Seen from the sky he was precisely that. In the other pocket Mikado kept the rose crest ring. He slipped it on now.
Shizuo was lying on his belly, flipping through the pages of a copy of Shounen Jump that Erika had lent him.
"Say, Izaya…can you leave campus?"
"I can, as long as I am with the Engaged."
"Then let's go downtown this Saturday. I've yet to see much of town and we might as well look for some new clothes for you."
"New clothes…?"
"My money plus a contribution from Erika should be enough to buy you a fur fringe jacket like the one she drew."
Shizuo had decided that he quite liked the idea of seeing Izaya in said outfit.
"If you say so, Shizuo-sama."
It occurred to Shizuo how like a date this was. Erika was supposed to join them but she left early with a malicious wink. Leaving Shizuo and Izaya to walk side by side down the busy shopping district. Shizuo hoped that taking Izaya away from the school's environment, even if temporarily, would be a good change of pace. For both of them, in fact. And being here was so normal that it made strange duels and everything else appear but a dream that fades away at dawn.
"Something like this, I guess?"
Shizuo studied a jacket that he removed from a hanger.
"It looks like the drawing."
"Try it on."
Shizuo did not want to admit it but he was very curious and even a bit nervous to see how Izaya would look in the new attire. Izaya turned around and put on the hood, a frame of soft fur highlighting the delicate lines of his face. Shizuo found himself removing Izaya's glasses to better see his red eyes. A strange eye color, almost entrancing.
"Sorry…"
"Should I wear this?"
"Yeah, I think so. I mean, do you like it?"
"I like it."
They wandered aimlessly at a leisurely pace. Shizuo spotted someone familiar in the crowd.
"Oh look, it's Mikado. I don't know the two others but it's great to see him having fun with friends."
Izaya smiled.
"Mikado-san seems to agree."
The trio was swept away from Shizuo's field of vision. He glanced at Izaya.
"The jacket…looks real good on you. Think you could wear it when you're with me?"
"Yes, Shizuo-sama."
Shizuo had no idea how to read the smile but it was very pretty.
"Say, are you part of any club?"
"I tend the roses."
"You're good at that. I'm thinking of joining the fencing club. I don't really like all that much but I have to improve, I suppose. Special sword or not I can't afford to lose to any of those crazies."
Shizuo did not stop to ask himself how much he was invested in this already. It was not Heiwajima Shizuo's character to do such things as deep reflection.
"Why should I help you?"
Namie glanced over her test tubes and returned to mixing chemicals.
"It's not to help me but to help yourself. 'Orihara Izaya', 'Orihara Academy'. I did some research, Izaya's family runs this place."
"And?"
"And if you win the Rose Bride I am sure it will do much to improve your standing in this school. I mean that both in terms of budget allocation and influence."
Namie dropped a few blue colored drops into a deep red liquid that changed color immediately, turning a shade of purple.
"What's in it for you?"
She listened.
Shizuo finished class and looked around the corridor but for some reason there was no Izaya to be found. He had become so used to having him around but he would be in the greenhouse. Shizuo was looking forward to a quiet afternoon. And then he opened his locker. A rose stamped note inside summoning him to the arena.
['Ah, my beautiful treasure is being stolen, stolen!']
['Call the cops?']
['It's being stolen by the cops!']
['Nothing you can do, then. But didn't you steal it from someone else?']
"How about just beating them up?"
Shizuo raced up the spiral staircase. If he hurried he could get this over with in time for the show he had the habit of watching with Izaya. It did not even matter who his opponent was. Still, he was rather surprised.
"You…? Didn't you say you didn't want anything to do with these duels? Why are you here?"
Namie had already tied up her long hair in a bun so as not to let it get in the way. She pointed at the castle.
"I have my reasons. And I insist that this is most likely a three dimensional projection."