I'd never wanted to come back to Ikebukuro. Yet, here I am, at 2 AM sitting on a park bench smack in the middle of the city. The bench wasn't illuminated by any of the street lights, which gave me some comfort. Crimes aside, because this city was full of gangs and it attracted dangerous people, this town had many eyes and ears, passing information around. I wasn't quite ready for anyone to know I was here.

Shivering from the cold, I checked my phone. Mairu and Kururi usually tried to contact me via email almost every night. Mostly it was stupid and irrelevant information but I was happy that they seemed to be doing so well. Our parents were overseas for most of their lives, leaving Izaya and me to take care of them. But today, there was no email.

A flash of light shone toward me caused my head to rise from the screen I had been staring at. Park Patrol. "Hey, you. This park is closed."

I slid my phone back into my jacket pocket. "I'm new here. I didn't know," I said, giving him my best smile.

This man wasn't a police officer. He looked to be in his mid-forties. Probably married with kids. "It's not safe to be out in a dark place alone. Let me walk you back to your car." Completely normal.

He continued to talk and tell me about Ikebukuro and then himself. Kids, teenagers. One was a trouble maker and the other a straight-A student. His wife worked as a real estate agent. A cookie cutter family. Highly predictable. Boring as hell.

After I'd drove away, I sighed. Work had brought me back here, but was this job worth it? I'd spent a long time erasing myself. From this town. From my brother. From everything. The light turning red allowed me to get a good look at the city. I'd left three years ago, it had continued on without me.

Beside me, a rider on a black bike pulled up. Oddly, it didn't sound like one. It had no sound at all. Strange. The rider sped off, keeping my attention until the car behind me beeped. This town had definitely changed.

I found a place to park my car for a while. Not many people were out, so it should be safe enough to walk around and find a place to eat. Cash was tight until I finished this job, but a girl's gotta eat. Some shops I remembered as a kid had been demolished and replaced with new buildings, but the vibe of the city had stayed the same.

"Miss! Come get good sushi! We open late! Cheap prices!" A Russian man called out to me. When I realized, he was looking straight at me, I tensed up. This man was tall and dangerous, but had the most inviting smile. I allowed myself to like him because of it.

"I love sushi," I replied with a smile.

He told me his name was Simone but everyone called him Simon. He held the door open for me and took my coat, directing me to sit the counter. This place was new. But it felt like it belonged in Ikebukuro.

I hesitated when my eyes fell on the only other person sitting at the counter. Shizuo Heiwajima. We'd gone to high school together. His hatred for Izaya hadn't affected our friendship. With a shake of my head, I slid into the chair next to him. He probably won't even remember me. I'd cut my long black hair up to right above my shoulders.

"What kind of sushi do you like?" The Russian man behind the counter asked, cooking some meat that I wasn't sure should qualify as such.

"Crab, if you have any." I rubbed my hands together to keep from looking over at Shizuo.

The smell of a cigarette hit me and then, "Jori?"

I met Shizuo's stare. "Hey." I smiled awkwardly. Never mind. He does remember.

"Hey? That's all you can say? Some people thought you were dead. Where the hell have you been?" He asked. His casual tone almost made me laugh. He'd made it sound like this was an ordinary conversation.

"Here and there," I answered, taking a bite of the sushi plate that was set in front of me. Not the best sushi I'd ever had but I knew I shouldn't complain. There'd been plenty of nights where I hadn't had the luxury of eating anything.

Shizuo raised an eyebrow. "Vague, but okay. Can I ask what brought you back?"

"Probably best that you don't. I like to keep my work private." I flashed a smile. It felt like no time had passed since we last talked. "Are you bartending now?"

Shizuo relaxed, laughing a little. "Not anymore, but my brother bought this for me and I want to wear it." He adores his little brother.

"It looks good on you," I said, taking another bite of sushi. We both grew up from the crazy high school kids we used to be.

"You haven't changed, Jori," Shizuo commented with a chuckle. He snuffed out his cigarette and stood up. "I'll see you around. It's good that you're back."

Good that I'm back? Before I could question him, Simon came running in out of breath. "Miss Jori! Your car is towed! I try to stop it but no good."

"What? No way. Shit." My chair scrapped the floor as I jumped up. From the edge of the sidewalk, I watched the tow truck disappear with my car. "Fantastic." My home just rolled away.

"It's okay. Tomorrow you go get it back. No worries!" Simon tried to make it better but failed.

I ran my hand through my hair and stuck some cash in his hand and thanked him for the meal. The cool air stung my skin as I walked down the street to the nearest bench. It constantly reminding me that I had nowhere to go. I'd end up sleeping out here in it. Every breath I let out hung in the air.

With my hands stuffed in my pockets, I bounced my legs up and down to attempt to warm myself. One option was to sleep on the street. The other… I could call Izaya. With enough groveling, I'm sure he'd let me crash with him. No part of me was prepared to do that. And I most definitely didn't want to. I let my head fall back and Shizuo looked down at me.

"Let me guess, you're living out of your car?" He asked.

At least I could blame the cold weather for the redness I knew just appeared on my cheeks. "It's no big deal." That answer had become habit. I didn't like handouts or feeling weak. "Those will kill you one day."

Shizuo stopped before lighting his cigarette. "So will sleeping on the street in this weather. If you need a place to stay, you can come to mine." Before I could mutter a refusal, he said, "What? You have a better offer?"

With a sigh, I shook my head. One night won't hurt anyone. "Fine, but you have to let me repay you somehow." I hated to be indebted to someone, even an old friend. That kind of thing can get you killed.

With a nod, Shizuo lit his cigarette before heading away from town with me right beside him. Thankfully, he didn't make any unneeded conversation. The comfortable silence felt familiar and safe. Shizuo lived on the third floor of a small apart building. It had two bedrooms, but one was overrun of half unpacked boxes. The rest of his house, minimally decorated, with a little bit of mess everywhere.

"The bedroom is all yours. I never use it," Shizuo said and plopped onto the couch. He turned the tv on and set his cigarette down. He looked exhausted so I decided to just go to the room. There was no reason to argue with him, because it would do no good. He could be stubborn. Plus, I missed sleeping in a bed.

Tomorrow, I'd get my car back, get this job started and finished by the end of the week, and then I'd leave this town… before anyone realized I'd even been here, especially Izaya. Being discrete was part of the job, but here, I'd have to be practically invisible. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I pulled the locket out from my shirt. Would mom and dad be proud of what their eldest children had become? Izaya had become an information broker. And me? I was so much worse than that.