yaoi-fun-fan, Lookoutthewindow, Sissy, codename000, and Jedi Bag, thank you for your reviews! Sorry to say, Izaya won't be meeting Mikado for a while now. But they'll meet soon enough! And if you'd like, codename000, I can try my best to pm you an explanation. But I get the feeling that these two stories will explain themselves as they go on (or at least they're supposed to…).

I don't own.

Warnings: Possible spoilers in other fandoms. (Shugo Chara!, Naruto, Gintama, Bleach, Captain Tsubasa, and Death Note)

Recap: Mikado realized that he has left his wallet at home, much to Shizuo's annoyance. Thus, the bartender has no choice but to buy the younger teen dinner!


Shizuo, who had finished eating a few minutes ago, glanced over at Mikado with a rather annoyed expression on his face. Mikado gulped. He had often been told as a child that he ate things slowly. Most adults told him that it was good for his health, but Masaomi was usually annoyed by it and often ate Mikado's meal for him, much to Anri's amusement. But the difference here was obvious. Masaomi was his friend. And Shizuo… Just what was Shizuo?

"Ah, I'm sorry Heiwajima-san," Mikado said quickly, afraid of Shizuo's temper. "You can leave, if you want…"

Shizuo considered this for a minute. The kid was offering to let him go. He can forget about the kid. Forget that he ever met him. Just walk away, never see him again…

"And she told me to look for Heiwajima-san for help."

Like he could do something like that! How could he abandon someone who came specifically looking for him for help? Things like this never just happened. Even if a certain dullahan planned it. Most of the time, people heard the name Heiwajima Shizuo and went running, often screaming as well, the other way. But this child, despite seeing his temper first-hand, did not run. In fact, he was sitting next to him, trying to start a conversation.

"Do you even know the way back?"

"Ah… that is…" Mikado stared at the sushi. Here, he could take Shinra's advice and tell Shizuo the truth, which most likely will annoy the older man. But if he told a lie, well… he wouldn't exactly make his way back to Celty's place in one piece… He decided that vagueness was his friend in this case. "I take bunch of turns?"

A vein popped visibly on Shizuo's face. "Don't be stupid! You don't even know the way back!"

His friend, vagueness, had betrayed Mikado.

The teen flinched. "S-sorry!"

Simon placed a hand on Shizuo's shoulder. "Shizuo, fighting bad," the Russian said again. "Eat more sushi." Then he turned to Mikado. "Eat slowly. Enjoy sushi."

And Mikado couldn't help but to smile at that. "Thanks, Simon."

"Hey Simon!"

Mikado turned to see who it was. There were four people there, three boys and a girl. The girl was wearing a cap and a black outfit. Next to her, a blond-haired man stood, chatting excitedly with her. The other guy was standing with a rather bored expression on his face. He was wearing a white collared button-down with a vest on top, making Mikado wonder how he pulled off looking so relaxed while wearing formal clothing. The last guy was wearing a black sweater with a black bandana around his head. And judging from the way he had his hand raised, Mikado assumed that he had greeted Simon.

"Oh! Welcome!" Simon said, releasing Shizuo. He then went over to the four.

Mikado supposed he should have gone back to his meal at this point in time. However, he heard something that he couldn't turn away from. Something, thanks to the six months of manga-reading, that only he and an extreme fan would be able to understand.

(Spoiler)

"I'm so proud of Amu! She faced Easter without wavering!" the blonde exclaimed, doing a small turn.

"I'm sure she'll get together with Ikuto. Just wait and watch!"

"No way! It's obvious Tadase is going to win her heart!"

Actually, if you read the last chapter, none of them get together… Mikado couldn't help but to think. By now, Shizuo was back to glaring at him, which cause Mikado to pick up a sushi and chew it slowly.

(/End Spoiler)

"Ahhhh! Why doesn't Aidokusho get a new worker? It would make restocking less of a nightmare!"

Aidokusho…? Favorite books? Is it a book store? And they were talking about mangas earlier… Mikado glanced over at Shizuo, only to be graced with his angry face. He quickly focused back on the sushi. I suppose getting a job is always the first step…

"But they can't hire just anyone!" the girl protested. "They have to have a vast knowledge in manga!"

"In another words-" Here, the blonde looked at the girl, a grin stretching on his face.

"They have to be-" the girl continued, also grinning.

"An otaku!" The two of them shouted together, doing a random waltz in the middle of the restaurant.

Eh? Don't I fit that bill perfectly?

Their two friends, meanwhile, had secured a place to sit. "Erika, Walker!" the guy with bandana said. "Don't you want to eat?"

And before Mikado could ask them, the two ran towards the other two. But the seeds of desire were planted deeply in Mikado. Aidokusho, huh?


Shizuo took Mikado to Celty's apartment, silent as always. Although Mikado was rather grateful for the silence, he couldn't help but to feel fidgety. Shizuo was a quiet man, and although he was rather awkward and had pretty bad temper, he was, as Celty had said, a good man. And Mikado kept feeling guilty. Shizuo shouldn't have to take Mikado around like this. Shizuo shouldn't have to buy him dinner. In fact, shouldn't it be Mikado buying the man dinner as a thank you? I mean, it was just bad manners for Mikado to continue leeching off of Shizuo like this!

"Ah… um… Heiwajima-san…" Mikado began.

Shizuo grunted. Mikado watched the man in front of him carefully. How do I phrase this without making him angry?

"Uh… thank you for today," Mikado finished lamely.

The man in front of him froze. Mikado swerved around the man to avoid running into him. The man slowly turned to face him and… Is he blushing?

"Don't… don't say such stupid things!" Shizuo snapped. "Of course I'll help you!"

"Ah… is that so?"

Shizuo twitched. "Are you testing me?"

"It's just… I…" Mikado hesitated again. Do I dare say it? "I want to be able to treat Heiwajima-san, too…"

This time, there was no question. Shizuo was blushing furiously. Mikado took his time to engrave this imagine in his mind. Of course, this was because he thought he wouldn't live to see the man again. If he had known his future, he wouldn't have even bothered.

"You… don't worry about crap like that! You're a student, right? So just worry about your studies and keep Celty's place clean!" Shizuo snapped, refusing to meet Mikado's eyes.

"Uh… actually…" Mikado began; slightly worried that he might make Shizuo snap again. "I graduated."

There was sudden tension in Shizuo's shoulders. A dark aura surrounded him. Mikado took a step back. "Well… thank you again for tonight!" With that, Mikado ran for Celty's apartment complex, which was within sight now.

As he retreated, Mikado realized that he had forgotten to ask Shizuo to take him to Aidokusho.

Drat! I'll have to get him in good mood first…


"I want to be able to treat Heiwajima-san, too…"

Stop it. You don't know what you're saying.

"Something about him being a good person."

Shut up. You don't know what you're saying.

"Thank you for today…"

Aw screw it.

Shizuo covered his head with his hands. Every time he tried to bring his focus back on real life, he kept hearing that kid's voice. That kid … What was his name again? Something about a pocky… Shizuo sighed. The problem, he knew, was with him. He normally didn't interact with people; rather, they didn't bother with him. It made sense. Other than Celty, who wasn't exactly normal, and Simon, who was freakishly strong, and Tanaka Tom, his senpai who gave him a job, no one stayed around him longer than they must. Of course, there were two more that he didn't name. One was his younger brother, who obviously had to stand next to Shizuo because they were brothers. The last one… well… let's just say that no one talked about him near Shizuo without breaking a bone.

"Thank you for today…"

There it was again! Shizuo kept hearing those words. He kept remembering the sweet smile. No one else ever made him feel like this. Most people, if they thanked him, he would just grunt and forget about them. But most people weren't recommended by Celty to be taken care of. And perhaps that was why Shizuo was trying so hard to focus on this kid. He wanted to remember the kid. He wanted to keep the kid's voice, his expressions, his whole being in his mind. That was why his body kept reacting strangely to the kid's words.

That was why this kid made him nervous. The kid flinched whenever he heard Shizuo's voice. Heck, the kid looked scared whenever he glanced over at Shizuo. However, the kid didn't run from him. Perhaps it was because the kid sincerely believed that no one else in Ikebukuro would help him. Or perhaps the kid just trusted Celty that much. Whatever the reason, the kid, despite being scared, stuck by Shizuo.

And as much as it scared him to admit it, Shizuo rather liked being depended on.

I'm so messed up…


Mikado awoke the next morning to the sound of knocking. It took him couple of minutes to remember that he was no longer home and that the futon that he had slept in wasn't his. With a loud yawn, he slowly made his way to the door. Celty-san didn't mention anything about early morning deliveries… Is it a guest?

Click.

Without bothering to ask who it was, Mikado opened the door. And stared.

Wha…?

Mikado blinked. He then rubbed his eyes. Nope, the image before him was still there. He pinched his cheeks. Ouch… Nope, it wasn't a dream. Then that means… Mikado looked back up at the person waiting in front of the door. The person, who looked to be getting slowly angrier as the seconds went by. Mikado laughed nervously.

Why?

"G… good morning, Heiwajima-san," Mikado finally greeted the person in front of him.

The man, shaking lightly with anger, held out a bento. "Breakfast and lunch," he stated. "I'm going to be working, so keep yourself fed."

Eh? He's feeding me? Mikado stared at the bento. But why? Shouldn't Shizuo still be angry about last night? Shouldn't Shizuo feel cheated that Mikado had leeched a dinner off of him? Then why was the man with the bartender outfit standing there with a bento? Shouldn't it be Mikado on his hands and knees, begging Shizuo for forgiveness and help instead? Just how did everything get so screwed up?

With a frustrated growl, Shizuo thrust the bento in Mikado's arms. "Take it already!" Muttering darkly under his breath, Shizuo took out his sunglasses and placed them on. He then turned away from Mikado and began to walk away.

Then Mikado remembered his reason for wanting to meet Shizuo.

"Ah… wait Heiwajima-san! Could you please take me to Aidokusho book store?"

Shizuo paused in his step. Then he glanced back at Mikado. The said teen was wearing blue pajamas. Shizuo looked at the time on his cell. 9:46 AM. I'm going to be late.

"Go get dressed."


"So you like books?"

Mikado's heart stopped beating for a second, causing the teen to wonder if he was about to suffer a heart attack. Was Heiwajima Shizuo really talking to him? But didn't the man usually just walk quietly? Mikado gulped. It must be the sunglasses. Yes, that was the only logical reason behind this.

"Ah… well… I overheard someone say that they have a job opening there," Mikado answered honestly.

Shizuo frowned at that, shutting Mikado up efficiently. After few minutes of walking in complete silence, Shizuo stopped in front of a small, homey-looking shop. He then held out his hand.

"Give me your cell. I'll put my number in there. If you need help, call. I'm getting off work at six, so I should probably be here around 6:30 PM to pick you up. Then we'll get a bite to eat. Until then, eat your bento."

The man in bartender outfit finished transferring the numbers and gave Mikado his cell back. He then raised his hand as a goodbye as he walked away. Mikado stared at Shizuo's back. Why does he take such good care of me? Is it because I mentioned Celty-san's name? Then… will he leave me too?

With a heavy sigh, Mikado turned to face the book store. He gulped. Okay… here goes nothing! He pushed the door open, causing the wind chimes to ring. But Mikado wasn't listening to the wind chimes. He was taking in the book store. Many shelves, crammed with books, lined the walls. Few smaller shelves were away from the wall, with small displays on top of them. This whole place was a book heaven!

Then the furthest corner of the room caught Mikado's eyes. There were no shelves there. There were just heaps and piles of books. Mikado frowned. Why is that part so different from the rest? He was so busy contemplating this question that he didn't notice the store owner appear by his side.

"Hello," the owner said. "New here? Go and take a look around."

"Oh! H-hello!" Mikado exclaimed. He quickly bowed. "I'm actually here for the job opening…"

There was a slight pause. The owner had seen Mikado before the teen made his way into the shop. This child hung around Heiwajima Shizuo. This child was not dead. That meant that Shizuo probably thought highly of this child. And if the owner was to make this child unhappy… well, wouldn't that automatically mean that Shizuo would be unhappy? And Heiwajima Shizuo was the last person on earth you wanted upset at you. Or perhaps he was the second to last. There was, of course, one other person who was equally, if not more, terrifying…

"You got the job!" the owner exclaimed, paling at the thought of an angry Shizuo. "You got the job!"


"This job is actually pretty lax," the owner said, trying to make the teen as happy as he could. "The store opens from 10 AM to 7PM, every weekday and Saturday. But you don't have to work every day the shop is open. You only need to show up four out of the six days. You're allowed two weeks of vacation per year… let's see, lunch break is usually thirty minutes and can be taken any time between 11AM and 1PM, depending on how busy we get... Am I forgetting anything?"

"What exactly would I be doing?"

"First of all, you'll help with the customers. And every Tuesdays and Thursdays, new books arrive from the publishing houses. That'll be your next task. You'll help me put the new books out and pack up the unpopular books to be sent elsewhere. Your third task will be to keep track of which books are popular with the customers and sort the books as such. Don't worry; I'll always be around so you can ask me for any help."

The owner stopped in his lecturing and stared at Mikado's face, horror filling his system. He had forgotten about the teen's ties and had gone on a long lecture about the job without a second thought. Much to his relief, however, the teen didn't look too angry or annoyed. In fact, he looked pretty happy with this job.

"Ok," Mikado said finally. "When can I begin?"


"We're coming here again?" Togusa complained when the book shop came into view. "But we just stopped by yesterday."

"Yeah," Erika agreed. "But they restock on Tuesdays and Thursdays."

Kadota frowned at that. "But today's Wednesday."

"Exactly!" Walker exclaimed. "Until a new worker is hired, we have to show up to take care of the manga section!"

Both Kadota and Togusa shuddered at the remembrance of the pile of manga in the corner of Aidokusho store. But didn't the two otakus cause that mess? The two sighed. Oh well. At least it'll keep the two occupied with something other than torture…


The door's opening was accompanied by the chimes of the wind chime. Erika and Walker imitated the sound as they walked in. And then they froze, a black aura surrounding them. Kadota and Togusa, confused as to why the two stopped in the doorway, peered around the two. And then understood.

There was a frail looking teenage boy in the manga section, trying to organize it. And… was that the Aidokusho apron that the kid was wearing? Oh dear lords. That kid was screwed.

Kadota and Togusa averted their eyes as Walker and Erika appeared next to the unsuspecting boy with murder in their eyes. They flanked the boy on either side. And with evil grins that could rival Shizuo on a rampage, they addressed the boy.

"So, New Boy, what are you doing in our manga section?" Walker began with a fake friendly voice.

Mikado, who was focused on the manga, only heard the friendly voice. "Ah, I'm sorry," Mikado said automatically. "It was just really messy here."

"Yes, we know," Erika said. "But what gives you the right to clean this place?"

Mikado finally stopped his work. He looked up at the two with a frown. "Isn't it the duty of a worker to clean this place?" He then blinked and slowly backed away when he realized that the two had rather… evil-looking eyes. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything…

"Well said!" Walker exclaimed. Then both he and Erika pointed their forefingers at Mikado's chest. "If you truly want to work here, you have to pass our test first."

Mikado's will wavered at that. "What kind of test?"

The two grinned. "Manga-related test, obviously!"

Here, Mikado couldn't help but to grin as well. "I'll take it."


The owner sighed happily as he returned from a bathroom break. Hiring that kid was actually a good idea. The kid was, surprisingly, a good worker. He never complained and was always polite. Not to mention he was adorable looking, causing many window-shoppers to actually step into the store. The kid was, however, very shy and couldn't hold conversations very well. Perhaps that was why Heiwajima Shizuo could stand him. The kid didn't speak much.

He walked back into the shop, very satisfied with today's work. He was about to call to Mikado to take a few minute rest, when he realized who was in the store. In the magazine section, Togusa was flipping through a magazine with Ruri Hijiribe on the cover. Next to him, a very bored looking Kadota leaned against a book shelf. And if those two were in the store, then…

(Spoiler)

"Why did Itachi kill the Uchia clan?" Erika demanded.

The owner groaned. He was so screwed. Heiwajima Shizuo would never forgive him if the two otakus hurt the kid! Self, I knew you well…

"That's easy. Because the Uchia clan was planning to overthrow Konoha village," Mikado answered easily. "So the Konoha Council ordered him to do so."

The owner blinked. Is the kid… answering the questions right?

"Alright, then why is Hijikata unpopular with the girls?" Walker demanded.

Hijikata…? Uh… I read a manga with him in it. Something about aliens and samurais… aha! "Because of his obsession with mayonnaise," Mikado answered. "He carries a whole bunch of objects shaped like mayonnaise jars."

"You're pretty good," Erika said. "But I bet you don't know this one! Who is held responsible for Ishida Soken's death?"

Mikado paused to think about this one. I know that this is from Bleach. And since the last name is Ishida, he's probably a Quincy. But… who was it…? "Ah! Mayuri Kurotsuchi! Captain of the Twelfth Division and president of the Shinigami Research Institute!"

Walker whistled. "Not bad. Answer two more. Where does Tsubasa Ozora's motto comes from?"

Tsubasa Ozora…? Ah! Captain Tsubasa! Let's see, his motos is… "The ball is my friend." And that was because… "Tsubasa was saved from being ran over by a bus because the soccer ball cushioned the impact."

Erika and Walker looked at each other. Then Erika looked at Mikado, gulping loudly.

"You gave me no other choice," she said.

Walker's eyes widened. "No, Erika! You can't! That one's-"

"I know what I'm doing!" Erika snapped. "This is the ultimate final question. Who killed Light?"

Mikado frowned. Light… where have I heard that name…? Wait! Wasn't it something about the word Moon being read as Light? Then that means it's from Death Note… therefore! "The Shinigami Ryuuku did!"

(/End Spoiler)

Erika and Walker let out loud shouts of terror, flinching away from Mikado. "He knew the answer!" Erika whispered to Walker.

Walker, his face pale, nodded slowly. "It's almost as if he's…"

The two stared at each other. "A better otaku than us!"

Mikado chuckled sheepishly at that. "Well, it can't be helped," he said. "I shut myself in my room for the past six months with nothing but the internet and manga books."

Both otakus stared at the teens with respect shining in their eyes. They glanced at each other again. Then they both nodded, as if to agree on an unspoken agreement.

Walker moved first. He began to dance next to Mikado. Then Erika joined him in the dance. Then the two grabbed Mikado and pulled him into their strange music-less dance.

"You!" Erika said, pointing at Mikado with a bright smile.

"Me…?"

"We're adopting you!" Walker said, also smiling.

"Eh..?"

"Welcome to our Sibling-hood!"