Chapter Thirty-One: December 26th

Makoto receives a second text at around ten in the morning, this time, thankfully, from Zoe (Makoto was almost too afraid to check his phone when he heard the text tone).

I'd love to meet you! I'm leaving tonight for Switzerland, so perhaps at 11 am? The Starbucks downtown? I'll be wearing a pink scarf!

Makoto nearly smiles at the three kaomojis that follow her text. He sends an affirmative response.

Sounds good. See you then.

Sighing, he sets his phone down on his bedside table, next to the bowl of rice he hasn't bothered to clean up yet, and pulls himself out of bed, deciding he needs to get ready quickly if he's going to be downtown in an hour.

As he dresses for the day, realization sets in. Today is his first date with Haruka, he remembers, and judging by the way that conversation with his dad went last night, it could very well be his last.

His heart lurches in his chest at the thought. He layers a blue cardigan over a striped shirt to wear with brown jeans and emerald green Converse high-tops.

Entering the kitchen, Makoto spots a neon pink post-it note on the refrigerator. Makoto- it reads, I took the twins out to spend some of their Christmas money. Dad is going to be staying at a friend's for a few days. We'll talk later. Make sure you eat lunch! Love you, Mom.

Crumpling up the note and tossing it in the trash, Makoto nabs a 1000 yen note from the mad money stash in the cupboard and tucks it into his wallet, locking up the house and because he's early, he decides to make the walk downtown.

Downtown Iwatobi isn't much in comparison to the big city; instead it wasn't more than a large apartment complex next to a couple grocery stores, a few restaurants, and a shopping complex.

Listening to music while he walks, Makoto realizes halfway there he never charged his phone last night and it eventually shuts off, Makoto staring at the now-black screen helplessly.

About ten minutes later, he makes it into the shopping complex, which isn't as busy as it usually is, being the holiday season and all. Makoto enters the Starbucks, completely enveloped in the bitter scent of coffee beans and the sweetness of vanilla in an instant. He glances around the shop in search for Zoe.

In the back, staring at a bedazzled phone, is the petite blonde he recognizes from his class. On the table in front of her is a rainbow-looking drink, like a unicorn was thrown in a blender and glitter had been thrown on top. Makoto is willing to bet money not even a drop of coffee could be found in that explosion of pink and blue.

Like promised, she's wearing a pastel pink scarf in a French-style knot, alongside a powder blue polka-dot sweater, a pink corduroy button-up skirt, and black cat stockings. Her hair was done in a messy side-braid, with two curls framing her round-shaped face. Makoto notices she's wearing shiny lip gloss.

He easily slides into the booth seat across from her and she looks up from her phone, perking up instantly. "Hi, Tachibana-kun!" She greets him cheerfully. "You came!"

"Of course," Makoto smiles timidly. "I said I would, didn't I?"

"Right, right, you sent that text, which obviously means you're coming, I don't know why I thought you weren't going to show up, silly me-" She cuts herself off with another stream of sentences. "You thirsty? Sorry, I bought my drink ahead of time. I got here fifteen minutes ago. Have you had the limited edition Unicorn Frappuccino? It's so cute, right? Though, it's really sugary. Um, are you going to get anything?"

Makoto nods, a bit stunned by her incessant babbling. He stands up, getting in line and ordering a triple americano in a simple mug. When he gets his order, he carries it over to the table carefully and sets it down, staring at it and trying to keep his cool.

"So, how's your winter break been so far?" Zoe asks gleefully. "Did you have a merry Christmas?"

"You could say that," Makoto lies, smiling. "But yeah, it's been alright. How about you? Are you excited for your trip to Switzerland?"

"Oh, most definitely! I'm all packed! My flight's tonight, it's an eleven hour flight, I have no idea how I'll sit still for that long! Anyway, I'm super excited for what my family has planned! First, we're going to-"

Makoto watches her ramble on and on about skiing and cheese fondue and speaking German - apparently, she knows it - and Makoto stares at her with a fascinated expression.

He cannot fathom how this scatterbrained, airheaded typical blonde highschool girl could have done something as serious as saving someone else's life. He also cannot fathom how Zoe keeps up with her incessant chattering, or how she manages to keep the conversation going by herself, and as if she's reading his mind, she picks up on his quietness. All the thoughts make his throat up and he forgets to breathe, and he can feel his chest tightening up in apprehension.

"Everything okay, Tachibana-kun?" She inquires, setting down her drink.

"Just Makoto is fine," Makoto croaks out instinctively, having no idea what to say or even begin this conversation. He stares at her helplessly, suddenly frozen in his spot, like a deer in headlights.

"Makoto?" She repeats worriedly when she sees his face go a light shade of green.

He finds that he cannot form a single cogent word, like the link between his mouth and his brain has snapped, and all of the words he wants, no, needs to say blocked in his throat. Instead, he does the one thing he can think of in his moment of desperation: pull back his cardigan sleeve, showing the number 8 on his wrist.

8 days to save Haruka's life, the number taunts joyously. Just a bit more than a week left.

"H-how did you... how did you get that?" Zoe pales, staring at his wrist for a few seconds. Her manicured hands fly to her face and Makoto swears he sees tears brim in her eyes.

Makoto's breath is shaky and as he swallows the forming lump in his throat. "I have to... I'm..."

Zoe's head drops into her hands and she sighs. "I saw the number before, but I wasn't sure," She whispers to herself, clearly not intending for Makoto to hear. After a moment, she regains her composure, straightening up and throwing her shoulders back. "Okay. So you have eight days left. That's enough time. Probably," She says the last word more quietly.

Makoto gulps, and with his mind running with about a thousand different thoughts all at once, he doesn't hear her question.

"What?" He echoes, snapping back into reality.

"Who is it?" She repeats staring him down. It's like she's a completely different person now. Gone is the ditzy bubbliness, replaced, with a serious young woman who has seen some mind-crushing things. Makoto wonders if her brainlessness is just a façade that she puts on to protect herself. "Whose life are you supposed to be saving?"

So Chaos was right, Makoto realizes amidst the blur behind his eyelids. She really must have done it.

"Nanase," Makoto manages to choke out, his fingers shaking against his mug. The hot ceramic feels like it's going to burn right through his skin, but in this moment, it's all he can feel, his only lifeline that ties him to the world. "Haruka Nanase."

"Nanase-kun," She whispers with a frown. "The really quiet one that sits next to you in homeroom? With the sister that died a few years ago?"

"That's the one."

"Damn," She swears. "That's gotta be tough."

No shit.

"Zoe, you have to help me," Makoto begs. "What do I do?"

Zoe immediately shakes her head, looking regretful. "I can't tell you that, Makoto."

"Why not?" Makoto insists desperately. "Death won't help me. I can't tell anyone else about this, so they can't help me either. You're my only hope. So why can't you just tell me how to save him?"

"I would if I could, believe me," She frowns. "Everyone's different. There's no one way to succeed, and that's your job to figure out how."

Makoto sighs shakily, knowing deep down that she's right. He's ready to give up and walk out the doors when she speaks again, a question that makes his heart sink down to his stomach.

"Why would he want to do it?" She asks, looking timid. "Kill himself, I mean. I knew he wasn't the most popular guy around, but I never considered he would be the suicidal type."

Makoto's shoulders sink, and he stares at the table. "His sister, for starters," Makoto admits.

"That can't be just it," She presses. She reaches across the table, resting her hand on top of his reassuringly. "Come on, Makoto. Really think."

Makoto fees a pang of guilt in his chest as he tells Haruka's story to Zoe after promising he wouldn't ever spill a word of it. He figures that if this is what he must do to save his life, Haruka would make the exception. "His parents," He explains. "They're never around, and when they are, they're awful to him. He overworks at two jobs, and he gets a lot of verbal abuse at school, and he doesn't have any friends."

"What about you?" She points at him.

"Um, well," Makoto's cheeks color with a shy embarrassment as he trips over his words. "We aren't exactly, um, friends, per se-"

"Oh," She says. Then slower. "Ohhh."

Makoto turns a darker shade of red. "Don't tell anyone."

"Your secret's safe with me," She smiles supportively, patting his hand. "I know what it feels like, to be alone with something like this. Trust me. I don't know how you managed to find me though. Lucky guess, I suppose?"

"Actually," Makoto admits. "Someone named Chaos told me."

Zoe's smile immediately falls, and she nearly drops her drink. "Chaos?" She repeats in a voice barely above a whisper, as if the name itself terrified her.

Makoto nods, feeling himself sink back into the booth in fear. Judging by her stricken expression, she is definitely familiar with the one called Chaos. Not like that made him feel any better, though.

"Oh God, please don't tell me you've even seen a person named Chaos before," She demands looking angry, but not at him.

"Well, um, last night, I was, uh-" Makoto can't finish his sentence, flushing in embarrassment.

He's positive Zoe swears in German under her breath.

"This is not good," She mutters to herself, lost in thought, shaking her head. "Not good at all." Various phrases in a foreign language fly over his head.

"Huh?" Makoto feels rattled. "What's going on?"

"I mean, if any old trickster showed up, it would be manageable, but Chaos...? She must see him as a large enough threat. But why so late in the mission?"

"Zoe?"

"What kind of game is she playing at? Tricksters know they're below Death, she's crossing the line by even talking to-"

"Zoe!"

She snaps out of her trance. "Sorry," She mutters, her face turning slightly pink.

"Explain," Makoto tells her, begs her. Though, part of him knows he won't be able to bear the response. Still, he has to know. "Please."

"Alright, Makoto. Bear with me here, this may sound crazy, but I swear, it's the truth. Chaos is one of the thirteen tricksters of our world. Tricksters do the dirty work for Death and Life, the jobs that Life's angels or Death's demons don't want to bother themselves with."

Makoto's confused look allows her to answer his unspoken question.

"Yeah. Angels and demons," She clarifies. A small, sharp laugh bubbles out of her throat. "Insane, I know." She breathes out a sigh.

"Life's been around since the dawn of time. Death's his younger brother. They're the first two angels. When humanity was created, Life sent down an army of angels to watch over people, and sometimes, those angels manifest in human form, hence the term, guardian angels. Though sometimes, another mortal human is recruited to be a temporary angel. Although the idea was in good heart, the temporary angels usually fail at their jobs. The tricksters, neither angel nor demon but somewhere in-between, hate the guardian angels. They think that humans are below angels and don't need divine protection. Usually it's one of the other twelve that stop the temps, but if Chaos is around, then you must be close to succeeding."

Life. Death. Guardian angels. Tricksters. The words spin around in Makoto's head as he tries to make sense of Zoe's story. I'm a temporary angel, he realizes. And so was Zoe.

"Did Chaos threaten you on your mission?" He asks.

"She did," Zoe nods. Her hand reaches for her scarf, loosening the knot and pulling it away. "She gave me this scar a few days before my twenty-eight days were up, saying next time, she wouldn't hesitate to miss my jugular vein."

Makoto's hand flies to the back of his neck and he scratches it nervously on instinct.

"You need to be careful, Makoto," She tells him. "I don't know what Chaos said or what she's done, but I know her. She won't hesitate to do everything in her power to get what she wants. Promise me, you'll be careful."

Makoto swallows. "I will."

Her phone chimes, and she reads the notification. "I have to get going," She explains, pocketing the device. "My parents want me to help them pack some more. Don't talk about this conversation, okay? That's the last thing you need."

She begins to stand up, grabbing her frappucino, prepared to leave, when Makoto reaches out and grabs her hand. "Wait," He says suddenly.

She stares at him curiously, one eyebrow raised, sitting back down again. "Yeah?"

"If you don't mind my asking..." He trails off quietly. "Who did you save?"

Makoto notices for the first time the tiredness in her eyes, the bags that she tried to cover with powder, smudged with mascara. Her eyes flutter shut and she releases a soft sigh.

"My older brother," She admits shakily. "A year ago."

Makoto simply nods, not knowing how to respond. "Okay," He says, his voice choking up. "Thank you for meeting me, Zoe."

"You're welcome, Makoto," She says with a small smile. "You can do this. Just stay safe," She stands up for a second time. "I have to get to the station now." Makoto joins her, offering to walk her to the metro station as a common gentlemanly courtesy. Plus, he was going home that way anyways.

They scan their passes and head down the escalator, walking in silence to the platform. Makoto checks the schedule: Zoe's train to the city comes in a minute, whereas his train home comes in four. When he hears the familiar sound of the metro whistle as it races down the track, he steps away, wishing her safe travels.

"Wait!" She shouts abruptly. "There's something I forgot to tell you! Text me!"

"My phone's dead," Makoto says weakly, but he wants her to explain. The train rolls to a stop, and the doors fly open. People stumble out, others enter the compartments.

"Chaos will get her way one way or another," Zoe explains in a rush, falling in step with the crowded metro. Makoto finds it harder to hear her as more people crowd the platform. She steps into the car, whirling around to face him. "You'll have to make a choice, Makoto! You'll have to choose wh-"

Her sentence is silenced by the metro doors slamming shut. After a moment, the metro picks up speed and whisks away in a blur of metal. The force of the wind speed knocks Makoto back a step and he stares at the gap in silence, the unsettled feeling in his stomach growing.

What kind of choice? He can't help but wonder fearfully. No matter what it is, it can't be good. Swallowing nervously, he turns around and waits for his train, which shows up three minutes later as expected.

He collapses into an empty seat, staring at the row in front of him, littered with graffiti and bubblegum. Closing his eyes, he waits for the doors to close and the subway train to pick up speed, whisking him away.

What had he gotten himself into?