Death Note: The Next Kira

Chapter Fifty: A Funeral On Saturday

FEBRUARY 10, 2006

TOKYO, JAPAN

EVENING

                                                                                 MARIE 

I was in the Chinese restaurant with Vincent, Kyrie, Near, Halle, Alissa, Hailey, Daemon, Pauline, her friend, Mamoru, Amber, her friend, Kaemon, Mr. Mikami, Ms. Hirota, and Ms. Seraphim. "Hey, Ms. Seraphim," I said out loud. "Hmm?" Ms. Seraphim asked as she looked at me. "Where's Sam and Sky?" I asked. "Oh," Ms. Seraphim let out. "They didn't feel like coming. They are both devastated about what happened to Mei and Jirou. Sam is too scared to go into an onsen at the moment, but he's perfectly fine going in a Sento." Ms. Seraphim stayed silent for a moment. "He's gonna take a little time off from the onsens," she continued. "Before Mei and Jirou died, the onsen used to be his happy place for a while." 

                                                                           KAITO (MR. MIKAMI) 

I sighed and held my hands together below my head. "Are you okay?" Minako asked. I turned and looked at her. "If you're asking me if I recovered from the traumatizing incident of us finding the bodies of one of many of our favorite students boiled to death in an onsen, then no," I answered. "I can't even get that image out of my head ever since I saw it." There was a brief moment of silence between me and Minako. "The funeral this Saturday," I told her. "Sounds good," Minako replied. "But still, it's the same day before Commander Aizawa's anniversary party." I shook my head. "Not anymore," I corrected her. "It's been canceled. Chief Matsuda said that he didn't want to throw a party when two families were suffering. He said that he wanted to throw the party right before Commander Aizawa and Eriko left for their vacation. I guess Chief Matsuda will try again next year." 

                                                                       MARIE 

Even at the restaurant, all that I could think about was Mei and Jirou. "Are you okay?" I heard Near ask me. I looked at him. "To be honest, I've only thought about Mei and Jirou ever since I received the news that they died," I answered. Near gave me this look as if he felt bad for me. "I didn't really know them at all," he told me. "But once again, I'm very sorry that they died the way that they did. Mei and Jirou didn't deserve that." Just then, the waitress came with a tray of food and gave us our plates. "Okay," she said. "Here are your soup dumplings." I watched as she handed Alissa and Osuke their plate of soup dumplings. "And here are your Kung Pao Chicken bowls," the waitress continued as she handed their plates from Hailey and Daemon. "Here are your wonton soups," the waitress told Ms. Seraphim and Halle as she handed them their wonton soups. "Here are your chicken dumplings and your chicken fried rice with broccoli beef," she told Mr. Mikami and Ms. Hirota as she handed them their food. 

"Here are your chow mein with black pepper chicken, grilled teriyaki chicken, Bejing beef, orange chicken, and honey sesame chicken," she said as I watched her hand Pauline, Amber, Mamoru, Kaemon, Daeshim, and Deku their food. "Here is your chicken fried rice with Kung Pao chicken and your white rice with honey sesame chicken," the waitress said to Vincent and Kyrie as she handed them their food. "And for the beautiful couple," the waitress began as she came over to us. Seriously, why does everyone think that Near and I are a couple? I thought to myself. "Here are your chicken fried rice plates with a variety of chicken for the lady," she continued as she handed me my plate. "And chicken fried rice with honey sesame chicken for the gentleman." I watched as she handed Near his plate. "Now," the waitress began. "I'll be right back if you need anything. And if you don't mind me asking, what is going on here? Is this a celebration? A reunion or a...?"