Easy

"L will die… this easily."

- Light Yagami

Easy (簡単, Kantan) is the thirty-first chapter of the Death Note manga series.

Plot
After Misa Amane has left, Light Yagami returns to his room and looks her up on the Internet. He discovers that she is a rising model and actress who has already featured in a number of teen and fashion magazines and even hosts a late-night TV show. Being a celebrity means that she also attracts attention, which is the last thing Light needs. It is widely known that Kira killed the man who murdered her parents and their relationship could be used to connect him to Kira! In a sense, Misa is now less of an advantage and more of a burden—in fact she might even be more of a threat than L!

Rem has warned Light that she will kill him if anything fatal happens to Misa. Feeling the pressure building up, Light decides that his best option is to let Misa live and to focus on killing L as soon as possible!

The following morning, at breakfast, Light asks his mother and sister Sayu not to mention Misa to anyone. His father may not approve, and since she's a celebrity, being her boyfriend may be embarrassing. They agree to this—with Sayu requesting 5,000 Yen in return (approx. $50 or £25 sterling in November 2004), only to be reprimanded by her mother.

At To-oh university, Light has also become close to fellow student Kiyomi Takada, who has been crowned Miss To-Oh. While attending a lecture together, she notes that he looks unhappy. Light claims that he just finds it awkward hanging out with Miss To-Oh—and is getting a lot of jealous stares from the other male students. Kiyomi tells him that she does not really think much of such titles, which impresses Light. They agree to go out together. Mogi, who is discreetly tailing Light at L's request, notes this conversation and assumes that Kiyomi is his girlfriend.

Light later goes to a hotel room where he meets the rest of the Kira Investigation Team who have just received the latest Kira tape. In it, the Second Kira accepts the police's advice not to contact Kira, but will kill criminals in order to obtain Kira's approval. What's more the Second Kira will share the killing power with others!

Light got Misa to include this last bit in order to panic the police into thinking that the power could be used by more than just two individuals. However, L instead deduces that the Kiras have met! He bases his reasoning on the fact that the Second Kira has decided so suddenly not to meet Kira after all and has also started advocating Kira's goals. Killing criminals in order to purge the world of evil appears to have not even been considered by the Second Kira, who only killed petty crooks as part of a campaign to meet Kira in person. L believes that they have now met and that this video is actually Kira's way of covering this up.

L also notes that he believes that it’s less likely that Light is Kira because otherwise he would have ordered the Second Kira to compel L into appearing on TV, the excuse being that a video allegedly sent by Kira was a forgery—which it was. If L died, Kira could have passed the blame on to the Second Kira.

Light answers by saying that if he was Kira, he wouldn’t do that because he knows L all too well and that he would have found some way to not appear on TV. L admits that he has a point. Soichiro Yagami asks his son not to say things like "If I was Kira..." and L himself acknowledges that he hopes Light isn’t Kira because Light may be the first real friend he has ever had! Apparently flattered, Light admits that he also considers L a friend and is looking forward to another game of tennis. L agrees to another game once the case is closed, however, now that the Kiras have joined forces, he is becoming nervous and is seriously thinking of going back into hiding.

Light was supposed to meet Misa in two weeks' time, but because L has sensed a connection between Kira and the Second Kira, he decides that seeing her now is too dangerous. However, as he making his way home, Misa suddenly appears in the street, saying that she could not wait two weeks in order to see him again. For the first time in his life, Light is seriously tempted to hit a girl!

Light and Misa return to his house, unaware that they are being tailed by Mogi. As soon as they are in his room, Light asks Rem if she cares for Misa, and if she will do anything to make her happy. Rem confirms this and Light asks if she would kill L!

L's death will make Light happy, and Misa is only happy when Light is happy. If L exposes Light as Kira then he will quite likely be executed for mass murder, so killing L would mean extending Light's life expectancy. If a Shinigami selfishly kills a human in order to extend the life expectancy of another human that they care for, then the Shinigami will die. However, Rem does not like Light and thus killing L and therefore extending Light's lifespan will not cause her death. She agrees to do it. Light cannot believe that L will die so easily!

Conception
The chapter title "Easy" refers to the dialog from Light stating "L is going to die…" Ohba stated that, when writing this line, they thought, "What? This easily?!", and so the title also refers to Ohba's thoughts.