Because of Izaya's, and later Kasuka's, insistence Shizuo and his brother are going to be up all night. Apparently, a person with a concussion is supposed to be woken up every hour to make sure they don't die or something. Not that any of them actually know if Shizuo has a concussion. Shizuo tried to tell his brother he was fine, but Kasuka insisted they didn't risk it and agreed not to tell their Mom if Shizuo lets him do this. Shizuo agreed, but only because he felt guilty.
This time the fight wasn't even his fault. He was jumped in the street by a gang.
Still, Shizuo is sure that if he didn't have such a harsh reputation it wouldn't have happened.
So the Heiwajima brothers have a slumber party of sorts, which Shizuo allows because it's a Friday night. The two lounge in Shizuo's room, Kasuka with some green tea and Shizuo with a chocolate bar for comfort.
They talk for awhile about what happened that day, and this time Shizuo doesn't have it in him to try and omit particularly embarrassing details. This time he tells Kasuka everything.
Shizuo is getting very tired of the way he's been feeling and this convoluted game he's been playing with Izaya. It feels good to get it all off of his chest to his usual confidante.
Kasuka doesn't interrupt as Shizuo tells him all about how amazing and terrifyingly intelligent Izaya is, how Izaya might be some kind of spontaneous pyromaniac. He nods and leans into Shizuo's story about how Izaya took him home for dinner with his cute, little sisters.
"-and fucking hell, Kasuka, he tucks in his sisters and reads them bedtime stories every night! That's way too fucking cute!"
Kasuka remains patient as Shizuo stutters and eventually chokes out how attractive and flirty Izaya is.
With everything out in the open and Kasuka's quiet support in the form of a steady hand on his shoulder, Shizuo feels much better.
"You do not have to worry." Kasuka tells him. "There is no need to pressure yourself to figure it all out right away. You'll be my big brother no matter what you decide."
Shizuo doesn't even know why he was worried in the first place. If there's anyone in the world willing to accept Shizuo, no matter what, it's Kasuka.
Still, Shizuo is confused about his feelings towards Izaya. If someone else, say his friend Kadota, told him that they were physically attracted to another boy, Shizuo would assume that meant he was gay. Plain and simple. If you're a man who is attracted to another man you are gay. But Shizuo isn't gay. He can admit to himself now that he, personally, is attracted to Izaya. He doesn't have much room to deny it when he's almost had… inappropriate thoughts about that other boy more than once, but Shizuo is sure he isn't gay.
So what is this? Am I losing my mind? Is Izaya actually a normal boy being possessed by a lust demon?
Actually… that last one would explain a lot.
When the conversation dies down the brothers sit in peaceful silence and read together. Kasuka is on the floor leaning against Shizuo's bed and seems to be reading some paranormal, action thriller that looks pretty shitty to Shizuo, but it's none of his business. Shizuo is sitting cross-legged on his bed with a translated Sherlock Holmes novel on his left thigh, and an open notebook on his right to help him follow the case. This time, for sure, he'll solve it first.
As the night wears on and Shizuo starts to lose focus from exhaustion after such a wild day and his imagination starts to wander, he becomes even more thankful for Kasuka's presence. His imagination goes down dangerous paths. Dark, rain-soaked alleyways with dangerous little kittens kinda paths, someone might even say. With Kasuka sitting in the room with him there's no danger that Shizuo will get so lost in thought that he might … do things he's not sure he won't regret on Monday when he has to face Izaya again.
-
Into the late hours of the night and dark hours of the morning Izaya finds out everything there is to know about the Blue Squares he can online, spending the majority of the time sifting through senseless rumors.
But internet rumors and pictures of Blue Square tags in back alleys isn't going to be nearly enough to punish the gang. Izaya has never terrorized more than two or three people at a time in the name of revenge and the more he thinks about the task ahead of him the more unrealistic it seems, but Izaya cannot let them go unpunished. Maybe he will not be able to make them feel the consequences of their actions any time soon, but Izaya is patient for the right cause.
For now, he still has information to gather. Izaya doesn't believe in much except for one absolute truth: knowledge is power. If there's one thing Izaya knows how to get his hands on is knowledge. He'll deal with Nakura on Monday, for now, his focus is on Ran Izumi - leader of the Blue Squares.
From what Izaya has been able to gather, Ran is still a middle schooler, which is surprising consider the size of the Blue Squares. Ran also does not seem to be very clever, which raises more questions as to how he's been able to create this gang. Ran has one thing going for him, a will for committing violence beyond that of a normal teen. Most kids are all big talk, but Ran has a reputation for ruthless which is very real.
But even the power of violence is not above the power of knowledge. Maybe in the heat of a single moment it can seem greater, but in terms of the bigger picture, information and the ability to utilize it will always come out on top.
Ran is a brute but Izaya knows, without even meeting the boy, that he is better.
Izaya is going to enjoy watching Ran crumble.
On this crisp, clear Saturday Izaya decides to take his sisters out for lunch and then around the city for a walk. Even a gang as dumb and brutal as the Blue Squares won't attack a family with little girls on grounds as silly as them getting close to their territory - purely on accident of course. While Mairu and Kururi bounce around him with big, pink cheeks and hot chocolate - excited for a day out with their brother - Izaya notices and mentally categorizes every Blue Square on the streets. None match the description of Ran Izumi, but Izaya accepts the information that he can get. He takes note of the way each and every member he sees walk, how they talk, what they talk about, how they treat the men and women who walk too close, the way they dress, everything.
The way they treat women intrigues Izaya especially.
By the time Mairu and Kururi finish their hot chocolate, Izaya has a general profile of the Blue Squares and memorized the names and faces he could observe.
It's not enough, but it's a start.