Everything was swirling and black, flashes of other colors blinding him. He heard a familiar voice calling his name. His brother. From then on, he knew it was a dream. Or maybe a memory. Anything but reality, because the reality was that his brother was long gone. Maybe not dead, but definitely gone. Focusing on the voice, the image of his brother became clearer and he recognized the scene from his memory immediately. The last time he saw his brother, before that idiot scientist in Washington D.C. screwed everything up. Back when he was still happy, when he still had his brother.

"Jeez, Kei, are you even listening to me?"

Akiteru was looking at him with soft eyes and a playful expression. (If only he knew that would have been the last time he would smile like that. The memory continued, despite Kei's best efforts to ignore it.) Kei scoffed in response.

"I knew it," Akiteru sighed, flicking his little brother on the forehead. He smiled again and whined, "Kei, you never listen to me anymore, even though my stories are great."

Kei rolled his eyes. Crossing his arms, he refused to make eye contact and instead said, "Your stories are exaggerated, and some of them are even completely made up. You can't impress me with fake stories, Akiteru."

"Ahh, you're such a teenager," he teased, ruffling Kei's hair. He stood up to leave, before pausing in the doorway and turning to face his brother. "I love you, you know?"

Kei pointedly looked away and didn't respond. (He should have. God, he should have. He should have told his brother just how much he loved him, how much he looked up to Akiteru, but he didn't.) Akiteru breathed out of his nose, forcing a chuckle. Then he was gone, and the memory changed. (Kei knew what came next. It always came next, without fail. The memory was what made his dreams a nightmare instead.)

The swirling colors came back, and Kei felt nauseous, even if it wasn't real. The colors slowed, evening out, and the new memory came into focus. Akiteru was standing over him, his eyes wild with fear, clutching onto Kei's shoulders. He was yelling something, but it wasn't until he chanted his name over and over that the sound became intelligible.

"Kei … Kei, are you listening to me? The stimulant they said on the news, the one that … changes people. I've been using it for months now. I'm so sorry, Kei. I love you, but you need to leave, before I hurt you. Go, find Tadashi, and … stay safe. Please, Kei. Go."

Kei was shaking his head furiously, refusing to believe anything his brother spouted. His eyes were filled with tears and snot was running down his face. (Kei cringed, how gross.) Everything mean he had ever told his brother was filtering through his still-innocent mind, and here Akiteru was, trying to be a hero and save him. What an idiot.

"No! Akiteru, I won't leave without you! You're still okay, you're not one of them yet! Maybe … maybe you're immune, maybe it won't hurt you. Please don't make me leave without you. I love you too, Akiteru, please don't …"

The echo of I love you too lingered in the air, and Akiteru was silent for a moment. His mouth twitched into as much of a smile as could be possible in such a situation. It didn't last long. The smile twisted into a terrible frown, and he became paler by the moment. (Kei understood what that meant, even then.)

"Kei - Kei, you've got - urghh - you've got to go right now - I don't feel so - I feel - Mom and dad are - ugh - already gone - please just - go … - before I … - Kei …"

"Akiteru! No! Please don't … I love you …"

If Kei could have chanted I love you over and over, and it would have saved his brother, he would have. If Kei could have said I love you just one more time, he would have. If Kei could have gone back in time and told his brother that he loved him too, he would have. But he couldn't have.

When sweat began trickling down Akiteru's face, and his pupils dilated inhumanely wide, Kei knew he had to go. He knew, and yet … he stood frozen, trying to memorize anything he could about his brother.

Akiteru pushed him out of the door, screaming at him to run, to leave and never come back. Kei stumbled, turning to his brother. His eyes widened in horror as he watched Akiteru rip a piece of flesh off his own arm with his teeth, slowly stepping closer to Kei. The only explanation was that he was trying to protect Kei, even at the last moment, even when he was turning, even when he was dying …

With one last effort, Akiteru yelled for him to go, leave.

"Go!"

It was probably the only time Kei ever truly listened to his brother. He turned away, tears streaming down his face, still hearing the dry heaves and moans from his brother. Everywhere he looked, people had bits of flesh ripped off their bodies, people were pale and horrifying. He sprinted down the street, determined to find the only person besides Akiteru he had ever cared for.

Kei felt a hand on his shoulder, and he screamed, stumbling, and then he was falling. Falling, screaming and falling. He screamed one last time, for all the horrors in the world and, most of all, for his brother. His lungs burning, he screamed -

"Kei! Kei, you're fine! It was just a dream," a soft voice soothed him, bringing him back to reality. Kei was sweating and breathing heavily. He looked around wildly, before finally focusing on the body that was holding him.

"Tadashi," Kei breathed. Of course it was Tadashi. Who else would it have been? Akiteru was gone. His parents were dead. All their friends had retreated to god-knows-where. But Tadashi was here, they were together, and the dead don't respond to their name.

"I'm here," Tadashi said, rubbing circles into his back. He nuzzled Kei's neck, murmuring soft nothings until he calmed down a bit. "The same nightmare?"

Kei nodded jerkily, trying to slow his heartbeat. It was the same damn nightmare, day after day. Even though months had passed, it was still the same. Tadashi sighed and eased them both back onto their makeshift beds.

"Try to sleep again, okay?"

Kei nodded again, but knew he wouldn't sleep, he would end up thinking too much about everything. Tadashi knew that, too. The nightmare always kept Kei up, and he could only ever sleep if he was dead tired. Next to him, Tadashi had already fallen back to sleep, curled up into his side. Kei huffed, but couldn't bring himself to be mean enough to wake his best friend up again. God knew he deserved the rest, everyone deserved a peaceful sleep after what had happened.

At least life was getting easier. The more time that passed, the less people that were being turned, the less people that became … inhuman. Kei refused to use the word zombie. It was such a disgusting word and it sounded like something out of a movie rather than a terrible situation that really happened. It felt disrespectful to call people, relatives, friends, lovers that turned such a shameful word.

Apparently, that was a feeling that most people shared, he soon found out.

The weeks that followed Akiteru's turning and society's downfall, Tadashi and Kei stumbled upon small groups of people hiding out in different places. The smart ones hunkered down in giant superstores, or grocery stores. Others tried their best at a normal life, staying in their house, locking the doors. A small portion of people became the defense system. They went around killing the people that had turned, with whatever they had. The most popular weapons were guns, considering the only way to kill them were via the brain.

After a while, all of them agreed on what to call the people that turned: the Ghosts. It made sense. When a person turned, their previous self died. They weren't considered human anymore. They lost all their memories and anything connected to their previous lives. Basically, they were dead, and yet, they still wandered the streets.

They were Ghosts.

The cause of Ghosts was a scientist meddling with an idea of a stimulant when they shouldn't have been. The stimulant, used only in a popular energy drink brand and a specific type of coffee, was supposed to tap into the brain, helping them speed up and make a person be able to think quicker. The scientist claimed that the energy drink was the newest breakthrough in keeping someone's mind working.

The energy drink and coffee worked for a while. Test scores soared, people had more intelligent conversations, with less awkward pauses, and people were able to be more productive. College students especially enjoyed the energy drink and coffee, working well into the night to finish an essay.

A year later, assault reports and death tolls spiked. The only thing all the cases had in common was the energy drink. It turned out that the scientist had been messing around with non-human DNA to make the stimulant included in the drinks, and anyone who used the stimulant more than a couple times lost their will to be human, only to be replaced by primal instincts to kill.

It was ironic, how something made specifically to be a stimulant turned people into mindless predators.

That day, when Akiteru turned, everything went to hell. May 7th, 2015, something was triggered in the brain of those who regularly used the energy drink. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had been trying for weeks to figure out how long it took for the primal instinct to kick in. They had, on May 6th, told the world about the stimulant which they dubbed as caput mortuum, literally "dead head."

If only the CDC had knew it would have been the very next day. No one knew why it happened at once. Before, it happened to a few people at a time. But nothing like May 7th, stupidly named Z-Day where everyone that had ingested the stimulant often lost their humanity and fell to caput mortuum.

Tadashi sighed next to Kei, snuggling closer to him, almost as a reminder than he wasn't the only one to lose family. Tadashi lost everyone, too. Everyone except Kei.

The two of them had gathered as much food and other necessities as possible and ran away together. They had been living on their own for months, every once in a while teaming up with another group, but never staying. At first, they had just tried running from the Ghosts. After all, they were slower, their limbs stiff from less blood flow, and they were easily outran. But there were so many, and the Ghosts were smart. They knew to team up with other Ghosts, like packs of wild animals and drive their prey into a corner. Soon, it wasn't enough just to run.

They had to fight back.

Kei stretched his hand out, feeling around for his iPod, one of the remaining items he owned. He slipped on his headphones and played his music, wrapping an arm around Tadashi, trying to forget his problems. Only, it wasn't that easy.

He remembered the first time he killed a Ghost. It was about a month after Z-Day and they were running out of food. They had searched for a grocery store and finally found one that wasn't completely picked clean. That was their first mistake: it had been a trap. A Ghost had cornered Tadashi, and the next thing Kei had realized was that Tadashi was screaming. Kei had sprinted for his life, for Tadashi's life. With the knife that he kept close to him at all times, Kei stabbed it into the Ghost's head, cringing at the gross sound it made, even in his memory. The knife was stuck, but soon, the Ghost fell to the ground and ceased movement.

Kei had ran to Tadashi, scooping him into a hug. Both of them were crying, murmuring anything and everything to each other. That was when they realized how vulnerable they were. They knew they would have to learn to fight back. Before they left, they stocked up on food, determined not to be scared off. They'd starve to death before they'd let a Ghost kill them and turn them into a Ghost.

Three weeks later, they met Kuroo and Kenma. Kei and Tadashi traded food and other supplies for a gun for Kei, and a bow and arrow for Tadashi. They traded information. Where Ghosts were congregating. Where there were underground groups. Who was defending, and who was still farming and making supplies. Tadashi taught Kenma how to dress a wound; Kenma taught Tadashi how to deal with an anxiety attack. Kuroo taught Kei how to shoot; Kei taught Kuroo which plants were deadly and which were useful.

A week after that, Kuroo and Kenma were gone without a trace. They left only a radio.

People filtered in and out of their lives, with Tadashi as the only constant. As the months wore on, the number of Ghosts slowly began to dwindle, thanks to those killing them, and the knowledge about what turned someone and what didn't. The Ghosts didn't move unless they were in packs, and that might have been the most unsettling thing yet.

Unlike the movies, the people surviving were intelligent. They used radio stations and other communication, relaying any new information they got. Kei now knew that someone could only become a Ghost if a Ghost bit that person. Scratches didn't do anything, neither did being touched by any bodily fluid of the Ghost.

Somewhere out there, there were more scientists working hard, trying to figure out a way to turn the Ghosts back to human. Deep down, Kei knew it wouldn't make a difference, not unless they were all killed. Even if Ghosts could be turned back, everyone realized they wouldn't have any of the same memories.

"Kei …" Tadashi whimpered in his sleep, a grave reminder that this was far from over. They still had to survive. They still had to fight the Ghosts, even if the Ghosts had been someone's mom, someone's brother, maybe a lover. It was nearing the end of autumn, and Kei was nervous for the winter. They would need to stock up on food and find somewhere safe to bunker down for a while. "Kei …"

"I'm here, Tadashi," Kei said, stroking his best friend's hair. "I'm here, you don't need to worry. I won't let them get you, I promise. I won't leave you. Never."

Kei had long lost count of how many Ghosts he had killed.


Good morning, and hello, you're listening to the daily report. Today is Friday, November 27th, 2015, for those that like knowing what the date is. The weather should be mild, it would be smart to take advantage of the weather and stock up on supplies. A cold front moves in the next week, and it is believed that winter will be in full swing after that.

In Districts 31a, 31b, 34, 39, and 40 of Sector 1 farmers are hard at work and are believed to have fresh food. If you are desperately in need of food, they will be willing to trade. Otherwise, it is the best idea to leave them be until all the crops are able to grow more, hopefully surviving the winter.

The Ghost death report for the week is back. Defense groups across the region have targeted the Ghost raids in Sector 2 and 3. There is said to be no Ghosts remaining, and are clear for people needing to travel through those areas for now. However, Sector 8 is now designated as a Ghost Town. I repeat, Sector 8 is a Ghost Town and is unsafe for anyone until further notice. Sector 12 is still under a Ghost Watch, and will likely become a Ghost Town within the next week.

The Seijou Division will be meeting at District 22 of Sector 1 over the weekend to prepare to move out to take back Sector 4 completely. Captain Tooru Oikawa is requesting back up. I repeat, Seijou will meet at District 42 of Sector 1.

The Fukurodani Division is targeting the Ghosts of Sector 14 as we speak. Please keep them and Captain Koutarou Bokuto in your prayers. God knows we need all the help we can get. Another Division, name unknown, have supposedly finished cleaning up the majority of Sector 13, but it is advised to stay away for a few days.

That is all the updates as of today. Remember to check back in tomorrow for our weekly moment of silence. Have a good day, and remember, don't die -

Kei grumbled, turning the annoying radio off. If there was anything that irritated him more than the stupid saying and remember, don't die, then he hadn't found it yet. Tadashi smiled at him sympathetically, understanding what was bothering him.

"We need to get going," Kei said instead, rather than talk about his feelings. Tadashi nodded and stood up, gathering their belongings.

Just like the radio had told them, they were going to scavenge for food and hopefully stock up on enough to survive them for a good portion of the winter. Tadashi slung his backpack over both his shoulders and neatly arranged his bow and arrow around his arm. Kei wore two backpacks, one in the front, one in the back, and held his gun. They both had knives stashed throughout their body, as well. Their weapons weren't necessary since there were only a few stragglers of Ghosts where they'd be traveling through, but they could never be too careful.

"Ready?" Tadashi asked. Kei nodded, pulling out their map. They studied it for a moment, deciding on Sector 13. It was the closest Sector, encompassing a big city. It didn't matter what District, as long as they would be able to be in the city. Even though the radio had told people to stay away, if they were the first ones there, they'd have the best pick for anything there. Hopefully they'd even get a car. Besides, whatever Division that was in Sector 13 couldn't have done that bad of a job, right?

Kei slipped his hand into Tadashi's and pulled them towards the door. They needed to leave if they wanted to get to the Sector before dark. "Alright, let's go."

They walked for several hours, taking breaks here and there to look at their map, and get something to eat. If Tadashi hadn't been there, Kei would have gotten lost long ago. Just yet another thing he never thought he'd appreciate about his best friend. They held hands the entire time they walked. The gesture might have looked intimate to anyone else, but they knew it was so they couldn't be separated.

One time, in the middle of summer, Kei had been walking in front of Tadashi. They hadn't been talking. The next thing he knew, he looked back, and Tadashi was gone. Everything bad that could possibly happen jumped to mind. What if a Ghost got him? Had he been kidnapped and all his items stolen? Kei hated it, he felt like he lost a part of himself.

When had Tadashi became a part of him, he didn't know.

Fortunately, Tadashi had just wandered off because he saw a dog. Figures. Ever since then, though, and that fear, Kei refused to go anywhere without a physical connection to him. It might have been paranoia and it might have been restricting, but it made him feel better.

So, they held hands.

Kei was brought out of his memory when Tadashi stopped in his tracks. He turned to his friend, about to ask what was the matter, when he realized that it was dusk, and there was something eerily creepy about the town they had just entered. They both knew they were in some District of Sector 13, like they had planned, but something was off.

"Let's just get some stuff and leave," Kei said, trying to seem braver than he actually felt. He could feel Tadashi tremble next to him, but they needed to get food. They had eaten the remaining bits of their food for lunch that day, and the farming Sectors and Districts were too far away. They needed food and they needed it from Sector 13. "Come on, let's go."

Kei moved forward, pulling Tadashi along behind him. Every step they took, it seemed like it was getting darker. Just another reason to hate winter: shorter days. Kei sighed and shook his head, determined to get what they came for. He led them down a small street and to a grocery store, which, luckily, was unlocked. They ducked inside and began to fill up their backpacks with necessities when a loud crash was heard.

Tadashi froze, whimpering, and Kei cursed himself.

More crashes and bangs came from outside the store, and Kei knew instinctively they needed to leave now, before they were trapped inside. He yanked on Tadashi, pulling him out of the store, looking both ways before darting to the left. Maybe luck would be on their side for once, and the Ghosts were the other way.

Luck was not on their side.

Neither was the layout of the city, apparently. Within two minutes, Kei and Tadashi found themselves trapped by a raid of nearly 30 Ghosts at a dead end. The stores on either side of them were locked, and a car was blocking the alley way. That was when Kei knew they were truly doomed.

He hugged his best friend tight, once, before stepping in front of Tadashi, prepared to take as many of the Ghosts down as possible. Kei took out his gun and Tadashi knocked an arrow. They wouldn't go down without a fight. After all, the fight was ingrained into their senses, it was merely an instinct at that point.

The Ghosts advanced.

"CLOSE YOUR EYES!" A deep voice screamed from somewhere above them. For whatever reason, Kei and Tadashi complied. Maybe because the voice was obviously human, or maybe they just wanted to be saved. A car engine revved, the one behind them. From behind his eyelids, Kei recognized a flash of a bright light, and then it was gone. It must have been the headlights from the car. He opened his eyes again, and two thirds of the Ghosts were disoriented, stumbling around.

The other third … ?

Well, they were on the ground, arrows through their head. Six of the arrows had white ribbons attached to the end and four had black. Kei didn't have time to contemplate what that meant before a flash of orange came in, bouncing around, decapitating at least four, if not five, Ghosts in a row. They fell to the ground, dead as their partners. Blood seeped into the ground, staining the concrete.

The pair stood still, shocked and unable to fully grasp the situation. Was this the unnamed division on the radio? They had to be, but … weren't the Ghosts supposed to be killed by then? Kei didn't bother thinking of an answer, rather, he turned his attention to the remaining Ghosts. He was angry, disappointed in himself and everything else, and he began to take it out on the Ghosts.

He took Tadashi's hand again, squeezed it once, let go, and they fought together, for what may have been the last time. Kei carefully aimed his gun, slowly taking out Ghosts. That was one thing he had learned, one of the most important things Kuroo had drilled into his mind: do not waste bullets.

The flash of orange paused, hanging on to a particular stocky Ghost's back, when another voice screamed, "Hinata, behind you!"

The flash of orange quickly stabbed the stocky Ghost through the head and whirled around, facing a Ghost that had snuck up on him, only for the Ghost to crumple to the ground and bleed out. He looked up at the top of the building and yelled, "Thanks, Kageyama!"

Kei and Tadashi followed the gaze of the flash of orange to the top of the building. There was a lanky, dark haired guy on the roof with a sniper rifle. Oh. That made sense. While the sniper, Kageyama, apparently, began to pick Ghosts off one by one, Tadashi brought down some of his own Ghosts. Yet another Ghost attempted to sneak up on the flash of orange, but Tadashi wasn't about to let anything happen to one of their saviors. He let an arrow fly and it hit the Ghost, square in the forehead. Blood trickled down from the wound for only a moment until the Ghost collapsed and fell to the ground.

The flash of orange was the only person within the battle, besides Kei and Tadashi, but that didn't matter. He was taking out just as many Ghosts as those using the long range tactics.

More and more bodies fell to the ground. Arrows with different colors of ribbons littered the area, along with Tadashi's special type of arrows. Blood was splattered on the concrete from the Ghosts that had been stabbed, and blood seeped out of the brains of the bodies who had been shot.

Within five minutes, the raid of Ghosts were defeated. It looked like a battlefield and it took all of Kei's control not to throw up right then and there. He felt Tadashi wrap a comforting arm around him and lead him away from the carnage to the open area and a few benches.

Purposefully or not, the unnamed Division gathered in front of them. They checked up on each person, making sure no one was hurt. The guy with the orange hair had been scratched on the arm. A tall, intimidating man with his hair in a bun began to wrap the wound and then, everyone was quiet. They turned their attention to the odd couple out. A broad shouldered, dark-haired man watched them. Kei felt a chill, and he knew they were being eyed up by the captain of the Division.

"I thought you guys were finished with this sector!" Kei snarled, defending themselves before the Division even said anything. He was beyond pissed. They didn't do their job properly and Tadashi might have died. He had long ago decided he'd do everything in his power to keep his best friend alive.

The group in front of them at least had the decency to look sheepish, except for Kageyama, who Kei took an immediate disliking to. The captain frowned and took a step forward, taking in Kei and Tadashi's appearance. Eventually, he carefully responded, "We were. Another Ghost raid came from an outer District of the Sector. Besides … the radio said to stay away for a while. Why didn't you listen?"

Kei scowled, glancing at Tadashi. They both knew not to say anything. For all they knew about the Division, they could have been a rogue Division, or even a thief Division. Kei and Tadashi didn't have much, but they didn't want to be left with even less. The less they said, the better.

The man next to the captain smiled at the pair. He had silver hair and a beauty mark, and despite everything, Kei felt himself relax around whoever this man was. He definitely didn't appreciate that. The silver haired man stepped forward, in line with the captain and snapped his fingers in realization.

"You guys came for supplies early, didn't you?" The man asked, nodding to himself, like it was something he would have done. He tucked his hair behind his ear and said, "Don't worry, we have a whole bunch of supplies back at base, if you want to come with us. We planned to comb this area thoroughly tomorrow, since it's already dark. Ah, I'm Suga, by the way, and this is Captain Daichi Sawamura. He's a bit scary, but really, he's a sweetheart."

Daichi scoffed, crossing his arms.

Kei and Tadashi exchanged a look. They knew better to fall for something so … nice. No one was nice anymore, especially if it meant surviving or dying. But there was something about Suga that made both of them want to trust them. Tadashi stepped forward shyly and said, "We really shouldn't."

"Oh, but you should!" Suga replied, clapping his hands in excitement. "I bet it's been a long time since you two have had a real meal. Kinoshita and Yachi made pasta from the supplies we got yesterday. We even have juice, which is a nice change from the gross water we've been drinking."

Kei looked wary, but his stomach betrayed him with a growl. Tadashi chuckled and glanced at his best friend like, well, what's the worst that could happen? They did save us, after all. Kei sighed.

"Okay, but if there's any funny business, I won't hesitate to kill any of you," Kei threatened, but no one seemed to take it to heart. They just laughed. Tadashi slipped a hand into his and he instantly relaxed. Excuses filtered into his mind. Maybe it would be nice to get a real meal instead of the fake food they had been living off of.

The group broke into different conversations, heading off into one direction. Suga and Daichi walked next to the pair, making polite conversation. A few others joined the Division with flashlights as they made their way back to the base. They updated the Captain something about how their explosives were coming.

Kei didn't want to hear anything else.

Tadashi seemed to get along well with everyone, especially the flash of orange, who was apparently named Hinata. Hinata had jumped on Tadashi's back, thanking him for nailing those Ghosts that were trying to sneak up on him. Kei watched with mild interest as Tadashi blushed, waving the compliment off.

The captain cleared his throat next to Kei, and he jumped slightly. He eyed the captain out of the corner of his eye, still suspicious of such a person.

"You guys must go way back," Daichi commented offhandedly.

Kei turned his expression back to uninterested and shrugged.

"I guess so."

Daichi watched Kei, his eyes searching for … something. He didn't seem to find what he was looking for, as he turned away and instead watched his Division talk amongst themselves. Suga came back and nudged Daichi's shoulder, thankfully saving Kei from any more awkward conversations.

A few minutes later, Kei felt a cold stare on his back. He turned around to see Kageyama sizing him up, and his mouth naturally curled into a frown. There was something about this guy that was both familiar and irritating.

"What do you want?"

Kageyama jumped, startled by the sudden venom in his voice. His eyes narrowed and he shrugged, looking away. Kei didn't miss the way his hand curled tighter on his sniper rifle. In turn, Kei rested his hand on the gun hooked to his belt.

Their interaction ended there when Hinata and Tadashi came up to Kei to bother him. The orange head was really small, but seemed very fast and flexible. He bounced up and down in front of Kei, impressed by something or another. It didn't matter.

"Uwahh, you're so tall and intimidating! I bet you've taken out a lot of Ghosts. What's your record?" Hinata asked, walking backwards to keep his attention on Kei. Tadashi smiled and nodded at Kei, maybe telling him to answer the question.

"I lost count months ago," Kei answered irritably, pushing past Hinata and Tadashi. The road was becoming less pavement and more like gravel, and he realized they had entered a private property. It almost looked like a school. He followed the group and ignored when Hinata ran in front of him, eyes bright with awe.

"Just give me a number. It doesn't have to be right, or even close! I want to know if you've killed more than Kageyama has, because he's ranked in the top ten for most Ghost kills!"

"Stop talking about Ghost kills like this is a fucking video game," Kei snarled, shoving Hinata away from him. When the man looked surprised, he growled, "Those people are someone's family. They were someone's friend, someone's boyfriend or girlfriend. And you have the audacity to think this is a game? You're pathetic."

Hinata's enthusiasm wavered, and Tadashi had to hold himself back from stepping in. He knew this was between those two. Everyone else in the Division had continued forward to give them some privacy, except for Kageyama, who was watching intently. Hinata's top lip quivered, and Kei knew he had hit a nerve, but it didn't matter. Everyone was bothering him, they were all being nice, and he hated it.

"I just … if I think of them as real people, I can't kill them," he said softly, tugging at his hair anxiously. "And if I can't kill them … I can't protect the people I want to protect."

Kei's frown faltered momentarily. He huffed and rolled his eyes, walking away to catch up with the group. Usually, he would have retorted with someone unnecessarily mean, but he knew how Hinata felt. If it meant protecting Tadashi, then he'd kill all the Ghosts in the world. He knew they weren't people anymore, but it didn't make it any easier.

He recognized Tadashi's voice behind him, whispering something to Hinata. Probably an apology. But Kei still didn't care, they wouldn't be staying with these people for very long. He'd make damn sure of that.

A giant building entered their view, and Kei instinctively knew it was the Division's base. There were hardly any windows for Ghosts to enter through, and there was only one, metal door. It was a smart place to make a base in.

Daichi walked up to the door first and unlocked it with the keys from his pocket. He pushed open the door and the group shuffled in, one at a time. When Kei and Tadashi were next, he politely said, "Welcome to Karasuno."

Kei walked through the doorway and his shoes squeaked loudly on the floor. His mouth dropped. Even with all the beds and living areas, the couches, the tables and a little cooking area, it was hard to disguise what type of building it was. The lines on the floor were a dead give-away.

Karasuno's base was a fucking gymnasium.