DURARARA Vol.2, Shizuo...interviewed.
This turned out easier to translate than I thought. Or rather Shizu-chan turned out easier to translate in general...
*
Interesting.
This is way too interesting.
When I asked random people on the street whom they thought was the most fearsome in Ikebukuro, I got a plethora of answers.
Yet when I asked the "fearsome people" themselves the same question, their answers were the same.
Heiwajima Shizuo.
If everything I heard up until this point was true, he was a world from anywhere even close to being serene or peaceful, unlike what his name might suggest*.
But how come the information-savvy people I initially interviewed hadn't mentioned him at all? I went back to those people again, this time asking pointedly about Shizuo.
"I don't want to have anything to do with him."
Was everyone's reply.
This is the monster I was about to meet in person.
The teenager in me was trembling in the knees with anticipation. The adult in me was - shaking all over out of fear, to be frank with you.
I stood in front of a small office building, feeling incredible. There was no sign hanging over the entrance of the building; it looked like the type that would have new lessees every other day.
"Are you the one who's looking for Shizuo, Mister?"
The man who came out of the building had tanned skin, a perfect match for his dreadlocks. I would have taken him to be a host, since his clothing was more on the trendy side than the professional.
"He's up there. I'll get him downstairs for you.....do not piss him off."
"Ah......"
Despite looking Japanese in every way, the man said his name was Tanaka Tom. He seemed to be Shizuo's present boss. What they did appeared to be collecting debt from users of a dating website.
I avoided asking if that website was legit. I would have, though, if only Heiwajima Shizuo wasn't the sole thing holding my interest right now.
I know that there's such a thing as asking too many questions from experience.
"Keep in mind, DO NOT piss him off. You'd be in trouble."
Mr. Tom warned over and over again.
I had heard from all kinds of people just how dangerous this Heiwajima guy is. But having the same point emphasized to me over and over again felt like being treated as an idiot.
"I'll give you one piece of advice. Don't talk. Ask him what you wanna ask, then put on a dumb face and just listen. When he's done talking, say 'Thank you very much.' and you'll probably be able to avoid pissing him off."
What was he talking about?
How was this gonna be an interview if I didn't talk? Forcing the truth out of someone by picking at the baseless and the self-contradictory in their words - this is what interviews are supposed to be about. And how would I ever make the beginner's mistake of pissing the interviewee off when I've only just met him? Orihara Izaya's case was different because Heiwajima Shizuo happened to be his mortal enemy. There's no way I could have foreseen that, so it wasn't my fault.
Though the man in front of me was obviously not making sense, I decided not to say anything.
He had to have a trick or two up his sleeve if he worked in this kind of business. Better not make him angry.
As I told myself that Mr. Tanaka Tom was nowhere to be seen.
Yessss. This was about to kick off.
I was about to meet the strongest fighter in Ikebukuro. Though all that was was a title he held; he didn't keep a record, nor did he make any sort of money with it.
Just being a strong fighter really doesn't mean a lot in modern Japan. If a man is confident in his fighting skills, he would become a professional - and if he is as good as he thinks, he could have both fame and wealth.
Yet Heiwajima Shizuo remained a mere debt collector for paid websites.
Not a particularly decent job by the standards of this society.
But the child in me had been insomniac for three nights riding the wave of curiosity.
Instinct was pounding heavily against the walls of my heart.
Whether out of anticipation or fear -
"Excuse me - "
- I'd know when I see him.
"- hello...I'm Heiwajima."
Hmm?
I was too focused on keeping my excitement from going over the edge to realize that someone was already standing in front of me.
A pretty thin young man, with a pair of what looked like designer sunglasses on his gentle nose. And said he was Heiwajima to my dumbfounded face.
- Huh?
- Heiwajima?
"Mr. Heiwajima...Shizuo?"
The young man nodded with a straight face at my question.
What the...
It became impossible to understand the situation.
Him?
This man - is the strongest fighter? The most fearsome in Ikebukuro?
Don't laugh, but I'd pictured the monster named "Heiwajima Shizuo" in my mind before.
He had steely muscles covering every inch of his body, as thick as rubber tires; a blood-chilling cold expression like serial killers in movies, with obvious scars on his face; and dragon tattoos all over his body -
The only feature about this young man that even came close to my mental image was his height. The sunglasses shading his gentle eyes did not suit him at all; they only made him look pretentious.
I was ready to be shown something different from my imagination. But this is making me wonder if everything I'd heard was a joke.
He certainly didn't look like someone gangsters would avoid picking a fight with. Nor someone who could throw a vending machine around.
And yes, I know you shouldn't judge a book by the cover, but this?
Was I collectively tricked by everyone?
Did that Shiki or someone else tell the Chief Chef, the information broker and the police to feed me the same lies?
But it couldn't possibly be. That Color Gang folk I had at least picked randomly from the street. This would be way too elaborate a trap if a trap it indeed was.
So this guy was just someone with the exact same name as Heiwajima Shizuo?
But the Black Rider did tell me to come to this exact building.
Where had I gotten it wrong then?
From which point?
Or was the man hiding his true nature?
......He had no reason to be. I had seen many types of people myself, and I know it when they were lying or concealing themselves. But the guy in front of me was gentle to the very bones, why should he lie to me or keep up his defenses?
So what is with this?
What is with this whole thing?
Some kind of martial art? Moves? Was it his moves?
Was he an aikido master of some sort despite looking skinny?
But even if he could throw people around with the martial art stuff, throwing vending machines was still out of the question.
This was not going to turn out well. If I was to write an article about this man being the strongest fighter in Ikebukuro and people actually have seen him - wouldn't that make me the biggest liar ever?
......I could only pretend that this young man had some kind of hidden power that was unfortunately sealed for the time being. I know this was epically stupid, but this was the only way to keep myself going.
How about I go unseal that hidden power myself?
I suppressed my excitement at this thought and began talking. I was gonna invite him to a café, but seeing how things were going I gave up that plan immediately.
"A-Actually, I have a couple of things I'd like to ask you, Mr. Shizuo..."
"'Kay."
Was his drowsy reply.
Could he actually fight at all?
I was starting to think that even I could tackle him. I had been through several critical situations at work, like being picked on by gangsters when I interviewed shady restaurants, getting cornered by mafia members with foreign backgrounds, that kind of thing.
Of course, those had nothing to do with me being good or anything. Point is, I already knew what it was to be almost dying, so I shouldn't be easily scared.
"I...have been talking to people around the town, and it seems like Mr. Shizuo has been involved in a lot of fights?"
"I don't think so......?"
- Why are you asking about this?
Was what his expression was saying.
"Really?"
"......'Cause I hate violence."
Shoot. I was wrong about the hidden power after all.
The teenager in me fell straight into a slumber.
My animal instinct caught no vibe from this guy that invoked fear or anticipation.
I was planning on finishing up the interview by now, so I just asked questions for the hell of it.
"What do you think of the town lately?"
"Not much...it's a nice town."
"Do you know the rumored 'Black Rider' personally?"
"Ah...Celty is a nice fellow."
So this is the guy Black Rider talked about.
But the Black Rider did say that he was the strongest in Ikebukuro......
I was about to ask him that, but he - was already going back inside the building?
"Wait a sec - sorry - where are you going?"
"......Aren't you finished asking?"
"Huh?"
"You said from the beginning that you had 'a couple of things' to ask me...you already asked three questions, and I had nothing to say."
.......He was kidding, right?
What the heck.
Taking figurative terms literally...was he the "manual man" type they were talking about recently?
Anyway, nothing was going to get done at this rate.
I tried provoking him slightly to strike up a proper conversation.
"A moment please - just one last question. I heard that you threw a vending machine around when you got in trouble with the police...I'm gonna be straightforward here, that was a lie, wasn't it?"
"........"
"It was just you being fooled around by Orihara Izaya - "
Something was flying.
Flying?
...What was?
I didn't realize what was flying at first.
Heiwajima Shizuo turned around sharply and started flying at an astonishing speed.
Upwards? Forwards?
No, downwards, actually.
Everything looked like it was in slow motion.
What the heck. Now that I actually looked, Heiwajima Shizuo wasn't the only thing flying.
The building he just came out of, the concrete pavement, even the air around me -
And I realized.
Almost immediately, though I didn't want to admit it.
I was the one thing that was flying.
TBC
*
Interesting.
This is way too interesting.
When I asked random people on the street whom they thought was the most fearsome in Ikebukuro, I got a plethora of answers.
Yet when I asked the "fearsome people" themselves the same question, their answers were the same.
Heiwajima Shizuo.
If everything I heard up until this point was true, he was a world from anywhere even close to being serene or peaceful, unlike what his name might suggest*.
But how come the information-savvy people I initially interviewed hadn't mentioned him at all? I went back to those people again, this time asking pointedly about Shizuo.
"I don't want to have anything to do with him."
Was everyone's reply.
This is the monster I was about to meet in person.
The teenager in me was trembling in the knees with anticipation. The adult in me was - shaking all over out of fear, to be frank with you.
I stood in front of a small office building, feeling incredible. There was no sign hanging over the entrance of the building; it looked like the type that would have new lessees every other day.
"Are you the one who's looking for Shizuo, Mister?"
The man who came out of the building had tanned skin, a perfect match for his dreadlocks. I would have taken him to be a host, since his clothing was more on the trendy side than the professional.
"He's up there. I'll get him downstairs for you.....do not piss him off."
"Ah......"
Despite looking Japanese in every way, the man said his name was Tanaka Tom. He seemed to be Shizuo's present boss. What they did appeared to be collecting debt from users of a dating website.
I avoided asking if that website was legit. I would have, though, if only Heiwajima Shizuo wasn't the sole thing holding my interest right now.
I know that there's such a thing as asking too many questions from experience.
"Keep in mind, DO NOT piss him off. You'd be in trouble."
Mr. Tom warned over and over again.
I had heard from all kinds of people just how dangerous this Heiwajima guy is. But having the same point emphasized to me over and over again felt like being treated as an idiot.
"I'll give you one piece of advice. Don't talk. Ask him what you wanna ask, then put on a dumb face and just listen. When he's done talking, say 'Thank you very much.' and you'll probably be able to avoid pissing him off."
What was he talking about?
How was this gonna be an interview if I didn't talk? Forcing the truth out of someone by picking at the baseless and the self-contradictory in their words - this is what interviews are supposed to be about. And how would I ever make the beginner's mistake of pissing the interviewee off when I've only just met him? Orihara Izaya's case was different because Heiwajima Shizuo happened to be his mortal enemy. There's no way I could have foreseen that, so it wasn't my fault.
Though the man in front of me was obviously not making sense, I decided not to say anything.
He had to have a trick or two up his sleeve if he worked in this kind of business. Better not make him angry.
As I told myself that Mr. Tanaka Tom was nowhere to be seen.
Yessss. This was about to kick off.
I was about to meet the strongest fighter in Ikebukuro. Though all that was was a title he held; he didn't keep a record, nor did he make any sort of money with it.
Just being a strong fighter really doesn't mean a lot in modern Japan. If a man is confident in his fighting skills, he would become a professional - and if he is as good as he thinks, he could have both fame and wealth.
Yet Heiwajima Shizuo remained a mere debt collector for paid websites.
Not a particularly decent job by the standards of this society.
But the child in me had been insomniac for three nights riding the wave of curiosity.
Instinct was pounding heavily against the walls of my heart.
Whether out of anticipation or fear -
"Excuse me - "
- I'd know when I see him.
"- hello...I'm Heiwajima."
Hmm?
I was too focused on keeping my excitement from going over the edge to realize that someone was already standing in front of me.
A pretty thin young man, with a pair of what looked like designer sunglasses on his gentle nose. And said he was Heiwajima to my dumbfounded face.
- Huh?
- Heiwajima?
"Mr. Heiwajima...Shizuo?"
The young man nodded with a straight face at my question.
What the...
It became impossible to understand the situation.
Him?
This man - is the strongest fighter? The most fearsome in Ikebukuro?
Don't laugh, but I'd pictured the monster named "Heiwajima Shizuo" in my mind before.
He had steely muscles covering every inch of his body, as thick as rubber tires; a blood-chilling cold expression like serial killers in movies, with obvious scars on his face; and dragon tattoos all over his body -
The only feature about this young man that even came close to my mental image was his height. The sunglasses shading his gentle eyes did not suit him at all; they only made him look pretentious.
I was ready to be shown something different from my imagination. But this is making me wonder if everything I'd heard was a joke.
He certainly didn't look like someone gangsters would avoid picking a fight with. Nor someone who could throw a vending machine around.
And yes, I know you shouldn't judge a book by the cover, but this?
Was I collectively tricked by everyone?
Did that Shiki or someone else tell the Chief Chef, the information broker and the police to feed me the same lies?
But it couldn't possibly be. That Color Gang folk I had at least picked randomly from the street. This would be way too elaborate a trap if a trap it indeed was.
So this guy was just someone with the exact same name as Heiwajima Shizuo?
But the Black Rider did tell me to come to this exact building.
Where had I gotten it wrong then?
From which point?
Or was the man hiding his true nature?
......He had no reason to be. I had seen many types of people myself, and I know it when they were lying or concealing themselves. But the guy in front of me was gentle to the very bones, why should he lie to me or keep up his defenses?
So what is with this?
What is with this whole thing?
Some kind of martial art? Moves? Was it his moves?
Was he an aikido master of some sort despite looking skinny?
But even if he could throw people around with the martial art stuff, throwing vending machines was still out of the question.
This was not going to turn out well. If I was to write an article about this man being the strongest fighter in Ikebukuro and people actually have seen him - wouldn't that make me the biggest liar ever?
......I could only pretend that this young man had some kind of hidden power that was unfortunately sealed for the time being. I know this was epically stupid, but this was the only way to keep myself going.
How about I go unseal that hidden power myself?
I suppressed my excitement at this thought and began talking. I was gonna invite him to a café, but seeing how things were going I gave up that plan immediately.
"A-Actually, I have a couple of things I'd like to ask you, Mr. Shizuo..."
"'Kay."
Was his drowsy reply.
Could he actually fight at all?
I was starting to think that even I could tackle him. I had been through several critical situations at work, like being picked on by gangsters when I interviewed shady restaurants, getting cornered by mafia members with foreign backgrounds, that kind of thing.
Of course, those had nothing to do with me being good or anything. Point is, I already knew what it was to be almost dying, so I shouldn't be easily scared.
"I...have been talking to people around the town, and it seems like Mr. Shizuo has been involved in a lot of fights?"
"I don't think so......?"
- Why are you asking about this?
Was what his expression was saying.
"Really?"
"......'Cause I hate violence."
Shoot. I was wrong about the hidden power after all.
The teenager in me fell straight into a slumber.
My animal instinct caught no vibe from this guy that invoked fear or anticipation.
I was planning on finishing up the interview by now, so I just asked questions for the hell of it.
"What do you think of the town lately?"
"Not much...it's a nice town."
"Do you know the rumored 'Black Rider' personally?"
"Ah...Celty is a nice fellow."
So this is the guy Black Rider talked about.
But the Black Rider did say that he was the strongest in Ikebukuro......
I was about to ask him that, but he - was already going back inside the building?
"Wait a sec - sorry - where are you going?"
"......Aren't you finished asking?"
"Huh?"
"You said from the beginning that you had 'a couple of things' to ask me...you already asked three questions, and I had nothing to say."
.......He was kidding, right?
What the heck.
Taking figurative terms literally...was he the "manual man" type they were talking about recently?
Anyway, nothing was going to get done at this rate.
I tried provoking him slightly to strike up a proper conversation.
"A moment please - just one last question. I heard that you threw a vending machine around when you got in trouble with the police...I'm gonna be straightforward here, that was a lie, wasn't it?"
"........"
"It was just you being fooled around by Orihara Izaya - "
Something was flying.
Flying?
...What was?
I didn't realize what was flying at first.
Heiwajima Shizuo turned around sharply and started flying at an astonishing speed.
Upwards? Forwards?
No, downwards, actually.
Everything looked like it was in slow motion.
What the heck. Now that I actually looked, Heiwajima Shizuo wasn't the only thing flying.
The building he just came out of, the concrete pavement, even the air around me -
And I realized.
Almost immediately, though I didn't want to admit it.
I was the one thing that was flying.
TBC