Tales From Wammy’s House: That Time When Mello Beat Near On A Test (part 6 of 6)
Finally, we’ve reached the end of my submissions for this year’s @wammyweek! I hope everyone had a great time and it’s been awesome to see all the incredible work everyone has done! A huge thanks to our amazing mod and to everyone who showed up to make this event happen! :)
Note: All six parts will be compiled into one and posted as part of my Tales From Wammy’s House series on ao3!
part one | part two | part three | part four | part five
“Mello, I have to talk to you.”
Mello glanced over, finally catching sight of his rival. He shoved his books into his locker and shut the door, turning to face him. “Huh? About what?”
Near took a deep breath, an unfamiliar feeling of anxiety twisting in his guts. “May I have a word in private?”
The blond stared at him for a second, as if trying to fathom a guess what he could possibly be up to. But finally, he nodded, allowing Near to lead him down the hallway and to an empty classroom, shutting the door after the two of them.
“So?” Mello said impatiently, crossing his arms. “What’s this all about, huh? Are you mad that I’m number one and you’re not now?”
Near let out a sigh. “I care little for the rankings, so I see no point in getting upset over them. But that is related to what I have to say to you. I have something to confess.”
“Yes. That test… I… I intentionally made two errors that cost me the top spot.”
The older successor’s eyes widened. “The hell do you mean?”
“To put it simply, I threw the test. To give you the advantage.”
“No, that can’t be– I– Why the hell are you telling me this, huh? Trying to shake my confidence? Get in my head?” Mello demanded, leaning in closer as the implications of Near’s words dawned on him. “Is this your way of justifying to yourself why I beat you?!”
Near remained calm, twisting a lock of hair around his index finger. “I thought that if you were to be number one, it would foster better relations between us, but I realized that trying to build a companionship with you based on a lie would only be detrimental to us in the long run. I knew that you were bound to make a single mistake that kept you from achieving a score on par with mine, so I intentionally took two points off of my own test, knowing that it would cause me to fall behind yet still maintain a top spot as to not jeopardize my chances of succeeding L someday.”
Mello’s fist clenched, rage burning in his eyes as he glared at the other boy. For a moment, Near wondered if he would reach out and strike him, or begin to shout as his anger bubbled over. But all the blond did was let out a cold laugh and shake his head.
“You thought taking pity on me would make things better, huh?” The older successor took a step back, turning his shoulder towards his rival. “See, Near? This is exactly why I hate you.”
Without a second glance, Mello turned and stormed out of the classroom, leaving Near completely alone.
Near silently pushed the toy car along the tracks, not bothering to glance up as Joey sat down next to him. There was sympathy in the girl’s ice-blue eyes as she gazed at her friend, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. “That bad, huh?”
“He hates me even more now,” he said matter-of-factly.
“You did the right thing, Near. Mello is a stubborn guy. You have to let him get over his problems at his own pace. And if it counts for anything… I’m proud of you.”
A small smile poked its way onto the white-haired boy’s lips. “I appreciate the sentiment, Joey. Even if my fellow successor finds me loathsome, I am relieved that you do not share his opinion.”
“There are lots of people around here who like you, Near.” She smiled, giving him a pat on the back. “You don’t need to worry if Mello hates you or not. And you know I’m not going anywhere. So cheer up, okay?”
The young detective was quiet as he placed the car down, finally looking over at her and nodding in agreement. “…Okay.” He knew she was right. No matter what Mello thought of him, there were still people around him who gave him the love that his fellow successor could never offer.
And Near was satisfied with that.
