Rise before dusk
Disclaimer: Nothing is owned.
This is the second chapter of my fic. I honestly have no idea when I'll get to finish it, but I hope that none of you have lost interest. Anyway, this chapter will focus more on Saya and Takashi and their reactions to the letter. What's inside the letter will be revealed later. Anyway, this fic will also contain more Saeko and Takashi interaction, but I will try to hold off on the Rei and Takashi interactions. Though no promises, and for the pairing, currently, I still have the girls adjusts to their feelings for Takashi. I mean, they are still people, they're allowed to have emotions about certain things, so don't expect them to just magically get together. No, they'll have to adjust to the other person. Anyway, I'm hoping I can finish this without incident. Writing this is helping me take my mind off things. So please bear with me if you think some scenes are lacking, or just too much. Enjoy.
XxX
Takashi was currently lying on his bed, deep in thought about what had happened earlier that day. He sighed as he remembered Rei, smiling at him, and promising to marry him. He turned in bed, and faced the wall right next to him. He honestly was depressed, he tried to shake the thoughts off, but found that it was harder to do then to think.
'Damn it, I should get over this. Why am I so emotional, she chose him, face the facts Takashi, you fucking screwed up.' Takashi thought to himself, he groaned as he remembered Rei again. He sat up carefully, placing a hand to his face, covering it. He sighed as he closed his eyes again, but not laying back on the bed.
'Damn, I should really stop this. If Saeko-senpai found out I wasn't taking her advice,she'd hit me with that bokken of hers..' Takashi thought about his new friend. He was amazed he hit it off without problems with her, and that she seemed to like his company, even after that weird question before. Takashi clutched his heart as he thought about losing Saeko as well, not just Saeko however, he imagined losing Saya too.
Saya was one of his closest friends, and she almost always seemed to just tolerate his presence, he thought that the minute they weren't classmates anymore, she would forget all about him.
'I mean, she's a genius and very beautiful, I doubt if she'd remember me if we didn't meet for a year.' Takashi thought dejectedly. He then thought about his other male friend, namely Morita.
Takashi had known for a long while now, they met during his eighth grade, and they hitched it off instantly. Takashi, Morita, and he were inseparable. They had all decided to go to Fujimi academy, and by some strange of fate, Saya and Rei had decided that as well. He smiled as he remembered Morita shout something about wanting to stand out of the crowd. He shouted that he would dye his hair blonde, and then cut it with a Mohawk. Takashi smiled softly as he remembered each of his friends/acquaintances.
He bowed his head as he remembered Rei and him. Honestly, he was the last person he wanted to remember.
Of course, Takashi was thinking about Hisashi. His best and oldest friend. He remembered them standing back to back, facing the bullies that used to always beat them up during the fifth grade. That day, each vowed to stand back to back and wait for the world to overtake them. They vowed that if the world backed them into a corner, they would fight till they couldn't fight no more. He swore under his breath.
'What a bunch of bull. To think he was the world, and I was alone.' Takashi knew he wasn't supposed to think about his friend like that. But what would you do if the person you trusted with your life rips away your reason to live at all?
He then thought about that reason, the reason he was so pissed and so depressed. The reason he wanted to never trust anyone again and just shut off his heart. The reason was his other childhood friend. Rei Miyamoto.
Rei, she had promised her heart to Takashi. She promised to be with him, she promised that she would love him. But, it turns out that promise was a load of bull too. They had been a couple for a few years, and in just the span of five seconds, she broke all bonds with him. She shouted at him for not listening to her, for not moving forward with their relationship, pointing out that they were heading nowhere. But all these insults were nothing, compared to her last one, it seemed like they were unimportant.
She shouted in his face, how he was never there for her. How he didn't listen to anything she said. How his necklace, the necklace he spent his two months worth of allowance, the necklace he spent thousands of yen just to engrave the words he had put there, how the necklace was a bunch of shit. Takashi felt anger rise inside him, how it boiled, how it boiled at how blind Rei had been. Rei then continued, she recounted the number of times Hisashi came to her, just to talk to her. Takashi just couldn't believe it, was she so blind to not notice him doing those things too? No, he knew Rei was smart, he knew that she would normally notice, but he then thought about Hisashi. He then wondered if he was the one saying those things to Rei. He grit his teeth as he thought of that.
Takashi sighed; trying to push down the anger he was feeling, trying his hardest not to remember Rei and Hisashi. He wanted to think that Rei wasn't thinking clearly. He tried to explain how she must just be tired, how she didn't really feel that way. He told her he loved her with all his heart, but five words escaped her lips, five words that just broke him.
"I love Hisashi, not you." He remembered it clearly. His mind just instantly stopped at that. He turned around, and just started walking away. Not turning back. Not wanting to face her.
He groaned as he lay back down, twisting his body so he was facing his desk opposite of his bed. His brown hair covering his face. He let out a rough laugh as he thought of what Saya would say if she saw him like that.
'She'd probably bonk my head and call me an idiot for moping like this. She acts like she doesn't care, but I know her too well.' Takashi thought. He smiled as he remembered the first time he and Saya interacted with each other.
XxX
"Hey, why are you crying?" A young Takashi, about the age of six, asked a pink haired girl, her hair was tied into two pigtails on the side of her head. She was currently curled into a ball; she was sitting all alone in the corner of the room, and saw that almost all the other kids were avoiding her. Takashi saw that instead of pink hair at the tips of the pigtails, it was covered in green goo that was supposedly paint.
The girl looked up from the fetal position, and then tried to move away from Takashi. She tried to create as much distance from him, but seeing as she was in a corner, she was quickly backed into it. Takashi raised an eyebrow at her behavior.
He moved closer to her, only to be shouted at by another kid from behind him.
"Hey kid! Don't get near her, she's a weirdo. Her pink hair is probably possessed by a Sakura yokai! She might bite your neck!" Takashi turned around and raised an eyebrow at this. He saw a kid, about the same age as him. The kid was slightly taller then him, and had a brown cap on. He then pointed at Saya and shouted "Demon!"
The pink haired girl's eyes misted, she crawled back into her previous position, and began to sob. The bully was soon joined by other kids, both male and female, and all of them shouted that she was a demon. The girl's sobs were getting louder as she heard the names. Takashi had enough.
Takashi soon stood in front of the girl and held out his arms out wide. The other kids stopped their insults and looked at Takashi.
"Stop it! She isn't a demon! A demon doesn't cry! So what if she has pink hair! I think that it's pretty, so stop teasing her and find something else to do!" Takashi shouted. The girl looked up at Takashi, whose back was to her. After a short while of silence, Takashi heard snickering. He was then promptly hit on the head with a book. This was followed by erasers, and then pencils. The kids had forgotten about the girl, and instead focused on Takashi. Who just stood there, in front of the girl, arms out stretched, taking each and every blow.
'What is he doing? Isn't he getting hurt?' the pink haired girl thought. She then noticed that he blocked a book that was aimed at her. Takashi then turned around and hugged the girl while she was in her fetal position, he covered her body with his. Taking all the throws.
"W-w-why are you h-h-helping me?! I-I'm a demon! I don't deserve to be helped." The girl shouted, Takashi only smiled unknowingly to her.
"If you were a demon, you wouldn't be crying. You're a human, and humans are supposed to cry." Were Takashi's words. The girl's eyes widened. She looked up, and saw the smiling face of Takashi, as he rocked back and forth, thanks to being hit by objects behind him.
"What is going on here?! What are you doing?!" The shrill scream came from the other side of the room. Everyone turned around, and saw that the teacher had returned. The leader bully walked up with a smug smile.
"Sensei! We were just teaching the demon and the demon lover what we think of them! Come on sensei! You can help!" The boy shouted with a smile. The teacher only frowned as she bent down and pulled the ear of the boy.
"You and the rest of the class will report to the principal about this incident! What you did is completely wrong! Those are humans! You don't treat them like that! And I'll be calling your parents." The teacher scolded all the other student's faces paled. She then moved over to Takashi and the pink haired girl. Takashi let go of the girl, and turned around and smiled at his sensei.
"Sensei! You know that she's a human right? That she doesn't need to get hurt? That only human's cry?" Takashi asked, the teacher only smiled at Takashi. She nodded her head, but then grabbed his hand and the girl's hand. She then led both towards the door. As she was pulling both kids, Takashi faced the girl. The girl looked at him and blushed; honestly, she was thinking that he was her knight in shining armor, like the ones in the story her mama told her before she slept.
"I never got your name. Mine's Takashi! Takashi Komuro!" Takashi said as he was being dragged by the teacher. He smiled brightly. The girl blushed even more.
"S-Saya, Saya Takagi." She said shyly. Takashi smiled as he looked at her.
"Nice to meet you Takagi-san! I hope I never get hit when I'm around you again!" Takashi said without thinking. Saya only blinked, and blushed.
"B-baka." She whispered so she was the only one that would hear.
XxX
Takashi laughed as he remembered the first time Saya and he interacted with each other. He sighed as the memory faded, back into the recesses of his mind. He lay there, in deep thought. Trying his best to remember the good times. He then suddenly remembered Saeko's words.
"-be strong for your friends" Saeko's words echoed in his mind. Takashi smiled at this, he knew that Saeko was right. That dwindling in despair wasn't just bad for him, but bad for his friends. He knew that if he never wanted to hurt anyone, or to lose anyone, he would have to learn from his mistake with Rei.
He quietly sat up, and nodded his head. He found resolve in those words, and he would do everything in his power to try to live up to those words. He then lay back down on the bed, closing his eyes. His newfound resolve still on his mind. And not once, had the thought of Rei being in the wrong, had crossed his mind.
XxX
"Oi Komuro! You're being unusually Chipper this morning. What happened, you woke up next to a hot girl?" Morita asked as he approached Takashi and put an arm around his shoulders. Takashi only smiled and winked at him. Morita only laughed as he let go of Takashi's shoulder, and started walking towards their classroom. Morita stared at the smiling Takashi, he knew that Hisashi had told him, and he also knew that Rei had dumped him. But he was being unusually happy for someone who just got his heart ripped.
"H-hey Komuro." Morita started nervously. Takashi looked at Morita and raised an eyebrow. Morita swallowed a lump that was forming in his throat.
"Did Hisashi-" Before Morita could finish that sentence, Takashi had cut him off.
"Yeah, he did." Was Takashi's answer to the question Morita was about to ask. Morita only smiled softly and looked at the ground in sobering silence.
"I see." Morita said softly. Morita was never one to be serious; he always had a smile on his face. And as they say, the people with the widest smiles have the darkest secrets. Morita always had problems at home. His mother left him and his father when he was only a kid, and as a result, his father sank down to drinking his ass off. And when his father was really drunk, he would beat Morita. And through all this troubles, Morita had never wished to find someone with the same kind of pain he had. So he did his best to smile, to try to infect people with that same smile, with the expense of his own sometimes. But right now, Takashi, his best friend, had the eyes of someone who knew pain greater then Morita's. Morita knew he didn't have the slightest clue on how to cheer Takashi up. So he just stood there, looking at Takashi's shadowed face.
"KOMURO!" Takashi and Morita were shaken from their respective thoughts, as a loud shrill voice shouted from behind them. Takashi and Morita turned around in confusion, and saw Saya stomping down through the halls, holding a letter. Behind her, was Saeko Busujima, a frown on her face as she tried her best to calm the pink haired girl. Saya spotted Takashi and Morita out in the hallway, and immediately made a beeline for Takashi. Takashi just looked on with confusion on his face.
"Komuro! Upstairs, on the roof. NOW!" Saya barked. Takashi and Morita jumped into the air in surprise. Saya then stomped past the confused duo. Takashi looked behind him and tried to find out why she was so pissed, it was then Saeko coughed and got his attention.
"I'm sorry about that Takashi-kun; I should have just given you the letter instead of giving it to Takagi-san. If I had known it was something that would result in her losing it like that, I would never have given it to her." Saeko explained, trying to hide her guilty face. Takashi just raised an eyebrow at that.
"What do you mean Saeko-senpai? What letter? I never wrote Saya any letter, as far as I remember." Takashi explained. Saeko just stared at Takashi, confusion on her face.
"The letter you wrote to Takagi-san? I never read it, I just assumed that you were her boyfriend, and that was a note you wanted to give her. It looked pretty old as well, like it was five to four years old." Saeko explained. Takashi just closed his eyes and sighed, suddenly realizing what letter Saeko was talking about. Takashi then turned to Morita.
"Hey Morita, do me a favor, get back to class, and don't tell anyone that me, Saeko-senpai, and Saya are on the roof. Knowing her, she'll want a straight answer. Come on Saeko-senpai, you got me into this mess, I'll need a bodyguard, or at least someone to try to calm Saya down enough for me to explain." Takashi ordered both Saeko and Morita. Morita only nodded glumly, truthfully, he wanted to get to know Saeko, but Takashi turned all those hopes around. Saeko, though was the upperclassman, just decided to follow Takashi's order. Seeing as she was the one who got him into this mess.
Takashi turned around and began walking down the hallway, Saeko walking into step with him. Takashi eyed Saeko, and noted she had a look of guilt and curiosity on her face. Takashi just sighed.
"It's not your fault, if it's anyone's fault, its mine. I shouldn't have waited this long to give her that letter. And as for what's inside the letter, well, let's just say I had a moment when I was confused about my feelings for two girls. Namely Saya and her." Takashi explained. Saeko noted the last cryptic part of the explanation, but decided not to press anymore, seeing as how she felt the sadness of Takashi as he explained the last part.
As the pair walked down the hallway, Saeko took notice of the whispers around her. Normally, she would have avoided listening into rumors, much less about her. But, she wanted to know why just walking around with Takashi garnered such interest in the student body.
"Hey that's Takashi! Looks like he moved on from Rei. Weird, I thought for sure he would be moping around some more." A female voice whispered.
"Are you serious? I just heard that they broke up yesterday! He can't have moved on that fast. I heard they've been together since the first grade!" Another voice whispered to the first. As Takashi and Saeko moved out of range from the gossiping duo, Saeko heard another voice.
"Hey, what's Busujima-senpai doing walking around with Komuro of all people. I heard he has a girlfriend. He can't be cheating on her for Busujima-senpai." A male voice said in a hushed tone. Saeko was about to turn and respond to the man, but she held back, she then started walking faster to keep up with the pace of Takashi.
"You mean that Takagi girl? Yeah, I heard about that too. In fact, I just saw Takagi walk past here with an angry scowl. Maybe she caught him with Busujima-senpai holding hands together. Oh man, he is so screwed." Another male laughed. Takashi grit his teeth and just increased his pace. Saeko frowned at that reaction, but decided to just keep following him. As they walked past another group of people, Takashi stopped as he heard what they were talking about.
"Hey, did you hear? About Miyamoto-san and Takashi? I heard they broke up, and now Miyamoto-san was seen with Igou holding hands when coming to school this morning." A girl in the group queried to her friends as they walked past Takashi and Saeko. Takashi just balled his hands into fists. Saeko watched the group, and listened in some more.
"Wait, I thought Takashi's girlfriend was that Takagi girl? Was he two timing?" one male of the group asked. The girl only laughed. Another voice spoke up next, this one of another girl.
"Who cares about that! I heard Komuro groped Busujima-san, not once, but twice! And they were acting all buddy-buddy right after! Komuro must be really charismatic, if I was Busujima-san, I would have tazered him and called the police!" The girl laughed as the group moved away from sight.
'Either those people were blind, or they just had the nerve to talk about said people while they were next to them.' Saeko thought, she turned around to face Takashi.
Takashi sighed as he released his balled fists, and turned around to Saeko.
"I'm sorry about that Saeko-senpai. I got you involved in less then appropriate rumors. Though I asked you to come with me, I must now ask you to leave me alone. I wouldn't want your reputation to be tarnished by people who see you walking next to me." Takashi said nobly. Saeko just shook her head. She moved closer to Takashi and grabbed his hand softly. Surprising Takashi.
"My reputation is none of my concern. Right now, I just want to help you patch things up with Takagi-san. It was my fault to begin with, and it's my responsibility to help you in anyway possible. And frankly, I'll do anything just to help my friends." Saeko said firmly as she grasped Takashi's hand. Takashi blushed at the hand holding, but managed to nod his head in agreement.
"Thank you Saeko-senpai." Was all Takashi said before he turned around and began walking again. Saeko smiled at the retreating form of Takashi.
XxX
"Took you long enough. And what's Busujima-senpai doing with you? I need to talk to you alone." Saya said, her eyes focusing on Saeko and Takashi's forms. In her hands, the letter that Takashi wrote. Takashi only smiled softly at her, he saw that in her eyes, there was confusion, hurt, and anger. And he knew it was all because of that letter she was holding.
Saeko quietly stepped to the sidelines, not wanting to obstruct in the personal problem that was ensuing. She would remain near, to listen to, and to try to calm down Saya should she get angry.
"Saya, about that letter…." Takashi trailed as he pointed at the letter. Saya squeezed the letter in her hand, crumpling it in the middle. Saya bowed her head, so that her bangs covered her eyes.
"W-why Takashi. Why didn't you say anything? You obviously wrote this when you were in the fifth grade. But I want to know. Why didn't you at least tell me?!" Saya shouted as she looked up at Takashi, her eyes filled with tears that threatened to fall. Takashi just looked down sadly at the sight. The mighty, strong, and confident Saya, was reduced to a near crying mess.
Saeko watched on, trying hard to not interrupt and ask what was the problem. She knew that she would probably figure it out soon, but her body and mind told her to get close to Saya and hug her. The anguish in Saya's eyes made her shiver. Before she could do anything however. Takashi took the first steps, as he walked towards Saya.
Saya backed away slowly from Takashi, her hands gripping the letter in her hands. Takashi just continued to walk towards her.
"D-don't get near me baka!" Saya shouted at Takashi, but it fell on deaf ears. Takashi stopped in front of Saya, his eyes hidden behind his bangs. He then opened his arms and embraced Saya.
Saya just stood there, shocked at the sudden hug. She didn't react, she didn't push him away, and she didn't shout at him, she didn't berate him. She just stood there, surprised at Takashi. After a few seconds of surprise, she began to hug back. She put her arms around Takashi, and she buried her face on his chest.
Saeko watched the pair hug, and felt her heart warm at the scene. Without words, and without doing anything except for the embrace, Takashi managed to calm Saya down. She was honestly touched at the scene in front of her. Though she had yet to figure out what caused Saya to burst out like that, she had a feeling that no matter what would happen next, Takashi and Saya wouldn't do anything that would hurt the other.
After a few minutes in their embracing position, Takashi and Saya broke apart. Takashi looked down at Saya and smiled at her. Making the other blush in embarrassment. She regained her senses, and pushed Takashi aside, looking away from him.
"I want to know why you wrote it. And why you didn't give it to me. Though I have a feeling it has something to do with Miyamoto. Am I right?" Saya asked, Takashi only nodded. It was here, that Takashi turned to Saeko. Saeko managed a small smile at Takashi.
"Saeko-senpai, can I ask you a favor?" Takashi asked. Saeko only nodded her head. Takashi smiled.
"Whatever you see and hear in the next moments, please don't tell anyone. I don't want you to leave yet. You have the right to hear this. You've been a good friend, even though we've only met yesterday. I trust you. And I'm sure Saya feels the same. Right?" Takashi asked Saya. Saya frowned, and then spoke up.
"I'm not sure I feel the same way as you Takashi. I'm not as trusting as you about people I only met yesterday and giving them a secret," Saya explained, Takashi only sighed and nodded his head.
"Well, ok then. Saeko-senpai, can you go outside the door? Not too far, just out of hearing range." Takashi requested, Saeko looked at the serious face of Takashi, and the frowning Saya, before nodding her head and turning around. She walked at a brisk pace towards the door before closing it behind her.
Takashi then took Saya's hand and led her towards the observatory rooftop. As they were climbing the steps, he was quietly contemplating how to explain that letter. Truth be told he should have burned that letter. But he found that it was rather difficult to burn a piece of paper with so much emotion in it. He wrote that letter right after she confessed to him and made that promise. And in that letter, contained years and years of emotion. Of uncertainty, of sadness, and of regret. But none the less, regret is as hard to get rid of as your heart.
As they reached the rooftop, Takashi walked towards the tall fence and griped his hands on it. He then took a deep breath as he readied himself for the explanation that he should have given her a long time ago.
"Remember when we were in kindergarten? When those kids bullied you and I defended you?" Takashi asked, Saya only nodded. Not wanting to talk right now.
"Well, after that, you basically clung on to me. And before you do anything rash, you have to at least admit that." Takashi said as he raised his arm in a placating manner as Saya scowled deeply at that sentence,
"I know. I used to tell my Mama and Papa how you were my kni-knight in shining armor." Saya seemed to choke on that sentence. Takashi only smiled widely at that.
"Well, at least now I know why they approached me." Takashi said with a smile. Saya only looked at him with confusion.
"Who approached you?" Saya asked with confusion, Takashi only sighed and smiled weakly as he answered.
"Your mother and father approached me when we were in first grade, right after graduation day for kindergarten." Takashi explained. Saya's eyebrows shot up at this.
"Th-they what?" Saya shouted shocked at those words. Takashi only nodded his head.
"Yeah, they talked to me about our friendship. Or rather, where I was taking our friendship." Takashi smiled lightly at her. Saya stood there shock on her face. She was shocked because, her mother and father, both highly influential people. Approached her first friend, about their future together.
"Before you go jumping to conclusions Saya. They didn't explicitly say our future was together." Takashi explained. Saya relaxed her body a little at those words.
"But." Takashi continued, Saya's body straightened at this.
"What they did talk about. Are your growing feelings for me." Takashi finished. Saya's face erupted in pink. She looked away from him, abashed and embarrassed for her parents behavior. They talked to him about her feeling about him when they were in the first grade. That was just embarrassing and annoying for a child to have her parents do.
Takashi chuckled lightly at her blushing face, but nonetheless, continued his story.
"They talked about how you called me your 'Knight in shining armor.'. And being a first grader at that time. I had no idea that they were intimidating me. All I thought about when that was happening was that I was a knight. It's funny now that I think about it like that." Takashi chuckled at the thought of him in silver armor, carrying Saya bridal style as he ran away from a fire breathing dragon.
He shook his head away from those thoughts as he continued.
"They asked me about my feelings for you." He said as he turned around and looked Saya in the eyes. And to Saya's credit. She didn't flinch, only blushing profusely as she waited for the next part.
"A-and?" She squeaked out. She hated that her voice sounded like that. It wasn't befitting for someone like her to squeak out those kinds of words. She cursed Takashi for making her feel this way.
"I told what I told all those bullies and our teacher. That you were my friend, and a human being. That it was normal for a human being like friends, and that friends always stick together and think about each other everyday." Takashi answered, not missing a beat as he looked Saya in the eyes. Saya didn't flinch; she just nodded her head in understanding. She didn't trust her voice, she didn't want to squeak out again.
"Then they both patted me on the head. Telling me that I was a good friend." Takashi said as he looked away from Saya and looked up in the sky. The sun shining as it hid behind a white fluffy cloud. Before Saya could ask how this was related to the letter. Takashi continued.
"Then. They said something really confusing at the time." Takashi said. Saya waited in anticipation for him to continue. She nearly jumped as Takashi suddenly looked at her with a serious face.
"They said that you were in love with me. And that I shouldn't hurt you even if I find someone else." Takashi said. Straight to the point. This time, Saya did squeak. Out of sheer embarrassment. She blushed furiously and tried to look away from him, but found that she was captured by those eyes of his.
"They told me, that should I ever find someone else in love with me. That I should tell you first, and that I shouldn't hurt you when I tell you. Hence the letter, explaining why it was tearing me apart trying to pick between you and Rei." Takashi said as he pointed towards the letter the crumpled letter Saya was holding in her hand. She looked at the crumpled piece of paper and opened it one more time to read what was written on it.
Dear Saya:
I'm confused right now. I don't know what to do. I don't want to hurt you. But I don't want to hurt Rei as well. I really don't know what to do, I feel trapped. Hisashi told me to just 'Pick one and get it over with.' So I did. And I hope you won't get mad at me. But I'm going to pick Rei. Please don't cry over this letter. Cause if you do, then what kind of knight am I? Making her damsel cry? I promise you that I won't hurt you again. I know you have feelings for me. But I don't know if I feel the same about you. Your mother and father told me if I should ever break your heart. That I should do it in front of you, and not behind your back. Well, I'm not man enough for that. I can't stand to see you cry, cause if you do. Then I know that I would pick you and not pick Rei. But my dad always said, to stick to my word. And I promised Rei that I would love her. So, right now. I'm going to keep my word to both of you. I'm going to love Rei. But I'm going to protect you. I'm going to read this in front of you and your parents. And then I'm going to hug you, going to comfort you. So after that, you won't have to hurt anymore because of me. You deserve better then a knight who doesn't love his damsel.
Takashi Komuro
"Guess I'm not a man huh?" Takashi suddenly said. Saya looked up and saw him looking up at the clouds again. His entire body was straight, and his eyes were hidden behind his bangs. But she could tell that there were tears threatening to fall in them. Saya smiled softly at her friend, before finally saying.
"Baka." Saya said, her voice strained, but not painfully. Takashi looked down at her, grief and confusion written on them.
"You are a man. You kept your word, though it's not in the circumstances written on here. You still kept them." Saya explained. Takashi only looked at her blankly.
"Geez. You really are dense. You're lucky that I have better memory then you do. You said that you would hug me, that you would comfort me and protect me. Well, you did. You said that you would break my heart. And you did. You did it by being you. Don't worry about me being hurt. I don't need a knight. What I do need is my friend. My best friend." Saya said with a huff as she looked away from Takashi, embarrassed. Takashi only tilted his head to the side. Confusion evident in his eyes. After a few seconds of silence. He nodded his head, as if in agreement with something. He then approached Saya and placed his hand on top of her head.
"H-hey! I'm no-not a dog Baka!" Saya shouted incredulously. Takashi ignored that outburst.
"Look at you. No wonder you're always at the top of the class. You don't need anyone to push you to become better. While you were out there growing up, I've been stuck in the fifth grade all these years. You're right. I'm an idiot. Everyone can see that. I live in the past when I should be looking at the future. I'm sorry Saya." He said. He looked up in the sky and sighed before continuing.
"I'm sorry for being immature to the point of stupidity. I'm sorry I left you alone so long. That I'm your best friend." That last statement seemed to have a deep sorrow in his voice. Saya looked on at the taller teen. Takashi sighed again and looked down, meeting her eyes with his.
"Whatever happens? Whether you want a knight or not. I'll keep protecting you. I made a promise with your mother and father. And I'm a man. I'll keep my word. Whether you want me beside you or not is up to you. But I'll always look out for you. That's the least I can do for what I did." At this point, Takashi had let go of Saya's head and turned around. He looked at the bustling city, looking at the people going about their everyday business. He heard footsteps behind him; he closed his eyes as he heard them get fainter and fainter into the distance. But they abruptly stopped. He turned around to be faced with an annoyed looking Saya with her arms crossed, as if waiting for him.
"Come on you baka. We'll be late. And Busujima-senpai is waiting for us as well. She'll be late if you don't get your butt into gear." Saya said as she tapped her foot impatiently on the tiled roof floor. Takashi smiled and nodded his head.
"Yeah, I'm coming." He said with vigor as he started running towards the stairs. He smiled as he and Saya started walking down at the same pace. No awkward silence, no hurt emotions. It was just two life long friends walking away from a fight that they didn't care about.
XxX
You're prolly' thinking. 'Oh, Saya and Takashi are going to remain friends?' Well, most probably but not exactly maybe. Yeah, figure that out by yourself. But man, this chapter took a beating. Sometimes I hate word. I made a mistake saving, and when I tried to open the doc again, Ala squares! Well, at least I managed to salvage a lot of data. So, if you got this far. You can see a box right down there. It's for reviews. Take the time to fill it out. Point out any mistakes I made. What you think of this fic, did you like it? Or did it make you want to pull your hair out? I especially love constructive criticism. Because it's harsh, but it's what I need to become a better writer. But note, criticism and flames are two different things. "You're story isn't progressing at all, and I hate it. But you can do more by doing blablablabla" is criticism. "BOO! This fic sucks! Fuck you and this story!" is flames. So, as of today, all flames are garbage to me. So I take them out on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Anyway, read and review. C.O.Y.L out. Peace!