Ouma's POV:

"W-Wait!" I called out, the crowd was surrounding us and I couldn't tell if he could hear my voice over it, "I'll r-remember o-our promise till the e-end! I p-promise! So p-please, when you w-wake up- DON'T F-FORGET A-ABOUT ME!" I called, they turned around just then and I felt myself blushing as they gave me a small smile and nod.

~-~-Seven Months Before-~-~

I grabbed my school bag and packed inside all of the books from my desk, it was the least I could do for my Mom, around me I could see some of the kids finishing up cleaning time and heading off to their clubs. 

No one was looking at me as I walked out and into the hallway, I could feel the hairs on my neck tensing up, and I could feel my palms sweating with every single step I took up the stairs. But what if...? I asked myself before shaking my head.

It's the only way.

Feeling my confidence slipping I felt my pace quickening as I made my way up to the roof, it was a cloudless day and since it was winter the sun was already starting to set a little. No one was up there because of that cold. Ok...

I took a deep breath and headed over towards one of the ledges, and started taking off my shoes leaving them on the ground and carefully taking out my note placing it under the shoes. I hope DICE would understand- and Mom and Dad, I hope they won't be too sad afterward I didn't want to make them cry.

I turned around and faced the sky, the clouds were like pieces of gray chalk, and the sky looked like it was on fire, the sun just gleaming out in the distance as if to mock me. I stepped over the ledge as I looked at what was hanging below, it was the schoolyard and hopefully, no one would be around for a while, or at least no one will have to see me when I was falling.

My hands were still sweating.

It will be ok, wherever we are going is going to be a better place than where we are right now. I know it will have to be...because I have no one else to turn to.

I took a deep breath and took a step forward...

"What are you doing?" someone asked, I nearly jumped in surprise as I turned around, someone was sitting on the bench next to the ledge and were eyeing the note that I had left. I felt myself tearing up, no! Why did someone have to be here!

"P-Please go! Y-You can't s-stop me!" I quickly told them, the person didn't react the way I thought, maybe screaming at me and telling me all the reasons why I shouldn't be doing what I was about to do, instead they looked past me and towards the sunset.

"That's a shame, it's a beautiful day," they told me, I raised an eyebrow, "h-huh?" I asked, he pointed out at the sunset, "it's a beautiful sunset today isn't it?" He asked me, "on a day like this, it's a shame for someone to die," he told me, looking me dead in the eye, his eyes were so lifeless, not the unempathetic though, more like he didn't know if he could express that kind of emotion.

"I d-don't understand..." I told him, "y-you're not g-going to s-stop me?" I asked, "do you want me to?" he asked, I looked away unsure of how to respond, "I d-don't know" I admitted, "my l-life has been h-horrible lately, and it h-hurts so much...I'm not s-strong enough to f-fight others or d-defend myself, all I can do is cry...and I d-don't want my Mom or Dad or a-any of my friends to see me c-crying anymore...so I c-came here instead...the w-world after this has to b-be better right? Or if I r-reincarnate maybe I can get better luck..." I confessed to him.

"That's not a bad idea, what if you don't reincarnate though?" he asked, my eyes widened, "what if the world you are looking for after this is just as bad as the one you left behind? I'm not brave enough to take that kind of risk, but it seems you are, which confuses me as to why not use that same bravery to just go on for another day" he told me.

"A-Another day?" I asked, he nodded, "of course, the sunset has been getting more beautiful every single day though, so I hope you don't mind me asking if you could wait a few months till winter is over, and when we don't have these beautiful days anymore," he asked.

I felt myself weakly chuckling at his comment, "y-you do l-like the s-sunset d-don't you?" I asked he nodded, "I come here every day before going home to watch it, from my home my bedroom window doesn't face it so I can't see it, and the school roof is high enough that I can look past the buildings and get a good view," he told me.

He was right, the way the sun glistened on the buildings in the distance was beautiful and it looked perfect, a part of me wanted to photograph it, the stars now beginning to creep in only increased the beauty of this day.

And I am going to jump... I could feel my resolve loosening at this, I turned over to the boy but he just continued looking past me and towards the sunset. 

I put my gaze back at the sunset before looking down, "I...I g-guess I don't n-need to die today" I told him, looking back I smiled a little, "you're right...it's too b-beautiful of a d-day for someone to d-die...so I won't spoil it for you...thank you" I thanked.

He shrugged and drank from the beverage he held in his hands, "I didn't do anything, I just told you I liked the sunset" he told me, "n-no I s-should...i-if it's not r-rude of me, w-what's your name?" I asked he looked at me with a shocked expression, "Shuichi Saihara" he told me, "and yours?" he added, I looked up nervously, "K-Kokichi Ouma...i-it's nice to m-meet you Saihara" I greeted.