[The shock isn't Light's identity; rather, it's the confession, the removal of a mask willingly that the detective always expected he would need to peel away if he ever actually wanted to see what lies beneath.

A chapter may have closed, but it was a cliffhanger ending, and the next chapter is only a page away. A kind of eager anticipation is alive in L; how much of it is because the memory of bruising pressure between their mouths is so clear and fresh?]

Your confidence has always been remarkable. Admirable, even.

[You think you'll be the one to crack the code? Not like you're the first one to try.]

I understand that you have a life back home that you want to return to... and a killing spree...

[In just a few short years, you'll be as dead as I am. Would you believe me if I told you, I wonder?]

...but in the meantime, you can accept this alternative to boredom, can't you?

[As if you have a choice; I won't be helping you get back to that notebook, Kira Yagami.]