𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬 (𝐊𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫)

Final Wave

We had all been swept off our feet and the cold water rushed over my head. As the water receded Go had lost his hold on the archives and they had washed up onto the other side of the structure we were on. I ran over to Go, making sure he was okay before seeing how far it was and if I could just run over and grab it. 

"Another wave will come!" Koga called out. We all stood looking at the box to see how long it would take for the next wave to hit. I counted in my head with Koga and from our counting we were left with ten seconds to retrieve it.

"I'll go it's my time to shine."

"Koga no!" I yelled towards him and raced towards him to stop him. "This isn't like running on a track!" He looked down at me confident and hugged me quickly.

"I got this." 

"Don't do this Koga, you're not at your peak right now." I agreed with Ayumu and contemplated taking his place.

"Koga let me go instead. Once we get out of here you do all the running you want, just let me handle this one." Thinking it over he shook his head and told me he could handle it.

"Now keep your eyes on me, this is the run of a great Japanese man. I will pass the baton to you Y/N." I nodded and I trusted my gut that he was going to make it. Kite gave me an uncertain glance but I knew this was Kogas dream. He had always loved track when we were younger and now he could do what he loved and save Japan.

He took off like a bullet and slid as he got the archives. I knew Koga could do this. I started to yell out praises and his speed increased and I reached my hands out to grab his. He was almost there, he almost made it. I knew Koga had it in him. Instead of grabbing my hands he threw me the archives. As I grabbed them the wave rose up behind Koga and I was swept away. Kite had pulled me into his arms, either to protect me or the box but either way it was appreciated.

Recovering from the wave I got up and ran to the platform Koga was on last. He had to have made it, he was so close, I was right there. Kite and I began crying out his name. My tears just couldn't stop falling and I couldn't breathe. He and I had known each other for so long. Eating at the Mutoh's together, doing track together, surviving Japan together. He had really come out of his shell since the start and I felt like I could rely on him. Koga, a selfless kid who died doing what he loved. I took out the picture of our group and held it to my chest while listening to Kite cry out to Koga.

"I cant deal with this right now! Come out and race me! I'll decide if you're great or not! Don't run away you coward!" After that he broke down into tears and ran into my arms. I cried with him but I knew we had to be strong, for Koga. Kite moved away from me and looked out into the ocean.

"It's all my fault." Go claimed and I hit him on the head. It wasn't his fault and it never would be.

"No it's not." That was all I had the strength to say. What else could I? We had lost so many people at this point that it felt like this was all for nothing. Ayumu cried out and began limping away and I joined her side to help her walk. I looked at her leg and noticed a cut that was all purple and infected. How did I miss that before?

"Hey take it easy." She wouldn't slow down and I was getting concerned for her. We had been walking for a while now and in the distance was a rooftop. We took refuge here as Kite hooked up his phone to the archives. It had a detailed map of what areas would sink first and what areas would rise first. The idea of Japan rising again baffled me. Japan could become Japan again someday?

"Is that what you meant earlier when you said Japan would return?" Ayumu asked Mr. Onadera and was met with a single blink. Yes. "Thank you Mr. Onadera!"

"So all we need to do is go to the area that will rise first."

"Is that close?"

"According to the map, yes." Koga had risked his life and save ours by retrieving these archives. If he and everybody else could see us now I'm sure they'd be proud.

"Now all we need to do is get there." With that Kite took off running from one building to the next. I took after him and we ended on the top of the tilted building looking out to the water. He took my hand and helped me jump down even further until we caught site of a bunch of floating rubble. 

"Be careful Y/N, we need this but I need you more." He seemed to be extra cautious when it came to me doing anything. He probably just didn't want to lose anyone else. I nodded and began collecting the floating containers. By the time nightfall came we had assembled a full raft and started our journey on the rocky waves.

"How much longer?" Go complained but I was feeling the same way. It felt like my arms were going to fall off from all of the rowing.

"Were already here."

"But there's no land anywhere."

"Not yet."

I groaned in complaint but Kite seemed to be in a better mood than I was. He made us row over to a half capsized boat and grabbed what looked like a giant ocean condom.

"I was born lucky!" We dragged part of the giant clear balloon and began to fill it with oxygen from our canisters and slowly but surely it began to fill up. Soon enough the balloon was fully inflated and Kite had set it up so it could be deployed.

"Woah Kite, you are so awesome. How did you manage to fix it?" Go gushed at Kite. If he wasn't Go's top idol before then he definitely is now. "But how are we all supposed to take this?"

"Only one person can ride this."

"Wait are you leaving us?" I asked accusatorily. We had been through thick and thin together and now he was just taking off on his own. What a self-centered idiot. I felt betrayed and abandoned.

"Keep doing your best and I'll be waiting on that date Y/N!"

"You're kidding right?" Go said in shock as we watched Kite leave us. We were now on a raft in the middle of the ocean and he expects us to survive. What an asshole. "It had Kite's symbol on it, it was his balloon." I brought Go into a hug as we had nothing to say. What were we going to do now? We had been stranded in the middle of no where in the fucking ocean.

Out of nowhere we heard a beep. It sounded like a phone went off and it was inside of Koga's bag we had taken. Ayumu grabbed the phone and it was Kite's phone. It had a radar pulled open and randomly connected to the internet. 

"That must be what the air balloon is for! They can be used to connect you to the web from anywhere in the world!" 

"Smart as always Go." I smiled and ruffled his hair. He had been our tech wizard this whole time. Another beep when off from his phone signalling that the internet had now disconnected.

"What happened to him?" My heart dropped as I thought about what could've happened. He could be dead or somewhere safe instead. We might never know. Sitting down beside Go and Ayumu I held them close. We had become so much closer because of all of this.

"I love you guys," No words had to be shared after that as we all sat contemplating life. Was it worth it? Then in the distance we heard a noise. Like an angel coming down and saving us from this god-forsaken ocean, something I never wanted to see again.