Neither Shizuo nor Izaya paid him any attention. In fact, it was unsure whether they even heard him. The silence widened. Izaya took it to studying his perfectly manicured nails. Dr. Phil would have none of this.
"Y'all, I have a deal. Just hear me out."
Izaya perked his ears. His job included doing deals first and foremost and the fact that these were mostly shady only attested to his skill in negotiation. Slowly he turned his eyes to Dr. Phil who carried.
"Look, I am suggesting some intensive therapy. You two spend two weeks together in a specially prepared house and talk things over. At any time I'll contact you via screens. If you both agree to this I won't air this show. How about that?"
Izaya considered it. Not a bad proposal but he was still rather afraid of being in close quarters with Shizuo.
"I have concerns regarding my physical integrity."
"No worries. There'll be security within earshot."
Izaya's eyes narrowed and he adopted his business attitude.
"What is it to you?"
"Look, I can't show rape on national TV, m'kay? You stay in the house and see what happens. If nothing happens then that's that. If something violent happens security will intervene. And if some say, serious make out sessions were to take place then I'd air that. But of course it's got to be consensual or I won't have usable footage. The ball's in your court."
The translation reached Shizuo a couple of minutes later because Shingen had decided that now was the perfect time to adjust his mask and use a tighter filter. Izaya took the time to think. He needed to see what Shizuo would say to this before deciding anything. It was not a position Izaya enjoyed but he had to play his cards carefully. Shizuo blinked, blushed, flailed, then said,
"So...if we just, you know, spend two weeks in this place you won't show just what happened back then- I mean..."
"M'kay, that's it, basically. Consider it extreme therapy. You can talk to me at any time."
Izaya giggled, having recovered some leverage.
"Oh my, Dr. Phil apparently doesn't have a life."
Shizuo had been thinking very hard and he now got up and announced,
"I'll do it! Still hate him, bloody louse, but it'll be best if people don't, you know...get the wrong idea...with footage that is..."
"Yes, I concur. I hate you just as much, Shizu-chan."
"Good. Hating is good! Keep on hating me and I'll keep on hating you!"
"And we cannot possibly go wrong that way."
"Yeah!"
Izaya and Shizuo actually smiled at each other. Dr. Phil was very amused but he used his notes to hide his smile.

Before making his agreement final Izaya read the terms very carefully. The house in question was very big and there were enough rooms for Shizuo and him to live in opposite arenas and hardly interact at all. And that was wonderful news. There was unfortunately something called 'communication time' in which they were forced to have a conversation together supervised by Dr. Phil now in pure Big Brother fashion but it was only half and hour. The lack of internet connection, of any kind of communication with the outside, of even TV, newspapers and books was exceedingly aggravating but there was nothing to be done about it other than endure it.
"I'll take this room. You stay away, you hear me?"
Shizuo did not even check it for size but simply opened the first door he saw. Izaya waited with folded arms outside.
"You do realize that's a closet, right?"
Shizuo stepped out and glared.
"This is all for fault, everything is your fault."
"Look, Shizu-chan. I don't like this any more than you do. The best way to make this as least painful for both of us as possible is to stay out of each other's way. I'll take that room at the back of the house and you can take that one. You won't even see me except for meals, and even that I'm sure can be arranged if we fix a rotation of sorts in the kitchen."
Shizuo scratched his head but it sounded too reasonable for him to do anything but agree.
"Yeah, I guess. Still bloody hate your guts and hope you drown in Tokyo Bay soon."
"Ah...right back at you."
Izaya was rather puzzled. He was used to Shizuo hurling insults at him but the tone was now conversational. Shizuo too did not exactly know what to make of it, actually having a conversation like this was weird.