. With you here, hopefully we can clear my son’s name sooner.”

Before Keiko could respond to Light’s father, L interrupted, “so this also means that Light’s asked you to be his girlfriend, yes?” Although it was phrased like a question, it was really more of a statement, “the two of you are official now.”

“How’d you know?” Keiko asked, running a hand through her hair, “but yes, he asked me to be his girlfriend just earlier today.”

“All right!” Matsuda grinned, and gave Keiko a light fist bump, which she weakly returned, “way to go, Keiko-chan!”

“Yes, yes, that’s very good,” L said, blatantly ignoring her question. Oh well. L had his ways, and she figured she wasn’t going to get much of an answer anyway, “the closer you get to him, the better. We need him to trust you.”

“So what happens now?” she asked him, hoping that L would answer that one at least.

L smirked, and gestured over to Watari a moment. Watari walked over, handing Keiko her fake id, which read the name Kana Kinomoto.

Hmm...it feels so weird to be given a fake id with a fake name, however, because of the nature of this investigation, I have to have one with me, just in case.

“Well, first of all, whatever is discussed in these meetings stays in these meetings, as I am sure you know. And like before, code names only outside of this room. As promised, you are free to come and go when it works with your schedule. Although, as you are here to keep an eye on Light as well, I would like an update on him at least every couple days. Are you okay with that?”

“Y-yeah,” Keiko stuttered out, a soft smile on her face. While she knew she would now have to spy on Light, she couldn’t deny how happy she was at the fact that she would now be working the world’s greatest detective!

Finally, it was her time to shine. She would finally be able to properly honor her father’s memory and pursue her dreams in the process. Oh, and possibly fall in love, provided her boyfriend wasn’t a serial killer.

It’s a slim chance anyway. I shouldn’t worry about that too much, but of course, I will still keep an eye out.

“Great,” L replied, breaking Keiko out of her thoughts, “now that that’s settled...who wants some cake?”