Chapter Text
Sayaka watched as Makoto released a crane back into the wild. It was a crane that had stumbled into the pond near the school she's attending. The crane had injured itself when it gotten stuck in the pond. The teachers didn't feel like taking care of an injured crane, so they handed it off to Makoto, who was in charge of taking care of the animals.
At the time, Makoto tried to convince the other teachers to help him treat the crane's injuries. But the teachers were busy and had better things to do than to take care of a crane. So Makoto was left to do it on his own.
Sayaka felt bad for the crane when she saw it stumble into the pond. It reminded her of the time when she decided to join the idol industry without fully knowing the inner workings. It was a naive attempt to escape her loveless home life. Now that she had experienced how the idol industry really operates with her own eyes, Sayaka began to regret her decision. She has gotten famous as an idol during that time. She frequently found herself surrounded by adoring fans as she walked through the hallways of her school. She had gotten love, the thing that she always wanted in her life. But it wasn't quite the right type of love for her. It didn't fill the void in her heart as much as she expected.
When she saw Makoto rescue that crane, Sayaka felt like her heart was being touched. She began to feel like she had finally met someone who could fill the void in her heart. She didn't know that Makoto chose to rescue that crane; the teachers had assigned Makoto to take care of the crane. But it didn't matter. It was a heartwarming act that made Sayaka develop a crush on Makoto. She had never talked to him before, but seeing this act of kindness made her want to walk up to him and start a conversation.
If she wasn't an idol, she would've talked to Makoto by then. But alas, Sayaka chose to go down the path of an idol, and there was little she could do to change it. The rules of being an idol were hammered into her head the day she became one. She wasn't allowed to date anyone; she must put her career and her fans over everything else. Getting to know Makoto could start a relationship with him, which could risk ruining her career and fame.
Sayaka knew the potential consequences of dating anyone. Even though it hasn't been long since she started her idol career, she had advanced too far to want to risk ruining it. She is now on the road to becoming a global superstar. But at the same time, Sayaka wanted a reliable source of love in her life. Her numerous fans may give her love right now, but as soon as a scandal involving her happens they will all be gone. Of course, dating anyone may lead to a scandal, but still...she just wanted someone to rely on.
Even though it was clear that dating someone would benefit her in the long run, Sayaka remained conflicted in her decision to approach Makoto. Sure, she might get happier as an adult if she does this, but at what cost? She would have to face the wrath of her many fans for not giving them her full attention. That's going to be painful to go through, even if it lasted for only a short time. She wasn't sure if she really wants to talk to Makoto. Weighing the pros and cons of each decision is getting too much for her mind to handle.
Eventually, Sayaka decided to watch Makoto release the crane from a distance. She wore a disguise the day the crane was ready to be released. Then, she watched Makoto exit the building with the crane and followed him into the forest. She made sure to be quiet so that Makoto doesn't notice her. Once Makoto and the crane reached the forest, Sayaka hid behind a tree and watched Makoto as he released the crane back into the wild.
Makoto let go of the crane and let it fly back into the wild. He waved at the crane as it flew away. "Bye, crane," he said. "Stay safe out there. Continue your species so that it can survive another generation."
The crane honked in response, as if it was talking to Makoto too.
Sayaka felt like her heart was getting lighter as she watched Makoto release the crane. She nearly wanted to walk up to him and comment on his act of kindness. But then Sayaka remembered that she had to go to work today. Her managers won't like it if she showed up late. So Sayaka began to walk out of the forest and back into her hometown. But as she began to walk, Sayaka tripped on something.
"Whoa!" Sayaka yelped as she crashed into the ground.
Makoto heard something hit the ground behind him and turned around. "Huh? What's going on?" he said.
Sayaka felt like her face was getting dirty from hitting the forest soil. She might have to get her face cleaned before she could begin working.
Makoto then noticed a person laying on the ground. "Who's there?" he asked as he walked up to the body.
Sayaka heard footsteps coming towards her. She felt her heart dropping when she realized who's approaching her.
Makoto looked at the body on the ground, wondering who it is. He couldn't see the face, so he rolled the body over to see who it is. But upon doing that, he saw Sayaka's face and immediately knew who the body is.
"Whoa!" Makoto gasped upon seeing Sayaka. "C-Could it be...?"
"Ah!" Sayaka gasped. She took heavy breaths as she saw Makoto from up close.
"Maizono?" Makoto said. "Is that...really you?"
Sayaka was too ecstatic to be able to say a word. She simply nodded in response.
"W-What are you doing here?" Makoto asked.
"Uh..." Sayaka tried to explain.
Makoto saw that Sayaka's face had been scratched up a little bit from falling into the ground. Those look pretty bad, but then Makoto looked down at Sayaka's hands and knees and saw that they were really scratched up. It looks like those scratches are bleeding.
"Uh oh," Makoto said. "You're injured! Quick, we must get to the nurse's office!"
Sayaka looked down at her hands and knees and gasped upon seeing that they were severely scratched. It must've came from her accidental trip. She must've been too excited to see Makoto that she didn't detect the pain at first. Then she began to feel pain emanating from those scratches.
"Ahhhh!" Sayaka screamed in pain. "Ah, it hurts! It hurts so much..."
"Here!" Makoto said as he grabbed Sayaka. "Let me help you get up!"
Makoto tried to lift Sayaka up so that he can escort her to the nurse's office. But being rather weak, he had difficulty lifting Sayaka even a little bit above the ground. Sayaka then decided to help lift herself up as well. She bent her knees and placed her feet on the ground. It felt painful to move her knees, but she fought through the pain. Then, she got back up on her feet. With Sayaka now standing up straight, Makoto began to escort her to the nurse's office.
"Here we go..." the nurse said as she wrapped bandages around Sayaka's hands and knees. "There! That should do it. You're good to go, Maizono."
"Thank you, nurse," Sayaka said. "If it weren't for Naegi, I wouldn't be in here."
The nurse turned her head towards Makoto. "I'm impressed, Naegi," she said. "First you rescued a crane and released it back into the wild, and now you've brought an injured idol here. You must have a really kind heart."
"Well, it's not like I had a choice in saving that crane," Makoto replied. "And anyone would've tried to save an idol as soon as she became injured."
"Oh, don't downplay what you've done," the nurse said. "You did a good job out there. Not many people knows how to save an animal, and not many people are willing to save a celebrity if they are in danger. I must say, you could be good as a doctor, saving people from serious injury."
"I'm not sure if I should go down that path..." Makoto said.
The nurse smiled. "We'll see about that," she said. "Now, I must dismiss you two for now. Take care of yourselves!"
Makoto and Sayaka then exited the nurse's office. It was difficult for Sayaka to walk since her knees are covered in bandages, so Makoto had to stick by her side wherever she goes. The two had a moment to talk to each other as they walked.
"I must ask you, Maizono," Makoto said. "What were you doing out there near the forest?"
"Uh..." Sayaka began to reply. "Well...you see, I was following you out into the forest..."
"You were following me?" Makoto asked. "Why?"
"That crane you rescued..." Sayaka replied. "You were about release it back into the wild..."
"Of course I did," Makoto replied. "That's where it belonged."
"Yeah, I agree," Sayaka said. "That crane pretty much flew into the pond from nowhere..."
Makoto blushed as he continued to talk to Sayaka. He had never imagined him in a situation like this, but here he is. He's not sure if he could continue to talk to her, though.
"Uh...Maizono?" Makoto said.
"Yes, Naegi?" Sayaka replied.
"Uh...it was nice talking to you," Makoto began, "but I really have to go back home. I don't think that you're able to work now that you're injured..."
Sayaka looked down at her bandaged hands and knees. "Yeah, I should tell my managers this as soon as possible," she said. "I won't be able to move much when my knees are like this. And it's hard to work as an idol if I can't close my hands..."
"You should also go back home and take a rest," Makoto suggested. "I'm sure your parents are able to take care of you when you're injured."
"Um...about that," Sayaka said.
Makoto stopped in place. "Huh? What is it?" he asked.
"My parents..." Sayaka said. She paused for a moment as she collected her thoughts. "Uh...I'm not sure how else to say this but...I don't feel comfortable talking about my parents now..."
"Why not?" Makoto asked. "Is there something wrong?"
"I don't think this is the right place to talk about my parents," Sayaka said. "We are alone in this hallway, but there are still other students in this school right now. I know that this might sound crazy to you, but...could I stay at your place while I heal?"
Makoto was shocked to hear that. "What?!" he gasped. "You...want to...stay...at my house?"
"Not right now!" Sayaka replied. "Just...after I told my managers about my injuries, okay?"
Makoto felt a little uneasy about letting an idol stay at his house while she rest to heal. "Uh...even if we do that," he said, "I'm not sure if I'm okay with this..."
"Why?" Sayaka asked. "Isn't it every boy's dream to have an idol stay at his room?"
"Uh...it's not just that..." Makoto replied. "It's also...my sister. She's...a big fan of you right now. I...don't want to imagine her reaction to seeing you at my house, let alone staying there..."
"Well, it's not like I have any other choice..." Sayaka said. "Tell you what. You help me get to my workplace. I will tell my managers that I'm injured and that I should take a break for now. Then, we will go to your home for me rest while I recover from my injuries. Does that sound good?"
Makoto took a moment to give a response. "Uh...yeah..." he replied.
"Good," Sayaka said. "Now, let's get going!"
Makoto and Sayaka then exited the school, ready to continue their day.