"I need a salvation…"

Death. That was the most hated word in this world for her. How it could, just with a little touch, took someone precious to her somewhere she couldn't reach. It knew no mercy. She knew it didn't understand any of the upcoming regret presented after to her. Because she knew that the death itself was innocent. It was oblivious to everything about her. All it knew was it needed to take someone away from her world. And that's what she hated the most.

Why did it have to take her precious? Why couldn't it just took her instead? Why!? Would destroying her life like this would be a good entertainment for it? Sure it wouldn't! She struggled with her precious everyday so both of them could have a fulfilling life, but look at what death gave them in return. It took her precious away from her.

Without any warning…
Without any time to say goodbye…
Without explaining why…
It just took her precious away…

From that day onwards, Riko decided that she would never involve herself with other humans anymore. She'd already tasted how it felt to be broken. She had no intention to repeat the crawling in her heart. She had enough. From this point forward, she would move on and leave everything behind.

She would try her best to…

Life. What's the use of continuing this hell? She saw nothing worth her time anymore nor was the time itself useful to her at all. She didn't need her time too, it seemed. So, what's there to be pondered about? Nothing, right? And with so little consideration she went up the hills and stood at the corner of the road, eyeing the rather small-looking forest under the corner. She smiled and laughed. She laughed so hard she cursed herself for once thinking that she made the wrong decision.

Life is full of stupidities. Yoshiko knew it too well. Nothing's interesting around her, and when she tried to make one herself, her surroundings didn't even flinched an eye for her. They'd only ignore her once again, like always. Just what she did expect from the normal humans like them, she wondered from time to time.

And so she steeled her heart…
Close all confusion…
She would do this right…
Fall off from this cliff and end her suffering…

Of course she had regret. There's no way that 'everything' was a waste to her. There's at least one or two things she did enjoyed with a little number of humans around her. Well, thinking that she wouldn't mind the other stupidities for those little things might made her change her mind. Yeah, like that's going to happen. What's the use of suffering only for a little bit of happiness, she wondered?

At least that's her thought before…

"Hey, stupid!" Riko shouted from the low part of the road, eyes mockingly looked at Yoshiko

"What are you doing here, idiot?" Yoshiko didn't even want to see Riko's eyes

"I'm not an idiot like you, stupid! Just because a foolish predicament like that and here you are, trying to end your life. What a failure." Riko slowly walked to Yoshiko

"Mind your business, stranger! I don't see the benefit of you trying to stop me here! Go away." Yoshiko eased her breath

"I'm not a stranger anymore, for gosh's sake! How many times do I have to tell you that, seriously!?" Riko started to run towards Yoshiko

"Ah, c'mon! It's not even important right now! Well, I'm sorry but I have things I need to do right now, so please go away."

"No way."

"Suit yourself. It's not like I need your permission to do things I want to do, after all…"

"Wait."

"What is it now?"

"Do you really mean that?"

"Mean what?"

"Will I get the right over your life if I became someone who had permission over things you want to do, then?"

"Huh? What are you talking about, idiot!?"

"I'm saying I want to be someone important to you."

"Huh?"

"Yes or no?"

"I can't even understand your intention here, miss…"

"You want to end your life, right?"

"Yes."

"Because of that incident, right?"

"Wha-!? Of course not!"

"Then why?"

"W-Well, I-I was just tired of living my life anymore."

"So you don't need your life anymore, right?"

"H-Huh…? W-Well, more or less… You could say so…" Yoshiko wondered just what's inside the mind of the girl who stood in front of her at the moment

"Then give it to me."

"W-What the heck!? How did it came to that, for gosh's sake!"

"You said that you wanted to end your life, and in other words you don't need your life anymore, so it wouldn't even be a bother for you if I take it for myself, right? You don't need it and you wanted to throw it away, and luckily I'm here, wanted something you wanted to throw away."

"What do you want, seriously, Riko?" now Yoshiko seemed serious with her words and glare at Riko

"I want your life, Yocchan." And Riko answered such seriousness with the same intenseness

"For what? You won't even find anything to do with such a hollow life of mine, you know?"

"Well, that's for me to decide. I know it is hard being in your shoes but I don't think it was a good reason to end your life. I once have someone I really loved, you know? I always cherished her and she also cherished me, too. We struggled so that we could live together, always. But things don't go that well. We were separated cruelly. She lost to her frustration and end her life, doing things almost exactly like what you did now, Yocchan. I was really angered by what she did. But more than that, I'm more pissed off at myself for ever letting her go through such thing that even led her to end herself."

"So, you want to prevent me from doing what she did back then? You don't have to. I'm not important to you, Riko. You can just go and ignore me like the others. Heed no attention at all."

"Well, that's unthinkable. You're already on my eyes ever since I saw you that day. Those eyes of yours, so full of void, as if there was nothing that could fill the light within them. I wanted to change that. I want to have you to myself, you know, but you never gave me the chance."

"H-Huh? What did you just said? D-Do you mean you're in love with me. Is that what you're saying Riko?" confused Yoshiko, enough that she didn't even realized that Riko had took her away from the cliff, not that far, though

"Well, more or less. I fell in love with you, Yocchan. I felt that I should overcome my trauma and make sure things won't go the way I didn't wanted again. And after seeing you wanted to kill yourself just now, you finally gave the chance for me."

"What? What chance?"

"A chance. A chance to have your heart to myself. A chance to have you all to myself. A chance to finally have your life. With you not wanting it, then it is fine if I have it, right? Just think of it as you being death. That way, both of us will be happy, I succeeded in preventing life from leaving me again and you managed to throw away your life. How about it?" Riko smirked at the dumb-founded Yoshiko

Yoshiko was really shocked by the declaration from this quite strange girl. She never knew that it would only took such confession for her life-hating self to stop the dark thoughts. Why didn't she meet earlier with this girl with such silky-looking hair? No wonder Yoshiko never believed in God, as he did played with her life like this. And so, with a smile, unfamiliar to even herself, Yoshiko delivered the answered she would never thought her entire life:

"Okay, Riko.
Then, from this point onward, I will give you my everything.
I will dedicate everything of me to you.
My life is for you to decide, as long as you can make me happy so much that I forget I ever wanted to take my own life.
Please take care of this foolish human as you see fit, my angel of death…"

Riko smiled, as she managed to save. She did saved someone. Someone she really cared from the deep of her heart. Someone she really loved. Someone she would always cherished all her life. Someone she would be glad to be with as long as they lived. And with such overflowing joy, she replied:

"Then, I, Sakurauchi Riko, from today onwards, have become the master of Tsushima Yoshiko's life.
I vowed to always make her happy.
I vowed to always be by her side.
I vowed to be there for her when things got rough for her.
I will absolutely do my utmost to make her think of nothing but me.
Don't worry, my love of life…!"

Both of their faces were red, out of embarrassment. But that's fine. Because from that point onwards, things must be getting interesting. Things must be getting lovely and heart-warming. And both of them wished that for sure.

Because for once, finally they glad they took the step ahead of their little world…