The Happiest of Man

Chapter 14.

The next came with gritted teeth: What an idiot, right?

He wanted to throw the pen against the wall, but he persevered. Maybe through this, he can prove that he had once existed in this world: I would like to ask him one day: why? Don’t we hate each other? 

Don’t you hate me?

Then a thought crossed his mind: You pitied me, didn’t you?

Izaya calmly placed the pen upon the desk as he shut the journal close.

Laying his head upon his folded arms which were settled upon the desk, he decided to remain inside and allow his mind to topple him with thoughts that ridiculed him.

At least it was the only thing that was working properly.

A thought crossed his mind as he lifted his head and looked down at the closed journal again. Usually, Izaya would speak to himself, but instead, he grabbed the pen, opened to the first page and wrote something down on the next blank line: Nothing is more amusing than writing about the person you hate the most.

- -

Shizuo could feel the difference when Izaya was no longer wandering the streets of Ikebukuro. There was a sense of peace he has never felt before although admittedly, he was part of the reason why the city has always been noisy. That’s the only thing that hasn’t changed as well as the ridiculous gangsters and the types of people who triggered his anger more quickly than others. There was such a great difference that he started to forget that Izaya was still around. Somehow, his peaceful life, the one he had wanted to lead since he was a child, was more important than thinking about his ruthless enemy.

At the beginning, he did have a feeling that maybe the informant will show himself unexpectedly; the act he pulled in that hospital was nothing more than just child’s play, but no matter how hard he looked, he could never find Izaya anywhere within the city. 

He noticed a pattern, though.

Near the beginning of every month, the citizens of Ikebukuro allowed one single name to leave their lips: Izaya Orihara.

It was the rumors that fueled most of the conversations during that time of the month and most of them actually made sense save for a few that were nothing more than baseless assumptions. Although most of the citizens knew nothing about Izaya Orihara, they still found themselves talking about him. It was how most people were like, especially when it came to celebrities. It seems that they were bored enough with their lives that they rather insult the ones that they hardly knew to begin with. 

For Shizuo, it was easy for him to walk down the streets of his beloved city despite of that. The people who knew of him were careful with their words since they did not want to be the victim of his anger. However, there were an unfortunate few who had to face it – perhaps for the better so they wouldn’t commit the same mistake the next time he met up with the blond ex-bartender.

Even with the monthly rumors, Shizuo was able to live peacefully. Although he carried the assumption that maybe Izaya was lurking in the crowd, as long as he didn’t see or pick up on his “scent”, then it didn’t matter to him. If he really was crippled, then that may as well be worse than death for him. He had no proof whether Izaya was telling the trouble. In that brain of his, he knew Izaya was the most dishonest person on this planet. He wouldn’t put it past him if he had smuggled the medicine or even pretended to have a disease of some sort.

Never did he wake up in the morning with the thought, ‘Today is going to be a good day’, but that has changed since Izaya had visited the hospital on that one day. At least he can be grateful of that much.

“You’re smiling more often than you used to.”

“Ah, really?” Shizuo was surprised that Tom noticed. 

“Really. The city has been a lot peaceful compared to a few months ago, so I don’t blame you.”

“Yeah.”

“Looks like we’re almost there.” Tom announced as they both continued to walk down the streets of the bustling world of Ikebukuro. 

They were headed to their next assignment. It seems that there was a woman who didn’t pay off her debts yet and they were expected to get her to pay them in full once and for all. It seems that the world, the city, had different plans for them, though.