"What do we do… now?"
Staring at the girl strapped down tight, everyone felt sick to their stomachs.
If the zombies broke in again… would this be our fate too?
"I'm going to scavenge supplies."
Ignoring the others,
Aiden turned to the grim-faced Hayato. "If we plan to live thirty days, we need enough food and clean water—and toilets. That means we have to go out."
He looked toward the unsealed classroom windows on the other side.
They were on the third floor.
Below stretched a huge athletic field.
A few scattered zombies were wandering the rubber track.
Judging by the scene, the outbreak hadn't hit on a school day.
Otherwise, there wouldn't be so few.
"Scavenging… isn't that too risky?" Hayato couldn't help trying to stop him.
After what had just happened, he instinctively didn't want anyone going out.
But thinking about it, Aiden wasn't ordinary.
With his skills, maybe he really could bring back resources.
"Sunset's close. We move now or we don't move."
Reading the hesitation in Hayato's eyes,
Aiden understood: Hayato had the same thought, but the people in this room didn't have Aiden's nerve.
The earlier horror had shattered them.
Now they only wanted to huddle here and avoid the swarm beyond the door.
"…"
Aiden didn't waste words. He geared up and headed for the exit.
Just then,
a cool, clear voice sounded behind him.
"Wait."
"Hm?"
Aiden glanced back—surprised to see the ice-cold Yukino step in front of him. "Aiden-kun, I want to be your teammate. May I?"
"You heard my terms. Can you accept all three?" Aiden frowned slightly.
"I can." Yukino's clear eyes didn't waver. "I'll follow your orders unconditionally. If danger strikes, you may abandon me at any time."
"When we secure supplies, you choose first."
"Yukino!"
Hearing her agree to those harsh conditions, Hayato panicked and stepped in. "That's too much. Let's wait till everyone calms down and then go together, okay?"
"Wake up." The black-haired girl shot him a chilly look. "Night makes everything worse."
To Yukino, Hayato might be a nice guy—
but this wasn't a peaceful campus anymore.
Hesitation only raised the risk.
From what she'd seen, Yukino doubted these people would survive the night.
Better to follow the bold and capable Aiden into the dark.
If they could find a way off campus, even better.
"But…" Hayato tried again.
He'd grown up with Yukino—and her older sister, Haruno.
If Yukino got hurt here…
back in the real world, Haruno would fall apart, and he'd never forgive himself.
"You're still the same as ever…"
Yukino's brows knit as she slipped out of his reach.
She felt nothing for Hayato.
She simply thought the boy in front of her still couldn't read the room.
"…"
Hayato fell silent,
memories of childhood surfacing unbidden.
In elementary school, he'd tried to "help" the isolated Yukino—
and only made everything worse.
A thorn neither of them had ever pulled out.
"Remember the rules. Bring your gear."
Aiden had no time for their baggage.
He nodded once and moved out.
Yukino's face tightened; she grabbed the kit she'd chosen and hurried after him.
"A bow? Nice pick."
At the doorway,
Aiden's eyes flicked to the weapon in her hands with mild surprise.
A classic American hunting recurve, with a quiver full of arrows.
From the looks of it, not far off from what the heroine used in The Hunger Games.
Such bows usually draw around thirty-five pounds, blending traditional form with modern design—ergonomic, great for beginners or lighter shooters.
Friendly for girls; easy to learn.
Yukino had clearly thought this through.
Compared to unfamiliar firearms, a bow as a cold weapon was more natural for zombie combat.
Quiet, accurate, and suited to her.
Zombies in "Left 4 Dead" were hypersensitive to sight and sound, easily drawn to light.
Even with a suppressor on his M9, Aiden didn't want to start a firefight and ring the dinner bell.
Anyone who's fired knows "suppressors" don't mute—only muffle.
Cold, silent culling was the right play.
Aiden drew the kukri, took a slow breath, and slipped down the chill, empty corridor.
Yukino shadowed him, tense, small hands clamped on the recurve, ready to cover.
Ahead,
besides the three corpses he'd tossed out earlier, a few more strays shambled near the far end.
They tucked in behind an abandoned desk.
Aiden flicked a look at Yukino.
He palmed a piece of chalk he'd looted from the classroom and tossed it lightly near a lone stray at the corner.
Tink—the chalk kissed tile.
In the dead quiet, the sound was a spike.
The stray snapped its head over,
sallow eyes blinking with dull confusion.
A rotten throat scraped out a hoarse "hrrh," and it lurched toward the sound.
…
(End of Chapter)
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