Chapter 4

Although he wasn't wanted, Shinra tagged along Shizuo on their way to school like he did every morning. Shizuo was cranky as always. Nevertheless, this didn't stop Shinra from being his usual quirky, happy self.

"Hey Shizuo, you sure you're alright after yesterday?" He enquired. "You got beat up pretty bad by that truck."

"Tch, I wouldn't have been hit by that freakin' truck if you hadn't introduce me to that damn Izaya!" Shizuo roared, grabbing Shinra by his necktie.

"Hey, hey, I'm sorry Shizuo! I didn't know he was gonna go and slash you!" He cried, pleading for some mercy. With a grunt he released the smaller boy to the ground. Shinra quickly changed subjects.

"You know I kinda stuck around for your fight with him; I wasn't the only one. I saw two girls from our class go after just to watch you fight." He began, and then paused with a chuckle. "Could it be that Shizuo has actually attracted some fan girls?" he teased.

"Shut up." Shizuo barked back, trying to speed walk and lose him.

"I think I gotta decent look at them. They're the ones who made a bit of fuss the first day of school. If my memory serves me right it was those Nagatani Sisters."

"Mmhhmm." Shizuo hummed, pretending to listen and let Shinra continue his senseless prattle.

"We actually went to the same middle school as one of them, Eri Nagatani. She's pretty infamous for being a delinquent girl. There's this urban legend that when she was just a first year in junior high, she totally destroyed about twenty third years from a rival school that tried to force their way in. She was even covered in blood screaming 'this is so fun!' while she was beating them. She really likes to show off and she has good reason to. She's pretty good for a girl. Like a monster born to fight... but then again it was just a legend."

Shizuo completely lost interest by that point. He didn't want to hear about a delinquent that may cause trouble for him later on.

At the same time the aforementioned sisters strolled through the school entrance. Eri's cheeks were airbrushed pink as she recollected the scene of yesterday.

"Wow! I haven't been so pumped in such a long time." she said gleefully. She suddenly stopped in her tracks.

"Minako-san." she said in a serious voice. Minako paused and looked at her with a puzzled expression. It was the first time since they met that she called her by her first name.

"Yes?"

"I think... I'm going to start building up my delinquent reputation again. Raijin's a violent school right?"

Minako just continued to gape. Eri turned around and stared back at her with sincere eyes.

"I want to stand at the top—with you Minako."

"Eri-san..."

"I won't take no as an answer." She told authoritatively. "I know right off the bat your some goody-goody little girl; any dumbass can see that. But I'm the only one who knows that warrior side of you."

She extended her hand.

"By the time we graduate let's look over Ikebukuro at the top together."

Minako turned her head away awkwardly and then walked off casually.

"Hey! You can't just walk off when I've said something so heartfelt!" Eri whined. She had reverted back to normal.

Eri needed to get her facts straight. Minako was no prodigy. She had average A and B grades. Ever since she was little she had a short attention span. She'd stare dreamily out the window, though her mind was void of anything creative. All that floated in her head was just static. And that was happening at the moment as class was passing by. And she sure was no goody-goody either.

When lunchtime rolled around Eri did not rush to Minako's side like she had been doing. A few minutes before she had seen her older sister run out of the classroom with an eager smile. Did she realize Minako didn't want to stalk Shizuo anymore and went without her? She sat at her desk by herself, eating her bento with no one coming up to talk to her. Except for one.

"Hi Minako." she heard somebody greet her. She looked up and saw a young boy with glasses smiling at her. She gave no response but a stare.

"Oh, sorry, I guess I didn't introduce myself properly. I'm Shinra Kishitani."

"It's nice to meet you." Minako replied with a slight nod. Without permission he sat at the desk in front of her.

"So where's your friend Eri-san?"

"I don't know." she answered.

"You know, my friend Shizuo and I actually went to the same junior high together. How come we haven't seen you there?"

"I went to an all-girls private school in Shinjuku." She said.

"Oh, that's why... well it's nice to meet you by the way. Eri was quite the troublemaker in junior high like Shizuo. Maybe she's off doing something right now," he began, getting up. "I'll help you find her."

"No thank you." Minako politely declined. Shinra grabbed her wrist and pulled her up, nearly causing her to spill the contents of her bento box.

"C'mon, we'll check on her real quick; for all we know she might be in trouble."

Minako didn't really care if she was, honestly. She was capable of fending for herself.

She was dragged yet again against her will, down the hallways by her newly made acquaintance.

As they headed up to the fourth floor, they heard a ruckus. Several third year delinquents were tumbling down the stairs that led to the roof. She immediately assumed that it was Shizuo beating people again but then she heard a girl let out a crazy battle cry. She looked up and saw a glimpse of Eri, her face spotted with blood.

"Looks like she's at it again." Shinra commented as the two watched the students crawl away in fear. Eri started slowly stepping down the stairs, brushing back her lock and laughing up to the sky. When she noticed Minako and Shinra she calmed down but still smiled.

"Maso-chan, I was just about to go and get you."

"Hey Eri-san." greeted Shinra.

"Hi, so what're you doing with my Maso-chan, Shinra? You better not have been doing anything weird or I'll kill you." She threatened with a more malicious smirk.

"No, no of course not. We just decided to go look for you." Shinra assured.

"So what have you been up to?" Minako enquired.

"I couldn't hold my excitement any longer you know. Seeing Shizuo and that other guy yesterday really made my blood boil, I couldn't even sleep well last night. Now that I've finally gotten my release, I think I can calm down now."

Shinra sparked an interest in this.

"Oh really? Maybe there's some scientific phenomenon with you two! Maybe your adrenaline levels are unstable and that's why you always feel the need to fight; hey, if you let me take a blood sample and run a physical exam on you I can probably-"

Eri cut his ramblings short by locking her arms around his neck and pulling him into a headlock.

"Shut up you pervert!" She shouted. Shinra started gasping for breath, comically flapping his arms in the air like a bird trying to break free of a tiny cage.

"Eh? Pervert?!"

"Yeah, pervert! Performing a physical? Sticking a needle in me? What the fuck are you?! Some shady underground doctor?!" She berated, choking him tighter. Minako started strolling away while Eri was busy punishing Shinra.

"And again why are you even here?! Unless Shizuo's with you, don't bother me with your scientific shit!" Eri yelled. She finally let him free once she saw Minako was heading back into the classroom.

"Hey, Maso-chan wait up!" Eri hollered. Minako paid no attention and kept going. She soon left them behind and continued until she heard a smash outside the hallway window she passed. She stopped, peeked out the window, and saw that some thugs had provoked Shizuo yet again. She sort of pitied the young man at that moment; having to deal with violent idiots to no end.