Gasps filled the room as the Wagnaria crew tried to comprehend the things that Soma just said.
"That love wasn't something to be dealt with. It grew to become an obsession! Sato avoided her as much as possible because she began to stalk him!
"Yes! From school to trying to hang out with him and his friends, Sato has politely rejected her many times but the more Sato rejected her, the more determined she became.
"It became so serious that she threatened his family. Sato snapped! He couldn't burden his family with such a problem so he ran away with the conclusion that Ayama would stop harassing his family if he disappeared. He was right. Sato has laid low from that point on and he thought he could start over, until Ayama found him today," Soma finished his long monologue.
"Now what is going to happen now that she found Sato?" Todoroki asked.
"It has been five years but I don't think she's given up at all," Soma remarked.
At this point, Sato has regained consciousness from his shock.
"Sato-kun!" his co-workers exclaimed with relief.
Sato groaned as he rubbed his forehead.
"Tell me it was a horrible nightmare," Sato said with agony.
The horrid expressions amongst his friends convinced him it wasn't.
Sato got up quickly.
"She found me! I have to leave or all of you will be in danger!" Sato grabbed his things and rushed to the exit. This was all to the dismay of everyone else as they watched him reach the exit door.
Sato turned around.
"Goodbye," Sato said with a gentle smile. Then he left.
"Sato-kun…" Todoroki said as she held her hand over her chest in worry.
Sato rushed to his car. He wondered if he had time to go home and get some things.
Don't bother. If she found me, she must've found my address now too, Sato thought.
Sato pulled out quickly from the restaurant. He caught a glimpse of the Wagnaria sign; this may be his last time seeing it.
Wasting no time, Sato quickly went to the highway.
Rain started falling heavily from the dark sky.
Just like last time, Sato thought.
Five Years Ago
"Anno…. Is Sato-san here?" a curious voice asked. The woman was at the front door of an old home.
"Look Ms. Ayama, we beg of you, please leave our family and Jun alone," the answer came.
"Not until I get to see Sato!" Ayama Orino's reply came.
The old wooden door still remained a barrier between the Sato family and Ayama Orino.
"What do you want this time, ma'am?" Sato Jun opened the door. The much younger, slender and shorter Jun wore a black school uniform and had shorter blond hair.
Ayama did not hesitate and she quickly embraced the young Jun with a hug. Jun stood there and quickly brushed her off.
Sato stared at the shorter Ayama, deep into her brown eyes.
"I'm really sorry. But I've made it clear. Please leave us alone," Sato remained serious.
Ayama smiled at him. "No matter how many times you reject me, I'll come back stronger and more determined than before."
"And if I continue to reject you?" Sato threatened.
Ayama laughed. It was the beginning of her devilish laugh.
"I will do whatever it takes to ensure that you are mine! And that includes eliminating any useless weeds that prevent us from becoming together!" Ayama snapped back with her smile.
Sato became scared. He agreed to some things with Ayama for the safety of his family and friends.
Then one day during a school day, Sato skipped school and ran away from Southern Japan, never to be seen or heard from again.
Five Years Later
Sato sped down the highway. His black sports vehicle almost eclipsing 140 kilometers an hour.
(Author's Note: 140 kilometers per hour = roughly 90 miles per hour)
Zigzagging through car lanes while continuously picking up speed, the road hit a sharp turn, Sato geared for the turn and then everything turned pitch black.
Hospital
Todoroki was running through the halls of the hospital quickly.
She remembered what she saw on a news channel as she returned home from work.
"Breaking news! An accident has occurred off the highway near a turn at Freeway 80! A black sports car was accelerating quickly when it reached the turn but instead flipped because of the slippery road and high velocity. Witnesses say that the vehicle spun at least five times in the air and landed upside down 500 feet from the freeway!"
Todoroki shook her head. It couldn't possibly be Sato, she thought to herself.
"Thankfully, not many casualties has occurred. However, the driver, a blond man noted to work at a local restaurant, Wagnaria, has been identified as the driver and is in critical condition and taken to a local hospital."
A scene continued to play over Todoroki's head.
It was a helicopter scene where they showed Sato being lifted onto a stretcher and into an ambulance
"Sato-kun!" Todoroki screamed as she made her way to the emergency room.
Todoroki got to the emergency room waiting area. Most of the Wagnaria crew was already there.
"Sato-kun! How is he?" Todoroki asked worriedly.
"He's still in the emergency room," Kyoko answered.
Yamada and Taneshima were sobbing quietly
"Yamada hopes that Sato-san will be okay," Yamada said with tears in her eyes.
"Don't cry Yamada," Taneshima said with the same reaction from her eyes.
"Senpai…" Takanashi patted Taneshima on the head. "Sato-kun is a very tough person. A little car crash won't hurt him," Takanashi assured.
Then the room grew quiet, everyone waited for the doctor to come out.
Ten minutes, twenty minutes, it soon became hours. Finally, the doctor emerged from the emergency room.
The Wagnaria crew immediately rushed over to him.
"Family?" the doctor asked. He looked exhausted.
"We're his friends," Takanashi said.
"How is Sato-kun?" Todoroki asked.
"Well…" the doctor started.
"Don't tell them anything!" a sudden booming came from behind everyone. It was Ayama!
"These people are the reason why Jun is in there!" she exploded.
The doctor was confused; he didn't know whom to tell his patient's condition to.
"Exactly who are you?" the doctor questioned.
"Evil! She's evil!" Taneshima blurted.
"Yamada agrees!" Yamada backed her up.
Ayama laughed her devilish laugh.
"I am Jun's wife!" Ayama declared.
"There is no way in hell that you're his wife!" Todoroki screamed at Ayama.
Ayama laughed even louder.
"Who do you think is paying his hospital fee? Keeping the media quiet? Me! I am his wife and I forbid you to hear anything until I have heard it first!"
The doctor was tired and did not like the conflict.
"Very well, miss, I shall tell you the condition of your husband. Then if you decide to tell his friends, that is all up to you," the doctor announced as he let Ayama into the emergency room.
After a few minutes, the doctor came out. He refused to tell to release the condition of Sato.
"It all depends on Mrs. Sato if she chooses to tell you his condition. She arranged for him to be held in a private part of the hospital and has requested anonymity on the situation," the doctor announced.
Twenty minutes passed before Ayama came out.
"How is Sato-kun?" Todoroki asked Ayama worriedly.
Ayama gave Todoroki a fierce glare.
"You're awfully worried about him aren't you?" she noted.
"He's one of my closest friends," Todoroki replied back.
"It doesn't matter now. Jun took a big blow to the head but other than that, he isn't all that hurt," Ayama told the Wagnaria crew.
"But because I am a nice person, I will permit you to see him now," Ayama said with a grin. And then she left.
The Wagnaria crew took no time to rush to see Sato.
Sato was sitting erect on the hospital room. His gaze seemed lost.
The entire Wagnaria crew huddled over the wide awake Sato.
"We're so glad you're okay!" Todoroki exclaimed. She stood the closest to him.
Sato stared at Todoroki intimately. "Excuse me, but do I know you?
Author's Note: Yes, I had to leave it in a cliff hangar. I felt it would be best for the next chapter.