In Memory

Pairings: Light Yagami x Shiori Akino

Disclaimer: I no own Death Note and will never be..

Author's Notes: I really don't know what possessed me to try my hand in creating a Death Note-centered story. Probably it was during the printing of our thesis paper that I decided to re-watch the live action that my groupmate downloaded in his laptop. And just like before, I was so enamored with Tatsuya Fujiwara-san (Light Yagami), he smiles cutely and he acts so well!

Maybe a lot of you were not interested with Light's girlfriend, Shiori. She's a liveaction/movie character (meaning she did not appear in the anime), but I easily find connection with her. I like her. And it also helped that Yu Kashii, the actress who portrayed her is the same actress who did Ai haibara/Shiho Miyano in Detective Conan Liveaction opposite Shun Oguri. I find her extremely pretty.

I included some parts which can be seen in the liveaction itself. On with the story!

She was nowhere near perfect. She's not the type to stand out among the crowd of people but she's beautiful. She's not the type who would voice out her concerns on impulse but she would fight for what she thinks and what she believes is right. Her intellect and logical reasoning amazed him and that was what drawn him to her.

He never knew of her name; all he knew is that they share one class together, Ethics and Humanities. She would often sit at the far corner in the front near the window and he's the type who doesn't really pay attention to roll calls so he never really got the chance to catch her name. But he would often find himself watching her, stealing a glance at her, staring at her... His interest on her grew each passing day. She never really volunteered nor raises her hand to answer questions and to give comments but their teacher would always go to her side and would tap her shoulders asking for answers; and never did she fail to amaze the class with her wit. No one in their block can match up to her, well, no one except himself. It became a routine for them then that when it comes to Ethics and Humanities, it will only be a verbal battle between the two of them. He sees her as a challenge, she sees him as an annoying opponent who won't back down. But they never really knew each other.

As a son of an investigative officer, he acquired certain skills that normal people don't have the privilege to enjoy and one of them is stalking; following people stealthily. He really don't know why he had to follow her, why would he want to know where she will be going or if she'll be meeting anyone; all he knew is that he likes having her around him, her presence calms him. She would often visit the museum, browsing each gallery and getting lost with the vast collection of artwork pieces. He loves watching her scrutinize each painting as if she's trying to figure out the logic behind each stroke, curves and colors. It would always be the same until that day...

He found her on her favorite spot inside the museum but she was not alone. She's in the middle of a heated argument with an unknown guy who is much bigger than her. The man could easily crush her but she did not care, she situated herself in between the man and a crying girl. It became clear to him then that she was protecting the scared girl from the furious man. It happened fast, the man raised his arm aiming to hit her, she closed her eyes but the blow never came. When she opened her eyes, she saw him holding the man's arm successfully stopping it from inflicting harm to her small frame. The guards came and brought the man and the crying girl. They were left alone; silence took them over until she decided to break it.

"Thank you."

He stood up, "There's nothing to thank me for, I just did what is right."

"Still, you saved me." She left her seat as well.

He started to walk, "It's not only you, I saved the other girl too."

She held his arm. "Wait."

He turned to face her and to demand why she's stalling his leave but he failed to anticipate the short distance they were in. He caught himself staring at her pair of warm expressive eyes, his breathing becomes ragged. And then she smiled, gathering his hands in hers she finally uttered what he wanted to know from the very beginning he took noticed of her. "I am Shiori. Shiori Akino."

He smiled, "Light. Light Yagami."

oooOooo

Light smiled at the memory; not long after the museum incident he and Shiori officially became a couple. Shiori was easily accepted by the Yagami household especially Light's younger sister, Sayu. Shiori would often accompany him and would watch his basketball games, would cook for him, visit him at home, listen to his stories, spends time with him and never grew tired of him. Light couldn't help the bitter grin that appeared on his handsome face upon reminiscing the times he spent with Shiori. Shiori is the perfect girlfriend and I killed her.

It became a routine for him to visit the Akino residence and spend quiet moments inside Shiori's bedroom weeks after her death. Shiori's calming effect on him remains even after her death at his very own hands. He wrote her name on the Death Note to see how far a Death Note user can utilize it; he created and manipulated his own girlfriend's death.

Light plopped himself down Shiori's bed. Her room remains the same, clean and organized. Every corner spells out her personality and her scent still lingers. Light closed his eyes, he had spent numerous times in this room before and the memories remain as if they happened not long ago. He opened his eyes to look at the framed photo on Shiori's bedside table, a photo of them together taken on their first year anniversary in time for Tanabata Festival. Perfect image of a happy couple, indeed, he was happy. She made him happy.

"You miss her?" Ryuk asked, floating in midair.

Light threw the reaper a pointed look, "I killed her remember?"

A bite in the apple. "But she knew you would eventually kill her."

Light closed his eyes once again and surrendered himself to another memory. It was 3 days after Shiori's death that he decided to visit her house, it wasn't his intention to rummage through her things but there was voice at the back of his mind coaxing him to open the drawer on her study table and so he did. In there he found Shiori's diary, thick with her thoughts and feelings written in every pages with her neat penmanship. He spent the rest of the day reading it. Everything about Shiori and their relationship were written on it in full details, but the last few entries were the ones that hit him the most.

Shiori had noticed the changes in Light after he acquired the Death Note. Shiori had suspected him of being Kira but wasn't able to find enough proof; she became suspicious of him when he started taking Kira's side and would often argue with her about Kira's ways of serving justice. Her suspicions were answered when Light invited her over at his house, during the short span of time he left her at his room; she was able to find the Death Note innocently lying at his study table. Shiori read its contents and it doesn't need a lifetime for the intelligent girl to put two and two together to know what the seemingly harmless notebook is being used for. She saw Light's reaper, Ryuk, but she was not scared in fact she asked it to keep everything as a secret between them. From then on, Shiori kept mum about Light and his persona Kira. She acted as if she doesn't know anything, she would see Ryuk with Light during their dates but she didn't mind, in fact she would talk to the reaper when Light was not around.

"What do you think she would do if she knew you were Kira?" Ryuk asked Light when the 3 of them went to the museum; Ryuk knew how fond Light is with Shiori.

"She would understand." It was his short answer as he watched Shiori browse through the gallery. Shiori is the type of person who would view things on a wide perspective, she would see his point.

oooOooo

Light opened his eyes to the familiar scent and surroundings of Shiori Akino's room. "Why didn't you tell me that she already knew of my secret?"

Another bite in the apple, "Why should I?"

"I am the owner of the Death Note." Light got up from the comfort of Shiori's bed.

Looking at the framed photo of the former lovers, Ryuk replied "She asked me not to tell you. I knew then why you took interest in her, she's intelligent and she understands you well. She told me it's better that you knew nothing. She saw how your hunger for power is slowly eating you up. She tried her hardest to bring the old Light back but her attempts were futile. That was the time she told me that she felt it, every time you would look at her, she feels death approaching."

"I don't see the reason why she had to do that," For the first time in his life, Light admitted to not knowing something.

Ryuk laughed. "You don't see it, don't you?" You were too narrow-minded, Light Yagami. All you see is yourself. Shiori chose to die to save you, she knew you'd be able to use her death to discover L's identity and… She hoped that with her death, you'd finally be able to free yourself. She sacrificed a lot for you."

A sharp intake of breath.

Light took the framed photo and held it tight against his chest.

The reaper watch as the owner of the Death Note basked in his silent anguish. "I would like to ask you again, Light Yagami, did you ever love Shiori?"

Light looked up at the reaper, and with a bitter smile he said "I did. And maybe I still do."

"Did you regret writing her name?" Another bite.

"I regretted knowing her name." Light returned the photo on its place beside Shiori's bed.

Ryuk bei ng the curious reaper asked, "What about your current girlfriend, the famous Misa Amane?"

Light took a deep breath. "I never like her. She's too clingy. I only need her Death Note and her loyalty."

Ryuk laughed. "You have no heart, Light Yagami."

A bitter smile. "The moment Shiori died, Light Yagami died with her too."

She was nowhere new perfect. She's not a popular idol in which everybody adores but people look up to her and respect her for how she stands through her principles. She may not follow everything he ask her to but that's what he loved about her… She opposes him.

End Notes: When I was craving for a LightxShiori fanfic, I did not find anything on the net and that made me really, really sad. That's when I decided to write one and put my plot bunny into play. I am not a perfect writer. I don't have a beta-reader. But I hope you would find the heart to like this little story of mine and see for yourself how much Shiori and Light loved each other. Please do spare me some love and give me your thoughts!