[Normal POV]
Izaya kept smiling at her, but his eyes are not smiling. (F/n) feels confused why he had to show up at her house of all the times, but she thinks nothing comes good from it.
"Perfect timing. I'm not entertaining any visitors right now, bye," she told him as she smiled the same way he did. She knows what she just did is rude, but perhaps, the information broker has higher qualifications for him to consider an action rude. (F/n) grabbed the door knob and pushed the door close, but Izaya grabbed the edge of the door to keep it open. "What?" (F/n) snapped. She was totally out of mood.
"That's mean of you (F/n), after I came all the way here," he said that to her as he easily welcomed himself inside (F/n)'s unit and closed the door for her. (F/n) made a blank expression at what he did and just crossed her arms. "Just because Shizu-chan hates me, it doesn't mean that his girlfriend, no- ex-girlfriend have to hate me too."
(F/n) gasped at what he just said. The man definitely knew something. "How did you know...?" she calmly asked.
"Oh please. I know everything about you. Did you seriously think that I will just cut all my business with you after you cancelled my mission?" he said it in the least triggering way. "How naïve of you."
The girl raised her brow. "So invading my privacy is the way you get your payback from me?"
"You need to cool your head off," he said as he suddenly grabbed her wrist and dragged her to his car. "You should go on a date with me."
"What? No! Why should I?" (F/n) complained as the black haired man sat her on the passenger seat, put the belt, on and closed the door. She threw a tantrum like a child locked in the car. "Get me out of here, dimwit!"
The man sat on the driver's seat just next to her. The girl still wanted to throw tantrums but she knew that the man won't let her out, so she just silently growled.
"I just remembered your birthday was a few days ago. I'm sorry I didn't come. Let me treat you to a restaurant today," he said and winked at her. She felt goosebumps as he started the car and drove.
As they got to the fine restaurant, Izaya ordered tofu hot salad for himself. "(F/n), what do you like? It's on me."
"A glass of watermelon shake is fine," she replied, a bit irritated. The restaurant staff took their orders to the counter.
"You know, you can order a bit more. I'm paying for it as a gift," he said to her as he leaned on the table.
"Out with your niceties. I know you want something from me, otherwise you won't take me to this restaurant," (F/n) said flatly as she averted her gaze at the man. She feels really uncomfortable in a bad way.
Izaya sighed. "You're very slow. I'm taking you for a date."
"Why would I date you?"
"Because you're free again. Shizu-chan just dumped you."
"Why do you care? And can we please not talk about that?" she hissed.
The man sat back. "I've taken an interest in you. I like you. Besides... don't you want to get back at Shizu-chan?"
(F/n) was rendered silent. It hurts her heart more than what she could bear. "..."
"You know what, that night of your birthday, I saw him flirting with a beautiful young woman," he said to her.
"Don't make up stories!" she snarled at him.
"That's probably why he broke up with you," he continued his rant to her mercilessly and showed her the picture in his phone. As (F/n) was about to hold it, he held his phone to her, but did not hand it to her. "You're just allowed to look at it."
(F/n)'s eyes dilated. Even if she could just see their backs, she knew that it's definitely them. Shizuo and Claudia are together, clinging, flirting even. "You see, Shizu-chan dumped you because he found a better woman."
"No... way..." (F/n) slumped on her chair, holding back her tears.
"So now you see. If you'll be my girlfriend, you can shove to Shizu-chan's face what he wasted when he had you," he said as he offered his hand. "Do we make a deal? No, I mean, do you agree to be my girlfriend?"
(F/n) looked at his hand and then to his face and back to his hand. She was about to stick her hand out to grab his hand, but she was confused and debating it to herself. If she takes his hand, she becomes his girlfriend just as easy as that. (F/n) knows deep in her heart that she wanted a romantic love. She had Shizuo but she lost him. Now, Izaya is here for her.
She examined his eyes and he speaks the truth. Izaya wanted to be in a serious relationship. Although to (F/n), she may agree to do this because Shizuo broke her heart, but to Izaya, it is a new adventure in life.
"You know, (F/n), I can't stick my hand out forever. I just said I like you and you can learn to like me if we get together," he said and then reminded her, "For saving your ass all the time, one relationship is a small price to pay. It can clear your debts from me."
(F/n) gasped and completely put down her hands. By bringing her debts back to her at the time she might have decided to be in a relationship with him, it angered her. But it also relieved her and saved her from making another big wrong decision in her life.
"My debts? If it is to pay my debt, being with you is the last thing I want in my life," she stated this so seriously and offered him a different payment. "I know a lot about the mysteries of the lost Archen Hannes Village. With that valuable information, I assume I can repay all my debts."
Izaya sighed. "Even that confidential info is not enough with all the help I gave you in the past and even until now."
"Here are your orders, sir, mam," the waiter arrived and delivered their food. The two gladly thanked him. "Thank you for waiting," the waiter said before he left. The two resumed their discussion.
"Even now, you say...?" (F/n) raised her brow again. She never asked for his help and she wanted him to just mind his own business and forget about their past relations. But if the help he is talking about have leads towards Shizuo's whereabouts, she wanted to know about it.
"Yes. I ask only one thing in return. Be my girlfriend and I will treat you nicely," he insisted. (F/n) is getting tired about it. She is beginning to think that he is desperate for a lover.
"Why do you want a girlfriend, seriously? Isn't it easier to do your work without one?" she densely asked.
He slumped on his chair this time. "Ah! I'm not getting any younger. Shinra and nearly everyone in our batch already have girlfriends. Shizu-chan and I were the last without. I'd be fine if both of us ends without, but lately, he had you. I'm lonely, thinking that."
(F/n) wasn't sure how to react. His words just now confirmed what she was thinking earlier, that he is getting desperate for a lover. She thought that he might just be like her as well. She wished for a lover and had a tough love with him. Now, it is the information broker's turn.
She sighed and face palmed. "What should I do with you...?" She could pretend to be his girlfriend for the time being, but that doesn't solve their problems. It is just her being nice to her old assassination customer.
"No! You mustn't, Nee-chan!" exclaimed an energetic voice coming from the entrance of the restaurant. There are two girls, Kururi and Mairu. (F/n) knows them as Izaya's little sisters and she even asked them to help look for Shizuo.
"Yo." Izaya waved nonchalantly at them.
Mairu stomped towards our table while Kururi just walked after her. "Iza-nii, we've been looking for you all over! You promised to take the two of us to a family gala!" Mairu demanded at him while she points her finger and pouts at him.
"Was it today?" Izaya cluelessly asked. (F/n) makes a stoic expression.
Kururi nodded. "Did you forget, nii-san?"
"Ah!" Izaya exclaimed. The restaurant personnel and customers are getting distracted by them. "I totally forgot. Gomen ne, I'll go with you after I finish my business."
"That's right," Mairu snapped and talked to (F/n). "You musn't take Iza-nii as your boyfriend. He's ours. Besides, he loves humans. If you become his girlfriend, he'll love you like his kitten, so better not."
"That was helpful, Mairu-chan," Izaya commented sarcastically. Then, he finished his business just as fast as he finished his tofu. He whispered to (F/n), "By the way, I know Shizu-chan's whereabouts."
(F/n) stiffened as she heard it. "Is it confirmed?"
"Yes. I give you my business card. My new number is there; my old one stopped working," he continued to whisper as he secretly gave her the business card. "Meet up with me once you're decided."
"Bye," Mairu said and waved to her as she turned around with Kururi and walked after Izaya. Before (F/n) could say anything in reply, the three have left the restaurant. (F/n) is unsure about Izaya. She looked into the card she was holding and slid it in her pocket. It might be useful one day, but if she calls him, does that mean she accepts to be his girlfriend?
Being the information broker, Izaya needs lots of eyes and ears to work for him. He has more men than imaginable. Looking for Shizuo is easy for him. However, asking help from him this time is really unfavorable. (F/n) finished her drink fast so that she could return to Celty and join the search.
That is right. She still have the people who help her search. Izaya is her last option. However, the longer she searches, the more she battles time. What happens to Shizuo while they look for him? Do they have other places to stay? They get one lead from another, but they are always late. Thus, (F/n) decided that she will only talk to the information broker when she has no hope left.
-
Several more days and weeks have passed. The search with their friends is ineffective, time consuming, and fruitless.
That afternoon, (F/n) went on a search with Celty. Because Celty thinks that (F/n) might be the real target of Claudia and probably her people or higher ups and that Shizuo chose to turn himself to push (F/n) out of harm's way, she always tell (F/n) not to go searching on her own. She never tells (F/n) why due to her mental state and someone always had to be with her.
(F/n) won't understand and will continue to take reckless measures to get Shizuo back in one piece. It is very dangerous of her to think and act that way, but it is difficult to change how she thinks. It is better for her not to know than people explain to her what might really be happening.
-
[Shizuo's POV]
For more than a month now, I live in this rundown apartment basement with a foreigner lady who refuses to talk about what is important. Because I should not be seen in the outside, I live here like a prisoner. More like her prisoner.
Claudia is a very treacherous woman, yet vulnerable in her sleep. She is always having nightmares. She is always dreaming of the man she loved and that she never wanted to be parted with him. But in how she sleep talks, it's like he casted her away. She calls the man 'Tatsu-kun' in her dreams.
Have we met in a better situation, I would have sympathy for her.
It might just be my curious imagination, but the puzzle pieces in the old lady's story are coming to its place. Omitaka Tatsuhiko is Ayuno Komihara brought back to life. A young blind foreigner lady was clinging to his arm when he returned. That lady must be responsible for his return and knows the truth since the man was executed. However, the heartless man experimented on her because he knew that the blind woman will do anything for him. After the experimentation on her failed, he threw her away. Her name is Leena Prestn, the woman (F/n) spent a year of her life searching for but had no leads.
Except for a few discrepancies, Claudia Keats matches that of Leena Prestn. I am certain she lived long, for Chikara wanted (F/n) to deliver a message for him. Unlike Leena, Claudia is not blind and she is still young despite the ten years that have passed from the old lady's story. She speaks of a man named 'Tatsu-kun', which may be Omitaka Tatsuhiko's nick name. Also, Claudia is a witch. The old lady and the mad man did not mention about Leena being a witch, but if she actually is, then Claudia Keats might actually be Leena Prestn!
If my conclusion is right, then why would Leena want (F/n)? Is it because she is a successful experiment? Does she envy her? What?
"Don't leave me, please, I want to be with you! Tatsu-kun!" she begged in her sleep.
I sighed, thinking that it is about the right time to know the truth and to get her to tell it to me. I walked up to her and shook her carefully just enough to wake her up. "You're having a bad dream, Leena. Wake up."
She calmed down, took my hand and squeezed. She slowly opened her eyes. "Tatsu-kun, is that you? Did you just call me my name? Please call me my name again."
"Leena."
She completely turned to her side facing me and opened her eyes completely. She scuttled on her bed and flattened her back on the wall as she forcefully let go of my hand.
Half of the mystery is now solved. "I knew it; you're Leena Prestn the whole time."