Saya: Guys, before you begin the "Where were you!" or "Why don't you update faster!" I want to explain to you all this: my life is in the drain right now. Too many breakdowns of sadness really broke my confidence in my stories, especially this one. It's related to love and I'm not sure if I can believe in it in real life. Writing is the only source of happiness I have besides my friends and manga. I really love you readers and reviewers. It motivates me ever more. I'm sorry I don't meet my deadlines. I just want my life back to normal. Thank you guys for reading. :') Love you and enjoy.

Doodles: Sorry about not telling you. I didn't want to wake you up for this.

Which Side Do You Belong To?

Why is this happening?

Why?

Anri and Mikado couldn't believe what they saw. They hid in a tight space. They listened to the screams and shouts echoed through the wharf.

"Find them!"

"Don't let them get away!"

"That way!"

"Block the exits!"

"What a pain in the ass!"

Why was Kida with the Yellow Scarves?

"I'm glad you're all right."

Shizuo was at Shinra's apartment, sitting next to Mikado on the couch. They watched Kasuka's t.v. drama while enjoying burnt popcorn. It was the weekend, with no work needed to be done. A week after the chaos of the Slasher.

"I am too," said Mikado. "Unfortunately, Sonohara-san is at the hospital."

Shizuo thought about it a little, and said, "The girl with the huge chest."

The young boy spat his soda out. He wasn't used to the blond and his words of the female anatomy. However, he was happy that the man remembered his quiet friend.

"I like her."
"Eh?"

Shizuo looked at him. "At least she's speaks when needed and doesn't harass you like that other friend of yours."

If you squint a little, you'd find some jealousy in Shizuo. Ever since that assets thing, he hated that kid for two reasons. First, he had no decency to himself and his friend. Second, he got to touch the kid's butt. Something that has been haunting him lately. He promised to himself and Tom that perverted touching wouldn't happen. It was getting harder each day.

"Shizuo-san…"

"Hm?"

"How come…you don't date?"

Shizuo narrowed his eyebrows, saying, "Date?"

"Ah." Mikado blushed a little, waving his hand. "Never mind."

"Mikado, you asked," the blond called. He looks cute.

"I'm just curious." The high schooler twiddled with his thumbs, waiting for a response.

"I'm not sure." The ex-bartender imagined women in his head. They all had black hair, blue eyes, and skinny bodies. They immediately changed to the object of his current affections. He ruffled his hair. Mikado really occupied his mind.

"Aren't there any women your type?"

"It's not that. Women…don't seem to interest me anymore." Shizuo looked at his smaller friend and smiled. "I'm already have someone in mind."

"A guy?" Mikado tilted his head to the side. Why did his chest feel funny? Was it because Shizuo was gay? He put the thought aside and asked, "Is it Tom-san?"

Shizuo choked on his own saliva. Beating his chest, he said, "No! He's a friend! Don't get me wrong. I like him, but not that way."

"You two suit each other though. Sorry." In a way, he felt relief and wondered where that feeling came in. A squeak escaped his mouth when a hand ruffling his hair.

"And quit apologizing. You didn't do anything wrong."

Silence returned between them, with the television distracting them once more…

"Sonohara-san…"

"Ryuugamine-kun…"

Neither teen didn't know what to say at the moment. Mikado knew that his friend wasn't a murdered. Still, to be kept from a huge secret, it hurt his heart. Putting himself in her shoes, he wouldn't tell anyone either.

"I'm sorry."

"Eh?" He was surprised. The girl, emotionless as ever, bowed at waist-level.

"I didn't want to drag Ryuugamine-kun into this. Your house was burned down because me. I couldn't find them in time."

"Sonohara-san, it wasn't your fault," said Mikado. "I just…need to wrap this whole thing in my head."

"That's fine."

Celty, who watched them the whole time, decided to head out. Her black shadow wrapped around the Niekawa girl. The possessor of Saika tried to apologize to her, since she assumed she was the original Slasher, but Celty wouldn't have any of it. The headless fairy told her to use her power to better the town.

[Mikado-kun, let's go.]

"Okay." He turned to Anri, smiling. "Don't worry, Sonohara-san, I won't tell anyone about your secret."

The girl wondered whether to trust him or not. However, she sensed the sincerity from his words and smiled. "Thank you."

"Just treat those cuts okay? Good night." Mikado went towards Celty. He wore his helmet again, made from Celty's black shadow. The girl watched them ride off in the night. Putting away Saika, she walked towards the hospital as the morning sun rose. Nothing better than rest and a day away from school.

"Ryuugamine-kun, I need your help."

"Eh?"

It was too late to go out. Normal high schoolers do their homework or relax from school during this time. Two class representatives were about to break the rules.

Anri didn't know who else to ask for help from. The boy was the only one, since he knew her secret and the Slasher's true identity. Asking Celty for help was out of the question. She'd probably tell her not to pry too much in something she didn't know. Plus, having the Dollars leader would be a good thing.

Mikado couldn't turn her down. Something about her voice troubled him. He agreed, and she asked him to change into different clothing. Luckily, Celty nor Shinra weren't there to keep him inside their apartment. Mikado wore a black shirt and dark blue jeans. (Kasuka has been sending a lot of clothing to Shinra and Celty's apartment.)

The teens headed out, as Sonohara filled him on the problem.

"Kida-kun has been acting weirdly lately. It must be related to the Slasher incident and the Yellow Scarves."

"Yeah, I noticed. I'm worried." The Dollars noticed that her brown eyes changed to red. He realized that they were Saika's eyes.

Anyone, she called. Does anyone know about the Yellow Scarves?

Later on, the pair found three Yellow Scarves with glowing, red eyes. They couldn't swallow the information they were told.

"Our boss is Kida Masaomi."

Anri and Mikado's eyes widened.

"I've seen him with you, Mother," said the first Yellow Scarves member. The second one told them that Kida was going to take revenge for what happened to Anri. No more violence should happen because she was fine. She was the reason Kida acted strangely.

"Where is Kida-kun?"

"He's attending a meeting today."

"Please," she said, looking at her 'children,' "take us there."

"I did it!"

Shizuo held his arms in the air as any victorious wrestler would do. He accomplished the impossible. He defeated the Slashers without a single injury. Not to mention the creepy red eyes disappearing at the last second. Good thing too. Otherwise, he'd probably knock the life out of that girl.

The second he put his arms down, he went for his cellphone and texted Celty. He had to find out if she and Mikado were safe. He knew that the Celtic fairy was capable of protecting him and herself, but it wouldn't hurt to call. A text from her came in, saying that the boy was fine and resting at her place.

The blond smiled, but lost it when a dreaded thought hit him. He screwed up big time. His head frantically turned to the sides, looking for it. Shizuo couldn't believe himself. What kind of lovesick adult was he?

Where was Mikado's gift?

"Dammit, dammit, dammit! Argh!" The gartender continued to chant the word, scaring the Slasher victims in the vicinity. Most of them made a smart decision and backed away. A few people ran in terror of Shizuo going into his rage mode.

"What the hell!"

"Eh? Shizuo-san and Celty-san rescued you the other day?"

Anri gave her friend a small smile. It was refreshing to have a hospital visitor. Despite her outwardly appearance, her body needed rest. Using Saika didn't tire her out. It was letting Saika take over for a second. That should only happen in desperate situations as a last resort. No normal person would be sane after that.

"Yes," she answered. "One of the Slashers followed me home."

"That's not good. But you're fine now."

His friend nodded.

"I'm sorry about your apartment again."

"Sonohara-san, that wasn't your fault." The boy reassured her. "It was the other girl's fault. I think."

Mikado still couldn't wrap his mind around the Saika ordeal. Not to mention it was a huge secret she wanted to keep from him and Masaomi. Speaking of him, Anri asked why their third friend wasn't with them.

"He said he had some things he needed to do."

"Kida-kun visited me earlier though."

"Re-really?"

"Yes, but he said that he might come back later today. Guess that won't happen."

"Masaomi needs to work on his promises."

Anri smiled at the comment. A nurse came in and told them visiting hours were over. Mikado readjusted his bag and headed for the door.

"Feel better."

"Will do, Ryuugamine-kun." The bedridden girl smiled and waved at him. Once he left the room, her smile slowly disappeared. It was one thing to hurt a stranger, but hurting her friend was a different matter. She could not forgive Niekawa for her actions. Her underlings performed arson on her classmate's apartment.

The girl wondered when she started using the word friend. It was pleasant, and she knew it wasn't love. Well, she couldn't tell what her relationships are anymore. There was also a matter that needed some investigating.

"Kida-kun. What's wrong with you?"

Nothing ever goes exactly to plan. Unless you factor in every unpredictable move, it was impossible to execute it flawlessly. Mikado and Anri thought this at the same time. The rain poured down like there was no tomorrow. They ran through it, avoiding the crates and going through narrow spaces. Both panted with each step. It was worse for the raven-haired teen, since he hated exercising.

The Saika host found a place, and they hid. Panic seized their entire beings. Would they caught? What would happen to them? What will their friend do to them?

Mikado noticed Anri's eyes becoming glassy. It wasn't good. She was ready to cry. She wanted to go back to her normal life, not this. Braving up, he hugged her tightly and hoped for the best outcome in this predicament.

"I'll go."

They whipped their heads up and their blood froze. If Kida were to discover them, all hell will break loose!

Anri shut her eyes, praying someone will rescue them.

Bwhoo!

Kida left the empty space to see the Black Rider. With his friends, Anri's cellphone rang. Celty texted her, asking where they were. It was a miracle. She typed as fast she could, and Mikado made sure not one soul noticed the glowing screen. Immediately, the headless fairy appeared before their eyes.

[You can tell me what's going on later.] She told them. [We're getting out of here. Get on.] The teens climbed the crates and hopped onto the motorbike. Black shadow covered their faces, creating helmets. Anri never experienced it before, and it was weird. Celty drove back down, in the middle of Yellow Scarves.

Celty-san, what are you doing? Mikado thought in his head. He noticed Kida walking towards them and prayed he didn't noticed Anri or him. Celty noticed this, and her motorbike transformed into her former steed. Horada threw a steel pipe at them.

Slash!

Anri revealed her red eyes and katana. Hopefully, this wouldn't make the Yellow Scarves pursue them or their identities.

How wrong they were the next day.

"How conflicting."

Kida was in his room, laying on his bed. He avoided Mikado and Anri lately, hoping that didn't hurt their feelings. Who was he kidding. Those two were worry-warts, and he was cause of their worries and grief. He didn't mean it.

If only Yellow Scarves never existed in the first place…

His subordinates weren't acting loyal to him either. He couldn't juggle this many problems. He had to kick someone in the face because they put a Dollars member in the hospital. All for a petty reason. While Mikado called him millions of times during then.

He hated it. Lying to his best friend. They grew apart too much, and it was a sad fact of life.

"Leader of Dollars, I'll find out who you are."

Soon, one of his followers confessed about the break-in. Two people, but he only remembered one. A skinny boy with spiky, black hair. It didn't interest Kida at all, until one detail was mentioned.

"That kid…had blue eyes!"

No…

Masaomi widened his eyes. He couldn't believe it. Hell, he wouldn't believe it. But a loyal subordinate admitted the identity. This was after being told from Izaya that Mikado was also the leader of Dollars. What was he supposed to believe now? Should he hunt down his best friend and sever that long friendship?

"Dammit, Mikado!"

Mikado sneezed at his name being mentioned.

"You okay kid?" asked Tom.

"Yeah," he said, rubbing his nose. His eyes were tired of seeing yellow. Even though it was the color of Shizuo and Kida's hair, it was hard to see it on gangsters. After getting Anri back home, he received much scolding from Celty and Shinra. Losing sleep over this didn't help him in the least.

"So many Yellow Scarves." Tom leaned back into the bench. Scratching his head, he said, "Shizuo's been angrier than usual, due to their stupidity." No reply from his smaller friend. It was obvious that something big was bothering him. Ever since the arsonist was caught, the blond's escorting services were no longer required. Those two weren't spending as much time as Tom wanted.

"I think…" Mikado stood up, rubbing his eyes. "I'll be heading home. I'm not feeling well, Tom-san."

"Eh?"

The black-skinned man begged in his mind that the boy wouldn't go. His presence brought Shizuo's happiness up. He mentally cried that the high schooler insisted that he go home. His head was pounding, almost on the verge of breaking down. In public no less.

The war between the Dollars and Yellow Scarves. His two best friends being Saika and the leader of Yellow Scarves. His lack of time spent with Shizuo. Being the Dollars leader in general. What did he do to deserve this?

The Raira student was gone by the time Shizuo returned with drinks.

"Where's Mikado?"

"He went home, saying that he wasn't feeling too well."

The blond let out a scoff.

"What is it?"

"I needed to tell him something." Brown eyes glanced around the scene. More Yellow Scarves appeared in sight. It irked him.

"I'm worried," said Tom, bringing the gartender out of his thoughts. "Maybe we should have gone with the kid. He might get beaten up."

"We can catch–"

Rzzt.

Annoyed, Shizuo took his cell out. His eyes widened at the new message.

"Shit!"

Tom flinched and asked what the text said.

"Mikado! He's being held by stupid Yellow Scarves!"

"Hm?" Someone picked up a box. The man couldn't comprehend why anyone would want this. It was a good brand name too.

"What the hell!"

Black eyes shot up and hid behind a nearby tree. He saw the ex-bartender in frustration.

"How odd. Did Shizu-chan notice me already?"

It wasn't the case. Izaya continued to watch the blond. It was fascinating to see his arch-enemy be in agony. He wished he was the source of Shizuo's anger. It'd make him ten, no, a thousand times happier.

"Where is that f**king box!"

The Eskimo-lookalike widened his eyes. Dark eyes looked down at what he held in his hands. A box of expensive cigarettes. A frown formed on his face. So, these cigarettes weren't meant for Shizu-chan. He came to one conclusion. That Raira boy must have bought them for the stupid blond. It was obvious, since he noticed (a.k.a spied) on the duo. His blood boiled from imagining them together.

"Mikado-kun doesn't need Shizu-chan," he hissed, gripping the box tighter. "I am what he needs. I was the first to interact with the Dollars leader." Soon, the wheels in his mind turn and a plan began to hatch out of its shell. He smirked.

A smirking Izaya foretold nothing but trouble.

"Poor Shizu-chan. Guess these are mine then." Humming an anime tune, the informant skipped on merry way home.

"Good." Izaya held binoculars to his eyes with one hand. In the other hand, he called Namie to move several chess pieces. His plan started off in the right direction. The chess king was about to be taken into his custody soon.

Saya: Oh my goodness! I'm getting so close to writing one of my favorite parts! Can't wait for you guys to read it! And really, thanks again for your support. I love you all.