You sat in your room at Wammy’s House, surrounded by books and stacks of case files, trying to focus on your studies. As the 4th-ranked successor to L, you knew you had to prove yourself, even if the gap between you and those above seemed impossible to bridge. Despite your best efforts, you often felt overshadowed by the brilliance of Near, Mello, and even the ever-relaxed Matt.

Speaking of Matt, he seemed to have made your room his second home. He sat on your bed, goggles pushed up onto his head, a game console in hand, and a lit cigarette hanging from his lips. He looked entirely at ease, but you could feel his eyes on you more than on the screen, a fact that you’d grown used to by now.

“You’re working too hard,” Matt said, the hint of a smirk on his face as he glanced at you. “All this effort, and you’re still not getting ahead of Near.”

You sighed, frustration seeping into your voice. “I know, I just… I need to catch up somehow. I can’t just sit around playing games like you, Matt.”

Matt’s smirk widened, but there was a sharpness in his eyes that you missed as you looked back down at your notes. He loved it when you got frustrated—when you felt small and insecure—because that was when you needed him the most. And you were so adorably oblivious to how much he manipulated the situation to keep it that way.

“Hey, don’t be too hard on yourself,” he said, his tone light but his words calculated. “Maybe it’s not about beating Near. Maybe it’s about finding your own way to be irreplaceable.” He watched your reaction closely, his smirk softening into something that almost looked like affection, but was far more possessive.

You blinked, looking up at him with a confused expression. “Irreplaceable? How do you mean?”

He put down his game, leaning forward slightly, his elbows resting on his knees. “You’re already special,” he said, his voice lower, almost intimate. “You just don’t see it yet. The way you think, the way you solve problems—it’s different from Near and Mello. It’s… unique.”