February 4th, 2005

Anju, twenty-two, has been continuously living a peaceful life in England. Many moons ago (it's been, at least, half a year, maybe a little over), she finished college; there wasn't much left for her to learn, although she probably spent a few extra years there beforehand, just to be certain. Now, only her wishes (and desires) to be with Ryuzaki (L) keep her there; continuing the freelancing and studio work was just a pleasant bonus, after a while.

Their romance continues to blossom as time passes forward. Nearly one and a half years into their relationship, everything has been going swimmingly, by their standards. They're nothing like how couples usually are, especially with the long distance aspect, as they never have proper "dates", not that either of them care about that; all that matters is their bond, which blooms in its own way.

Currently, L is off working another case and Anju is packing up her belongings, as her time in England has long since ended and only now does she feel she must return to Japan. She stayed here for L but, with him almost constantly being gone, hiding in the shadows here and there as he investigates, she figures he wouldn't mind going to her in Japan instead. She'll inform him of this decision soon, of course, though, admittedly, she probably should've done it before she started packing.

Then again, circumstances have changed; she has inherited the household in which she grew up, because her mother has unfortunately passed away after a brief battle with cancer. Anju hadn't known about the disease for very long; her mother only spoke of it when it was at the end stage, one she couldn't come back from. They cried and got their final goodbye before the woman died just a couple of days afterwards. It's now been, at least, a month and a half since the funeral.

With a sigh and a hum, she finishes packing. She takes a long, good look around the apartment, which she upgraded for the next tenant; they'd get a kick out of that, surely. She'll miss this place, that's for certain. She takes her things (leaving behind what she can't carry), hands the key back to the landlady, who has been good to her all this time, and starts heading out to a greater adventure, one that will take place in her home country.

She hopes, as she goes, that she'll get a call soon, as she never calls L in fear of interrupting his work; a mutual agreement of theirs.

When she's at the sidewalk, just standing there as she reminisces about the time she's spent here, she looks at the sky. Many great days happened here but she'll make new ones back at home, where the remainder of her family resides. She heads to the bus stop, where she'll be waiting, possibly for some time, for a bus that'll get her closest to the airport.

The seats are empty when she gets there, allowing her some additional time to get lost in her thoughts without interruption. Just as she sits down, however, her phone rings, disturbing the peaceful atmosphere. She lets out a breath before grabbing it and answering; it's L.

"Ryuzaki, hey," she breathes out, feeling like pressure has been lifted from her shoulders. "I'm glad you were able to call."

"Is that doubt I'm detecting in your tone?" he questions. "No, you've proven to have a lot of faith in me and my capabilities. Hm, is everything alright?"

She looks at her shoes, shifting slightly. A sad look appears on her face. She decides to let it all out, in a sense. "I'm currently at the bus station, waiting for one to take me close to the airport. I've… I've packed my things, sold a few, and left the rest behind for the next person. I… I just need to be home in Japan, with my family. What's left of it. I wasn't…" She pauses, tears entering her eyes. "I wasn't there for my mom when she… And now, she's gone and I can't make that same mistake again… I won't…"

Not even for him, her only reason for having stayed in England longer, despite him rarely being available for another physical appearance.

"I know I should've said something to you sooner…but I was worried that this, what we have, would end and I'd never see you again," she continues, almost whispering.

"A reasonable concern," he answered, sounding…almost soft. "But unnecessary. I have no issue with visiting you in Japan instead. Or anywhere else you wish to stay. You have my word."

She holds her phone tighter, a hopeful smile on her face as the tears finally fall. She'd been worried for nothing. "Thank you, Ryuzaki. That means so much to me." She pauses for a brief moment. "You mean so much to me. You and Tari both."

She expects him to respond with something like "I had no doubts", only more L like. But instead, he says, "And you complete me."

Her eyes soften and she releases a gleeful laugh, wiping away her tears. "I love you, too. So very much." She smiles to herself, sniffling. "You and Tari, stay safe for me, okay?" She glances up and sees the bus approaching at last. "I'll text you when I land in Japan. I promise."

"I'll be waiting," he answers, with fondness clear in his tone this time.

She's the first to hang up the call and she does so with a big smile. After that much needed chat, her heart is more at ease than it was before. But, at the same time, it has made her miss him more.

Thinking of the conversation as the bus pulls up, she can't help but feel completely relieved still; their bond can't be so easily broken by distance.

Immediately, she slumps over in embarrassment, blushing deeply. Of course their bond wouldn't have broken from distance; they already have a long distance relationship. Moving to another country isn't going to change that. How embarrassing… I got so worked up, I forgot that the distance between us has never mattered… At least L had the decency not to point that out during their talk…

Pushing it aside, since the moment has already passed, she steps onto the bus with her belongings and settles down somewhere in the back. She takes one last look at the city as she's driven towards the airport.

She's on the bus for approximately an hour and a half before she reaches her destination. Or close to it, at least. A short walk later, she enters the airport. It takes some time for her to board the plane, what with the check-ins, the conveyor belt, and the terminal, but board it, she does, eventually. First class seating. Again. For, maybe, the third time.

She looks out the window with a sense of longing. She'll miss England. She'll miss the friends she made. She'll miss the band she worked with. She'll miss L and Watari, too, of course, but those two, she'll be seeing again, someday. Maybe soon, maybe later.

She knows it'll be a long flight (or flights) back to Japan, thanks to her previous trips. So, she simply passes the time like she's always done; watching a movie and listening to music (sometimes her own, specifically Luminescent Sagacity, L's song).

In the end, it takes a total of three flights this time around for her to get back home, which kind of confuses her but then again, she never really went to the same airport(s) each time she took a flight to and from England or Japan.

It isn't until she's made it to her childhood home when she finally sends L a text message, as promised.

I've made it home, safe and sound. Took three flights, though. Probably should just start using the same airport each time I go somewhere. If I go somewhere again. Sorry I didn't check in in-between flights. Slipped my mind. Was just anxious to finally get back here. Hope to hear from you soon. I love you.

Instead of settling in, putting her stuff away and getting reacquainted with her old house, and her old bedroom, she flops onto the slightly dusty couch and takes a well-deserved nap. The house, and her family, can wait a few more hours.

February 9th, 2005

A few days back in Japan, permanently (maybe, probably), and Anju still hasn't gotten the courage to head next door and see her remaining family. It's not like she doesn't want to, given they're the reason she's back; it's just that it's been such a long time. They haven't spoken very much since she left, and they barely even spoke words to each other at the funeral that wasn't just condolences for losing a mutual loved one (and family member).

So, instead, she's been cleaning the house up, sorting out a few belongings that were her mother's. A part of her had hoped that her mother's spirit would be wandering around but, by this point, Anju has accepted that her mother has moved on to be with her father and sibling, whether that be in the next life or some other form of what comes after.

The afternoon eventually rolls in. She swallows, holding a tin of brownies she's just finished making. "You can do this, you can do this, I can do this," she whispers, prep talking herself. Evidently, it works; with her newfound courage, she leaves her house and strolls next door. Taking a deep breath to soothe her remaining anxieties, she knocks on the front door.

She expects her aunt-in-law; it used to always be her answering. However, instead, it's her cousin, Light. She was taken aback when she'd seen him at the funeral, and she's taken aback now; he is…certainly not a little boy anymore, though not quite a man just yet.

Light blinks in surprise. "Anju?"

Anju grins. "Light. We didn't get a chance to talk much at the funeral. You've grown so much."

Light blinks again, looking confused now instead. "The funeral was a month and a half ago. Shouldn't you be back in England? What are you doing here now?"

She hummed, hiding her shock. "I moved back a few days ago. I've been sorting things out, cleaning the house, and whatnot, which is why you're only just seeing me now." She supposes she should disregard his mild rudeness as teenager behavior but she keeps going, his words having bothered her a bit. "I mean, who else would've taken care of my mother's home, the legal issues to come, and so on?"

"The family that was actually here," he answers flatly, stepping aside. She stares at him, her mouth slightly agape and pain entering her chest; that hurt her feelings. He taps his foot a bit impatiently. "Well, don't just stand there; come in."

Honestly… It's almost like Ryō has possessed him… Her eye twitches. "Way to rub salt in the wound, little cousin," she mutters through her teeth, sounding a bit bitter. He wasn't wrong, but he didn't need to be so blunt about it. She walks into the household, the tin of brownies still in hand. He shuts the door behind her. Politely, she removes her shoes at the door.

Together, they step into the living room, just beyond the small foyer. Soichiro (her uncle), Sachiko (her aunt-in-law), and Sayu (her other little cousin) are gathered there.

"Anju's here," Light says, stating the obvious, before turning on the heels of his feet and wasting no time in heading upstairs.

Holding in a sigh at Light's continued bad behavior, Anju greets the rest of her family. "Uncle, Auntie, Mini Me, it's good to see you again." She holds up the tin in her hands. "I brought brownies. Made them myself just recently."

Sayu stands up in excitement. "Anju! You're back!" She tugs on her father's sleeve. "See?! I told you I thought someone was living in Aunt Kaede's house!" She does a little jump. "And she brought brownies!"

Anju laughs gleefully, the sourness in her mood fading. "You haven't changed at all; you still know how to brighten a room." She snorts when Sayu pouts. "Oh, well, maybe you've changed some; you're not that little anymore. Almost thirteen, right?"

Sayu gives her a thumbs up. "Yep! Now, brownies! Gimmie!" She jumps at Anju and grabs the tin of treats from her while she's caught off guard, sprinting into the dining room afterwards. "Victory!"

"Sayu…" Soichiro comments, sounding disapproving.

Sachiko, on the other hand, giggles behind her hand. "It's good to have you back home, Anju. We have so much to catch up on."

With a big smile, Anju moved forward and hugged her aunt-in-law, then her uncle. "I agree. Oh, there's just so much I want to talk about." She starts heading for the dining room, the two of them following behind. "England was so lovely. Oh, and the music academy was just the best. I ended up in a band for a while…"

The next few hours consist of Anju sprouting out her adventures to Soichiro and Sachiko at the dining table. Throughout the conversation, Sayu lingers nearby, snacking on some of the brownies, if not most of them. Occasionally, Anju stops talking about how her life has been, and hears some of what the Yagami family has done lately.

Eventually, the retelling of life events comes to an end. And farewells are stated.

Sachiko cleans up the mess Sayu made as Anju heads for the door. She is in the middle of putting on her shoes again when she hears someone coming down the stairs. She looks up, thinking that maybe Light has come to apologize or at least say goodbye, but she faintly gasps when she comes face to face with the boy she used to tutor: Hajime.

"Hajime…?" she wonders, staring at him in surprise for a moment longer before she grins. "Wow, you've grown so much. I hope you've been well."

Hajime stares at her in disbelief. "…Y-You're back…?" His eyes begin watering. "…You're r-really here…?"

Anju continues grinning, though it falters slightly at the sight of his forming tears. "Of course! Japan is where my family is, and so in Japan, I shall stay!" She opens her arms, initiating a hug. "Seriously, it's really good to see you again."

Right there in the small foyer, Hajime lets go, releasing his frustration, loneliness, and sorrows into many tears as he rushes forward, throwing himself into Anju's waiting arms. His adoptive grandmother is dying, his only other friend is a dick while his real one was far away until now, and Hajime's overall dissatisfaction of where his life has been heading because of the growing negativity within it (otherwise, he'd be pretty content and optimistic still), he pours it all out from his heart, silently crying against Anju's shoulder.

Anju holds him like she would a younger sibling, kind of cradling the back of his head, gently patting him in comfort. "Oh, Haji… I can't imagine what you're dealing with right now…" Instantly, she thinks about Light's behavior towards her, and recalls some moments where he'd been exactly that way towards Hajime when they were still kids. I guess I can't really disregard his behavior as teenage angst anymore…

"Anju? Are you still here, dear?" Sachiko gently calls out before she steps into the small foyer. Her expression immediately softens into sadness. "…I was afraid this would happen, but it gives me relief that it didn't happen while he was alone." She glances behind her, where her husband is giving her daughter a stern but calm talking to for going overboard with the brownies. Then, she looks at Anju, who is confused. "Oh, it's really not my place to say…" Bending over, she grabs Hajime's shoes and hands them to Anju. "…I think it'd be best to let him calm down in your home, over some herbal tea. He could use some peace and quiet."

Anju nods shortly. "I understand." Gently, she pushes Hajime away from her but only just a bit. Her expression softens further when she sees the despair on his tear covered face. "What do you think, Haji? That sound like a good idea? Herbal tea in a quiet house?" she asks him quietly. He silently nods and takes his shoes from her hand; he doesn't make a move to put them on, though.

Together, the two of them quietly bid Sachiko farewell before stepping out, walking next door to Anju's own household.

She guides him into the living room, letting him sit on the sofa. "I'll be right back, okay?" She walks straight to the kitchen, which is in the same room, just sectioned off via the flooring. She immediately begins making the tea.

He glances around her home briefly, remembering the layout from when he last entered it, years ago. Now, he's seventeen and a half; he's not exactly the same kid anymore. "..." He wipes his face and looks down at his hands in embarrassment. He'd known that, sooner or later, all of his repressed feelings would come pouring out, but he hadn't thought that Anju's return would be the catalyst.

He's got loads to tell her. Like, how much he's missed having a real friend, how he's been doing in school, how mistreated he feels whenever Light is around, and so on. He's got lots to ask, too. Like, does she still see ghosts? And why are her family members talking to her if they think she's crazy? Has that just been a lie from Light this whole time, an attempt to sour Hajime's own views of her? He's starting to believe that maybe the last one is true.

Soon, she returns from the kitchen with a tea tray, setting it down on the coffee table. She, then, takes a seat beside him. "No need to rush things," she says gently, noticing the mild hesitation on his face. She lifts the teapot and pours the liquid into a cup for him. "Just take your time. Relax."

"…I-I don't think I'll be able to r-relax for a while, anyway, s-so…" He lets out a breath, deciding not to beat around the bush. In the end, he disregards a lot of the things he wants to tell and ask her; they can wait. "C-Can you still see s-spirits…?" She nods, waiting for him to continue. "…" He feels like crying again. "…Will you…k-keep an eye out for my grandmother in the next f-few weeks…?"

She feels her heart drop to her stomach; she'd been expecting anything but this kind of news. She thought he'd confide in her about Light's behavioral issues. This is worse. "Of course, I will," she responds gently. "I'll even make sure she heads where she needs to go if she needs the assistance."

He sniffles, tears falling down his cheeks again. He's still sad, of course he is, but he also feels relief. "Thank you," he whispers gratefully.

She places her hand over his, patting it gently, as a manner of comfort. "It'll be okay. I lost my mother recently; I haven't seen her after, so she's made it to where she needs to be. And where she is, I know she's happy; she has my dad...and little sister again. They probably guided her there."

"That's comforting..." he softly says. A long pause later. "...I d-didn't mean that sarcastically; that does s-sound comforting."

She smiles. "You know, your stutter hasn't changed a bit. Honestly, I missed hearing it."

He snorts. "You're just saying that..."

She claps her hands together in delight. "Maybe. Made you laugh, though, so mission accomplished."

"What?" he questions with a small smile. "That wasn't a laugh; it was a snort. There is a very clear difference between the two."

"Well, it-shut up," she says, pouting. "At least I was right about the stutter; it only happens when you're nervous or shocked."

"Which is more often than you're thinking," he states, starting to frown again, thinking about Light and what he'd do.

She becomes sad again, seeing him frown. "...It's because of Light, isn't it? He was...very brutally honest with me when I briefly saw him."

"That's putting it mildly," he admits, wincing at his memories.

She nods. "Well, if you don't want to continue being his friend, you don't have to. When you stay with toxic people, it can damage your mental health and self-worth."

"He's not that bad," he immediately defends. "I can handle it; I have been for years." He pauses, looking at his hands, eventually getting to the truth of the matter. "Besides, you and him, you're all I've got after..." His grandmother dies is unsaid but heard. "There's no one else. Except maybe the rest of your family."

Obviously, she notices his quick defense of Light and his poor reasoning for sticking by him. "Are you sure you can handle it?"

He is quiet for a moment. "…Yes," he lies. "I can handle it." He shrugs his shoulders. "It's probably just a…phase or something, anyway…"

She frowns but nods, despite not believing him. Some things are just better left unsaid, I guess, she thinks.

February 26th, 2005

On February 11th, two days after Hajime asked Anju to keep an eye out for his grandmother's spirit in the upcoming weeks, the aforementioned elderly woman died in her sleep, late into the afternoon. As expected, Hajime was a mess as he mourned for his guardian.

She left him everything she owned, to no one's surprise. It wasn't much; just the house, everything in it, and a decent amount of money so he could get by on his own, at least for a little while. Even so, whilst still in mourning, he got himself a part-time job at the grocery store as a bagger; he didn't want to rely on what she'd left behind, especially since it wouldn't last forever.

It's been two weeks since. Anju hasn't seen her yet but Hajime knows she's lingering nearby at all times; he can practically feel her presence, despite not having the ability to see her in spirit form. He assumes she's hiding from Anju on purpose, likely aware of what will be addressed; her moving on into the next life.

He has a strong feeling that her reasoning for remaining is because of him; she wants to be certain he'll be okay. Only, he's not sure yet if he will be, considering everything that's been going on with him lately.

Currently, he's at his job again, restocking bag supplies to some of the checkout counters and returning carts/baskets to their rightful place(s), making sure the store stays organized and nothing's in the way (at least, nothing he's responsible for), and that things are accounted for.

He politely greets customers, most not responding back. He answers some questions about where things are, even though there are signs that point the way above each aisle. He tries not to cry when he helps a few elderly people load their bags.

About halfway into his shift, he works with the cashier to package items into bags for the customers, putting them into their carts. About twenty customers later, he blushes, becoming nervous when the next person turns out to be Anju. He should've expected someone he knows to show up for grocery shopping while he's working, and he did but he hadn't thought it would be that soon.

For the most part, he's silent as he bags her items, doing his job like he's meant to. Then, he notices she'd gotten a few heavier things, such as a few bags of pet food, specifically for cats, and canned food, also specifically for cats. He doesn't think too much about it, until she requests for him to assist her in loading her vehicle; by then, he catches on that she bought them on purpose, as an excuse to lure him away for a different duty, so they can talk.

She takes the lighter bags while he pushes the cart with the heavier items inside it. Once they are outside the grocery store, heading for her vehicle, does she start speaking again. "I have some news."

"If it's about my grandmother's spirit, I already know that she's lingering nearby," he states politely. "And I have something of an idea as to why she's still here," he continues, more softly. They arrive at her vehicle and, slowly, he starts putting the heavy bags of pet food into it. He continues talking, again. "I hope you actually have a cat now or plan to give this to a cat cafe or something. I'd hate for you to be wasting money, just to get this private talk with me that could've waited until later."

She sweat drops. "Well, while it wasn't about your grandmother, she is standing over your shoulder. But I wasn't gonna say anything since I assumed you'd already had the idea that she was still around and you only asked for me to help her move on, and I'm rambling now, sorry!" She claps her hands together and bows her head in apology before continuing. "As for the other part, the answer is both! I now own a cat and I'm giving some of the food away to "a cat cafe or something"."

He snorts, happy about the more positive topic. "I honestly never imagined you'd become a cat mom."

"I wasn't expecting it either but she looked so sad and lonely in the rain, I had to let her inside. She didn't have a collar but with how she behaved around me, she's used to being around people. She has beautiful black fur and green eyes." She could go on all day about her new cat if she wanted to but she stops there.

"What's her name? Midnight? Lady? Darkness? Another name blatantly stating her fur color?" he lightly teases as he starts loading the cans of cat food into her vehicle.

Grinning and giggling at his sense of humor, she shakes her head. "No, no, none of those. Her name is Mikazuki. Fitting, right?"

He hums. "Well, I did call you a cat mom and that name is fitting for someone's child, so I guess it does fit." He chuckles as she pouts. "I'm kidding. It's a nice name. Little Zuki. Can't wait to see her." He closes the back door of her vehicle. "There. All set." He begins walking the cart to where it needs to be.

She follows him, grimacing a bit all of a sudden. He frowns at the indication it's giving; the topic is going to be serious now. "Back to the talk about your grandmother..."

"You haven't been able to convince her to move on?" he guesses, looking sad. "I kind of expected that, to be honest. Still, I wanted you to try."

"Yeah... Umm... I think the only one that can convince her of that is you, Haji," she states. "You are something of her...unfinished business here."

"...I know," he utters, putting the cart away before finally looking at her again. "I...don't know what to do about that, though."

"Well... You can always start by talking to her. Or rather, at her in your case since you won't be able to hear anything from her side of the conversation," she says. "Just...say anything. Comfort her. Reassure her. Be honest with her. Neither of us wants her to end up stuck here like some of the others."

"...I'll try," he replies, still looking sad. And feeling a little awkward since the conversation is taking place in front of the ghost of his grandmother.

She nods shortly with a half smile. "Anyway, thank you for the assistance." She starts getting into her vehicle.

"You're welcome," he says back, weakly smiling at her in return. He, then, proceeded to head back inside the grocery store, a lot on his mind once again.

Later that night, when he returned home, he did as Anju suggested; he talked aloud to his grandmother, telling her everything that was on his mind lately. By the end of the one-sided conversation, he was smiling to himself, in spite of everything. Ultimately, he told her he'd be okay, that she didn't need to worry about him anymore. He grew silent after that.

A quick visit from Anju was enough to know that the woman had moved on like they wanted, assured that her boy would live a happy life without her.

He wasn't okay, though. Not yet. But he was optimistic about the future again; someday, he'd be alright again. After all, he had a true friend by his side this time.

March 4th, 2005

"Mother." … "Mother." … "Mother." … "Mother!" … … … "MOTHER!"

Hotaru, sixteen years old, impatiently taps her foot, staring at the back of her mother's head. The aforementioned woman is standing in an empty room, which was once a bedroom, clearly getting lost in reminiscing because it took Hotaru screaming for the woman to finally acknowledge she was speaking.

"…Hotaru?" Kohaku questions, slowly turning her head towards her only child.

Hotaru nods shortly, expressionless. "Yeah, that's correct. Hotaru." She leans a shoulder against the frame of the doorway. "I've been calling you for the past fifteen minutes. Everything we're keeping, selling, and/or giving away are packed away inside the moving truck. Everything else has been left as is for the next owners to deal with." She straightens up again, crossing her arms. "It's time to leave, Mother."

"...Yes," Kohaku utters in agreement. "It's time to leave the sadness and horror behind us…"

Hotaru stares at her, humming gently. She hasn't quite returned to reality, she thinks. "That's the idea, yes."

"…Right." Kohaku glances around the empty room again before fully turning towards Hotaru. "I'm ready…"

You're not but okay, Hotaru thinks, holding back a sigh of annoyance. The bastard really did a number on her. She turns away from her mother. …Nothing therapy can't fix. I hope.

And so, together, mother and daughter leave the household of their torment, heading for brighter pastures further inside the Kanto region.

And, to Hotaru's dismay, she's enrolled into a different public school.

Technically updating on Sunday instead of on Saturday (because Death Note days are on Friday and Saturday) but it was being a pain in the ass to finish. Anyway, Hotaru has yet met Anju and Hajime (and Light) but I'll tell you this, it's getting pretty close to that time, to the moment you've probably been waiting for (which is all of them meeting). Thank you for sticking around. We're trying to update faster but we also don't want to rush our "genius".

See you next time on Phthartic!