「secret empire」ー 折原 臨也

Ch. 2: Despite all regret

04/22:

"Man is a creature of habit."

The words have left his lips with ease and the usual tone of amusement. She half heartedly chose to listen to their meaning, though too tired to pay close attention.

"What do you mean?" she spoke within only a low breath and closed eyes, head leaning against his chest. The very dull thud of his beating heart captivated her concentration by far more, surprising her each time but also comforting her somehow.

She always tended to forget that he was a mortal human being, just like her.

He also seemed to neglect this fact from time to time.

She acknowledged this fact when she took notice of how he kept talking about humans as such, never once including himself. He called them "they" and "their" and "those creatures" while he praised them and while the curl of his lips signalized his adoration for his beloved human race.

That is how she knew, he wasn't talking about himself. Because Orihara Izaya was never talking about himself.

Nobody knew what was going on in that little raven head. Sometimes the girl was almost sure, he didn't know himself. Then again, if she didn't know better, who else did? It was impossible for Izaya not to know. He knew everything, it seemed.

"Some people just say and do things over and over again, even though they know it's wrong. It's interesting, really. They just can't seem to stop." As the informant continued his speech of highly philosophical content, his fingers danced slowly through her locks.

"What exactly are you referring to?" the girl sighed tiredly, finally opening her eyes again. It wasn't that she was annoyed at him. In fact, there were times he could talk about the depths of the homo sapiens mind and how it worked and why it worked like so and she would listen.

His obsession and interest for theories of such kind resembled a child's love for something very precious to them. Seeing him like this, excited over such a self-explaining and simple thing, always reminded her of a kid. It made him seem less dangerous and more innocent, even when his intentions combined with the power he had called for the exact opposite.

She always chose to listen in the end.

Perhaps, because she was searching for the innocence in the cruelty.

But at times like that it was different. She was alerted by his words that emerged from silence, emerged from nothing.

"Ah, interested now, are we?" he chuckled in response to her question.

It's always the same game. Of course she was interested in what he had to say, after all he was addressing her. At least that was what she thought he was doing.

It could've been her paranoia thinking that way, rather than curiosity.

Especially when she was worried like this, not even knowing over what exactly. Was she worried that he was right?

It would've been easier, if she understood Orihara Izaya. But nobody did. He was a mysterious question mark. Invisible but omniscient. Him knowing the girl better than she did herself was… weird.

"Don't worry. Not everything I say automatically has a deeper meaning, you see," the informant sighed and allowed his glance to wander to the girl lying next to him.

When their eyes met each other, the girl started to frown.

"You're wrong," she sighed, shaking her head and causing the man to raise an eyebrow in confusion. "There's always some sort of meaning behind every word. If there wasn't, then humans wouldn't be humans. Their brains, their thoughts, they sort out and pick every word carefully. Unintentionally and without awareness, but everyone thinks at some point before they speak."