October 1994, Izumo
It was a normal day. The school bell rang and it is lunch break hour for the students and teachers. Momiji Fujimiya, already let out a sign of relief. Having being almost late coming from school and got scolded by the teacher for spacing out in class, she just wanted for school to end quickly and go back home.
"Hey, how are you holding up Momiji?" A familiar voice spoken to her from the side.
"Akiko?" She is Momiji's best friend for quite a while and probably the only one she hangs out with the most.
"Are you okay? You have been spacing out a lot. Even the teacher gave you an earful during class. Did you perhaps go on a date last night?"
"As if I can do that! I don't even have a boyfriend yet."
"Hahahaha just kidding. Don't take it too seriously. Here." Akiko passes Momiji a can of soda.
"Thank you" she opens the can and have a sip.
"You know, I go to the mountains every day to purify myself and grandma always told me to be prepare to sacrifice myself for humanity." She continues on after letting a long sigh and slouch her upper body on the school table. "I wonder why she said all that when nothing uneventful will ever happen in this town? I feel like living at Tokyo would be more fascinating."
"No no no, that would be hard for you. You will get lost easily and not being able get used to city life."
"Then what should I do~? My future is sealed thanks to grandma's constant reminder and I want to see the outside world once before I go fulfill my destiny."
Akiko looking at Momiji's state and only felt pity for her. She wants to cheer her up and not sure what to think about. Suddenly though of an idea.
"I know! Come follow me."
"Eh? Wait for me Akiko."
At the back of the schoolyard, there is a gym storage room where most of the outdoor equipment are stored. The two girls are now standing in front of the storage door. Momiji seems confused on why are they here.
"So…why are we doing here?"
"Didn't you know? Legend has it that if you enter the gym storeroom during lunch break, you may find the person of your love."
"What? Isn't that just baseless rumor? Besides, I bet there's nothing inside there except gym equipment and dusts."
"It's okay, we don't need to worry about it. You never know once you try it. Now, hurry up and get in." Akiko opens the storage door and pushes Momiji inside.
"Uwaaah~!" Momiji almost fell and she heard the door slam behind her.
"Oi! Akiko! Open this door this instant!" She tried to open the door and it wouldn't budge.
"I didn't expect I would see someone here." An unfamiliar male voice was heard from behind. Momiji turns around slowly and see that it was another student. A decently build man with a skin that is slightly dark, has black hair, and eyes that are somewhat similar to cat eyes.
"Umm…who are you?" Momiji asked politely with a worried voice.
"Me? I'm Kusanagi. Mamoru Kusanagi. Third year high school."
"Third year? So, you are my senior. My name is Momiji. Momiji Fujimiya. So, why are you here?"
"Nothing much, I hang out here. It's quiet and I like being alone. That is until you barged in."
"I see. Um…sorry to interrupt your break, but I can't seem to open the door. I think it's stuck."
"No way, you probably lack the strength to open the door."
"Well, excuse me for not having a strength of a gorilla."
Kusanagi laughs and gets up from his sitting spot.
"Step aside little girl. I'll show you how it's done."
With one tug, he couldn't get the door open. He tried again with a few tugs and it wouldn't budge. He pulled as hard as he can and still not working. The door is now jammed.
Momiji chuckle at him for his futile efforts. "So, what was that about lacking strength?"
"Shut up! The door is jammed thanks to your friend that probably broke the lock when the door was shut."
Kusanagi began to pound the door hard to get attention from outside.
"Hey! Anyone! We're stuck in here and need help!"
Suddenly, a wave of poundings strike at the door and it startled Kusanagi and Momiji. Both of them stepped back from the door in shock and watch it continuously being pounded.
"Who is that? Is your friend trying to pull some sick prank!?"
"No, this is not her. Akiko wouldn't do such a thing!"
After a short while, the banging suddenly ceased and things began to quiet down.
"What the hell was what?" Kusanagi asking Momiji and somehow hoping to get an answer.
"I don't know. But whatever it was, it's gone now. What are we going to do?"
"Don't you worry. with that ruckus, someone will bound to come and rescue us. Besides, we don't need to worry about water and food. There are some packaged food and bottle of waters stored here in case we get hungry."
"I suppose you're right. Hopefully we can get out soon."
Little did they know, life outside this gym storeroom will be changed drastically.
The following day
Kusanagi and Momiji have been stuck inside the storeroom for a day now. Although they do not have any means to contact anyone outside for help, they got by with the food and water stored in boxes. They used separate landing mattresses as bed and a makeshift toilet using emptied can as a bowl with cord boards covering the user's bottom. Momiji was unfortunately was the first user.
"Hey, Momiji. You said that your friend will come and rescue us. It's been a day and we still cannot open that damn door." Kusanagi said that in a visible disappointed look on his face.
"How should I know? Akiko is not the kind of person that leaves me behind. Something important must have happened her and she needs to go."
"Ya, and she left you in here until she is done with her important business?"
"Don't talk bad about my friend! I don't know either. What if something happened to her and she was rushed to the hospital instead? I don't want to get stuck here for days." She paused that though and her body started to shivers.
"Uhgg…I'm at my limit again and want to get out of this place soon."
"Want me to sit at a corner and cover my ears again?"
Kusanagi said that with an empty can wanting to hand it to Momiji. His face looking away from her with a pity expression. Momiji realized what he meant, grabs the and throw it as hard as she can to his head.
"Horrible guys are the worst!" She said that while trying to hold down her urge to relief herself.
"Ow!" The empty can hit Kusanagi's head and cause him to crash into a large stack of boxes. After the boxes collapsed to the floor. A window that can be open was revealed in front of them.
"Wait! There's a window we can use to escape this whole time? Why didn't you know about it!?"
"Ow ow ow ow…How should I know? I don't come here often and was only transferred to this school a few weeks ago." Kusanagi said that after standing up and regaining his composure.
"It doesn't matter. We found a way out. Let's get the hell out of here."
They slide open and climb over the window, finally exiting the gym storage. The afternoon sunlight greeted them for once. At first glance, the schoolyards and visible classrooms looked empty. No students nor teachers are seen in sight.
"This is strange. Is it the weekend already?" Momiji stare at the empty schoolyards while asking Kusanagi.
"Impossible. We only been stuck here for a day. The weekends are still a few days away."
"Maybe we missed a scheduled field trip?"
"Don't know and don't care. I just want to grab my stuff and go back home."
"Same for me too. But first, there is one place that I must go."
"Exactly."
"Toilet!" Both Momiji and Kusanagi said it at the same time and rush to the nearest toilet to relief themselves and wash up.
Afterwards, the two went separately after saying their goodbyes and plan to meet up again tomorrow to find out what had happened yesterday. Momiji is walking down the hallway to her classroom to grab her belongings to go home.
'This is strange, why did Akiko leave me in there? Did she set this whole up and try to hook me up with that senior?' She thought about it herself and walking to her classroom door.
'Well, that is not important now. Once I get back home, I'll give her a call to find out what is going on.'
She slides open the classroom door and nobody is the room as far as she can tell. As Momiji walked up to her desk and was about to grab her belongings, a pair of hands suddenly grab her by the waist from below and pull her skirt down. Revealing her white panties with a pink bear at the back and a pink ribbon at the front.
"Kyaaah! Hey! What are you doi-!?" Her voice stopped and shocked when she stared at the person below her feet. She didn't recognize him, but the school uniform confirms that it's a male student. His skin is green, and there are some sort of plant vines protruding out from his skins and covering some of his body parts. The figure began to stand up and proceed to approach her slowly with his hands now grabbing Momiji by her arms.
"Wait! What you doing!? Stop it!" Momiji took a few steps back with the mysterious person not letting up. Suddenly, she slipped on a book and fell down.
"If you don't stop now, I'll call the teache-" Before she could finish, the mysterious person starts/ screeching at her.
"UOAAA-!"
Momiji now gets a better look at his face. It no longer looks like a normal human. His eyes are fully white and there are plant-like vines coming out from his nose and ears that partially covers his face. He begins to lead down and grabbed Momiji by the shoulder, teeth ready to sink into her head.
"No…please…stop!" Momiji tried her best to stop this monster from biting her, but the monster is overpowering her slowly. Before his teeth could take a bite, someone managed to push the monster away from Momiji. It slides away and was knocked against the wall. Momiji opened her eyes slowly and looked toward his savior. It was Kusanagi, he looked a bit battered but seems okay.
"Are you okay!?"
Momiji holding her desire to cry and replied to him.
"Um…yeah. I-I'm fine! How did you fi-" Suddenly, more moans and screams can be heard from the hallway. Without a second though, Kusanagi grabbed her by the arm and took off.
"Come on. We need to go!"
"Wait, my skirt! And what's with today and my underwear! This is embarrassing…"
She looks back at the monster that was getting up and a glimpse of her skirt that was on the floor. Nothing else she can do now but run.
At the hallway, more of these plant-like zombie students came bursting out. They are not fast, but their jogging pace and overwhelming numbers is enough to surround them both if they stay put. Having running down starts. They saw the entrance was blocked by more plant zombies. Having no other choice, Kusanagi rush him and Momiji to the nearest door.
"Shit. This way!" He opened a toilet and both of them hid inside one of the stalls.
"What are we doing in here!? We're trapped inside here!" Momiji protested
"Not like we have a choice. Stay quiet and hope they don't spot us."
It was however, too late. The zombies attracted by noise heard the door locked and started banging furiously. Momiji is very scared and wanted to scream. She was stopped by Kusanagi holding her mouth and trying to make as little noise as possible. Hoping the zombies would not burst through the flimsy door.
Fate would have it as their lives were spared shortly afterwards. A series of gunfire and screams were heard somewhere outside the school. It was loud enough for the zombies to lose interest on both of them and chase after the new source of noise. The toilet room is now quiet.
"Phew…I think they're gone." Kusanagi sigh in relief "I don't think they can see due to their white eyes compare to normal people."
"Normal people?" Momiji said that while sitting down on the toilet seat. "Those are not normal people, right? Those green skins, plant-like vines covering them. Something is wrong with them! What if Akiko has become one of them?"
"I don't know about your friend. But I saw one of those zombies eating a dead student before I come to your help."
"Eating? Then…for sake of eating, they attack us and then…kill us…? No! I don't want to be eaten! I'm scared! What is going on!?"
Momiji began to shake and shudder while tears running down her eyes. Kusanagi looks at her with the same dismay feelings and though about what to do next. After a few seconds of thinking, he puts his hands on Momiji's shoulder.
"Look. I can't tell whether your friend is alive or not. But if she's alive, she might be out there hoping to see you too. I don't know about you, but I'm going to leave this school and find help. You can stay if you want, it doesn't bother me that much."
Momiji stopped crying and raise her head to look at Kusanagi.
"How can you be so crazy? Those things will eat you alive."
"Maybe so, but it's not like I have any parents to look forward to. I will survive no matter what."
And with that, Kusanagi opens the door slowly to look out for any stragglers. Once the room is clear, he proceeds to open the janitor's locker on the side of the exit to see if he can use any broom or mop as a makeshift weapon.
"Wait!" Momiji said that after clearing her tears and exit the bathroom stall.
"Let me join you. Since you are new to this town, I can help you point directions on where to go. My family lives up in the hill and I want to see them again. I won't let you go alone out there without any help."
She said that while grabbing a mop from the janitor's locker.
"Talked tough for a girl that has her bear panties exposed in the open."
Momiji looks down and remembers that her skirt was left above her classroom. Her face blushes red and she proceeds to shove the mop to Kusanagi face repeatedly.
"And who's fault is that my panties are at the open!"
"Ow! Ow! Okay stop! Seriously! That thing is dirty! Also, keep your voice down."
"Horrible guys are really the worst." She said that with a pouting face.
Slowly opening the toilet door, Kusanagi check around the corners and looks empty.
"Ok, here's the plan. We make a dash to the entrance. If one of them get close to you, just knock them over with your mop and don't bother trying to fight two at once."
"G-got it." Momiji grips the mop stick tightly. She's not strong and this is her first time needing to defend herself. Nevertheless, she needs to get back home. The though of her mother and grandmother may be in danger is enough to determine her to not stay in this school. She took a deep breath and wait for Kusanagi's signal.
"Go!"
The two rush out of the toilet and make a beeline to the school entrance. One zombie appears around the corner, but the two push it down with their combine strength. Another one appears right in front of them.
"Oh no you don't!" Kusanagi turns around and punches the zombie in the face as hard as he can. The punch was strong enough to send it falling on the ground and slide a bit further away. They reached the school entrance and quickly change their indoor shoes to outdoor shoes and step out into the open. They turn around thinking the two zombies would give chase. But to their surprise, there's nothing. In fact, the school front yard is completely empty of zombies.
"Did…did we made it?" Momiji looks in utter disbelief.
"I…I think so. Looks like we're in the clear."
The two celebrated their small victory with by smiling back at each other. As they proceed to walk out of the school gate, Momiji looks at Kusanagi and ask him a few questions.
"So, umm…Kusanagi-san, what do you plan to do once we get out of here?"
"Find a way out of this town. If the school is overrun with these things, who knows how bad is out there."
"I see. Then perhaps we can go to the police station near Izumo Taisha?"
"What? No way. There are probably many people already went there to seek help. That place will probably attract lots of those zombies and get overwhelmed."
"Then where else can you go?"
"I'll figure something out. You on the other hand, need to find a sets of pants or skirt to cover your kiddie panties."
"Geez! Stop reminding me that! It's already bad enough this shirt is not big enough to cover my bottom!"
However, the teasing is abruptly stopped once they exit the school gate. Dozens of plant zombies are seen feasting on the recently deceased police officer and a few other students that tried to escape.
"Hieee-!" This horrific scene startled Momiji and she drops the mop by accident. The sound managed to attract the dozens of zombies and began to shift their attention towards the two.
"Shit! They spotted us. Nice going you klutz."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do it."
"There's too many of them. We have to run back to the school."
"O-okay!" They begin to turn around and run back to the school building. Unfortunately, Momiji tripped on the mop that she dropped and cause her to fall.
"Kyaaah!"
"Momiji! Are you okay!?"
"Ye-yeah. I'm fine. I just need to g-ow!" She felt a sharp pain on one of the legs. She looks back at her leg and to her horror, she sprained her ankle. Momiji's face began to pale and she knows she can't get far from this injury. Not wanting to be a burden to Kusanagi, she looks away and try her best to hide her scared expression.
"P-please, go on without me. I'm sure you can make it out."
Kusanagi looks at her and knows that she's putting up a fake facade. He can tell that she is scared to death.
"Like hell I would leave you! Come on!"
"Eh? What do yo-uwaaah!" Kusanagi toss his broom away, puts his hand on her back and thigh and lifts her up in one go. He started to run while also princess carry her.
"Let me go! You will only tire yourself faster if you do this!"
"Save the heroic sacrifice to yourself. I won't let you die here! Besides, you still have a family to look for."
"Kusanagi-san…"
They make a run to the school entrance, only to be stopped by more zombies coming out.
"You have got to be kidding me!"
Thinking quickly, he thought of the gym storage at the back of the school yard and changed his running direction. What felt like hours of running was only been a few minutes. With the zombies hot on their tail, he couldn't afford to slow down. Turning around the corner, they both see the gym storage and it's only a few feet away.
"Kusanagi-san. Why are we back here?"
"I'm going to put you back there and lure these freaks away. It's our only chance if we were to make it out alive."
Reaching the back window of the gym storage, Kusanagi puts Momiji down and opens the window. However, fate has a sense of twisted humor. The window could not be slide open.
"Dammit. Open you rusty piece of junk!"
"Kusanagi-san! They're getting close!"
He turns around and the zombies are in fact getting closer now. With no other choice, he let a loud sigh and turns back to Momiji.
"You know, this has been a really messed up day. If I die here, at least I'm not alone. It's been nice knowing you, Momiji."
Momiji knew this is going to be their final moments soon. She smiles back at him, said a few words while holding her tears.
"Likewise, Kusanagi-san. It's been nice knowing you too."
Kusanagi clench his fists and ready to make his last stand.
"Come on! Let's get this over with! I won't go down easily!"
As the zombies are inches away from touching Kusanagi, a group of people pushes the zombies back with brooms, mops, and shinais behind him.
"Wait, what?" Kusanagi stood there in confusion.
"I never though accidentally locking you at the gym storage would save your life, Momiji."
Momiji heard a familiar voice. She couldn't believe it at first. but as she looks up, Akiko was there, holding a broom. In front of her are a group of surviving students trying to hold off the zombies.
"Akiko-chan! You're alive!"
- End of chapter 1