A/N: HOLY- OH MY GOD I'm so so sooooo sorry that it's taken me this long to update! TTATT
I really don't have a good excuse...right after I finished up my last chap. I started getting into Homestuck...and yeah I haven't really had any inspiration since then... ^^;
I'M HORRIBLE - I KNOWWWW
Okay, so (FINALLY) here's a new chapter~! I promise I'll try to come up with a schedule for updates! o3o~

Obsession

Chapter 4

Tick, tock, tick, tock...Days and days pass and I still have no clue what I am going to do.

Everyday I come home from school and pace around my room, then lie on my bed trying not to let my insomnia get to me. It's a miracle that I'm actually alive and able to function. I barely sleep and eat only when I force myself to. I'm turning into a mess, and it's all because of them. Well, I guess there's more than one of 'them.' There's Anri Sonohara - the girl who has the affections of my best friend (a very valuable item) in her clutches...then there's Mikado Ryugamine - the one who I will love unrequitedly for what seems like the rest of my life. And lastly, Izaya Orihara (it gives me a headache just thinking his name) - the psychotic prick who is supposedly helping me through my confusion.

Lately I've been regretting asking him for help before anyone else. But, I mean, who else could I have asked? That weird underground doctor? The headless rider? The strongest man in Ikebukuro? No, there was no one else. But why did it have to be him?

I slammed my head repeatedly against the edge of my desktop until I was sure I did some kind of damage to my brain. Disappointingly enough, I barely even bruised myself. Just as I was about repeat the gesture, my cell phone buzzed in my back pocket.

Izaya. Of course, who else would it be?

I hesitated for a moment, but then I realized that the buzzing was just going to get annoying so I flipped open my phone and hoped for the best.

"Hello-"

"Are you finally decided?" The informant cut my greeting off without regarding it.

"What? No, net yet..."

There was a brief silence from the other end.

"Alright, just get back to me as soon as you know what you want. Goodbye, Masaomi-kun-"

"Wait!" I shouted desperately. "How will I know what to use these cards for? They're so confusing!"

There was a soft noise, perhaps a chuckle, from Izaya's end.

"Trust me, Masaomi," he took a short pause, wanting to build up suspense once again. Why did he have to act all ominous? "You'll know once you figure it out."

"Hey, how is that supposed to help-?"

The line went dead.

Half angry and half confused, I sighed and turned to look out the window. The sun was glaring brightly into my apartment.

Guess I'll go out.

...

I ended up getting some Russian Sushi and then taking a walk in the park. The bitter cold of fall felt kind of calming as I observed the multicolored trees that surrounded me. It was a nice idea to just go take a walk outside and forget about my problems. Or, at least I thought it was. Because that's when I saw the silhouette of a large-breasted teenage girl walking towards me from across the street.

"Kida-kun, it's so nice to see you." Anri greeted me with a bow and smiled slightly. Trying not to roll my eyes and grunt, I responded with a not-so-sincere 'you too.' She didn't notice it (stupid girl) and just went along with a conversation.

"Wow, it sure is cold today..."

"Not too much, really," I interrupted her.

She frowned a bit, and then continued.

"Is that so? Well, I'm a bit chilly myself; I think a good warm meal might make me feel better..."

"I already ate."

"..."

By now she was sensing the tension between us and she furrowed her brow.

"Well, I wasn't exactly asking you out to eat, I was just making a suggestion," she sounded a bit harsher now. I've never heard her sound anything other than shy or nervous, so I was slightly shaken by her new attitude. But I tried to not let it show.

"Hmmph, okay then." I tried to imitate her snarkiness, but I ended failing miserably. I didn't give up, though. "How about suggesting something a little different~?"

I could tell that it was getting to her by the way she was reacting; her mitten-clad hands balled up into fists, her left eyebrow was slightly twitching, her cheeks puffed out and adapted a red hue. It pleased me that my tone was getting to her, so I just continued onto with it.

"You should be a bit more reasonable, Anri-chan. I mean, it's already way too late for lunch. Also, who would get cold in this weather? It's just wonderful and if this is making your freeze your plump little rump off then I don't see how you lasted a single winter in Tokyo, and another thing-"

SLAP

Her hand wiped whatever smug expression it was that I had on my face right off and replaced it with a sore, red mark. I looked up at her, frantically rubbing my cheek.

"Ow..."

"Why are you being so hostile?" She asked firmly, setting her arm back at her side.

I was practically glaring at her by that point. With bitter sarcasm, I replied, "Tch...whatever could you mean?"

She brought her head up to be at eye level with me. Anger resonating in her bright red orbs (Wait...red? That doesn't sound right...), she growled, "That. What is your problem?"

I was really upset by then. My arms shook with anger at my sides and my eyes were shut tight. I wanted to let it all out, let it all hit her and take her down. And that's when I let it slip, "You wanna know what my problem is? Huh? Guess what? You're my problem! I don't get what Mikado sees in you, he'd be much better off with someone else! Someone like-"

Catching myself, I realized what I had just said. Oh shit.

"Someone like who, Kida-kun?" she sported a shit eating grin, and that's when I knew that I would not be getting out of this.

"N-never mind."

I prepared myself over and over again for her next words, knowing the severity of them. She had it all figured out and I knew that I had just made an enemy out of her. There really was no way she would let this go. And that's when the statement I was dreading fell from her lips as if they were laced with poison.

"Someone like you, maybe?"