Raijin High School—in the past
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“Hey, Orihara. You had quite a fight yesterday,” chirped Shinra Kishitani as he approached the young man, who was reading a magazine. They’d been friends since middle school, and currently Izaya Orihara was sitting on the landing of the stairwell that led to the roof.
For his part, Izaya narrowed his eyes. His lips pulled into a subtle smile, and he offered with some annoyance, “Fight? Whatever are you talking about? That monstrous amoeba nearly murdered me—that’s what that was.”
The “fight” Shinra was referring to was a brutal battle to the death, itself practically a bad joke, that started after he had brought Shizuo Heiwajima and Izaya Orihara together.
“What is up with him?” Izaya complained. “I lured him right into that accident, absolutely perfectly, but I didn’t expect that he’d take a hit from a truck and just walk away without a scratch.”
“Fascinating, isn’t it?” Shinra pressed. “You said that you loved humanity, so I thought you might take an interest in him.”
“That’s not a human being. That’s a wild animal or a monster.”
“Oh, I don’t know.” Shinra shrugged. “I’m hoping that you two will learn to get along, though.”
Izaya shot him a venomous look. “Why?”
“Because unless you learn to get along, you and Shizuo have the worst chemistry imaginable,” Shinra said simply. “Based on what I saw yesterday, someone is going to die. At the very least, one of the two of you might.”
“You’re exaggerating.”
“But if either you or Shizuo calms down a bit, that might be a different story.”
“You were the one who introduced us to each other, Shinra,” snapped Izaya.
“You go to the same school. I just thought it would be easier for you to be friends if I was in the middle. But if it doesn’t work out, then it’s not meant to be. If you guys try to kill each other, then I’m only out one or two friends.”
He said it like a joke, but Izaya knew that when Shinra gave off that sad, troubled smile, it was a sign that he felt serious about something. “Well, look who’s above it all.”
“If one…or both of you die, I’m sure I’ll be sad about it, but I can live with that result.”
“What a swell guy to have as a friend.”
“I can’t help it. Every last human being in the world could die, and as long as my beloved girlfriend survives, I’ll still be happy,” Shinra said with a distant look in his eyes. Whatever he was imagining, his mouth curled into a dopey grin.
“Ugh, you’re so creepy. I feel sorry for whatever woman you fall in love with.”
Izaya had a pretty good idea of who his “beloved girlfriend” was, but he chose not to mention that. Instead, he returned to his magazine.
Unfortunately, that was when Shinra decided to get philosophical. “Ah yes…have you ever heard the quote, ‘A tiger dies and leaves his skin, but a man dies and leaves his name’?”
“?”
“Shizuo would be the tiger. If Shizuo dies, the pelt that surrounds him…the stories of his superhuman power would be passed on and treasured, taking on a life of their own and becoming urban legends,” Shinra said, as excited as a grade schooler who had spotted a fascinating insect—while speaking about his friend as if he were a fascinating insect.
“And he wouldn’t just be a tall tale,” Shinra continued. “He’d be an urban legend that actually existed! In fact, it might be only after his death that Shizuo Heiwajima is truly complete—as a being that transcended humanity.”
Izaya felt himself getting irritated.
Him? Living on as an urban legend? A being who transcends humanity?
Nonsense. He’s nothing more than a dumb beast.
Izaya realized that even considering their extravagant fight yesterday, he was extraordinarily annoyed at Shizuo Heiwajima. “And you’re going to autopsy that monster and get famous that way?”
“Sure, I’d like to give him an autopsy, out of scholastic curiosity. But I don’t have any special interest in dissecting men, nor do I wish to become famous for it. And I have no hobby of dissecting girls, either. Although I will admit that my affection for my beloved started with dissection,” Shinra said rather ominously.
“…?” Izaya was confused at first but decided that this was just Shinra being Shinra. “So assuming that tiger will leave his skin, how do you plan to leave your name, as a person? I’m kind of holding out hope that you’ll go down in history as a horrific serial killer.”
“As a person…?”
Shinra thought it over. His smile vanished. He looked toward the light coming down from the roof above.