I'm Outta Time

Cause if I am to go

In my heart you'll grow

And that's where you belong

My epilogue to Higashi No Eden. I loved the series, I loved the movies, but it made me a bit sad that Takizawa left Saki high and dry.

Title inspired by I'm Outta Time - Oasis - Dig Out Your Soul. Not their best song, not their best album, but it fits the series and the couple. (Seriously, how can anyone overcome Definitely Maybe and Morning Glory? Anyway.)

So, my fanfic starts with Saki's monologue at the end of the second movie. Now that Takizawa is gone, what will happen to the world? What will happen to Saki? But wait -is Takizawa really gone?Saki's POV, an unexpected OC at the end and maybe a bit of OOC, but that's inevitable with a fanfic. Rated T just to be safe. And I'd really appreciate any review, even a 'your stupid' comment.

It's been half a year now. I still haven't seen any big changes in the country. But it's changing somehow in places I can't see. I believe this. And somewhere in this city, Takizawa believes it too and is working hard to make it happen. Pouring his heart and soul into everyone's hopes.

Witnessing all the little changes Takizawa's actions brought to our world, I couldn't help but change myself as well. Not only did the times demand change, but I also felt as if it was the smallest act of gratitude towards him. He generously gave up on his own life only to fight for a better world; the least I could do was to improve myself as well.

However, It's been half a year now. I still haven't chosen which path to follow. My friends and former partners have all decided to start a new project, an Eden of the East's offspring. No matter how painful giving Eden away was, they threw themselves at work and in a short term, Treasure Map was born. Quite similar to Eden, it emphasized less on users' private data such as profession or age and more on their interests and lifestyle, becoming a hit among the youth from its beta stages.

But unlike my partners' enthusiasm, I found myself unable to commit to this project as much as I did to Eden, reasons unknown. I felt incomplete and unsatisfied, I didn't come up with ideas as good as I used to, back when I was in university and Eden was only script language on Micchon's laptop. Still, I continued working with the team, as I had no idea what else I could -or more correctly wanted to- do.

In the meanwhile, Ohsugi confessed his feelings to me, something that nobody -including me- expected him to do. Shortly after Takizawa's departure, and while I was still confused and disorientated, he asked me out on a date and I accepted. He had reservations at the restaurant he had planned on taking me after our interviews but instead ended up drinking with Kasuga. On that night, he popped the question, kneeling on one knee and protesting his love in the middle of the restaurant for everyone to hear. For several seconds, I looked at him petrified and speechless, but then I mumbled a faint "Yes", not really as a sign of affirmation but mostly to bring an end to this embarrassing moment. From that day on, Ohsugi is on seventh heaven, while I get a sense of guilt in the pit of my stomach every time I look at the ring placed on my finger. Four months later we still haven't made any wedding plans, though he persistently attempts to open this subject, only to receive some vague answer by me.

I'm not entirely sure I love him; at least, not in a way different than I love my other friends. He knew from the start that I wouldn't give up on Takizawa so easily, yet he made pretty clear that he can offer me what Takizawa never would: a stable, long-lasting relationship. Takizawa's memory still burns inside me, but at some point I have to move on, just like the world around me did.

It's been half a year now. To be exact, today would be six months and three days. And for some reason, I felt the urge to visit the mall, the scenery of many of our shared moments. I didn't enter the building itself, but headed to the merry-go-round. Still damaged by the missile attack, stands tilted in front of the bay. I walked to the edge, leaning against the railing, gazing at the bay. It was late in the afternoon and the sunset dyed the surroundings in its golden glory, giving a magical sensation to Tokyo. 'Where is the world going? Where am I going?' These questions lingered on my mind, as I lost myself somewhere in the scenery.

And then I heard a loud crack and the railing fell apart. Gravity took her task, making me lose my balance. I started falling forward and I would certainly face an unpleasant landing, hadn't I grabbed the edge on the last second. But my grip wasn't strong enough to allow me to climb up, so I stood there, dangling somewhat ten meters above the ground.

Before I started calling out for help though, I heard footsteps racing towards my direction and the next moment two male hands had a tight grip on my wrists, pulling me upwards. I could swear I knew these hands, but given the situation I wasn't able to think clear. Only after lying on stable ground did I turn to face my savior.

And who else could it be but Takizawa.

"It's incredible how you always manage to get into trouble, Saki-chan." he giggled and granted me a wide smile, a few centimeters away from my astounded face. My mouth opened in an attempt to speak but I couldn't pronounce a single word. If it weren't for the slight pain on my wrists, I'd be sure I was daydreaming. But no, Takizawa was really in front of me, breathing, talking, holding me, in front of the destroyed merry-go-round, like that day he became the Air King.

"I have to tell you something." he said, in his casual tone, regardless of my shocked look. "Wanna go back to my place?"

It came as no surprise that, a few hours later, we ended up in his hotel room, on the bed to be specific. Lying on my stomach, wrapped with the sheets, I gazed at the man next to me, trying to understand him. His pose was nonchalant and he wasn't trying to cover his body -not that the Takizawa I knew ever felt embarrassed about his nakedness- but I could tell there was something different about him. His dark grey eyes seemed cloudier than the last time I saw them, giving off a mature feeling. What was he up to during these last six months? Why did he disappear and come back? What did he want to talk to me about? All these questions rambled in my head and Takizawa hadn't spoken a single word about the reason we met.

"So..." he said, still in a casual tone. "How's your life? I heard the team moved to a new project."

I looked at him, unsure of how the conversation would evolve. "Yes... Though I'm thinking of dropping out. But I'm not sure what I want to do next..."

"Well, you'd make a good teacher."

I looked at him, genuinely confused. Where did that come from? "Um... what?" I asked.

"Yeah, you're good at guiding people and showing them aspects they wouldn't notice. You did that with me." He finished his sentence with a smile, not his usual grin, but a deeper, meaningful smile. And I couldn't help but look at him, mesmerized by his unique ability to steal all the coherent thoughts from my head.

"Saki-chan..." he broke the silence again. I widened my eyes and looked directly at his; the seriousness they emitted made me shiver. "I have to ask you something, and I want a straight-forward answer." he said.

But I wouldn't let him ask first. I had to know some things first. "Wait. I have some questions too. Where have you been? Why did you leave...?" My complete sentence would be 'Why did you leave me?', thankfully I realized how stupid it'd sound before I finished it.

"Please allow me to speak and then ask me whatever you want." His voice sounded impressively sober and confirmed that Takizawa had really grown up during the last months. "I found Mr. Outside and now I work for him, but I cannot give you any more details for now. Unless..."

He paused for a moment, his eyes drifted away from mine and he touched my hand. "See, things are much more difficult now. During the Game, twelve people had to make plans for the whole nation, but now this duty burdens only me... And I don't know for how long I will handle it, unless I have someone by my side." He let out a deep breath and looked me in the eyes again. "Someone like you, Saki. Will you come with me?"

The last sentence came as a shock. I summarized the whole situation in my mind; this man erased his memories twice, spent 10 billion yen and gave away his personal life to save this nation. Could he be asking me to do the same? Spontaneously, the faces of my beloved people flashed in front of my eyes; how could I ever abandon them? How could I give up on my life at a heartbeat and follow that mysterious man?

As I tried to pull myself together and collect the words to give him the answer, tears started gathering at the corners of my eyes and the overwhelming sensation of the droplets down my cheeks was too much to handle at that time. Takizawa read my reaction and gave me a faint smile, cupping my face.

"It's all right, Saki, don't worry..." he said, his voice and stroke doing little to sooth me.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."I said and swallowed a sob before it escaped my lips. "I'm being stupid and selfish, but I cannot sacrifice myself like you did... I'm such a coward..." My tears now came down freely, running down his palm, but he didn't seem to mind.

"Now who said you're selfish, Saki?" The smile was still lighting his features and he leant over my head, looking at me from above, a god-like creature out of this world. "You are sacrificing yourself, you are working for the sake of this country" he continued, carefully punctuating his words "and you are not selfish. I have been the selfish one, asking you to follow me without considering your feelings."

"But I want to be by your side Takizawa-kun..." I said, regretting it the very moment the words escaped my mouth. I blushed crimson red and shut my eyes to avoid the embarrassment. I felt his hand sliding off my face and before I had a chance to open my eyes, he was kissing me. Not in the vigorous way he was placing small kisses on my lips, as we made our way to the bed a while ago. Not in the hasty, surprised way he kissed me back before our last goodbye. He kissed me like the first time, protectively, lovingly, making all the problems in the world float away in tiny bubbles. And to be honest, these mere seconds surpassed everything I've felt in my life and I could give up everything just for this feeling, without a second thought.

But eventually he broke the kiss, his lips still parted and smiling. "Please don't call me Takizawa. Takizawa was the arrogant terrorist who made the nation tremble with fear of missile attacks and kidnapped twenty-thousand NEETs... This guy's gone, please don't call me Takizawa again. Just Akira."

I nodded, still trying to catch my breath from the previous kiss. "Akira..." I repeated.

"Please Saki, be strong and do your best. You have the power to change the world as much as everyone and I do." whispered, as if I was telling a secret. He stroked my cheek and kissed my forehead, a tender gesture that made my heart flutter.

And with these being his last words, we kept on looking at each other, cherishing the moment as if nothing else mattered at that time but us.

I woke up many hours later, minutes before the sunrise. In the cold light, with eyes still drowsy, I explored the room in search of him. My clothes laid on a neat pile at the edge of the bed and not crumbled on the floor, where I left them last night. And as I expected, there was absolutely no sign of Akira, as if our meeting last night never happened.

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It's been five years now. Slowly yet steadily, my generation is writing a new chapter of this country's history. NEETs have finally taken charge of their lives and are gradually standing out in many fields. The economy is given slight boosts, year after year, and the country is standing on its feet again. Surely there's a lot to be done, in order to reach Ato Saizo's utopic goal. Yet, the society is undergoing continuous morphing, just like my life. And both thanks to Akira.

Soon after our very last meeting, I decided to make use of my university degree and get a job as a literature teacher. The school I work at may not be the most prestigious in Tokyo, yet I enjoy my job. Being able to work with the youth, the future citizens of this country, learning about their ideas and dreams and helping them grow into responsible adults, this may be my contribution to a better world. A small, yet important contribution to Akira's masterplan.

And as for my personal life, a few days after meeting Akira, I broke off my engagement with Ohsugi, admitting that I'd never see him as a lover, let alone a lifetime partner, for I could not get Akira out of my mind. However, I refrained from mentioning my recent activities, as things would get a weird twist. Ohsugi being Ohsugi, he went over-emotional, sobbing like a little girl, but there was nothing I could say to comfort him. I wanted to be sincere for the first time in six months. After my confession, he accepted a job offer at Shanghai and left Tokyo. Until this day, he hasn't talked to me, though he stays in touch with the rest of our former partners.

My friends and family were puzzled and curious about my sudden and ostensibly unjustified decisions, but I kept my mouth shut. They were speculating and questioning me for quite a while, until a couple of months passed and the answer was obvious to everyone.

It's been five years now. Sometimes, I still feel the need to visit the mall, the cinema, the merry-go-round, with the faint hope that somewhere in the crowd I'll catch a glimpse of Akira's messy hair or hear his ringing laughter, but he was nowhere to be found. Today was no exception, I thought, as I sat at the bench looking the merry-go-round spinning on its slow rhythm. I glanced at my watch and I got up.

"Akira, that's enough, come back!" I said loudly.

A little head turned towards my direction and its owner waved happily at me. "Okay mom!" As I walked the few meters to the merry-go-round, the young boy got off the wooden horse and ran to the steps. Suddenly, on the first step he stumbled on his shoelaces and he started falling to the ground, in front of my terrified eyes.

"Akira!" I shrieked and raced to the young boy. Before I reached him though, a hand wound around his tiny body and prevented his fall and I froze, standing a meter away from my son and the man holding him.

"Hey little buddy, you should be more careful!" the man said, as he lowered him to the ground. He kneeled in front of him in order to face the toddler. "You could have gotten hurt."

"Thank you mister." the boy said, lowering his face to the ground.

The man patted his head and the boy giggled. "Now, what's your name?" he asked.

"I am Morimi Akira, nice to meet you!"

"Akira?" the man repeated on the same jolly tone "That's a very nice name."

"Yes, it's after the hero who saved the world from the missiles!" added the boy happily.

The man paused, his features darkened for a second. Suddenly, he turned and looked at me, a glorious smile painted on his face. I was watching the whole scene clenching my fists and my mouth was frozen at a gasp. I wondered if he realized; it was impossible not to. Even a passer-by would notice that the little boy and the man had the same messy black hair and playful grin. Their only difference was their eyes, as the man had dark grey eyes and the little boy large hazel eyes, identical to mine.

Once again he turned on the boy and matched his grin. "Akira, take good care of your mother and stand by her side. Okay?" The man stood up and the boy had to crook back his neck to look at him.

"Yes mister, I will!" he said and came to my side, reaching out to touch me. I relaxed my hands and responded.

"All right then, goodbye!" the man said, turned away and started running. And we stood there, looking at his figure disappearing in the crowd.

We headed to the bay and waited for the ferry to take us to the other side. Five minutes later, my son turned at me and asked "Mom, who was this man?"

I took a deep breath and looked at the skyline. The sun was setting over our heads and its golden veil seemed brighter than ever. "This man is a hero." I said.

"Really?" my son said impressed, his eyes widening with awe.

I looked at him and smiled. The ferry had just arrived, so I lifted him up and held him in my arms as we boarded. "Now, would you like to hear a story?" I asked him.

"What kind of story mom?"

"It's the story of a brave young man, a man who saved the world."

P.S. (September 2012): Thank you all for the kind feedback! I really did not expect that anyone would like my story. Unfortunately, it's a one-shot -I'm sorry I didn't clarify that. Thanks again for reading!