Red Scar

An HoTD Fan Story

Introduction

Hello Readers, I'm Spearmann, an fan writer who only aspires to write great stories and this is my take on the story of Highschool of The Dead. Highschool of The Dead is originally a manga written by Daisuke Satou (佐藤 大輔) and Illustrated by Shouji Satou (佐藤ショウジ), and released in April 27th 2011. It is a story about a group of Japanese Highschool teenagers are caught up in a zombie outbreak that has taken over Tokonosu city if not, the whole world. Their only hope is find a way to escape from the falling city and possibly reunite with their families and most importantly survive as an unforeseen disaster looms over their fates. In reality, 2 years ago the writer, Satou-san was gripped by an illness that resulted in his death by Cardiac Disease due to the nature of his occupation and since then the story has come to a hiatus where the manga story never concluded whereas the anime ended on a light hearted note which would have had a greater potential of expanding the story.

In this fan story though, it will take us to a different point of view taking place during the same period as the original story where it focuses on a foreign student from Russia with a grisly background studying in a Japanese Highschool while trying to find purpose in his will. A story which treads into the themes of life, isolation, darkness of human nature, hope, love and belongingness. This is a story about survival, a story of hope and a story of monsters.

*Disclaimer*

I do not own any character or material of the original novel. The characters and events portrayed in the story are fiction and any named persons in the story that are similar to real life are coincidental and not intended to offend the individuals.

Lingual Legend

"sample text" – normal conversation

'sample text' – thoughts of a character

*sample text* - sound effect

- Insert Text - - Time lapses

/ Insert Text / - To be continued

Prologue (Part 1)

An early sunlight shines through the sills of windows just as the light bakes the concrete in a yellow hue. The birds chirp to greet the sunlight as the chilly winds sweeps through the trees and squeezes through the tightly packed concrete jungles until it comes to a slow wallowing stop just a few fields away from a sprawling Japanese Suburbs overlooking a bridge, taking back by to the city which is now coming back to life. The streetlights slowly fades away as the first buses and trains arrives to patrol around the city looking for passengers. The shop houses open looking for early birds as the nightlife in the districts closes their doors and their bright glaring neon signs shuts away as if to hide the embarrassment of the perverted incidents from the previous night from the commuters rushing by to get to work while peeking at their cellphones. The light blinked on huge TV screens across the central district as the morning news begins with weather forecasts, reporting a fine weather for the day and the following days. Restaurants across the streets prepares their kitchens and tables while they await for the arrival of their fresh ingredients from the market. At the same time, other shops selling commodities such as electronics, books, off-shelf medicines, jewelries and beauty products prepares their catalogue of items and checks their stocks.

One of the shops located in the inner city district usually full of nightclubs, an old man is seen walking around inside while casting shadows on a wall lined with mechanic and carpentry tools behind the cashier desk, enclosed around a tempered glass panel to prevent prying thieves from obtaining the goods. The man reads a thick book with a cover tapered with tattered leather strips and a few pages stained with coffee, detailing the stock of items available in the shop. The man looks to be in his 50s with a short scruffy beard and a scruffy short hair wearing a green shirt and trousers with construction boots. He takes a puff from the cigarette in his mouth before crushing the tip on an ashtray and refrains from taking another.

"That's enough for today, now to open the shop."

The old man, Valery Sargeyev a Russian national who migrated to Japan looking for a good business opportunity after the Fall of the Soviet Economy in 90s opened a tool shop to at least sustain himself. Valery opens the door to his shop, which is a two story building that has been showing its age with cracks in the roof and walls exposing a few bricks though the floor was kept well maintained despite it lacking polish. The shop is now ready for business.

'While waiting, let's see the news.' Valery thought to himself as he went over to the TV set on the cashier counter. He pushes the power button and the tv comes to life displaying the news channel that is seen on the billboards at the business disctrict.

"Minna sama Ohayougozaimasu, kyo no tenki hosou wa owarisimashita. Saishu niyuzu dewa hajimemasu." A well dressed Japanese news anchor lady begins the morning news as she finishes reporting the weather forecasts.

"In recent news, the PM has announced that the parliament has agreed to revise the labour laws to better protect the blue collars from unfair wage policies of companies and the amendment is currently being finalized in detail to implement to the current labour laws. Though no further comments were given by the Diet or PM when the policy would be enacted, the PM said, "It is In Progress".

Additionally, the PM also mentioned that a further cooperation with NATO and U.S is necessary to ensure the security of Japan when faced with potential threats from hostile neighboring countries such as China and North Korea and to do so, the new national defense policy has been updated to allow defense contractors from allied countries to setup facilities within the country as an honest gesture of alliance between Japan and the West.

In the follow up news, Russia accused NATO of running secret bioweapons lab in joint military facilities across Japan. The Russian Defense Ministry later released photo revealing satellite images allegedly showing large concrete bunkers with joint military trucks transporting large barrels into and out of the structures and white smoke appearing from a nearby source. The Russian Army Scientific Institute of Microbiology believes that the smoke is a result of a byproduct from the metabolism of microorganisms.

President Vladimir Komarov quoted, "NATO's compliances to defense treaties has been broken yet again by their sheer arrogance to the consequences posed by such actions to the countries within this region. I warn you not to take leniently that this time, NATO has crossed the line which threatens all previous treaties that we've come to agree. In the coming years, I fear that the consequences of such actions will not just resonate within the region but the entire world as I fear not a man wearing the devil's mask but the devil in the mask of a human."

The Russian President later announced that he will bring up the issue during the next meeting at the UN Security Council to urge NATO to shut down the aforementioned bioweapons facilities, as a "threat to the security of the region and to Russia".

On the Other hand, The White House Foreign Secretary reacted to the statement saying, "President Komarov's speech is nothing more than false accusations and fear mongering as there are no confirmed bioweapons facilities setup by NATO within Japan and serves to only misinform the world with baseless rumors."

The next UN Security Council Meeting is reported to be the next month as leaders will gather to negotiate the terms in order to carry out appropriate actions.

That is all the news at this hour. We will be joining you soon with more latest news at the next hour. Thank you.-"

The tv news cuts off to commercials as Valery turns down the volume.

"Dammed politicians, especially that fox tongued Komarov. Once a KGB, always a KGB. Can't even stand listening to him while he self-serving himself and to his oligarchs. This is the reason I left home, where I can't be bothered with these corruptions."

Valery bickered as he now feels like taking another smoke from his pocket. As he was about to do so, he remembered his nephew needs to go to school pretty soon. He quickly shoves the ciggy back into his trouser pocket as he walked up close to the stair at the back room of the shop.

"Luka! You've get up son! You've got school! Hurry or I won't give you school fees for the next semester!"

Then a side door opens up, revealing a teenage kid dressed in tank top and short cargo pants who looks a little old for school with a nape length light blue hair draped across the side cheeks tapering just an inch above the chin while his forehead is covered with a clump of fringes. The boy gives a blank stare at his uncle with his pale pink eyes, while revealing his narrow chin and pale face. On closer look, there is a scar over his left temple which runs down close to his left ear lobe though it is old and covered with fresh skin. The boy is holding his pencil and next to an open book are a pile of book precariously stack on top of one another as it seems he seems to have made a makeshift study room on top of a workbench in his uncle's workshop. He looks at his uncle with slight agitation but mostly confusion.

The boy's name is Luka, he came to Japan after having a having family issues in Russia and expulsion from school concerning a fight. Despite not having much history besides being a relative, he fitted in well as if they were father and son. This time he wants to make sure that he doesn't cause anymore trouble and at least try to live normally.

"Uhhh, is it that early already?" Luka replied having not known that since getting up earlier at five in the morning to review his homework and using his mobile phone to research Japanese words online as he cannot afford a laptop. Even, so he didn't seem tired.

"Boy, have you been staying up all night studying again? You are making me a little concerned about our electricity bills, but most importantly your well being! Are you okay?"

The uncle despite looking somewhat of a miser, he is caring for his nephew knowing that he's the only family left for him and as an uncle to his younger brother's son, he feels the same responsibility of looking after him as he did with his brother back when they used to live in a small town in Leningrad Oblast, Russia.

"Sure, I'm fine uncle. I slept earlier yesterday, I've got test today so.._"

"Then, What are you doing here boy!? Finish your stuff and go to school! I've got customers to care for here!"

"Right, I'll be out in 5 minutes. Thanks."

Luka Starts packing his books and stationary into his schoolbag which he set next to the workbench. Just a few minutes after packing, he immediately went for the bathroom to use a mouthwash and use the set of school uniform he already prepared next to the washing machine. Just as he was walking out of the bathroom, he almost forgot something important. He turned to open drawer with what appears to be woman make up. He opens the box of makeup powder and applies it to his large scar, concealing it. In the next few minutes, he got out fully dressed in his uniform ready to go.

"I'm going now. Take care of the shop."

"Boy, if you could do stuff like that, why wouldn't you work a few more hours for the shop. There's always a bonus you know, for every customer you help bring."

"Uncle, I'm already helping you every evening after school. Why would you think that I had to wake up early just study? Maybe once I finish school, I'll work full time at the shop."

"Well, if that's what you promise, then I'll accept. Though I wouldn't mind if you could continue to university doing engineering or something. Except you are going to have to pay the fees yourself but you can still stay at my house."

"Thanks but no, I don't think much about university for the future. I only care about now and nothing else. There's nothing greater than now."

Then without another word, he went out of the shop, into the streets as he carefully pushed aside people and jumped onto a bus to get to the other side of town to school.

- 20 Minutes Later -

Luka arrives at his highschool, Tokonosu Daiichi High (とこのす第一高等学校). The highschool is a prefectural government school where the name of the highschool is assigned based on the name of city, designated district and number. Luka barely could get enough funds from his uncle to go to school and the government school was a clear choice for him. Compared to private schools in Tokonosu city, like Fujimi Academy, Tokonosu Daiichi is a somewhat smaller though it makes up with the ample sized gym hall and reasonably sized classrooms, though there are no gym lockers so student have wear their gym uniforms directly underneath. The classroom that Luka is assigned to is the class 2-C since he's second year and "C" as he was average academically, though he tries his best for someone who only arrived to the country 3 years ago. Though he's second year, his age is 18, which is more akin to be a third year for a Japanese student. He went to middle school in Russia but he was kicked out in 6th Grade for certain incident concerning a fight with a senior year. He later went to a military academy outskirt of Moscow but once again kicked out for getting into a fight after only 1 ½ years. For that, he was took half a year off self-studying so he could enter highschool in Japan.

As he walked across the school campus, other students glanced at him and whisper among themselves,

"Hey, it's that senior year who always has that weird look on his face."

"He barely talks to anybody other than that one loser who clings around him. I guess they are both a match. ww (lol)"

"Hey look, it's that guy who always sits in the cafeteria corner during lunch break. He always eats that same bland sandwich that makes for himself. That's so drab! lol"

"Kyaa, it him! He looks so cute for a foreigner. It's a shame about his style though. If only he doesn't have a moron's look and a shabby face. ww (lol)"

"Eehh, you're into guys like that. Foreigner or not I'll not want to go near that guy, what if he has some serious problem with his sexual urges! I heard Russians like to do their girls rough."

"That's right! You are so bright Mayu-chan! If only I can be as smart as you."

"Yeah, at least I'm not dumb enough to be in C class like that guy, I'M A CLASS!"

"Ahaha! That sure is true!"

"Hey,…wait a min! That guy, he's wearing winter uniform! It's not even summer yet! Lol lol."

"And his shirt, he's not tucking it inside and his socks looks looser than loofah! What's with our school bringing in hobos lately!? Lol"

Luka has heard the same or similar things said about him every single day from almost all Japanese students who look down on him not only as a foreigner but also because his form doesn't fit in well with them. He knew this but he ignores them. Why? He doesn't care about what others tell him but what he tells himself. His hardened resolve over years of hardship told him otherwise. Luka Georgyevich Sergeyev fought for himself to reach this position, no one else understands except maybe his uncle.

Suddenly, someone came up behind him and grabbed his shoulder.

At that moment, a sudden rush of adrenaline went through Luka as he thought of fighting against the thing that grabbed his shoulder by jabbing the person from underneath the ribs with his elbow before he throws the person across the ground with all his weight. He quickly came to consciousness that the person is doing nothing other than grabbing him on the shoulder, besides it's not a hard grip. He turns around and sees a Japanese guy dressed as inappropriately as him though he is wearing summer uniform and has a rather spiky red hair and seems to be smiling at Luka.

/Continue to The Next Chapter/

Glossary

Saishu Nyuzu – Latest News

Hajimemasu – To begin

NATO – North Atlantic Treaty Organization