Author's Note: Finally released a new chapter. Thank you for your patience and another big thank you to those who reviewed! Reminder: this chapter is in the present. Subsequent chapters will be in the present unless stated otherwise.

Chapter Twelve: The Woman in Violet

"A chance for us to be together."

Yuzuki felt a pang in her chest as Izaya spoke those bittersweet words. She could hear the manipulation in his voice, yet there was something sincere. It weighed heavily on her heart. Be together? What did he mean? Was he speaking romantically? Did Orihara Izaya, the information broker, love her? Years ago, on a hot summer's night, he told her that his love made her more human. It was a twisted love, born from his warped personality. A love he extended to humanity. She was tempted to assert that Izaya was incapable of love, at least in the conventional sense. If he wasn't who she knew him to be, she would have been touched by his words. She may have even been happy. To win Izaya's affection was an accomplishment deserving of a gold star, a standing ovation. In short, it was flattering (not that she would ever enter a relationship to boost her ego). But, because Izaya was an asshole with a capital A, she refused to be swayed by sentimentality and what-ifs.

"Stop saying weird things," Yuzuki said, breaking eye contact with him.

He was still invading her personal space.

"You have a habit of saying that when you don't know how to respond," Izaya said as if recalling a fond memory shared between lovers. "You're so predictable, yet so full of surprises."

If she was so full of surprises, she figured she might as well surprise him by saying, "A long time ago, you said that your love makes me more human. If I loved you, what would that do for you?" Yuzuki didn't believe in the popular and overly romanticized notion of the good girl changing the bad boy. It was going to take more than "love" to "fix" Izaya, but she wanted to see how he'd answer when confronted with such a question.

A thoughtful and amused look crossed Izaya's face. He gave her a few inches of breathing space, his lips no longer dancing dangerously close to hers. "It would make me happy," he said after a moment's pause.

"That's it?"

"Isn't that enough? To see someone you love happy?"

"You'd want to see me happy too?" Yuzuki wasn't actually entertaining the idea of being with Izaya. She was just curious to hear what he had to say...So she kept telling herself.

Izaya tightened his hold on her hand. "I want to see all of you: when you're at your worst and at your best." Feeling her slip away, he said, "Is that so odd? Married couples see each other in all sorts of situations. The good. The bad. The ugly. The beautiful. This is no different."

"They don't see. They're there for each other." When had Izaya ever been there for her other than to ridicule her? Even though they were no more than a foot apart, it felt as though they were standing on opposite sides of the ocean, on separate shores.

"Has Shizuo always been there for you?" Izaya challenged. He took her silence as a no. "This is why I'm giving the three of us a chance to settle this. We make quite a compelling love triangle, wouldn't you agree?"

"There is no chance. There is no us," Yuzuki said, taking back her hand and getting up. She rounded the other end of the couch. She hesitated on what to say next. With the couch between them and her back turned to him, she said, "I would never choose you."

Izaya clapped a hand to her shoulder, startling her. He had climbed onto the couch and reached over the backboard to catch her from behind. "You're wrong," he said. Yuzuki looked over her shoulder. He traced her cheek with the back of his fingers. "You'll come to realize that soon enough."

Back at her apartment, Yuzuki hopped into the shower and, like a manga character overwhelmed with angst, stood under the hot water with her hands pressed to the tiled wall, her eyes closed, and her head inclined at a downward angle. The sound of flowing water had a calming effect. She needed to clear her head and cleanse whatever impure thoughts had seized her conscience since her visit to Izaya's. Despite the fact she was in her own apartment, under the shower head, soaked from head-to-toe, she felt dissociated—as if a part of her remained with Izaya. Their meeting in the rain, the smell of his cologne, the heat of his breath had encapsulated her.

"You'll come to realize that soon enough," Izaya had said. "Just don't keep me waiting too long."

"I hope you have forever because that's how long you'll be waiting," was what Yuzuki had retorted.

"My forever is your forever. You can't get what you want unless I get what I want."

"Sorry to disappoint you, but we don't always get what we want."

"On the contrary, I'm nearly there."

Yuzuki called bullshit. Izaya only said that to rattle her. He may have royally screwed over Wataru and Indigo, but all that meant (optimistically speaking) was bad financial luck for her and her friends (along with the possibility of getting pursued by the yakuza). But, where did Izaya + Yuzuki = Together fall into the equation? Where was this "chance" Izaya spoke so fervently of? Did he intend to drive her to the point where should would have no choice, but to choose him? Over Shizuo? Over being single? There was nothing wrong about being single.

What was she overlooking? She had replayed the pen recording on her way home and still couldn't see what Izaya meant. As for handing the recording over to the police...that was an idea best left forgotten. Izaya had said a lot of things that made Yuzuki uncomfortable. Sharing the recording with the police when it didn't bear anything significantly incriminating against Izaya would humiliate her more than him. She had to wonder if he suspected her of having a second recorder...She would keep the recording. It could prove useful once she gathered more evidence.

Opening her eyes, her vision adjusting to the steam-filled air and the harsh lighting of the bathroom, she stared at the shower drain. At first, the water was calming. Now, with the cumulative heat and an impending headache, she was getting dizzy.

A chance for Shizuo and I to be together.

Isn't that what she longed for? That summer night, where she almost confessed, she stopped herself because something told her beyond a shred of doubt that Shizuo did not see her the same way she saw him. She believed that confessing would ruin everything they had.

To take a chance...

Through the shower door, Yuzuki saw her phone light up and vibrate among her clothes piled on the floor. Turning off the water and stepping out of the shower, she swooped her phone up and saw a text message from Fuyu: "Staff meeting. Now." If that didn't convey urgency then what did? Wrapping a towel around herself, Yuzuki rushed off to get dressed.

Tom lit a cigarette while a forty-something-year-old business man groveled at his feet. The man in question had taken out several loans, claiming he needed money to fund this product he was building. He was, in fact, funding his twenty-something-year-old girlfriend while also having a wife and two daughters. Just last week, his girlfriend found out about his wife and children, sent his wife evidence of his infidelity, and went to study abroad in Europe, thus leaving him drowning in debt and his marriage in shambles.

"That's why I told you from the get-go not to take out a loan just to impress some young college student," Tom said, having encountered this situation too many times to count. "Now you're asking for loan forgiveness? That divorce is going to cost you a few thousand. Better lawyer up."

"She's not some young college student!" the man exclaimed. "She's my soulmate."

"If she's your soulmate, what does that make your wife?"

"I love my wife, but I'm not in love with her. Every time I come home, she's busy taking care of the kids. She hardly pays me any attention. Anytime I show her affection in the bedroom, she rolls over and tells me she's too tired. That's how it's been for the last five years!"

"Dead bedrooms aren't my problem. Pay up or..." Tom exchanged glances with Shizuo, who stood beside him.

"What would you do if you met the one?" the man said as Shizuo stepped forward, visibly irritated. "Wouldn't you do everything to win her over?"

Shizuo lifted the man up by the lapels of his suit jacket. "There's something I'm not getting. If someone's your soulmate, doesn't that mean you guys are destined to be? So why would you have to win her over?"

"Er, well, that's because," the man blustered, his eyes shooting from left to right, searching for Tom.

Giving the man a hard shake, Shizuo said, "So maybe this student you've been romancing isn't the one? If you two were meant to be, why didn't you divorce your wife and let her move on with her life, huh? HUH?"

Tom stomped out his cigarette as his debtor was sent soaring through the air. As the laws of gravity launched the man ten meters towards a mishmash of garbage bags and cardboard boxes piled high near the crosswalk, Yuzuki came running out from behind a building. She screamed when the man crashed into the trash, sending empty beer bottles and old takeout boxes her way. Out of nowhere, Simon materialized, holding a cardboard figure of an anime character, which he used to shield Yuzuki from the (relatively harmless) onslaught.

Knowing perfectly well what could've happened had Simon not been there, Tom turned towards Shizuo with a raised brow as Yuzuki started in the direction of Indigo. "Right, I forgot. Earlier today, Yuzuki and I met at that neighborhood coffee shop. She asked me about Wataru-san, was wondering why he needed money." Shizuo looked surprised. "I didn't think this would be a problem, but..."

What a mess.

Yuzuki hurried over as Fuyu slapped Satoko across the face. Fuyu had Satoko trapped in the rear corner of the shop, opposite of the counter and display of baked goods. The rest of the wait staff stood behind Fuyu with their arms crossed as they threw reproachful glares at Satoko who, as it was discovered, had played a part in the robbery months ago. Indigo was, of course, closed at the moment.

Grabbing Fuyu's hand, which was midway from delivering another blow, Yuzuki twisted her body and forced her way in between Fuyu and Satoko.

"That's enough," Yuzuki said as Fuyu yanked her hand away.

"But this little—" Fuyu looked as though she were about to reach around Yuzuki to get to Satoko.

Yuzuki ushered Satoko further into the corner. "That's enough. If you want to treat Satoko as your whipping girl, you made a mistake by calling me here. Now get a hold of yourself. And the rest of you as well, acting like a bunch of schoolyard bullies, is this how we treat our juniors?"

Clicking her teeth, Fuyu lowered her hand. "I'm surprised you're so calm, considering Satoko's the reason why Indigo was robbed. Wait until Wataru-san hears about this, Satoko."

"I don't mind getting fired," murmured Satoko.

"You think that's the worst that'll happen to you?" Fuyu scoffed. "Starting tonight, I'll make sure you won't be able to sleep a wink."

"Enough is enough!" Yuzuki grabbed Fuyu by the shoulders. "Attacking her isn't going to change the fact that Indigo was robbed. Indigo is still up and running, isn't it? We're still the top-rated coffee shop in Ikebukuro, right? Listen. Satoko's going to quit on the spot as soon as I'm doing talking and you won't have to see her again. Just let it go."

Fuyu relaxed and reconvened with the others. Yuzuki turned to Satoko and asked the girl to turn in her apron and to write her letter of resignation. Wordlessly, Satoko complied and a few moments later, she was gone. Yuzuki sighed. Not even an apology or a thank you.

"Fuyu, who told you that Satoko was part of the robbery?" asked Yuzuki.

"I have my connections," Fuyu said offhandedly. "What about you? You didn't seem too surprised to learn there was a black sheep among us."

"Like you, I also have connections," said Yuzuki.

"And were you going to keep quiet about Satoko?"

"I only recently found out..." Yuzuki actually hadn't thought of telling the others about Satoko. "What's done is done. Satoko's gone."

"There's something else you should know," said Fuyu. "Someone's been stealing our tips." There was a collective gasp (which Yuzuki would've found funny if it weren't for what she just heard). "I've been working everyday for the past five weeks. Our invoices remain consistent with previous months, but our tips are all over the place, especially on nights when the bar is open and we all know that those nights are our moneymakers." The wait staff pooled all their tips into a lacquered box. There was one upstairs by the cash register and another one downstairs, behind the bar. "Someone's either been taking money from the box or from the tables after patrons have left. And it's not Satoko."

"Then who..."

"Why don't you ask the big man himself?"

Izaya sat on a guardrail along one of Ikebukuro's many congested streets, at an area where Celty had pulled over, straddling her motorcycle with one foot on the pedal and the other to the ground. Neon signs of nearby buildings flickered on as night settled in for hours to come and discordant sounds of car horns, frustrated drivers, and pedestrians doubled.

Celty handed him a rectangular box wrapped in plain brown paper. She was out on another delivery. Izaya had arranged for her to pick up a package hidden between two vending machines in a neighborhood street. The package itself was small, six inches long and four inches wide. While Celty was to know nothing about the person dropping off the package, when she had gotten to the pick-up location at six-thirty (the time she was told to arrive by), she witnessed a young woman slipping the package between the machines. She recognized the young woman as one of the servers at Indigo.

"Reliable as always," Izaya said, paying her a generous sum for her work.

Just as Celty took the swath of bills from him, two young women came walking by, both wearing purple Chinese dresses and distraught expressions. This piqued both Izaya and Celty's interest. Without looking at the women, they listened in.

"I can't believe Satoko sold Indigo out like that," said the one in the high-collared dress.

"Yuzuki is too forgiving. I can't blame Fuyu for lashing out," said the one in the low-cut dress. "We could've lost our jobs because of what Satoko did."

"And what are we supposed to do about Wataru-san? Do you actually think he's the one stealing our tips?"

"Well, it's definitely not me or you. I doubt Fuyu or Yuzuki would do such a thing. That doesn't leave many options. I wouldn't put it past Wataru-san to sink that low. There's a reason why Indigo has a basement bar opened during special hours, but...I'm still convinced Satoko did it."

Their voices grew distant as they went further down the road, away from Izaya and Celty who heard most of their conversation. This was awkward. Celty knew Yuzuki. Izaya knew Yuzuki. Both knew that the other also knew Yuzuki.

"Seems there's something scandalous going on at Indigo," Izaya said with too much enthusiasm.

Celty typed into her PDA. "You don't sound too surprised."

"I am an information broker, you know. I wonder what's running through Yuzuki's head at this very moment..."

Out of respect to Yuzuki, Celty did not continue this conversation. She revved her motorcycle and took her leave. She had a feeling Izaya was attempting to elicit some sort of response from her, to provoke her in some way. Removing herself from the situation seemed like the safest choice. For herself and for Yuzuki.

Saturday night arrived without incident. Since the wait staff had yet to find a replacement for Satoko, Yuzuki volunteered to pick up the slack although her true motive for working tonight was to keep an eye on Wataru. Fuyu volunteered to monitor the tip box behind the bar. She suspected that Yuzuki was here to do the same. While Yuzuki did want to confirm if Wataru was stealing from them, she wanted to look around his office, which meant she needed the office key. She thought she'd be able to sneak off with it, make a copy like Satoko had, but when she went through all the keys to the store, the one to Wataru's office was missing. Rather than assume it was lost, she believed Wataru had the key. It made sense for him to keep it on him after the robbery.

This left her with limited options. She would either have to find the key, which would be awfully time consuming, or pick the lock which was also time consuming, extremely risky, and something she was unskilled in, or sneak off sometime during the night and slip into Wataru's office while he was out, which could get her fired if she were caught. She chose the latter. She could've called on Fuyu for help, get her to check if the coast was clear when it came to entering and leaving Wataru's office, but since the confrontation with Satoko, Yuzuki wasn't sure if she could trust Fuyu.

"Got a light, miss?"

Yuzuki performed something like a half-turn towards the V.I.P. area located on an elevated platform, where the lighting was darker and the conversations quieter. Concealed with jewel-studded curtains, the platform was shaped as a half-circle with the flat side leading into the wall and the round side facing the bar, enclosed with railing. Ascending a short flight of steps directly accessible through the slit of the curtains, Yuzuki entered the V.I.P. area and saw an older gentleman with a scar near his left brow, sporting a white suit and a gold chain around his neck. He had an unlit cigarette in his mouth while he leaned against the railing. He made a come-hither motion.

"Good evening, sir," Yuzuki said, holding out a lighter.

With his eyes on Yuzuki, the man lowered his head and placed the tip of his cigarette to the flame. When the filter began to burn, he pulled away and exhaled a trail of smoke.

"Have you gotten anything to drink yet?" she asked.

"I haven't. Got any suggestions?"

Noticing two men on standby, both wearing sunglasses and standing with their hands folded behind them, Yuzuki assumed that they were this man's bodyguards. This was why she didn't normally work Saturday nights. She wanted to avoid those who engaged in illicit activities (even though she planned to sneak into her boss' office) and needed bodyguards to curb assassination attempts.

"Tonight we're featuring a single malt Scotch that is sure to warm you up," Yuzuki said. "It's laced with subtle hints of chocolate, ginger, and orange. Would that be something of interest to you?"

"I'll have the bottle and two glasses."

"Will do." Yuzuki shuffled off to the bar. When she returned, balancing a flask bottle, an ice bucket (with tongs), and two crystal glass cups on a tray, she found Izaya sitting with the patron. It would appear he had just arrived because they were still exchanging pleasantries. Yuzuki had to refrain from frowning as she strode over and placed all the items onto an adjacent table, where she proceeded to prepare their drinks. She could sense the bodyguards watching her every move (to ensure she wasn't going to slip any poison into the drinks).

"This is a strange place to meet," said the scar-faced man. "Not ideal for business."

"I thought it'd be perfect for the discussion we're about to have," said Izaya.

"Then I take it you've discovered some leads regarding that heirloom I've been searching for."

"The owner of this building should know where you can find this heirloom of yours. He'll be meeting us momentarily."

Yuzuki steadied her hands as she passed out the drinks. As she suspected, Wataru and his penchant for collecting art had gotten him swimming in the same waters as the yakuza. Izaya's presence confirmed it. She knew he fed information to underground organizations in exchange for money. As she placed a glass of amber liquid down in front of Izaya, he reached out to take it, his fingers brushing against hers. Neither of them felt this intimate shock that sent waves coursing throughout their bodies. Their eyes did not connect and produce electric waves. Yuzuki just got annoyed.

While both men took a sip of Scotch, Wataru (led by Fuyu) made his entrance.

"Gentlemen, welcome to Indigo. My head waitress informed me that you two wish to speak with me. What can I do for you?" said Wataru, signaling for Yuzuki and Fuyu to leave.

As Yuzuki left, she heard the scar-faced man introduce himself: "Shiki Haruya." This elicited a chuckle from Fuyu. Yuzuki didn't see what was so funny. Shiki Haruya was a leading figure for the underground organization, Awakusu-Kai. Now that Wataru had his hands tied with a notorious crime lord, Yuzuki could try getting into his office.

"Fuyu, I'm going to freshen up in the staff room. Mind covering for me?"

"Not at all. Take your time."

Luckily for Yuzuki, the basement staff room was in the same vicinity of Wataru's office. Before the bar opened for the night, while the staff was making sure everything was in order, Yuzuki paid Wataru a visit in his office under the pretense of discussing inventory. As she left, she slipped a tiny ball of translucent tape into the deadbolt to prevent his office door from fully locking. Having taken this step, Yuzuki was able to enter his office. There were a couple of problems with this. It was possible Wataru hadn't locked the door after he left. If so, Yuzuki didn't know whether or not to lock the door on her way out. Then again, if Wataru was meeting with someone from Awakusu-Kai, remembering whether or not he had locked his office was not going to be at the forefront of his mind.

Weaving through his office, being careful not to knock anything over, Yuzuki began taking photos with her phone. She went through his desk. There was nothing particularly suspicious in any of the drawers. Checking the bookshelf packed with three-ring binders, folders, books, and trinkets, she noticed an unlabeled binder all the way on the bottom shelf. Before she could pull the binder out all the way, a dark blue velvet case fell out. Opening the case, she found the inside lined with white satin. Judging by the size of the case, the article to be stored within the case should've been a necklace.

Where's the necklace? Wataru doesn't wear jewelry except for rings. If he gave the necklace to someone as a gift, why would he still have the box? Opening the binder for any clues on identifying what was supposed to be inside the box, all Yuzuki got was nothing. No documents, receipts, or photographs. Putting the binder back where she found it, she heard voices coming from outside. Cursing to herself, she scrambled to find a hiding spot. Someone began to turn the doorknob. She ducked under the desk. It was a stupid place to hide, but the only place. The door opened and two pairs of footsteps followed.

"You can search my office from top to bottom and you won't find that necklace here," said Wataru.

"That's kind of you, but I'd like to think you're not stupid enough to hide it in such an obvious place," said Shiki.

"In that case, I can hide that necklace anywhere, couldn't I? Even if I let you search my house you wouldn't be satisfied," Wataru said, forgetting who he was talking to. "Look, I don't want any trouble. I'm trying to run a business here."

"Several businesses in fact. Must be tiring managing a coffee shop, a bar, an auction house, and a smuggling ring. I admire those with ambition, but you have to understand, this isn't the first time you've run into trouble with Awakusu-Kai. Don't tell me you forgot that scuffle in the warehouse."

"That scuffle was a result of a misunderstanding." Wataru walked over to his desk. Yuzuki could see his legs from where she was hiding. "I already told you that I don't have the necklace you're looking for. I deal mostly in paintings, not family jewels. I can put you in contact with someone who does." Scrolling through the rolodex on his desk, he found the contact information he needed and moved through the top right drawer to find a piece of paper and pen. As he shut the drawer, the pen he planned to use fell out of his hand and landed on the floor, in front of Yuzuki. Wataru went to pick it up, but stopped midway when someone rapped the door.

"Wataru-san, you're needed in the lounge. Tanaka Tom has been waiting to speak with you for twenty minutes," said Fuyu.

"Tell him I'll be right there," said Wataru, straightening his suit. He ripped a page out of the rolodex and gave it to Shiki. "This number will put you in contact with a collector of gems, stones, and ceramics. He should know a lot about porcelain pendants. Now if you'll excuse me. I'm needed elsewhere."

"I'll keep in touch," said Shiki.

The door to the office opened and closed once more.

Yuzuki allowed five minutes to pass before she left as well. A lot was running through her mind at that point. Wataru has an empty necklace case. Awakusu-Kai is looking for a necklace. Indigo was robbed. Could all three be connected? Does that mean Satoko took the necklace and gave it to Izaya? But, if Izaya does have the necklace and he knows Shiki Haruya is looking for it, why would he keep that to himself? Her train of thoughts derailed when she crossed paths with Shizuo.

"Hey," he said.

"Hi..." Yuzuki shifted uncomfortably. "You're here with Tanaka-san, right? Regarding Wataru's..."

"Yeah." Shizuo looked her up and down. "Is everything okay?"

"I-I can't talk right now. I have to get back to work."

"I get off at ten thirty. We can talk then."

"Can't," Yuzuki said, walking past him. "I don't get off until twelve."

"Then I'll wait until twelve."

Yuzuki felt her cheeks go hot. There was something reassuring in his persistence. Peering over her shoulder to gauge his expression, she blushed harder when she realized he could see that she was blushing. She quickly turned away and mumbled, "I'll see you at twelve."

As soon as the clock struck midnight, Yuzuki hurried out to meet Shizuo. He was waiting for her in the alleyway, by the basement entrance. Securing her cardigan around herself as the night chill formed goose bumps on her arms, she happily greeted him. Answering her with a smile, he handed her a hot cup of milk tea. It warmed her up right away.

"Tonight went smoothly," Shizuo said, adjusting her cardigan as it slipped off her right shoulder.

"Define smoothly," Yuzuki said wryly, bringing the cup to her lips.

"When did you start working Saturday nights?"

"Today's the first. I was covering for someone."

"I heard from Tom-san that you asked him about your boss' debt," said Shizuo. Sipping her tea, Yuzuki nodded. "Has your boss been..."

"It's unsettling to know your boss is in a financial bind," said Yuzuki. "Beyond that, he hasn't done anything to me."

"I'm not supposed to tell you this, but your boss made a payment today. It seems he's on track of things. I'll let you know if something goes wrong."

"You could get fired if your employer finds out," Yuzuki said, checking to see if anyone was eavesdropping. This wasn't exactly how she wanted to end her night (or start her morning).

"I'm telling you so that you can decide if you want to stay at Indigo," Shizuo said. He knew she loved working at Indigo. To find another job in Ikebukuro that brought her the same enjoyment (and the same pay) would be tough. To suggest that she quit—it was going to hurt.

"Sorry, but I don't plan on quitting anytime soon," Yuzuki said without looking at him.

"That boss of yours, he's not a good guy. He's up to something."

"So what if he is? It's hardly any of your business. Rather than getting me to quit, shouldn't you focus on not getting fired like you always do? You wouldn't want to disappoint Kasuka-san, would you?" snapped Yuzuki. She instantly regretted what she said. That was blow below the belt. Mortified by her behavior, she clapped a hand over her mouth and looked at Shizuo. He wasn't mad or upset. "S-Sorry, that's not how I...that's not what I..."

"Yuzuki." Shizuo spoke softly. "What's going on? Talk to me so I can understand."

"I-It's not...something I can easily talk about." Yuzuki had a difficult time standing her ground when he used such a gentle voice with her. "Talking about it won't solve anything."

"If someone's causing problems for you, I'll—"

"You don't have to do anything."

Shizuo bit back a retort. He didn't call her out to meet him so that they could argue. "Fine, but only if you promise not to do anything stupid."

"She can't promise that," said the last person who should be eavesdropping. Izaya stepped out from behind the neighboring store and stood at the alleyway entrance with both hands in his pocket.

"Iiizaayaa!" Shizuo didn't get further than a few steps before Yuzuki threw away her tea and wrapped her arms around him from behind. His imposing height and the width of his upper-body had her barely hanging on. Digging her fingers into his shirt, she managed to maneuver herself in front of him. With the alley being rather narrow, there was no way he could get to Izaya without trampling her or shoving her into a wall.

"I know it's been a while since all three of us were together and all, but don't get too excited, Shizu-chan."

"Get the hell out of Ikebukuro!"

"No can do. I wouldn't be able to see Yuzuki otherwise."

"Stay the hell away from her!"

"And where is the fun in that?" Izaya said as though he were pondering aloud. "Aren't you getting a little too worked up?" Yuzuki removed herself from Shizuo so that she could turn and face Izaya. He couldn't understand why people seemed to gravitate towards Shizuo when he was nothing more than a monster. He narrowed his eyes as Shizuo pressed a firm hand on her shoulder. He pretended to reach for his back pocket. Successfully diverting their attention, he managed to catch them off guard as he darted forward, his flick blade drawn and ready to cut.

Shizuo tried to move around Yuzuki. His feet got entangled with hers, thus delaying his response and giving Izaya an opening. Izaya slashed the back of Shizuo's hand, the same hand which had been on Yuzuki's shoulder. Because Shizuo was more concerned with keeping Yuzuki away from Izaya, his adversary was able to deliver another cut. This time, across his chest. Shizuo gritted his teeth as he felt the wound open up. Traces of Yuzuki's touch was replaced with a splash of blood. Rolling his hand into a fist, Shizuo was about to pummel Izaya to the ground until Yuzuki was yanked out from behind him.

Izaya had her by the wrists. He pulled her into him and pressed his lips against hers. Shizuo looked on, his mouth agape. The shock transitioned into rage. His entire body began to shake. Having gotten what he wanted and seeing that staying any longer could result in him getting his face smashed in, Izaya shoved Yuzuki into Shizuo to buy himself some time and made his escape. Shizuo ran after him, leaving Yuzuki struggling to understand what happened.

At one in the morning, Yuzuki was having melon soda with Yumasaki and Erika at a twenty-four hour manga cafe. She had bumped into them while leaving Indigo. The shock of Izaya kissing her had yet to wear off. Suspecting something was amiss, Erika had invited her to get sweets. Blowing bubbles into her drink as Erika and Yumasaki gushed over the announcement of a second season to some anime, Yuzuki could only pick up bits and pieces of their conversation. Heroine with a tragic childhood. Loss. Redemption. Vindication. Love.

Love.

Beyond her bewilderment of having been kissed by Izaya, Yuzuki had to confess that she didn't dislike the kiss. She didn't like the kiss either. Given other circumstances, to feel impartial about a kiss would be somewhat normal, but for her to be kissed by someone she hated and to not react negatively, that was odd. Then again, she didn't remember the kiss too well. It happened so quickly and so suddenly. She clicked her teeth, unknowingly getting Erika and Yumasaki's attention. She silently reprimanded herself for allowing a kiss to occupy her mind to this extent. What was she? In high school? She had more important things to worry about like Indigo, Wataru, and that necklace.

"I'm giving you a chance. A chance for you and Shizuo to be together."

Yuzuki tried to get Izaya out of her head.

"This is as much of a chance for you to get what you want as it is to get what I want."

His words became more enticing the more she tried to forget them.

"Hey, Yumachi, don't you think Yuzuki's brooding too much?" Erika whispered.

"Something must've happened. A lover's quarrel maybe? An unrequited love?" whispered Yumasaki.

Resting her face into her hands, Yuzuki looked from Erika to Yumasaki. They stopped whispering. Her phone rumbled on the table. She checked her inbox and saw a message from Fuyu: "Finished counting our tips. We're short fifty-thousand even though I know one of our patrons tonight left us sixty-thousand. The bartender told me that Wataru was hanging around the bar throughout the night." [1]

Shizuo was right. Wataru was up to something, but she refused to quit. Her loyalty was with Indigo, not Wataru. The people of Ikebukuro loved Indigo as much as she did. To leave the place to sink would damage her own opinion of her character. That's why she was so adamant with Shizuo. She didn't want to keep running from her problems (at least not this one).

She sighed. "This is totally out of the blue and even if I said this was a hypothetical question, neither of you would believe me so..." Erika urged her to continue. "Have you ever done something irrational, like insanely irrational, even though you knew it would be a bad idea and you would probably regret it in the long-run?"

Everyone had their regrets. Everyone, at some point, had been led astray from rationality. The answer was obvious so why ask? Perhaps Yuzuki was seeking validation, hoping someone would tell her to go ahead and act irrationally.

"Bad ideas aren't all doomed to fail," said Yumasaki. "An idea is bad or good in hindsight. You have to take a risk. You also have to decide if the risk is worth taking, well, most risks wouldn't be worth taking if evaluated by logic and reason. It's an indefinite loop. And the only way to break away from this loop is to take that risk."

"When you want something really badly, to what lengths will you go to obtain it?" Erika asked Yumasaki although her question was meant for Yuzuki.

"To answer that you would first have to know what you want," said Yumasaki. "The opposite of 'to want' is not 'do not want' but 'to have'—because to truly want something, it is conditional that you not have it. You can't want something you have. And you can't really have something you don't want because sooner or later, you'll get rid of it, in which case, you won't have the thing you don't want anymore."

Yuzuki couldn't comprehend what Yumasaki was saying nor could she decide whether he was speaking for himself or reciting a line from a manga.

"The important question to consider is: are you a person who gets what she wants, a person who lets others take what you want, or a person who lets others stop you from getting what you want?"

"The most important question indeed!" Erika chimed in. "What kind of person are you, Yuzuki?"

Yuzuki understood only parts of herself. She only partially knew what kind of person she was. She felt incomplete—as though pieces of her were scattered about and through certain events in her life that taught her more about herself, she was able to recover those fragments. She had to do something about Indigo, about Shizuo, about Izaya, and most importantly, she had to do something about her life. She had...

To take a chance.

From that moment onward, something within her began to stir. Seized by an unshakeable thrill, she smiled a strange and unsettling smile. It was an expression so unlike her. Fingers twitching as she held a hand to her mouth, Yuzuki failed to conceal that smile and this distant look glazed over her eyes. It was almost as if someone were smiling through her and that the woman before Erika and Yumasaki was not Yuzuki, but a look-alike.

Without excusing herself, Yuzuki got up and walked out of the cafe, leaving Erika and Yumasaki feeling uneasy.

Yuzuki walked through the streets of Ikebukuro. With each step she took, the things behind her seemed to melt away. The colors of the city had dulled once more into a gray canvas. The ground, the buildings, the skyline, and the people were indistinguishable to her. The voices of people greeting her were unrecognizable. She was receding into herself.

Passing a printing center, she didn't notice Simon walking out, holding a fresh stack of fliers.

Passing Kida at a crosswalk, she didn't spare him a glance as he waved at her.

Passing Kadota as he exited a bookstore, she felt nothing when he patted her on the shoulder to get her attention.

"Yuzuki."

Stopping in the middle of a busy street, Yuzuki looked to see who called out to her. Among the shapeless crowd stood Izaya. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a necklace. He held it up for her to see. Hanging from the chain was a porcelain pendant riddled with fine cracks. As the pendant shifted from left to right, Yuzuki could discern a faded sunflower painted on the jaded surface. Izaya tossed the necklace into the air and it landed gracefully into her outstretched hand. Just as she was about to speak, Izaya waved her a goodbye and took off in a hurry. Shizuo bolted past her.

The world around her returned to normal. Her vision cleared and so did her mind. It was decided. She was going to take a chance and play this game of his, so that she could protect what she had and maybe, just maybe, she could recover all that she'd lost since meeting Orihara Izaya. She wasn't doing this for Shizuo. Not completely anyway. There was a possibility that she might lose herself along the way. There was an even greater possibility that this would all end painfully, but that was the gamble and the rewards she would collect if she won would be worth the world. And she would have fun. Because she too could be twisted.

Love did that to people.

"Here we have the most eccentric coffee shop in all of Ikebukuro," Kida said, running up to Indigo and holding his arms up under the storefront logo.

Gripping the strap of his messenger bag, Ryuugamine Mikado stared at the shop in all of its purple glory. It was his first night at Ikebukuro since his acceptance to Raira Academy. Kida had already introduced him to Kadota, Erika, Yumasaki, and Simon. Mikado also got a sneak peek of Heiwajima Shizuo and was wondering what else there was to see and who else there was to meet. He didn't expect their next destination to be a coffee shop.

"Is their coffee that good?" asked Mikado.

Kida wrapped a friendly arm around him. "Good coffee, excellent service, and sweet eye candy! Let's go inside and check out the waitresses. I hear most of them are single. Oh, but heads-up: Kiyomizu Yuzuki is off limits. She's not a bad person or anything, but she's not someone you want to cause problems for."

Loosening himself from Kida's grip, Mikado rubbed the back of his neck. "Why's that?"

"I don't know the details, but she's something like childhood friends with Heiwajima Shizuo. Any fuss with Yuzuki that reaches his ears and you might find yourself running for your life," said Kida as Mikado nodded nervously. "But, a nice guy like you doesn't have to worry about causing problems."

Mikado assumed someone was unfortunate enough to learn that the hard way. Otherwise, why would Kida have to warn him about Kiyomizu Yuzuki? Interested to learn more, he asked, "Did someone upset her before?"

"A bunch of guys got too touchy while she was working when Heiwajima Shizuo was present. They ended up in the hospital. A purse snatcher had his fingers broken and some shady solicitor got thrown into a vending machine. Another time..." A grin spread across Kida's face as he went silent. Motioning for Mikado to follow, Kida ran towards the intersection and pointed at a group of people gathered by the crosswalk signal.

Following the point of his finger, Mikado's attention drifted from the faceless crowd and landed on a silver-haired woman in a violet Chinese dress, offering passersby samples on a lacquered tray. He thought her to be quite beautiful. There was this calm about her, a soft yet murky hue to the boisterous scenery. There was also something deceptively frail about her that Mikado couldn't explain.

"That's her. Kiyomizu Yuzuki."

[1] Fifty-thousand yen which converts to around four-hundred-and-fifteen U.S. dollars.