Night fell on the region. It seemed that this town was a perfect spot to rest, since there were very few zombies that prowled the area. In the house, the guys sat in a circle in the middle of the living room behind the large sofa. Their only light source was a lantern that illuminated a dim golden yellow color. Nagisa began to open the canned food with the can opener while Rin and Rei looked at the map of the region to mark the places they've been to. Haru and Makoto counted their supplies.

"This is bad guys," Makoto said apprehensively. "We didn't manage to haul in enough supplies. We better hope that the store we saw earlier has what we need."

"Don't worry so much Mako. We always pull through in the end," Nagisa cheerfully said. He removed the top from the last cap and announced that the food was ready for consumption. He then divided the food based on who has the highest metabolism, a system to which everyone agreed on. Makoto gets the most while Haru got the least amount.

While they dined on their food, Rei remarked, "Haru, I feel sorry that you have the least amount of food. You can have some of my peaches if you want."

"It's fine Rei. I only get hungry when I think of mackerel," he stated. Then, his stomach grumbled loud enough for all of them to hear. Haru blushed a bit from embarrassment.

Nagisa chuckled, "If you weren't hungry, then why did your stomach grumble?"

"That's because I was thinking of mackerel!"

The guys laughed at Haru's little outburst.

"Here Haru," Makoto said as he scooped a spoonful of peaches from his can, intending to give it to Haru. But Haru shook his head side to side and covered the top of his can with hand.

Haru also handed his share of the pudding cup to Makoto. "Eat this too," he insisted.

"But your hung-."

"Makoto! You cant forget what happened last time when you were hungry!"

The room fell silent for a moment as they recalled the dreadful event.

The five of them, including some of the Samezuka guys and Goro, their blond, star shaved swimming instructor, were on their food run in a grocery store a couple weeks ago. It had been a couple days since the guys had eaten anything. They were cleaning the shelves of canned goods and supplies when a sudden horde of zombies came into the store from the entrance. The other guys made it our from the side door, but Haru, Makoto and Goro were cut off. They were able to go into the storage room after shooting some of the grotesque creatures heads. They hid behind a rack of candy as the zombies tried to break down the door. Even though the door was metal, they somehow broke through the door. The guys tried desperately to not make a sound as the zombies sniffed the air and tried to find any sign of life to devour. However, Makoto's stomach couldn't keep quiet and grumbled loudly, sending the zombies in a frenzy. Haru was able to find the exit, but couldn't go on when he saw Makoto being grabbed by undead hands. He raised his firearm at the zombies head, but Goro came up from behind and smashed its skull with a hammer. He told the boys to hurry out the door and was ravenously bit in the shoulder. Haru and Makoto didn't want to abandon him, but they knew that if someone were bit, it was too late. Goro managed to give both of them enough time to make their way out from the back exit, but sacrificed himself in the process. The group was in a long grieving state when they heard of Goro's passing. But none was as mournful as Makoto. He believed that he was the cause of his teachers death. It took a vast amount of pep talk and strolling in the to lightly life Makoto's spirits. And even longer to get their friend back to his old, smiling self.

"I'm fine with what I have. You have a higher metabolism so you need to eat more," Haru explained as he slid his pudding cup toward Makoto's leg.

Makoto stopped squabbling with Haru and continued to eat his peaches. After swallowing his food, Makoto asked, "Hey Rin. How come you don't let your sister come along? She seemed so eager to join us this time."

He responded, "There's no way in hell I would let her come with us! It's to dangerous for her." He scooped some peaches with his spoon and scarfed it down. Rin added, with his mouth full, "As much as I hate it, I'd rather have her stay at the camp with Seijuurou and Nitori than stick around with us." He swallowed his food and groaned, "Man, I really wish I has some meat right now. I cant stand how sweet these peaches are."

After swallowing a spoonful of his pudding, Nagisa joined in and said, "I wish I had some cheesecake. I miss the fluffy icing and red strawberry at the top."

"I miss my beautiful pole vault and melon bread with barley tea," Rei added as he looked down at his pudding with gloomy eyes.

Nagisa asked, "Haru, what do you miss?" He sighed when Haru ignored his question. "Makoto. Can you read his mind?" He asked.

"Hmmm. Sure," he replied. Makoto cupped his own pointed chin and stared intensely as Haru ate his peaches. He knew Haru for 14 years, so he was able to tell how his friend felt just by analyzing the way he blinks or how he breathes. As Haru chewed his last bite, Makoto concluded, "Haru misses... He misses mackerel and... the pool? Am I right Haru?"

The blue eyed man swallowed his food and replied, "Pretty much."

"Wow! That's so awesome!" The short blonde stated in awe with big, glimmering fuchsia eyes. "It's like you guys are connected mentally or something."

"That is very impressive Makoto," Rei commented as he straightened his thumb and index finger in the shape of a sideways "L". "How do you guys do it? Communicate mentally and all?"

Haru added, "We've known each other for over 10 years. Its normal for us to communicate even without talking. Makoto thinks its because we came from the same soul, but manifested into different bodies."

"That's amazing! You guys really are best friends," Nagisa commented. "And by the way, what about you Mako? What do you miss?"

Makoto's eyes were drooped more than normal. His elbow was on his knee and his hand was on his cheek. "Huh?" He said. He moved his hand near his mouth and yawned. "Sorry guys. I'm just really sleepy."

"I think that's a sign for all of us to go to sleep," Nagisa stated, before he got the contagious yawn.

"I second that," Rei added. "We haven't had a full nights rest in a very long time. Inadequate sleep patterns can cause the brain to not function properly, which can make us easer prey for those mongrels."

After they finished devouring their food, Haru and Rei managed to find some pillows and blankets in the chaotic rooms upstairs. They agreed to use the bulkier blankets as a mattress and the thinner ones to cover them because they believed their body warmth can sustain them. Makoto punctured some holes on the sides of the leftover cans, used a string from a shoelace he found earlier and hammered them to the entryway that connects the living room to the kitchen, so that if danger were coming, the rattling of the cans would wake them. Rin volunteered to be on night duty. He grabbed his gun, sat down in the middle of the sofa and laid his shotgun on the coffee table. He pulled out Men's Fashion magazine and took a gander at the bracelets and sweaters. The others made themselves comfortable for their slumber.

...

Haru dreamt of that he swam in the crisp, blue waters of the school pool, until he was suddenly awoken when the curtains were drawn, letting in the bright moon light that illuminated the room. He then saw Rin walk from the window and sit down on the sofa. He thought about going back to sleep, but to no avail. He looked to his side and saw Makoto sleeping, who's peachy breath filled his nose pleasantly. He got up carefully, so he wouldn't wake his companions, and walked toward the sofa.

"Couldn't sleep?" Rin inquired as Haru sat down adjoined the redhead.

Haru scooted closer to him, leg to leg, and answered, "I dreamt about the pool, but the light woke me up. I tried to go back to sleep, but I'm not tired anymore."

Rin scratched the back of his own head and giggled. "Sorry. It's just that I heard the moon is at its brightest during the winter. I just wanted to see the sky that's all," he explained. He turned his attention away from the teenager and to the sky. The illuminated sky made him forget for a moment that the world was in complete chaos. He peered his eyes to his right and saw Haru starring at the moon too, with the same look as if he were seeing a pool. For some reason, Rin felt that the glowing reflection of the moon was much more fascinating to watch in Haru's eyes than gazing at the sky itself. It seemed like the moon and stars were floating in the pools of Haru's vivid blue irises. Rin grinned and said as he grasped Haru's left shoulder, "Isn't this romantic Haru?"

Haru was a bit irritated that the redhead disrupted his view. He looked at Rin with annoyance and asked, "What do you mean?"

"You know. Just the two of us watching the moon. Together."

He turned his head back toward the window, from feeling slightly embarrassed, and commented sarcastically, "I guess. If your definition of romance is hiding in a strangers home, eating canned food while ravenous zombies prowl the night and hunt for human flesh, then yeah, this is romantic."

Rin sighed, "Don't be like that. You know I-." He was interrupted by his own yawn. He stretched his arms up and rubbed his eyes with his balled up hands.

"Rin, you seem tired. You can go to sleep if you want."

"Really?"

"Like I said, I'm not tired anymore. I can take your shift."

"Alrighty then. I guess I'll hit the ha-." As run turned his head back, he saw that the spot that Haru slept on was taken by Nagisa's upper body. He turned to his sides and studied the room for a comfortable place to sleep. When he couldn't find an area that met his standards, his eyes and he thought of an idea. He scooted a bit farther from Haru and fell to his left side, but was his head and shoulder was caught by Haru.

"What are you doing?"

"Nagisa took my spot, so I'm gonna use your thighs as a pillow to sleep on."

"No."

"C'mon Haru. You know I can't sleep without a pillow. Please?"

"No."

Everyone of his verbal plea's were coldly turned down by Haru. He then came up with another idea. "Haru, you brought this upon yourself," he stated. Since they were children, he knew that Haru hated eye-to-eye contact, especially with him, and used that to his advantage. He sat back up, clasped Haru's pale cheeks with his hands and locked eyes with the confused man.

The beautiful gleam in Rin's narrow, crimson eyes made it difficult for Haru to withstand the redheads gaze. He darted his eyes in other directions, but his eyes would always end up staring into his irises. He caved in quickly, not being able to withstand his anxiety with eye contact. "F-Fine. Do what you want."

Rin grinned victoriously and released his friend from his grasp. Just as he was about to rest his head, he clasped his hand onto Haru's thigh and squeezed it repeatedly. He stated, "Hard. But it'll do for the time being." He removed his hand from Haru's thigh and rested the side of his head on his lap. His eyelids grew heavy and his breathing slowed down. He didn't realize how exhausted he was until he laid his head down. Within a few moments, he was at ease and asleep.

...

While the others slept soundly, Haru continued to gaze at the night sky. He felt that if he were to drown his mind with the midnight blue sky, it would remind him of the feeling of swimming. Though, it wasn't the same. He was just suffocating at the thought that he might never be able to swim again. It took Rin's sleep talk to bring him back from Cloud 9.

Rin's eyebrows pulled down together and his shoulders tensed up. He muttered, "Don't.. Get away.. Away from Gou...Don't.. Touch her..."

Haru ran his fingers through Rin's straight, silky burgundy hair, which seemed to calm his nerves as his expression and shoulders relaxed. He removed the black hair tie from his previous ponytail and used it to make funnier hairstyles on his friend, who is slept calmly. A pastime that could hopefully kill some time while he served the graveyard shift.