Hello... chapter 2 of Death Wish, here. I spent way more time on this today than I should have since I'm quite a lot of work to do... but hopefully after uploading this I'll be able to focus a little more on getting stuff done. This chapter is all from Sayaka's perspective, but I'm guessing that there will probably be a little more from Light coming up in the next one. I plan to give L a voice eventually as well, but not quite yet. We'll see what happens.

Anyway, thanks for following and stuff. Leave a review if you have the spare time. And I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note.

Sunday Morning Bus Jacking

The day after the faucet issue and all the Kira nonsense, Sayaka bit the bullet and confronted her boss: "So, what was the damage for the faucet leak?" she asked. "A guy came over to fix it last night but told me you already paid."

"I did," Tomone replied easily, as if it were some trivial matter of no consequence to anyone. Sayaka was still quite skeptical at first, since Tomone had a tendency to deal out bad news with too straight a face, especially when she was busy. But what she had to say wasn't as horrifying as she thought it might be. "It wasn't that steep," she continued. "If you don't want too much to come out of your next pay, you can probably work most of it off with a couple extra shifts this week."

Sayaka lit up and jumped at the opportunity. "Yes, please," she said eagerly, clasping her hands and grinning at her boss. This would definitely be the easier option. While she wasn't all that keen on taking more shifts than she had since she already covered several during the week, she was willing to put in the effort for the extra money. Yori still had every intention of dragging her out to get their hair done one of these days, and Sayaka couldn't go if she was broke. She was far more content to just work a little bit longer for a few days and get the payment out of the way. In any case, she so rarely ever had anything else to keep her busy. Yori was the only one who invited her places, and most of the time she could hardly bring herself to refuse, since it wasn't like she made weekend plans like a normal person.

After all, even if the life she once knew was over, that didn't mean she shouldn't at least make some semblance of an effort to enjoy the one she had while it lasted. Just because she couldn't chase after her dreams anymore didn't mean she couldn't at least cherish little moments here and there. A little optimism was good now and then—although she found that as she got older staying optimistic was more difficult.

So Tomone agreed and assigned Sayaka's extra shifts, and Sayaka was relieved that the bill wasn't so high that she couldn't take care of it within a week or two. And yet she couldn't help the annoyance welling up in her that there should be so much fuss and bother over a leaky faucet. Some days Sayaka just didn't want to be an adult. She would have been much happier to sit around curled up in a fuzzy blanket all the time reading while eating chocolate strawberries all the time.

But alas… not even a remote prospect. Not unless she somehow got rich overnight.

Still, Sayaka took full advantage that evening after her shift was finally over and snuggled up in bed with a movie, resolving to relieve a little bit of stress. She wasn't in the mood for reading, since her eyes were too tired to focus on a book, and she sure as hell wasn't turning on the news. It was all just more crap about the Kira case that she didn't care to hear.

Yesterday she'd found herself inadvertently rooting the for mystery detective L after the impressive performance he pulled on the live TV broadcast, but by today the excitement had already worn off. In fact, she didn't even want to have anything else to do with Kira. Because if she did, she would start trying to formulate theories in her head about the case, and that was just too damn depressing.

After a while, Sayaka's eyes became heavy. For a little while, she closed them and just listened to the sounds and the voices on her TV, allowing them to sooth her mind and guide her toward sleep. She was in the dream realm between asleep and awake somewhere in the middle of her movie when her little flip phone abruptly went off. She jumped out of her haze in her moment of surprise and pulled her arms out from under her blanket. Goosebumps appeared on her arms and she shivered a little when the cold hit her previously covered skin, and she fumbled around in the dark with only the light of the little TV screen to help her search for her phone. Finally locating the accursed object on her nightstand, Sayaka flipped it open and answered with a sleepy, "Hello?"

"Hey, what's up?" the voice on the other end of the line asked, in way too good a mood at 11 p.m. for her taste.

With her free hand, Sayaka rubbed her eye in an effort to conquer the grogginess. "Uh—I don't know, um… what is it, Yori?"

Her co-worker, who she currently wanted to strangle over the phone for sounding so lively and upbeat, said, "I was just calling about our plans to go get our hair done, actually."

Sayaka bit her tongue. Really… and you couldn't have waited until work tomorrow, obviously.

"Okay, what about it?" Sayaka asked, keeping her wits about her as usual.

"I know you work a lot," Yori said. "So I was thinking maybe we should schedule it two weeks from now so you have time to free up your day."

It took a moment for Sayaka to answer, since she had to internally map out the next two weeks so she would know what day her friend was talking about. And it was too late at night for her to be doing mental math. But after a few extra seconds of contemplation, she murmured, "Sure—that would probably work."

"Great! Man, it's been a while since I had a girl's day out. Hey, you know what else? After we get our hair done we should stop over at Space Land! I haven't been there in forever."

Sayaka smiled a little, leaning her head on the tips of her fingers. "Won't our hair just get messed up right away if we go to the amusement park?"

There was a short pause. "Well, probably, but whatever. I mean, most of the job I'm getting is pretty much permanent, anyway. And besides, we can just walk around and get food and stuff. It'll be chilly so I bet they'll have hot chocolate."

"Oh—tempting me with my favorite drink," Sayaka said. "That's hardly fair."

"I know how you operate," Yori replied with a smirk in her voice. "So, what say you? You in, or what?"

Based on their conversation up until this point, Sayaka just figured she was in whether she consented or not. But with a short sigh, Sayaka nodded and leaned back, letting her head fall against the pillows. "Yeah, all right. Let's do it."

"Yes!" Yori exclaimed. "It'll be fun. And it'll help you relax. You need a day."

"I always need a day," Sayaka said, stretching out on her mattress lazily.

Yori laughed. "Well—get some rest. I—uh, I'm only in for the noon to three shift tomorrow but I'll see you there."

"As always. Have a good night."

"Sleep well!"

After that, Sayaka hung up and let out a groan, realizing she now had yet another miserable excuse to spend money on her day out. As if getting her hair done wasn't expensive enough. Space Land was like a freaking money vacuum. There was no way to walk in there and not come out in some serious desolate poverty, unless you had immense self-restraint. She would have to be extra vigilant to make sure she didn't empty out her wallet, that day. As long as she kept a budget and didn't bring more than a certain amount along on the trip, she figured that she would probably survive.

Knowing Yori, Sayaka would probably also have to look out her, too. She was liable to go overboard if not kept in check.

In reference to her wandering thoughts, Sayaka smiled in spite of herself. Yori.

In the course of the last year, Sayaka had grown reasonably fond of the mischievous yet good-natured girl from work. Like Tomone, Yori was a breath of fresh air and had been along for the ride since before Sayaka ever showed up at the café looking for a job. She wasn't sure what to think of her at first, but after spending enough time with someone she supposed it was difficult not to build somewhat of a connection. Yori always made a point to make Sayaka feel included and accepted, even if it wasn't in the least bit necessary. These days, if she spent her free time with anyone it was Yori. And she was glad for it of course.

But there were days when it wasn't enough.

And as Sayaka slipped back under the covers and let the rest of her movie lull her to sleep, she felt the loneliness drag her under.


The next two weeks passed by fairly quickly. Getting stuck with extra shifts and constantly being busy certainly helped the time go by without Sayaka noticing as much, but she also had to admit she was relieved when she finished taking care of repaying Tomone for the repair bill and no longer had to worry about it. She knew something else for probably come along to screw up her routine soon enough, but at least one thing was out of the way.

Live one day at a time. That was how she'd make it through.

And she told herself the same thing as she left that bright Sunday morning to meet Yori. The same as always: get through it, and hopefully try to have at least a little bit of fun along the way. The walk to their destination was not long, and for a December morning it wasn't as cold as she expected. While she wore her jacket over her shoulders, she felt comfortable with the temperature otherwise and enjoyed the feeling of the sunlight warming her face.

By the time they made it to the hairstylist of course, Sayaka still wasn't completely sure what she wanted to have done with her hair. She'd actually spent quite a bit of time thinking about it, but it was hard to imagine herself in any other way than she was. Straight, long dark hair to contrast with her olive complexion and round face. She was self-confident enough to consider herself pretty, but nothing all that special. Although she could say that her mixed ethnicity gave her a bit of an unconventional look, at least for where she lived.

"Seriously, I want to see what you look like with side bangs," Yori said. "You should do it. If you don't like it you can always grow them back out."

Sayaka watched herself in the mirror as the hairstylist wrapped her up to protect her from fallen hair, and then pressed her lips into a thin line. Smiling a little and glancing over at Yori, she said, "Okay, let's give me some side bangs. Cut the rest to just past my shoulders."

As the hairstylist agreed and pulled out scissors and a comb to get started, Yori looked surprised. "Really, you're gonna take that much off? Are you sure?"

"Might as well mix it up," Sayaka said simply. If she was being honest, it felt liberating to have this control over what to have done with her hair. Whether she liked the result or not, she wanted to take full advantage. And like Yori said, if she didn't like it, she could just grow it back in the next few months.

Yori ended up getting her hair cut extremely short, until it barely even reached her neck. She said she wanted to do a complete change, just for the sake of it, and that if Tomone wouldn't let her dye it she had to go all out somehow. But Sayaka remembered her saying originally that she didn't want to get it all chopped off. Guess she changed her mind. Yori had a habit of taking drastic measures like that.

But actually, after she was finished Sayaka thought it suited her. While she somewhat expected Yori losing her hair to make her look younger, it actually made her look a bit older and more sophisticated. The look also framed her face nicely, curling a little by her ears to bring out her well-defined features. Sayaka was quite impressed, and even said so.

Her own hair, however, she wasn't completely sure about.

"It looks gorgeous, Sayaka," Yori said, reaching over to fluff her newly soft, freshly styled hair. "And look, your split ends are gone!" She laughed.

Sayaka smiled in response. "Yeah, I guess so." But then, pushing her new bangs out of her eyes, she added, "But I think these side bangs might take some getting used to."

"Well, if you don't like them you can always pull them back with a hair pin," Yori commented. "Although I think I was right before. You really rock this look. And the new length is pretty great, too."

Sayaka reached back to drag her fingers through her locks and looked in the mirror, still unsure despite Yori's sweet compliments. We'll see—if I get used to this maybe I'll decide to keep it for a while.

Nevertheless, the girls paid their stylist promptly and took their leave, hair clean and fresh as spring flowers, and headed down to wait for their bus.

"Are you still feeling up to Space Land?" Yori asked, sounding expectant, as if she really wasn't asking because Sayaka's opinion mattered one way or the other. In fact, Sayaka knew that her opinion did matter to Yori. It was just another way that she showcased that stubborn nature of hers—the way she presented herself. And although Sayaka teased her both inwardly and outwardly about it, it was part of the reason she'd grown to enjoy her company.

But Sayaka still had quite a bit of juice left in her tank and was ready to take the rest of the day as it came. So, with a grin, she gave Yori a nod. "Of course! I am more than ready for a cup of hot chocolate." Although, granted, it probably wouldn't be nearly as delectable as the hot chocolate Maru made in the café. But Yori assured her that it was still pretty good for the money, and it had a way of warming the soul. It didn't really matter, anyway. Add a little bit of cinnamon and some mini marshmallows, and almost any cup of hot chocolate could be tasty.

Since the girls spent quite a while at the stylist that morning, they didn't have to wait long for the bus to come by and pick them up. They each paid the fee and boarded the bus, where there were just a handful of people sitting in random seats. Sayaka followed Yori and sat down next to her in the very back, so they could see most of the people in front of them.

The bus ride was fairly quiet, other than the occasional sound of voices from the small number of passengers, but even conversation overall was minimal. Yori let Sayaka sit next to the window, so instead of talking, Sayaka spent the next fifteen minutes or so just watching the scenery and the people outside. When the light hit the window just right, Sayaka could see her reflection in the window, and again her attention was drawn to her hair.

She let out a sigh and pushed her bangs out of her eyes again. Overall, so far this Sunday had been more relaxing and stress-free than she expected. She was having fun, just laughing and enjoying the day with Yori. This was the sort of thing normal people did with their friends. It was the sort of thing Sayaka needed to do more often if she really wanted to start living again, instead of simply existing without purpose or aspirations.

But then again, did it even really matter?

Sayaka looked away from the window when the bus came to a halt in front of another stop. If her calculations were right, there were still about two more stops before Space Land. She glanced down at her phone, estimating that the ride probably wouldn't be too much longer. But she supposed she didn't mind too much either way.

One man boarded the bus at this stop, just a regular-looking middle-aged guy with a brown jacket over his shoulders—and Sayaka watched him as he started down the aisle to find a seat. Or at least, that's how it appeared at first. But her brain sent off electric warning signals when he immediately and almost without warning turned around again.

Oh, crap, she thought in the second between the moment the man pulled a gun out of his pocket and the second he moved up the aisle toward the bus driver drew it against his head.

"Stay in your seats unless you wanna die," the man snapped, eliciting gasps of horror and panic from the passengers. The bus driver tensed up in response, but kept driving, obviously afraid to stop. Sayaka gritted her teeth as it sank in that, out of nowhere, she and Yori were stuck in the middle of a bus jacking. Really, what were the odds?

"Oh, God," she heard Yori say from beside her, clutching the seat in front of them.

"Everyone, shut up!" the man with the gun shouted, glaring at everyone on the bus. "If anyone makes one move I'll put a bullet in their head."

All the passengers fell into deafening and paralyzing silence as the man up front proceeded to threaten the bus driver into calling Space Land and explaining the situation. "You heard him," the man hissed into the two-way radio after the bus driver told someone at their destination about the hijacking. "So listen up: get a female staff member to bring all of Space Land's cash from yesterday. I know you have it. Make her meet us two bus stops from the park, and you'd better not keep me waiting. If you get the police involved, I swear to you I'll kill every passenger on this bus!" After essentially bargaining all their lives for Space Land's money, which thoroughly ticked Sayaka off as much as it frightened her, the man took the radio phone from the bus driver and smashed it on the ground.

By now Yori was shaking in her seat, breathing unevenly from the adrenaline rushing through her veins. Sayaka looked back up at their armed captor, trying to come up with some sort of plan in her head. There had to be some way to make it out of this and save everyone. But the problem was, every potential route that she took in her head was too risky. A man with a gun was dangerous, even if he was out-numbered. If anyone tried jumping him to get the gun away, there was a chance someone would get hurt. In a situation like this, she'd always been taught that it was best to just stay calm and wait it out until there was no other option. For now, the best way to keep everyone alive was to do as instructed and keep quiet.

So, in an attempt to reassure Yori, Sayaka slid her hand across the seat and took Yori's fingers in hers. The trembling girl turned her head slightly, and Sayaka offered her a gentle nod. "It's okay," she whispered, quietly enough that the hijacker wouldn't hear. Yori didn't reply, only taking a deep and shaky breath while squeezing Sayaka's hand a little harder.

She didn't mind. They were both in need of a little support right now.

Across from the two girls sat a young man in a coat, while it seemed that two teenagers were currently sitting in front of him. At first, from what Sayaka could tell, it looked like maybe the boy and girl who were huddled together may have been passing notes. However, the man behind them joined in on their secret conversation after a moment, whispering to them over the seat. As hard as she tried, Sayaka couldn't hear what they were saying from her position, but when she saw the older man handing them what looked like an I.D., she had to guess that the three of them were collaborating over a possible plan of some sort.

Her eyes then narrowed on the fingers of the man beside them, which reached into his coat gingerly. Ever so slightly pulling upward, he briefly revealed the grip of a weapon. He didn't take it out, however, simply holding it close to him as if waiting for the moment he would need it.

A concealed carrier. That wasn't common in Japan, since normal citizens generally weren't allowed to carry guns. In that case—he showed the people in front of him his identification. Was he with the police?

"Shut up, you old hag!" the man hissed, making Sayaka jump. When she glanced up, her had the gun pointed at an old woman's head a few seats up from where she and Yori sat. She gritted her teeth in frustration, disgusted by the actions of this low-life jerk. Both a thief and a bully. It didn't get much worse.

His attention then shifted away from the old woman when the boy sitting near them lost a small piece of paper from his pocket. Sayaka mentally screamed at him to stop when he reached down to grab the paper before the hijacker saw it. She shook her head, as if somehow the boy in the seat would be able to read her mind and stay where he was.

But it was too late. The hijacker noticed almost immediately and pointed his gun at the light-haired young man. "Don't move, you little punk!" The boy paused, his fingers just inches away from the crinkled up piece of paper that had fallen from his pocket. "What the hell is that?" the man demanded. "Here we've got a smart ass! You guys were planning somethin', weren't you?" He snatched the paper off the floor, and Sayaka bit her lip anxiously, terrified of what might be written on that thing, considering what she deduced they were discussing a moment ago. But when the man straightened out the piece of paper, he simply let out a scoff of disinterest. "Plans for a date." Then, throwing the paper the boy's head, he muttered, "Stupid kid," before heading back toward the front of the bus.

Sayaka released a soft sigh and closed her eyes in relief. But then, with no warning, something strange happened—far stranger than anything that had transpired so far today. The hijacker turned around abruptly, as if something had startled him, and all of the sudden every ounce of color drained from his face.

"What the hell are you?! You in the very back—what—"

The hijacker was shaking his gun, and it seemed as though his attention was directed toward something (or someone) in the aisle, between Yori and Sayaka, and the man in the seat to their left. The girls both turned toward what the hijacker was pointing at, but they saw nothing there. "How long have you been hiding back there?!" the hijacker shouted, backing away while putting both hands on his gun. "S—stay where you are! Don't move!"

What the hell…? Is he seeing things? Or…

"Everyone, get down!" the man in the coat shouted, and by instinct Sayaka immediately ducked down into her seat, pulling Yori along and holding an arm around her, while Yori clung to her as well in her fright. She heard shots fired, people screaming, glass breaking—but she didn't dare move from her position.

All of the sudden, the gun shot noises ceased and she glanced over to watch the man in the coat rush out of his seat. At this point she chanced a look over her seat, but she nearly slammed into it when the bus screeched to an abrupt stop. She had just enough time to stand up and watch the hijacker take off through the bus doors. Then came more screeching tires.

And it was over, just like that.