Sayā Takagi

Are you going to help or just watch?!

Before the main events of the story, it is shown that Saya has been childhood friends with Takashi Komuro since kindergarten. Saya is the only female member of the group in Takashi's age range who he is not involved with on a romantic level. Kohta Hirano asked her out multiple times, but was turned down without a second thought. She also did this with Morita, ignoring him completely each of the three times he tried to talk to her. It is assumed that Saya was part of the swim club under a teacher that later attacked her as one of "them" during the initial Outbreak. Saya is first seen in the hallway of the school when she finds Kohta Hirano and tells him to leave with her just as the outbreak is starting in the school (In the anime, Saya is first seen on the stairs with Takashi Komuro where she criticizes him for his regrets about Rei Miyamoto). As she and Kohta travel through the hallways, Kohta wonders who will save them, and Saya explains that nobody will since the police and Self Defense Force are probably dealing with the outbreak as well (this was originally in an omake chapter, but it was incorporated into the anime storyline). The two then enter the arts and crafts classroom to find supplies. Saya gathers many tools, including the gas-powered nail gun which she gives to Kohta and asks if he knows what to do with it. A group of them enters the classroom, and Saya hides behind Kohta as he shoots and kills them with the nail gun. They leave the classroom to continue their escape from the school. Later, Saya is seen conducting an experiment in which she is throwing wet towels at one of "them". From this, she determines that "they" only respond to sound. Kohta complains about having to walk long distances as Saya begins leading the way through the halls, and she says he is "such a fatass" and that he can't complain until he's old enough to drive. As they near the faculty room, they encounter another group of them.