Disclaimer: I own nothing of the properties within this story; all rights go to the creators and companies of said properties
Beta by Slothful, Forzarismo, and Old Man of The Mountain/Darklord331
Chapter 5: Readying for Departure
I gasped for breath and clenched my side, feeling my lungs burn. Sweating runs down my face as I force my legs to move despite feeling like they are about to fall right off.
Just a little more, and I will make it. I can't give up now! Not after coming so far!
I clenched my jaw, readying myself for one last sprint. I'm almost there!
As the digital number rolled over to ten, the treadmill began to slow to a stop.
It's finally over.
I'm not ashamed to admit that I fell to the floor once the treadmill stopped. I was never the physically active type. My exercise route is just me walking to school and back. Expecting me to run not one but ten miles is inhumane.
But I did it. Because the sooner I complete the class tasks, the better my chances of survival are. Thankfully, the thirtieth floor houses a gym, making one of my three tasks easy.
Plus, being in shape is a good idea if you're in the middle of a zombie outbreak.
I pull myself up, getting up on my shaking legs. My legs feel like they're jelly. I grabbed my phone off the treadmill, seeing it was past ten. I have been running for over three hours now. No wonder it feels like my legs are about to give out on me.
But now I'm facing a new problem. I'm hungry.
I left the gym, walking like a newborn deer. I grabbed my towel and wiped off the sweat from my face. I would shower in the gym's locker room, as I'm betting I smell as good as I look, which is almost dead, but my desire for food outweighs my desire for a shower.
I rode the elevator down to the underground employee floor. As the elevator descends, I regain feeling back into my legs. At least now I can walk without looking like I'm about to collapse. Hopefully, the kitchen has something I can eat without cooking, as I'm not in the mood to cook after running ten miles.
As I approach the kitchen, a delicious smell enters my nose. As I enter the kitchen, I see everyone, with Kawamoto and Miss Hayashi cooking, while the rest of the group is at a table and talking, except for Otis, who is reading.
"I see that our brave leader finally decided to join us." Yuu- I mean, Muki said, getting up from her seat and walking towards me. "Some of us were worried something happened to you."
"Sorry. I went to the gym and went on a run." I explained.
"I can smell that." Muki giggles. "Normally, guys can't pry themselves away from me after a night with me," Muki said. Before I can say anything, Muki locks her lips with mine, giving me a quick but deep kiss. And while nobody said anything, the room's atmosphere changed to an uncomfortable, awkward silence.
Muki leads me to the table, having me sit next to her as she leans her head on my shoulder, rubbing my chest and making me uncomfortable. The act itself isn't the problem, as I enjoy it, but her doing it in front of the others is. Muki is okay with telling people who she had sex with. I'm not.
But I didn't voice a complaint. It's nothing more than playful teasing, and with a group our size, the others were going to figure out what happened between Muki and me last night, so maybe it coming out sooner rather than later is for the best.
Soon enough, Miss Hayashi and Kawamoto told us the food was ready, handing us our plates. It wasn't anything too special, just toast, fried eggs, and bacon, but I shouldn't complain. I doubt anybody besides us can enjoy a meal in relative peace. We ate in silence, with the occasional bouts of small talk. That's how I learned Kawamoto's parents own an izakaya, where she helps as a cook and server when the track team isn't too busy.
"I'm planning on going to town today," I said, eating the last bits of eggs I had left.
"Absolutely not!" Miss Hayashi yells, slamming her hands on the table, causing everyone but me to flinch. "You already put yourself in more danger than you ever should have! Now you're saying you want to go out there again?!"
"Calm down, Kyoko. I'm certain Yuji has a good reason for it." Muki speaks up.
"Kyoko?" I question the name. Who is Kyoko?
"Kyoko is Miss Hayashi's given name," Miku explains. "Speaking of our first names, we should all call each other by our given names," Miku suggested. "We're going have to work together to survive, and calling each other by our given names would help build group trust."
A part of me wants to refuse her suggestion. I'm fine calling Miku by her given name after last night and Otis by his, as he was born and raised in America, but I'm not sure about the others. Calling your teacher by her first name feels weird.
But at the same time, Miku does have a point. Realistically, we are just a group of strangers. If we're supposed to work together, we need to build a foundation of trust, and in the grand scheme of things, calling each other by our given names isn't that bad. And it seems everyone agrees as they nod to Miku's suggestion.
Miku smiles in her (small) victory. "So why do you want to go to town when we have plenty of food and water?" Miku asks.
"I don't want to leave the hotel and go to a zombie-infested town. But we need some stuff." I clarify. "We have no way of contacting the outside world," I explain, holding up my phone. "While we have power, we don't have any internet to send messages. However, I doubt anyone would believe us if we posted what's happening online. So I want to go to town for a radio."
"You're planning on risking your life for radio?" Miss Hay- Kyoko questioned, giving me a dulled look.
"Not just a radio. I'm also planning to grab some movies, too." I answered, getting an annoyed look from Kyoko.
"And why are movies so important?" Kyoko asks through gritted teeth.
"To take our minds off of the situation we're in," I answered. "Yes. Things like movies, games, music, and books are not as important as food or water, but they provide something important: a sense of normality. People had gone mad under stressful conditions, which we are dealing with now. We have no idea when or if help is coming. We can be stuck here for weeks or even months." I don't like telling them this after believing they're safe, but this is important. "We need something to help us feel normal."
"Then we can just search the rooms. I'm positive we can find some books and video games in the luggage." Kyoko argues.
"Yes, but everyone doesn't like the same genre. Not everyone enjoys playing video games. And we need to consider Otis's situation. Besides you and me, the rest can't talk to him as they don't have much practice speaking English. It might be okay for now, but eventually, Otis will be affected. Humans are social animals. We may even need to use the roof to avoid the feeling that we're caged here." I counter.
"I understand your argument, but those movies and books are likely to be in English too, making it pointless to gather because, as you said, only you and I know how to speak and are more likely to read English. I doubt anything on this island would be in Japanese." Kyoko points out a flaw in my reasoning.
"True. But it would give the others motivation to learn. Because I bet that the others would prefer to learn how to read and speak English than be bored out of their minds. Sure, they can swim in the indoor pool or talk among themselves, but you can only do that for so long. And having you teach would help bring some levels of normality." I explain.
Kyoko gives me the glare she uses when she deals with troublesome students before sighing in defeat. "Fine. It doesn't seem I convince you to give up on your plan, but I'm going with you. I already failed both as a teacher and as an adult once by allowing you to go off by yourself in a hotel overrun by these monsters. I'm not going to fail my duties for a second time." Kyoko said, her tone telling me there was no room for argument.
I sigh in annoyance, but I can understand where she is coming from. She must have felt frustrated and ashamed of herself after yesterday. She lost many students to zombies, and she allowed another student to risk himself for some piece of plastic. I can understand why she is so strongly against me going into town and how I know she won't take no for an answer.
But just because I understand, it doesn't mean that it wasn't annoying.
Her coming along hurts my ability to gather supplies. My inventory can hold a ton of stuff, but unless I want to tell Kyoko and the rest about my powers, I can't use it without creating too many questions.
Then there is the fact Kyoko isn't much of a fighter. Sure, having another set of hands to help me sounds swell in theory, but if we somehow end up surrounded by zombies, Kyoko would be more harmful than helpful. I will have to work twice as much to ensure her safety.
"We will talk about what places we'll search later. For now, I think we use some suitcases to make a 'help' sign on the roof." I said, getting up from my seat. "I also need to take a shower."
"I will join you~," Miku said, only for Kyoko to grab her by the shoulder, giving Miku a sickly sweet smile.
"No, you're not," Kyoko said in a singing tone. Her might sound cheerful, but a cold shudder ran down my spine. "You will be too busy with homework to fool around, Miku."
"H-Homework?" Miku confusingly asks, looking like a deer staring at headlights.
"Yuji is right. You all need to be able to read and speak English. Not only so you and Otis can communicate, but in case we bring in other survivors, as I doubt most of them understand Japanese." Kyoko said, her voice making me feel like I was outside in the middle of winter. And it wasn't even directed at me. I don't want to know how Miku feels. "And as you said, we need to work together to survive. Which means you need to read, write, and speak English. Perfectly."
Miku turns to me, her eyes begging for help. I sigh and do what any sane man would do in this situation.
I turn around and walk away.
I heard some giggles between Miku calling me a traitor. I'm sorry, Miku, but I'm not dealing with that. Kyoko is scary. I would rather deal with a room full of zombies than have Kyoko's cold stare directed at me.
{Two hours later - Kyoko's P.O.V.}
"Are you sure about this? It isn't too late." Yuji said.
"Not unless you are backing out, too," I said, tugging at the collar of my shirt.
Yuji told me it would be better for us to change clothes, which I agreed. You can't exactly run in heels and a pencil skirt. So I changed into something better for the topical weather, so I went with a light blue sports shirt with black gym shorts and a pair of white tennis shoes that thankfully fit me perfectly. However, I can't say the same about my shirt or shorts.
I never shopped for foreign clothes because the sizing system is a mess. What's a medium in Japan is a small in America. So I have to deal with clothes that are a size too big or a size too small. While it was tempting to pick the bigger size, that poses the risk of my clothes getting caught on something and making them easier to grab, so I decided to stick to small.
And I didn't miss how Yuji's eyes wandered to my chest as I tugged at my shirt. I didn't say anything as he is a teenage boy, and hormones are a thing, but it annoys me how I felt good by the stares.
I shouldn't feel good that someone half my age is checking me out, but I would be lying if I said it didn't boost my ego.
"So, what's the plan?" I ask, tying my hair up to how I usually do it whenever I go to the gym, which is a high-up ponytail.
"We'll discuss it when we hit the breakroom. Otis found a map of the island and the town." Yuji said, already walking toward the elevator.
I quickly follow him, entering the elevator as a tense silence takes over. As we rode down, I tried to lighten the mood.
"You're a pretty terrible boyfriend, you know? Leave your girlfriend behind like that." I teased like my aunts did with me when I was his age, but what Yuji said surprised me.
"We're not dating. If it wasn't for this situation we're in, I doubt Miku would even give me a passing glance." Yuji sighs. "I'm not good-looking, intelligent, or rich. If I'm being truthful, I'm probably slightly below average at best."
"Don't be so hard on yourself. You have some great qualities." I said, and I'm being honest. Yuji is far braver than most people I know. He also seems to have a good head on his shoulders. Yes, I still don't like the idea of him going into a zombie-infested city, but I agree with why he is doing it. Most people in a situation like this would only care about food and water, but Yuji is also considering our mental health. I didn't even think about the mental toll while waiting for help.
How long can we sit here and wait before one of us goes crazy? If we don't figure out a way to help deal with the stress, something terrible will happen. I still don't believe we should risk our lives over games and movies, but I can't deny how they provide a moment of escapism. Something that helps us forget the horrors we are now facing, even if it's just for a moment.
And I don't see why Yuji is looking down on himself in the looks department. Yuji is no model, but I think he is being too harsh about his looks. His red shirt and black gym shorts show that while he isn't fit, he isn't out of shape either. While his face might be a bit plain-looking, he isn't ugly. But then again, everyone judges themselves far more harshly than others.
Shizuka tells me I'm pretty and have a nice body, but I can't help but notice my imperfections more, such as how I have started to form wrinkles around my eyes.
The elevator stopped, opened its door, and allowed us to leave and continue to the breakroom. On the table are maps of the town and the island, some backpacks, and some weapons—one of which Yuji grabbed and handed to me. It's some sort of make-shift spear, a kitchen knife duct taped to a long wooden stick. It was probably the handle of a mop.
As I take the spear, a sense of wrongness takes over me. I suppose it's because I lived in Japan all my life. I'm used to living in a society where if I'm in danger, then I can call the police for help. I never needed to arm myself with a weapon before.
"My plan is simple. We'll go out and raid some stores. I also prefer that we avoid fighting as much as possible. The zombies are attracted to sounds, after all." Yuji said, to which I nodded in agreement. I don't want to fight unless we have to. "We're probably not going too far away from the hotel. We'll mainly raid gas situations and certain vehicles, such as cop cars and ambulances."
"Why do we look for a supermarket? Wouldn't we find everything there?" I ask. I grab the map and see marks on it, with a note on the bottom explaining what the symbols mean. If I guess who made the note, it would be Otis because he lived on the island for a few years before our arrival.
"Because that would be the first place people will think to go to during a zombie apocalypse," Yuji answers simply. "An entire night has passed since the outbreak started, so I'm betting the shelves in any supermarket would be empty by now. And two other factors make supermarket trips too risky to be worth it."
"And those are?"
"Zombies and people," Yuji answered. "Just like you, you thought going to the supermarket would be the right call. It has food, water, medicine, and anything else you need." I nod my head.
"Now, imagine everyone on this island thinking the same thing." Yuji's voice takes on a more serious, darker tone. "You rush to the supermarket, hoping to supply yourself with everything you need to survive, only to be greeted by a bloodbath as people fight each other. Kill each other over stuff like bread and rice."
"That's insane. Nobody would do that!" I yell. People don't just become okay with killing overnight!
"Then tell me? What would you do if you had a family to protect?" Yuji asks. "Would you be willing to give up on the food you need to survive, knowing that no more would be coming? Would you be willing to overlook someone taking a bit too much?"
Even though it hurts me to admit it, I can't answer Yuji's questions.
"With thoughts like that clouding people's minds, panic came and drew in countless zombies. And then there are other survivors."
"You think other survivors would use the supermarket as bait? People would see it and hope for some supplies left behind, only to be walking into a trap." I want to believe nobody would do such a thing, but as Yuji said, people can change drastically based on what's happening.
"It's possible, but that isn't what I'm referring to. What I'm referring to is people who became psychopaths. Seeing somebody you cared for, regardless of whether that person was a lover, a family member, or a close friend, turn into a monster who tries to eat you would cause damaging blows to your psyche, especially if you have to kill the zombified version of your friend to save yourself." Yuji then sighs, turning to me with a sad smile. "I'm sorry for dumping all this on you, but you need to know what we might face once we go outside the hotel."
"No. There is nothing you need to feel sorry about. If anyone has to be sorry here, it would be me. I'm the adult here. I should have been the one risking their life to get the master key yesterday. But instead, I had you do it. I could have stopped you, even if that meant being forceful." I let out a small chuckle. "No. It wasn't only that. You have been the one thinking about what we need to do next. I'm sorry, Yuji. I'm sorry that I'm such a pathetic person."
"If that's how you feel, you do want you can," Yuji said.
It wasn't much, but it's what I needed to hear. If Yuji had told me that it was okay or that I was not pathetic, I would have felt worse as someone half my age thought he needed to comfort me. Instead, he's telling me that I should stop focusing on what has already happened and focus on what I can now.
My pride is still hurting, but now I know what to do. And that's to ensure Yuji and the others get off this island safely.
"Thanks, Yuji," I said, giving him a small smile.
Yuji's face blushes lightly. "It's nothing. Though I think you are thinking too highly of me. I'm afraid if I don't do something, I might snap. I have been flying by the seat of my pants since we got here." Yuji then points at a specific spot on the map some distance from the hotel. "Otis said this gas station is near a game shop and movie rental store. He told me it was popular with teenagers, but I doubt we'll see nobody there now. Movies and video games aren't high on most people's priority lists."
"Do we have any keys to the vehicles in the parking garage?" I ask. If we drive, the trip would take roughly ten minutes.
"Yes, but we are going by bike. There are a couple of bikes in the garage." I point out. "We would be able to carry some supplies. We would also have better protection against the zombies. And it would take more time to get there by bike. It would take more than half an hour to get there by bike, while it would take five minutes if we used a car."
"True, but remember, we are in a different country. So we aren't familiar with the road. Cars also make more noise, which will draw in the zombies. And if we encounter other survivors, they might attack us for the vehicle." Yuji argues. "And it isn't like using a bike has advantages. It's quiet, easy to hide, and we can use it to go off-road, which is the plan." Yuji's finger drags across the map. "Just as you said, it would take thirty minutes to follow the main road, but with a bike, we can take shortcuts that reduce the time by half. I mainly want us to get familiar with the streets before we use the vehicles for supply runs. If everything goes right, we should be in and out without running anyone or anything."
I couldn't help but sigh when Yuji said that. I know he is trying to be positive, but I can't help but feel something will go wrong now. But I could be overthinking things. How can things get worse after the dead come back to life to eat the flesh of the living?
{Shizuka's P.O.V.}
I grab as many bottles of water and packs of batteries as I can into my backpack. It's disappointing that there isn't much food outside of some snacks and junk food, but at least there is some fresh fruit. I wasn't expecting overseas convenience stores to be like the ones back in Japan, but I was hoping for some canned food.
At least I found some toiletries.
I reach into my pocket, pull out my phone, and turn it on to watch the live footage from the GoPro on my bike. Much to my surprise (and annoyance), I see two survivors on bikes, one male and one female. Both are Asian as well. The male survivor is young. If I had to guess, maybe early twenties or late teens. The female survivor, who looks older than the male by a decade, pulls a water bottle from her bag and downs the contents. But my eyes were more drawn to what was on her back- a long rod with what seemed like a knife attached to it.
The woman has a weapon. The male most likely has one as well.
Crap. The man is going to the store's entrance. I can't get to my bike without them noticing me. Should I try to hide in the backroom? But I could end up trapping myself instead.
I pull a water bottle from the cooler, take off the cap, and take a sip.
I don't like this. It's too risky, but it's the best I can come up with. All I can hope is that these two are friendly.
My heart starts to speed as the sound of footsteps draws closer. I steel my features to hide my tense nerves as I turn to face the male survivor.
{Bonus Scene - Miku's P.O.V.}
I can't believe I'm doing homework while zombies are outside! I swear this feels like the setup for some bad joke. Even if the world is burning, a Japanese high school student can't escape the hell known as school.
I set my pencil down and stretched my arms, working out the stiffness as I finished my homework. Once I stopped with my stretches, I let out a small, bored sigh. As much as I complain about having homework, it gives me something to do. And now that I finished it, I'm left with nothing to do.
Should I take a dip in the pool? No. I'm not in the mood for swimming. I don't want to get something to eat because I'm bored. Gaining some weight is fine, but becoming a couch potato might be a death sentence. And becoming fat would hurt my chances of being Yuji's main girl, so I must limit the snacks.
I let out a mixture of a bored groan and an annoyed sigh. I guess I should work on my side project, even if it's just to give me something to end my boredom.
I pull out another notebook, set my completed homework on the side, grab a pencil, and start listing the names of the people in our group, but only the girls'. Why only the girls? Because I doubt Yuji swings that way, and even if he does, I doubt he would go after someone as old as Otis. After I wrote down the names, I began listing details, such as features, age, and how Kyoko wears glasses.
It isn't anything grand, but it was a start- The start of my Yuji's Harem Plan.
I plan to get myself on Yuji's good side by sleeping, and that seemed to work decently well (besides him abandoning me earlier). To keep me in those good graces and to make myself his main piece, I figured bringing more women into the bedroom would be an excellent idea, and guys love a good lesbian show. I should know, as I made a killing just kissing another girl in front of those old farts. And I'm not even Bi. I just like the money.
But now the question is, who do I go after first? As much as I want to see Kyoko being dicked down (as she needs a good fuck to loosen up) by her student, she would be the hardest to convince. Kyoko still thinks with a teacher's mindset despite being in a situation where such a mentality is pointless. Things like teachers and students don't matter when the dead walk. Then there is the age gap. Kyoko probably sees Yuji more like a son or younger brother than someone of the opposite sex because of the age difference greater than twenty.
Kyoko's mindset will most likely change over time, but as for now, convincing her to sleep with her student is next to impossible. So, I'm better off going for one of my fellow students.
You would think this would make things easier for me, but you would be wrong. Before all of this, none of us knew who Yuji was. When I asked the others how they thought of him, they said he seemed like a nice guy or brave, with tones similar to one would have when talking about the weather.
Yuji, why couldn't you be a little more outgoing? It would have saved some headaches if you were.
For now, I'm crossing Niki and Ichijou off the list. I want Yuji to get some alone time with my first target, which is impossible with them as they are always together. I swear they even go to the bathroom at the same time. It's kind of creepy.
Now I'm left with Momo and Fumiko. Thankfully, it would be easy to set them and Yuji alone. Both Momo and Fumiko were members of the track team. Well, Momo was. Fumiko was a manager, but it counts for something. I can tell them how Yuji is trying to improve his stamina when he goes out on supply runs, playing as the concerned girlfriend.
And I overheard Momo comforting Fumiko earlier. The reason why the girl was upset was because she felt useless. To be fair, most of us are. Niki and Ichijou just hang out with each other, not caring they are doing nothing to contribute to the group. The most I had done was go through bags; even then, I looked for clothes to wear. At least Fumiko felt terrible about her uselessness.
So, it's a win-win for everyone. Fumiko will find something she can help with, Yuji will get not just one but possibly two new girls in his bed, and I will prove my worth.
I bit my lip as my mind wandered to Yuji using Fumiko's braids for a much more fun purpose.
I hide my notebook inside one of the desk's drawers and get up from my seat. It's time for me to start working on my plan.
{Beatrix's P.O.V.}
I let loose another arrow, hitting another of those bizarre monsters that had been chasing us for a while. Some part inside me reminds me that these things were once human, but the look of them makes me question it.
They were once human, but not anymore, as their bodies twisted where they were running on all four limbs, much like a hound. They were also lacking any hair and, bizarrely, their noses.
But it wasn't their foul appearance that shook my being. It was how they acted. I saw how they ate only the limbs of their victims, making sure they couldn't run but were alive.
Those beasts have not only speed but also intelligence, a frightening combination.
As I was about to make my next shot, the car made a sharp turn, causing me to miss.
That's right. These things have been chasing us despite being in a car- A car going well over sixty miles per hour.
And for some reason, a part of me believes these beasts can go faster. The way they smile. The way they looked at us, playing with us, was all the proof I needed to believe this.
If someone told me this is what the hounds of hell look like, I would believe them.
"Beatrix! Are you okay?!" Maria yells.
"I'm fine! Just keep focusing on the road!" I told the pink-haired woman. How many of those things are still following us? How many arrows do I have left?
If I were to die today, at least I gain a new understanding of how hard samurai fought. Imagine doing this on horseback.
"Big sis Beatrix!" A young voice out, snapping me out of my thoughts. I see Alice handing me my arrows, her eyes welling up with tears but still showing a look of determination.
I smile at the young girl, patting her head as I take the arrow. "Thank you, Alice, but please stay hidden in the car. Can you do that for me?" I ask, to which the little girl nods.
That's right.
I can't die yet.
If I die, then so will Maria and these two little ones.
Besides, I still haven't set foot in Japan yet. And I refuse to die until I eat some authentic Japanese sushi!
I draw another arrow, aiming at another of the beasts. "One arrow. One death." I said, letting loose the arrow.
I'm also part of the SGO server, so if you want to join and chat, here is a link
/wd3tUYWVCd
I also started my server for anyone who wants to ask me about my fics or just to hang out.
/DYqC3uNfbt