Chapter 20
Eri visited Eiko again to tell her about the fight. Eiko raised a brow when she heard that they were after only Minako. Her instinct made her know who was truly behind the attack, but she left her sister ignorant.
"What did they want with your friend?" She questioned.
"I dunno; but I'm pretty sure it's not because Minako stuck first. She isn't the kind of person to do that." Eri replied. "But they had to have a reason."
"Yeah..." Eiko's voice drifted off and she nearly drifted off as well. Eri caught her before she could hit the ground and supported her.
"Are you okay?! Do you need me to get the nurse?" Eri anxiously asked. Her sister forced a smile.
"Stop worrying you dumbass." she joked in a sluggish tone, stabilizing herself. "Anyway you should get going; Izaya-kun is coming over today."
Eri's eyes lit up with a sparkle of agitation. She quickly gathered up her things but paused at the door.
"Eiko, can I stay a bit to meet the guy at least?" she requested politely. Her expression of glee from earlier melted into one of austereness. She turned her head to the window which allowed the red sunlight of dusk to spill in.
"It's better if you don't." she muttered. Eiko quickly changed her tone, sensing the fear that was forming over her younger sister. She turned back her head and beamed a comforting grin. "There's good reason that you shouldn't be here when he comes." she joked with a wink. Relieved, Eri started laughing.
"Oh, I get it now!" she said boisterously. "Alright, well I'll hurry off and give you two lovers some private time." She then proceeded to giddily hurry out the door.
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About half an hour later Izaya arrived at Raira General Hospital and at Eiko's hospital room. Izaya sensed something was bothering her; she was not her usual lively self. He sat on the foot of her bed and asked.
"Hey, what's with the long face Eiko-chan?"
She was silent for a moment. Then her lips began to move.
"You were the one who sent those girls after Minako, weren't you?" she straightforwardly asked. Izaya chuckled.
"What would make you think that?" he asked.
"Eri told me about what happened; she was here earlier." she said impassively. Izaya showed no signs of anxiety.
"Oh did she?" he uttered, his jubilant tone still apparent. "Are you mad?"
"No." she curtly replied. "I won't ask you to stop, because I know that you'll keep doing it anyway. You're testing their bond, aren't you? You want to see just how much suffering they have to go through before they split apart. You think Minako doesn't love Eri, and you want to prove that to Eri."
Izaya laughed loudly and then slowly applauded her.
"My, my, you should think about becoming a detective when you grow up; that is if you live past your teen years."
She was solemn and silent for a second, and then spoke again, her voice still holding harshness.
"I hate you, but at the same time..." her words faded out and then she broke into hoarse coughs. Like usual he didn't ask if she was okay; he never asked.
"But at the same time you're incapable of hating me, am I right?" he finished for her. She covered her mouth with her forearm and glared at him. Then she smirked.
"The thing that I love about you the most," she began weakly. "Is that no matter what, we humans are always adorable to you. Take me for example; right now I'm bitter and physically weak and yet you still think I'm so cute. Sadist." she hissed out the last word of her sentence. His own smirk never wavered. He shrugged his shoulders.
"And what I like about you, Eiko-san, is that you never cease to surprise me. You, Minako and Eri-san, are one of the few creatures in this world with moves I can't predict, but I don't hate you for that. Shizu-chan I can't control, but as for you three…" He stopped his sentence there.
"Are you trying to say that you have control over me?" she asked. "It can be that fucking Minako girl or my sister Eri; I don't give a shit. But, me, I'll never let you control me." she rebuked with an icy glare. Izaya's smile disappeared.