ALiVE (KHR Fanfic)

13. Baseball

13. Baseball

"Everyone!" a classmate yelled as he barged into class, "Yamamoto's about to jump off the roof!" he didn't sound like he was pranking at all, and he himself was all panicked and freaking out.

People started off with doubt and calling him out- but it just seemed more and more legitimate, and it didn't take long for everyone to run out of the classroom.

I gulped. Here it is. I gotta go. I stood up, intending on following the crowd, but I staggered. My legs were shaking. Why? I bit my lip, took a deep breath, and put one leg in front of the other.

"C'mon, Tsuna-kun! Rei-kun!" Kyoko called out towards us.

I snapped out of it.

"Yeah, we better hurry!" I say, dashing out ahead of Kyoko.

-----

"Hey, Yamamoto! This isn't funny!" Someone called out.

"You're taking this too far!" another added.

"Heh," But Yamamoto wasn't joking. He kept his face towards the edge of the building, where one step would end it all for himself and his pathetic life. "Sorry, but it's true. I have nothing left if the baseball god's thrown me away." he spat.

"Excuse me," I tapped at the shoulder of a guy at the back of the crowd, "Would you mind letting me through?" I asked.

"Ni-Ninomiya-san!" he was from my class, I realized. Knowing my relationship with Takeshi, he helped part a way ahead. And I walked to the front, to the gap in between Yamamoto and the crowd.

"Hey there, Takeshi!" I brought a smile to my face, "how's the weather over there?"

Takeshi seemed surprised to see me. "Rei! What are you..." but he paused. It was absolutely obvious why I was there. He could see the anger in my eyes. "I'm jumping. You can't stop me."

I sigh. "Yeah, I'm not planning on stopping you." I admitted. My smile fell. "If you wanna jump, go ahead. You know me, I'm not good with words. I can't think of anything to say that'd convince you out of it."

I earned a few sneers and scorns from the crowd that just told me to go away if I wasn't gonna help.

"I came here to see if you were actually serious." I started, "And well, I think I've gotten my answer."

This caused a dead silence in the crowd.

I turn around, my face falling back into a frown. I don't look back as I leave.

-----

I coughed into my palm as I make my way into the infirmary. Something's definitely on with my airway again, I think to myself, I hope it'll go away by itself.

"Kuma-sensei, lemme skip class-" I spoke up, but again, the infirmary was empty. I pulled the curtains, but no one was on the beds either.

Strange. Whatever. I sank down on one bed and closed my eyes, deciding to catch some sleep.

I wasn't in a good mood. The Daily Life Arc was a mundane process, but it was definitely an important part of the whole storyline.

What can Ninomiya Rei do at this point?

-----

"MID-AIR REBORN!"

The yell was so loud, I snapped right awake. Wait, what? I was still dizzy from sleep, not actually knowing when I fell asleep, and suddenly waking up threw my senses into confusion. What was that? It came from outside...

I looked out the window, and sure enough, a few floors down and on the ground was Tsuna and Takeshi, laughing.

I leaned at the windowsill, sighing in light relief. That's another chapter of the manga, done. I cupped my mouth, forming a makeshift speaker.

"Hey, Takeshi! Tsuna-kun!" I call out, "Was skydiving fun?" I joke.

They look up, surprised. "Rei!" Takeshi's face was locked in a slightly serious and concerned face. "I'm uh-"

I grinned back and stuck my tongue out at him. "Glad you're still alive, moron!"

What was I being worried about, I wonder. I knew he was gonna be fine. The thought of him jumping plagued my mind over and over to the time Drew Cite died. The pain of it all.

I clenched my chest, then I loosened my nerves, breathing out to calm myself.

Takeshi's not gonna die, I told myself. I know everything that's gonna happen to him, and Takeshi doesn't die in the story. He lives.

And yet, I'm still worried. Why?

Could it be that... I'm more implanted into the storyline than I think? Even though I know this world is a fictional one, I still feel real- I feel completely a part of the story now.

I feel as if I'm another character created by Akira Amano-

Yeah, this is my real life now. I shouldn't forget. It's not strange for me to feel actual sympathy and empathy for the characters- no, for other people.

They're people. They're not anime characters.

And Takeshi's my best friend.

-----

"Are you an idiot?" I reprimanded, "Did you even think about your dad?" I lectured, "Or actually, if you just offed yourself there, who the hell wins our eternal battle? We're stuck at 548 wins, 548 loses and 71 draws!"

Takeshi just chuckled back, "My bad, my bad," he said, accepting the not-so-angry scolding he was receiving.

I sighed. "Well, at least you're back to normal." I smiled and pulled my knees to my chest, "I really can't imagine a life without your annoying laugh."

At that, Takeshi gave me a soft smile. "Sorry if I worried you, Rei." He put a hand on my head and rubbed it gently. "I won't do it again."

And for some reason, that made me blush.

Takeshi laughed.