Chapter 4

They were in the shrine. They had taken refuge there because it was getting dark and they still had a ways to go to get to Saya's house. Saeko had broken down and told Takashi of her shame, and he had accepted her as she was, shame and all. They kissed and then Takashi held her through the night. In the morning…morning…

It was morning again. Takashi lay staring at the ceiling of his room, the memory of Saeko's warm body flickering through his mind. He looked over as his cell phone began to buzz. Picking it up he found it was Saya.

"Hey Takagi," he said into the device.

"Good, I guess you're up. Be ready in thirty minutes, I'm swinging by to pick you up," she said.

"There's no reason for you to…"

"Shut up, Takashi. Until we know what is wrong with you, I don't think you need to be bumping around on some train. Be ready in thirty minutes. Oh, and you might want to let your little girlfriend know you won't be riding with them today."

"She's mad about me calling Busujima-senpei's name out yesterday. I don't know if she is even talking to me," he said.

"Well tell somebody. I don't want to hear a bunch of bitching and whining when we get to school because you didn't."

"Okay, okay, alright Takagi." Compared to the bitching I'm hearing now, he thought.

"Twenty-five minutes now. Be out front, I don't want to be late for school."

Takashi sighed as he closed the phone. Getting up, he hit the bathroom and came back to get dressed. Pausing for a moment he flipped the phone open again and typed a message. 'Getting a ride to school from Takagi. See you there' then he sent it to Rei and Hisashi both. By the time he got downstairs he got a message back from Hisashi saying, 'K'. Nothing from Rei.

He wolfed down the breakfast his mother had left for him and headed out the door. He arrived at the curb just as Saya's car turned the corner and proceeded down the street.

"Ohayo Takagi," he said as he climbed in.

"Ohayo," Saya replied as she flipped through the student handbook in her hands.

Just as I thought, she said to herself. Nurse Marikawa's first name is not in the handbook.

She glanced at him for a second before speaking, "So, did you sleep well last night?"

Takashi shrugged his shoulders, "I slept, I just don't know if I rested."

Saya's eyes narrowed, for Takashi this amounted to a confession that there was a problem. "What do you mean?"

"I was dreaming again," he replied. "But it was a replay of parts of the dream I had night before last. It was so clear, I've never had a dream like that before."

"Well let's just get to school and we'll see how it goes from there," she said.

000

The morning went fairly well. They arrived and found Hirano already in the classroom. He greeted them with an enthusiastic "Ohayo!" and smile. He got quieter and more sullen when some of the other students showed up, especially some of the boys.

There were, of course, the glances and whispers from the other students, but Takashi didn't care about any of that.

Morita was his usual happy-go-lucky self and was even able to draw a few smiles and chuckles out of Kohta with his antics.

Later in the morning, while breaks and self-study was going on, the teacher called Takashi to the front. Handing him a note he said, "The nurse has called for you Komuro, go see her."

Nodding, the boy looked over to Saya's empty seat before heading out the door. It only took him a few minutes to reach the infirmary. He pushed open the door and stopped to look around. Not seeing anyone he called out, "Sensei? Komuro Takashi here, you sent a note for me to come see you?" There was a rustling of cloth as one of the curtains moved aside to reveal…Saeko.

Takashi froze, staring at the girl as she stepped out in full view.

"Komuro-san? I am Busujima Saeko, second year and vice-captain of the kendo team. The nurse stepped away for a moment and should be right back."

Reality bent as Takashi focused on the beauty before him. She was in her school uniform, then her mini-skirt with knee-high boots, a blue and white kimono that brought out the color in her eyes and hair, and finally a towel, wrapped around her as she walked towards him. Pain shot through Takashi brain, a lance of sheer fire as if he had been stabbed by her sword. His eyes lost focus as his knees began to buckle. He heard Saeko cry out, "Nurse!" and behind her, Saya calling out, "He's going down!"

"Catch him!" Shizuka cried out as deep blackness slammed into the boy like a brick.

000

Saya had set up this little meeting as a test. She had come to Saeko earlier that morning and got her to agree to meet Takashi in the infirmary. Saya had told the older girl some of what had gone on and explained how she wanted to set up a test to see the effects. While Saeko felt it was a little clinical of Takagi, she could also see in the girl's eyes she was worried about her friend.

This had led to Saeko now kneeling on the floor, holding Takashi's head in her lap, while Shizuka checked his vital signs.

He does have a handsome face, she thought as she looked down on him. Nice hair, a firm jaw line...soft skin… she smiled slightly as her thumbs brushed his cheeks.

"We need to get him up," Saya said before Saeko interrupted her.

"Let's not, Takagi-san, I have seen concussions happen before in the dojo and he went down in the same manner. I don't mind staying like this a few minutes to see if he awakens. What say you, Marikawa-sensei?"

Shizuka looked back and forth between the girls for a moment, "I agree with Busujima-san. If he does not come to in a few minutes, we will look at moving him then. Right now I'll get a cool compress for his forehead."

Saeko could tell Saya didn't like the nurse's decision, but had no grounds to counter with. Clearing her throat, Saeko looked up from Takashi face. "Takagi-san, are you Komuro-san's girlfriend?"

Saya's eyes widened for a moment before she calmed down. "No Senpai, I'm just his childhood friend. His girlfriend is supposed to be Miyamoto Rei, but you wouldn't know it right now."

Saeko's brow furled, "Oh, why?"

"She has been conspicuously absent these last two days. She has only checked on him once, and never did come to the infirmary yesterday. Sorry, but it pisses me off."

Saeko nodded, "I understand. There may be some reason she is avoiding this though. I know who she is because of her being in the soujutsu club. Only by sight though, I do not believe we have ever spoken."

Saya's face darkened, "Please take this the right way, senpai, but I think she's kind of flaky sometimes. I don't understand how you can be someone's girlfriend and not come to his side when he's sick." Saya lowered her head a little, "Sorry, I know it's not really my business, but it makes me mad."

It seems someone might be harboring unexpressed feelings for their 'childhood friend', Saeko thought. It must be nice to be close enough to someone to feel that way.

Shizuka came back and put the cold compress on Takashi's forehead. She stood back up and told Saya, "Help me get a bed ready for him please."

Saeko's eyes followed them as they went behind the curtain. Hearing a sharp intake of breath, she looked back down to find Takashi looking at her.

"Saeko…" he whispered. She watched as if in a dream as he reached up and softly stroked her face with his fingers.

It felt…wonderful…a loving caress between two people that was meant to express their feeling…their…love for one another.

Tears formed in his eyes as a look of pain crossed his face.

Then his eyes cleared and the moment passed.

Takashi's eyes rolled left, then right, before he spoke silently, "Bu…Busujima-senpai? Why do I have my head in your lap?"

She smiled slightly and reached out, brushing his bangs from his eyes, "You passed out when I introduced myself, Komuro-san. I've been told by other boys I'm cute, but that is the first time I've had one pass out just from meeting me."

He stared at her for a minute, his mouth hanging open before he began to laugh. It started out as a chuckle and turned into a full outburst that infected Saeko until she had to cover her mouth with her hand to try to quiet down. Takashi shook with it for a minute, till it finally tapered off. Hearing a footfall, they both looked to the side to find Saya and Shizuka standing by the curtain staring at them.

"He has awakened," Saeko said, matter-of-factly.

"So I see," Saya said with a snarl in her voice.

Saeko looked back at Takashi who whispered, "I think I'm in trouble!"

Saeko covered her mouth again as laughter boiled up from inside her.

"Well let's get you off the floor and into a bed, Komuro-kun," Shizuka said as Saya glared.

000

A few minutes later, they stood beside the bed as Shizuka, once again, went through checking Takashi's vital signs.

"What is the last thing you remember before waking up, Komuro-kun," the nurse asked.

"I came in the door and called for you. Busujima-senpai stepped out from behind the curtain and a red hot pain flashed through my head. Next thing I knew, I was waking up in Busujima-senpai's lap. Sorry about that, by the way Senpai."

Saeko smirked and shook her head, "It's alright, Komuro-san. You are ill and I'm glad I was able to help."

"This is my fault," Saya said.

"How's that Takagi?" Takashi asked.

"I set this up to see what your reaction would be when you came face to face with senpai. Even after you passed out yesterday, I never though you would have the reaction you did today. I'm…I'm sorry Takashi. I jeopardized your health to try out a theory."

For once in her life, Saya looked as if she was going to cry. Takashi reached and patted her hand as Saeko put her hand on the pink-haired girl's shoulder.

"Well one thing is for sure," Shizuka said. "I want you to get some tests run, Komuro-kun."

"What kind of tests, sensei?" the boy warily asked.

She put her left arm under her boobs, and reached up to tap the right side of her mouth with her right hand, a pose they now knew meant the blond was thinking. "A CT scan at the very least and possibly an ultrasound. Maybe even an MRI, but I'll let your family doctor decide which he would prefer once he examines you. I'll write up a report for your mother to carry with you when she picks you up."

Takashi sighed, "I should have known you would have to call mom."

"She's got to know, Takashi; you can't be just passing out in the halls every time you see Busujima-senpai," Saya said.

"Which leads to another question," Saeko said. "How do you feel now, Komuro-san? I'm right here, you're looking at me and talking to me, but you have not passed out again."

Takashi shook his head, "I feel fine, just like I normally would."

Saeko held up her finger as to tell them to wait. She walked to the door and went outside. Waiting a minute she came back in and asked; "What about now?"

A warmness passed over Takashi as the girl came back, but that was nothing more than his feelings at seeing her. A normal reaction to someone you were in love with. He also knew this was not what she was looking for.

He shook his head, "Nothing like before, but that's not the first time that's happened."

"What do you mean?" Saeko asked as she came back to the bed side while Saya looked at him puzzled.

"Several times over the last two days I had dizzy spells when seeing something or someone. It happened the first time when I got to the train station yesterday morning and saw Rei and Hisashi standing together talking. The next time was when I met Hirano in the classroom. Then I passed out at the opening ceremony and you know the rest."

"But since then it has not bothered you to see Rei, Hisashi or Hirano has it?" Saya asked. "Yet you passed out yesterday and then again today after seeing senpai."

Takashi shook his head, "No it has not. Another thing is I did not speak to Senpai yesterday. Since I have, it does not seem to be affecting me now." The boy thought he knew the answer to this one, but was not about to say so in front of any of the women.

"Is my spell over you broken, Komuro-san?" Saeko asked with that smirk on her face.

Takashi blushed and grinned back, "I guess we'll just have to wait and see on that, Busujima-senpai."

Saeko blushed and lowered her head as Saya's eyebrow went up.

Saya threw up her hands, "I don't know. I just don't see a pattern here. Seeing Rei and Igou talking set him off, but he already knows them, then seeing Hirano and Busujima-senpai set him off, but he has never met them before! And he only passed out after seeing senpai! Now they don't set him off!"

Takashi sat with a thoughtful look on his face. What he didn't want to say was he knew the reasons those certain people set him off the way they did, but they would think he was crazy if he told. Hell, I'm beginning to think I'm crazy! he thought to himself.

000

Two days later:

It was close to noon when Takashi arrived home. Once again, he had been at the hospital getting poked and prodded by the doctors that finally threw up their hands and said "We don't know."

His mother had gone on to her school, but it was late enough in the day he didn't feel like changing and going in, plus classes were winding down, it was time for clubs and study sessions.

He sat for a little while and tried to watch TV, but everything was boring. He kept thinking back over the last few days. Rei had finally called him and let him know that while she was concerned, she was also upset. He used the story Hisashi had thought up and that seemed to calm her some, but only so much because she had heard about him meeting Saeko in the infirmary and not telling her about it. He explained that she had come to see Saya, not him, he just happened to be called in at the same time. That smoothed things over, but she was still upset enough that she didn't want to see him till school on Monday. He told her okay and got off the phone.

He sat and stared at nothing, wondering why he didn't just let her go. He knew what was going to happen by April of next year and he was beginning to think it would be for the best. Stupid, his mind said, just because you let her go doesn't mean Saeko will be there to pick you up…plus it was only a dream…it…was…only…a dream. He sat and looked out his bedroom window for another hour, going over the dream in his mind, before looking at the clock. It was getting close to 4pm and it was a Friday night. Finally he picked up his cell and typed in a message.

'Saya, nothing is wrong, but I need to talk to you. Are you free tonight? Can I come over?' He hit send and waited. He knew it might be a while because she normally kept her phone on silent because of school rules. He was surprised when less than ten minutes later it buzzed with a reply.

'Yes. I want to hear about what went on with the doctors. Are you at home? If so I'll pick you up after school is done.'

He replied, letting her know where he was and to let him know when she was on the way. Closing his phone he sighed again and started thinking about what to say.

000

Saya arrived without fanfare, Takashi got in the car and they were off. Other than saying hello, not much was said. She knew the words would come later and he was glad she didn't press him on the subject now.

Takashi looked around as they drove up Saya's driveway. He had never been to the mansion before and was surprised at the sheer size of it. They got out in front and walked up the steps to the portico where they were met by Saya's mother, Yuriko.

The beautiful woman walked over and gave Takashi a small chaste hug. "Oh Takashi-kun! You've grown so big! It's been far too long since you came to our home!"

"I was just thinking that myself, Obasan," he said as he bowed to her. "I guess when you were still living over near us was the last time."

"Whenever it was, it has been far too long. How are your mother and father?"

Takashi shrugged, "They're fine. Mother is still teaching school and dad is traveling, managing different branches around the country. But they are both healthy."

"I'm glad to hear they are doing well. Saya, where were you going to entertain Takashi-kun?" she asked.

Saya frowned a second before answering, "I was thinking on my balcony, mama, unless you have a problem with that."

Yuriko shook her head, "No dear that's fine. Tell you what; I'll take Takashi-kun up while you run to the kitchen. I had some snacks prepared and you can see that they are brought right up. Then if you want dinner later you can eat out there also."

Saya raised one eyebrow and then sighed, "Okay mama. Takashi, I'll be back in a minute."

"Give me your book bag, Takagi, I'll take it to your room for you," the boy said.

Saya thanked him as she handed it over before heading off.

"Ah, how gallant of you, Takashi-kun! Still the polite young man you always were. I wish you had come over before now though." Yuriko said as she took his arm and they walked toward the main staircase.

"Well Obasan you know how mom is," he replied.

"Yes I know. The mansion of a right-wing politician is just so scary after all. I shouldn't say that, she has a right to her beliefs like everyone does," Yuriko sighed.

"Well, that's just the way she is."

"So, Saya tells me you have not been feeling well. I want you to always know if there is anything I can do just tell me. You have always been dear to us." Yuriko shook her head slightly, "Saya never brings friends home and to be honest, if it were not for the fact we know she is still interacting with you, I would be very worried."

Takashi smiled slightly, "You know how she is, she's hard to get to know much less get close to."

"Yes I know. I fear she will never get a boyfriend or any other close friends," the woman said.

"Ah, who knows, there may be someone right around the corner in the future for her."

They had arrived in the middle of Saya's room by now; Yuriko stopped and looked at Takashi with a puzzled face. "That sounds like you know something and are not telling me, Takashi-kun. Are you keeping secrets from me?"

He laughed, "No ma'am, but we are meeting a lot of new people this year so you never know. There might be someone that catches her fancy."

Yuriko smiled at the boy, "I see, well I hope you will be there to watch over her and not let her get into something she doesn't need to."

"I will, Obasan."

"Put her bag down in that chair and go right through that door. There is a sitting area out there that the two of you can enjoy for as long as you want."

"Yes ma'am. Thank you for having me," he told her as he bowed.

"Come back again. You have been absent from us far too long," she told him.

She left and Takashi wandered outside. He leaned against the rail for a few minutes before Saya and a servant showed up. The servant placed the treats and drinks on table, bowed, and then left.

Saya walked over to where Takashi was looking out over the city. "So what did you and mama talk about while I was shooed away?" she asked.

Takashi chuckled, "She sure didn't try to hid it did she? Nothing really, my family, why I had not been over before now, stuff like that."

"Hmm…" Saya responded, "Well come get some tea. How did the doctors go today? Any real news?"

Takashi shook his head as he sat down, "They can't find anything wrong. No concussion, no brain tumors, blood clots or anything that might be making me pass out. Blood works shows no drugs or alcohol and everything is just plain normal. They're stumped."

"So what now?"

Takashi leaned forward in the chair he was sitting in. "So now I'm going to tell you everything I can. This all started when I had that crazy dream the other night. You're the genius; maybe if I tell it all to you, we can make heads or tails of it."

Saya settled in for what she felt was going to be a long story, "Well I'm all ears and the nights not getting any younger."

Takashi sighed and looked at his tea cup.

"It all started when Rei dumped me and I was sulking on an outside stairwell…"

000

When he was through, he sat and watched her for a minute as she processed the information. It had taken him about three hour's non-stop to tell the tale. He didn't tell everything. He did tell about Rei dumping him, and how he ended up with Saeko, but he did not say anything about Saya and Kohta being together.

Let them figure that out for themselves if it's meant to be. Well maybe with a little push or two… he thought.

Saya got up and walked over to the rail. She looked out over the city for a minute before turning back to him. "If you were not insisting this was a dream I would say you're crazy as hell."

Takashi threw up his hands, "That's why I haven't wanted to say anything! I told Hisashi just a little and he acted like I had gone completely off my head."

"I can understand if you told him he became a zombie and then you killed him, after he stole your girlfriend!"

"He didn't steal her, he…well it's a lot more complicated than that," he said.

She rolled her eyes, "Well how do you feel about it?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know. I can see it now I guess. I've had my eyes closed to some things for so long this has been like waking up from a dream…I so didn't mean to say it that way."

Saya shook her head, "Well it was just a dream, so don't go jumping and doing stuff that will mess you up."

"I don't know, Saya; it now seems to me Rei and I are just 'safe' for each other. You know what I mean?"

He never calls me by my first name! she thought. "Takashi…ah…I don't know what to tell you."

Leaning back he put his hands behind his head. "What gets me is this knowing people I have never met before. I can tell you all sorts of things about them. Kohta, Saeko, Rika, Shizuka-sensei's friend…"

"The one on the police force?" she asked.

"Yeah, sniper for the SAT, supposed to be one of the top five in Japan," he replied.

Saya thought for a minute, "I wonder if there was some way we could check on some of this information? Like look it up on the internet."

The boy shook his head, "Don't know. I wouldn't think they would publish the names of snipers and such. It would be easier to see if I was right about Kohta at least. All you've got to do is get him talking about guns and he's hard to shut up."

Saya shivered, "I don't know, that kind of scares me. I don't understand people that are so obsessive like that."

"Oh come on Saya, there are a lot of people like that, whither it's over business, hobbies or baseball. A lot of them get a bad rap because of a few standouts. Would you know Kohta was a gun otaku if I hadn't told you?" he asked.

Saya thought about it for a minute, "No I guess not. I haven't seen him carrying any books around or talking about it to others. Now that you mention it something did happen the other day. Some boys in the class cursed and called him an otaku as they walked by. I wondered about it then, but I didn't know what it was over. I thought they might have been doing it because he was fat and wears glasses."

Takashi shook his head slowly, "No, if he's like the Kohta in my dream he's been bullied most of his life."

Saya's mouth hung open upon hearing this. She tried to think how that must feel, always being an outcast. She didn't have many friends because she didn't want them. It had always been good enough for her that the teachers liked her. Plus she had to, sooner or later, deal with a bunch of social climbers that always wanted to get next to her because of who her parents were and the fact they were rich. As far as other girls went, she felt no desire for gossip over who was dating who and such.

"Hey Takagi, do me a favor?" Takashi asked. "If Kohta ever does start geeking out over guns or something like that, be kind okay? Just ask him to chill out and don't blow up on him? Please?"

She almost went off on him, but then she realized that was exactly what he meant. After thinking for a minute she nodded, "Okay, I see your point. And by the way, you called me Saya earlier, why switch back now?"

He thought about it and shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know. I guess I didn't think about it earlier. I'm sorry if you were offended."

Why does he seem so much cooler than he ever has before? She thought, "I'm not, you can call me Saya, Takashi, you always could. In fact I want you to, well, at least when we are alone or something like this, might be best not to at school."

He smirked, "Alright Saya-CHAN."

She made a face and pointed at him, "That will get you hurt! Just Saya is fine for you, baka!"

They both laughed and then got serious again. "So what am I going to do, Saya? I don't want to keep on like this and I don't want to say too much, it might get me locked up or something."

She thought for a bit as she looked up at the stars in the sky. She could see an airplane up high, its lights blinking, as it raced to some faraway place, "If there was just some way to confirm some of this."

Takashi winched, "Ah, Saya I forgot to tell you something. You remember what I said about being able to call the baseball game? After the talk we had in the infirmary I tried something. I wrote down all the scores of all the baseball games I could remember through today. Except for the ones that are not finished tonight, I have been dead on for every game."

Saya sat up more and stared at him, "And you forgot to tell me this?! This is important, Takashi!"

"Sorry, I got my mind off on other things," he said meekly.

"How long till tonight's games finish?" she asked.

Pulling out his cell, he checked the time "Should be in about another thirty minutes or so if they are running normally."

She jumped up, "Come on, there's a computer with the internet in the library. I'm sure there is some way for us to look up how the games are going before they finish."

000

An hour later they sat and stared at the computer screen. The final ball game had just finished and the score had been posted. Saya looked at the piece of paper that had been in Takashi's pocket and back at the screen.

"Every single one. Takashi you got every one of them correct. The ones earlier in the week I can't confirm because I didn't see the list before hand, but the ones that just finished are one hundred percent correct."

She looked over at her friend who sat sullenly to her left, "What the hell has happened to you?"