"Haaah… Hah…"
A minute ago the sun was shining and school was peacefully cozy.
Now?
The sun was swallowed by clouds and the once-peaceful school was in chaos.
"AAAAAH! HEEELP!"
"AAAGH!"
Terrified cries echoed through the hallway.
Some students froze in shock, while others tried to flee.
"Huff… huff…"
While everyone else was running downstairs to escape the school, Yuki was running up.
Fear pushed him forward; he ran with sharp, calculated movements, trying to slip past the fleeing crowd.
But—bang!
A well-built student collided into his shoulder, almost knocking him down the stairs.
The student didn't even glance back, leaving Yuki feeling wronged, but he had no time to complain. He clutched his aching shoulder and kept running upward.
'At least I didn't fall—anyway, I hope I'm not late for that scene.'
THUD-THUMP!
"AAAH!"
Yuki glanced back at the loud sound, eyes widening.
The same well-built student lay sprawled on the stairs, clutching his bleeding head and crying in pain.
"Is it karma…?"
Yuki's mouth opened slightly, unsure what to say.
Then he shook his head and ran toward the classroom.
Just as he reached the fourth floor, faint screams rose from the first floor.
Zombies were entering the school.
Yuki's face went pale. With a loud SHHHK! he slid open the classroom door.
"..."
He couldn't believe what he saw.
'W-why are they all still here?!?'
The classroom was still full of students.
"Oh, Yuki, are you okay?"
"Did you see what's happening?"
"We heard some noises."
They asked casually, like nothing was happening outside.
Haru was also there, eyes fixed on the board as if nothing could disturb him.
Yuki hesitated for a moment—should he follow the novel and run with Haru to the rooftop, or should he protect the whole classroom?
The blonde teacher eyed him with irritation.
"Yuki, get inside. Weren't you just in the bathroom? Why do you look like this?"
"And you, student, why are you standing there? Go to your classroom."
Yuki snapped back to reality and looked behind him.
"Gah??"
A pink-haired boy stood directly behind him.
For a split second Yuki thought he was a zombie and jumped, but he quickly realized he was just another student.
He sighed in relief, grabbed the boy's wrist, and dragged him inside.
The boy blinked in surprise but didn't resist, letting himself be pulled along.
"What are you doing, Yuki?"
"Teacher, there's a pandemic and there are people on the first floor attacking other students. I even saw corpses on the ground."
He let go of the pink-haired boy as he slid the door shut.
The boy smiled and followed him.
"What??"
"Hahaha! What a joke!"
"Are you okay, Yuki? Did you hit your head somewhere?"
Students laughed loudly while the teacher glared at Yuki with a warning look—but she didn't scold him.
She could feel something was off with him.
Yuki wasn't one of the well-behaved children, but she still didn't think he would make a foolish joke like this.
Just as she stepped toward Yuki and the pink-haired boy—
"Aaaaaaah!"
"Please heeelp!"
Screams echoed from the lower floors.
The previously noisy class froze.
Students stared at one another.
"Is… is it a prank?"
"..."
"Teacher, can we check outside?"
While everyone tried to make sense of the chaos, Yuki grabbed Haru by the collar.
But Haru didn't move an inch. He simply turned to look at Yuki with dull, emotionless brown eyes.
Yuki tried to persuade him, panic shaking his voice and body.
"I-if you don't help me now, we're all going to die."
He pointed at the big wooden storage cabinet next to the door.
"Help me close the door. Please."
"I'll do anything you want—just trust me this time."
Haru blinked slowly, staring at Yuki's pale face. Then he glanced at the smiling pink-haired boy behind him.
After shutting his eyes briefly, he stood and gave Yuki a sharp glare before nodding once.
"Hm."
"Haah, thank you~ I knew you'd help."
Yuki rushed to the wooden storage cabinet and tried dragging it.
His right shoulder, still purple from when that strong student slammed into him.
To his surprise, the pink-haired boy grabbed the cabinet too, helping him drag it. Haru joined soon after.
As the teacher finally processed what they were doing, her right eye twitched.
"What are you brats doing?! Sit down—"
"AAAH!! RUN!!"
"DON'T PUSH ME—!"
The zombies and panicked students were now so close their screams rattled the floor beneath them.
Every student shot up from their chairs.
"W-what's happening?!"
"I'm scared…"
"Teacher, should we call the police?"
The three boys kept dragging the wooden storage cabinet with all their strength. They figured if they didn't block the door, whatever was coming would reach them next.
Another wave of shrieks burst from the floor below.
All three boys went sheet-white and pushed harder.
"L-look outside…"
Students turned toward the trembling voice.
A brown-haired girl stood by the window, pointing with a shaking hand.
"What is it…?"
"H-hey… what do you see?"
Students slowly approached the windows, hesitant, terrified.
Then—
"AAAAAAAAH!!"
"What the—?!"
Their breath stopped.