Chapter 1: Away From Home
Ah~, Ikebukuro... From the looks of it online, you would think of it as a large, beautiful city full of many sights to see and many things to experience. Well... most of this information is correct. But what these humans don't know is the horrible and strange things that occur in this city. Such as the Color Gangs and The Headless Rider who everyone fears. And also Heiwajima Shizuo, the Strongest Man in Ikebukuro.
It seemed that whoever posted these facts about Ikebukuro must've forgotten about the 'negative' things that happened there, maybe too blind to notice, or maybe someone did it on purpose. We may never know...
But enough about the city. Let's start off this story around Present Day Ikebukuro; 7:35 PM.
It was already evening in Ikebukuro. The sun started to set as the stray clouds started to either separate or get closer to each other. It was already close to winter due to the fact that the temperature slowly dropped. Everyone was dressed warmly and cozy and some of the citizens in Ikebukuro would rather stay home. Most of the Color Gangs were already heading home or somewhere else for all I care.
Here, we would easily spot our favorite informant broker, Orihara Izaya.
By the looks of it, it seems he had another fight with Shizu-chan and as usual, he was able to escape easily. These fights just never end...
On the ground, Izaya spotted a paper airplane right below his feet. It had nothing written on it which puzzled the man.
Tracing his dark reddish eyes to where this paper airplane came from, he can easily spot a woman with long, white hair on the roof of a building in front of him.
"Aren't you, Orihara Izaya-san?" the girl asked the man in a high-pitched tone.
Not even bothering to smirk or grin, Izaya simply replied in a bore tone: "Yeah. That's me."
The pale girl faked a smile. "Huh? You seemed upset. Aren't you happy to see me, Izaya-san?"
"When you were alive." Izaya mentally replied. The informant placed his hands in his jacket pocket, stuffing the paper airplane in it which is probably crumpled up by now. "Of course I am! It's been three years hasn't it?" the man grinned.
The girl kept her smile steady. "You really changed a lot, Orihara Izaya."
"Is there a problem with that?"
"No matter," the girl replied as she walked towards Izaya. As the girl passed him, a rush of wind blew through her hair, gently touching Izaya's cold cheeks. "After all that time I am starting to... hate you."
Three Years Ago; Dollars Chat Room; 11:35
- Aya has entered the chat room
Aya : Hi everyone! :)
Setton : Hello, Aya-chan.
Aya : Morning, Setton-san! :)
Aya : Not much people is here at the moment. So I'll wait!
Setton : For what?
Aya : I'll tell you when the others come.
- Tanaka Taro has entered the chat room
Tanaka Taro : Good morning, Aya-san, Setton-san.
Setton : Morning.
Aya : Morning, Tanaka Taro-san!
- Saika has entered the chat room
Saika: Good morning.
Setton : Hello, Saika.
Tanaka Taro : Morning to you, Saika-san.
Aya: And hello to you! :)
Aya : Now that everyone is here, I'll tell you!
Tanaka Taro : About what?
Aya : I'm finally going to Ikebukuro today! :) Yay~~~~~!
Setton : Congrats!
Tanaka Taro : I'm looking forward to see you in person, Aya-san.
Saika : Me too.
Aya : I'm so excited that I think I'm going to- *explodes* XD
Setton : Relax, Aya-chan lol.
- Kanra has entered the chat room
Kanra : Hello everyone~~~!
Aya : Hi, Kanra-chan! :D
Tanaka Taro : Good morning!
Aya : Kanra-chan, guess what?
Kanra : What? O.O
Aya : *drum roll* I'M GOING TO IKEBUKURO TODAY~~~~! :D
Aya : I can't wait! I'm packing as I speak!
Aya : I mean, type! XD
Saika : May I ask why you are so excited?
Aya : Well... I heard about the rumors that goes on around there...
Kanra : And...?
Aya : I'm looking for someone.
Tanaka Taro: Is he a relative or a friend of yours?
Kanra : Or perhaps a boyfriend you met online?
Setton : Kanra!
Kanra : Just asking!
Aya : Hahaha! He's really all three! :)
Aya: Sort of...
Saika : Eh?
Kanra : Wait wait wait wait wait!
Kanra : Let me get this straight!
Kanra : You fell in love with your brother.
Kanra : Who you treat as a friend.
Kanra : Instead of a relative?
Kanra : That's messed up! XD
Setton : I'm lost.
Tanaka Taro : Same here, Setton-san.
Aya : No! You've got it all wrong, Kanra-chan! DX
Aya : This man is very nice and very~ smart! He's very cute but since he's grown up now I bet he will look handsome! :)
Aya : No! Sexy~! XD
Kanra : Aya-chan, you... -_-'
Saika : Sorry but I have to go.
Saika : I'm hoping to see you in real life, Aya-san. :)
Aya : Bye bye!
Tanaka Taro : See you later!
Setton: Goodbye!
- Saika has left the chat room
Aya : Guys, I have to go as well. I might miss the train. See you all soon! :)
Tanaka Taro : Bye.
Setton : See you soon.
Kanra : Aww~! And it was going to get good! :(
- Aya has left the chat room
- Kanra has left the chat room
Setton : I have to go to. My partner is calling me. Bye!
- Setton has left the chat room
Tanaka Taro : Oh well.
Tanaka Taro: There's only one thing left to do...
- Tanaka Taro has left the chat room
- No one is in the chat room
- No one is in the chat room
- No one is in the chat room
Shinjuku; Izaya's Office; 11:55 AM
"Well that was interesting." Izaya thought to himself as everyone left the Dollars chat room. It has been three months ever since 'Aya' has joined the Dollars and so far, Izaya predicted that this girl will be an easy target for him. From the looks of it, Izaya can already imagine how this girl can be: naïve, happy, loud, and obviously a bit annoying for the most part. One thing that caught his interest is this special 'someone' she will meet.
"Young love..." Izaya sighed as he rose from his seat. He turned to his Secretary, Yagiri Namie, as he went to put his coat on. "Namie, I'll be leaving for a while," he said with that fake smile of his. "Watch the place while I'm gone."
"Whatever." Namie replied with no tone in her voice. She wasn't surprised that Izaya just found a new doll to play with. Sooner or later, he will come back... with the doll completely broken and shattered.
Ikebukuro Train Station; 12:32 PM
As usual, the Ikebukuro Train Station was packed with new people entering the city, and old people leaving the city.
In the middle of the crowd, a girl struggled to go through the crowd of colorless people. Her jet black hair was long, horribly cut and messy. The girl wore an orange tee with a gray sweater over it, a black skirt, purple socks that reach the mid-thigh, and black shoes that had no lace. Not to mention that small scar on her left cheek. She held a box of Pocky in one hand and her luggage in the other.
The girl looked up in awe at the sign with her large, dark brown eyes and smiled brightly.
"I did it..." she said to herself happily. "I'M IN IKEBUKURO!" she screamed happily as she started to jump over and over. Everyone eyed the girl carefully. Noticing the stares, she blushed in embarrassment and started running. The girl mentally kicked herself to fill up her luggage with some useful and useless junk. The case is goddamn heavy. "Excuse me... Pardon me... Sorry..." the girl said calmly as she walked up the stairs into the outside world.
The girl was able to head out to the outside in one piece but her next trip will leave her in pieces. First of all she has no idea where her address is and secondly her arms felt like jelly. The girl sighed to herself and decided to walk wherever her legs will take her as she took another bite on her Pocky.
Present Day Ikebukuro; Shinra's Apartment; 10:54 PM
"Can you explain who the girl was?" a man wearing a white coat and glasses spoke to the blonde man wearing a bartender suit. In this scene, we both see Shinra and Shizuo discussing things outside on the porch of the underground doctor's apartment.
Just like what happened to Izaya, Shizuo also spotted the white haired girl. But this wasn't the first time it happened and it was staring to annoy him to no extent. In the past, he knew this girl quite well. No... they were extremely close. It's been three years ever since she died and now Shizuo can't remember a thing about her. Which is also the problem. He didn't have anyone else to tell it to and Shinra was the only exception.
"I can't remember anything... I don't even remember how she even looked like... No... She had many looks... Like she was trying to hide from someone..."
Shinra pondered on this for a moment with his hand under this chin. The way Shizuo said about her looks made him think about Celty's head for a bit. Shinra hid that head from the female dullahan and now he's starting to put himself in Shizuo's position. Shinra was not interested about the head... come to think of it... he forgot about the last time he saw it. Now he's mentally freaking out about how much people are forgetting things. Not like he cares.
"If you can't remember her face, then do you at least remember her name?" Shinra suggested in a doubtful tone.
In an annoyed sigh, Shizuo replied once again that he can't remember. He stated that this girl had many names. If he were to choose one then it be 'Megumi Aiko'.
Three Years Ago; Same day; Dollars Chat Room; 1:36
- No one is in the chat room
- No one is in the chat room
- No one is in the chat room
- Aya has entered the chat room
Aya : I see nobody's here...
Aya : That makes me sad. :(
Aya : Oh well.
Aya : I came here to mention that I already arrived in Ikebukuro! :)
Aya : That't all.
Aya : Hopefully I might meet some of you in real life...
Aya : If that's possible...
Aya : I don't want to be alone...
- Aya has left the chat room
- No one is in the chat room
- No one is in the chat room
- No one is in the chat room
Yes, that was the girl's screen name in the Dollars. She would've used her real name but she would rather stay unknown... for a while.
This girl was a complete mystery ever since she came to Ikebukuro, ever since people laid eyes on her. She never cared how people thought of her. Even though she's only twenty-years old, she actually never had a job. Heck, she doesn't even WANT a job no matter how many times people persuade her.
Friendship, hard work, victory; that was what she's heard in a lot of shows and anime. But as an adult, she realized it was a bunch of lies. The world is a cruel place when she first opened her eyes to reality. But the thing is... it never bothered her one bit. Real dreams and enthusiasm don't matter. All they want was someone who can make money. But anything that can fake those qualities gets popular. Money is just shreds of paper and you can fake it with just ink, paper, and a printer.
Why was this important? Well, you'll know later in the story. Don't get me wrong, this girl is actually busy with MANY things. But those will be revealed later.
This man that she was looking for was actually important to her in the past when she was a kid. She wanted him to be her big brother but he simply refused. He was LIKE a big brother to her but not actually related to the girl. All I can say was that she was actually friends with this boy. He never actually had any because he was either too busy studying or because he wanted to stay away from the crowd. In people's eyes they thought of him to be a nice guy... sort of.
The girl blushed at the thought of this man like a crazy fangirl.
"What am I doing?" the girl said to herself with a heavy sigh. "I should've gone out instead of staying at a boring place like this!" The girl grabbed her purse with a huff and ran out of the house as if she's going to school.
In the Middle of Ikebukuro; 8:01 PM
Let's take this scene somewhere else shall we?
"I-I'm sorry! I d-don't h-have the m-money right now!" a man said to the debt collector, Tanaka Tom. Obviously, it wasn't Tom that got the man to feel nervous. It was only Heiwajima Shizuo who was right behind Tom.
"You promised to pay me last week, the week before, and the week before that," Tom replied lazily. "No more chances this time." Just like always, he and Shizuo were facing another stupid delinquent who didn't pay the fee for a rental video that contained porn. Seems that people these days have no brains to read what's in the mail. It could be something important you know.
As the man tried to think up of a certain deal, Shizuo can't help but get angry at the fact that this wasn't over yet and that this guy can't stop crying! God, it's been like this for weeks now!
To interrupt the whole mess, a man in a red motorcycle sped past the three and moments later, the same girl from the previous scene ran after him.
"Wait, theif!" the girl called out breathlessly. Shizuo, who was about to snap, turned his head and the girl's body encountered with his, knocking the girl to the ground. Due to hitting her head first on the solid concrete, her vision blurred almost immediately and just like that she slipped out of conscience.
"How weak..." Shizuo thought to himself as he examined the unconscious girl. "Oi, are you alright?"
"It's no use, Shizuo we'll might as well- hey get back here!" Tom turned to the guy he was arguing with earlier who was running away.
"Like hell I would suffer just for a stupid video!"
This was the last straw!
Tom knew this idiot had struck a nerve and he didn't even bother to stop the blonde bartender this time. He just took steps back right next to the unconscious girl. "I'll call an ambulance to make sure she's okay." Tom informed since Shinra's apartment was actually far from their location. Shizuo nodded his head in reply but that didn't stop him from trying to attack the ignorant man. Shizuo grabbed the nearest bench, eyes full of rage, and sent that man flying into the sky. Some bystanders mistaken the man to be a shooting star.
"GUUAAAAHHHH!"
Somewhere else in Ikebukuro; Same time
By the Russian Sushi, Kadota and his gang took sight of the flying man in the night sky. Karisawa Erika and Yumasaki Walker both opened their mouths in awe.
"Look, Yumacchi! A shooting star!" Erika exclaimed, tightening her grip on Walker's hand.
"Make a wish, Erika-san! Before it disappears!"
Kadota and Saburo sighed heavily and shook their heads.
"Seems someone got him mad again..."
Right in the corner of his eye, Ryuugamine Mikado also saw the "shooting star" with a surprised look, but judging by the "sound" its making, it was definitely a person. Mikado prayed he won't end up like that the next time he encounters Shizuo.
In the Middle of Ikebukuro; 8:12 PM
After the call was done, Shizuo and Tom had nothing else to do but wait until the ambulance arrives.
"Not bad, Shizuo. Not bad at all." the man in dreadlocks spoke up as he narrowed his eyes at the flying man in the sky.
"I'm sorry, Tom-san." This time, Tom didn't even bother lecturing Shizuo on this one. He knew he had it coming though. Judging by the looks on Shizuo's face, he wasn't really talking about the injured man in the sky. He was actually worried about the unconscious girl on the ground beside him.
"What are you sorry for? It's not your fault she was knocked out cold."
"True... But..." then the blonde trailed off with no words to say.
Shizuo studied the girl for a moment. She had the looks of a normal teenager, but her chest size actually proved that she was an adult in her twenties. Her jet black hair was horribly messy no doubt about it and the scar on her cheek kept Shizuo wondering who she is. Needless to say she was pretty cute. Almost immediately, Shizuo turned away with a click of his tongue and tossed the thought away.
Silence filled the night air as the two waited. This girl barely made a sign of movement and Shizuo had the feeling that she might be dead. But she can't be... I mean come on... She was pretty fast to run after that theif and there was no way she could just get knocked out like that.
"What's taking them so long...?" Tom muttered to himself with a sigh.
Shizuo on the other hand was about to give up and head to Shinra's place, even if he had to carry the girl himself but immediately the girl's dark brown eyes widened almost immediately, taking the man aback.
Her eyes were wide and innocent almost like a little kid's. The girl tilted her head to one side. "Eh~?" the girl wondered in confusion. "What was I doing?"
Shizuo and Tom exchanged looks after this girl's statement. "Why are you asking me?" Shizuo replied coldly as he took another cigarette from his box.
The girl didn't reply but gasped in realization right away. "Now I remember!" the girl instantly got up and Shizuo immediately grabbed her wrist.
"You have to wait here." he said to her.
"But I was robbed! My bag was stolen!" the raven protested.
"Wait 'till the ambulance gets here!" Shizuo replied again as his grip on the girl's wrist tightened.
"No! That bag was expensive, and both my wallet and cell phone were inside!"
Tom shook his head. "Typical girl... It's like dealing with a little kid..."
"I'll definitely catch him!" the girl shrugged Shizuo's hand off her wrist and started running down the horizon
"Oi, wait!" Then the alarms of the ambulance blared just around the corner. Shizuo swear to himself in irritation since the ambulance FINALLY arrived. About time...
Tom placed a hand on Shizuo's shoulder. "Shizuo, you go on ahead. The ambulance is coming. I'll handle this." Tom said to the blonde man. A moment later, Shizuo dashed through the streets, following the girl's footsteps.
In the park of Ikebukuro; 8:46 PM
Well, to sum things up the girl actually gave up on the bag and just sat on the park bench with Shizuo who was out of breath and pretty angry due to the fact that he ran for nothing. The girl noticed it but decided to keep quiet and smile. She stretched her arms out in the air and sighed.
"Ah~! Being in the park late at night actually calms you down!" she said to Shizuo who completely ignored her rambling.
"What about that damn purse-snatcher? Didn't you say you would definitely catch him?"
"I ran too much and got tired." the girl replied innocently.
"You give up quickly." And Shizuo hated it for some reason.
"It's okay~!" the girl said in a sing-song voice as she ran to one of the swings. "There's no money in my wallet anyway, and the only number on my cell phone is my Obaa-chan's. Besides, I was thinking of buying a new bag." As the girl swung on the swing, the moon could catch a small glimpse of gold in her eyes. "It doesn't matter anymore."
"That's totally different from what you said earlier." Shizuo sighed after he remembered how "important" the bag was to this girl. Now he's stuck with her. No. He had to help her anyway. Standing around doing nothing but waiting for the ambulance made Shizuo remember how he felt when he watched her on the ground. "More importantly, are you alright? Does it hurt somewhere, or do you feel like throwing up?" he did sound concerned at this point.
"Nah, not at all." the raven haired girl replied carelessly.
"Maybe you just don't feel the symptoms yet. You did pass out after all."
"I didn't pass out." the girl laughed.
"You lost conscious just like that." Even if he was 'responsible' for knocking her down unconscious, this girl didn't even point it out or show that she's mad at him. It was obvious that she wasn't from here.
"No way, I don't remember it at all."
This girl was odd. That's what everyone thought of her. Shizuo especially. No... This girl was different. She was not weird or abnormal like any other human in this world. She had color like everyone else who struggled in Ikebukuro.
The raven haired girl slid her feet to stop herself from swinging, making everything become silent at once. Shizuo waited for the girl to speak but she was still like a statue. The silence made the blonde uneasy at some point.
"Oi. Is there something wrong?" Shizuo spoke up loudly. No response whatsoever came from the girl's mouth. "Oi!"
The brown-eyed girl hung her head down as if she was about to throw up, which caused Shizuo to stand up almost immediately.
"Ugh..." the girl rubbed the back of her head. "My head hurts..." He knew it. That impact on the ground must've caused a bump to grow on her head.
"Do you want to go to the hospital? You need to get your head checked."
The girl sat up from the swing. "No, thanks!" the girl replied, smiling brightly at the man in front of her. "I feel better now. A little pain isn't that bad! I'll tell you if I feel the pain again." But on the corner of her eyes, Shizuo can spot a few tears but shrugged it off when she wiped it away.
"... I see..." he replied calmly. "Anyways, let me bring you home." Shizuo offered.
"Eh? Why?"
"It's dangerous to be around here at night time so its probably best if I escort you."
The girl giggled. "Ha ha! You sound like a bodyguard! If its that dangerous, then I will accept your offer.
The whole walk was completely quiet after that and Shizuo liked it that way. He cannot bear anymore ramblings from this girl. But-
"Thank you." the girl spoke quietly and softly. Shizuo stopped in his tracks.
"For what?" Shizuo questioned, feeling as if he really didn't do anything.
"Thank you for worrying about me." the girl replied cheerfully with a smile.
Shizuo chuckled. "Wh-what are you saying?"
"You're nice."
"Shut up. It would've been better for you if you were in the hospital."
"I'll think about that."
Then, in the dark night, a small patch of light floated over to the girl. The girl wondered and realized there were more patches of light in the sky.
"Fireflies!" the girl exclaimed cheerfully. "There are so many!" then there she went. The girl kept on twirling and laughing like a little kid in the night sky. Her facial features just caused her smile turn into pure joy and happiness. Shizuo stood frozen, his heart suddenly beating out of his chest. But his anger was never shown. Yet, he seemed pretty relaxed. "Don't you think it's nice?" the girl asked interrupting Shizuo's thoughts. "To spend a lovely night like this with someone?"
Shizuo sighed. "Who knows?"
"Geez, how mean." the girl pouted as Shizuo started to smoke. "Isn't it sad to be alone on a day like this?"
"...It doesn't matter." Shizuo replied. "I can live alone."
Then silence fell between the two. The girl's smile never disappeared, but only grew every time Shizuo kept staring at her. The shorter girl smiled and firmly said: "I... don't like being alone." The way she said it, Izaya, who was watching the whole scene with his binoculars, can sense a bit of sorrow in her tone. His grin widened. Shizuo on the other hand stared at her figure and also sensed the same thing. There was something wrong the way she said it. "Oh, I forgot! I haven't mentioned my name at all! Not even to my new friends!" the girl exclaimed, breaking the dramatic scene. "I'm Megumi Aiko, desu! What's your name, Mr. Bartender?"
"...Heiwajima... Shizuo..." said man replied flatly.
"Hei-wa-jima Shizuo-san... It's nice to meet you!" Aiko then took a few steps towards Shizuo, a dust of pink crawling up both of their cheeks. "Neh, Shizuo-san? There's no one... at my home tonight..." Wh-what is she getting to? Is this girl flirting with him? She only met Shizuo for a day and now she's thinking of something weird. "Ah~! I knew it! You were thinking of something perverted weren't you?"
"W-What are you talking about?!" Shizuo took a step back but remained calm. Aiko thought that Shizuo seemed a bit cute. To her, it looks like he's shy around women. I mean, come on, how many women hang around Shizuo a lot? Not many. Celty does not count and we all know Vorona... she's a bit... different...
"Anyway, my apartment key was in that bag," Aiko said disappointingly as she thought about the jerk who took her purse.
"So?"
"I can't go to my apartment anymore without it. I have to stay out tonight. On that subject, isn't it dangerous for a girl to stay out by herself?" Shizuo can easily follow what Aiko was about to ask next.
Shizuo raised his hand. "Don't tell me... you want me to come along with you..."
Aiko smiled innocently. "If you don't want to, it's okay!" she said without any disappointment. "It's late anyway! You should go back and help Mr. Debt Collector." How does she know that Shizuo works for Tom? "Thank you for everything, Heiwajima Shizuo-san! And I hope we see each other soon!"
Without another word, Megumi Aiko was gone.