"First break of the day." Stretching his sore limbs, Kadota let out a sigh. Mr. Toshio had been kind as to let them discuss the project for the rest of his class. He tried to plan it out with Shizuo, but all the facts he recited about Korea flew right over Shizuo's head. It was appreciated that the blonde at least made an attempt to understand, though he seemed mildly annoyed.
Kadota felt like he was speaking foreign language to Shizuo.
"You can come over my house, and we'll work on the assignment then."
Shizuo gave him a nod and stood up, ready to go buy his usual strawberry bun. He tousled his bleached hair as he waited for the other two in their group—the two chatty pests. They don't even fit into his list of 'annoying but bearable people' yet after years of going everywhere together as a bunch, he'd gotten used to it.
He tapped his foot on the floor impatiently. On cue and as if knowing Shizuo would tick off soon, Shinra ran along towards them. In his hand was his cellphone that he proudly held up high. The screen showed an email address he'd just required.
"I exchanged emails with Chihaya-chan!"
"I don't care." Shizuo retorted.
Izaya finally turned around in his seat. His posture was relaxed, and he had a smile playing on his lips.
"I'll have you know that 'Chihaya-chan' isn't really good at World History. It's not too late to ask me to be your partner. You can have another chance, since I'm so kind."
Shinra arched a brow at this.
It was quite funny that Izaya was trying this hard to keep him by his side. Almost laughable. It made him feel special and wanted, though it was only because he was all that Izaya had.
"Eh, It doesn't matter."
Contrary to what Izaya thought (probably the walls he'd put up being impenetrable), Shinra knew that Izaya wasn't as cold as he wanted himself to be. To others, maybe so, but to his only friend?
Shinra would like to think that he was one of Izaya's weaknesses.
What would happen to Izaya if he really did leave?
"It's tedious to be seeing your face again." He hardly looked at Izaya, playing the act of nonchalance, "Celty said I should get more friends. You're not exactly a good influence."
I'm sorry, Celty! I really didn't want to use you, but this is the only way!
"Is that so?"
Izaya narrowed his gaze, with a frown akin to a pout marring his face.
"Maybe I should show you how much of a good influence I am."
"Oh, speaking of threats so casually? It's scary! Even when I first approached you, you were so cold I thought I was going to freeze and become an ice block just by being near you!"
Shinra tucked his notebook into his bag and tipped his chin back up to look at Izaya, his lips stretched into a smile.
"It's why you don't have friends, Orihara-kun."
Shinra's words were really harsh.
It wasn't directed to him, but Kadota could feel the biting words tugging at his heart strings. He knew they were supposed to be mean to Izaya— yet he couldn't bring himself to and Shinra seemed to be covering him just fine, but this was just supposed to be a prank. A harmless one! They shouldn't mentally scar the birthday boy.
Izaya didn't seem like it, but Kadota knew deep under his heart, that Izaya also felt the emotion he just felt.
Hurt.
"Why are you two fighting now?" Kadota blurted out in panic, tugging at Shinra's arm.
"Can we just go?"
Yes, thank you, Shizuo.
Shizuo's voice caught Izaya's attention, much to Kadota's relief (for the first time) and Izaya turned back around to face the blank papers he'd laid out on his desk. With his nimble fingers, he calmly picked up his mechanical pencil.
"I'll stay here, then. After all, I do have to do work for two people." Izaya stated rather cheerfully despite the words flowing out like venom.
That was totally aimed for Shinra.
"Shizu-chan can go! I don't want Shizu-chan to destroy the whole school just because he's starving."
There was a roar, and the rest of the remaining students quickly ran out of the classroom.
Shizuo was heaving with anger. He held Kadota's desk over his head, ready to dump it onto Izaya's head while the owner of the said desk tried to stop him. Kadota really, really didn't want to go find a new one. It was enough that he had to accompany Shizuo several times in a week to get a replacement for all the things the blond broke—like a chair, a broom, a desk and even the ceiling lamp.
"Dotachin?"
"Yes?"
Shinra stepped on his shoe, causing him to yelp and bump into Shizuo. In result, his desk was destroyed. Shizuo fell over with the desk still in his hands, and the impact made him tighten his grip. Not only did the desk get cracks at the edges— but it was broken in half.
He understood that Shinra wanted him to say something mean.
"But he didn't have to step on me…" Kadota mumbled to himself with a frown.
The poor guy looked like he almost wanted to cry over the loss of his desk. He hung his head low as he emitted a sigh.
"I'm sorry, Izaya. I didn't eat breakfast, so I need to get some food."
"Eat well, Dotachin! Ah— It'd be nice if you bring back some coffee, perhaps, after recess." Izaya started jotting notes regarding Russia on the paper, a highlighter in his other hand.
"If I have some money left…"
Kadota whined to himself and made his way out of the classroom with Shizuo trailing behind him. Shizuo was apologizing for the damage he had done to Kadota's desk. He didn't have the heart to scold Shizuo, and this wasn't the first time, so he decided to let the blond go.
"Have fun working!" Shinra yelled, walking backwards towards the door. His steps were slow as he purposefully delayed the moment he actually left the class. He knew Izaya would respond to him. It didn't matter how angry the other was.
Izaya stopped in his tracks, hand stilling, and he looked over his shoulder.
Bingo.
Eyes curled into crescents from the big grin he had on his face, Izaya leaned back in his seat.
"Go die."
A laugh bubbled from his throat and Shinra finally turned around to join the two who were waiting for him outside.
"Ah, I've hurt him a little too much."
.
.
"It's not like I really want to do this."
Izaya rolled his eyes and shut the textbook. The thick pages made a 'thump' sound, and he stared at it as though the book was going to catch on fire with his intense gaze. He had done about 20% of the work until he decided that he couldn't focus enough to finish it.
Not with Shinra on his mind.
He just couldn't figure out why Shinra was acting this way. Nothing odd except that it was over the top. They'd always been quite mean to each other with their icy words -that was true- but it seemed more excessive today. It seemed like a plan of some sort at first. He figured out as much, but Shizuo didn't seem different. Neither did Kadota. That made him think twice about the conclusion he'd reached.
Could it be that Shinra was really, truly, bored of Izaya?
"It's fine, who cares about Shinra, anyway?"
Stretching, Izaya stood up to make way to the windowsill. He opened his flip phone with a flick of his wrist and didn't stop scrolling down the contacts until it's on Russia Sushi's number.
He kept his eyes locked on the set of digits for a moment, teeth nipping at the tip of his own thumb as he hummed a low tune. The raven haired boy then angled his head to the side and gazed upon the back of the school. There was nothing much to see, only grass, fences and… a tree with a bunch of bushes surrounding it.
.
.
"What the—!"
Shizuo and Kadota crinkled their noses in distaste at the shrill scream coming from their friend. The horrified boy jumped, just in sync too, with the frog in his bag.
"I thought you liked dissecting frogs, Shinra. I saw one earlier and decided to gift you with one!" Izaya smiled, and he really did look proud of himself, "Aren't I the best friend?"
Despite his heart hammering fast in his chest, Shinra managed to muster his usual grin, which came with a grind of teeth this time around. It wasn't like he was scared of frogs. He particularly didn't care for them since he was more interested in humans -he remembered wishing he could've dissected a human during biology instead- but that movement in his bag could've been anything.
Especially when it was from Izaya.
"Yes. Thank you, Orihara-kun."
Shizuo would've thought Shinra really did love frogs if it he didn't knew how mischievous Izaya was.
"…"
"IZZZZZAAAAYAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
"Ah, I forgot. I brought a caterpillar for Shizu-chan. I know how Shizu-chan doesn't like feeling left out."
