AYUMI

I was bleeding badly, and as Naomi climbed up the rope with some difficulty, all I did was not imagine she was Yoshiki. Why? Because I didn't want to accidentally grab her, um...

Yeah, never mind.

"You okay, Ayumi?" Naomi asked in between pants. I had no answer, and my churning stomach was grateful for that. "Look, Ayumi, I'm really sorry..." she began. "Wh-why are you sorry?" I mumbled, goose bumps rocketing along my skin. I felt cold, tremendously cold. I pressed against Naomi's warm body. "I am the one to blame." I sighed. "Are we almost there?" I moaned. "About halfway," Naomi replied tiredly, dangling for a second before resuming the hike.

I just wanted to wake up from this horrible nightmare. Aren't we wasting time, anyway? "Nakashima..." I murmured. "Sachiko may be ruining all of our homes. You're mother might be dead." "Yeah, and yours, too," she replied coldly, rushing up the rope. It worked. I didn't intend to be mean, I just desired to get out of the hole as quickly as possible.

Soon, we reached the surface, and Naomi collapsed, her breathing quick and unsteady. I just lay there, staring at the ceiling. I didn't feel like moving, and I bet she didn't, either. "Why don't we find somewhere to rest?" I offer, propping up on an elbow weakly. I saw Nakashima wince as she sat up. "Sure, great," she reluctantly agreed.

I narrow my eyes, but I don't say anything else as I helped her up. This time, she yelped in pain. "What? Tell me! What is it?" I asked frantically, inching away in fear. "My ankle... kinda hurts again," she explained, giving me a sheepish smile. "The fall impact wasn't so sweet." I sigh, lending her my shoulder, but unfortunately, leaned on one of my serious scratches. I winced, and she groaned, but gave me another small grin. "We're both pretty beat up," she stated, forcing a giggle.

"You were starting to get better, too," I agree with a playful scowl. "Tell me, Ayumi..." Naomi began, twisting her head to look at me, "can I ask you something?" "As long as it's not personal," I say, shrugging. "Do you really think Sachiko's destroying the world right this very minute, and we're just wasting time?" she inquired, a concentrated yet mournful look in her brown eyes. I blinked, allowing silence to wash over.

Did I really think so? "There is no proof between any of us if she is actually making world domination," I answer carefully, tipping my head in thought. "That worries me," she confessed with a somber glance. "N-Naomi?" I gasped, pointing at Shinohara. "Naomi, quick! Look away!" I pleaded, covering her eyes.

Seiko, with the top part of her neck missing, was walking casually towards us.