Bitter Sweet

My head pulsed. It was terribly important for me to find a different hobby. Drinking wasn't helping me, or anyone else. Sighing deeply I reached for the bottle of water sitting on the coffee table in my living room, removing the cap and pouring the precious liquid between my dry lips. It was nice to finally have a day off, even if it had to be spent sitting in front of my laptop typing another unimportant article. None of the trivial things I was assigned were of any importance. None of it mattered. What mattered was justice. Something this world was lacking.

I leaned back into the couch and studied the ceiling. As I did so there was a loud knock at my door. I set my laptop aside and rose to my feet, and made a quick sprint to the bathroom to look at myself in the mirror. I had dressed in grey sweat pants and a light blue tank top, having planned on staying alone for the whole day. Black hair rested at my shoulder blades.

'Good enough.' I thought, scowling at my reflection.

Answering the door, was all but surprised at the visitor.

"Princess!" came a gleeful cheer. "Look what I found prowling around outside!"

The brunette who had arrived unexpected, per usual, held a black and grey kitten out towards me, with a broad smile plastered on her face.

"Korie," I sighed, growling at the use of the nickname.

She beamed back at me and pushed past into my apartment, pulling the refrigerator open and grabbing the half gallon of milk. She set the kitten on the floor and walked to a counter, reaching for a small bowl. She poured some milk in the bowl and set it down in front of the feline, whom greedily accepted the gift.

I examined my friend for a moment. Her hair was down to her shoulders, it's caramel color reflecting that of her eyes, which were full of a childlike sparkle that mine had lost long ago. She wore a short brown skirt with black tights underneath, complimented by a black and grey stripped long sleeve shirt and a brown winter vest. Stylish as ever, compared to my business attire.

"Whats on the agenda today, Princess?" she smiled up at from her lowered height near the cat.

"Rest." I spoke quickly, walking back to my previous placement in the living room.

"Come on, Sweet-heart, let's get your mind off of things." she urged following me, and taking a seat beside me on the couch.

"I have an article to finish." I lied, pulling my legs to my chest.

"Come on! We can go down to the bar and you can play piano." she smiled at me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and resting her head on mine.

I sighed heavily, trying to resist the urge to drink my problems away, just to have another head ache in the morning. I opened and closed my mouth a few times, rethinking my decision.

Suddenly my cellphone began to vibrate, moving ever so slightly on the coffee table. I put my feet back on the ground, shrugging Korie off my shoulder and picked up the phone quickly. One quick glance at the screen allowed me the answer I needed. 'L.' I flipped the item open. Eying my friend, I stood and moved toward my room, pulling the door shut behind me, before I answered. I could hear her huff out of annoyance behind me.

"This is Mrs. Uzawa." I spoke in a hushed voice.

"I'll need you to come in." a synthetic voice stated from the other line.

I suppressed a heavy sigh, and closed my eyes. "Why, might I ask?"

"Matsuda seems to have better things to do. I expect you to be here in 30 minutes, Mrs. Uzawa." he responded with an air of finality, the line going dead.

I growled and shut my phone, pulling my bedroom door. Leaning against the back of the couch, Korie looked at me curiously. The small kitten perched beside her on the back of the couch mirroring her expression.

"You got plans, Princess?" she asked sweetly, petting the kitten.

"Business related." I answered sourly.

She leaned towards me then. "Can I pick out your clothes."

"Definitely not." I raised an eyebrow, confused as to why she would even ask.

"At least let me help you with your hair." she glared a sharp dagger.

I shrugged her off and went to take a fast shower, preparing to leave the house. Korie tied my hair up in a bun. Once I was clean and dressed in a black pencil skirt and a blue sweater, I grabbed my purse, preparing to leave the apartment.

"Just lock the door before you leave, alright, Korie." I said, as I was going out the door.

"Oh! Princess, can you take care of Kitty? My landlord won't allow pets." she laughed, looking at me expectantly.

"What?!" I turned quickly, alarmed at the suggestion. "No!"

"Come on!" she cried, as I pulled the door closed behind me.

Drawing in a deep breath, I stumbled down the stairs and practically sprinted to my car. 'I hope L isn't too strict on dead lines.' A swarm of bees flew through my stomach making it hard to focus on the road in front of me.

I arrived at the hotel, the fourth or fifth since I had joined the task force, in what had to be record time. It was a good idea, I realized, just an obnoxious one. Better, however, than being murdered by the illusive murderer you tried so hard to get rid of.

I arrived at the door and knocked, the door falling open under the small amount of pressure. I peeked inside the room, searching for someone and finding none. There was a computer on a desk with a soft chair pulled up in front of it, behind that, a couch. I stepped inside the room unsure of the emptiness it held.

When no one appeared I walked to the couch, having shut the door behind me softly. I sat down placing my purse at my side, and turning my attention to a window that allowed some sunlight in. It was mostly covered by curtains.

"Mrs. Uzawa." Came a quiet greeting from behind me.

Turning I found L standing with a piece of cake on a small plate, and a fork poised near his mouth. I offered a small smile.

"Would you like a piece of cake?" he asked, gesturing with toward the sweet in his hand.

"Oh. No, thank you." I declined as politely as I could.

"Suit yourself." he tried to speak past his fork, before crossing the room and occupying his chair. Once he had adjusted himself and gotten comfortable, he turned to face me. "I have a favor to ask of you."

He waited for a response so I offered a short nod.

"I would like you to accompany me to To-Oh University. It has come to my attention that you are a graduate." With this he placed his thumb to his lips, replacing the fork that had previously been there.

"Yes." I acknowledged. A knot was forming in my stomach.

"If you don't mind waiting for a while, Watari should return soon, then you may leave." he turned his back to me, focusing on the monitor in front of him.

Shifting uncomfortably in my seat I reached for my purse. There had to be something in it that I could use to occupy myself until Watari returned. I shuffled through the contents of the bag for a moment, finding nothing of much interest. Heaving a sigh I retrieved a rubber band and a paper clip. Crossing my legs I began to fidget with the items, hoping to create something spectacular out of the two items. Nothing spectacular occurred, but I did, however, manage to smack myself in the eye with the rubber band.

I rubbed at my eye feeling very annoyed. I stood and walked over to the window, watching as the sun slowly drifted down past the horizon. I hadn't been there long, but it was late in the afternoon. The view from the hotel room showed most of Tokyo. The city sparkled at night, untouched by the sin of the people that filled it.

I heard the door open, and turned to see the elderly man I had been waiting for standing in front of it. He removed his hat and nodded to me, then turned to Ryuzaki. I watched as they exchanged glances, conversing without even speaking.

"I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long, Mrs. Uzawa." he smiled at me, before walking to me and holding out a box. Inside was a metal bracelet with a blue gem at the center. "This bracelet will allow Ryuzaki to track you where ever you are. If you press the blue gem, my cellphone will ring and show your name. I will then call you back immediately with the address of the new hotel."

I slipped the bracelet onto my wrist and nodded, attempting to keep track of what Watari said. He closed the box and walked off to another room in the suite. I looked up to find Ryuzaki's eyes trained on me.

"This will be easier than having Matsuda fetch you each time your presence is needed." he studied me closely before holding up a white card with two fingers. "You'll also need this, if you are to be my bridge to the public."

I walked forward taking the card from his fingers, and scanned it over. "A fake ID?" I asked quietly.

"I am trying to take every safety precaution possible." he turned away, a determined look crossed his features. I could see the reflection of the computer screen in his eyes. I swallowed hard and moved my gaze to my feet. "You may leave now, Mrs. Uzawa."

"Of course. Umm," I paused and turned towards my purse. "Thank you for your concern, Ryuzaki." I then walked back to the couch and gathered the black bag, letting myself out of the room without even a small glance back to the man.

When I reached the inside of my car I released a breath I didn't even realize I had been holding. I rested my head on the steering wheel, criticizing myself for ever doubting the abilities of the man. Something in his eyes was unsettling. There seemed to be no end to them. For some reason I couldn't get them out of my head.

After trying to calm myself down I started the drive back to my apartment, ready to take a nice warm bath and go to sleep. I unlocked the door and stumbled into the dark apartment. After dropping my purse and keys on the counter I flipped the light on, surprised to find a small kitten asleep on the back of the couch in living room. I heaved a sigh before walking to it, and petting it gently a top the head.