The Distance A Raindrop Falls
By: AtomicKokoro
Storyline
Set five years after the end of Durarara. Peace seem to have finally fallen in their lives, but one wrong word brings everyone back together for one last round of war.
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Before You Read
Last chapter, stuff happened.
This chapter, read to find out! I have added the little Time Frame things at the beginning because there is a lot of jumping around and stuff. So, now this will be less confusing, maybe. I'll edit the earlier chapters for this, too.
On with the story.
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Chapter 4
Talk
34 Takeshita Street; Harajuku, Shibuya
December 13, 2015, 7:36 PM
It was two weeks into December and there was still no change.
Everyone was waiting for the Evergreens to make change, but not a word was breathed of their wrongdoings, if any at all.
"Maybe they are just a gang of people who want to hang out," Saki suggested at the dinner table. They were living somewhere else, now, in a bigger apartment than before. The food on their table was fancier than normal as it was their first night there and Saki wanted to celebrate by making a special dinner, as she had been learning the culinary arts on the internet. "Like the Dollars, or the Yellow Scarves."
Masaomi shrugged and popped some fresh sushi in his mouth. "Perhaps," he suggested. "but a new color gang doesn't usually end well..."
"It's been five years," Saki sighed, setting down her chopsticks. "I think everything will be okay."
The blond shook his head. "We can't be too careful," he said, swallowing his sushi. "We need to be prepared, just in case anything happens. And, if anything does happen, we'll be able to protect Tokyo from any-"
"Just stop it!"
Masaomi looked up suddenly. Saki gripped her napkin with a white knuckle, trying her hardest not to cry, trying to keep herself in check. "Saki?" Masaomi ventured. "Is something wrong?"
Saki shook her head. "Don't fight," she cried. "Please don't fight! I almost lost you so many times years before, and this...this new gang... It's so large! Masaomi, what if they do decided to attack Tokyo? What if they do wreck havoc in Japan? Masaomi, you can't stop them. Not you, not the Dollars, not even with the Blue Squares by your side."
Masaomi watched her for a moment then smiled nervously, even if the situation wasn't funny. There was disbelief, and he didn't know how to express it. "Saki..." he whispered. "What-"
"If you do this," Saki continued quietly. She shook her head. "This is going to be worse than five years ago." She looked up and stared him in the eye. "Five years ago, there were teenagers looking for their place in the world. Now, these are people who have chosen this as their place in the world." Masaomi stared back. "If you do this...you will die."
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Variety Convenience Store; Shinbashi, Minato
November 28, 2015, 11:56 PM
She didn't have an animus like Celty did. Shooter went with Celty, leaving Anri without any amazing mode of transportation for any quick get away. But, then again, when a situation just happened whenever it did, she wouldn't need transportation. The shadows of the night was good enough, but the heavy, reusable grocery bag would going to be annoying to carry.
Little did she know, her heroic act of the night would be caught on camera and shown to the news, which Masaomi and Mikado would see the very next day, when Masaomi visited Mikado for the first time. It was also the very same day the Yellow Scarves started back up. Two days before Aoba's surprise visit.
She had simply gone for milk on her way home from work, recalling that morning Mikado complained about the lack of milk for his cereal. Figuring he would enjoy some milk that night, she asked the cab driver to drop her off at the Variety Convenience. It was only a block or so away from her apartment so she could walk back.
The cab driver took off down the street and Anri went inside the convenience store. She smiled and waved at the cashier, who was dozing off. She went the back of the store to where the milk was.
At that moment, three young men in green slammed the door open, startling the cashier awake, and walked in, laughing and pushing each other. One man stormed up the counter and slammed a gun on the table. "If you don't want to die," he said. "give us the money."
The last two boys began to raid the convenience shelves for what they wanted while the cashier handed over the cash.
Anri, who was watching the thing unfold, sighed. She reached into her reusable grocery bag and pulled out a helmet; a yellow helmet with cat-like ears and a black visor. She threw the bag on the floor and pulled out the Saika from under her sleeve.
"Hey! Free slushies!" one of the men laughed, running to the back where the slushie machine was. That was the time Anri chose to attack. She leaped forward and swung her sword at the man. He, unsuspecting it, was hit. It was a deep but non-lethal scratch across his arm.
He yelped, jumping back. Blood seeped down into his clothes and looked up at the girl. She was dressed in a black hoodie and a short skirt. Red eyes glowed from behind the helmet, the sword glinting in the light. "Oh, crap..." he whispered. "It's...her!"
The three men looked at each other, dropped what was in their arms, and ran out the door in fear, crying out and afraid. Anri sighed and set the sword back under her sleeve. She went back to the milk section, picked up her reusable grocery bag, and grabbed a bag of milk. She returned to the front and dropped off a bit of change on the front desk and left the convenience store.
The cashier was baffled.
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Sunshine Sixty; Ikebukuro, Toshima
December 15, 2015, 3:47 PM
Izaya was back in Ikebukuro once more. He was staring at the sky. It was bitter out, cold with a high wind chill. But, still, he never faltered. He didn't stand out in his red coat as he did with his black fur one, but the bright colors did attract some attention.
Even the attention of Shizuo Heiwajima.
"What are you doing back here?" he growled, approaching Izaya from the side and dragging the red gaze down to his own. "Shouldn't you be back in Shinjuku?"
Izaya swayed a bit, turning to face Shizuo. He didn't look impressed, as though he was offered a deal not in his favor. "You know why I'm here," he said. "The Evergreens are rising up. They are everywhere in Shinjuku."
"Don't remind me," Shizuo muttered, lighting a cigarette. "They really piss me off."
Izaya have a small smile, one that anyone would recognize. "Is that so? That wouldn't be a first..."
"Shut up!" Shizuo snapped. "The only reason you aren't dead right now is because-" He stopped suddenly and both looked away. Shizuo threw his cigarette on the ground, even though he had only one puff, and put it out. "Just leave," he growled. "I don't want to see you around here again."
Izaya said nothing. Shizuo turned and walked away, knowing his break was over and he needed to get back to Tom before he was late.
There was a moment of silence and Izaya looked back up again.
…
*A Small, Impossible Truth*
Izaya was lonely.
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Red Moon Nightclub; Kabukicho, Shinjuku
December 16, 2015, 2:17 AM
The first impression of the nightclub was heavy, pounding music and many young, drunk couples. There was a long line up, but Kyohei wasn't interested in going inside. He turned and looked down both ways of the street.
He sighed and looked up at the sky. The night was too cold for this. He didn't understand why they couldn't pick a warmer day, but, then again, it wouldn't matter as it would still be too cold at night. Kyohei sighed, a puff of white mist escaping his lips.
"Kyohei." Kyohei turned at the sound of his name. Masaomi's mouth and nose was hidden behind a white scarf, his black jack puffed up trying to keep himself warm. The blond lifted his mouth out from behind the scarf, never removing his hands from his pockets. "I'm glad you could make it."
Kyohei faced Masaomi. "Who else is coming?"
Masaomi shook his head. "Mikado couldn't make it." Kyohei lifted an eyebrow but Masaomi didn't speak about it. Instead, he said, "Anri had to work. It will be just us."
Kyohei nodded. "What's the plan?"
The blond finally pulled his hands out of his pockets. He was stupid not to have worn gloves, but Kyohei hadn't worn any either. Masaomi looked up at the top of the nightclub. "You said he lives on the top floor, right?"
"He might," Kyohei corrected. "That's what they said."
There was a moment of thinking, then Masaomi looked back at Kyohei. "We'll go in and ask him what his deal is," he said. "We'll find out if the Evergreens are really threatening or not. Do you have it?"
Kyohei nodded and he and Masaomi walked up to the bodyguard. The bodyguard looked at them, ready to turn them away, when Kyohei flashed him a card. The bodyguard nodded and let the men inside.
Lights of blue, red, and green flashed and dance music blared. It was hot and it smelled of beer and sweat. Somehow, it seemed all too familiar to Masaomi. He sighed.
Slowly, they began to squeeze between the people, who danced to some electronic beat neither knew or talked with friends with a beer in their hands. Kyohei stopped where he was and looked around. He spotted four guys in the corner with drinks in their hands, talking and laughing. He watched them for a moment, then proceeded to the back of the room.
Masaomi followed Kyohei, looking around often. Finally, he spotted some girls in the midst of removing their clothes. He stopped and whistled. "Masaomi!" Kyohei snapped. The blond quickly hurried to him. "Really? Five years, and you are still watching girls?"
"Hey, hey!" Masaomi replied, lifting his hands in defense. "I'm a guy, alright! I have guy moments."
Kyohei rolled his eyes and turned to the back wall. Masaomi glanced over his shoulder to watch him open a door. "Is it up here?" Kyohei nodded. The door opened to a stairwell which the men began to climb.
"How's the girl?" Kyohei asked as they walked up the stairs.
Masaomi blinked. "Saki?" Kyohei nodded. "Good, I guess," he said. "She didn't want me to come tonight." Kyohei lifted an eyebrow, remaining silent. A cue to explain. Masaomi sighed. "She said that she was afraid that if this did break out in a gang war, that I would end up dead."
"But you still came."
"Yeah," Masaomi said. There was a clicking and Kyohei stopped, turning around. Masaomi held a small pistol in his hand and waved it a bit. "but I came prepared." Kyohei frowned but said nothing. They continued up to the second highest floor and walked into the hallway. "Which number is it?"
"Thirty-six, I think." The two men walked down the hall, watching the right side (as those were the even numbers) until they came to number thirty-six.
They hesitated and stared at the door for a moment. "What are you expecting?"
"Huh?"
Masaomi sighed. "What do you expect he'll be like? What do you expect to see when you walk in there?"
Kyohei shrugged. "I'm not sure," he replied. "Someone like Mikado lead the Dollars, so I guess anything is possible."
The blond nodded. Kyohei, without hesitation, reached up and knocked on the door. There was silence, then, "Come in!" Kyohei and Masaomi exchanged glances, then Masaomi opened the door. They stepped in and both cringed slightly.
A man no older than Masaomi was laying back on a chair, a European lady on his lap, half dressed. The man was smoking a cigar, which he tapped the ashes into an ash tray beside a half-empty beer bottle. "Who are you?" he purred.
The two visitors swallowed.
…
After Notes
Now we're actually going somewhere!
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