“…I see. So you have that kind of relationship with the Black Rider.”
Black shadows snuck in between the two men and pulled them apart in an attempt to diffuse the danger in the air.
“Knock it off, Shinra. It would be stupid to commit murder over this.”
“But, Celty—”
“I don’t want you to turn this into a police matter and leave me all alone. Also, I refuse to let you commit a horrible crime for my sake.”
“…Celty!”
As a matter of fact, Shinra was a criminal just for being a black market doctor, but that fact didn’t register in his mind at all. He looked at Celty with the sparkling eyes of a child.
Aoba couldn’t see the messages on her PDA, so he didn’t realize what an obnoxiously private conversation they were having. He could, however, sense that the imminent danger from Shinra was gone.
“I don’t know what you two are talking about, but you don’t have to treat this like some huge thing. I apologize if I’ve upset you in any way… All I want is an e-mail address where I can contact you, and then I’ll back down.
“…Oh, and…please keep this little meeting a secret from Mikado.”
In the end, they gave him their contact info, but he hadn’t gotten in touch since then.
Celty had brought up the idea of secretly packing up and moving if he really started to push them around, but the total lack of communication was even spookier.
I wonder if there’s some connection there. I haven’t seen Mikado since Golden Week, either…
Meanwhile, Shinra nodded to himself and started analyzing Anri’s recollection of past events.
“Yes, the phrase ‘I’ll create a place just for you’ does sound like your typical hotshot one-liner, but it seems a bit strange coming from a kid like Mikado. And it wasn’t as if you’d confessed your deepest, darkest fears to him or anything. The way he dropped that out of the blue almost sounds religious in nature.”
He pored over this for a while, then eventually gave Anri his honest opinion, with no malice whatsoever. “Honestly, someone telling you that without any good justification just sounds like he’s trying to play out the role of a hero. I guess Mikado’s turning into one of those annoying— Gbogbuf!”
“What gives you the right to call anyone ‘annoying’?!” Celty demanded, driving her fist into Shinra’s side.
She turned to Anri. “I get the picture. And in fact, I might have an idea of what it’s about.”
“Really?” the girl replied, eyes wide.
Celty carefully considered the message to write on her PDA. “Just between you and me—how are Mikado’s friendships at school?”
“Huh?”
“Is he getting along closely with anyone in particular these days?”
“W…well…I’ve often seen him with a younger boy named Kuronuma from the student committee…but it’s just like usual with everyone else. He’s not getting involved with anyone fishy…I think.”
“Gotcha.”
The problem is that Kuronuma kid is the fishiest one of all. I suppose he must play nice while at school. Should I tell Anri? If I don’t explain things now, that might leave her vulnerable to him abducting her or something…but on the other hand, if it has nothing to do with Mikado changing, that might just make things worse between them…
Shinra, freshly recovered from his gut pain and sensing Celty’s hesitation, decided to tell her a lie.
“Well, I don’t know this Kuronuma boy, but perhaps he has something to do with the problem.”
“Um…but…he really doesn’t seem that bad…”
“Well, I wouldn’t know, because as I said, I’ve never met him, but there’s no harm in being cautious, is there? And shouldn’t you know better than anyone that people can’t be judged on appearances?”
“…I suppose so…,” Anri admitted, though she wasn’t immediately in agreement. Celty, however, was impressed by Shinra’s quick thinking.
Nice one, Shinra! That should make Anri automatically careful around Kuronuma!
She nodded her helmet, playing along with the suggestion. Anri thought it over for a while, but her face still showed concern.
“If Mikado really has changed somehow, what can I even do about it?”
“On the one hand, you could do just about anything, and on the other, maybe there’s nothing you need to do.”
“That’s an irresponsible answer,” Celty typed, annoyed. “Just because it’s not your problem doesn’t mean you should give her an answer that says nothing.”
Shinra simply grinned. “Look, he’s a boy. Within the process of growing up, sometimes you feel like you’re special and that your way of thinking is the coolest there can be. Guys get caught up in themselves and think everything they do is cool.”
“Is that what they call ‘chuunibyou’ online? Sophomore Disease?”
“Yeah. It’s like measles. As the name says, it’s a disease that usually strikes around the second year of middle school, but sometimes there are folks like Izaya who never recover from it. It’s not strange at all for a guy to catch it in his second year of high school. Basically, as long as he’s not getting wrapped up in some kind of weird cult, he should recover all on his own.”
Shinra offered this advice with a laugh—but neither he nor Celty were aware of certain things.
True, Mikado wasn’t under the sway of some suspicious new cult.
But to the boy named Mikado Ryuugamine, the Dollars as he idealized them were already an object of faith.
And those Dollars were no longer one unified force.
Ikebukuro
The popular idol Ruri Hijiribe was suffering the advances of a stalker.
After a brief explanation of this fact, which sounded like the sort of thing one saw on the cover of a gossip rag, Yuuhei began to give his brother some background.
“The person stalking Ruri seems to come and go on the Dollars’ message board…but I don’t know anything about the Dollars. So as I was tracking rumors around, I noticed your name come up, and that made me wonder if you might know more about them than I do.”
“Ahh…gotcha. Well, I’m not in the Dollars anymore. I kinda signed up on someone’s invitation…but a lot of them were annoying, and I got tired of them, so I told someone I know in the group that I quit. That was the end of it,” said Shizuo, looking up at the ceiling as he recalled the events of a few months ago. “But even when I was active, the most I ever did was check their board on my phone and make a few posts. I don’t even know what the team is like, really.”
Kasuka noticed something mournful and lonely in Shizuo’s expression. “Ah…sorry about that. I didn’t mean to make you remember anything stupid.”
“Nah. You shouldn’t worry about it. We’re family—don’t come bowing and scraping when you need help,” Shizuo said with a brief smile. Then he turned to Miss Hijiribe and said, “…Sounds like you’ve had a tough time, huh? Did you try contacting the police?”
Ruri flinched at being addressed so abruptly but regained her poise and explained, “Well…it started when something was jammed inside my lock, so I could no longer get inside my home.”
“? You couldn’t get in?”
Normally, a stalker, once aware of the target’s address, would try to break the lock to sneak inside and maybe plant listening devices. The idea of keeping her out of her home didn’t add up.
“I thought it was just a prank at first…but then it kept happening every day. The police said there was a man hiding his face on the security camera, but they haven’t caught him yet. Once they started patrolling the area, the stalker started leaving bloody crosses all over our photo shoot locations, with the crucified being photo collages of various movie monsters with my face attached over them…”
The creepy nature of the stalking was striking, of course, but Shizuo was more preoccupied by a different detail.
“? Wait a second— If this guy knows where you’re scheduled to shoot, doesn’t that
make him someone involved in your business?”
“The police thought the same thing at first. But everyone has an alibi…and when we did more research, we found out that some fans online were making deals and plans over my work schedule. But even though some of those really crazy fans are noted on some industry blacklists…all of them had alibis,” she said.
“This group trading idol information is within the larger Dollars, apparently. I tried to register on the website as a test, but it seems like there are a number of little communities, or user groups, within the Dollars, and you can’t get in with them unless you have someone to welcome you in,” said Yuuhei, his voice without emotion, like a robot reading the information in front of it. But Shizuo knew his brother well enough to read the subtle shifts in his state of mind.
“Look, I get that you’re pissed, but you gotta calm down, Kasuka. There are things you can’t notice unless you’re in a rational state of mind,” he advised, which was hilarious, given his own nature.
“Yeah…you’re right. Thanks.”
Neither Vorona from a distance, nor Ruri sitting right next to Yuuhei, could sense even the barest hint of irritation from Yuuhei. This brotherly conversation perplexed them.
Oblivious to their confusion, Shizuo continued, “Sorry, man. I’m not so good with the heavy-thinking stuff. If only I knew a bit more about the Dollars, I could help more…”
Someone who knows lots about the Dollars. Pretty sure I know someone like that…somebody who would know this sort of thing…
For an instant, the face of someone who would know way too much about that sort of thing floated into his mind, but he had to banish the image when a vein started throbbing on his temple.
Let’s rule out the fleabrain. But I bet Kururi or Mairu might actually fit the bill. No, wait—if I explain the situation, they’ll bug me about meeting Kasuka. I’m certain the boss would know, but I can’t cause any more trouble than I already have…
After a while, he recalled the face of a Dollars member who was well-known for mastery of the Internet.
Feels like someone I shouldn’t owe any more favors to than I already do…but I guess advice is always free.
“All right, I’ve got a person to ask. I’ll head over there right now—you in?”
“Are you sure? Am I imposing on you?”
“I told you, there’s none of that between family,” Shizuo said with a gentle laugh. Everyone else in the office listening in felt like they’d just witnessed something exceedingly rare but pretended to continue on with their work, in case mentioning it out loud caused the usual Shizuo to return.
Just then, a very pleasing little sound softened the air.
“Mewww.”
The unmistakable sound of a cat.
“Are you awake now?” Yuuhei mumbled down toward his feet, then addressed Shizuo. “That reminded me. I had one other thing to talk about.”
Without any emotion, he lifted up a little pet carrier resting next to the sofa and focused on the Scottish fold rubbing its face on the inside. It was an adorable cat, like a little ball of fluff, and probably still a kitten.
“Ruri’s hiding out at my apartment for the time being, but the thought of it getting attacked by a stalker while we’re both gone is horrible… But on the other hand, all the pet hotels around this area are full, so we can’t just leave it somewhere.
“We’ve been looking for someone who can take care of Dokusonmaru, just for a little while.”
Near Kawagoe Highway, Shinra’s apartment
“Um, I’m really sorry for just barging in on you like this,” said Anri as she prepared to leave. They’d had a nice conversation but ultimately hit a roadblock.
Knowing that Mikado was the boss of the Dollars, Celty could conjecture a number of things on her own, but she knew it wasn’t right for her to be the one to reveal that to Anri. She decided to just let the conversation end there. If Mikado truly got himself involved in something imminently dangerous, her silence wouldn’t be an option anymore, but she didn’t sense that level of danger at the moment.
Still, Mikado’s aberrational behavior was a fact, and she figured that it would be a good idea to talk with him the next time she ran into him around town.
Celty checked her watch and said to the girl, “It’s too dangerous to go out this late. You should spend the night.”
“Uh…b-but I couldn’t possibly impose on you like that!” Anri stammered. The dullahan clapped her on the shoulder bracingly and typed a reassuring message into the PDA.
“Don’t hold back. You’ve stayed over several times before. But if you really don’t like it here, I won’t force you to stay.”
“N-no, it’s not that at all!”
“If you need pajamas, you can use some that I wear from time to time. Hmm…I hope the size fits.”
Shinra watched the two abnormal beings discuss their youthful sleepover plans with warm satisfaction in his eyes—but just then, a sudden doorbell ring doused a bit of cold water on the pleasant mood in the apartment.
For being a luxury apartment, it was on the older side, so the doorbell ringer wasn’t just at the front door, but in all the rooms as well.
“Who could that be this late?”
It better not be Aoba Kuronuma, Celty worried, while Shinra went to open the front door—revealing a familiar figure bearing an unfamiliar one on its head.
“Mewww.”
Upon seeing Shizuo Heiwajima standing there with a tiny cat meowing on his head, Shinra burst into uproarious laughter. He was promptly kicked across the room. Celty thanked her lucky stars she didn’t have a mouth to laugh with, but it was still hard to keep her shoulders from trembling.
She didn’t realize that she was about to experience an odd reunion of sorts.
One day, chat room
.
.
.
The chat room is currently empty.
The chat room is currently empty.
The chat room is currently empty.
Kid has entered the chat.
Kid: Nice to meet you.
Kid: I don’t think anyone’s around to see this, but regardless, nice to meet you.
Kid: Psychic
Kid: Sorry, auto-correct. Saika invited me to join up.
Sharo has entered the chat.
Sharo: Evening.
Kid: Good evening.
Kid: Nice to meet you. Are you from this message board?
Sharo: Heya. No, I just joined up on invitation from someone here.
Sharo: I’m guessing that none of the ordinary members are around at the moment.
Kid: Oh, I see. That’s a coincidence.
Sharo: Actually, I was just hanging around waiting for someone to show up before I logged in, lol.
Kid: Got it. (lol)
100% Pure Water has entered the chat.
100% Pure Water: Sorry, I was keeping an eye on things, too. Mind if I join in?
100% Pure Water: I was invited by a friend, but I’ve never done anything like this before. Hiya!
100% Pure Water: Well, that was a very flippant greeting. What if everyone else is actually older than me?
Kid: We can’t see who anyone is, so I don’t think anyone will be upset about rudeness.
Sharo: Age doesn’t really matter, does it?
Sharo: I read some of the backlog. That Kuru’s quite a character, huh?
Sharo: I think we can all address each other as equals.
Kid: I’m not used to this sort of thing, so I’ll revert to speaking politely.
100% Pure Water: Everyone should be free to do their own thing! Kya-ha!
Sharo: “Kya-ha” is pretty annoying, though. (lol)
100% Pure Water: Aww! (lol)
Saki has entered the chat.
Saki: Good evening.
Saki: I’m Saki. Bacura invited me to participate here.
Saki: It’s nice to meet you all.
Sharo: Oh, good evening.
Kid: What is this
, newcomers’ day at the chat room? (lol)
100% Pure Water: Hello!
Chrome has entered the chat.
Chrome: Evening. Nice to meet you all.
Chrome: I like all the activity.
Chrome: I’m also a recent invitee.
Saki: Good evening.
Kid: It’s a pleasure.
Sharo: Evening. Wow, look how much we’ve been chatting, and it’s all just introductions so far, lol.
Sharo: How is it that none of the original members are even here? lol
Bacura has entered the chat.
Bacura: Good eveniiin’!
Bacura: Whoa,
Bacura: What’s going on here?!
Saki: Hi there.
Chrome: Good evening.
Sharo: Aha, is this one of the old-timers?
Kid: Old-timer is a bit rude.
100% Pure Water: -Ning!
Bacura: Things are active in here.
Bacura: Sorry,
Bacura: I’m a bit nervous since the only person I know in here is Saki, lol.
100% Pure Water: That’s so cute. I love the innocent types.
Bacura: Sure, thanks, lol.
Kid: Well, we’ve all been invited to join this chat room, but I don’t think any of us are aware of what usually gets discussed here.
Bacura: Oh,
Bacura: It’s mostly a place to trade info about the area, primarily Ikebukuro.
Sharo: I see.
100% Pure Water: So are you all from Ikebukuro?
Bacura: Saki and I are currently living in a different location,
Bacura: But we lived in Ikebukuro before that.
Kid: I work in Ikebukuro.
Sharo: Oh, so you’re a proper working fellow?
Kid: No, it’s more like a part-time job. And let’s not pry into ages, shall we? lol
Saki: I agree.
Sharo: Y’know, I looked through the backlog…and I noticed a previous session about people stalking Ruri Hijiribe.
Sharo: And how the stalker might be in the Dollars.
Durarara!!, Vol. 8 Page 5