When a person wants to get to know another person, and if their curiosity is extreme, some would blindly call it a crush, or infatuation, but really, it's just curiosity. And for someone as simple as Mayumi, Shizuo was extremely interesting.
She was curious about him, so she watched him while she could. She knew the way around places better than before, and Mayumi made sure she wouldn't reach home late, she couldn't afford to get caught up with any of the gangs, and there's something else.
Someone or something called the Slasher was lurking around. Mayumi walked home from the place she worked, and stopped on her tracks. It was Shizuo.
She didn't know him enough to have a crush on him, and she certainly wasn't stupid to label her curiosity as love. But, even so, her face warmed at his appearance. He wore a bartender's uniform, and his hair was an attractive shade of blonde. He was good looking, she knew that.
But, for some reason, she brushed that feeling away, and continued walking. That was when she heard giggles behind her. Mayumi's eyes widened as she realized how dark it was.
As cliché as it sounded, Mayumi knew she was in trouble, and she looked behind her to see if Shizuo noticed. But, he didn't.
Mayumi began to run.
Three men ran after her, and Mayumi hoped Shizuo would help her. But he wasn't anywhere in sight.
Her legs were giving away, and the street was empty. Mayumi turned around, and gulped. And in a blink of an eye, something black engulfed the men, and a minute later, they panicked and ran off. Mayumi stood there, now extremely afraid, and very disappointed that Shizuo didn't save her life.
But, someone she had seen once before did save her.
"Celty…" Mayumi recognized and the woman clad in black typed in her phone and Mayumi read: Are you alright?
Mayumi nodded, but bit her lip. Celty typed once more and Mayumi read, Why were you following Shizuo?
Mayumi suddenly turned read and denied the allegation. "I…I wasn't following him, I just…I noticed him walking there that's all-"Celty shook her head, and typed, Do you need a ride home?
Mayumi didn't want to ask her to drop her off, she had done so much for her already. "I don't want to trouble you-"Celty carried the girl using the same black things and Mayumi gasped, "C-Celty!" Celty placed her behind her in the bike and gave her a helmet, Celty drove off in an instant.
As she drove, Celty stopped right next to Shizuo who was walking alone not too far off, and Shizuo said hello. He noticed the girl behind her, but ignored her. Mayumi just sat there, and didn't even look up to see Shizuo. Celty typed something and showed it to Shizuo and he said, "I didn't notice." Celty shook her head and typed something, and Shizuo replied. "Okay then, see you later."
Mayumi felt heartbroken.
He ignored her completely.
But, in a way, he didn't.
Shizuo Heiwajima saw that the girl was in trouble, but he also knew Celty was nearby so he didn't help her. Mayumi reached home safely and said, "Celty…can you remove your helmet? I…wanted to know something."
Mayumi didn't want to be rude in asking Celty straight away whether she had a head or not, since there were people in her café who told her the Black Rider didn't have a head. Celty typed something, Promise me you won't yell. Mayumi nodded.
And then she saw it.
Celty really didn't have a head. Mayumi wasn't afraid, but this was something she hadn't ever seen before. Celty typed, Are you afraid of me? Mayumi smiled and said, "No, Celty I'm not. This doesn't change my opinion of you." She smiled and Celty typed, What is your opinion of me?
Mayumi smiled and said, "Is it too soon if I called you a friend?" Celty placed her helmet back and shook it. She typed, No, not at all. I'm glad you think so.
Mayumi smiled and said, "I should get going. Good night Celty. Say hello to Shinra for me." Celty waved and drove off.
There was a reason Mayumi didn't find Celty strange. Mayumi was an author, who appreciated the better things in life, without worrying about appearances. She was thankful for what she had, and if she wanted something, she would try and have it, but there was something very important as well.
She thought ever human around her was a demon.
Mayumi hadn't told anyone this 'theory' of hers, since she was afraid of the remarks she would get in return. Every human was a demon, and it only awoke in the darkest of that human's times. No human was perfect, and they always seek perfection, and in that path of finding perfection, they give birth to demons inside them. Most people say, growing up you become selfish, or mean, or something remotely close to evil. But, every person had demons that they need to conquer to attain that perfection they seek.
But, the demon is tempting.
It makes the human deviate on its path to perfection, and that is the reason, no human is perfect.
The demon consumes them before they do.
Still, this was Mayumi's theory. She knew Celty wasn't human, but for Mayumi liked Celty, she was nice, even if she wasn't a human, she had feelings, and the demons inside her were dormant.
Everyone had one.
Even Mayumi.
The next day, Mayumi left for work, ignoring her grandfather sleeping on the sofa, and Mayumi walked through the streets and saw someone she hoped she wouldn't see. It was Izaya, and just one meeting with that man, made Mayumi hoped she wouldn't see him ever again.
He was indifferent.
And intimidating.
He spotted her, and walked over to her, smiling. "Hello there, doppelganger!" Mayumi backed away slightly, and Izaya noticed. "Are you afraid of me?" He asked mockingly, his smirk not leaving him. "I…I need to get to work." Izaya chuckled and then, broke out into laughter. Mayumi stared at the man and looked for a way out.
"Yesterday, there were three men that followed you, weren't there?" Mayumi gasped. "H-How did you know?" She asked, her eyes wide. "I sent them after you, of course." Mayumi didn't understand.
"W-Why?"
Izaya laughed at her and Mayumi felt incredibly uncomfortable. She wanted to get away from this man, something about him scared her, and told her he was bad news. "Because I wanted to see your reaction, doppelganger, and my, my, Miss Mayumi Matsumoto, you are nothing like me." Mayumi's eyes widened.
"How did you know my name-""Your father, Shichiro Matsumoto along with your mother, Junko, were doctors. They had their own huge hospital back in Okinawa, your home town. They passed away in a fire accident, and you survived. Tell me, do you regret surviving while your parents died in that fire-""Stop it." Mayumi said, and closed her eyes.
"Oh?" Izaya smirked.
And then Mayumi began to cry. There were things this man didn't know, and she was afraid that if she stood there any longer, he would. She didn't want him to know. Nobody did.
"What are you doing in Ikebukuro Izaya?" Came a voice, and Mayumi gasped. Izaya looked up and saw Shizuo there, and then his gaze turned to Mayumi, who was still crying. He grabbed the girl and placed a knife under her chin. "Tell me, do you want to join your parents, Mayumi-chan?" Mayumi gasped and continued to sob.
Shizuo frowned hard when he saw that the girl was crying. 'Izaya's doing.' He confirmed and ran toward the black head so fast, he grabbed the girl and pushed her away from them. Mayumi fell on the ground and watched Shizuo pick up a sign post and run after Izaya.
Mayumi didn't feel like moving.
That man, Izaya reminded her of something she wished to forget. She didn't want to think about the way her family died, and she recalled the images of her burning house over and over in her mind.
"You alright?" Came a voice and Mayumi looked up to see Shizuo standing there, and she shook her head. "I'm not." She confessed and Shizuo sighed. "What did he say to you?" Shizuo said, and Mayumi stood up, with his help. "He…he spoke about my parents." Shizuo turned to see her and before he could say anything Mayumi continued. "He spoke about how they died and I didn't."
Shizuo grunted. "That bastard." Mayumi shook her head. "He was right. I had to die too. It isn't fair that I lived and they-""Shut up, will ya." Shizuo said, and Mayumi looked at him and stared at his face.
"I don't know what happened, and honestly I don't want to. But, I know your parents will be glad you lived." Mayumi bit her lip and Shizuo said, "Don't let that bastard get to you. Girls like you are his entertainment." Mayumi nodded and tugged on his hand. Shizuo turned to see her and Mayumi said, "Thank you." She said, and the blonde male sighed.
"Whatever. I need to go." And that was that. He walked away.
Mayumi smiled. She was certain of something right then. Her curiosity about Shizuo Heiwajima had evolved to something more. She liked him. A small crush maybe.
That was what Mayumi Matsumoto thought about Shizuo Heiwajima.
Shizuo walked away from her and met up with Tom. "Who was that chicka? She's cute-""Shut up and tell me where you want to go." Tom chuckled and said, "Could've told me she was your girl Shizuo." Shizuo groaned. "She isn't." Tom grinned and said, "Then what was that little scene back there?" Shizuo frowned and said, "That bastard Izaya was picking on her." Tom laughed.
"Usually you don't care, Shizuo." Even the blonde knew that. "Anyways, crying girls are the weak points of every man alive, even you Shizuo!" The male didn't respond.
Let me make things clear now. Shizuo doesn't have a crush or any feelings toward Mayumi. But, he also knows he shows a different interest in her than most other girls. He notices Mayumi around when she was, and if it were any other girl, he'd just ignore them. He knew Mayumi's name, and he remembered it, without having her say it to him more than once. Maybe it was because of the trash can incident, and how she didn't hate him for it, but Shizuo wanted her safe.
Was it impossible to want someone to be safe, without having feelings for them?
No, for Shizuo it wasn't.
And that was what Shizuo Heiwajima thought about Mayumi Matsumoto.
A/N: I hope this chapter brought light about where their feelings stand.
I mentioned it clearly, didn't I?
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And do keep them coming, I love more.
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