A cutesy little highschool Shizaya for Tsuku-mun.

Hope you enjoy!

Connected

They said that upon first setting eyes on one's soulmate, one would feel a tug on their little finger and a single, red thread would materialize, connecting these two people forever.

They said the thread couldn't be broken by anything other than death, and was visible only to the person it was attached to; they said that even if someone were to follow it, if their soulmate was far away, the thread would disappear from sight and not lead the way properly. They said many things.

People who had their threads were scarce.

"…Shinra, why do you keep looking at your hand?"

A blond boy in white-and-blue uniform of Raijin Academy stood over a desk of his friend from elementary school, Shinra Kishitani. He was a tall boy, with hair bleached and a seemingly permanent scowl written over his face; still, he somehow managed to look very attractive while at it, too.

"Hm… I suppose Celty's bored. She's been tugging on the thread for a while." The future doctor hummed, seemingly catching something close to his little finger and tugging on it gently. He flinched right afterwards and started to rub his little finger at the base. "Ouch, ouch, ouch! That's cruel, Celty, that's really cruel! Ah, but I still love you."

"…you're on again with that soulmate shit?"

"It's not 'shit', Shizuo-kun. Maybe you are just jealous because you haven't found your soulmate yet? Hahaha, well not everyone can have as wonderful a girlfriend as I have after all~~~"

"…"

"Hahaha… w-wait… Shizuo-kun, what are you doing, no, no, not my arm—ouch! Ouch, it will break, it breaks, ouchouchouchouchouch!"

Shizuo Heiwajima, the blond boy, sat by his desk and sighed, looking out the window.

…soulmate, huh…

…what a bunch of nonsense.

…

It happened when he was walking home from school. Shizuo only wanted to stop by Sunshine 60 to grab something nice to eat in the nearby cheap ramen place; maybe stop by Animate, since he had some pocket money left and wasn't sure what – except for milk – could he spend it on. If he feels like treating himself, he might even stop by Milky Way café, their desserts were after all the best; but at this time of the day the star-themed place was full of couples, and somehow the blond didn't feel like dealing with being alone today.

That talk with Shinra must have gotten on his nerves.

The light changed to green, the crowd started to move, Shizuo's eyes rised to watch where he was going…

…suddenly…

"Ouch!" he looked at his hand; it felt as if something suddenly grabbed his little finger in a tight hold and wanted to cut it off. The unpleasant feeling quickly subsided, but the blond didn't stop staring.

Wrapped around the base of his little finger, there was a thin, red thread. It fell from his hand and stretched towards the other end of the street, the string moving softly now and then, when the other end was moved. It was so thin, almost imperceptible, and maneuvered around people as they walked, for some reason never being stepped on or even noticed.

Shizuo quickly jerked his head up and started looking around. His soulmate… his soulmate! He had a soulmate! Now, who was it? Where were them? How did they look, what was their voice like, would they be happy to see it's him? The blond looked around rapidly, trying to look into every face in the crowd, looking for someone, who – like him, would be searching…

"Um… e-excuse me?"

Came a little voice from behind him, and Shizuo turned around rapidly, only to see a girl in a uniform of Raijin's sister school for girls. She had her black, long hair tied in loose braids that surrounded a rather pretty face; she wore glasses and was blushing madly as she looked up at Shizuo's face, as she was much smaller than him – her head reaching only to his chest.

"…yes?" he asked, tilting his head. He has never seen this girl, but she seemed to know him? Or maybe it was just his imagination? After all, Heiwajima Shizuo wasn't really someone nobody knew.

"…well, um… did you… I'm sorry, I just wanted to ask, did you just… found a, um… soulmate?"

"…y-yeah." Shizuo stuttered, not knowing why, as a little blush rose to his cheeks. Was this girl his…

"…j-just now… I did, too." She murmured, red as a cherry. The blond stared, rubbing the back of his head after a while. He felt warmth spreading over his chest. This girl was just so… cute and he instantly felt protective over her, and she didn't seem scared of him. And she was bold enough to ask him… He couldn't help but smile awkwardly.

"…oh… Um…. My name's Heiwajima Shizuo." He said with the softest smile he could muster. He'll be damned if he scares this girl away. "…do you want to… go somewhere for something sweet? There's a nice place nearby…."

"A-ah… Heiwajima-kun then… or… um, could I call you 'Shizuo-san'?" the girl smiled sweetly at him, blushing even more once she got a nod as an answer. "My name is Saito Manami. I… I have time now, so—"

And so, awkwardly like that, the two of them walked in the direction of Shizuo's favourite café. Behind the two, a boy dressed in red and black stared in disbelief at his own hand before breaking from his – rather long – shock and looking around quickly.

He had a soulmate? Impossible. So it really was true, the stories were real!

But… where… were they?

…

"So… where should we go tomorrow, Manami-san?" Shizuo smiled lightly, though honestly wishing the girl would say she needed a break.

It was the third day since they met each other. Manami was a nice girl. She was cute, she was interested in him, she bought him milk and even baked him cookies shaped like little hearts, she texted him almost every minute and wasn't scared of him in the slightest. If anything, she seemed more like she has had a crush on him for ages, but that was impossible. Soulmates only got their string once they looked at each other for the first time.

Shizuo appreciated all that. One day in, and he already saw most of the boys from his class were jealous. After all, the beast got a girl. And a soulmate no less, so there was a big chance they will spend the rest of their lives together. Only…

…Shizuo didn't know if he wanted that.

Manami was nice. But he didn't love her. She was nice, but they didn't share any interests, anything in common. She was cute, but Shizuo couldn't imagine ever wanting to kiss her or hold her hand. He would like a friend like that. Not a love interest.

"…Shizuo-san, are you listening?"

The blond blinked a few times, turning bright red when he realized Manami has been talking to him about something. The girl sighed, and looked at him with worried eyes that hid something else behind them. Shizuo looked away, feeling guilty.

"…I'm sorry, Manami-chan. I was distracted. Could you… say it again, please? I promise I will listen this time." He murmured. Suddenly, the blond yelped, looking at his hand. "E-eh? Did you do that?"

The girls bright eyes looked at him intently from behind her glasses. "…did what?"

"My string… just tugged really hard… I've seen Shinra do that with his girlfriend, too… like that." He caught the thin string between his fingers and tugged at it gently, watching Manami intently. His own string immediately gave another tug back, and started to tug in short periods of time, as if someone was trying to signal him something. Manami blushed and looked down, her hair covering her face from view.

"…I've always…" he said in a slightly choked voice, as if she was getting ready to cry. "…I've always… thought Shizuo-san is so cool…"

"…eh?"

The girl continued, shaking her head violently and sobbing softly.

"…I've always liked Shizuo-san! We went to elementary school together, and once I slipped, and Shizuo-san held me up just like that! It was so cool! Then… We went to the same middle school, but I never got the courage, and then I found out Shizuo-san went to all boys high school! I didn't know what to do! So… when I saw Shizuo-san looking around back then… I knew he has found his soulmate, and it wasn't me…" Manami bit her lip, bringing her own hand to her face. "I'm sorry, Shizuo-san! I lied to you… but I just… I wanted Shizuo-san to like me so much!"

Shizuo looked at the girl in stunned silence, trying to take in what she has been saying. Manami-chan.. lied to him? She wasn't… his soulmate? The continuous, desperate tugging on his string turned his attention from the silent, crying girl and to the thread. Somewhere, there was his real soulmate.

And they needed him. He needed them, too.

"…Manami-chan, I'm sorry!" he stood up, bowing deeply in front of the girl. "I'm sorry..! I can't… I can't like you back! I really had fun, but it's just…"

"…I know, Shizuo-san." Manami smiled bravely through her tears. "I'm sorry, too… Shizuo-san… really is a kind person."

As the blond raced out of the little café they were sitting in, Manami started wiping her eyes with a handkerchief the other left her. She smiled into it through tears, closing her eyes.

…I hope Shizuo-san will find his soulmate… and be happy with them, she thought quietly.

…

Shizuo ran, tugging at the string from time to time, running so fast all the faces beside him were a blur, and not knowing even where he was running. It started to rain, and the early spring downpour drenched him completely as he finally arrived at the crossing on which he had first received the string. As always, there were countless people there. But he had a feeling… that person must be here, too.

His thread started to tug madly at his finger again, and he pulled it just as sharp, looking around to see if there was anyone there. He didn't notice anyone that would catch his eye, the task already difficult because of the late hour, the rain and the umbrellas covering people's faces. The blond sighed, looking around again and his eyes brightened as they fell at something useful. A rather heated argument later, he was hoisted on the shoulders of two red-cross workers, and pressed the megaphone to his lips.

The blond hesitated. He didn't know his soulmates name, or even how they looked like, or what they gender was. He didn't even know if they were here.

"Just go with it, son!" came a voice from under him, from one of the men hoisting him up. He gave him a thumb up, and a mouthed and hurry up, my back hurts. Shizuo nodded.

"…I'm looking…" he started, biting his lip again before frowning at the megaphone and turning it on. He started to yell into it, his voice filling the busy crossing.

"Three days ago I found someone precious here, on this crossing! I found my soulmate, but I lost them again without knowing even who they were! I hope—I know they are here now, so please, show yourself! I want to meet you!"

A loud murmur, and a few laughs, broke out in the crowd when the blond looked around one last time before being set down by the men and giving them the megaphone back with proper thanks. He sighed, rubbing his forehead and feeling the older man pat his back apologetically. Suddenly, he felt another hand there, tapping his shoulder lightly.

"…hey… Are you the one looking for your soulmate?" came a soft, melodic voice, and Shizuo turned around instantly, looking with suspicion at the boy his age with raven hair and reddish eyes, holding an umbrella over himself. The blond tilted his head.

"…yeah?"

The boy looked at him, looked up, looked at his feet and then at Shizuo's hand. Finally, his eyes widened as he realized something.

"…well. That would be me."

"…okay… I'm sorry but, how do I know you're not…"

"lying?" the boy finished before him and laughed lightly, with relief as he got on his tiptoes and, letting his umbrella fall to the ground, caught Shizuo's hands in his, pulling the one with the string close to his face for them both to see. Indeed, the string that was usually stretched somewhere far, now disappeared right beside the raven boy's little finger, connecting to it by a little knot. Shizuo blushed deeply, but smiled, tightening his hold on the boy's hands.

"…oh. My name's Heiwajima Shizuo. What's yours?"

"…Orihara Izaya, Shizu-chan."

"SHIZU-CHAN?!"

"Now, quiet, quiet. Do you have time now? You're taking me on a date. And I don't want some cheap ramen place, you're taking me somewhere nice, understood? I want to know so many things; you have a lot of explaining to do. First of all—"

Shizuo rolled his eyes with annoyance, though a little, fond smile already made its way on his face as he covered the raven-haired male's lips with his hand.

"Izaya. Shut up."