Eroica: Hero: 04/07/2021, 13:55 Tips posted:TIP: Wataru Kasasagi A long time had passed since that day. Much like before, Natsuhiko could instinctively tell how much time had passed as if they were his own memories.  (Ah... so it's been seven years since then...)The thing he saw was-- A memory of nine years ago, when Watase was 23 years old.  The sound of him counting his push-ups echoed through the dim room.  ♪ BGM: Languid Hours of Rokumei City ♫ His breath was calm and orderly, with not a single bit of exhaustion to be found.  ...200. Watase stopped once he'd counted to 200. Whew...Watase stood alone in his room, not a bead of sweat on his face. He was living in a small apartment the city had provided him with after he'd lost his old family home. He had been living there for almost seven years. The same apartment he'd lived in through the time he finished up with high school and then moved on to firefighting school.  But Watase had no time to feel uncomfortable about the rapid changes happening in the city, much less feel any loneliness. He lived only to fulfill his sister's dreams. He had remodeled his body and tempered his soul to do so... and passed the notoriously difficult rescue worker exam with top marks. A rescue squad was finally established at the Rokumei City Fire Department at almost the exact same time, and so he enlisted in it. --At that moment, the 2 PM alarm rang on his watch. It was almost time for him to go to work. According to Watase's rotation schedule, he started work at 4 PM, but Watase had a personal rule about always showing up to work early. ...Time to go.The one who spoke was no longer the lazy boy who had no purpose in life. The rescue worker with a body and will of iron left his apartment and headed straight for work.  The building he'd once seen with his sister was now Watase's workplace. He'd figured he'd get used to it long ago-- but he still found himself remembering that day from time to time.   If possible, I'd like to be one. Watase's heart throbbed painfully at the memory of her voice. (Maybe Wataru is the one who's really working here, not me...)He couldn't exactly keep himself from feeling any hatred for the culprit. But it was much healthier for him to live for the dead than to live by hating others. Just as Watase stood thinking to himself, an ear-piercing siren suddenly interrupted his thoughts. ♪ BGM: Looming Crisis ♫ (--A dispatch!)He instantly set his thoughts aside as he focused his mind and honed his senses. His coworkers and the guys on the night shift rapidly dispersed out of the station. The commander noticed Watase and called out to him from afar. Commander: Kasasagi!! Good timing, we're heading out right now!! What's the dispatch for!?Commander: There was a gas explosion at that apartment over there! Watase jumped onto the fire truck as soon as he heard that. --He listened to the radio report inside the truck as he changed into his uniform. Operator: A large-scale gas explosion accident has occurred at the Rokumei Municipal Apartment Complex at 2-4 Higashi-machi. There are residents still inside, though the exact number is uncertain. Furthermore, there is a possibility that the building will cave in or collapse entirely. Firefighting squads and the elite rescue squad are to hurry to the scene and conduct firefighting and rescue efforts. The truck arrived at the scene just as the radio transmission ended.  drat, this is bad...!Thick clouds of black smoke rose from the now burning apartment complex. The commander swiftly gave out orders to the squad members. Commander: The explosion occured from floors 1 to 4 on the building's east side. As such, there is a high risk of that side collapsing. That is where we will be conducting our rescue efforts. Team A will split into two groups: Kasasagi and Dojima will take the 6th floor, while Hiyama and Matsuzawa take the 5th floor. Likewise, Team B will also split into two groups: Asukai and Okamura will take floors 4 and 3, while Hashino and Iida will take floors 2 and 1. Remember, we're trying to save lives here. Make sure you don't leave a single person behind. Ask your team captains for specific instructions. All right then, get to work, men! Sir, yes sir!!The rescue workers then proceeded to run into the apartment complex. Watase and his partner Dojima went around checking all the rooms on the 6th floor. There were many doors they couldn't open, likely due to the explosion-- But they just broke down those doors, saved all the people inside, and continued their rescue efforts in a show of supreme skill.   It's collapsing!?Dojima: Crap! Kasasagi, let's pull out! Dojima shouted that to him from behind. They'd already completely evacuated the floor they'd been assigned to, so they were positive they hadn't left anyone behind. But as Watase and Dojima started fleeing-- A voice called out.  !!Watase stopped dead in his tracks. Dojima: Kasasagi, what's wrong!? I thought I just heard a voice...!He didn't know where it was coming from. But he heard it again. ???: {We're... in apartment 303... Hurry... the fire's...} It was feeble and only came out in fragments, but it was definitely the voice of someone seeking help. (That'd be the 3rd floor! Did they not search all the rooms down there!?) Dojima, did you hear that!? There's still someone in apartment 303!Dojima: Yeah! Let's go save them! Watase and Dojima proceeded to rush down the stairs. --They encountered a woman who lived there on their way and forced her to evacuate, then headed for apartment 303.  Flames flickered in that dim space. (Where's the survivor!?)Watase looked all around the room-- --and spotted a girl lying trapped under burning debris. (!!)Watase's heart leapt as the sight of that girl momentarily overlapped with Wataru's death in his mind. I... I've located a survivor!!Watase ran over to the girl and pulled her out of the rubble. Are you okay!?Girl: Ugh... The girl moaned in pain. She was apparently barely conscious from the lack of oxygen, but she was indeed still alive. Dojima's voice suddenly called out to him. Dojima: There's another one over here! --The survivors were two girls. Watase and Dojima each took one of the girls and ran out of the room.  Dojima was a short distance behind him, carrying the other girl. The girl Watase was holding soon broke out into a pained coughing fit.  Ugh... *cough* *cough*... Are you okay!? I'm gonna get you to a safe place soon, so just hold on tight! B-but... it hurts... My back... my head... my eyes... they all hurt so much... Am I... gonna die...?Watase answered her tearful question in a clear voice. No, don't you worry. I'll never let you die. Never. Huh...? We're rescue workers. We came to save you guys. We won't let you die now that we're here.Watase said that as if to convince himself of that. (... Yeah, isn't that right, Wataru? A rescue worker's job is to protect others' futures. So there's no way in hell... I can let this little girl die!)Watase walked down the hallway as he thought that. All while carrying that small life on his back.  They were both badly hurt, but it appeared their lives were most likely not in any danger. The girls were put into an ambulance and taken away to the hospital. ♪ BGM: Rondo Carrousel (Instrumental Arrange) ♫ Watase watched the ambulance drive off. (... Hey, were you watching me? I protected those girls' futures. Do you think... I've matured a little since those days?)Watase felt like he could hear a nostalgic voice when he thought that. {--You've done so well, Watase. You've made your big sis proud of you.} (...!)It was probably just a figment of his imagination. But Watase looked up to the heavens and gave that voice a smile.
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| ← # ? Mar 29, 2017 18:01 |
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