The Happiest of Man

Chapter 22

His brown eyes lifted up to the sky – then back down at Izaya. Yeah, why didn’t he? Thinking about it was hurting his head, so he came up with the most plausible answer.

“I have a package to hand over to the boss.” 

Izaya’s eyes lingered over to Shizuo’s hand and noticed a ruined package in his hand. He chuckled.

“What a disappointing answer.”

“Shut up and deal with it.”

Izaya smiled in response and did a quick topic change with a simple question:

“When do you have to return to Ikebukuro?”

“As soon as possible.”

“You won’t be penalized if you were to owe me dinner with that apology, right?”

Shizuo glared over at Izaya’s smiling face. He knew he should have probably walked away the moment the man had awakened from his temporary slumber. But, maybe it wouldn’t hurt as long as Izaya would keep his mouth shut and stop insulting him like he was truly an idiot. Then again, he’d rather not deal with him although a part of him somehow didn’t mind the fact that he was talking to him like this. Was it because he was sick? Did he really feel sorry for him?

How strange.

“Probably not, but it doesn’t mean I’m gonna do anything for you.”

He began to walk, almost as if he was going to leave, but he spoke up again.

“Why would you want to have dinner with me anyway?”

“Well . . .” Izaya was already by his side as Shizuo continued to look forward.

“Take a guess!” 

“. . . I don’t want to play any games right now.”

“You know, Shizu-chan, I can counter your question with another one.”

“Didn’t you hear me the first time?!”

Completely ignoring his anger, Izaya continued, “Why did you save me that one time?”

“What?”

They both stopped in their tracks as they looked at one another – one wore confusion, another masked everything behind a smile.

“Don’t you hate me?”

“. . . Yeah, I do. What’s your point?”

“People who hate one another wouldn’t save each other.”

It was awfully quiet – it wasn’t the relaxing kind, either. It was the type that can suffocate someone if no one bothered to speak a word. Izaya grasped tightly onto his notebook as he opened it briefly before shutting it close again. Shizuo watched his movements closely – they were less elegant and it should have made him happy to see Izaya fall apart so slowly, but he couldn’t find any reason to be joyful over it. He knew he was going to feel bad because whatever Izaya has, other people in this world did, too. If he was standing next to someone who was in the same condition as his enemy, he doubt he would feel good about it.

“I don’t need your pity.”

“It’s not pity.” Shizuo immediately said.

“Then what is it?”

He wasn’t sure what he wanted to say: moments like these, he wished he had the time to rehearse his lines.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with you or how it happened, but you can’t die until I get to you first.”

“That’ll be wishful thinking on your part.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Tch, it’s not like you’re gonna die from this, anyway.”

For the first time in his life, he saw the corner of Izaya’s mouth twitch.

“Izay –”

“It’s so nice to know someone has so much faith in me.”

Izaya went ahead, then stopped and turned just a bit. 

“So, how about that dinner?”