The zombie hit the window with a loud crack.
School was seriously a living hell, right now. Hard to believe that just hours before it had felt like an average day. I breezed down the corridor; I could feel Shizuka's hand in mine as I dragged her along. She stumbled to keep up with me, so I slowed my pace a little. The smell of blood and gore was thick in the air, filling my nose, acrid and burning. If I was to be honest, it was the scent of Them that disgusted me the most. I nudged another one of Them aside with my bokken and Shizuka made a whimpering noise. My eyes shot to her immediately.
"Are you alright?" I asked, squeezing her hand, worried.
"Mhm," the school nurse nodded, "but…why aren't you killing them?" Her voice was soft and nervous. I glanced forward again, distracted by the way her breasts bounced as she walked after me. I practically drooled, thinking about Shizuka. She had a ridiculous body… I forced the thoughts aside and thought about her question, wondering what answer I should give her. An answer she could understand. I looked back at her again. She was waiting, and her golden eyes were tinged with confusion.
I sighed. "Believe me I'd love to kill all of Them but I can't. I can handle individuals, maybe even a small group, but they come at you in hordes. Besides, its time-consuming; we should get out of here as soon as possible. The longer we stay in this place, the more dangerous it becomes." I liked to think I could do anything, but protecting Shizuka and killing Them at the same time just didn't seem like a good idea. Wasting my time executing the undead was one of the main reasons Ishii Kazu had been needed to protect Shizuka in my place. Maybe if she wasn't here I would have let loose, but I couldn't risk her getting killed just for an adrenaline high. "My main objective right now is getting us out alive, and your safety."
I smiled at her. Her cheeks reddened at my words, and she looked away, nodding. "I understand…" As Shizuka spoke, she stumbled. Concerned, I quickly spun and attempted to catch her in my arms. Shizuka collapsed against me, knocking me over as her breasts bounced and their heavy weight pressed against my stomach. I caught our fall with my hand, and anger swept through me.
"Be careful," I snapped.
Shizuka looked embarrassed. "I-I hate these stupid floor mats! I'm sorry uh…What was your name again?" My aggravation only grew. I pushed her off me, and stood, grabbing her hand and pulling her up as well.
"My name is Saeko," I muttered, "Saeko Busujima."
Shizuka nodded, smiling, her expression sheepish. "So sorry! I'm terrible with names!"
I examined her. Shizuka couldn't keep up and she was a stumbling idiot. That skirt probably wasn't helping. I knelt and reached forward. Behind her, the undead were shambling uselessly; they didn't seem to notice us at all. I reached down, gripped the side of her skirt, and pulled at the cloth. It ripped, parting to reveal inch after inch of pure white skin along her leg and eventually a peek at her lacy, purple undergarments. She had such fair skin; I could only imagine how lovely it would be to leave kisses and bites all over it…
The image of kissing, licking, biting all over her body made my cock twitch in my pants. My fantasy was interrupted by the sound of Shizuka's shrill voice. "W…why'd you rip it!?" The undead in the hall turned to us now. It seemed they only reacted to sound. I grabbed Shizuka, covering her mouth with one hand.
"Shut your mouth," I hissed, "and I did it to make walking easier for you. Do you want to get eaten?" Teary eyed, the school nurse desperately shook her head. "I didn't think so. So, stop complaining." I dragged her alongside me and thankfully the ditz stayed quiet and moved much quicker now. I removed my hand from her mouth, grasping my bokken tightly.
"Where are we going," Shizuka whispered, and I sighed.
"Away. Does it matter where?" I nudged a zombie aside, turning down a corridor.
"W-what about the faculty room? That's where my keys are. If we can get them I can drive us away from here…" She squeaked when I turned my gaze on her. "I-I'm sorry for talking, I'll be quiet!"
Shizuka genuinely seemed anxious and apologetic. I didn't want her to be silent. We just couldn't afford to have her broadcasting our location to every undead in the school. I softened my expression, and squeezed her hand in mine. "That's a wonderful idea."
Shizuka's expression brightened and her cheeks grew red as she vigorously nodded.
We had a plan now. Get to the faculty room, get her keys, and get out. Easy enough.
My hand froze on the handle of the door. A fearful, feminine scream tore through the air. It sounded like it was nearby. Normally, I would ignore it, after all I had to protect Shizuka and we couldn't save everyone but a scream that close, and a girl? I couldn't ignore it. I turned to Shizuka.
"Stay here. Don't move an inch and scream if you need me."
Shizuka looked terrified, but she nodded anyway. If she had asked, I would have stayed with her and left the girl to die.
"I'll be back." I raced down the hallway toward the source of the scream, and rounded the corner at the end. My eyes widened and I came to a full stop as I took in the sight before me. A slender, beautiful girl with red-brown hair was watching a fellow student get pulled down the staircase by a small horde of Them. At first only two undead grasped the poor girl, but as her desperate screams continued they drew in more and more of Them who shambled slowly up the stairs toward her.
"M-Misuzu! Help me, it hurts, Misuzu!"
I winced. There was no saving her. Would "Misuzu" realize that? Said redhead wore a horrified expression on her face as countless zombies bit into the girl who I assumed was her friend. I thought maybe Misuzu would give in, would try to help someone who was a lost cause. Then, the strangest thing happened. Her face changed. Her terror and her pity transformed into something else entirely. Anger, disgust, indifference.
"Get off me." The redhead's tone was loud and cold. Her friend's expression grew terrified.
Misuzu's long hair hid her eyes, and she let out a loud snarl and shook her leg violently.
"M-Misuzu?" The poor girl's voice broke off into a scream, "Y-you have to help!" She was hysterical. More and more of Them were eagerly biting into her flesh and tearing out bloody chunks. It was rather grotesque. Misuzu's expression hardened, her eyes had a strange, mad glint in them. Something I recognized. The desire to survive.
A small, slow swarm of undead crept down the hallway toward Misuzu. I walked closer, my bokken hanging at my side.
"I said …get off me bitch!" Misuzu tore her leg free, and slammed her foot down in the face of her "friend". Just once, but with enough strength that the girl tumbled down the flight of stairs. The horde of undead clambered atop and tore into her. Her screams were drowned out by their groans and the sound of her flesh being ripped away and chewed.
A smile crept across my mouth. Amazing. Simply amazing. Misuzu's actions were admirable. The way her survival instincts had kicked in, the way her eyes had become so devoid of pity. She deserved to live and I would make sure that she did. "Misuzu," I shouted, and her desperate eyes turned to me, "behind you!"
She managed to push away just as three of Them reached out to grab her, a dozen more creeping in behind her. I sprinted, sweeping my blade out to smash into one of their heads. It exploded, blood soaking the blade and railing as well. "Come on, you bastards," I hissed, and one by one They began to turn to me. The ones down the stairs were far too busy devouring the other girl to even notice us.
Misuzu gazed at me with her deep, cocoa brown eyes. Her pupils were slightly dilated, glittering with fear and shame. Her red locks were hanging down either side of her face, the back kept up in a cloth bun. I smiled at her, pushing her sweaty bangs back from her forehead.
"Get going. Around the corner, run to Miss Marikawa," I ordered, pointing. She scampered past me, and I readied my bokken. The horde was coming closer by the second. Misuzu hesitated, but only for a second. She touched my arm.
"I…I don't know the words…"
"'Thank you' works. Now go." Misuzu nodded and hurriedly backed away, "and be as quiet as possible." I watched her race away, and disappear around the corner. I chuckled deeply as I turned away and eyed Them. How many? A little over a dozen. I smirked wide. It was time for pest control.
My blood boiled as I dashed forward and let it all go, giving into the endless well of bloodlust that seemed to constantly lay just beneath my skin. Blood splattered my face as skull after skull, bone after bone cracked and shattered under the full force of my kendo sword. I kicked one of the undead down the stairs, killing another and leaving only six or so behind. I panted slightly, busting another zombie's head open with my blade.
Satisfied with my work and panting heavily, I left the way I came. Misuzu and Shizuka were standing where I ordered them to, leaning against the glass doors of the exit. Shizuka seemed aggravated, and Misuzu had her arms crossed.
I relaxed as I walked towards them, shaking my bokken until the blood coating it dripped off. The girl I saved seemed to find something interesting on the ground, looking guilty. I rested a hand on her shoulder, squeezing lightly. "You did good back there."
Nervously, Misuzu turned to gaze at me. She worried her bottom lip. "I-I did?"
I smiled, nodding. "Of course. It was very admirable. Not many have the strength to do what you did."
Her guilty eyes avoided mine again. It was cute. I grasped her chin, resting my thumb just beneath her bottom lip, turning her face until it was facing me. "Don't be ashamed." Misuzu shivered as I tucked a long stand of her hair behind her ear. "I would have done the same thing in your place. Any smart person would have." Misuzu's eyes squeezed shut. It wasn't enough. She still wasn't comforted. There was no point in saving her if she was regretting her actions. I slid my hand from her chin, and cupped her cheek in my palm. "You're strong…strong enough to do what you need to survive."
The last of her shame and hesitance melted away, and eyes glinting in admiration, Misuzu nuzzled my hand. She seemed to take comfort in my praise and kind words. Over Misuzu's shoulder, Shizuka was staring at the two of us, her expression troubled.
"What…what exactly did she do?"
"Don't worry about it," I smiled at the school nurse, "she just had to leave a friend behind."
Shizuka's plump, glossy lips curled into a frown. She didn't believe it, but she apparently trusted me enough to let it go. The school nurse shook her head. "She wanted to leave you behind…"
I raised an eyebrow. Is that why Shizuka had looked so aggravated when I returned? Misuzu interjected hurriedly.
"I was just worried you wouldn't return. There were so many of Them, and you only have a wooden sword…how was I supposed to know you're some kind of hero." Hero, huh? I kind of like the sound of that. I stared at Shizuka. Did she think of me as her hero? Or did Ishii Kazu hold that place in her heart? I clenched my fist around my bokken, longing making my chest ache. Shizuka had no right being so beautiful. She was the opposite of what was needed in this new world. Shizuka couldn't survive on her own…yet that didn't turn me off. The opposite in fact. I wanted to be her hero.
Misuzu's big, round eyes distracted me from my thoughts. So, she had wanted to run away? I didn't blame her. I couldn't expect her to have blind faith in me, not from the start. She was not like Shizuka, who willingly survived off the strength of others. Misuzu had a sense of self preservation, of ruthlessness.
"It's alright, Misuzu, but I'm telling you now…You're better with me than without. My name is Saeko Busujima," I introduced myself. As I spoke I gazed at our surroundings, making sure none of Them were nearby. We'd been talking for quite a while and I worried we'd caught Their attention. Thankfully, such was not the case. Only a few stragglers were roaming about the halls and none of them were aware of our presence. We were either lucky, or the creatures that had destroyed this school were easier to avoid then we'd thought. If only other people had realized silence was the trick to survival sooner.
But if that had been the case, I wouldn't be able to be myself. I'd still be stuck in an average, every day school life. A place where I didn't belong.
Misuzu's eyes widened and she touched my wrist. "Saeko Busujima!? As in… the captain of the Kendo team!?"
"The one and only," I chuckled, rubbing the back of my head sheepishly. "As much as I appreciate your enthusiasm try to keep it down. They react to sound, and we do not want to draw their attention."
Misuzu bowed her head in an apology, but seemed relieved. Probably glad that she hadn't acted on instinct and ran away. I was very capable of protecting her, and she knew that now. Both of her hands wrapped around one of mine. "Thank you for rescuing me, Saeko. I'm Misuzu Ichijou, please continue to keep me safe!" I was surprised at her forwardness.
I glanced at Shizuka, whose eyes were now locked on Misuzu. Was that jealousy in her golden gaze? My heart pounded in my chest. Did she want my protection for herself? I'm getting way ahead of myself. Shizuka has no reason to be jealous. It's just wishful thinking.
"Shizu. How much room is there in your car? Enough for three?"
Misuzu smiled happily at my question while Shizuka frowned. She did answer, however. She was kind, she wouldn't turn away from one of her students even if she didn't find Misuzu trustworthy. Shizuka was not the suspicious type, yet distrust lay in her amber eyes when she looked at Misuzu. That put me a little on edge myself.
"There's enough room in my car for three or four people, I suppose. Maybe five though it'd be a tight fit…"
I smiled in appreciation. "Thank you, Shizuka. What do you say, Misuzu, how would you like to join us?" Misuzu grasped my hand tighter, her brown eyes meeting mine.
"Please allow me to come along," Misuzu bowed her head once again.
"Of course." I tried to remove my hand from hers, but she only tightened her grip. I swallowed, and Misuzu refused to turn her gaze from mine.
"Saeko, please protect me. Please don't let me die."
The way she begged sent a rush of arousal through me. I grimaced. My dick hardened against my will. My mouth watered. "O-Of course I'll keep you safe."
"Should we really be waiting around here," an irritated voice interrupted and Shizuka's hand grasped my arm, tugging me almost violently. The older woman had an aggravated expression.
"You're right. My bad, but I will protect you. Both of you. Just as I promised."
Shizuka and Misuzu seemed to contemplate my words, the former's gaze locked on Misuzu. "Good." Shizuka smiled, and to my shock the nurse's expression softened, and she held my hand, leaning into my arm. Her hand was amazingly soft, and her huge breasts crushed into my shoulder.
Everything about her body language said "mine." Shizuka was being possessive…of me. My erection rubbed uncomfortably against the front of my uniform. Everything about this day was too good to be true. True freedom, Shizuka's attention, and now her jealous gaze…it was all too much! I forced the overwhelming thoughts away before they became too much.
"Y-you're right! We should go," I declared, and my two companions nodded in agreement. I squeezed Shizuka's hand, and she smiled at me, reassured. Her jealous expression had been far too cute…I forced myself to focus again.
"Keep behind me you two," I ordered quietly, and once again we were on our way.
We opened the doors to outside, entering the walkway between the school buildings. Other than the occasionally scream, it was relatively quiet. Honestly, it was unnerving; I felt like something was bound to happen soon.
I unbuttoned the front of my uniform jacket and inhaled the fresh, spring air. Misuzu shut the door behind us.
I stretched, enjoying the satisfying crack that ran through my body. I moaned softly with pleasure. "It's nice out," I murmured as I rested my bokken on my shoulder. Cherry blossoms drifted on the breeze, a fresh spring scent in the air.
"Strange moment to stop and take in the scenery," Misuzu responded. I turned to look at her.
"You shouldn't push yourself too hard. Knowing when to take a break is important." I started walking again, trailing my hand on the railing of the walkway, Shizuka's hand was still clasped in mine. It was warm, soft… "So, Misuzu, who was that girl?" I asked after a long moment.
"You mean…?"
"Yes. The girl you left behind."
"Oh…Just a friend." Her guilty expression said it all. It was not a simple friendship. They were best friends.
"Interesting. Was it easy for you making that decision?"
"I didn't want that to happen, Saeko! If I could have saved her…" I cocked my head, glancing at her. Then I laughed in amusement and put an arm around her, tugging her to my other side.
"I'm not judging you, Misuzu! I was just wondering. Don't worry. The past doesn't matter. It's gone. Our world is gone, instead we look towards the future. The only thing that matters now is survival. No matter the cost." I grinned and Misuzu's eyes glimmered. "As I said, you did good." My praise made her squirm, made her shift closer and press against me. I let her go, ruffling her hair and smiling.
Suddenly…loud, blaring bangs burst into the air. It almost sounded like a gun but it was not quite loud enough. It gripped my attention. I stood still and glanced around, waiting for the sound to appear again so I could follow it to its source. A person with a weapon like that would no doubt be useful.
"That's coming from the Faculty room," Shizuka gasped. I was surprised her hearing was so good. Releasing her hand, I took off quickly. Shizuka and Misuzu followed closely as I sprinted across the walkway. A scream followed more bangs, and I worried briefly about what we were about to walk into. The sound of footsteps came from another path on the walkway and a pair of teenagers nearly walked into us, also racing toward the source of the noise. A boy and a girl. The boy wielded a baseball bat; the girl held the handle of a broom, sharp and pointed. I didn't give them a second glance, my attention on the glass doors in front of us.
I shoved them open, excitement pouring through my veins.
I took in the situation quickly. A pink haired girl was kneeling on the floor, screaming and sobbing hysterically as she pressed the tip of a drill into the skull of one of Them. Blood was splashing onto her face as the drill drove deeper and deeper into the bone of the creature's head. Nine or so more undead shambled closer to the girl, the loudest source of noise, completely ignoring a fat boy who held a modified nail gun.
"I can't take it anymore," The pink haired girl screamed, her voice shockingly high pitched. Her tone trembled with shock, terror, anguish. My eyes narrowed, and my heart twitched with pity, but this was something she had to do. She was hysterical and screaming. She needed to be taught the reality of the situation. I watched in silence, but the boy and girl who had joined us seemed to disagree.
The boy rushed forward to help her, but I swept my hand out, stopping him.
"Don't. She needs to do this. Needs to kill it for herself." The boy looked at me like I'd said something insane, and it seemed like he was going to ignore me but his female companion stopped him.
"Takashi. She's right. Takagi needs to be able to do this. Or else she won't…"
"She won't survive," I finished. The brunette boy, Takashi, trembled. His fists were clenched tight together and his brown eyes were wide. But he obeyed.
"SOMEONE PLEASE!" The drill dug ever deeper into the zombie's skull, until finally, the drill locked into place in its head. The zombie collapsed as bits of brain and red, wet mush began to splatter and leak from the makeshift hole in its head. It was dead. The zombie collapsed onto the blood-soaked girl, its heavy weight of pinning her to the ground. Now was the time to act. The small horde was still walking towards Takagi, arms outstretched.
"Now!" I shouted, holding my bokken tight. "Let's go! You two take care of the left." Takashi and his female friend nodded. "I'll take care of the ones on the right. Misuzu, Shizuka, help the girl, and fat kid, make sure nobody is crept up on." He nodded vigorously, holding his nail gun up. I raced towards the cluster of zombies on the right side of the Faculty room, the ones closest to Takagi. As my bokken tore through the skull of zombie after zombie, my gaze crept towards the two fighting alongside me. Takashi was pretty good with that bat of his, but the girl had serious talent. Strangely, she looked familiar. Many long minutes passed, and body after body hit the floor. It was over. There were not many of Them, especially when it was divided up among four people. I wasn't complaining, though. The last one of Them fell to Takashi's bat, and we all fell into an odd, satisfied silence. The entire group was a sweating, panting mess.
The pink haired girl, Takagi, sat weeping on the floor. Her face was buried in her hands and ugly sobs fell from her.
The girl with the broom handle kneeled and touched Takagi's face. "Are you alright Takagi?"
"M…Miyamoto," The pinkette whimpered, staring at the gorgeous brunette from between her blooded fingers. Her golden eyes were huge and desperate, and she shrieked again when she noticed the gore dripping from her hands. She sobbed, burying her face in her knees.
"Don't cry, you're alright. We're here. We're all here." Miyamoto murmured, brushing her fingers through Takagi's long, pink locks. Takagi seemed to find some small comfort in Miyamoto's touch, but it didn't last. I stiffened as she gazed at the rest of us with her angry, desperate eyes. Her gaze switched from person to person until it rested on Takashi who stood, closing the door to the faculty room. It was obvious from that look alone that she had a thing for him.
Selfishly, stupidly, that bothered me. Takashi was tall and relatively attractive, but someone as beautiful as Takagi should desire someone who was more of her equal. Someone who could protect her. What did she see in that plain, baseball bat wielding loser? I clenched my teeth. Why did I care? Takashi returned and rested the tip of his wooden bat on the ground. He seemed to be around my age. For some reason, looking at him pissed me off, so I turned my attention to the girl who had arrived with him. Miyamoto. She was a beauty.
Her cinnamon brown hair was topped by two antennae, while the rest of her locks were swept in a ponytail. She had an amazing, athletic body. Ah, she was a member of one of the sports clubs! If I was remembering correctly she was a part of the lancing club. She noticed my gaze, and smiled, tucking her hair behind her ear. There was something attractive about her that I just couldn't figure out. Something about her eyes. Something about her smile. I wet my lips, before averting my gaze.
"So…we should start with introductions… right?" Takashi grinned, and extended his hand to me. "Takashi. Takashi Komura. You're amazing with that sword of yours." I shook his hand, grimacing.
"Nice to meet you, and I should be considering I'm the captain of the kendo club."
"Saeko Busujima, right?" Miyamoto interrupted, amber eyes glinting. She clutched the broom handle in her hands, and drifted closer to me. There was a natural, seductive swing to her motherly hips. I cleared my throat, cheeks burning. Takashi cocked his head in confusion. Apparently, he'd never heard of me. That aggravated me. The pole wielding girl smiled brightly, distracting me from my annoyance. "I saw you perform in last year's national kendo competition. I've always wanted to meet you. My name is Rei Miyamoto."
A little embarrassed, I smiled. "Very nice to meet you Rei. You're part of the spear martial arts club, correct?"
Rei beamed. "Mhm! Vice president."
I liked her confidence. I couldn't hold back a smile. "Do you mind if I call you by your first name?"
Rei nodded. "That's fine. We're actually the same age, but… I hope you don't mind me if I keep calling you Busujima. Familiarity just doesn't come naturally to me."
"That's fine. Although I hope you'll become comfortable with me soon. We should all become comfortable with each other. Nice to meet you both. Rei, Takashi." I nodded. I turned my gaze to the pink haired girl, who was silent, her expression disturbed and almost agonized. Odd, she looked sexy with tears and blood staining her face. I wet my lips. I wanted her. Wanted to turn her gaze from Takashi, wanted to make her scream again. Takagi noticed me staring, then her eyes locked onto my crotch. Ah, so she had heard the rumors. Truthful rumors, but still. My groin throbbed beneath her gaze, and I shifted uncomfortably,
I began to walk towards her, but stopped when someone popped in front of me.
"I-I'm Kohta Hirano from class-"
"Interesting," I interrupted dismissively, and he seemed crestfallen.
"Saeko!" Shizuka grasped my arm, "Don't act so rude!"
"But- " I glanced at Takagi, who met my gaze without saying a word. Shizuka poked me in the shoulder.
"No buts! I'm still your elder!"
I wasn't amused. I was aggravated. Aggravated that I was being kept away from that broken, sobbing girl. Aggravated that Shizuka was telling me what to do. Even so, she was right. She was my elder, and I would respect that. Sighing, I nodded. "Fine. Hello… Kohta, was it? It's very nice to meet you." His expression brightened, his eyes huge.
"T-thank you! You too!"
"Fell for that, did you Hirano? I'm guess I'm not surprised considering you're so damn stupid!" That was Takagi speaking. I was shocked by her rudeness. "Do you really think she meant that? News flash, she didn't!"
I swallowed. "I wasn't rude intentionally. I just wanted to make sure you were alright-"
Takagi pushed herself up and glared at me with a cold and bitter smile. "You must think you're so much better than us, swinging that sword around without a care in the world. It's a little too easy for you to kill Them. You enjoy it. I'm pretty sure you popped a boner during that fight." That hit too close to home. Had she really noticed how much joy I felt when fighting? I was on edge now. Grimacing, I tightened my grip on my bokken.
Relax. Just relax. I exhaled heavily, and met the confused gazes of my fellow students. Shizuka didn't seem to care. I was relieved.
"Did you say boner?" Rei questioned, and her gaze slid to my crotch. "Is that why you wear pants instead of a skirt?"
The entire group was gazing at me now. Gazing at me like I was a freak. Takagi was smirking, an imperious expression plastered across her beautiful face. Anger began to rise in me. She pissed me off! I tried to ignore it, tried to stay calm, but no one had spoken to me like that before. It was incredibly difficult.
I gnashed my teeth together. "Why do my genitals matter, exactly? And Takagi, who the you fuck do you think you're talking to like that?"
"Who do I think I'm talking to?"
"Enough! Both of you!" Takashi interjected, his eyebrows furrowed. His scolding only seemed to make Takagi angrier. She opened her mouth but he interrupted her again. "You're being nasty. What does it matter if Saeko has a dick? I mean it's a little weird, but who cares, right? Enough, Takagi, just stop!"
"No! I won't stop! 'Don't help her, she needs to learn how to do this' isn't that what you said?" My expression was cold and I stayed silent as Takagi stood and stalked closer to me. "I don't need to learn anything and I certainly don't need to treat you with any level of respect! I'm the only daughter of the god damned Takagi's! What do you think of that? Saya Takagi, the richest, most intelligent girl in school! Compared to that you're nothing! I've heard the rumors about you, Busujima. A girl who dates other girls. You're a pervert! You're disgusting!"
Saya's lips twisted into a nasty sneer. "Oh yes. I can see the way you look at me, even covered in blood and bits of brain. You want me, Busujima. Don't you, you filthy perv?!" I clenched my teeth. "Well, you're not worth my time! None of you are worth my time. You all made me sit there and…and…the drill it…"
"As I said, you needed to do that." I murmured, "it was nothing against you. If you can't kill one of Them, then you're useless."
Her eyes widened at the word useless. "DON'T TALK TO ME LIKE I'M STUPID! USELESS!? I'M SMARTER THAN ALL OF YOU COMBINED-"
I'd had enough. Trembling with rage, I backhanded the pinkette with all my strength; she gasped as she stumbled backwards. Her back hit the trophy case. I grabbed her by the front of the shirt and slammed her back into it.
"What are you doing Saeko," Takashi shouted, grabbing at my arm. I shook him off.
"Don't stop me, Takashi!" He flinched when I glared at him, and backed away. No one else tried to stop me. Saya seemed shocked. Like she'd never been slapped before. I pushed my face close to Saya's. "You think I fucking care how smart you are Saya?" I whispered in her ear, and she trembled. "The answer is no! You're just like us now. Look at yourself! You're filthy and soaked in blood! What makes you superior to any of us? Oh wow, you come from a nice, big, rich family. Congrats! All our families, including yours, are probably dead!" She trembled and tears streamed down her cheeks. "Don't act like you're better than me, than any of us! Kohta has a bigger chance of surviving than you! I was helping you, making you do that! I was helping you!" A vein in my neck pulsed so hard it almost hurt, my blood was so hot it felt like lava. I threw her to the ground.
There was a hushed silence. The others couldn't exactly disagree with my actions. The girl, Saya, whimpered as she touched my legs and pressed her face to them. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," She whispered. "I was scared!"
"Get off me. I'm disgusting, right? Because I'm attracted to other women. Isn't that what you said?"
Her teary eyes gazed up at me. "I didn't mean it! Please, I'm sorry. I just…I just…" The anger seeped away. I fell to my knees next to her.
"You just what, want me to hold you?" I whispered.
Shaking almost violently, Saya nodded. "Please-Please hold me!"
I wrapped my arms around her, tugging her into my embrace. The tense feeling in the air began to fade as Saya sobbed desperately into my shoulder, her body pressed against mine. She squirmed and her breasts crushed against mine. I pitied her, truly. I had been so insensitive. Takagi had just had her first kill and my treatment of her was horrible. Her jab at my sexuality had angered me so much…but I was crueler to her than she was to me.
I ran my fingers through her hair, soothing her. Her sobs filled my ear. I watched the others, who stared at the two of us with sad expressions, as Saya cried into my shoulder. Saya's nails dug into my back. "I'm sorry, Busujima!"
"I'm sorry I didn't kill it for you. I'm sorry I made you do that. From now on, we'll protect you. I'll protect you, so you won't ever have to kill again but it was important for you to gather the will to do that. So that you can survive, Takagi," I murmured. She didn't say anything, just cried. I didn't know how else to comfort her, what else to say. So, I just sat there with her in my arms and let her cry.