**The Encounter Deepens**

"Why do you want to talk to me so badly," Shizuo grumbled angrily, his eyes narrowing as he glared at Vanitas. They had walked for a few blocks, the neon lights of the city casting an otherworldly glow on the wet pavement. Vanitas's smile seemed to grow wider, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Because I want to get to know you more, beautiful," Vanitas said, his voice low and smooth, his words dripping with sincerity. Shizuo rolled his eyes, his face twisting in disgust. "Beautiful?" Shizuo growled, his deep voice a stark contrast to Vanitas's refined features. "What are you talking about, idiot?" Shizuo's massive frame seemed to tense, as if ready to pounce at a moment's notice. Vanitas chuckled, his eyes never leaving Shizuo's face. "I mean that you have a certain...je ne sais quoi, a spark in your eyes that is hard to find in this city," he said, his voice filled with conviction. Shizuo snorted, his expression unchanging. "I'm Shizuo Heiwajima, I'm 27 years old, and I hate violence," he said, his words tumbling out in a rush. It was as if he was trying to convince Vanitas, and himself, of his own identity. Vanitas's smirk grew wider, his eyes glinting with amusement. "My name is Vanitas, and I'm 25 years old," he said, his voice low and smooth. "And I came to this world to find you." The words hung in the air, like a challenge, or a promise. Shizuo's eyes narrowed, his mind reeling with the implications. "What do you mean, you came to this world to find me?" he asked, his voice low and menacing. Vanitas's eyes locked onto Shizuo's, his gaze burning with intensity. "I mean that I have been searching for you, Shizuo Heiwajima, for a very long time," he said, his voice filled with conviction. "You are...important to me, and to the world I come from." Shizuo's face twisted in confusion, his mind racing with questions. What world was Vanitas talking about? And what did he mean, that Shizuo was important to him? The answers, it seemed, would have to wait.