"Why do I have to do that?" Saya asks after hearing what her father wanted her to do. "My daughter is not so inept that she needs an explanation to understand!" Souichirou replies. "Saya, I'm asking of this, too. Those people are too much on their guard when it comes to your father and me. Sumi will accompany you too." Yuriko tells her daughter. "Huh?!" Sumiko looks at her mom with wide eyes and her mouth agape. "I...I'll come with you!" Hirano shouts holding his guns close. "Me too." Takashi adds with a shotgun on his shoulder. "Me too." Rei volunteers. "No you don't, Miyamoto. I'm applying another dose medicine on you, right now." Miss Shizuka tells her causing her to run away. "Hrmmm." Saya sighs crossing her arms under her chest. "I'll escort her as well." Saeko suggests. "No. I want you with me for a little while, daughter of Busujima." Souichirou tells the purple-haired girl. "If you say so, sir." Saeko agrees. "Alice is coming with Saya, too." Alice says. "Alice, maybe you could come with me. I have a present for Zeke." Yuriko tells the child. "A present? Okay! Isn't that great, Zeke?" Alice asks the dog who barks in response. "Let's go." Sumiko sighs pulling her sister away with Hirano and Takashi following close behind.
+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+
"How many times do I have to repeat myself?! 'Murder Syndrome' is utter nonsense!" Saya tells the group of people. "It's obviously a lie that the government spread to keep chaos from erupting when they couldn't admit that 'they' can't be explained by science!" Saya shouts. "Then you're saying the dead really can move around? Absurd!" A man replies. "There's no doubt that it's some new form of infectious disease. My fa... I mean, chief Takagi intended to demonstrate that 'they' are completely different from humans, you see? And in school, I saw... as you all did throughout town... plenty of evidence to that too, right?!" Saya asks tired of this. "Anyway, there's no way to really explain why 'they' move after death." Sumiko chimes in. "Say what you like, but this phenomenon is happening, so there must be some definitive cause." The same man says. "Yeah, it couldn't be happening for no good reason." A woman says. "Yeah, I think we all know that. However, we should give the professionals some time to conduct the research." Sumiko replies in a calm voice. "I'm sorry, but we're just not cut out for that. Or are you guys something special?" The woman asks and Takashi looks at Hirano who smiled. "Well..." She asks.
"You can't, right? We're going to survive without getting eaten by 'them'! There's nothing more important than that! And my dad showed you what we have to do, right?" Saya asks. "I see now. So that's what you're getting at, eh? I was wondering how gun-wielding high schoolers like you ended up with them!" The woman says leaving then teens confused. "That explains it! She's the daughter of that right-winged mobster group! Threats and violence! And after what the world's become and the countless people in trouble! Everyone, listen to me! This girl is the daughter of the man who advocates murder!" The woman yells pointing at Saya. "And she's telling us to become murderers too!" She continues. "Um.. What on earth are you guys talking about?" Takashi asks. "This is no place for kids to butt in!" The woman yells at him. "K-kids...? You have no idea what we've been through..." "Quiet! The adults are going to decide what to do now! Not some beastly mobster gang or high schoolers drunk on violence, but peace-loving adults!" The woman cuts Takashi off. "How about you shut the fuck up!" Sumiko yells. "Wha-" "If you don't like what my father does and think it's wrong then why don't you all just leave and go die like the rest of them!" She shouts angrily. "You want to be a peace-loving group go find another place to do that." She finishes grabbing her sister's hand walking away.
"Takagi, you... you were great out there." Hirano compliments. "I sucked." Saya sighs. "And I lost control." Sumiko sighs also. "Also Hirano, you should call us by our first name so we know who you're talking to." Sumiko adds. "They were too harsh. With the world going to pot, they'd go so far as to mock the Takagi name." Takashi points out. "That's because the mafia and right-wing groups are so similar..." Hirano replies. "My family's different! My dad's so right-wing it'd make Yukiko Mishima faint! He doesn't even get along with the mafia or corrupt right-wing groups. They've even tried to take his life !" Saya defends her family. "But they require a lot of money for their activities. Even if he's an ideological right-wing, while gathering under the pretext of money from businesses and the like..." "I may be a genius but..." "We know that already." Hirano cuts her off only to get kicked. "Our mom is a genius! She used to be an infamous trader on wall street. She once came to Japan on vacation and met our dad at a party and married him the next day. Ever since then, she's used her skills for him and after marrying our mom, our dad's assets grew a hundred folds." Sumiko explains. "Amazing." Hirano praises.
"Either way, have they really not seen what's going on?" Takashi asks looking at the group. "They probably shut their eyes to it." Saya replies. "I kind of understand how they feel." Hirano adds. "Are you trying to start a fight with me, porky?!" Saya shouts with Takashi holding her back from doing anything. "Th-that's not what I mean!" Hirano defends himself. "People try not see what they don't want to." Hirano explains. "Ah.." Takashi gasps. "Nobody wants to be denied, so most people, even if they know that something is going on..." Takashi starts. "Don't do anything about it." Hirano finishes. "But in this case they don't realize things have changed drastically." Sumiko tells them. "Y-yeah, but at times like that, the first reaction is.. to try and make things how they were. No matter what it is. Sometimes even when they know from the start that it's not going to work." Hirano explains. "As for why..." "It's because if they don't recognize the change, they don't recognize their own short-comings and mistakes." Saya adds. "Y-yeah. I, uh... thought of that after some stuff that happened at school." Hirano stutters. "Hmmm... I see you in a whole new light." Saya tells him with a smile causing him to blush.
"What is it?" Sumiko asks Takashi who was humming. "I've learned something new." Takashi replies. "That must be what it is..." Saya giggles. "What? It may be embarrassing, but at least I'm honestly acknowledging it, okay?" Takashi defends. "Don't you agree that's why?" Saya asks. "Yeah probably. Most definitely!" Hirano agrees. "I agree." Sumiko nods. "What are you trying to say?" Takashi asks. "Did you forget? That's exactly why you are our leader." Saya tells him. The twins and Hirano laugh at his dumbfounded face. "I don't like pain!" They hear Rei scream from inside causing them all to burst out laughing.
+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+
After what happened earlier Sumiko went to Takashi's room finding him sitting on his bed defeated. "Hey." She says softly entering his room. "Hey." He sits back watching her come in taking a sit beside him. "You need something?" He asks. "No, just wanted to come check in on you." She replies. "You'll get along perfect with my day, you know that?" Sumiko asks. "We're after two different things. He'll do anything to survive. I think it's great that he's trying to save those who follow him. But for me, I only to make sure my family's okay. You can't call that a leader." Takashi explains. "It's only natural that you worry about them and everyone's come to rely on you. You're brave. Like back in the school and other times." Sumiko tells him. "That was just desperation. I've got nothing in me." Takashi replies. "The one's good in a fight are Saeko, Hirano, Rei and you. And then Saya's got the brains and Miss Shizuka's the doctor. And Alice..." He trails off. "What's Alice?" Sumiko asks. "Alice is Alice." He shrugs and Sumiko covers her mouth hiding her laugh. "What's so funny?" Takashi asks.
"Let me tell you something about girls." Sumiko suddenly says looking down. "We like cute boys and boys who will pamper us." She says leaning against his chest. "That's all?" Takashi asks. "Yep. What more is there to like?" Sumiko asks laying her head on his shoulder, running her hand over his chest. "Well I'm neither." Takashi says looking away. "You were I'll tell you that. But it's different now. You put yourself down, but when shit hits the fan you're not afraid to take charge. You may not know why, but you do it because you have to! I know that, Takashi! You're always like that. I may have not have noticed before but you were most likely like that for a long time!" Sumiko pauses looking away. "Yeah, and that's why I'm going to stay with you. I won't go with my father if you don't go. Even if you're still in love with Rei or have a thing for Saeko. I can't live on without you." Sumiko admits looking him in the eye then she looks back down and they fall silent. "I don't know if I should be happy or angry. That reasoning's raw." Takashi breaks the silence.
"Feel how you want to feel." Sumiko tells him. Takashi abruptly stands up pulling Sumiko with him. "Wha-" She gasps when he picks her up and throws her onto the bed so that she's laying in the middle then he climbs on top of her. "You're the only one for me." Takashi tells her leaning down to kiss her. They make out for a while with their tongues fighting for dominance, Sumiko runs her hands up his shirt and wraps her legs around his waist pulling him close. They shared a passionate afternoon as if it was their last.