Hello! Wow, this took a long time, huh? I had a lot of trouble finding something I thought would be interesting to write about, but I finally settled on something. This is going to be the final mystery in this funny, little trilogy. I was reading it over, and it seems a little somber, and perhaps a bit more cerebral than the other two stories, but I hope you enjoy it. If you haven't read FOXY and SHADOW first, I'd advise doing so before reading this story, otherwise some things may not make sense. Also, the rating went up! Woot-woot!
Forgive me.
I cannot hope that you will still love me.
With time, you will only forget me.
So, forgive me, now, for what I am about to do.
Shizuo stood smoking outside of the same department store he had so many months ago in Shinjuku, but so many things had changed. He stood tall, bags in hand, calmly staring down anyone who chose to meet his eye. They always quickly looked away, and he smiled at how much it didn't unnerve him. His cell phone rang, and he shuffled the new purchases to reach the device in his back pocket.
"Hey," he breathed out a stream of smoke.
"How did we do?" his favorite voice chirped over the phone.
"Uh...well, I got blue jeans, like you said," Shizuo furrowed his brow in thought. "And I tried to stick to blue."
"Excellent!" Izaya chuckled, his lilting voice making Shizuo's heart beat just a bit faster. "I'm walking that way, now. Ja-ne~!"
Shizuo snapped his phone shut, and shuffled his feet, nervously. Not much headway had been made since their last little adventure. Well, to be fair, Izaya did seem to be finding reasons to see him more often, but apart from the time he woke up from his month long coma, things had by in large remained the same. They were friends. They were good friends.
Shizuo ground his teeth against the cigarette butt in his mouth.
They were such god damn, good, freakin' friends and that was the problem! He tossed the smoke on the ground, and put it out with his shoe, sighing in frustration. It was hard enough to tell anyone those three words, let alone your best pal. They'd been through so much together. They trusted each other, implicitly. How could he risk hamming all of it up? And oh, he would. It was a rare occasion when Shizuo didn't make a social situation that much worse. Tonight, they were supposed to meet for dinner at Shinra and Celty's home, and the opportunity weighed heavily on his mind. It swung dramatically back and forth from bending down on one knee and professing his undying love like a Hollywood drama, to almost acting indifferent towards the unsuspecting man. And then, there was what his feelings actually meant to consider. When Shizuo thought that he loved Izaya, what exactly did that mean? He thought he'd known what romantic love was with Hisa, but had since come to discover that few things could be farther from it. The thought of actually working up the nerve to dare something like a kiss sent such a chill through his body, he couldn't help but feel he might spontaneously combust if he ever went through with it. Shizuo doubted he'd be more afraid of facing his own death! But then again, Izaya had said that he loved him, even though he had thought that Shizuo was unconscious and dying at the time. Could he really count that? People say all sorts of crazy stuff when they think someone's about to die, right? The blonde man looked over toward a small alley way, where he'd first seen those shining, little red eyes almost a year ago, and sighed, wistfully.
"Alright! Let's have a looksy!" Shizuo jumped at the voice that was suddenly behind him, as slender hands quickly yanked the bags away. He turned to blink at Izaya quickly rummaging through everything he'd spent the afternoon shopping for, letting each perused bag fall to the pavement with a flop. He'd worn the same bar tending uniform for the past two years, almost every day, rarely bothering to change out of what he considered to be his work attire. It was familiar, and comfortable, and he knew it had to match, because they came in sets. Izaya, however, had different ideas. He had decided it was his duty as a friend to push Shizuo beyond his comfort zones, and Shizuo could hardly protest. Any more time Izaya took away from his work as an informant to spend with him, made him unbelievably happy. On top of it, Izaya always looked good. He certainly wasn't challenged in the wardrobe department. True, he seemed to prefer black, but the color suited him, and he always presented with a confident and sharp appearance. Shizuo supposed if he were going to let anyone dress him, he'd mind Izaya least of all. That was, until Izaya threw the last bag on the ground and glared at Shizuo with narrow eyes, placing his hands on his hips.
"...What?"
"Shizu-chan, not to be a nag, but did you even look at this stuff before you bought it?"
"...What?"
Izaya sighed, and quickly gathered up the bags shoving them into his hands. "Let's try this again. When I said blue, I meant blue. Not turquoise. Not sea-green. BLUE!"
"It all looks the same to me..."
"Well, at least you got blue jeans, though I would have preferred a darker shade."
"You're such a girl!" Shizuo grinned, ruffling his hair as they started to walk. It could have been his imagination, but a light pink seemed to dust Izaya's cheeks for a moment.
"If by girl, you mean someone not color blind who can dress himself, then yes. I suppose I am," Izaya sniffed, taking a rectangular, hard case in hand. It had been lying inconspicuously to the side since the raven haired man's unannounced arrival.
"What's that?" Shizuo asked, curiously eyeing the foreign looking object.
"Ah, my latest acquisition! Wait until you see it! It's quite marvelous!"
"Is it an instrument?"
"Indeed! A violin! A fairly old one, I'm told. I received it today, free of charge, mind you! One just never knows what they'll find in internet ads!"
"Why would they give a violin away for free?" Shizuo wondered. He didn't know much about musical instruments, but he knew enough to know that they were expensive.
"This is a special violin. It's been getting passed around for free for the last fifty years! All I had to do to get it, was promise to pass it on when the time was right. How romantic of a notion is that, eh?" Izaya chuckled. Shizuo wrinkled his eyebrows and stared at the case. Something about it gave him the oddest feeling, but he couldn't place his finger on it.
"Well, it's cool that you wanna learn how to play, I guess. Didn't know you were the musical sort."
"Oh, it's not that, Shizu-chan. They say it's cursed, that it won't play for anyone."
Shizuo was face palming before he even finished his sentence. "Do you EVER learn?" he practically roared. "What the hell, Izaya? It's like you're a magnet for supernatural bull shit! Need I remind you what we went through the last time you stuck your stupid flea nose somewhere it didn't belong?"
Izaya snorted and waved him off. "Calm down, Shizu-chan. It's not like anyone ever died from this thing. They just said it wouldn't play, and wanted to give it away for free. And besides, I do know how to play...a little."
Shizuo inhaled deeply. "Fine! But I swear to god! The first sign of hocus-pocus, weird ass shit, and this thing turns into firewood!"
Izaya crossed his heart with his free hand, and held it up under oath. "You have my most reliable word!"
The look Shizuo threw him was skeptical, at best. "Why do I have the feeling we're already doomed?" he moaned, taking out another cigarette. Izaya smirked in his direction.
"Because you're 'gifted'?" The way he said it made it sound like a mental handicap.
"Your mom's gifted," Shizuo muttered, underneath his breath. Izaya's lips spread in a wide smile, as he narrowed his eyes. He bumped into Shizuo, playfully, with his shoulder, hard enough to make the blonde man take a step out to the side. Shizuo smiled, and bumped him back. Unfortunately, a little nudge from Shizuo's shoulder was enough to send him into the side of the nearest building. Izaya hissed, as he pushed himself off the bricks.
"Neanderthal..." he grumbled. Shizuo favored him with a large and silly grin. As they came across a street trash can, Izaya waved for him to hand over his bags again. The unsuspecting body guard set them down and watched curiously as the informant gathered them up by their handles, and then proceeded to toss them on top of the rest of the waste.
"What the hell, flea?" Shizuo growled, clenching his fists. He quickly dug around in his pocket and withdrew a long, white piece of paper. "That's why there are receipts! For returning things!"
"Pft! How boring!" Izaya sighed, strolling on.
"But that shit was EXPENSIVE!" Shizuo wailed, glancing frantically back and forth between his discarded purchases and the quickly disappearing informant.
"That just makes it even more funny, Shizu-chan!" he chuckled. "Let it go and come with me. We've got enough time before dinner, and who cares if we're a little late?"
"Time for what?"
"Time to dress you like something besides a penguin or a butler...or an unemployed clown, which is apparently what you had in mind."
"ARGH! I don't know if I can handle any more shopping!" Shizuo ran his fingers through his hair in frustration, letting his head flop backwards. "It's like torture!"
"Because you make it torture!" Izaya tsked. "Trust me, Shizu-chan. I will not let you suffer, long. Put out the cigarette and come on." He waved him into the doorway of a slightly more upscale store, and the blonde man couldn't help but wrinkle his nose a bit. He was about to open his mouth to protest about the styles or the prices, but Izaya preemptively reached over and grabbed him by the arm. "Just get in here!" he commanded, with a sigh, and proceeded to push Shizuo to a table full of folded, dark blue and black jeans and slacks. He handed his violin case to Shizuo, and quickly thumbed through them, sliding out a few towards the middle. He threw the pants towards Shizuo, who caught them with his free hand, and without a word, quickly strode over to where most of the shirts and sweaters were hung and folded. With lightning speed, Izaya quickly sorted through the large quantity of clothing, periodically pulling out a button up or graphic t-shirt here and there. He piled Shizuo's arms high with clothing, so that the blonde man had to poke his head around the mountain to see where he was going. He steadily followed the informant on a mission to the back of the store towards the dressing rooms, where Izaya asked politely for a key, and shoved Shizuo through a door. "Try on everything, and step out the room for at least one second, every time. I don't care how stupid you think it looks. The faster you work through everything, the faster we get out of here. Got it?" Shizuo blinked at just how authoritative Izaya's voice was. Sounded like he meant business.
"Got it!" Shizuo grunted. Sounded simple enough. He handed Izaya back the violin, feeling that strange, ticklish feeling again in his finger tips, and shut the door. Izaya seated himself on one of the small benches, facing him. What followed was a quick succession of Shizuo opening the door for literally one second, Izaya glancing him over and saying yay or nay, and then the door slamming shut. The floor associates looked on at them, curiously, and a couple of the female workers giggled. Izaya's eyes darted to one of them while Shizuo was changing into something else, and he smiled, evilly. It was enough to make her blood run cold, and he held up his hand, and beckoned her over with his finger.
"Y-yes sir?"
"Good afternoon, giggles," he purred, making sure his eyes never left hers, and that he never blinked. He knew he had the desired effect when he could see all the color drain from her face. "We need a couple of belts and a decent pair of casual shoes, size- SHIZUO! Shoe size?"
"Uuuuuh, thirty!"
"-thirty," Izaya finished smoothly, bearing his teeth in a terrible grin. "I know that I can rely on you, and that you will not disappoint me."
"Y-yes sir!" the trembling girl gave a bow.
"Good girl. Now, chop-chop!" he clapped his hands, delighted at the way she leapt three feet in the air before racing off. He let out an evil chuckle as Shizuo opened the door. His eyes popped open, and he gave him a once over. "Pants yes, shirt no." Shizuo just simply shut the door again. It was amusing just how fast the blonde was changing from one thing to the next! Izaya guessed he really did hate shopping. He couldn't say it was his favorite thing to do, either, but now that Shizuo no longer had a consistent female in his life, someone had to give him a little nudge. "Hey, Shizu-chan, just put on the second pair of pants you tried on and the fourth shirt with that brown jacket, and let's go!"
"Alright!" Shizuo's voice was muffled through the door and a shirt he was currently struggling to get out of. The sales associate came back with the requested items, which she extended to Izaya with her head bowed low. Izaya rubbed his palms together, excitedly.
"Hummm, what have we here, eh?" He picked up a relaxed, dark brown, leather shoe out of a box and looked it over with a smirk. "Well done!" He took both shoes and threw them over the door.
"OW! What the hell?"
"Put those on, too! And hand me your tags!" he yelled as he tore the dangling price tags from the belt, before tossing it over the door, as well.
"God dammit! You could just crack open the door, you know?"
"Oh, like this?" Izaya marveled, as he opened the door a tiny crack and slipped his hand in. "I can has price tags?"
"Stupid flea!" Shizuo grumbled, as he rummaged around and handed him the tags from what he was wearing, along with the other clothes that had received his approval. Izaya immediately dumped the load on 'giggles', and sashayed up to the cash register, with the poor girl doing her best to totter behind him. Shizuo joined him right as he handed over his card. Izaya twirled around, effectively blocking the amount on the screen from view.
"Well! Quite the improvement! Ah, my genius never fails to shine through in all facets of life!"
"I look weird...," Shizuo lifted his feet, nervously, looking like he wanted to crawl away and hide. He shoved his hands into his new jacket pockets.
"You look wonderful! Giggles, doesn't he look wonderful?" Izaya leered over his shoulder at the girl, who at this point, was praying to every deity she knew for the card reading machine to work faster.
"Y-yes sir!" She gave Shizuo a little bow. "You look very nice, Sir." Shizuo blinked at her, and at the evil face Izaya was currently giving her, and sighed. Sometimes it seemed that it was impossible for Izaya to go anywhere without trying to terrify someone.
"Thanks, I guess," he mumbled, kicking the toe of his new shoe into the ground.
"Stop that, Shizu-chan!"
"Sorry..."
They left the store, and Izaya had a little skip in his walk, as he gleefully swung his violin case around. "I have confidence in sunshine~!" he began to sing.
"Really?" Shizuo grumbled, shaking his head and lighting a cigarette. He was already uncomfortable with the amount of stares he was receiving in his new clothes, and Izaya was hell bent on drawing even more attention.
"I have confidence in raaaaain~!"
"I have confidence that I'm going to punch your freakin' face in if you don't shut up!"
"Ah, Shizu-chan's always so grumpy!" Izaya pouted, as he twirled around and half skipped, backwards. "And it's such a shame, because you have such a beautiful smile!" Shizuo blushed, and said nothing. "So, let's just drop these bags off at my apartment since it's closer, and we'll go see Celty-san and Shinra, hm?" His eyes scrunched shut in a happy smile that Shizuo couldn't help but feel was utterly adorable. It kind of made him feel like reaching out and hugging him, and his arm started to unconsciously lift, as Izaya turned back around, before falling limply back to his side. Ah, bitter defeat... Why did life have to be so difficult?
As Shizuo mentally bemoaned his current situation, they walked in silence a good deal of the time, and said little to each other, even after they reached Izaya's apartment. Shizuo tossed the bags on the sofa, and turned to leave, Izaya eyeing him curiously while his head was turned. It was the part of the informant's job to read people, and Shizuo knew he had to be acting weird. A strange awkwardness had settled in like a thick fog, and the blonde man couldn't help but feel he was dooming himself to a life a solitude before he even tried otherwise.
"Neh, Shizu-chan," Izaya piped up, as they were just about to reach their final destination. He fingered the handle of the violin case, and gripped it more tightly. "Why such a long face? What's going through that little, Pleistocene brain of yours?"
Shizuo had no idea what that meant, but coming from Izaya, it had to be an insult of some kind. "Nothing," he quickly lied.
"What a boring answer..."
"I'm a pretty boring person."
"Hardly!" Izaya chuckled, as he opened the front door of the building and stepped through, letting Shizuo catch it behind him. "I can't really think of anyone else who single-handedly dismembered two demons in one night!"
Shizuo shrugged. "I've got that 'Pleistocene' strength to go along with my 'Pleistocene' brain."
The grin Izaya threw him was practically maniacal, his eyes sparkling. He let himself fall against Shizuo's tall and lean form in the elevator with a contented hum. "You're my favorite," he sighed, happily. Before Shizuo even thought about it, his arm snaked around Izaya's shoulders, hugging him tightly against his body. As soon as he realized what he was doing, his arm quickly dropped, and a very wide eyed Izaya slowly took a step back, clearing his throat nervously. Shizuo felt like pulling his hair out and screaming. Had he really just hugged him? Hugs were fine and dandy in the proper place and time, but alone? On an elevator? That seemed kind of...intimate! There was silence for a minute, as both of them avoided eye contact and the elevator continued its ascent. Finally, Izaya broke the silence with an extremely amused chuckle, one that made Shizuo's stiff shoulders flinch. "Ah, seems neither of us are on our A game, today, neh?" he smiled, good naturedly, walking beside him again and craning his head to try and see into Shizuo's eyes. The body guard still averted his gaze, but a small smile tugged at his lips.
"Tch! You can say that again," he almost whispered. Izaya's smile broadened, as he continued to try and get Shizuo to look directly at him. When he finally did glance at the informant out of the corner of his eye, he couldn't help but mirror the insanely large grin smiling up at him. Izaya straightened his back triumphantly.
"That's my Shizu-chan! No more frownies! We're here to have a good time, tonight! And I shall provide the after dinner entertainment!" he lifted the case and gave it a wave. "And believe me, after Celty's cooking, we're probably going to need-"
The doors opened to the apron wearing dulluhan, standing directly in front of them.
"Heeeeeey!" both men said in unison, uncomfortable, guilty smiles covering their faces. She waved at them excitedly, and gestured for them to come inside. Shinra came bounding out of the office at the sound of the elevator doors.
"Izaya! Shizuo! Glad you made it!"
Celty had picked up her PDA and quickly typed a message. She held it out to Shizuo, but Izaya still stood on his tip toes to read it.
"You look really great, Shizuo! I love your clothes!"
"Doesn't he, though!" Izaya puffed out his chest proudly. Shizuo shook his head as he thanked her and took his seat next to his friend, who was already chattering away happily at Shinra about some new, illegal drug circulating the underground, as the doctor poured him a glass of wine. "And I'm sure you don't know anything about it, but supposing you did, I and a client of mine would be most interested to hear how it might be turned into a powder form."
"Eh heh..." Shinra chuckled, nervously. "Aren't you off the clock, Izaya?"
"Yeah, Izaya-kun!" Shizuo glared a bit, completely disapproving of the informant's line of work, in general. Izaya shrugged, dismissively.
"Ah, the great wealth of information that is Izaya Orihara is a train that never stops running, I'm afraid."
"You should learn to take it easy, more. Some things are more important than work, and you don't want to die young!" Celty warned. Izaya read her text, and chuckled.
"Maybe so," he conceded, though there was little conviction behind it. Shizuo heaved a silent sigh. Here was another stumbling block. How could he be in a relationship with someone who was a borderline criminal mastermind? Not that he thought Izaya would ever get caught, or do anything that any court could actually construe as 'illegal', but it was the principle of the thing! These thoughts consumed him all through dinner, and the one blessing was that it took his mind away from the terribly over salted fish that Izaya and Shinra were also currently choking down with plenty more wine. He just wished so badly that Izaya had a normal job. But nothing about Izaya was ever normal, and how could he expect him to leave a profession that he derived so much joy from?
'I couldn't...' was the final thought, as a slightly intoxicated Shinra ushered them all back into the living room, where an even tipsier Izaya proceeded to jump on top a chair, violin in hand. Celty clapped her hands, excitedly, and took a seat next to the doctor. Shizuo just hoped the flea didn't fall off the damn chair! He was sure swaying around, enough!
"Lady and gentlemen," Izaya drawled, with a bow, "it is my pleasure to play you a delightful little tune this evening. I hope you enjoy!" Celty clapped again as Shinra guffawed at the dramatic introduction and told him to get on with it. Izaya grinned, and, after quickly plucking at the strings to make sure it was tuned with some minor adjustments, brought the instrument to his chin. Then, he began to play, and it sounded...
It sounded...
Well, it sounded just awful.
Shizuo quickly brought his hands up to his ears with a painful groan as the screeching and sliding of the bow dragged across the wailing strings. Shinra was not holding up much better, as he practically cowered into Celty's side, trying desperately to escape the racket. Only the dulluhan sat upright, seemingly unaffected and listening, diligently. After a few minutes of the dreadful noise, Izaya paused, and stared at the instrument again. Shinra and Shizuo heaved a sigh of relief, as they brought their trembling hands away from their ears. Celty clapped, politely. Izaya ignored everyone, and continued to stare at the violin.
"God, I thought you said you could play!" Shizuo wailed, his ears still ringing.
"I can..." Izaya's voice was thoughtful and distant. "Hmm, I guess they were right."
"What?" Shinra asked.
"The violin really won't play for anyone."
"Maybe it's just broken," Shizuo offered. Izaya shook his head.
"No, it's strings are fine, and it's in tune. How delightfully odd..."
"Not sure delightful's the right word," Shizuo grumbled, downing another glass of wine.
Izaya laughed, and tucked the thing away. "Well, we'll investigate that later. Who's up for a round of cards?" As he put the instrument away, Shizuo felt a wave of bitter loneliness sweep over him, and it made him jump. Such a strong feeling couldn't have sneaked up on him from his own mind. His gaze shifted back to the violin, and he felt tears begin to well up in his eyes.
"Hold on, Izaya," he said, doing his best to steady his voice. "Can I hold it for a minute?"
Izaya looked at him, quizzically, before shrugging. "Of course." He handed the violin to him, and Shizuo gently held it in his fingertips, as if he were afraid the delicate piece of wood would shatter at any moment. The desperate feelings the blonde man had felt before only intensified as he held the object in his hand, but no one else seemed to notice.
'What are you trying to tell me...?' he wondered, as he tried to hold back the sudden sobs threatening to overwhelm him. He felt like the violin was crying out for some kind of help, but he couldn't understand. Who was this? "Who's violin was this, originally?" Shizuo's own voice sounded distant to him.
"I'm not sure. I believe it's original owner died in the 1940's. But jeez, Shizu-chan! It's just an old violin! No need to get so worked up!"
Celty put a concerned hand on Shizuo's back, and it was only then that the blonde man realized he was breathing heavily, and tears were streaming down his face. He snapped out of his trance like state, and glanced about at all of the worried eyes currently trained on him. He chuckled, handing the violin back to Izaya. "Sorry!" he breathed, wiping his eyes. "I think I'm a little under the weather or something."
"The doctor says the cure for what ails you is more wine!" Shinra crowed, trying to lighten the mood. Izaya continued to look skeptically at him, and Shizuo just mouthed another sorry, before going to the bathroom to splash cool water on his face. Hazy images began to cloud his mind, and he shut his eyes, willing them away. He didn't need this right now! He had enough to worry about! But still...that violin... It's voice was so sad.
After a few minutes, the feelings calmed, and he rejoined the party, laughing, drinking, playing cards, and trying his best to ignore the troubled glances Izaya kept casting his way. The night slowly drew to a close, and Celty and Shinra insisted they just crash there instead of trying to make their way home, completely inebriated. Shizuo, completely exhausted from the night's happenings, took them up on it immediately, and flopped on their couch, quickly drifting off to sleep. Izaya was a bit hesitant, but he agreed to stay in the guest bedroom.
Shizuo was grateful to be free of the emotional turmoil he'd been suffering, lately, but the reprieve did not last long. He mumbled in his sleep and began to toss and turn, as those hazy images began to invade his mind once more, this time rapidly becoming clearer. In his dream, he stood upon a dessert at night, under a full moon and a thousand stars. He was waiting for someone... His mind raced with anticipation, as he tried to think of who. Ever so faint, the sound of a violin playing reached his ears, and he was transported to a small room of what looked to be an inn. He could feel soft sheets rustle, as he sat up, the violin music growing louder in his mind. He looked toward the window, his heart thundering loudly in his ears. There, leaning casually against the sill, was a man who bore a striking resemblance to Izaya. Shizuo felt as if he were holding his breath. The gentle, afternoon breeze drifted in through the open window, slightly obscuring the man as the long, translucent drapes fluttered to his sides. He only wore a long, button down shirt, barely reaching his mid thighs, and his long, white legs were crossed and stretched out straight as he played, his eyes closed and a tranquil smile on his lips as the wind lifted the ends of his soft, black hair. The song he played was so nostalgic and bittersweet, it brought tears to his eyes, and he unconsciously reached out his hand toward the angelic figure.
"Izaya?" he tried to speak, but he could only hear the sound of the violin, as the man continued to play. The room shifted from day to night, and Shizuo could see the man sleeping peacefully next to him, and he marveled at just how beautiful he was. Nothing to hold him back, he gently put his hand to the side of the man's face, relishing the softness that met his fingertips. The man's eyes fluttered open, and Shizuo could see that they were a deep blue, darker than the ocean, but they shone with an electric intensity that both frightened him and made him want to sing. With an all too familiar smirk, the man extended his upper body so that his lips rested next to Shizuo's ear.
"Forgive me, Vincent," he whispered. The sensation of his soft lips so close to him made Shizuo feel as though his body was melting. He couldn't ever imagine being unable to forgive this man. He couldn't imagine not adoring this man! "You will, won't you?" he begged, but there was a coy, teasing note in his lyrical voice, and just a hint of sadness.
As Shizuo reached out to hold the man in his arms, he was met with the sensation of cold chains and lacerations against his skin. Something kept striking him, and he couldn't see, as something had been placed over his head, blinding him. He could hear the metallic clanking of his bonds against a cold, stone floor, and someone was barking orders in a language he did not understand. He suddenly felt so lost, and alone, and in pain, and...angry?
"Zola...," the name rolled off of Shizuo's tongue, as if he'd known it all his life, and the brilliant eyes that sparkled like the midnight sky full of stars flashed across his mind.
"Forgive me!" the words roared in his mind like thunder crashing, painful and loud. "Please, please forgive me!"
Wow! What's going on? :\ Who can say? Well, I suppose I can. ^^ Google says that Japanese shoe sizes are in centimeters, and I guessed Shizuo would be 30 cm or so. Dunno. But I'd like to know what you think of this story! :D Thanks for reading!