AN: I've been wondering how to make my writing less dry, but I'm still learning. In any case, this is a filler chapter that introduces Rae's daily activities with a little bit of L.

Chapter 3: Working

December 28, 2003; 18 45

Rae hummed nervously as she trailed Hanako, her mentor and new friend, watching intently as the latter cheerfully mixed up a High Ball. I should've made the effort to drink more, she sighed inwardly. She did not hate alcohol- okay, she did. It gave her a headache just a couple hours after drinking, and it was bitter and burned the throat. But that was besides the point. She smiled and greeted a new customer charmingly as he appeared in the doorway.

Rae's face burned as she recalled how she had messed up a little the previous night, when she'd served sake in a regular glass, gotten confused at the customer's requests for 'small cup!' and served it in a smaller glass. 'You're lucky you're cute,' her boss had said, after which he'd assigned Hanako to watch her carefully as she did her job. In her defense, she'd been shaken up by the FBI murders she'd almost encountered on the train.

Thankfully, she'd been alone at the station. She spent the better part of an hour staring blankly at the tracks, her knuckle coming up to rub at her forehead where a tension headache was blooming. Eventually, the station master had come up to her, chattering hesitantly but worriedly, and had brought her a cup of black coffee. He must've thought she was planning to throw herself on the tracks.

Fending him off with an abundance of 'daijobu's, she nevertheless bowed and thanked him profusely for the coffee before hurriedly leaving for the next train. It wouldn't be good if people remembered her at all.

She startled as Hanako snapped her fingers in front of her eyes. "Gomenasai!" she exclaimed, mortified that she'd not been paying attention and knowing that she'd been lucky to get the job. 'I'll work harder, I mean, ganbarimasu?" She cringed at her abysmal Japanese. Was that the right response?

Hanako sighed and pointed at the tables. I guess I'm relegated to cleaning duty for now? She vowed that she would stay after her shift to study the drink recipes. The bar closed in the wee dawn, after all.

Naomi Misora should have heard about Penber's death right about now, huh? She did not know where the Task Force building was, nor which hotel L was staying in, but she wasn't going anywhere near that.

Her mind wandered off to a more mundane but no less depressing topic. Her birthday was the next day, and she dearly missed her family. She had not taken many photos of herself or her family, and what she did have was on Facebook. Which was non-existent in this world. She missed her old life and her family, which was ironic considering she'd left for her trip to briefly take a break from her usual life.

She smiled at Hanako as she rested against the bar. Rae usually left immediately after work, which made it difficult to befriend her colleagues. In her old life, her colleagues had liked her well enough, but had found her difficult to get to know. In wanting to please everyone, she rarely gave too many strong opinions. Here, she didn't know what to say, for fear of slipping up.

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January 5, 2004; 08 00

"These tapes are the recordings of every security camera relevant to the deaths of the FBI on December 27th," Aizawa said nervously, glancing at the pale young man's curiously expressionless face. L's, or rather, Ryuzaki's appearance had been a surprise to the Kira Investigation team. He'd greeted them in a monotone, lanky frame all hunched over, one foot scratching the other, and raven hair all in a mess. The world-famous detective proved to be observant and capable, gaining the respect of the members. But he was quiet and no one could tell what he was thinking.

"Show me all the footage of Raye Penber when he entered the gates up until his death," stated Ryuzaki calmly, chewing at his thumb. He must've discovered something.

He sat up suddenly. "The envelope's gone?!"

Reviewing the footage, they concluded that something must've happened on the train, and checked the security footage within the carriage Penber was in, as well as its adjacent carriages.

"There," Ryuzaki frowned. A woman in a red winter coat had caught sight of something in the camera's blind spot and tensed, then lowered her head and went into Penber's carriage, where she got even more nervous. She seemed very aware of Penber, but alighted immediately.

"… pull up footage of the woman in red," Ryuzaki requested, narrowing his eyes. They watched as she vacantly stared at the tracks, nursing a headache, before she was approached by the station master and left.

"Is she…?" Chief Yagami questioned hesitantly. The woman looked far from a cold-blooded murderer.

The hush was broken by Watari's cellphone ringing.

Line 5 turned out to be Matsuda's cell, which Ryuzaki answered as Suzuki, information specialist of the kira division. Misora was missing.

"With his strange behavior in Yamanotesen, along with Naomi's disappearance… Everyone, please investigate all the people Penber was following ever since Kira began his experiments on December 19th. The list should be small."

L then dropped a bigger bombshell. "Please install hidden cameras and electronic bugs in all of their homes."

"NO WAY! You can't do that in Japan!" exclaimed Matsuda.

"No matter how powerful you are or what your background is, you can't do that-" Aizawa protested.

"Do you value your jobs over human lives?" Ryuzaki cut in coldly. And so, it was decided that cameras and electronic bugs would be installed in sub-chief Kitamura's family, as well as Chief Yagami's family.