Chapter 8

"So how did your meeting with Busujima-senpai go yesterday?" Takashi asked after he got in the car the next morning.

"It went fine," Saya replied. "She said she was going to have to think about it though and get back to me. She did ask about you."

"Ah," Takashi said, "So what did you say?"

"I told her about what happened and she said she had been receiving some dirty looks from Miyamoto. She feels she is to blame in some way, but I told her no."

Takashi sighed. The one thing he didn't want to happen was for trouble to start between Rei and Saeko. It had been bad enough the last time and almost… But that was just a dream… Takashi thought as he rubbed his face.

"You okay?" Saya asked.

"Yeah, it's just sometimes I have a problem remembering it was just a dream. It was so real."

She reached over and punched him lightly on the arm, "Don't let it get you depressed. There are other options out there."

"I wonder," Takashi said under his breath as they turned into the school lot.

As they walked into the courtyard Takashi saw Rei and Hisashi standing by the fountain. He stopped and stared for a minute before someone stepped in the way.

"Ohayo!" Kohta said in a cheerful voice.

"Ohayo Hirano," Saya said as she glanced at Takashi.

"Umm, hey Hirano-san, how are you this morning?" the dark-haired boy said.

"Just fine thank you! Ah, Takagi-san? Can I have a word with you before we go into class?" Kohta asked.

Saya froze for a minute before nodding. Looking at Takashi she said, "You go on ahead, we'll be there in a minute."

Takashi looked back and forth between the pair for a second with a growing smile on his face. "Okay, I'll see the two of you inside. No fighting now."

Kohta chuckled as Saya glared after the boy.

She turned toward Kohta to demand to know what he wanted, only to find him holding up his hand for her to wait as he watched Takashi walk away.

Once Takashi had entered the building, he turned to her and bowed. "I'm sorry, Takagi-san; I wanted to make sure Komuro-san was out of hearing range before speaking."

Saya's eyes narrowed and a frown started to form on her face. Her right fist clinched as she glared at him, "Baka if this is some kind of…" she tapered off as he shook his head.

"I just wanted to let you know that most of the school is talking about the breakup now. That's why when I saw him staring at Miyamoto and Igou; I stepped into his line of sight on purpose. From what I'm hearing it's almost as if Miyamoto wants a confrontation with him."

Saya took a deep breath, "Ah, okay thanks for telling me. I thought for a moment there you were going to do something else."

Kohta looked down and to one side, "I wouldn't do that, Takagi-san. Komuro told me you didn't like things like that." He looked up at her, with a red face and stammered out, "I…I would…like to say it is a pleasure to know you and hope we can become…better friends…or really just friends, in the future. Ah umm…Komuro-san too of course…I mean…"

It was Saya's turn to blush. He wants to say something more, but he's trying so hard not to upset me, she thought. She smiled slightly and said, "Yeah…well let's work on that for now, okay?"

Kohta nodded and held out his hand for her to precede him, "Well, class awaits, Takagi-san, after you."

Saya started toward the entrance and once her back was to Kohta, her smile grew broader.

000

First time they got a break, Saya sent Saeko an email relaying what Kohta had told her. She got back a simple, 'understood' and left it alone after that.

Lunch came and the boys gathered to eat while Saya took class paperwork to the staffroom. Coming back she found Kohta and Morita talking and Takashi nowhere in sight.

"Where did Komuro go?" she asked the pair.

"Same place as yesterday I think, Takagi." Morita said as Kohta nodded.

"Damnit," she muttered as she headed down the hall. She went out the door and climbed to where he was standing, leaning on the rail.

She stared at his back for a minute before speaking, "Takashi what are you doing out here?"

He glanced at her before saying, "I just thought I would take in the sun for a while."

Saya eyes glanced up at the cloudy sky, "Tell me another one, baka."

"I just don't feel like being inside today," he said.

"You knew it was going to happen. Did this morning bother you that much?" she asked.

"I don't want to talk about it, Saya!" he suddenly shouted.

She glared at him a second before turning and heading down the stairs. Almost at the bottom of the last flight she met Saeko coming out of the first level door.

"Takagi-san? Are you alright? You look upset," Saeko said.

Saya crossed her arms under her breasts and frowned, "It's that baka, Takashi, he's up there on the third level moping about seeing Miyamoto and Igou together this morning. He knew it was going to happen, I don't know why he is letting it get to him."

Saeko's eyes traveled up the stairs as she thought about what Saya had said, "Do you think it would do any good for me to speak to him?"

Saya hung her head, "I don't know. He's in turmoil right now, but he might talk to you. Maybe you could get his mind off of things for a short time."

The older girl nodded, "I will try."

As she started up the stairs Saya reached out and touched her arm. "Senpai? Forgive him if he snaps at you…please?"

Saeko nodded, "I will remember his current state of mind, Saya-san"

"Thank you," The pink-haired girl said as she went back in the building.

000

It only took a few minutes for the girl to slowly climb the flights of stairs. As she came up to the third level she could see Takashi's back to her. She walked softly and when she reached his level, she quietly stepped to stand to his right looking over the rail at the courtyard.

The boy sighed and stood straighter before turning to face her…and froze. "Ah Busujima-senpai? I'm sorry, I didn't know it was you."

Saeko nodded, "Good, then I was successful in my silent approach. Maybe one day I will reach ninja level."

Takashi's mouth fell open for a minute before he hung his head and laughed, "Okay I deserved that. I really wasn't paying attention. What can I do for you, senpai?"

Saeko shrugged her shoulders, "I can't just come to get some air, Komuro-san? You seem to like the view from this spot."

Takashi smirked, "Somehow I don't think you came up here just to watch the students in the courtyard, Saek…ah Busujima-senpai."

The girl sighed, "Komuro-san, we are getting to know each other a little better…so I think it would be alright for you to call me Saeko when we are…well, not in a crowd let's just say."

Takashi's eyes widened and he nodded, "You honor me and I will try and remember to do that, Saeko-san."

It rolled off his tongue as if he had been saying it for a hundred years. It sounded so natural it gave Saeko a shiver to hear it from him.

"Of course I will only do it, if you call me Takashi, Saeko-san," the now smiling boy told her.

She smiled back, "I believe I can do that, Takashi-san."

They stared at each other for a minute before the chimes signaling the end of lunch sounded.

"Ah, I need to get to the dojo and practice," Saeko said as she turned toward the steps.

"Yeah, I need to go find Saya and apologize for snapping at her about something," he said as he started to follow her.

Suddenly the girl slipped or tripped on the top step. As she jerked and fell forward, Takashi reached out and grabbed her. His right hand went into hers and he's left arm around her waist as he pulled her to his chest.

Saeko turned towards him as he pulled her close, stopping while leaning against him, faces so close they were almost kissing. An almost electric shock went through her as she gasped a breath of air.

They stared at each other for a long minute, simply looking into each other's eyes.

"I'm sorry, Saeko-san…I didn't mean to touch you in such a familiar way…" Takashi said as he slowly released her, his left hand drifting along her lower back as he let go.

Saeko's breath quickened, but she took it back under control, "That's alright, Takashi-san; if you had not caught me, I might have turned my ankle or something." She suddenly realized even though he had let her go, she was still holding his hand in hers. She blushed and squeezed it slightly before slipping her's from his.

Takashi's eyes widened for a second and then returned to normal, along with his smile.

They walked down to the second level where Saeko stopped. "I will leave you here, Takashi-san."

He watched her for a moment before speaking, "I'll say until later then. Umm, what would you think about having coffee together sometime?"

Saeko ducked her head and smiled demurely, "I think that would be nice. I will await your invitation." She nodded to him again and went in the door.

Takashi stared after her for a minute, wondering what just happened. He had not intended to make a play for Saeko, but suddenly she seemed to let him know she was interested.

He shook his head and headed back to his classroom.

000

"I want to bring Hirano and Busujima-senpai in on this," Saya said.

She and Takashi were sitting in the study room in the library. Saya had piles of books in front of her and papers scattered here and there.

Takashi was flipping through a book called 'The Prophecies of Nostradamus' about a sixteenth century Frenchman who many said predicted future events. He looked up, "In on 'what' exactly? Me having a strange dream about something that can't happen?"

"Takashi these people are in your dream. They are people you relied on to survive and they on you. I want their input on what they think about this and how we should proceed."

"Proceed?" the boy said. "Saya, you're talking about this like it was real. It was just a stupid dream."

The pink-haired girl shook her head, "I'm not so sure now. The more I look into it the more I feel there is something more here."

Takashi tossed the book on the table, "Is this why you're digging into all these prophecies books? It can't be that, because real life has already changed from what I dreamed. Rei and I were supposed to break up a year from now, not two days ago."

"I don't know how to explain it to you. I just get the feeling there is something here that we need to be paying attention to. Look at this." She held out a medical journal that said, 'New cure for the common cold said to be right around the corner!' on the front cover. "That's a report from a biomedical research university in Budapest, Hungary. They are looking at starting vaccination trials in six months…six months, Takashi! That puts them starting in October and six more months for someone to modify it or for it to mutate before your outbreak starts."

Oh no… Takashi thought. Saya's gone conspiracy nuts.Clearing his throat he said, "Remind me to get you some colored string for your next birthday…clearly you'll need it for when you start putting newspaper clippings all over your room."

Saya snarled in rage and balled up both of her fists. Just as she drew back her arm to punch Takashi with a roundhouse, someone at the door cleared their throat.

"Ah, excuse me; I'm not interrupting am I?"

Saya's head swiveled to take in Kohta standing at the door.

"EEP!" the boy said as he took a step back when he got a good look at her face.

"Oh it's alright, Hirano; Takagi's just venting some built up stress," Takashi said.

Saya pointed at the chubby boy, "You! What are you doing Saturday? Are you free?"

Kohta's eyes widened and he looked back and forth between Saya and Takashi, who was giving him a wink and a thumb up. "Ah…umm…well…I guess I'm free, Takagi-sama…if you want to do something…to…together…"

A puzzled look came over Saya's face before it changed to shock, and then anger again. "NO BAKA! I'm not asking you on a date! Some of us are getting together at my house and I want you to come…I mean…arrrgggg! Just show up with this baka!" she raged as she pointed to Takashi, who was trying not to fall out of his chair laughing.

"Oh," Kohta said with a crestfallen look on his face.

Takashi got up and headed out the door, taking Kohta by the arm and pulling him along. "Come on Hirano; let's get out of the way before we die!"

They both chuckled as behind them that heard, "BAKAS!"

000

Saturday came and Kohta arrived at Takashi's house. After a short walk to the station and a thirty minute train trip, they were walking up the street toward Saya's.

They came to a spot where there was an overhead pedestrian walkway for crossing the street, which had a set of stairs running up the retaining wall. Takashi looked back as they passed it and then stopped thirty meters further on. He stood looking at the spot for a minute as Kohta walked on.

Noticing his friend was no longer beside him, Kohta stopped and turned back, looking for Takashi.

"Is something wrong, Komuro-san?" the boy asked.

Takashi stared at a point on the sidewalk for a minute more before shivering all over. Shaking his head, he jogged to catch up, "Sorry Kohta, just remembering something."

They were silent for a minute more before Kohta spoke again, "Komuro, what is this about? Takagi said she was not asking me on a date, but it feels that way. Am I reading something wrong?"

Takashi sighed, "All I can tell you is you'll know more soon." He stopped and took Kohta by the arm. "What I will tell you is pay attention. Saya doesn't dislike you, but she may not really like you just yet. Treat her with respect and listen to her and it will be alright. Don't read too much into all this."

Kohta shook his head, "I'm even more confused now."

Takashi winced, "Sorry buddy, just trust me here. If you're not sure about something just take a breath, or two, and think before you speak."

Kohta just nodded and followed Takashi up the hill.

Rounding the last corner, the mansion came into view. Kohta's eyes widened at the size of the place. They went up the drive and to the front steps, before being met at the door by one of the houseboys. They stood in the foyer for a couple of minutes before Saya and Saeko came down the stairs.

"About time you two showed up," Saya grouched as she stopped in front of them, hands on her hips.

"Hello to you to, Saya," Takashi said as Kohta bowed and said, "Konnichiwa!"

Saeko bowed to the boys politely, "Konnichiwa Takashi-san and…umm."

"Ah I'm sorry, Saeko-san," Takashi said. "I forgot you have not been introduced. This is Hirano."

"Hirano Kohta, Class 1-B, Busujima-senpai. It is a pleasure to meet you," the chubby boy said.

"It is a pleasure to meet you also, Hirano-san. Please take care of me," she replied.

Saya waved for them to follow her. They climbed the stairs and went into a sitting room that had French doors which opened onto a balcony.

After settling on a set of couches, Saya had tea served. Once the server was gone, she pointed at Takashi and said, "You. Start talking."

Takashi sighed. Leaning forward with his elbows on his knees he looked at the trio and said, "I had a vivid dream the night before the first day of this school year. In my dream it was a few days after the start of my second year…"

000

They sat in silence after he had finished. Of course he had not quite told everything he knew. He left things out on purpose.

Says looked at the others and said, "Well? What do you think?"

Saeko cocked her head to the side slightly, "It is an…amazing tale. Made all the more so by who we met a few days ago."

"Who's that?" Takashi asked.

"Minami Rika. Police officer and member of the Special Assault Team," Saya said. "She and Marikawa-sensei were doing some shopping where Saeko-san and I were having tea."

Takashi leaned over and put his hands on the coffee table in front of him. Saeko moved to his side and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Are you alright, Takashi?" she asked softly.

The boy nodded, "Yeah, just got dizzy and nauseated for a moment there."

"This happens every time he meets or learns about something he knows from the dream, but has never encountered in real life, he gets dizzy and sick feeling. Except for Saeko-san, for her he passed out," Saya told Kohta.

"Yes, I am still curious about that," Saeko said with a smile.

"That's why he got dizzy the first day of school, when he met me," Kohta said. "But still, what do you really know about me? I mean we have talked, but I've never told you all that much about my life."

Takashi sat up straight and patted Saeko on the hand she had on his arm. She smiled and moved back to her previous seat. "Saya you got something stronger than tea? Kohta may need it when I get through."

"Baka, just do it," she said with a frown.

Takashi sneered, "Hirano Kohta, currently fifteen years old. You have been bullied most of your life. Your mother is a fashion designer and your father a jewel buyer. They spend most of their time in Europe, leaving you here alone. Your mother used to take you with her to shows until she noticed how much attention you were paying to the models. She left you home after that."

Kohta blushed as he glanced at Saya, who's eyebrow had climbed her forehead when she heard about the models. "You could have found out that information from many different sources, except for the last which could be easily guessed. I am a teenage boy after all."

"In the summer of this year you will go to Colorado in America and take a shooters training course given by a former army Delta Force Colonel. You will finish almost at the top of your class. The first day of the outbreak you fashioned a nail gun into a weapon and protected Saya until we got to Minami-san's apartment, where we found real guns. After that, you never missed a shot and saved us many times over."

Kohta went white as he sat up straighter. His eyes were wide as he looked around at the others.

"Well?" Saya asked. "What about it?"

"No one knew…" Kohta whispered. "I only booked the school, the day before yesterday. Mom and Dad only gave their permission Monday. I have not said a word to anyone because I didn't want it known. In fact the only people that do know are Mom, Dad, me and the shooting school!"

"Then you know something about each one of us Takashi-san? Something we have not told you, but you currently know from your dream?" Saeko asked.

Takashi nodded, "I know about what happened to you four…no three years ago. Not only that, but I know the real secret behind it, Saeko-san."

Saeko shot to her feet and covered her mouth with her hand.

"What happened three years ago?" Saya asked with puzzled look.

"Please excuse me," the tall girl said as she stepped quickly to the balcony door.

Takashi got up and followed her. She stopped at the rail and took several deep breaths as he walked up behind her.

"Saeko," he said as he put his arms around her. She stiffened at first and then relaxed. It felt like the most natural thing in the world to her.

Takashi looked out the back of the mansion and saw the back gate with the road that led from it.

"Hey, let's take a walk," he said. "I want to show you something."

She nodded as he took her hand in his and led her back inside.

"Saya, Saeko-san and I are going to take a walk out the back gate. We'll be back in a bit."

Saya nodded as she looked up from where she was talking to Kohta.

Kohta's eyes narrowed as the pair left the room, "Takagi-san? Are Komuro and Senpai a couple now?"

Saya shook her head as she also watched them leave, "I'm not sure what they are…yet."

000

They walked down the street, hand in hand, for about ten minutes before coming to a set of steps.

"Takashi-san what is this?" she asked as he led her up the stairs.

"You'll see," was all he said as they climbed.

At the top she saw it was a small, but beautiful local shrine. Well-kept and groomed she admired the banners and carvings as they climbed to the front porch. The doors were open so they stepped in and looked around the room.

It looks just like it did that night. Takashi thought.

"What is this place, Takashi?" Saeko asked again.

He turned and pointed out the door, "We came from that way. We were separated from the others by a horde of undead and Saya's mother had saved the rest of the group. We fought some at a park down the road and you froze when we ran into some undead children. I saved you from being bitten and we made it here where we spent the night." Turning back to face inside, he motioned at the room, "Here is where you told me your deepest secret. And I told you I would accept you as you were, whether you considered yourself tainted or not, I understood and would support you."

"I told you everything?" she asked quietly.

"Yes," he said as he stood closer to her. "And I told you I didn't care, and I still don't. It's a part of you, a part of the girl I…the girl I love."

She stared into his eyes for a minute before asking, "What else happened in this room Takashi?"

"This," he said as he pulled her to him and kissed her.

She didn't resist, in fact she melted in his arms. As the kiss grew her arms went under his and slid up his back, holding him tightly. Their lips parted and they held each other as Takashi softly nuzzled her neck and ears. It felt wonderful, and she wanted it to never stop.

"Did anything else happen that night? Were we…intimate?" she asked looking deep into his eyes.

He shook his head, "Not that night."

She nodded slightly as they kissed again.

"Ahumm," someone said from the doorway.

They stepped apart and turned to face a smiling priest. "I'm sorry to interrupt you, but I'm getting ready to close the shrine for the night. Please make your final offerings and prayers."

"Ah, sorry Shinpu*, we kind of got carried away in the moment." Takashi said, blushing.

The bald man chuckled and nodded, "I understand, young ones."

Takashi and Saeko walked over to the offering box. Takashi pulled some coins out of his pocket and gave half to the girl before dropping his in and clapping his hands together.

Saeko did the same, and prayed in a murmur, Please let him continue to accept me!

They both bowed to the priest and ran down the steps. They slowed and hooked their arms together as they started back to the Takagi mansion. Smiles on their faces.