Read Online Durarara!!, Vol. 1 (novel) by Ryohgo Narita - Free Book Online Page A

part of it.
    Mikado realized that his friend represented everything that he wanted, and the warring anxiety and excitement lulled as he felt more in control of his surroundings—or at least, they should have.
    But in the next moment, all of that was destroyed as a fresh new maelstrom of anxiety and excitement burst into life.
    “Hey.”
    It was a very pleasant voice, crisp and clear and vibrant, as though being hailed by the pure blue sky itself.
    And yet, the instant he heard that voice, Masaomi grimaced as though he’d been shot in the back with arrows. He slowly turned in the direction of the voice, an instant sweat congealing on his face.
    Mikado turned the same way and saw a young man with an equally pleasant face. He looked soft and gentle, but with a bold, intrepid edge—a perfect materialization of some ideal of handsomeness. His eyes were warm and all-accepting but glinted with a hard scorn of anything that wasn’t himself. His outfit, while possessing its own personality, did not show off any obvious features or characteristics. All in all, he was very difficult to grasp or classify.
    Even his age was indistinct based on appearance alone. He had to be more than twenty at least, but there was no way to tell anything beyond that.
    “Nice to see you again, Masaomi Kida.”
    Masaomi responded to the use of his full name with an expression Mikado had never seen before and swallowed.
    “Ah… H…hi,” he responded awkwardly.
    Mikado’s state of mind erupted into chaos.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen Kida look like this…
    Fear and disgust mingled in Masaomi’s eyes, but the muscles in his face were tense, trying to bottle up that emotion.
    “Is that a Raira Academy uniform? So you got in. First day of school? Congrats.”
    His congratulations were brief and clipped, but not devoid of feeling. He only used the barest minimum of emotion necessary in his voice, however.
    “Y-yes, thanks to you,” Masaomi said, a common pleasantry.
    “I didn’t do a thing.”
    “It’s strange to see you out in Ikebukuro…”
    “I’m just meeting some friends. And who’s that?”
    The man looked at Mikado, and for an instant, their eyes met. Normally, Mikado would look away shyly, but this time he couldn’t tear his eyes away. He felt as though if he broke that contact, his entire existence would be denied, negated. Mikado didn’t know why he felt this way—the man’s gaze simply held him in place with its breathtaking sharpness.
    “Er, he’s just a friend,” Masaomi blurted. Normally he would have said Mikado’s name, but he seemed to be intentionally avoiding that. The man did not seem perturbed by this omission in any way. He turned to Mikado.
    “I’m Izaya Orihara. Nice to meet you.”
    Everything clicked into place for Mikado. The man not to get involved with. The man not to make an enemy out of. But the fellow standing before him didn’t seem all that dangerous. Aside from his sharp gaze and handsome features, he seemed like any other young man. Even his plain, glossy black hair stood out amid all the bleached and dyed hair around him. He looked like the kind of sharp young man that would be teaching at a cram school out in the country somewhere.
    He’s more normal than I expected
, Mikado thought, and decided to introduce himself.
    “Sounds like an air conditioner,” came Izaya’s response, without mirth or surprise. He seemed to be referring to the Kirigamine appliance brand. Mikado opened his mouth, unsure of whether or not he should say something to continue the conversation, when Izaya raised a hand.
    “Well, it’s time for my meeting. Gotta go.”
    And with that, he left. Masaomi stretched and inhaled a deep breath, watching Izaya’s retreating back.
    “C’mon, let’s go. Uh, where were we off to?”
    “Is he really that scary?”
    “Scary might not be the right word… See, I got into my share of trouble in middle school…and I ran into him once, and it really scared me. It’s not