Rule #2: Don't let Junko-chan become a shut-in!

Things at the Franchouchou house were unusually quiet. Kōtarō had failed to secure any engagements, so they had free time for the last weeks now. At first they had rehearsals, but the dance was pretty much perfect, and Tae kept getting distracted. Daily chores could only occupy a restless mind til they finished, then it was just more wandering the halls like, well, a zombie. Saki was more irritable, Lily was uncharacteristically grumpy, Ai had become hooked on YouTube, Tae was doing... Tae things and Junko was spending her time in an empty room looking at nothing. In a 'zombie state of mind' if you will. Even Yūgiri was starting to feel restless. It was just a matter of time before someone started a fight. As the not-leader-but-thrust-into-leader-roles-constantly Sakura felt an obligation to try to resolve the issue.

"Ai-chan, sorry to bother you." Ai was sitting in the computer room, transfixed by whatever she was looking at. The illumination of the monitor lighting her face and making her hair decorations glow. "I was thinking of talking to Kōtarō about getting out of the house more, when we have free time like this? I think it would be good for everyone's spirits?"

"Uh huh." Ai replied, not pausing in her typing. "Good luck with that."

"Uhhh, I was hoping someone could come with me? Strength in numbers? Ehehe." Sakura rubbed the back of her head nervously.

"Nope." Ai replied. "Idiot-Manager won't go for that. He only likes dumb ideas. Find a way to make it sound really dumb and he might get on board. Aw, Keyboard Cat died. Did you know that?"

"Uh, also Junko-chan is spending a lot of time in that room again. I think she might be depressed." Ai paused typing and glanced at Sakura for the first time.

"Looking at pictures of the city are getting kinda boring." Another pause. "Go talk to the others. If we all bother him he might agree."

"Junko-chan isn't replying when I knock."

Ai shrugged with one shoulder, decidedly not looking at Sakura now. "Junko-chan has her own problems that going outside probably won't cure. She just needs time." She resumed her typing. Sakura knew Kōtarō was going to be difficult, he seemed to enjoy being difficult with her, but apparently the others were becoming set in their gloom. The situation was worse than she had feared. The evidence for this furthered when she found Tae in the communal room just lying on the floor.

"Tae-chan, are you hurt?" Sakura knelt beside the wild zombie and lifted her hand. Tae's arm stayed positioned exactly as Sakura had held it even after she let go.

"Errgguurrghh." Tae mumbled, sounding more detached than normal.

"Oh no Tae-chan. This lethargy is affecting you worse, because you're not awake." She lowered Tae's arm gently back to the floor. You're going to rigor mortis if you stop moving. We have to stay active and loose." She tried to get Tae up, but she wasn't in the mood. Given Tae's weight and strength there wasn't much they could do if she didn't want to do something. Sakura settled for grabbing Tae's feet and dragging her behind her as she looked for the other girls to help her convince Kōtarō of her proposal. Or at least annoy him into submission. The next idol she found was Lily. or rather Lily found her.

"Sakura-san are you giving people ride? That looks fun. Ehee." Lily squealed.

"No Lily-chan I'm-" was all Sakura got out before Lily jumped on her back, and latched on like a monkey. Something in Sakura's spine creaked disturbingly. Sakura did not want to play horse, but this was the most energetic Lily had been in days. At least she hadn't found a place to just stop and put roots, like Junko and the others. Tae chose this time to use her greatest talent, mimicry. This was useful when learning a dance routine. less helpful she was jumping on your already loaded back.

"Yay! Tae-san want's to play horse too!"

"Yay..." Sakura's knees trembled. "Uh...um... Have you seen Saki-chan or... Yūgiri-chan..." She managed before her legs gave put, literally disconnecting from her hips and bringing everyone down with a crash, squishing Sakura between them and the floor.

"Sorry." Lily scooted off Sakura's back and helped her into an awkward sitting position to reattach her limbs. "I think I saw Saki-chan going upstairs with a bike earlier? I guess she doesn't know that's an outside toy."

"Up... stairs... Hup!"

X X X

"What's up- internet- tube. This is Saki Nikaidō and I'm about to ride this bike off the roof!" Saki narrated into the camera she had taped to the handlebars. "This is kinda a shitty ride, but I'm a crazy bitch and I need to feel the wind in my hair. Don't try this at home. Or do, I'm not your mommy."

"Saki-chan!" Sakura called from off-screen.

"Oh hey, Sakura, Shrimpy, come to watch me go virus on the web tube?"

"Eh? Virus? No. I don't think this is a good idea? Maybe come back inside please?"

"Bikes are an outside activity." Lily helpfully added.

"Ehhhhh? I am outside. Well, here I g~o~o~o~o~o~"

"That's not the point..." Sakura trailed off as Saki disappeared over the edge.

"Oh ho. What a pretty day. Very nice day. Good day to find some contracts. I feel the good vibes." Kōtarō stretched, having just stepped out the door. "Good vibes eh, Romero?" But the zombie dog had disappeared from his side.

"O~o~o~o~o~o" He heard a strange noise and looked up. The sight that greeted Sakura and Lily was hilarious, and painful to look at. Saki and the bike tangled in ways a human body shouldn't be able to, the mess crushing the producer who was laid out on the pathway.

"Saki-chan! You killed Kōtarō! Ehhhuugghhh!" Sakura panicked.

"I'm fine. Thanks for asking." Saki replied, twisting her head back around. "I got some sick video though... oh." The camera, unlike the zombie and the producer, had not survived the fall. "Great. Now I have to do it again."

X X X

Afterward in Kōtarō's office. "Is this how you thank me? I give you life, I give you jobs and you TRY TO KILL ME? I will not forget this attempt on my life."

"I wasn't trying to kill you, dumb ass. If I wanted you dead, you would be too dead to even zombie." Saki growled.

"Ah ha. Ha. Exactly what an assassin would say, yeass. You cannot kill the mysterious idol producer, Kōtarō Tatsumi, USELESS BAKA ZOMBIE DOLL! Hm hm hm." He smiled smugly. "But you are getting better at crashing bikes." Sakura had to grab Saki around the waist fast, to keep her from diving over the desk and killing Kōtarō for real this time. Now would not be the best time to ask for privileges, so she and Lily pulled/pushed the screeching, blond hell cat from the office, her nails digging grooves into the door frame.

"Saki-chan, I need to get Yūgiri-chan, and talk to Junko-chan, but I'm afraid if I leave you'll murder Kōtarō'."

"That ass and his... ass comments." Saki snarled. "I'm gonna slap him in the teeth."

'You can go talk to Yūgiri-san. I'll get Junko-chan." Lily offered.

"Lily-chan..."

"Please leave it to me." She titled her head cutely, and flashed million dollar smile, a combo move that had helped make her famous. "Teehee."

Much like Ai, Junko was sitting in the dark. Unlike Ai she didn't have a computer, just a blank wall. "Knock knock. Junko-chan. Lily is here to cheer you up!" Lily sang. The door didn't have a lock, so when there was no reply she let herself in. "Want to play with Lily?"

"I'm sitting alone in a dark room." Junko deadpanned.

"Okay! We can sit alone in a dark room together." She sat quietly next to the white-haired zombie for a moment. "I used to want space and quiet, because everything was hard and not fun sometimes, but I never wanted to be alone."

"I don't want to be alone. I want things to make sense. When we perform I can forget the world for a while, but being stuck here, its impossible not to think about... stuff."

"Sakura-chan knows. She wants to talk to Kōtarō-san about letting us get out more, but it wouldn't as fun without you. Things are always better with friends."

"Even sitting alone in the dark." Junko smiled and squeezed Lily's hand.

X X X

"Oh ho you're back. Come to throw another bike at meee, eh, Crash Bicy-coot?"

"I don't speak brain damage." Saki sneered.

"Ahaha. Okay..." Sakura got between the two of them. "Eh, eto... Kōtarō-san, we were hoping since we have so much free time we could get out some? From the house? I think being here so much is having bad effects on us." Lily and Yūgiri nodded agreement. Junko just leaned against the wall, her arms crossed.

"Oh Franchoochoochchoo doesn't appreciate their free protection now. Ungrateful. Disgraceful. If you out you'll discovered USELESS BRAIN ZOMBEE GIRL!" Unseen by everyone except Junko and Kōtarō was Ai stepping into the doorway, tapping a baguette into her open hand. Kōtarō visibly twitched. "G-g-g-g-g... Fine. But I'm not doing your makeup every time you want to-to-to GO FOO FOO AROUND THE TOWN, so you better learn this." He thrust his makeup case into Sakura's arms. "Go make yourself less horrifying. You can leave for a couple hours after daily practice. NOW GO AWAY. Go go go go go GO!" The office door slammed in her face, not for the first time.

[Lily here. Sakura-chan came through for us and got Kōtarō-san to give us time off. She's such a cool big sister! Speaking of big sisters, Yūgiri-san is putting my face on so we can go explore the city! Aren't I cute with my makeup on? Teehee. Next time on Zombieland Saga: 'Saki-chan is not allowed to use eBay.' Daisuke! Byebye.]