(V3) Chapter 3: To Save Me, or To Save You?

A strong breeze welcomed me as I pushed open the gates on the rooftop. It carried the scent of approaching something cold, mingling with the dull hum of the city below.

A slender figure stood by the railing, arms crossed, back straight.

Her familiar dark hair and uniform fluttered against the wind.

Takamine-san.

She always carried herself like that—confident, untouchable. A madonna and an apex in the school hierarchy.

But I knew her better.

“You’re late,” she muttered without looking at me.

I sighed, stepping forward. “You didn’t give me time.”

She let out a small, humorless laugh. “You’re always like this.”

“And you’re always like this,” I countered.

Finally, she turned to face me.

Those cold, unreadable eyes of hers—like polished blue steel. A contrast to the storm underneath us.

A slackened smile formed in her lips. “From the States…really? A little advice for marketing, know your audience."

I scratched my head in guilt. I already knew who she was talking about.

“Well, if you haven’t known her from earlier then we'll have a different discussion.”

Then, the topic shifted abruptly. I didn't mean the ‘different discussion’ literally, but figuratively, but I'm glad that this progressed easily.

“Have you given her a proper welcome?”

I frowned. If this is also metaphorical, then this is about how things work on Komorebi High.

“Not yet.” I answered, voice clipped.

“She'll miss out on the bigger picture, Ishida-kun.”

“And the picture is?”

“Your enemies. I think that I would be harder to hold them back anymore.”

“I figured.”

Takamine-san nodded. “Yuuto already told them what happened. I expected them to make their moves instantly but they seemed to delay it.”

“Because you distracted them?” I questioned.

She exhaled sharply. “Maybe. But who knows? Those third years aren’t even planning anything as of now. Or it could just be Yuuto pooling his army first before they can get you off-guard.”

I clenched my fists. “Or they have already caught on to you?”

Takamine-san pondered for a moment, and spoke.

“That could be a possibility. But no signs of them suspecting me yet.”

“For how long though?”

My question remained in the air, and it was a tense silence settling between us.

Brief but unnatural.

But another question formed inside of me, and not even the lump on my throat could stop it from spilling.

“Why are you protecting me, Takamine-san? You could’ve taken the safer way out.”

She scoffed, finally breaking eye contact to look at the sky. “What was I supposed to do? Let them come after you right away? I already told you before, I care about the circle you’re in. Maybe something bigger, probably about Class 3-2’s survival.”

“…”

I was speechless at her honesty.

Back then I should’ve known that she’s genuine with her words. That way, I wouldn’t have come straight to Yuuto and created a bigger mess.

At that, she turned away. “And a handful of reasons I can’t disclose yet.”

Silence again stretched between us.

She was pissed.

No—frustrated.

Because we both knew the truth.

We had been trying to protect each other for quite some time now.

Even after everything.

Even after what happened between us.

Two separated souls trying to get back to each other again in cooperation.

I looked away, hands shoved into my pockets. “What’s your plan now?”

She inhaled slowly, biting her lip. “I’ll think of something.”

I shook my head. “That’s not good enough.”

She sighed, sinking to the rooftop bench. “It has to be. I have to keep them away for as long as I can.”

I met her icy gaze again. “Then what happens when they find out? When they realize you’ve been keeping them away from me?”

The black-haired Madonna scoffed, raking her bangs upward. “You don’t want to know the answer to that. But I’ll handle it, trust me.”

I slumped next to her.

“No,” I let out a forced chuckle. “You won’t. You’ll get caught in the middle, and you’ll—”

“What about you?” she cut in, voice sharp. “You think you’re any better? You think you’re invincible?”

Our eyes met again. I had to argue, but my words died down in my throat, so she kept going.

“I’ve seen what they do, Ishida-kun.” Her voice was lower now, more raw. “I overlook the guidance committee and student violations board. And you—you just keep throwing yourself into it. Like you don’t care what happens to you.”

I gulped.

That was entirely true.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean I am always bound to lose because I haven’t seen their potential.

Right now, I’m kind of surprised that Takamine-san was able to hold up her stiff expression despite her words saying otherwise.

She exhaled sharply. “And now, you’ve dragged someone else into this.”

Ayase.

I froze.

“She’s not involved.”

Takamine-san stood up and laughed bitterly. “Of course she's involved. She’s your friend. That’s enough to put her on their radar. Remember what happened to Fujisaki-kun?”

My stomach twisted. I knew she was right.

Saori had already suffered because of me.

Now Ayase was at risk, too.

“I’m trying, Ishida-kun. I really am. But the more people you have to drag here, the harder it’s going to get. We planned to get into a middle ground yet your actions are dragging us to somewhere unsafe.”

I took a deep breath.

“You don’t have to carry the burden alone, you know?”

“So what?” she argued. “I don’t take sophisms that easily. You can tell me all day that everything’s going to be alright but that can’t twist my mind into believing.”

The weight in her words were raw and potent.

“…Then I’ll just have to defeat them all.”

Takamine-san’s head snapped to where I was standing, and those two eyes, like two frozen discs, widened.

Her lips parted slightly, like she couldn’t believe I’d just said that.

Then she laughed.

Not her usual, composed chuckle.

A real, genuine laugh—like I had just said the stupidest thing in the world.

“What’s so funny?”

She wiped her eyes, sighing. “Gosh, you never changed at all.”

I crossed my arms. “I’m serious.”

Just as suddenly her laughter came, so it was gone. Her expression stiffened into ice again.

“I know you are.” She shook her head, clearly exhausted. “And that’s the problem. How many times do I have to say that you should stop throwing yourself into misery? You’re better than that.”

The wind picked up again, brushing against her long hair.

She stared at me for a long moment.

“…You’re going to get yourself killed, Ishida-kun. And what comes next? Miyamoto-kun left alone?”

I held her gaze. “Then why are you still bothering trying to protect me if you know I’m this reckless?”

Takamine-san inhaled sharply.

For a split second, I saw it.

The way her fingers twitched like she wanted to reach out.

The way her lips parted like she wanted to say something else.

But then—

She looked away.

And just like that, the moment was gone.

“Maybe you should look back at those whom you saved, not what you want to defeat.” she murmured. “You’ll find the answers there.”

I wanted to say something.

To ask her if she regretted doing this for me.

To tell her that something finally made sense in me.

But I didn’t.

Instead, I nodded. “I will.”

“Good luck, then.”

And with that, the Madonna of Komorebi High gathered her things and walked away.

She left a trail of luxurious shampoo and perfume when she sauntered past me, leaving me in a temporary daze.

But I managed to whisper something in the air before she completely left.

“Thank you for your efforts, Takamine-san.”

The rooftop door creaked shut behind me.

And I stayed behind, staring at the horizon, lost in a storm only the two of us could see.

***

I shouldn't have stayed in that rooftop for a damn longer—I forgot that I had a part time job today.

So to narrate it simply, I was already rushing to the streets.

At this point, if I was going to be late for any second, Akio-san would send a barrage of missed calls, all telling me to hurry up.

It was only a few moments back then when Takamine-san and I talked about something deeply without our emotions getting ahead of us. The last time? Never.

It was as if something between us changed. If I had to point it out, it must be something between 'comfortable' and 'personal'. Above all, it felt natural.

If there are times that we talked before, it was more surface-level. School activities, clubs, group events and never on trivial and personal things.

But of course, lately, we formed thicker threads.

She tried to apologize for rejecting me.

She offered a helping hand when I reached my lowest point financially.

I gotta give props to myself and her for pulling off something like that with minimal awkwardness. But, you can also blame it on her having an ego that she doesn't allow herself to be too vulnerable in public.

If she can only hear my thoughts, I would be nursing a slap in the cheeks with her signature backhand special.

Then—

Rumble.

A distant thunder roared in the sky.

I looked up.

Above, the skies are gloomy and grey. I have to make sure that I will be safe before the worst possible rain begins pouring down on the whole city.

Finally, the train station was in sight. I nearly tripped myself over when my shoelace untied itself so I crouched down on one knee to tie the knot.

Then, a soft drip. Next to my shoe.

Then another.

And another.

Until the skies cracked open, and the rain came down like shards of glass against the pavement.

It was cold. It wasn't supposed to be too cold.

Shivers crawled all over my body, and I felt my whole frame stiffen.

I found myself standing in an open area, hands clutching my bag tightly. I wanted to move, but my limbs lacked will.

My eyes widened at everything. And my breath, it choked me.

The ground under me was wet. The air was moist. People already ran for covers but I stood at the center of them all. I am aware that I am standing, but I don't know where the heck I was. It was like everything around me failed to register in my consciousness in an instant.

My chest ached and my mind screamed.

Albeit the my entire head swirling into the depths of confusion and oblivion, my throat managed to heave one word out no matter how stiff and voiceless it was.

“...Help.”

Yes, it was the same rain that took everything.

It was raining when everything was taken away from me.

It rained as the ambulance lights swirled red and blue below the dark sky.

And I stood witness, behind glass doors, desperate. I couldn't even reach them. I couldn't even see them.

It rained when I stood next to their caskets. It rained when I stared at their portraits.

And even when the sun rose after that, in my heart, it still rained. Never ending.

I hated the rain so much.

"Help me…"

Despite my head screaming for rescue, my body let the cold needles of water touch my skin. If it hurt, that was fine. It preferred the hurt. It kept the memories buried.

But then—

Click. Tap. Rattle. A sound that wasn’t rain. A soft rustle behind me.

The rainfall stilled—just slightly—above my head.

I turned slowly towards the figure.

"Takamine-san…?" my voice was weak, but the meaning materialized.

She held a dark blue umbrella with one hand, her other gently brushing aside the wet strands of hair clinging to her cheek. Her vest was soaked, but the school uniform beneath was spared.

Her pale face calm against the storm.

And for the first time, I can breathe and feel myself again.