Chapter 67
Picking Up the Pieces
The walk back to the school felt endless; they were all in shock. Elyna’s legs betrayed the adrenalin crash, solid like jelly. Protocol had thrown them out in the cold, jackets slung over wet swimming suits. Now, her coat was the only thing that protected her from the chill.
Students tried to call their loved ones, but most lines were saturated. Subdued, they waited for the network to clear, perfectly in sync with the suspended mood that blanketed the city. Traffic was drastically reduced, ambulances and police blaring as they rushed all over.
It had been a substantial tremor, but not strong enough to create real chaos. Tōkyō’s buildings were masterfully crafted and mostly anti-seismic.
Elyna shivered, taking in the slightest clues of damage as they walked. A door unhinged there, some crates toppled over in a local shop, a few cracks in the concrete. Anything was better than to acknowledge Kazuki’s fuming presence at her back.
Her wrists sported red marks that still throbbed, the result of his tight grip when hauling her out of the pool. The tension that radiated from him was almost suffocating.
When the familiar doors of the kōkō eventually came into view, Elyna sighed in relief; the high gate was still there to greet them, sturdy and welcoming. The sight of the massive cherry tree in the courtyard loosened a knot in her chest.
“Rooftop. Half an hour,” came a voice at her ear. Elyna almost started, but Kazuki was already disappearing ahead to lead some bleeding students to the infirmary. Her stomach twisted with confusion.
After a change of clothes that felt heavenly dry, Elyna sorted through the remaining pupils; most wounds were shallow cuts, abrasions and mild shocks. They would be easily handled by the school nurse. Reassured, Elyna parted from class 3-C to climb up the stairs. I’d die for a hot bath right now.
The metal door groaned as she pushed it open, revealing the deserted expanse of the school roof.
The air was cold, but the sun was peeking through.
Elyna took a few deep breaths, using Qi gong techniques to reconnect with her centre.
The school was silent under her feet, recovering from the aftermath of a good scare.
Fortunately, nothing more.
Before long, the distinct groan of the door echoed behind her.
Before she could turn, a set of warm arms wrapped around her from behind.
The embrace felt stiffer than usual, harsher.
Attuned to the rapid beating of Kazuki’s heart against her shoulder blades, Elyna realised he was shaking.
His fingers were gripping her coat like a lifeline, as if he feared letting go.
Instead of pushing him away—they were at school—she circled his arms in a soothing embrace, feeling his breath against her neck.
“Kazu?”
“What were you thinking?” His voice cracked. Elyna froze, fingers digging into his forearms. What have I done? The answer came an instant later as she heard him swallow. “Playing the hero like that?”
“I wasn’t…” Words failed her as his embrace turned desperate.
Almost crushing. Elyna shifted around to face him, determined to convey her earnestness in the matter.
But when she caught his eyes … they were darker than she’d ever seen them, pupils dilated with residual fear.
Her hand lifted to cup his tight jaw, hoping to dispel the tension.
“I was just trying to help,” she clarified.
“I asked everyone out,” he huffed, clearly fighting for control. His skin was paler than she’d ever seen.
“But that girl was struggling…” That little defiance almost made him snap. By instinct, Elyna retreated; it hurt to feel his arms unwind to let her go. “ … who was going to get her out?”
“Me!" his tone shifted, more urgent. Less controlled. “It’s my job to protect my students. To protect YOU!” His volume was rising now. “Your job was to follow the instructions so I didn’t have to pull two people out rather than one.”
Elyna frowned, finding herself at a loss. She didn’t understand his anger; it had only been natural to reach out for that panicking girl. How could she explain that she’d never been in real danger there? That it needn’t be a big deal?
“I just… I thought it was safe for me, since I know how to handle rough water … you know?”
Shocked, she watched his expression crumble. He reached for her upper arms, sagging like a puppet whose strings had been severed. He folded his taller frame down, engulfing her until his head was cushioned against her shoulder. She was sure of it now; he was shaking.
“Safe?” His voice broke on the word. “Safe my ass!” he almost yelled, straightening to full height.
Elyna flinched; Kazuki never swore, let alone at her! His anger felt as earth shattering as the tremor; a slow coil tightened in her chest, squeezing the breath out of her as Kazuki exploded.
“Did you see the light rack hanging directly over the pool? It could have fallen in…” His voice was rising now. “Or the basin could have cracked open and sucked you down.”
He couldn’t outright yell up there, but the conviction in his voice, the sheer strength of his anger felt like a thousand slaps. “Do you have any idea what could have…”
He stopped abruptly, hands running through his hair. His chest heaved, once, twice and the sight almost broke her. Elyna paled, suddenly very aware of the peril she’d completely overlooked.
I’ve been thinking like a coastal woman. Unpredictable sea storms, she could handle. But the real danger had not been in the water. It never occurred to her that a pool could crack open, or electrical lines could snap and fall in.
Tears gathered in her eyes then as she realised her own carelessness.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, the full weight of all those possibilities hitting her fair and square.
Post shock panic suddenly flared in her mind, tightening the coil in her chest past the point of discomfort. “I really didn’t think of that.”
Kazuki seemed to deflate in the face of her distress. “You can’t think of everything,” he responded. Elyna took a step forward and reached out; he allowed her to circle his waist, giving her a long look where so many emotions warred that it felt like she was tumbling in a washing machine.
“And you helped, really. But you have to know that…”
He paused, his arms embracing her, warm and secure. He seemed to struggle, a moment, as if the words were stuck in his throat. “Those three fucking seconds when you were pulled under…”
How she wanted to wrench those words from his chest, if only so he could be free. “Those were the longest seconds of my life.”
The tears finally fell as remorse hit her full force.
To think she’d just allowed the current to pull her under in a game of tug-o-war, knowing it would spit her out an instant later.
She’d failed to consider how it would look for him.
Warm hands cupped her cheeks, calloussed thumbs brushing the tears away.
“So please,” he added. “If we’re ever so short of luck that it happens again, follow Shūji out and help from the pool deck. Just be … more reasonable, ne?”
He didn’t hammer the point across, but there was no need to. If reckless, impulsive Shūji had known when to get out of danger, what did that say about her own decision-making?
“OK,” she breathed out, shifting to kiss his palm. “OK, my Tsuki.”
She felt his breath hitch at the nickname, and for a long moment, they remained both trapped in each other’s gaze, as if reforming a bond that had threatened to snap. After a while, Kazuki took a step back, leaving his hand in her care.
“Rules exist for a reason, Elyna. Earthquakes have been a part of this country forever, and we have plenty of bitter experience with it. When we order to evacuate, it’s not just arbitrary authority. It’s because people have died learning what happens when you don’t.”
Elyna nodded, knowing she would have to integrate the bigger picture. “I’ll stick to the rules,” she stated, finding a sceptical look on his face. “I promise.” Finally, the tension in his shoulders began to ease.
“Good,” he nodded, opening his arms for a hug. His embrace was warmer, gentler now. Elyna sighed against his chest and buried her face in the crook of his neck; her favourite place. “You know,” he murmured, kissing her hair, “you’ve really put me through the wringer this year.”
Elyna relaxed completely, indulging in a deep whiff of his natural scent. “Gomen,” she apologised again, thinking of all her misadventures. The fall in athletics, getting lost in Hokkaido and scaring him half to death today.
Fears took shape in her mind: what if Kazuki decided she was too reckless? Too young? What if he walked away, judging the risk wasn’t worth it?
“Forgive me…” His warmth was seeping into her, running in her veins like a lullaby. Elyna felt her knees turn to goo in delayed panic. Or perhaps the fear of losing him was sapping her strength? For a moment, Kazuki’s arms were the only thing keeping her aloft.
She felt his chest shudder before he tilted her chin up, his thumb brushing away a stray tear. The kiss was soft and careful, as if he feared she might break. Kazuki losing his cool felt like being hit by a rogue wave on calm seas. In his anger, he’d been beautiful and completely unpredictable.
But now it was over, she hoped never to witness such a storm again.
Elyna was so grateful for the late, very non-public explosion.
Being dressed down in front of the entire class—by him, no less—would have been a humiliation.
Once again, he had shown both consideration and wisdom she was utterly unable to muster.
The age difference suddenly seemed too glaring, a wall too solid to cross. Her fears tumbled out of her mouth in a rush. “Please don’t leave.”
He pulled away, just enough to gaze at her properly. “Elyna… I’m not…” He paused then, looking genuinely puzzled. “Why would you think I’d leave?”
A weight settled on Elyna’s chest the size of a mountain.
“Because I’m…” She swallowed; the word wouldn’t come.
“I’m reckless and impulsive…” Her voice broke then, another tear slipping past her lashes.
She was too fearful to call herself ‘too young’; that would probably seal the deal.
Instead, she scrambled for excuses, or apologies.
Anything that might allow her to keep him.
“I’m sorry you had to save me so many times. I swear I’ll do better. I’m just scared you’ll decide I’m … too much trouble?”
Kazuki’s expression darkened, tainted with something that looked like pain. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. His thumb traced her cheekbone absently; she could practically see him thinking. Weighing. Assessing.
Her throat closed. He’s realising I’m not worth the constant worry.
His body was warm, an anchor that just ceased to be safe. Like the last meal of a condemned man. For a little moment of eternity, his silence stretched until she could barely breathe.
This is it. He’s finding the words to let me down gently.
Then Kazuki stepped back, his gaze determined.
As if he’d just come to a decision. His hands reached for her and held fast, creating a bridge between them.
Elyna’s heart hammered at this purposeful attempt to reconnect.
She would have given millions to know what was going on in his head.
To guess what resolution had caused his features to shift like that.
“Hey, do you think…”
The rooftop door banged open with such force that the noise echoed across the courtyard down below. Katayū stood in the doorway, radiating fury.