Yoshiki felt emptier as she pulled away, but was quick to jump on a hole in her words. "How do you know what I would've done?" he asked sharply, his wet eyes narrowed at hers. Her eyes were practically all he could see from the dark, the light of the moon just barely illuminating them. "Like hell I'd move on..," he muttered, adverting his gaze a short moment, only to return them. He didn't expect her to understand, since he really didn't himself. That, and... it smelled foul in here, yet Ayumi was still alive. He could only imagine that the bodies that have been so far... died here, in front of her. His heart ached when he imagined how damaged her psyche must be, but it also gave him insight to her dismay. He definitely wouldn't be happy if one of his friends had ended up here after him... But it wasn't like he had control over what he felt. He loved her, and she was his strongest support. "The day you disappeared... I didn't even say bye to you... Every time I thought about that being my last day with you, it... it hurt a lot," he tried to explain, so maybe she could at least see why he was feeling the male storm he was feeling.

"You're being short-sighted..." Ayumi responded, shaking her head at him. She couldn't even begin to grasp the idea that Yoshiki was thankful to see her, while death hovered over his head so closely because of that. She realized she was one of few friends he had, but he shouldn't be so sure that he wouldn't have just continued to live. Of course he couldn't imagine moving on at that point, but give it some months... some years... she'd become a memory in the back of his mind. "Having the chance to say goodbye doesn't change anything," she said shakily, bringing her sleeve up to her eyes to catch some tears. He was being so foolish... so myopic. But, why? She never could understand him very well... He was too hard to read, and it frustrated her.

Yoshiki's shoulders slumped slightly, and the hand that held onto her arm slid off into the floor. He shifted slightly to lean against the pole they were both attached to, eyes now really taking in their surroundings. "I guess... I can't make you understand," he said with a sigh, dropping the subject now that his emotions were calmed down, at least a little. He moved his sleeve to wipe his eyes, feeling the embarrassment of crying in front of Ayumi, even though he could honestly say that such a feeling was given no special attention, like it would in any other situation.

Ayumi blinked slowly as Yoshiki moved back against the pole. She felt herself agree that they wouldn't be able to see eye-to-eye on this. She settled her hand back into her lap, frowning as she found her mind keep drifting to tomorrow. Yoshiki would be dead by tomorrow night. One of her best friends would be dead. It struck harder than any stranger's death could hit her. Sure, Nori had told Ayumi a lot about herself, but a rambling flood of information doesn't equate to actually knowing someone. "H...how are the others doing?" she asked after a stretch of silence. Her heart wrenched every time she thought of them trying to go on with their lives. Normalcy would eventually settle, but it wasn't something that could be forgotten about.

Yoshiki sat as silence engulfed, eyes stuck on the faded blood stains on the floor. All the people he heard about on the news... They were probably killed here. Of course he was scared... Judging by the others, his death would be no quicker than theirs, if not slower because of Ayumi. He didn't want to die, or go through so much pain, but... It was difficult to describe. The pain of losing Ayumi, he felt, was greater than anything that murderer could put him through. He didn't voice this, obviously, as it was another thing Ayumi wouldn't understand. Plus, what she was going through... and had to go through, whenever that guy decided to come back and kill him, would be worse than anything he could imagine going through. His head turned slightly at Ayumi's voice, deciding to tell the truth. "They're... trying," he voiced, which was better than anything he had been doing lately. "It's still rough... Especially Suzumoto. They're all giving her false hope so she can maybe manage it better, but I feel... like that will back fire. She randomly loses it and cries... and despite what Morishige tried to tell her, I think she blames herself for you ending up here," he explained, feeling she needed to know exactly how their friends at school were dealing with this. And now that he was lined up in the same fate... What would happen to them? He didn't think himself too important, but it was a little naive to think it wouldn't have any effect on them. And it would only be magnified, since his and Ayumi's disappearances happened so closely together. They hadn't had even remotely enough time to move on from Ayumi... He wanted to apologize, but at the same time, if he could go back, he wouldn't change anything. He had to see Ayumi for a last time. It was so selfish... To Ayumi too...

Ayumi knew they couldn't have been doing well. Her eyes narrowed at the ground as mention of Mayu, feeling everything inside of her twist in guilt. If she just didn't mention the killer at lunch, Mayu wouldn't have to feel responsible. Although, she wasn't sure if she had been targeted or just picked off the road randomly by the killer. This could have been inevitable or it could be Ayumi's fault... although... He had said... he watched her and Mayu at lunch. That meant she had been targeted? A chill ran down her back at the realization that seemed a long time coming. "I wish... I could just tell Mayu it wasn't her fault. She had no role in any of this," Ayumi mumbled quietly. "Now this is going to hang over her head..." she whimpered quietly. She wished she could just leave everyone with a sense of peace... but that wouldn't come. There was no way. Maybe the chance to say goodbye would have been a lot more important than she had given credit for a few minutes ago.

Yoshiki nodded silently, laying his arm across his lap. The chance to say something to someone when you didn't otherwise have another was more valuable than anyone could understand until they were placed in the situation. He was the same way... He had wanted to, if he ever got to see her alive again, tell her of his hidden feelings... But, that was before he had an idea of what kind of situation Ayumi was in. She had watched all those people be killed... The same would probably happen with him... He was already a friend, which was so much worse than a stranger, he didn't want to make it worse on her... Not that he thought their relationship would grow per say, but it still wasn't something that was appropriate to say when she had to deal with his death. He took a deep breath, letting it out in a quiet sigh. He... He would think on it.

Ayumi looked out to the broken window, the moon somewhat visible in the frame. She felt like they should be saying more, but she just had to ask herself: what was the point? He was going to die, and she would eventually die as well. The killer would get bored of her at some point. He may call her "little sister" and pretend to have some sort of affection towards her, but it really just came down to that it was another facet of his cruel game he could expand on. Eventually her mind would completely break, and he would grow bored of her. She wondered if that would happen tomorrow. Having to watch Yoshiki go through this was going to hurt more than anything has in her life. She already felt on the brink of complete psychological destruction. She blinked away the tears that threatened to slip out. She couldn't keep crying... It didn't help with anything. She just... she wanted so desperately for this to end. Her eyes surveyed the dark room, desperate for some sort of sharp object. Of course the killer wouldn't have been careless enough to leave them with anything that could be used for suicide.

Yoshiki didn't know how long it had been since they last talked... At least a few hours, or so it felt like. It was still dark... That guy could come back at any time after the sun raised, since today, or tomorrow, was Saturday. He had time to think about what he wanted to do with his secret. Tell her, and make it worse, or... take it to his grave. Both decisions hurt... He wanted to be selfish, but across the hours, he had begun to think... Was that really his call? It was her situation that would change... Wouldn't it be right to at least give her a say in how tomorrow would go? "Shinozaki... I... want to say something," he started, breaking the silence after so long sitting in it, "But... I understand what's going on here, so... I thought it was only fair if you get to say if you want to hear it or not." It may be cowardly, shoving the decision onto her... but it wouldn't be fair if he just decided to tell her. It would make her situation worse, when she didn't have a say in the matter... He felt this was the right thing to do.

Ayumi's legs were tucked up against her chest as her head laid on her knees. It would get chilly at night, and her exposed legs were always covered in goosebumps. She looked over at Yoshiki as he began to speak, her brow furrowing in confusion. It took a moment to process that he was waiting for her to either allow him the chance to say whatever he was thinking, or shut it down if she didn't want to hear it. She shifted a little, her heart pounding in her chest in anxiety. She... sort of had a small idea of what it might be. Was it presumptuous to assume it was that, though? It would certainly explain his desire to see her before her death. Also, she couldn't imagine something else he would tell her that couldn't just be said in that moment. To say that he... well... held strong feelings for her wouldn't help as she watched him get torn apart. Then again, she was in the last moments of her life, and she has never been loved in such a way. Would it be incredibly selfish to allow this small period of time to be used that way? Or would it selfless? Perhaps it really met in the middle. She cared deeply about Yoshiki... she didn't know if she loved him. Any emotions she felt at the moment were fueled by hell she has gone through. Anything she felt might not be genuine, just a result of a desperation to feel something besides dread and fear. Though, she was going to watch him die. She would be left unable to do anything just like the previous times. Even worse, instead of a friend, it would be the boy who loved her. It almost guaranteed her mind would shatter, but wouldn't that happen anyway? Should she just allow herself to indulge for a short time, knowing it could fuel the heartbreak later? Her hand gripped her hair tightly, finger pressing against her scalp as if the pressure could trigger an epiphany. Why couldn't he have just said it or kept his mouth shut? Why push this decision onto her? Was this really more fair, giving her the option? Then again, it was the first time since she was pulled into this situation that she had been given control. She stopped herself from telling him she just didn't know, realizing she had to make a choice. She could be wrong, this may have nothing to do with love. But, with the knowledge it may very well be, what did she want? Her mind was faltering. She could only last so much longer. This could be her last human experience that wasn't pain. She let out a shaky sigh after a long time in the silence, coming to her decision. Her hand moved over to his, taking a moment to find it in the darkness. She whispered, "Tell me."

Yoshiki waited quietly for an answer, his hand balled up in a fist as anxiety settled in his stomach. It felt right... to give her a decision, but he kept chastising himself over pushing it onto her. No matter what excuse he made, it still felt cowardly, but it had already been done. If she didn't answer, he wouldn't push it, but he'd be very grateful if she did, no matter what it entailed. It was about when his mind started to tune out and his eyelids felt heavy when he felt her warm, soft hand on his. The jolt it gave his heart was enough to make him aware for what she was saying, and enough to be able to respond. His eyes narrowed at her, feeling his affections warm his stomach. "...Okay," he said, shifting his hand to hold onto hers. Normally, he would be too shy to say anything like this... But when losing her was imminent, it almost felt like there was no fear or nervousness behind the emotion anymore. It felt so easy to just open his mouth and say it... "I love you."

A sensation traveled up Ayumi's arm as Yoshiki's hand grasped hers. She couldn't breathe as she waited for him to say it. It hit her harder than she could have guessed. She had been right, and she wasn't sure if she regretted her choice or not. Either way, it was said and... it was admittedly nice to know. She will die with at least this little life experience crossed off her bucket list. Should she say it back? It would be a half-lie. She never once imagined growing old with Yoshiki or having his children, but she put him levels higher than other males she encountered. Satoshi had obviously topped her list, but that was an opportunity she would never have. She unwound herself from the ball she had been curled up in to move closer to Yoshiki. She nestled against the crook of his neck, his warmth soothing her fragile mind. At that moment... yes. She could say she loved him. When death would come tomorrow, she could give him her heart for that time. "I love you too," she said quietly against him. She didn't know if this was a cruel act or a gracious gift... but she felt lighter being able to say it.

Yoshiki would've been just happy with being able to say it, and her hand in his... But it was such a nice, warm sensation when she leaned onto him. He closed his eyes, leaning his head against her as a soft smile grew onto his face. To hear those words back... even if they may be false, made his world so much brighter. His heart's pace picked up, and warmth spread throughout him. Even if tomorrow lead to his painful death... he was glad he could have these moments of bliss. "Thank you...," he told her in a whisper, wholly content with her words, even if they were a lie. He knew she loved Satoshi... He wasn't that naive. But that didn't mean it didn't allow these last moments to be like he dreamed. He wanted her to know that what she was doing for him was something he was extremely grateful for...

Ayumi shut her eyes so she could concentrate on the feeling of just being close to another person like this. Something twisted inside of her at his thanks, a mix between happiness and dread. She let out a small hum of acknowledgement as she leaned even closer into him. The fact that she could give him this felt good, because she had felt so inactive and powerless lately. Having to watch person after person die without even being able to offer any sort of comfort... she was glad she could give him this. Yet she knew tomorrow was going to be something she could never recover from. The beginning of her end. It was better for her, though. The sooner her mind shattered, the sooner the inviting arms of death could welcome her into peace. So, ultimately, it served both of them to have chosen to go forward with this.