Izaya exemplified. Shizuo found himself unable to look away, his mind becoming foggy. He was startled by a loud voice.
"Ha! No way! You're a guy! Wow, but still, totally hot!"
Kida joined the party as if it was perfectly natural. Shizuo jumped to his feet immediately.
"You, you're that kid from before!"
Kida smiled, already sitting next to Erika.
"It's all cool. I lost fair and square so no hard feelings. Neh? But who'd know, I'd never in a million would have guessed it. The Rose Bride is a guy!"
Shizuo was not yet convinced.
"How much do you know about the duels?"
"Probably even less than you do. It just sounded like something cool."
Erika inspected Kida's ring by grabbing his hand.
"Ah, seeing Kida as a duelist was quite a shock! I don't think Mikado has recovered yet. But your ring is different."
"It's black. Cooler that way! I believe in being cool through and through."
Kida nodded sagely. Shizuo remained rather confused.
"Do you know him, Erika?"
"Everyone knows Kida."
"I wouldn't say I'm famous, ah what am I saying, of course I'm famous. I just can't help it. But where are my manners? Izaya's beauty must be dazzling me. I am Kida Masaomi, at your service."
Shizuo had the clear impression that this little spiel was not addressed to him and Kida confirmed it by bringing Izaya's hand to his lips and dropping a soft kiss.
"Don't do that. He's not a toy."
"I see. You're engaged to him at the moment. I suppose this means that these are engagement rings after all?"
"Shizuo-sama, do have more sushi."
Erika had been helping herself to liberal doses of tuna goodness and Shizuo needed the reminder. Kida was at his bubbliest.
"Whatever, let's just enjoy our youth and drop this talk about heavy stuff."
"You can eat with us if you think that way."
"But you better watch out, Shizuo! One of these days I may steal Izaya there from you. No duel, just my natural charm!"
Somehow Shizuo was not very worried about this. Kida chattered in a truly friendly manner and at one point stole Erika's beanie. Much foolish banter followed and Shizuo watched the crazy scene with a smile. It was strange how it was possible to become friends with former duel antagonists.
"Shizuo-sama, do you like wasabi? It is a bit spicy."
"Hmm…I don't know, I like sweet things better."
"Would you like me to make you chocolate bonbons?"
"Yeah, that would be nice."
Erika popped up between the two of them.
"I know, you guys can take some cooking and baking lessons!"
"I'm totally there as well!"
Shizuo was a bit confused.
"Lessons?"
"From the home economics department."
"But we're both guys…"
"So what? I'm a girl and I can duel. So is Namie and she even beat you!"
Kida's eyes widened comically.
"Tell me all about this!"
Shizuo moved with Izaya to another shaded area, leaving Erika and Kida to happily chat about the duels.
"I told them I didn't want to talk about that kind of stuff…I just want a normal school life. But this cooking thing might be fun."
Shizuo wondered if he would have considered such a thing before this insanity. Seeing Izaya in a red dress was not even to make him question gender roles but fighting on equal terms with girls had given him a certain new perception.
'Everyone knows Kida', Erika had said. It amounted to saying that no one knew Kida. Upon receiving a letter with strange instructions and a black rose crest ring he had assumed that it was a practical joke but the moment the ring proved to be a key he was convinced that there was something more to it. And whatever it was, it was full of darkness. His life confirmed it: the world was inhabited by shadows and all it took was a wrong step to be lost forever. Kida faced this with an almost perpetual smile that earned the popularity much needed to buffer a harsh reality.
As long as secrets remain just that – secret – life could go on without a hitch but he knew that all that was forever lost. The most immediate consequence to Kida's involvement in the duels was uncovering Mikado. But Kida had no plans of letting it remain that way. His agenda did not include Mikado at all. It saddened him but it could not be helped.