CHAPTER 7

Takashi stood there, staring at Rei and Hisashi, his heart torn between sadness and betrayal. His voice was strained, but firm.

"I don't want this to drag on any longer. If it does, I won't be able to move on." His eyes lingered on Rei, then Hisashi. He felt the weight of their shared history, the pain of being left behind.

Rei and Hisashi exchanged glances, realizing what Takashi meant.

"Why would I lie?" Rei asked, her voice shaky. She bit her lip, her guilt bubbling up to the surface.

Takashi scratched his head, his frustration evident. The rift between him and Hisashi had started with Rei. And she knew it. She had been the one to drive them apart, and it weighed heavily on her.

"You know what, Takashi? It's true. I loved you before. Since kindergarten, even. We made that pinky promise, remember? But after that, you started acting distant. You didn't care about how I felt. You didn't care when I had to repeat a year in school!" Her voice cracked, and her emotions finally broke through. "I know I was wrong. I broke you and Hisashi's friendship, all because I was selfish. But when I was at my lowest, Hisashi was there for me. And if you hadn't been so cold back then... I... I wouldn't have..." Rei's words faltered as she began to cry, the weight of the blame crashing down on her.

Hisashi, listening quietly, placed a hand on her shoulder, offering a small, understanding smile.

"I knew that, Rei," he said gently.

"Eh?" Rei looked up, surprised.

"I always had the feeling that you didn't really love me. Not fully, anyway. You were frustrated with Takashi and dated me to make him jealous, right? I figured it out. And when Takashi didn't react the way you hoped, you just got more upset and took it out on me." Hisashi chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"But," he continued after a pause, "I really liked you. Since kindergarten, too. I just knew it was impossible because all you could think about was Takashi. So I held back, moved on, or at least tried to. When you told me you liked me, I knew it wasn't true love. But I went along with it anyway because... well, I was happy. Even when Takashi stopped talking to me, I didn't want to lose what I had with you. I was loyal to you till the end."

Hisashi turned to Takashi, his eyes sincere.

"I'm sorry, Takashi. I went between you two and took advantage of the situation. But believe me, all that was in Rei's heart was you. Even I couldn't find a place for myself."

Takashi's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

Hisashi laughed. "Believe it or not, I tried to kiss her once. And she avoided it, saying she wasn't ready. An excuse, of course."

Takashi's heart clenched, a wave of irritation washing over him. His fists tightened as he stared at Rei, hoping she'd deny it. But Rei sulked, looking away in embarrassment.

"You see, Takashi? You should have more confidence. No matter what, I've always been loyal to you as your best friend, even if you hate me forever."

He turned to Rei, grabbing her shoulders gently. "And Rei... from today onward, I'm breaking up with you. Thanks for being my girlfriend, even if it was for a short while."

Hisashi forced a smile, though both Rei and Takashi could see how much it hurt him to say those words.

"I'm sorry, Hisashi. I'm really sorry." Rei's voice was filled with guilt, and she sobbed uncontrollably, finally letting out all the emotions she had buried deep inside.

When her tears finally subsided, she stepped back, trying to distance herself from the emotional whirlwind. But before she could process anything else, Takashi suddenly swung a punch, hitting Hisashi square in the face.

"Hisashi!" Rei screamed in shock. "Takashi, what are you-"

But Takashi interrupted her. "This... is for betraying my trust and stealing Rei from me," he said, his voice tight with emotion, his fist still clenched.

Hisashi, stunned at first, then chuckled, understanding what Takashi was really doing. Takashi didn't want Hisashi to carry the guilt any longer.

(You're a kind guy, Takashi...) Hisashi thought with a smile before returning a punch of his own.

"This... is for neglecting Rei and being an idiot about everything," Hisashi said, laughing.

Takashi grinned, shaking off the blow. "You wanna go again?" he asked, readying himself for another punch.

Hisashi didn't hesitate. "Bring it on!"

Before they could throw another punch, Rei's voice rang out. "Stop it! Both of you!" She shouted, her frustration spilling over.

But just as their fists moved, they bumped instead, like an awkward handshake. Both of them burst into laughter, all the tension between them finally breaking, the weight of their misunderstandings lifting. For a brief moment, they forgot about the chaos of the outbreak.

Rei pouted, crossing her arms. "Geez, you two... don't scare me like that."

Takashi rubbed his sore jaw. "By the way, Hisashi, you didn't hold back with that punch, did you? That really hurt! Cut me some slack, you've got a black belt in karate, right?"

Hisashi shrugged, still grinning. "You deserved it for neglecting Rei all these years. Think about it."

Rei smiled softly at the two of them, relieved that the air had finally cleared. After a moment, she looked at Takashi. "Can I borrow your phone?"

Takashi raised an eyebrow. "You're gonna call your dad? Even the police lines are swamped right now."

Rei nodded. "He gave me a private number. I'm not supposed to use it unless it's an emergency."

Takashi handed over his phone, and Rei quickly dialed the number. After a few tense moments, she gasped. "It's connecting!"

Takashi and Hisashi hurried over, leaning in to hear the voice on the other end.

"Dad?"

The voice crackled through the phone. "Hello? Ah, this phone number... Takashi-kun's?"

"Dad! Listen, Dad, we're at school-"

"Hello? Is this Takashi-kun?" The connection was weak, cutting in and out. "Rei must've given you this number. Is she okay? Damn... the signal..."

"Dad? You can't hear me?" Rei's voice trembled.

"Listen, Takashi-kun, this whole city is in a state of panic. You need to-" The sound of gunshots echoed through the phone. "Get out! ASAP-" The line went dead.

Rei stared at the screen in disbelief. "T-they're out of range? But I just got through! Why... why?!"

"Rei! Calm down," Takashi urged, his hand on her shoulder.

"Takashi... Hisashi... Dad... he didn't even know it was me," Rei sobbed, her voice breaking.

"Rei, stay strong," Hisashi said, grabbing the fire hose nearby. "We'll find him. But first, let's get out of here. Takashi, Rei, help me out!"

Takashi nodded, quickly supporting Hisashi as they aimed the fire hose toward the creatures trying to break through.

"Let's go!" Takashi shouted.

Rei wiped her tears and stood firm, ready to face what was ahead.