Here I come with a new chapter of this story!
Before I start, I would like to answer a review:
vanhellsing9000: In part that was the idea I wanted to install, although I also wanted to give it my personal touch, something complicated in a theme as overexploited as zombies, but here we are. I'm really glad you're liking the story so far, and I hope it continues like this until the end.
With nothing more to add, it's time to begin.
Enjoy!
"And you definitely shouldn't be here."
Both Hirano's and Takashi's skin bristled after hearing a voice behind their backs.
They both slowly turned around only to see a woman in a medical gown watching them with her arms crossed. Her long blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail and she looked to be around 25 years old. Her beauty was something to be noted, although what was most distinctive about her appearance was that unchanging expression along with her waist that was nicely marked through her gown, implying that she possessed a very voluptuous ass that balanced her not-so-large breasts.
But neither of them had time to notice the details in the woman's features. All they could do was to be completely paralyzed by the killer instinct that came over them.
It wasn't because the woman was scary, it was simply that the moment and the current situation were really delicate.
Only an idiot wouldn't be afraid.
"Can you tell me how you got here?" The woman spoke again after noticing that both teens had frozen.
"W-well, just..." Takashi couldn't help but stutter, but to his luck Hirano jumped to his aid.
"We're hiding because of the Autumn Event!" The chubby man took a step forward, and his somewhat shaky tone became even more noticeable after raising his voice a little.
"The Autumn Event? You mean that Fujimi Academy celebration? I studied there too." The woman's look softened a bit after hearing the real reason why they were both there. "But they shouldn't have been hiding in the sewers. This is a very big problem..." Her tone of voice was much lower, something that alerted the young men a bit.
A very awkward silence came between the three as the woman seemed to be thinking something.
"Miss...?"
"Hush, I'm thinking about what to do with you guys." She interrupted them, and for some reason those words startled them a little.
The woman put a hand to her chin, then gave a slight sigh covered in annoyance.
"Hey, can you give me a hand with this?" The blonde called towards the inside of the door, where no one answered.
Still, a few footsteps became clearer and clearer until a brunette complexioned hand emerged from the metal door frame.
"What's wrong, Ai-san?" A brunette woman made her presence known to Takashi's careful gaze, and, for some reason, Hirano's very wide eyes.
Her hair was of a purple color with highlights, though what was most distinguishable about it was that messiness she possessed at the ends despite wearing a high ponytail. Her eyes were also the same color. Unlike the other woman, her look was very relaxed and confident, something that matched perfectly with her carefree posture. She wore an open black jacket that exposed a sleeveless white T-shirt and a large cleavage for the considerable size of her breasts. Her bottom part consisted of tactical pants as well as her footwear. But, one of the things that stood out the most about her luminous figure was that large square case she carried on her back and those two daggers that glittered inside her jacket.
"These students unintentionally infiltrated into the facility." The now recognized as Ai pointed at the two young men. "What should we do with them?" Ai placed her hands on her waist, but her serious expression changed to a slightly confused one after observing her friend's extremely surprised expression. "What's wrong?" She asked as she looked at both young men.
Takashi obviously didn't understand anything, and even less understood as he finally noticed how his best friend was feeling.
But it only took one word for the truth to be revealed:
"Rika-chan?"
Takashi's confusion turned into a slight shock when he fixed his gaze on the one who was Hirano's Sensei.
And if he still had any doubts about that, they were all dispelled by what happened next:
"HIRANO-KUN!"
Rika ran to lock him in a tight hug, really tight.
Takashi and Ai just watched with a bead of sweat as the poor chubby guy was suffocating between her breasts.
"Se-sensei! You're doing it again...!" Hirano was barely able to speak, but those words helped the woman realize what she was doing.
"Oh, I'm sorry, it's just been so long!" Rika brushed away a tear that threatened to roll down her cheek.
"Heh, I know. Although I would have preferred our reunion to be somewhere else..." The chubby boy concluded nervously.
"So she's his Sensei..." Takashi thought as he watched Rika interacting very happily with his best friend. "You can tell they get along well." He concluded with a smile.
"Rika-san, don't forget why I called you." Ai's words broke the tender reunion, which, in fact, was quite funny to see how Rika turned her face to look at her while Hirano was being strangled by her breasts again.
Even Takashi didn't know at what point she hugged him again.
"That's right, what the hell are they doing here? This is a private, and, above all, secret facility." Rika broke off to watch the teens with a frown.
"It was for Fujimi Academy's annual Autumn Event." Ai was the one who answered, receiving a nod from Rika.
"I see..." The woman placed her hands in her jacket pockets as she stared at the ceiling, thinking what to do. "Without a doubt, it's dangerous for this to get out..."
"In that case, there is no other choice." Ai approached without warning and unsheathed a machete she had under her long medical coat.
Takashi froze the moment he felt the cold steel being placed on his neck.
"Don't worry, it will be quick." Commented the woman as she drew the machete back, ready to cut off his head.
"Wait, we won't tell anyone!"
The machete stopped just in time, so a small trickle of blood escaped from under the weapon that was grazing the protagonist's neck.
"Of course you won't tell anyone. I'll make sure of it." The woman commented as she fixed her gaze on Hirano, who looked very terrified. "Listen, it's nothing personal. This is a Grade A secret government facility, and as such, we must keep this place secure so that it is free from prying eyes." Ai concluded, her stoic look at every word making the whole atmosphere even heavier.
The woman fixed her gaze on Takashi once more and tilted her machete again, but this time she couldn't continue due to someone had grabbed her forearm.
"Come on Ai-san, they're just kids!" Rika exclaimed with a smile. "I'm sure they won't say anything!" She continued with her typical relaxed look that changed dramatically when she focused her gaze on both youngsters. "Isn't that right?"
The seriousness and coldness in her question made Hirano break out in a sweat.
"Of-of course!" The chubby boy exclaimed as he lowered his head in respect, and suddenly found himself needing to do the same for Takashi, who was staring off into nothingness.
"Rika, you..." Ai didn't look very convinced, and the fact that she didn't use that friendly suffix on her confirmed it.
"Don't worry. If anything goes wrong, I'll take care of it. Besides, we're getting this whole place up. The experiments didn't turn out the way we hoped so there's not much to hide either." The woman concluded with a slight bow of her shoulders, receiving a long look from Ai.
At last the doctor lifted her face and finished with a long, drawn out sigh.
"Very well. But if we run into trouble, you'll take over." Ai put the machete away, earning a sigh of relief from Hirano and a nod from Rika.
"Then I'll already lead them out before any more of my comrades realize they're here." Rika stood next to both of them and began to pat them on the back several times to push them along. "Believe me most of them are unbearable, so you don't want to meet them." Rika placed her hands on Takashi and Hirano's shoulder to drag them faster under Ai's analytical gaze.
Once they were out of the place, Rika continued to escort them to make sure there was no problem.
After all, they were still too close.
"May I know the name of my precious student's friend?" Rika fixed her gaze on Takashi, who barely looked at her.
"Ta-Takashi..." The protagonist replied, looking very dazed.
"Rika-chan, he's in shock." Hirano commented with slight concern.
"It's normal. I mean, who wouldn't be after facing their first death experience?" The woman commented with a tilt of her shoulders, as if that was the most normal thing in the world.
"Uh, I almost forgot to say it. We have a big, big problem." Hirano stated as he pointed to his chest, and Rika looked at him blankly.
"You mean those little cameras? I wouldn't worry about it." Rika stated in her relaxed and even somewhat seductive tone, even if she wasn't really trying to be. "Both Ai and I know the names of the people working there. In fact, we are aware of everyone who lives in this town. That's why we are sure that none of the managers will speak or say anything. After all, there is no one who wants to disappear without a trace." Rika's final words made Takashi and Hirano freeze.
Completely ignoring the state of the two young men, Rika wrapped her arms around Hirano's neck to pull him to one of her breasts. Suddenly the chubby boy went from being somewhat frightened to blushing, a blush that intensified even more as Rika squeezed him tighter while chuckling.
"Now that we're finally meeting again, why don't you tell me what you've been doing all this year and a half?"
_ CHAPTER 7: BUBBLING FEELINGS! _
"They're already far away. They'll still be around but they won't come close." Rika commented as she placed one large box on top of the other.
"I hope they won't. We've had enough of what happened." Ai placed another box on top of Rika's.
"I told Tajima-san that being the first human volunteer wasn't a good idea..." Rika's gaze hardened after remembering what happened.
She could still hear the screams, the bites, and, most of all, the large amount of blood as she pierced Tajima's skull the moment she threw one of her daggers at him. The images were so frenzied that nothing could be seen clearly. That was probably how she had felt in that moment.
"I knew the product had its flaws, the creation of superhumans is not a realistic thing per se." Ai commented as she handed another of the large boxes to her friend. "Still, I was convinced that we could create some mutagen in the blood that would serve to stop the soldiers from feeling pain. But definitely the side effects were much more than anyone expected." She concluded, watching as Rika arranged the box on top of the others.
"Well, I don't think it's healthy to keep thinking about it. We should be thankful that we're the only survivors of our division." Rika decided to divert the topic a bit as she noticed that Ai was feeling a bit guilty about all the results of the experiment. "Now help me move the remaining boxes. It's already too much work for two people."
"Yeah, I guess you're right..." Ai thought aloud with her gaze downcast. "By the way, how did you know that boy?" The scientist's interest piqued from one moment to the next, earning her a short glare from Rika.
"Hira-kun, did you forget already?" The woman turned around and looked at her reluctantly.
"Wait, is that the student you kept talking about all day?" Ai asked, finding it impossible to avoid her constant blinking. "You had talked about him as someone amazing. I thought he'd be a muscular, tall, handsome young man, but he ended up being the exact opposite of that." The woman concluded, unaware that she had committed an unforgivable crime.
"What's that you say?!" Ai was surprised, and indeed she was, as it was the first time she had seen an indignant Rika, very indignant. "You don't know how comforting it is to squeeze him! He feels like a soft, cuddly stuffed animal! His height is perfect too! And that innocent, sweet face is so... so... so...!" Rika's indignation turned into a predatory smile covered in love. "Hira-kun, I just have to wait one more year. Just wait..." She whispered with a faint blush on her cheeks.
"Hum, okay...?" Ai couldn't help but roll her eyes at the peculiar tastes of one of her best friends. "Anyway, I still prefer tall, muscular men." The scientist concluded, earning a smile from Rika.
"Everyone has their preferences." She stated as she lifted the box, but its lid popped open, causing it to fall back to the floor.
Rika's smile disappeared from her face completely as she picked up a syringe that appeared to possess blood. Her eyes narrowed as she took a closer look at the liquid, and it was at that moment that the "blood" didn't seem to be exactly that.
"Ai-san..." Rika looked at her, her serious face indicating that she wasn't joking. "Do you really think the other divisions will do their job and throw this garbage away?"
"Of course." The scientist nodded without hesitation. "It's not only a failed product, but it possesses a great deal of danger. We could even be talking about a global, rapid and deadly infection. I'm sure the government won't play around with something like that." She concluded, adjusting her glasses.
"Yeah, I know..." Rika dropped the syringe, at which point she looked at the dozens of replicas in a single container.
"And that's just what I'm worried about."
_LINE BREAK_
Fujimi Academy
A few hours later...
The darkness was already absolute. Everyone was waiting in the academy, many were even looking at their cell phones or watches.
The time read 11:02PM.
"How much longer are they going to take to come?" The red-haired teacher spoke with slight displeasure, her foot showed her impatience by tapping against the floor nonstop.
Finally, the wait was over and the winners appeared at the gated entrance.
Takashi and Hirano didn't look at anyone, all they did was continue moving forward. They didn't care about those unfriendly looks that everyone was giving them.
Both students stood in front of the teachers, who received it with a nod.
"You're late, but you won after all. Congratulations." The redhead handed them a small smile. "If I'm not mistaken, you guys are the fourth team in all of history to make it through the whole day without getting caught, that's quite an accomplishment." Hirano and Takashi looked at each other after hearing those words.
"Wait, does that mean we're the only ones who made it?" Takashi asked with much surprise.
"Does that mean that those ten thousand dollars are ours?" Hirano asked with a mixture of excitement and disbelief.
"That's right." The redhead confirmed her suspicions, and they both looked at each other with a big smile on their faces. "But first, we have to watch the recordings to make sure they didn't cheat. It'll probably take us about half an hour." The woman concluded, causing the smile on both of their faces to disappear almost immediately.
"Speaking of which..." Hirano commented as he rubbed his hair with palpable nervousness. "I think it would be best if only the director takes care of this."
"Just the principal?" Not only the redhead raised her eyebrow, but almost all of the teachers as well.
"I knew it! They cheated! There's no way they could have won fairly!" Yuki was quick to incriminate them as she pointed at them from afar, and many other students also started protesting after her.
"Silence!" The teacher had all the slurs silenced, though her scowl indicated that she wasn't very happy. "Why does it have to be just the principal?"
"He'll understand when he sees it." This time it was Takashi who spoke, and his serious expression caused the teacher to give him a hard look.
"Very well." The redhead turned away. "Follow me." She concluded as she opened the doors leading to the halls of the Academy.
Takashi gave Saeko one last glance before leaving. Everyone else was muttering things that were probably insults towards his person, but she wasn't even swayed by those suspicions. All she did was to give him a smile.
That was only natural, since Saeko would never distrust him.
_ LINE BREAK _
Academy
A moment later...
"Well, this was quick." Commented Hirano, who had left the principal's office along with Takashi.
"What else would you expect? Your Sensei made it quite clear what would happen to the directors of this Academy if it comes to talk about everything that happened." Takashi clarified as he started walking in the corridors.
"He even gave us an extra 250,000 yen as long as we kept our mouths shut. This is unbelievable." Hirano commented with sparkling eyes as he raised his hand to denote that thick envelope he was carrying. "By the way, do you want to split the money tomorrow?" The chubby man turned his gaze to Takashi, who looked calm.
"No thanks. You can keep the money."
"But...!"
"I wouldn't know what to do with it." Takashi interrupted him, receiving silence in response.
It was clear that Hirano was not at all comfortable with this.
Takashi and Hirano walked out of the facility, and the first thing they saw was all the students, who looked at the envelope instinctively. No one shouted anything or congratulated them, all they did was leave the place with various murmurs that didn't sound pleasant at all.
"Well, I guess there won't be a final ceremony..." Thought the redhead aloud, giving her two students a silent look. "Sorry, guys."
"No worries, Kyoko-sensei." Takashi commented with his arms crossed.
"Exactly. It's not like we care anyway." Hirano accompanied his best friend's words.
Kyoko just nodded as she watched the two of them head for the exit. The one student who had stayed behind to wait for them quickly joined them, and Saeko's praise soon fell on them.
"Help me clean up the mess before it gets any later." Once there was no trace of any students, Kyoko spoke to her co-workers.
_ LINE BREAK _
Takashi's house
On the next day...
Takashi lay on the couch in his pajamas lazily while he ate some snacks and watched the news. An action that had become routine during every weekend, as it was the only time he was almost always alone.
That time of solitude was broken when he heard some horns right outside his house, so he didn't take long to go outside to find out what was going on.
His surprise was not long in coming when he saw how Hirano was waiting for him outside along with a beautiful modern black motorcycle with an orange tuning on its wheels and chassis. It also had a small bow on the steering wheel.
"You bought a motorcycle?" Was the first thing that came to Takashi's mind to say at such a situation, receiving a toothy grin from his best friend.
"This is a late model Yamaha, I also installed a small mp3 player on it so you can listen to music whenever you want." Declared the chubby guy with a grin as he tossed the keys to Takashi, who could barely catch them.
"Wait, wait, wait! This is for me?!" The brown man exclaimed with wide eyes.
"It's the half that belongs to you." Hirano declared as he placed a hand on the seat of the bike. "Don't you want to try it?"
Takashi looked at the keys after hearing his friend's words. His resolve became visible as he lifted his face again.
"Thanks for the gift."
_ LINE BREAK _
_ START OF TIME SKIP NARRATED _
Takashi placed the driver's license in his wallet, then climbed into his new vehicle, plugged a pair of headphones into the small slot in the chassis and put them on.
(insert music: Post Malone, Swae Lee - Sunflower)
His eyes closed for a moment, allowing himself to be guided by the beginning of the melody. Once they opened again, his face reflected a smile just as he revved the motorcycle's engine to full throttle, speeding out of his neighborhood.
Takashi was going at a normal speed as he overtook the traffic of the busy city, as it always happened in the morning. He finally parked in front of a large mansion that seemed to own the whole neighborhood. Waiting for him there was Saeko, who responded with a slight wave of her hand, something that was shared by her best friend.
Without further ado, she got into the back seat. Takashi shared some headphones so she could listen to music with him, so the whole way was covered by that beautiful melody that made them smile calmly.
Takashi stopped at one of the many traffic lights. His eyes seemed to catch something interesting, so he stepped back a little at Saeko's curious face.
Takashi gave Saeko a silent glance, then looked down a somewhat dark alley, his sideways smile indicating exactly what he was thinking. The beautiful young woman was a bit surprised to see how one stray cat was rubbing on another to lovingly pet it. The really curious thing about this was that the cat that was delivering affection was of a purple color, while the other was of a brown color.
Saeko reacted rather curiously to the obvious analogy, so it didn't take her long to hug him much tighter and rub her cheek against his, something that drew a laugh from the young man, who didn't take long to shake his head at the antics of his future lover. Still, he didn't have time to return the gesture as the traffic light was green.
The ride in the bustling city continued until the picture changed to Takashi and Saeko lying in a beautiful park surrounded by green grass while eating some ice cream cones. They both seemed to be very focused on the passing clouds, but the chatter between them was never lacking.
The image changed again where we are presented with a rather peculiar scenario. Takashi seemed more focused on relating the lyrics of his music than on the big pile of homework in front of him, so it was quite funny to see how Saya got up from her seat to give him a hard folder on the forehead.
The busty midget's annoyed expression was not long in coming as she started ranting left and right under the gaze of Hirano and Saeko, who were watching all of this as if these events had become a very regular occurrence.
Once Saya finished insulting or discriminating or disciplining him or all together, Takashi broke every debate formulated by his childhood friend when he pointed to the time on his cell phone, something that earned a mighty sigh from the latter, who fell back on her chair defeated.
Saeko and Hirano took advantage of this moment to tidy up their things as well as Takashi, who was still talking to Saya, who was already calmer.
Suddenly they all found themselves outside the mansion of Saya, who did everything possible to deny the kiss that her mother wanted to give her, but in the end she had no choice but to reluctantly accept. Her friends watched in murmurs and with a smile as Saya tried her best to separate from her mother, as she was giving her a long, long kiss on her cheek.
Finally, the mother let her daughter go and said goodbye to everyone with a quick wave of her fingers, something they all responded to with a nod covered in respect as they left, except for Hirano, who struck a military pose.
What happened next was quite funny, as Hirano wanted to try Takashi's bike and ended up crashing into the first dumpster that crossed his path. The funniest thing is that he tried to dodge it when he jumped off the bike only to end up inside it, something that undoubtedly drew laughter from Takashi and incredibly from Saya, while Saeko just shook her head in amusement at the chubby guy's antics.
In another rather curious image, we can see Takashi walking towards the only two empty seats in his classroom. Once he took his seat, the protagonist rested a hand on his cheek and listened to the teacher's speech with his typical expression of boredom. What he didn't know was that the seat next to him wasn't empty, as there sat Rei, who gave him a discreet glance as she noticed that he wasn't even bothered by her presence anymore, which didn't necessarily mean a good thing. In fact, it could mean the exact opposite.
It was as if he had erased her from his mind.
Night came and there she could witness Takashi sprawled out on the couch while playing a video game. That moment was put on the back burner when he heard someone approaching his door, only to see Hirano accidentally open the door and fall face first to the floor along with his toy weapons, something that earned a chuckle from Takashi, who couldn't help but shake his head at his best friend's clumsiness.
The two of them were playing in the dark night of their garden until one of Takashi's many shots ended up on his window, something that broke it almost on the spot. Hirano's reaction was to grab his head while the protagonist remained completely static.
The scene changed radically. Now there was Takashi hugging his mother to say goodbye to her. It was a tight hug from the woman that lasted a long time, while his father only patted him a couple of times on his head in a farewell that could not have lasted more than 10 seconds.
Finally, Takashi resumed the trip to the Academy in his new vehicle, a routine that would not be broken for a long time, as well as keeping his eyes down and being locked in his own thoughts regardless of the murmurs and the things that the other students said, where some of those murmurs were surely directed towards him. That action generated an oversight when he bumped into a person, and to his luck that person turned out to be Saeko, who only responded with a smile.
Both resumed walking together and began to talk naturally, ignoring everything that was around them.
_ END OF THE NARRATED TIME SKIP _
(End of the song)
Takashi adjusted his black leather jacket as much as possible as he settled on his bike. His gaze drifted to the sky, the cold air stirring his hair.
"It's already starting to get cold." Takashi thought seriously, then sketched a smile. "Autumn is going by so fast unlike the last few years. Maybe it's because I'm really enjoying every moment now." His half-smile widened a bit after that last thought.
The bike started up at full throttle as usual, and at that precise moment one last thought crossed the revitalized young man's mind:
"I had already forgotten what it was like to be myself!"
_ LINE BREAK _
Park
A few hours later...
"That cloud looks like those stray cats we ran across two weeks ago." Takashi pointed to one of the clouds with the ice cream cone.
"Hum, I don't see the resemblance..." Saeko commented with a frown in confusion.
As was usual these past few weeks, the two of them would meet whenever they could in that beautiful park after training, lay on that green grass with an ice cream and chat about different things while watching the clouds pass by.
"I thought no one possessed such sharp eyesight as yours." Takashi replied simply.
"Well, everyone has different views on things. Besides, I think you're exaggerating..." Saeko bowed her shoulders as she licked her ice cream.
"Exaggerating? You're the only perfect woman I know." Takashi replied just as simply, earning a short glare from Saeko.
"No one is perfect, especially me. I'm far from it." That comment made Takashi look at her with slight interest.
"The great Saeko Busujima possesses a weakness? I'm sorry, but I can't believe it." The protagonist commented, earning a slight smile from Saeko.
"I think you have me on a pedestal. That's never good, especially with people like me." Saeko's gaze hardened slightly at what he was about to say, "I don't know if I'd say it's a weakness, but it's a major flaw. A flaw that, though I repulse with all my being, I find it impossible to reject." Those words certainly caught Takashi's attention.
"What kind of flaw is that?" Takashi leaned over the side of her body to look directly at her, something that led to a discreet glance from Saeko.
Just seeing that expression and that almost lack of a smile made it quite clear that she wasn't at all comfortable with talking about this.
"I think it's better not to tell you anything. I just wanted you to know: nobody's perfect." Saeko stated in a neutral tone, causing Takashi to blink with extreme curiosity.
"Come on, I don't think it's a big deal. Besides, we always tell each other everything. I can see that this worries you, so if you want to..."
"I'm scared."
Saeko's words silenced Takashi, who couldn't help but look at his future lover with utmost surprise at her words.
"I'm afraid of how you might react, very afraid. So, please, let's leave it here." Saeko practically begged him with her eyes, something that surprised Takashi even more.
They had spent so much time together, but it was the first time he had seen her so vulnerable.
"Of course, as you wish." Takashi stopped insisting as he noticed that things might get tense because of him.
It was for that very reason that he decided to break any bad hints with a roundabout answer:
"Who knew that the great Saeko Busujima has a problem that bothers her so much? But, as far as I'm concerned, you'll still be perfect no matter what."
Saeko watched him with slightly widened eyes at such a revelation. Takashi only answered her with a toothy smile, and added to the breeze that stirred his hair made him look irresistible in the eyes of the woman, who couldn't help but blush a little at such a development.
Silence reigned for a moment between them as they continued to watch the passing clouds.
"And how are you doing with your problem? It's been a long time since we've talked about it." This time Saeko was the one who showed interest in her well-being, receiving a somewhat nostalgic smile from Takashi.
"I don't think about everything that happened anymore, how I was treated and stuff..." He commented, resting a hand under his chin. "But there are times when I think about what "could have been". It's not like I get sad or anything, I just feel sorry about it. I mean, I think we could have been a cute couple if she...well, you know." Takashi brought the ice cream to his mouth after finishing his sentence, something Saeko responded in exactly the same way.
Once her lips left the ice cream, the beautiful teenager turned her face to look at him with a crestfallen smile.
"I understand those thoughts. I sometimes think about it too. I think it would have been perfect to be at that moment with you to help you with your pain, and not to have been so late..."
"Thank you, but if you had been there from the beginning then I never would have fallen in love with Rei in the first place." Those words completely threw Saeko off balance.
"I don't understand." Saeko commented with a tone that reflected her words perfectly.
"Have you ever looked in a mirror?" Takashi's question made Saeko look at him with slight confusion.
"Yes?" was her response to such a strange question.
"Saeko, you are much better than Rei in every aspect. I'm not just talking as a person, and I think many would agree when I say that you are one of the most beautiful and genuine women in the world. To me I guess you are the coolest, since I don't know anyone like you either." Takashi looked at Saeko, who looked somewhat shocked at such statements. "What I mean is, if we had known each other since we were kids, then I would never have fallen in love with Rei." Takashi continued speaking completely matter-of-factly, as if his speech was no big deal.
That's why he didn't measure the impact the following words would have:
"There is no doubt in my mind that I would have fallen in love with you."
At that moment that small shock in Saeko turned into something much bigger. She didn't blush, but her beautiful light blue eyes lit up like never before, her breathing seemed to flutter a little and her free hand went unconsciously over the middle of her abdomen as she felt how her body had burst into such a comforting and pleasurable fallen sensation that she had never gone through before in her life. That warmth, those feelings, those emotions so beautiful and precious generated a little lump in her throat, and it finally happened:
Her cheeks blushed like never before as she watched Takashi with that completely shocked face.
She didn't know why, but right now she couldn't stop looking at his face.
There was something about him that lit up.
There was something about him that made him extremely irresistible.
It wasn't just one thing, it was everything about him.
That face...
Those eyes...
Those lips...
She wanted to taste him so that those heady, bubbling emotions would burst that much stronger.
She wanted him.
She wanted him with all her being.
She loved him.
She loved him so much, and Takashi wasn't able to realize it.
"What?" Takashi asked her with a raised eyebrow as he noticed that beautiful woman with sparkling eyes was looking at him.
That deep and longing gaze made him blush a little unconsciously as he looked straight into her eyes.
Saeko didn't even react with the question. She could only react when the ice cream scoop landed on her face, causing Takashi to start laughing.
"I was wondering which one of us would be the first to suffer this." He commented with a sly grin, something that didn't seem very funny to Saeko, who picked up the dropped ice cream to smear it on his face.
Maybe it was unconscious, but she was really focused on getting the ice cream she had been licking no more than a few seconds ago into Takashi's mouth.
_ END OF CHAPTER! _
I hope you enjoyed it!
I was going to do this Time Skip, but then I remembered that a Time skip is not one if you narrate certain events as time passes, so I just decided putting "Narrated Time Skip" was a good idea. I hope you liked this mode, as I'm always trying to improve on time skips that are too fast. Although what I'm most concerned about is to be clear about the development, write me if you found it fluid or something very strange.
Next chapter we'll go a little deeper into Takashi's feelings, since Saeko's I think were more than clear.
Different impediments don't allow the couple to formalize, but that's the core of this whole drama. The main idea is that these obstacles will be solved, and I think it's time for Takashi to discover this "facet" of Saeko for the next chapter. No doubt there will be a lot of emotional drama for the next part.
If my count doesn't fail me, there are 3 chapters left to move on to the third arc, where Z-Day will begin.
Remember that you can follow me on Patre-on to be aware of all the updates, announcements and new chapters. You can also become a member for a dollar, which entitles you to order a double chapter of any story that is in development. Remember to look for me as "Jyanzein".
Hope to see you soon for the continuation.
Thanks so much for reading!