Chapter One: Stampede of the Dead
My fear of Takashi's disturbing claim of "someone being killed" gradually faded as Hayashi-sensei and I resumed our trek to the infirmary. It was hard not to relax- I was alone with the woman I wanted most in this world, and when I looked to the left I had nothing but a beautiful sight staring in at me from the hallway windows. Even after the earlier events, I had to appreciate how nice outside it was today: A pretty, cloudless cerulean sky- the school track far in the distance where students ran and exercised, including many cute girls in bloomers.
I winced as a javelin of pain shot through my head, and I rubbed my temples. I had a hell of a headache.
"Ichiro-kun, a-are you in a lot of pain?" Hayashi-sensei asked, gazing back at me with worry written across her pretty features. I appreciated her concern, but I've been messed up more times than I can count. At this point, it's really nothing new to me. Just pain, and I can live with that. It'd just make me stronger.
"Yeah, a bit," I muttered, "Mainly my balls. I bunched my knees up, kept the 'guys' relatively safe but those bastards still landed a few kicks. Feeling a little sore is all."
Hayashi-sensei smiled slightly, shaking her head and trying not to laugh. I always appreciated when her stern exterior melted into that warm, genuine goodness I knew was in her. So I decided to push my luck. "I could use a massage, actually. Wouldn't mind a certain bimbo with glasses feeling up my nuts. Whaddya say?"
Hayashi-sensei gasped in horror, and glared at me severely from behind her glasses. To say my suggestion made her infuriated would be an understatement. Her face grew red in a heartbeat, and she glanced around like she was afraid we'd get caught on camera in a scandal. "I-I'm going to assume you're just saying that because you were hit in the head and have some kind of...severe mental deficiencies, or a concussion, Ichiro-kun. Now shut it, and let's get you to the nurse's office. I can't believe you..."
I said nothing, just gave her a shit-eatting grin and a thumbs up. Shaking her head, Kyoko Hayashi sighed and stalked away. I stared at the natural, sensual swing of her ass as she walked and grinned wider. Man, at times, I feel like I can get away with anything when it comes to Kyoko-sensei. I felt even more of my anxiety from the earlier exchange with Takashi dwindle. That being said, her reaction made me curious.
Kyoko Hayashi was an older woman, sure. She was around thirty, and technically she was worn out in a lot of ways. She had early wrinkles in certain spots because of stress, like between her brows and around her lips. And she had an intimidating, stern expression on her pretty face 90% of the time, and a bad attitude. It was clear she was unhappy with her lot in life. But...did she realize how beautiful she was besides all that? And not just beautiful, but ridiculously hot too. Her body was no joke, it was fantastic. As a P.E teacher it was clear that she valued her physical health. She had a mature, hourglass figures and huge, firm breasts that drove me personally wild. I wasn't the only guy at Fujimi academy who thought that way. Everyone wanted to bust a nut in Kyoko-chan.
Was it really so incredulous that I'd hit on her? Or maybe she was just creeped out cause she probably saw me as a kid, maybe even her kid, considering how close she was to my mom. I brushed those pointless thoughts away, turned my eyes from her sweet ass, and focused.
It only took us a few minutes to get to the nurse's office. As we approached the infirmary, Tsunoda-san was leaving with his pack of goons. His face was bandaged up and swollen, especially his nose, and his eyes were black and practically squeezed shut. I'd given him two shiners. I was proud to see exactly how much damage I had done to them. All three guys glared at me, deep scowls on their thuggish faces. Kyoko met their glowers with a scowl of her own, crossing her arms on her busty chest.
I lowered my eyelid with a finger and stuck my tongue out behind Hayashi-sensei's back at them.
Tsunoda clenched his fists and looked like he wanted to punch me, but he wouldn't dare around Hayashi-sensei. "Whatever, punk ass bitch." He and his buddies walked away. If they weren't being escorted then they were probably just going to ditch. If I got the chance, I'd do the same.
"Well, we're here," Kyoko sighed, pushing her glasses up her nose. "I must warn you again, she's a substitute nurse and she's...not the brightest." I shrugged and stepped into the infirmary. I thought Kyoko was gonna just ditch me once we arrived and head to the principal's office but she came in after me. I wasn't about to complain about that, I wanted her company for a little longer anyways.
I'd been in this infirmary countless times before, with the old nurse. Now, an unfamiliar woman sat at that desk. It was impossible to not notice...well, her features. Not to a perverted fuckhead but she had the biggest tits I'd ever seen. Like, almost comically huge and she was using them as some kind of makeshift pillow, apparently trying to catch a nap after dealing with Tsunoda and his friends. Not only that but she had dyed hair, a pretty almost natural-looking golden blond that suited her gentle features. Her eyes were slightly shut, a pretty amber color, and they slowly opened as we entered.
"Now is not the time for a nap, Marikawa-sensei, how incredibly inappropriate!" Kyoko-sensei scolded, giving the school nurse a cold, severe look.
The blonde nurse seemed unfazed by Kyoko's harshness. Or she didn't notice it. I was surprised when she gave the two of us a lopsided, lazy grin. I grinned back at her. Either she really was stupid, or she was brave as hell. Either way, she was adorable, especially when she smiled. I'd always kinda had a thing for older women, usually the sterner types like Kyoko but this Marikawa lady was something special. Incredibly hot, ridiculously so. Never seen a teacher that dyed her hair, or who tried to catch a nap at work.
"Was sleeeepy, sorry Hayashi-sensei~" Marikawa-sensei trilled as she sat up, her great chest heaving. She was rubbing her eyes, then they widened as she swept her gaze up and down my frame. "Oh nooo, poor baby! I take it you were the one who fought with those other boys?" I rubbed the back of my head and nodded, wincing at the pain that particular motion sent through me. She must've noticed the pained reaction, because Marikawa-sensei pouted adorably and rushed close. My face burned as she wrapped her arms around one of mine, tugging me to one of the nearby beds and sitting me down.
Holy shit, her tits are literally wrapped around my arm…I'm pretty sure they're real. They're amazing!
Her shapely body against mine felt way too good, it wasn't the sorta contact I was used to. My body reacted on its own, my blood rushing straight downward. My dick started stirring in my pants as her perfume filled my nose, her golden hair brushing my shoulder. Man, this lady was ridiculously hot! She smiled at me as she pulled my jacket off, revealing my bare, muscular arms. They were as battered as the rest of me and she shook her head, eyes huge and sad as they met mine.
"You poor thing." Her voice was riddled with pity. "They sure didn't go easy on you."
I looked away. "N-No big deal, not the worst beating I've had."
Marikawa-sensei stared at me with even sadder eyes now "...That makes me so very sad. I'm sorry. But listen! You'll feel much better once I'm finished with you." My eyes wandered to her plush lips, covered in a sleek gloss. I'd feel better after she was done with me, huh? Wild fantasies of those lips wrapped around my junk intruded my mind, and I completely forgot all about the dude possibly getting killed at the gate. All about how much pain I was in. I was fully hard now, tenting my pants.
Meanwhile, Kyoko-sensei was observing all of this quietly. But apparently seeing me pop a boner was the breaking point for her. She cleared her throat loudly and had a nasty sneer on her face.
"Marikawa-sensei, needless touching of a student is...well, simply put: beyond prohibited. No surprise you're unaware of such rules considering how unprofessional you are, but if you continue to touch Ichiro- Kun-" She faltered. "I-I mean W-Watanabe-san- in such a manner, I have no choice but to report it to the principle." Despite her little flub, she still managed to come across as wholly confident. She sniffed at the end of her speech, her brows furrowed.
Then her gaze flickered to me, and she frowned. Her face twisted up into this odd little expression, completely foreign to me. Was she...jealous? No, definitely not. I banished that thought process from my head. There was no way Kyoko-chan would ever think that way about me, and especially not in a time and place like this.
The school nurse squealed and threw her hands up.
"I'm sooo sorry, I don't mean to be so touchy feely, I just feel so bad…" She gave me an apologetic look. "Let me patch you up real quick, 'kay? And I have some pain meds, you'll feel better in a jiffy."
There was an awkward tension in the air as Marikawa-sensei dipped behind her desk, and started picking up all sorts of things. Bandages, a couple bottles of pills, and more. Meanwhile, Kyoko just stood there tapping her foot on the ground.
I cleared my throat awkwardly. "Hey...shouldn't you head to the principle? Possible dead person and all that." Marikawa-sensei gave us a strange look, cocking her head, but went back to her business.
Kyoko's gaze hardened and she glared at me. "Enough of that! Takashi Komuro is a thug and a liar. A problem student, through and through! No one was hurt. Teshima-sensei would have contacted me, now be quiet. You want me to leave so that you can sneak out of here and ditch, have a little pity party for yourself with your other delinquent friends- well, I refuse to allow it. Once you're finished here I'm personally escorting you back to Class 1B." Her sharp tone left no room for retort. Well, whatever. It was her ass that was gonna get in trouble if there really was a killer walking around the school, not mine. She was right though, I was gonna dip the second this was over.
I guess Kyoko just knows me too well at this point to get away with anything around her.
Marikawa-sensei returned, sitting next to me again. Noticeably at a distance this time. She forcefully started wrapping various parts of my body with bandages and band-aids after smearing them with a sweet-smelling ointment. That stuff made my wounds sting and itch, but the pain dulled after a minute or so. As she worked, my gaze dropped to her chest. I grinned as I took in the sight of her huge breasts under all that thin cloth. Her luscious lips and pretty brown eyes really were something.
I've heard that in other schools teachers were held to a certain standard and dress code. Here, that simply wasn't the case, maybe cause the principle was some old perverted geezer. Marikawa and Kyoko, and many other female teachers I was familiar with, weren't hesitant to show off their mature, shapely bodies. And of course it drove all the guys, including myself, crazy with fantasies. Hard to focus on schoolwork when you had a huge pair of those sauntering next to your desk every few minutes. My pervy thoughts were interrupted by a shrill noise, a familiar one.
Bzzt! :The principle was about to speak on the intercom. Immediately, all arousal and whimsical feelings fled my body. Instead, I was filled with a deep chill.
This is it. It's real...
Hayashi-sensei wore a terrified expression that made it clear she felt the energy in the air too. A frigid, tense energy that filled me from top to bottom in a second, tightening my muscles and making my teeth grit and my fists clench. My head pounded, thoughts and heart racing. It wasn't often the principle spoke on the intercom, and after the strange incident with Takashi earlier we were both feeling a certain way.
"This announcement is for all the students and faculty. A-An emergency situation is taking place in the school right now!" The familiar voice of the principal was somewhat shrill, and panicked, not steady as I remembered from my last scolding at his hands. Meanwhile, Marikawa-sensei kept working on bandaging up all my wounds, seemingly oblivious to the announcement. "All students must follow their teachers instructions and evacuate the campus. I repeat: this is an emergency. Leave the school right now! -ARGH!"
There was the sound of something clattering over the mic, almost like something was being broken, or broken down. A door maybe?
"AHHH! Get away from me, GET AWAY FROM ME! STOP, PLEASE STOPPP! SOMEONE SAVE ME!"
The three of us froze, staring up at the intercom, as the principle stopped speaking entirely. Instead, he began to scream incoherently. It didn't sound like he was just getting killed, it sounded like he was absolutely terrified, and was being brutally murdered. His screams grew louder and louder, until finally, they broke off, and a horrid silence filled the infirmary.
My heart hammered away in my chest, a cold panic threatening to take over my body. I glanced at the two women here in the infirmary with me. Kyoko-sensei was trembling, and I could tell already; She felt guilty and far more afraid than I did at that moment. Marikawa tried to act normal, like nothing had even happened, but her eyes were distant, and she was shaking too.
"H-Here, take these...It's Advil, and a turmeric. It'll help with the swelling, and the pain." She was shaking visibly as she passed me three pills and a glass of cold water, her brown eyes full of worry despite her warm smile.
I felt a rush of protectiveness I hadn't felt since I was a kid. Since my dad was wailing on my mom and I threw myself between them in an effort to protect her. I'd given up that side of myself, the side that wanted to focus on anything but me. I'd originally wanted to get stronger so I could protect people, but at some point I'd just let life and my rage get the best of me, I forgot about all that. I couldn't even protect myself. Not against my father, not against Tsunoda's goons. But none of that mattered now. No matter what happened next, I had to keep Marikawa-sensei and Kyoko-sensei safe. I had to stop them from panicking, so we could safely evacuate and get the fuck out of here.
A sudden chorus of screams burst out, both male and female. All around us. Not sounds of pain, but of panic. The students were freaking out. How could they not? They'd just heard their principal get murdered on the mic. If I didn't have these two here with me, I don't know what I'd have done. Other than run as far away as possible. I heard the sound of thumping. Footsteps, many footsteps. Kyoko walked over to the door of the infirmary, and opened it.
Kyoko-sensei gasped. There was a literal stampede of students in the corridor. They'd completely ignored the principal's orders to follow their teachers lead. Instead, they were shoving and pushing at each other, jumping over their peers in an attempt to get out of the school first. I watched as one particular student was literally slammed into a locker. Crying out, she fell to the ground. No one stopped to help her. Instead, a couple dudes stepped over and on her. I flinched as a careless student literally stomped her face, creating an ugly gush of blood and the girl wailed in pain. The flurry of footsteps, combined with the screams and cries of panic and pain as students were pushed and shoved...it disgusted me.
Kyoko-sensei stepped forward slightly. "H-Hey all of you! Calm down this instant!"
"Out of the way, old bitch!" Some random third-year student literally shoved Kyoko out of his way and back into the infirmary. She stumbled backwards and almost fell, just managing to catch herself, and the guy continued on, completely unworried.
I stood up, bristling. I stalked over to the door and slammed it shut, quickly locking it and glaring at my teacher.
"What the hell are you thinking Hayashi-sensei? Did you not see that chick get trampled? What makes you think you could get control of that group?" I snapped, and she stared back at me in shock, extremely pale. She trembled as I scolded her, visibly withdrawing into herself and backing away.
"I-I just wanted to help...K-Komuro-san was right...someone was killed at the gate….someone died… and if I'd gone to the principal...if I'd-"
I grabbed her hand, which shook in mine. I would've done anything in that moment to banish her fears, to see that familiar, lovely smile of hers. I hated seeing her like this. Shouldering that burden. It was good that she hadn't gone to him, I had to make her see that.
"Hayashi-sensei! Listen to me. The principle died. You heard it. If you went to him...you would have had to stay around to investigate. Maybe do paperwork. This killer, or killers, took on four male P.E teachers and the principal with ease. Literally made him scream with terror, beg to be saved, before he was killed. You'd have just died with him. So, blame yourself for this shit later if you want but for now, we need to get out of here."
But Kyoko barely heard me. Her eyes were so far away. "But...T-Teshima-sensei…he can't be...gone.."Her brown eyes wandered to and fro, looking at Marikawa-sensei and I desperately. As if willing us to do something. To save him, to save her.
A lance of pain stabbed through my chest. It was selfish to think about love at a moment like this. Maybe that made me a pussy, but ...she was seriously thinking about that guy right now? She wasn't even listening to me. Teshima-sensei hadn't appreciated her. And I was here, right before her...I was thinking about her, why wasn't she thinking about me?
Marikawa-sensei stared at me, tucking some of her golden hair behind her ear. Then she tried to smile and stay cheery. "H-He's right, Hayashi-sensei. I'll pack a medical kit and then we can all figure it out!"
Preparation was important. I stepped away and glanced around the room. I needed to find a weapon. I'm adept at karate, specifically Krav Maga, but I don't want to get close to anybody capable of murdering at least four grown men. I had to find something else. But what? There were various lamps and such, but those would be frail and break after use. I needed something sturdier. The steel framed infirmary beds caught my eye.
"Hayashi-sensei, get over here," I ordered. "I need you to hold this up."
The red-haired P.E teacher still wasn't listening. She was murmuring to herself in a panic, eyes frenzied and sweeping around. Not really looking at anything. Her trembling had somehow gotten worse. I recognized her body language. My mom had gone through the same thing many times before. She was going to have a panic attack if I didn't do something about it.
I felt a rush of irrational rage. Kyoko acted like she was so put together and mature, and yet she couldn't handle an actual crisis? I clenched my fists. "Kyoko-chan!" The casual use of her first name combined with my sharp tone stole her attention. 'Wake the fuck up! Get over here, now!"
She stared at me in complete and utter shock. Then, a familiar hardness entered her gaze. Kyoko Hayashi did not like to be bossed around. I felt relief as I saw her looking more like herself. She didn't argue though, she just obeyed. The busty PE teacher hurried over, tucking her red-brown hair behind her ear. "O-Okay, what do you need me to do Ichiro-kun?"
All formalities had dropped. I couldn't help but smile.
Through the windows of the infirmary I saw the flood of students continue.
"I need you to keep the bed lifted up okay, Kyoko-chan?" She didn't question my order even though she seemed confused. Instead, she nodded and got into the requested position. I lifted the frame easily, it wasn't super heavy despite being made of some stern metal. But when I passed the weight to Kyoko she struggled to hold it. I sighed.
"Marikawa-sensei, can you help us please?"
The school nurse had been stuffing various things into a big red bag with a cross on it, a first-aid pack. She stared at us, flustered. "H-Huh?"
My eye twitched. "You two, get it together and listen to me! For fuck's sake." I wasn't trying to be a dick, but what were these two thinking? How come I was the only one put together right now, yet the youngest? "Marikawa-sensei, hold the right side of the bed up please." She nodded and hurried over, lifting up the other side. The two women could handle the weight together.
I nodded. "Alright, let's do this."
They both didn't know what I was about to do. Good, they didn't really need to. I raised my leg, and with a shout, I shoved my foot down on the now uplifted leg of the bed. The thick metal rod barely budged. I kept stomping on the base where it was attached to the bed, grabbing it occasionally to wiggle and wrench it. The metal was getting dented and twisted-until finally the leg was knocked loose and tumbled off, the dislodged and bent screws sticking out. It was a long and somewhat broad rod of heavy metal, a fine weapon for now. But I wanted more than one, just in case. I put the first down, then switched to the other leg. Another half dozen strong kicks and I had a second tool. Just for the hell of it, I took all four legs.
"Alright, we should be good now. These are fuckin' deadly. If anyone tries to attack us, you smash them with that, okay?" I handed Kyoko one of them, but when I tried to give Marikawa-sensei one she raised her hands and shook her head, refusing to take it. Well, that was okay, I guess. I wouldn't force her to be violent even if it was for her own good. I'd just have to be extra careful and protect her. The other extra bars I stuffed in my backpack I found in the corner of the room. I zipped it up until it was tight and the bars were secure and wouldn't fall loose or get in the way. As I was doing this the school nurse started handling me small packs of things and various bottles and meds, including insulin and inhalers.
She offered me a smile. "Painkillers, bandages, that sort of thing... more is good right?"
I grinned back at her. "Good thinking, Marikawa-sensei."
I was surprised to see her cheeks redden. "Umm, please, call me Shizuka-sensei if anything… no need for formality…"
"Ah, then uh...you can call me Ichiro, Shizuka-sensei." She smiled.
A strange sound interrupted our exchange. I glanced over. My grip on my makeshift weapon tightened. There was a familiar student pressing his face on the glass, pounding on the window with his fists, his face pale. He was a boy from my class, 1B, Kazu Ishii. A fellow-second year and a huge nerd, but not someone I'd ever had beef with. In fact, he was one of the few that talked to me despite my shitty reputation. He was trying to get away from something, that much was clear. He had a panicked expression and was yelling something that was muffled. I read his lips.
'Let me in, please let me in!'
A female student came to the window too, on his left. She was rather pretty, and even more panicked than he was, her uniform ripped to shreds with blood soaking it. There were still a lot of students in the hallway with them, but something about the dynamic had shifted. Some students were no longer running away, they were visibly grappling with their peers, or simply not running at all. Attacking one another...
I walked over to the infirmary door, shaken. What was going on? Much to my shock, someone grabbed the girl from behind, another student. He was much taller than her, with a mop of curly dark hair. Something was...off about him. He looked sick, and red moisture was dripping from his mouth. His lips were slack, hanging open, and he wrapped his fingers around her head, fingers buried in her hair, and-
Kyoko and Shizuka screamed as the dude drove his teeth into the girl's skull. I could only stare in shock. Even the glass and closed door couldn't hide the agonized wails of the female student as the student bit, unrelenting. The boy with the glasses rushed away from the window and over to the door, he started pounding on it, pulling the handle. I would be damned before I let this guy face the same fate as that girl if I could help it. I hurriedly opened the door and let him in. He tumbled inside, his chest heaving.
"D-DOOR! CLOSE THE DOOR! CLOSE IT!" He shrieked wildly, falling on his ass and backing away. His glasses had fallen off, and he seemed to be completely breaking down.
I nodded. Already was gonna do that. I slammed it shut. We all stared in horror at the girl he'd just been standing next to, as she was crushed against the glass by the violent student. His attack did not relent. Like a vicious animal, he continued to dig his teeth into her skull, and she stared with wide eyes at us, as if begging us to save her.
"H-Help her, Ichiro-kun!" Kyoko-sensei gasped, grabbing my arm and shaking me.
"I….I don't think I can," I admitted, glancing at her. I wasn't willing to go out in that crowd. It was safer here, in the infirmary. Sure, the group outside was somewhat smaller but there were too many students out there. I didn't want to get caught in a stampede and trampled, and I didn't want any of us to be bitten or attacked, because I had a feeling I knew what was going on...
Kyoko's expression wasn't frightened anymore. As my words registered, she grew angry.
"B-Bastard! Help her! Get out there and help her!"
Kazu Ishii shook his head, picking up his glasses and grabbing my bare arm. "W-Watanabe-san, if you leave you'll die! She's dead already! Once you get bit it's over. I saw it for myself... Don't listen to her!"
Kyoko grabbed both my shoulders, almost seeming frenzied. "P-Please! Please help her…God, please help her..!" Even she seemed to know it was pointless to ask this of me, because her hands dropped, and she slumped.
Then, it happened. I watched the life leave the girls eyes, as the monster of a student...using his clawlike, hungry fingers and teeth, ruptured her skull and pulled it clear open. And he began to feast on the messy insides, blood and slick, wet mush coated his face but especially his mouth. He was literally eating her. I'm not stupid. I've played video games: Left 4 Dead, Resident Evil, seen a lot of the movies too. It was Them.
Zombies.
I hurried over, and slid the curtain shut. Or I was about to, when another student appeared. She was shockingly calm as she approached the window, seemingly unfazed by the violence going on right next to her. The horrible violence. Of course, I recognized her. Any martial artist in this school would. A master of kendo, Saeko Busujima- a beautiful girl with natural purple hair and starling blue eyes. She was a grade above mine, so my senpai, here at Fujimi Academy...She tapped the glass with her kendo blade, a sturdy looking bokken, and nodded in the direction of the door. I got the message.
"D-Don't open it, please!" The guy with the glasses whimpered, grasping at my arms and shaking me. "You'll die! We'll all die!"
"Get off," I snapped, shaking his grip away. Saeko was a talented martial artist and an impeccable swordsman. In fact, she was captain of the kendo club. There was no way I was letting her get...get attacked by whatever was happening outside this infirmary. I opened the door quickly. She swept inside, fully confident in her motions. She shot me a sly smile. I was hoping only she would enter, but another student came in after us. Two, in fact. And there was something horribly wrong with them. Call it a "bad feeling."
I wasn't gonna wait for someone to get hurt, I wasn't willing to take a chance that they were normal- In other words, I was about to bash these zombies heads in.
"Busujima-san, shut the door while I take care of these guys!" I snapped, gripping the metal pole and turning to face the intruders.
"T-Take care of them? What are you doing!?" Kyoko shrieked, and Marikawa-sensei's voice followed.
"S-Stop! You can't hurt them! They're injured, they need medical help!" I heard the voices of the two adult women behind me. But I ignored them. Clearly, their nerves were not up to par right now. They didn't get what was happening. But I did. One of the male student's that came in lunged for me. I easily stepped aside and slammed the pole down onto his head. It didn't do as much as I wanted to, instead, the guy just fell backwards and hit the infirmary wall, crumpling to the ground with a strange, monstrous moan. His eyes were pale and lifeless but he started getting up again.
Meanwhile, Saeko shut the door. She crossed her arms and instead of joining in she spectated the scene with a calm and curious expression. She had her head cocked slightly, her eyes narrowed. She was observing me. I recognized the look in her eyes. She was trying to determine my strength.
That was fine with me. I stalked towards the student I'd hit to the ground, and raised the table leg again. This time when it collided with his head, it made a huge dent, cracking open. The dude went limp, for good. Something niggled at my mind. I felt it, and saw it in my peripheral as well. The second boy was coming at me, almost from behind. If I tried to use the pole, he'd reach me first. Probably bite me too.
So I ducked forward quickly, and the zombie stumbled into the wall, clambering against it. I inhaled deep and with a sharp exhale, I jabbed my elbow, unleashing all my strength in the blow. It fractured the student's face easily and sent him flopping but just to be safe, I hit him with the pole while he was on the ground too. Repeatedly. At first, I did it just to be safe. Then, I pictured that girl. The girl who'd been pressed against the glass, staring in at us. Desperate for us to save her. If I'd moved sooner, maybe I could've saved her.
"ARGHHH!" Rage filled me as I began to batter the zombie's heads with dozens of blows. The only sound in the infirmary was my own heavy breath and grunts as I made two mushy, red puddles out of the boys craniums. Wet bits of brain and bone littered the floor beneath me as rage coursed through me. At myself, at the guy who was now hidden by curtains. Chewing that poor, innocent girl's brains like she was food. She wasn't food!
I slumped when I was done, coated with sweat. When I turned, satisfied, I was met by three terrified gazes. Only Saeko seemed unfazed by my display of brutal violence. In fact, she was smiling.
"Nice work," She smirked. "I didn't even need to step in."
Kyoko-sensei and Marikawa-sensei had matching masks of complete and utter terror. I didn't care about the dude, I already knew he was a coward. But for the woman who had taken part in raising me to look at me like that...the woman who'd always protected me...I couldn't stand it.
"W-What have you done, Ichiro? You...killed those boys," Kyoko whispered.
I nodded. "Yes, I did. But...I think they were already dead. And if I didn't...they would have killed all of us."
Saeko stepped in. "It's true. This appears to be some kind of disease. It spreads fast, through bite. They die, and then seem to...reanimate. Either that, or some kind of strange rabies takes over their bodies and drives them to kill. Regardless, you saw for yourself, what will happen to you if you don't kill them first." She nodded to the window. We all knew what lay behind that curtain.
"Y-You don't know that! How could you know that?" Marikawa-sensei whispered, "I'm a nurse! I could've...I know a lot about infections. I could've saved them!"
It seemed the two adults here were united in their resistance to this.
I felt my anger build and before I could hold it back I lashed out. "Don't look at me like that, Kyoko-chan. I did that to protect you. I killed them for you- so stare at me like I'm my piece of shit dad if you want, but I'm not. I'll do it again and again, til we're out of this school and safe. Whether you like it or not. You're apparently a child, and I guess that makes me the adult here. I'll do what needs to be done while you and Marikawa-sensei bitch and moan." I stalked away from them to the other side of the infirmary, standing by the window.
I was pissed off. Beyond pissed off.
I'd lost control, sure. Maybe I didn't need to turn their brains into mush like that. But I was glad I did. It'd felt good to get my fear and frustration out, and beyond that, it was necessary. In all the movies it's the brain that's the weakness. An unsettling mood enfolded the infirmary. No one knew what to say, or rather, no one really wanted to say anything. We'd all seen too much. I was gripping my bloody pole for dear life, trembling, when Saeko walked over to me.
Now that my adrenaline was starting to die, I couldn't ignore how beautiful Saeko Busujima was. I'd never met her, face to face, but I'd heard so many stories about her strength and beauty. At least the beauty part was true. Her facial features were flawless, and her body was so shapely for a girl my age. Wide hips and large breasts. But I didn't want to think about that. I held her gaze as she walked over.
"Could've helped," I commented with a scowl.
"Sure, I could've," she admitted, smirking, "but then I wouldn't have seen if you were worth keeping around. The nurse is obvious. The others? Not so much. I know you dropped out of the karate club. Wasn't sure why. And now I know."
Quite a thing to say to someone you just met. "Worth keeping around, huh?" I had a feeling I already knew what she meant. My head suddenly displayed a gory image: So much red. Tsunoda's blood. The zombies' blood. Instead of turning my stomach, I felt my adrenaline rising again just thinking about it. Disgustingly, I felt my mouth water. And somehow, I felt like Saeko knew. My fists clenched.
"You may call me Saeko. You've earned that right. You saved my life, afterall. Just do me a favor and keep that strong arm ready." I didn't know what to say, so I just turned away. Stared out the window. It was still so peaceful outside. A blissful display of blue and green scenery, but I was starting to notice something in the distance, in the city. Huge plumes of smoke rising up. Was this happening in other places too? But apparently she wasn't done. "You did the right thing. A real man is willing to kill to keep others safe, a real man follows his instincts, and you did just that, no questions asked. So, from this point on...just trust that gut feeling. Trust that...urge."
That urge?
We met eyes. I saw something in her smoldering blue gaze. Something familiar, something almost terrifying if I hadn't already come to terms with the fact that it was inside me long ago. The same energy, the same force, that had driven me to bashing the zombie skulls til they were broken. The same urge that had driven my fist into Tsunoda's face, again and again and again. The same thing that had made Hiyashi-sensei urge me to get therapy, to stop fighting. I glanced behind Saeko.
Kyoko-sensei had her head cupped in her hands, sitting on the bed. She was shaking, sobbing.
In truth, I didn't give a shit what Saeko had to say. About "people being worth keeping around" or doing the right thing. Don't care about being a man either. There was only one thing on my mind. Kyoko-chan could hate me, she could be terrified, I didn't care. I'd still stay by her side. Because I love her.
"Busujima-senpai. I care about one thing. Protecting Hayashi-sensei." I turned away from her again, making it clear I was done with this conversation.
In the glass I could still see Saeko. She just smiled knowingly. Her eyes said it all as she turned and walked away.
