With the Captains suffering casualties and heavy injuries on their side, all hope seemed to be lost... until Shinji Hirako appeared, along with the rest of the former Shinigami. Though the aid of the Vizards certainly helped to draw the battle in their favor, it seemed Aizen's power alone proved too much for them.
"Aww, you poor thing. Have you ever been able to be even somewhat comedic?"
Izaya gave a little laugh at this as he followed suit with her leaning in. He didn't know what was going on but he wanted to observe it closer. That and it seemed appropriate. You didn't just answers someone's warmth with an ice cold mentality. Kin had done that to him; it hadn't been very kind. So, Izaya wasn't just going to do that to Yumiko. Besides, she didn't seem like she was really flirting with him anyway. She was a little old for him it seemed.
But, age wasn't what was on his mind at the moment. Right then he was thinking about what to say. He needed it to be funny but not funny. Good communication was an art and he was determined to master it. Now he had to actually come up with something. He supposed that simply humoring her by playing along. He had a rare disease that didn't allow him to be comical.
"I think I was born without the ability to be comical. I feel that it must be some rare genetic disorder that prevents anything I say from being funny. When I try to be comical I develop a debilitating migraine."
"So... Umm... Izaya, do you by chance have a girl that you are interested in? I mean, look at you, you're kinda cute, what girl wouldn't be chasing you around Seireitei?"
He gave a small grin at this and actually slid away maybe two inches. It made him uncomfortable. It was almost as if she knew about Kin and was trying to test his honesty. No, no she couldn't know. He knew everyone in the fourth division by now. Those were the only people who knew about Kin and him. But, it brought up another problem. How did he go about answering this?
Kin pervaded his mind. She was the majority of what he really cared about. However, every advance he made was ensued by distance. All she did was pull away from him and it was bullshit. He had done so much for her. He tried to come clean about his feeling and she ran. When he thought things were going good, she hugged him. It brought him to the clouds. Immediately after, she crushed his hopes for anything real.
No, he didn't owe her shit.
"There was a girl. But, she won't give me the time of day. I'm not sure that she deserves my affection anymore."
Izaya moved closer after Yumiko. This didn't really bother her. What bothered her was the thinking. This man seemed to get deep and analytically, almost studying Yumiko. Or maybe that was just what she thought about him.
Eventually his thoughts became words, and those words would finally come out. "I think I was born without the ability to be comical. I feel that it must be some rare genetic disorder that prevents anything I say from being funny. When I try to be comical I develop a debilitating migraine."
"Then don't try? Maybe you just think to hard... Or maybe you should let this do the thinking, not that." As Yumiko spoke she pointed at his heart then at his head.
A small grin and he backed off a little bit after her question about him having a girl. Was he upset? Did she say something wrong? She had no idea, but needed to ask why. She would have to analyze him a little more before she would actually take this step.
It seemed as though something had entered his mind... Or maybe never left. It was like he was on this thought for an eternity. His eyes seemed to stay still as the thought was dancing around in his mind. Of course, Yumiko didn't really know cuz she couldn't read or see into someone else's mind. Then a somewhat sudden realization came to him and he spoke to her once again.
"There was a girl. But, she won't give me the time of day. I'm not sure that she deserves my affection anymore."
Weird. For as much time that he took to think about this response, it was something that said; "No, there is no girl". That was exactly what he was saying it seemed. That "was" was what was haunting Yumiko's mind. There was a girl, maybe there still is! Yumiko wanted to know.
"Did something happen between you and here? I mean besides the whole 'time of day' thing." Yumiko was curious to find out. Something had clicked in Izaya's head and Yumiko noticed, or at least this is what she thought.
"Then don't try? Maybe you just think to hard... Or maybe you should let this do the thinking, not that."
Whilst speaking, Yumiko pointed at both his chest and his head. She was obviously insinuating that he should think more with his heart than his brain. However, that was just ridiculous. You didn't think with your heart. It simply dictated blood flow. It had no say in the decision-making process. It was an organ, nothing more or less.
However, Izaya did know what she meant. She was being figurative, not literal. The "heart" was typically used as a symbol of one's emotions. Yumiko was saying that he needed to make decisions based on emotion instead of logic. Now, that was rather ridiculous. What did his emotions have to do with it? As he thought that, the memory of telling Kin he didn't want to lose her tore open like a wound in his mind. At that moment he had let his emotions do the talking. Look where it had landed him now. Now he wasn't even on speaking terms with her. Yumiko's advice didn't really help him here.
"Yumiko-chan, in all fairness, I've tried letting my herat do the talking before. It didn't really work out well with me."
"Did something happen between you and here? I mean besides the whole 'time of day' thing."
At this, Izaya scratched the back of his head and looked away. This topic made him a bit nervous. He didn't like talking about his...whatever he had with Kin. He actually hadn't told anyone. Kicking up a little dust, he sighed a bit and looked at the sky. How did he go about this? Wait, who said he even had to? Was there some rule that demanded him to tell her about it? No, there really wasn't any social rule about that.
Looking her in the eyes again, his face just kind of showed that he was nervous. He didn't give a damn about hiding his feelings. Not anymore anyway. He had been rejected, disowned, and broken. Frankly, giving a shit about people topped his list of "Things Not To Do." So, he was nervous when it came to her, sue the guy.
"Yumiko-chan, I'd rather not talk about it. It was kind of harsh and not something I care to relive. So, if it's not too much to ask, can we not discuss it?"
Izaya really was a deep thinker, but Yumiko didn't mind, actually she kinda liked it. He thought about every little thing before he made a reply. All this really meant was he was a thinker. This was one of the things Yumiko denoted about him.
"Yumiko-chan, in all fairness, I've tried letting my herat do the talking before. It didn't really work out well with me."
Yumiko frowned a bit. To much of a thinker as it was. He didn't follow the heart like Yumiko loved doing. She was a happy person by nature, even if she did seem like a female dog at times. It was just her following the flow, and her emotions. Oh, how her emotions could control her from time to time. Her thoughts came to a stop as she had to give Izaya a reply, or maybe advice.
"Y'know, maybe it was just the wrong person. OR maybe you should stop thinking so much and just do. Even if you get denied from time to time, you could just try again, maybe with someone different." Yumiko's body spoke for herself at this moment in time. She moved somewhat closer, undoing her ponytail and redoing it back to how it normally is with her hair covering her bosom.
Then, she noticed his conflict, or at least a little tiny bit of it. There was something bothering him about her previous question. It seemed everything she said was wrong one way or another, or at least to him in some sort of way. Her pink eyes gazed up at the sky.
"Yumiko-chan, I'd rather not talk about it. It was kind of harsh and not something I care to relive. So, if it's not too much to ask, can we not discuss it?"
"Hai." Yumiko nodded. "What do you wanna talk about then Izaya-kun?" Yumiko asked in a playful tone.
"Y'know, maybe it was just the wrong person. OR maybe you should stop thinking so much and just do. Even if you get denied from time to time, you could just try again, maybe with someone different."
This time, there was no doubt that she was hitting on him. She had moved even closer to him and had let her hair down. Her flirtation didn't exactly warrant jubilation from Izaya. He didn't actually know how he felt about Yumiko right now. She was alright it seemed and she was kind of pretty. However, he still had feeling for Kin but they were waning and he knew it. It had all been downhill since he had gotten back. At first, she seemed to really care. Having brought him moshi was a nice gesture.
Then everything went downhill. After he told her he didn't want to lose her she fled. It was as if she couldn't handle that emotional commitment. And that's exactly what had happened after she had hugged him. She told him to get out and that they couldn't hug more often. It...it had hurt like crazy. The proverbial scar to match all of his literal scars. He didn't know which hurt worse, his taped ribs or the pain of what had happened between them. It was quite the conundrum.
"Yumiko-chan, you may be right. But at the same time, I have to worry that you have ulterior motives. You body language...it's making some implications."
"What do you wanna talk about then Izaya-kun?"
Izaya thought about it for a second. He wanted to get the focus off him. He didn't much like the limelight of the conversation. It was always focused on his romantic involvement and that wasn't the greatest topic of discussion for it. His thoughts about Kin were quotidian and he didn't need any more reason to have them. Daily sessions of thought were enough; he didn't want to overdo it. Then, he thought that he could get the focus on her. Seeming casual enough, Yumiko would most likely enjoy getting to talk about herself for a bit. And Izaya would appreciate the learning opportunity.
"Yumiko-chan, why don't you tell me a bit about yourself? I feel like I've been the focus of conversation for much too long now. Please, partake in some sharing."
After he spoke, he gave her a small smile to indicate his sincerity. He hoped that would be enough.
"Yumiko-chan, you may be right. But at the same time, I have to worry that you have ulterior motives. You body language...it's making some implications."
Ulterior motives? Was he serious? Well, he was kinda right, but maybe that was just how Yumiko felt, that and it helped her get a better grasp on who Izaya really was. Her flirtations were making him somewhat uneasy. Which wasn't a really a bad thing. It wasn't like Yumiko was looking for a long term thing, or was she? Her body was showing it's want and need for someone to be close, but Yumiko didn't even realize this until now!
No... Yumiko didn't want to send the wrong message, she liked him, but they had just met! Why on earth would she already be trying to get with him? What was wrong with her? She had no idea, but she thought that maybe she should give herself a little more control.
"Oh... I'm sorry. I guess it's just one of those things I don't notice from time to time when I get deep into a conversation." Yumiko put her pointer to her chin as she thought about it.
She trailed off in her thoughts, trying to think about another time she was like this... She just couldn't remember! Not even when she was around her old friend had she been like that. It was kinda strange... Maybe there was just something about Izaya that brought it out in her, or maybe this is just how she is around guys she just met. She couldn't really tell right now.
"Yumiko-chan, why don't you tell me a bit about yourself? I feel like I've been the focus of conversation for much too long now. Please, partake in some sharing."
Yumiko giggled. He didn't want to be the center of attention, even though he had been for a while now! She was kinda surprised that he had just noticed it. So, she decided to bite at his words, he did say please after all.
"Well... I grew up in the seventh distract of the Rukongai, I had only two friends growing up, and my brother died after he had become a shinigami... I still don't know what killed him, but he died a hero apparently." This subject was still kinda sensitive to her. She still missed her brother dearly.
"Oh... I'm sorry. I guess it's just one of those things I don't notice from time to time when I get deep into a conversation."
Izaya kind of frowned at this. He didn't really know how he was supposed to respond to this statement. Her being deep into the conversation meant that she was really in tune to what he was saying. That was a level of attention he just wasn't used to. It was being put in the lime light and being thrust front and center. He did alright in groups like this. He just got to scan from one face to another. But, when you just had one face it was a lot harder.
When you just had one person to talk to they honed in on you. And you couldn't escape that attention. You couldn't look to another person and just pretend they weren't there. You were expected to maintain eye contact and keep it goddamn it. It was extremely difficult when you were thinking about other things. It was also hard when the person you were looking was kind of beautiful. It made things worse when you were so used to someone who didn't pay you much mind.
Now, how did he respond to this? He supposed that he needed to sympathize with her problem about this. It seemed like the appropriate thing to do. How did he go about stringing the words together? Thinking for a second, he knew he had to just say that he understand and hope that she wouldn't pursue it too much.
"I suppose that can happen sometimes Yumiko-chan. Your body language can get away from you."
"Well... I grew up in the seventh distract of the Rukongai, I had only two friends growing up, and my brother died after he had become a shinigami... I still don't know what killed him, but he died a hero apparently."
Izaya nodded briefly and didn't know what to really say back. He couldn't relate to any family issues not anymore. He figured that he had the most extensive of all family issues. But, it would be inappropriate to talk about that. Not when she seemed to be upset about her brother. With a slight frown he looked up at Yumiko.
"I'm sorry to hear that Yumiko-chan. At least he died a hero."
Izaya frowned at one of her sentences about her and her body language. Why did he frown? Did he not like her answer? Maybe he felt as if she wasn't actually interested because of what she said. Or maybe this statement made him feel awkward. Yumiko really didn't know.
"I suppose that can happen sometimes Yumiko-chan. Your body language can get away from you."
His response seemed rather, errrmmm, distant. It was too logical. Yumiko wasn't really feeling it, and that wasn't the only thing. This guy was being way to formal! Calling her Yumiko-chan left and right! Why not just call her Yumi? That's what she was used to after all! Maybe she would confront him on this...
"Y'know, you don't gotta be so formal. You can just call me Yumi, Izaya-kun." Yumiko smiled. It wasa friendly smile, not a flirtation smile.
Yumiko continued to smile as Izaya nodded along. Blank. Nada. Nothing. It seemed as though he had nothing to say about what she had told him... Maybe it was to much to soon? Maybe she shouldn't be so loose with her emotions, especially around someone who seemed somewhat closed off.
"You know what? I'm sorry I even brought that up..." Yumiko folded her arms and made a slight turn away from Izaya. Her heart had sank a bit. He didn't understand, or it didn't seem like it anyway. "Maybe it was just too early to bring up seeing as we just met. Ju-just forget I even said anything about it."
Yumiko turned back towards Izaya and smiled. She wanted to just erase what had just happened, but it was already out there and there was no going back. It was her life, and he didn't really need to know the big things like that, guess it was just part of her story.
"Y'know, you don't gotta be so formal. You can just call me Yumi, Izaya-kun."
Grinning a bit at this, Izaya nodded slightly before kind of relaxing his body language. He wasn't really as uptight with her as he was with Kin. It was kind of a relief to know that he didn't have to constantly monitor the situation. Yumiko was so easy going that she didn't even want an honorific. This was so relaxing his body even loosened up a bit. Stretching out a bit and sliding down on the bench even felt better for his ribs. Readjusting, he turned to face her so that he could better make eye contact for further conversation. She didn't seem like she was going to up and walk out on him for no real reason.
"Well, you know, I use the honorific to kind of show the proper respect when it's due. But, if you want, I can just call you Yumi-chan. Does that work?"
"You know what? I'm sorry I even brought that up..."
Gulping quietly, he realized that he had messed up. The muscles in his body that could tense up did tense up. He closed his eyes for a second and took a few did breaths before opening them again and looking at Yumiko. She had turned away from him and crossed her arms. Reaching across his torso, he put his only hand on her shoulder closest to him and tilted his head slightly.
"Yumi-chan. I can't relate because my family was never close to me. They didn't care about me and disowned me when they learned of my injuries simply because I sustained them at the hands of an Arrancar. I'm sorry, but if my brother died, I'm not sure that I would even be informed."
"Maybe it was just too early to bring up seeing as we just met. Ju-just forget I even said anything about it."
She turned back to face him and he returned her smile. He kept his hand on her shoulder as he shook his head a bit. It was one of the few things that didn't hurt to move. Izaya know realized that she was a different kind of friend than Kin or even Tels. She was one that he could just be frank with and not have to worry about what happened. He doubted she would be attracted to him and so he didn't have to worry about sending the wrong signals.
"No. I think you should tell me about whatever it is that's bothering you. I want to hear it Yumi-chan."
"Well, you know, I use the honorific to kind of show the proper respect when it's due. But, if you want, I can just call you Yumi-chan. Does that work?"
Yumiko smiled and giggled a little bit. It was funny to see how Izaya switched from somewhat tense to relaxed in like a half of a second. At the same time it was kinda strange, almost like he wasn't use to not having to be respectful. He must not have very much experience with being chill and relaxed around someone.
"Hehe, of course it is ok, I'm the one that suggested it, silly. As for respect, you have shown me enough respect, and you and I are friends, that means you do not have to shown that much respect now."
Yumiko smiled. Then she felt like the air got tense. She had turned her back to him, and now she found a hand on her shoulder. Was he trying to comfort her? He must of been. It was kinda nice, to feel his hand on her shoulder. Although, she was still a bit flustered from thinking about her brother.
"Yumi-chan. I can't relate because my family was never close to me. They didn't care about me and disowned me when they learned of my injuries simply because I sustained them at the hands of an Arrancar. I'm sorry, but if my brother died, I'm not sure that I would even be informed."
Wow, he must had a hard time. It wasn't anything like Yumiko went through, hell, she had just found out about it a few months ago. It was strange, she had always looked up to him, even if she had only gotten to see him when she was young. It had been a long time since she had seen her brother, actually she couldn't remember his face.
"My family is very important to me... Actually I don't know what I would do without them. As for you not being informed... I wasn't actually informed about it, I found out about it on my own. It was very... hard..."
Izaya left his hand on Yumiko's shoulder. After their earlier conversation, Yumiko kinda figured that he was doing this to sympathize. Although, it did cross her mind to play it like it wasn't, but now was not the time.
"No. I think you should tell me about whatever it is that's bothering you. I want to hear it Yumi-chan."
"Well... I had found out about my brother's death around three or four months ago, and it's still rough to think about it, or even talk about... It's weird that I am actually talking about it right now..."