《The Perfect Friend, a Gakkou Gurashi Fanfic》


 Chapter One

    Our arrival at the university was meant to spark a new chapter. An end to our old ways. An end to our High School life.


    Yet, it started something within one of our friends.


    As we watched from the safety of the nearby chairs covering us, I noticed a figure approaching through the front door.


    His wavy dark blue hair and his dark green school blazer make me instantly recognize him.


    ¡°I can see you over there¡±


    Another figure emerged from the opposite entrance, approaching him.


    ¡°What¡¯s Ryu doing?¡± I whispered to Mii-kun.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡±


    Ryu used to stray from our activities, almost unwilling to socialize with anyone. But now had become someone that you could lean onto and trust. Someone that Rii-san and Kurumi can trust to tag along with and laugh with without a single argument.


    Yet, as we got into the University, Ryu had this weird look as if he was scheming something behind our backs. We ignored it at first. Yet, as the days went by, I couldn¡¯t help but notice that he started to disappear often.


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    ¡°So you have it?¡± He extended his hand out.


    ¡°Yea¡­¡± A female voice came from the unknown figure, ¡°There¡¯s been a change of plans¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    The thunder of footsteps followed as several figures armed with various weapons rushed inside, surrounding the two figures.


    ¡°Give it up,¡± The figure said as she pulled her screwdriver out, pointing it towards Ryu, ¡°Your tricks won¡¯t work here¡±


    How could this be?


    We watched in horror as the entire group started to close in on Ryu with a determined look on their faces.


    ¡°We gotta help him, Mii-kun!¡± I whispered to her.


    ¡°There¡¯s about four of them not to mention the possibility if someone is waiting outside! We can¡¯t risk it¡±


    I withdrew behind the cover of the seats.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother trying to fight¡± Another girl holding a knife pressed it close to his neck, ¡°For someone like you, you¡¯re quite dumb¡­¡±


    Ryu stood there frozen.


    I couldn¡¯t understand what was happening. Did all of this happen because of Ryu? Did he start all of this?


    I wanted to jolt out of my seat and save him myself. It didn¡¯t matter what it took. Even if I wasn¡¯t as strong as him or fast like Kurumi, I¡¯d do whatever it takes. He needed my help. Anyone in this situation would.


    Yet¡­ he just stood there unfazed with a smile. Not the type you¡¯d see from a villain in Mangas, just a normal one. As he was just fooling around for fun.


    But I know what he can do. And that¡¯s why I was worried for him.

 Chapter Two

    Blue light flashed into my glasses. Its light which was once dimmed now glared into my eyes.


    I looked away, shifting my chair over to the right. The only light source inside my room was the computer and the sunlight briefly passing through the curtains.


    Peering over from the computer, I rapidly blinked in the face of the computer light, with my eyes slowly getting comfortable with the light despite the almost burning sensation I had.


    I hovered my mouse, reigniting the bright light of my computer. ¡®A sudden increase in Flu cases across the country¡¯, a news article claimed. It seemed quite odd.


    The question was wrapped around my head as I thought for a moment. However, the issue got out of my head since there wasn¡¯t much to think about.


    A knock emitted through the door, prompting me to look over.


    ¡°Come in¡± I responded, pulling the curtains from my only window away while the door swung open, ¡°Good morning sensei¡±


    Megumi Sakura. The type of sweet teacher who would let you get away with screwing up formalities and calling her ¡°Megu-nee¡± all of the time. Sakura boasted her long, straight, lavender hair alongside her constant blushing which tends to make me assume she was a former student.


    ¡°Good morning Tanaka-kun,¡± Sakura responded with her soft and gentle voice.


    Her face was in awe at the awards and special items I boasted on the walls including a nostalgic picture of me during my middle school years. Although, I wish that I had replaced it with something better.


    ¡°How may I help you?¡± I placed my hand on the table.


    Sakura reached for the notebook she was holding, placing it down on the table. After a moment, she slid it over to my side.


    ¡°Just the usual housekeeping work so don¡¯t get too worried¡±


    ¡°You usually come over during the afternoon, so it was best to assume it was urgent," I said while giving a quick scan over the book.


    ¡°Not really,¡± Sakura chuckled.


    ¡°Is it work-related?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Specifically the Horticulture Club¡±


    ¡°Well, what seems to be the issue?¡±


    ¡°I talked with Mio-san yesterday about an issue she¡¯s been having recently which I won¡¯t disclose"


    I leaned forward, keeping silent. Mio had always been a leader for the Horticulture Club, but also capable of wrestling with my ideas which sometimes made me regret choosing her in the first place.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s best to alleviate some work off of her for the time being, since she¡¯ll be absent for two weeks¡±


    ¡°Should we meet with her in the afternoon?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Try not to scare Mio-san off¡±


    ¡°Alright. After school, we¡¯ll meet up at the Horticulture Club Room. I¡¯ll bring Mio-san over¡±


    ¡°Got it¡±


    ¡°On the subject of leadership, do you want someone else on the job for it?¡±


    ¡°How about Miyako-san? She can lead"


    Sakura smiled, almost trying to look confident with her choice.


    ¡°I agree she is capable, but doesn¡¯t have that level of motivation by the looks of it¡±


    Although I should probably cut her some slack since my entire job revolved around giving more ¡®autonomy¡¯ to the student leadership.


    ¡°Really? I¡¯ve always seen her engage in the usual Horticulture activities"


    ¡°She¡¯s been a bit slow and dull when I was watching her. Not to blame anyone of course, but that¡¯s just the pressure of schoolwork"


    ¡°Who do you suggest then?¡±


    ¡°How about Wakasa Yuuri-san?¡±


    ¡°Sure! I¡¯ll go tell her"


    I didn¡¯t mind the fact that Sakura was easily swayed in the moment, although what I found surprising was the fact that she was mindful of Mio¡¯s grades going down.


    ¡°Thank you" I politely smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem Tanaka-kun¡± Sakura reciprocated my smile, ¡°Mio¡¯s been quite the bright kid, so it seems unfair to let her take the burden of the work"


    ¡°Agreed¡±


    We stopped for a moment throughout the conversation. It was plain obvious we couldn¡¯t think of anything to discuss. Sakura was one of the only few people who had understood and respected my solitude.


    My mind started to fiddle with the possibilities over at the Dando port, making me stare straight at my screen.


    ¡°Tanaka-kun?¡± Sakura said in a loud voice.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I asked you earlier if everything was alright¡±


    ¡°Sorry Sensei, I¡¯m just thinking about something¡±


    I¡¯ll admit, she blends in every social environment.


    ¡°Something about Mio-san?¡± Sakura slowly leaned over while trying to avoid looking at my computer.


    ¡°Just¡­ just something happening around here. Although I¡¯d attribute that to just me caring about the wrong things in life"


    ¡°Is that so? What seems to be bothering you?¡±


    ¡°Just what¡¯s happening at Dando port. Exactly why our delivery was delayed"


    ¡°Well that¡¯s a shame. I live quite close to it but it seemed quite peaceful¡± Sakura looked outside the window.


    ¡°Sometimes you can¡¯t have a day like this without something big happening"


    ¡°Agreed. Remember a few weeks back?¡±


    ¡°That was indeed quite the show they put on"


    Sakura giggled at my remark while I sat in silence, taking a glance at the clock.


    ¡°Anyways, I¡¯ll see you in class,¡± I said with a quick smile, breaking the silence.


    ¡°See you then Tanaka-kun,¡± Sakura said as she walked towards the door.


    ¡°And by the way, Sakura-sensei¡­¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Sakura turned over


    ¡°Thanks for trying to help Mio-san. It¡¯s not easy for me to work with her nowadays"


    ¡°No problem¡±


    I sat down looking at my desktop as the door slid shut. The conversation was a bit meaningless except for handling the issue of Mio.


    Placing my hand over the power button, I stood up, putting my dark green school blazer over. Even though we had just gotten out of the ¡®dreaded¡¯ winter season, I was still bound to the expectation of having it over me.


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    I¡¯ll admit, becoming the Council President feels like a drag. But I¡¯ve compensated for it through the fact that this school holds the theme of ¡®autonomy¡¯ for their students since Megurigaoka High School is a village in their eyes.


    I only needed the role of School Council to increase my chances of getting into a university while just testing out my skills at the cost of my social life.


    You can think of me negatively, but in my defense, if you cared about your future, wouldn¡¯t you try to set yourself up for better chances? After all, I¡¯ll only be in this role for a year. It wouldn¡¯t hurt.


    With the sign ¡°3C¡± marked on top of the door, I turned to my left, entering the room. The sight of students all huddled around in their small groups had given me ease and distraction from the events.


    ¡°Good morning Tanaka-kun¡± almost everyone said with smiles on their faces.


    ¡°Good morning everyone" I responded.


    As I sat down in the corner of the room, the sight of the classroom with its students scattered around in their small ¡®friend groups¡¯ at every section.


    While unzipping my bag, I had come to the unfortunate conclusion that I remained alone, almost as if I was an unintentional magnet for anyone asking me out for the afternoon. Fortunately, I managed to take advantage of the homework placed inside.


    The strategy seemed to work as usual. As I continued going through the worksheets, I started to notice the students all leave the room one by one, with giggles and quiet chatter among them.


    Only me and some girl sleeping a few tables away from me were in the room. She wore a blue colored skirt which contradicted the popular green type that most students wore.


    I nonetheless continued with my work.


    The quiet was almost perfect. Except for the girl¡¯s light snoring and breathing that echoed across the classroom, I had nothing to distract me for now.


    With my phone in my hand, I continued to scroll through the articles in front of me. There hadn¡¯t been many updates, yet. The feeling of obscurity over something like this keeps me on the edge of my seat.


    Was it an actual riot? A strike? Some commotion? I¡¯ve tended to think of the most extreme and random scenarios and possibilities in my head.


    Looking to the right, I noticed the girl¡¯s eyes focused on me.


    I looked at my phone¡¯s reflection. Did I do something weird? I looked away for a moment, staring at my reflection on the glass, before looking back.


    ¡°Good morning Ryu-kun¡± Yuki waved at me, her small hat tipping over.


    ¡°Morning Takeya-san¡±


    Yuki Takeya stood up for a moment, a smile on her face. She pretty much filled the checklist of a sort of immature yet cheerful girl.


    It wasn¡¯t easy to always talk with her, especially due to her naive and almost oblivious personality she had over anything. Although, even when paired with her childish traits, she had never annoyed me or anyone else.


    ¡°Did class already end?¡± Her curious yet worried voice echoed across the room as she looked around.


    ¡°You would¡¯ve woken up by then. Everybody else is interested in something else"


    I placed my pen down on the paper, my gaze shifting between Yuki and the outside.


    ¡°It feels like I¡¯ve slept longer than usual"


    ¡°Not to sound weird, but is it because you usually take the 7:15 bus rather than the 8:00 one?¡±


    ¡°How did you know Ryu-kun?¡± Yuki leaned her face close to me.


    ¡°I used to notice you entering the Teshio District Bus Stop last year. It¡¯s not like I live in the school¡± I said with an amused smirk over my face.


    ¡°You still remember that moment?¡± Yuki sheepishly smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s something I¡¯ve remembered for a quick laugh, to say the least. I do like the sense of naivety you have¡±


    I looked outside for a moment, noticing a small group of students surrounding an individual.


    ¡°It¡¯s good I¡¯ve gotten over my motion sickness in public transport" I muttered to myself


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Yuki asked.


    Do I need to answer?


    ¡°Just getting sick while in a moving vehicle"


    ¡°Ah¡± Yuki nodded.


    I stared outside the window, noticing the crowd getting larger with a teacher rushing over to drag the vomiting boy out of my sight.


    ¡°So Ryu-kun. What do you usually do in your spare time?¡±


    Yuki leaned towards me again, raising one of her legs as a way to balance herself while she planted her hands on my table.


    ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    Yuki shrugged before continuing her gaze at me.


    ¡°Well, I do Karate, Art¡­ Violin¡­ and¡­ uh¡­¡±


    Her face lit up as I mentioned Art, ignorant that I couldn¡¯t list another hobby other than the two.


    ¡°Ooh! What do you draw?¡± Yuki leaned towards me.


    ¡°I tend to draw the city and people often. Although I¡¯ve once drawn a dog before¡±


    ¡°Can I see it?¡±


    ¡°No¡±


    ¡°Aw¡± Yuki pouted before looking back at the hallway.


    ¡°Maybe next week¡± I smiled knowing that I¡¯d probably forget to bring the painting.


    I¡¯ve already quit art class during my beginning years of High School and tend to art as a way to pass the time, mainly taking advantage of my creative bankruptcy to fill the hour.


    ¡°Are you in any clubs, Ryu?¡±


    ¡°Although School Presidents are allowed to join a club, I¡¯d rather not for the sake of avoiding bias¡±


    ¡°So you also do Karate?¡±


    ¡°Mhm¡±


    ¡°So that means you can take on twenty armed guys then!¡± Yuki looked at me with awe, mimicking a karate chop in the air.


    ¡°That¡¯s not how it works Takeya-san¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    It was silly of me to think she was joking.


    ¡°Of course...¡±


    The conversation slowed down as I stood close to the table, noticing the large crowd outside the field making their way inside the school. As I looked back, Yuki tapped her left foot on the floor while looking down at her table.


    ¡°I wish I could try Karate, but I am usually busy with my friends¡­¡± Yuki rested her head over her hand, staring at the roof.


    ¡°That¡¯s a shame. Good thing I manage my school schedules¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you have any friends Ryu?¡±


    Yuki¡¯s eyes looked up at me while her face remained tilted towards the ground. I couldn¡¯t help but fiddle with my hair while trying to select my words.


    ¡°Yea¡­¡± I responded while keeping the usual polite yet ingenuine smile.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see you often with others"


    ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s because I have a lot of things to do in this school"


    The bell rang across the school, its soft tune making us look over at the loudspeaker.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be nice to see our test results tomorrow"


    Yuki raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Wait, it''s tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°They take a few days to mark. Besides, a Friday always warrants us delivering our results for us to review¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m willing to bet that I passed" Yuki¡¯s eyes glimmered, with her confidence being almost unmatched compared to mine.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost impossible to fail Sakura-sensei¡¯s tests. I hope you did pass"


    ¡°You say as if you have no confidence in me" Yuki made a small pouty face.


    ¡°Oh no, I do have confidence in you. It¡¯s just that there¡¯s always that slim chance"


    Yuki is not entirely slow-witted and could easily catch up to us in academics if she puts in the effort.


    ¡°Well you passed, right?¡±


    ¡°Always"


    As I continued to pack my bags, I noticed a student with considerably short purple hair run towards Yuki, prompting me to focus on other matters in the meantime.


    ¡°Hi Yuzumara-san¡±


    I briefly turned over. Yuzumara had a sort of punk-like demeanor due to her hairstyle alongside the choker over her neck.


    ¡°Hey Yuki¡±


    ¡°What took you so long?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, had a commotion by the field so it was hard for me to get through to class¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright!¡±


    I felt like I was going to get roped into this conversation one way or another


    ¡°Talking to the Pres eh?¡±


    ¡°Good morning Yuzumara-san¡± I turned over, giving a small wave.


    ¡°Morning Ryu-san¡±


    It sounded childish to have something trivial like this, but I always hated being called ¡®Ryu-san¡¯. I had no real reason why.


    ¡°We were talking about how Ryu does Karate¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Does that mean he can take on a whole gang?¡±


    They are completely parallel to each other despite their appearances.


    ¡°I asked him that, and he just said no¡±


    ¡°Aw¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think anybody could take on twenty guys in a fight at once¡± I slid my notebook open.


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Yuzumara shrugged, ¡°Anyways Yuki, do you wanna meet up at the Tron Mall this weekend?¡±


    ¡°Of course! Where do you wanna go?¡±


    ¡°Mmmm, I don¡¯t know¡±


    ¡°How about some shopping around there?¡±


    ¡°No problem with that. Same time as usual?¡±


    ¡°Yep! I¡¯ll see you there!¡±


    ¡°Bye,¡±


    Yuzumara waved her hand toward Yuki before leaving the class.


    ¡°Anyways, Takeya-san, I think we need to prepare for class"


    ¡°Aw. I¡¯ll talk with you later then" Yuki gave a small wave before sitting down.


    I took a glance outside at where the commotion once lay at the track field. Only a few latecomers from the entrance. We only had a few minutes before class officially started, yet I couldn¡¯t bother spending any more time trying to sustain a conversation.


    I glanced over at Yuki, who seemed to exchange glances back at me before giving a small wave. I waved back nonetheless, before looking back at my phone.

 Chapter Three

    Much of the Thursday morning was nothing to care about. Small assignments, a tad bit of school work to tend to, and a review of an incident over at the field which I later dismissed.


    I¡¯ll admit I should¡¯ve had a bit more insight into the incident, or else I wouldn¡¯t have obtained the answer to my question of why a student was excessively vomiting across the field.


    I do make a lot of mistakes. But the question is will I regret it? Probably not.


    I scanned the nearby classrooms, with the usual groups of students talking and laughing with each other. I continued nonetheless, wanting to reach Mio before break time almost ended, as one of her friends would often meet up with her.


    Sliding the door to the storage room, I grabbed onto a small white sheet of wrapping, an orange grip handle, and a blade of shovels sticking out from both sides, placing it under my left arm.


    I reached for my cell phone with my free hand, clicking on the small contacts list of students. After a scroll, I tapped on Mio, before placing the phone over my ear, waiting for the pickup.


    ¡°Ah, Ryu-kun. What¡¯s up?¡±


    Did you seriously have to call me by my first name?


    ¡°Nothing much Fumiko-san. Can we meet in a few minutes?¡±


    ¡°Uhh, sure I guess. Please make it quick though, since Kurumi-san may stop by¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. This is regarding the Horticulture Club. Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re not in trouble"


    Mio hesitated in her response.


    ¡°Uh, sure. Usual spot, right?¡±


    ¡°Always. I¡¯ll meet you there, then"


    ¡°See ya¡±


    I hung up shortly.


    I approached the school hallway, standing close to a classroom marked ¡°3-B¡±. As a few students left the room, I stepped towards the door, glancing over at the twin-tailed purple-haired girl, with ribbons sticking out on each side.


    ¡°Ebisuzawa-san?¡± I peeked over the pile of shovels and tools I was holding.


    Kurumi turned over, her violet eyes widening as she noticed my presence behind her. She had always been the feisty type, but had a soft spot for something¡­ or more exactly someone. I don¡¯t know who though.


    ¡°Hi Ryu-kun, do you need something?¡±


    ¡°Could you please help me carry some over to the storage room? I know you¡¯re athletic so you¡¯d probably have no issue with this¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m meant to meet up with Mio-san"


    ¡°Fumiko-san is in an important Horticulture meeting that I¡¯m meant to attend. Is it possible you could carry it since you¡¯re part of the club?¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Kurumi shrugged, ¡°Try not to give me too much¡±


    ¡°Thank you¡± I passed a few shovels towards her, relieving the burden over my hands.


    ¡°Rooftop right?¡±


    ¡°Of course. If nobody¡¯s there, just go over to the storage room on the first floor or leave it at the club¡¯s rooftop"


    ¡°That¡­ that seems a bit too far"


    ¡°I¡¯m in a hurry. If there¡¯s any issues just knock on the Horticulture Club room"


    ¡°Alrighty. See you then" Kurumi walked off, fiddling with one of the shovels in the meantime.


    It was a shame that she had to make the run around the school since I had already known the rooftop wasn¡¯t open after school. But if it meant having more time tending to the issue without Kurumi knocking on the door like a puppy, then so be it.


    I came inside the Horticulture Club Room, with Mio standing close to the window, almost as if she had come in mere moments ago and forgot to settle in. Setting some of the shovels close to the corner, I sat on a small sofa. Mio turned over, her foot fiddling close to the wall.


    ¡°Take a seat Fumiko-san"


    ¡°Uh sure, but can you at least tell me what seems to be the issue, Ryu-kun? I feel like I¡¯m in the Headmaster''s office"


    Quite direct as usual.


    ¡°I apologize for that¡±


    ¡°No thanks. Are we waiting for someone?¡±


    ¡°Sakura-sensei is coming over¡±


    ¡°Megu-nee? Does this have to do with my grades?¡±


    ¡°Well yes, but we¡¯re not here to lecture you about studies¡±


    Mio sat down at an adjacent seat, her mouth covered by her hands. The door slid open, with Sakura walked in with her books close to her.


    ¡°Good afternoon Fumiko-san and Tanaka-kun," Sakura smiled, setting her books close to the table.


    ¡°Afternoon Megu-nee¡± Mio gave a small wave, making me follow suit.


    ¡°I hope I¡¯m not late¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve just settled in, so don¡¯t worry¡±


    I felt Mio glance at me before turning back.


    ¡°Anyways, Sakura-sensei. I think it¡¯s best to get straight to the point¡±


    ¡°Mhm¡± Sakura turned over to Mio-san, retaining her usual smile despite knowing what she was about to say.


    ¡°So Mio-san. I understand you¡¯ve been having a bit of a struggle with balancing out your club duties and schoolwork?¡±


    Mio reluctantly nodded, shifting herself away from the chair.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to ask this simple yet straight-up question; are you able to have time to keep up with your academics while tending to the club? Because I¡¯ve started to notice that the balance in your performance is a bit erratic"


    ¡°I understand what you mean. But, it¡¯s kinda hard to keep it hard, especially with what has happened recently" Mio retaliated.


    ¡°Well, one thing you¡¯ve agreed to as a leader of a club is to be able to responsibly manage your time. What¡¯s stopping you from doing such?¡±


    ¡°I know¡­ it¡¯s just not that easy"


    As Mio spoke, she continued to stare at the ground with shame, contradicting what was once her prideful and boasting nature. Sakura placed her hand over my shoulder, making me turn over.


    I might¡¯ve made myself look like a prick in front of Mio.


    ¡°Tanaka-kun. Can I please take over the conversation from here?¡±


    I nodded, keeping silent while pushing my chair away.


    ¡°So Mio-san, how are you feeling about the recent work I¡¯ve given to you?¡± Sakura smiled.


    ¡°Uh, it¡¯s alright I guess. I don¡¯t have any issues with it"


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ the essays are a bit tough, but I can get the hang of it¡±


    ¡°Great! I¡¯d like to ask, if you¡¯re comfortable answering, is there something or someone bothering you recently?¡± Sakura placed her hand over Mio¡¯s.


    ¡°Not really¡­¡± Mio continued to look away from Sakura.


    ¡°Are you sure Mio-san? You¡¯ve changed quite a lot recently. I¡¯m willing to help with whatever the issue is¡±


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    Mio proceeded to tear up, using her hands to cover her eyes.


    ¡°Hey, Mio-san¡­ Whatever you have going on, I¡¯m willing to listen¡±


    ¡°I do have something to tell you¡­ but uh¡­ can it be just between the two of us?¡±


    Sakura turned over, giving me a small yet friendly nudge towards me.


    It wasn¡¯t easy trying to negotiate with students nowadays, especially in terms of having them try to release whatever issues they had in mind.


    But Sakura. She had such a potent ability to handle such an issue, yet at the same time completely adept in such a situation. As if she had handled a scenario like this hundreds of times. Most of the teachers here would probably struggle similarly to me.


    Keeping close to the wall, Sakura¡¯s sweet and calming voice continued to soothe Mio¡¯s loud yet inaudible sobbing which I could even hear when standing outside a classroom.


    After what felt like fifteen minutes, the room turned silent, before the door slid open, with Mio slowly walking out.


    ¡°Thank you Megu-nee,¡± Mio sniffled, her small and modest makeup completely undone by the constant tearing up.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. If there¡¯s any issues, just come up to me at any time"


    ¡°Bye" Mio walked off, oblivious to my presence.


    As the quick footsteps down the stairs ended, I approached Sakura.


    ¡°Sorry that I couldn¡¯t help Sakura-sensei"


    ¡°It¡¯s alright Tanaka-kun. What she was talking about was quite serious. Besides, I assume you haven¡¯t interacted with Mio-san before?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡± I scratched my hair in embarrassment


    ¡°No no, it¡¯s alright. I could tell you aren¡¯t interested in personal matters"


    ¡°Heh"


    ¡°I will say though, you do seem like in a rush. Were you trying to get it over and done with?¡±


    ¡°Time isn¡¯t a concern for me. I¡¯d just like things resolved quickly¡±


    ¡°That doesn''t sound like you"


    ¡°It¡¯s just been a habit since middle school¡­ On the subject of Mio-san, do I need to follow up on anything related to Mio-san for the time being?¡±


    ¡°Not really. Just need to give her a break for now, since her mental health has taken a toll recently"


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll say I¡¯m quite impressed with how you handled the issue¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal¡±


    ¡°Actually it is. If we had more teachers like that, perhaps some students could be more open about their issues¡­¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡± Sakura looked at me with a sense of surprise,


    ¡°My friends used to tell me that. Other than that, it¡¯s pretty much common sense"


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you have friends,¡± Sakura raised her eyebrow.


    Her innocence softened the blow of her sentence.


    ¡°Have you decided on a substitute to take over for now?¡± Sakura asked, ending her earlier question.


    ¡°Still going to stick with Yuuri Wakasa¡±


    ¡°Perfect. I''ll inform her tomorrow¡±


    ¡°No need. Yuuri often likes to sit with me when the other seats in her usual table are occupied"


    ¡°What if she doesn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just talk with her later on. It¡¯s easy to find her around here. Anyways, I think I¡¯ll have to go" I said after a glance at the clock.


    ¡°Alright, see you tomorrow Tanaka-kun"


    After Sakura¡¯s conversation, I couldn¡¯t help but think about her discussion with Mio. Even though I didn¡¯t hear much, I couldn¡¯t help but look up to her in a new light.


    I glanced down at the window. The open field was filled with the usual students, backed by a few members from the track club. Walking over to it, I took a glance at the outside before walking back downstairs.


    I grabbed onto my bag, resting it over my shoulder before continuing to the side of the field, where a small bench lay with a few track and field members. They exchanged a few waves at me, before continuing with their usual runs. Leaving my bag close to the edge, I scanned across the field.


    Still no sign of him.


    I stepped towards the side of the field, doing my usual stretches while waiting for a small batch of students to finish up with their lap. They weren¡¯t the best, but they only joined a few months ago and I was a club manager.


    The cherry blossom trees surrounding the field were brushed past by a small breeze. After a few students left the track, I started running down the field. From time to time, I looked over to the entrance, looking for him.


    Reaching the finishing line, I slowed myself down, rubbing my arms over my forehead. Despite it being considerably short for my standards, it was easy to say that my run was faster than before.


    ¡°Look Kurumi-san! He¡¯s here!¡±


    I lowered my arm, glancing up in the direction of the voice. A few male students in their sporting uniforms were scattered across the field, setting down their usual items. Looking at the group, my eyes were set on a single boy named Tatsumi Katsuragi.


    Katsuragi was the true definition of captivating. Every time he spoke, it felt as if the world around me had disappeared into a meaningless void, with the only thing standing in front of me was him and only him.


    His carefree attitude, his friendliness, almost everything was admirable about him. And what wasn¡¯t admirable was merely decent instead of a flaw that anyone would mention.


    In other words, he was almost perfect.


    As Katsuragi continued down the field with his bag over his shoulder, he glanced at me, followed by a small wave. Katsuragi had known me for quite some time, yet I don¡¯t think he had the same feeling I had.


    Sitting down at my usual bench, I took a quick sip, my eyes still zooming between Katsuragi and the track and field. I had a similar feeling within my body, almost as if it was normal for me. Yet it wasn¡¯t normal.


    Today¡¯s the day I¡¯m going to ask him out.


    It wasn¡¯t exactly the best idea I had in mind. Yet, I¡¯ve continued to fiddle around on and on. I wasn¡¯t even able to have a single proper conversation with him. Every opportunity I had was squandered by my shyness.


    However, with only a few boys in the field today, I was confident there wouldn¡¯t be such an issue. After all, a little conversation with Katsuragi wouldn¡¯t be interrupted by something trivial, right?


    I got up from the bench, hastily walking up to Katsuragi who rested close to a cherry blossom tree. With every approach, I felt my heartbeat pounding in my chest. I can¡¯t back down now.


    ¡°Ah Kurumi-san, what¡¯s up?¡± Katsuragi smiled at me.


    ¡°Hi Senpai¡±


    ¡°I saw your run earlier¡­ I didn¡¯t know you could run that fast¡±


    ¡°Thanks¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯d get to run often like that¡±


    ¡°You can always give it a try¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be a while until I get up to your level¡­¡±


    This is the perfect time!


    I just wanted to ask you something¡­¡±


    ¡°Hm? What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Would you like to¡­ uh¡­¡±


    Katsuragi waited patiently, keeping his glamouring smile over his face.


    ¡°Would you like to go out to the Tron Mall on Saturday?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ sure I guess Kurumi-san. I don¡¯t have anything on that day"


    ¡°Just the two of us?¡±


    ¡°Yep"


    ¡°Perfect. How about at 11 in the morning? We could stop by at a cafe there"


    ¡°Su-sure¡± I said while stuttering with a simple word.


    We stood in silence for a moment, with my hands interlocked out of my shyness as I looked down on the ground, smiling at my only success.


    ¡°Wow, we¡¯re getting close to graduation...¡± Katsuragi mumbled after glancing at his phone.


    ¡°Mhm"


    ¡°I thought we¡¯d be stuck in October during this time¡­¡±


    ¡°Heh. Time flies¡­¡±


    ¡°I know. It¡¯s a shame we¡¯re in our last year¡­¡± Katsuragi mumbled


    An idea struck my head as he mentioned it. It sounded weird, yet if I wanted to take my chances. I had to say it. I couldn¡¯t back down now. Even if I felt good today, for all I know I¡¯ll end up regretting it tomorrow.


    ¡°So¡­ senpai¡­ what university are you planning to go to?¡±


    ¡°Tokyo U. Most of my friends are going there"


    ¡°Well, Senpai¡­ I¡¯d like to tell you something"


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d¡­¡± I looked away from Katsuragi, my face completely warm. After a quick breath, I turned back towards him.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to graduate and attend university together with you¡­¡±


    Katsuragi seemed visibly taken aback by it but kept his usual smile towards me.


    ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case you¡¯ll have to study hard for it"


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡­ I¡¯ll make it"


    ¡°I know you will"


    ¡°Thanks¡­¡± My face continued to warm up.


    ¡°Anyways, I have to get going now" Katsuragi gave a small wave to one of his friends in the distance.


    The conversation made me feel like I had taken the stage from them. Not in a negative way, but as if it was my turn for something. It had been a few months of delays and hesitation, yet now I¡¯ve finally achieved something.


    I was proud of myself.


    Despite the promise, I had hoped that I would get to stay with Katsuragi until the end. School, with him around, felt as if every day was a beautiful day. Almost nothing could ruin it, especially thanks to him.


    And I had always hoped that these beautiful days would go on forever.

 Chapter Four

    As I reached the staff room, I noticed a large chubby figure standing close to my table.


    Great, Yoshito¡­


    I hesitantly walked forward, with Yoshito who turned his face to me with his hands on his back.


    ¡°Good morning Kyoutou-sensei,¡± I said with a reluctant smile over my face as I stood behind my chair, with Yoshito standing close to the cupboard at the side.


    ¡°Good morning Sakura-san" He responded with a stern voice.


    ¡°Is there something you¡¯d like to ask me?¡± I slid my books down on the table, slowly adjusting them into a neat pile.


    ¡°Of course¡­¡± Yoshito said while touching his chin, ¡°I understand that you¡¯re quite fairly new, however, I¡¯ll say this once and once only"


    Despite what he said, his voice sounded unsympathetic.


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying that you¡¯re not suited to being a teacher. But you should be more careful about maintaining a proper distance from your students"


    Not suited to being a teacher¡­ that¡¯s been dug into my head for a while now.


    I looked down in shame, barely keeping eye contact with him.


    ¡°I can understand wanting them to see you as a friend, but the difference in position between them and you will cause problems down the line¡± Yoshito continued, ¡°Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sorry" I said while bowing, with Yoshito walking off midway as if he had something else to tend to rather than give out any final comments.


    Kamiyama, who sat close to my table, turned over towards me with an encouraging smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let it get to you. The vice principal¡¯s like that to all the younger teachers" She adjusted her glasses.


    ¡°Thanks¡± I responded, with relief slowly settling in.


    Kamiyama adjusted her glasses, resting her shoulder on the nearby flower vase she had on her table.


    ¡°We¡¯re reporting live from the scene now" A reporter¡¯s voice came from the TV, causing her to look over.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Kamiyama muttered.


    I focused my attention on the TV, showing scenes of cars being scattered across the road with people coming out almost in shock from the events.


    ¡°What could have brought this sudden chaos? While the cause is unknown, we hope for a quick resolution" The reporter continued with a serious face.


    ¡°Looks terrible¡­¡± Kamiyama muttered.


    ¡°Anyways Kamiyama-sensei¡± I turned over towards her, ¡°did you happen to finish marking the tests I¡¯ve given you?¡±


    ¡°Of course Sakura-san. It¡¯s nice to see most of the students in this year are doing well. A few others, especially Takeya-san, just need that small push further"


    ¡°I always had confidence that she could do better, although she has that habit of sleeping in class¡±


    ¡°Mhm, that¡¯s the same for me¡±


    I nodded in agreement.


    ¡°You¡¯ll keep her in for a redo right? You wouldn¡¯t want a mistake like last time¡± Kamiyama slid the papers over to my table


    ¡°Of course¡± I responded, ignoring the possibility that it was Kamiyama¡¯s turn to oversee resits in tests, ¡°I do hope she doesn¡¯t hate me for it¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ve had my moments with Yuki but she has quite a positive outlook on me¡±


    ¡°Hopefully¡­¡±


    ¡°Let me know if there are any issues¡±


    ¡°Mhm¡±


    The tune of a bell came through the loudspeaker, causing some of the teachers to periodically get up.


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk with you later Kamiyama-san¡±


    ¡°See you¡± She gave a tiny wave towards me.


    A massive collision in Megurigaoka Route 32.


    And by the looks of it, some of the crash victims in the footage don¡¯t look too good.


    I¡¯ve usually been the type to gather information on things. Even if it had no connection to the events. But I can¡¯t keep a blind eye on what is happening in the city.


    The bell rang across the room for the second time, followed by Sakura entering the room. Despite seeing her hiding behind the wall to take a deep breath just earlier, she concealed her worries quite well towards the students.


    ¡°Good morning everybody!¡± Sakura announced with her usual happy face.


    ¡°Good morning Sakura-sensei¡± Everyone followed while standing up.


    ¡°Take a seat everybody¡±


    I took a glance over at Yuki, who rested her head on the table almost as if she didn¡¯t even sleep last night.


    ¡°All right. Let me hand back your tests from last week¡±


    Despite knowing Sakura for a while, it was easy to tell that she would probably only keep people back to redo a test at a lower grade. Perhaps 30? It was the same last time, but I knew a lot of students had failed.


    ¡°Ishizuka-kun¡± Sakura called out.


    ¡°Here¡±


    As Ishizuka came up, Sakura leaned over towards the student, whispering something before he left with a smile on his face.


    ¡°Shoujouji-san¡± Sakura called out again.


    ¡°Here¡± Another voice followed.


    My eyes continued to wander to the outside world. During a day like this, where all the students should care about is the test results and feedback, it was justifiable to just relax and plan out what to do.


    Another helicopter on the distant horizon flies over towards the smoke at the horizon.


    ¡°Tanaka-kun¡±


    ¡°Here¡± I responded.


    As I got to the front of the class, I noticed the other students staring at me with interest. Not to see if I had failed or anything, it was just how it went.


    ¡°Good work¡± Sakura whispered as I received my paper.


    The mark almost strayed down from my usual successes and I almost ignored it due to my brief admiration of Sakura¡¯s soft encouragement.


    Although there were tips for improvement in my paper, it was obvious the latter part of the essay was marked by Kamiyama due to how she was able to see through my habit of often compacting my statements.


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Sera-kun¡±


    ¡°Here¡± another voice followed.


    ¡°Takeya-san¡± Sakura called out.


    No response from Yuki, whose face partially stuck out from the arms she had rested her head on.


    ¡°Takeya Yuki-san?¡± Sakura called again.


    ¡°Here¡­¡± Yuki said with a sigh in her breath, almost extinguishing the confidence she had moments ago.


    I looked over towards the front, noticing Sakura¡¯s disappointed face as she held Yuki¡¯s test paper.


    ¡°Man, that hat¡± A student¡¯s voice whispered across the room.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to take a make-up test after school¡± Sakura handed a sheet of paper to Yuki.


    ¡°Aw, you¡¯re so cruel Megu-nee¡± Yuki muttered, looking down in disappointment.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me Megu. It¡¯s Sakura-sensei"


    Yuki walked off from the front regardless, her head tilted down. Sakura glanced at her before averting her eyes back at the floor, followed by a heavy sigh.


    It was obvious that Sakura didn¡¯t want to shame Yuki in front of the class alongside keeping her in on a Friday. But it seemed that some things had to be done. After all, even for someone like Sakura, she had to enforce her rule as a teacher.


    The bell echoed across the classroom, prompting me to leave the room almost instantly. It was bizarre that time managed to fly faster when I merely dozed off in my thoughts.


    The cafeteria¡¯s doors were left wide open, with groups of students all hastily occupying a table each. There was the possibility of eating outside, yet I wasn¡¯t interested in feeling the sunlight or ¡°having fresh air¡±.


    With a meal in my hand, I sat down at an empty table, with a full overview of the nearby tables. I do seem a bit lonely, but I didn¡¯t mind.


    Before I finished my fourth bite of the pork, my eye caught the attention of Yuki, who sat slightly distant from her usual group of friends.


    While looking, I noticed a brown-haired girl looking at me from quite afar, holding her cafeteria tray. After a glance to my side, I gave a quick squint, before putting on my glasses.


    ¡°Ah, good morning Yuuri-san"


    Yuuri Wakasa boasted long and straight hair that stretched to her arm¡¯s length with a bun at the side of her head. She had always been the formal type, someone that I could rely on to get the job done without having to argue.


    ¡°Morning Tanaka-kun. Do you mind if I sit here for a moment?¡±


    ¡°No problem with that¡±


    Yuuri sat on the opposite side of the table.


    ¡°Sorry I decided to talk with you now. Mio¡¯s busy tonight so I¡¯ll have to tend to the garden¡±


    ¡°Hm, it¡¯s a shame you have to take over for someone else again¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind it, since a lot of students wish to have their Friday night free of any issues. Besides, I think I owe Mio for what happened last time¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± I responded, realizing my almost monotone voice.


    ¡°Well, should we introduce some sort of incentive to it?¡±


    ¡°I have already planned out a small system for anyone who takes up club roles during the afternoons, with a higher chance if fewer people attend overall. I assume Mio hasn¡¯t told you about it?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but notice Yuuri fiddling with her fingers close to her lap, her quick and small lean forward and backward as she tried to mention something at every pause.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t tell us anything. When will this roll out?¡±


    ¡°Next week. We¡¯ve already got everything set up for the time being¡±


    ¡°I hope that is enough of a push,¡± Yuuri remarked.


    ¡°While we¡¯re in this matter, I assume you have something personal to tell me?¡±


    Yuuri¡¯s round eyes widened for a moment out of surprise.


    ¡°Uh, no. Of course not" Yuuri shook her head.


    ¡°Hm. If you do, just tell me"


    We sat in silence for a minute as Yuuri stared at the bench, looking over at me sporadically as if she wanted to say something. I leaned backward, almost as if I was waiting for her to say something despite her claim.


    ¡°Uh I do have something to tell you Tanaka-kun"


    ¡°Go on¡±


    I tilted my body slightly forward, waiting for Yuuri to muster up the courage.


    ¡°Are you interested in knitting?¡±


    Seriously Yuuri?


    ¡°No, not really. Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It may just be something you dislike at first but when you get the hang of it, you¡¯ll start to like it" Yuuri said with a suppressed passion in her voice.


    ¡°Unless you want me to cancel my Wednesday meetings, I don¡¯t have time for such. Although, if you want to set up some sort of club for it¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to learn it as a hobby for now since setting up a club would interfere with my responsibilities¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ nice"


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re really into it, I could give you some lessons¡±


    ¡°No thanks¡±


    ¡°What are you gonna do this afternoon then? You were always available during that time¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to keep my Friday open. I¡¯m not some sort of robot after all¡±


    ¡°Agreed¡±


    As the conversation grinded to a halt, the sound of chatter and laughter continued across the cafeteria. Yuuri decided to stare at the adjacent table beside us, almost oblivious to my glance at my phone.


    ¡°Wakasa-san, I¡¯d like to lend a secret over to you¡±


    ¡°Go on"


    ¡°Are you aware of how Fumiko-san is doing in terms of her academics?¡±


    ¡°I assume it¡¯s bad considering your tone?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve recently talked with her and she has decided to take a few steps back in her leadership¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite a shame. She¡¯s always been so bright yet her retail work and club management are taking quite the toll" Yuuri rested her face over hand, almost covering the frown she had.


    ¡°Of course. Anyways, the reason why I¡¯m bringing this up is I need you to take over for the time being-.¡±


    ¡°Sorry to interrupt Tanaka-kun, but why do you need me to take over the Horticulture Club when Mio-san is still club president?¡±


    ¡°This is merely temporary. After Mio manages to get herself together for the term''s end, we¡¯ll relinquish that back to you"


    ¡°I¡¯ve never really taken up leadership before, are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Your humility is quite unmatched Wakasa-san, but believe it or not, your leadership rivals that of Mio, especially without her constant micromanagement"


    ¡°Is that the case?¡±


    ¡°Mhm"


    ¡°Well, how long would it last for?¡±


    ¡°Probably until the end of the term. I¡¯m willing to provide advice to you if needed"


    ¡°This is a bit unexpected in my opinion"


    ¡°I understand how it¡¯s kinda informal and almost a rush, but considering the wellbeing of Mio-san, I think it¡¯d be best to relieve the pressure off her"


    Yuuri nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, I think you¡¯ll do great"


    I hadn¡¯t always been the type to meddle with the school, but with the increase of autonomy in the school, it was always best to keep everything under my grasp for now.


    ¡°Please give me a moment Wakasa-san," I said while pulling out my phone.


    ¡°Sure. Go ahead!¡± Yuuri smiled.


    After briefly waiting for the signal to update my news app, my eyes widened after a scan of the front page. Massive collisions, riots, strikes, and violence.


    And this time it wasn¡¯t in Megurigaoka. It was widespread.


    I looked around the cafeteria, suspecting if what had happened in the field during my conversation with Yuki was related. I didn¡¯t want to make it such a big deal, for now.


    ¡°Wakasa-san, not to sound weird of course, but do you usually come to school on time?¡±


    ¡°Yes. About 3-5 minutes before the bell rings"


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, did you happen to see what was happening on the field yesterday?¡±


    Yuuri looked at me with a perplexed face.


    ¡°Not really. Although there was quite the commotion down here"


    I couldn¡¯t press her on information too much, yet. However that didn¡¯t mean I was limited.


    ¡°No fights happened right?¡±


    ¡°I did see a few students with blood around their arms. It¡¯s most likely a scuffle by the very least. From what I heard they were sent to the hospital"


    ¡°That¡¯s odd. I thought I¡¯d have to resolve it"


    ¡°Don¡¯t blame yourself Tanaka-kun. It¡¯s not your responsibility to stop everything just because you¡¯re the Pres"


    ¡°I feel like the title is honorary¡­ I¡¯m not saying that I need the same level of power as the principal, but something reasonable"


    ¡°What¡¯s your idea of reasonable?¡± Yuuri looked at me with a tiny polite smile over her face.


    ¡°Just the usual enforcing school rules, managing events, basic student representative," I said, already knowing that it was easy to leave it to someone else.


    ¡°You tend to overstep the bounds sometimes, but I see your point"


    ¡°Sometimes you have to overstep said bounds to achieve something good out of it"


    ¡°Mhm¡­¡± Yuuri nodded in agreement, ¡°It¡¯s good you don¡¯t have to handle a lot of issues nowadays since we had COVID during the first semester"


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the last School President had to contend with a lot of issues compared to me. Especially since we had a resurgence of clubs last year"


    ¡°Quite the interesting time. I remember seeing so many leaflets around to a point where people were just dragging their friends over to help inflate numbers¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I said with skepticism in my voice.


    ¡°You had a few friends do that before right?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a shame. I¡¯m sure any club you¡¯ve would¡¯ve probably grown"


    I politely smiled in response to the remark, before glancing at my phone.


    ¡°Sorry Wakasa-san, but I have to leave. Meeting with Ryota-kun¡± I said while standing up, grabbing onto my tray.


    ¡°Aw, bye Tanaka-kun"


    ¡°Bye Wakasa-san"


    Leaving the Cafeteria, I took a glance at a nearby classroom while passing by.


    Entering the council meeting room, I sat at the front of the table, having a clear overview of the outside in the meantime. Focusing on the smoke, my eyes wandered over to the sudden swarm of helicopters approaching the nearby plume.


    Four¡­ no, five helicopters.


    Never in my life had I seen such a chaotic mess in Megurigaoka. Sure, there was always a first time. But sometimes that ¡®first time¡¯ was a cloak for something malevolent.

 Chapter Five

    4:40 PM


    I stood in the classroom, alone with only Yuki sitting at a table close to me. Behind me was the large whiteboard with the words ¡°Makeup Test, Japanese" down the middle.


    ¡°Bye Sakura-sensei!¡± Shoujouji-san called out from the hallway


    ¡°Bye!¡± Another voice followed.


    As they both made their way down the room, Shoujouji leaned over towards her friend.


    ¡°Megu-nee sure has it rough" Shoujouji whispered in amusement, almost ignorant that I could hear her. Her friend giggled in response.


    I looked over back at the table, noticing Yuki staring at me with her hands resting on the paper.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked with a soft voice, prompting Yuki to look down ashamedly, ¡°Is it hard to focus with me standing here?¡±


    Yuki shook her head, with her pink hair and hat waving as well.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t like tests,¡± Yuki said while keeping her head down, ¡°But I don¡¯t mind being with you, Megu-nee¡±.


    I smiled, pulling a nearby chair close to Yuki¡¯s table.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with"


    Yuki looked at me with a smile, before looking down at her test paper. I didn¡¯t mind breaking the basic protocol of not helping students with a test, especially since I could say that this ¡®test¡¯ didn¡¯t count.


    After about 40 minutes, Yuki had made quite some progress despite the pace we were at. The afternoon light had set into the classroom, almost making me ignore having to turn on the class lights for the time being.


    Going through each question, I popped down hint after hint to help push Yuki closer to the answer, while trying to prevent it from being obvious. With this simple strategy, I managed to make some progress.


    As I watched Yuki finish up on her second last question, I felt someone looking over at me from the hallway.


    Turning over, I noticed Kurumi peeking over at the door, still in her track and field uniform. She did a quick wave, before walking off.


    It seemed urgent. I didn¡¯t want to leave Yuki in the classroom. However, her current performance and overall innocence made me think otherwise.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back, okay Yuki-chan?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± Yuki looked at me with her adorable yet disappointed face"


    ¡°If you have questions, I¡¯ll be outside in the hall"


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry¡­¡± Yuki said, speaking in a childish voice.


    ¡°Once your test¡¯s over, okay?¡± I responded, backpedaling back to keep my sights on Yuki until I left the hallway.


    I turned over, seeing Kurumi sit on a nearby wooden platform staring at the ground. Instead of the usual school uniform, she wore her track-and-field uniform which consisted of shorts and a white shirt


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ebisuzawa-san?¡± I asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t the track-and-field club running outside?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Kurumi fiddled with her words, ¡°Well¡­ sorry if I interrupted you during the make-up test, but¡­ you¡¯re the only one I can talk to about this, Megu-nee"


    I sat down on the platform next to Kurumi.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me Megu-nee¡± I responded, ¡°It¡¯s Sakura-sensei"


    Kurumi nonetheless ignored it.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t understand¡­ Why do I feel the way I do when he¡¯s around"


    Oh.


    Regardless of it being a few months since I had started directly talking with Kurumi, I didn¡¯t know she had any actual romantic interest with anyone. However, looking back at my interactions with her in the field, it was easier than I thought.


    ¡°Ah, one of the track-and-field guys who graduated this year. It¡¯s not so hard to figure out, really"


    Kurumi looked at me, her violet eyes briefly widening.


    ¡°Yea¡­ I¡¯ve been wanting to go out with him and tomorrow¡¯s my opportunity. But, I can¡¯t get this thing off my chest"


    ¡°Ah I get it now¡­ you¡¯re in love, Ebisuzawa-san"


    Her face turned red out of embarrassment.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not¡­ I mean¡­¡± Kurumi stammered with her words, before looking down, revealing her red cheeks, ¡°Maybe¡­ I guess I am¡­¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a good thing?¡± I said, continuing to smile.


    ¡°Yeah," Kurumi nodded. ¡°It¡¯s good that I¡¯ve gotten that off my chest¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re the only one I can talk to, but¡­ I¡¯m glad that you¡¯re here, Megu-nee¡± Kurumi looked at me happily, with her usual confidence reigniting.


    ¡°Thank you Ebisuzawa-san¡± I responded, ¡°what are you planning to do now? If you don¡¯t mind answering"


    ¡°First¡­ I¡¯ll go ask him out¡­"


    ¡°That¡¯s a wonderful idea, Ebisuzawa-san"


    ¡°Wish me luck" Kurumi stood up, approaching the flight of stairs with a prideful stride. As she got close to the end, she turned over towards me.


    ¡°Thanks for everything!¡± Kurumi gave a small wave, prompting me to follow with it.


    As Kurumi continued down the stairs, I continued my wave until she was out of my sight. A sudden rush of footsteps followed.


    Maybe I¡¯m not suited to being a teacher. But¡­ I¡¯m suited to being a friend.


    ¡°All right!¡± I whispered loudly to myself out of pride.


    Yuki stared outside at the glass, with her pen in her hand lowered, as I made my merry entry into the classroom.


    ¡°What took you so long?¡± Yuki turned over to me.


    ¡°Sorry"


    ¡°I¡¯m done with the test" Yuki leaned back onto her chair, crossing her arms with a prideful smile over her face.


    ¡°Good job Yuki-chan" I collected the test paper.


    ¡°Finally¡­¡± Yuki mumbled, before almost planting her face onto the table out of tiredness, ¡°I¡¯m super tired Megu-nee¡±


    ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s Sakura-sensei"


    My phone rang briefly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go buy ice cream! I¡¯m exhausted!¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t stuff yourself full of sweets on the way home" I responded patiently while pulling the phone out of my dress¡¯ pockets, amused at her child-like behavior.


    My eyes widened as I scanned through the messages on my phone. All from Mom, with the subjects ranging from ¡®Are you okay?¡¯ to ¡®Urgent¡¯. I pressed my thumb onto the ¡®urgent¡¯ message, clicking on the News link attached.


    Massive Traffic Accident in Megurigaoka.


    Wow¡­ that¡¯s close by¡­


    I swiped my thumb again, looking through the other emails my Mom sent to me earlier.


    Another link. This time from a social media platform.


    Footage of people fleeing in terror out of the mall, followed by screams. Several clips of people, all hunched back similar to the news footage earlier this morning, were wandering across the road.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    One thing lurked in my mind. Were some of the students who I had overheard their plans to visit the Tron Mall alright? It was easy to say they ran out, yet something told me it was different.


    ¡°Hey Megu-nee, talk to me¡± Yuki poked her head out, looking over at my phone curiously as her hat obscured my view.


    She sounded almost annoyed, as if she had been calling my name multiple times yet I hadn¡¯t responded.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Yuki continued looking over.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that! It¡¯s bad manners to look at other people¡¯s phones" I said while keeping my phone still to see what was happening.


    ¡°Boo¡­¡± Yuki muttered, ¡°I¡¯m going home!¡±


    I can¡¯t let her leave. It wasn¡¯t because trains were being stopped, but rather a question of what could happen to her on the way. I couldn¡¯t find a reason to stop her, yet she was one of the easiest people to convince.


    ¡°Takeya-san¡± I called out, ¡°I don¡¯t think the trains are running, so why don¡¯t you stay here?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not?¡±


    I continued to stare at her blankly, attempting to formulate an excuse.


    ¡°Okay, but I¡¯m hungry¡­¡± Yuki muttered, ¡°How about we go over to the roof? They have cherry tomatoes"


    It¡¯s remarkable how easy it was to convince Yuki. Yet this time it was for a good reason.


    ¡°Yes, but they¡¯re not ours to eat. The roof is off limits anyways"


    ¡°We can go check up on the Horticulture Club!¡± Yuki smiled, ¡°Doesn¡¯t that work?¡±


    ¡°I guess so¡­¡± I responded, almost unable to find a way to keep Yuki without letting her run the risk of the delays.


    ¡°Yay!¡±


    Yuki grabbed onto her bag, walking quickly towards the stairway while I followed closely to keep an eye on her. Looking outside the classroom, I started to notice the presence of helicopters hovering across the main city.


    As we reached the rooftop, I pressed my hand onto the door, swinging it open instantly to my surprise.


    ¡°The door¡¯s unlocked," Yuki muttered.


    ¡°Oh sorry, I forgot about the door¡± A girl with a watering can, wearing a cardigan with her school uniform, turned over towards me, ¡°Could you lock it for me?¡±


    I pressed my hand onto the lock, clicking it in place. Yuki ran over towards the garden, her widened eyes looking across the garden with awe.


    ¡°Oh wow! Are you from the Horticulture Club?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what this can¡¯s for¡± The girl raised her watering can, ¡°Did you come to see the garden?¡±


    ¡°Yup! The tomatoes look delicious!¡±


    ¡°Would you like one?¡± The girl asked.


    ¡°May I?¡± Yuki extended her hand towards one of the tomatoes, tempted to grab onto it.


    ¡°If you¡¯re willing to give a hand, sure!¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    In the meantime, I pulled out my phone, staring at the videos sent to me earlier. It seemed weird, having the trains shut down almost instantaneously.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Yuki looked at the girl while tipping the watering can.


    ¡°Yuuri. What¡¯s yours?¡±


    ¡°Yuki"


    ¡°Nice to meet you Yuki-san¡± Yuuri gave a polite smile, before turning around to tend to the garden.


    I tapped on my Mom¡¯s phone number, pressing it onto my ear while waiting for a response.


    Nothing yet.


    ¡°Do you tend to the garden alone, Yuuri-san?¡±


    ¡°No. I wonder where the others are¡±


    An automated message followed on my phone.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t Mom answering the phone?¡± I mumbled to myself.


    A phone call instantly appeared on my screen, with a white rose as the picture. I picked it up, placing it over my ear.


    ¡°Hello-¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± A panicked voice came through, her breath almost out, ¡°Where are you, Sakura-san?¡±


    A sudden bang came at the door, causing all of us to look at it.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Yuki looked over.


    ¡°Someone from my club, maybe?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re on the roof?¡± Kamiyama shouted, ¡°Lock the door! Don¡¯t let anyone through, no matter what! The staff room¨C¡±


    Glass shattered across the room, followed by screams of terror. Voices continued across the room. The call abruptly ended, making me skip a heartbeat in the moment.


    ¡°Coming! I¡¯ll open it!¡± Yuki ran over to the door.


    ¡°Wait!¡± I shouted.


    ¡°Megu-nee?¡± Yuki looked at me skeptically, ¡°We can¡¯t just leave them there¡±.


    I looked at Yuki, unable to respond to her. It was easy to let whoever in, yet Kamiyama¡¯s instructions seemed as if it was some sort of life-or-death situation.


    ¡°Please!¡± A familiar voice came through the door, followed by more banging.


    I couldn¡¯t help but run over to the door, pressing my ear through it as a way to try and know who it was.


    ¡°Please! Open it!¡± The voice continued, making me realize who it was behind it.


    I switched the lock off and opened the door, with light illuminating the stairway to reveal Kurumi and a boy who had her arm wrapped over her shoulders with his face covered by blood and his hair.


    ¡°Ebisuzawa-san?¡±


    ¡°Quickly, lock the door!¡± Kurumi crouched down, placing the boy close to the ground while Yuuri ran over to tend to him.


    ¡°How bad is it?¡± Yuuri looked at the boy¡¯s wound.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I looked over, desperately looking for a way to tend to him despite the lack of available resources.


    ¡°Sakura-sensei. We have to take him to the nurse¡¯s office!¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t go down there!¡± Kurumi shouted, ¡°Not now¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s¡­ happening?¡±


    I noticed Yuki looking over the railing, her face almost in pure shock while staring into the vast field. As I looked over the railing, I immediately gasped in shock.


    Some of the students who were wearing their track and field uniforms were being attacked by multiple others who had their backs slouched or sitting on lifeless bodies.


    A student was swarmed by multiple others, who proceeded to scratch and mutilate his body brutally. Others were fleeing for their lives, before falling down and being attacked by a nearby student.


    From afar, it looked as if it was some sort of harmless prank despite the blood and flesh coming out of each body being surrounded by the students.


    ¡°It was so sudden,¡± Kurumi mumbled, resting her head on the railway, ¡°People just lost their minds¡­ the Track and Field team were among the first¡­ And then he was¨C¡±


    The boy lurched forward in pain, desperately trying to keep silent while pressing his free hand over the wound at his shoulder.


    ¡°Hang in there!¡± Kurumi shouted.


    As Kurumi tried to tend to the boy, I pulled out my phone again, dialing 119 in the process with no response.


    ¡°We have to get him outside and call an ambulance" Yuuri looked over, trying to ease his pain.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to call them, but I¡¯m not getting through," I said while an automated voice continued on my phone.


    An explosion erupted across the suburbs, almost causing Yuki to lose her balance. Looking over, plumes of smoke emerged out of multiple houses, followed by distant buildings.


    ¡°What is all this¡­ Why is this happening?¡± Yuki said with a shaky voice backing away from the railing as she stared at the chaos that engulfed the city.


    A knock came across the door, followed by a bang. As we all turned over, the rapid banging continued, followed by a sudden slam as if someone tried to kick it down.


    ¡°Open up Wakasa-san! I know you¡¯re out there!¡± A male voice came through, with his loud panting piercing through the door.


    I looked over in terror, almost unwilling to open it due to Kamiyama¡¯s instructions. Yet at the same time, it felt as if I needed to let whoever that was in.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time! Please! Open up!¡±


    We all stared at the door, completely paralyzed in fear. It was easy to let Kurumi in, yet it was almost as if our instinct believed whoever was out there could be trusted.


    ¡°Hey! I can see¡­¡± The voice turned quieter, before another loud bang followed at the door, almost rumbling as if the hinges were about to fall off.


    I looked at Yuuri, who slowly approached the door with her legs trembling, almost hesitant to open up.


    ¡°Sakura-sensei! I can see you through the window. It¡¯s me! Ryu Tanaka!¡±


    Hearing the name, I ran over, unlocked the door, and swung it open.


    Ryu instantly fell over, his leg raised as if he tried to kick the door down again out of desperation before losing his balance and falling face-first onto the ground. He dropped the shovel he had in his hand, letting it slide across the floor close to Kurumi. I instantly shut the door, relocking it.


    ¡°Are you okay Ryu-kun?¡± Yuki ran over to him.


    ¡°Hold on!¡± I extended my hand over, stopping her instantly.


    Ryu twitched for a moment, before extending his hand out to give a thumbs-up. He placed his hand over his head, groaning. I slowly backed away, before he gasped for breath.


    Another bang came at the door, followed by shuffling. We all stopped, looking over the door. I walked over, stopping out of reluctance. My heart was pounding at the moment. Could it be another student? Or one of them?


    After another wave of banging, several hands burst through the glass, all desperately trying to reach for us. I covered my mouth with my hand, stopping any scream that could come out through my throat. It was impossible to discern what I was witnessing.


    Their faces were filled with blood and torn-off flesh, yet their mouths were wide open with the sound of groans being constantly emitted. Through the decomposing skins, I could vaguely recognize who they were.


    I wished it was all a prank or some form of nightmare that I could wake up and get over it. The surrealness of what was happening, there was no way it was happening.


    It all didn¡¯t make sense.

 Chapter Six

    5:01 PM.


    ¡°No response¡­¡± I muttered to myself as I pressed my phone close to my ear.


    It seemed weird that my parents wouldn¡¯t pick up my call at this time. Sure I had to take into account the riots and collisions, yet it seemed illogical to reason that a car somehow hit every cellular network line in the country.


    I stood outside the meeting room, with the chatter around me finally residing with the few students from inside the council room leaving. The meeting went decently well, although some of the members were mysteriously absent.


    It¡¯d be a shame if they ran into a collision since the casualties in the recent collisions had started to rack up today by a significant amount.


    Walking down the hallway, my eyes wandered to the side, noticing the room empty, the board filled with the words ¡°Make-up Test, Japanese¡±. I nonetheless continued my walk down the stairs.


    Once reaching the first floor, I noticed a small group of students all rushing into a classroom, their voices unanimously sounding shaky as if they¡¯d witnessed something. Curious, I leaned close to the wall, peeking at the door. About 8 or 9 students were all huddled around the table.


    ¡°Someone get the nurse!¡± A voice came.


    ¡°They¡¯re closed, you idiot! What do we do?¡± Another voice followed


    ¡°Do we call an ambulance Kyo-kun?¡± A girl backed away from the room, reaching for her phone.


    At that point, I had to do something instead of just standing there. I approached the group, negotiating through the tables which had formed a tight corridor blocked off by the group of students.


    Perhaps I have to try and look over the group I thought to myself.


    ¡°Someone gets a teacher!¡± Someone shouted amongst the group.


    ¡°Call an ambulance first, Kyo-kun. Getting a teacher is a second priority"


    I motioned my hand towards the girl on the phone, her face visibly shook by what she had witnessed.


    ¡°Tanaka-kun! We have an issue" A female student turned over.


    ¡°I know. What happened to him?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I saw him fall onto the ground close to the side entrance to the school with a wound"


    ¡°Do you know how to do a tourniquet?¡± I reached for a first aid kit over to the side.


    ¡°I¡¯m making one!¡± A girl shouted from the other side of the table.


    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll get a teacher"


    ¡°Wait up asshole!¡± I felt someone grab onto my arm.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    I turned over, noticing a boy named Kyo.


    He seemed to be physically on par with the most athletic students of this school, yet his mindless and offensive demeanor often pissed me off.


    ¡°Are you gonna run off or something?¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯m like that?¡±


    ¡°Do you even know where the teachers are? They probably all left by now you idiot"


    ¡°And leave us here unsupervised? No wonder why people look down on you¡±


    ¡°What¡¯d ya say, you bastard?¡± Kyo grabbed onto my shirt.


    In a situation like this, I had the urge to knock him out.


    ¡°Knock it off you two!¡± A male student ran over, separating both of us.


    ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing. Go tend to your friend"


    ¡°Don¡¯t take too long¡±


    Running out of the hallway, a sense of unfound dread creeped into my mind. A completely foreign feeling, for me. Everything that has built up, every event I¡¯ve witnessed. It had to be connected¡­ somehow.


    ¡°Wait! He¡¯s twitching! Wait wait! Hey! Are you alright?¡± Kyo¡¯s voice shouted from across the room, followed by a sudden gasp of shock.


    I stopped, running back inside the classroom to witness the boy extend his hand out towards Kyo, who stared at him.


    ¡°Haru-kun?¡±


    A sudden glance at Haru''s face, as he reached for Kyo, made me freeze.


    Haru dug his teeth straight through Kyo¡¯s shoulder, sending a stream of blood flying out of his shoulder. The room turned into something out of a horror movie, with Kyo wrestling with Haru across the tables around us.


    ¡°Haru-kun! What the hell are you doing?¡± Another student ran over towards him, pushing him towards the window and giving a corridor for the female student to run out of the classroom screaming.


    ¡°Someone stop him!¡± I shouted before running towards Kyo, his arm creating a considerably large puddle of blood.


    ¡°What the hell do we do!¡± The boy shouted as he continued to press his hand over Haru, pinning him into the corner.


    ¡°Get a table and knock him out!¡±


    ¡°Are you crazy? You¡¯ll kill him!¡± He responded, his face looking away from Haru


    Haru lurched himself towards the student¡¯s arm, digging his teeth into his flesh.


    ¡°Agh! Dammit! Get the table!¡±


    I crashed through the small table barricade, feeling the blunt trauma of the wooden tables despite how light they were. Staring at Haru and Kyo, I charged towards him, raising my right leg.


    ¡°Get off! Get the hell off!¡± The student shouted before his voice turned into screams as Haru continued to sink his teeth into his arm.


    ¡°The hell is your problem?¡± I shouted, shoving Haru away.


    ¡°Aagh! Dammit!¡± He screamed in agony as Haru recoiled, tearing a part of the skin.


    ¡°Hey! Get up!¡± I placed my hand over the student, dragging him away as Haru tried to reach for his leg.


    ¡°What the hell is wrong with you?¡± Kyo screamed at Haru, kicking him straight in the face.


    ¡°Everyone get out!¡± I shouted towards the group of students who had cornered themselves at the other side of the room, ¡°Move!¡±


    While we hastily vacated the room, I slid the classroom door shut, holding onto the handle while Haru scratched his fingers over the door. I backed away, pushing the front door away as well.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Jeez¡­ what the hell is wrong with you¡­¡± I mumbled towards Haru, before running towards the entrance.


    I hadn¡¯t seen something like this. Some sort of corpse or body ending up into some cannibalistic predator.


    Was there some sort of reason for this?


    No time to think.


    Rushing towards the front entrance, I hastily ignored the group of students I had met earlier, knowing that they had mixed themselves into small groups of students.


    As I reached the opening, I stopped, noticing a nearby student walking inside.


    ¡°Get inside, please! There seems to be an emergency"


    She continued walking down, her head still lowered. As I got closer, my eyes caught the attention of the wound over her leg paired with her hands swinging as she got closer.


    Oh crap.


    The student lurched forward towards me, revealing her disfigured face behind the modest hairstyle she wore. I sidestepped over, pushing the student towards the stone wall through a single kick through her arm, before reaching for my satchel.


    ¡°Get the hell back¡± I barked, throwing my satchel towards the gate as a way to keep my hands free from any unnecessary grabbing.


    A few confused mutters came from behind me, almost as if I¡¯d shouted a bit too loud. Yet, I knew it wasn¡¯t the time to consider what people would think.


    The student lurched towards me, two of her hands grabbing onto my school blazer. She did a quick growl, before continuing to reveal the corpse-looking face she had, only mitigated by the hairstyle and remaining makeup over her face.


    This was no human.


    She was slow, almost unreactive to anything around her as if she was in a trance similar to Haru. I could¡¯ve easily taken her down without any issue if it were not for whatever remaining senses she had kept her from groaning or stopping in pain.


    I thrusted my palm towards the person¡¯s shoulder, pushing her upwards and avoiding any bite towards me. Before she could even try to wrestle against my strength, I gripped my left hand over her shoulder, followed by a sweep.


    As she fell on the ground, I raised my leg, almost being stopped by the restricting school pants and shoes that hindered my movement. I released my heel straight towards her face, feeling my shoe thrust dig into her head followed by a crack.


    Even despite my small victory, my sense of dread continued inside of me.


    I turned over, my eyes instantly widening at the sudden group of students that had started swarming the entrance from all sides. Their bodies were filled with scratches and bite marks that indicated they weren¡¯t returning for anything good.


    Screams suddenly burst across the field as more of those things started to swarm into the field. I turned over, looking at the student that I had just knocked out, noticing her struggle to reach for my legs.


    I grabbed onto my satchel, sprinting through the bushes. While fleeing towards the entrance, I could hear the chaos from outside almost catching up to me.


    Kyo, who lay close to the wall after his bite wound, got up, trying to extend his hand towards me with a groan under his voice.


    I continued nonetheless, hearing his final screams as I continued down the first hallway entrance.


    And I don¡¯t need to explain my actions. I¡¯m just not a hero.


    Running up the stairs, I made a quick detour towards the nearby horticulture club, grabbing onto a shovel that was leaning off of the lockers, before making a run for it. In the distance, I could see several students running for their lives into the classroom.


    An explosion rocked the school, making me fall face-first onto the stairs as dust started to settle onto the floor. I coughed for a moment, looking up at the stairway. Salvation laid a few flights up, yet I didn¡¯t want to run blindly at it.


    What am I thinking? Do I even have a choice at this point?


    As I arrived at the rooftop door, I fiddled with the doorknob, which was completely stuck in place. Staring through the glass panes, several unknown figures were on the rooftop, their faces indistinguishable from the blurry glass texture that had covered up the door.


    ¡°Open up Wakasa-san! I know you¡¯re out there!¡± I shouted through the door, almost cutting off mid-sentence as I tried to gather my breath. The figures through the window turned over, staring at the door in horror.


    What the hell are you doing¡­


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time! Please! Open up!¡±


    The figures on the rooftop had slowly approached the door, yet at the same time, they had that sense of hesitation and distrust within their movement.


    ¡°Hey! I can see whoever is out there!¡± I backed away from the door, lurching my foot towards it with a kick. Despite the sheer amount of power I had exerted, the door remained shut.


    ¡°I¡¯m not one of whatever they are!¡±


    A figure approached the door, making me slow down at my banging on the door. She extended her hand towards the door, before stopping midway.


    As I continued to bang on the door with desperation, I noticed a tall purple-haired figure standing close to the group, watching the door while equally paralyzed as the others on the rooftop.


    ¡°Sakura-sensei! I can see you through the window. It¡¯s me! Ryu Tanaka!¡±


    While banging on the door, the figure gets close to the window before unlocking it. The door swung open, making me fall over. I planted my left hand onto the ground, only making the back of my head feel the brunt of the floor.


    Ow.


    I opened my eyes, staring at the vast orange sky in front of me. The screams from the field were drowned out by the sound of ringing in my ears.


    How foolish of me¡­


    ¡°Ryu-kun?¡± Yuki looked over at me, her voice sounding as if she had just asked me something but I only heard the last part.


    ¡°Hold on!¡± Sakura raised her hand towards Yuki, stopping her.


    I looked up, noticing an odd collection of faces staring at me. Yuuri, Yuki, Kurumi, Sakura-sensei, and some boy from the track and field club resting on the railing.


    It seemed awkward falling in front of a bunch of students, even in a desperate situation like this. Yet, the headache continued to sting at my head to the point where I couldn¡¯t get up. Was I infected somehow?


    Muffled voices followed across my ears, followed by a sudden bang as if someone else was knocking on the door.


    I opened my eyes towards the door, noticing Sakura approaching it before briefly stopping herself.


    ¡°Wait¡­¡± a voice echoed through my left ear, followed by someone putting their hands over my back as if I were an elderly person.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± I said, almost unable to hear my voice.


    I looked over at the door that Sakura stood in front of, my ears barely able to distinguish anything due to the constant ringing. As I got back up, several hands emerged through the glass pane, all trying to reach for Sakura.


    Even as I started to regain my bearings and hear the groans of the students past the door, I could already tell we weren¡¯t safe.


    Yet, I didn¡¯t want to just rush up towards the door and try to keep them away. That¡¯d just be suicide. Especially when I could barely distinguish what Yuki was saying while being over me.


    Sakura quickly ran towards the side, pushing a nearby metal locker towards the door.


    As she struggled to fight back against the tide of hands, Yuuri ran over, helping Sakura overpower the group of students. I got back up on my feet, almost falling back down close to the garden bed, before thrusting my arm towards the locker, finally ensuring that they wouldn¡¯t be able to get through.


    ¡°Takeya-san! Push that washing machine over there¡±


    As I gave way to Takeya who struggled to push the machine into the door, I kept my hand over the locker. If I even released my hand for a moment, there was no way this barricade could hold against 5-6 students on the other side.


    ¡°Ebisuzawa-san!¡± Sakura screamed, almost making me lose my hold over the locker.


    I turned over, noticing the boy reaching for Kurumi¡¯s hand. It was clear that he had already turned, yet I was foolish enough to believe he would turn this instant. I looked at the garden bed, noticing a shovel beside it.


    Could I make a run for it? I thought to myself.


    I can¡¯t risk it. Even with me, it was hard to keep the locker barricade up. Even if we let the barricades do the work, there was the question of the door giving in to what seemed to be four to five students at the other side trying to reach for us.


    Kurumi looked at the boy with confusion, before squealing, causing her to fall over onto the ground.


    As she groaned in pain, she quickly snapped back to her senses, staring straight up at the boy. He continued to move slowly, his hand attempting to reach for Kurumi. She kicked herself away.


    ¡°Ebisuzawa-san! Run!¡± Sakura-sensei screamed.


    Kurumi screamed, before grabbing onto the shovel I dropped on the ground. Holding onto both hands with the shovel, Kurumi continued staring at him.


    Someone do something!


    After what felt like an entire hour of her trying to keep her distance from what I assumed to be her boyfriend, Kurumi swung the shovel at the boy, striking immediately hitting the neck.


    For a moment, there was complete and utter silence the moment the shovel landed on the boy¡¯s neck. The boy stopped for a moment, blood coming out through the shovel and spattering into Kurumi¡¯s face.


    Kurumi pulled the shovel out of his neck, before thrusting it towards his head repeatedly before he could even get back up. With every strike into the neck, the shock of everyone else multiplied until the boy stopped.


    Nobody spoke a word as Kurumi stared down at the body of what was her Senpai. Her eyes were still in shock. I felt the urge to say something, yet I felt it wasn¡¯t the best time for me to say it now, especially with the sound of banging right behind us.

 Chapter Seven

    As the sun disappeared from the horizon, I looked down from the roof. The field was filled with hundreds of those students, who continued to wander while giving out a constant agonizing moan.


    I turned over to Kurumi, who had curled herself up close to the corner with a shovel beside her and a body covered up with a white sheet. We had remained up here for about 2 hours. Survival was possible, but only for the short term.


    I looked at Sakura, one hand on her phone while the other rubbed over Yuki¡¯s back as she rested her head over the railing, sobbing. Yuuri placed her hand over Yuki¡¯s shoulder, attempting to help Sakura comfort Yuki while she continued to try to contact help to no avail.


    Sakura walked away from Yuki, her phone planted close to her ears as she waited. After a few seconds, Sakura lowered her phone out of frustration, prompting me to approach her as she stuffed her phone back into her pockets.


    ¡°We can¡¯t risk staying on this roof for too long. The weather won¡¯t be in our favor¡­¡±


    ¡°This should all blow over tomorrow, right?¡± Sakura whispered to me.


    ¡°Much of the Self Defence Force is overseas and I have a good feeling whatever is happening is international"


    ¡°What are you inferring, Tanaka-kun?¡±


    ¡°This¡¯ll last more than a few days. My best bet is for a few weeks until somebody comes over and rescues us"


    ¡°Are you sure we could hold out that long? Especially regarding some of the girls like Yuki-chan"


    I looked over at Yuki, her hands covering her eyes as she continued her sobbing.


    ¡°We¡¯ll make it"


    A quiet ringtone came from Yuki, making us look over at her. Yuki quickly reached for her phone in her pocket, placing it close to her ear.


    ¡°Mom!¡± Yuki shouted in joyful relief as she jumped up and down with the phone.


    Sakura ran over to Yuki, and I followed suit.


    ¡°Yes, Mom! I¡¯m alright! I¡¯m at the school rooftop with a few other students with me"


    We all looked at each other as Yuki listened through the phone, her face still in joyful excitement, almost ignorant of the threat still close to us.


    ¡°Where are you? Is Dad safe?¡±


    Yuuri and Sakura stood close to Yuki, their faces equally worried.


    ¡°Mom¡­ slow down. I can¡¯t hear anything"


    I stepped towards the group, hearing a crackling sound through the call¡¯s speakers, followed by something inaudible. As I stood close to Yuuri, a sudden scream came through the call, followed by a disconnect.


    ¡°Mom? Mom!¡± Yuki looked at her phone, ignorant of her hands trembling. She looked up at Sakura, who had her hands over her mouth in shock after hearing the scream.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind asking, where are they?¡± I asked,


    ¡°Shinmachi Local Park¡±


    ¡°They should be under military protection. Don¡¯t worry about it"


    A sudden sonic boom made us flinch down, with multiple large figures flying over us at breakneck speed. Staring at the figures, with the green dot illuminating its presence, they flew off into the horizon, disappearing through the plume of smoke.


    ¡°Speak of the devil-¡±


    A second boom made us flinch again, as a fiery explosion filled the outskirts of the city in almost complete unison, lighting up the sky with another wave of napalm and destruction across the streets.


    ¡°Oh my¡­¡± Sakura muttered.


    I turned over to Yuki, who stared at the city with a sense of shock over it, before dropping the phone onto the ground. I hadn¡¯t seen Yuki look like this at all, almost as if her usual upbeat nature had been suppressed.


    ¡°Where did that hit?¡± Yuuri pointed at the explosion.


    ¡°Shinmachi¡­¡± Sakura mumbled.


    ¡°Great¡­" I muttered to myself.


    Turning over at Yuki, I noticed her hands shaking while lowering her phone. Her legs started to tremble to the point where she fell on the ground in shock, her eyes starting to fill with tears.


    Sakura ran over to Yuki, rubbing her hand over Yuki¡¯s back in the hopes that she wouldn¡¯t break down. Yet, through the facade of a strong face she had, I could tell Sakura was just as distraught as Yuki.


    Looking around the rooftop, almost everyone had that same feeling of dread and confusion among them. I could tell I wasn¡¯t immune to it. Not a single message came on my phone, so the fate of my parents, my relatives, and everyone I genuinely cared for, remained almost unknown.


    It was like last time.


    With the only realistic and likely conclusion being that they¡¯ve suffered a similar fate to them, I couldn¡¯t accept it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back¡­¡± I muttered to Sakura, to which she responded with a nod.


    Going around the small stairway, I stood in front of the rows of solar panels aimed toward the sky, staring into the field on my own.


    I placed my hands over my face, clenching my hair in silent frustration. Staring up at the sky, a gunship in the distance, visible by the fire below him, fired a sudden salvo of rockets onto a nearby block.


    With the sound of an explosion echoing across the school, I took advantage of it, backing away from the railing.


    ¡°Dammit!¡± I kicked onto the railing, causing its hinges to fall off and the piece flying onto the ground.


    I sidestepped over to a nearby rail, this time resting my shoulder to place my hands over my face, covering the outburst I¡¯ve been trying to hold back ever since my arrival on the rooftop.


    Reminiscing on how the day played out, I came to a shocking realization; all of those hints, all of those messages indicating that the world was turning mad by the second, even how this school was designed.


    It was painfully obvious. And yet, I did nothing about it. I¡¯ve always been confident in my judgment and decisions, yet I¡¯ve kept my guard down for too long.


    Banging on the railing again, I walked towards the garden, returning to my usual composed face to not make the others worry. I had to decide for once, and with the stakes as high as ever, it seemed as if we¡¯d end up just like them.


    I approached Sakura who sat next to Yuki in the hopes of comforting her. Looking up at me, she stood up.


    ¡°I think it''s best to say we should get off this rooftop¡±


    ¡°How will we get in? The front door¡¯s not an option"


    ¡°Wait here"


    I walked over towards the body placed near the garden shed, lifting the white sheet over the body. Even though he had died an hour ago, the smell was starting to set in. I grabbed onto its lifeless hand, shoving its thumb onto the home screen as it turned on.


    I turned on the music player, maximizing its volume. As I made a crude knot over the phone, I sent it down towards the ground floor as it blasted a melody that could even be heard from up here.


    After lowering it as much as possible, I slowly hovered it close to one of the windows. As it got close, I swung the rope around, causing it to move like a metronome. I released my hand over the rope as the phone got close to the window.


    The sound of groans and banging across the locker instantly stopped, with the faint sound of the symphony playing across the hallways.


    ¡°Ebisuzawa-san, can you help me clear out the third floor?¡±


    Kurumi gave me a glare in response.


    ¡°Never mind then¡­ May I borrow your shovel?¡±


    She glared at me again.


    I turned over to the rest of the group, who seemed to have scattered around the roof all looking tired.


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    ¡°Stay here. I won¡¯t take a while"


    ¡°Wait Ryu-kun. You can¡¯t just straight up leave the roof. There¡¯s probably way more scattered across the school¡± Sakura responded.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it Sakura-sensei, the sound seems to attract them like flies. Worst case scenario, we¡¯re merely back at square one"


    ¡°No! I can¡¯t let you risk yourself. The roof is already our only hope here. We can sleep at night and think it out tomorrow¡±


    ¡°With all due respect Sakura-sensei, do you want to risk sleeping out here? With all the cold and the possibility of rain?¡±


    ¡°... Fine. But don¡¯t risk yourself"


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry"


    She nodded in response, before placing her hand on Yuki¡¯s back as she huddled up at the corner sobbing.


    I slowly pushed the locker away from the door, before entering the staircase with little issue. A few shards of glass were in my way yet I managed to navigate through them without alerting the infected.


    It seemed surreal to be in the school at night. The classrooms are empty, entering an area where you usually come during the day, and completely silent. Yet it wasn¡¯t the time to admire it.


    The hallway was merely dimmed by the distant orange light, while I continued down the hallway. I hugged close to the walls, slowly peeking over the door before making a quick run to the next set of walls.


    A student emerged from the stairs, his back slouched down. He turned over to me, before approaching me with both hands trying to reach for me.


    As he slowly entered the moonlight, I held my hand over my mouth in shock. His face was disfigured while his eyes bulged out as if it was something out of a horror movie now placed to wreak havoc. A true monster in the flesh.


    With the student getting closer, I grabbed onto his right arm, pushing him straight onto the wall. As he struggled against my grab, I lifted my right foot, kicking him away the moment I released my hold.


    The student was sent back before he then continued his chase, having both arms fruitlessly reach for me as if he hadn''t learned his mistake.


    As he lurched forward towards me, I sidestepped over, before thrusting my left foot into his side. He landed close to the window, shattering it. The student seemed to have stopped with his attack.


    I gripped his neck, placing him close to the window. With my blazer and my height advantage, it was as if I was fighting a child.


    Is this¡­ murder? I thought to myself as I pushed him closer to the window.


    The tide of thoughts couldn¡¯t override the overarching thought I had. However, as I looked up, both hands were trying to reach for my hair out of desperation. I pressed both hands over his chest, shoving him over the window. I then heard a splat.


    I stood there in complete silence, contemplating my actions. Even if it was murder, was it justified? Was there a way to subdue him without killing him?


    Perhaps that was the best option I could take, for now.


    I walked down the stairs, taking advantage of the distant music to conceal my loud fight against a student.


    As I reached the Home Economics Kitchen, I reached for a kitchen knife. It felt weird, wielding such a weapon like this, yet at this point, I had to ignore it.


    Walking back up the stairs with my knife, I started to think about the music player. It had only a few songs, so how long would it take until the music ended?


    As I looked over towards the hallway, I noticed a group of infected now coming out of the classroom. It seems I¡¯ve received my answer. It was now or never. I gripped my knife, feigning a few moves.


    I walked over, slowly garnering the attention of the students who stood in front of me.


    A sudden movement from the entrance of the stairs caught my attention, with the figure so eerily similar yet indistinguishable at the same time. However, after a sudden stare, the growl of a student retained my attention.


    I reached for my knife, thrusting it towards a student¡¯s head hesitantly. As the student growled in response, I lurched my knife towards its neck. The student made a loud gurgle before its entire body stopped almost instantly. As I looked over with a feeling of remorse, another growl came to my side.


    After managing to pull the knife out from the wound, I backed away from the body. I could easily take him down using my usual style. Yet, I found it difficult to risk each attack or else I¡¯d suffer the same fate as Kurumi¡¯s boyfriend.


    As a student approached me at his usual slow pace, I tapped both of his hands away, before sending a kick towards its jaw. It backed away for a moment.


    I grabbed onto his arm, spinning over to the student beside him before colliding both onto the ground. As I released the person, I immediately dove straight into the knife, thrusting it out of the body.


    Blood spattered on my face as I blinked rapidly. I noticed one of the infected fell over to the ground. A dark figure stood behind a few infected students, her figure almost indistinguishable in the dark despite the shovel and the twin tails.


    As the students turned around, she swung her shovel, knocking each one out before stabbing them straight in the head. Gripping onto my knife, I thrust it towards the kneecap of one of the infected students, before repeatedly bashing him straight in the gut in the hopes that it¡¯d fall. I then pulled the knife out, sending it towards its neck.


    As I turned over to my right, the distinct figure of Kurumi captured my sight. She had dropped her shovel after managing to take down the last infected, completely out of breath and almost unable to stand up.


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d be smart enough to not punch them,¡± Kurumi muttered as she dug her shovel into one of the student¡¯s heads, hesitating her final blow for a moment.


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Yeah I know, not the time now"


    ¡°Anytime is the right time for me as long as we¡¯re not handling a bunch of them"


    ¡°Heh¡­¡±


    A figure emerged behind Kurumi, making me raise my knife.


    ¡°Step aside"


    Kurumi stepped over, swinging her shovel at a speed I couldn¡¯t even comprehend.


    ¡°How are you so good with a shovel Ebisuzawa-san?"


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­"


    ¡°Martial arts?¡±


    ¡°Yep¡­¡±


    ¡°Lucky¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t happen to know if there¡¯s anyone else left?¡±


    ¡°If there was, it wouldn''t be much of an issue for us"


    ¡°Anyways, Pres, I¡¯ll get some barricades around the stairs. Can you scavenge around the classrooms and look for some lamps?¡±


    ¡°Sure¡­¡±


    ¡°Alrighty¡­ I¡¯ll be back Ryu-kun¡±


    ¡°Can you also get the rest of the students down to the class?¡±


    ¡°Yea sure"


    A thought suddenly rushed into my head as we started to part ways.


    ¡°Ebisuzawa-san, can I say something real quick?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°This may seem a bit late for this, but I¡¯m sorry for your loss"


    There was an awkward moment of silence, before being broken by Kurumi giving a nod.


    ¡°... Thanks Ryu-kun"


    It was now or never anyway. Telling that tomorrow or the day after would seem awkward.


    ¡°By the way, the office is reserved if you are considering living there for the night"


    She smiled, giving out a nod before we went our separate ways.


    I scanned the nearby rooms. What became of the second-year classrooms looked like something out of a straight-up massacre. I grabbed onto each table, sliding it over onto the nearby stairs before setting it up.


    After a moment of setting up barricades, I made my approach to the reference room where a distinct light reflected across the obscured glass. The distant sound of Sakura¡¯s soft voice followed by a sob could be heard from the hallway. I knocked on the door.


    ¡°Excuse me, can I talk with Sakura-sensei for a moment?¡± I asked in my friendliest voice to avoid breaking the mood inside.


    ¡°Coming over, please give me a moment,¡± Sakura-sensei responded in a friendly voice.


    A soft yet indistinguishable whisper came from the room, followed by a small shuffle. The door slid open as Sakura exited, with a soft sob being heard from the inside. I nonetheless kept silent for the time being.


    ¡°Did you manage to get a hold of anyone on the phone, Sakura-sensei?¡±


    Sakura shrugged her shoulders.


    ¡°Alright. Our best chance is to stay in this school. Thanks to the guys who outfitted this school, we can probably last for a few months. Me and Kurumi are planning to clear out the second floor after Lunch, so I¡¯m hoping that you¡¯ll hold down the fort for us in the meantime¡±


    ¡°Alright. What are you planning to do in the case that we have to stay put in this school and wait for someone to rescue us?¡±


    ¡°I still haven¡¯t thought out the long-term goals, although I kinda have a rough idea of it. I¡¯ll report back to you on it"


    I kind of lied. It was easy to plan it out but I didn¡¯t want to boast about it to a teacher.


    ¡°By the way, Sakura-sensei?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ryu-kun?¡± She turned over.


    ¡°Are you aware that the school has an emergency manual for a scenario like this?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ no. I haven¡¯t seen any emergency manuals¡± Sakura looked away for a brief second, her tone completely nervous.


    ¡°Odd. I thought the school would have something like that"


    A brief silence followed. Sakura had nothing to say, again.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow sensei¡±


    ¡°Good night Tanaka-kun¡± Sakura responded with her usual friendly tone coming back into the light, ¡°Come over to this room if you have an emergency¡±


    I knew there had to be something of interest, as a school should be equipped with a manual if they were boasting a garden and a bunch of solar panels.


    The convenience seemed unreal. But Sakura is still quite new to teaching, so I¡¯ll cut her some slack.


    I entered a nearby classroom, its appearance being way different than what I used to remember. Tables were slashed and flipped, large holes across windows, and blood splattered across the board. The moment I stepped in, a foul odor set in, causing me to withdraw out of the room for a moment. It was the same for almost the entire school.


    Let¡¯s see what I could do.


    By the time it was 9 PM, I was finished setting up a line of crudely made barricades. A square wall of tables kept together by mere rope. It wasn¡¯t the best I could do, but it''s good enough.


    I continued my scan through each room, managing to find a couch in the meeting room which I dragged into my room. Despite the compact space, I managed to fit the couch in.


    It wasn¡¯t the best bed I could find, but it''s good enough.


    There wasn¡¯t much I could do for now other than sleep and observe the students who have surrounded this school. However, knowing that they can spread whatever virus or infection through bites pushed me to check my drawers.


    Upon opening my drawer, I found a pile of items stacked almost conveniently for me. Gloves, beanies, a roll of tape, the list kept going.


    Perfect.


    I took one quick scan on my phone. 9:04 PM. As I looked down at my phone, the usual news feed that I used to look through had been stuck, with only a few mere ¡®recent¡¯ articles during 5:23 PM. I started to settle with the thoughts creeping from the back of my mind.


    Our world has changed. And honestly, I still can¡¯t comprehend it to this day.

 Chapter Eight

    Day Two.


    Waking up from my office gave me an odd sensation in my skin. I foolishly thought I overslept throughout the entire afternoon and evening and forgot to head home. The distant moans of the students in the field dispelled that thought.


    I looked over at my phone¡¯s news app¡ªalmost every local news channel stopped by around the late evening. A glimmer of hope remained in the form of a naval blockade throughout the country.


    Let¡¯s hope my office is a good sleeping place for the time being.


    I couldn¡¯t hope for the future though. For all we know, this seems like it¡¯ll take a while to contain such an infection that could potentially spread across the continent.


    I turned my phone off. Although it was possible to charge my phone thanks to the solar generators, I couldn¡¯t take it for granted.


    Looking at the board in front of me, I saw mere scribbles and lines drawn across it. Early morning drawings weren¡¯t my best, but at least they conveyed the general idea.


    I had planned out what we do in different scenarios and the roles of everybody (or what I believed should be). Yet, despite a few dot points under everybody¡¯s name, Yuki remained empty.


    Well, what was I supposed to write?


    Perhaps my ideas will change over time.


    I slid the door open, looking down the entire hallway across the third floor. Instead of the usual group of students spread out across the hallway, I only saw Yuuri walking inside a classroom. I heard the sound of distant sobbing coming from the same room.


    Even without opening the door to see what happened, I could easily tell who it was.


    ¡°Good morning Ryu-kun,¡±


    ¡°Morning Wakasa-san¡±


    ¡°Morning Ryu¡±


    ¡°Morning Ebisuzawa-san¡±


    The sound of sobbing came from the middle of the room. Sakura stood over Yuki who was sitting on a chair with her hands covering her face.


    I noticed the nearby windows being shattered open, with blood and debris spreading across the room. It seemed eerily consistent with each room, as I felt a breeze while passing by each classroom.


    ¡°Has Takeya-san been like this for a while now?¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Yea. She has been like that ever since the early morning¡± Kurumi whispered back.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to do a quick sweep of the second floor tomorrow right?¡±


    ¡°Yep"


    ¡°Perfect. I¡¯ll be out shortly"


    ¡°Before you go, Ryu-kun. Can I tell you something?¡± Yuuri turned over to me, holding onto my hand.


    ¡°... Go on" I responded, slowly pulling my hand away from her hold.


    ¡°Once you¡¯ve secured the second floor, can you please check the Home Economics Kitchen? It may have some food to keep us going for a while"


    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t suffice for more than three weeks. Our best hope is to keep with the original strategy of having people tend to the garden. I¡¯ll probably work on the garden with you since we¡¯re making progress with the scavenging¡±


    ¡°Ah, thanks Ryu-kun"


    ¡°I do wish for the extra manpower though"


    Yuuri and I exchanged glances for a moment as we walked out of the hallway, leaving Sakura to comfort Yuki. Although my plan with Kurumi was meant to happen later, I didn¡¯t know what could happen next. Especially since I hadn¡¯t gotten over last night.


    ¡°So, uh¡­ what are your thoughts?¡± I turned over to Yuuri.


    ¡°On what exactly?¡±


    ¡°Y¡¯know, with Takeya-san¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an understatement to say I feel bad for her¡­ she tried calling her grandparents last night. They managed to pick up but then hung up after someone tried banging on their door. She didn¡¯t get reception after that¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°What about your parents Ryu-kun? Are they alright?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t nor do I want to call them. I¡¯ll probably end up like Takeya-san"


    ¡°You say it as if it''s an insult"


    ¡°It isn¡¯t"


    ¡°Right¡­¡±


    ¡°Have you ever met Yuki and Kurumi-san before?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve only known them from another club"


    ¡°Hm. I¡¯ve only known Yuki because she¡¯s in my class, but I never knew she was like this mentally"


    Well, I already knew. Someone like her would be more susceptible to falling into trauma.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we try to help her Ryu-kun?¡±


    ¡°If we manage to get all of us out of here unscathed, we find the antidote to all of our issues, including Takeya-san"


    ¡°What if we can¡¯t get out?¡±


    ¡°That¡­ I have no answer"


    It''s not that I didn¡¯t have an answer. I just refused to admit it.


    ¡°Well, we can¡¯t just idle around"


    ¡°If we¡¯re going to find a solution, we¡¯ll have to plan out our next course of action rather than blindly diving into rescue"


    ¡°Well, what should we do tomorrow then? And the day after?¡±


    I turned over to Yuuri.


    ¡°Listen, I can tell you¡¯re a smart and mature girl, Wakasa-san¡­ you taking charge of the Horticulture Club during Mio-san¡¯s absence proves that you¡¯re way better than her¡­¡±


    Her face lit up for a moment at my compliment. I haven¡¯t been the type to personally compliment them, yet at this point, I might as well weaponize it.


    ¡°This may seem like a bad idea, but if you have an idea or some plans for the future, can you bring it up with Sakura-sensei? I¡¯ll meet with you in the council room to address the matters, but it''s best to think short term for now. After all, I¡¯m still recovering from yesterday¡¯s events¡±


    ¡°Got it, Ryu-kun¡±


    ¡°If there are any big issues or questions, just ask me. I¡¯ll give you a definite answer. For now, I got bigger priorities to handle¡±


    We nodded at each other before going our separate ways.


    Upon arriving at the council room with a bowl, I took a glance at the window. The mindless hordes that had surrounded the sports building continued to wander around.


    Midway through my watch, a breeze shook the nearby trees, creating a small plume of dust across the path. As this happened, a nearby Football rolled through the path, with a few students following the ball.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Interesting.


    I gripped my phone, typing down a small note. As I finished up, I checked my social media tab. The feed remained stuck from last night, yet the remaining tweets all said the same thing.


    ¡°The Zombie Apocalypse has started!¡±


    Is that what they¡¯re called? Zombies? Popular culture has never been of interest. It was foolish of me to call them students, I guess. But yesterday, not a single question about what happened to them rushed into my mind. I glanced at the clock.


    Entering the classroom close to me, I looked over towards Yuki. She had remained in that position for quite a while right now, with the sound of sobbing consistent with what it was before. The massive holes in the glass panes created a small breeze for Yuki.


    I grabbed onto a chair neatly stacked in the corner, placing it over at Yuki. She looked up at me, her expressive eyes still filled with tears. She reached for her hat dangling at the side of the table, before wearing it.


    ¡°Hello Takeya-san¡±


    ¡°Good morning Ryu-kun¡­¡± Her round face sunk into the table, with her hat and eyes being the only thing visible. She seemed intimidated by my presence.


    I reluctantly gave a smile, attempting to comfort her.


    ¡°How¡¯s your day?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ alright¡­ I guess" She looked up at me, responding with a tired smile, although her face sunk back into the table after her answer.


    We sat in silence, Yuki¡¯s face still facing the table while I sat, pondering on my next move.


    ¡°So¡­ Takeya-san. I wanted to ask you this yesterday but was interrupted by the bell¡­ What do you like most?¡±


    Her face emerged from staring face down at the table. I will admit I wasn¡¯t the most social type of person, so it seemed as if I was a completely different person.


    ¡°Do you have to ask me that?¡±


    ¡°I know. But I¡¯m just bored¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I like sweets¡­


    ¡°Our Homeroom Class hm? What makes you say that?¡± I responded, keeping up a fake intrigued yet friendly voice.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    I¡¯m probably stepping into dangerous territory here¡­


    ¡°Was it your friends that made it fun? Or just the classroom setting?¡±


    She nodded in response to both, yet her face indicated she felt uncomfortable with my questions.


    ¡°Kamiyama-sensei does sometimes make class boring though"


    ¡°Hm¡± She nodded in agreement while keeping her face close to the table.


    ¡°What¡¯d you think about her?¡±


    Yuki shrugged her shoulders, pulling her hat down.


    ¡°She does seem like a harsh marker. And I¡¯m not saying that because I once got a 75 in our last, but it¡¯s just in how she works" I looked over at the window.


    ¡°Everyone was talking about that last week. We all rumored that you had a twin brother take over for you"


    ¡°The perks of my carelessness. I do find the rumors quite amusing¡±


    ¡°Heh"


    ¡°Anyways, I think we all know the situation we¡¯re in is quite¡­ precarious¡­ So, I, Wakasa-san, and Ebisuzawa-san are planning to get some work done on setting up barricades around the school. We¡¯re hoping that you could join in"


    ¡°I¡­ I just don¡¯t feel like it¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I think the extra hand would help in the future though. Remember the students like Yuzumura-san, Haruko-san-¡±


    Yuki froze for a moment as I listed Yuzumura.


    Damn it. I screwed up.


    Yuki started quivering uncontrollably, almost as if she had felt a sense of newfound dread within her body. As I kept silent, her eyes glistened, followed by tears streaming down her cheeks


    ¡°Takeya-san¡­¡±


    She lifted her arms, rubbing her eyes to no avail. After a brief moment, she covered her face with her hands.


    ¡°Hey, Takeya-san¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°Is¡­ is she alright?¡± Yuki whimpered quietly, her voice almost silenced by her hands.


    I stopped, my mouth still open as I tried to select the best words.


    ¡°She¡¯s¡­ in a better place, Yuki-san¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me¡­¡±


    I kept silent for a brief moment. Her voice sounded almost raspy despite her innocent look.


    ¡°You can¡¯t say¡­ that she¡¯s¡­¡± Her whimpering transformed into sobbing, as she sunk her head onto the table with her arms over it.


    ¡°Take a deep breath, Takeya-san. I¡¯ll change the subject"


    She¡¯s hard to handle¡­


    Yuki continued to sob despite her struggle to take a few deep breaths.


    It was an understatement to say it was easy to calm Yuki down. I¡¯ve realized that I had some poor wording choices, but perhaps I¡¯ve acted a bit too cold for Yuki¡¯s standards.


    ¡°Would you like some water, Takeya-san?¡±


    Yuki nodded, her small black hat almost falling off. I passed the bottle, almost interrupted by the glare of the sun which almost made me drop the bottle.


    ¡°Would you like me to close the door?¡±


    Yuki nodded again, sniffling for a brief moment as I pulled the blinds down and slid the door closed. While tending to the back door, I couldn¡¯t help but feel the presence of someone in the hallway.


    ¡°Thank you¡± Yuki spoke quietly.


    I sat close to the table, solidifying my posture in the moment. Yuki lowered her hands, looking at me with a frown.


    ¡°So uh, Takeya-san, what¡¯d you like to talk about?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Please take your time¡±


    Yuki opened her mouth for a brief second, before closing it as she looked away for a moment.


    ¡°... Will we end up like them one day?¡±


    Well, that I don¡¯t know¡­


    ¡°Takeya-san¡­ are you sure you want to talk about this?¡±


    She nodded reluctantly. I couldn¡¯t help but follow with such a request, even if it meant triggering her emotions. Her curiousness had played against me, for once.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll make it"


    Yuki looked at me before slowly lowering her head down, staring at the table. As I watched, I felt a sudden burst of dread inside of me. One that felt as if it was just released after a long time of confinement. It didn¡¯t seem right.


    Perhaps I have some amends to make.


    ¡°Listen Takeya-san¡­ I know it can be challenging for you. But how about this? If you ever run into any trouble. Don¡¯t ever keep it inside of you"


    Yuki looked at me with a puzzled face, her eyes still filled with tears.


    ¡°If you ever keep it inside, you¡¯ll never be able to get anywhere. Privacy and secrecy are good, but too much and you¡¯ll be stuck wherever you go or whatever the problem is"


    I was a hypocrite with what I said.


    ¡°Wha¡­ what do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Feel free to talk with Sakura-sensei, or your friends at any time. We¡¯ll always be there to comfort you, whatever your problem is"


    Yuki nodded for a brief moment, yet that feeling of discomfort and sadness loomed over her.


    This was my second time trying to genuinely comfort someone, yet at the same time, it felt as if I¡¯d done nothing. It was my fault I pushed Yuki¡¯s sadness to a point where she had accepted her loss of innocence.


    ¡°I have to go now, Takeya-san"


    Yuki nodded, wiping her tears.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you during lunch¡­¡±


    ¡°See you¡­¡± Yuki gave a small wave while rubbing her free hand into her eyes.


    I shortly left the room, sliding the door closed. As the small thud followed, I felt a sudden presence at my side. Looking over, Sakura-sensei stood over at the board, her face puzzled yet smiling.


    ¡°Tanaka-kun¡­¡± Sakura said in a surprised tone.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice of you to do something like that"


    I nodded back, responding with a smile as well. Yet at the back of my mind, all I felt was guilt.


    ¡°Perhaps you¡¯ve made your first true friend, Ryu-kun" Sakura slightly leaned forward, her hands interlocked.


    ¡°No¡­ not really" I responded in a cold tone.


    Sakura looked at me with a puzzled face.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just try to comfort Takeya-san?¡±


    I leaned over, whispering into her ear.


    ¡°I did it to see if she could do anything for the group. I wanted all of us to do something that could keep us alive in this situation. Yet just now, I¡¯ve understood why you¡¯ve been trying to comfort her"


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s worse is that I had never originally meant to provide counseling to Takeya-san. I just wanted her to feel good and hopefully do something productive for once"


    Sakura stopped, her eyes widening as she responded with a gasp.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to apologize, Sakura-sensei. What I¡¯ve done is quite selfish"


    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize Ryu-kun. You were sincere in what you said to her in offering help later on"


    ¡°Of course. But I was ignorant-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that Ryu-kun. Even if you do it now or later, what matters is what comes out of it in the end. After all, you genuinely admitted to it.


    I kept silent for a brief second, unable to formulate a proper answer. After a moment, I responded with a small smile.


    ¡°Thank you, Sakura-sensei"


    ¡°Anytime Ryu-kun"


    ¡°I understand why people call you Megu-nee¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon Ryu-kun¡­ it¡¯s not Megu-nee, just Sakura-sensei!¡± Her face pouted in response.


    ¡°I¡¯m playing around¡­ I¡¯ll still address you as Sakura-sensei¡±


    Her pout turned into small laughter, as I followed suit, amused at the event. It wasn¡¯t that funny, yet I couldn¡¯t contain it.


    I looked back at Yuki¡¯s room, still guilt-ridden at my attempt. Somehow. Even if she doesn¡¯t contribute much to the group after she cheers up. It seemed morally right.

 Chapter Nine

    Day Five


    Going through the lines of drawers across the room, I stashed whatever I could get my hands on. There was never a moment of doubt if a piece of rope or an expired can be left in the corner gathering dust would be useless to carry over.


    I looked back at the door, the blurry window obscuring a figure scanning the hallway in an almost robotic way before continuing down. Must¡¯ve lost him for good. Or else I would¡¯ve been unable to enjoy the small can of peaches.


    Hugging close to the door while bearing the enormous weight of the bag, I pressed my ear onto the glass. Almost nothing but the faint sound of moans nearby. By the sound of it, way too far to even get to me from here.


    I pushed the door open, scanning down the hallway. The same figure that had passed by the window had stared outside the window, his mouth wide open as if he had found his next prey just outside.


    Taking the risk, I reached up the stairs, narrowly avoiding him as he swung his hand towards me. As I reached the first flight of stairs, a shadowy figure walked over, causing me to flinch.


    ¡°What are you doing here Ryu-kun?¡± Kurumi whispered in my ear, placing her shovel over her shoulder.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you I was going to make a quick scavenging run to the Storage Room?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ no"


    ¡°I mentioned it to you during breakfast¡­¡±


    She held a blank stare for a moment, before slowly nodding at me. She seemed skeptical but accepted it.


    I dug into my bag for a brief moment while Kurumi looked down at the stairs, gripping onto the shovel. The brief and distant moan slowly turned into silence as she lowered her shovel and looked over at my bag.


    ¡°Ooh! What¡¯s this?¡± She crouched down, grabbing a small steel can with the lid slightly bent open.


    ¡°Hard-tack. Tastes good despite the can taking up dust"


    ¡°Mm¡­ tasty"


    ¡°There¡¯s more but of a different brand. Somewhere in this section¡± I placed my finger over the front pouch of the bag.


    ¡°Can I have some of them please?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead"


    I passed a can over to Kurumi before sitting down close to the end of the stairs, keeping watch of the distant group of zombies swarming the nearby lockers. Despite being in plain sight, they didn¡¯t notice us.


    ¡°This one is way better" Kurumi mumbled while digging herself into the hardtack.


    ¡°While you¡¯re eating, I¡¯d like to ask you something, Ebisuzawa-san"


    ¡°Hmph?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been outside of my room lately, so I wanted to ask you this. Has Yuki been doing fine lately?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Are you obsessed with her or something?¡± Kurumi stared at me, materializing a smug face.


    ¡°No" I responded with a steady and clear voice, maintaining eye contact.


    I¡¯ve always been asked if I had a crush on anyone, to which I said no. Although, compared to others, I found it easy to control whatever impulse of smiling which can sabotage your statement.


    ¡°Admit it¡­ you like her, do you?¡± She said, pressing her smug face closer to me.


    Keeping my composure, I continued to maintain eye contact with her, while placing my bag over my back.


    ¡°Can you not?¡±


    ¡°Alright alright¡± Kurumi moved away from me.


    ¡°You can try to prove it, Ebisuzawa-san" I smiled again, this time in amusement, before sliding the bag close to the wall.


    ¡°Yea¡­ you¡¯re right Pres" Kurumi grabbed her shovel from the wall, doing a little spin of it.


    ¡°Well, can you tell me about Takeya-san?¡±


    ¡°Yuki-sans has been kinda fine¡­ Megunee had tried to get her and Yuuri to play Uno earlier but after a few rounds, she just left"


    ¡°I assume she¡¯s been unable to sleep?¡±


    ¡°How could you tell?¡±


    ¡°I passed by her a few hours ago. It¡¯s an understatement to say her eyes were quite tired. Hopefully, she didn¡¯t bother you while you were sleeping. Not to sound weird of course"


    ¡°Mhm. You should go talk to her¡±


    ¡°Is there anything that may trigger her to cry? Parents? Friends?¡±


    ¡°Do you think I know?¡±


    Thought you would.


    ¡°Right¡­ Has Sakura-sensei planned any Uno games this afternoon?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s been canceled due to Megunee wanting to plan something out for the future. But we¡¯ll continue the game tomorrow. For now, I¡¯m in the lead"


    ¡°Hm¡­¡± I nodded, ignoring her boasting statement.


    We walked up to the third floor together. As I took glances at Kurumi, I came to realize that Kurumi had been staring at me with a puzzled face.


    ¡°Are you usually this curious Ryu-kun?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But I also consider it care"


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ quite unfamiliar. Perhaps you¡¯ve changed"


    ¡°I¡¯ll admit it here Ebisuzawa-san. We won¡¯t be getting rescued as we expected, unfortunately, so I should know those I¡¯ll be living with for the time being"


    ¡°Quite honorable for you, Ryu. Especially since you¡¯ve been hiding in your room for quite some time"


    ¡°Can you do me a favor? Ebisuzawa-san?¡± I turned over to Kurumi, ignoring her comment.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°This afternoon, could you help finish up the barricades for me? I¡¯m willing to do the tables for the entire second floor on my own once we manage to clear out that area"


    ¡°Eh? Why would you want me to do that on my own?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a bargain. I¡¯ll do five barricades around the second floor and you simply do the final one at the end of that hallway"


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re going to offer me something. I¡¯ve been tired as hell recently"


    I dug into my bag for a brief second, reaching for a plastic bag with a small candy wrapper inside. Pulling it out, Kurumi¡¯s eyes lit up as I passed the wrapper towards her.


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    ¡°There"


    ¡°Wow! Where¡¯d you get this?¡± Kurumi¡¯s eyes widened in excitement.


    ¡°Got this from the storage room. I noticed that you were often rummaging through the cabinets where Wakasa-san had categorized the food. Later on, the small sweet brands were gone"


    ¡°So you are as smart as what people say they are" Kurumi munched on a gummy bear.


    ¡°They exaggerate it"


    ¡°I hope whatever you¡¯re doing is worth it"


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m probably offering more than what I said to you"


    ¡°Heh"


    ¡°See you later¡±


    She nodded happily while munching on the small sugar candy inside the plastic bag. As I got close to the door, Kurumi walked off, grabbing onto her shovel and resting it over her shoulder.


    Later on in the afternoon, I approached the nearby room, my hands dug into my pockets. I slid open the side door, saw Yuki sitting close to the right corner of the classroom quietly snoring.


    I placed a nearby chair over to the other side, ensuring it was quiet for the time being.


    Let¡¯s see how this goes.


    I reached for a pile of shuffled Uno cards, sliding a small pack of cards into opposing sides after a few glances. With each look, I changed each card under the deck. After distributing the cards, I laid back on the chair, admiring the view outside while waiting for Yuki.


    ¡°Hm?¡± A soft voice breezed over to my left as I turned over. Yuki¡¯s almost childish face stared at me. She had only woken up about twenty or twenty-one seconds after I had touched the card.


    ¡°Ah, Takeya-san. Apologies if this is a bit instant, but would you like to play a round of Uno with me?¡±


    Yuki looked at me with a perplexed yet tired face. Not only had she woken up to see me sit down close to her, but she had also been offered an Uno game. Hopefully she doesn¡¯t find anything too suspicious.


    ¡°But¡­ What about Kurumi-san and Yuuri-san? And Megu-nee?¡±


    ¡°They have other matters to tend to. Consider this my apology since I didn''t join the game yesterday"


    ¡°I never knew you played Uno¡±


    ¡°Who hasn¡¯t played a card game before Takeya-san?¡± I smiled at her in the hopes of keeping her spirits back up.


    Throughout the brief dialogue, she often glanced across the room and the outside world. I almost had the urge to tap onto the leg of the table to regain her attention, but making her comfortable was the best option for now.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s play, if you don¡¯t mind" I flipped my stash of cards over, scanning through it.


    She looked through her deck of cards, her eyes unaffected as she scanned through the stash. Was she unsurprised? Or was she just like this?


    I flipped the top card over the large pile, with a yellow six being laid in the middle. Laying the pile, I leaned backward on my chair, carefully observing each action to avoid making any careless actions that could trigger Yuki.


    ¡°Your move¡± I produced a smile while looking at her. She seemed visibly saddened, almost as if she was bored out by the event.


    She placed down a yellow two card followed by a red counterpart, her gaze constantly shifting from the table to the room to even the outside world.


    ¡°Is everything alright Takeya-san?¡± I placed a red light on the pile.


    ¡°Huh? Oh¡­ yeah" She followed suit, sliding a red one.


    Her actions felt delayed as if she didn¡¯t have the willpower to respond immediately.


    ¡°So uh, do you like manga?¡± I placed a green one on top while maintaining my gaze on Yuki.


    Yuki placed down a green eight card.


    ¡°Kinda¡­ I haven¡¯t been reading much recently¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah is that so. If that¡¯s the case would you want a recommendation?¡± I placed a green four over the pile.


    ¡°... No thanks¡± She lowered her deck, sliding the top card from the large pile over with her eyes slowly lighting up.


    I placed down two cards, a green and blue eight. Glancing over at Yuki, she seemed unaffected as usual, yet her finger couldn¡¯t contain the urge to grip the card she was going to pull out.


    ¡°Ryu-kun, are you usually this friendly?¡± She slid a blue draw 2 over the pile from where she had grabbed the cards.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t talk a lot," I said seamlessly while grabbing two cards from the pile.


    After a moment of glancing around my deck, I slid a blue 9 onto the pile.


    ¡°Huh¡­¡± She said in an almost monotone and depressing voice as she slid a blue 3 onto the pile.


    ¡°Yuki, can I ask you something?¡± I placed a duo of a blue and red 1 on a neat pile.


    ¡°Yes?¡± She said, her eyes still lowered as her hands lowered down to the table, almost revealing her deck. After a brief moment, she responded with a red 6.


    With only 3 cards in the game, my strategy had paid off. Although Yuki seemed unaffected by my advantage.


    ¡°I understand that you¡¯re going through a lot¡­ but as School President, I¡¯d like to look out for students who may need some help or guidance" I placed down a yellow six in the process.


    Yuki looked at me with an inquisitive look despite the frown, almost visibly surprised if she didn¡¯t look like she was going to fall asleep anytime. After a moment, Yuki responded with a yellow four.


    ¡°Well uh, Takeya-san, if you ever need help, you can come talk with me. Despite what people say about me, I¡¯m usually not stuck in my world¡±


    As I said that, I slid a yellow +2 onto the deck.


    ¡°Uno" I followed shortly.


    Being visibly distraught despite the frown, she placed her hand over the deck, sliding two cards over. As she looked at the two new cards, her eyes widened for a moment, her frown adjusting to a surprised face.


    She instantly responded with the two cards she had picked up, placing down a yellow and a blue +2 combo onto the pile, her face almost lighting up in amusement at her payback.


    ¡°You got me,¡± I muttered.


    I slid my hand over the pile, grabbing 4 more cards onto my deck. Several different numbers and colors, all an incohesive group. After a brief second, I placed down a blue eight.


    Yuki looked up at me for a moment, her face completely lighting up as she placed her fingers over the last two cards in her hand. Placing a blue seven followed by a red counterpart onto the pile, she smiled.


    ¡°Uno¡±


    ¡°Wow. You won for once. Well played Takeya-san¡± I smiled back.


    ¡°Yay¡­¡± Yuki said in an exasperated yet cheerful voice.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a bit of a surprisingly short game, but I¡¯m willing to play with you again if you wish" I gathered the cards across the table, shuffling it briefly.


    ¡°No thanks Ryu-kun"


    ¡°I understand. I probably have some errands with Sakura-sensei anyway. I¡¯ll be making my leave" I slid the neat pile back into the box, stuffing it into my blazer.


    ¡°See you"


    ¡°Have a nice day Takeya-san¡±


    As I reached close to the exit, I turned over to Yuki.


    ¡°Remember Takeya-san. Don¡¯t feel scared to ask me for any help"


    I couldn¡¯t help but look back at Yuki again, who seemed to be fiddling with her fingers with a smile on her face.


    Was it the first time I¡¯d directly seen her smile? Not childishly cheerful or weird, just a smile.


    Despite purposely losing the game, I felt that the loss was a win for me. And for her as well: A win-win scenario. For once in a long time, I was satisfied.


    The door in front of me slid open, with Kurumi entering with Yuuri. They looked up at me, as I stuffed my hands into my pockets giving out a smile.


    ¡°Did you win?¡± Kurumi whispered over my ear.


    ¡°I could¡¯ve. But that wasn¡¯t my goal"


    ¡°... You lost?¡±


    ¡°Yea. But I think I¡¯ve won something better"


    Kurumi nodded for a brief second before continuing down. Yuuri looked at me with a puzzled expression, before following suit.


    ¡°Wait, so you deliberately lost for a reason?¡± Yuuri pondered.


    ¡°Of course. I know that Yuki had some frustration over the last Uno games since you and Sakura-sensei had kept winning the game, even when holding back"


    ¡°Kurumi-san told you that?¡± Yuuri looked over.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t tell him anything,¡± Kurumi shrugged.


    ¡°Sakura-sensei did"


    ¡°Does sound like her" Yuuri shrugged, ¡°But you¡¯ve always been so hasty in everything. Watching you play from outside looked like you knew what to do"


    ¡°I rigged the cards"


    ¡°But why would you do that?¡±


    ¡°Someone like Yuki-san would feel good if they got multiple plus two cards after being forced to draw two before. She wouldn¡¯t really consider it revenge, perhaps more like ¡®justice¡¯.


    ¡°Are you saying we aren¡¯t doing a good job?¡± Kurumi leaned against the wall.


    ¡°Quite the contrary. You¡¯ve played more of a role compared to me"


    ¡°How so?¡± Yuuri tilted her head sideways.


    ¡°You¡¯ve built up her desire to win without either making her feel like it was completely easy or completely impossible to win. If it was her first Uno game, she¡¯d probably get overconfident¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m kinda surprised you did that in the first place"


    ¡°There¡¯s a first time for everything"


    ¡°Indeed"


    It was a gamble trying to ensure Yuki was able to respond to my cards with the best possibility. She wasn¡¯t the brightest, so one wrong card and the plan could¡¯ve potentially failed or I would¡¯ve tried to hold myself back.


    Guess we¡¯re on equal footing now, Yuki.

 Chapter Ten

    Day Eight


    One week into the apocalypse. And it feels like a year has passed.


    I had remained hopeful of a rescue, yet by day 3, with only the sight of distant attack helicopters, I lost all hope. Everyone had been bored out of their minds, especially Kurumi, who continued to stray from the usual request of ¡°Don¡¯t go down to the first floor¡±.


    Despite attempting my ¡®time passing¡¯ method of just staring outside into something interesting, I had given up on it after an hour. Not even an attempt to draw in the art room worked since much of the equipment was destroyed.


    Yuki had maintained that same dullness ever since the first day of the outbreak, but she had started to smile over time. I wouldn¡¯t give credit to myself though.


    A soft and quiet knock came on my door as I got off my couch. Even before I could open it I could tell who it was.


    ¡°Ah, morning sensei¡±


    ¡°Good morning Tanaka-kun. Did you have a good sleep last night?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but notice that her hair seemed shorter than last time.


    ¡°I always do¡± I patted on the red couch beside me, ¡°How may I help you?¡±


    ¡°Kurumi-san had just finished unlocking the door to the Broadcast Room and would like to meet you there¡±


    I was taken aback by this. One of the few reasons I had for leaving my room was to try and breach into an almost senseless door such as the Broadcast Room, yet by the looks of it, Kurumi managed it just fine.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be down there then"


    Before I walked out, a voice came from behind me.


    ¡°Can I ask you something Ryu-kun?¡±


    I turned over, looking at Sakura.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind answering Tanaka-kun, can I ask why you seem so hasty to get something done?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you be able to have time to do something?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it efficient?¡±


    ¡°That makes sense¡­ but¡­ sometimes you gotta slow down¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve slowed down too many times to do something meaningful¡±


    ¡°Hm, I can¡¯t disagree with you¡± Sakura shrugged, ¡°Oh by the way Ryu-kun. I¡¯m planning to do something fun just for our sake. I¡¯ll meet up with you later¡±


    By the sound of her voice, it seemed as if Sakura had given some thought behind her plans.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it" I smiled towards Sakura.


    ¡°See you later¡± Sakura gestured a small wave before we walked off.


    There are better things to do than something fun, but perhaps a balance wouldn¡¯t hurt. Constantly doing pushups and situps every day is killing my brain.


    I reached the nearby room, the door thrown off its hinges and filled with shovel dents on all sides. While sliding the door away, the doorknob rolled off, hitting my foot.


    Good work Kurumi.


    As I entered the broadcasting room, the sight of an untouched speaker and a few computers sparked my mind, provoking me to go through the drawers of the room while ignoring Kurumi who fiddled with a radio.


    ¡°Hey Ryu-kun¡­ what are you looking for?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, give me a moment"


    The moment I opened a drawer, my eyes widened with excitement as I saw the shape of a small black rectangular object.


    Finally, a radio.


    I hastily plugged it into the sockets, letting it turn on. Static emitted from the other side of the speaker, muffling out the slides on the nearby drawers Kurumi was searching. I pulled a nearby note from my pocket, planting it on the table.


    76.1 MHz.


    As I changed the frequency, static returned from the other side.


    What is the meaning of this? Wouldn¡¯t an emergency broadcast station have something on a loop for a scenario like this?


    I felt Kurumi looking over me as I clenched both hands on my hair out of frustration, as she patted her shoulder over me.


    ¡°All good Ryu-kun?¡±


    ¡°... yes¡±


    She glanced over at the table, noticing the scribbled note I had left on my pocket with the words ¡°EMERGENCY BROADCAST¡±.


    ¡°You¡¯ll find someone on the radio eventually"


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I looked down, noticing the steel knee pads Kurumi wore, ¡°They¡¯re not part of school regulations¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Just playing with you¡± I chuckled, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that slow you down?¡±


    ¡°Nope¡±


    I continued to fiddle around the radio for a while, with mere indiscriminate static coming from the speaker. After playing with it for a moment, I switched it off and placed it back into the drawer.


    ¡°Damn it"


    ¡°No sign?¡± Kurumi turned over, resting her shovel over her shoulder.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind contacting someone from outer space to save us"


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it ¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Hopefully the Defence Force does something"


    ¡°Can¡¯t always trust them to get the job done¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmph¡­¡± I nodded


    The room remained silent for a moment, as I fiddled with the broadcast station for a moment before turning over to Kurumi.


    ¡°Any improvement with Takeya-san?¡±


    ¡°Yuki? Not much to be honest, although she has stopped crying"


    I nodded for a moment as I placed a blue button on the broadcast, snapping my fingers as an orange wave emerged from the screen for a split second.


    ¡°Alright. Good work on breaking open into the broadcasting room"


    ¡°Yep,¡± Kurumi smiled before leaving the room, holding onto the shovel.


    ¡°And by the way, please don¡¯t go running downstairs. We¡¯ll clear it out together¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t do much though¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a reason why you didn¡¯t get swarmed instantly last time¡±


    ¡°Alright alright¡­¡± Kurumi waved a dismissive gesture.


    As she left the room, I stared out the window of the broadcast station. A horde of zombies still loitered around the field. I left shortly.


    I continued to wait inside the office, pondering over what Sakura said. Something fun. My thoughts had wandered to even the weirdest and extreme scenarios, although I ignored them, tending to my Chess Board for the time being.


    Yesterday, I sat close to what remained of my table at the Teacher¡¯s Lounge, writing in my diary just to keep the time going. We¡¯ve been holding out quite significantly well compared to what I¡¯ve witnessed outside, with the ever-amassing numbers of our former students and teachers on our doorstep.


    Yet, I don¡¯t think we¡¯d last long.


    It¡¯s pretty much the general agreement that we¡¯ve been quite bored to death recently. Ryu had tried to use Kurumi to break the door lock to the broadcasting room in the hopes of negotiating rescue to no avail.


    He¡¯s been self-isolating himself to the point where he wouldn¡¯t even join us with dinner and said that he would make oatmeal for the time being. Kurumi had followed from time to time.


    Yuki had remained with her gloomy face as usual, but I had heard from Kurumi and Yuuri that she had won her first Uno game in a long time. It wasn¡¯t significant when you think about it, but the little things matter at this point.


    Staring at the half-broken vase Kamiyama once treasured, I turned over, noticing Yuuri who stood close to the door.


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    ¡°Hello Wakasa-san"


    ¡°Hi Megu-nee"


    I didn¡¯t mind Yuuri calling me Megu-nee for some reason.


    ¡°Take a seat. You seem excited about something"


    ¡°Of course"


    Yuuri sat down at a nearby office chair, pushing it close towards me.


    ¡°Did you just cut your hair Megu-nee?¡±


    ¡°Yep. Do you like it?¡±


    ¡°Of course! It looks good on you" Yuuri smiled.


    ¡°Thanks"


    ¡°I kind of liked the old hairstyle though"


    ¡°Yeah, I had to ditch it for now. But maybe next time, you¡¯ll see me with something like that. Probably a few months?¡±


    Yuuri nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Anyways, what would you like to ask?¡±


    ¡°This may seem weird, but¡­ I¡¯d like to start up a club¡­¡±


    My eyes widened at the proposition.


    ¡°A club?¡± I responded, ¡°That¡¯s a great idea! Let¡¯s do that!¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Yuuri smiled, ¡°I think it¡¯d be a lot more fun than just living from one day to the next¡±


    It seemed that we had the same sentiment.


    ¡°I was thinking about resuming classes, but a club sounds more appealing. What kind of club do you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡± Yuuri placed her hand on her chin, ¡°The club will be spending most of its time at school, so¡­¡±


    ¡°A School Life Club!¡± I said, interrupting her ideas.


    Yuuri nodded in agreement at the name idea. After all, it reflected our circumstances.


    ¡°I suppose we didn¡¯t even have to bounce ideas off each other¡±


    ¡°It looks like we¡¯re on the same page then"


    ¡°All right" I opened the drawer at my table, shuffling through the stacks of paper before pulling one out, ¡°Here"


    Yuuri looked at the paper, almost surprised at what she was seeing.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it in your hands¡± I placed my hand over Yuuri¡¯s shoulder as she looked at the club form, ¡°School Life Club president¡±


    Yuuri looked at me surprised, as if she didn¡¯t expect to become the leader.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m the president?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t think of anyone more fitting," I winked at her.


    ¡°But, what about Tanaka-kun?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been quite isolated in his room and it wouldn¡¯t be fair to not acknowledge what you¡¯ve been doing for all of us. I¡¯m sure he wouldn¡¯t mind it since that¡¯d also benefit his role as School President"


    Yuuri stared at me, almost unable to comprehend the tremendous role given. Yet after a moment, she smiled.


    ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll do my best!¡±


    We had a quick laugh together.


    Everything was going according to my plan. All I needed to do was to convince Kurumi, Ryu, and later Yuki.


    The door to the rooftop swung open as I dug the spade onto the garden bed. Looking over, I noticed Megu walking outside, staring into the field before turning over to me.


    ¡°Afternoon Megu-nee"


    ¡°Good afternoon Kurumi-san" Megu smiled,


    ¡°So¡­ what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Not much. I just needed to tell you something" Megu placed her hands over the railing, staring outside into the field.


    I couldn¡¯t help but notice how short her hair was.


    ¡°Huh, did you cut your hair Megu?¡±


    Megu turned over at me while I continued to dig on the garden bed.


    ¡°I liked it when you had it long"


    ¡°You think so?¡± Sakura fiddled around, ¡°Well, I am a teacher¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that have to do with it?¡± I turned over.


    ¡°I wanted to look like an adult"


    Huh?


    ¡°Long hair makes you look like a child?¡± I grabbed onto one of my twin-tails with my left glove.


    ¡°Oh, but you should keep yours long," Sakura smiled at me.


    ¡°Thanks¡­¡±


    ¡°So, I¡¯d like to talk to you about this club we¡¯re making"


    A club? This isn¡¯t exactly the best time to make a club, even if we were to return to normal.


    ¡°Can you tell me again what it is called?¡± I asked, trying to keep my mind clear.


    ¡°The School Life Club. It was Yuuri-san¡¯s idea. I wanted to hear your thoughts on it"


    ¡°Sure, sounds good to me"


    ¡°It could give our activities purpose. A direction"


    ¡°Yup" Sakura nodded.


    ¡°Maybe she¡¯ll cheer up and stop crying¡­ right Megu?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Sakura nodded. ¡°But, Ebisuzawa-san, could you please call me¨C¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, it¡¯s not Megu-nee, it¡¯s Sakura-sensei"


    ¡°Come on!¡± Sakura pouted.


    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at her almost childish response to calling Sakura ¡®Megu-nee¡¯. Sakura, after pouting, followed suit, politely covering her mouth with her hand.


    After my eighth round, the same soft knock came on my door. I took a glance at my clock as I made my way towards the door. As I opened the door, Sakura went in, her smile being slightly bigger than before.


    ¡°I have a good feeling about your plans,¡± I said as Sakura took a seat in front of me.


    ¡°It''s nice to see you excited,¡± Sakura said as she set the pile of paper wrapped in her arms onto the neighboring chair.


    She slid the front paper of the pile onto the table, as I flipped it over. A request to make a club.


    An interesting move, Sakura.


    ¡°This¡­ I think I know where you¡¯re going with this" I slid the paper closer, scanning through the questions.


    ¡°Well, if that''s the case then, do you approve of it?¡±


    ¡°You and Yuuri missed half the form" I slid the paper back, tapping my finger over the few brief questions across the page.


    She stared at the paper for a moment, emitting an embarrassed face before snatching a red pen from a nearby cup.


    ¡°If you¡¯re considering me as co-leader, then I really can¡¯t take the role. After all, I¡¯m the school president¡±


    Sakura remained silent, her gaze still focused on the first empty box.


    ¡°However¡­ Considering our circumstances, I could take up the position as you desire. May I?¡± I slid the paper back to my side, filling the boxes.


    I looked down at the name of the club, with a feeling of deja vu inside of me.


    The School Life Club. Seriously?


    ¡°And¡­ approved¡± I wrote my name at the bottom, before scratching out a few other titles on it.


    ¡°Thank you so much Ryu-kun. I was worried you were going to deny it"


    ¡°I¡¯m convinced by what you desire to bring to the students. Especially Yuki. Perhaps you are quite different from the other teachers"


    ¡°How so?¡± Sakura looked up, her face intrigued yet smiling.


    ¡°While others care for a student¡¯s academic success, you care for how they feel. And that is what sets you apart in a positive way"


    ¡°... Thank you, Ryu-kun¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me. I should be thanking you"


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°This is genius. Everything. It makes sense. You aren¡¯t doing it for any irrational reason or insanity. You¡¯re doing it¡­ you¡¯re doing it for Yuki, aren¡¯t you? Not just for her, for all of us"


    Sakura nodded, smiling out of satisfaction as if nobody else truly understood her without an explanation.


    ¡°Gee, thanks Tanaka-kun¡±


    ¡°Anyways, I can handle the logistics of the club for you, but I¡¯m looking forward to what you plan to bring"


    ¡°Perfect. I¡¯ll see you later Ryu-kun¡±


    As I sat down, my entire body relaxed on the couch for a moment. It was genius. What Sakura-sensei had planned. Any trivially negative opinion I had for her disintegrated.


    It was as if Sakura had set everything up perfectly.


    I approached Yuki-chan quietly as she continued sobbing close to the table, tears still fresh and streaming onto the nearby table. Placing my hand over Yuki¡¯s shoulder as comfort, I got close to her, whispering.


    ¡°Yuuri-san and I had an idea¡±


    Yuki¡¯s sobbing stopped, yet her hands remained close to her eyes.


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s going to be a lot of fun"


    ¡°How could we have fun now?¡± Yuki muttered.


    I placed my hand over Yuki¡¯s cheek, comforting her as she looked at me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start a club. All of us here. Wakasa-san, Kurumi-san, Tanaka-kun, you, and me¡±


    ¡°A¡­ club?¡±


    Yuki looked at me with a puzzled face, her tears still streaming down her face.


    ¡°Yes. We¡¯ll start¡­ the School Life Club"


    ¡°The School Life Club?¡± Yuki sniffled.


    ¡°Yes. The club participates in all activities all across the school"


    Yuki looked at my face with a perplexed look, her eyes still filled with tears.


    ¡°What should we do first then?¡±


    ¡°What we should do is what every club does when they start"


    ¡°Are you sure it is necessary?¡±


    ¡°Of course Yuki-chan. Don¡¯t worry¡±


    Yuki-chan nodded, slowly building a smile despite the tears still in her eyes.

 Chapter Eleven

    Day Nine


    I have always been the type to regret my decisions. Whether it was beneficial or not, I¡¯ve always looked at the downsides. Ever since yesterday, I haven¡¯t felt a single moment of regret in my decision.


    Instead of working out all afternoon, I instead have a small activity after breakfast and lunch. A small gardening event, led by Yuuri, followed by some ¡®woodwork activities¡¯. It wasn¡¯t much of an issue predicting what these activities were in disguise.


    Looking back at the board, I noticed a small empty square marked with the words ¡®activities¡¯. I left it last night, since it was easy to write down the possibilities, even when accounting for Yuki and the others.


    I still haven¡¯t written anything on the board about Yuki yet.


    As I entered the de facto club room, my eyes focused on Yuki, who sat next to Kurumi as she read a small manga series with a hard tack over her mouth.


    ¡°Good morning everybody¡±


    ¡°Ah, good morning Ryu-kun¡± Yuuri turned over, standing close to the stove.


    ¡°Heeeeeeey¡± Kurumi mumbled, her mouth still filled with hard tack.


    ¡°Hello Ryu¡­¡± Yuki waved at me, her voice cheerful and almost obnoxiously louder than before.


    ¡°Well, this is the first time in the club, so let¡¯s make it a good time¡­¡± I said to the group.


    ¡°Yep," Yuuri responded, while Kurumi and Yuki nodded in silence.


    ¡°So uh, where¡¯s Sakura-sensei?¡±


    ¡°Megu-nee? She should be here anytime soon. From what Yuuri told me, she was out setting up some activities for the day"


    ¡°Huh¡­¡±


    As we all waited inside the room, the sound of footsteps from outside grew louder and louder. Eventually, the door slid open, with Sakura entered with a smile on her face.


    ¡°Good morning everybody!¡±


    ¡°Good morning Megu-nee," Everyone said almost simultaneously.


    ¡°As you all know, we have some activities to do today. I have today¡¯s schedule with me right now, so feel free to check it out"


    Sakura set her small journal onto the table, with everyone except for Yuuri crowding around it.


    A small crude yet simple schedule, almost as if she copied it off of the Horticulture Club¡¯s schedule. Gardening then woodwork, followed by a small cooking session.


    Too simplistic, yet the activities were probably large enough to fit the schedule.


    ¡°Once you¡¯ve read the schedule, feel free to get ready. I¡¯ll be at the garden tending to some last minute matters"


    ¡°Got it"


    ¡°Sakura-sensei, may I come with you to the garden?¡±


    ¡°Sure"


    We left the room shortly after, my head still filled with the thoughts of yesterday¡¯s events in an oversimplified order. Nothing should be of issue for now, since we¡¯d be confined to the third floor for most of the time in our activities.


    ¡°So¡­ would you want me to do anything to help you with the activities"


    ¡°Probably not. Thank you for the offer though"


    I nodded, my face encapsulated by Sakura¡¯s friendly demeanor


    ¡°I¡¯d also like to thank you for helping me out with the club form since I forgot to say it yesterday.


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem, Sensei. You kinda had a few lackluster answers that would probably get denied if we were in a kinda normal situation.


    Sakura looked at me with a puzzled face.


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying as if your application was bad or anything, it was just protocol. I¡¯d probably accept it nonetheless"


    My nervousness took hold again.


    ¡°What do you plan to do tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve just found out that tomorrow will be Sunday. So perhaps we could wait it out for the time being"


    ¡°Hm. I still can¡¯t get over the fact that I¡¯d be living in this school"


    ¡°Me neither. I do hope my family is fine up north though"


    ¡°They probably are¡­ it¡¯s a shame they probably can¡¯t find a place like this to stay in¡­¡±


    An idea sparked in my head.


    ¡°By the way, Sakura-sensei. Do you happen to know if the school has some sort of Emergency Manual for such an occasion?¡±


    Sakura¡¯s reaction was priceless. Almost as if I triggered something inside of her or reminded her of something life-changing.


    ¡°No. Not really¡­¡± Sakura responded, looking down for a second.


    ¡°Odd. I was wondering if the school had such a thing. After all, they should¡¯ve been prepared"


    ¡°Indeed¡­¡±


    We arrived at the garden, with a large pile of fertilizer bags, rakes, shovels, and wagons all lined up neatly. Nonetheless, I was quite impressed. Not only because of Sakura''s organizational skills but rather her ability to set something up.


    ¡°How did you do all of this?¡±


    ¡°I had them set up with the help of Yuuri-san"


    ¡°Oh wow¡­ Perhaps I could do the cleaning up for you. Just so you won¡¯t break your back"


    ¡°I can handle it"


    ¡°No, no. I insist. Please"


    ¡°Thanks¡­¡±


    ¡°Consider it a repayment for what you¡¯ve done for us. Even though I haven¡¯t seen it take fruit, what I could see in the future is quite positive"


    It was a short-term strategy, yet the options were vast in what could¡¯ve happened. Sakura nonetheless smiled.


    ¡°You seem¡­ troubled, Ryu-kun"


    ¡°I just haven¡¯t been sleeping well. Besides, I can¡¯t get over the fact that we won¡¯t be rescued for a while. It screws up my plans"


    ¡°I understand. This is just a way to pass the time and keep everyone¡¯s spirits high¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯m just worried¡­¡± I placed my hand on the table.


    ¡°Worried over Takeya-san?¡±


    ¡°Always at this point. She doesn¡¯t seem too¡­ enthusiastic about the idea of a club. I¡¯m willing to have some fun during these times, but Yuki may be a sort of mood killer for all of us¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll demonstrate it then. How it¡¯ll help Yuki. I¡¯m mainly focused on helping her out, even if it does feel awkward to do something fun, but I hope she¡¯ll enjoy it in the end"


    Sakura¡¯s face lit up with confidence and resolve in the moment. The most amount of determination I¡¯ve ever seen on her face in such a long time.


    ¡°Would you want me to focus on Wakasa-san and Ebisuzawa-san?¡±


    ¡°Please do"


    ¡°Got it. I am wondering why you haven¡¯t roped Wakasa-san into the whole club plan"


    ¡°I¡¯ve already told Yuuri-san"


    ¡°Right¡­ Do you think we have the same idea over the club?¡±


    ¡°I reckon we have the same idea about what we plan to bring to the students" Sakura politely smiled at me.


    ¡°Agreed. Especially over Yuki-san


    ¡°From what I heard, you lost an Uno game to Yuki-san. Nonetheless, it was surprising as it contradicted your win streak a year ago when the school had the Christmas Party"


    She¡¯s more perceptive than I thought.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to thank you for putting the effort in trying to make her happy"


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you know"


    The door to the garden opened, with Kurumi, Yuuri, and Yuki entering.


    ¡°Speaking of Yuki, here she comes"


    ¡°Hello everybody!¡±


    ¡°Hello Megu-nee¡± Everyone followed in almost perfect unison.


    ¡°As you know, we¡¯ll be doing a bit of gardening. I¡¯ve already set up some protective equipment and gear. Please know that you¡¯ll be getting a bit dirty so if you ever need any help or need to withdraw, please inform me¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡± Everyone responded.


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s get to it!¡± Sakura exclaimed in an excited voice.


    We started picking up the various tools at our disposal, scattering them across the three garden beds on the rooftop. I wasn¡¯t exactly the best at gardening, but as long as I reciprocated what Yuuri was doing, there¡¯d be no issues.


    We continued with the gardening for quite some time, yet the flowery wording behind the goals Sakura had for our activity had some sort of profound impact, that even I wasn¡¯t immune from.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Yuki and Kurumi, who mainly kept to the furthest side of the garden bed, had little to no issues other than Yuki being tired out midway through the activity and sitting out.


    ¡°Megu-nee, we¡¯re out of fertilizer¡± Yuuri turned over after looking at the sole bag that we had in the corner.


    ¡°Oh dear, I didn¡¯t expect that to happen"


    ¡°What do we do?¡±


    ¡°I could probably make a run to the storage room¡± Kurumi turned over to Sakura, using her forearm to wipe off the sweat over her face.


    ¡°Go ahead Ebisuzawa-san! Try not to wander off" Sakura smiled,


    ¡°Ebisuzawa-san, do you want me to come over?¡± I turned over,


    ¡°No thanks. You seem quite preoccupied right now"


    ¡°I guess¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back, I need to use the bathroom¡± Sakura followed Kurumi shortly, stopping at the door, ¡°Wakasa-san, you¡¯re in charge¡±


    To be honest, I was kinda thankful that I wasn¡¯t set in charge, or else I¡¯d have to multitask. Perhaps what I said to Yuuri had played out quite well.


    ¡°Alright Ryu and Yuki-san, if you need any help, just call it out¡±


    ¡°Yep" We both responded.


    I continued with the garden bed, taking advantage of the same methods used by Yuuri earlier to produce quite decent work.


    ¡°By the way Yuuri-san¡± Yuki called out from the other side.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°Since we¡¯re out of fertilizer, what do we do until Kurumi arrives since this is my remaining task?¡±


    Yuuri stopped, hovering her fingers close to her chin.


    ¡°How about you borrow some from Ryu-kun¡¯s garden?¡±


    Seriously?


    ¡°Sure. I have a bit too much anyways" I scooped up a large portion of fertilizer onto my spade, before passing it to Yuki.


    ¡°Thanks!¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± I smiled.


    ¡°Sorry if you have to wait now,¡± Yuuri said to me while continuing to work on her garden bed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. After all, I respect what you¡¯re trying to do"


    ¡°Thanks¡­ I kind of owe you"


    ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°... just how you¡¯ve been recently"


    Her voice sounded as if she had a different response at first.


    ¡°No problem Yuuri-san" I smiled towards her.


    ¡°Have you done gardening before Ryu-kun?¡±


    ¡°Yea. With my Dad"


    ¡°Before he joined Randall Corporation?¡±


    ¡°Yep. Ever since he worked in some sort of Security branch, he hasn¡¯t spent much time with the family recently. I used to hate that group because of how many times he had to take over for someone else"


    ¡°That¡¯s a shame. Do you think you¡¯ll ever get to say goodbye to him?¡±


    ¡°A premature goodbye grinds my gears. I wish that was the case. Even if I don¡¯t get to see him after that"


    ¡°Agreed¡­¡± Yuuri nodded.


    ¡°You¡¯ll find him eventually¡± Yuki placed her hand over my shoulder, emitting a smile completely reminiscent of when everything was normal. I hadn¡¯t expected Yuki to look like this, but at this point, I¡¯d probably not mind.


    ¡°Thanks¡­¡± I kept my blank face in response, ¡°You¡¯re done?¡±


    ¡°Mhm," Yuki interlocked her fingers, having them lean close to her back.


    ¡°Yuki-san, could you please check up on Kurumi-san? I¡¯m starting to worry about where she has gone?¡±


    ¡°Sure¨C¡±


    Kurumi emerged from the stairway, both hands lifting onto the bag of fertilizer as if she were boasting her strength.


    ¡°Sorry for the wait"


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need help?¡± I stood up, placing my hand under the bag, trying to relieve her current stress.


    ¡°No thanks. This is just fine" Kurumi placed the bag down the wall, ¡°is Megu-nee back?¡±


    ¡°Nope"


    ¡°Alright¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll admit, I¡¯m quite impressed you managed to bring a fertilizer bag from downstairs to here within like¡­ five minutes"


    ¡°It¡¯s not much of an issue. Anybody could do that"


    ¡°How did you even get in the storage room?¡±


    ¡°Well, Shovel-kun did most of the work"


    Shovel-kun. Quite the simplistic name.


    After lunch, we tended to the small barricade set up on the second floor under the clause of ¡°Woodwork activities¡±.


    I was given the prestigious role of scavenging across the school for more chairs, although I was quite relaxed than usual knowing there wasn¡¯t any zombie waiting inside a closet.


    Midway through the process, I had set up a small stockpile of tables and rope, enough to finish up the barricades. Yet, the constant ferry of tables had slowed down to merely Kurumi and Yuuri, who often switched turns setting them up.


    Does it take that long?


    After a moment of waiting, I walked out of the classroom, noticing only Yuki and Kurumi approaching down the long narrow hallway towards the barricade. Annoyed at the lack of progress, I approached down the hallway, holding onto a table.


    As I arrived around the corner, the sudden sound of a thud echoed across the hallway, the sound of a falling table followed by an ¡°oof¡±. I continued my pace, unphased.


    ¡°Are you okay Takeya-san?¡± Sakura¡¯s voice echoed across the hallway.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ it¡¯s just¡­ I¡¯m so clumsy¡­¡± Her face turned into a frown.


    Approaching around the corner, I picked up the table for Takeya-san, looking at her with a smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Takeya-san¡­ we¡¯ll handle the burden for you"


    Even before her reaction I knew that I needed to improve my wording.


    ¡°Thank you¡­ Ryu¡­¡± Her face looked miserable.


    Megu-nee crouched down close to Yuki, placing her hand over her shoulder in the hopes of comforting her. I stepped around the corner, deciding to stop close to the wall to overhear the conversation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be saddened Yuki-san¡­ you tried your best¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­ Yuuri-san is a good leader, Kurumi-san is strong, and Ryu-kun is just¡­. I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    Seriously Yuki?


    ¡°I¡¯m nothing but dead weight to you guys¡­ You don¡¯t want me, right?¡± Yuki started to tear up.


    ¡°Of course we do¡­ you can do something that nobody else can¡­¡± Sakura¡¯s voice continued to ease Yuki, as she placed her hand over Yuki¡¯s head.


    ¡°You can smile for us¡­ it keeps us going¡­¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Yuki¡¯s sniffling paused.


    ¡°Yep! Looking at you cheers me up all the time. I¡¯m sure the others agree"


    ¡°So promise me. No matter what happens, never stop smiling. I¡¯ll be watching over you, always"


    ¡°Always?¡±


    ¡°Mhm"


    ¡°Okay¡­ I¡¯ll try. I¡¯ll try my best¡±


    ¡°Hey, now¡­ smiling isn¡¯t something you ¡®try¡¯ to do"


    ¡°She¡¯s right," Yuuri remarked.


    ¡°Oh yeah¡­¡±


    At that moment, Yuki and Kurumi couldn¡¯t contain their laughter, while I later arrived from the corner, wiping the smile I had over my face.


    We continued with the usual setup, with Yuki keeping the smile she had ever since this morning.


    With the sun setting and our barricade set up finished, we stopped by at the Student Council room. Yuki, holding onto a small piece of paper with the words ¡°School Life Club¡±, went up the ladder, planting it over the wall.


    ¡°And¡­ done!¡± Yuki shouted, getting off the ladder.


    ¡°All right everybody. Line up, please. Let¡¯s take a picture¡± Sakura held out a Polaroid camera.


    We lined up in front of the room, with Kurumi resting her shovel over her shoulder while Sakura aimed her camera towards us.


    ¡°Smile!¡±


    Sakura clicked her camera in front of us, grabbing onto the picture printed out.


    ¡°Sensei" Yuuri ran towards her.


    ¡°Wakasa-san?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s switch spots. The advisor has to be in it too"


    ¡°Let me take it" I walked up towards Sakura, ¡°Leaving the club president from the picture wouldn¡¯t be the best"


    ¡°Sure¡± Sakura passed the camera over to me.


    ¡°C¡¯mon Megu-nee¡± Yuki ran over, grabbing onto her arm and dragging her over to the line.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m taking the picture¡­¡± I raised my camera, ¡°Say cheese¡­¡±


    While I aimed my camera at the group, Yuki hugged Sakura''s arm at the last minute.


    ¡°You gave me a startle Takeya-san¡­¡±


    ¡°Sorry¡­¡±


    I grabbed onto the printed picture from the camera, waiting for the image to fully materialize.


    ¡°Were my eyes closed? Do we have to retake it?¡±


    ¡°Look!¡± Yuki looked over at the picture, ¡°You came out great, Megu-nee¡±


    I¡¯ve never taken photography classes, nor have been the best at taking pictures among my family. So I have to give credit to Yuki for how it went out.


    I haven¡¯t been the type to see these moments with a smile, mainly because it feels like once you¡¯ve reached a certain age, everything and everyone is out to say or do something deceiving behind a facade.


    However, today, I¡¯d probably mark it for the rest of my life. It seemed silly since it was eventful but not noteworthy compared to everything else I¡¯ve once kept note of, but I didn¡¯t care. Was it because I felt like my life was going to be short, or these moments are indeed rare?


    I would cherish these moments to the very end. Wherever the end is.


    Day Ten.


    Our first official meeting for the club was in fifteen minutes, which was a disguise for just a usual meet-up and check-in with each other. Not that I would make a fuss over that, because it¡¯s best to keep things disguised for now.


    Approaching the hallway, Yuki¡¯s soft voice was emitted from across the classroom, her words completely inaudible due to the wind blowing through the shattered windows across the class. Yuki¡¯s usually early to most club members, but perhaps she decided to slack around for now.


    ¡°Good morning everybody!¡± Yuki said from inside the classroom, her voice as cheerful as usual.


    I walked inside the classroom, the room was empty except for Yuki who stood close to a table.


    ¡°Hey Ryu-kun!¡±


    ¡°Morning Takeya-san¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you get much sleep last night?¡±


    ¡°Not really¡­ you seem a bit¡­ energetic"


    Yuki looked over to her right where the line of windows lay, pausing for a second, before looking back at me.


    What is she doing¡­


    ¡°Not really¡­ I almost overslept breakfast and I¡¯ve just gotten here just in time"


    ¡°Do you want me to give you my alarm clock? I¡¯ve been waking up earlier than usual¡±


    ¡°No thanks! I¡¯ll manage"


    ¡°Suit yourself¡­¡±


    I walked towards a nearby table, leaning close to it with my hand planted.


    ¡°So Takeya-san, what are you thinking about the club?¡±


    Takeya turned over to her right again, giving a small nod towards a corner before turning back to me.


    ¡°Sorry, whatcha say?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± My mouth fiddled for a moment, ¡°forgot"


    ¡°Do you seriously forget everything Ryu-kun?¡±


    ¡°No"


    ¡°What about the painting you promised?¡±


    ¡°Sorry. Couldn¡¯t find the art equipment in this school"


    ¡°What about the Art room on the second floor? They have everything there¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go check it out¡­ not now though"


    ¡°Oh yeah, let¡¯s get to the clubroom now"


    We walked down the hallway, with Yuki glancing over at me from time to time. I turned over towards Yuki, exchanging looks.


    ¡°Is everything alright Takeya-san?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering¡­ have you ever had a friend before?¡±


    ¡°Are you still believing in the rumors about me?¡±


    ¡°Yea¡­¡± Yuki embarrassingly looked at me.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± I fiddled with my words, ¡°I had one before¡­¡±


    ¡°Ooh, is he in this school?¡±


    ¡°She¡­ uh¡­ left for another school many years ago"


    ¡°Aw¡­¡±


    ¡°I lost her contacts a few years ago, although it¡¯s probably not easy to contact her now"


    ¡°That¡¯s a shame¡­ How did you meet up?¡±


    ¡°Do you ask a lot of questions?¡±


    ¡°Sorry¡­ I¡¯m just curious"


    ¡°It¡¯s alright¡­ Anyways, let¡¯s get back to the club"


    Yuki and I continued walking down the hallway, my hands dug into my pockets as I looked back into the classroom we were just in. As I reached the door, I slid it open, with Yuki going inside.

 Chapter Twelve

    Winter had settled upon Japan. Other than the bright Christmas lights set across the neighborhood, the only addition to the atmosphere was the snow that had settled across the street.


    For young and naive me, it was pretty much my dream come true for winter to arrive.


    It seemed childish for my age, I know, but I couldn¡¯t bother judging myself for it. It was stunning, even for someone like me, to be able to set up a snowman or try to create a massive snowball with what I saw as an unlimited source of snow.


    While working on this snowman, I kept getting these small glances from the corner of the wall. Every time I exchanged looks, I noticed a short brown-haired girl peeking over from the wall before retreating. By how she withdrew, she had already given a shy and meek attitude to most social situations.


    Her name was Hano Aki. We were neighbors, yet had never formally met each other outside of school. The only way we could¡¯ve met was if our parents had arranged for us to meet up and talk with each other or if we were paired together in Art club for an activity during my brief time there.


    ¡°Do you need something?¡± I responded while pushing a snowball over.


    ¡°No¡­¡± Hano approached over, her face almost concealed by the scarf and beanie she had, ¡°Sorry if I interrupted you.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright"


    I continued with my snowman, only to realize that I had forgotten something critical to a snowman.


    While standing there, Hano walked up towards me, digging her hands into her pockets to reveal a bunch of gray oval-shaped rocks she conveniently had.


    ¡°May I?¡±


    ¡°Sure¡­¡±


    Hano placed the pebbles over the snowball¡¯s face.


    ¡°Thanks Aki-san¡±


    ¡°No problem¡­¡± Hano looked away, ¡°so¡­ what do you plan to do for the holidays?¡±


    ¡°Nothing much¡­ I¡¯d rather just enjoy it as it is¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, same for me¡­¡±


    We remained in silence for a moment. I wasn¡¯t exactly the most introverted when compared to Hano, but since she had pushed herself to ask me a question, all I could do now was try and muster up something.


    ¡°So uh, do you take art classes outside of school?¡±


    I nodded in response.


    ¡°I¡¯ve taken up art classes before¡­ I¡¯m not exactly the¡­ best. But I do draw from time to time" I scratched the back of my head.


    ¡°Well¡­ not to sound pushy, but can I see what you¡¯ve drawn?¡±


    ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°I need some ideas¡­ I¡¯ve been quite empty recently in terms of my ideas¡±


    ¡°Sure, I guess. Do you want me to send some photos of my work?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, if it sounds weird, but how about you come with me Ryu-kun?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ why?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯d be best to see the art in front of you instead of a screen¡±


    ¡°Fine"


    We walked over to the front door.


    ¡°Ah, Aki-san. Who¡¯s the boy behind you?¡±


    ¡°Our neighbor¡­ Ryu-kun¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you¡± I bowed.


    ¡°Please come in. Make yourself at home¡±


    We continued up the stairs, with Hano reluctantly hanging her beanie and jacket over it.


    ¡°Anyways Mum, do you happen to know where you used to store the paintings?¡± Aki hung her beanie and jacket over.


    ¡°Your paintings? It should be over here¡±


    ¡°Thanks¡±


    Aki opened the two small doors, grabbing onto a pile of painting canvases covered by a white sheet.


    ¡°So, Aki-san¡­¡± I reached out for my phone to reveal to her one of my drawings, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    The first canvas was just a contemporary landscape of an open field, with a red house on a hill to the right.


    ¡°Did you make this art piece last year Ryu-kun?¡±


    ¡°Is it obvious?¡±


    ¡°I could tell you took inspiration from our social studies class¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m not that original¡­¡±


    Hano grabbed a nearby portrait from her room, revealing a photo of one of her landscape projects. She was a natural artist.


    ¡°Do you like my drawing, Tanaka-kun?¡±


    If I said I liked it, it¡¯d be an understatement.


    ¡°Of course¡­ you¡¯ve done quite well with the contrast considering your color choices. Not to mention how attractive that mountain looked¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s surprising to know that you¡¯ve taken notes on the principles and theory behind it since you¡¯ve mainly been drawing whatever you liked¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t zone out that much¡±


    ¡°By the way, Tanaka-kun¡­ can I ask you something?¡±


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°Go on?¡±


    ¡°Can we meet up after the school break? I have this piece that I¡¯ve been working on but I think I¡¯ll be finished in a week and a half"


    ¡°Uh, sure. I¡¯m looking forward to what you¡¯ll bring"


    ¡°Alright¡­ I¡¯ll be going now"


    ¡°Let me lead you out¡­ for the sake of courtesy of course¡­¡±


    As Hano led me to the front door, I noticed a sort of smile across her face before she covered it with her scarf.


    ¡°See you Aki-san"


    ¡°Bye¡­¡±


    Ever since that meeting, we had started to meet up often in school to exchange art pieces and later talk to each other.


    At first, I denied my friendship with Hano. But as we started meeting, it felt as if I didn¡¯t mind hanging out with her.


    Hano had a more cheerful and optimistic side of her that she didn¡¯t bring out often until we met up. Before I even realized it, I and Hano were spilling secrets and joking around while doing art projects.


    I had my first friend.


    But that didn¡¯t last long.


    One afternoon, Aki¡¯s face looked quite sad, to say the least. At first, I thought it was just a deceased relative, but this persisted for the next two weeks.


    I was in the Student Council at the time, so it was hard to simply meet up with her during the end of school.


    ¡°Is everything alright Aki-san?¡± I asked as I sat opposite her at a secluded lunch table.


    ¡°Yea¡­¡± Aki¡¯s gloom continued, with her face lowered onto the table.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t been eating much recently by the looks of it. Are you sure everything¡¯s fine?¡±


    Aki turned over to me, giving out an exasperated smile.


    ¡°No offense, but you worry too much Ryu-kun¡±


    ¡°Do I not have a reason to worry? I know you aren¡¯t the type to tell me about issues¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine"


    ¡°... suit yourself then"


    I¡¯m not usually an emotionally perceptive person, to be honest. But perhaps I¡¯ve read Aki like an open book.


    The problem is I wasn¡¯t entirely sure. My Council meetings continued until the end of the Year. By then, I could truly help Aki.


    Aki just needed to hold out.


    All I¡¯ve done was report them to the teachers. Not even a direct meeting or confrontation worked since my schedule had been so packed that not even lunch was an opportunity.


    Absences were almost nonexistent so having free time to do such was trivial. The senior girls I had suspected of bullying were usually late to class, so confronting them in the morning was almost impossible.


    I¡¯ll admit. I was a bit lazy as well.


    In my last semester of Junior High School, health restrictions came across the world because of COVID-19. For some reason, instead of throwing us into online classes, we had to contend with face-to-face learning under certain restrictions.


    For me, I had to take up the undesirable role of entering Student Council meetings in a small room with a window that could only be seen from the inside. So most of the time I¡¯d be distracted by some misbehaving student or just a large crowd outside the hallway when discussing something important.


    During one of my meetings, I heard a loud bang outside my window, followed by laughter. I couldn¡¯t see who was on the other side due to the curtains.


    Usually, I¡¯d rush out and tell whoever it was to knock it out.


    ¡°Everything alright Tanaka-kun?¡± A voice came from my headphones while I turned to look at the window.


    ¡°Yep¡­ just some delinquents fooling around¡± I pressed my mic close to my mouth.


    ¡°You should handle them¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m alright¡­¡±


    The meeting ended shortly. As I left the room, I almost tripped over a small pen left on the ground. It was Aki¡¯s. Over something trivial such as a pen, I had almost come to a weird conclusion.


    ¡°Aki-san?¡± I looked over at her,


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Aki¡¯s face lit up.


    ¡°Can I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead¡­¡±


    ¡°Have you been getting bullied recently?¡±


    ¡°What made you come to that conclusion?¡±


    ¡°I heard a loud bang close to my office yesterday. When I came over later on, I noticed your pen on the ground¡± I passed the pen to Aki.


    ¡°Oh, thank you!¡± Aki smiled, ¡°I¡¯m not getting bullied. Don¡¯t worry about me¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t worry about it!¡± Hano smiled, ¡°Whatever you''ve been hearing recently, don¡¯t worry about it. Alright?¡±


    ¡°I guess¡­¡±


    After the end of our exams, Aki had stopped attending classes.


    At first, I assumed that she was sick or decided to take advantage of the open two weeks to fit in as much time to visit her relatives. But after a few weeks, I started passing by her house.


    Aki was never a phone type of person, so I never had her contacts. We were mainly dependent on just meeting up in school and agreeing to hang out somewhere. It didn¡¯t help that COVID restricted our movement, so even after our exams, we barely met.


    I did feel bad for Aki since she has started to develop a withdrawn social life compared to her peers. After all, I¡¯ve indirectly neglected our relationship in my pursuit of academic success. I had to make it up to her.


    At the end of the semester, I decided to stop by Aki''s house. Contrary to when I had visited her last time, it seemed dead. Nobody was inside. I left shortly, assuming that Aki had decided to visit her relatives.


    However, on the first day in Senior High, I noticed that Aki was mysteriously absent. It was already weird she was absent last week, but now it seems critical.


    ¡°Anybody home?¡± I called out to the front gate after pressing the doorbell button.


    Usually, when you¡¯d click on the doorbell button near the front gate, you could hear the chime from outside. Yet, paired with the darkness of the house and the nonfunctioning doorbell, I felt that something was off.


    Nudging my hand over the gate, I realized that it was left unlocked. Perhaps they were still there?


    I slowly nudged the front door open, taking a deep breath in the hopes that I wouldn¡¯t end up running into a robber or the family unpacking their suitcases in the awkward dark. I was met with a pitch-black hallway.


    What?


    Questions started rushing through my head despite the obvious conclusion being there. I didn¡¯t understand why Aki would instantly move.


    Running up the stairs with a flashlight over my hand, I made my way into Aki¡¯s room. Barging the door open, I was met with a dull and empty space with only a table.


    What was once Aki¡¯s art studio which we had collaborated on during the Winter breaks had turned into something bland.


    ¡°What¡­¡± I muttered to myself before closing the door shortly.


    It all didn¡¯t make sense for someone like me.


    Would a friend leave someone behind and not give them a notice? Even if they were being bullied to an unknown point that nobody could lend help? Was I the reason for Aki¡¯s trouble? Could¡¯ve I done better? Was it my fault?


    I left the room shortly.


    Despite being alone, I had this urge to keep myself composed. Yet I couldn¡¯t contain what I was thinking at that moment. I had to release it somehow. Even if it meant looking like a fool in the public.


    I closed the door to Aki¡¯s house behind me, rushing shortly to my house.


    By now, I had started to secretly tear up. It felt completely foreign to me. I hadn¡¯t had this feeling almost at all. This feeling of betrayal after secretly caring for someone.


    Sure, Aki and I had a sort of weird relationship. But despite my emotional facades, I genuinely wanted to see her smile and talk to each other. She was the only person that I could release my tension to. Somebody I could trust and ask for advice.


    From that point on. I felt as if those moments I had with Aki. They were the peak of my life. It was as if I was blessed with a friend, but I had taken it for granted.


    I had promised myself that I would never make another friend. Because I knew that someone like me would fail to truly meet that standard. Because my self-centeredness would clash with my relationships and end up hurting them.


    I haven¡¯t had any friends ever since that day.

 Chapter Thirteen

    These will probably be my last words.


    Things have calmed down a little. We still have to be careful, but since I have some time now, I figured I would write down my thoughts.


    My name is Sakura Megumi. I was a Japanese teacher at Megurigaoka Private High School.


    I crossed out the sentence with my pen.


    I still am a Japanese teacher. Even if this school doesn¡¯t operate anymore. I understood my role one evening after school on the rooftop. There were several moments, even before that, where I approached that realization.


    I lowered my pen onto the diary, staring at the rain outside. I¡¯ve only been a teacher for some time, with my first months being met with constant discouragement by my family. It didn¡¯t matter for now.


    The door beside me slid open, making me close my diary.


    ¡°Hi Tanaka-kun,¡± I smiled at him.


    ¡°Morning Sakura-sensei¡± Ryu leaned his arm on the nearby wall.


    ¡°Did something happen? You seem tense"


    ¡°I often get told that, but it¡¯s just how I look"


    Behind the clear voice and confidence he emitted, I felt as if he was hiding more than what he was showing.


    Ryu seems like a good kid. It¡¯s a shame he isn¡¯t as direct and social as I expected, or else he wouldn¡¯t have to face the issue of people clashing against him all of the time.


    Ryu always had that fake face that only a few could see through. He was always hiding something every time you spoke with him. Yet, every time he spoke, I couldn¡¯t tell if his intentions were pure or not.


    ¡°So what would you like to tell me?¡±


    ¡°Of course¡± Ryu looked at the window once more, ¡°can I ask when are we going to try and secure the first floor?¡±


    ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t thought it out. But how about in two weeks?¡±


    ¡°Not to sound pushy sensei, but how about we do it in three days?¡±


    ¡°Three days? We haven¡¯t fully secured the second floor. Wouldn¡¯t it be beneficial if we try to create a strong buffer between them and us?¡±


    ¡°Well yea. That¡¯s what I was also thinking. But I just think it¡¯s not a good idea to do it in three days"


    ¡°Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°With the club? Of course not"


    ¡°Can you please tell me then?¡± I smiled.


    Ryu-kun looked at me with an expressionless face which almost made me think he was just acting irrational and silly. I didn¡¯t like how he was hiding things, but it¡¯s natural for teenagers like him.


    ¡°Can I trust you?¡±


    ¡°Of course, why wouldn¡¯t you?¡± I smiled.


    Ryu walked up to me, placing his hand behind my ear.


    ¡°With the rainy season inbound, I¡¯m expecting that it may impact what they¡¯re doing¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Their memories may do something with their behavior¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re inferring that with this rain, they may start swarming our school?¡±


    ¡°If they already haven¡¯t¡±


    ¡°Well, did you and Ebisuzawa-san check up at the entrance?¡±


    ¡°We did yesterday while Wakasa-san tended to Takeya-san. Not much to report"


    ¡°Then why should we do it in three days?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve managed to check the weather in advance since the phone lines haven¡¯t shut down by some miracle. Fortunately, we should be expecting clear skies tomorrow¡­ I don¡¯t have information on the next two weeks after that¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go in three days then"


    ¡°Thanks Sensei¡­¡± Ryu smiled, ¡°Anyways, can I get something from the table over there?¡± he pointed over at the table.


    ¡°Sure"


    Ryu looked through the tables, before walking over to my side, staring at the half-broken vase beside my table.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame we had to handle Kamiyama-sensei a few days ago"


    ¡°Let¡¯s just hope we don¡¯t run into our past friends"


    ¡°Agreed¡­¡±


    He looked over at the shelves, individually going through each folder and book across it. As he went through the top shelf, his hand tipped a nearby folder, causing it to fall over.


    ¡°Oh! So sorry about that sensei!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright¡± I walked over.


    I crouched down, grabbing onto the papers and creating a small neat pile in conjunction with Ryu who handled the larger folders. However, he missed out on a small handbook and a paper.


    Wait¡­


    ¡°So sorry about that. I¡¯m just a bit tense"


    ¡°It¡¯s alright¡± I stuffed a paper inside the folder,


    ¡°Is everything alright sensei?¡±


    ¡°Of course. You missed one" I passed the folder to him.


    ¡°Thanks, Sensei¡± Ryu grabbed it, placing it back on the shelf in front of him, ¡°Anyways, I¡¯ll be checking out the other shelf"


    While Ryu walked off, I hastily slid my hand through the folder, grabbing onto the manual I had stuffed inside.


    Why didn¡¯t I just¨C


    ¡°Megu-nee? What¡¯s up?¡± A voice came from behind me.


    I turned over, facing Kurumi who just came into the room.


    ¡°Wha¨C? It¡­ it¡¯s nothing! Also, stop calling me Megu-nee¡±


    ¡°Okay Sakura-sensei¡±


    ¡°Morning Ebisuzawa-san¡± Ryu called out from the other side of the room.


    ¡°Ah, hi Ryu-kun¡±


    ¡°I wonder if we can find some answer sheets!¡± Yuki emerged from behind Kurumi.


    ¡°Your teacher¡¯s right here, you know?¡± Yuuri stood at the door, pinching Yuki¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°A¡¯hm! Sorry!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll clean this place up later" I responded to the group.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Yuuri responded, releasing her grasp over Yuki.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head back to the club room. We got some ¡®woodwork¡¯ to do after lunch anyways¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡± Yuki cheerfully called out, with the students leaving the room shortly.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    It¡¯s just an ordinary emergency manual. It¡¯s got nothing to do with this. But¡­ What if it does?


    What¡­ What is this?


    My hands shook as I stared towards the manual, with my back leaning onto the door of the bathroom stall. It didn¡¯t make sense.


    Who could¡¯ve made something like this? Did they wish to see the world burn?


    Every sentence I went through in the manual seemed like another punch in the gut.


    I didn¡¯t know¡­ How could I have known¡­ It¡¯s not my fault.


    No! We¡¯re the ones who dragged those kids into this. We, as adults. No matter how you put it, right now¡­ I¡¯m the only adult left. It¡¯s all¡­


    It¡¯s all my fault.


    I slowly slipped through the stall¡¯s doors, lowering the manual.


    ¡°Megu-nee?¡± Yuki¡¯s voice called out from outside, ¡°Are you having a stomachache?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll be out in a moment" I stood up, hugging the manual.


    ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll see you at lunchtime!¡±


    ¡°Yep!¡± I responded, with Yuki running out of the room shortly.


    Take a deep breath Sakura¡­


    I walked out of the bathroom, heading straight towards the staff room and placing the manual back on the shelf. I couldn¡¯t share it with anyone. Not now. Nobody knows yet.


    Except¡­ for one.


    I closed the shelf doors, making my way toward the clubroom with my usual smile on my face. It felt harder than normal to keep a strong face in front of others, but I had to keep it no matter what happened.


    ¡°Sorry for the wait everybody!¡± I slid the door open.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯ve finally arrived" Yuuri smiled while holding a plate of sushi, ¡°Yuki-san was starving¡±


    ¡°Mhm" Kurumi nodded, her face visibly more tense than usual.


    ¡°Well, at least Yuki-san held off from eating until now" Ryu proceeded to lean from his chair, ¡°After all, we¡¯re still growing"


    I couldn¡¯t help but freeze at his comment out of shock.


    ¡°Sorry sensei" Ryu turned over, ¡°Almost forgot about you"


    Am I that inconspicuous???


    ¡°It¡¯s alright¡­¡± I mumbled, ¡°Shall we eat?¡±


    Everybody nodded.


    ¡°Let¡¯s dig in!¡± We all called out in unison, while I slowly raised my spoon, still trying to comprehend Ryu¡¯s comments.


    I couldn¡¯t help but think about what was in that manual while going through lunch.


    It wasn¡¯t easy to just forget about it and keep my usual straight face. I couldn¡¯t place the burden on them. It¡¯s almost common sense.


    While continuing with the lunch, Ryu stood up from his seat, briefly washing up his plate before heading towards the door.


    ¡°Please excuse me" I stood up,


    ¡°Aw, alright¡± Yuki continued with her food.


    I followed Ryu shortly, stopping as we got to the nearby music room. He turned over, giving out an innocent smile.


    ¡°So¡­ it seems you know about the manual?¡± Ryu dug his hands into his pockets,


    ¡°I should be asking you that"


    ¡°You¡¯re saying as if knowing is a bad thing¡±


    ¡°When you were at the lounge, did you drop those folders on purpose?¡±


    ¡°Yea. But I didn¡¯t want to force you to clean it up. After all, we can¡¯t place our burdens on others in the hopes of them fixing it, right?¡±


    ¡°My exact sentiment¡­¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m not saying that the manual is your burden. It hasn¡¯t been. You can¡¯t blame the collective group of the school¡¯s faculty including yourself because of someone or something that wanted to watch the world burn¡±


    ¡°I have a responsibility as a teacher, Tanaka-kun. It is why I take the burden¡­¡± I gripped onto my ribbon,


    ¡°You can¡¯t keep that burden, Sensei. But I won¡¯t stop you¡±


    ¡°I understand¡­ but why couldn¡¯t you just ask me about the manual?¡±


    ¡°I thought you forgot about it¡±


    ¡°I did. It¡¯s weird to see that you also know such a thing¡±


    ¡°Considering that we¡¯re too well equipped, especially for a school, it was best to assume that they somehow knew something was happening¡­ something like this isn¡¯t out of the possibility¡±


    Ryu¡¯s composure as he explained his almost uncanny assumption of the manual was spot on.


    ¡°By the way sensei, can you do me a favor?¡±


    ¡°Sure, what is it?¡± I smiled.


    ¡°Can you keep an eye on Takeya-san?¡±


    ¡°Of course! But, why¡¯d you ask?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d understand what¡¯s been happening with her compared to me"


    ¡°I know she¡¯s been a bit immature recently, but I feel like you¡¯re referring to¡­ something else?¡±


    ¡°Exactly"


    ¡°Well, what is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know"


    ¡°Hm. I¡¯ll go check up on her later on¡±


    The room went silent as Ryu looked around.


    ¡°You know, sensei, I¡¯ve always been noticing something about you" Ryu leaned his arm over one of the windows,


    ¡°Go on?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve always kept a strong face in front of others. And that¡¯s not exactly a bad thing. So when I saw you during lunchtime, I was worried about what¡¯s in the manual"


    ¡°Huh, I thought I kept a happy face"


    ¡°You did. But no offense sensei, it¡¯s not your best"


    ¡°Alright, Tanaka-kun, what would you like to tell me?¡±


    ¡°I thought you were the one coming up to me for questions"


    ¡°Did you leave to do something else?¡±


    ¡°Of course" Ryu grabbed onto the violin,


    ¡°I never knew you played an instrument"


    ¡°Ever since I gave up on Art¡± Ryu reached for the bow, resting it on top of the violin.


    ¡°Hold on. Wouldn¡¯t the music attract them?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve made noise at the rooftops and third floors but we¡¯ve never had an issue with them trying to get through after that"


    ¡°Good point¡±


    Ryu gripped onto the bow with a smile, pulling it across the strings to create a calming melody. He was decent at the violin, yet had a few rough patches during the beginning. Nonetheless, I sat close to the piano in admiration.


    I stared at the outside window, with the rain turning into a small shower that went along with the music Ryu was playing. However, Ryu seemed lifeless in how he played his music though.


    I shouldn¡¯t be judging him too harshly.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Ryu lowered his violin.


    ¡°It¡¯s good¡­ but¡­¡±


    ¡°Go on?¡±


    ¡°You seemed a bit lifeless in your music¡±


    ¡°I get that a lot¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you often try to improve?¡±


    ¡°I do¡­¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ can I give you some advice?¡±


    ¡°Fire away¡±


    ¡°Would it not hurt to try and push your emotions into whatever instrument you play?¡±


    Ryu looked at me weirdly.


    ¡°Push your emotions¡­ hm?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a musician teacher¡­ although I did piano¡±


    ¡°I understand. Thanks for the insight though¡±


    ¡°I did like the music you were playing, Tanaka-kun. Don¡¯t push yourself too hard or else you¡¯ll probably lose focus on the piece itself¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­¡±


    Ryu continued with his song, this time resorting to a more melancholy yet positive tune towards his music. It felt satisfying to hear it with that extra push of effort and emotion that Ryu had started to place.


    However, I noticed that he started delaying or downplaying his efforts from time to time. It was as if he was restraining himself or just trying to keep careful.


    I nonetheless didn¡¯t mind how he played.


    Later on, the club continued with the table barricades, having set up the final one close to the stairs under the pretense of a ¡®woodwork activity¡¯. While I carried the second last table, Kurumi crouched on top of the barricades with her shovel slung over her back.


    ¡°Right. Pass me the next one" Kurumi motioned her hand.


    ¡°Okay. Here goes¨C¡± I passed the table over to Yuuri, who then passed it to Kurumi.


    ¡°That¡¯s all of it"


    ¡°We¡¯ll have the second floor cleared out soon"


    ¡°And on to the first, right?¡±


    ¡°As much as I want to get out of here, the first floor¡¯s still far away¡±


    ¡°Mhm¡­¡±


    Ryu dashed to Yuki, helping her lift the table she was holding.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll be there in no time at all!¡±


    The basement floors of the school are designated disaster shelter areas. Right now, it¡¯s still too dangerous to go there, but I¡¯ll tell them once we get to the first floor. When that time comes, I¡¯ll tell them everything.

 Chapter Fourteen

    Yesterday, I was wide awake at 5 AM.


    I¡¯m adaptable to most surfaces believe it or not. So this came as a surprise to me. Perhaps I had this issue a week ago, so I compensated by sleeping at midnight. Didn¡¯t work but at least the issue disappeared until now.


    Perhaps it was guilt.


    I had a responsibility as a Council President, even if I merely used the role as a way to ensure I¡¯d gain the best college possible. The school values were to my advantage after all. And even with that out of the question in our circumstances, morals are still applicable.


    I tend to wonder what could¡¯ve happened if I had tried to save the students from the field instead of calling for an ambulance. If we had at least a post-apocalyptic society of almost 200 students. Compared to where we are now.


    Everyone in the ¡®club¡¯ has a role, with one notable exception of course. But I¡¯ve decided that Yuki wouldn¡¯t be much of an issue.


    I¡¯ll admit, recently Yuki had been passing by my office and checking up on me. At first, I thought Yuuri distrusted what I was doing loitering inside my own office, but I later just dismissed it as Yuki being bored.


    I got up from my couch, wearing my school blazer. I hadn¡¯t washed it in a while, mainly because when I had the time to, Yuki or Yuuri was already using it.


    It¡¯s partially my fault, to be honest. Constantly writing ¡®science reports¡¯ and contingencies as a hobby to make up for the fact that Kurumi had stolen my role as the scavenger of the group.


    At this point, I might as well let her or Yuuri take the planning part of my


    role. I did push her confidence after all.


    The sun hadn¡¯t gone out by then, so I had to contend with using a small lighter in conjunction with the moonlight to navigate my way. Once I reached the rooftop, I rested my arm over the nearby fence.


    Jeez, there¡¯s so many of them¡­


    I haven¡¯t been watching the outside world on the rooftop since day one. Despite the zombies being mindless creatures, their impact had caused quite the damage around. It was a relief we weren¡¯t close to any power plants, or else it¡¯d be a different story.


    At that moment, I couldn¡¯t help but grip my hair in frustration. We¡¯ve been here for quite some time now.


    It¡¯s genuinely screwing me up.


    Not because of anyone or myself. But where we were. I¡¯ve briefly watched zombie movies through the remaining cell towers that stood during the first day as a sort of practice. It was all action and violence.


    Yet none of them gave the question of whether we would be able to cope with it.


    Almost all of them had the main character adjust to this zombie-ish world as if it was like moving to a different country. It never made sense. I hated most of it, except for a specific Korean movie that briefly touched on the mental aspect of it.


    The fatigue. The inability to do anything. I loved yet hated everything about it. Because it was relatable. Not in a metaphorical or deep sense, but just plain and simplistic.


    Although I wish I could keep the message of perseverance to heart.


    I realized that I had left my phone inside my couch this whole time, with the battery at a lucky 17%. Sure, I could charge it, but Yuuri has been using it to look up recipes for lunch and dinner. And the charger is in their room.


    I rested my head over the railing, continuing to stare into the horde. Honestly, I was starting to get sick of everything. I couldn¡¯t understand why. Just how we lived in general. Our conditions.


    I still dreamed of waking up in a normal life from time to time. It¡¯s starting to feel more like a nightmare.


    ¡°Hey, Ryu-kun¡± Yuki¡¯s voice came from behind me.


    ¡°Hey¡­¡± I responded.


    ¡°Were you able to sleep?¡± I looked over at Yuki¡¯s figure.


    ¡°Mhm, I had a bad dream though"


    ¡°That¡¯s a shame¡­¡± Yuki rubbed her eyes, ¡°are you excited for today?¡±


    ¡°... of course"


    ¡°You don¡¯t sound like it¡­¡±


    ¡°Just a bit tense for the time being¡­¡±


    We stared at each other for a moment. Usually, Yuki would say or do something at this point, but perhaps I needed to make the move for now.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to ask you something¡­ if you don¡¯t mind¡±


    ¡°Of course! Go ahead¡± Yuki leaned her face towards me.


    ¡°Tell me Yuki-san, when your world and those you¡¯ve known have disappeared, what do you usually do?¡±


    Yuki looked at me with a sort of perplexion. Perhaps my question wasn¡¯t the best for her.


    ¡°What kind of question is that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a question¡­¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ wouldn¡¯t I try holding my breath in when the Earth disappears? Hopefully, I can reach a spaceship¡­¡±


    ¡°Not what I meant silly¡­¡± I chuckled, ¡°As if society collapses and everything and everyone goes crazy¡­ just like now¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I would¡­ make a new one?¡±


    ¡°What kind of answer is that?¡± I chuckled again.


    ¡°Mmmm, I don¡¯t know. What about you?¡±


    ¡°I would say I¡¯d adapt or cope with it. That¡¯s what most people would say as well¡­¡± I stared at the field, ¡°But realistically, I''d probably give up"


    Yuki slowly created a determined look as she heard what I said.


    ¡°But¡­ Ryu-kun. You can¡¯t just give up¡± Yuki grabbed onto my hand.


    ¡°Is there a point?¡±


    ¡°Your mother said to not give up, did she?¡±


    She overheard my conversation from yesterday.


    Last night, I decided to read the voicemail sent by her on the day of the outbreak. Let¡¯s say, I wasn¡¯t happy.


    ¡°Mhm¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to fulfill your mother¡¯s promises?¡±


    ¡°It was made a week ago. She wouldn¡¯t know that we¡¯d be in a situation like this"


    ¡°No! She knows that you¡¯d be in a case like this! Unable to cope with what¡¯s happening!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Yuki¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°She¡¯s probably smart like you! She would know!¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon Ryu-kun. You can¡¯t always have a frown over your face¡±


    ¡°I always do?¡±


    ¡°Yea! You can¡¯t always be sad all of the time!¡±


    ¡°Bu¨C¡±


    ¡°No buts!¡±


    Yuki placed her hands over my arm, dragging me over to the door. At that point, the sunlight emerged from the hills, revealing Yuki¡¯s cheerful smile.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Woah, don¡¯t drag too hard¡±


    ¡°I know you may not feel like it, Ryu-kun, but you have to remain strong whatever the world throws at you¡± Yuki smiled, ¡°Even if the world does ends up disappearing¡±


    ¡°Heh¡­ you kinda sound like someone I know¡­¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon! Let¡¯s get ready for the club"


    We went down the stairway, Yuki giving out a little hum as she continued dragging me down to the third floor.


    She reminded me of¡­ someone.


    ¡°Alright, no need to drag me to the club room¡± I tapped over Yuki¡¯s shoulder,


    ¡°C¡¯mon. Yuuri-san is already up¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t I just stay in my room?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t a Council President a more sociable person?¡± Yuki smiled at me, releasing her grip once we reached the club room.


    ¡°Fine¡­¡±


    ¡°I have to go get ready anyway. Feel free to help Rii-san!¡±


    Yuki instantly ran off with her teddy bear, leaving me close to the entrance. I approached through the front door, noticing Yuuri holding onto a steel pot.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± I approached Yuuri, helping her lift it.


    ¡°Thanks, Tanaka-kun¡± Yuuri smiled at me,


    ¡°So¡­ I heard you¡¯re being called Rii-san¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good nickname¡± Yuuri smiled back.


    Kurumi came in with her shovel over her shoulder. She gave a sort of surprised look at me before taking a seat.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re helping Rii-san¡± Kurumi placed her shovel close to the table, ¡°especially this early in the morning¡±


    ¡°Thank Yuki-san for it¡±


    ¡°You made quite the commotion up at the roof¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡±


    Kurumi reached for her book on the table, opening it to a random page while dragging the ruler out of the page. Looking over at Yuuri, she seemed quite annoyed.


    ¡°Kurumi, could you try helping us instead of just sitting there?¡±


    ¡°Jeez, I thought I already have a lot of work,¡± Kurumi said.


    ¡°Keeping an eye on the barricades doesn¡¯t count¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that my job is useless?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m just saying that you have it easy¨C¡±


    ¡°Do you think it''s easy to use a shovel?¡± Kurumi shouted at Yuuri,


    ¡°How about you keep track of all of the items we have in storage and ration them for the next few weeks? Hm?¡± Yuuri retaliated, sliding the notebook off the table.


    ¡°I can easily do that!¡±


    ¡°Well go do it then!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get along,¡± I muttered, ¡°This feels trivial¡±


    ¡°Shut up! You haven¡¯t done anything for the past few days¡± Kurumi lashed out at me.


    ¡°Okay who do you think does th¨C¡±


    ¡°Is everything okay?¡± Yuki walked over to the entrance, still carrying her teddy bear.


    Her presence completely changed the mood.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s nothing¡± Kurumi¡¯s expression changed as she waved her hand around.


    ¡°You sure?¡±


    ¡°Of course¡± I responded, ¡°No need to worry. Can you meet up with Sensei for us?¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    After Yuki left, we all looked at each other, almost forgetting the argument we just had. Yuki wasn¡¯t exactly the source of it, but at the same time, we couldn¡¯t help but avoid making a fuss for someone like her.


    ¡°Can we just come to the general consensus that our roles are equally important?¡±


    Kurumi and Yuuri nodded.


    ¡°Sorry for being on edge¡­¡± Kurumi shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m getting tired¡­¡±


    ¡°Mhm¡­¡± Yuuri crossed her arms, ¡°Megu-nee¡¯s club idea is probably what¡¯s keeping us up for now¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m kinda surprised, to be honest¡­¡± I mumbled in response, ¡°Anyways, I¡¯ll be working on something else¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­ see you Ryu-kun¡± Yuuri emitted a smile despite the tired face over her.


    ¡°Bye,¡±


    I had almost forgotten the events of yesterday, especially that argument, after meeting Sensei in the Teacher¡¯s Lounge.


    Sakura didn¡¯t seem on edge nor push us into going into any sort of emergency barrier nor make any notable discoveries in the school out of the blue. Although I kind of feel bad for her, since now she probably sees me as someone deceiving others.


    ¡°Tanaka-kun, can you come find Yuki-san for me?¡± Yuuri tapped over my shoulder.


    ¡°Yep¡±


    In our brief skirmishes against the zombies, I had scratched my foot over the debris and shrapnel from the wooden floorboards. I was genuinely worried I¡¯d get infected over it despite Yuuri¡¯s reassurances.


    I¡¯ll admit, I watched too many zombie movies after the outbreak and it¡¯s making my mind spin.


    I¡¯ve tried pirating a really popular zombie show but cell towers have started to shut down. So I¡¯ve been forced to rewatch the first three seasons with Indonesian subtitles.


    Honestly, watching the same show is starting to break my perception so perhaps I should stop.


    I walked into one of the classrooms, hearing Yuki converse with who I assume to be Megu-nee or Kurumi inside the classroom. Entering the room, I only saw Yuki who seemed to sit on a table staring at the board.


    She had that look that most people would have when they were in class.


    Yuki looked at me surprised, before gesturing towards me to take a seat as if I had gotten into trouble. I couldn¡¯t help but not understand what in the world she was doing, but perhaps she wanted to talk.


    ¡°Psst! Ryu-kun! Kamiyama-sensei is asking you something!¡± Yuki whispered loudly from across the room.


    Kamiyama?


    I looked towards the front of the class.


    ¡°Ah, sorry Sensei!¡± I chuckled, trying to keep a straight face, ¡°I had an emergency meeting¡±


    I looked at Yuki, who seemed to give me a normal look despite what I had done. It was stupid, especially since I wasn¡¯t an actor. But perhaps I¡¯ll understand what she¡¯s doing.


    I blinked rapidly at Yuki, who seemed to have looked at me weirdly for once.


    ¡°You gotta take a seat Ryu-kun!¡± Yuki whispered again.


    ¡°Sorry Sensei¡± I spoke to the front of the class again before walking towards the corner.


    There weren¡¯t any seats around me other than a broken chair at the adjacent corner of the classroom and Yuki¡¯s. As I stood there, my mind rushed between what Yuki was doing and trying to play along in some sort of pretend world she was in.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter Ryu-kun? Are you unable to sit down or something?¡± Yuki responded in a curious tone.


    ¡°Right¡­ This chair is broken. Please excuse me¡±


    I walked out of the room, only to stand close to the door in sight of only Yuki and the back row. She seemed to be focused on the board, having that same look. It¡¯s creeping me out.


    I continued standing close to the door watching Yuki continue to interact with nobody. It didn¡¯t make sense at all. Thoughts seemed to burst through my mind.


    Was she hypnotized? Acting? Trying to remember the good times?


    That¡¯s when it hit me.


    ¡°Tanaka-kun?¡± I felt someone¡¯s hand over my shoulder, causing me to flinch.


    ¡°Don¡¯t scare me like that, Sensei¡± I turned to Sakura.


    ¡°Sorry. You looked a bit uneasy from afar¡±


    ¡°Look over¡± I pointed towards the classroom.


    Sakura looked at Yuki, before glancing at me with almost a replica of my uneasy face. She couldn¡¯t help but stay outside the room, trying to see what was happening. After Yuki gave a small chuckle, Sakura backed away.


    ¡°What¡­ what is she doing?¡± Sakura mumbled.


    ¡°Do we have to play along?¡± I turned over.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try it. She may give up on the act¡­¡±


    ¡°I have to¡­ since I¡¯m meant to grab a table and attend this fictional class¡±


    ¡°Is there another ¡®teacher¡¯ inside it?¡±


    ¡°Yea. Kamiyama-sensei¡±


    Sakura placed her hand over her mouth.


    ¡°I know¡­ gimme a moment¡±


    I grabbed a table nearby, sweeping the dust over it before rushing towards Yuki¡¯s classroom, placing it close to where my corner was while moving the imaginary table away from me.


    ¡°Apologies for being late¡­¡±


    Yuki smiled at me as I played along with the imaginary class. After a few minutes of this, I noticed Kurumi and Yuuri walking by, whispering with Sakura in the meantime. It all seemed weird, playing in Yuki¡¯s ¡®new world¡¯ that she had mentioned yesterday. Yet I¡¯ve fallen into the trap of playing along with it. So nonetheless I had to engage.


    ¡°Hey! Ryu-kun and Yuki!¡± Kurumi shouted from the hallway, only to be stopped by Sensei.


    ¡°Please excuse us, Sensei¡±


    I got up from my table, before giving a small pat to Yuki¡¯s shoulder. She quickly got up, following the rest of the group. Despite what Kurumi and Yuuri had witnessed, they kept quiet on their way towards the classroom.


    ¡°So¡­¡± I looked over to Yuki, ¡°I was zoned out a bit. What was Kamiyama talking about?¡±


    Sakura gave me an odd look.


    ¡°Eh? That doesn¡¯t sound like you¡± Yuki looked at me.


    ¡°I know¡­ council matters suck¡±


    ¡°Can you stop it please?¡± Kurumi whispered to me.


    ¡°Sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°Hm, what seems to be the matter?¡± Yuki looked at Kurumi.


    ¡°Nothing¡­ just worried over something like Ryu¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon! You¡¯re all worried over something¡± Yuki grabbed onto Kurumi¡¯s hand, ¡°Let¡¯s go meet with the Horticulture Club!¡±


    ¡°Why there though?¡± Sakura asked,


    ¡°Because we¡¯re the School Living Club! We should participate in every activity there is here!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t disagree with that¡­¡± I nodded.


    We kept walking down the hallway, the silence among the group broken by Yuki¡¯s unusually cheerful humming.


    Even though I had maintained a normal face, thoughts still rushed through my mind. Has she truly gone crazy? Did something happen to her? Or does she know what¡¯s happening? If I couldn¡¯t understand, no one else could.


    Except for someone.

 Chapter Fifteen

    This will probably be my will.


    I have committed a sin. I want whoever eventually reads this to understand that. About her.


    It was my fault that Yuki Takeya¡¯s time stopped.


    I was the one who wanted Yuki-san to smile. I was also the one who made the illusion that is the School Living Club. When she regressed, I thought that was preferable. Even these circumstances were my fault.


    Tears streamed through my eyes as I wrote in my journal.


    The other day, I finally went to the staff room. The evacuation manual. My responsibility. All adults¡¯ responsibility. There aren¡¯t any other adults left, so this is my responsibility.


    You can¡¯t stop the flow of time. If one day those four can make it out of this school smiling¡­ I don¡¯t care what happens to me to make that happen.


    Sending those students off safely is my reason for living.


    I closed my journal shortly.


    ¡°Do you have some time Sensei?¡± I turned over to see Ryu standing by the entrance.


    ¡°Take a seat¡±


    ¡°So I assume you know what I¡¯m about to talk about?¡± Ryu sat on a nearby chair.


    ¡°Mmm¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to mention that what has happened isn¡¯t necessarily your fault¡±


    ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°You just admitted it¡±


    ¡°Before that¡±


    ¡°You made the club after all¡± Ryu moved Kamiyama¡¯s flower case to the corner, ¡°I was worried that you¡¯d feel guilt over it¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I kinda do¡± I tried to keep a sort of happy face.


    ¡°Mmm¡±


    ¡°One thing Ryu-kun¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°Why did you play along with Yuki-san?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s one thing I¡¯d like to mention¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I have a feeling Yuki is doing all of this¡­ for our sake¡±


    ¡°Our sake?¡±


    ¡°Yuki hasn¡¯t faced any trauma up to this point. She had always been cheerful up to this point. Why would it develop up to this point where she¡¯d make delusions? Especially since two days ago, she had admitted to what had happened in the outbreak¡±


    ¡°What happened two days ago?¡±


    ¡°I met with her on the rooftop¡±


    ¡°Ah, that. I could hear you talking with her up there¡±


    ¡°Am I that loud?¡±


    ¡°No, where you spoke was close to where I slept¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°Honestly Ryu-kun. I noticed something from you¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°You seemed¡­ intrigued over Yuki¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not the romantic type¡±


    ¡°Not like that¡± I chuckled, ¡°You seem like you cared a lot recently¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t I have a responsibility as Council President?¡±


    ¡°Your care seemed more personal¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d look heartless if I didn¡¯t bother helping Yuki-san¡­ I feel like what I¡¯ve done is just¡­ empathy¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but giggle in response.


    ¡°Is it not?¡±


    ¡°No, no¡± I lowered my hand from my mouth, ¡°I like how you¡¯re trying to be nice to Yuki-chan¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, can I give you some advice?¡±


    ¡°Always¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of cliche, but she once told me that the people you treasure and care for, you have to look out for them¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s common sense Sensei¡±


    ¡°Of course it is. But who do you truly care about?¡±


    ¡°My family¡­¡±


    He couldn¡¯t mention anyone else.


    ¡°Let me rephrase my question. Who do you want to walk around this world with a smile on their face?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want Yuki and her friends to be happy as well?¡±


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Why would I? Not to sound mean of course¡±


    ¡°They do care for you¡­¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Mhm! They¡¯ve been worried about you. That¡¯s why they send Yuki to check up on you from time to time. Even when the others thought you were just lazy, Yuki insisted to knock on your door and check up on you¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Ryu smiled, ¡°Perhaps I should do something in return¡­¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you do something in return already?¡±


    ¡°That was for something else¡­¡± He looked out of the window, ¡°Sensei, can I lend you a secret?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    ¡°I had¡­ a friend a long time ago¡­¡±


    One sentence and I was already intrigued.


    ¡°She was a nice person. Someone who cared for me. I couldn¡¯t understand why. Other than the fact that she was a neighbor and a classmate¡±


    ¡°Is she in this school?¡±


    ¡°She moved during high school¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    ¡°I know¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, if she was still around now, I¡¯d probably be desperate to know if she¡¯s still alive¡±


    ¡°We all have that feeling¡­¡±


    ¡°The reason why she was my only friend was because I messed up¡±


    As Ryu spoke, he had this guilty look on his face.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind answering, how did you mess up?¡±


    ¡°She was pretty much a magnet for bullying¡­ At first, I was oblivious to it, but when I started to appreciate and like her care, I realized the degree of bullying that it had reached¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°She moved schools later on¡­¡±


    ¡°Have you tried getting back in contact with her?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t get her socials¡­ even if I did, she would probably be unhappy¡­¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t blame yourself for that all of the time. For all we know, she would¡¯ve left either way¡±


    ¡°Even if she did, when she looks back at her old life, all she knows is that everyone there was uncaring to her. It¡¯d shape her personality for the future¡­¡±


    ¡°Agreed¡­¡±


    ¡°It created this sort of false view I had on friendship where I felt like it was a waste of time. I thought trying to cheer her up was a way to make her feel happy. Yet¡­ it didn¡¯t help her from moving¡±


    ¡°Did she ever say goodbye to you or anything? Try to get closure?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to ask her if we wanted to meet at the Tron Mall for the summer. But when I reached her house, it was empty. She left¡­ without a goodbye¡±


    ¡°Oh no¡­¡±


    ¡°It took two years for me to start caring for her. And when I truly did, it was too late¡­¡±


    I kept silent.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I never wanted to consider Yuki-san a friend at first¡­ because I knew that I¡¯d be unable to create that bond with her. I was too dead set on other things that I couldn¡¯t even see what was in front of me for my social life other than being a Council President¡±


    ¡°Is that your only regret?¡±


    ¡°Of course¡­¡±


    We sat in silence for a moment. I couldn¡¯t help but feel bad for him. Ryu had always seemed decisive and quick to act. Yet it stemmed from an everlasting regret of his. I wanted to just comfort him for his admission.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s too late for this¡­ but can you promise this, Tanaka-kun?¡±


    ¡°Of course¡±


    ¡°Look back on the regrets you¡¯ve made with¡­ a smile. A way to improve yourself. Not as a way to be saddened over and continue with your old ways. Can you do that?¡±


    ¡°Mhm¡­ sure¡± He nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Sakura-sensei¡­ for everything¡± Ryu smiled towards me.


    ¡°No problem! After all, I¡¯m your teacher¡±


    ¡°Agreed¡­¡± Ryu smirked, ¡°Anyways, tomorrow is the big day isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Oh right! The first floor!


    ¡°Mhm, it¡¯s good that you managed the forecast quite well¡±


    ¡°Yep! And once we cleared it out, we won¡¯t have an issue¡±


    ¡°Agreed¡±


    Once we reached the first floor¡­ I¡¯d tell them everything. I can¡¯t keep it a secret like this. Someone like Ryu is perceptive enough to understand the gravity of the situation and respect it. But everyone else¡­ I don¡¯t know how they will react.


    ¡°Sensei, can I tell you something?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead!¡± I smiled at Ryu.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to say¡­ that you¡¯re a great teacher¡±


    That caught me off guard.


    ¡°Gee, thank you¡­ but why is it coming out of nowhere?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ because most teachers I¡¯d know would probably break down or struggle in a society like this. Or by the very least take over the group in some authoritative manner. But for you, you look out for others in a way I¡¯d not expect in this world¡±


    The emergency manual had stated that the spirit of tolerance and kindness is no longer a virtue. Yet, I had decided to keep it regardless.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to apologize for lying to you. It wasn¡¯t like me to be honest. I just wanted you to look forward and see the reality in front of you. But perhaps this is a better alternate¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I know you¡¯ve been trying to look out for us secretly¡±


    One thing I¡¯ve noticed is that Ryu had a soft heart hidden by his serious facade. He didn¡¯t want to reveal it, yet I had observed this sort of switching behavior from him.


    ¡°Anyways, I¡¯ll be going¡±


    ¡°Alright, bye Ryu-kun¡±


    I couldn¡¯t contain the sense of joy inside me after Ryu¡¯s compliment. I had always been discouraged, yet his comment had given me peace knowing that I haven¡¯t ever neglected my care for them.


    And I wish to keep that promise until the end.


    ¡°What the hell have you done?¡± A voice echoed.


    Wait, where am I?


    I looked around the warehouse, noticing the crates and tables toppled across the room, followed by the bloodstains. Did something happen?


    I turned over to my side, noticing a figure significantly taller than me crying in agony. It was all too familiar. Yet I didn¡¯t know what it was.


    ¡°What have you done!¡± The figure¡¯s voice shrieked again, this time in a more recognizable high-pitched one.


    I was stuck in the middle paralyzed and unable to respond.


    ¡°Do you know what you¡¯ve done?¡± The voice shrieked again.


    I couldn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°Are you even listening to me?¡±


    The figure¡¯s arm reached out towards my collar, gripping it close to me. I didn¡¯t want to respond out of fear that I might wake up not being able to remember what happened.


    ¡°You¡¯re no human! You hear me?¡± The voice screamed again, with the sound of sobbing following shortly.


    My eyes shot open almost instantly as I jerked off my couch for some unknown reason. I didn¡¯t know why I did that, to be honest. Probably just a reflex to me.


    I stared at the clock. 7:12 AM. I had plenty of time before we moved down to the first floor. But I¡¯m not interested in just watching movies and being lazy. For today, I have a goal.


    I don¡¯t usually make goals for ¡®self-improvement¡¯, not especially during the early morning and almost instantaneously after a dream like that. Yet I had made a promise. And I plan to follow it up.


    I aim to make Yuki Takeya, Kurumi Ebisuzawa, and Yuuri Wakasa, my friends.

 School Living Club Dossier (By Yuki Takeya!)

    Name: Ryu Tanaka


    Alias: Ryu-kun


    Nicknames: Pres (Please stop calling me Pres, Yuki-san!)


    Gender: Male


    Date of Birth: ?


    Age: 17


    Hair: Navy Blue


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Eye Colour: Black


    Height: 5¡¯9


    Weight: 43kg


    Build: Skinny


    Profession: School Council President


    Traits: Super smart and strong (Seriously?)


    Fears: Probably Ghosts (I fear spiders and frogs)


    Personality: ?


    Club Role: ?


    Notes: He¡¯s super smart! But he barely attends club meetings! He¡¯s probably busy! (No comment)

 Chapter Sixteen

    ¡°Yuki¡­¡± A voice came through my ear, ¡°You¡¯re sleeping too much. You gotta wake up!¡±


    A few more minutes¡­


    ¡°Hello?¡± Another followed.


    ¡°Takeya-san? Takeya Yuki-san?¡±


    I felt the nudge of a book over my head, followed by faint whispers. I looked up, realizing that I had fallen asleep in class¡­ again.


    ¡°...Good afternoon¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you sleeping in my classroom again¡±


    ¡°Yes Sensei¡±


    Kamiyama lowered her book, continuing with her board. I felt the wave of looks coming at me from my classmates.


    ¡°Sleepyhead¡­¡± I heard a faint mutter from beside me.


    I turned over, noticing Yuzumara looking at me amused.


    ¡°Hehe¡­¡± I sheepishly scratched my head, ¡°I don¡¯t get a lot of sleep nowadays¡±


    ¡°We can tell¡±


    As the class continued, I couldn¡¯t help but look over at my left from time to time. Ryu-kun, who seemed equally as bored out of his mind as me, continued to stare at the board while resting his face over his hand.


    I don¡¯t know why. But ever since we had joined the club, it seemed that Ryu had been quite social compared to before.


    I reached for my notebook, tearing a piece of it while reaching for a pen.


    Are you bored? I wrote on my piece of paper before folding it.


    ¡°Psst, pass this to Ryu-kun¡± I passed the paper to Yuzumara.


    ¡°Sure¨C Ouch, that papercut!¡± Yuzumara whispered as she dropped the piece of paper.


    Ryu turned over, grabbing onto the piece of paper I had left on the floor.


    He took a quick stare at Kamiyama¡¯s board while writing on the note before quickly passing it back to me.


    Yep.


    I hid the note under my desk.


    Ryu continued his focus on the board in the meantime as I followed suit, noticing how he wrote his notes without having to look down.


    The bell rang, making us all rush out of the classroom. I ran across the hallway with my bag over my back, narrowly avoiding the groups of students around me.


    ¡°Wait, Yuki-chan, where¡¯re you going?¡± A voice called out from behind me.


    ¡°Wah!¡± I raised one leg, keeping myself balanced.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    I backed away from the stairs.


    ¡°Geez. It¡¯s your fault for calling me all of a sudden Megu-nee¡± I turned around.


    ¡°It¡¯s not Megu-nee, it¡¯s Sakura-sensei to you¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ so now what?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have club activities?¡±


    ¡°Ah! You¡¯re right!¡±


    ¡°What a silly girl¡­¡± Megu giggled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll head over right now~ what about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there later. Please let them know¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I continued running down the hallway.


    I¡¯m in love with school lately.


    I know it might sound weird, but I think school is a wonderful place.


    The physics lab is full of funny looking machines.


    The music room has beautiful musical instruments and scary portraits.


    For the Broadcast Room, the entire school is its stage.


    It has everything! It is just like your own country. You can¡¯t find a building as strange as a school anywhere else.


    And my favorite is¡­


    Barely anything has happened during the month since my last entry. But I¡¯ll just mention a few matters.


    Yuki has pretty much been in the center of the stage in terms of everything. She has the most creative ideas yet at the same time it almost pushes us into this delusion of hers.


    Yuki¡¯s delusions had reached a scale never before. It keeps me up at night thinking about it. Yet during the day, I can¡¯t break the facade that I have over my face.


    Kurumi¡¯s been someone you could depend on to get the dangerous jobs done while having a good laugh out of it when we¡¯re in the safety of the clubrooms. She does hesitate frequently, but I can¡¯t judge her.


    Yuuri reminded me of Hano¡¯s older sister, Ayame in a good way. Her leadership was comparable to mine, perhaps even at my level, but she seemed soft when needed, especially towards Yuki.


    Hearing the footsteps from across the hallway, I placed my hand over the microphone, flicking a switch.


    Here goes.


    ¡°Good afternoon Megurigaoka High School! A reminder for all students to not run across the hallways¡­ that includes you Yuki Takeya-san!¡±


    ¡°Wah!¡± Yuki screamed from across the hallway, followed by a thump.


    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh from it.


    ¡°Tanaaaaka-kun!¡± Yuki called out my name from across the hallway, her voice getting louder until she reached the door, ¡°Good afternoon!¡±


    ¡°Hey Yuki-san¡± I flicked the switch to my microphone, ¡°Like my announcement?¡±


    ¡°You made me slip and fall because of it,¡± Yuki pouted.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t break a bone, right?¡±


    ¡°Yep¡±


    ¡°Did you get in a water fight?¡±


    ¡°Yea¡± Yuki smiled, ¡°How¡¯d you know?¡±


    ¡°Your shirt says it all¡± I pointed, ¡°Who won?¡±


    ¡°Kurumi won¡­¡± Yuki scratched her head sheepishly before turning to her right, ¡°What¡¯s with the radio?¡±


    ¡°That?¡± I pointed to a sleek radio set placed close to the microphone, ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡±


    ¡°Do you use it to talk with Megu-nee without going up to her?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not that antisocial¡­¡± I scoffed, ¡°Right?¡±


    ¡°Yea¡­¡± Yuki looked up at the roof, ¡°You do seem like a robot recently¡­¡±


    Robot?!


    Yuki turned over.


    ¡°Oh, hi Shouji-san!¡± She waved towards the door.


    I stopped to think while Yuki talked with the imaginary guy.


    Shouji-san¡­ manga¡­ childish personality¡­ likes to be casual towards everyone¡­


    ¡°Hey Shouji-san!¡± I looked over at the door, pausing, ¡°Did you like the manga recommendation?¡±


    I kept a pause, pretending to listen.


    ¡°I loved the cliffhanger of the story¡­ got me at the edge of my seat. Do you know any good thriller manga that you could share with me?¡±


    You¡¯re probably thinking, have I gone crazy? But in reality, I¡¯m just being a friend.


    It is true that I¡¯m not social, but one thing I excelled in was a surface-level understanding of people¡¯s personalities. Mainly thanks to my experience talking with them paired with my obtaining of every student file.


    Calculating the scenario of each conversation while being consistent with their personality isn¡¯t exactly the easiest, but I often had to resort to just avoiding open ended questions.


    Pretty much, it was a game of guessing to see if I can follow what Yuki¡¯s delusions are saying. A game that I¡¯ve managed to have some luck with.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    But perhaps I¡¯ve been that lucky that Yuki hasn¡¯t noticed anything weird.


    ¡°Mmmm, perhaps I could give it a try one day¡± I smiled towards the door, giving a glance at Yuki ¡°Anyways, I have to get going now¡­ bye¡±


    I seem crazy, but I¡¯ve kept another promise to ensure that whatever happens, Yuki¡¯s delusions will remain intact until she stops. Even if it means playing the fool in any situation.


    ¡°Yuki-san, what did you mean when you said I seem like a robot from time to time¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ it feels like you have only two answers to something¡­¡±


    In my defense, I cannot realistically guess what Yuki¡¯s imaginary version of a person would say. Hence why I had to limit the options. But I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll hurt Yuki¡¯s delusion.


    ¡°Believe it or not, I have tinnitus¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Constant ringing in the ears¡±


    ¡°Does that happen a lot?¡±


    ¡°Of course¡±


    ¡°Well, can you hear me?¡± Yuki¡¯s voice turned soft.


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    I suck at lying.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± She smiled, ¡°Hopefully you get better from it¡±


    ¡°Thank you¡± I smiled.


    While walking down towards the Clubroom, Yuki¡¯s gaze was focused on a nearby classroom.


    ¡°Um, I forgot something¡­ I left my homework on my desk¡± Yuki chuckled as she walked inside the classroom.


    I stood close by the door, keeping watch of her as she walked through the mess inside the room.


    ¡°This? We had a water fight on the rooftop¡­ yeah, I¡¯m still doing club activity¡±


    Sometimes, I often wished Yuki would grow out of it. I didn¡¯t know exactly why, other than the fact that it would be too dangerous.


    ¡°Ok, see you later¡± Yuki waved before leaving the class, ¡°I think you left your bag at your classroom Ryu-kun¡±


    ¡°All of my classes are in that room excluding Art¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Yuki looked out the window, ¡°Oh by the way, about the dossier of you¡­ I forgot¡±


    ¡°Did you see my comments?¡±


    ¡°Of course¡­ but I¡¯ve been procrastinating about it¡±


    ¡°Did you seriously have to spend an entire fortnight over it?¡±


    ¡°Hehe¡­ but I¡¯ve always wanted to ask you about something¡±


    ¡°Go on?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your birthday?¡±


    I kept silent.


    ¡°Did you forget?¡± Yuki nudged her face close to me.


    ¡°August¡­ August 3rd¡­¡±


    ¡°Your voice seemed shaky when you said it¡±


    She¡¯s sometimes hard to fool. Yet at the same time easy to.


    ¡°Sorry. I¡¯ve forgotten a lot of things recently¡­ studies have been going through my head¡±


    ¡°I barely see you in the study rooms¡­ Do you study in your office?¡±


    ¡°The office¡¯s pretty much my home¡±


    ¡°Hehe¡­ so that¡¯s your birthday?¡±


    ¡°Yep¡±


    ¡°How about we celebrate it after graduation? Perhaps a final meet-up after the summer holidays? We could even bring some cake over and set up a party!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile while pausing, ¡°That¡¯d be great¡±


    Yuki reciprocated my smile before proceeding to run down the hallway.


    In the end, I would often understand why those moments of doubt I¡¯ve had with Yuki were soon squashed.


    I still had to thank what Yuki did.


    Sakura and Yuki made me feel like life was a bit normal. Even I started to visualize Yuki¡¯s delusions just for fun. In the end, it changed me in a way that I never knew it¡¯d benefit me.


    I still appreciate Yuki for what she had done on the roof since I didn¡¯t want to go out like Hano.


    ¡°Tanaka-kun?¡± Yuuri¡¯s voice blared into my ears, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    I noticed Yuuri staring at me while having one hand on the soup ladle.


    ¡°Yea¡­ yea¡­ sorry¡±


    Was I zoned out for that long?


    ¡°Yuki was right when she said you had hearing problems¡± Kurumi mumbled while leaning on a chair.


    ¡°Did she say that?¡±


    ¡°Just now¡±


    ¡°She spills a lot of things¡­¡± I looked at the hallway, ¡°Where¡¯s Megu-nee?¡±


    ¡°Megu-nee?¡± Yuuri turned over, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go ask her¡± Yuki ran out.


    ¡°Wait up! You can¡¯t always move around alone at night!¡± I shouted towards the hall.


    ¡°It¡¯s not even night silly,¡± Kurumi chuckled.


    ¡°It will be soon¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with her¡± Kurumi got up, grabbing her shovel.


    ¡°I guess¡­ tell Sakura that I¡¯d like to ask her about something tomorrow when I have the chance¡±


    ¡°Got it¡±


    As Kurumi left, I looked over at the table, my Club Dossier still there except for a few rather amusing drawings. Yuki still hadn¡¯t written my date of birth, but I didn¡¯t mind.


    ¡°She still hasn¡¯t written anything,¡± Yuuri turned off the stove.


    ¡°I did tell her my birthday just now¡±


    ¡°About time¡±


    ¡°May I have the dossiers of the club members on that shelf real quick Yuuri-san?¡±


    ¡°Of course¡± Yuuri grabbed a pile of folders, passing it to me.


    ¡°Thank you¡± I opened the first file.


    As usual, Yuki had drawn something over each member''s dossier. Even her one wasn¡¯t safe from it, as she had drawn herself with sunglasses over her name.


    My eyes wandered towards another detail.


    Interesting¡­


    I closed the folder, placing it back on the shelf.


    ¡°Everything alright?¡± Yuuri smiled, leaning close to me.


    ¡°Of course¡­ Today''s the 23rd, right?¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­¡± Yuuri turned over to the calendar, ¡°Yep¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ can I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead¡±


    ¡°I know I¡¯ve been just standing in the background helping you and Kurumi with matters, but can I ask for a favor¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ sure Ryu-san. What¡¯s on your mind?¡±


    I had a moment of hesitation.


    Was she going to look at me weirdly? I thought to myself, Would it seem odd if I tried to overtake her role by accident? How would this impact group dynamics?


    One way or another, I had to act decisive or else I¡¯d lose that opportunity.


    ¡°Can you please teach me how to cook?¡± I followed up with a small bow for my request.


    Yuuri¡¯s surprise turned into laughter.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry¡­¡± Yuuri lowered her hand from her mouth, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d ask such a question¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, the Council role means nothing at this point. Just pretend I¡¯m a normal student asking this¡±


    ¡°Yuki and Kurumi still acknowledge it¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that shatter the power dynamic since you¡¯re in charge?¡±


    ¡°... Yea¡± Yuuri looked over, ¡°What would you like to learn?¡±


    ¡°How about some Udon? Yuki likes it¡±


    Yuuri reached for her notebook, flicking through the pages.


    ¡°Kurumi had made a scavenging run on the third floor but couldn¡¯t find any Udon. I assume the remaining storage areas are the ones you looted and the one at Home Economics. We have a bit of Udon left but I¡¯ll conserve it until later¡­¡±


    This feels like some sort of video game RPG task¡­


    ¡°Hm¡­ I¡¯ll go talk with her now¡±


    As I walked towards the hallway, I noticed Yuuri¡¯s expression.


    ¡°You¡¯re confusing¡­¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± I turned over.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you would be this thoughtful over Yuki for some reason. Is this the Ryu I know?¡± Yuuri leaned towards me with a smile.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it¡±


    ¡°Nobody would, but perhaps I need to do something for the group¡±


    I think that explanation got her off my back.


    ¡°Anyways, how about we meet tomorrow for the cooking session?¡±


    ¡°Of course. How about 5 PM?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think any of your ¡®classes¡¯ are the same with Yuki during the early afternoon. Why is it so late?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to keep my afternoon clear¡­ it¡¯d be nice if Kurumi could join in and play along with Yuki¡¯s class if she weren¡¯t making rounds¡±


    ¡°Not really¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it make sense to have someone like her ready in case of an emergency?¡±


    ¡°Yuki¡¯s the most vulnerable of the group. I reckon you and Megu-nee could hold on their own¡±


    ¡°Well, what about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll manage¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­ do you have any ideas?¡±


    ¡°I tried broadcasting the daily school announcements and noticed when announcing for recess, a lot of zombies from the entrance loiter at the field. But that¡¯s probably just a coincidence¡±


    It wouldn¡¯t hurt passing this information to Yuuri.


    ¡°Alright¡­ but I reckon Yuki could protect herself when needed¡±


    ¡° I can¡¯t tell how far such delusions could go¡±


    ¡°She did say she almost went home¡­¡±


    ¡°Close call¡­¡±


    ¡°Also, have you been listening to music lately?¡±


    ¡°I downloaded a lot of things but music wasn¡¯t on my list¡±


    ¡°Then why does your hair seem a bit¡­ weird?¡±


    ¡°Just playing around with the headphones. I haven¡¯t gotten anything¡­¡±


    ¡°You sure? You seem tense recently¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d expect someone to find a safe haven and look for survivors. Silence in the radio keeps me tense¡­¡±


    ¡°...It still haunts me¡±


    ¡°Me too¡­ such a school is equipped like this¡± I stared outside, ¡°I¡¯ve seen a lot of schools equipped like this in Megurigaoka, yet likely suffered the same fate¡±


    We kept silent.


    One issue was that while listening to the radio late at night, I heard several distant explosions outside.


    I would¡¯ve assumed that it¡¯d be due to the lack of management of the reactors and power stations, but perhaps the helicopters I had witnessed two weeks ago had thought of that before.


    I¡¯d assume the military would put up a fight. However, considering where Megurigaoka was, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if there wasn¡¯t much activity here compared to Tokyo.


    I do have some suspicions when I have witnessed a helicopter go down on its own though.


    ¡°Yahoo!¡± Yuki slid the door open, ¡°What¡¯s with the mood?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡± I smiled, ¡°We were talking about Kurumi¡¯s break up¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°I heard that!¡± Kurumi shouted from across the hallway.


    ¡°Anyways, did you bring Sakura with you?¡±


    ¡°Yea¡­ she¡¯s just catching up¡±


    Kurumi ran into the room, leaving her shovel close by the door.


    ¡°Jeez, you¡¯re hard to outrun¡±


    ¡°Hehe, sorry!¡± Yuki turned over.


    ¡°Wow, you outran the Track and Field leader?¡± I smiled.


    ¡°Shut up¡± Kurumi chuckled, ¡°She had a head start¨C¡±


    ¡°And your shovel¡­¡±


    I felt Kurumi slap the back of my hair.


    ¡°Ouch¡­¡±


    Sakura entered the room, holding onto her books as usual.


    ¡°You¡¯re way too fast¡­¡± She panted.


    ¡°Sorry Megu-nee,¡± Yuki responded.


    ¡°It¡¯s not Megu-nee, it¡¯s Sakura-sensei!¡± Sakura corrected


    ¡°Yea we get it¡± Yuki chuckled.


    ¡°Afternoon sensei,¡± Yuuri and I said, ¡°How¡¯s your meeting?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Anything important you two needed to tell me?¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± I responded.


    ¡°Nope¡± Yuuri followed.


    ¡°Alright¡­¡± Sakura turned over, ¡°Yuki-san, just a reminder to not be late for class tomorrow¡±


    ¡°Yeah don¡¯t worry¡± Yuki chuckled, ¡°I¡¯ve started to sleep earlier than normal¡±


    ¡°That''s perfect¡±


    ¡°By the way, sensei?¡± I walked up, ¡°May I join you tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Sakura smiled, ¡°It¡¯d be nice for you to join in from time to time¡±


    ¡°Yaaay!¡± Yuki cheered.


    ¡°Well, have fun hanging out in class Ryu-san¡± Kurumi patted over my shoulder, ¡°I¡¯m out¡±


    I approached Kurumi, ignoring what she had just called me.


    ¡°Hold on¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± She turned over.


    ¡°Can we meet at 7 PM at the second floor barricade? It¡¯s urgent¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Kurumi nodded.


    I¡¯ll be honest, I found it easy to become friends with Yuki in my opinion, but for Kurumi and Yuuri, it needed more than just playing the fool.

 Chapter Seventeen

    With a two week deadline, I¡¯m usually in a rush to get things done. It¡¯d be quite easier to space out the time I had with Yuuri and Kurumi if said deadline wasn¡¯t as far as I thought.


    I like to reason to myself that what I¡¯m doing right now is indeed spacing out despite my prediction that I¡¯d be able to set everything up a week before it happens.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite casual Kurumi-san¡± I looked at the clock.


    ¡°Jeez¡­ why¡¯d you need me here after dinner anyways?¡± Kurumi lowered her shovel


    ¡°Third rule of the School Living Club¡­ Do not¨C¡±


    ¡°Yea yea I get it¡­¡± Kurumi interrupted, ¡°But why now? Why can¡¯t we do it in the morning?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re busy with the barricades in the hallway during the morning. Also, I needed the insurance since you aren¡¯t interested in staying in your room playing Uno with Yuki and Yuuri¡±


    ¡°Yeah it¡¯s pretty much the sentiment among us¡­ it¡¯s surprising you know¡±


    ¡°You were eager enough to come over when I asked you¡±


    We walked towards the barricades.


    ¡°Well, what¡¯s the excuse? What if Yuuri found out?¡±


    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t mind. Compared to if let¡¯s say I brought Yuki over¡±


    ¡°So what do you want me to do?¡±


    ¡°Just come with me for a quick run to the library¡­ in and out¡±


    ¡°Five minutes?¡±


    ¡°Ten minutes maximum¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re gonna owe me¡­ and no, the sweets won¡¯t count¡±


    ¡°How about I take over patrolling for the next five days? After all, I made those table barricades so it shouldn¡¯t be a hassle repairing them¡±


    ¡°And I assume you¡¯d wander around with a textbook or a pen?¡±


    Kurumi¡¯s humor was quite dry, even by my standards.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t acquire any weapons other than ones I¡¯ve crafted during my spare time. So it¡¯s back to basics¡± I raised my right arm, revealing the layer of tape and notebooks that I had wrapped around.


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you help me with some of them in your spare time¡±


    ¡° I¡¯d get injured easily due to my lack of athleticism¡± I shrugged.


    Ironically enough, the way Kurumi was dressed probably made it easier for her to get infected.


    ¡°Anyways, let¡¯s go¡±


    We continued through the table barricades, heading straight forward while periodically checking the nearby classrooms.


    Usually, I¡¯d take this time to spark a conversation, but perhaps I¡¯ll find that opportunity.


    The library hadn¡¯t evaded a similar fate to what had happened to the classrooms, but it seemed tolerable enough for me not to end up cutting my foot.


    ¡°Guard the door. If you see anything, just hide inside the library and tell me. If I need help, I¡¯ll shout¡±


    ¡°No need to tell me¡±


    It was easy for me to look for the usual study books I needed, but due to our situation, it¡¯d be a bit more daunting.


    Wandering through the bookshelves, I placed my finger through each section while holding a flashlight with my free hand until I had reached what I wanted.


    After grabbing two books, I walked over to the front, where Kurumi stood close to the door with her hands crossed. As I got closer, her gaze focused on the hallway.


    ¡°Ssh¡± Kurumi raised her shovel.


    Sliding the books at the table, I sidestepped behind her. After a moment of trying to get an angle thanks to her hair, I tapped at her shoulder.


    How many? I motioned with my hands.


    Kurumi looked at me weirdly.


    It¡¯s my fault to assume she would know sign language.


    ¡°How many?¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Do you think I count how many there are?¡±


    ¡°Of course¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s probably twenty of them¡± Kurumi raised her shovel, before lowering it down again, ¡°What¡¯s your plan, genius?¡±


    I slid the door closed.


    ¡°We can sneak through to the nearby classroom and turn on the lights. Since they are attracted to noise and light sources, we can use them to escape while they rush in. Now in the case that¨C¡±


    ¡°You talk too much¡± Kurumi slid the door open again, raising her shovel, ¡°Don¡¯t go too far¡±


    I¡¯ve thought out of a plan like that yet I didn¡¯t expect her response.


    Kurumi rushed over to the hallway, swinging her shovel towards a nearby zombie. I followed after grabbing my books and pushing another zombie with a kick to the chest.


    As I did so, I could feel a breeze of wind brush past my hair.


    ¡°Did you almost hit me?¡± I turned over to her while backpedaling.


    ¡°Yeah, my bad¡±


    Kurumi rushed over again, rapidly swinging her shovel towards the head of each zombie while fending off anyone that tried to fight against her.


    She had a rough and almost unconventional style of using a shovel, yet considering her self-taught nature, she had some faults.


    ¡°Watch out!¡±


    I kicked a nearby zombie before continuing to retreat in unison with Kurumi.


    ¡°I was about to handle him,¡± Kurumi shouted.


    ¡°Yeah right¡­¡±


    Kurumi then thrust her shovel towards a zombie¡¯s chest, hesitantly stopping before dealing a fatal blow straight through its face.


    A few zombies from the left and right started rushing past her, causing me to grab onto her shoulder.


    There was no way we were getting that Udon. Unless we wanted to repeat history.


    ¡°Hey! What are you doing¡±


    ¡°Forget it. We should handle getting the hell out of here¡± I tapped on Kurumi¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go!¡± She grabbed onto my arm, ¡°I¡¯ll cover you at the barricades¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll overwhelm the barricades if we get through¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your plan?¡±


    ¡°The one I had told you but you interrupted!¡±


    ¡°Fine!¡±


    We quickly rushed inside the classroom door, sliding it shut after I threw the flashlight towards the hallway, causing a few zombies to swarm it.


    Several hands started to slam through the door while I slid a nearby table to keep it closed.


    ¡°Great! We¡¯re trapped¡± Kurumi pressed her foot onto the door, ¡°What kind of plan was that?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not trapped¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like you have some sort of contingency plan, right?¡±


    ¡°Just go to the window¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve watched a lot of movies, I know what I¡¯m doing¡±


    Kurumi looked at me weirdly before rushing towards one.


    ¡°What now?¡±


    The pounding on the door started to grow louder at this point.


    ¡°What now? Jump down to the field!¡±


    ¡°Jump?!¡±


    Kurumi couldn¡¯t detect my sarcasm.


    ¡°No silly! Climb up to the window¡±


    ¡°Oh¡±


    Watching Kurumi climb up the window and reach the third floor, I started to retreat, noticing the door had started to cave in.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look!¡± Kurumi shouted as she vaulted over the window frame.


    I heard the door slowly crack open, followed by the sound of the zombies growing louder.


    ¡°Anytime now!¡±


    ¡°Alright! Grab my arm!¡± Kurumi extended her hand out.


    I grabbed onto it, being pulled up towards the third floor with all of Kurumi¡¯s strength. Using my other hand, I managed to get over to the third floor.


    I slid the books through the class, sitting in an empty classroom with Kurumi beside me.


    ¡°You¡¯re seriously heavy,¡± Kurumi gasped for air.


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    A sudden bang followed from below us, causing us to flinch before looking at each other.


    ¡°See¡­ I knew we¡¯d have some time before they¡¯d come in¡±


    ¡°Yea yea we get it¡­ are you some sort of robot?¡±


    ¡°I got called that by Yuki this afternoon¡±


    ¡°I can tell why¡­ how long did you plan out these moments?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ fifteen minutes¡±


    It was way shorter than that.


    ¡°I thought it¡¯d be an hour¡±


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°It¡¯s not hard when you have every factor and possibility in account¡­ It¡¯s not like I¡¯m a master at academics¡±


    ¡°Yea¡­¡± Kurumi stared towards the door, ¡°Sorry for interrupting you¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright¡­ people wouldn¡¯t understand why I¡¯d go to such depth anyways¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s actually the first time I¡¯ve seen you done such¡­ you kinda remind me of those guys with glasses that people like to call ¡®nerds¡¯ all of the time¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference between me and them?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t talk so much and you don¡¯t talk about weird things¡±


    ¡°Fair enough¡±


    An idea struck my mind as I looked at Kurumi.


    ¡°By the way Kurumi-san, can I offer you something?¡±


    ¡°Fire away¡±


    ¡°Both of us don¡¯t work well in teamwork, I can acknowledge my faults when I see it as well¡­ I hope you can identify yours¡±


    ¡°What are my issues?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re quite¡­ feral in your attacks¡±


    ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°Despite being fast, you¡¯re relying on powerful hits to incapacitate zombies¡­ it wouldn¡¯t go well with your fast athletic self alongside making it hard to handle¨C¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re at it again¡± Kurumi interrupted.


    ¡°Yeah, I know¡­ but better be safe than sorry¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± She nodded, ¡°What do you think is your flaw?¡±


    ¡°I usually just hang back and act in response rather than being aggressive¡±


    ¡°Bingo¡­ I¡¯d thought you¡¯d be a bit more efficient fighting¡±


    ¡°Do you expect me to be some sort of samurai?¡±


    ¡°No, I thought you¡¯d use some cool techniques since you knew karate¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not tall enough to launch such attacks¡±


    ¡°You could always give it a try¡­¡±


    ¡°Can I also mention something I¡¯ve observed?¡±


    ¡°You observe a lot of things¡­¡± Kurumi mumbled, ¡°Sure¡±


    ¡°I noticed you were struggling to strike one of the students while we were handling the horde in the hallway. Was it one of your friends?¡±


    Kurumi paused for a moment, fiddling with her hands in the meantime.


    ¡°Do you remember the rumors last year? With Hotaka and Chiasa?¡±


    ¡°Of course¡­ if you want a bit of inside information, Hotaka and Chiasa were indeed dating¡±


    ¡°Thought so¡­¡±


    ¡°So¡­ that girl¡­ she was Chiasa-san?¡±


    ¡°Yep¡­ sometimes I still think about it¡±


    ¡°What about them?¡±


    ¡°I wonder if they still had some time together before the outbreak¡­ after all¡­ despite them being all lovey dovey¡­ in the end, it¡¯s just¡­¡±


    Kurumi clenched her hand as she spoke.


    ¡°I understand¡±


    She seemed quite empathetic behind that strong face of hers.


    ¡°You¡¯ve always had a straight face when you do things¡­ have you ever felt regret or loss over someone ever since the outbreak?¡±


    ¡°My family¡±


    ¡°Mhm¡­ But what about your friends?¡±


    ¡°Why does it always have to be about friends? Isn¡¯t family more worthwhile?¡±


    ¡°Of course! I don¡¯t disagree with you¡­ but do you share secrets with family members?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Do people share secrets with their friends?


    ¡°I won¡¯t press you¡­¡± Kurumi shrugged.


    ¡°I did regret losing someone important to me before¡±


    ¡°Who was it? If you don¡¯t mind asking¡­¡±


    ¡°A good neighbor and a friend of mine¡­ we went to the same middle school¡±


    ¡°I vaguely remember you from there but I¡¯ve never seen you being close with anyone¡­ unless¡­¡±


    Kurumi¡¯s eyes widened in excitement.


    ¡°Hano?¡±


    ¡°Yea¡­¡±


    ¡°I feel so bad for her¡­¡±


    ¡°What did you remember about Hano?¡± I turned over.


    ¡°Often teased for rumors and quite a loner¡­ except for when you stopped by to talk with her¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯d you think I wasn¡¯t friends with her in the first place?¡±


    ¡°I just didn¡¯t see you often with her since you were probably too busy with other matters¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright¡­ it¡¯s a shame she left the school¡±


    ¡°Did you like Hano?¡±


    ¡°...No¡±


    ¡°Your face says it all¡±


    ¡°Alright alright we get it¡­¡± I nudged Kurumi by the shoulder.


    I¡¯ve never had romantic feelings with Hano, so it seemed weird that I had this feeling. Perhaps Kurumi had struck my soft spot.


    ¡°Should we head out now?¡± Kurumi got up, extending her hand to me.


    ¡°Sure. We took twice the amount of time I expected so Yuuri¡¯s probably worried¡± I grabbed onto it, getting up.


    ¡°Yeah¡± Kurumi did a quick stretch.


    An idea struck my head as I placed my hand towards the door, making me turn around.


    ¡°Can I make a proposition?¡±


    ¡°Sure¡­ what is it?¡±


    ¡°We have our strengths and weaknesses, but perhaps we could build off of each other. Just for the sake of the club?¡±


    ¡°Well, what do you offer Prez?¡± Kurumi placed her shovel on the floor.


    ¡°What I offer is the brains that you¡¯ll need in any situation¡­ and some control. You meet the physical part¡­ partially¡­ but I believe you can reach it in no time¡±


    ¡°You sound like some sort of tough sensei recruiting me into his dojo¡±


    ¡°Sorry¡± I cringed out of realization, ¡°But I think you get what I mean?¡±


    ¡°Of course¡­¡± Kurumi reached for her shovel, placing it close up to my neck, ¡°And you know what I offer?¡±


    Her playful nature contradicted the fact that the shovel was dangerously close to my face.


    ¡°The athleticism and skills of any fighter¡± I pushed the shovel away.


    ¡°Bingo¡±


    ¡°I assume you¡¯ve taken up martial arts before?¡±


    ¡°At a very young age¡­ but I quit after entering high school¡±


    ¡°No wonder why you were the leader of Track and Field¡­¡±


    ¡°Mhm¡­¡± Kurumi looked at me weirdly after staring at the books I held, ¡°I don¡¯t get it¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°If I wanted to help someone improve or I noticed an issue, I¡¯d tell them what their issue is. Why would you want to go through the effort for it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m gonna use it against you¡±


    ¡°Of course¡­ but can you tell me why?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what a friend would do?¡±


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right¡±


    ¡°Anyways, wanna meet up in three days? Perhaps in the morning¡± I placed my hand over the door.


    ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s do it in the morning at 3B¡± Kurumi smiled, ¡°See ya¡±


    ¡°Bye¡± I walked back towards the clubroom, giving a glance at the books I had bought.


    Full List of Psychological Disorders


    There was only a single copy of the book, so if I had lost it, I might as well be playing a guessing game with Yuki¡¯s delusions. I wasn¡¯t remotely qualified as a psychologist, but somebody had to understand it.


    I left my cooking book close to the table, proceeding to skim through each page until I reached the schizophrenia section.


    There should¡¯ve been more information in this book. I flicked through the pages, already knowing all of the content from my time in school.


    After reaching the final page, I slid the book to the side of the table, resting my head on the couch while I stared towards the rooftop.


    People always say that what happens on a trip can be more valuable than the trip itself. And I can understand why now.


    When friends or lovers usually walk back home, they end up parting after a small talk and stopping by close to their house.


    Considering my status back in middle school, managing to walk home during the early afternoon was a blessing.


    As I continued down the road, I couldn¡¯t help but hear the footsteps of someone behind me.


    ¡°Hi, Ryu!¡± Hano leaned towards me


    I had just met Hano about a month ago. At that time, I had found her to be a bit clingy. But she was just the type to act comfortably around people she trusted compared to strangers.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t notice you there Aki-san¡­¡±


    ¡°Sorry¡­¡± Hano scratched her head, ¡°I couldn¡¯t help but decide to stop by with you since you were walking back home¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± I turned over, ¡°Must be fun walking back home with someone else from school, hm?¡±


    ¡°Of course! Why wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    Hano¡¯s personality outside of school was a severe contrast to how I used to perceive her during the winter. But people act differently towards those they trust, so it shouldn¡¯t be much of an issue.


    ¡°No idea¡­¡±


    ¡°Imagine all of the things you could do! Share secrets, crack jokes at each other while walking, perhaps even stop by at an arcade¡±


    ¡°Do you like arcades?¡±


    ¡°Me? Not really¡­ just using it as an example. I¡¯m more of an artistic type of person¡±


    She seemed¡­ creative in her thoughts.


    ¡°What about you Ryu-san?¡±


    ¡°A bit of study¡­ probably stop by at places with my family¡­ and perhaps something to alleviate my stress over the break¡±


    Hano gave me a weird look.


    ¡°That seems¡­ a bit bland in my opinion¡±


    ¡°Well, what do you suggest?¡±


    ¡°Remember when we exchanged art pieces? Perhaps we could try drawing something modern throughout the semester¡±


    Isn¡¯t modern art just¡­ weird?


    I often found modern art ridiculously complex.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t drawn a lot of modern art-ish content¡­ except for that one assignment before Christmas¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you seen your mark for that assignment?¡±


    ¡°Was too busy with council matters¡±


    ¡°Huh? Sensei told me that you were one of the few who got a high mark on it¡±


    ¡°Weird¡­ you got top of the class right?¡±


    ¡°Yep¡­¡± Hano scratched her head, ¡°Got called a nerd for it¡±


    For some reason, I didn¡¯t know what to say about it.


    ¡°Ignore what they say¡­ because in the end, they¡¯re just trying to drag you down¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡± Hano gave out a smile.


    One thing I had always liked about Hano was her smile. It wasn¡¯t something cunning or a fake one, but rather something that looked like she had placed all her energy into creating a sort of aura.


    ¡°Correct¡± I adjusted my bag over my shoulder, ¡°So uh¡­ what do you wanna draw?¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Hano stared at the ground, ¡°I¡¯ll think about it later¡±


    ¡°Looking forward to it¡­¡± I gave a short smile, ¡°We could stop by at the art room during lunch¡±


    ¡°Not to sound pushy, but could we do it in my house? It has all the equipment plus more I found from the basement¡±


    ¡°I guess¡±


    ¡°What do you plan to draw?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who invited me Hano-san, perhaps you have a say on what we should draw¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t good at Cubism though¡±


    ¡°Is it because you noticed my work met a certain standard that could¡¯ve been higher?¡±


    ¡°Mhm¡±


    Hano¡¯s quite smart¡­


    ¡°Not really¡­ just average I guess¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that I was perceptive. I just often think about the most random things ever.


    As we arrived at Hano¡¯s house, I noticed a taller black-haired woman watering the front yard, who looked at me with a sort of suspicion despite walking with her.


    ¡°Hi Ayame! This is my friend, Ryu-kun!¡± Hano turned over, ¡°Ryu, this is my big sister Ayame¡±


    During that time, I felt conflicted over the fact that Hano just instantly designated me a friend, but I nonetheless played along.


    ¡°Pleasure to meet you Ayame-san¡± I gave a small bow towards Ayame.


    ¡°Has Hano been good to you?¡±


    ¡°Yep¡­ quite the bright student¡±


    Ayame gave a small smirk in response.


    Perhaps I sounded too much like a teacher. She seemed to also be focused with her studies considering how her eyes seemed considerably tired.


    ¡°Are you currently studying at Megurigaoka High School?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Currently in my first year¡± Ayame adjusted the sprinkler, ¡°Not much to do there but I plan to get a role in the club just for my aspirations¡­ you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m planning to join the Student Council there¡±


    ¡°How ambitious¡­¡± Ayame nodded, "I¡¯m gonna stick with Home Economics. I heard the club¡¯s a bit fractured so perhaps they¡¯d probably be looking for some capable students¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I wish you good luck with that¡± I emitted a smile similar to Hano''s, only to revert to my usual one.


    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Ayame turned over, noticing Hano run towards the door while ignoring the flowers around it, ¡°Hano! Please don¡¯t trample over the flowers¡±


    ¡°Hehe sorry!¡± Hano called out before opening the door.


    ¡°I better get going¡± I placed my bag over my shoulder, ¡°I¡¯ll see you around¡±


    ¡°Hold on¡± Ayame turned over, ¡°I¡¯d like to uh¡­ thank you for being Hano¡¯s friend¡±


    Hm?


    ¡°No problem¡­ she is quite a shy person but acts a bit different in front of me¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ it¡¯s like that for her. She often doesn¡¯t trust others despite the fact that she¡¯s pushy¡±


    ¡°I could tell¡­ nothing bad about it though¡±


    ¡°I do know that Hano is often getting bullied at school for her personality so I was worried you were just someone harassing her. It¡¯s nice to see that genuine smile of her¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it¡­ I¡¯ll keep an eye out for Hano¡±


    ¡°Good¡­ that¡¯s what a friend would do¡±


    That phrase has still haunted me to this day.


    We would often spend much of the year drawing from time to time. Every four to six months, we would produce an artistic masterpiece which we would place across social media.


    Before our friendship started to grow distant, I considered those times the best of my life.

 Chapter Eighteen

    I had started to notice Yuuri¡¯s odd excitement throughout the morning.


    Usually, when I interact with Yuuri, we¡¯d keep that sort of semi-serious tone in discussion. But today, she seemed unfazed when Yuki almost spilled her soup.


    While entering the club room, I couldn¡¯t help but notice several cooking pots, utensils, tools, and even a wide range of ingredients which all fit what Yuuri had cooked during the last time she made Udon.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get to work¡± Yuuri grabbed onto her ladle, smiling at me.


    ¡°Of course¡±


    The apron that Yuuri had provided me was¡­ silly. Considering the odd choice of dark yellow and how short it was, especially for my height.


    ¡°Have you ever tried making something for lunch or dinner?¡±


    Instant ramen doesn''t count¡­ right?


    ¡°Nope¡­ I usually order takeout if my parents are working overtime¡± I responded while washing my hands.


    ¡°I understand. But when I was in middle school, I used to cook for my little sister while my parents were absent¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°Anyways, do you have everything?¡±


    ¡°Yep¡± I turned over, revealing the goofy apron I wore, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Yuuri gave a small giggle in return.


    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t know it¡¯d look good on you¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright¡±


    ¡°Anyways, can you please fill the steel pot closest to you with water until it reaches the half mark? Once you¡¯re done, put it at 110 degrees Celsius¡±  Yuuri read from the book.


    I grabbed onto the pot, doing as Yuuri instructed. I could hear Yuuri continuing to giggle sporadically.


    ¡°I¡¯m finished¡± I placed the pot on top of the stove.


    ¡°Would you want to handle both the meat and the noodles or need my help?¡±


    It¡¯d be best to do all of it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll handle both please¡±


    ¡°Suit yourself,¡± Yuuri smiled, admiring the confidence I had, ¡°So, could you get the canned beef over there and place it in the glass bowl?¡±


    ¡°Sure¡±


    I continued to follow Yuuri¡¯s instructions with little issue. Before I even realized it, I had already managed to go through a decent sum of instructions within thirty minutes.


    While stirring the canned beef on the frying pan, I noticed Yuuri looking at the noodles with interest.


    ¡°I think you¡¯ll do great as a cook¡±


    ¡°Thanks¡± I smiled, ¡°Do you think that I can cook anything?¡±


    ¡°I reckon you could do everything fine with instructions. I¡¯m happy that your first time hasn¡¯t turned into a disaster¡±


    ¡°How was your first time cooking?¡±


    ¡°The food was a bit sour at first¡­ my sister didn¡¯t like it¡±


    ¡°I guess the first time doesn¡¯t always end up well¡±


    ¡°Agreed¡­ but I managed to grow better over time. It took a lot of time and practice though¡±


    Time¡­ one thing I¡¯ve always ignored and for good reason¡­


    ¡°Hm, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s an alternative for practice¡­ right?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Yuuri nodded, ¡°You just need to be the best at it¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s applicable for everything at this point¡±


    ¡°Is that why you¡¯re the best at your studies?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I just treat every day before the examinations as the last day¡±


    It¡¯s a mindset I¡¯ve had since high school. Every day I had to act to resolve matters within a day or two.


    I do blame myself for having such a mindset since it stemmed from my lack of action towards those who bullied Hano. Most of my attributes I could stem from that day.


    ¡°Interesting¡­ Why would you do such a thing? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to not put stress over yourself¡±


    ¡°It develops this urge within you to quickly learn and absorb all the information. When you forget something, you end up feeling like you shouldn¡¯t have played around¡±


    ¡°That does seem like an unconventional style. But you do seem naturally smart so I won¡¯t question¡­ after all, everyone has their style to everything¡±


    ¡°I still have to put in some semblance of effort in class from time to time though¡± I shrugged, placing the beef into a separate glass bowl in the meantime, ¡°You do seem smart so you probably have the same sentiment as me¡±


    ¡°Mhm¡­ it¡¯s a shame we can¡¯t do a bit of study today¡±


    ¡°Well, we do have to continue Yuki¡¯s delusions. We can¡¯t always let Megu-nee do the work¡±


    Yuuri¡¯s expression made me feel like I shouldn¡¯t have given her an idea. But I had thought of that possibility just a moment ago, so perhaps it was my fault for planting it in the first place.


    I heard the door slide open beside me, followed by a slight chuckle.


    ¡°Ah, good evening Kurumi!¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± Kurumi patted my shoulder, ¡°Nice apron¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d look good wearing this¡­¡± I muttered to myself.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just stay with the uniform¡± She rested on the chair, watching me in the meantime.


    ¡°Let¡¯s focus on your work¡± Yuuri clapped her hands, ¡°You¡¯re close to finishing it¡±


    I noticed that Yuuri had decided to take up this opportunity to discuss something with Kurumi. In the meantime, I had to resort to reading the small note she had left on the counter for me to take reference.


    If the beef has a slight pink color, it is a sign of it being well done¡­


    What the hell does that even mean?


    I don¡¯t know why, but I didn¡¯t feel like asking Yuuri since she seemed busy with her notebook.


    ¡°Kurumi-san, can you please come over and check out the Udon for me?¡±


    ¡°Sure¡­¡± Kurumi walked up, taking a glance at the noodles and beef I had left, ¡°Seems about right¡±


    Yuuri followed shortly, taking a glance at the food before nodding.


    ¡°Hmm, it seems good¡±


    By the looks of it, the final product seemed quite promising in my opinion.


    ¡°Wow!¡± Yuuri looked over at my Udon, ¡°The beef is a bit overcooked but that¡¯s quite good for a beginner!¡±


    ¡°Thanks¡­ I changed a few things from the ingredients that I¡¯d assume wouldn¡¯t hurt¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s alright! It¡¯s not easy to work with the items we have right now¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go get Yuki-san¡± I walked towards the door, only to be interrupted by the door being opened suddenly.


    ¡°Hello everyone¨C oof!¡± Yuki ran straight towards me, instantly bouncing back, ¡°Heh, sorry¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright Yuki-san, I was about to go get you anyways¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with the smell?¡±


    ¡°I forgot to slide the windows open¡±


    ¡°Ryu-san has decided to cook some Udon for tonight¡± Yuuri turned over to Yuki.


    ¡°Udon? By Ryu?¡± Yuki¡¯s face lit up in excitement, with her mouth almost drooling, ¡°What a dream!¡±


    ¡°Anyways, let¡¯s get ready for dinner¡± Yuuri clapped her hands again.


    While preparing the table, I took a quick look at my food for one last time with confidence. Knowing that I had gotten Yuuri¡¯s approval, it shouldn¡¯t be much of an issue.


    After all, what could go wrong?


    ¡°We¡¯re digging in!¡± We all announced, including Sakura who had just arrived in time for dinner since she had often tended to her diaries.


    Yuki instantly reached for her chopsticks and spoon, grabbing a small piece of beef and stuffing it into her mouth.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    I felt a sense of excitement as everyone followed suit.


    The moment of truth.


    Yuki instantly fell off her chair.


    ¡°Yuki-chan!¡± Yuuri ran over, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Why¡­ Why is the sauce so salty?¡± Yuki mumbled while lying almost motionless on the floor as if she died of food poisoning.


    The sauce was salty??


    ¡°Yea¡­¡± Kurumi mumbled as she ate a small chunk of beef, ¡°The sauce you used is a bit¡­ too salty. Also, the beef is overcooked I feel like I¡¯m eating ash¡­ the noodles are a bit soggy but it¡¯s alright¡±


    ¡°Ah, is that so?¡± I chuckled, ¡°Sorry about that¡±


    Dammit! I screwed everything up! How could this be?


    ¡°Ah don¡¯t punch yourself in the face for it Ryu-kun! You did a great job though¡± Sakura smiled.


    ¡°It looked good in my opinion, but perhaps it''s just the beef¡­ and the sauce¡­ and the overall noodle¡­¡± Yuuri couldn¡¯t contain her distaste for the Udon, ¡°It¡¯s just your first time. Don¡¯t get mad over it¡±


    ¡°I know¡­¡± I shrugged, ¡°Well, you can¡¯t win everything¡±


    ¡°Ah you did fine¡± Kurumi rested her arm on the table, ¡°I had way worse dinners before and it felt like I was eating poison¡±


    ¡°Thanks¡±


    I¡¯ll admit, everything that had happened today felt like Deja Vu.


    We eventually finished dinner, although considerably slow compared to others.


    For some reason, I had found a sort of liking to my cooking despite the negativity over it, but people have a natural bias over their work.


    All of the dishes excluding mine remained half empty.


    ¡°You¡¯ll get better next time,¡± Kurumi rested her shovel over her shoulder.


    ¡°You say it as if I failed a test¡±


    ¡°Have you?¡±


    Only once.


    ¡°I have¡­¡±


    ¡°Eh? Someone like you failed a test? Did you oversleep or forgot to study?¡±


    ¡°I was just distracted¡± I scratched my head.


    Kurumi¡¯s pause indicated she wasn¡¯t buying my lie.


    ¡°Over what?¡±


    ¡°Are you really that pushy?¡±


    ¡°Ah jeez, just asking¡± Kurumi placed her hand at the door, looking at me. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you just messed up¡±


    ¡°You look down on me all of the time Kurumi-san¡± I reached for a bag of chips, ¡°Could you give this to Yuki? She¡¯s probably starving¡±


    ¡°Sure¡± Kurumi took it, ¡°Anyways, I¡¯m heading out. Goodnight¡±


    ¡°Good night Kurumi,¡± Yuuri said.


    ¡°See you tomorrow,¡± I followed.


    While Yuuri was focused on washing the dishes, I continued to stare at the cookbook that I had.


    ¡°I noticed you put a bit more fish sauce compared to the other sauces instructed¡±


    ¡°I had a natural bias towards it¡­ mainly personal reasons¡±


    ¡°I can understand why,¡± Yuuri chuckled, ¡°Don¡¯t beat yourself up over it¡±


    ¡°I know¡± I flicked through the pages, ¡°Did your sister like your cooking when you first made it?¡±


    ¡°Not really¡± Yuuri shrugged, ¡°I can still remember what she commented about my cooking¡­ it was quite funny¡±


    Hearing Yuuri¡¯s voice, I could feel a sort of guilt within her comments. Perhaps I should stray off that subject.


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°Have any of your friends ever cooked for you?¡±


    Back to that same damn question about friends. Why does it always have to be about a friend? Isn¡¯t family a good alternative¡­ well they¡¯re out of the question.


    ¡­


    What am I thinking? I¡¯m getting riled up over nothing.


    ¡°Of course¡­¡± I paused for a second, ¡°Do you know Hano Aki?¡±


    Yuuri turned off the sink when she heard that name.


    ¡°Hano Aki? The girl people called a loner?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call her that¡± I stood up, realizing I had almost lost my temper.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry¡­¡± Yuuri raised both hands instantly upon witnessing me get up, ¡°What¡¯s with the attitude?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡­¡± I withdrew back to my seat, ¡°Sorry about that¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? You seemed a bit different after that failed dinner¡±


    ¡°Please forget about it. I already have plans to be better¡±


    Yuuri nodded, placing the final plastic containers away.


    Well, there was a reason why I felt that way.


    It was about a year ago since I had met Hano. My parents were out, unaware of the oncoming blizzard, so I had remained home alone with the only option being instant noodles.


    It felt like survival.


    ¡°Ryu-kun¡± Are you home?¡± A voice came from the door, followed by a knock.


    ¡°Coming¡± I unlocked the door, meeting Hano in her usual winter outfit, ¡°Hey Hano-san, What¡¯s with the container?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that? It¡¯s just some food I decided to deliver to you¡±


    How weird yet thoughtful I thought to myself.


    ¡°Wow, thank you¡± I looked inside the containers, ¡°Uh¡­ how do I use this?¡±


    Hano looked at me weirdly.


    ¡°Do you not know how to make Udon¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never cooked once in my life other than ramen¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t count¡± Hano looked at me, ¡°May I come inside your house and cook it for you then?¡±


    ¡°No thanks¡­ I¡¯ll manage¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°Suit yourself¡±


    I felt this urge to recall her back. I didn¡¯t know why, but it just felt like denying her this opportunity would be rude of me, even if she had already eaten lunch as it was 1 PM.


    ¡°Wait Hano-chan¡±


    Before I realized it, Hano had already set up the stove and all the ingredients were laid out perfectly.


    ¡°What¡¯ve you been up to lately?¡± I stood beside her, observing how she cooked.


    ¡°Nothing¡­¡± Hano started up the stove, ¡°I¡¯ve just been working on that art piece you sent me online. You¡¯d love what I¡¯ve drawn over it¡±


    ¡°Looking forward to it¡­¡±


    ¡°I did a bit of drawing on our big board but I think I kinda messed up the lighting you made over your person¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright Hano¡± I smiled, ¡°It¡¯s not like it¡¯d ruin the overall drawing¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, here¡¯s an image of an independent project I¡¯ve been making¡±


    Her art was definitely better than last time.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait for what you¡¯d have in store¡± I looked at my phone for a brief second, ¡°By the way Hano, would you like to go out with me during the summer?¡±


    Hano turned over to me with a sort of surprised face.


    ¡°There was this really interesting movie I¡¯d like to show you during the summer¡­ you¡¯ve probably heard of it¡±


    ¡°You mean the Darioman movie adaptation?¡± Hano¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    ¡°I loved reading the Darioman manga¡­ and I¡¯ve heard a lot of good things about it¡± Hano swiped through her phone, continuing to cook, ¡°What about our art piece though?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll still do it. But with the start of high school and the fact that we¡¯re close to finishing the art piece, perhaps we should reward ourselves with something¡±


    ¡°Good point¡±


    ¡°So¡­ you wanna go?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please! I can pay for the tickets if you want¡­ oh right¡­ I¡¯ll have to borrow from Ayama¡±


    ¡°No, no, I¡¯ll pay for it. I have some pocket change I¡¯ve been saving up forever since the festival¡­¡±


    ¡°Lucky¡­¡± Hano pouted, ¡°Do you want to stop by this ice cream parlor close to the cinema?¡±


    Ice cream wasn¡¯t exactly my favorite, but I couldn¡¯t deny it.


    ¡°Lots of people say it''s the best out of the entire region, no way are we skipping that¡± Hano spoke with an unsuppressed passion in her voice.


    ¡°Of course, I have no problem with that¡±


    ¡°Yes please¡±


    Hano gave out a radiant smile before proceeding on with the Udon noodles, which had a sort of smell I had started to fall in love with.


    She had an exact liking for fish sauce, so I would often place a tad bit more on the noodles compared to soy sauce.


    ¡°We¡¯re digging in¡± Hano and I said after staring at the Udon that we made.


    After one bite, I had already fallen in love with it.


    ¡°Stunning¡­¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°You like it?¡± Hano looked at me with interest.


    ¡°I love it,¡± I smiled, ¡°I love everything about it¡­¡±


    ¡°Thanks, it took me years to practice perfecting this Udon I had made¡±


    Honestly, it was nice to see her creating her original style.


    ¡°I see¡­ perhaps I could take up cooking¡± I looked at the bowl with a sort of interest.


    ¡°How about when we enter High School, we could work together in Home Economics in cooking. Perhaps we could get a high mark! After all, the curriculum for computer science seems¡­ vague¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? It¡¯s not like we can surpass the entire school¨C¡±


    ¡°You must have faith! Just because you¡¯re smart doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re confined to academics!¡±


    ¡°... sure¡± I shrugged, ¡°We can win¡±


    ¡°Yea! I heard Megurigaoka High School has a competition for Home Economics cooking¡±


    ¡°Do you want to do your specialty Udon¡±


    ¡°Of course! That¡¯s my best recipe out of everything!¡±


    ¡°Hmm, most people don¡¯t usually start cooking until High School. Perhaps we have a chance¡± I leaned back on my chair.


    ¡°Yea! That¡¯s why I know we¡¯ll win¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re very confident¡­¡± I smirked, ¡°I like it¡±


    ¡°Sorry¡­ I¡¯m not usually this confident around people¡­¡± Hano looked away.


    ¡°I understand¡­¡± My mind wandered towards something else, ¡°I¡¯d like to apologize for something¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Hano looked at me weirdly, ¡°I don¡¯t remember you doing something wrong¡±


    ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s just that I¡¯ve noticed you¡¯ve been teased around. Even some of the Council members know¡­ And I¡¯ve been mainly unaware until recently¡±


    Hano tried to keep this sort of strong face as if the teasing had unfazed her. Yet through it, I could somehow tell she hated it ever since the beginning of Middle School.


    Hano had endured it for so long yet I had been ignorant.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright! Don¡¯t worry!¡± Hano waved her hand around dismissively, ¡°You¡¯ve gone so far within the Student Council in such a short span you can¡¯t just look back and slow down¡±


    ¡°But¨C¡±


    ¡°No buts!¡± Hano interrupted, ¡°You¡¯ve always dreamed of becoming the best in school so why stop now?¡±


    I had only wanted to become the best because I wanted to set my future up. Yet by continuing on this path, I¡¯m sabotaging Hano¡¯s life. Was it worth it?


    ¡°... Fine¡­ but can you promise me that if it truly has broken you, you¡¯d tell me?¡±


    ¡°I already know you¡¯ve tried! They¡¯ve laid off me during the last two weeks until Christmas. I know it¡¯s definitely because of your doing¡±


    It¡¯s a short-term measure. Eventually, they¡¯ll do it again¡­


    ¡°Yeah¡­ however¨C¡±


    ¡°Just focus on what you do best, alright? I¡¯ll be fine¡±


    ¡°I understand¡­ It''s just that I¡¯m starting to get busy with the Student Council work. I may often forget, but if I do realize that you¡¯re getting bullied again, I may ask you¡±


    ¡°I understand¡­ thank you for the offer though¡± Hano smiled.


    ¡°Anyways, let¡¯s continue eating. We wouldn¡¯t want to spoil the food over something like that, right?¡±


    ¡°Agreed¡±


    Unfortunately, we didn¡¯t meet most of the time other than briefly in school. As a matter of fact, after Hano''s departure, I eventually chose Computer Science over Home Economics.

 Chapter Nineteen

    I didn¡¯t want to end up sitting near Yuki after the events of yesterday. Mainly stemming out of the fact that she probably slept on an empty stomach last night and may not like me for it.


    What am I thinking? She doesn¡¯t care if I made a sloppy dinner yesterday.


    I had missed out on breakfast with the club as I had been tending to my own matters at night.


    ¡°Ah yes!¡± Yuki stood up, proceeding to approach the board to write something, ¡°Well¡­ is this correct?¡±


    Playing in this make believe world that Yuki had built, has become the basis of our friendship at this point. I¡¯m only playing in her delusions just to keep her happy.


    It doesn¡¯t matter to me at this point. As long as Yuki and the others are happy, I wouldn¡¯t care about what happens to me because I¡¯ll know I¡¯ll end up satisfied.


    It¡¯s what a friend does after all.


    Yuki stood up from her chair and proceeded to walk out of the classroom with her bag on her arm.


    ¡°Morning Ryu-san!¡± Yuki waved at me, ¡°Did you have another Council Meeting in the morning?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ the meetings are getting relentless¡­¡±


    ¡°That sucks¡­ sensei had some homework to give to you but asked me to pass it¡±


    ¡°And I assume you forgot it?¡±


    ¡°Uhh¡­ yeah¡± Yuki scratched her hat.


    There were limits to Yuki¡¯s delusions. I think I¡¯ve almost reached the edge of it,


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, I¡¯ll go get it on my own¡± I smiled.


    ¡°Alright, we have a class change later so I¡¯ll see you at 3B after break¡±


    ¡°Class change?¡±


    ¡°Mhm!¡± Yuki looked back at the classroom, ¡°It¡¯s a shame though¡­ I kinda liked it¡±


    I had noticed that the classroom Yuki had sat in seemed more degraded than before.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll probably get to stay in this class before graduation¡±


    ¡°Well, how will you do it?¡±


    How will I do it?


    ¡°I¡¯ll just convince the teachers. They decide the rooms after all¡±


    ¡°Would you really do it for me?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what a friend would do?¡± I responded.


    Yuki''s smile in response was almost irresistible to me.


    ¡°Anyways, do you want to stop by the club room?¡± Yuki leaned forward in excitement.


    Oh right¡­ It''s break time.


    ¡°How about the reference room?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡±


    For some reason, I had an apple stuffed inside my blazer for such a situation. The problem with me is I overthink the possibilities. Almost to such a degree that I ended up stressing myself or overestimating someone.


    We sat at the corner of the reference room, ignoring the table in front of us since the chairs for it were damaged to a point where even if Yuki sat on it, it¡¯d break.


    ¡°So Yuki-san, what¡¯ve you been doing recently?¡±


    ¡°Not much¡­¡±


    ¡°I heard you had a big breakfast this morning¡±


    ¡°Yea¡­¡± Yuki shrugged, ¡°Hopefully I can have lunch¡±


    ¡°Sorry about the dinner last night¡­ I¡¯m not the best at cooking¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright¡± Yuki smiled, placing her hand over my shoulder, ¡°After all, you were doing it for us¡±


    I paused, still unable to respond to Yuki¡¯s usual smile for a few seconds.


    ¡°Thank you¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem¡± She followed but in a cheerful manner, ¡°Do you think you¡¯d do fine cooking food during University¡±


    ¡°One way or another I have to do it¡­ heck, even on my birthday I have to cook on my own since ordering takeout for it wouldn¡¯t be the best¡±


    ¡°I know¡­¡± Yuki stared at the ground, ¡°I have a question¡±


    ¡°Go ahead¡±


    ¡°Do you know how kids would always celebrate each other¡¯s birthday?¡±


    ¡°Of course¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen my parents celebrate their birthday¡­ Most of the time they don¡¯t even have a massive gathering¡±


    ¡°They usually message each other to say happy birthday¡­ It''s the same for me. After all, adults are too busy with their lives nowadays. I reckon Megu-nee would understand¡±


    ¡°Mhm¡­¡± Yuki looked at me, ¡°Should we host a birthday party for Megu-nee one day?¡±


    ¡°Of course! Why not? She deserves it more than any other teacher¡±


    ¡°Mhm! Would you want me to celebrate your birthday when you¡¯re an adult?¡±


    Yuki had always asked us these types of normal questions despite our circumstances.


    ¡°Oh no, don¡¯t worry about me! I¡¯d probably forget about my birthday¡± I waved my hand dismissively.


    ¡°Why would you forget it?¡±


    ¡°The same reason why adults usually just send text messages to others¡±


    ¡°Would you remember my birthday?¡± Yuki looked at me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll always do that! I won¡¯t just restrict it to just a text message¡±


    ¡°Aw, thank you!¡± Yuki¡¯s radiant smile continued, ¡°I¡¯ll try to remember yours¡±


    ¡°Thanks¡­¡± I looked at the window, ¡°Would you want me to cook something for you during then? If I get Yuuri¡¯s approval in cooking¡±


    ¡°Of course! We can buy every food in the world and see what you can make!¡±


    ¡°Why would¨C¡±


    ¡°Just imagine what you could make with all of it?¡± Yuki interrupted.


    I had a small chuckle when thinking of it.


    ¡°I won¡¯t go into details¡±


    ¡°Aww, what were you thinking?¡±


    ¡°Probably enough for a feast¡±


    ¡°Could you cook that much in a short time?¡±


    ¡°Well, I just work fast¡±


    ¡°That does explain how you bring homework to Megu-nee in such a short amount of time¡­¡±


    We didn¡¯t speak much after that.


    ¡°Oh hello!¡± Yuki waved towards the door.


    ¡°Ah, good morning¡­¡± I waved towards the door as well, ¡°What¡¯s that student¡¯s name again?¡± I whispered to Yuki.


    ¡°Hm? Kaoru-san¡±


    Kaoru-san¡­ Horticulture enthusiast. Often responds in short and simplistic sentences¡­ and¡­ did he change to the Track and Field club or the Home Economics Club?


    I¡¯m gonna guess the latter.


    ¡°Thanks¡± I turned over to the door, ¡°Hey Kaoru-san, how¡¯s the Cafeteria going?¡±


    Silence followed. I could feel Yuki looking at me with interest.


    ¡°That¡¯s alright¡­ I liked the lunch yesterday¡±


    Yuki looked at me weirdly.


    Did I mess up or something?


    ¡°Yea it¡¯s alright¡± I continued.


    Yuki¡¯s confusion continued even further as I spoke. I felt a sense of nervousness


    Whatever¡­ it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll just use my tried and tested technique.


    ¡°So yeah¡­ and then¨C" I took a glance at the clock, followed by my most surprised face, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m late. Sorry about that Yuki-san, I have to go. I¡¯ll talk to you later Kaoru-san¡±


    That was a lazy yet efficient excuse out of any social situation. But perhaps it¡¯s the best contingency option.


    ¡°Man¡­ It¡¯s hard to talk with Yuki-san¡¯s imaginary friends nowadays¡± I mumbled while resting my face on the club¡¯s table.


    ¡°Are you having issues with Yuki-chan again?¡± Yuuri turned over.


    ¡°Of course¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you even know how to start up a conversation of such without Yuki looking at you weirdly¡±


    ¡°Well she did today¡­ for once¡±


    Yuuri looked surprised when I mentioned it..


    ¡°Don¡¯t beat yourself up over it! I know you¡¯re doing fine for Yuki¡¯s sake¡±


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡°Well, I wanted to have a one on one conversation with Yuki-san for once. But it¡¯s so hard to keep up with Yuki nowadays¡±


    ¡°For a Council President, why do you do such a thing for someone¡¯s sake? I used to remember more serious people, who would probably do something different¡±


    I¡¯ve only continued this role for Hano¡¯s sake yet it¡¯s a reminder of my failures.


    I didn¡¯t know why, but one good thing out of the outbreak is that I¡¯m not set to such a high standard now.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you see the group dynamic here?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°... Never mind¡± I sighed, ¡°We just need to control her delusions for the sake of her safety¡±


    ¡°Agreed¡­¡± Yuuri turned to me, ¡°We¡¯re going to have a study session as I¡¯ve found some math textbooks that we could use. After all it¡¯d be nice to keep our academics up¡±


    ¡°We can go with that¡­ How many textbooks did you get?¡±


    ¡°About eighteen of them¡±


    Even though the textbooks were about a hundred pages long and focused on a specific subject, it was ridiculous


    ¡°Would you give everybody about four or five?¡±


    ¡°I was going to give you nine of them¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t do much for the club¡­¡±


    ¡°... Fair point¡±


    ¡°Although, I could lower it to seven if you do well with cooking to a point where we can switch turns¡±


    Yuuri knows how to negotiate in her favor¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I haven¡¯t given up¡±


    ¡°Thanks¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just say this before you have any doubts, I¡¯m alright with your decision-making with the club. After all, Megu-nee did give you that role for a reason¡±


    For some reason, I felt like my decision to step away from the spotlight during the outbreak seemed relieving for my mind.


    ¡°Thanks¡± Yuuri smiled, ¡°I know you¡¯ve been trying your best to be close with Yuki-chan¡±


    ¡°Sometimes I get confused with her¡±


    Anyways, my advice on Yuki-chan¡­ just don¡¯t overthink it¡±


    Don¡¯t overthink it¡­ well, that explains a lot¡­


    I had always thought of every possibility, yet it ended up frying my brain unless I simplified it.


    ¡°Got it¡­¡±


    ¡°Anyways, we¡¯ll set up a study room after lunch. Can you come with me and find Kurumi-san for me? She should be finished with morning patrol¡±


    ¡°Sure¡± I slid the door open, noticing Kurumi with her shovel visibly stained as she went towards the rooftop.


    ¡°She¡¯s at it again¡­¡± Yuuri mumbled.


    ¡°You can¡¯t blame her¡­¡±


    We walked towards the rooftop, noticing Kurumi washing her shovel with the nearby tap close to the garden.


    ¡°Did you do it again? Going on a patrol is more than enough¡± Yuuri approached Kurumi.


    ¡°I found one at a good spot¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too risky to do it alone¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re worrying too much!¡±


    ¡°Cause I¡¯m the club prez!¡± Yuuri continued.


    ¡°As if¡±


    Kurumi rested her hands on the balcony, staring at the sports field below us. By her look, I could tell she was thinking about something, or more specifically someone.


    ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± Yuuri walked over.


    ¡°Remember when Yuki said the baseball club was doing a morning practice?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just wondering if one of them is running on the track¡­¡±


    ¡°I see¡±


    I decided to keep silent for now.


    The club had unanimously come up with the cover story of Kurumi breaking up with her boyfriend for Yuki and decided to forget about it.


    ¡°What¡¯s on your mind Ryu-kun?¡± Yuuri turned over to me.


    ¡°Just keeping quiet for now¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯ve been oversleeping recently¡­ since you usually like to get to school earlier than usual. Thought it¡¯d be the same today¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to contend with such social standards now. After all, I keep tossing and turning around¡±


    ¡°Hope you have a pillow¡­¡± Kurumi chuckled, ¡°Those couches are pretty much rock solid¡±


    ¡°Yuki took the final two from the Staff Room¡± I leaned at the railing, ¡°I don¡¯t mind though¡±


    ¡°Eh? Are you merely letting her take everything from you at this point?¡± Kurumi looked at me.


    ¡°She¡¯s right¡± Yuuri turned over, ¡°Yuki-chan just hugs the second pillow while sleeping on the first one¡±


    ¡°Sounds like her¡­¡± I chuckled, ¡°Well, I can¡¯t do anything with it now¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kurumi nodded.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head back¡± Yuuri opened the door, ¡°I still have lunch to make¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t count me out¡± I followed shortly.


    For much of the afternoon, Kurumi, Yuuri, and I had tended to the usual cooking, although I started to notice that Yuuri had pushed me to take up some roles that she would regularly assume.


    ¡°I¡¯m back!¡± Yuki called out, ¡°What¡¯s that? Crepes?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Okonomiyaki. Let¡¯s have it for lunch¡±


    ¡°Yay! I love Okonomiyaki¡± Yuki gave out her usual cheerful smile before sitting down.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite late. Where¡¯s sensei?¡±


    ¡°I had a make-up class with her¡± Yuki rested her head on the table, ¡°You know what? Do we need Math in the first place? When they talk about the future, it sounds so surreal¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re hopeless¡± Kurumi muttered.


    ¡°When you¡¯re in a rush as a cashier¡± I chimed in, ¡°You need to use mathematics to calculate the change as you don¡¯t have the luxury of just keeping the change all of the time. Not to mention if you¡¯re going to take up engineering or¨C¡±


    Kurumi¡¯s amused look stopped me from continuing any further.


    ¡°Woah¡­ that¡¯s a lot of information¡± Yuki mumbled, her face visibly dizzy.


    I¡¯ll admit, I usually didn¡¯t act like this in front of most people. But for some reason, it felt like it when it came to how I talked to specific people.


    ¡°Then should we do some math together?¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­¡± Yuki stopped.


    ¡°With Kurumi-chan too¡±


    ¡°Nah¡± Yuki and Kurumi responded.


    ¡°I can join¡­ after all, we can¡¯t always be thinking about what happens now right?¡± I grabbed onto a chair.


    Yuuri¡¯s expression felt as if she had an idea.


    ¡°Let¡¯s all graduate together¡±


    ¡°... That¡¯s right!¡± Yuki grabbed onto Kurumi¡¯s hands, ¡°Let¡¯s do it!¡±


    Graduation¡­ I¡¯ve been too stuck thinking about the future and how to set up my success despite my lack of qualifications. But with that out of the way¡­ what do we do then?


    ¡°I don¡¯t really care though¡­¡± Kurumi said, almost overwhelmed by Yuki¡¯s smile.


    ¡°We can do that,¡± I smiled.


    Despite the thoughts in my mind, I had concluded that perhaps we could truly be in University one day.


    Whether graduation would end with us living to see the world rebuild or continue with Yuki¡¯s fantasy, I reckon we would still be happy.


    ¡°Dinner¡¯s ready¡± Yuuri called out.


    We all sat down at our respective chairs, with Yuki showing the same sense of excitement over the Okonomiyaki.


    ¡°Thank you for the meal¡± We all called out.


    After finishing our lunch, Yuuri had brought us into a classroom for studies where we finished somehow early as after finishing five chapters, I decided to lend Yuki some help in the meantime.


    I didn¡¯t realize that we had almost leaped through the entire afternoon in such a short time. It was only until I had finished dinner and decided to head off for the night that I remembered what I had to do tomorrow.


    There wasn¡¯t much to prepare, rather anticipate, considering Kurumi¡¯s character. I could probably guess how it¡¯d lead out tomorrow.


    ¡°Get up!¡± A high-pitched voice echoed through my ears.


    What¡­ What am I doing?


    I had found myself on the ground, noticing the almost surreal barrage of fireworks that lit up the sky which contradicted the bleak nature of my surroundings.


    ¡°You think you won this battle?¡± The voice continued, starting to feel like sobbing, ¡°Your spitefulness never achieved anything good¡±


    Was I meant to respond to this?


    I looked over to the left, noticing the dark figure towering at me. I couldn¡¯t exactly make out her face, yet her long wavy hair seemed almost familiar.


    ¡°Look at what you¡¯ve done, you devil!¡±


    I looked over to my left.


    That was¡­ quite the fight.


    Despite the violence that I had witnessed, I didn¡¯t realize it was some sort of dream. It was as if I had seen this scene, over and over again.


    Yet I didn¡¯t feel any sort of emotion to it. Not even fear. I didn¡¯t know why.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to escape this warehouse! Not on my watch¡±


    The figure raised its right foot, almost aiming straight at my face. I could even hear her giving out a sort of sob. Eventually, she sent her boot straight through my face.


    My eyes shot open.


    Great¡­ another one.


    You¡¯ve probably noticed it already. I¡¯ve been getting all sorts of weird dreams over the past month. I knew they were all interconnected, but what had happened on that day felt like a blur.


    I decided to shrug it off, staring at my table.


    Perhaps¡­ they¡¯re still available.


    I sat down at the table, turning on the lamp beside it to reveal the radio in front of me. After switching it on, I placed a headphone over my ears.


    ¡°Megurigaoka High School to Nagara Carrier, do you copy?¡±


    Silence followed as I pressed my hand onto my headphones. After a moment of waiting, I could hear the radio crackle.


    ¡°What is it¡­¡± An American accent responded, ¡°Do you know what time it is right now?¡±


    ¡°I apologize¡± I responded in English, ¡°I would assume it¡¯s dark for you as well?¡±


    ¡°Was just about to sleep¡­ just tell me what is it¡±


    ¡°The rescue¡­ is it going well?¡±


    His heavy breathing started to become more apparent as I sat.


    ¡°Shit¡­ Are you the guy that Hoshi¡¯s been talking about? Just know that he is getting a bit annoyed with you¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ but I do have to bring something good to your higher-ups¡±


    ¡°What are you proposing?¡±


    ¡°About the rescue¡­ Can you delay the meeting until June 16th?¡±


    Silence followed on the radio.


    ¡°Why the hell on such a specific date?¡± A small laugh followed, ¡°Do you think we follow the Calendar at this point?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it beneficial for you guys? You¡¯ve been running your work across the continent to a point where the logistics of your operations seem¡­ blurry. I realized my selfishness and had decided to bring back the time for your sake¡­ just so you won¡¯t be overwhelmed¡­¡±


    ¡°Damn¡­ congratulations Mr Tanaka! You¡¯ve just learnt patience¡± A chuckle followed through the radio, ¡°Perhaps I should tell Hoshi¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother¡­ I assume he¡¯s burnt out from the work of managing such a rescue system. It seems Japan isn¡¯t your priority for now¡­¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ yea. There¡¯s a lot we haven¡¯t picked up yet¡­ remnants of our guys are holding on to the very last. I wish you could see what the map projections are showing right now¡­¡±


    His voice sounded nervous.


    ¡°It is quite a daunting job and I respect it. Since your higher-ups are trying to push for a lot of survivors to be rescued?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ even if we have a nagging one¡±


    ¡°We can hunker down at the school until the rescue arrives¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have helicopters ready for you by then. They do expect operations to wrap up in about two months if we are successful¡±


    ¡°Heh¡± I shrugged, ¡°Well, can you at least guarantee that you¡¯ll pick us up on that day?¡±


    ¡°Mhm¡± The voice came after a short delay, ¡°I won¡¯t question why you decided to put yourself at the back of the queue, but rest assured you¡¯ll be under our protection¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel a sort of joy inside me.


    ¡°Thank you¡­¡±


    ¡°No problem. Big days in a few months, so don¡¯t get bit and we won¡¯t need to wait. Perhaps you could pull a celebration¡±


    One mere conversation with this American guy and I already liked him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already planned such¡­¡±


    ¡°My higher-ups will give the go-ahead for someone to pick you up at the rooftop. Don¡¯t expand too far like in those movies unless needed. Follow the instructions of your adults¡­ if you have any¡±


    ¡°Just one. But she¡¯s busy with her diary¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    ¡°Anyways, send Hoshi my regards¡±


    ¡°I will¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be signing off for the night¡­ thanks for your response¡±


    ¡°Good luck¡± The radio frequency turned back to static.


    I leaned back in my chair with a smile on my face.


    I¡¯m not the best at lying, to be honest.


    Rather I¡¯d hide the truth from others unless asked. But one thing I¡¯ve always wanted to get off of my chest was the fact that I¡¯ve started to bend the truth over my entries.


    This feeling of building up lie after lie, to a point where even I, the liar, fell for it sometimes, has made me feel guilty. Especially for you who probably trusted what I said.


    Yet if I were to confess right now, from how I hid the fact that I discovered my family¡¯s death during the outbreak to the context of those very flashbacks, you¡¯ll never look at me the same way as before.


    That¡¯s why I continue to act like this up until this very moment.

 Chapter Twenty

    He¡¯s taking a while¡­ I thought to myself.


    It felt weird having to wait for Ryu to enter the classroom. Usually, he¡¯d arrive somewhere within ten to twenty minutes early and handle paperwork in the meantime.


    Fortunately, I didn¡¯t need to wait for long, as I could hear the faint sound of footsteps approaching close to the door.


    I raised my shovel, shifting the end to the back of the blade.


    ¡°Sorry for being late¡± Ryu opened the door.


    ¡°Think fast!¡± I shouted, sending my shovel towards the door before stopping midway.


    I heard a metal thump, followed by a loud oof.


    ¡°Drat¡± I ran over, seeing Ryu on the ground, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes...¡± Ryu slowly got up, ¡°Was wearing a baseball helmet with a faceguard¡±


    This guy thinks of everything¡­


    ¡°Sorry¡­ thought I could give you a little scare¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright¡­ the face guard was extended for some bit so you¡¯d have hit it regardless¡±


    I looked at Ryu, noticing how he was completely suited with sports gear from top to bottom. Instead of his usual blazer, he ended up wearing a sports fit with a pair of gloves and even a pair of sneakers.


    ¡°What the heck is all of this?¡± I smirked, ¡°This isn¡¯t a baseball game¡±


    ¡°I know¡± Ryu grabbed onto his helmet, inspecting the face guard, ¡°I found some of the spare sports gear in the storage room and couldn¡¯t resist¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t going outside the barricades for long, and you look heavy with all of that¡±


    ¡°Better than getting bit¡± He placed his helmet at the corner.


    ¡°Yea¡­¡± I grabbed onto my shovel, ¡°So what¡¯s the lesson today?¡±


    ¡°Think fast¡± He passed a tennis ball towards me, ¡°Throw it at a wall¡±


    I threw it at the whiteboard, catching it as it bounced back to me.


    ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±


    ¡°Try uh¡­ putting some noise to it¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ as a distraction right?¡±


    ¡°Correct¡± He backed out of the classroom, dragging a duffel bag into the room, ¡°Throw it again¡±


    I threw the tennis ball with all of my force, creating a small thud at the wall.


    ¡°I do recommend a ping pong ball if you¡¯re not really good at throwing¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡±


    ¡°Makes more noise as it bounces¡­ doesn¡¯t go well with making noise with hard surfaces and walls¡±


    ¡°How much do you have?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ about twenty¡± He reached for a jar of ping pong balls, passing it to me.


    ¡°Thanks¡­ what¡¯ll you use?¡¯


    ¡°A fire extinguisher¡±


    ¡°But¡­ what if it runs out?¡±


    ¡°Have you ever paid attention to Science class?¡±


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°You should. I¡¯ve managed to break into the Lab with the help of Megu-nee during the first week¡±


    ¡°Jeez¡­ are you going to create some deadly laser gun?¡±


    ¡°No, just tools we could use if we¡¯re ever in a pinch¡±


    ¡°I could give it a try¡±


    ¡°Sure! But it¡¯s gonna require a lot of uh¡­ knowledge¡­ in Science¡±


    It turned me off from any hope of trying whatever Ryu was offering me.


    ¡°No thanks¡±


    ¡°Anyways Kurumi-san, one thing you need to know is that you can¡¯t realistically take on twenty zombies''''


    ¡°Do you always underestimate me?¡±


    ¡°I do find you capable, but let¡¯s be realistic when we run into danger¡±


    ¡°What do you suggest?¡±


    Ryu had this smirk on his face as I asked him that.


    ¡°Where do you want to start?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps something you recommend?¡±


    ¡°May I borrow Shovel-kun?¡±


    Shovel-kun? Why should I do that?


    ¡°Trust me, it¡¯s just for a moment¡±


    ¡°Fine¡± I passed the shovel to him, ¡°Don¡¯t break it¡±


    He gripped onto the middle of the shovel, fiddling with it before giving it to me.


    ¡°As expected, the handle is lighter than the blade itself. Use it to quickly stun a zombie¡­ extra points if you manage to use the other end to simultaneously attack¡±


    It seemed like a good tactic, yet I felt like it contradicted the very nature and concept of how I used the shovel.


    ¡°Should I treat it as a dual bladed weapon?¡±


    ¡°Of course not¡± Ryu passed Shovel-kun to me, ¡°Always focus on the main blade and use the rear end when needed¡±


    ¡°Can I try that against you?¡±


    Ryu reluctantly nodded.


    ¡°Use the flat end of it and try not to hit too hard¡­ and don¡¯t go for the head of course¡± He straightened out his clothing and took out his baseball gear.


    ¡°¡®Kay Pres, ready?¡± I raised my shovel.


    ¡°Mhm,¡±


    I dashed straight towards him, swinging my shovel slowly. As the blade got close, he sidestepped beside me.


    ¡°Go a bit faster,¡± Ryu smirked, ¡°This doesn¡¯t even feel like practice¡±


    ¡°Yeah yeah¡± I swung my shovel at him again, only to miss again.


    Each one of his movements felt like he had foresaw it. Even with a single maneuver or quick change of pace, he had already known how to dodge it.


    ¡°A bit slow in my opinion¨C¡± He sidestepped again, dodging my attack.


    We continued this process for about a minute, with Ryu constantly dodging, grabbing, or just walking away from my swings as if he were a sort of master of such.


    This seems too easy for him. Perhaps I should amp up the attack.


    ¡°I¡¯m not fooling around this time¡± I smirked.


    ¡°One piece of advice¡­ don¡¯t swing vertically¡±


    I¡¯ve heard of that word so many times yet I couldn¡¯t remember what it was.


    ¡°Uh¡­ what¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Y¡¯know¡± Ryu motioned his hands up and down, ¡°Like this¡±


    ¡°Kay¡­ but wouldn¡¯t going for the head be more efficient?¡±


    ¡°Allows you to take down huge groups at once¡­ not to mention what happens if your shovel gets stuck. Going for the neck or the head could do¡±


    ¡°But what about this type of situation?¡±


    ¡°It covers more ground, prevents me from retreating¡±


    ¡°Smart¡­¡± I tilted my shovel to the right, ¡°You watch a lot of zombie movies?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m basing my information based on what I¡¯ve witnessed over the weeks¡± Ryu took a look to his right, ¡°Also, try to use those tennis balls¡± He pointed at the box.


    ¡°Hm¡­¡±


    I swung my shovels sideways, noticing that his sidestepping had turned to him backpedaling towards the corner. His movement seemed shaky this time.


    With Ryu¡¯s advice in hand, I started to feel more agile with my shovel in conjunction with my speed, being able to meet him every time he tried to escape or evade my attacks.


    ¡°You seem a bit scared now Ryu¡± I looked at him with a sort of smug face.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I have much to fight back¡­¡±


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    I continued to press my attack, using my shovel to continuously wall him.


    ¡°Think fast!¡± I threw a tennis ball, making it bounce off of his faceguard.


    ¡°Good thinking¡± He moved over, dodging my shovel again while retreating further to the corner until his back touched a wall.


    Eventually, with Ryu completely cornered, I¡¯d place my blade close to his face.


    ¡°Did I do well?¡±


    ¡°Look down¡±


    Somehow, Ryu had his finger in the form of a gun pointing at my face.


    ¡°Bang¡± He looked at me with a smug face similar to mine, ¡°You got shot¡±


    ¡°Hey! How is that fair?¡±


    ¡°Sorry¡­ old habits die hard¡± Ryu stuffed his hands back inside his pocket, ¡°With how fast you are, I don¡¯t think you should worry about getting bitten¡±


    ¡°Do you have any tips for me?¡±


    ¡°Your dependency on speed and dexterity with the shovel does make you formidable¡­ perhaps you¡¯ve self taught yourself over the month?¡±


    He had pretty much read me like a book.


    ¡°That¡¯s why you see me often patrolling¡± I rested my shovel over my shoulder.


    ¡°Oh, and one last thing¡­¡±


    ¡°Yea?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t hesitate with anything¡­¡±


    Ryu¡¯s voice sounded cold when he said that.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of hesitating in a dangerous situation¡­ but almost anything at this point. If you end up hesitating, you¡¯ll lose the opportunity¡±


    ¡°I know¡±


    ¡°Also Kurumi-san, could you not point your shovel at me all of the time? If I got scratched I¡¯d probably get infected¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ sorry about that¡± I chuckled, lowering my shovel.


    Ryu had always looked composed when my shovel was dangerously close to him. For someone like him, it seemed as if he already knew it was a risk but didn¡¯t want to ask until now.


    ¡°I won¡¯t overload you, but overall, just use your brain often and don¡¯t be dependent on yourself and your shovels¡­ who knows, you could even ask others for help if you¡¯re in a tight spot¡±


    ¡°But, wouldn¡¯t it be better if I do it?¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± Ryu leaned on the wall.


    ¡°Yuuri and Yuki are the most vulnerable of the group. If I asked them to do something for me, it¡¯d be unfair¡­ after all, I am the one responsible for protecting them¡±


    Ryu had a weird look as he listened to me.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± He took out his helmet, ¡°Well, that¡¯s all I know, what would you like to teach me?¡¯


    I couldn¡¯t help but grin over an idea.


    ¡°C¡¯mon Ryu! Give me three more laps around the hallway!¡± I clapped my hands.


    ¡°Got it!¡± He shouted from across the hall.


    Watching Ryu run across the hallway without his school blazer seemed amusing. By the time he had touched the wall to start his fifth lap, he had started to show some sweat.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen students who¡¯ve just joined the Track and Field yesterday run faster than you¡±


    Ryu¡¯s look felt like he didn¡¯t buy my lie.


    ¡°What are you waiting for? Run!¡± I grabbed onto my shovel, proceeding to follow him in the meantime.


    Despite making some quite considerable distance, I had managed to catch up to him in a short span.


    ¡°C¡¯mon Ryu, I thought you were faster¡±


    ¡°Just because I¡¯m the Pres doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m the jack of all trades¡­¡± Ryu mumbled, making a quick tap to the wall before running back.


    ¡°We should do this every day¡­ it¡¯s funny seeing you struggle at something for once¡±


    ¡°What did you struggle with during last night¡¯s study?¡±


    ¡°Maths¡­ what about it¡±


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t even get through a single chapter¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± I slowed down for a second, ¡°How did you even get through all of those chapters? You¡¯ve studied with that as if you memorized the questions itself¡±


    ¡°Yea¡­ anyways, let''s see if I can outrun you¡± Ryu sped up, only to end up colliding into the wall at the start of his seventh lap.


    ¡°Jeez,¡± I quickly caught up, ¡°Seems your brain shuts off in these moments¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­¡± Ryu rested himself at the wall, trying to gather his breath in the meantime, ¡°Good thing I didn¡¯t get much of an issue¡­¡±


    He looked over at the corner of the entrance, noticing a door leading to the Vice Principal''s office.


    ¡°I almost forgot¡± Ryu walked over, ¡°Was gonna ask you to break open the door since it''s been locked ever since we made our push to the first floor¡­ could you do that please?¡±


    ¡°Will do¡±


    Recently, I had started breaking into offices and classrooms that had been locked since the beginning. Most of the time it¡¯d be filled with random loot we could use.


    Yet as we reached the offices last month, I noticed that a few people who realized what the world had turned into decided to take their own lives. It sounded like a cowardly way to go out, yet I could understand why they¡¯d do such a thing.


    Those images still haunt me to this day.


    ¡°And done¡­¡± I broke the doorknob open.


    ¡°Hold on¡­¡± Ryu planted his ear over the door before giving a thumbs up, ¡°We¡¯re good¡±


    He pushed the door open, pointing the flashlight towards the entrance.


    ¡°What do you see?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ uh¡­¡±


    He backed away for a moment, dropping his flashlight.


    ¡°Hey! What do you see?¡±


    ¡°Please¡­ please excuse me¡± Ryu withdrew to the cover of the wall, his face completely in shock.


    I quickly rushed in with my shovel, only to stop upon witnessing what was in front of me.


    Another one¡­


    Even though I¡¯ve seen a lot of teachers take their own lives, the shock of seeing one right now still hits hard on me.


    I¡¯m sure it¡¯s the same for Ryu.


    ¡°... C¡¯mon Ryu¡± I backed away, ¡°We¡¯ll untie the rope and bury him¡­¡±


    Ryu had his hand covering his mouth while his hands trembled in fear.


    ¡°Hey, are you alright¡­¡± I looked.


    ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡±


    ¡°Yea¡­¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon¡­ I know it''s frightening but¨C¡±


    ¡°Can I just get some alone time?¡± Ryu looked up at me, his face almost paralyzed in fear.


    ¡°Alright¡­¡± I walked around the corner.


    Nothing makes sense now.


    Ryu has maintained the strongest face out of everyone, especially when compared to Yuuri and Megu. Yet I never knew he would be completely distraught over something like that.


    There had to be a reason why.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± I walked over, looking at Ryu who rested his arm over the wall, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± He turned over to me.


    I leaned my back on the wall close to Ryu, watching him as he barely mustered up the courage to even reveal his face.


    ¡°C¡¯mon¡­ I¡¯ve seen a lot more of this¡­ it¡¯s bad to see people take matters into their own hands. But you can¡¯t beat yourself up over it¡± I patted on Ryu¡¯s shoulder, sitting next to him


    ¡°As someone who¡¯s seen this for the first time, I don¡¯t have much to say¡­¡±


    Looking at Ryu¡¯s expression, I quickly got up.


    ¡°You look disturbed, perhaps we should just meet up with Yuuri¡± I nudged on his shoulder, ¡°Let¡¯s go¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°Can I ask, do people give up in a world like this easily?¡±


    Ryu would often ask these types of questions as if he thought I could answer them.


    ¡°Why do you ask me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve seen this more often than usual, have you?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, yes¡± I looked over at the room, ¡°He could¡¯ve waited a bit longer¡­¡±


    ¡°Agreed¡­¡± Ryu stared towards the sky, ¡°I reckon I could¡¯ve made it to him if I wasn¡¯t stuck¡±


    ¡°I had to save you on that day¡± I turned over, ¡°Didn¡¯t know what you were doing¡±


    ¡°Hey, I had it all under control¡±


    ¡°Yeah right¡­¡± I rolled my eyes, ¡°For someone like you who¡¯s experienced you made yourself look like a fool¡±


    ¡°You had an advantage with a shovel¡­ and I don¡¯t kill for a living¡±


    ¡°... Me neither¡±


    ¡°It''s just a way of life. That¡¯s why you hesitate¡±


    ¡°Do you hesitate often?¡±


    ¡°I do. Or else I¡¯m not a human¡± Ryu turned over, ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I do wonder why you told me not to hesitate with anything while you do it¡±


    You can¡¯t realistically kill someone and stare at it with a straight face¡±


    ¡°Exactly¡­ I thought I could impose that on you since I knew you were that type. Nobody else could, not even me even if I had a blank stare¡±


    ¡°What do you often do instead of just having a blank stare during school¡±


    ¡°I often think about Hano during those times¡±


    Ryu seemed to care about his family. Yet at the same time this girl, Hano, seemed to be in his mind all of the time.


    ¡°You talk about her all of the time but who was she to you truly?¡±


    ¡°A friend¡±


    ¡°I kinda knew you had one, but I didn¡¯t know you were friends with her¡±


    ¡°I wanted to say that but I¡¯ve just acted in a way that wasn¡¯t enough to be considered someone you could trust and laugh together¡±


    ¡°Did you do something to hurt her?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t argue with her or anything¡± Ryu sighed, ¡°she just¡­ couldn¡¯t take all of the bullying and left¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you do anything?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t a good friend¡­ I guess¡±


    ¡°What was she like?¡±


    ¡°Why should I tell you?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what a friend would do?¡±


    Ryu paused, followed by a small chuckle.


    ¡°Fair point¡± He smiled, ¡°Hano¡¯s pretty intellectual and had such a passion for art¡­ you would¡¯ve seen her in class often drawing things out of her sketchbook. We¡¯d often meet up just to work on whatever we felt like drawing¡­ but we started to grow distant as we suffered from COVID and as I got into my last year in middle school. I don¡¯t think we managed to finish that project together¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but notice a sort of lie in what he said. I could even see through some of the lies he had mentioned before.


    ¡°Can I tell you something?¡±


    ¡°Sure, what is it?¡±


    ¡°There are times when you create regrets that¡¯ll come to haunt you. But you can¡¯t let it decide how you act. Just like me and Katsuragi¡±


    ¡°Of course¡±


    ¡°I still get nightmares over it, yet in the end I know that if I keep thinking about it, I¡¯ll never get to enjoy anything. Perhaps that''s why you always look regretful when talking about Hano¡± I placed my hand over Ryu¡¯s shoulder, ¡°It isn¡¯t easy to get over it though¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not that hard to read hm?¡± Ryu scratched the back of his head sheepishly, ¡°Well, I can promise you that¡±


    ¡°Great¡± I smiled, ¡°And can you promise to not lie to me?¡±


    ¡°When have I ever lied to you?¡±


    I¡¯ve seen you being quite close to her back in middle school, even if I stopped seeing it at first¡± I leaned forward with curiosity.


    ¡°Are you sure you want me to tell you?¡±


    ¡°Whatever happens, I won¡¯t look down on you¡±


    Ryu gave a small sigh, before leaning over to my ear.


    ¡°Hano didn¡¯t leave¡­ She took her own life¡±


    What?

 Chapter Twenty One

    Some of the cookware was placed randomly around the place last night.


    I had assigned Ryu to do the dishes in the meantime, but perhaps he has his way of configuring things.


    ¡°Morning Rii-san¡± Kurumi opened the door, giving a small yawn.


    ¡°Good morning Kurumi, you¡¯re up early¡­ Did you sleep much last night?¡±


    ¡°Nah¡­¡± She stretched her right arm, ¡°After what Ryu told me yesterday, I¡¯m a bit disturbed¡±


    ¡°You were a bit distracted last night¡± I grabbed a bowl close to the rice cooker, ¡°Perhaps you should get it off your chest for now¡±


    ¡°So¨C¡±


    Ryu went inside, followed by a determined Yuki who rushed inside.


    ¡°Tag! You''re it!¡± Yuki tapped on Ryu¡¯s blazer.


    ¡°Hold up, no running¡± He turned over, walking slowly, ¡°Besides, what happened to no tagbacks?¡±


    ¡°Wah!¡± Yuki fell, only to be caught by Ryu.


    ¡°You alright Yuki?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ thanks Ryu-kun¡± She got up.


    ¡°Sorry, where were my manners¡­ good morning Yuuri-san¡±


    ¡°Good morning Ryu-kun and Yuki-chan¡± I gave out a smile.


    ¡°Morning Rii-san!¡± Yuki responded.


    ¡°Hey Yuki¡± Kurumi gave a short yawn before whispering to my ear, ¡°I think it''s best we talk outside for now¡­¡±


    ¡°But what about breakfast? Yuki-chan is probably starving¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t take too long¡±


    Ryu walked towards us, emitting his usual polite smile.


    ¡°Good morning Kurumi¡±


    ¡°Mornin¡±


    ¡°Seems you didn¡¯t sleep tonight. Sorry if my story kept you awake¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright¡± Kurumi placed her shovel over the table, ¡°I had a small candy last night so I couldn¡¯t sleep anyways¡±


    ¡°By the way Yuuri-san¡± Ryu turned to me, "May I try cooking something for lunch?¡±


    The fact that he bounced back that quickly was astonishing.


    ¡°Sure¡± I smiled, ¡°Would you like my guidance this time?¡±


    ¡°This time I¡¯ll play by the rules¡±


    He seemed to be in a better mood than before.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll do great this time¡±


    ¡°Better not mess up this time¡± Kurumi grabbed a small tennis ball from the table, ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon¡±


    ¡°See you soon Kurumi¡± I gave a short wave before turning to Ryu, ¡°What did you tell her?¡±


    ¡°What did I say?¡±


    ¡°Something that kept her awake¡±


    ¡°I told her a scary story of a ghost that haunted Megurigaoka¡±


    I noticed Yuki turning over towards us in excitement.


    ¡°Ooh! Ghost stories?¡± Yuki got up from her chair, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Well¡± Ryu¡¯s voice became quiet, ¡°Do you remember the really nice lady whose portrait is in the Staff Hall of Fame? The one who used to manage the music class?¡±


    ¡°I do remember her¡­¡± said Yuki, ¡°Perhaps we could go down there¡±


    ¡°As you all know, she had passed away¡± Ryu took a quick look around the room, ¡°But one year ago, I had stayed in my office overnight to set up during the festival but I had overstayed my visit. At around 10 PM, I noticed the eerie sound of a piano playing¨C¡±


    Yuki was already cowering behind the chair.


    ¡°How terrifying!!¡±


    I placed my hand over Ryu¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Perhaps it''s best not to scare Yuki-chan like that. You wouldn¡¯t want to be responsible for two people staying up at night¡­ right?¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re scaring Yuki even further¡± Ryu gave a small amused smirk.


    Yuki had cowered behind the chair again after I had placed my hand over his shoulder.


    ¡°Perks of a big sister¡± He walked over towards a cabinet, grabbing his cup, ¡°You develop some sort of aura over it¡±


    ¡°Aura? Isn¡¯t that some sort of spiritual meaning?¡±


    ¡°More like an attribute of yours which fills the atmosphere¡±


    ¡°What he said,¡± Yuki responded.


    ¡°Is that good?¡±


    ¡°Depends on how you see it¡± Ryu reached for a chair, ¡°But perhaps it''s best to have something like that in your life¡±


    ¡°How does it work then?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡± He shrugged, reaching for a piece of hard tack, ¡°Perhaps it comes to you naturally¡­ kinda like magic shows¡±


    ¡°Kinda sounds like it¡­¡± I reached for a kitchen spatula.


    ¡°I¡¯ll look out for it for you¡±


    Yuki¡¯s stomach growled, creating an awkward silence in the room.


    ¡°Can we eat please? I¡¯m starving¡± Yuki rested her head on the table.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Yuki-chan¡± I walked towards the cabinet, grabbing onto a few cans in the box, ¡°I¡¯ll be done in a few minutes¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back¡± Ryu walked out of the clubroom, ¡°Kurumi wouldn¡¯t want to miss out on breakfast¡±


    ¡°Try not to miss out on breakfast this time¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t¡± He dashed down the hallway.


    As I continued to work on the breakfast, I noticed a half torn sticky note that had seemingly been placed behind a steel bowl. After a quick moment of getting the items together, I looked over at the note.


    Steam M for 20 minutes. Then place it into the pot¡­


    His handwriting was¡­ awful to say the least.


    It didn¡¯t make sense. He had some difficulty with the Udon last time. And despite his determination, it¡¯d seem logical for him to not try cooking a wide variety of food.


    It also seemed out of character for him. Was he always this ambitious?


    ¡°I¡¯m back¡± Ryu walked over to me, grabbing onto the note I has just holding ¡°Please excuse me, this is something I left behind yesterday¡±


    ¡°Wait hold on! What¡¯s that for?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to try cooking Mochi for dessert but we had quite the late dinner so I decided to call it off. Was wondering where that note went¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± I looked with interest, ¡°I can teach you it¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t be skipping steps all of a sudden, let¡¯s focus on today¡¯s lunch¡±


    ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re right¡± I looked over at the door, ¡°Where¡¯s Kurumi?¡±


    ¡°Right here¡±


    ¡°Alright, breakfast is ready¡±


    Nothing much happened during breakfast. But I noticed that Kurumi had started looking at Ryu more often.


    After Yuki and Kurumi left the clubroom, a small rain settled across the field.


    ¡°I was hoping it was going to be sunny¡± I looked over.


    Ryu was staring outside at the field while writing something in his notebook. I didn¡¯t know what to make of it, as if he was either concerned or intrigued over it.


    ¡°Is everything alright Ryu?¡±


    He did a short nod while continuing his look.


    ¡°I know that you like staring into the field, but isn¡¯t it a waste of time?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s different this time¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    The lights in our room started to flicker.


    ¡°Should we try checking out the generators?¡± I looked up at the lights.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary¡­ We checked it enough times to confirm we shouldn¡¯t be facing any malfunctions in this weather. The lights should come back soon¡±


    Ryu continued to stare into the field despite explaining something.


    ¡°You seem quite obsessed with what¡¯s down there. Can you please tell me what''s happening?¡±


    ¡°I got nothing to do¡±


    ¡°Hm, perhaps a bit of math?¡±


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°No thanks¡±


    ¡°Has anybody ever told you that you¡¯re kinda¡­ lazy?¡±


    ¡°I get that a lot, why?¡±


    ¡°I used to hear from many people that you had always worked proactively during the first year. But now it seems like you¡¯re¡­ letting things happen, why is that the case?¡±


    Ryu turned his head towards me.


    ¡°Do you remember the school¡¯s educational philosophy?¡±


    ¡°No¡±


    ¡°The philosophy of independence and autonomy. The reason why I often hang back¡±


    ¡°You seemed very disconnected from the school, that¡¯s why¡±


    ¡°What I do is often a bit secretive. Remember Mio?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I do remember hearing something about her current family condition¡±


    ¡°Mhm. The reason why she was underperforming was because her parents got divorced¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you¡± Ryu reached for his book, ¡°She was pretty much a thorn in my side¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯d you say it like that?¡±


    Ryu paused for a moment.


    ¡°I needed her to build the club, but she¡¯s really hard to negotiate. Even if I tell her what¡¯s right¡±


    ¡°How can you be sure you were doing the right thing?¡±


    ¡°She lacked the sort of leadership that you possessed. That¡¯s why I pushed you to take initiative with Sensei¡±


    ¡°Thanks¡­ I actually didn¡¯t know you looked up at me¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get overconfident. You still have more to learn¡±


    ¡°I know, but I appreciate the compliment¡± I gave out a smile, ¡°Perhaps you could give me some advice?¡±


    ¡°Maybe later¡­¡± Ryu turned over to the door, noticing Kurumi peeking from the door, ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Not really¡± Kurumi walked over, ¡°Was thinking we could just stop by at the classroom¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± I looked at her.


    ¡°Found a lot of manga to read. Also a fan there¡±


    ¡°Shall we go there then?¡±


    ¡°Sure! Something to kill the time in the morning¡± Kurumi rested her shovel over her shoulder, ¡°C¡¯mon Ryu¡±


    ¡°Coming over¡± Ryu adjusted his Blazer, ¡°Yuki has moved to Class 3-A so she should be able to meet us after her classes¡±


    He seemed quite thoughtful of Yuki in most if not all cases.


    Ever since Ryu¡¯s conversation with Megu-nee, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what triggered this side of him.


    As we were sitting in the classroom, my eyes wandered between Ryu being focused on his textbook and the housekeeping books.


    After a short moment, Ryu closed his textbook.


    ¡°That fast already Ryu? Congratulations¡± I gave a short smile, ¡°Have you checked your answers?¡±


    ¡°Of course¡± He passed his notebook to me, ¡°Feel free to read¡±


    In such a short span of time, he managed to get through entire chapters like a breeze. Combined with the accuracy of his working out.


    ¡°Impressive, I wonder why you weren¡¯t at Class 3-A¡±


    Kurumi took a glance at the book.


    ¡°Well, COVID did impact our studies,¡± said Kurumi.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just mention this¡± Ryu took a quick look at the pages of his textbook, ¡°I was kinda distracted during the first exams which placed me in 3-C¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s surprising, especially for you,¡± Kurumi flipped through a page.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing I didn¡¯t fall too low down the ladder. Or else I¡¯d look like a cheater for achieving well now¡±


    ¡°What made you distracted?¡± I leaned forward in interest.


    ¡°Probably Hano¡±


    ¡°Oh right, about Hano¡­ nevermind¡± Kurumi continued to read her magazine.


    ¡°What about her?¡± I turned over.


    ¡°It¡¯s a secret¡± Ryu emitted a smile, ¡°A secret both of us promised¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Kurumi nodded.


    ¡°Why would you keep it from me?¡±


    ¡°Eh, isn¡¯t that what a friend would do?¡±


    He likes throwing that phrase around¡­


    I looked through the pages of my housekeeping book.


    Despite the list of supplies we had, it could only last for about a month. Perhaps even three weeks. What will become of us in a year¡¯s time.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have enough electricity¡±


    ¡°Well, it rained a lot,¡± Kurumi looked up from her book.


    ¡°We¡¯re running short on supplies. I think we better go get more stuff¡±


    ¡°We should be fine¡± Ryu took a quick glance by the door before focusing on his textbook, ¡°We can resort to rationing in the meantime while waiting for the garden¡±


    The door slid open.


    ¡°Attention School Life Club!¡± Yuki ran towards our table, ¡°Let¡¯s go on a test of courage!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Kurumi looked at her confused.


    ¡°It is great, isn¡¯t it? You go all shaky and throbbing in the school at night!¡±


    ¡°And here I was wondering why she got excited all of a sudden,¡± Kurumi mumbled.


    While the two bickered, I couldn¡¯t understand why she had such a risky idea. Kurumi and Ryu were capable, but after recent events I had decided it was best we stay up here for now.


    I looked over at Ryu, who seemed to have emitted a sort of smile as if he was admiring Yuki¡¯s idea.


    Does he see something I don¡¯t?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± Yuki said with a smug face, ¡°You can defeat ghosts after you go through a special training session with me!¡±


    ¡°Hey you¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, it does sound like a good idea, doesn¡¯t it?¡± I chimed in.


    ¡°Right?¡± Yuki turned over.


    ¡°It is decided then. We should prepare ourselves¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll help you¡±


    ¡°Yuki-chan, why don¡¯t you go tell Megu-nee¡±


    ¡°Okay¡± Yuki ran out through the door.


    ¡°You sure about this?¡± Kurumi turned over.


    ¡°Yuki-chan? She¡¯ll be fine as long as we look out for her¡±


    ¡°If you say so, then it is okay I guess¡­¡± Kurumi got up from her table, ¡°Well I¡¯m out to get a few things for the test of courage, see ya¡±


    ¡°Bye¡± I waved at Kurumi as she shut the door, ¡°You seem quite optimistic Ryu¡±


    ¡°I know¡± Ryu closed his textbook, ¡°You¡¯ll find out shortly how this¡¯ll be good for us¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s best that you see it yourself¡±


    ¡°Well yeah, but¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t know how to respond to that.


    ¡°Nevermind¡±


    ¡°Anyways, I¡¯m out for the day¡± Ryu adjusted his tie, ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon for the test of courage¡±


    ¡°See you¡±


    Ryu had a tendency to repeat phrases or sentences he said from years ago into now. As if they were quotes that he stuck with in his life.


    I didn¡¯t understand why he¡¯d do such a thing compared to when he was back in middle school.


    When I first met Ryu Tanaka during middle school, he had this sort of unforgettable smile and seemed normal as a student.


    He was bright, beyond anything I¡¯ve seen that he could¡¯ve easily waltzed through any test without having a study.


    Unfortunately, he had lost that spark upon entering high school.


    Close to the end of my first year examinations, I had started to notice the uproar among the students. It wasn¡¯t once in a blue moon, but with the scale of how people ran around gossiping and whispering, it seemed as if somebody had triggered something worse.


    ¡°By the way Yuuri-san¡± A girl from the Horticulture Club named Kita Misaki ran over, ¡°Did you get my message over what had happened?¡±


    ¡°I was busy with bringing my little sister to class, what happened?¡±


    ¡°So there are rumors surrounding a few third year boys right now¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that causing such an uproar?¡± I looked around the hallway, ¡°That happens frequently, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah but the fact that one of them had a crush on a teacher isn¡¯t worth just ignoring! If I was him, I¡¯d move to the other side of the country¡±


    ¡°Where does all of this information come from?¡±


    ¡°A few group chats with some students. I don¡¯t know where most of the information came from¡±


    Kita looked over, before waving towards a student approaching us.


    ¡°Hey Tanaka-kun!¡±


    At the time, Ryu seemed to have a sort of gloomy yet serious personality. But this time, he seemed to be happy for once.


    ¡°Good morning Wakasa and Misaki-san¡± Ryu responded, ¡°Do you need me for something?¡±


    ¡°Not really, I wanted to ask you about the information you posted in the group chats¡±


    Hm?


    It seemed surprising that he would ever be in a few school online group chats. Nonetheless participate in spreading this information.


    ¡°Ryota hm?¡± Kita now ran down the hallway, ¡°Lemme go ask him then!¡±


    ¡°Go ahead¡±


    ¡°See you in class Yuuri¡±


    ¡°Bye¡± Kita ran off.


    ¡°No running in the class¨C ah whatever¡± Ryu gave a small smirk.


    ¡°You seem ecstatic today¡± I looked at him with my arms crossed.


    ¡°Apologies, I don¡¯t often feel weird after accidentally being involved in spreading rumors¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± I looked over at a small group near the hallway, ¡°Well, we make mistakes all of the time¡±


    ¡°Hopefully the school does something about it¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m quite sure the general consensus is nobody wants to have rumors spread about them¡±


    ¡°From what I heard, those guys who are getting rumors about them were apparently a bunch of cyber bullies¡±


    Despite not realizing it up until now, Ryu had basically defended whoever started the rumors.


    ¡°Huh, is that true?¡±


    ¡°There are pictures of one of the guys making out with a first year. So I¡¯m sure that Ryota have such confidence to do such with evidence¡± Ryu stuffed his hands inside his pockets, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll tell Ryota to stop since I don¡¯t want this to escalate further¡±


    ¡°Hold on¡± I grabbed onto Ryu¡¯s arm, ¡°I know you¡¯re a smart kid. I¡¯m not buying the fact that you accidentally spread it¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t buy it, but also the fact that Ryu had a friend at the time. I barely see him talk with Ryota who seemed to be a more social and outgoing individual so it seemed quite contradictory.


    ¡°I do make mistakes¡± Ryu shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m sure everybody does¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m kinda scared of how the teachers would respond.


    ¡°They¡¯ve handled this type of issue before, but their response is rather limited. I¡¯ll probably have to oversee this matter¡±


    ¡°But, you were involved¡±


    ¡°By accident. I¡¯ve already discussed with a few staff members and they understand my mistake and my attempts to rid it online¡±


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s quite responsible of you¡±


    ¡°Well, nobody wants to get in trouble, right?¡±


    ¡°I hate to push you like this, but how can you just tell me if anybody else could get impacted like this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s best that you see it yourself¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a weird way to respond to it¡±


    ¡°Sometimes if you can¡¯t respond to something, you can always divert the question. That¡¯s my mindset¡±


    ¡°Interesting¡­¡± I took a quick glance at the clock, ¡°I better be going to class¡±


    ¡°Bye¡±


    It was one of the rare interactions I had with Ryu before the third year, although our discussions later on were mainly of a serious matter considering my status in the Horticulture Club later on.


    The rumors eventually ended close to the end of our first year. Ryota never got in trouble for some reason. The ¡®investigation¡¯ had turned inconclusive.


    Perhaps the teachers didn¡¯t want any issue near the end of the year. Or someone had played something behind the scenes.


    It was quite the mystery.

 Chapter Twenty-Two

    I won¡¯t beat around the bush for now, since you already know what happened to Hano.


    It¡¯s a secret I often like to keep from anyone. The only reason why I had revealed it to Kurumi was due to my distraught at the time.


    It feels stupid in my opinion. But I¡¯ve concluded that if I hadn¡¯t explained why, I would¡¯ve been treated in a similar way to Yuki.


    ¡°Ready?¡± Kurumi knocked on the door.


    ¡°One second¡± I reached for a face mask, placing it under my chin in the meantime, ¡°Gotta get some gloves¡±


    My entire body was pretty much covered from my foot to my head. My blazer reinforced by a small removable textbook wrapped in tape around my arms. I had also brought in some head and face protection in the meantime.


    I¡¯ll admit, watching all of those zombie shows and movies have turned me into an ¡®expert¡¯.


    ¡°How do I look?¡± I swung the door open.


    ¡°Ridiculous¡± Kurumi chuckled, ¡°May I?¡±


    ¡°Sure¡±


    Kurumi threw my baseball helmet onto the couch and slid my face mask behind the scarf.


    ¡°If you wanna look good yet protected for the occasion, just go for fashion while hiding the protective features¡±


    ¡°I never knew you were into fashion¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not, it¡¯s common sense¡±


    ¡°I see¡±


    Most guys I know don¡¯t dress to impress in a casual meeting. By the looks of how they chose their clothing, it might as well be the first shirt they found in their closet.


    ¡°What¡¯s with the equipment?¡± Kurumi pointed, ¡°It better be good¡±


    ¡°Tennis balls, kitchen knives, glow sticks, a few small chair legs I had broken off, and a bottle of water just in case¡±


    ¡°Why the chair legs?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re long enough to keep distance and help barricade any double doors with a handle¡±


    Kurumi gave a chuckle in response.


    I had over prepared myself, yet my philosophy had always been about thinking of everything and preparing for the worse. No possibility was left unnoticed, especially in a situation like this.


    ¡°Alright¡­¡± Kurumi gave a sigh, ¡°They¡¯re waiting for us at the barricades right now¡±


    ¡°Got it¡± I did a quick stretch, ¡°Let¡¯s hurry then¡±


    ¡°Race ya there¡± Kurumi ran down the stairs.


    I didn¡¯t bother to try and catch up with Kurumi due to my bag.


    After passing through the table barricades, Yuki had started to move in with a carefree attitude towards the end of the hallway.


    ¡°Do you think it''s a good idea?¡± Kurumi turned to Yuuri, ¡°Especially with Yuki¡­¡±


    ¡°I get your point here, but we¡¯re low on supplies anyways. If we were to try and attempt it separately, it could cause issues¡±


    Compared to our last run, I had confidence that the items Yuuri had managed to reserve for the occasion would perform better in the long term rather than being used as a last minute distraction.


    I often had to tend to using the leftover or old items I could scavenge in the meantime, so Yuuri had quite a lot to bring to the table.


    ¡°We would¡¯ve done this sooner or later and I don¡¯t want to leave Yuki on her own¡±


    Looking at Kurumi¡¯s sorrowful expression over something else and the trail of blood leading into the classroom, I decided not to say anything else.


    ¡°Alright, off we go¡± Yuuri turned to Kurumi who was looking at the door behind her, ¡°Kurumi?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right¡± Kurumi¡¯s expression hastily changed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you all got cold feet¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re good Yuki-san¡± I called out while running over, hastily checking the corner of a hallway, ¡°Just give Kurumi and Yuuri-san a moment¡±


    ¡°Alright¡± Kurumi gave a short nod to Yuuri, ¡°Let¡¯s go¡±


    Walking down the hallways wasn¡¯t much of a concern. However, I had started to stay closer to Yuki, checking each room while trying to suppress Yuki¡¯s cheerful voice in order to listen for any zombies nearby.


    ¡°Test of courage~ Test of courage¡± Yuki hummed while leading the group through the barricades.


    ¡°Tense up a little,¡± said Kurumi.


    ¡°It¡¯d be scary if you ran into a real ghost¡± Yuuri mentioned while carrying the boombox.


    ¡°But it¡¯s school. Nothing¡¯s gonna come out¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what ghost could be lurking around this place¡± I reached for a tennis ball from my bag.


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Yuuri stopped, ¡°There is no one in the school building at this hour¡­ But what if there is someone¡­¡±


    Yuuri¡¯s aura had almost wiped Yuki and Kurumi¡¯s hopes of going around the school carefree.


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡± Yuuri switched back to her usual smile, ¡°You know what? Ghosts are so lonely that they are drawn to people¡¯s voices¡±


    She turned on the radio which emitted a small calm melody yet loud enough to pretty much attract anyone close to the second floor.


    ¡°Then you shouldn¡¯t switch the radio on!¡± Yuki looked in confusion.


    ¡°Huh? I thought you said there are no ghosts?¡± Kurumi looked at her with a smug face.


    ¡°O-Of course not! But you never know¡±


    ¡°From past experience¡­¡± I said, ¡°There¡¯s definitely a ghost around here¡±


    ¡°Kurumi and Ryu are right¡± Yuuri pointed to the other hallway, ¡°So let¡¯s leave the radio here and go from the stairs over there¡±


    ¡°Wow Rii-san, you¡¯re so smart!¡±


    While walking down the hallway, I leaned over to Yuuri.


    ¡°Good thinking, where¡¯d you get the boombox?¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Just the music room¡±


    ¡°Do you think we can retrieve it after the test of courage?¡±


    ¡°Of course¡± Yuuri nodded, ¡°The boombox doesn¡¯t replay the music so we should be able to distract it¡±


    ¡°Good thinking Yuuri¡± I took a few glances around the nearby classrooms, before continuing forward.


    ¡°By the way Ryu-san¡± She took a quick glance at her bag, ¡°Since we¡¯re expecting a lot of supplies from the store, can I ask that you help carry some in the meantime?¡±


    ¡°Of course¡± I patted my bag, ¡°I¡¯ve emptied out the main compartment of it¡±


    Any remaining doubts I had of Yuuri¡¯s ability were squashed.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re all here,¡± Sakura arrived at the stairs.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Yuki whispered in return.


    ¡°The test of courage is a great idea, I just hope that you don¡¯t push yourselves too hard¡±


    ¡°Megu-nee¡­ quiet down!¡± Yuki whispered loudly.


    ¡°Okay okay¡± She did a quick nod, ¡°But how do we split up?¡±


    Yuki leaned over to Yuuri.


    ¡°W-why don¡¯t we all go together for a change?¡±


    ¡°Sounds good¡± Yuuri smiled, ¡°Let¡¯s do that¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡± Yuki hugged her.


    ¡°Then the five of us will stick together,¡± Sakura said with excitement.


    I did a quick tap at Yuuri¡¯s shoulder, followed by her responding with a nod.


    ¡°First of all¡­ let¡¯s head to the school store¡­ then perhaps the library¡­ Hmmm¡­ any other ideas?¡± Sakura looked at us.


    I did another quick tap after a moment.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯re going to the school store first, then the library after. We should all come back with evidence that we¡¯ve been there. If we get separated, return to these stairs quietly. Got it?¡±


    ¡°Roger¡± Yuki followed.


    ¡°Good planning Wakasa-san,¡± Sakura smiled.


    ¡°Let¡¯s roll¡± Yuuri and Kurumi had already reached the stairs by then.


    ¡°After you, sensei¡± I stood close to the stairs, keeping watch in the meantime.


    ¡°Thank you¡±


    We continued towards the school store, as I continued to check for any nearby zombies inside the classrooms. To my surprise and convenience, we didn¡¯t run into many.


    ¡°No¡­ ghost?¡± said Yuki.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down Kurumi¡± Yuuri opened the door.


    While Kurumi hastily went through each aisle of the store, I decided to wait outside the door for the time being.


    ¡°Are you going to wait outside for the time being?¡± Sakura looked at me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Somebody¡¯s gotta look out for the ghosts¡±


    While Yuuri and Kurumi scavenged through the entire floor, I waited outside, staring into the moon that had illuminated the school.


    For some reason, I couldn¡¯t get my head off of the most trivial things ever. Such as if the astronauts even knew what happened. It sounded like something Yuki would think of.


    ¡°Alright Ryu, it¡¯s your turn¡± Kurumi patted my shoulder before standing guard outside.


    Everyone had taken the important items of the stores such as the school uniforms and shampoo. With the exception of Yuki who instantly ran for the food section.


    While taking a small packet of balloons, Yuki ran up to me in excitement.


    ¡°Kurumi-chan! Ryu-kun! Look! Look!¡± Yuki called out to her.


    ¡°Can you keep it down a bit?¡± I whispered to Yuki.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Kurumi walked over.


    ¡°It says here they can be inflated up to twenty times their size¡± Yuki instantly stuffed them into her bag, ¡°I¡¯m taking them¡±


    ¡°Hey, hey. How are they useful¡­¡± Kurumi grabbed onto a tree clipper in the meantime.


    ¡°Did you gather all the evidence you need?¡± Yuuri walked over from the entrance.


    ¡°Yeah¡± Kurumi left the tree clipper in the bucket.


    We had started to make our way towards the library, this time in a more calmed atmosphere after seeing nobody.


    ¡°Next stop is the library huh?¡± Kurumi led the group down the hallway.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to find myself some math textbooks,¡± Yuuri responded.


    ¡°Either a science or cookbook will do fine¡± I zipped my bag.


    ¡°Manga for me!¡± Yuki said with excitement while Sakura followed shortly.


    The library looked slightly different from the last time I ran into it. Kurumi had given me the ¡®Be on alert¡¯ look as we entered.


    ¡°It¡¯s so dark. Can I switch the lights on?¡± said Yuki.


    ¡°Well, we are doing a test of courage¡± Yuuri whispered, ¡°Hey, watch your step¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Yuki walked ahead of the group.


    ¡°Go ahead, I¡¯ll take a look around here¡± Kurumi stood guard by the door.


    ¡°Me too¡± I stood close to the librarian¡¯s table, ¡°You three go on ahead¡±


    While Yuuri, Yuki, and Sakura had made their way down the library, I took a quick glance at Kurumi.


    ¡°What?¡± Kurumi returned a look.


    ¡°Do you think there¡¯d be any of them around here?¡±


    ¡°Probably not¡± She did a quick look around the hallway, ¡°You can thank Yuuri for that¡±


    ¡°Indeed¡­¡± I reached for a small tennis ball, ¡°Quite the leader I would look up to¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡± Kurumi leaned her shovel towards the wall.


    ¡°So¡­ about Hano?¡±


    The change of subject seemed inappropriate at this time. But I needed to confront Kurumi about it, for now.


    Kurumi had that sort of expression you¡¯d get as if someone had orchestrated a crime scene and framed someone else all by accident.


    ¡°... What about her?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to feel guilty about her, alright?¡±


    Kurumi stopped for a moment.


    ¡°Are you some sort of mind reader?¡±


    ¡°One thing I had remembered was that you even had a few loosely associated friends in your class that teased Hano just for fun. You just conformed to it because you thought it wouldn¡¯t hurt¡±


    Kurumi nodded in response, yet I could tell through her shaking hands that she had felt a sort of dread ever since I had told her about Hano.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to blame yourself for it. I¡¯m sure Hano didn¡¯t mind such little teasing. I can say that with utmost confidence. Those who truly pushed her to the limits probably got what they deserved¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I do feel like that¡± Kurumi turned over, ¡°Everybody did at one point¡±


    My prediction was on target.


    ¡°It was impossible to control an entire middle school to do such. Even some of the high schoolers got into it¡­ from what I heard¡±


    ¡°That widespread?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t exempt from the guilt Kurumi felt. In fact, when she mentioned that, it only alienated it even further.


    ¡°Of course¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t as severe for the most part, right?¡±


    ¡°Mhm¡± Kurumi nodded, ¡°Did you ever do something to the bullies who took it a step further?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I was too late for that¡­¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Looking back at it, she probably wouldn¡¯t approve what I did¡±


    ¡°What did you do?¡± Kurumi turned over to me.


    ¡°Are you always that pushy?¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon. Everything you¡¯ve told me, I still don¡¯t look at you in any negative way¡±


    Should I do it? Is it what a friend would do?


    ¡°Fine¨C¡± The sound of loud footsteps interrupted me.


    As I turned over, Yuuri ran over to us panting.


    ¡°We have a problem Kurumi¡±


    ¡­


    Great¡­


    ¡°Rii-san, what books do you want?¡± I asked Rii-san as we walked away from Ryu and Kurumi.


    ¡°Textbooks and workbooks¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so like you¡± I leaned over to her.


    ¡°Nope,¡± Rii-san responded, ¡°These are for you. Didn¡¯t you say you were struggling with math?¡± She went through a single textbook with one hand while holding a flashlight  on the other hand.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go look for books over there¡± I ran off from Yuuri.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Megu-nee followed.


    Before I realized it, I had already reached my favorite manga shelf. All of these books, in one place just for me to borrow and read for the test of courage.


    What a dream!


    I scanned through each title on the shelves, looking for the latest issue of Darioman in the meantime. For some reason, we still had the same volume as from last time. Perhaps the author was taking a break?


    I decided to look for another manga.


    ¡°These look interesting¡± I said to myself while reaching for a book, ¡°Oh Megu¡±


    ¡°Hey, you shouldn¡¯t run off alone¡± Megu-nee walked over, ¡°You startled Rii¡±


    ¡°Sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go back to the others¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    I noticed the figure passing by the shelves.


    ¡°Huh? Is that a ghost?¡±


    Megu-nee placed her hand over my mouth, dragging me away towards another aisle. As she continued, I squirmed my mouth around, trying to utter another word.


    ¡°Mmmmmhm!¡± Megu sat me down, hugging close to the bookshelf.


    ¡°Quiet¡± Megu whispered, releasing her hand.


    The sound of a low groan behind the shelves silenced me completely.


    It is definitely a ghost!


    I felt a sense of fear enter my body. Thoughts started to rush into my mind, paralyzing me on the spot with only Megu comforting me.


    If the ghost would come over and terrify us or take me or Megu-nee away. How would Rii-san, Ryu, or Kurumi find me?


    All of these thoughts started to rush into my head, pausing every time I heard each footstep.


    Another step followed soon, with the groan growing louder by every second.


    Please let it be a delinquent¡­ or a school dweller who overslept at the tables¡­ just anything else other than a ghost¡­


    I started to hold my breath in as it took another step, leaning close to Megu-nee¡¯s shoulder.


    A dark figure started to pass by us, its figure completely completely taller than anyone I¡¯ve ever seen. It was slow, yet the groan it made kept me almost paralyzed.


    At that moment, I had hugged myself close to Megu-nee, closing my eyes.


    Seconds turned into minutes, as we sat there closely watching the figure pass by us. I had kept total silence, not even wanting to breathe.


    I only felt the urge to say something by the time I couldn¡¯t hear its footsteps.


    ¡°Megu-nee¡­¡± I whispered, ¡°That thing¡­¡±


    I felt Megu¡¯s warm embrace.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡­ the others will help you. They¡¯ll definitely come. There¡¯s no need to be afraid when they¡¯re by your side¡±


    I heard a thwack from across the floor, followed by the sound of a ball bouncing on the ground. Yet despite whoever was doing that, I sat close to the safety of Megu-nee.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move¡±


    I pulled my hat closer to my eyes, my body still filled with dread.


    All I could hear next was a sudden slash. Followed by another. And another. It continued for some time until chatter followed.


    It kept on going for a while until I could faintly hear the voice of someone else trying to intervene.


    I decided to stay put in the meantime, under the safety of Megu-nee.


    ¡°Waah!¡± I felt a sudden flash of light burst through my eye.


    ¡°Oh, there you are,¡± Kurumi called out, with Yuuri and Ryu standing close by.


    ¡°Are you okay Yuki-chan?¡± Yuuri looked over, ¡°Are you hurt anywhere?¡±


    My eyes started to feel watery.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± I jumped up towards Yuuri, hugging her.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright¡­¡± Yuuri gave a small comforting pat.


    ¡°It¡¯s good that Megu-nee told you not to move,¡± said Ryu.


    I looked over at him, noticing how red his school shirt was.


    ¡°Eek! What happened to you?¡± I lurched away in fear.


    ¡°Oh this?¡± Ryu pointed at his shirt, followed by a laugh, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I played a prank on the ghost and dumped some paint over him!¡±


    ¡°I was so scared of the ghost. But Megu-nee was there for me¡± I turned over to her, who looked at me confused.


    ¡°Thank you Sensei,¡± Ryu said with a smile.


    ¡°Thank you, Megu-nee¡± Yuuri lowered her flashlight.


    ¡°Thanks Megu¡± Kurumi followed with a bow.


    ¡°Not you too, Ebisuzawa-san¡± Megu looked at us with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m your club advisor after all!¡±


    Megu-nee never wanted you to thank her for anything, even if she truly deserved it. She would always try to say that it was just her role as a teacher.


    Yet she is more than just a teacher. She¡¯s a friend I never want to lose.


    By the time we reached the stairs leading to the third floor, Yuki had retained that same cheerful smile as before.


    ¡°What did you think, Yuki-chan? Was the test of courage fun?¡± said Yuuri.


    ¡°Yup!¡± Yuki turned over, ¡°Lots of fun! Let¡¯s do it again next year!¡±


    ¡°Sure, why not?¡± Kurumi continued up the stairs.


    Despite Kurumi¡¯s carefree response, I stopped to think. Sure we¡¯re all in third year, but that meant that trying to convince Yuki that time had truly slowed down or completely stopped was harder for me.


    At this point, toying with time isn¡¯t the best idea. It¡¯s best we move forward regardless.


    ¡°What about graduation? Would you really want to do that during University?¡±


    ¡°Oh right!¡± Yuki stopped, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡±


    ¡°Are you looking out for graduation?¡±


    ¡°Of course! I won¡¯t miss graduating with you all!¡±


    Kurumi slowed down for a moment.


    When she does, it often was due to the fact that she was reminiscing about Katsuragi. It¡¯s hard not to sympathize with her to be honest, especially since the times I¡¯ve only blushed out of embarrassment when accused of liking someone when I don¡¯t.


    ¡°What university do you want to go to?¡± Yuki looked at me.


    ¡°Perhaps one in the United States! I have relatives there¡±


    ¡°Wow! You have to study hard then, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Of course I will. Alongside having to speak English fluently¡±


    ¡°You know how to speak English?¡± Yuki looked at me in awe.


    ¡°You say as if nobody can¡±


    ¡°I know, but that means you can easily speak to others in America!¡±


    It¡¯s a shame I didn¡¯t get to travel to the USA.


    The country isn¡¯t really the safest compared to Japan, but from what I heard, I reckon people could defend themselves in a pinch. Perhaps rescue had already taken place there and we were next in line.


    Perhaps it¡¯s best to kiss my hopes of a normal life goodbye.


    As we unpacked our items while Yuki and Megu-nee decided to hang out in their quarters, I noticed Yuuri and Kurumi holding a concerned expression.


    ¡°Good work out there¡± I tapped on Yuuri¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I was worried things were going to go downhill¡±


    ¡°Me too¡­¡± Yuuri looked at my shirt, ¡°Do you have a spare uniform?¡±


    ¡°I have plenty of spares fortunately. Sorry for running off¡± I scratched my head.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I know you were trying to protect Yuki¡­¡± Yuuri did one last glance at my bloodied shirt, ¡°Perhaps you should¡¯ve let Kurumi do it for you¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Kurumi slowed down to join in on the conversation, ¡°For a smart guy like you, you are quite messy¡±


    Kurumi¡¯s comparison between academic organization and action was silly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like people like me are always making the best decisions¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon¡±


    I felt Yuuri tug on my blazer.


    ¡°I wanted to ask you something¡±


    ¡°Go on¡±


    Yuuri¡¯s heavy breath indicated to me the serious nature of the conversation.


    ¡°While you were handling the zombie, I had noticed that you looked weird¡±


    Hm?


    ¡°What was it about me?¡±


    ¡°Despite covering your mouth with a scarf, I could tell from your eyes¡­ you felt¡­ y¡¯know¡±


    After waiting for Yuuri to try and articulate the words, she gave another tug.


    ¡°Crazy?¡±


    I stopped dead in my tracks, turning over to her.


    ¡°I¡¯m not insane Yuuri¡±


    For some reason, I had this feeling I¡¯ve rarely had before when I met that one zombie. Something completely different and almost malevolent that had taken over me when I realized the nature of it.


    It was pretty much a feeling I¡¯ve gone along without any question to it.


    Despite it happening just a few moments ago, all I felt was a sort of blur in my action, marked by a few key moments such as pulling up my mask and Yuuri and Kurumi running over to me.


    Was that what you call hatred?


    I¡¯ve only had such a feeling like that once in my lifetime. Yet today, it seemed as if I was reliving the same feeling.


    ¡°Hm, I know you aren¡¯t¡± Yuuri continued walking, ¡°Please don¡¯t scare me like that¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it¡±


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll be heading to sleep¡± Yuuri got up.


    ¡°Got it¡±


    ¡°See ya¡± Kurumi gave a short wave.


    ¡°Goodnight¡±


    I had to tend to a shirt that reeked of blood for the night. A reminder that somehow, everything turned into a blur at that very moment. Even now, I thought that I had just blacked out and I¡¯m in heaven.


    I¡¯ll admit, even I can¡¯t seem to understand myself.

 Chapter Twenty-Three

    During the past week, the feeling of nostalgia that I often latched onto for my imagination has turned into this uneasy feeling of my stomach that still crept up to my body.


    I¡¯ve learnt not to regret too much, yet with the amount of times I¡¯ve been staring out at the window, I can¡¯t help but replay the same feeling over and over until I get sick of it.


    While staring at the window, I heard a small knock on my door.


    ¡°Come in¡± I wore my blazer.


    ¡°Morning Ryu-san¡± Yuuri opened the door, ¡°What are you up to?¡±


    ¡°Just watching a movie I downloaded¡±


    ¡°Ooh, what movie?¡±


    ¡°28¡­ something¡­ I can¡¯t read other languages¡±


    I¡¯ll admit, all of these Indonesian dubbed names and subtitles were starting to annoy me at this point. However, Yuuri showed interest.


    ¡°Should I try watching it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably not for your tastes¡± I leaned back, ¡°I¡¯m only watching it for the sake of learning but I can¡¯t take anymore of this graphic violence¡±


    Yuuri gave a short nod.


    ¡°What else have you watched?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea¡­ half of them are titled in another foreign language when I downloaded it. I can¡¯t tell what it is though¡±


    It was my first time downloading movies, since it¡¯s not like computer malware would impact me by the second day of the outbreak.


    ¡°Is this how you spend your time during the morning?¡±


    ¡°Only when I feel like it¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t just sit here all morning, let¡¯s get going¡±


    ¡°Sure¡± I got up from my chair, grabbing my school blazer, ¡°Perhaps some preparation for lunch?¡±


    ¡°Mhm!¡± Yuuri smiled, ¡°Something better to do¡±


    Yuuri seemed to drag me towards the Clubroom with a smile over her face.


    However, with clouds obscuring much of the daylight, it was impossible to even have a brief second of electricity. So we spent much of our early morning creating biscuits without much to exchange.


    ¡°Good morning!¡± Yuki swung the door open, ¡°Ooh, what are you two doing?¡±


    ¡°Just cooking some food for the day since there¡¯s some maintenance going on and the lights are off for the day¡±


    ¡°Aww¡­ will it last long?¡±


    ¡°Hopefully they¡¯ll finish fixing the electricity by the afternoon but Sensei may have allow us to have independent study in the meantime¡±


    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that I had thought about creating a lie regarding the outage while talking with Yuki, I might¡¯ve fumbled with her delusions.


    ¡°Perhaps we could study together!¡±


    ¡°What made you so enthusiastic about studying?¡± I placed my bowl at the counter.


    ¡°I need your help with some social studies homework or else Megu-nee will be upset¡±


    ¡°Sure, we can work on that¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget about your math homework you two¡± Yuuri chimed in.


    I couldn¡¯t help but notice that she was emitting a rather menacing presence behind me.


    ¡°Can I do it later?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re quite overdue with it¡± Her presence continued, ¡°It wouldn¡¯t hurt, right?¡±


    The fact that Yuki had a terrified look in front of me prevented me from bothering to glance back.


    ¡°If you say so¡­¡±


    ¡°Great!¡± Yuuri reached for her textbook, ¡°I¡¯ll ask you if I need any help¡±


    ¡°Thank you Ryu-san!¡± Yuki hugged me, ¡°I was worried that I¡¯ll have to stay back in class with Megu-nee to handle the homework¡±


    ¡°No problem¡­¡± I slowly stood up, ¡°Let¡¯s get some work to done¡±


    ¡°Yup!¡± Yuki responded cheerfully.


    I would¡¯ve tried helping Yuki with the work, but the fact that Yuuri had pressed me into tending to my Maths homework was quite meek of me.


    ¡°Can I ask where you¡¯re up to in the book?¡±


    ¡°So¡­¡± Yuki flipped through her textbook before placing her hand over it, ¡°I¡¯m up to here right now¡±


    Yuki¡¯s doing a chapter that isn¡¯t even in the curriculum¡­ I¡¯m not even familiar with it.


    ¡°Quite the odd transition from Hokkaido¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that the textbook has actual knowledge over Megurigaoka!¡± Yuki looked at the pages with a bright face.


    ¡°Perhaps if someone here did something famous, our place in the history books wouldn¡¯t be as small as it is right now¡±


    Yuki gave a puzzled look.


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps become an athlete, a renowned comedian, or develop some sort of cure. Megurigaoka isn¡¯t really renowned for much anyways¡±


    ¡°Ooh! Perhaps we could try becoming teachers!¡±


    ¡°Teachers usually don¡¯t get famous¡­ unless you do something cool in front of social media¡±


    ¡°Well, why can¡¯t we try? Megu-nee could join in¡±


    Just because adults do something a kid would do doesn¡¯t warrant becoming famous¡­ that¡¯s what I¡¯ve learnt while scrolling on my phone.


    ¡°Well, maybe we could send a message to the world,¡± Yuuri grabbed her phone, ¡°Perhaps we can get some likes if we do a skit or a showcase of our club!¡±


    ¡°Are you seriously recommending me to be on camera for the world to see?¡± I smirked for a moment.


    Yuki nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pass¡± I looked over at the textbook, ¡°Anyways, let¡¯s start from the Showa Period¡±


    I have a sort of disapproval everytime I think about social media. It tends to be a tool that people use in order to communicate and keep in contact, especially when we are stuck in our homes.


    But during my first year, I realized that social media was a weapon. A tool used to tear others up. I saw it first hand.


    Despite having a short study session with Yuki, while taking up some of the free time to go through the questions, I noticed Kurumi¡¯s head sticking out from the door.


    ¡°Good morning Kurumi-san¡± I lowered my pen.


    ¡°Morning Kurumi!¡± Yuki waved.


    ¡°Mornin¡± Kurumi gave a smirk, ¡°It¡¯s funny seeing you two sit next to each other. Makes me think that Ryu is like Megu-nee¡±


    ¡°Speaking of Megu-nee,¡± Yuuri asked, ¡°Where is she?¡±


    ¡°Probably at the Teacher¡¯s lounge¡± Yuki took a glance at one of the questions, ¡°Ryu-kun, can you please help me with this?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± I looked over at the book, ¡°This is drawing on what you learnt in the last chapter. Do you remember what it is?¡±


    ¡°Errr¡­.¡± Yuki paused, ¡°Nope¡±


    Kurumi walked over towards the textbook, taking a glance at the pages.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite cruel y¡¯know Ryu?¡± Kurumi chuckled, ¡°Why would you throw


    ¡°Sensei assigned Yuki this chapter¡± I responded.


    Take a hint¡­


    ¡°Eh? I didn¡¯t know we were given this chapter. I thought we stopped at the Taisho Period¡±


    ¡°What do you mean Kurumi?¡± Yuki looked over with a smile, ¡°We¡¯ve been doing Showa¡­¡±


    ¡°Showa?¡±


    I nodded in response.


    ¡°Eh, I don¡¯t think so¡­¡± Kurumi placed her hand over the pages.


    From what I could tell, Yuki gave me that look reminiscent of everytime Yuzumura reminded her of homework. She couldn¡¯t tell exactly which subject she was referring to.


    ¡°We were meant to finish Taisho a month ago but¡­¡±


    ¡°I hate to interrupt you¡± I clicked my pen a few times, ¡°But what do you mean a month ago? We¡¯ve already finished it¡±


    From her expression, I could already tell that I¡¯ve played my only card.


    ¡°Ah¡­ yeah¡± She looked away for a second, ¡°My bad Yuki¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal!¡± Yuki responded with her usual smile, ¡°Perhaps we should have some breakfast before we forget our names!¡±


    By now, I noticed Yuuri was giving me an intrigued expression.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Nothing¡­¡± She looked away, ¡°Can I ask you something outside the clubroom later on?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it now then. After all, it¡¯d be best to have more time for lunch¡±


    ¡°Sure¡± Yuuri placed the bowl at the counter, ¡°C¡¯mon¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back Yuki¡± I patted on her hat, ¡°Try to get that question done in the meantime¡±


    ¡°Will do Pres!¡±


    As I walked out, Yuuri had that sort of ¡®insightful¡¯ look as if she had discovered something new about me. Something different.


    ¡°I assume you¡¯re impressed over something?¡± I smiled.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I? You seem more capable than what I¡¯ve seen¡±


    I was assuming something else.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the best at it anyways¡± I waved my hand dismissively, ¡°Can I ask what do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The way you looked when talking to Kurumi¡­ it was¡­ interesting¡±


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°It felt threatening yet at the same time calm¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you do something similar to Yuki and Kurumi?¡±


    ¡°Well yeah, but where did you get that from? From what you told me, you were the only child of your family¡±


    ¡°Your ¡®aura¡¯ that you emit and mine is the way you emit it is dependent on your authority and voice. Perhaps your experience with your sibling is how you got that sort of atmosphere.


    Yuuri seemed to fiddle around for a moment when I mentioned ¡®sibling¡¯.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Yuuri raised an eyebrow for a moment, ¡°Wait, but how did you emit such a thing?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t study auras in a spiritual-like way, but in a more watered down way based on how they look on the outside. Just take a wild guess on how I emitted it¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ you do seem like you¡¯re hiding something from everyone around you. Perhaps that could be the case?¡±


    Her prediction was spot on.


    ¡°That¡¯s a weird way of seeing it¡± I gave out a smirk, ¡°Despite our limited interactions, I don¡¯t remember hiding anything from you¡±


    ¡°You were quite different during the first year. Rumors even spread about what happened in that festival and how you regressed during the second and third years. About that warehouse incident¡±


    ¡°Why would you trust a rumor?¡±


    ¡°Well... Nevermind¡± Yuuri looked at the door, ¡°Anyways, I do hope I could use it to keep Yuki and Kurumi from fooling around a lot¡±


    ¡°Mhm¡± I gave a short nod, ¡°Can you promise me one thing though?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Yuuri smiled, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°...Never mind¡±


    ¡°Hm? Why¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°I was going to ask you something. But it kinda sounded selfish so I decided to hold back for now¡±


    Before Yuuri could say anything, a loud thump followed from inside the clubroom, followed by Yuki laughing.


    ¡°Great¡­¡± Yuuri walked over towards the door.


    We were met by a flurry of paper airplanes which managed to pass by us or hit the nearby wall.


    ¡°Catch this!¡± Yuki called out while throwing a paper airplane at Kurumi.


    ¡°Not if I¨C¡± A paper airplane bumped onto Kurumi¡¯s hair, ¡°Ah!¡±


    Yuki and Kurumi were fooling around the room as usual, with a dozen paper airplanes scattered from the table to the kitchen.


    ¡°You two¡­¡± Yuuri muttered.


    I decided to leave the room in the meantime.


    There was no doubt Yuuri was quite the older sister of the family. Yet, I had noticed that she had always looked uncomfortable every time I asked about her sibling.


    It didn¡¯t matter at this point. All I have to do is to ensure she doesn¡¯t feel that way.


    ¡°Everything alright?¡± I walked back in, ¡°Thought I forgot something¡±


    ¡°Ah, Ryu-san¡± Yuuri turned over with a smile over her face, ¡°Nothing much has happened¡±


    Yuki and Kurumi were sitting at the table, their faces indicating that my wait outside was the best move I could make.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite extreme, hm?¡± I asked Yuuri as I picked up a few paper airplanes on the ground.


    ¡°Yeah¡± The lights started to flicker back on again, ¡°Seems we¡¯ll be making lunch soon¡±


    I nodded in agreement, only to notice Kurumi looking at me with a pouty face.


    ¡°Yuki-chan, Kurumi, would you like to move to the nearby classroom to do your homework? Ryu and I have some things to do¡±


    ¡°Kay, let¡¯s go¡± Kurumi nudged Yuki by the shoulder.


    ¡°See you soon!¡± Yuki waved her hand towards me as she left the room.


    ¡°So¡± Yuuri turned towards the pot, ¡°What do you think we should make?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps we could create some Onigiri?¡±


    Why did I suggest that? If I asked to make some Mochi cakes, it¡¯d be way more convenient¡­


    ¡°Sure! After what we got from Yuki-chan¡¯s test of courage, we got some ingredients for it¡±


    Conveniently enough, Yuuri had all of the ingredients at the cabinets where we stored most of our gains during the test of courage.


    We didn¡¯t talk much for the first thirty minutes. Yuuri tended to her logistics book while I mindlessly stared outside.


    I had started to yawn while watching the field for about the hundredth time. By then, I had only realized that Yuuri had an intrigued look over her face as she watched me.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there something better you could do?¡± Yuuri asked.


    ¡°Probably not¡±


    ¡°Perhaps you could help me with the logistics book?¡±


    I had only taken a glance at Yuuri¡¯s book during her question, before I noticed she was struggling to see what she could ration over the month.


    ¡°Seems we don¡¯t have enough for the month, hm?¡± I sat close to her.


    ¡°I was hoping what we got from the test could last for a while¡±


    ¡°Perhaps we could push for another one¡­ actually, nevermind¡±


    The rainy season has come early and I didn¡¯t want another incident.


    ¡°Well, we could try rationing further but we may end up starving ourselves¡±


    ¡°Tell me Yuuri, we¡¯re in March, correct?¡±


    ¡°Of course¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m willing to bet the rain will end by the start of April¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite a guess. But what if you¡¯re wrong?¡±


    ¡°We could hold up from doing anything rash in the meantime. I could take up this time to teach Kurumi some skills and perhaps work together?¡±


    ¡°You seem to know much yet so little at the same time when it comes to fighting. Did you learn some sort of martial arts?¡±


    ¡°Just karate. I quit after the first year of High School¡±


    Yuuri¡¯s curiosity had started to tick me off yet impress me at the same time. There was a reason why though, and I couldn¡¯t blame her.


    ¡°Anyways, I¡¯ll get working on the next batch¡±


    ¡°Hold on¡± Yuuri tapped on my shoulder, ¡°I almost forgot about this¡±


    Yuuri opened a small cabinet, revealing piles of rice bags and seaweed packets stashed close together in reserve.


    ¡°Me too¡±


    ¡°We should thank Yuki for that¡±


    ¡°Maybe later¡­¡± My eyes wandered towards the window for a second, ¡°Would you have pushed us to do an expedition outside regardless of if Yuki gave that idea at first?¡±


    Yuuri paused, before shrugging her shoulders in response.


    ¡°I¡¯m not as ambitious as Yuki, but do you know why I accepted it?¡±


    ¡°You wanted to keep her illusion intact, didn¡¯t you?¡± I gave a smirk as I placed the rice bowl on the plate.


    ¡°Of course¡­ I also found it thrilling¡± Yuuri smiled, ¡°Can I ask how you usually play along with Yuki¡¯s delusions?¡±


    A weird question, but considering Yuuri¡¯s character, it didn¡¯t seem out of place.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit complicated, but it requires a lot of memory. Including remembering the students in your class, their personalities, their likes, how they respond to certain things. Also I have to make up a lot of lies and keep myself attentive to Yuki¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­ is that all?¡±


    ¡°And a lot of luck¡±


    ¡°Huh, no wonder why you seemed tired out all day¡±


    I reached for some Onigiri wrappers, placing them over each ball of rice I had formed out of my hands. It especially wasn¡¯t as easy as I expected, yet with Yuuri¡¯s constant guidance, I felt at ease in the meantime.


    ¡°I always get tired to be honest. Mostly due to my role¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to understand how you and the Vice President managed to stay in school until the evening. Not to mention the festivals¡±


    ¡°It requires a bit of responsibility. But some things require more of it than others. Hence why it¡¯s a choice you make if you were to become the School President¡±


    ¡°Do you talk from experience or just common advice?¡± She leaned towards me.


    ¡°Just experience¡±


    ¡°No offense, but I never took you for the type of conflict resolution despite your personality¡±


    ¡°I get that a lot¡± I shrugged, ¡°Can¡¯t be the best. But perhaps you can fit the bill, Yuuri¡±


    Yuuri paused in her tracks, followed by a small giggle.


    ¡°Did I say something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Of course not¡± She took a quick glance at my plate, ¡°Let¡¯s not get distracted or else Yuki would be starving¡±


    Eventually, lunch was settled on Onigiri rather than a batch of leftover biscuits which we decided to keep as a snack.


    Rain had started to pour down at the field, which created a calm atmosphere contrary to months before where the cafeteria would be filled with constant chatter by restless students.


    Yet I kept close to the window.


    ¡°Thank you for the meal!¡± Everyone called out.


    ¡°Wow, quite the improvement from last time¡± Kurumi munched on an Onigiri.


    I had kept my face fixated on the window, ignoring the compliment.


    ¡°Perhaps you should try cooking some more¡± Yuuri nudged my shoulder, ¡°You¡¯ll get better¡±


    ¡°Perhaps tomorrow we can do that?¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, there is a blackout throughout the school for the remainder of the day¡± Sakura reached for an Onigiri.


    ¡°I love blackouts though, it¡¯s somewhat exciting¡± Yuki munched on another Onigiri


    ¡°We have electric shows, you know?¡± Kurumi turned over.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t have any hot water¡±


    Yuki recoiled back in shock, her head almost fixated at the roof as if her realization meant it was over for her.


    I couldn¡¯t help but smirk watching it unfold.


    ¡°You ok?¡± Kurumi placed her hand over Yuki¡¯s shoulder.


    She leapt up from her chair, planting her hand on the table.


    ¡°Camping!¡±


    Not the best of her ideas¡­


    ¡°Camping?¡± Everybody else responded.


    ¡°Look, um, people go camping on a field trip, right? Since we are the School Life Club, we should be camping at school¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Camping doesn¡¯t require any electricity¡± Kurumi shifted over to the side.


    ¡°Right. Doesn¡¯t that sound like a great idea?¡± Sakura¡¯s face lit up.


    ¡°Do we have a tent?¡¯


    ¡°We should have one in the club room. I think it houses three people¡± Yuuri lowered her cup.


    ¡°Looks like me and Sensei are missing out?¡± I turned towards the table.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯d be pretty boring if you were sleeping in a tent on your own,¡± Kurumi grabbed onto her shovel, ¡°Especially since you¡¯re the only guy here¡±


    ¡°Well, I suppose it would be terrifying sleeping alone in a tent. Even if I do have neighbors¡± I took a glance outside, ¡°Although I haven¡¯t had any camping experience yet so take it for a grain of salt¡±


    ¡°How come you¡¯ve never gone camping before?¡± Yuki looked at me.


    ¡°I never had time for such¡± I leaned back.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯ll be the first time for you then!¡±


    ¡°Perhaps we should have a small bonfire at night?¡±


    ¡°Yep!¡± Yuki stood up from her table again, ¡°It is decided! The four of us will have a camping trip!¡±


    ¡°Ah, what about me?¡± Sakura looked around the group.


    ¡°I-it¡¯s okay¡± Yuki responded, ¡°If we jam ourselves in, I¡¯m sure we can fit you in, Megu-nee¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± Yuuri turned, I didn¡¯t mean to-¡±


    ¡°I was kidding. I need to go make my rounds at any rate¡± Sakura turned over with a smile.


    I noticed Yuki staring at the table for a moment, before gently grabbing onto her hand.


    ¡°Megu-nee, thank you for everything¡± Yuki emitted her usual smile.


    ¡°Thank you Sensei¡± I shifted my gaze towards her.


    ¡°Thanks Megu-nee¡± Kurumi and Yuuri followed suit.


    ¡°Geez, it¡¯s not Megu-nee. Call me Sakura-sensei¡±


    I had found myself smirking at the moment. Not specifically about the zombies wandering around the field, rather to what was right beside me.


    It was quite an odd feeling. As if the storm of thoughts that constantly came through my mind had calmed itself. The thought of wording myself properly in front of Yuki or noticing Kurumi¡¯s concerned expression or even the field had just disappeared in the moment.


    It felt pleasant for once.

 Chapter Twenty-Four

    I never expected that my first camping trip would be inside a classroom to say the least.


    We had managed to set up the tents for the night after an early dinner, so other than marshmallows that I had obtained during the test, we pretty much didn¡¯t have much to do.


    I had found a rather old gym jacket in my office that I had worn back in my first year. It was quite convenient for me, considering that the rest of the club was also wearing a similar physical education jacket.


    While settling in outside our tents, all eyes were on me.


    ¡°Did I do something?¡± I looked around.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡± Yuki hugged onto a small teddy bear which she had named Guuma-chan, ¡°Rii-san and Kurumi were looking at you so I did the same¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, it¡¯s camping. Let¡¯s not get worried over something unless it¡¯s that important¡±


    Yuki gave a short nod before glancing at the nearby lamp.


    ¡°... This has some atmosphere!¡± Yuki looked over at Kurumi, ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡±


    ¡°Horror stories are a must,¡± Yuuri mentioned.


    ¡°Eh, that might suit the mood, but¨C¡±


    ¡°Not a chance!¡± Kurumi leaned forward.


    ¡°Are you scared¨C¡± I felt a sharp whack over my head, ¡°Ouch¡±


    Kurumi could dish out quite a blow.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about something cheerful!¡± Kurumi interrupted, ¡°Like a love story!¡±


    ¡°Ah, I just remembered something pretty scary¡­¡± Yuki stared at the mattress.


    ¡°What?¡± Kurumi reached for her shovel.


    ¡°Wait! It¡¯s not like that!¡± Yuki extended her teddy bear towards her.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I mean, we¡¯re graduating sooner or later, right?¡±


    ¡°... Yeah?¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Yuki stared down with a solemn expression, ¡°Will Megu-nee be at school forever?¡±


    ¡°Teachers can¡¯t graduate from school, you know?¡±


    ¡°When I start thinking like that, I just feel sad¡± Yuki squeezed onto the teddy bear.


    ¡°I understand that feeling well, ¡®cause she¡¯s a good teacher¡± Yuuri chimed in.


    ¡°Right, this club wouldn¡¯t be around without her¡± Kurumi rested her shovel.


    ¡°True, she¡¯s kind¡­ but her lessons are boring¡± Yuki gave out a more joyful expression.


    ¡°She gives us a lot of homework¡±.


    ¡°And often makes mistakes on the board¡± Yuuri placed her hand close to her mouth, giving out a smirk.


    ¡°Sensei also is a bit pushy, but I don¡¯t mind¡­¡±


    After a short pause, I slid forward, patting on Yuki¡¯s shoulder out of comfort before whispering to her ear.


    ¡°Listen Yuki, Megu-nee doesn¡¯t live in this school for the entirety of her life. She was once a student just like you. One day, when you¡¯re older, you¡¯ll be able to meet Megu-nee. And she will be proud of what you¡¯ve become¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Ryu¡­¡± Yuki exchanged smiles with me.


    ¡°A bit lovey dovey hm?¡± Kurumi gave a smug expression at the both of us.


    ¡°Are you jealous or something?¡± I turned over.


    ¡°Why would I be?¡± Kurumi rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Nevermind¡± I stuffed my hands around my pocket, only to pull out a small piece of paper, ¡°Hm?¡±


    It was quite the treasure I had laying around my pockets. Just a picture of me and Hano back in Middle School painting. To be honest, it was probably one of the only pictures I had of me and Hano together. As when she recorded her art sessions, I played as the cameraman.


    At that point, I had noticed that my smile in the picture was considerably different than what it is now.


    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s that?¡± Kurumi leaned forward.


    ¡°Just an old picture¡±


    ¡°Lemme see!¡± Yuki butted her head with Kurumi before glancing over, ¡°Wow! Is that your girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°Just an old friend of mine, Hano Aki¡±


    ¡°Ohh! That one girl from middle school?¡±


    ¡°She looks so beautiful compared to how I remembered¡± Yuuri looked at the picture, nodding.


    I had noticed that Kurumi gave a sorrowful expression in the meantime.


    ¡°C¡¯mon Kurumi, it¡¯s all in the past¡± I emitted a smile, ¡°Let¡¯s not ruin our night over it¡±


    ¡°Right¡± She glanced over at the picture, ¡°Wow¡­ you and her do look like a school couple¡±


    ¡°Heh¡­¡± I smiled, ¡°We were probably too young to consider it¡±


    ¡°Of course¡± Kurumi rolled her eyes again, ¡°Where¡¯d you get that picture?¡±


    ¡°Just an old jacket. I was probably in a rush for something¡±


    ¡°No wonder why it doesn¡¯t fit you. Why would you have a picture in there though?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps I wanted to have it over my scrapbook but forgot about it when she left¡±


    ¡°Where does Hano go now?¡± Yuki looked at me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ perhaps Tokyo? Her parents travel a lot to work so I haven¡¯t gotten into contact with her¡±


    ¡°Who knows! Perhaps she could transfer here soon! She couldn¡¯t have just left this place without saying goodbye or missing you!¡±


    I felt a sort of unease upon hearing Yuki¡¯s response.


    ¡°C¡¯mon Yuki-chan, it''s quite rare Hano would come back¡±


    ¡°Yea¡­¡± Kurumi glanced at me, ¡°It¡¯d be awkward for Ryu especially¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind¡±


    ¡°Did you still keep in contact with her when she left?¡± Yuuri glanced at the picture again.


    ¡°Nope. She wasn¡¯t really an electronics type so it was almost impossible for her to meet after COVID¡±


    ¡°I do remember her struggling to navigate her online meetings¡± She gave a giggle, ¡°I hope she¡¯s holding up well¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I did talk with Kurumi-san about this, but uh¡­¡± I glanced over to Kurumi, ¡°Could you do me a favor please?¡±


    ¡°Sure¡±


    ¡°I left a book by my office and I¡¯m not exactly the quietest person¡± I gave a short awkward chuckle, ¡°Perhaps you and Yuki come over and retrieve it?¡±


    ¡°Wait, why can¡¯t you do it?¡±


    ¡°Because if Sakura-sensei finds me, we¡¯d probably be in trouble¡±


    ¡°Fine¡± Kurumi grabbed her shovel, ¡°Let¡¯s go Yuki¡±


    ¡°Okay¡± Yuki left Guuma-chan on the floor.


    As the door slid closed, I turned over to Yuuri.


    ¡°You often met Hano before in art class, right?¡±


    ¡°Yea, I still remember when you once bumped into her and cause a small mess in the art room¡±


    It wasn¡¯t surprising she remembered that.


    ¡°Good times¡­¡±


    ¡°Is she holding up okay now?¡±


    Great¡­. Now I have to admit it.


    ¡°You remember when Hano-chan was bullied during her final year of Middle School?¡±


    ¡°Of course¡±


    ¡°You see, I failed to try and protect her from it since I was too busy¡­ and uh¡­¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°She¡­¡± I kept on stuttering.


    I couldn¡¯t muster up the words to say it towards her.


    ¡°Did she¡­ take her own life?¡± Yuuri interrupted.


    My pause only reinforced her assumption.


    ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°I once heard you mentioning it¡­ during the incident at the festival¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be impolite to make such a guess?¡±


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    ¡°... Of course¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for your loss, Ryu¡± Yuuri rubbed her hand over my shoulder.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright¡± I gave a small smile,


    ¡°Do you still think about her?¡±


    ¡°Probably everyday¡± I leaned back on my chair, ¡°I really wish I could see her smile again. Heck, even play with an imaginary self of her if it means making me remember the good times¡±


    Yuuri stayed silent, unable to say anything.


    ¡°Could you please do me a favor Yuuri-san?¡±


    ¡°Always¡±


    ¡°I will mention her from time to time. But could you please work with me and try to divert the conversation about it? I don¡¯t want to talk about it but I can¡¯t simply tell Yuki straight up like you¡±


    Yuuri gave a nod.


    ¡°So was that the reason why you¡¯ve always been distant?¡±


    ¡°Of course¡± I adjusted the lamp, ¡°But I won¡¯t turn back. Not now. Even after we get out of this, I can promise to you that I¡¯ll look out for everyone. Especially Yuki-san¡±


    She gave me a dazed look, before giving a smile in response.


    ¡°Thank you¡­¡±


    We exchanged smiles at each other. Yet my eyes felt heavy for a moment.


    I used to tear up over a lot of trivial things. It had exacerbated to a point where I stared into the roof of my office every night sobbing over a regret.


    Yet I always questioned myself, did it really matter? A former School President breaking down in front of everyone. It wasn¡¯t as if I would return to school after the apocalypse and people would whisper my name across the hallways.


    But for the club¡¯s sake. For Yuki¡¯s sake. I had to press on.


    A small shuffling started, followed by the door sliding open.


    ¡°Waaah!¡± Yuki fell through the door, with Kurumi standing beside her watching in amusement, ¡°Oof!¡±


    ¡°Jeez¡± Kurumi walked in, ¡°Were you trying to peep in on them?¡±


    ¡°How long were you listening?¡± Yuuri turned over.


    ¡°Hehe¡± Yuki scratched her head, ¡°Perhaps for a minute¡±


    By Yuki¡¯s expression, it seemed that she hadn¡¯t overheard much.


    While Yuki and Kurumi started to settle back into the room, I rubbed my eyes.


    ¡°Here¡± Yuki passed the book, ¡°You okay?¡±


    ¡°Of course¡± I smiled, ¡°Anyways, Kurumi, I told Yuuri about it¡±


    Kurumi gave a nod.


    ¡°Are you all hiding something from me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll find out one day¡±


    ¡°Aww¡± Yuki pouted, before turning over towards the door, ¡°It¡¯s Megu-nee!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± We all looked over.


    We all scrambled towards our tents, with Yuki snatching the lamp and jumping into her bed within a second.


    ¡°What should we do?¡± Kurumi whispered loudly from her tent.


    ¡°Ssh¡± I called out from my tent.


    After what felt like a year, I heard the door click open.


    ¡°Are there any naughty girls who are still awake?¡± The flashlight pointed towards the girls¡¯ tent, before switching it over to mine, ¡°I guess not¡­ goodnight¡±


    The door now creaked shut.


    ¡°She¡¯s gone¡± Yuki whispered from her tent while zipping her tent open, ¡°Are you still awake Ryu?¡±


    ¡°Yea¡± I responded back.


    We all exchanged glances from the tent in awkward silence.


    By then, Kurumi had released the urge to laugh.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± I gave a short yawn, ¡°I think we shouldn¡¯t get caught by Megu-nee again¡­ Goodnight¡±


    ¡°Yea, goodnight Ryu¡± Yuki closed the tent.


    ¡°Night¡± Kurumi called out from her tent


    As I laid down on my mattress, all I felt was that same epiphany I felt before. Even for a moment, I had the urge to laugh again. With the only thing holding me back from doing it was how close I was to falling asleep.


    I do wish that these days would never end. The days where I didn¡¯t feel like the serious council president that I had always had to follow.


    The next day was marked by Yuuri, Kurumi and I packing the tents up while Yuki rushed to her classes surprisingly early. By the time we were finished, I had started to run late for class.


    Despite the short walk to 3-C, my brain hadn¡¯t completely shut itself down, for I still had to contend with the issue of playing along with Yuki¡¯s make believe world.


    I had started to get the hang of it, especially thanks to my profiling of every student and borrowing Yuki¡¯s journal which gave me a logbook of her observations.


    Yet from what I could tell, what Yuki wrote in her journal could be considered the ¡®significant¡¯ parts of her life. So when she mentioned how I ignored a student waving at me yesterday, I started to ponder if there were more incidents that Yuki had only noticed. .


    I¡¯ll be honest, I was starting to doubt the need to do this.


    Especially since I had started to drain myself to a point where I had brought up quite an appetite, especially in this apocalypse.


    Upon entering the room, I noticed Yuki staring at me while at her seat. Her rather odd look gave an indication that I had interrupted class.


    ¡°Sorry about that sensei¡± I walked towards my table, leaning towards Yuki, ¡°What¡¯s Kamiyama-sensei doing?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s introducing a new student to us¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± I gave a glance at the board, pretending that I had some sort of interest, ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡±


    ¡°Sensei hasn¡¯t told us yet¡­ but she seemed familiar¡­¡±


    Familiar? Perhaps a family friend? Or someone she knew?


    Well, did it really matter? It was just an extra student into the class. Another minor inconvenience I could bypass eventually.


    Yuki continued to stare towards the board with a puzzled look as I settled into my table, visualizing this shy female student who probably hadn¡¯t recognised which district she was living in.


    It wasn¡¯t the best image I had, but from what I had experienced in the past, that was all I could think of.


    ¡°So uh¡­ Yuki-san¡± I scratched my head in embarrassment, ¡°What was the new student¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s just staring at the ground while Sensei is just telling us how to treat her¡± Yuki whispered towards my ear.


    ¡°Well isn¡¯t that what most new students would do?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡± Yuki leaned over to me with a smug look, ¡°You would do the same, would you?¡±


    ¡°How about you, hm? Wouldn¡¯t you act the same?¡±


    ¡°Nope!¡±


    Even if Yuki was given the chance to say something in front of eight billion people, I couldn¡¯t think of a scenario where she would have stage fright.


    Yuki gave a few glances towards the board, before tapping at my shoulder.


    ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡± I turned over.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Hano Aki¡±


    My world paused almost instantly.


    I didn¡¯t know how to respond.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± I continued to stutter, ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    Even if it was a misunderstanding considering that Yuki could¡¯ve possibly overheard the part about I wished to see Hano again, I couldn¡¯t say no or deflect it.


    I just couldn¡¯t deny this opportunity for some reason.


    ¡°Ryu-kun?¡± Yuki tugged on my blazer, ¡°Is everything alright?¡±


    ¡°Of course¡± I gave a smile while whispering, ¡°You do remember Hano, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! I was wondering why she seemed so familiar¡±


    Although I had given out my smile, I felt my head aching with more questions coming through.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this perfect?¡± Yuki¡¯s excited expression continued, ¡°Your middle school friend is here!¡±


    ¡°How about we invite her to the club? We could introduce her to such¡±


    ¡°Of course! Yuuri and Megu-nee would love having another person in the club¡±


    It was silly of me to assume Yuki would¡¯ve known that Hano wouldn¡¯t be interested.


    ¡°Oh wait¡­ she probably chose the Art club as her first preference¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Yuki stared up at the ceiling for a second, ¡°But doesn¡¯t the School Live Club do everything?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite the stretch, Yuki. The club does everything as in everything that requires physical labor. Not leisure. Hence why we help the Horticulture Club¡±


    ¡°Aw¡­¡± Yuki rested her face over her table, before giving a light tap at my shoulder, ¡°Kamiyama-sensei is calling you¡­¡±


    Either sensei wanted me to tour the new kid or just introduce myself to her since I¡¯m the Council President.


    ¡°Of course¡±


    I got up from my seat, staring straight towards the board. I had visualized the brown haired shy girl that I remembered, yet this time in High School clothing and grown by a few inches.


    Yet, that same conscience that had urged me to play make believe with Yuki¡¯s delusions begged me to be mature. To stop this silliness of a coping mechanism.


    I was merely serving a nostalgic time. A time where I should¡¯ve looked back with a smile rather than regret and kept on moving. Yet even if I knew I was meant to move on, it was impossible for me to simply ignore.


    Besides, if Yuki knew Hano-chan, perhaps I wouldn''t need to concern myself with playing this make-believe world on my own. If I wandered around my office pretending to be discussing with Hano-chan on my own, I¡¯d start to realize that it was stupid.


    Yet with Yuki, it could feel as if we were in our own world. Even if it was just the two of us.


    I¡¯m probably a bit insane, but I don¡¯t mind.


    ¡°My name is Ryu Tanaka, I am Megurigaoka High School¡¯s Council President, and¡­ it is nice to see you again¡±


    I could already imagine the surprised chatter around the classroom if it was in a normal school context. Hano wasn¡¯t exactly well known across the middle school I went to, but someone that would make others give out that ¡®I think I know you¡¯ look in public.


    The problem is, Yuki¡¯s view of the world around her was skewed. Hence why everybody would treat Hano as just another random person.


    Hence why I had to control Yuki¡¯s world.


    In order to not only play the game Yuki had thrown at me, but to also test if I¡¯m willing to go down this unfamiliar trail of being like Yuki. Not only to latch onto something I treasured, but as a test.


    Yuki gave a small wave while I sat down.


    ¡°So, Hano-chan¡­ I didn¡¯t know you were back in Megurigaoka¡­¡±


    I could already visualize her response. How she spoke, her facial expressions, her inability to even confidently talk with anyone else beyond her family and me.


    After a few seconds, what I thought of her response sounded almost legitimate to the real one.


    ¡°Is that so? How nice!¡± I glanced at Yuki, noticing her rather perplexed look as if she had realized she was the third wheel, ¡°Yuki, you do remember Hano-chan, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Yuki gave a nod, ¡°You used to draw a lot of puppies before, right?¡±


    ¡°It was a group project for a competition¡± I corrected, ¡°Hano-chan and I once drew a Shiba Inu puppy and almost won¡±


    Hano was quite surprised at how we got second place out of ten other projects. Yet during the rare moments where we were asked about it at lunch, she often claimed it was luck.


    ¡°Ah don¡¯t worry about it Hano-chan¡± I rested my head over my fist, ¡°Just remember it wasn¡¯t luck¡±


    ¡°Of course¡± Yuki nodded, ¡°Your drawing of the puppy was impressive!¡± She turned towards the table.


    For once in perhaps quite a long time, I had managed to align my dialogue straight into Yuki¡¯s play. And by doing that, I could already tell through her smile that it was worth all the effort remembering Hano.


    Ironically, it didn¡¯t require much of an effort compared to the other students.


    ¡°Anyways Hano-chan, would you like me to tour you around the school during recess?¡±


    ¡°Sensei told you to tour her around when you got the time¡±


    A bit too convenient¡­ Yet it was also an issue for me¡­


    ¡°I could come with you if you want¡±


    ¡°I wish, but I don¡¯t want you to feel like the third wheel¡±


    ¡°A third wheel?¡±


    Even if I didn¡¯t socialize much, I couldn¡¯t grasp the fact that Yuki didn¡¯t know what a third wheel was.


    ¡°As in someone who¡¯s just an outlier of a group of three because the other two have a good relationship¡±


    ¡°Ah, so you like Hano-chan, don¡¯t you?¡± Yuki gave a smug look.


    ¡°No no!¡± I felt my face turning red the moment I responded, ¡°Not like that¡±


    ¡°Your face says it all¡±


    ¡°You know what¡± I stood up, ¡°Let¡¯s go Hano. I¡¯ll introduce you to the school¡±


    ¡°Huh? Wait up!¡± Yuki got up from her seat.


    Ever since that day, I had felt as if my world had finally changed to something bittersweet.


    Yuki¡¯s perception of Hano had allowed me to almost play along with her to such an extent, I had started to visualize her standing in front of me. Every simple movement or response to something was living proof that I still treasured her.


    It sounded weird, but I think you get the point.


    Sometimes during my entries, I had almost admitted to falling into Yuki¡¯s delusions, as I started to acknowledge Hano, even though she wasn¡¯t there. Yet reality had only started to strike when I realized it was getting silly.


    It was like an addiction. When you¡¯re doing it, all you can feel is the pleasure. But after you¡¯re done with it, regret replaces the pleasure that you felt.


    But even though I wrote this entry after playing with Yuki¡¯s delusions, I still wish to continue. Even if I¡¯ve had doubts over it.

 Chapter Twenty-Five

    We stood at the opposite sides of the room, staring at each other down.


    ¡°Ready?¡± Ryu raised a cello bow, almost mimicking how I held my shovel.


    I responded with a nod.


    Although this was a practice round that Ryu had simply asked, I felt my legs shake for a few minutes. Although the first time against him I had won, Ryu said he was going to try and amp up the difficulty for the training.


    I had started to wonder why I trusted him to exchange tips for me. He doesn¡¯t seem qualified at first, but it felt as if there was something I had thrown away when considering him.


    ¡°Go!¡± Ryu rushed forward at me, carrying a small cello bow in his hand.


    ¡°Woah¡­¡± I swung my head back, clashing the blade of my shovel with his bow, ¡°What¡¯s up with you today?¡±


    ¡°I just felt like it today Kurumi,¡± Ryu smirked, ¡°Besides, when was the last time we taught each other something?¡±


    I don¡¯t know why, but Ryu has been quite scary lately.


    During our second meeting, he decided one day he wasn¡¯t going to ¡®hold back¡¯ just to get me up to speed in case we ever ran into another issue.


    I know he¡¯s a pragmatic guy, but I don¡¯t think we would ever meet another survivor. And even if we did, violence wouldn¡¯t be an answer.


    ¡°The bow won¡¯t hurt. I was lying about the holding back part¡± He spun the bow around in a fashionable manner, striking the blade of my shovel.


    By the look of his moves, it seemed as if one hit and I¡¯d be on the floor knocked out cold. Yet at the same time, his actions only meant his only intent was to test me at every angle.


    Ryu took a step back, locking the bow with my shovel. We stared at each other for a moment, as I glanced down to notice an opening on his leg.


    He pushed forward again, only to lose his balance as I stepped away.


    Now¡¯s my chance!


    I swung my shovel straight towards his shin, only for it to be slammed through the floor with Ryu¡¯s bow. Despite all the force I had thrown, a single stroke stopped it dead in its tracks.


    He¡¯s fast¡­


    Ryu lunged forward, only to miss as I released my grasp over the shovel and sidestepped away. He gave a glance at the shovel, before charging at me again. I swung away again, feeling the breeze each time Ryu sent the bow.


    His movements weren¡¯t exactly fluid, as if he was improvising on the spot without thought. Yet it felt almost impossible to get an opening.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite unlucky of you¡±


    He spun the bow around, swinging it around my head as I ducked over, lightly shoving him towards the nearby table while I snatched his bow.


    ¡°Two can play that game¡± I slid towards the ground, gripping onto my shovel with my other hand, ¡°Wanna call it quits?¡±


    It seemed I had won again. And with both weapons at hand, it seemed I¡¯ve improved.


    ¡°This would be good for if you ever got into a pinch¡±


    ¡°Pinch?¡± I raised an eyebrow.


    Ryu planted his foot onto the leg of a nearby chair, now kicking it towards me. I stepped over to the side, managing to dodge it out of luck.


    I stormed over towards Ryu, sending the flat end of the shovel close to his face.


    ¡°I win¨C Huh?¡±


    Ryu had both hands grasping onto the shovel with both ends, stopping it dead in its tracks.


    ¡°Nope¡± He smiled.


    I swung the cello bow straight through its side, only for it to be cut in half through a single knee straight at it.


    We kept ourselves at a standstill, as I tried to wrestle my shovel straight towards him to no avail.


    ¡°Jeez you make it hard¡­¡± I scratched my head.


    ¡°Well if it¡¯s hard, then it¡¯ll be easier for you when you actually get into a situation like this¡±


    Before I could respond, he pushed the shovel away, leaving me wide open. Yet as I backed away, he grasped onto the nearby duffel bag close to the table, throwing a tennis ball straight at me.


    ¡°Oof!¡± I stepped over to the side, kicking the ball back to him, ¡°That¡¯s unfair!¡±


    ¡°No it isn¡¯t¡± He threw another ball, this time missing.


    ¡°Jeez I thought you took¨C Huh?!¡± I felt a light tap on my back.


    Somehow, the ball deflected from the wall behind me.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it¡±


    I rushed across the room, swinging my shovel straight at him only to miss as he stepped back.


    I followed suit, sending more swings straight at him only for the same result. Although most of the tennis balls Ryu was throwing at me barely hit the mark, some of the lucky ones even dealt quite the blow at my leg.


    Even trying to corner him was impossible for me.


    ¡°Think fast¡± Ryu threw another ball, this time missing.


    ¡°Wait, why are you doing this?¡±


    ¡°Just to simulate you getting swarmed at all sides. If you could block or dodge most of them, then you don¡¯t need to worry about fighting against a swarm¡±


    Quite an odd reasoning, but I couldn¡¯t really question.¡­


    ¡°One recommendation¡± Ryu picked up another tennis ball, ¡°Try dodging it¡±


    ¡°Of course¡­¡± I rolled my eyes.


    Ryu threw another barrage of balls towards the nearby tables while stepping to the right. I took a few steps back while having my shovel lowered to dodge the oncoming hits to no avail.


    By now, I had realized why I started to trust Ryu in teaching me this.


    ¡°Visualize where the ball would hit, Kurumi. See which one is coming first and step away¡± Ryu slowed down his throwing for a moment, ¡°Try not to panic if it isn¡¯t going for you¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I just push it away, even if it misses me¡±


    ¡°What if there¡¯s another threat in front of you? Your shovel is heavy so it wouldn¡¯t be easy just swinging it constantly¡± Ryu threw another ball, this time heading straight for me.


    ¡°How was that so fast- Huh?¡± The same ball I had dodged bounced through a nearby table, giving me a light tap.


    After a moment of staring at the ball, it all made sense now.


    Ryu¡¯s testing to see how smart I am in a situation like this. But the fact that he is underestimating me is quite cocky of him. I gave a smirk.


    He started to circle around me, collecting a few tennis balls off the ground while I watched him.


    I did a quick twirl of my shovel, parrying each ball that ricocheted towards me with little effort before rushing towards him with the shovel aimed at his torso.


    ¡°Do you yield?¡± I gave a smug look


    ¡°I was going to ask you that question but uh¡­¡± Ryu pointed down at the floor, ¡°Yea I yield¡±


    By some miracle, I hadn¡¯t stepped on a single tennis ball that was littered all across the floor. One wrong step and I would¡¯ve tripped.


    ¡°Jeez, was that why you didn¡¯t go hard on me?¡±


    ¡°Yuuri would kill me if I do¡± Ryu slid his foot around the balls, consolidating them all under one table, ¡°Hence why I was ready to catch you if you lost your balance¡±


    ¡°Yea¡­¡± I leaned back at the table, ¡°Why¡¯d you choose to play like that anyways?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember the last time it rained?¡±


    ¡°... Yeah¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not blaming you for anything of course, but I¡¯ll digress from that¡± Ryu grabbed onto the duffel bag, scooping up all the balls he had consolidated into it, ¡°Just to get you up to speed of course¡±


    ¡°Well, in that case, should I tell you to run a marathon while I throw tennis balls at you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d have to clean it up¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡±


    Ryu seemed to have smiled more often than usual today.


    I had noticed that he was talking to this imaginary friend yesterday, while Yuki was following closely behind. Yet when I asked him about it, he dismissed it as ¡®just a friend¡¯ which was code for playing along.


    But from what Yuuri told me, Ryu never smiled while interacting with Yuki¡¯s delusions. And not to a scale like yesterday. But perhaps he¡¯s just in a good mood.


    ¡°Can I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°I know you take up martial arts, but how come you are so well adapted with a shovel?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ isn¡¯t it like an extension of yourself?¡±


    ¡°Are we talking physically or mentally?¡±


    ¡°Err¡­ both?¡±


    ¡°Of course¡­¡± Ryu rolled his eyes, ¡°The fact that you keep it with you while you¡¯re sleeping is saying something¡±


    ¡°Shaddup¡± I gave a tap behind his back.


    ¡°Anyways, would you like to go for a second round?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ but could you tone it down a bit?¡±


    ¡°Sure¡±


    Despite what I had asked, Ryu seemed as relentless as before. Yet this time, he managed to somehow set up ways to trap me midway through a fight. A strategy that I hadn¡¯t gotten used to.


    After an hour, we sat close by the tables with a bottle of water. I poured some over my head while Ryu poked his head through the window.


    ¡°Not gonna lie Ryu, you¡¯re quite difficult to handle¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like the movies where the person who¡¯s stronger or faster wins the fight¡­¡± Ryu turned over, ¡°Ever watched a lot of action movies?¡±


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°Nope, just video games¡±


    ¡°Which type?¡±


    ¡°The console ones where you go up against another player¡± I grabbed onto a bottle, passing it to him, ¡°Want some?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pass¡± Ryu started to look outside at the hills, ¡°The rain wasn¡¯t as heavy as I thought it would¡±


    ¡°Perhaps the next time we spar we do it out there with the rain¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind. It¡¯d probably give me a second wind to be honest¡±


    ¡°And a lot of cheap tricks to throw at me¡­¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Heh. Maybe next time. If we ever extend our security beyond the school¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll probably take a while¡±


    ¡°Hence why I need you¡±


    ¡°Well, why can¡¯t you also take up the fighting?¡± I leaned by the wall, ¡°You¡¯re quite capable yourself¡±


    ¡°Are you saying it from what you¡¯ve seen today and last week? Because I¡¯m not that good to be honest¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t play oblivious with me. Remember that festival two years ago?¡±


    Ryu kept silent.


    ¡°You were throwing devastating blows to those guys all the time. And all over something trivial¡± I gave a snicker, ¡°What happened anyways?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Ryu sat down close by the window, pushing away the shrapnel scattered across the floor, ¡°I won¡­ of course. But I never expected you to be a witness of it¡±


    ¡°The whole school was talking about you and those teenagers. Even the Judo Captain thought you would be a perfect example for his club members¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Ryu smirked.


    ¡°It was why when you offered me to exchange some skills, I didn¡¯t say no¡±


    ¡°And nowadays I thought school rumors disappear after a few months¡­¡± Ryu rolled his eyes.


    Ryu seems a bit dumb when it comes to these social situations. It wasn¡¯t like the rumors would simply leave him one day.


    ¡°Well, they kinda do¡± I laid the shovel close by the ground, ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean people will forget¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Ryu gave a glance at the ceiling before looking back at me, ¡°I¡¯ll admit I had trained a lot back in the day¡­ I had only quit after that incident¡±


    ¡°Well, you didn¡¯t instigate the fight, right?¡± I leaned forward, giving him a smug look.


    ¡°If I did, I''d be a normal student at best. I don¡¯t think the school would want a School President who had started conflict¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­ perhaps those seniors chose the wrong person to mess with¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Ryu gave a glance at me, ¡°It was surprising to see the entire school watch. Katsuragi¡­ Mizuki¡­ Takeya¡­¡±


    I stopped for a moment, before nodding.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Ryu looked over at me, ¡°Sorry about that¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ve moved on¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind answering, did you like him?¡±


    With my face feeling quite red after that question, I gave a nod before looking away.


    ¡°I never personally knew Katsuragi, but I had heard rumors of you liking him from a person I knew in track and field. Before the outbreak reached our school I noticed you were talking to him at the field so that reinforced my ideal¡±


    ¡°What, were you some sort of spy?¡± I turned over.


    ¡°Of course not¡± Ryu shook his head, ¡°But ever since that incident at the rooftop, for some reason it couldn¡¯t get over my head. Even though I¡¯ve never had a crush with anyone, I couldn¡¯t help but¡­ feel bad for you¡±


    My eyes widened for a moment, almost unable to process what I had witnessed. For once, it felt as if Ryu had changed from the inside.


    ¡°And uh¡­ Kurumi¡± Ryu turned over, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for dumping my trauma over at you last week¡±


    ¡°Oh no! Don¡¯t consider trauma dumping that¡± I waved my hand dismissively, ¡°I already understand why you reacted to that in the headmaster¡¯s office¡±


    ¡°Well, what about what happened after that? Telling you to keep it shut from the others was quite manipulative of me¡±


    ¡°Ah don¡¯t sweat it. I wouldn¡¯t have said anything regardless¡±


    Ryu gave a nod, smiling for a moment.


    It¡¯d be quite a stretch if I said Ryu didn¡¯t have any empathy. Yet the fact that he had expressed this sort of sensitivity towards something that was my trauma, it felt as if he didn¡¯t want me to think about it alone.


    I had never seen Ryu as a sensitive person who would get sad over anything. As a matter of fact, everytime we had witnessed something traumatic, it felt as if he would move on the next day with accepting the reality.


    But it seemed as if he had been hiding this feeling for quite some time. And now I can understand why.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s all in the past. Let¡¯s move forward, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course¡­¡± Ryu gave this small stare at me for a moment, ¡°But can I ask, why do we call someone who we like their girlfriend or boyfriend?¡±


    The question was quite simple in nature, yet I couldn¡¯t understand why we did it.


    ¡°Perhaps it''s one of those things that never made sense in the first place but we just go along with it¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite the judgment, but I like it¡± Ryu nodded, ¡°Some things should remained questioned for later¡±


    ¡°Have you ever gotten a girlfriend before?¡±


    ¡°I wish I could say yes. But I never had an attractive feeling to Hano¡±


    My stomach curled up as he mentioned Hano, yet I maintained a straight face.


    ¡°Right¡­ Did you ever plan to get one?¡±


    ¡°It never made sense to me. And during the past few years I had always thought that friendships and relationships are rarely¡­ authentic¡±


    ¡°Authentic?¡± I raised an eyebrow, ¡°Aren¡¯t most if not all friendships real?¡±


    ¡°Some people I knew used other friends as a way to receive loans or get help from others. Some wrestle and laugh at each other. Sometimes they even get into a bit of mischief.  Is that truly a way for friendship?¡±


    I shrugged in response. Ryu had always asked those questions like they were part of some philosophy of his. Yet he couldn¡¯t easily answer it.


    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t the point of friendship being doing something together? Have something that we can relate to?¡± I left my shovel on the ground, ¡°You used to paint a lot, right?¡±


    ¡°Well you can¡¯t define friendship on mutual interest, but yeah¡±


    ¡°Hano-chan liked to do art as well. And you two were friends. Isn¡¯t that a part of friendship?¡±


    ¡°Is it really that hard to piece together a definition for it?¡± Ryu rested his head over the wall.


    Ryu wasn¡¯t wrong, to say the least. I couldn¡¯t find the exact answer to friendship. But I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll find out. For someone like him, he was probably overthinking what it was.


    As we exchanged looks at each other, the sound of rain echoed across the hallways, followed by the sound of Yuki calling out our names.


    ¡°Dinner time already?¡± I got up.


    ¡°Probably not. Yuuri may need help with the laundry¡±


    ¡°Wanna come over?¡±


    ¡°I already have my little operation with the clothes going. I¡¯ll catch up with you later¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­ how about you run a lap around the second and third floors. You need that stamina¡±


    ¡°Sure¡­ how about we meet tomorrow and do a run?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡± I gave a short wave while walking towards the clubroom, ¡°I hope you¡¯re tired by the time you get back to the clubroom¡±


    ¡°Heh, quite the expectation¡± Ryu now got up, giving a few stretches.


    I do wonder why Ryu asked me about friendship though. If it was something completely foreign or he was thinking about it.


    Ryu wasn¡¯t the type you could easily become friends with due to how serious he took his role to a point where formalities were ingrained within his rulebook. Someone who would question everything you did.


    But now Yuki and I started to see him as just someone who was willing to smile and open up. A step forward compared to how he isolated himself in his office during the first days. Even Yuuri had started getting used to it.


    It was nice to say the least.


    Three years ago, the Ryuusei festival was underway across the school.


    It wasn¡¯t exactly the most exciting, yet it was better than having to study in the classroom for another hour as classes had to end early for the festival to commence.


    Rather than deciding to go out with a few friends of mine, I had wandered alone in the meantime. As I got close to one of the nearby stalls, I noticed the door to the sports warehouse was open.


    At first, I didn¡¯t mind. Yet after noticing some shouting and movement, it pretty much spelt drama.


    As I leaned close by the wall, the sound of sobbing echoed across the warehouse.


    I peeked over at the door, watching the commotion.


    SMACK


    A senior¡¯s face was slammed straight through the wall, creating a massive bang which reverberated dangerously close to where I was watching. Despite flinching for a moment, I continued to stare into the room.


    ¡°C¡¯mon!¡± A voice echoed across the hallway, ¡°If you¡¯ve really expended all that energy fighting each other, this wouldn¡¯t be fun, right?¡±


    I squinted for a moment, staring straight through the opening.


    Ryu walked towards the middle, his confident expression almost echoing across my head as if what had happened during his second and third senior year was a complete downgrade.


    Yet, through his expression, I noticed that his eyes could barely catch up as it looked like he was going to fall asleep anytime.


    Another figure came into my view, now charging straight into Ryu only to miss. Taking this opportunity, he managed to slide a box of tennis balls over towards the figure, causing him to crash into the nearby wall.


    Ryu Tanaka? Getting into a fight like this? I thought to myself, What in the world is happening¡­


    As I had only known him as a Junior Student Council member, all I really thought was why my first impression of him was this cocky self-centered person with a loud mouth.


    After a few inaudible shouts and commands, two figures now surrounded Ryu, pacing around him with their fists closed. With the significant height difference between him and the two seniors, it felt as if he was taking a suicide mission.


    The figure in front of him charged forward straight at Ryu, sending a barrage of blows straight at him without any issue. His maneuvers, despite being quite rough and improvised, were almost foolproof. Especially against this senior who had started to push Ryu back through sheer strength.


    ¡°Quite disappointing for a blue belt like you¡±


    Ryu quickly stepped forward, closing the gap between him and the figure before sending a series of responding jabs and strikes towards the figure¡¯s neck. The figure gurgled for a moment, before collapsing.


    The senior behind him reeled his right foot behind, sending a kick towards his back only to miss entirely. Ryu, by some miracle, somehow dodged it as if he was in a movie.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna make sure you die right here!¡± The figure screamed while sending multiple jabs towards his face.


    Contrary to the figure¡¯s statement, Ryu remained unphased while parrying each strike.


    ¡°You won¡¯t get far then¡± Ryu gave a scornful look.


    ¡°You piece of¨C¡±


    Before the figure could say anything, Ryu sent two jabs towards his face, followed by a knee towards his gut and a shove to the nearby wall.


    Despite the lights around the warehouse, it was only now that I had managed to get a full look of Ryu. His face was marked by a mere smile. Not anything creepy or terrifying, rather just one as if he genuinely found it a hobby for pleasure.


    With how charismatic and almost overconfident he had acted over the first school year, I couldn¡¯t even tell if he really liked it or if it was just a facade.


    ¡°Both of you had the audacity to pick on someone who was two years younger and merely was an outlier in her year level. Yet you can¡¯t even lay a finger over her friends¡± He walked over towards the first senior on the floor, sending a devastating kick towards his gut.


    ¡°Agh!¡± The senior cursed something out, only to be muffled by the pain.


    ¡°What about you?¡± Ryu pointed to someone away from my sights, possibly the girl sobbing, ¡°Are you gonna try something?¡±


    The figure that had crashed into the wall charged straight at him almost in complete silence, only managing to catch him off guard and bear hug him.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Ryu now lurched his left elbow backwards, barraging the figure¡¯s gut relentlessly before grabbing onto his arm and slamming him straight down onto the ground, He then turned over to the sobbing figure.


    ¡°You tremble at something that you¡¯ve been doing for the past three years without remorse¡­ yet Hano never cried or made a problem about it! She should¡¯ve been crying. Not you!¡±


    The distant female sob across the warehouse started to turn into rage.


    ¡°Hano?¡± The voice gave a small scoff, ¡°This is pathetic! Why would you even be friends with a loner like her¨C¡±


    ¡°Shut up¡± Ryu interrupted, ¡°I¡¯m not listening to anyone of the likes of you¨C¡±


    A sudden grunt followed, as Ryu now stepped away into my view, both hands raised as if he was about to meet an attack. The female senior stepped into my view for a moment, thrusting something from her arm straight at him only to miss.


    A knife??


    She thrusted her knife straight at Ryu¡¯s gut, this time almost landing at him only to have missed due to how overextended she was. Despite Ryu being able to parry and dodge his strikes, it looked as if at any time his luck could run out.


    I wanted to jump in and tell them to stop it, or by the very least call the teacher and tell them that a senior was about to kill Ryu.  Yet at that moment, all I did was stare at the unfolding battle.


    ¡°Using a knife on me, hm?¡± Ryu stepped over to the right, ¡°Perhaps you should be expelled¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t be getting expelled by a psychopath like you!¡±


    The girl screamed, repeatedly swinging the knife only to miss. Yet everytime Ryu dodged it, I could tell the knife was getting dangerously close to his chest.


    ¡°You think you¡¯re in the right here?¡±


    ¡°All I know is you¡¯re wrong!¡± She swung her knife straight at Ryu¡¯s neck, only missing by a few inches.


    ¡°Sometimes two wrongs make a right¡­¡± Ryu stepped away again, his face composed, ¡°But I don¡¯t think I should be concerned anymore after this¡±


    As I tried to get another good angle, the commotion around me grew louder. Confused chatter turned into intrigued discussions as more students started to pile around me.


    By a few seconds, hundreds of students were now gathering by the entrance watching what was unfolding. I was eventually pushed out from my spot, having to now contend with the flood of students who later got front seats in the incident.


    It was only until the next day that I heard snippets of the story. Only my friends at the Track and Field club asked me what I had witnessed, yet most of their absurd questions only bent what was meant to be the truth.


    I didn''t know what Ryu was doing at that time. It wasn¡¯t sure for me to know if he was a psychopath, perhaps just someone seeking revenge. Yet for now, it seemed like it was something I shouldn¡¯t worry about.