PARADICHLOROBENZENE

"And then you laugh at me... And then I shove you away... I am right and you are wrong... Embraced by emptiness I fade away until I disappear."

001

"You're quite a peculiar girl, if I do say so myself."

She only shrugged, flipping a page of the book she was studying while scratching the tip of her nose with a pencil before writing down the answer to what she was reading. She couldn't care less if she was called a little while informing that Kira has been apprehended or that it was Light who was Kira and that Near finally set down justice to Kira. In fact, she greeted them congratulation and that the next time she is inform about a new case before she hits eighteen she'll ask her parents if she can engage in one but otherwise she seem quite anticipated with the results, though in a nonchalant way.

"It could be worse," Kei murmured, answering another question on her book. "Now, on the next question." She ignored the presence for a bit, focusing on the next question before a small smirk was seen from her face. "Question, Chlorobenzene is used for pesticides, right?"

"Uh... I don't know, Why?"

A small laugh was heard from the brunette female of sixteen as she turned around to whoever she was talking about and gave a light tap on the book she was holding.

"Then again, it came from the chemical compound Benzene. Though it did say in my book it's a flammable, but sweet-smelling chemical." She could have sworn she would have been given an odd look before scratching something from the book with her pencil. "Guess that's not the answer the question's looking for."

"You really are peculiar."

"Hmm... don't know."

Silence.

"Did you know that 1,4-Dichlorobenzene not only dangerous for the Environment but also harmful to one's health?" She interjects out of the blue as she scribbled something in the book. "And, yet, everyone needs it because it keeps the moths away." The female cringed her nose a bit at the though before she quickly added. "I always hate it when mom puts mothballs in my closet."

She waited if there would be a reply before she pulls something out from her bag, and on her hand holding a black notebook as she handed the said item she was holding.

"Sorry, Ryuk," Kei said with a small grin. "Might be useful, but I don't think it'll do me good." She could hear the shinigami laughing as she only sighed and shoved the Death Note to the monstrous beast before her. "I found it in my closet, if you're asking. And since I didn't use it, I don't have anything to loose, so just you know."

"You really are a peculiar girl," Ryuk laughed, anticipating about her decision to return the notebook to him as one only looked at her with its red eyes. "So you compared the Death Note to a mothball? You really are something!"

"I always think it would go something like that."

"Kei, dinner time~!"

Immediately, the female stood up as her mom entered the room to fetch the teen, completely ignorant to the supernatural being that is present in the room as Kei ushered her mom that she will follow before walking out of the door.

"Oh, and there's an apple on that closet as well. Go knock yourself out," Kei turned her head a bit to instruct the Shinigami before pointing the window. "And close the window, thanks." And, with that, she finally closed the door, leaving the creature fending for himself as he only laughed and took the apple before flying away to god-knows-where, never to be seen again.

"Hm... He's nothing but a cheap imposter."

After announcing- under the alias of 'L'- that he won't be taking the case, Nate Rivers merely finished his tarot card tower as he placed two cards one after the another, his concentration never faltering as he made another comment about the 'new' Kira case. "I'm even surprised they got the guts to claim as one. They're not worth a challenge."

"You are such a poor individual. No wonder you lack socializing skills." He looked snidely before resuming at his tower. "Though the suicide is unnecessary, you do realize you just passed on your lazy ass's job on my desk, right?"

"I am socializing with you, aren't I?" He completely ignored the second statement made by the speaker as he decided to make a fresh, new batch. "You should be grateful that you're working with me, Motomiya."

"Hahaha," The female with reddish-brown hair laughed as she only shook her head. "I'm Surprise you used my real name, Nate. I never told you." She added.

"I read your school records, Kei Azuki, and it says your surname is Motomiya."

"Spot on!"

Near could only sighed at his new companion, decided to just ignore her instead and focus on what he's doing. Besides, he might need her help more than ever as much as she needed help as well, so why not tolerate each other? Who knows?

I decide to let her be the one to compare the Death Note to a certain chemical compound called 1,4-Dichlorobenzene, more commonly known to us as mothballs- dangerous, but useful to some- maybe because I want her to be depict as some teenager who decides to use common sense to see the whole scenario, half-joke it may be. I don't know about you, but for me it's a peculiar metaphor I just figure out. I don't need to be a psychiatrist to get that but I guess they're mostly on my part of analysis (or plain fan intuition). Again, like the last part, you can draw your own conclusion how Kei got hold of the Death Note though it was smart of her not to use it after finding out what it can do based from the case. Again, using Kei in a form that despite the genius level of her mind, her wave lenght is those of a normal teenager so you can't help it much with her own opinions.

In conclusion, this chapter probably states about Kei's metaphoric explanation of a Death Note using a chemical compound, and partly about my (sick) humor of using said chemical to compare it to a Death Note (hence the title). As for the lyric snippets, I tried laying them up on the chapter. The (very) last chapter of this fanfiction would explain everything about these two or why I made this.

The last few paragraphs refer to the special one-shot about C-Kira and Near, who is the new L. And, yes, the person died since he didn't take the case; apparently, only Kei knows about this since she's present and... You form your own conclusion. It is also revealed Kei's real surname, Motomiya and the fact that Kei means 'punishment' in Japanese.

DISCLAIMER:

I don't own Death Note, its characters or anything within its universe; Tsugumi Obha and Takeshi Obata owns them. Also, the title and the first line of the lyrics are based on a song of the same title by Kagamine Len of the software VOCALOID.

The only thing I claim here is my own character and this fanfiction. Read, Review and Message would be much appreciated.