"How did you get my number?"

"How does it feel? It feels great, doesn't it? To have it all, to have everything you want and more."

Ignoring her question, Tsuchida-san begins going off on a tangent as it soon boils down to expressing her feelings of envy towards Jougasaki-san.

"Where are you-... Wait."

Suddenly pulling the phone closer to her as if something caught her attention, she thinks deeply for a moment before clicking her tongue.

"Tsk, so that's it, huh?"

"Hm? What do you mean..?"

With a sigh of dissatisfaction, it's almost as if she wanted to hang up right then and there. However, she doesn't and instead turns her attention to me.

"The roof. And with that, what will you do, Nao-kun?"

"W-What? What do you m-... wait, the roof? Why are you making it seem like she's going to..."

Staring into my eyes, Jougasaki-san makes it seem as if something irreversible will happen, all because of this farce. There's a chance nothing will happen, but even then, just knowing something might, sends warning signs all over. If I went after her before, perhaps it wouldn't have come down this. I have to act now or this ache in my head will persist.

With Jougasaki-san continuing the call with Tsuchida-san in a rather calm manner, I rush out of the room as the hit of adrenaline makes me stumble on my way up.

...

Panting as I stumble onto the roof top, I fall to my knees the moment I open the door.

"Tsu-Tsuchida...-san...!"

Pushing up onto my jelly like legs, I look around frantically as I check every corner. It was then I spot her, Tsuchida-san, standing just beyond the safety rail of the roof. It seems she's been looking my way ever since I arrived.

"Tsuchida-san... what are you doing?"

Just behind her lies naught but the crushing truth of what may happen if she were to take the fall.

"Senpai... why? Why, how?"

Asking rather vague questions, it seems she too has no clue how to go about it.

"Tsuchida-san, what are you doing there? Come on, get back over here and let's talk things out, okay?"

"Just leave me alone, I don't want to see you. I already said everything that needed to be said."

While it may be everything in her case, for me it's far too little.

"You may think so, but surely there's more to be said, right? What about what you said to me moments ago? Like we could go out and eat like old times..."

"Heh, like old times?" she laughs at the thought of it, "Don't you get it, Senpai? It was all lies. All of it. All made belief. We weren't even close. We weren't even friends. That's how it's always been. Nothing. ...Nothing. Nothing nothing nothing nothing!!"

Despite being so focused on it, her passion leaks as though she yearned for something more than nothing.

Tears well up in her eyes as I try to step a bit closer, though regardless of my intent, she orders me to stop.

"You don't get it do you, Senpai?"

"I may not but at least allow me to! Even if it were all fake, made belief, it was fun, wasn't it!? I had fun and so did you, right?!"

"Fun? What kind of joke is that? It's not even funny, Senpai. With what's been happening, I lost what little I had."

Her steps etch back as it frightens me that the worst will occur no matter what I do.

"Not everything was make belief, right? What about the things you want to do, Tsuchida-san?! Surely you want more than this!"

"...What are you talking about? Why does it even matter about what I want?! What's the point if it'll never happen!?"

"But there's a possibility it will."

Jougasaki-san appears behind me as she keeps her distance. However, her looming authority is so powerful, that I even think Tsuchida-san can hear as if she were right in front of her.

"It's been awhile, hasn't it, Tsuchida-san?"

"Jougasaki...senpai... What, have you come to see it all?"

"Hahh... just how far are you willing to go, Tsuchida-san? I gave all you wanted, but you act as if you've gained nothing."

Caught in their conversation, Jougasaki-san mentions something rather thought provoking.

"The predicament you placed your dear Senpai in, why didn't you continue to play along?"

"Hah! Why? Because what's the point if he already chose to believe you over me!? It's not even fair!"

"True he may have, but he still wanted to hear your story. You still had the chance. But you didn't take it."

"You know what? I really hate you."

"Mm, I know."

"I hate how you act. I hate how you look. I hate-"

Listing all the things she dislikes about her, it escalates as Jougasaki-san listens rather nonchalantly. I didn't think one could potentially list everything they hate about someone.

"You have everything, so why did you have to take the one thing I wanted from me?!"

"..."

Jougasaki-san falls silent as Tsuchida-san tightly grips against the fence in front of her.

"Are you all done now?"

"..."

"Hahhh... Well then, that's good."

Sighing quite deeply, I still can't quite grasp the reason Jougasaki-san's here. Her presence obviously riles Tsuchida-san; certainly she knows this.

"Now then, let's talk about you now, Tsuchida-san. If you hate me so much, then why did you come to me that day? Why ask for help from someone you so despise?"

That's right... She mentioned Tsuchida-san came to and asked about all sorts of things about me.

"...Even if I hate you, what I think about Senpai trumps everything else. But even then, I still regret it. I regret it so much. Because if I didn't ask about Senpai. You wouldn't have trespassed. You wouldn't have barged in to take everything for yourself."

"Hmph, so you knew after all."

Jougasaki-san chuckles as though she was waiting for her to mention it.

"Yes, perhaps if you haven't came to me that day. I wouldn't have realised, and perhaps then you may have gotten what you want."

She peeks over to me as though I'm apart of their secret, though I want to speak up, I'm not sure if I should.

"But if you leave, Tsuchida-san, I will ask him out. You know that, right? Is that what you want?"

"Shut up..."

"Your beloved Senpai possibly ending up with someone that's not you. It irritates you, right?"

"Shut up, shut up!!"

"Let me ask you this, have you considered what your Senpai thinks about you as of right now?"

"Shut up, shut up shut up shut up shut up!!"

Shouting out, the rail rattles.

"What do you mean, have I considered?! Of course I have! You don't know anything!!"

"I know that your love for Nao-kun isn't this shallow!"

Raising her voice past hers, Tsuchida-san falls silent, biting her lip.

"Once it's all over, do you know who'll be tormenting the most? Not you, but him. All because you decided the easiest way out is to jump."

"So?" taking in deep breathes, she forcibly shakes the fence, "I don't care anymore! If I'm not here then that's better, isn't that right!? No, I know it's right, because, Senpai rejected me. He pushed me away, so when that happened, I couldn't handle it. If Senpai ends up with someone else, I can't take it. I don't want that, I don't! So then I did something, something terrible. Something I realised only after it happened."

Pouring her feelings out like a storm, tears stream down her cheeks as she latches against the fence. Hanging her head, numerous tears drop, her body quivers, but even then she continues.

"I hate myself and everyone hates me. I'm fine with that, I always have been but, if it's Senpai then... I...-"

Spotting the slightest change in movement, I rush forward as my heart pounds.

"I don't want that..."

Falling to her knees against the edge of the roof, I stop momentarily as she's still within the clear.

"Tsuchida-san, I think for one thing is that you should give Uehara-kun more credit."

"Senpai..?"

Jougasaki-san looks to me as Tsuchida-san's still hanging her head as subtle sobs escape.

"...Tsuchida-san, while I had my doubts, about everything, I still believed in you. I truly did want to think someone as kind and fun as you were my girlfriend. You were the first I saw when I woke up and just that made me really happy."

"...but that, anyone... Anyone else could've been there... It didn't have to be me..."

"It didn't have to be... but, you know this feeling well, right, Tsuchida-san?"

"S-Senpai.. Y-You..?"

For some reason, it felt right to say. As though we had this sort of conversation once before.

"I'm... scared, I don't want you to hate me. I don't want you to leave me..."

"Hahh..." I sigh before rubbing the back of my head, trying to figure out what to say to place her at ease. At least, for now until we're on stable grounds; ready for a true heart to heart.

"Don't I deserve this? Isn't it better if I just disappear?"

"I could help with your transfer to a different school; a nice place in another district, and I could also put in a good word for you. Then perhaps plan a route so you'll never bump into us again, even by coincidence. There's better ways to go about it, than to end your life. This way, at least your death wouldn't be on our conscious."

Looking to Jougasaki-san in hopes that she's just telling a fib, it's not a real knee slapper nor is it really the time for it. Though she does seem serious about it, which is quite nerve racking.

"Heh...heh...hahaha..." Tsuchida-san let's out a dry laugh, "So in the end, you're just looking out for yourself."

"Who can say, it's a possibility. But, that's not what you want, correct? To be away from school, from Senpai? Why off yourself, when your Senpai doesn't even hate you?"

"..."

Unable to find her words, it's true what she said. Despite winding up in hospital, despite the lies she's told, I can't say I hate her. From her position, she feels outcasted and guilt ridden, so much as to believe that the only way to atone, is for her to jump. Surely there's more to the situation, but it'll never be revealed if she's not here.

"You seem so sure of yourself."

"Hmph, well, I've seen others do worse to you, but you never batted an eye to them."

"S-So... winding up in hospital, that's not the worst?"

She smiles if only just a bit, "It's a matter of perspective. I'd say, you enjoy working side your juniors. A person never forgets who they once were, even if they don't know it. It's in their nature, and sure enough, you want to help her, isn't that right?"

"Yeah, It's as she says, Tsuchida-san. What you may be thinking of how I see you, it's not true. Though I don't know everything that has happened; if it's pained you this much, I don't think I can hate you for it."

"So what, what should I do..? Even if... even if Senpai... how can I just-..."

"It's simple. Live. Live so you can find the answer one day. I'll help if necessary but with time, I'm sure it'll come to light. So, " stepping closer, I place my hand against the fence in front of her, "Let's work together, Tsuchida-san, towards the future that you so desired."

"Senpai... I..."

Raising her arm ever so slightly, it meets half way. Clutching the fence, tears stream down as she bawls aloud.

"Senpai... you-, you don't know how much that--...."

Wondering how I got into this situation, I look to Jougasaki-san who's quietly observing with a small, almost bittersweet smile as she steps forward.

"Congratulations, Tsuchida-san."

"??"

Rubbing her eyes, Tsuchida-san looks up to her at a loss for words.

"You win."

Leaving us with those words, she walks away.