Bitter Sweet Love

Anime: High School of the Dead

Pairing: Saeko Busujima and Takashi Komuro

Disclaimer: I do not own High School of the Dead or any of its characters.

A/N: Thank you for all the comments, the likes and the favorites. I do understand that the story is not for everyone to appreciate...so some more warning: (1) this is a drama, (2) some of the characters may appear to be OC, (3) this is a product of my wild imagination with some inspiration from the stuffs i've watched and read and (4) this is a Saeko-Komuro love story.

Sorry for the grammatical errors.


09: Security

"Are you sure we should let those two do the mission? I mean, clearly there is some tension between Saeko-san and Komuro" Kota voiced out his opinion.

"And what do you want to say fat-ass? That you'd rather do the mission together with either Komuro or Saeko-san?" Saya said irritatingly.

Kota scratched the back of his head, the nervousness he felt earlier when he was volunteered for the mission was returning. "It's not that...it's just..." he can't think of a good response, because as expected, Saya has a point. If it's neither Saeko nor Komuro, then who else will do the mission. Alice-chan is obviously out of the question. Saya-san is a thinker rather than a doer, so she's better to stick with the team that way, she can contribute more into keeping everyone alive. Rei might be a good option, but for some reason, she has relied on Komuro during their fights and this mission requires the two people to act independently. Lastly, sensei...well, sensei is more reliable behind the wheel rather than in the middle of salivating and smelly zombies. For some reason, he thought of sensei being surrounded by salivating perverted men eyeing sensei hungrily...it that were the case, then what could she have done? Kota shook his head violently to get back to the matter at hand because (1) the answer to that question is clearly irrelevant and (2) his body is starting to heat up just at the thought. Kota sighed, truly, there is no other choice but for Saeko-san and Komuro to do this alone. They are the best two-man team they've got. The problem is, will they be able to act as a team?

Rei on the other hand sat quietly on one corner, sulking. If Rei was to fool herself, she would think he was doing this for her own good because he's worried about her. But the other part of her is saying that he's doing this because he wanted to be alone with Saeko –again-, which she wouldn't allow. That's why she volunteered for this mission even though she knew the danger and cost. However, Komuro stopped her. And the serious look on his eyes made it difficult for her to argue against his decision. Seeing him follow her up the hatch caused a stabbing pain in her chest. She felt as if Komuro was leaving her for Saeko though she knew that they are leaving for a mission. If she were to be rational, Saeko-san and Komuro clearly are the best people for the mission. But the jealousy within her has diminished all her reason and it is that very same emotion that caused her to suffer more.

She closed her eyes and covered it with both hands. She can feel an impending sob, but attempted to suppress it. When she said that she wanted to be him even if he fell for another girl, she was holding onto the fact that Komuro loved her and wished that he still does, but everything that is happening seems to prove her wrong. It seems as if it's too late for them.

"Let's just hope that they both meet us alive and safe tomorrow at point B" came Saya's voice. "This is all to find your families right, Rei?"

At this, Rei lifted her head and look to the passenger's seat to where Saya is.

"I'm sure that Komuro and Saeko-san will be able to pull it off. Actually..." Saya stopped and looked up thinking, "with Saeko-san I am very confident, but with Komuro...I think he is the one that needs our prayers" Saya said with a straight face.

This caused Kota to chortled.

"Don't say that Saya-san" Alice-chan exclaimed. "It's not funny Hirano-san" she continued.

"That's Saya nee-chan to you munchkin!" Saya scolded.

"Yes, that's right. Komuro is a bit scattered brain but..." Saya hesitated before she continued "...but that's why Saeko-san is with him. She's focused and she can whack some senses back into Komuro's brain." Saya turned forward and avoided looking at Rei's face. She needed to say...or better yet, she felt like she needed to.

"I guess you're right that those two are really reliable. What we need to do now is pray for their safety and hope that this plan goes well" Rei finally said, ignoring Saya's last comment.

"Yes, the thing is...we don't have a detailed plan yet" Saya said.


"I believe I haven't responded yet. And we're not done talking." Komuro looked straight into her eyes to show her his resolve.

Truthfully, there was a nagging feeling at the back of Komuro's head, telling him to abide by Saeko's request and just let Hirano do the mission in his place. However, he was more than sure that Hirano was not the best candidate, seeing that he was better at long-range combats. If he would have to decide, Rei would be a better option, but he just wouldn't allow Saeko and Rei go out there on their own. His ego as a leader took over the better of him. So he decided to accompany Saeko, even if it means ignoring her request of putting some distance between them. He cannot swallow the idea of him sitting comfortable at the back of a car, speeding away to safety, while his friends are out there risking their lives for the group. He'd rather put his own life in danger.

Saeko didn't respond. Komuro spoke once more and she expected that he will talk about them once more. However, when he started talking about the need for a detailed plan, she felt both disappointed and embarrassed.

"I know that we are in a hurry but we haven't discussed the details of the plan yet" he said, "I think it would be best to have every step of the plan ready because we won't have time to think once we're out there."

Komuro looked around and surveyed the area. He saw certain buildings and then his eyes suddenly lit up and a smile grazed his features.

"Now it all fits. " he turned and said to Saeko.

"What do you mean?" Saeko asked.

"We need to get to point A and meet them at point B, right?"

"Yes, we need to lure the zombies away from the highway so they can escape. Then tomorrow we will be meeting them on the other side of the river." Saeko repeated the plan.

"Yes that's right. But I just figured out where point A and B are." Once more, Komuro's grin was ear to ear as he started to discuss the plan. Komuro did all the talking, all Saeko did was nod. The plan was simple - Komuro will do all the work and Saeko will do most of the fighting.

To Saya's relief, Komuro and Saeko-san went down the humvee and discussed the detailed plan with everyone. Saya was a bit thankful that Komuro seems to be back to his usual self, somehow she was reassured that the mission will succeed.

XXXXXXXXX

Once more, Saeko and Komuro stood on top of the humvee. It was time to start the mission - Komuro was nervous and a bit excited, but Saeko's expression was unreadable.

"Let's go" and without another word, Saeko jumped down the humvee, silently landing on the highway below.

Komuro was not as confident that he could land noiselessly, so he chose to climb down in front of the vehicle. Saeko stood silently waiting for him. He then led her to where he saw the bicycle. It was chained to the back of a white 4x4 a few meters from the humvee. Komuro was about to go inside the car to look for the padlock key but Saeko put her arm in front of him to stop him.

"Be ready to catch it" she leant forward and whispered in his ear. Komuro swallowed hard, a bit nervous at the proximity, and nodded. He needed to keep his emotions in check. He just can't get excited whenever Saeko gets too close.

In a very swift movement, Saeko pulled her sword from her waist and slashed the padlock. A thin line appeared on the silver padlock before it split into two. She knelt forward to catch it before it fell to the ground.

Komuro just stared in awe before he realized that her violet eyes are staring questioningly at him as if saying, "what are you doing?"

He shook his head "no" involuntarily, saying it was nothing before he proceeded to remove the shackle, which is what's left of the padlock. He slowly removed the chains, making sure that not to make any sound. Meanwhile, Saeko was slicing a few zombies here and there as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Komuro had to hold back a laugh though he knew for sure that the reason why she's doing it is to reduce the number of obstructions on their way.

It took a few more seconds before he was able to lower down the bicycle to the ground. He rode the bike and examined the mass of zombies in front of them. Saeko stepped up and placed her foot on either side of the rear wheels and held on to Komuro's shoulder with one hand, while the other stretched on, pointing her sword forward. It missed Komuro's ear by an inch making him sweat drop. Light travelled the length of sword's blade emphasizing how sharp it is and how easily it could cut his ear off if Saeko chose to. Komuro swallowed hard.

Taking this as his cue, Komuro started pedalling back towards Saya's neighbourhood. He chose a route with the least number of Them. When they started gaining speed, Saeko started slashing as many zombies as she can. She tightened the hold of her left hand on Komuro's shoulders for her to maintain her balance. She knew that her nails were digging onto his shoulders, but she didn't care. She was still pissed off with him. Komuro on the other hand winced at the pain, but similarly ignored it – because basically, there is nothing he can do.

They are nearing a fork and Komuro had to make a sharp right. Komuro was halfway on his turn when Saeko brought his right hand to hold onto his shoulders so that she could keep herself from falling. Whether or not she forgot that she's still holding a very deadly sword, he didn't know. But the sword grazed his right cheek below the eye just as Saeko's wrist settled firmly on his right shoulder. He moved his face away from the sword with great difficulty. He steadied the bike back as they cruised down an almost deserted street. Saeko removed her hand, and sword, away once more and as she gets went back on defense mode. Seeing that there are a few zombies, Komuro slowed down and she jumped off. She walked towards the trash can and sliced it diagonally in half. Light seemingly travelled across the metal trash can before it split into two, scattering thrash and making an echoing noise as the metal hit the ground. Komuro pointed his shotgun at one lone zombie that seemingly lost his way towards them and pulled the trigger.

"Let's go" Komuro said and Saeko went back to the bike and they sped off. Saeko kept on slicing and kicking every trashcan or anything on their way, creating a path of noise, destruction and thrash. And soon enough more of Them started to show up. Komuro made the last effort to go faster as point A reaches his line of sight. He then stopped pedalling and allowed the bike to glide forward, estimating that it would stop exactly in front of the designated house. Saeko knew this was the signal that they are nearing point A so she got ready for a fight.

"Go!" Komuro shouted, ignoring that he is making noise and is drawing more zombie attention towards them - it was part of the plan anyway.

Saeko once again jumped off the bike, took a moment to examine the enemies in front of her and took her stance. She stretched her right hand to the side, bent forward, closed her eyes and breathed deeply...Komuro swallowed hard in anticipation as if he's watching an old Japanese film fight scene...and the second she opened her eyes, she was gone from his sight and blood oozed everywhere. The horde of zombies around them grew caused by the noise they made but whenever Saeko passed Them, either their arm or head ends up rolling on the side of the road followed closely by the rest of their body and the rest of whatever blood is left in their decaying bodies.

Komuro shook himself out of daze and regretfully averted his gaze from her. He looked at the two-floor house in front of him, his eyes traced the planned path...they would go up the wall to enter through the 2nd floor side window. Then, they will climb to the roof through the terrace.

There's more of Them than he expected, but he chose not to help Saeko fight, knowing that his shotgun will do nothing but attract more of Them, like what had happened earlier. So he sprinted towards the metal gate and used the grills to climb towards the cement fence with great difficulty. He even used the head of one zombie as a step ladder. He tried to maintain his balance as he walked on top of the fence towards the second floor window, which he knew would not be locked.

This is his aunt's place. He used to play here as a kid and still often visits to hang out with his cousin. He knew the house well, so he knew that this window is the only way in because the window's lock is not working properly. Thankfully his aunt's husband has been too busy with work to fix little details such as a broken window lock. He knew it was safe to come here because his aunt and her family are currently on vacation to a different country. His cousin had been absent from school because of this trip.

He slowly opened the window, ensuring that he's not making any sound. He stepped inside a dark room, which he knew to be the guest bedroom. Though he knew that the house is empty, he still said a silent prayer that there are none of Them inside or more specifically, that none of his relatives have been turned into Them. Though it was dark, he was able to make his way to the door, down the hall and onto the balcony at the back without tripping or meeting anyone or anything. He stepped out and climbed on to the roof. He scanned the perimeter seeing Saeko still fighting zombies. It even looks as if she's even enjoying herself. He then looked further to his left and was very thankful that as expected, he can see the highway and the humvee. He then turned to his far right and from there he can clearly see the park. And of course, he can also see the horizon, the sun setting to one side and the moon rising from the other. Zombies are everywhere, but most of them are on the highway, drawn by the sound the car made earlier and by the resounding noise made by his shotgun. He shook his head upon remembering his stupidity.

As he ran the plan through his head one last time, his heart start to beat madly. He hoped that their plan work, because there's no plan B. He then squared his shoulder and faced the park – now he has to do his part.

His loud heartbeat and his hard breathing served as a natural clock – every beat and breath felt like a second. Everything seemed to be in slow motion, from the moment he removed the pin from one of the grenades, to the moment he started running to gain momentum until the time he drew back his right hand and threw the grenade towards the park with every strength he could muster at the same time putting one foot forward firmly to stop himself from falling off of the roof. He had no time to wait for the grenade blast; he sharply turned to look at the front gate and shouted with all his might, "SAEKO!" However, it was muffled by the reverberating sound of the explosion which echoed through the seemingly lifeless and quiet neighbourhood.

Komuro instinctively crouched down and covered his eyes to shield it from the blast of wind and dust. But when realization hit him that Saeko is still down there, he immediately stood up towards her direction. That was supposed to be her cue to escape and follow him inside the house. However, she was still down there fighting. She looks a bit shaken by the blast but had a determined look to keep her ground and fight. The number of zombies surrounding her had increased compared to the time he left making it difficult for her to leave.

The first blast had caught the attention of the zombies, but the mass was too many for such a small street, thus there was no room for escape. Komuro started to get nervous. He was about to run down to Saeko's aid but a red banner caught his peripheral vision. Someone was on top of the humvee waiving a red cloth; it was their signal that they will be revving up the engine the next minute. Memories of their last group conversation flooded his mind.

"Promise me one thing Komuro, that we will both stick to the plan no matter what happens" Saeko turned to him.

Everyone's eyes were on Komuro, awaiting his response, "what if there are too many of Them for you to handle alone?"

"Trust me and stick to the plan..." was her response.

"What if..." he wasn't able to continue. The stern look she gave him was enough to make stop any argument and to just nod in agreement.

"Be careful Saeko-san. You are a bait...not a sacrifice" Saya said.

"I will" Saeko's eyes softened as she smiled at the other girl that was her friend.

Komuro balled his fist. He had to stick to the plan just as he promised.

He turned to look at the highway and was glad that just as planned, the first blast had caught the attention of the zombies and they started to shuffle away from the humvee.

As he pulled the second grenade out of the bag, he looked down on the crowd of zombies where Saeko was supposed to be and prayed "please be safe". He then positioned himself at the far end of the roof, "God, please help her to be safe..." his voice had been the merest of a whisper but full of plea.

He prepared for the sprint, removed the pin, ran and threw the grenade towards the park just as he did before. As soon as the grenade left his hand, he could hear the sound of the humvee's engine. He ran back in position, preparing to throw the third grenade and repeated his movements. Two consecutive explosions filled the air. He took a few seconds to recover before he hurriedly left the roof and ran downstairs. He took two or three steps at a time. Again, he didn't encounter anyone or anything on his way down, but even if he did, he will not even notice. His mind has been focused solely one thing – Saeko. He reached the front door and turned the knob. It clicked but didn't open. There are three more locks...keeping him from saving her. His worry and frustration was getting the best of him so almost a minute has passed and still, he wasn't able to unlock the door.

"Damned!" he cursed and slammed his fist against the door and attempted to open the locks again.

"Saeko! Saeko!" he shouted as his fingers continue to fumble through the series of locks.

The shuffling of the feet of countless zombies resounded from the other side of the door. He heard the metal gate fall to the ground, as if it fell down with a body on top of it. He looked through the peep hole, but it was of no help...all he could see were zombies on their way towards the park.

He stopped trying to unlock the door...his whole body felt weak, he was shaking and he was drenched in sweat as the realization hit him...Saeko might be dead. He looked out again, but it was the same, all he could see were zombies and she was nowhere to be seen.

"No it can't be..." he stood frozen. In anger, he slammed his fist on the door once more.

"I wouldn't do that again if I were you" came a voice from the foot of the stairs. "You'll draw their attention"

He couldn't believe his ears and it took a good minute his brain to recognize the voice.

"Saeko?"

"Who else?"

He ran towards her and embraced her. "I thought you were..." the last word was inaudible as he buried his head on her shoulders. At first, he didn't know if he wanted to ask how she's feeling, check out if she has not been bitten or wounded, get her to sit down and rest upon hearing her ragged breath, touch and look at her face just to make sure it was really her, hold her close and feel her warmth just to make sure that she is alive or kiss her - just for the heck of it. But he just ended up embracing her.

Saeko stood unmoving. She had been fighting Them for god-knows-how-long. She knew she was supposed to escape to the house after or before the first blast, all the ruckus they made had drawn more zombies than she expected. The first blast sent a gust of wind her way. Dust went into her eyes and for a moment she found it difficult to see. In that moment, a zombie lunged at her causing her to lose her balance and to fall onto the ground and lose her sword. She had always been confident that with a bokken, she is strong and with a real sword, she's invincible. But now that her sword is out of her reach, she felt weak and scared. And that moment of fear was enough for her body to realize that she was hungry and tired and had not rested since they flee from the Takagi mansion – she was not in the best condition to fight. For the first time, she hoped that there was someone to rescue her - Komuro. She had always depended on her own strength, but somehow, without her knowing, she had started to rely on him. How and when it happened, she didn't know. It just did.

But she knew that he will not come. He made him promise that he will not come to her aid. And as she struggled to the zombies off of her, she felt that she still have the sheath of her sword. She pulled it out and with all her might used it to push Them away. Then the second and third blasts came. It distracted the zombies and it was the time when she thought she heard his voice. A small voice from within her signalled that she could now escape. Again, where it came from and how it happened could take her years to comprehend.

She then saw her sword just a feet away to her right. He swung the sheath as if it were a bokken and knocked two of Them out of the way. She picked up her sword and once again felt stronger and braver. She then jumped up the cement wall using Them as springboard. She balanced herself and walked towards the side window, which Komuro said he was sure will be left open.

The house was bathed in darkness and she relied only on the faint moonlight through the window for illumination. She carefully sheathed her sword and put it back to her waist. She then extended both her hands up front, feeling her way through the unfamiliar house. There was no sign of Komuro. She was worried that Komuro had been wrong, that his relatives are currently home and had been turned into zombies. But what was scarier was the outcome, either Komuro had been attacked or he has been forced to kill his own relatives. Both sounded terrifying and it just added up to the Saeko's fear.

Blood was pounding through her ears as she continued to make her way down the stair case. Every step took forever because she chose not to rush forward. After her near-death-experience earlier, she wanted to be a bit more cautious. After all, she promised Komuro and everyone that she will be careful.

As soon as she reached the foot of the staircase, she narrowed her eyes and tried to make out her surroundings. Her heart skipped a beat as she heard and saw Komuro slammed his fist against the door.

Relief washed over her, not just because she knew that he was safe but because she felt an unexpected feeling of security. She can't see him properly, but his voice clearly confirmed it was Komuro. He then rushed towards her and placed his arms around her, squeezed her tight and settled his head on her shoulders. His actions were once again instinctive and rash making her forget that she was avoiding him. Or maybe, she remembered but chose to ignore it.

The embrace wasn't long, but was enough to calm down her madly beating heart and to ease her fear. The darkness of the room masked her flushed cheeks, but it was unable to hide the truth that somehow she needed him.

Saeko let herself be dragged by her emotions...placed her arms around him, closed her eyes and let his warmth lull her into comfort.


A/N: I know I am super delayed with the update, sorry about that.

Thanks very much for the encouragements. Truly appreciated... Arigatou Gozaimasu...