Light sat across from you at the café table, his coffee cooling as he tried to mask his tension. You—L, his greatest obstacle—had been watching him intently, as always. Every question you posed seemed innocent, but Light knew better than to take anything at face value. The stakes were too high.

You stirred your tea lazily, your posture relaxed, but Light could feel the weight of your eyes on him. After a long pause, you asked, “Light, what are your pronouns?”

Light blinked. What? Why would they ask me that? He quickly went through all the possible reasons in his head, his heartbeat picking up. Is this part of their investigation? Are they trying to confuse me? To catch me off guard so I slip up and reveal something about Kira?

He knew it was a trap. Every question from you had to be dissected for hidden meaning. But this one… how could it possibly relate to Kira? Still, there had to be something, some angle you were working.

Light’s brain raced. He needed to answer, but the wrong answer could be a disaster. If I hesitate, they’ll think I’m hiding something. If I answer too quickly, it might look unnatural.

Your expression remained calm, but Light felt the intensity of the moment. You were waiting.

Panic surged through him, and before he could stop himself, he said, “She… her.”

The silence that followed was deafening. Why did I say that?!

You nodded slowly, expression unchanged. “Alright. Thank you, Light.” You said it so casually, but to him, it felt like a bomb had just gone off.

Light’s heart raced as the implications of his answer hit him all at once. I just said ‘she/her.’ What have I done?

He tried to maintain his composure, forcing a small smile, but inside, his thoughts spiraled. I can’t take it back now. If I correct myself, they’ll think I’m lying, or worse—they’ll think I’m slipping up because of Kira. They’ll see it as a sign of weakness. But now I’m stuck pretending I’m… oh god.