Akira faced the mirror, contemplating on her face. There were already dark bags (although still a little faint) under her eyes due to lack of sleep. But it wasn't her eyes she was thinking of. It was his.

Her mind flashbacked to that brief encounter awhile ago. It was fleeting, yet it was the most vivid among all that happened this week.

His touch brought a strange sensation she hadn't felt for years. Her mind went briefly blank upon the touch of his skin upon hers. And his hand lingered there, at the corner of her lips, brushing her cheek lightly. It was as if they were suspended in time.

Why? What's different this time?

Akira gazed back at her reflection. Deep, sharp black eyes stared back at her. That's because you're starting to like him. Akira shook her head, as if trying to dislodge the small voice in her head.

I just met him, she replied to the small voice. I just met him days ago. Sighing, Akira left the mirror and started getting dressed. Her long, dark hair was wet and clung to her shoulders as she took off the towel that was covering her body. Ignoring the fact that her room is under surveillance of a hidden camera, she walked (naked) towards her closet. It took her a while before she was fully dressed.


L chewed on the strawberry shortcake slowly while watching screen 8. He noticed that lately, he's watching only two cameras: Light Yagami's and…Kyoko's.

The towel slipped from her body, and as if on cue, a large, untidy pile of folders fell from Kyoko's desk. L looked away from the screen. Kyoko's folders made quite a mess on the carpeted floor.

L stooped to pick one when he noticed something else fall. It was in the deepest part of the pile, which means that it must've been buried there. It looked like photographs.

L stood up and stared at the two photographs. One was of a young girl perched on the shoulder of a man and both were grinning happily at the camera. The young girl wore a yellow dress and a hat with flowers. It seemed like a sunny day when the photo was taken.

Kyoko. L deduced that the little girl on the photo was probably Kyoko when she was still young, and the man would probably be…her father.

It was the other picture that caught L's attention. On the photograph was a couple. The man had his arm around the woman's waist in a half-embrace, his face very near on the woman's. The woman had her hand pressed on the man's chest as she smiled for the camera. They both looked very happy, and L noticed the eccentric sparkles in their eyes. The couple looked young and carefree.

It was when L looked closer that his heart skipped a beat.

It was Kyoko…and on her left hand, on her ring finger…was a diamond ring.

"Yes, I was married."

L turned to the direction of the voice. There stood Kyoko, in a nightdress, her face clouded with an expression even he could not read.

She approached him and L caught the scent of wild flowers. He glanced from the photograph he held, to Kyoko who stood a little behind him.

"I'm sorry," he said. "Your things fell over and it came with this." He handed it to her.

Kyoko nodded. "Yeah. It must've been buried there for ages." She peered closely to the photograph, not taking it from his hand. She was quiet for a while.

L didn't know why she wouldn't touch the photograph even if he was returning it to her. Just then, he heard her speak again.

"That's James."

L looked at the man she was pointing to at the picture. It was the young man beside the young Kyoko. He has brown hair, green eyes and a wide smile. His lips were pressed on Kyoko's forehead as he smiled contentedly at the camera.

"Your husband?"

Kyoko forced a smile. "You could say that."

L looked away quickly from the photograph. Suddenly, the picture wasn't that beautiful anymore, as if someone had erased the smile on their faces.

Once again, L handed Kyoko the picture. This time, Kyoko took it and stared.

"It was a quick marriage, the kind that you do when you're young, carefree and stupid." Kyoko let out a chuckle. "I was…nineteen then."

L merely looked at her, not speaking as she stared at her photograph.

"James and I met in England. Buckingham Palace." She sighed. "Five years and then suddenly…" she paused. L waited for her to continue, but when she didn't, he knew that she must be remembering something eminent.

She looked at L and gave a laugh that sounded mirthless to his ears. L looked at her before turning away. He went back to his abandoned strawberry shortcake. Kyoko meanwhile leaned against the arm of her chintz armchair.

"Look how young I am here," Kyoko said. "I even have these stupid bangs over my eyelids…"

L went back to Kyoko's side. Kyoko looked up at his tall figure.

"It's been so long," she said to him, her voice dropping lightly. L noticed how her face lacked the glow that she once had in her photograph. "And I've lost the ring now."

"Your wedding ring."

"Yeah. Our wedding ring. I lost it." She paused, as if waiting for his reaction. When it did not come, she said again, "Does it sound miserable?"

For the first time that night, L gave a solid answer. "No." Then, out of the blue, he gave her a strawberry.

Kyoko looked at it curiously. "Ran out of sticks?" she smiled. Nevertheless, she took the strawberry from him. "Thanks, Ryuzaki-kun." She popped the strawberry in her mouth. Her smile faded as she looked at the photograph once more.

L felt that something unfortunate happened to Kyoko and her husband. L then saw a tear caught between Kyoko's lashes.

"Where is he now?"

His monotonous voice broke the silence. Kyoko hastily wept her eyes.

"Oh, um…" she looked at him. "He's dead."

L didn't speak for a while. Kyoko looked like she was about to cry, but then she just heaved a deep breath and stared at him.

"Shot through the head in an undercover mission," she continued, her voice growing more sober. "Just five months after our wedding."

L clenched his fist as he was suddenly overcome with a strange feeling for Kyoko.

She sighed. "I guess this should be the way it is." She edged closer to him. "No emotions. Just work."

The scent of wild flowers grew stronger as L realized she stood close to him. He didn't move, though and merely stared.

L saw the difference between the Kyoko at screen 8 and the Kyoko up close. The real Kyoko felt more real, and smelled like flowers in full bloom. The Kyoko at screen 8 has blurred features, and the real Kyoko has eyes that were like mirrors, hair that was smooth (though L couldn't touch it) and skin that glowed like porcelain in the faint light.

"Goodnight, Ryuzaki-kun…"she whispered.

"Goodbye."

He followed her with his eyes as she went back to her room. L looked at screen 8 and watched as all the lights were put off.

And he knew, that this was probably the last night he'll be watching screen 8…

Or maybe not.

I hope not...

Author's Notes:

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Death Note or the movie Human Trafficking where I adapted Akira's case from. All I own is Akira and the plot.

Well, it has been a long time. I was quite hesitant to upload this chapter because I fear that this chapter might deviate from the other chapters. I fear that this chapter might be out of place, out of character, out of context and may seem really "far" from the others I've done. Well, after days of revisions, here it is, the 7th chapter.

I do hope everyone supports this one as they have done on the others. If there are any suggestions for the next chapters, please feel free to let me know.

Thank you to everyone who reads and appreciates this story. Your continued support keeps me writing, so...go on, read and review! ;)

Thanks again everyone!

~chiO.