Jokes, Whims, & Coincidences
Chapter Three, I Suppose
Tekichu Sosa: Coinciding Interest
So by some standard, apparently the next stage in this… relationship-thing or whatever the hell you want to call it was for me to visit his home.
Well, I didn't originally intend to end up at his home. But one of the things I had forced Izaya to talk about the previous meeting was his work. I had learned about his business as an information broker, and held some interest, particularly when he explained that it allowed him to keep tabs on most of the going-ons in Tokyo. I automatically could see the possibilities a job like that held, and asked no questions concerning his inspiration to take part in such a profession.
Of course this led to inquiry about my line of work, and I was forced to admit my actual lack of a job. I explained how nothing captivated me enough to even attempt it, and how my parents both held professions in the medical field, leaving me with no pressure to obtain one. Even if they didn't supply me money, I was pretty sure I could extort any necessary cash off of some suckers. Somehow the conversation had ended in him offering me a job.
He gave me the address for his office at the end of the night, telling me to stop by the next day if I was interested. I ultimately ended up at a multi-story building all the way in Shinjuku the next morning, and entering the door with the number he had given me granted me admittance to a penthouse, which also happened to be his home.
So yea, the next stage was me visiting his house.
I frankly gaped at the place because there really was nothing else I could do. The ceiling rose high enough to accommodate for two floors, and a second tier rested above my head with various doors lining one of its walls, which I assumed held bedrooms. To the right was a small kitchen lined with a nice set of appliances, and a large black couch that formed an "L" shape, accompanied by a few other chairs, sat comfortably by a small coffee table. The other table I assumed served as his desk had three parts to it, the center part perpendicular to the other two ends. There rested a none-too inexpensive computer set, as well as a small laptop. Bookshelves lined the walls, with the exception of the one that rested behind his desk. It was entirely panels of windows, from the black carpet to the high up ceiling. The view was nothing to scoff at, especially since this particular residence was on the top floor of the building.
I wondered where a single man in his early twenties got enough money to afford a place like this, and then I remembered the extortion option. I decided not to even bother asking.
"Ah, so you decided to come," Izaya's voice remarked from behind me, and I turned from where I was standing in the middle of the room to see him descending the stairs. He was dressed in all black like before, but the absence of his fur-trimmed jacket let me see that the long-sleeved shirt he wore clung to his body. "I thought you would, though I'll admit I didn't expect you this early. You're just full of surprises, Kakkoii-chan." By the time he had finished he was standing beside me, and he spread out his right arm in an overdone gesture. "Welcome to my office and, as you may have guessed, my home."
"That's not my name," I stated, just like I had done the previous night when he had called me that. "No offense, Izaya-kun, but if you're seriously considering my employment, would you at least put some effort into learning my name? I think I deserve at least that amount of respect."
"'Respect,' she says," Izaya remarked, strolling over to his desk and depositing himself comfortably on the expensive looking chair there. "Please, take a seat wherever you like." The offer was accompanied by another gesture that indicated the rest of the room. I walked over to a small table that was shaped the same as the couch and settled myself on one of the stools there. Izaya sat with his elbows on the table in front of him, chin resting on a small bridge formed by his intertwining fingers. "So let's see if I understand what's going on here. A woman who skips over the most common courtesy of referring to those she has just met by their family names and 'san' is now requesting that someone treat her with respect."
"Such measures are done out of habit and because they are perceived as right, just like the majority of actions taken en masse by society," I remarked, sprawling across the table. "Referring to people as such only shows a simulation of respect, and there are few people who would do so if they weren't raised to do so." My left hand twirled through the air as I spoke. "Take the Americans for example; they have no such pretenses. They go for a sense of familiarity right of the bat. I'm not saying which way is right, but since I hardly associate with anyone that I don't have an interest, I treat them with supposed familiarity from the start. I don't like being treated with false respect, so I don't treat people as such, even if they're no better than trash."
"So you're saying nothing I tell you otherwise will deter you from referring to me as 'Izaya-kun.'" I formed my raised hand into a thumbs-up towards the information broker. "And I'm the enigma of society?"
I let out a small laugh, not meeting his gaze. "I never denied being an enigma, Izaya-kun, I just pointed out the fact that you were first. Would you rather I call you 'chan'?"
"And I'm to understand that you only want me to refer to you by some form of your real name as opposed to your online alias and since 'Tekichu-san' is clearly out of the question… So 'Sosa-chan' it is," he deduced, ignoring my question. I flashed another thumb to show my approval before dropping my arm back down. "Now, about this job…"
I straightened up in my seat, trying not to totter off the edge as I did so. I ultimately resorted to taking my elbow to the table and resting on my palm since there was no back to lean against. "What do you want me to do, fill out a résumé?" I asked in monotone. There wasn't too much I could do if he did, considering the only thing of merit I could note would be the few small acting jobs I had done out of boredom back in the States. I couldn't even cite my education since I had never officially acquired my diploma.
"No offense, but I don't think I could find what I'm looking for on a résumé." Izaya's features held a smirk, and I realized it must have been his default setting. "What I desire out of an employee is something I've never really considered, mostly because I've never had a real need to properly hire one before. Honestly, I'm all there more than willing to give you the job on the spot, simply because it would allow me to study you better." He paused here, and I figured he was only being melodramatic. "Does that bother you?"
"What bothers me is that you don't think I'll realize that you're lying," I responded, and he didn't reject my statement. I kept going. "We're similar, Izaya-kun. Part of me is taking this job because I need some form of occupation. The other part of me is taking this because you interest me. And while I want to watch you, I want to play with you, too. I assume you have similar motives." The way his smirk grew let me know that he was aiming for a response like that from the start. "But I'm okay with that as long as you permit me the same opportunity."
"Are you really just viewing me as another…? I do believe people are 'toys' to you, correct?" Izaya asked, mock hurt lacing his tones. I considered it.
"Yes, but you're a much more advanced and engaging model than the rest."
"Another question, Sosa-chan. I have intentions for this city that are currently beyond the scope of anything you can imagine. Granted, these intentions are nowhere near pure, but you probably didn't expect them to be. By hiring you, I'm trusting you keep any pieces of information I ask you to keep secret as such. I'm fairly certain you can manage that; I just want to know you agree to do so no matter what the situation is."
He seemed fairly serious, and I wanted to know what he could possibly be planning that required a secure agreement like that. Curiosity was its own enticement to agree, but there was one thing I wanted to be sure of before I got myself involved.
"Izaya-kun, do these intentions of yours allow some space for me to play with the humans as well?"
Izaya paused to consider it. "If that's your deciding factor, I'm quite sure that could be arranged."
"Well then," I remarked popping off of the stool and practically skipping across the meter that separated me from the front of his desk, grinning. "If that's the deal we got going on here…" I placed a palm on the smooth surface and leaned down to look my potential employer in the eye. "…you've got yourself one half of the contract taken care of considering I really don't give a damn about perceived the 'right' and 'wrong' taken on by society." Izaya smirked before speaking the words that made up the other half necessary to get this show on the road.
"You're hired."
Just because I had a job that gave me insight to the majority of workings in the city, that still didn't mean I couldn't find out some things by myself. The fact that Izaya's residence was in Shibuya as opposed to my lodgings in Ikebukuro presented the fact of what a pain it was to travel back and forth all the time. The compromise was that I only had to go in every other day with the exception of having Sundays off and that he could call me in whenever he saw fit if the situation called for it. Considering the pay I was getting, it was a pretty sweet deal.
However, not even two hours into my first day off, I found myself in perpetual boredom with nothing better to do in my home than lie on the floor in the middle of the living room and stare at my rather uneventful ceiling. This was nowhere near a satisfactory use of my time, so I forced my lazy ass up with the intention of exploring the city for something fun.
Despite how many months I had spent there, I had wasted most of my time as a shut-in parading the Internet. Thus, my immediate knowledge was limited aside from the paths that took one from my apartment to any of the closest restaurants and convenience stores. Aside from that and the main attractions anyone would know about, I lacked familiarity with the city that now served as my home.
After realizing I had no clue where I was when I had barely started my excursion, I decided I should probably memorize the place before getting myself into any more trouble.
There were plenty of teenagers that made up the crowds, and I suddenly realized that it was indeed March, and they must be on break before the school year started up again. That meant I had spent nearly a year in that apartment, taking advantage of nothing in the real world around me. Ikebukuro buzzed with an energy that I had been missing out on. I hoped whatever Izaya had planned was good enough so I could make up for the lost time.
"Well you're an incredible sight!" a voice exclaimed, and I looked to see a blond boy beaming at me. His brown eyes were flecked with enthusiasm, and there was no way he was any older than high school age. "Such a way to stand out, not that your fantastic looks don't do that already! It's a miracle that you're alone. Must be my lucky day. So what do you say we stop for some lunch so I can get to know this fascinating lady, huh?" The speech was completed with a wink, and I came to the insight that he was hitting on me.
It just so happened that it was time for lunch, and I had been wandering for a couple of hours. I was pretty hungry, too, and I figured that this boy was worth one run before he bored me. I smiled. "Lunch sounds good," I lightly remarked. "Did you have a particular spot in mind?"
The boy stared at me, and I guessed he had probably been attempting to pick someone up for a while. He must have had limited luck, so me agreeing was a surprise. He broke back out into a smile in no time, extending his hand in an offer. "Of course! If you'll follow me I can show you. Oh, but could I have your name first? I'm Kida Masaomi."
I considered it, figuring that the chances of be running into this kid again were low, so it wouldn't hurt to give him my real name. Not to mention he had enough manners to introduce himself first. "It's nice to meet you Masaomi-chan, I'm Tekichu Sosa." If he had a thought about my name he didn't voice it, instead choosing to sporadically lead me off through the streets.
We eventually stopped at a small café, and took seats at one of the outdoor tables. We both placed our orders, and I only smiled up at the waiter when I caught him giving me an odd look. Apparently that was enough to discomfort him since he did his best to run away after that. Masaomi began animatedly talking once again, and I humored him by actually responding.
"So, Sosa-san, are you new to Ikebukuro?" he asked, never once dropping his smile. "Or maybe you're on vacation? I've never seen you around before, because I definitely would have remembered. You're too amazing to forget." I internally winced at the "san" he attached to my name, though I skipped over repeating the explanation I had given Izaya. It was too much of a pain to repeat in the course of so few days, plus I didn't feel like scaring the kid off. I instead opted for a simpler reason to oppose it.
"Oh, don't call me 'san,' Masaomi-chan, that just makes me feel old," I almost whined, tapping my fingers along the table in a small dance. "And I'm not exactly new here, but I haven't gotten around much. If you did see me that would have been one amazing coincidence. Things look like they're changing, though. I'll probably be able to see more of this place now."
"Did something big happen?"
"I suppose you could say that."
Masaomi studied me for a moment, and then the waiter came back with our drinks. I freed the straw I was supplied with from its paper cover and plunged it into my drink. "By the way, I don't understand how you could ever feel old, Sosa. You don't look a day over eighteen, much less twenty." I swallowed the drink I had taken beforehand and let out a small chuckle.
"I'm actually almost twenty-four," I remarked, causing Masaomi to gape at me. "What?"
"I don't believe you. You're lying."
The rest of the conversation was filled with mundane things like that, but I was actually amused by it. I had never actually tried to get to know people since none of them would have understood. But not showing that side actually made me seem like I was normal enough to talk to. I wasn't particularly happy with the lie, but a game was a game, and if that was the rules I had to play by just once, so be it.
Things eventually died down around the time the check was placed on the table. By then I had a decent idea of what the kid was about, from how old he was (fifteen) to what school he was attending in the next couple of weeks (some place called Raira). He even waved me off when I went to pull my wallet from my pocket, gesturing his own through the air.
"Now, now, now, Sosa," he lightheartedly scolded. "What kind of guy would I be if I asked a girl to lunch and didn't front the bill? You don't have much faith in humanity do you?" He pulled the yen bills out and placed them with the table as I made the Not particularly response I wanted to give die inside my throat.
I stood up, stretching my arms up as I did so. "Well, it was definitely nice to meet you, Masaomi-chan," I stated, not even having to force my smile. "Maybe if we're lucky we'll get the chance to meet each other again." Masaomi stood up as well, bill in hand.
"Well, I'd hope I get to meet you again," he responded. "Call me up if you ever need someone to show you around, okay?" I didn't bring up the fact that I didn't possess any of his contact information, let alone the cell phone number necessary for that statement. I did consider it though, and I realized I hadn't been lying when I told him I wanted to meet him later. I had this feeling…
I essentially launched myself across the table, landing on the table set in my haste. I think I might have knocked over the centerpiece, too, but it was a cheap one, so I doubted anyone would really care. My hand dove into one of Masami's pockets, but I didn't find what I was looking for. I transferred my search to his other pocket as the teenager protested loudly, probably drawing the attention of any passerby. "H-hey! So-Sosa-san, knock it off! What are you even—" My hand closed around his cell phone and I retreated with it in hand. Masaomi could only gawk.
I flipped the yellow-orange device open, flicking the teddy bear charm that danged off its side away. I played around with it idly, and Masaomi took no action to get it back. Satisfied with what I had done, I slid the phone across the table to its owner. He only stared down at the screen that showed the latest addition of my contact information to his friends list.
"I told you not to call me 'san,' Masaomi-chan," I lightly chided, giving him a small wave before walking away.
I decided to find my way back to my apartment. I didn't particularly feel like walking around with the last traces of Masaomi's desert on my shirt all day.
Alright, chapter three is officially live. Thanks to alwaysblu, Shimooo, and Genuinely-Unique for your respective reviews, follows, and favorites. I'm glad to know you're all enjoying the story and curious to what you all like about it. Don't be shy, I like talking to people who read my stories so I can try and improve my work so you all can enjoy it better.
On a shameless advertisement note, I posted a one-shot entitled Cracks that involves Sosa and Izaya in an alternate universe setting that never really happened ever if you're curious. If you like this story even just a little, I encourage you to go check it out.
That aside, next time: Sosa nibs into Izaya's business, psychology and mythology are discussed, and Sosa continues to meet more people! Please look forward to it!
