The Happiest of Man

Chapter 24

He never had good memories in high school. His memory was always clouded with fights with Izaya and how they were constant. Just a single look at his face and his fists would immediately clench, his lips set in a deep frown, eyes never leaving his thin figure.

The memory his brain have retrieved was something he has long forgotten – or something he should have forgotten simply because it involved Izaya, however he remembered it so vividly; almost as if he was there in the past, watching everything unfold.

He was at the library, going through his notes. Shizuo may have caused destruction everywhere he went, but he was the type of person who wanted to make his parents proud and make them worry less about him. In a way, he wanted to present to them grades that they will be proud of. Perhaps it was his own way of apologizing for becoming the way he is today. As he flipped through each note, looking over at the textbook at the side every once in awhile, he heard a voice and his fingers began to slowly wrinkle the papers on the table.

“Oh, if it isn’t Shizu-chan. You actually study? That’s impressive.”

The library is a quiet place where students came to read for fun or to study. Shizuo knew that if he were to grab this table and throw it over at Izaya, he would disrupt everyone and everything would be his fault again. He didn’t want to be inconsiderate of those who had no business with their fights, so he decided to follow the rules. Once he was out of here, he’ll find Izaya and kill him.

Not bothering to respond to Izaya, he decided to read through the textbook, but the angry glare was still set in his eyes. He never did look happy when Izaya was nearby. Anyone in their right mind would have known that by now.

“Ah, you’re ignoring me? Then, I’ll do the talking; you’ll do the listening unless that’s too much of a burden for your small brain.” Izaya laughed as he heard something break. As he looked over, the corner of the table was denied a smooth surface as a piece fell onto the ground next to the leg of furniture. 

“How frightening. I can imagine that you won’t go down so easily with strength like that. I’ve been wondering, though. Have you ever once thought about death?”

At this point, he stopped trying to ignore Izaya although he honestly didn’t want to talk about this kind of topic with anyone. Death was such a morbid topic. He’d rather talk about the weather and how the sun was just the right temperature to go sun bathing.

“One may say, ‘we’re too young to think about stuff like that’, but they’re wrong. See, we were never promised a tomorrow. That’s why it’s best to live a life you’ve always wanted even if it’s out of your grasp. Even someone like you would agree with me on that one, right?”

Izaya smiled as Shizuo finally looked at him, wondering why the hell he was talking to him about this. He just wanted to study before his lunch break was over. Just what was this boy thinking, approaching his enemy and releasing his thought vomit all over him?

“I doubt you have to worry about stuff like that, though.”

Shizuo wasn’t sure whether he should feel insulted or not.

“With a body like that, who wouldn’t be confident with their own life? However, I’m not saying that you’re normal. Let’s not forget that you’re more like a monster than a human to the people you see everyday, the people you walk by in the city everyday.”

The noise of paper crunched as he balled up his fists, his notes being consumed slowly while doing so. 

“Perhaps you’re lucky.” Izaya turned his back to Shizuo – he never knew what kind of expression he was making by then.

“I don’t know whether to be happy for you, angry, or even envious.” 

His head turned slightly to look at Shizuo and the look in his eyes, he remembered, made him wonder what type of person Izaya Orihara really was inside. In a second, Izaya was smiling like an immature brat who had something up his sleeves again.

“Have fun while it lasts. After all, with a body and strength like that, why bother being afraid of death?”