who do you think you are?

"While you can?" Izaya echoed, cocking his head questioningly. "What exactly does that mean, Miss Yuki?"

He turned back to his game.

"If it makes you feel strong, to come into my home and insult me, then by all means continue. I suppose you're trying to regain you're footing, hn? Re-establish some sort of dominance?" he debated for a moment, before returning the piece he'd just moved to it's original spot. "But perhaps you need to do some reading first. I believe psychopath's lack the ability to emote and empathize. I can do both those things quite well."

"It means that I should have left before you attempted to start some sort of argument," Kumiko said with a sigh as she folded her arms over her chest and stared at the man.

"I'm not looking for dominance, Mr. Orihara. And, quite honestly, I wasn't looking to insult you, either. I was just saying that a psychopath would make that game. It's not my fault that you ended up being the one who made it."

She shrugged slightly and glanced towards the window for a moment, wondering if she could find a way to end the conversation and leave. "Can we just decide that I spoke out of term so that I can leave, then?"

Izaya gave a snort of laughter, "so it 'explains a lot' was nothing then?"

He raised an eyebrow as he looked at her.

"Go, then, I'm sure you've much more to do with your day," he indicated the envelope on his table and turned back to the chessboard. "I'll send you an email should anyone inquire after any of this. You've no reason to put yourself out again."

"Actually, I could have meant that the game provided more insight for me," Kumiko told him simply. "You're pretty difficult to understand. And that game seems to pretty much describe you because it looks complicated, too."

She shrugged, though, and took a step away from the desk. "I don't really have much to do but I'm pretty sure you've been trying to get rid of me since I arrived, so I might as well leave, huh?" she chimed before she turned and headed to the door.

"Goodbye, Mr. Orihara."

"You are truly fascinating, Miss Yuki," Izaya commented to Kumiko's retreating back. "A few days ago you seemed so anxious, and now so out spoken. I believe it was you, who implied a speedy exit was needed, I just wanted to know if there was anything you needed."

He looked back down at his board, chewing his bottom lip. Perhaps Kumiko could have a piece. A pawn, perhaps, start small.

"I'm not going to argue with you, Orihara," Kumiko called over her shoulder as she reached the door and opened it. "I'm not your dear Shizu-chan." She glanced over her shoulder at him for a moment before she stepped through the doorway.

"And, I'll admit I'm still anxious, but you tend to give me no choice but to try to be more outspoken, don't you think?"

She didn't wait for an answer. Instead, she closed the door behind her and moved to leave the area entirely.

Izaya let Kumiko have the last word, picking up the envelope now that she'd left.

He read through the information, filing it into his memory, double checking some things, and noting where certain areas tied with his current knowledge.

It was decent enough, he supposed, the information of someone who'd grown up perhaps not entirely sure of the technicalities of what was happening, but aware enough.

He shuffled the papers back into the envelope when he had finished, tapping it against his bottom lip as he thought.

Days had passed and Kumiko had refused to go back to Izaya's office. Instead, she waited to see if she had receieved an email or not - mostly hoping to get the information on anybody searching for information on her father.

She hadn't received any yet and she was beginning to think that Izaya had lied the whole time. Really, it wouldn't surprise her. But, she did need the information and it was putting her on edge that she didn't know it.

She just hoped that, if Izaya did plan to give her information, he'd do so soon. The sooner she got it, the sooner she could pass it on to her father.

You've finally had a catch, Miss Yuki,

Izaya typed out the mail.

A certain Onizuka Tatsumi was all too happy to fork out a pretty penny for details of your father's more questionable dealings. I'm sure things will pick up, he'll spread the word I now have information on your father, more worms will come crawling for it.

Find attached a small profile regarding Onizuka Tatsumi, for your viewing pleasure.

Until next time.

He attached the file and pressed send. He didn't usually voluntarily give out more information than needed, but he was curious as to what, if anything, Kumiko would do with it.

Kumiko was mildly surprised when her new phone dinged with a notification. She pulled it out to see the email and she read over it quietly. Eventually, she opened the file provided and read over a bit of it as well.

She ended up forwarding the information to her father's email before she replied to Izaya. Maybe it was a bad idea to reply but she did so anyways.

Mr. Orihara,

I'm sure my father will put the information to use.

You'll make sure to inform me the moment anybody else inquires about my father and his business, won't you? I have to admit that I'd be grateful, in that case.

Her email was much shorter than hers, but she couldn't be bothered with that at the moment. She was too worried about knowing who all was after her father to bother typing much to Izaya.

Of course

Izaya kept his reply simple. Email tracking told him she'd forwarded the information to her father, but no one else. The shared document indicated she'd opened the file, but spent little time on it.

Well, each to their own, he supposed, turning back to his previous chat screen where Kanra was probing for gossip.

Kumiko read over the message but she didn't bother to reply to him. Instead, she sighed and set her phone down on the coffee table before she leaned back on the sofa in the apartment and closed her eyes.

It was becoming exhausting to deal with Izaya, but she was somewhat grateful for him, too. Without him, she wouldn't know who was out for information on her father.

And, though she didn't want to admit it, his presence wasn't exactly hated by her.

Izaya continued his emails to Kumiko, as and when he got information. Occasionally he'd add a profile regarding the person of interest, but for the most part he stuck mostly to his standard line of business.

He decided against actively seeking her out. Deciding to let her find her feet a little longer, keeping his distance as she got used to the city.

Each time Kumiko got new information, she'd send it to her father. She didn't want to know what her father did with the information at all and instead generally focused on trying to get used to Ikebukuro more.

She went out a bit more, mostly because she felt safer with the knowledge that her father had important information. She still didn't talk to many people but that was because she still wasn't sure if more people were interested in information about her father or not.

It wasn't really worth the risk when she could run into somebody who could pose a threat.

Someone's been asking after you.

Curiosity around Kumiko's father had started to wane a little among the people he dealt with. Requests for information were averaging towards the norm as the initial surge calmed, but still more rumours had been stirring.

So I've heard, at least. I've not been asked directly, so I've little more to say on the matter currently. But it would do you good to keep an eye out.

Kumiko stared at her phone when she received a message, slight concern beginning to fill her. She'd been as careful as she could manage to be. Was there more that she could do, when she didn't know who was asking about her?

She dreaded the idea, but she had no choice but to ask for Izaya's opinion.

What should I do?

You don't need to do anything currently.
I'll see if I can dig up more when I have a spare moment, but really it could be nothing. They may just have taken a passing interest, but even if they know you're in Ikebukuro it's doubtful one of my homes will even cross their minds as a place to look.

Izaya sent the email, then frowned at his screen for a moment, before opening another blank one.

Should you feel followed, or threatened, it would be preferable if you would contact me on the mobile number. I'm far more inclined to answer that particular one than I am to check my email when out.

He sent that one as well. There, he thought to himself, the neighborly thing.

Kumiko was mildly surprised that Izaya was offering any form of help. Sure, he had offered his protection but she had figured that it would have ended at providing her a safe place to stay.

I'll keep that in mind. Hopefully, it won't come to that.

She paused for a moment, hesitating, before she added Thank you, Mr. Orihara and sent the message.

Izaya looked at his screen, not only had she replied to another of his messages, she'd also thanked him. For a brief moment he was tempted to email her back, perhaps a short message saying he'd keep her informed. But she'd already know that, it was an established part of their deal.

He decided against it in the end. It would be pointless to send a useless message. Instead, he set about finishing a report for Shiki, determined to get it done before he lost himself in the intricacies of gathering specific information. The science of it, the right line of inquiry to the right people, just putting on enough pressure... really, he could think of no better job.

As time passed, Kumiko was beginning to worry. She constantly felt like something was off and she was tempted to message Izaya to distract herself or to call him to make it obvious that she was worried.

But, then, what if the feeling she had was just because she was so nervous after being told that somebody might be asking about her? She didn't want to make it a problem if it wasn't really something to worry about.