Chapter 9
"As usual, the only times they're quiet is when they're eating isn't it Simon?" Dennis commented, as he folded new rolls of sushi.
"Izaya is strange today," Simon remarked, standing beside Dennis diligently since he couldn't make sushi as well as the other sushi chief, "When I bring them here, Izaya did no taunting. He is very quiet."
"Is that so?" Dennis said, eyebrows rising slightly, "That's interesting. Maybe they're finally getting along."
"Yes, friends is good. Friends have no fighting," Simon agreed, though they didn't quite seem like friends just yet. Izaya seemed almost apathetic about Shizuo's presence, which was very rare for him. Usually the restaurant would be in ruins, destruction mainly caused by Shizuo, who was provoked by Izaya. This was a very special occasion indeed.
Maybe the apocalypse had finally arrived.
After the silent and slightly awkward meal was finished, Shizuo sauntered away. Izaya didn't have it in him to tell him to get back here and help pay for the meal, because before Shizuo had left, he gave Izaya a nice searing glare accompanied by the beautiful bulging vein on his forehead.
Shizuo was probably trying to tell him something. Perhaps he was expressing his everlasting gratitude? Izaya snorted at his own joke, and pulled out his wallet to pay for the meal that held a price that was obviously jacked up a few thousand notches.
Simon and the other guy (with a name tag that said Dennis) obviously had been expecting him to say something, perhaps something rude or taunting, but Izaya wasn't up to it. He'd much rather get out of the restaurant and go home. He just gave the two a curt nod out of politeness and paid the fee, leaving with his hands on his pocket knives and a lighter wallet.
So Simon had dragged him halfway across Ikebukuro just to pay for Shizuo's meal. How wonderful. How absolutely delightful. Next time, perhaps he should practice his death glare a bit so he could use it on that infuriating sushi man.
In spite of his feelings of betrayal, he could admit that he appreciated Simon due to his ability to subdue the stupid blonde, the stupid protozoan. ...Protozoan? Yes, that was quite accurate. The dumb, single-celled protozoan. Protozoan, protozoan, protozoan. On the way out of Ikebukuro, he didn't bump into Shizuo-kun again...
Halfway to the West Gate, he checked the time on his cellphone. With a single tap, he was very satisfied to see it light up with it's high definition pixels and all. It was very pleasing to have a great phone. The satisfaction quickly died away when he saw the time. The paperwork would be piling up. It would be a good time for his secretary to come back… the small fine print words were starting to drive him crazy.
Speaking of which, what was his secretary like? She seemed quite nasty when he had first bumped into her, but he had been hospitalized for quite some time and anybody would pull a hissy fit if their boss had been away while they worked hard, without even a paycheck. Izaya remembered the name in his contacts with her picture. Namie Yagiri. That was her name wasn't it? He tried to recall the details of her background.
"The ex-director of the Yagiri Pharmacy…?" Izaya muttered to himself, as he distractedly strolled down the sidewalk, "At least that's what was written on-"
A group of teenagers suddenly bustling their way through the streets, almost pushing him off the sidewalk. Izaya blinked at the teens who busily chattered away, in their extreme clothing and bleached hair. Izaya hadn't noticed many teenagers in Shibuya. The population mostly consisted of adults and elders after all, so the appearance of these youths slightly surprised him.
Izaya let out a hefty sigh as he watched the teens turn and disappear down another street. Ah, youths. He'd like to live in an interesting city like Ikebukuro, full of naive teens with bright futures. Perhaps Shizuo wouldn't mind making him some room to move there, if he asked politely? Then again, Izaya doubted any person with rationality and the ability to compromise, would have the same mindset to randomly throw vending machines at innocent bystanders.
A crash. Nearby.
Immediately, Izaya assumed the worst. The protozoan wouldn't have followed him here... would he? Izaya grumbled, as he picked up his pace and ducked into a nearby alleyway. Perhaps he wouldn't be noticed. He fiddled with his pocket knife just for reassurance.
Izaya waited for a good measure of time, counting the seconds pass as he stayed alert, only to find that nothing was happening. Confused, Izaya emerged from the alleyways, wondering what in the world had caused that noise. Surely that yelling and roaring bartender couldn't possibly remain this quiet after making such a ruckus.
He made his way towards where he believed the noise came from, turning right at the next street which was only a couple streets away from his residence. Izaya was surprised. The group of teenagers that had just passed him earlier were all on the ground, seeming to be unconscious, dead, or asleep.
He prowled closer, keeping an eye out for any suspicious people. Strangely the street had become deserted for all except him and the group of adolescents on the ground. When Izaya got merely a few steps away from the nearest boy, he was quite surprised to find that many had broken bones, and a few were bleeding rather heavily. The injuries were seemingly caused by a blunt weapon.
Izaya immediately called for an ambulance, an ambulance that arrived much faster than he expected. (And he had low expectations at that point. Ambulances seemed to never arrive fast enough... like, the time he stabbed... wait, since when did he get stabbed? Izaya got a headache from trying to remember.)
When the paramedics began loading the teens into the vehicle, he noticed how the paramedics seemed paranoid about him. Almost skittish. They were incredibly wary and asked endless amounts of questions, to most of which he replied with 'I don't know.' Perhaps they knew him, as Orihara Izaya the informant? Izaya scowled, finding his reputation as an information broker to be quite a pain. How he would love to see someone seem genuinely happy to see him for once.
He gave a kind farewell as they drove away to the hospital, satisfied he had managed to talk them out of bringing him with them for further questioning. Enough was enough, he only found them after all, it wasn't like he had anything to do with the teens. Or did he? Izaya tried to think back to when he was still in the hospital, with the doctors pestering him about moving out to provide more room for other patients...
