Lost Shoes

Summary: Masaomi thinks he knows who took Anri's shoes. Just where did he go while Mikado and Anri were searching the classroom in Episode 8?

a/n: I thought it was kind of weird that Masaomi left believing he knew who the culprit was, and he was never seen again for the rest of the episode – if you don't count his phone call with Mikado shortly after Anri left the classroom. Right after that, Mikado gave up the search, only to see Anri's shoes at the field below. Also, I just thought it was interesting that while Mikado and Anri began the search for her shoes, Anri noticed how Masaomi seemed "kind of scary, not like normal." Maybe they were all just coincidences, but it just seemed strange, so this is just my idea of what could have happened in Episode 8.

Durarara! © Ryohgo Narita

"What did you lose this time, Mikado?" Kida Masaomi exclaimed, grinning as he wrapped his arm around his best friend Ryugamine Mikado. He wondered if Mikado had misplaced another belonging other than his textbook and wallet.

"Sonohara-san's shoes are gone," Mikado reluctantly muttered as the two looked at Anri's empty shoe locker.

"Again? Man, people need to get a life," Masaomi replied, sighing.

It wasn't the first time Sonohara Anri's shoes vanished in thin air, nor had it been the first time Anri had been bullied. Mikado and Masaomi knew this and tried to prevent such occurrences from happening to Anri, but it seemed whoever was doing this continued to persist. Anri closed her shoe locker without a word as Mikado looked on sympathetically.

Masaomi smiled. "I've got a good idea who's doing this stuff," he murmured, but it seemed more to himself than to his two friends.

"Kida-kun…," Anri whispered, staring at Masaomi. She noticed a slight change of air in her usually happy-go-lucky companion that she had never seen before.

"OK!" Masaomi decided and hurried off, leaving behind a confused Mikado and startled Anri.

"Wait, Kida-kun!" Mikado called after him.

Masaomi raced down the hallways. He didn't yield to surprised peers or frustrated teachers as he sped right past them. He had a single thought in mind. It has to be that guy, Masaomi thought. It has to been him.

Nasujima Takashi.

It was obvious from the start that the Raira Academy teacher had his eyes set on Sonohara Anri. Like Mikado, it had not escaped Masaomi's eyes that Anri was getting leered at by Nasujima during the school's opening ceremony, or that several of his "coincidental" meetings with Anri were too close for her comfort. Clearly, Nasujima hadn't learned his lesson, even after the scandalous rumors of his previous relationship with his former student, Niekawa Haruna.

Now that I think about it… Anri-chan sure does have a bit of a harem going on. She's on my top five of possible girlfriends, and I know that several guys at our school are my love rivals, Mikado included, Masaomi noticed as he headed into the court yard. And Nasujima too, but I don't really want to count him as a love rival. … He's more of a nuisance.

Masaomi lifted his head as he reached the sports field. He looked to his left and then to his right as he scanned the field. His gaze stopped as a smile curled on his face.

I knew it, Masaomi hissed. There's the "sexy harasho" guy.

Nasujima stood by the edge of the field, carrying a certain someone's shoes. Hopefulness and eagerness were written all too clear over his face. Everything from Nasujima's head to toe read a foul ulterior motive.

Masaomi frowned. So, he was waiting for her… What a despicable guy. He inhaled a breath before replacing his disgust with a grin. "How honorable, sensei!" he exclaimed mockingly, "Putting such an effort in returning a high school girl's shoes to her!"

Nasujima flinched at the sound of Masaomi's voice and turned to see him. "K-Kida…," he muttered in displeasure.

"Trying to play the knight in shining armor? I think you're a little too old for that, sensei."

"What are you still doing at school? It's getting late, isn't it? Y-You should be getting home."

"Why don't you let me return those shoes instead? After all, it would look suspicious if you were the one to return it, wouldn't it?"

"I just happened to find Sonohara's shoes here! D-Don't go off making unnecessary rumors, Kida."

Masaomi's smile only grew wider. "Ah. Caught you, sensei," he murmured knowingly, "… I never said those shoes were Sonohara's."

Sweat rolled down Nasujima's face at the realization of his mistake.

"Those shoes could belong to any of the girls at Raira Academy. Why do you assume that those shoes must belong to Sonohara Anri? Aren't we getting a little presumptuous, sensei?" Masaomi slowly interrogated, narrowing his eyes.

"S-Sonohara told me her shoes were missing, s-so I was only–"

"–Please. Cut the crap, sensei. We both know Anri would never talk to you about something like this. She has friends for that."

"You…"

"Maybe I should tell the principal about this. It sounds too suspicious!"

Nasujima flinched. "Y-You wouldn't…!" he stammered.

But Masaomi only smiled. "Oh, you know I would, sensei," he interrupted coolly with apathetic eyes that pierced whatever confidence Nasujima had. "And I know just how much the principal loves you, especially after last year's… incident. Remember?" Nasujima's pained and panicked expression was all Masaomi needed to see. "So, you do. I don't want to repeat myself, but I really think you should let me return those shoes instead."

Masaomi extended his hand out towards Nasujima and easily lifted the shoes from Nasujima's crumbling hands.

"Thank you for your help, sensei. Ah, it's getting late, isn't it? You should be getting home, don't you think?" Masaomi teased, tilting his head.

Nasujima glared, but accepted his defeat. He said nothing, turned, and walked away.

Masaomi watched Nasujima leave quietly. He gritted his teeth together and lowered his gaze. "He was really pushing it this time…," Masaomi muttered, staring at Anri's slightly battered shoes. If he had said anything else, I would have surely… surely… sunk back into the darkness.

The sound of his phone ringing awakened Masaomi from his thoughts. He reached for his phone in his pocket. Seeing who it was, Masaomi sighed and wore a smile on his face. "Ah, Mikado! How's the search going?" he exclaimed cheerfully.

"Give it up on whoever it is, Kida-kun."

Masaomi blinked. "But Anri-chan–"

"No. She went home," Mikado mumbled dejectedly.

"Figured out who took her shoes?" Masaomi innocently asked, though he already knew that answer.

"No, I don't."

"Where are you now?"

"Me? I'm still looking, of course."

"… I see," Masaomi said, glancing at Anri's shoes.

"Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow," Mikado replied and hung up.

Shoving his phone back in his pocket, Masaomi looked up at the school building next to him. "That guy… He'll probably be able to see it from here, won't he? I really wanted to show him up and impress Anri-chan too…," he muttered, sighing. Masaomi paused for a moment before he shrugged and tossed Anri's shoes onto the grass. "I'll let you have this one, Mikado. Better be grateful!"

Masaomi stole one last glance at his good deed before he left with a genuine smile on his face.

a/n: I know I could have either chosen Nasujima-sensei or the three ganguro bullies since they both were shown during the opening preview of Episode 8, but I decided on Nasujima-sensei because he was given slightly more screen time than the ganguro girls in the preview, and because, well, I just figured he was the one who took them. Why? So, he'd have some sort of excuse to talk to Anri or even to visit her apartment (like he did in Episode 16). Ah, well.

[rxr]