Inspired in part by Imagine Kagerou Project.

Shintaro was running, sprinting up the stairs as fast as he could. Sweat beaded on his forehead, his throat was dry, and his lungs felt like they were filled with hot sand. His legs wobbled underneath him, almost making him trip, but his speed never changed, and he kept going. Mentally, he cursed the constructors of this school for making so many stair cases and not at least putting in an elevator. But that didn't matter right now. What mattered was he had to stop her. He had to save her.

He'd been so stupid. So stupid to be deceived by her smile, thinking everything was alright when in reality it wasn't. She had always been hiding her pain behind it. When he saw her crying, he didn't know what to think, but then. . . . He shook his head in frustration. No matter what, he wasn't going to let that happen.

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Ayano gripped the cold metal railing and peered over the edge of the school building. It seemed far down enough to her. She instantly pulled back, it was insane that she actually was thinking like that. A slight wind blew, and even though she shivered because of it, it was he own nervousness that made her continue to tremble afterwards. It was now or never.

Shakily, Ayano pulled herself up and over the side of the railing. The small of her back was pressed against the cold iron bar and her hands gripped it till her knuckles turned white. She looked over the edge again this time feeling the full force of fear and nausea wash over her. The blood pounded in her ears and she closed her eyes as she started to release the tight grip she had on the rail.

Her foot had barely hovered over the edge when she heard the door to the roof open suddenly and a voice said her name. "A-Ayano." it was rough, uneven, and seemingly out of breath, but she could still recognized it.

Ayano tensed, her grip tightening as her whole body went rigid and eyes widened in shock. She looked at him over her shoulder. Shintaro was clutching the door knob for support as he breathed heavily, and once she looked at him his eyes never broke contact with hers.

"Ayano. . . ." he said trying to regain his voice which seemed to have failed him, ". . . . Don't." She didn't respond as her own throat tightened up to the point she almost couldn't breath. Tears started to form in Shintaro eyes the longer he looked at her, but never lost his hard stare. "Please," he whispered, "Ayano, don't leave me-" his voice broke at the end as his tears started to flow freely.

Ayano finally had to look away, she couldn't take his stare at her anymore, but even as she looked away she could still feel it burn into her back. A again she heard his voice, and again it was barely audible, "Please. . . . Don't leave me. . . ."

She squeezed her eyes shut as tears leaked from them, almost attempting to block him out. But she couldn't. All she could see behind her closed eyelids was his pleading tearstained face.

Ayano turned around then. She felt so stupid for trying to attempt this. What in the world had she been thinking? So she turned around to face him properly, and to promise him she won't leave him, and she never will. But the air got caught in her throat and the words forming on her lips were replaced with a horrified gasp.

She slipped.

She tried to regain the grip she had on the rail as her feet twisted in on themselves, but her palms were so sweaty that they slide right off the smooth surface like oil. She felt the emptiness envelope behind her, and at that moment she knew she was falling.

The world seemed to move in slow motion then. Even though Ayano never thought it was true, this close to death, she could see her life flash before her eyes. She didn't know how she knew what it was as they were a bunch of swiftly moving, blurred images. The wind roared in her ears heavily. She probably didn't have much longer, so she shut her eyes waiting for the impact.

But then something happened. She felt something like arms encircle around her , clutching her back and felt warmth instead of the harsh, cold wind. "Ayano. . ."

The sound of sirens woke Ayano up. She gasped and opened her now crimson red eyes and felt pain shoot through her entire body. She let out a soft cry of pain and surprise. Instead of the sky, she was staring at hard concrete and smudges of red. Then she noticed she wasn't laying on the ground, but on something considerable more soft.

She chocked out, "Shin. . .taro?"