Act 001: Spring Of The Dead
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Mister Nakamura droned on and on about statistics at the front of the class but my mind hardly registered his words. I was more interested in the cool breeze against my skin and the traffic out on the road in front of our school.
"Miss Komuro? Are you feeling okay?"
I turned my head lazily to the front of the classroom and a plastic smile graced my features. "Forgive me, sir, I'm actually feeling a bit faint." I said in soft voice, my tone sheepish.
The old math teacher pushed his glasses up on his nose and nodded in understanding, "Would you like someone to take you to the nurse's office?" He asked caringly.
His tone almost made me feel bad for fibbing. Almost.
I smiled politely at him and said, "It's no trouble really, I don't want to be a bother." I stood and gathered my things slowly, feigning weariness. Once I had everything, I smiled at the concerned teacher reassuringly and left the classroom. The smile fell away as soon as the door closed behind me and I let out a sigh.
Strands of hair, the color of straw fell into my olive green eyes as I walked toward the nurse's office. I shook my head slightly to remove them before brushing a few silky strands away from my cheek to behind my ear.
Perhaps I should introduce myself, yes?
I'm a second year student at Fujimi Boarding School, class A. My name, is Takane Komuro. Well - my new name anyway. My real name is Aiko Yamada. When I was adopted, I decided a new start was needed so I asked them to change it for me.
My 'brother' Takashi Komuro is also a second year student here, but he's in class B. That's a good thing too because I can't stand the sight of him.
Is that harsh of me? Maybe. However he need not look any further than himself and his annoying love interest, Rei Miyamoto, for the reason why.
Some might say I'm unreasonable for the way I feel, and that may be so. However, there is more to the story than just a slighted foster sister...
As I walked down the open corridor, I was pulled out of my thoughts by a commotion in the schoolyard near the gates. A businessman was trying to get in and some teachers were putting a stop to his advance.
'Probably some salesman or something,' I thought to myself carelessly.
I gave an uncaring shrug and continued on my way. Perhaps if I'd stopped and actually paid attention that time, I might have realised something was going on sooner; maybe a few lives could have been saved too...
***
"Are you eating on time?" Shizuka Marikawa questioned sternly as she checked my blood pressure. Her normally flowing blonde hair was tied up as she worked and her lab coat was a pristine white that never seemed to get even a speck of dust on it.
"Yes, Shizuka," I answered routinely, a small amused smile on my face as she attempted to act professionally.
"Good. And you're sleeping?" She asked, her eyebrow twitching, no doubt with the effort it was taking to keep her expression stern and no-nonsense.
I rolled my eyes in exasperation, "Yes, yes, I'm eating, sleeping and breathing like a normal person!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up, "Can I please go now, Nurse Stern?"
Shizuka deflated slightly before pouting. "Come on, Aikoko! I was really trying that time!" She whined childishly, her shoulders hunching over as she hung her head.
I laughed slightly and gave her a few pats on the head. "It's okay, Shizuka, everyone loves you how you are. Why are you trying to be more mature anyway?" I asked, tilting my head.
Her cheeks burned crimson and she twiddled her thumbs together. "Well...do you know Shin Yamada?"
I nodded, "Cute college grad who teaches Literature to class C," I said, hopping off the examination table and slipping my feet back into my shoes. I smoothed down my skirt and pulled my shirt down, straightening it.
"Yes, him," she mumbled shyly, "He's the youngest on the faculty and well...he's always saying something really smart and mature!" She exclaimed, holding up a finger. Her face was serious as she said, "I wanna sound mature too!"
I gave her a teasing grin, "You sure it doesn't have anything to do with you having a crush on Mister Yamada?" I wagged my finger at her playfully.
Her face turned beetred and I chuckled.
"Aikoko!" She whined, stomping her foot with a small glare.
I laughed and held my hands up in surrender, "Alright, alright, I'll stop." I sat on her desk as she wrote her report and signed my slip.
"Why do you call me Aikoko still anyway? Everyone else calls me Takane now, so how come you don't?" I asked as I studied the picture on her desk. It was a dark skinned woman with deep purple hair. She was wearing military garb and held a gun. I could remember Shizuka telling me about her more than once. Yes, I spend a lot of time in the Infirmary.
"I don't know," she mumbled in reply, "It just doesn't feel right calling you Takane." She smiled at me warmly, "To me, you'll always be Aikoko - my charge at the foster home!"
I smiled faintly at her words. I've never had a problem talking about my time at the home. I can't remember my real parents because I was around three or four when they gave me up for adoption. Quite frankly, I didn't want to remember them either. They left me and that was all I needed to remember as far as I was concerned.
I was distracted from my thoughts by the sound of footsteps echoing throughout the hallway outside the Infirmary.
I looked up in time to see Hisashi Igou run past in the company of my 'brother', Takashi, and his obsession, Rei.
Rei's eyes met mine for just a split second before she continued on.
'Smart girl.'
See, she might be a hotshot on the lancing team, but I'm Vice Captain of the Kendo Club and one of three black belts in the Karate Club. So let's just say, she stayed out of my way most of the time. Especially since I've never once tried to conceal my animosity toward her and Takashi. Of course that very animosity is one of the reasons Hisashi refuses to even look at me now. We were friends once and at one point I was hoping we'd be something more, however it just couldn't happen with Rei around. He ended up liking her and pretty soon I ceased to exist, just like it was with Takashi. It only worsened once they actually started going out but I left it at that. At first, I used to feel physically ill whenever I thought of him, especially with her. Now, it's just a dull disappointment that I feel deep down inside, buried under molten piles of anger and resentment.
Okay, so I may have a little temper problem but I swear it wasn't always that way.
"Done!" Shizuka exclaimed cheerfully and I looked back to see her waving my slip back and forth like a prize.
I smiled in amusement and plucked it from between her fingers before messing her hair up. "Thank you, Nurse Marikawa!" I called teasingly as I left.
"Aikoko!" She whined as the door closed behind me. I laughed out loud and called through the door, "Bye!"
I was heading back to my dorm when I passed by the open doorway to the kendo training room. I stuck my head through the doorway and immediately spotted Saeko Busujima, Captain of the Kendo Club. She was swinging a wooden sword at a practice dummy but it was like she was in real combat how she was moving.
"Whoa there, what did he ever do to you?" I asked jokingly as I stepped into the room.
Saeko's head snapped toward me and her eyes were sharp for a moment before she realised it was me. Her eyes softened and she smiled. "Takane, I didn't realise you were here," she said in greeting, straightening out of her sword stance.
"I'm stealthy like that," I said smugly, flipping my hair in a dramatic manner.
She chuckled in amusement and nodded, "I see... So what brings you here?"
I shrugged my shoulders, "Oh nothing really, just thought I'd stop by on my way back to class," I said casually, walking further into the room.
She raised one eyebrow, "You? Actually going to class?" She snorted in a very unladylike manner that contrasted the refined air she had about her, her eyes filled with amusement.
I fake-pouted. "You make me sound like such a delinquent!"
"And you aren't?" She laughed, folding her arms with a knowing look on her face.
"I'm not!" I exclaimed trying to keep a straight face but failing in the end. "Okay, maybe just a little bit..."
That was when a very familiar person came from the back of the room.
"Just a little?" Ryuu Miyamoto questioned skeptically, his hazel eyes twinkling in amusement.
I stiffened slightly and the light amusement on my face left it.
"Miyamoto," I muttered stiffly, "What are you doing here?"
His eyebrow shot up and the lazy amusement remained on his face. "Last I checked, I'm the Co-Captain of the Kendo Club - I think that's reason enough, don't you?"
I pursed my lips in slight annoyance at his easy tone. "I meant what are you doing hiding in the shadows like some shady pervert!" I said, my tone sharper than I intended it to be.
His eyes glittered in amusement and I clenched my jaw.
"If you must know, Takane," he drawled lazily, "I was taking a nap before second period." He yawned and ruffled his jet black hair in a laidback manner, sticking his other hand in his pocket.
"That's Komuro to you, pervert," I said icily.
"Okay!" Saeko exclaimed, clapping her hands together and getting between us making me realise how close I'd been getting to him, the more irritated I'd become.
I cleared my throat and stepped back, the tips of my ears turning red in embarrassment.
My ire towards Ryuu was actually on the petty side to be honest. I disliked Rei more than an average person would and while most of it is somewhat legit, there's another part of it that I hated admitting to - I was envious of her. Not for the petty reasons you might think however. The reason I envied her was standing before me right now - Ryuu.
Ryuu was her senior by one year and for as long as I could remember, he has doted on and looked out for his sister, no matter the case. He even went as far as repeating the third year just so he could stick around to watch over her. In a sense, it's not her I'm envious of, but rather, what she has. She has always had someone to be there for her and look out for her - that wasn't something I had the luxury of. Takashi started out as that for me, but that didn't last very long as you can see. Then certain incidents occurred whereby I couldn't bring myself to ever let someone be that for me again - I no longer trusted anyone. Even Saeko and my other friend, Saya Takagi, were kept at arm's length - close, but never close enough to know about the inner workings of my mind.
Ryuu represented what I once wished for; a lost cause, and for that, I resented him. His laidback attitude did nothing to ease my ire toward him, in fact, it only further incited it. Once upon a time we were close but now, whenever I lay eyes on him, all I feel is a burning fury that I can't explain or control.
"I didn't do a thing," Ryuu said calmly, a casual smile on his face as he shrugged his shoulders. His eyes shifted from Saeko to me and he smirked slightly, "Maybe Takane is in a bad mood because of lady problems."
Saeko choked slightly and her cheeks became dusted pink while my own face reddened in both embarrassment and anger.
"You...YOU ASS!" I growled, lunging toward him.
He side-stepped me with a laugh before grabbing my arm and tugging me close to him. He leaned close and said teasingly, "If you wanted to be close to me so badly then you should have just asked."
My cheeks flamed and I scoffed, "As if! Let me go so I can kick your ass!"
I squirmed around to no avail while he chuckled in amusement. My eye twitched in annoyance, "Stop...laughing at me!" I growled before slamming my heel down on his toe.
"Ow! Shit, Takane!" He yelped, letting go of me immediately to grab at his foot and hop up and down.
I smiled smugly, "Aw...did the pervert get a boo-boo?" I asked sarcastically.
He gave me a flat look before smirking darkly, "You'll regret that, you know."
My eyes flashed and I smiled tightly, "Bring it!"
Saeko looked exasperated as she glanced between the two of us. "I swear you guys do this every single time..." She muttered, sounding both amused and weary.
It was then that the PA system crackled to life and a panicked voice echoed throughout the school, "Attention all students and members of staff: violence has broken out within the school and we are kindly asking you to evacuate in a calm orderly fashion," the Principal sounded breathless and nervous, "P-please r-refrain from p-panick--ahhh!" His pained scream and a crunching sound were the last things we all heard before the PA system went dead.
For just a moment after the announcement ended, everything was completely still, almost like the world was holding its breath.
I glanced at Saeko with wide eyes and she returned my glance with a grim look.
It was then that all hell broke loose. The still moment passed and classrooms erupted into chaos with people screaming in fear and stampeding through the halls in order to get out of the school.
Saeko picked up her previously discarded wooden sword and Ryuu followed her lead, tossing me one as well. I caught it reflexively and glanced from him to Saeko. "Saeko?" I mumbled anxiously, turning to her for guidance since I was at a loss for what to do.
"We don't know the situation outside," she answered my unspoken question, "I suggest we stay alert and strike with precision should the need arise." Her eyes flickered down to the weapon in my hands and I nodded, understanding what she meant.
Ryuu took the first step toward the door and Saeko and I followed after him.
Stepping into that hallway was, in my opinion, the equivalent of stepping into Hell.
The first sight that met my eyes was one student mercilessly biting into the throat of another, blood and muscle tissue gushing out of the wound in a manner that made me instantly feel nauseous.
'What The Hell...?'
Looking down the corridor made it clear to me what the 'violence' was that had broken out in the school - people were eating each other.
Ryuu slammed the blunt part of his sword on the back of the attacker's head and he stumbled back. The girl he'd previously been gnawing on, collapsed to the floor with a gurgled sound that would probably haunt me for a while. I knelt beside her and tried to stop the bleeding but it was no use. She let out one final gurgled sound before going still, her hand falling limply to the ground.
That was the first time I'd seen someone die in front of me - it was horrible.
Then something happened that further solidified the fact that this was by no means going to be a normal day.
The girl's hand twitched slightly. At first I thought it was because she was still alive but a quick glance at her chest showed me that she wasn't breathing. Then her hand twitched more violently and she jerked upright with a sickly moan. I was so relieved that it didn't even occur to me that it was unnatural for someone to survive a wound like hers.
"Are you okay?" I asked, leaning closer to her, my eyes darting down to her neck. I quickly looked back up to avoid seeing the gnarled mess, swallowing back the bile that rose in my throat. "We need to get you to a hospital..." I mumbled faintly, reaching out to her.
"Takane, don't!" Ryuu yelled, tackling me to the floor just as the girl made to lunge at me, jaw snapping in a disturbing manner and her head tilted unnaturally.
"Wait, she's hurt!" I exclaimed, shoving him away. I looked up in time to see Saeko's sword slicing through what was left of her throat.
I let out a strangled gasp as her head fell to the floor and rolled over to my foot, her jaw still snapping back and forth slightly before stopping.
My eyes teared up and I opened my mouth but no sound left me. I gasped in a few short breaths before opening my mouth once more, a scream ripping from my throat and echoing around the school.
My arm was grabbed and I was pulled off of the ground.
"We need to go!" Ryuu snapped out urgently, tugging me behind him.
I stared at the back of his head blankly before glancing back to see the corridor covered in dead bodies. While I was preoccupied with the girl, Ryuu and Saeko must have been busy fighting these...these things.
I can't remember much after that moment, my mind just sort of blanked out. When I finally resurfaced from the fog in my mind, we were on the same corridor as the Infirmary and my sword was full of blood. The thick crimson liquid ran down the blade and dropped onto the floor and I had no idea where it had come from. My sleeves were splattered with dark blood as was my skirt. I blinked slowly and realised that Saeko was standing in front of me, saying something.
"What?" I asked faintly, realizing I couldn't hear her.
My arms were gripped and I was spun roughly toward someone else. Ryuu's face entered my line of vision and he looked angry. He was saying something but I couldn't hear him either. Then he brought his hand back and let it swing forward and a sharp stinging sensation erupted from my cheek. The fog completely cleared from my brain and I could suddenly hear again.
"...ap out of it damn it, Takane!" Ryuu yelled, shaking me back and forth.
I shoved myself away from him and rubbed my cheek, "Did you just slap me?!" I growled.
He blinked before relief filled his eyes. "Finally!" He exclaimed in exasperation, grabbing my shoulders again, "You were freaking me out there for a moment!"
I pushed him away with a scowl, "Get away from me you pervert! What the hell are you even talking about?"
"Takane, you were like a doll," Saeko answered, looking concerned, "You were here physically but it was like your mind was elsewhere."
"I was?" I mumbled in confusion, still rubbing my cheek which was no doubt red.
"Yeah, you were putting them down without flinching and you didn't respond to anything Saeko or I said," Ryuu said, looking perplexed.
"Them?" I questioned, even more confused now.
Ryuu and Saeko seemed to pause for a moment, glancing at each other out of the corner of their eyes.
"Takane...you don't remember anything?" Saeko asked softly.
My eyebrows pulled together. "Remember what? I was in the kendo room with you guys then..." I trailed off as I finally remembered everything, "Oh my god..."
Saeko looked grim as she nodded, "Ryuu and I figured out that these things are reanimated corpses - undead. And you have to aim for the head - nothing else puts them down..."
"Zombies?" I breathed out, "You're joking right?" I looked between the two of them.
Saeko shook her head, "I'm afraid not..."
"You saw it for yourself - that girl died and then came back," Ryuu inputted.
Memories of that moment surfaced and I shook my head to dispel images I'd rather not relive. In all honesty I already knew they were right. It was just the thought of accepting something so...abnormal that kept me in denial.
I let out a heavy sigh. "Yeah...I saw," I admitted before running a hand through my hair, "So what now?"
Before either of them could answer me, a scream rang out from the direction of the Infirmary. My heart stopped as I realised Shizuka would be the person they'd take any injured students to.
"Shizuka!" I exclaimed, breaking into a sprint down the corridor. Saeko and Ryuu remained hot on my heels, never questioning my actions which I appreciated.
We burst into the Infirmary just as one of Shizuka's Student Aides was bitten. His scream of pain was horrible to listen to so I busied myself with taking out the dead that were lumbering around the room toward them. It was easier to put them down now that I'd accepted that they were dead, yet I don't think it would be as easy to get accustomed to the feeling of flesh being torn open by my blade.
Ryuu kept an eye on the door while I went to Shizuka and Saeko kneeled beside the boy who'd been bitten.
"My name is Saeko Busujima. I'm Captain of the Kendo Club, what's your name?" I heard Saeko speaking to the boy.
I tuned their conversation out and focused on Shizuka. "Are you okay?" I asked her softly.
"Aikoko!" She whimpered, throwing her arms around me tightly, "They...they were injured! I just wanted to h-help!"
I hugged her tightly in return and shushed her, "It's okay Shizuka, I know you did your best..."
"They just woke up and started attacking us!" She sobbed slightly, burying her face in my shoulder.
I realised she would be inconsolable for a while so I just let her let it all out while she could. I somehow had the feeling we wouldn't get many opportunities to relax after now.
Shizuka didn't take long to calm down and when she did, she sniffed and looked up. "I should look at Ishii's wounds."
I cringed slightly, knowing that what I would tell her next would hit her hard, especially since he'd been protecting her.
"Shizuka..." I let go of her and held her shoulders instead, "He...he can't be helped..."
"What? What do you mean?!" She asked, looking alarmed.
"You know what happens when you are bitten, don't you?" Saeko asked Ishii carefully and Shizuka stood up and went closer. I followed after her.
Ishii looked like he was in pain as he nodded, his expression grave. "You turn," he rasped, coughing up blood.
"Ishii!" Shizuka exclaimed, trying to go to him. Ryuu grabbed her arm and held her back.
Saeko and Ishii glanced at Shizuka and the latter smiled reassuringly despite his obvious pain.
I bit my lip and grabbed Shizuka's hand.
"Do you want your family and friends to see you like that? If not, I can help, despite having never killed anyone in my life..." Saeko said in a solemn voice.
Ishii's eyes only widened momentarily before he smiled slightly, a forlorn acceptance in his eyes. "Please do..." He asked, breathing heavily.
My own eyes widened and I glanced at Saeko.
'Would she really...?'
Saeko paused for a moment before nodding and standing, raising her sword as she did so.
"Saeko!" I gasped, unable to help myself.
"Wait! What are you doing?!" Shizuka exclaimed trying to free herself from Ryuu's grip.
Saeko kept her eyes on Ishii as she spoke, "I know you are a physician but, I'd like to ask you not to interfere," she glanced at Shizuka before her eyes fell on mine and stayed there, "Protecting a man's pride, is a woman's duty..."
She didn't do anything for a moment and Ishii's breathing only became more labored, his face paling further. I realised she was waiting for something and when she didn't look away from me, I realised what it was.
I glanced at Shizuka from the corner of my eyes and she looked like she would start crying at any moment. My grip tightened on her hand and I looked back at Saeko before giving a small nod.
She looked somewhat relieved before she turned to Ishii and raised her sword higher.
"Ishii!" Shizuka sobbed, turning and burying her face in my shoulder.
"Don't look," Ryuu whispered from my other side and I realised he was no longer restraining Shizuka. I looked up at him and he placed a hand on my shoulder, keeping his eyes on mine.
I didn't look away even as I heard the sound of flesh being torn away by a blade - a sound I'd learned to recognize over the course of this abnormal day. Everything was silent for a moment and I finally lowered my eyes from Ryuu's, keeping my arm around Shizuka.
***
Shizuka pulled the sheet over Ishii's body with a sad smile before standing.
"Thank you..." She murmured quietly before taking off her lab coat and tossing it into a bin. She picked up her medic bag and turned to us, "What now?" She asked quietly, her usual cheery mood dampened.
Her answer came in the form of the door being slammed into by several members of the undead. She yelped slightly in surprise while Saeko, Ryuu and I got into defensive stances.
The door was made quick work of by the undead who seemed to be freakishly strong for walking corpses.
They in turn were made quick work of by the three of us while Shizuka hung back, looking uncomfortable.
The adrenaline rush that came from putting them down was more intoxicating than I'd ever openly admit and from Saeko's gleaming eyes, I'd say she knew what I was talking about.
"We need to get out of here," I mumbled after the last one fell, "If we stay, we'll eventually be cornered and I doubt wooden swords will protect us for long."
"True," Ryuu murmured, nudging one of dead with his toe to see if it was still animated.
I huffed and kicked him on the shin. "Stop that, it's disrespectful," I told him sternly.
"You really can't keep yourself away from me, can you?" He asked smugly even while rubbing his shin.
A muscle in my jaw ticked and I resisted the urge to strangle him.
"Well...we should probably go to the office first," Shizuka suggested.
"Why the office?" Saeko asked curiously.
"All of the keys to the vehicles in the parking lot are stored there," Shizuka answered, "It would be really useful to get at least one."
"True..." I mumbled, looking through the Infirmary's window at the office windows which were pretty far away. "The office, huh? It's going to be a real pain getting there...but I guess we have no choice, huh?"
I sighed and looked at Saeko, "We should leave now to avoid being cornered."
She nodded and we started our trek to the office. That was the longest twenty minutes of my life, I swear.
Screams echoed through the air as people trampled over each other trying to get out of the building. The dead had already multiplied by then at an alarming rate and now there were more reanimated corpses than people. In short - it was horrifying.
"Get off me!" I yelled, slamming a lunch tray into the head of one of the teachers. He was trying to take a bite out of me and quite frankly, there was no way in hell I was having that.
My hand was grabbed and I was tugged down one of the hallways, running from the dead to preserve my life. My chest heaved and my legs ached but there was no way I was slowing down.
A body slammed into the ground in front of me, neck torn open and face mauled beyond recognition.
I froze up in shock, a hand covering my mouth and my eyes watering almost instinctively.
The body laid still for only a few seconds before dragging itself off the ground and reaching out for me. It was only then that I could move, stumbling back feeling nauseous. My hands shook and my lips trembled to form words.
"Why is this happening...?"
"Focus Takane!" Ryuu snapped, slamming his foot into the corpse.
With Ryuu and my own reckless way of fighting, our swords had already been rendered useless while Saeko's was still going strong.
For what seemed like the umpteenth time today, Ryuu grabbed my arm and tugged me after him.
I was way too worn out to argue at that point and had actually stopped protesting after the third or fourth time.
There were a few moments where I somewhat relaxed enough to laugh at Shizuka like right now when Saeko butchered the side of Shizuka's skirt so she could run better. The look on her face was priceless and I almost felt bad for laughing when she pouted sadly.
But of course relaxed moments like that were a fleeting luxury under these circumstances.
A scream rang out from the direction of the office and for the second time today my blood went ice cold as I recognised the voice.
"Saya!" I gasped, not needing anymore motivation than that to go charging towards the sound, weaponless.
"Takane, wait!" Ryuu yelled, and I could hear everyone running after me.
Once I reached the area outside the office I was rewarded with the sight of Saya cornered against the trophy case with one of the dead being held at bay by a drill she had somehow gotten her hands on.
I didn't even think as I rushed forward, past all the other corpses that were clumsily lumbering about the area toward her.
"Get your grimey hands off of her you filthy corpse!" I growled, grabbing the back of his shirt and pulling him away from her. He slammed into the ground and his head caved in upon impact, his body giving off a few twitches before going still.
The drill clattered to the floor from her numb fingers and she sat there shaking violently.
I couldn't afford to go to her just then though, there were more of the dead still walking. I picked up the bloody drill and slammed it into the head of the closest one, kicking him away from me. The one that followed him grabbed my wrist with bruising force and I winced.
"Get off of her!" An angry shout came before the corpse was tackled by none other than Takashi. He stabbed a makeshift polearm through and through the head of the corpse under him before getting up and turning to face me, "Are you okay, Takane?" He asked worriedly, stepping closer.
My mouth opened but I didn't know how to respond.
Saya's whimpers behind me distracted me and I decided silence was the best way to go. I pursed my lips and turned away from him, crouching beside Saya.
"Saya?" I said softly, "Are you hurt? Did he...did he bite you?"
Saya turned her watery eyes to me and for a moment she looked confused. "Ta...Takane?" She finally mumbled hoarsely.
I nodded and wiped her tears away, "Yeah, it's me. You're okay now, okay? You're safe now," I said, keeping my eyes on her.
She let out another whimper and her eyes flooded with tears once more before she covered her face with shaking hands.
I grimaced slightly realising how much I sucked at comforting people.
In the background I could hear Saeko talking to my brother and Rei, "I'll assume that you already know our school nurse, Miss Marikawa. I'm Saeko Busujima from Class 3-A."
"Takashi Komuro, class 2-B," Takashi introduced.
"Oh! You were the winner of the National Championship last year!" Rei exclaimed somewhat excitedly, "I'm Rei Miyamoto from the Lancing Team."
"Well I-I'm Kohta Hirano from Class 2-B," a timid voice spoke up and I followed it to a slightly chubby boy with glasses. I vaguely remembered seeing him when I'd first charged in here but I'd been too caught up with saving Saya to fully acknowledge his presence.
"For those of you who don't know me, my name is Ryuu Miyamoto - Rei's older brother, Class 3-A," Ryuu mumbled, running a hand through his hair out of habit.
Everyone glanced at me for some reason and I realised they were waiting for my introduction. I gave a sigh realising that Hirano didn't know me so I probably did need to introduce myself.
"Takane Komuro, 2-A," I said shortly, rolling my eyes.
I felt a shift in the air behind me and turned around to see that Saya was now standing with her back to us.
I stood as well with a frown of concern. "Saya?"
"What's with all this respect?" Saya muttered quietly before exploding, "So what if she's a grade up?! You're the same age Miyamoto, you flunked!"
Rei flinched slightly and looked down and Takashi jumped to her defense, "What's up with you, Takagi?!"
Saya spun around abruptly and glared at all of us and I realised she was having a meltdown.
"Don't treat me like I'm fucking stupid!" She yelled, "I'm a genius! I won't lose to anyone if I fucking try!"
Her hands started shaking and her voice lowered, "I'm...I'm..."
"Alright," Saeko said softly, resting a hand on her shoulder, "That's enough now, Saya..."
Saya froze and looked up, her green eyes wide as she looked at her reflection in the glass of the trophy case. Her pink hair was specked with blood as was her cheek.
"My...my clothes are all dirty..." She mumbled, sounding out of it, "I'll need to have mama take them to the dry cleaners..."
Takashi stepped up behind her and she looked at him through her reflection. She looked back at herself and her eyes flooded with more tears before she turned and threw her arms around Saeko, burying her face in her side and sobbing loudly.
Her sobs were the only sound in the room and we all just watched as she sank to the floor with Saeko, gripping onto the older girl's shirt tightly.
｢✧｣