With perfect timing Shiki knocked at the door as soon as Namie left.
"Hi there, Shiki-san. I do call you that normally, right?"
"You do."
Izaya nodded as if this was reassuring. Shiki could almost see him piecing whatever he could together in an effort to rebuild his life and bring it back to what it used to be. He allowed for silence to fall between them so that Izaya could set the pace. Many people disliked Izaya's loquacious ways but Shiki knew that Izaya could be silent. Shiki enjoyed these moments of peace, Izaya musing away in his never ceasing schemes and Shiki more often than not studying him. Then Izaya would deliver some pearl of wisdom and not always slyly either. If Izaya was a man that valued information he was also one plagued with questions and there were times when these piled on him like a physical burden that needed be shifted. But questions were also what drove Izaya onwards.
Most enjoyable of all was when Izaya was so deep in thought that he forgot all about putting up a performance.
"I think that I will take you on that offer of yours."
"The host club deal?"
"Yes. It will keep me from going rusty, at any rate. One way or another I will prove useful to you."
Shiki lit a cigarette. He wondered just how aware Izaya was to the undertones that kept slipping into his speech patterns. Either way Izaya was at his most serious and earnest. He still took refuge in being flashy and glib but the heart of Izaya's nature seemed more exposed than ever. And that was to always be guarded and striving for control over his environment. Of course this was supposed to come across as a smooth operation that merely amused Izaya but in reality he was as committed and engaged in this pursuit as possible. Shiki quite liked this new overt earnest attitude. It was refreshing. Also, one of the things that made Izaya bothersome to deal with on occasion was precisely this tendency to be too apparently nonchalant. At least this was Shiki's take on it.
He would rather Izaya showed his true colors then sliding along complicated charades of smoke and mirrors to hide where his true passions were. And Shiki might get to see just that. It meant something else, that Izaya trusted him more than ever. Which was intriguing and highly interesting and Shiki could not help wonder if it might also not be just as profitable.
"Alright. I can get you to start this Friday."
Izaya laced his fingers together and almost sighed.
"I am in something of a predicament. I clearly am very rich indeed but the money in my wallet was not much and currently I cannot actually access any of my accounts since I do not know the codes. I will talk to my bank managers, not surprisingly my money is spread wisely across many a bank, and arrange for new codes but it will take time. Such things must be done in person and I will need to bring documentation along. In other words, until that situation clears I am forced to rely on Namie's financial help. Such a bother."
Shiki blew a long tendril of smoke.
"You're saying you won't ask me for a loan?"
Izaya chuckled.
"I know better than to do that, yes. I am very much aware of what the interest rates are with people in your line of work and have no desire to be charged a leg and an arm."
Shiki was pretty sure that the actual matter had nothing to do with interest rates at all. It was Izaya's way of showing his independence.
"I expect that Yagiri-san will charge you interest too."
"Heh, indeed. Indeed she will. Do you know much about my personal life?"
Izaya switched gears suddenly.
"Not really. You do talk a lot but more often than not the things that you actually say shed no light on yourself."
"Yes, that figures...by the look of it I have no friends to speak of – although there is a girl who is very fond of me, it seems – I keep my family at a distance and am dedicated to my job with something akin to uncanny intensity. So I was just wondering...was I a happy person?"
This surprised Shiki a lot.
"I can hardly say."
"Yes, of course."
Shiki was puzzled now. Izaya seemed half lost in a reverie.
"But I can tell you that you were bent on being as happy as you possibly could."