[A/N: This is my first time ever posting on this site so I apologize if anything is incorrect. I'm still getting used to all of this. Thanks to my friend Steph for helping me through it and for improving the summary vastly from what I had started with.

There's some OC's in this and it takes a little bit for canon characters to show up but I promise, they do. Also, I like to base my fics on fairy tales/fantasy films and it's more than obvious which one inspired this one. - D]

"Miss Yoru, please put that fantasy book away and pay attention. I would expect this kind of behavior from a first year but not from you."

Akemi sighed heavily, not wanting to do as her professor asked, but she reluctantly closed her book and slid it into her bag, feeling a little nervous that all eyes were on her now. "Sorry, professor," she said, trying really hard to hold back an eyeroll, succeeding for the most part. She saved it for the second after everyone, including the instructor, stopped looking at her. The rest of the class went back to listening to the lecture while Akemi just directed her attention to the window, wishing the school year could be over already even though it had just started.

It was the first day of Akemi's final year at To-Oh University. She was more than ready to leave this place and venture out into the world and discover bigger and better things. Class lectures didn't excite her anymore like they had when she was a first year. They were just part of her every day routine at the university and she had already had enough to last her through the year despite it being the first day of the semester. The professor announcing that they were dismissed was like music to her ears. It was finally time for her to get something to eat.

While Akemi was getting her lunch, she overheard some students discussing Kira and the latest murders allegedly committed by him. Like most people in the world, Akemi knew about Kira. She heard a group of students bragging about how they were supporters of that murderer. It nearly made her lose her appetite. She couldn't believe there were people out there who thought murder was a good thing.

Akemi sat alone in the cafeteria at her own table with her headphones on and her book open again while she started eating her lunch. There were people walking passed her, whispering about her but she did her best to ignore them. This had been happening for at least the past two years and by now, it barely even phased her. Most people thought she was antisocial or stuck up but she simply liked reading more than she liked conversing with people. Once she gets lost in a book, it's simply too difficult for her to put it down. Plus, it was a positive distraction from all the Kira news she had to listen to every single day.

While Akemi was minding her own business, someone stepped up behind her, pulled her headphones down from her ears and nearly yelled, "Hello, Akemi!"

Instantly recognizing that voice, Akemi's expression turned annoyed. "Hello, Doran." She turned around to see him standing behind her, with his shorter, more exuberant best friend at his side. "Can I help you?"

Doran didn't reply and instead, he snatched her book right out of her hands. "You're reading again? Who reads extra books in class and then at lunch? You know, you read too much."

"Yeah, well you talk too much," Akemi fired back, reaching for her book but he moved it out of her range so she missed.

Doran's friend laughed. "She's got you there, buddy…"

Unamused, Doran shoved his shoulder, nearly knocking him over. "You're one to talk, Hema. Anyway, Akemi, don't you think it's a little pitiful how someone as cute as you spends more time reading than on more important things?"

"And what do you think is more important than that?" Akemi wondered, knowing the answer would more than likely be shallow and primitive. "Really, I would love to hear this one." She folded her arms then lifted her right hand, resting her chin on it as she waited to hear his response.

"Well, having friends, socializing, relationships, dating…." Akemi did not like the suggestive look he gave her when he said that last word. It made her cringe. "Every time I see you, you're alone and no one should be alone as often as you."

"If this is your way of asking me out again, the answer is no," Akemi told him bluntly. "I mean, this is, what, the third year you've tried to get me to go out with you for reasons I honestly don't know but are probably shallow beyond all comprehension? This must be your yearly tradition. And my tradition is saying no…"

"Well, why not?" Doran pried. "Don't you think it's time the two best looking people in this university finally started dating?!"

"Yep, I knew it…" Akemi remarked, rolling her eyes. Doran may have been tall, athletic and exceptionally attractive and most of the people at the university either swooned over him or idolized him but that didn't matter much to her. "Doran, I'm not going to date you just because you think we're the best looking people here, okay? There has to be more to it than that. We need some kind of connection-"

"But I have endless connections, a lot of friends and my family has money," Doran informed her, missing the point entirely. "What more does a woman need than that?"

"Okay, if you took any time to actually get to know me these past four years instead of spending all day staring at me and thinking creepy thoughts, you would know that none of that matters to me," Akemi told him. "Now, please, if you could just-"

"How can I get to know you if you won't give me a chance to?" Doran just wouldn't back down. "You won't give anyone a chance to for that matter…"

"Why do you care so much? Just mind your own business and find someone else! How hard is that?"

"You know, the more you say no, the more I can tell that the answer deep down is yes and I just need to figure out how to wear you down," he said through a smirk as his eyes stared creepily at her, making her cringe again.

She stood up from her seat, grabbed her book back from him and gave him no time to continue on. "Okay, I don't know what planet you come from to believe something like that, I mean, maybe it's natural for your species to think that everything someone says means the opposite of what they intend, but my answer is a clear, precise, unambiguous, definite, unwavering, indubitable and absolute no," she declared and sat down and started to read where she left off before he interrupted her.

Doran was about to say something to her when Hema suggested, "I think maybe you should just leave her alone, buddy…" Doran almost erupted at his friend but then decided it would be best to leave her be and attempt another conversation later. Hema tried to change the subject and get his friend's mind on something else. "Oh! Hey, Doran, did you see that weird freshman representative at the entrance ceremony? What a freak, am I right?"

Doran quickly forgot about being rejected by Akemi and laughed. "Yeah, no wonder his score was so high, he looked like he never even went outside before."

"I mean, he couldn't even stand upright," Hema added through his chuckles. "And what was with that hair?! Who scores perfectly on an exam with questions on advanced calculus but doesn't even know what a comb is?"

They just continued laughing and criticizing a stranger they'd never even spoken to through tasteless comments and jokes.

Akemi had no clue who they were ridiculing since she had skipped the ceremony but she still thought their comments were juvenile and uncalled for. Their voices grew fainter as they walked away and Akemi was finally able to enjoy her lunch break by herself, imagining meeting someone even half as intriguing and as interesting as the characters in her book.

"So, how was your first day back at university?" Akemi's father, Kurai, inquired as he heard her stepping into the house.

"Ugh…" she sighed as she dropped her bag onto the floor and then kicked her shoes off. "Tedious."

"Have you made any new friends?" he asked curiously.

"Not really, no," she replied honestly as she approached him.

"Well, there's always time for that, I suppose," Kurai smiled and then gave her a hug. "It's your last year at that school, you should be making memories with friends. Even a few good ones can stay with you for a lifetime."

"Yeah and so can a few bad ones…" Akemi muttered vaguely. Kurai picked up that something was wrong.

"Did something happen?" he wondered.

"I don't know…" Akemi sighed and sat down on the couch. Her father sat on the chair next to it, listening as she continued. "Everybody thinks I'm weird and stuck up but I just can't connect with anyone there. And I guess some people think I read too much but, I can't help it, fiction just fascinates me more than socializing. Is that a bad thing?"

"Of course it isn't," he assured her. "Everyone is different. Everyone likes different things. But I know it's been a while since you've made a friend and you are a good person with a kind heart and I think you should at least try to open it up to someone again someday."

Akemi couldn't resist smiling a little at her father's comforting words. "Thanks, dad."

"And living in the real world isn't so bad," he chuckled as he stood up and then put his suit jacket on. "All I ask is you come down and visit it once in a while."

"Funny," Akemi said, still smiling. "Are you heading out?"

"I have a client to meet and a few errands to run," he replied, picking up his wallet and keys. "You staying home then?"

"Actually, I was thinking about heading over to the book store down the street soon, that new one at the mall just opened, and I wanted to explore it."

"That's fine. Just take your phone in case you need to call me while you're out," he advised.

"Will do. Later, dad."

Akemi always felt more at home at libraries and book stores than she did at her own house. She stepped through the fantasy aisles, browsing for titles and covers that caught her eye. While she was looking for an interesting book, she overheard people in the next aisle talking about current events in the news. More Kira business. Hearing about it multiple times in the same day made her heart break a little. There were people who believed Kira was a good thing and thought he was trying to make the world better and safer but Akemi felt less and less safe each day these killings were happening. "Do you think L is ever going to catch him?" she overheard one customer ask another. She didn't listen to their response and just muttered to herself, "I hope so. Boy, do I hope so…"

Now that she was finished browsing through the first fantasy books aisle, Akemi turned around to go to the next when someone appeared out of nowhere, almost running right into her. "Hey, Akemi!" Doran greeted. "Somehow I knew I'd find you here."

"I don't know if this is how it is on whatever planet you were born, but on Earth, there are laws against stalking in most countries," Akemi warned him. "Please go away."

"Akemi, just let me talk to you for a second," Doran insisted and grasped onto her jacket's sleeve so she couldn't walk away.

"Do you mind?" she asked, pushing his hand off. "I'm shopping."

"Yeah? So am I." Doran gave her that creepy grin and stare again. It made her uneasy and his comment confused her.

"You'd better be looking at the shelves behind me, I swear to god…" she said and then began to walk to the aisle closest to the register in case she needed to ask for assistance in dealing with him. Of course, he followed her. Akemi noticed something was missing. "I think you forgot something," she told Doran.

"Oh, you mean…" he smirked and reached for her hand but she pulled hers away before he could get a strong enough grasp on it.

"No! I meant, you forgot your toady," Akemi replied, meaning Hema. "You're usually attached at the hip. He's like your squeaky-voiced little shadow. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen you two apart. This is a first. I'm kinda glad I actually got to see something new today."

Doran quickly changed the subject. "Well, Akemi, I was just wondering if you'd like to accompany me to a movie tonight."

"It's a school night," Akemi reminded him. He just laughed.

"You'll be home before dark, I promise," he said through his chuckles.

"That was my way of saying no," she told him. "Again. Now, please just leave me alone. Forever." Clearly, she wouldn't be able to concentrate on finding a book now so Akemi decided to just go home and wait for her father to return. She turned and walked out of the bookstore, making her way to the mall's front entrance with Doran tagging right behind. "Akemi, wait!" he called, his voice echoing through the mall, causing her to shudder from the embarrassment of people's eyes glancing at them since he brought attention to them. She was about to go out the front door when she realized it had just started storming and she didn't have her umbrella with her.

Doran knew she didn't have a car and took this as an opportunity. "It's raining. Come on, just let me give you a ride home."

"I have a hood," she said, lifting it up over her head. "I'll be fine. It's only a few blocks."

"Come on, the last thing you want is to get sick during the first week of the semester."

Akemi could think of worse things. "No, the last thing I want right now is more unwanted attention from you. Pneumonia sounds like a walk in the park compared to dealing with you. At least it might go away eventually…"

"Akemi, please," Doran insisted. His voice had a serious tone she had never heard from him before. He actually sounded genuinely concerned about her. "You will get sick if you walk in this. It's pouring and it isn't safe. I'll get my car and I'll drive you home."

Akemi wasn't really sure of what to do. Part of her wanted to trust him but the other part told her to run off into the storm and never look back. She wondered if there was a single speck inside of Doran that could sincerely care about someone. Even though it seemed like most people constantly let her down, she wanted to believe everyone was capable of harboring at least the slightest bit of good inside of them. Yet this was the first time she had ever seen him attempt to do something nice for someone else. It didn't feel real. But she hoped that it was.

After thinking about it, she decided to trust him. She sighed heavily, as if she was admitting defeat. "Fine."

Doran smiled. "Okay, I'll get my car-"

"But! No gawking at, talking to, flirting with, thinking pervy thoughts about or touching me. Got it?" She pointed a finger at him in warning.

"Got it," he agreed. Akemi waited while he got his car and then he stopped by the front entrance so she could get inside. The second she got in and closed the door, she started to regret her choice but still held onto a tiny shrivel of hope that the drive might actually be uneventful and Doran might act like a gentleman for once and respect her boundaries.

The drive was quiet for the first minute. Akemi started to unwind a little since it appeared like Doran was actually following through what she asked. But once she realized he was driving in the opposite direction of her house, she began to panic. "Doran, where are you-"

"It's just a short detour," he assured her. She studied his expression and she had a feeling he was lying. "Just relax."

Akemi did anything but relax. "No! You promised you would take me home and this is NOT even close! Where are you taking me?"

"I just have to make one stop while I'm in the neighborhood." His voice was calm and direct, with no signs of hostility. "It's no big deal."

"You're driving me away from my home on purpose, aren't you? God, and to think that I actually trusted you! I knew I shouldn't have!" Akemi's heart was pounding now. "Doran, PLEASE take me home!"

"I can't yet, I'm on a one way street," he told her.

"Then pull over and let me out!" she ordered.

"What-"

"I SAID LET ME OUT!"

She screamed so loudly, it startled him. He stopped at a red light and Akemi saw this as her chance. She quickly unlocked her door and darted out of the car as Doran called after her to get back in. Akemi ran out of the street and into an empty alley behind some abandoned buildings and tried to catch her breath as the rain poured down on her. "God…." she groaned through deep breaths. "Why did I trust him…? Akemi, you're such an idiot…."

She walked through the alleys and she knew she wouldn't make it home before night would darken the stormy sky even more. Suddenly, Akemi heard a car driving behind her as if it was following her. She glanced behind her shoulder and could see two headlights moving closer. She knew it wasn't her father since that wasn't his car. It didn't look like Doran's car either. Akemi picked up speed and ran as fast as she could, hoping to lose them. When she came to an alley with a fence blocking the exit, she climbed over it, nearly sliding off several times because of the rain. Once she was on the other side, she jumped down onto the muddy, broken concrete and continued running. This didn't stop her pursuers. They just floored it and drove right through the fence. Bullets started flying toward her and she screamed and managed to dodge them. She expected to feel one hitting her any moment but still kept running. Akemi zigzagged through alleys and finally, she saw two cars in the distance stopped at a red light with people inside who could possibly help her. She approached the closest one and pounded on the driver's window, startling the man inside. "What the-"

"Please, you have to help me! There are people following me and I think they're trying to kill me! Please let me inside!" Akemi cried, banging on the window in desperation. She heard the click of the doors being unlocked and quickly jumped into the back seat of the car, slamming the door shut behind her.

"What did they look like?" the driver asked her.

"I don't know, I just saw their car," Akemi replied, her voice and body trembling. "Please get me out of here…"

"Can you describe the car?"

"It was a black Mitsubishi, I think…They ran into a fence so there's some damage on the front….And I think the plate numbers said 10-17…but it was dark…"

The driver picked up a radio and spoke into it, telling all fellow officers to be on the lookout for a car matching her descriptions. Akemi couldn't believe she didn't realize this was a police officer at first. He was wearing a suit instead of a uniform and she didn't notice his radio and equipment on the dash until he'd used it. The other car that had been idling next to his had just sped off. It was another officer who had heard the call and left to look for the people who were after Akemi.

"Don't worry, you're safe now," the officer promised her after seeing her crying and shivering through his rear view mirror as he started to drive down the street. "By the way, I'm Detective Matsui." His name was actually Matsuda but aliases for officers were necessary since several FBI agents had been killed by Kira.

"I'm Akemi Yoru," she told him as she tried to calm down. Akemi dreaded being questioned more thoroughly about all of this. She didn't know what was happening nor did she know how to explain it. All she wanted to do was go home and make sure her dad was safe. But she knew she couldn't. Matsuda drove on through the storm until he reached a hotel. The fact that he brought her here instead of a police station confused her but she was too anxious and tense to worry too much about it. This man helped her so she trusted him. "I just have to check with the higher ups on what we should do," he explained. Akemi didn't protest.

Matsuda helped Akemi out of the car and held his umbrella over her as he walked her into the hotel. He checked in at the front desk and then they stopped in front of one of the room's doors. "It's alright, this is just where our headquarters are," he assured her, noticing she was still trembling. He took out his cell phone and called a number. Akemi just stood next to him in the hall, staring down at her feet while she tried not to cry again. It had already been a horrendous evening and she knew she was going to have to face more officers who may not have been as nice as this man. "Ryuzaki, it's me," Matsuda said into his phone. "I'm standing outside the room with someone. Can you see us?" He was referring to the security cameras and monitors they had set up inside and outside of the room.

"I can," the voice on the other line replied. "Who is that with you?"

"She was being chased and shot at while Ukita and I were checking up on those leads," Matsuda said. "I radioed it in earlier and he took off after them. Her name is Akemi Yoru."

The long pause on the other end concerned Akemi. The next few moments felt like hours to her since all she wanted was to know what was going to happen to her next.

Finally, there was a response. "Let her in."

Akemi had never felt so simultaneously tense and relieved in her entire life.