Heiwajima Shizuo turned to the Izaya.
They were in the center of Ikebukuro where most of their clashes happened. Izaya was bored so he tapped on Shizuo's shoulder to start the same old game of chasing and fighting.
He looked unusually calm for seeing Izaya. He stared at him for a while and finally opened his mouth.
"I'm sorry but do I know you?"
Izaya was shocked for a bit. His mind raced.
What?! Why was there no reaction? Usually his sight alone was enough to send Shizuo into a rage. What was going on? Was he doing it on purpose? Like one of those childish cold shoulder treatments? No, Shiz-chan wasn't that controlled. But what else could it be?
"Come now Shizu-chan," he said putting on a fake calm expression, "you giving me the cold shoulder? That's really immature of you."
Shizuo remained silent.
He's going to drop the act now! Izaya thought.
"I'm sorry but I think you have the wrong guy." With that he started to walk off.
No reaction?! That wasn't possible! He'd known Shizuo for years, he'd be swing punches by now. This wasn't right.
He put his arm on Shizo's shoulder, "Hey, wait!"
A fist caught him in the gut sending him flying through a window of a shop. His body smashed against a counter.
That hurt.
"I said you got the wrong guy but you keep at it!? You don't believe me?! Is that what it is!? You think I'm a liar?! That pisses me off!" Shizuo yelled at Izaya veins bulging in his forehead, glaring at him with malice.
So this was what he was planning. Izaya couldn't believe he fell for such a simple trick. At least Shizu-chan dropped the act.
He laughed.
"Shizuo what are you doing?!" Tom yelled at Shizuo.
Shizuo turned to his boss Tom the rage completely gone from his face. "Sorry."
Tom shook his head, "One of these days you'll kill someone with that rage of yours."
He walked to Izaya and handed him a business card.
"Sorry for that," he said apologetically, "If you need medical attention please bill my company."
He looked around. "I'll call the shop keeper later to pay for the damage." He sighed.
Izaya looked at him dumbfounded.
"Tom whats going on!" he asked.
Tom turned to him a little surprised, "You know me?" he asked, "Oh god, don't tell me this has happened before." He put his hands together and bowed apologetically. "Please don't sue. It's not his fault. He doesn't know how to control himself." He looked at Shizuo, "Hey, don't make me do all the apologizing."
Shizuo turned to Izaya and looked him right in the eyes. He bowed in apology "Sorry."
Izaya stared speechlessly.
Tom smiled at him, "Well it's rude but we have work to do so we'll have to leave you here unless you need help going to the hospital."
Izaya stared at him blankly. "No… I'm fine."
Tom bowed again, "Well, really sorry about what happened." And with that he walked off with Shizuo.
Izaya was left alone in the wreckage.
It took him a while to compose himself.
He laughed. They thought they could fool him with such a childish trick? Who did they take him for?
He tried to reassure himself it was all just a ploy for revenge.
He walked out of the wreckage.
Ah someone else to mess with, he thought seeing Kadota and his gang.
"Yo~ Dotachin." He yelled at Kadota.
Kadota looked at him and then looked at Erika and sighed, "Look what you did. You made people think my name was Dotachin. I told you to stop using that nickname!"
He turned to Izaya, "Sorry my name is Kadota not Dotachin and who are you?"
Izaya looked at him, "Your in on this joke too?" asked Izaya angrily.
Kadota looked at him blankly. "… Joke?"
"Yeah, it was funny with Shizu-chan but it gets old if you do it too." he sighed.
Kadota turned to Walker. "Do we know him?" he whispered.
Walker thought for a bit, "Not unless he knows us from another dimension or something."
Erika sighed, "Walker, don't bring up a third rate fan fiction plot" she said.
"Ah, your right." Walker said, "Well he could always be an alien with implanted memories of living in our world to better trick us into helping him gather info on us." he said ominously.
Erika smiled, "That's better but if that the case I'd think he'd appear as someone we know as a disguise."
Kadota ignored their weird sci-fi rip off hypotheses.
"Look, I'm sorry but we're in sort of a hurry so we have to go." He said.
"Yeah! The light novel I've been reading has a new issue out!' Erika cheered.
With that the group walked away chatting about what they thought would happen in the new volume.
A shiver went up Izaya's spine. It was like they actually… no that couldn't be it. It was just a joke that's all.
He laughed again but it wasn't as reassuring as his last laugh.
He scanned Ikebukuro.
He spotted Ryugamine Mikdo and Sonohara Anri walking with each other. He smiled the joke couldn't apply to them too. That would be way to much effort.
He walked up to them. "Yo Ryugmine-kun you on a date?"
He expected him to turn bright red and stammer he wasn't on a date and that he and Anri were just going to watch a movie together.
Instead Mikado grabbed Anri's hand and walked quickly around him.
Was he still angry about the whole Yellow Scarves thing? Izaya wondered.
He darted in front of him.
"Come on Ryugamine-kun you're not still mad about the whole Yellow Scarves things are you?"
Mikado put Anri behind him he glared at Izaya.
"I don't know what you're talking about, but I don't know who you are so please leave me and her alone."
Izaya once again was speechless. He hated that. He put his face close to Mikado's.
"Look kid I don't know if you think this is funny but it isn't anymore. If you don't drop your act I'm going to broadcast to every Dollars member who their leader is." His voice was quiet but angry.
Mikado stared at him he turned to Anri. "Sonohara-san please go ahead I'll meet you there."
Izaya saw the glint of steal from Anri's palm retract. "Are you sure Ryugamine-kun?" she asked.
Mikado smiled "Yeah don't worry I'll be there soon enough."
After Anri left Izaya turned to Mikado, "Finally dropping your act?"
He was surprised when Mikado glared at him in cold eyes, "I don't know who you are," he said, "or how you got that information but if you want to spread that go ahead. Let's see how many people believe you." He walked past Izaya, "Now if you excuse me I have a movie to see."
He really didn't recognize him….
Izaya was suddenly scared was this not a joke? He ran toward Shinra's.
It was late at night and he could barely see but he ran suddenly a group of figures stood in front of him.
"Yo mister. Why don't you leave your wallet here?"
Izaya smiled, they couldn't have possibly got to these street thugs too.
"You guys have guts going after me" he laughed.
"Who are you?" asked one of the thugs.
"Orihara Izaya"
Izaya expected them to run or if he had use them as pawns before attack.
They did neither.
"Never heard of you." One of them said.
That's when he snapped.
When he regained his composure he was crouched over one of the thugs. All the others were either clutching their stab wounds or fleeing.
He put his knife to the thug's neck.
"Who sent you?" he asked at the thug. "Are you a Dollars member?" he asked, "Did your leader put you up to this joke?"
The thug looked up at him in fear. "I don't know anything… I swear. We just wanted your wallet we wouldn't have hurt you… I promise!"
There was still no recognition in his eyes.
"WHY DON'T YOU KNOW ME?!" Izaya roared. Stabbing down with his knife.
The sound of steel hitin steel rung out as Izaya's knife was knoked out of his hands by a black scythe.
He stood up. The thug ran away in terror.
Standing infront of him was Celty Sturluson. She typed on her phone.
"I know it was self-defense but you went too far."
Izaya sighed and looked at her. "Yeah, I guess I did. I had such a rough day today."
He laughed "Honestly Celty, I've never been so happy to see you in my life."
Celty cocked her head quizzically and typed up something on her phone. She turned it to Izaya.
"Sorry, you know my name. Have we met?"
Izaya was sitting at his usual table in Russia Sushi. He'd given up. Nobody recognized him anymore. He didn't know why or how but it was now a confirmed fact. How could he live as an information broker if nobody knew who he was? How could he live period?
Simon walked up to his table.
"Oh customer you look so sad! Eat sushi? Sushi good! Sushi cheer you up!" he said in his cheerful voice.
Izaya looked up at him sadly, "I doubt even our sushi could cheer me up Simon"
Simon sighed, "Oh are you sure Izaya-san? That too bad. I made Ootoro just for you. It go to waste now."
Izaya perked up. He turned to Simon, "You know me?" he asked trying not to get his hopes up.
Simon looked at him confused, "I don't understand am I not supposed to know you?"
Izaya's face broke into a smile, "Actually, Simon I think I will take that Ootoro."
When Simon brought the Ootoro Izaya looked at it happily. Even if it was just Simon he was glad that at least somebody knew him. He picked up the sushi roll.
"You look delicious he said to it."
The sushi roll turned to him. "Do I know you?"
Izaya screamed.
"Izaya-san? Wake up now! Sleepy time is over!" Izaya awoke to Simon shaking him.
"Wha?" he asked.
"You sleep after finishing your sushi." Simon explained, "I let you sleep usually but Shizuo usually comes around this time and…."
A yell broke the silence, "IIIIIIIIIIIIIIZAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYAAAAAAAAAAAAAA- KUUUUUUUN?!"
Izaya smiled.
It was good to be back to the real world.
Cliched i know but hey who cares?
Thanks for reading!