The hallway was empty.
Not completely—
but enough.
Students passed at a distance.
Voices existed somewhere far away.
But around them—
there was space.
---
Izuya stood still.
Arthur stood a few steps ahead.
---
No one interrupted.
No one approached.
---
For a moment—
neither of them spoke.
---
Then Arthur took a step closer.
Not aggressive.
Not cautious.
Just… intentional.
---
"You didn't stop it," he said again.
---
"I told you," Izuya replied.
"You wanted me to see it."
---
Arthur studied him quietly.
"…And?"
---
Izuya slipped his hands into his pockets.
"It's inefficient."
---
A pause.
---
Arthur's eyebrow lifted slightly.
"In what way?"
---
"It creates unnecessary noise," Izuya said.
"Minor disturbances. No real outcome."
---
Arthur nodded once.
"Correct."
---
Silence.
---
Then—
"Which means," Arthur continued, "it wasn't the real objective."
---
Izuya looked at him.
"…Obviously."
---
Another pause.
---
Then Izuya added:
"You were testing something."
---
Arthur's expression didn't change.
"What?"
---
Izuya answered without hesitation.
"Me."
---
Silence again.
---
Then—
Arthur smiled faintly.
---
"Yes."
---
No denial.
No deflection.
---
Just the truth.
---
Izuya sighed quietly.
"…Troublesome."
---
Arthur tilted his head slightly.
"You keep saying that."
---
"Because it is."
---
A small pause.
---
Then Arthur asked:
"Do you know why I tested you?"
---
Izuya didn't answer immediately.
---
"…Because I'm different from the others."
---
Arthur nodded.
"Partially."
---
He stepped slightly to the side, glancing out the window.
Students moved across the courtyard below.
Normal.
Unaware.
---
"You see patterns," Arthur said.
"Faster than most."
---
Izuya didn't respond.
---
Arthur continued.
"But more importantly…"
---
He turned back toward him.
---
"…you choose not to act."
---
Silence.
---
Izuya's eyes shifted slightly.
---
Arthur's voice remained calm.
"Most people act even when they don't understand."
"You understand—"
He paused.
---
"—and then you do nothing."
---
A small gap.
---
"That's rare."
---
Izuya looked away slightly.
"…It's easier."
---
Arthur shook his head.
"No."
---
Izuya glanced back at him.
---
Arthur's expression sharpened.
"It's avoidance."
---
Silence.
---
For a brief moment—
something in the air tightened.
---
Izuya spoke first.
"…And?"
---
Arthur stepped closer.
Not threatening.
But direct.
---
"I don't like wasted potential."
---
Izuya blinked once.
---
"…That sounds like a personal problem."
---
Arthur almost laughed.
Almost.
---
"It is," he said.
---
A pause.
---
Then—
Arthur reached into his pocket.
---
And placed something small on the windowsill between them.
---
A device.
Simple.
Minimal.
---
Izuya looked at it.
"…What is that?"
---
"A choice," Arthur replied.
---
Silence.
---
Izuya didn't touch it.
---
Arthur continued.
"Inside that device is access."
---
"To what?"
---
Arthur met his eyes.
---
"Me."
---
A pause.
---
"And everything I'm building."
---
The words settled slowly.
---
Izuya didn't move.
---
"…Not interested."
---
Immediate.
---
Arthur nodded.
"As expected."
---
No disappointment.
No pressure.
---
Just calm acceptance.
---
"But you will be," he added.
---
Izuya frowned slightly.
"…Why?"
---
Arthur looked out at the city again.
---
"Because the world isn't quiet."
---
A small pause.
---
"And it won't become quiet by ignoring it."
---
Silence.
---
Izuya looked at the device again.
---
Then at Arthur.
---
"…And you think your way works?"
---
Arthur didn't hesitate.
---
"Yes."
---
Another pause.
---
Then Izuya said quietly:
"…It creates more noise first."
---
Arthur nodded.
"Correct."
---
"Then it's inefficient."
---
Arthur looked back at him.
---
"Only in the beginning."
---
Their eyes met again.
---
Two completely different perspectives.
---
Neither yielding.
---
Neither convinced.
---
After a few seconds—
Arthur stepped back.
---
"Keep it," he said, gesturing to the device.
---
Izuya didn't pick it up.
---
Arthur turned.
---
Then paused.
---
"One more thing."
---
Izuya looked at him.
---
Arthur spoke without turning around.
---
"If you continue doing nothing…"
---
A small pause.
---
"…someone else will decide the world for you."
---
Silence.
---
Then he walked away.
---
Leaving the device behind.
---
Leaving the choice behind.
---
---
Izuya stood there for a while.
---
Looking at it.
---
Not touching it.
---
Not moving.
---
The hallway remained quiet.
---
For now.
---
After a few seconds—
he picked it up.
---
"…Annoying," he muttered.
---
But he didn't throw it away.
---
---
From a distance—
Sakura watched quietly.
---
She had seen everything.
Heard nothing.
---
But she understood one thing clearly.
---
Something had changed.
---
Not outside.
---
Inside.
---
And for the first time—
Izuya Shoda wasn't just avoiding the noise.
---
He was standing
right in front of it.