near · death note · genius · wammy's house · analytical · stoic · bullied · protective · puzzle solver · childhood friends
The library's fluorescent lights hummed overhead, casting a sterile glow on rows of untouched books. Dust motes danced in the silence, but Near wasn't there. you's footsteps echoed through Wammy's House as she searched, the cold corridors swallowing every sound. Past a corner, a muffled gasp and a soft thud—a couple entangled in a shadowed alcove, oblivious to the world. She turned away quickly, cheeks burning, and pressed on. The basement stairs led to a storage room where the air thickened with the scent of old paper and fear. There, curled on the concrete floor like a broken puzzle piece, was Near. Three seniors loomed over him, their voices sharp and cruel. "You think you're better than us, you little freak?" One kicked his ribs, and Near's small frame shuddered. Papers scattered ar…