"Isn't that your line? 'I love humanity'?"
"That doesn't include Shizu-chan."
Namie glanced at his watch.
"If you're done, we can get started."
"Started…? On what, exactly?"
"Sexual intercourse."
Izaya choked on his food and needed plenty of water to wash it down.
"Namie? I must have misheard you."
"You didn't. Take your time eating, I have made the proper arrangements."
"Er, that's a bit…sudden."
"Don't you want to?"
Izaya was annoyed but she felt herself blush furiously. Namie remained cool as a cucumber.
"That's not the point here…"
"What's the problem, then? I need firsthand data for this study."
Izaya sighed deeply.
"Namie, let me tell you something. A girl doesn't just do that kind of thing on the first date. The more she likes the guy the more she will make him wait. To test him, you see. Especially since I am a maiden at heart."
Namie lifted an eyebrow.
"Maiden? I suppose that technically you are a virgin in that body. If you need time to prepare yourself, we can wait a few more hours."
"Hours? I need days, weeks even! I can't just jump into this just like that…"
"That is very old fashioned of you. And irrational."
"Perhaps. But a girl must be wooed."
"Why?"
Izaya was not making any headway so he decided to change gears.
"Consider it foreplay, then."
"I see. It is true that females need more foreplay as it is."
"Indeed! Just so you know, you must properly take me on dates. But not just generic dates, I want you to take me to places that I like."
Namie nodded.
"Alright, that can be arranged."
Izaya's heart was aflutter. Namie had invited her to visit some mysterious place at the break of dawn. Izaya was not a morning person, male or female, but she was beyond herself with trepidation as Namie picked her in a sleek dark glass car.
"Where are we going? I can hardly wait!"
Izaya's enthusiasm came to a screeching halt as they arrived at the docks.
"You like fresh tuna, right? This is Tokyo's fish market."
"Eh? It stinks in here, my shoes will get ruined!"
"I thought you liked fish, namely tuna."
"And I do. When it's properly prepared, in a restaurant and ready to be eaten."
"You can purchase it here to consume at a later time."
"I don't want that! What kind of a date is this, I woke up extra early just to get ready and all and you drag me to this dump!"
"Just calm down. I'll take you somewhere else."
And indeed Namie did just that. The aquarium opened a couple of hours later so he still had to put up with a rather forlorn Izaya for a while but fortunately she was beyond happy as soon as she was surrounded by all sorts of fish.
"There are so many of them!"
"You can't eat those."
"Tch, I know that. But they're all so pretty!"
It might very well be so but Izaya was happier over getting to nearly glomp Namie in public than in watching the marvels of sea creatures of all sizes and forms. Still, she did stop in front of the jellyfish tank with some interest.
"Woah, will you look at that! I'd kill for a dress looking like those transparent veils. It would make me look absolutely fabulous."
"See that one?"
Namie pointed to a translucid jellyfish slowly bobbing its way around majestically.
"Pretty, isn't it?"
"It's also poisonous and potentially lethal. We extract its poison at the labs and use it to make medicine. Of course, it can also be used for creating chemical weapons. Upon entering the blood stream-"
"Namie-san? That's a bit too much information."
"I don't follow. I thought you were an informant, you should be interested in knowledge in general."
Izaya sighed and took the opportunity for leaning against him. Being sad always called for some comforting.
"Sure but why must you go on about horrible things on our date?"
"Want to see the blowfish? Those are very poisonous too."
"Namie!"
To Izaya's surprise Namie burst out laughing.
"Hey, what's so funny…"
"So you can get all riled. Sorry, I had no idea. Is it because you're a girl now?"
Izaya crossed her arms and humphed.
"I see that you're making fun of me."
"Serves you right, you make fun of me all the time."
Izaya had a snappy retort ready but Namie was wiping tears from his eyes and still giggling. Izaya found himself smiling in return.