Takashi sat behind the curtain with a blush on his face, checking his pack for supplies. Embarrassing as it may be, his female teammate sat on the other side of said curtain changing back into the clothes he had drenched earlier with his amphibious stunt. Takashi struggled to keep his blood from leaking out of his nose as he remembered the sight of a soaking wet Saeko and her see-through uniform. To make matters worse, her bra had been in full view, the shirt she had been wearing near-transparent and unhelpful to both parties. Takashi shook his head and continued to check the pack.
"I'm done changing," Saeko announced, which prompted Takashi to relax as now there was little to no chance that anything 'ecchi' might happen.
Takashi stepped out from behind the curtain and sat down next to the purple haired girl.
"I feel much better now," said Takashi with a sigh, "We have one, Saeko."
"Hm? We have one of what?" questioned Saeko.
"What indeed." Replied Takashi "We have one of these." Takashi pulled out what appeared to be a sealed green bag from his pack and presented it to Saeko. Still bewildered, Saeko looked at the green object in her hands with interest. Takashi then leaned in close to Saeko's ear.
"It's a portable toilet, milady Saeko" whispered Takashi, as if the thing held classified documents.
Saeko's eyes widened with realization and began to chuckle, ending up with her mouth over her mouth as she tried to stifle the laughter.
"Why you…" said Saeko as she continued to laugh with Takashi looking on with a small smile on his face.
"Hey, don't laugh about that," said Takashi, "This way, we don't have to worry about…"
"Yes, I know" replied Saeko as she finished up regaining her composure, "I...I am happy."
Saeko looked on at Takashi with a smile on her face, feeling a sense of thanks for the young man.
The two sat in silence for a while, looking off into the walls as if they held the cure to the disease that ruined their lives. Saeko then broke the silence with a question.
"You won't pry?"
"Well, it must be a pretty big reason for you to freeze up like that…" as Takashi remembered the way Saeko stood petrified in front of the child "things;" her eyes wide with horror, stance slightly shaking, mouth open with shock and something else. The merciless woman had frozen up.
Takashi looked over at Saeko, who was looking another way at the ground, seemingly deep in thought. She then swung over and looked at Takashi with lofty eyes, an expression on her face showing uncertainty and a slight fear.
"It might not mean anything to you, " she began, "But regardless, do you mind hearing me out?"
Takashi responded wordlessly, only shifting his posture to fully face Saeko and take what she had to say with serious thought if the one and only Saeko Busujima emitted such a reservation of mood on the topic.
"I recalled when I was last so...afraid. "
"Was it because you saw the children?"
"Though troubling, no, that was not it," Saeko responded, "When we were by the river bank, you asked if there was a man who I liked."
Immediately flustered, Takashi could only respond with broken, simple words while freezing up trying to defend himself.
"Do not worry," Saeko reassured, "I do think like a woman, and there is a man that I like."
Saeko reminisced the thought before a frown marred her face.
"But...I did not convey my feelings to him. I did not believe I should be allowed to do so."
Takashi looked at her with curiosity. "But why? I mean, no matter what kind of guy…"
"Do you think he would have accepted me if I had committed murder?"
Takashi was visibly taken aback by her statement, a light gasp escaping his open lips. His eyes widened as he realized the weight and severity of what Saeko had just said. Words tried to exit his mouth but what came out was a light, inquisitive breath.
"It was four years ago. A man attacked me at night. I had my wooden sword with me , so naturally, I was able to fend him off. I broke his shoulder bone and femur. The police understood the situation and took me home in the patrol car."
"Then they might have thought it was an excessive way to defend yourself…" Tatsumi concluded, albeit with hints of doubt, or maybe a gut feeling of an alternate possibility.
"That's not what held me back at the fountain. I enjoyed it. I had a clearly defined enemy. It was thrilling."
Saeko looked up at Takashi and flashbacks to the night flowed through her head. The scene was lit by a sole, flickering street light. The man had pinned Saeko to the wall, ill intentions flowed through his head as he wondered what he should do with the beautiful, defenseless girl at his mercy. The man leaned into savor Saeko's body, his lips meeting her neck in a sloppy kiss, his arms around her waist, his knee right under her sacred spot. Deep exhales of lust and desire came freely from the man who at that point had no doubt decided to rape Saeko.
"I knew that I was on top because I had my wooden sword; I pretended to be afraid, lured him in, and struck back without hesitation. And I enjoyed it."
The screams of the man echoed in Saeko's head, as well as the sounds of bone breaking, the feel of blood on her face and hands, the sight of a man crippled and near death by her hand. It all thrilled her. It put a smile on her face like no other. Her eyes were wide with adrenaline and joy, her hands shaking for more blood and misery from the man.
"I truly, truly enjoyed it. That is the real me! The true nature of Saeko Busujima!"
Saeko raised her head to look at Takashi, her eyes filled with conviction at spilling her true self to someone after keeping it hidden for so long; a wide, unshackled smile adorned her face, completing her unchained persona. Takashi could only look on with slight fear but immense curiosity as Saeko continued."
"Do you really believe that I, drunk and turned on by my own power, should be allowed something as pure as love?!"
She spoke with absolute confidence in her words. Her voice laden with sarcasm and a slight disgust at her own situation but nonetheless retaining the wide, open-mouthed smile she had on earlier.
"But ever since 'they' appeared, !..." Takashi started as flashbacks to close encounters and bloody solutions came back like tidal waves.
"But you changed after the fact," Saeko countered, "I have been like this before it all began."
"Saeko…"
"As we stood in front of the fountain," Saeko recounted, the smile now replaced with a disgusted frown, "I came to realized I have not changed. On the contrary, I find myself becoming crueler."
Takashi had had enough and lunged forwards to take Saeko's hand, eyes filled with determination. Saeko's head snapped up with shock and looked on at Takashi with wide eyes Their eyes met each other and stayed that way for a long time, an unspoken message from Takashi sent to Saeko though the intensity of their stares and the warmth of their hands.
"But why? I just confessed to you I am nothing more than a sadist, bent on attaining the happiness from causing harm to others! Why?..."
Saeko could only look on at Takashi with unconcealed curiosity and a slow-rising hope for something she did not know.
Takashi's grip on her hand tightened as he inched closer to the troubled girl.
"Not everyone's perfect, Saeko. Everyone has a side they want to keep suppressed. A side that had the power to destroy a person's reputation and standing. A side they're deeply ashamed of. You are no different, your situation is no different, and so your reasoning for denying yourself love and happiness is utter bullshit."
Saeko looked on with growing interest and thought. The shame of her so-called "disgusting side" fading as Takashi's words echoed in her head. Her vision blurred as tears fell freely from her eyes, her hand gripping onto Takashi's as if it was her lifeline. Before Takashi could react, Saeko practically leapt into his arms, burying her face into his chest as years upon years of suppressed emotion broke through the dam she spent so long on building and fortifying. Takashi reached around her waist with his free hand and pulled the blade mistress closer to him and started to stroke her hair in his best attempts to console the sobbing woman. He nuzzled into her hair as he whispered sweet nothings that he hoped would also help comfort Saeko. After a while, Saeko's sobs were reduced to whimpers, their positions not changing. She then slowly lifted her head to look at Takashi, her eyes red and her face marked with tear tracks.
"T-thank you…" Saeko whispered, the aftermath of her sobs affecting her speech.
"Saeko…" Takashi looked on with deep concern and sympathy for the woman. Without thinking, Takashi leaned into to plant a kiss on her forehead, lasting only moments before it ended.
"S-sorry." Takashi apologized, "I shouldn't have-"
"I-It's fine…" came the shaky reply from Saeko, "It made me feel a bit better…"
"You know, Saeko, whoever you took a liking to, he would have accepted you instantly. You're talented, dedicated, smart, and beautiful. He would be a headass if he denied you. I know I would have said yes without hesitation."
Saeko had a look of light shock before it shifted to a small, genuine smile.
"Thank you, that means a lot to me Takashi…"
Takashi tentatively leaned in towards Saeko, his eyes becoming more and more lidded as he went. Saeko seemed to understand and closed her eyes as well and leaned in. Their lips met with a light touch, but it sparked bright, celebratory fireworks in each of their heads. The kiss lasted not more that a moment, ending infinitely faster than it started.
"Takashi…" Saeko breathed out, "Will you...love me? Will you accept the real me?"
Her voice dripped of desperation and hope. Her face equally betrayed her desire for love.
"Saeko...I've seen you fight. I've seen you care. I've seen you help in more ways than one. And each time I see these things, I can't help this feeling inside me, this need...for you. I've come to realize this feeling is none other than love. Saeko Busujima, I love you."
Takashi finished his confession with clear conviction and poise. The words had caused Saeko, however, to go slack-jawed with realization at what Takashi had just said. Looking back, Takashi had always looked out for the group, taking great measures in the safety of the group. He was caring, determined, and willing to fight and even sacrifice to preserve the wellbeing of his ragtag family. Saeko realized what that feeling was inside her. That fluttery feeling in her stomach every time she was with Takashi. That flirty attitude that, back then, she was sure was just to tease the poor boy. The thing that she pushed back because she didn't want to taint Takashi with her dark desires.
"Takashi...I love you. I love your presence. I love the safety that you create. You make me feel like my stomach is filled with butterflies every time I'm with you. I love you Takashi, I love you so much."
Saeko's face emitted sheer joy, her being radiating happiness as she hugged Takashi tightly, pushing both of them down onto the floor in the process. Takashi could only hug his new lover back as he too felt the happiness flow through his body. The two separated just enough to look into each other's eyes, both seeing absolute bliss and love for the other as Saeko leaned in for another kiss. The kiss was long, passionate and completely the opposite of the earlier shy, chaste kiss. Their bodies melded together as moans and whimpers leaked out from their intense liplock. Saeko's tongue slid slowly across Takashi's lips, begging him for entrance. He responded by opening his lips to let his tongue meet Saeko's. Their tongues coiled around each other and fought to gain the upper hand. The french kiss was cut short as the two breathlessly separated from each other, yet still connected by a strand of saliva. They panted and struggled to regain breath but nonetheless gazed into each other's eyes with unconcealed love and affection.
Saeko let her head rest on Takashi's chest as her eyes fluttered closed. Takashi leaned down to plant a light kiss on the top of her head as his eyes closed too.
"Thank you Takashi...for loving the side of me that no one could love…"