AN: I do apologise if it's too dry, but I had tons of fun imagining the actions of our OC in this hypothetical scenario. Please review, favorite and follow!

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Chapter 2: A game plan

December 6, 2003; 07 00

Munching on a konbini*-bought onigiri**, Rae decided on a game plan. She would assume, for now, that she had entered a completely different world, and that it was most likely that she had unknowingly done so through some kind of invisible portal. Then, it would make sense to retrace her route beginning from her touchdown at the airport. Try as she might, she could not recall whether those at the airport had been using flip phones. It would be just her luck if the dimension travel had happened en route to the country, but she tried not to think about that right now.

And what if I can't find the portal?

She'd spend a week doing the route-retracing, following the crude timeline she'd drawn before breakfast. If she could not find the portal, she'll need to secure some form of employment, and then research dimension travel or something. She'll save up, and then take a plane back to her home country in hopes of passing through the portal again.

But… wouldn't there be other people in my position if that had happened? What if it actually isn't a portal that brought me here?

Well then, if there were other people in her position as well, she'd find them eventually. She could use her smart phone as proof. And she already said she'd research dimension travel. Surely dimensional anomalies would be rectified by the universe or something.

Emboldened by her plan, she grinned.

Don't I need to speak Japanese to find a job?

Shut up, mind! We'll get to it when we get to it! And just to answer your question, I'll start learning Japanese every night, okay?!

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December 27, 2003; 15 00

Her spirits were, she had to admit, a little dampened. She'd retraced her route, going over every nook and cranny with a figurative fine-toothed comb, but her week-long search had yielded nothing. The money she brought with her to cover her 3-week long trip could last approximately 6 weeks, as she had spent it only on convenience store food and transport. Well, and on use of the manga-kissa. She had been wary of showering there on account of the possible existence of peeping toms (call her paranoid, but she knew how to protect herself) but had had no choice.

She had not given up trying to find the portal (if it exists-shut up!) despite her self-stipulated deadline, but securing employment was more important for survival. Hours, days were spent combing through job ads, searching for 'help wanted' posters in front of shops. She had been lucky to happen upon a small, sleazy-looking bar in Shinjuku that catered mostly to foreigners. The owner had baulked a little at the fact that she did not have an employment pass, but had liked that she spoke English well and had a pleasant appearance. She was Chinese, but could also pass for Japanese if she didn't speak, plus she could speak some basic Japanese and was learning. She'd become a better Japanese speaker in time and could also be paid less than her counterparts.

Work started at 6pm, but she left her chosen place of residence earlier so that she could scour the train tunnels of Tokyo for the portal. How does one get an employment pass in Japan again? She wondered, lamenting the lack of Internet, her go-to for answers. Sighing, she continued walking through the train carriages.

A huge, ugly black shape loomed before her and she slowed her steps, trying to process what it was. Monkey like, but giant, with a huge maw of shark-like teeth and bulging orange eyes. Ryuk! She would've loved to stare at his punk-like fashion a little longer, but where Ryuk was, Light was near, and she did not want to die. FuckthisshitI'mout. Before he could realise she saw him, she immediately looked into her bag and walked into the next carriage.

Her hands trembled as she spied Raye Penber seated at one of the corner seats. Fuckfuckfuck he's gonna die I better not be anywhere near these people. I'm an innocent commuter~

At that moment, the doors to the next carriage opened, and without thinking she fled, not knowing that the CCTV would've caught a glimpse of her favorite red winter coat.

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*konbini: 24-hour convenience stores ubiquitous in urban parts of Japan.

**onigiri: Triangular rice balls with other flavoring ingredients like sour plum, salt etc.