- -Kida's POV- -

"So! What do you think?"

I stopped whatever I was doing and winced slightly, mulling over the proposition Saki had just made..

"You want me to move to Ikebukuro with you?"

"Yes! I think it would be really good for us!" Saki grinned, taking on of my hands in both of hers and almost bouncing with excitement.

I could see how happy she was just thinking about the whole idea of moving cities. I didn't know exactly why she wanted to move - I thought we were happy in our quiet town?

Though I guess it would be a change!

I also got the feeling that if I declined the offer.. I would probably be getting the silent treatment for months afterwards.

"Ehh.. Okay, let's do it." I said, finding a smile as I realised what I had just said.

Saki squealed with excitement and tugged at my hand in hers.

"You won't regret this, Kida, it's going to be amazing!"

AMAZING.. Wasn't the word.

I had already lived in Ikebukuro before, with my parents. In fact I was born there, as were they. We lived right in the centre where we had everything we needed as soon as we stepped out of the door. The people there weren't exactly as you would find them in the countryside - everybody had their stresses and strains and kept to themselves but we didn't really need anyone.

I thought it was the best place to live ever - until I hit thirteen.

There was talk on the news that a new gang had started running through the streets at night, smashing windows, stealing cars, mugging late night wanderers..

The media was all over it. Even though Ikebukuro was one of the most densely populated cities in Tokyo, the people here kept to themselves a lot and crime rates were at a minimum.

The reports were broadcasted and started to give our City a bad name.

After that; more and more people joined this gang, and started ones of their own - most were colour co-ordinated.

The crime didn't really affect us as a family, not until one morning where we woke up to find that our house had been robbed in the night.

We lost everything..

It didn't take long for my Mother to contact her friend who lived far away. We moved in with her until we saved up enough to get our own place.

Then I met Saki, and we moved in together.

Now we're going back there…

I haven't heard anything of the gangs or colours; mostly because I don't want to, I never thought I would need to know.

Saki seemed oblivious to the whole history of Ikebukuro - she didn't know why it had a bad name or the reason behind my hesitation to commit to the idea.

For the entire period of time between leaving our small house and stepping foot off the plane, I felt sick with nerves, but at the same time, I was curious.

I wanted to see if Ikebukuro had cleaned itself up in the three years that I had been absent. Were the gangs still there? Did the people still live in fear?

Everything was quiet right up until we entered our new apartment. It was spacious and empty, the last residents had taken all of their furniture with them and so nothing but plain walls and discoloured floors remained.

We took it upon ourselves to move all of the boxes that were small enough up into our room, all of the necessities, and we would wait until tomorrow for the moving men to take up the bigger boxes.

As I took one of the last remaining boxes up the stairs, something caused me to stumble and I fell forward, on top of the box.

I heard a crack and more followed as the edge of the cardboard pushed into my side. Saki quickly appeared and glared at me, after examining the box on the floor.

"Kida.. What did you DO?" She scolded, approaching with her clenched fists rested on her hips.

Izaya's POV

I was busy spreading rumours on my favourite website, as I heard a women shouting in a high pitched voice. When her rant had finished, I heard a male voice sound in both from across the hall. I stand up from my sauntered over to my door and looked trough my peephole. As I recognized the two people standing in the hall, I felt how a wide grin overcome my face.

I opened my door and bend down immediately to help the blond pick up the pieces that the women he was with had left him with, after she stormed away.

I saw his frown turn into completely confusion as he realized it was me, who was currently standing in front of him.

''I-Izaya?'' He stood and stared at me in disbelief as I grinned showing my teeth.

"the one and the only"

The expression on his face reminded me of the first time we just met.

I sat on a tall black statue in the middle of Ikebukuro's central park.

I spent hours taking care of people with the help of my telescope in the late hours in the morning .I caught sight of a blond haired brown eyed boy tracking his hills across the park to sit on a bench.

At the time he seemed like a no good teenager who enjoyed moping around.

But then I saw him, starring at me moments later.

I was interested to know what he wanted so I climbed down from my statue and approached him.

"Do you like what you see?" I asked teasingly.

He seemed like a quiet shy of boy and after some more messing around with him, I got him to tell me about the blue gang and his rubbing of his house.

After my encounter with him at the park, I saw him several times in Ikebukuro and got to know him a little bit better.

One day I stopped seeing him, because he just wasn't there anymore.