Restarting with the DEAD Chapter 16

L.T: Sorry I haven't done any writing, but Real Life is a big meanie! Anyway, on with the chapter!

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A loud shout of "TAKASHIIIII!" Came from the landing, where a tipsy-looking Rei was glaring woozily at him. I winced in sympathy for my love, who was now trudging up towards her. "Good luck, Komuro-kun…" I murmured.

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(TAKASHI'S P.O.V)

"What is it, Rei?" I stand next to her on the stairs, rubbing my neck. She blinked slowly up at me. "Takashiii… Thank you for saving meee…" she slurred, swaying slightly. I groaned. More alcohol. Saeko was obviously listening as she danced around the kitchen, and I tried to keep Rei calm. "It was no big deal-" Rei cut me off. "It IS a big deal! You came back! For ME! That means you still like me, even after I dumped you!"

I sighed. "Rei, can we please not talk about that?" and her face lit up. "No 'talking', hmmm?" she leaned in, pursing her lips, and I spluttered, "Rei, No!" as she tried latching on to my lips while I tried to A: keep her from smooching me, and B: stay on my feet.

Saeko's dark hair swirled as she stepped away, but I saw how her shoulders shook while Rei tried to suck my face. I held my ex-girlfriend off, until she stopped trying to tongue-rape me. She glared at me. "Jesus, Takashi, I thought you liked me!" I sighed. "Rei, I won't do this. I can get that you still have feelings for me, and that you want some kind of contact now that the world's so fucked up, but, I just can't."

Saeko's feet pattered quietly as I talked with Rei, until Marikawa-sensei came down. "Ya know, now that I have time, why don't you tell me how you rescued Miyamoto-chan, Komuro?"

I nodded. "Ok, sensei…"

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(FLASHBACK, TAKASHI'S P.O.V)

I drove away from Marikawa-sensei's friend's apartment, keeping a lookout for Rei, in case she'd got away and was walking. No sign of her, and I felt sick with worry. Although I had no more feelings for Rei as a girlfriend, I still though of her as one of my closest people, and I needed to know whether she lived.

Soon, I reached the Okura Hotel, and walked the bike the last thirty metres. There was no sign of movement, and the sun had well and truly set, the eerie pools of light from the streetlamps the only illumination. The door was open, and I hefted my damaged bladed bat, stepping over broken glass. There was a lamp on, lying on its side, and I stood it up, looking around. A body sat slumped in a corner, long, reddish hair spilling over its face. My heart pounded into my mouth as I tiptoed over to it, licking my lips nervously. "R… Rei?" I raised the bat…

"GWRAGH!" The girl, who wasn't Rei, lunged up at me, and I buried the blade in her skull. As I tugged it free, the blade pulled out of my bat, and I sighed. "So long, my friend…" I kept the bat. My ex was nowhere on the bottom floor, so I headed up, looking in every room I could, then knocking on every closed door. No answer, so I left, sighing miserably. As I revved my bike, I heard… a song. "Thriller? MJ? Huh?" I quickly motored in the direction of the beat, I noticed that They were turning and following the sound too. The music got louder, until I reached a small, badly gutted shop.

On the roof of a van, stood Rei, her broom handle lashing out at any of Them who dared try to climb up to her, and a couple 'dead' ones lay on the ground. I drove at them, swinging my bat and bringing another one down. Rei leapt down and smacked one's head into the curb, and I hauled her onto the motorbike, speeding around and back to the hotel, picking up our trail from earlier.

After a few hair-raising moments, we got back to this apartment…

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(SAEKO'S P.O.V)

I stood at the foot of the stairs, listening to Takashi-kun telling Ms Marikawa about Rei's rescue. I fumed that the annoying redhead was still clinging to him. Finally, I turned back to dinner, and called, "Komuro-san? Help me set the table?" He stood quickly and hurried down, wincing as I raised an eyebrow at him. Carrying plates and cutlery, we set a table and rounded up some mats to protect the varnish. A steaming pot of curry and a large bowl of rice were set out, and called the rest of our group to eat.

I whispered to Takashi, "Tonight, we tell them that we love each other…"

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(TAKASHI'S P.O.V)

After dinner, I helped clear the table. Afterwards, when everyone had a drink to hand, I stood up. "I…. have an announcement." I declared, and everyone murmured. I looked at Saeko, and took her hand. "Ms Busujima Saeko and I have decided to be a couple." I pulled her up and into my arms, and everyone except Rei smiled and clapped.

Rei just looked at me, then burst into tears and ran off. Shizuka went after her, and I headed up to see the guns with Hirano. He handed me a pair of binoculars, and I took a look outside. "Shit, too many to leave now, but too dangerous to stay…" this place was okay, but for how much longer? I couldn't let my Saeko-chan get hurt, or worse, infected. I had already risked my own safety, but hers? Never. As I looked down the street, I saw…. Two people, one tall, and one, little, a child. They were holding hands and moving fast, in a low crouch.

"Hirano, there's a little girl out there, with maybe her father?" I handed him the binoculars and pointed for him. He stared for a moment, as the man started knocking on the door of a house, lit warmly from within. I grabbed the crowbar Hirano had left on the carpet, pulled on a pair of biker gloves, and then… "Crap… the bike can seat two at most…" Hirano gnashed his teeth as I fretted, then hit upon an idea…

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"Saeko-chan? I need your help…" my girlfriend looked at me, and I explained.

"So a young girl and her father are trapped out there, and you want me to help defend the man? Very well." I hugged her gratefully, and we dashed out to the bike, as Takagi and Marikawa-sensei opened the gates as Hirano scoped for us. Revving the throttle, I speed us down the street, slamming the brakes as Saeko leapt into the garden, pulling the girl's dad away from the door he was about to wallop with a wrench. I shut the gates, locking them with a length of chain I tied around a broom handle. The little girl clutched at my leg, and I kneeled as she smiled up at me. "Hello, little one. What's your name? I'm Takashi!" she bounced on her toes. "Arisu! I'm Arisu!"

The man we'd rescued was indeed her dad, Mr Maresato Yuuji, a mildly well-known news reporter. He was glad to see another living face, and the blood on his wrench proved he'd been fighting. He begged us to take his little girl with us, and I smiled. "We'll take her first, and then come back for you!"

I kicked the gates open, the little girl, Arisu, in my arms, pulling myself onto the bike and around, the engine growling as I headed down the street. I heard Saeko shut the gates as I drove, the sound soft, but audible.

I hoped she'd be okay…

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