Nine went in. Five escaped. Four perished. But nobody was entirely sane anymore.
Satoshi-
Shinohara... Morishige... Suzumoto... Yui-Sensei...
We miss you so much. None of us survivors can ever be the same again. Is there any hope for us? Will we make it to the end? Or will we more likely crumble. Will we drop out of this, taking the only option remaining- escaping this life. We have to act as if none of this happened. We have to be strong. But really? We're just a bunch of teenagers who don't know what to do anymore. We depend on each other. We stick with each other. But we will never forget how you perished to your fate and we will continue living. For your sake.
I don't want to get up. The happenings of two weeks ago are still freshly imprinted into my brain. Each gory detail... Shinohara's limp body... Suzumoto's unrecognisable form...
No. Stop. You have to be strong. For Yuka. For Naomi. Yoshiki and Shinozaki too, although they mostly rely on each other now. Yuka has our parents. It is almost a blessing that she is young, for she does not entirely understand the situation. Nothing more than a nightmare. But no fourteen year old should have to go through that. None of us should have...
But my real concern is Naomi. She has nobody. Shinohara and her... So close... So I have to take her role. I've gotta make sure she's safe. All of us have agreed: don't show you're pain. Things will become a hundred times worse if you're continuously told that your dead friends never existed. But I can see under her mask. The pain. The tears. The loneliness.
"Onii-chan... Get up! I'm hungry~~~!" Yuka complains, pulling the covers.
"No... I don't... Wanna..." I start.
"Please! Yuka is hungry!"
How can I say no?
"Fine..." I grumble and she dances happily out of the room. She doesn't understand the situation. But I guess that is a good thing.
I sort myself out and head downstairs to prepare Yuka some pancakes. Compared to Naomi in cooking class, I'm crap but I guess that can't be helped. At least Yuka seems to like them. I don't eat much myself now... None of us four (Naomi, Yoshiki, Shinozaki and me) do. Some things just happened to occur to put us off food forever. We eat small amounts.
I decide to check on Naomi. She hasn't been answering her phone at all so I go over to her house. I haven't actually been there before but I know my way pretty well. JUST because I walk practically the same way from school. I knock, to be answered by a familiar looking woman who turns out to be Naomi's mother. She looks so much like her, except a little smaller and her hair isn't as soft and her eyes are quite dim. She looks at me. "Mochida..! I haven't seen you in a while. How are you?"
I awkwardly reply, "I'm okay... Is Naomi here?"
I am directed to her room and she leaves me with a warm smile. Tentatively I knock on the door. A gasp and a snapping noise emits from the room and the door opens to reveal Naomi, in a pair of shorts and a light pink top. Considering everything that happened, she looked brilliant- but I could tell that was all a mask.
"Satoshi..! It's just you! I thought it was my mother..." She says and I guess that's why she gasped. She is trying her hardest, I can tell, not to show her pain on the outside. I hug her as she immediately starts sobbing onto my shirt. I close the door so she can't be heard. "Don't worry... We can talk about this together, you don't have to hide it around me"
I comfort her, enjoying the moment. I can't help myself. I know she's upset but it's amazing to know that she comes to me only for comfort.
After an hour, she calms down. "Seiko..." She sobs lightly.
"It's my fault... And now no one can even remember her!"
"Naomi... That's not true. Would she want you to continue like this?"
She shakes her head and sits on the end of her bed, her eyes glazed with tears. I sit next to her. How can I help her... Anything to rid her of all the depression.
Then an idea springs to mind.
"Naomi... Do you remember when...?"
Naomi, Seiko, Ayumi, Yoshiki, Satoshi, Mayu and Morishige were huddled together in a group on the playground. Their physical education teacher was busy tending to some issue with the teachers, so the students were left to dawdle about and wait for his return. Naomi was by far the best at sports, although Satoshi and Yoshiki were not far behind. Ayumi was a little clumsy and Seiko just loved to annoy everyone by either dropping the ball purposely or throwing it to the other team. Mayu and Morishige didn't show any skills at the activities they were assigned, instead talking about costumes and scripts. They were currently engrossed in a game of football, not really playing properly. They were just kicking the ball into the nets, no goalkeepers or any specific positions. Naomi kicked the ball to Yoshiki, who returned it. Naomi saw Seiko was closest to the net so she passed it to her.
"Ooo! Naomi-San gave me the ball! What should I do ~~?"
Seiko kicked it far away from the goal causing everyone to complain. Ayumi had it and kicked it to Morishige. He stood there uncertainly until Mayu stole it from right under his feet. "Hey!" He chased her around and they collapsed in a giggling heap.
Yoshiki received the ball and passed it to Naomi. She effortlessly, gracefully dived and kicked it into the goal. After several cheers, she modestly sat on the side of the pitch. Satoshi didn't realise he was staring at her and was startled when Seiko said behind him "Watching Naomi play, are we?" She giggled.
"Wha..!? No! No..." He blushed.
"Hehe... She looks great in her sports kit, eh Mochida?"
"Mm... Shinohara stop."
"And just look at that figure..."
"What's up?" Said Naomi, approaching us.
"Heya 'Sports Queen'! You be looking fine in those shorts!" Seiko said smiling.
"Seiko...!"
"And Mochida agrees. Just look at that blush!"
Naomi playfully punched Seiko on the arm as Satoshi blushed harder.
Mayu and Morishige untangled themselves, still laughing. Morishige was the first to stop. He stood up and leant a hand to Mayu. She took it and jumped up.
"Are you okay...?" He asked her.
She nodded and latched onto his arm, smiling sweetly.
"So you coming round later for the costume fitting? The play is tomorrow you know!"
"Yes, Shige-nii! I can't wait!"
He patted her head, awkwardly but affectionately. She blushed at his touch.
"She's so cute when she blushes..." He thought.
"Hm?"
"Nothing."
Ayumi sat down, frustrated. "I'm awful at this!" She complained.
Yoshiki joined her. "I think you did quite well..." He lied.
"Yeah, yeah." She sighed.
"You're always welcome to practise with me..." He said casually, hoping for a yes.
"I dont know... Classwork and stuff."
He felt deflated.
"Then again... It would be great to show off what I learnt... You know what? I might take you up on this!"
She smiled and he smiled back. Why was she feeling all... Tingly? Hm... Probably not much.
"So when we gonna start?"
Satoshi-
I finish. We sit in silence, still living in the happiness that was barely a month ago.
"Thank you... I feel a lot better." She says.
I smile. This is the way. The way to remember our friends. We are there for each other. We will stick with each other. We will get through this no matter what. For them.