Early golden sunlight shone through the window.
A bird chirped outside Light's room.
The alarm beeped again. But this time, the poor alarm didn't get smashed like the last few days.
Light gently tapped the Off button and turned to the family picture. He joined both his hands together and bowed down.
Today's the day... Dad.
To take responsibility as your only son...
Light then freshened up and walked down the stairs to the living room.
Breakfast was already ready. Both Sophia and Bosvel were seated.
Bosvel said,
"Finally up, Light?"
"Yeah."
They sat down and ate.
Light put his spoon down and looked at his plate.
"I'm going after him. The one pretending to be Dad."
"..."
There was no reply.
The prolonged silence wasn't awkward. It was heavy. Dense with worry.
Sophia muttered,
"Do what you must do... Just don't get hurt."
Light nodded, took his backpack, and headed toward the university.
Jamie tagged along on the way.
They sat at the cafeteria before classes started.
A soft voice called out to them.
"Hey."
They both looked around and spotted the source of the sound.
Daeho. With a smile. Yeah, with a smile, he walked toward them.
"Guys, good morning!"
He sat down on the chair between Light and Jamie.
Jamie leaned down, placing his elbows on the table.
"So... Friends? Not just case partners. Real friends."
"Thank you... I'm glad."
Light smiled and asked,
"So, what'd you do with the papers?"
"Put it back where I took it out from."
"Good boy."
Light continued,
"Anyway... We have our own work to do with Magg now that yours is done."
"What kinda work?"
"It's complicated."
Light looked down. His eyes narrowed at the floor.
Jamie noticed Light's face.
"Alright! Daeho, see you later. Classes are starting!"
He tugged Light along and pulled him away toward their classroom.
That day went well. It was peaceful like it used to be. It was too peaceful without one person.
Light sat down in his seat. He glanced at the empty seat next to him.
Eun Se-beom...
I forgot to go see her. Maybe this evening...
Students were chattering, and boring lectures took place. It was your average day at a university, until-
Shatter!
The classroom window shattered.
A stone had just shattered it into pieces.
All heads turned toward the broken window.
Light and Jamie, along with all the students, peered down through the window toward the direction from which the stone came.
To their shock, there were not two, not three, but more than fifty people standing in front of the building. Each of them held some kind of weapon. Baseball bats, metal rods. A lot of bikes were parked at the gates.
Light murmured,
"What the hell is going on here..."
Jamie put a hand on Light and looked down at the thugs.
"Probably here for some shitheads..."
That's what they thought.
Until...
A scream echoed through their ears.
"Help!"
"Light! Jamie! Help!"
The sound was coming from a guy the thugs were holding onto.
That voice!
Light's eyes widened as he leaned further down from the window and squinted his eyes.
Daeho...
"He's being held hostage! Jamie, they're here for us!"
Jamie turned toward Light.
"So we are those shitheads?"
They both practically ran down the stairs and through the hallways, coming to a halt directly in front of the thugs.
Light yelled out,
"Daeho! Let him go!"
He took a step forward.
The thug holding Daeho down calmly put a butter knife near Daeho's neck.
Light's step faltered. He took a step back.
"Why are you all here? What business do you have with us?!" Jamie asked.
"Business?"
An unfamiliar, rough voice came from within the cluster of thugs.
A tall figure slowly emerged between the group of thugs.
"We have a lot of business with you, son..." said a tall man wearing dark brown trousers and a coffee-colored coat over a crisp white shirt.
His eyes were concealed by narrow, brown-tinted glasses as his short, rough hair stood out among the long, styled hairstyles of the thugs.
"Park-Gil-yung's the name... But everybody calls me GoldEnamel."
He smiled, and his golden tooth flashed as he did.
"GoldEnamel...?"
Wrinkles formed on Light's forehead as he lifted an eyebrow.
"That's the best you could come up with?"
Jamie commented,
"More like Gold-Camel."
He pointed at the man's height.
Meanwhile, Daeho... held hostage with a knife lingering near his neck.
This is not the time for jokes...