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"Thank you for allowing me the day off," I said as I closed my suitcase and rose to leave the sunlit office.

L stood by the door, his bare right foot lifting up slowly to itch his left knee. "What keeps you from work today?" he asked in his monotone voice. His eyes followed me around the room until I stood before him, ready to leave.

"My younger cousins are participating in a performance for their ballet program," I said, flattening my shirt. "I don't see them often, and I haven't been to one of their ballet performances yet. I'll be back at lunch, though. One will be turning seven this week." I smiled, remembering that I still had to buy her a gift.

I saw his face take on a sort of lonely look, but as though it were a normal thing for him. "You may accompany me, if you don't have any imperative prior engagements."

As soon as I said this, he opened the door and held it for me, slightly more excitement revealed on his face. "I would be happy to join you," he said, closing the door behind us and shuffling to the elevator. "I've never been to a ballet performance before. I would very much like to see one."

The car ride to the nearby music and arts center was quite awkward and silent. L kept his dark eyes focused ahead of the car the entire time. Even so, I felt like he was thinking over and criticizing my every move at the wheel, no matter how slight. Finally we arrived, and I saw my aunt about to enter through the large glass doors and into the hall inside. Pointing her out to L as we got out of the car, I said, "That woman in red is my aunt, Yoshiko. I'll show you my cousins when we're inside."

There were a few stares and grunts in L's direction about underdressing as we seated ourselves only a few rows from the broad stage. Sliding my purse into the slot next to me, I laughed silently to myself thinking of what their faces would look like if they were informed of L's true identity. They'd be honoured that he came to this recital in the first place.

All the lights dimmed excluding the ones at the foot of the stage, illuminating it with a haunted and eerily dim light. Light music began playing softly, hinting at suppressed and simple sadness. Suddenly a shimmery white glitter began to fall from the ceiling over the stage, just as the first ballerina jumped onto the floor with her leg outstretched so she lay upon the floor in a dramatic position. On the other side, another ballerina did the same thing, but with her head high and her neck stretched, expressing suffering and sadness. I could feel the audience's captivation, just as I was.

A few times throughout the recital, I would turn to look at my guest. Every time his eyes were focused on the performers upon the stage. At the very end when the performers gathered on stage to give a bow to the roaring crowd of family and friends, I pointed to my two cousins near the side of the stage. "That's Etsu there, and there's Chika beside her with the blue leotard on." L nodded in response, his thumb to his lips again.

We rose and traveled backstage to greet my cousins. They jumped up to hug me, pulling me down to the floor and introducing me to their new friends from their ballet classes. When I could finally rise, I saw L waiting patiently a few feet away.

"Etsu, Chika," I began, turning them towards L, "this is my... boss, you might say. His name is Ryuzaki. Go introduce yourselves and your friends to him." I pushed the eager children in his direction and went to their mother.

"I'm so glad we could see each other again!" she said, embracing me with her thin arms. "I've missed you so much!" We parted and her smile was so wide I was worried her face might rip in half.

We talked only for a short time before L called out to me. "Please, your cousins and company are slightly out of control."

I looked over to see that L's pants were down, replaced by a tutu that was almost completely see-through. His face showed little emotion, although I was certain that his current situation, the laughing girls, and the giggling parents made him very uncomfortable and embarrassed. In fact, in his listless eyes I believe I saw him pleading with me to get him out of his predicament.

Since there was no restroom, L had to shuffle through the parking lot and to the car before he was able to pull up his pants in the privacy of the front seat. Luckily the people who had previously been standing outside left with their children by this time, or else I'm sure someone would have called the police.

Back at the office I resumed my position at the desk and shifted through the papers piled atop it. "My cousins really do like you," I said as L sat melancholically in the chair at the center of the room. "They've invited you to Etsu's birthday party next weekend. If you don't want to come I understand. What they did was quite rude."

L seemed to put a nonchalant air on as he picked at his lower lip, but I sensed something was different. Unsure if it was good or bad, however, I lowered my head to stare at the files before me. He will most definitely say no, I thought to myself.

So it was a surprise to hear him answer positively.

"No. No, I think I shall come."