Izaya leaned back in his work chair, smiling at his computer screen. He had found absolutely nothing on his employer so far, and it got him excited. It was already the morning of the first day.
"I knew this was going to be fun. This is precisely why I love humans," he sighed blissfully, catching the attention of Namie, who was on the second floor searching through books.
"Did you find anything?" She questioned, though her voice and facial expression revealed her lack of interest. Izaya, still smiling, returned to typing.
"No, that's just it. I can't find anything. That's why this is so fun. I've never been this clueless about anyone before." Namie, never seeing the info broker stumped, finally showed some interest. She walked down the stairs and stood in front of him, leaning over the desk so she could see the computer monitor.
"What have you looked at so far?" Izaya turned his computer screen away, giving Namie a bemused look.
"Do you plan on trying to help me?" He questioned, though it sounded like he was accusing her of something. When Namie looked away, he burst into laughter.
"That's what I thought."
The streets of Ikebukuro bustled with life. The chatter and footsteps, combined with traffic noises, almost sounded like music. To some. But they would have to be really messed up.
The girl followed the crowd, never really having a purpose. If she was pushed right, she would go right. If she was pushed left, she would go left. However, even though walking aimlessly might have made her stick out, she walked with such confidence that she blended in seamlessly.
There were plenty of restaurants, but there was one certain one that caught her attention. It was mostly because of the tallest man she had ever seen. Well, that and he was about the only black man in Ikebukuro. His accent proved he was foreign, having a huge Russian edge to everything he said.
"Are you hungry? Come, Join, at Russia Sushi! The best Russian sushi that town has to offer!" She grinned, approaching the man for a flyer. He smiled, giving it to her gladly.
"You eat here?" She glanced at the paper, pretending to read it over.
"Yep!" She beamed, rushing past Simon. She would have stayed to talk more, if an interesting group of four had not caught her eye. She had a very short attention span, you see. She basically skipped inside the Russia Sushi place, right after another group.
Kyohei, Erika, Walker, and Saburo had been looking forward to Russian sushi the whole day. Well, Erika and Walker, at the very least. Kyohei couldn't really care less, and Saburo was almost getting sick of Sushi. But upon the two Otaku's insistence, they were, once again, having sushi, at 'Russian Sushi'.
They had just ordered (the usual) when their insignificant conversation was interrupted.
"Excuse me," a girl asked, bowing slightly. She had on, what Erika would call, a really cute yellow dress, and matching hat.
"I'm not from here, and I've never had sushi before. Can you help me decide what to get?" the newcomer asked shyly, scratching the back of her head in what could have been embarrassment. Without warning, the girl was yanked into the booth. By Erika, undoubtedly.
"U-umm..." She blushed, now in between Erika and Walker, who were still strangers to her. Why she was there, she had no idea.
"U-umm..." Kyohei, sighing, looked her straight in the eye and said,
"Sorry."
"Why don't you try this, Hota-chan?" Walker questioned, pointing and a random choice on the menu.
"H-Hota-chan?"
"Oh yeah, you're right! She totally looks like her!" Erika chimed, picking at a strand on auburn hair. "Same blue eyes, too." This left everyone at the table confused, saved for Walker.
For the last five minutes, Erika and Walker had been 'helping' their new friend decide what to eat. Kyohei had been shooting her apologetic glances, while Saburo had been daydreaming. About his favorite pop artist. Again.
"Hota, from 'Uta-Uta'?" Everyone froze. Erika and Walker stared, wide-eyed with hope.
"You're a fan?" She laughed, cackled really, like it was the funniest thing in the world.
"I'm a fan of anything labeled 'anime'." this caused a shriek of joy from Erika, and a 'oh, not another one' from Kyohei. The shy air around the girl seemed to evaporate.
"Actually, I do sort of look like Hota, but my personality is more like Wanashi." She smirked, proving her point. Erika leaned forward.
"Really?"
"Do you mean that you're sadistic, or Bipolar?" Walker questioned.
"Both."
Stretching, Izaya looked at the clock. It was nine at night, and he still hadn't found a single thing. The search was too wide; he didn't know what race, age, or any friends or family. He had gone through the list of recent flights here to Ikebukuro, but there were no matches. So, he widened the search to flight of all Japan. It had taken him nearly all day, and there were a hundred and ninety-six matches... that could take him a whole week! He only had about two days left, though... he needed some clues, some leads... He sighed, feeling uncharacteristically frustrated. It was the first day, and he already had a headache. He didn't get anything done, concerning the rest of his life, besides talk to Mikado and Celty on the Dollars website.
And they knew next to nothing.
He worked another hour, easily, when Namie came in his living room.
"Someone's here. Is it that girl?" She whispered, covering her mouth. Izaya, returning to is regular, smiling form
"No need to whisper, Namie, I'm sure she won't mind that I told you of our arrangement. Did you send her in already?"
"She's in the lobby."
Izaya, coatless, walked into his lobby to see a familiar girl in a yellow sundress and hat, watching him enter. He smirked.
"Hello, Miss." He extended he hand, and she promptly put her tiny one inside it. Bringing it to his lips, he kissed it gently, then let go, motioning her inside his large office room. She grinned, leading the way.
"I can't stay for long. I've gotten some new friends recently, and I happen to be meeting them." Izaya lead them to his couch, sitting down and motioning her to copy.
"Well, do you at least have time for tea?" He flicked glance to Namie, who scowled, but none the less disappeared behind the kitchen door.
"That sounds lovely." Izaya let a few moments pass before getting down to business.
"So, have you come here to give me a clue?" He asked, knowing the answer. She said she would, didn't she? "I'm impressed you know where I live." She smirked.
"It was quite easy. You're very well known around here." She paused before saying, "Now, the other day, we never discussed your payment..." Izaya waved his hand dismissively, before smirked once more.
"I wouldn't worry about that. The fun is payment enough." The girl raised her eyebrow.
"Are you sure? Something tells me you don't do that for just anybody. " Izaya shrugged. It was true; he had never done it, unless there was merit for him. He had done so with Saki, but that was so he could 'brainwash' her. Beside, why would he need money from a high school student?
"Well, as you can see, I'm not exactly short on money right now." The girl examined everything she saw, down to the slightest detail. She had done enough research on this man to know how he got most of his treasures. Some ways were incredibly crafty, that he wasn't even included in the articles online.
"I've never really cared much for money..." She commented. Izaya laughed.
"Either you're clever enough to get all of that money, or you're stupid enough to want it." Izaya cackled so loud, the two heard a crash in the kitchen. The girl put her hand over her mouth to giggle.
"Nothing shows a man's character better than what he laughs at." Izaya grinned, shrugging his shoulders.
"How clever you are, my dear!" She smiled, though it seemed a little weak.
"I am so clever that sometimes I don't understand a single word I am saying." Izaya laughed again. When he finally seemed to calm down, he rested his elbow on the couch's arm.
"So," the girl smiled." Can I ask you a question?"
"Ask ahead."
"Why?"
"Why what?
"Why did you become an information broker?" Izaya's smirk, which never actually went away, widened.
"Simple. Because I love humans so much!" She tilted her head to the side.
"How can you love humans? 'Love' is a strong word, and 'human' is very broad." The way she asked it... it wasn't in disagreement, but in curiosity.
Izaya thought for a moment, not to wonder about his answer, but on how to word it.
"I love watching how humans react. To see how they do against life, since it's so hard sometimes. I like seeing that look of hurt, or joy, or confusion in their eyes. I love it when they react exactly how I planned, like they're reading from a script." He nodded, satisfied with his answer. He leaned forward, gazing at her intently despite the fact that he was smiling. Still.
"Now, about my hint..."
"Oh, yes. That." She crossed her legs and begun to think. Just then, Namie entered with tea. The girl smiled sweetly at her, before saying,
"Thank you. Now, get out." Namie scowled, thinking,
'Just who does she think she is?' But none the less, she exited once more, almost indifferent. The whole time, Izaya was laughing at her. Again.
The girl set her tea cup on a coaster on the table in front of her (the same one that Izaya had set fire to, but no one could tell) with a soft click.
"The hint... what have you been doing so far?"
"I've gone through records of flight passengers in the last three years." She smirked.
"Well, there's your problem. I came here on a ship." Though Izaya kept a cool exterior, on the inside he was pissed. Mostly at himself, however, for not considering that possibility. The only time he had ever spent more time doing research was on the 'Saika' incident, and that took him two days because he did all of the searching personally. He'd been in front of his computer all day, in the wrong direction.
But, instead of growling, he simply said,
"I hope that wasn't my clue." She smiled again, showing teeth.
"Don't worry, it wasn't. But this is," She paused, trying, and succeeding, in being overly dramatic.
"I'm seventeen years old." Though that didn't seem like much, that could lower the amount of time he took sorting through files by at least three days.
Then, they began to talk. Not like he did with Namie, or anyone else in Ikebukuro, where he had his wall up, but he could actually relax. Laugh at jokes that weren't sadistic, or made fun of anyone, and he didn't have to worry about her throwing a vending machine of stop sign at him. Before he knew it, it was midnight. She looked surprised that it was so late, and quickly stood up.
"I'm sorry, but I really must be going." She walked up to his window and stared out it. Smiling, she laughed and said,
"And here I had said I couldn't stay for long." Then she all but skipped out of his apartment waving and giving thanks for the lovely visist. And she was gone.
Izaya laid down on the couch, where she had just sat moments before. Almost suspiciously, Namie peeked her head through the doorway.
"Is she gone?" Izaya laughed for the hundredth time that night.
"Yes, sadly, she had to go. Mind picking up?" Tough he asked it in the form of a question, anyone could tell that it was an order.
"Yes, I do mind." Namie grumbled, but still, she approached the table, getting a better look at Izaya's content grin, and closed eyes. Scoffing, she said,
"Don't tell me you're in love." Izaya creaked an eye open, his smile not visible, but somehow still there, in his voice.
"Love is a strong word. And besides, I love all humans."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Because they're so predictable, right?" She asked bitterly. Izaya sat up again.
"Mostly... but this one... she's so unpredictable, it's just as fun!" He chuckled again, standing up and returning to his computer at his desk.
"She's a lot like you." Sighing, Namie picked up Izaya's empty cup with one hand, and then the visitor's with the other.
"And she didn't even have the decency to finish her tea."
a/n; Chapter twoo! My special thanks to TheRejectedAngel and SaBiDragon. You guys were my first reveiwers ever, and for that you rock! Thank you soooo much.
Btw, In the last chapter, I had this:
"Ciao."
"Does that mean you're French?"
No. No it doesn't. Because Ciao is Italian. Thank you to SaBiDragon for pointing that out. Sorry for making the chapters so short! Especially since this is my only fanfiction! I guess I'll just update a little faster...Till next time!
~Chaotic