Heading to A Rumor.

POV: Isozaki Izumi.

Date: 24th Nov – Monday.

Timeline: *After the visit to the Hospital*

I got out of the car as we reached the apartment building and Yasahiro went to park the car, I started heading toward my apartment, "why do I feel like I forgot an important thing?" I mumbled as I started climbing the stairs.

As I reached the end of stairs, I started hearing a conversation from the direction of my apartment,

"Don't you think he might be working, Shota-san?"

"But I really wanted to see him before my game…"

"It's fine, I'm sure you'll get more chances to see him from now on, since he'll be living here."

As I got closer, I saw two people with familiar faces standing right in front of my apartment, "aren't you the ones living in room 101 and 102? What are you doing in front of my apartment? Do you need something?" I asked them which made them shift their eyes toward me and the expressions on their faces changed showing wide smiles.

"Izumi-san!" a boy who seemed to be in high school yelled as he ran over to me with sparkles in his eyes, "do you remember me!?" He asked.

Isn't he the boy who opened the door to apartment 101 and ruined my introduction plan? But seriously why does everyone call me by my first name…

"My memory isn't that bad, I do remember you," I answered, "really!?" the boy reconfirmed and I nodded and put my hand on his shoulder and asked while frowning, "but why do you add '-san'? Is it because I'm older? Or is it because you can't help but respect me? As I thought, I really do strike as that cool adult, huh!?"

"Of course, it's because you are the coolest, Izumi-san!!!" the boy yelled with excited tone, "no stop it, you don't have to say it so clearly, you'll make me blush!" I said while laughing out loud.

And the boy started walking down the stairs while saying, "and we're the same age so, of course it's not because you're older," and he looked at me and a bigger smile surfaced on his face and he started saying, "since I saw you, I bet I'll have all the world's luck with me today! Can I come over when I finish?"

"Sure," I answered and as soon as he heard that he jumped and started running while smiling from ear to ear, "what a weird kid… No, maybe it's normal to be this friendly to others? It feels weird. Wait, he said we're the same age? He doesn't look like he's 24… Maybe I misheard him," I mumbled as I continued to head toward my room.

"Isn't it great that he got to see you?" A girl creeped in and started talking, "he always admired you, we don't talk a lot but each time I talked with him, he would always mention you! And to think that the person he always kept on mentioning actually moved to the same apartment building, moreover, he remembered him. It must be fate!"

What the hell is she talking about? Who the hell is she in the first place, I feel like I saw her before.

"Why are you talking like he actually knew me from before I moved here?" I asked confusedly, and the girl froze in her place as if she didn't believe the words she heard, I continued with my interrogation, "and who are you?"

"You mean you forgot about me as well?" She asked with disappointed sad eyes and started explaining as her smile started fading out, "we met yesterday, when you were over at Hoga-san's house, I even gave you some cookies remember? I'm Omura Hina, living inside apartment 102."

Uh… I didn't mean to make her sad, to think that I made her introduce herself twice to me…

"I'm sorry," I apologized feeling guilty, "it's fine, I don't really mind you not recognizing me… even though I'm a model…" she said with a sad tone.

SHE WAS A MODEL TOO!!! What is this feeling of overflowing guilt!?

I laughed awkwardly, and said, "I d-don't really read magazines or watch T.V, I'm sorry for not recognizing you."

This is so awkward, I want to go inside my apartment already.

"I'm alright but please try to remember Shota-san before he comes back from his game or he will be so disappointed." She requested and started dragging herself inside her apartment.

E-Even if she tells me to try to remember him, the name Shota doesn't ring a bell in my head.

I started hearing footsteps coming up the stairs and looked to see Yasahiro, when he saw me he raised one eyebrow and asked, "Why are you still outside?"

Ah, maybe this guy will know something?

"Do you perhaps know anyone by the name of Shota?" I asked hoping for a hint for the answer, "who the hell is that?" Yasahiro answered before going inside his apartment.

Yeah, at least I'm definitely better than this guy.

As I got inside and took my shoes off, I started mumbling to myself, "she said something about a game, is he a sport player or something? Ah, he must be someone famous and they expected me to know him. But not like I can google him when I only know his first name."

I opened the fridge and stared at it, while mumbling, "No, in the first place, is Shota his last or first name?"

I closed the fridge without taking anything and went to my bedroom and sat on the bed, "if only I had Nao at times like these, he would always take out his legendary notebook and tell me anything I want to know about anyone."

I wonder what he's doing in a city all by himself.

My stomach started growling waking me up from being deep in thoughts, "thinking about it, I didn't have breakfast since I was rushing to go to work."

I got up and headed toward the fridge again and opened it but saw nothing except water bottles.

I guess I'll order something.

I got my phone out and looked at the advertisements for food, "wait a minute, I'm tight on money for the rest of this month…"

As I continued to scroll down, I caught a glimpse of an advertisement, "buy two pizzas in price of one! This is it!"

I quickly rushed outside and started slamming my hand on Yasahiro's apartment door.

"What is it?" Yasahiro asked while glaring at me when he opened the door, "I was wondering if you want to order pizza with me, it's buy one take another for free," I said while smiling.

"Heh, so this time it's the idiot Izumi, not the scary one," Yasahiro said as he scratched the back of his head and started closing the door, "sure, you can order, tell me when it gets here."

What the hell do you mean it's the idiot Izumi!? Are you picking a fight, punk!?

"Yeah, sure! I'll tell them to deliver it to your apartment," I said as I started waving my hand and getting inside my apartment.

I picked my phone again and started dialing, "Hi, I want to order the two in price of one pizza, and I want you to deliver it to apartment 105 in Konomi Apartment Building on the second street."

Just you wait, smartass Yasahiro-sama, you'll be in for a surprise!

POV: Hoga Yasahiro

Timeline: *After 20 minutes*

I heard the bell and went to open the door for the pizzaman, but what is with this situation, "the price is 2950 yen" the deliveryman said as he extended his hand toward me, I reached for my wallet and paid.

Why did they give me the two of them? And why am I the one paying?

As I was about to close my door, the door to Izumi's apartment opened and he rushed toward me, "ah, are you going to pay me back?" I asked as I saw him looking at the pizza.

"Why should I?" he asked glaring at me, and reached for one of the pizza boxes, "you take the one you paid for, and I'll take the free one," he explained while smiling.

This jerk, he was planning this from the start, I should have known better.

"Well, I guess it's fine, you can take it as repay for letting you go visit that girl in the hospital by yourself," I said and started heading back inside, and told him before going inside, "eat and get ready in one hour, let's go visit the 'healing hand' person."

"Mhm 'kay," he said before slamming the door to his apartment in my face.

Did he really hear me?

After waiting for one whole hour in front of Izumi's apartment I decided to ring the bell, "this jerk, I knew he didn't hear me," I mumbled as I rang the bell.

The door didn't open despite me ringing the doorbell multiple times.

Is he asleep? But it's only 3 in the afternoon. Did he die inside? Was the pizza poisonous? But I ate from it as well and nothing happened to me.

The door suddenly creaked open and from it an annoyed Izumi came out and scolded me, "what the hell are you doing? It's open go inside."

Don't give me that 'it's open go inside' bullshit, close your front door for god's sake.

"No, you come outside, we're going out remember?" I reminded him as extended my hand toward his to pull him out, "hurry we have no time to waste," I rushed him, but as soon as my hand came close to his he pulled his away, and backed away, he asked while trembling, "going out? We are!?"

I knew it! he definitely didn't hear me before, but why overreacting so much?!

"What's wrong? Are you doing something? I can wait if it won't take long," I suggested seeing how uncomfortable he is, he responded with angry tone "you are what's wrong! When did this happen… I don't remember agreeing on this!"

"Agreeing? Why would I need your approval? Doesn't it go naturally that we go together?" I said taken back by his attitude.

I can't believe this guy, is he planning on making me go alone!? Was he only putting on airs saying he wanted to save that guy's sister?!

"Forget it, if you don't want to, I don't see any reason for us to do this. I was only in this since you were dumb," I said as I started heading toward my apartment, he got out and said while avoiding any eye contact with me, "I'm sorry, I didn't know you thought of me like that, is that why you used my first name? but … I… I just can't do this… I mean I… don't swing that way."

W-What is this… Why can't I understand anything he is saying?

Izumi: 'to think he was in love with me.'

Oh, hell no.

"Going to see the 'healing hands' person, are you sure you don't want to go?" I asked again to clear up the misunderstanding, Izumi looked puzzled for a while before his face started turning beet red, and he started laughing awkwardly, "I see… haha … y-yeah… right …that … l-let's go…"

Man, I bet he is so embarrassed… but that's his own fault.

"I don't swing that way either," I said holding my laughter and started heading down the stairs.

Izumi: 'god, I want to die. This is so humiliating.'

But that's weird, today I'm only hearing Izumi's thoughts. I wonder why that demon's thoughts aren't mixing in.

"But where are we going? No address was mentioned on the newspaper," Izumi asked after catching up to me, "I called the publisher, and they told me after I said that I was someone whom they helped, and I wanted to thank them," I answered.

"Oh, that's smart," he said in admiration, and asked, "by the way, how was the pizza?" I turned around and answered, "expensive," a huge grin appeared on his face and he said with a proud tone, "of course it was, I picked the most expensive one they had."

WHAT!?

"Why?" I asked confused by his actions, he ran toward the car and said playfully, "revenge~"

"This is why people kill you…" I mumbled as I headed toward the car as well.