April 28, 2013
At an apartment along the Kawagoe Highway
Upon hearing the door slam right after Shinra made his exit, Izaya curiously turned in its direction, and allowed a smile to creep into his features when his eyes landed on the familiar figure standing before him.
"Ah, so you're back from your little vacation already. Really, Namie-san, I know you're spectacularly skilled at getting things done quickly, but you didn't have to cut your own holiday short. How was it, by the way? Saw anything of interest to you?"
A corner of the woman's lips twitched as she marched over to his bedside. "It's not a vacation if I'm there for a purpose that's anything but relaxing," she stated bluntly.
"Oh? That's sad to hear. I thought Inaba was supposed to be a quaint, little town – the perfect getaway for you during this difficult period of time."
"Drop the disgusting innocent act, Izaya. I need you to clarify something about a very important matter, and you'd better think twice about lying to me if you want that thing back."
The information broker regarded her with a look that was somewhat wary and delighted at the same time. Then, with the insincere smile still plastered on his face, Izaya closed his fingers around the pills in his hand and lithely slid it beneath the blanket, resting his chin on his other free arm.
"Well then, what troubles you so much that you would cut your holiday short just to see me?" he asked, using a slightly mocking tone which Namie pointedly ignored.
"It's about this," she said, showing her former employer the video that she had played for the other people that had gathered in the apartment earlier on. While Izaya watched it, Namie evaluated his expressions, gestures, micro-expressions, and anything else she could pick up from observing him, but found nothing she could call substantial. "Do you recall ever seeing it?"
Izaya waited until the video stopped playing before he answered, the words dancing off his lips like a cat leaping off a fence, "I might have."
Namie stopped herself when she felt that her eyes were about to narrow, suddenly all too aware of this particular habit of hers that she was prone to do whenever she encountered anything that was nasty, distasteful, and basically pissed her off. "When," she demanded.
"Around two weeks ago? I mean, it couldn't have been yesterday or the day before or...well, you'd know, if Shinra told you."
"...So I was right. You did keep this from me."
Izaya laughed. "Whoa, you look murderous."
"I don't just look it, I'll have you know."
Her former employer didn't seem fazed by that. "Hey, before you consider seriously killing me, maybe you'd also like to factor in the fact that I only received that video after you left for Inaba?" he suggested.
"As if that changes a thing."
"Well, true enough," the informant replied, grinning. "So, was that all you came to ask me for? I have to say, that's a pretty flimsy reason to end your vacation so prematurely. Or was nice little Inaba not to your liking?"
"For the last time, I didn't go there for a vacation," Namie snapped. "I went there because you had the gall to tell me that I'd be able to find clues about my brother's murderer there."
"And, let me guess, it wasn't that you didn't manage to, it was more of you didn't believe what you had been told. Goodness, Namie, I thought you were smarter than that."
The woman's jaw tightened. "Hard to trust a person's words when he turned out to be even more detestable than you are." She paused here, before pulling her shoulders into a shrug. "But then again he probably reacted the way he did because of something you once did to him in the past, so my impression of you still remains unchallenged."
"As cruel as always, Namie-san, to consider me more detestable than even a murderer," Izaya sang merrily.
"It's not like you really care," she scoffed, mostly to herself.
The information broker simply allowed his smile to widen despite the remark his former secretary had made. "Well then, let's try to make this a little more interesting, shall we? How about we switch roles? You can tell me what you've heard from Adachi-san, and I'll do my best to listen and, maybe, give a little input here and there. You can be the informant in this case, in other words."
"...That horrid doctor was right," Namie muttered, her voice lowering until it nearly sounded like the one she had used when she had been under the guise of a man. "You really don't know what's happening."
"Why, you wound me, Namie-san. Just because I made that suggestion doesn't mean I haven't any idea about what's going on. Quite the contrary, in fact."
"Oh?" the woman replied, though she didn't sound any less dispassionate. She pretended to roll her eyes to the right, and continued in her usual tone, "Huh. I suppose so. After all, you did know that someone other than Heiwajima Shizuo and myself was trying to kill you, at the very least."
"That I did," Izaya confirmed, beaming like a child on Boxing Day. "Ah but then again, what else is new, right?"
"Right," Namie said, resisting the urge to roll her eyes for real this time; for someone who abhorred the idea of death taking him away from being with his "precious" humans, her former employer was being a little too cheerful in the way he talked about the attempted murder for Namie's taste. Not that anything about the man had even been pleasant at all in the first place, though.
She bluntly pointed that out, and was met with his usual annoying laughter.
"Well, can you really blame me? After all, I've met my fair share of people who would resort to interesting measures to take my life, but this... This is something I never expected." As he said this, there was a strange sort of twinkling in his auburn eyes, giving off a sense of delight that could only be described as distant and ruddy. "To think that there can be someone who would go to such elaborate lengths... It makes me want to laugh just thinking about it."
"Even if that someone might not be human?"
The light in the informant's eyes flickered slightly, but his smile never faltered, and neither did he miss a beat in responding, "Ah, so you did know about that. Though, then again, I shouldn't be surprised that you do; I did tell you about Adachi-san, after all."
"...So we're back to talking about that person again," Namie sighed tiredly. "Just answer me straight, Izaya. And no more digressing." The man shifted his shoulders in a somewhat awkward but flippant shrug. Namie then proceeded with her question that she had a feeling she knew the answer to, "Why did you keep something like this from me?"
The chuckle that immediately followed only served to intensify that feeling. "Because it wouldn't have changed anything," Izaya said. "I mean, even without the video, you were already convinced that Mika-chan deserved some form of punishment for – well, for lack of a better term – betraying your dear brother, and that punishment had already been carried out by none other than yourself. The video would be nothing more than your justification for your actions in physical form. Well, digital, to be more exact, but you get the idea.
"Anyway, just think about it. If you did learn about the video right after leaving for Inaba but prior to your arrival there or your meeting with Adachi-san, would it have changed the actions you were about to take? Haven't you already said so yourself earlier that it wouldn't have changed a thing?"
Against her better judgement, Namie considered Izaya's words carefully, and found herself begrudgingly arriving at the same conclusion. After all, she had that traitorous girl's throat cut on the principle that she had failed to discharge her duty towards Seiji; the video would've only served as evidence of that disloyalty, the act of abandoning Seiji when her life was at stake. The justification for Namie's earlier actions towards the girl, in other words. It was only after the meeting with Adachi – and what a fantastic experience that was – and failing to find any credible clues that Namie would've looked at the video in another light, taking it as possible proof of Harima's involvement in orchestrating Seiji's murder.
'But… That can't just be it.'
Orihara Izaya was not the kind of person who would deliberately keep such vital information from a client who had specifically requested for him to give her any piece of information he might have. Working as his secretary had opened her eyes to how Izaya carried out his business, and so Namie knew that in dealing with him she had to be precise in her requests lest he found loopholes that he could make use of and turn around against her. And especially since her beloved brother was involved, she couldn't afford to make mistakes that she should not be making.
Moreover, Izaya wasn't the kind of person who would withhold something that he knew could potentially incite some sort of reaction in the humans he liked to observe, no matter how certain he was of whether there would be a reaction at all. He was more of the kind of bastard who would slip interesting bits of information, tell his clients "It's up to you to decide what you want to do now that you know" and then sit back and watch what would happen from there.
No, there was definitely something else about the video that Izaya was not telling her. And whatever it was, it was good enough a reason for him to keep mum about.
So Namie looked at him coldly, and said, "You're not being honest with me."
"Aren't I? But I've been nothing but honest up till now."
"Stop wasting my time. What else are you not telling me?"
"…Well, I wonder," Izaya replied, shrugging. "What do you think it is, Namie-san?"
Namie turned swiftly on her heel and headed for the door.
"Aww, leaving already? But I haven't seen you in weeks. There's much we need to catch up on."
"There's nothing I want to say to—"
The phone rang, cutting Namie off.
With a brief, tired sigh, the former head of Yagiri Pharmaceuticals held her cell phone to her ear as she continued walking towards the door. "Talk," she whispered harshly, and in the next few seconds she was silent.
She closed the door at around the same time she let out a hiss, leaving the self-proclaimed lover of humans alone to guess and imagine the expression on her face.
"...What?"
While Sonohara was giving a short recount of her side of the story, Teddie had chosen that time to leave the room Orihara had been staying in and dive straight for the empty space between Souji and Yosuke on the couch. The pair as well as the others of the Investigation Team, who had been listening intently, nearly startled at the seemingly sudden reappearance of the blonde; Yosuke, in particular, was close to leaping up from his seat when he had sensed some kind of presence next to him.
"Holy shi—Teds, don't go scaring people like that! It's bad enough that you like randomly popping out from the closet back when we were sharing a room," the brunet complained, folding his arms as he shot his former roommate a sharp look.
"Aww grow a spine already, Hanamura," Chie said. Yosuke didn't look like he appreciated that advice very much.
"Anyway," Yukiko spoke up, before the two could slip into their usual banter, "how did it go, Teddie-kun? Is...everything alright?"
Teddie heaved a heavy sigh. "I don't know," he said. "I...thought I remembered something, again. But then, I got a headache and forgot what it was that I remembered."
"Lighten up, Ted, it'll come back to you sometime," Kanji said encouragingly, flashing Teddie a warm smile.
The bear, however, did not appear to be comforted by his words. "But I don't want to remember, Kanji. The memory – it's what hurt me, I think, and the headache means it's happening. It's really, really happening, and I...I'm scared. I mean, that...that other Teddie said—"
"Teddie," Souji spoke, resting a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "It's alright. Don't push yourself too much. Whatever happens, and whatever your remaining memories may be, you're still our friend, and you'll always be one."
Almost instantly Teddie raised his head, facing Souji directly. Tears welled up in his baby blue eyes. "Se... Sensei...!"
Yosuke chuckled. "Geez, so that's what you were worried about? Dude haven't we been through this already? Ow!"
"Hanamura. Atmosphere. Read it."
"Well you didn't have to hit me to make a point!"
Yukiko snorted, and covered her mouth right at the moment she was about to break into her hyena-like laughter, which as a result came out sounding like she was spitting into her own hand. She ended up laughing even harder until she was close to wheezing. The effect was contagious, and soon the room's atmosphere brightened and twirled with the seven adolescents' smiles and laughter.
It was only when Souji and Naoto both remembered that they were not the only ones present that the level of cheer was toned down. "I apologise, Sturluson-san, Sonohara-san and Yagiri-san. That was unbecoming of us..."
Teddie gave an exaggerated gasp. "Especially Anri-chan! Ahhh I'm so sorry, Anri-chan for barging in like that!"
"E-eh? It's not a problem at all, Teddie-san. P-please don't apologise," Anri was quick to respond, before falling silent, unsure of what else to say to reassure the blue-eyed blonde.
Celty filled in for her. [Yes, no need for apologies Naoto-chan. It makes me glad, actually, to see you all so happy.] She waited for the Investigation Team to settle down and acknowledge her message before she continued typing. [If you don't mind me asking, though... Why the strong reaction, Teddie-kun? Did something happen to Izaya? Is that why Shinra isn't out yet?]
"Oh, don't worry Cel-chan, Izaya's awake and well, except for a fever!" Teddie said, beaming like his usual self again. "Shinra said he wanted to talk to Izaya for a bit, and so I stepped out first. That headache was pretty bad." Then, almost as if the earlier words of comfort from his friends weren't effective in the least, his face fell again. "And, uh, 'bout that... Mmmnn it might take a really long time to explain..."
"Basically that Orihara Izaya is finally awake?" Namie cut in, already on her feet. "Sure took his own sweet time. Another thing to add to my list of grievances that he's caused me."
"Ahhh wait Nami-chan, Shinra said—"
"What," Namie all but snarled, "did you just call me?"
"Eep!" Teddie squeaked, and held up and cowered behind one of the couch pillows.
"Please don't take it too personally, Yagiri-san. He doesn't mean it, I swear. It's, it's a bad habit of his—"
"Don't make meaningless excuses for him," the woman spat, cutting Yosuke off. "That was uncalled for, and you know it."
"I-I know," Yosuke replied, wincing. "But he's still learning—"
"So teach him properly," was all Namie bothered to say about the matter. Ignoring the sympathetic looks that were sent in Teddie and Yosuke's direction, the woman turned and headed for the door leading to the room her former employer was currently resting in. "And whatever it is that Kishitani told you, Teddie-san, I didn't hear it, and I won't."
The blonde could only give her a timid glance as his friends tried to comfort him, and did not ask what Namie had meant by that statement. Neither did he express any surprise or relief when he saw that she was having trouble with the knob, constantly turning it over and over and finding that the door remained closed, the room and its occupants firmly locked away from the woman's influence and bitterness. Only startled, again, when Namie sharply turned to face him, fixing a silent glare on him as she folded her arms and leaned against the wall. The black rope around the doorknob slithered back into the sleeve of Celty's jumpsuit.
It was only when Anri resumed her recount of what had happened with the most recent fog – at Souji's request – that Teddie could take his mind away from the woman named Yagiri Namie, and from his concerns about his earlier headache and the possibility of forgotten memories associated with it. Celty did not press further either, appearing to have forgotten about it as well, and paid as careful attention as she had before as Anri continued.
Just when the wielder of Saika – and possibly even more than just that now, considering the nature and origin of the fog – was summarising her experience with the mysterious voice that had spoken to her and Yosuke was commenting about how similar it was to a friend's own, the door to Izaya's temporary room opened, and out walked underground doctor Kishitani Shinra with a cheerful, almost smug smile on his face. He had not, however, taken more than a step – or even half a step – before he was shoved aside and had the door slam in his face.
"Waiiiiiit I was just going to get some water," Shinra sighed, though it wasn't long before he shrugged it off and the smile was back in place. "Oh well."
[Ah, Shinra,] The Investigation Team almost jolted when the doctor spun to face them and Celty right at that moment. The Dullahan, who was seemingly unfazed by this, simply continued typing, and held her PDA up once she was done. [you're back. How's Izaya doing? I heard from Teddie-kun that he's fine aside from a fever...]
"He is," Shinra confirmed, excitedly making his way back to his seat next to his lover on the couch. "And boy, is he hopeless! Trying to act like nothing really happened or like the entire thing wasn't such a big deal to him, just like you would expect him to. Of course, it only makes it all the more obvious that it's bothering him a lot more than he would've liked to admit, and I'm sure he's aware of that, yet he does it anyway. The extent of his stubbornness is beginning to annoy me."
[What took you so long?] Celty attempted to joke, and though her shoulders shook they did so with a tinge of sadness and pity.
Nobody who had noticed such a thing made a mention of it. Not even her beloved who only continued to smile at her as a gesture of his appreciation for her effort as he changed the subject. "So? What were you all talking about while I was giving Orihara-kun the longest doctor's orders of his life?"
"Oh, um, I-I was sharing with everyone about how the fog was removed," Anri answered.
Shinra's eyes widened in an almost exaggerated fashion. "No way, did I miss everything?"
[I can tell you more about it later.] Celty was quick to offer, which Shinra readily took up on. Then, she added, [Well... I suppose now it's my turn to share my side of the story.]
"Do tell!" Shinra exclaimed, eyes twinkling. The others present simply gave a nod of acknowledgement.
Celty's neck tilted to the side slightly as she tapped on her PDA. [Actually, it's...not that easy to put into words. How should I say this... Hmm...] She paused momentarily. [Ah, I got it. Remember when that unknown person who helped us explained what happened with Teddie-kun, and how something like that applied to me?] She received a few murmurs of agreement before she continued. [Well... If I have to put it rather simply, they were completely right when they said that it was really confusing.]
The Dullahan glanced in Teddie's direction, but as fast as one could blink she returned her attention to the device in her hand. [To be honest, it's a blur to me, even right now... All I can really remember, is that place.]
"That place...?" Teddie echoed, voice growing quiet.
Naoto asked, "Is it the realm that Orihara-san was apparently sent to?"
[Yes.] Celty confirmed. [How I got there is something even I can't really understand. But, I had definitely managed to travel to another realm, just like what that unknown person said. I know this because when I was in that other realm, the room I was in and all the people who were inside had vanished, and all I could see was an endless white plain, shrouded in mist.]
"Ah...!" Teddie let out a gasp, but didn't elaborate further on why. His friends, especially, didn't ask him to, as if no explanation was needed.
"What happened while you were there?" Yukiko asked softly.
[It was...strange, to say the least.] Celty fidgeted, and the shadow trailing from her neck made a small swirl as she continued typing. [It was my first time there, and I wasn't told where exactly I would be able to find Izaya, but...somehow I knew where to go. That place... It felt familiar to me. I figured it had something to do with my memories that are stored away in my missing head, and so I allowed myself to be guided by nothing but that sense of familiarity.]
Next to her the man whom she called her lover whispered her name, casting her a knowing look that the Dullahan couldn't bring herself to ignore. She reached for one of his hands, intertwined her fingers with his and gave it a gentle squeeze. When Celty felt certain that Shinra had received her silent message, she released his hand and continued her story.
[After some time, I found myself at a different area. The mist was still there, but significantly lessened, so it became easier to see where I had been walking. That was when I realised that the plain I had been walking on was slowly fading away, and the whiteness of the sky melted away...and then, I saw it.]
"'It'?" Chie parroted.
The Headless Rider nodded. [Where the plain and the pale sky stopped, there laid a blanket of darkness, stretching beyond my line of vision. And in that darkness were small twinkling lights, like stars in the night sky.]
Teddie shifted in his seat, face pulling into an uncharacteristic frown. "Th-that's...!"
Souji placed a hand on his shoulder before anyone could ask him about that reaction, saying nothing as he looked into Teddie's sapphire blue eyes reassuringly. The blonde, recognising that gesture, took a deep breath and settled down, but the frown never left his features.
"And that's..." Teddie began shakily. "That's where you found...?"
[...Yes.] Celty replied, after a brief moment of hesitation. [Lying on the ground, at the point where the white and black blended into each other. He was...still. Unmoving. But his body... It was flickering, but glowing bright. Almost like the lights in that black plain.] A pause. [I went over to where he was but the moment I touched him, everything disappeared instantly, even his body. And then I found myself back in the blue room, and Igor-san told me that I'd completed my task. Anri-chan and I didn't understand until we went back to where Izaya and Shooter were and we saw him breathing.]
Her shoulders tightened and then relaxed just as quickly, as though she were heaving a sigh of relief. Shinra patted her lightly on the shoulder, flashing her one of his usual smiles.
The Investigation Team were smiling faintly at that, before their serious expressions fell back in place. "And then, Sturluson-san and Sonohara decided to head to the TV world?" Souji said.
"Y-yes," Anri replied in Celty's place. "Th-that's because, while Celty-san was gone, Igor-san told me that...that Izaya-san needed to make a choice. He wasn't very...clear on what he had meant, but Celty-san and the...new Saika...believed that it had something to do with Izaya-san's Shadow."
Celty continued from there. [I remembered you all explaining about the importance of facing one's Shadow. And so, I wondered, what if Izaya isn't even there to face his Shadow at all? Would it disappear, remaining as a Shadow? Or would it go berserk again and again, until it sees him again...? Either way, it didn't feel right to deny Izaya the opportunity to make a change, even though I knew very well he wouldn't. I thought that must've been the choice Igor-san was referring to. ...And besides, he's the root of all the trouble you all had to go through. He ought to take responsibility for that, for once in his life.]
"Hahaha! Well said, my dear!" Shinra complimented. "Knowing that Orihara-kun, he would never take responsibility for anything you're sure he's at fault for even if you slap it right into his face. I don't think he's even said a hint of an apology for making us all experience his mountain of vomit. What a horrid friend I have!"
[...I didn't intend to bring this up now, but you're really not one to judge the kind of friends you have when you keep rubbing that "puke" thing and any of its equivalents in Izaya's face, Shinra. Even I'm starting to find that analogy annoying.]
"Yes ma'am! I will stop using that analogy from now on!" the underground doctor declared with a carefree laugh, raising his hand in a mock salute. Celty could only shake her "head" in bemused exasperation.
"...Still, a choice to accept his Shadow and change, or not..." Yukiko mumbled, mostly to herself, before she raised her voice. "Um... Well, we can't really give our opinion on Orihara-san's decision in the end, but... Shinra-sensei, may I ask—"
"What?" A door slam and somebody hissing cut the young inn manager off completely, attracting the attention of everybody present in the living room. Yagiri Namie, who was currently wearing an extremely stern expression on her face, continued to snarl into her phone, "How could you be so incompetent...?!"
"Yagiri-san...?"
The woman sent a death glare in Souji's way, which effectively silenced him and anybody else who might've intended to speak to her. "I don't want to hear excuses," she said, her tone corrosive and harsh as she walked straight towards the entrance. "Deploy a search team immediately. And keep me updated as soon as you find something. I'm coming over right now."
On that note she ended the call, and then left the apartment, not bothering with the usual formalities when one was leaving the house they were visiting. Her exit left many people stumped and speechless, but the resident of the apartment was only too happy to get the discussion going again.
"You were about to say something, Yukiko-chan?"
"Hmm...? Ah, yes." The manager of the Amagi family inn returned her attention to the bespectacled doctor. "Um, I was wondering... About that choice Orihara-san made... What do you think about that, Shinra-sensei? Does it...sit well with you, as Orihara-san's friend?"
Shinra laughed. "You don't have to be so nervous, Yukiko-chan! It's alright with me even if you drop the politeness." Then, with a thoughtful hum, he proceeded to answer Yukiko's question, "What do I think about it... Well, for starters, I'd be lying if I said I'm not the slightest bit disappointed."
[Huh, you are?] Celty couldn't help but type out, surprised.
"Of course I am! I want to see what his Persona looks like, after all! What it can do, what it looks like… And after all that effort talking to him, too. Speaking of which, I didn't get to see Shizuo-kun's Persona either! Aaahh what a wasted opportunity… Do you think he'll agree to show me if I ask him nicely? ...Eh? What's with that judging look you're giving me, Celty? Celty? Don't ignore me?"
[Just answer the question.] His lover eventually said.
Shinra pouted, but it didn't last longer than a split second. "Anyway, yes, I'll admit I was a tad bit disappointed. But honestly? I don't think Izaya would openly accept all of that as part of himself, either. I'd be far more surprised if he did. Suspicious, even."
"Huh? Why would you get suspicious?" Kanji spoke.
"The Izaya I know would never admit defeat that easily. And I should clarify – I'm referring Izaya's own definition of defeat, and accepting his Shadow would almost certainly classify as that, I think. As you've all said, acceptance of one's Shadow also means having the resolve to challenge one's weaknesses and better oneself. Izaya, quite frankly, doesn't have anything like that, and he likes to believe that he enjoys it that way. So, if he were to have really accepted his Shadow, that would be akin to admitting that he doesn't like his current personality and way of life, and that's an act that is simply preposterous in his eyes."
"So... You'll find it suspicious because it would be something you're certain Orihara-san would never do? Even if his own life was on the line?" Yosuke asked.
"I'd suspect our dear Anonymous-san or some other supernatural entity would be affecting his decision, yes. As self-protective and scared of death as he is, it'd take more than his own life to convince him to change. As an example, his current job is already dangerous enough, and his attitude only makes it even more so and he's aware that he'd get in trouble no matter how careful he is, but even then he hasn't done a single thing to change anything about himself."
"I see..." said Souji. "So even if his Shadow were to go berserk and attempt to kill him again, he still wouldn't accept it?"
"I would think so," Shinra agreed, nodding.
"That's just...so sad," Teddie whimpered. "So beary, beary sad..."
"Well, stubbornness has its limits. He's only human, after all," Shinra said, adding a hopeful tone as he gave Teddie a comforting smile. "Maybe someday he'll come around. Just not today or anytime soon, it seems."
"I suppose..." Souji murmured, his teammates sharing his reluctance in voicing their agreement with Shinra's assessment.
At that moment Celty jolted as the sound of her PDA's ringtone reached everybody's ears. She waved a hand to show her apology before quickly tapping on the screen. Then, she briefly went still.
"What is it, Celty?" As Shinra spoke, his beloved was already tapping on the screen of her PDA again.
[I just received an urgent message from the Dollars.] Celty typed swiftly. [Souji-kun, your friend... She's in trouble!]
In the vicinity of Tower Records, the Ikebukuro branch
'...This is...all I can do...'
Mikado thought to himself, staring blankly at his phone which was displaying the Dollars website as he bit the inside of his cheek.
Even at this juncture, after seeing the results he reaped from that one message he had posted Mikado was still unable to shake away the heaviness that had settled on his shoulders, and the twists and turns that made his heart crumple into a dead knot. As much as Masaomi – and Mikado himself – tried to convince him that his seemingly simple action was anything but insignificant, Mikado couldn't bring himself to fully believe in such a notion.
After all, this wasn't just any random gang that had planned this assault. It was the Dollars, the very organisation that Mikado had founded and helped preserve all this while. The organisation that could've been led to the path Mikado had wanted it to walk on but ultimately didn't and carried on with its wayward deeds instead.
It shouldn't be all that surprising, really, that something like this had happened. A gang that had no true figurehead who stepped up to claim authority over it was bound to invite people who would only be too happy to exploit such a non-conventional practice. Mikado had already experienced something like this first-hand before, so there really shouldn't be much of a reason for him to still feel like he was about to melt in his shoes at any moment, or for the ground to appear so oddly inviting. And yet...
"—gamine, hey Ryuugamine."
"E-eh?" Mikado, upon realising that his name was being called, startled, shoving his phone back into his pocket. "Ahh, um, what is it, Kadota-san?"
The man standing before him frowned slightly. "You feeling alright? You don't look too good..."
"Poor kid must still be in a state of shock, Kadota-san," said Walker, before Mikado himself could even think of a reply. "'Tis not everyday you see people pulling out guns and pointing them at teen idols, y'know. Well, not in the 3D real world we live in, anyway."
"...Kadota-san's right, you look terrible, buddy," Masaomi, who was right beside him, commented, giving Mikado a concerned look. "Maybe we should go straight home and sleep it off."
"Y-yeah, I guess," Mikado replied. He could feel his body teetering on the brink of losing his balance, and had to discreetly shift his weight about in order to keep himself still and steady enough to express his gratitude to Kadota and his friends for what they had done.
"No need for thanks, Ryuugamine. We were in the building anyway." The man in the beanie paused, his frown deepening. "Besides, there's no way we can ignore something like this when the Dollars are involved."
Mikado couldn't help but flinch at that, and hoped fervently that nobody had noticed it.
"...Well, you two better get going," Kadota broke the brief moment of silence. "Go back home and rest up well. You guys still have school tomorrow, so don't spend the weekend break worrying about this. We'll take care of things from here."
"Thank you, Kadota-san," said Masaomi. Mikado repeated after him, having nothing else to say, and only got a mildly frustrated look from the man in response who tried to shrug it off again.
And as Mikado turned and was led away by Masaomi for the second time that day, the black-haired adolescent repeated that thought to himself once more:
'This is all...I can do.'
Not being able to step up when it mattered, letting himself be led away from a scene where somebody was in danger because of an organisation he felt responsible for, making just one small post on the Dollars forum with the hopes of somebody – anybody – seeing it and having the heart to help out, waiting by the sidelines as Kadota and his friends distracted the security guard long enough for them to get Risette to safety, and offering only words of thanks at the end of it all...
In his current position – if Mikado could even call it that – that was all he could do.
"Mikado...?"
Being snapped out of his thoughts again, Mikado turned in the direction of his friend's voice so sharply that Masaomi flinched.
"...Ah," Mikado let out quietly, realising what he had just done. "I-I'm sorry, Masaomi. I didn't..."
"No, no, it's okay," Masaomi replied with tactful swiftness. "I understand what you're going through, so don't worry about it. It's just... That look on your face earlier..."
"H-huh?"
"I was just worried, is all. I mean, it kinda looked like you were beating yourself up for not being able to do anything to make things right. With the whole, uh, Dollars...thing," the blonde said the name in a low whisper.
"That's..." Mikado started, but he eventually found himself unable to say more.
Masaomi placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know how it feels, Mikado. Seriously, I do. That's why I can tell you straight from experience that this isn't going to be the last incident of that kind of nature. Especially with how the Dollars operates, it'll probably never end."
"But that's...that's precisely why—"
"-why you should stay away at the first chance you got. Mikado, I'm not saying that it's a bad thing to take responsibility. But as long as you keep your hands in the colour gang business, you'll never be able to really get away from it."
"I know, Masaomi, but if I had just cleared things up earlier—"
"And how would you do that?" Masaomi questioned. Though his tone was among the harshest Mikado had ever heard him in all his life, there was no denying the warmth that was intertwined with his words. "Waltz up to the guy, tell him everything that's wrong with what he claimed, maybe spit on him for a bit, and then fall to your knees and beg him to not pull the trigger?"
"O-of course not," Mikado replied, smiling weakly at what appeared to be Masaomi's attempt of a poor joke. "Just, uh, well... The first half of what you said? …Maybe?"
Masaomi sighed heavily. "Idiot! Something like that could easily blow your—" He cut himself off, and then shook his head. "Never mind, forget it. Forget I said anything."
"Masaomi...?"
"C'mon, let's just head back home."
And with the discussion ended there, and without any indication of his intent or desire to carry on any further, Masaomi patted Mikado on the shoulder and then continued on his way, sliding his hands into his pockets. Mikado, on the other hand, stopped there and then, staring after Masaomi's back.
'Why...?' Mikado's fingers curled into a fist. 'Why don't you want to talk about it, Masaomi?'
However, it wasn't because he was disappointed that his best friend wouldn't confide in him that he was thinking this way. On the contrary Mikado was perfectly fine with there being secrets between the two of them. It wasn't like he had been completely honest about himself either, so it would be unfair to expect that of other people.
What bothered him, then, was that Masaomi was clearly making the attempt to integrate the whole colour gang business into their lives – and he had been doing so ever since he came back to Mikado and Anri – but would always be the one to end it prematurely like what he had done just now. In particular, Mikado noticed, it would happen when the conversation was about the Dollars and Mikado's relationship with it. It was clear as day that Masaomi was still struggling to accept that, and their earlier discussion only made it all the more obvious.
Keeping secrets from one another was one thing, but one of those secrets being that his own best friend was trying to pretend that his position in the Dollars didn't exist was another level altogether. And knowing that was made worse when Mikado realised and understood what it was exactly that was holding Masaomi back.
But, even then, Mikado found himself unable to voice his thoughts, his intention for the two of them to open up and have a real discussion about the matter.
'...Because, if I do that... I'll only be pushing Masaomi away even further. And I don't want that. Not when Masaomi is already...already blaming himself for what happened with Kujikawa-san.'
If it wasn't for the promise Masaomi had asked Mikado to keep, Mikado would've certainly gone ahead and done as his heart desired in that very moment the security guard declared himself as a member of the Dollars. And, if it wasn't for that same promise, things like people committing crimes in the name of the Dollars or making up fake orders from the so-called boss wouldn't be happening again. If Mikado had gone and insisted on his way back then, then maybe innocent people like Risette wouldn't have had to go through something like that.
At least, that was what Mikado believed Masaomi was thinking. And it pained him to see his friend trying to shoulder that all by himself when it wasn't his fault to begin with.
It wasn't only Masaomi who had wanted Mikado to stop, back then. There was also Anri to think about; poor Anri who had her own burdensome secrets and then had to deal with Masaomi's disappearance and Mikado's standoffish behaviour on top of that.
And then there was Mikado himself, who wanted to return to his everyday life. The life he had been trying to escape from but found to remain the most precious for him. Ironically enough it had been this strong desire of his to preserve things as the way they were that eventually forced Masaomi's hand. That was when Mikado realised how far he had gotten, and the thought of how much further he might've gone if Masaomi hadn't done that still scared him.
'That's why...I don't want you to blame yourself, Masaomi. But...if I told you that, you'd just be more convinced that it's your fault.
'So this is...all I can do.'
To keep himself in check, to make sure he never strayed away from the Mikado Masaomi had known since childhood...
That was the extent Mikado was willing to go. Even right now, after being convinced by what happened earlier that someone was clearly trying to get him involved in all that mess again, he wasn't about to take the bait no matter how much a part of him still desired to pursue a non-everyday life.
But if the circumstances had been different... If it had been Masaomi or Anri in Kujikawa Rise's place instead...
"Heeeyy Mikado, you listening?"
"E-eh? Ah! Coming!" Mikado called back, after blinking out of his stupor at Masaomi's yelling, and ran to where his best friend was waiting.
"What were you doing, just standing there by yourself?" Masaomi sighed, before a cheeky smile found its way to his face. "Don't tell me... You were having dirty thoughts about Anri again, right?"
Mikado gaped, heat rising to his cheeks. "Wh-what? No I wasn't!"
"Reeeeeally?"
"A-argh, Masaomi stop teasing like that! It'd trouble Sonohara-san if she was here... It's kinda amazing that she still doesn't think of you as a pervert of some sort after all this while."
"Heh, I think it'd trouble her a lot more if she caught you blushing along with it."
"B-blushing?! Who's blushing?!"
Masaomi laughed and swung an arm around Mikado's shoulder. And his cheer, no matter how much of a facade it might be, was infectious as Mikado allowed himself a smile.
'Yeah, this is all I can do. And that's...okay.' Mikado tilted his head back slightly, catching a glimpse of the pale blue sky. 'But...if something like that really happens, then... What should I do? …Izaya-san... Celty-san...'
A/N: Thus concludes the Dry Harbinger miniarc. So far all I've been doing in this miniarc is introduce even more mysteries waiting to be solved and drop foreshadowing all over the place to set up what's going to happen in the rest of the third arc but I promise it'll all be resolved in the end. Next time we'll be focusing more on the IT side to begin resolving some of those mysteries/questions that have been raised up in this story. I realise I've been putting a lot of attention on the DRRR cast, so it's about time I go back to the IT too.
Oh right, I'm currently considering making a sequel to this fic... I just have so many ideas with this setting that I can't help myself ahaha. This is partly because I've recently played P4 Dancing All Night and was just blown away by the plot. So many ideas. I did consider a sequel some time ago, but at that time I felt satisfied with the ending I gave this fic and I didn't have a particular direction for a sequel so I set it aside, but P4DAN completely changed that haha. It's not confirmed though because I also have a lot of ideas with other fics, but if I do decide on making the sequel, it'll be completely focused on the DRRR cast because I might want to explore certain themes and mythos and having the P4 mythos involved would over-complicate things.
I also finished reading the Izaya Sunset novel. I really, really loved it. It gave me even more ideas ahaha.
Thank you all for your support, as always! :)