「secret empire」ー 折原 臨也

Ch. 9: Hungry oceans devour even castles of stone

Just what was he thinking?

From beginning to end there was no way anyone could completely figure out the bizarre being that Orihara Izaya was. Even in a situation like this, he kept a giant lock in front of him, making it impossible to reach out completely.

Not hesitating a further second, Yuzuki snapped out of it. She moved on her own as she took a large quick step forward, suddenly finding herself in between the two men. As soon as a stinging pain shot through her stomach, the time seemed to work normal again.

She stared at her brother in shock, before her eyes wandered down slowly to the knife in her abdomen.

"Yuzuki, what– why did you...?" her sibling stuttered, completely taken off guard, his voice shivering just like his hands that were still holding the blade in place. "I– how..."

"Shh..." Yuzuki cooed, wrapping her hands softly around his and holding them im place, the knife still inside her body, the pain and blood spreading everywhere.

It took every bit of strength she had to keep standing on her own feet and keep eye contact with her brother as she carefully tightened her grip on his wrists. His eyes were wide opened, staring at the sight in front of him. They were filled with so much guilt and anxiety, things Yuzuki didn't think he was capable of.

"I'm sorry," the girl whispered, smiling at her sibling, before she gave him a hard push on the chest, surprising him, so that he couldn't catch balance anymore. Instead he stumbled backwards a few steps, ultimately failing to gain control at the very edge of the roof.

With a earpiercing scream he fell down, the scene so familiar to the one years ago. The only difference being, that this was the end. He would not survive this time.

Finally having used all of her strength, Yuzuki fell to her knees, cringing at the immense pain.

"Why would you protect me?"

Izaya took his time, calmly picking up the knife he had dropped earlier, before kneeling beside the girl and somewhat helping her finding support by leaning her against the nearest wall. His eyes viewed the large wound, examining the blood around the blade that was still stuck there.

"Don't take it out, idiot," she quickly said, slapping his hand away as he tried to approach it. A hiss from her side followed due to the pain the movement required.

"Why would you protect me?" Izaya repeated his question, still calmly and slowly.

It was that second Yuzuki realized these were the wrong words to describe Izaya right now. He wasn't calm, he was far from it. She had never seen him more troubled, more silent, more taken aback. Usually, she would wait for a mocking remark, a dumb joke or at least a self satisfied smirk. But today, she was having none of it.

"You could say I hate leaving behind unfinished business," she replied quietly in between coughing fits, picking up his words from earlier.

"But you didn't have to–" he tried to retort, his voice more raw suddenly, almost as if he was angry at her for putting herself in so much danger. Again, Yuzuki felt how she tried to reflect things onto Izaya that probably weren't true. She didn't know if they were, there was no proof for nor against it. She just knew it was what she wished had been genuine.

"You're not as bad as you pretend to be, Izaya", she interrupted him, looking into his eyes that asked so many questions. "You were kind of right. We are not that different from each other, you know? For example, I would dare to say we're quite similar even. I mean, I have you figured out just as much as you have me, haven't I?" She regretted to chuckle after her words and it developed into another coughing fit.

"You should stop trying to live up to be something you're not." she added and slowly closed her eyes, the last thing her ears reached being Izaya's voice calling out her name.

05/04:

Beep... beep... beep...

Though regularly and not too loud, Izaya was fed up of this constant background sound.

Beep... beep... beep...

He hated hospitals in general. Everything was too bright and just a facade of control that wasn't honest at all. In reality, hospitals were full of tragic stories and people losing hope.

Beep... beep... beep...

Opening his eyes, he once more looked at the girl on the bed. Skin as white as the sheets and pillows around her , she almost looked like a corpse already. It was a surprise her heart was beating and beeping still.

Beep... beep... beep...

"What an amazing birthday present, I must say, Tsuki-chan," he sighed, attempting to put on a half decent smirk. Not that his failure in doing so would go noticed, since Yuzuki was not awake, but it bothered him.

What was he doing here anyway?

Beep... beep... beep...

Did he honestly care?

Surely he didn't. He didn't have to feel guilty or anything. None of this was any of his concern.

Be–beep...be-beepbe-beepbe-beep-beep-beep-beep

That's right. Yuzuki was none of his concern.

Nobody was.

Humans were only objects of observation, not interaction.

beep-beep-beep-beepbeepbeep

"Sir."

But why was he here then?

"Sir! You need to leave the room immediately!"

Jumping at the voice, Izaya turned his head in confusion. Before getting even the chance to comprehend what was going on, a nurse grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him up, pushing him outside the room.

Several nurses and doctors ran across the hallway, entering Yuzuki's room.

"Vital signs changing drastically. Her heart rhythm is unstable, doctor," one of them said.

Izaya froze, breaking free from the nurse's grip. He turned around again, wanting to go back in there, but was held back.

"I'm sorry, you can not go in there, sir. Let the doctors do their job."

With that the door was closed right before his face.

Why was he here?

Why did he care so much?

Why did he want her to be alright?

Clenching his hand into a fist, he slammed the nearest wall. "Dammit," he cursed, turning on his heels and falling down onto a chair. He slumped into a ball without energy, elbows on his knees, face in his palms, fingers ruffling through his raven hair.

Even though it has been only been ten minutes according to the doctors, it felt like hours, days even.

An endless amount of time of clenched teeth and trembling muscles, shaking knees and being unable to rest as the informant kept walking up and down the hallway.

He could not see nor hear what was going on inside that room.

Just what was going on in there?

Why did he care so much?

Why was he here?

Why did he not just turn around and leave this hellhouse of a building, never returning, just forgetting, like he always did. What was it that made her so special? Why couldn't he just give up and call it a day? Why did he feel like he lost a game in the first place? Shouldn't he be the winner? Didn't he succeed in playing with Yuzuki for as long as possible? Didn't he get the most enjoyment out of this experience as wanted?

All these questions ran through his mind while the door finally opened. The doctors stepped outside and Izaya rushed to the frame. His eyes caught the sight of a young girl wearing a smile on her face, returning the favor and looking right at him.