Durarara!!, Vol. 1 (novel) by Ryohgo Narita Page B

“Dotachin,” and Karisawa still called him that.
    With the unexpected appearance of that name in his mind, and the realization that imagining a nonexistent leader didn’t do him a bit of good, Kadota decided to put it all out of his mind.
    The true powers in this town were the yakuza, the foreign mafia, and the police. If anything, the Dollars ranked well below them.
    No matter how much they captured the imagination, their numbers and power meant nothing in the end—a fleeting illusion in the shifting midst of the city.
    And that was exactly why he wanted proof that this illusion really existed.
    But Kadota understood.
    Only after the illusion vanished would he really know if that’s what the Dollars were.



Chapter 8: Double Heroine, Sonohara
    Several days of high school formalities passed for Mikado, and after the customary health inspection, actual classes were scheduled to begin the following day. At Raira Academy, the opening ceremonies happened on the first day of school, the second was reserved for an introduction to the school’s clubs and activities, and the third was for health inspections and homeroom.
    In the midst of the aforementioned post-inspection homeroom, the class decided on who should be their committee representatives.
    “I know, let’s go pick up chicks,” Masaomi suggested in the manner of a commercial slogan, smacking his textbook shut.
    Masaomi was in Class B, and yet for some reason he was hanging out in Mikado’s Class A. Considering that the majority of students were in uniforms, his personal clothes made him stand out even more.
    “What are you doing here?” Mikado finally asked, though he’d noticed Masaomi’s presence minutes earlier. There was no teacher present, so the boy in seat number one was carrying out the proceedings in his place.
    “So Mr. Yamazaki and Ms. Nishizaki will be our Beautification Committee members, and Mr. Yagiri and Ms. Asakura will be our Health Committee reps, while Mr. Kuzuhara and Ms. Kanemura are on the Discipline Committee, and for the election monitor…”
    It was standard practice for one male and one female student to be chosen for each committee. The proxy leader read aloud each of the selections written on the blackboard, then considered what was left.
    “So we’re still missing our class representatives. Any volunteers?”
    “Ye—”
    Masaomi tried to raise his hand, but Mikado grabbed it and pulled it down.
    Class rep. It seems cool, but it might also be a pain in the ass.
    What Mikado wanted was an escape from the doldrums. He’d already flown from the familiar sights of his hometown to an exciting new city, and emboldened by the experiences he’d had over the last few days, his desire for thrills was stronger than ever before.
    Mikado’s brain, stimulated by the excitement of a new city, couldn’t help but ignore the risks and scream for more.
    More chills, more abnormality, more revolution!
    Mikado was in such an elated state of mind that he would have fallen for any scams, ripoffs, or cults out to target him. He wouldn’t have thought twice about an invitation from Masaomi to a motorcycle gang meetup.
    Despite his unquestioning mind-set, Mikado had enough self-awareness to know that while the special rank of class representative promised new experiences, he also didn’t want to be tied down to too much responsibility.
    Maybe it’s best if I just sit back and let this play out…
    “…”
    One girl raised her hand, her eyes downcast.
    It was Anri Sonohara, pale and bespectacled. The beautiful but aloof girl surrounded by an aura that said to stay away.
    “Umm, Miss…Anri Sonohara? Let’s put her on the board, then.”
    A very disinterested round of applause rose from the class. No one else seemed particularly engaged in the question of who would take what position.
    “I’ll let you handle the rest, then,” the temporary leader said, writing Anri’s name on the blackboard and retreating to his seat.
    “In that case, is