Ill-Suited

"I'm ill-suited for this..."

- Kanzo Mogi

Ill-Suited (不向, Fumuki) forty-sixth chapter of the Death Note manga series.

Plot
The Kira Task Force has effectively split into two separate factions, largely due to Soichiro's desire to arrest the seven members of the Yotsuba Group even before Kira himself has been identified and captured—a move opposed by L. However, Yotsuba has forced the Japanese police into dropping the Kira investigation, making it unlikely that the NPA will arrest the seven, and without L's influence, Soichiro cannot contact foreign police agencies for assistance. This leaves him and those behind him, Matsuda and Mogi, at a dead end, while L and his faction get on with infiltrating Misa into Yotsuba.

The following evening, the Yotsuba Kira Group meets in order to discuss a report from their detective Eraldo Coil. Coil has been investigating Misa Amane who mysteriously disappeared for a while, during which there was a two-week lull in the Kira killings. Her parents' killer was himself killed by Kira and Misa was grateful for this. Her sister has confirmed that Misa admires Kira and is keen to meet him. Her arrival in Tokyo coincides to when the Kira tapes were broadcast by Sakura TV. There is also evidence that her flat was searched prior to her disappearance. This has led Coil to believe that Misa was detained by L and may know something that could help identify him.

Misa has already been introduced to Yotsuba for consideration to appear in their commercials. Offering her the job could be a good way of then obtaining information on L, who is a threat to Yotsuba's plans. Takeshi Ooi, however, is bothered since he thinks that it is Coil who is supposed to be handling the L matter and yet is passing the buck on to his clients at Yotsuba.

Suguru Shimura is also uneasy about how Misa is suddenly being put forward to them again, albeit in a different context. His concerns are dismissed by Kyosuke Higuchi who believes it to be just a coincidence, but Shimura's points do bother Reiji Namikawa who was recently contacted by L without his colleagues' knowledge. Namikawa suspects that Coil is actually on L's side but decides to just sit back and observe in case Kira finds him out and kills him.

Shimura then suggests asking Coil to work with them directly rather than from behind-the-scenes. Ooi and Shingo Mido second the motion and Masahiko Kida calls Coil on his cell phone.

Coil (actually L's associate Aiber) agrees to work at Yotsuba. He understands that they want him to share the risks, such as having his face picked up by security cameras (and thus potentially be at Kira's mercy) or be subject to arrest for complicity in murder. However, he requests US$2.5 million in return and Ooi authorizes the payment.

When he returns home, the Yotsuba Kira proceeds to use the Death Note to kill criminals. He also voices his thoughts to the Shinigami Rem. Coil's report has persuaded him that Misa was the Second Kira and was arrested by L. He wonders if she gave up ownership of her Death Note and lost her memories of being the Second Kira, but cannot be sure that she possessed the same Death Note that he is currently using. In any case, he decides that Misa could be a threat, especially if she had contact with L and even the original Kira!

He then comes up with a plan to marry her! An up-and-coming model and actress and a leading businessman and future President of Yotsuba would make a great couple—and will be the subject of the envy and jealousy of others. He will also have her life insured for a large amount and then kill her when he no longer needs her.

Rem is horrified at the idea of such a man getting involved with Misa and, once he has left the room, discreetly tears off a piece of paper from the Death Note.

The next day, Aiber and Misa rehearse how she is going to handle her forthcoming interview with Yotsuba, including being quizzed over her desire to meet Kira. L also asks Soichiro to lend him Mogi who is to act as Misa's manager.

Two days later, Mogi drives Misa to her interview. Mogi is a reserved, granite-faced individual who hardly ever speaks or even smiles. Misa urges him to be more lively and talkative. He feels totally ill-suited for the role of an actor's manager and has to remind himself that it is all part of an operation to capture Kira.

With a great deal of effort, Mogi manages to smile and speak in an excited and enthusiastic way when they arrive at Yotsuba and he introduces Misa to the executives who welcome them. He loudly wishes her luck and promises a big celebration after she has passed the interview! Once he is alone in the lobby, however, he sits down and sighs. He really feels ill-suited for the part.

Misa is taken to a large room where her interview is conducted by Ooi, Shimura, Higuchi, Mido and another man who introduces himself as "John Wallace", a marketing adviser, but who Misa knows is actually L's associate Aiber. The Yotsuba executives know him as their detective Eraldo Coil.

Also present is Rem, who is invisible to everyone apart from the Yotsuba Kira and is concerned for Misa's safety.

"Wallace" begins the interview by telling Misa that he had her background checked out and discovered that she is a supporter of Kira, a mass murderer whom Yotsuba cannot afford to be associated with! At first, Misa denies ever looking up to Kira, but "Wallace" explains that he met her sister and that, after a few drinks, she told him about Misa's admiration for Kira and her desire to meet him. The Yotsuba executives are impressed by "Coil/Wallace"'s discoveries and handling of the interview.

"Wallace" tells Misa that she can support Kira just as long as it is not made public, but insists that trust is essential in the business world and that she must be honest with them in order that they can plan accordingly. Misa agrees to talk to her sister about the matter, but equally insists that her career as a model and actress is her primary concern.

"Wallace", however, claims that she is still not telling the full story, again raising the issue of trust. Misa looks a little nervous (something that she and Aiber had planned in advance). "Wallace" mentions rumors on the internet that Misa was captured by L, implying that she herself may have been Kira or at least the Second Kira!

Misa admits that she was detained by persons unknown who questioned her over Kira, but she can't be certain that it was L. They probe her about meeting her captors but she explains that she was blindfolded, never met them face-to-face and that they questioned her through a voice scrambler. In the end, though, it was concluded that there had been a mistake and she was released and financially compensated provided that she did not talk about it. Ooi assures her that her revelations will be kept confidential.

At that moment, Higuchi suggests a break, pointing out that it feels more like an interrogation rather than an interview. In any case, the executives are secretly convinced that with Misa and Coil they should be able to track down L.

Misa asks if she herself could use the bathroom. Once alone in the ladies' room, she sighs and takes a deep breath. She feels very much under pressure but reassures herself that it is all going well. At that moment she is touched by a piece of paper and gasps in horror as she suddenly sees a monstrous creature standing over her! It is Rem!

Conception
Tsugumi Ohba said the chapter's title "Ill-Suited" refers to Mogi's comment about not being well-suited to his new role. Ohba said he had considered making the chapter title a reference to the reunion between Misa and Rem, Ohba instead opted for "Ill-Suited" as he believed it was more humorous.

Chapter Guide
Sopimaton