Dinner was over.
Saya slept leaning back, her face relaxed for the first time in days.
Kohta remained standing on the balcony, finger on the trigger, eyes fixed on the night.
Outside, the world was a symphony of screams and distant gunshots.
The sky seemed to cover everything with a layer of ash.
Nanashi, in silence, checked the weapons locker. Among the metal compartments, he found several grenades.
He returned to the balcony and showed them to Kohta.
"Have you ever used these?" he asked calmly, knowing Kohta had extensive experience with firearms.
Kohta shook his head, visibly tense.
"They're too dangerous. That's why I don't want to carry them."
He briefly explained how easy they were to use, but his voice cracked from exhaustion.
Nanashi nodded gratefully. After listening carefully to the instructions, he returned to the room and stored the grenades inside his ring.
They might come in handy, he thought, trying to find a use for everything that could ensure his survival.
The atmosphere was heavy. From the balcony came echoes of chaos: footsteps, sobs, and the sharp sound of a gunshot repeating like a warning. Kohta remained on guard, but his eyelids trembled. It was the second day without rest. The initial excitement was gone; only the obligation to endure remained.
Kohta rubbed his eyes, exhausted.
Nanashi's thoughts were elsewhere. He felt uneasy, barely paying attention to anything around him.
He thought about the future, about those memories that were not his, about the moment when Takashi had survived this situation purely by luck.
Fear crept into his bones.
If Kohta becomes impulsive trying to imitate that act… if he dies…
The thought tormented him, turning him paranoid.
Nanashi noticed Kohta's fatigue. He approached him with a gentle smile—so natural it could convince anyone it was genuine.
"Kohta, go get some rest," he said calmly, with a hint of concern.
"But… something could happen," Kohta replied, clinging to his rifle.
Nanashi insisted, lowering his voice.
"This is the second day. If you don't rest now, you won't have the strength tomorrow."
Kohta hesitated. That was when Saeko appeared.
The hallway light outlined her silhouette, and her voice broke the silence.
"Nanashi is right," she said in a calm, reflective tone.
"You're our ace with weapons. Can you keep your aim steady when you're half-asleep, Kohta-kun? This might be our last peaceful night."
Kohta had no argument. His companions were right.
"Wake me if anything happens," he said, dragging his feet as he looked for a room to rest.
Saeko watched him leave, then turned to Nanashi.
"You can rest too. I'll keep watch. Don't worry—staying awake for a few days won't affect me."
She turned to leave, but when she saw Nanashi still standing there, she left him with a warning.
"Don't spend too much time watching. It can weaken your mind. Remember, not only the dead will come for us… the living will too. You must understand that we can't save everyone."
Nanashi nodded silently. Even so, he didn't move. His unease wouldn't let him sleep.
He stayed on the balcony for a while, observing through the binoculars with the lights off—countless desolate scenes—until a dog's bark caught his attention.
And everything began just like in those memories.
"Please, let us in!" the man screamed desperately, holding his daughter.
Nanashi heard it from afar. He had stopped observing; he already knew what would happen. It was burned into his memory.
Bang.
A dry gunshot. A body collapsed to the ground, agonizing. The girl's crying echoed shortly after. The zombies would surround her soon.
Takashi wouldn't be running to save her this time.
And Nanashi didn't want that to happen. None of the group should risk themselves trying.
He raised the weapon, followed Kohta's instructions precisely. Strangely, he didn't feel tense.
Bang.
He missed. The first shot ricocheted off a metal frame. The noise echoed loudly, drawing even more movement.
Nanashi steadied his breathing, focused as much as he could.
He couldn't save the girl—but he wouldn't let her die in such a horrible way.
The fresh memory of that police officer who had died the same way filled him with resolve.
His gaze sharpened. He tightened his grip.
Bang.
Nanashi let out a tired sigh, leaning against the balcony. The screams, growls, and barking outside continued. He set the weapon down, stood up, and searched for a place to sleep—far from that room.
The unease and paranoia tormenting him faded, at least for now. He fell asleep as soon as he touched the bed.
Saeko heard the gunshots from the kitchen while preparing supplies. From the sound, she knew they came from the balcony. When no more followed, she sighed in relief.
It's good that Nanashi-kun understood this is beyond us, she thought.
She went upstairs. The room and the balcony were empty.
Curious, she picked up the binoculars and scanned the surroundings. Nothing seemed unusual—except for the number of zombies drawn by the noise in the streets.
A dog's bark caught her attention.
Her blood froze.
Two bodies.
A man being torn apart by zombies near a house, his shirt stained with blood—the stain clearly caused by a bullet. And the body of a little girl slowly being surrounded by zombies. Saeko could see the blood flowing from her forehead, running down over lifeless eyes.
The puppy barked furiously in her direction, filled with hatred.
A feeling of rage and disgust coursed through her body.
"Nanashi…" she murmured.
A deep, visceral disgust.
Someone she considered a companion—someone she had watched eat like a child enjoying his meal—was a complete lunatic who had shot innocent people.
Thoughts raced through her mind. She remembered Nanashi had never revealed his name. She hadn't forced the issue—it seemed trivial given the situation. Now it felt like a puzzle revealing the truth.
Saeko clenched her fists tightly. The binoculars shattered in her hands.
Her face twisted into an expression no one had ever seen before.
"I'll deal with him… if he's a threat," she whispered, with a calm that was terrifying.
The next day, Takashi emerged embarrassed, apologizing to everyone. Rei stood beside him without a hint of guilt, smiling at the others, reaffirming her claim over Takashi.
Though that hardly mattered compared to the decisions made the day before.
Saya explained the choices the group had agreed on.
Takashi froze as he listened. His face flushed deeply; he knew he had no right to object.
He remembered the previous night with shame. Rei had sought him out drunk, carrying a bottle. She forced him to drink, and he lost what little rationality he had left. He didn't hold back—he gave in completely to his passion for the woman he loved.
The information Saya shared surprised him. He looked at her apologetically. She noticed, closed her eyes, and sighed.
"I know… I don't have much hope, but—"
"Of course," Takashi replied with a bright smile, encouraging her.
He turned his gaze to Rei. Rei's father should be at the police station. He clenched his fist.
Maybe we can head there afterward… he thought, swallowing his bitterness. His situation was no different from Saya's. The future was uncertain—but he had to be strong.
Rei hugged Takashi, sensing his thoughts, trying to calm him.
She gave him a gentle smile. It was all she had left in the face of uncertainty.
"I'm really sorry, guys. Even though I wasn't here, you were thinking about our survival. I didn't realize how serious things were. I was immature. I'm sorry," Takashi said, bowing his head.
Rei bowed as well, ashamed. The night before, she had seen the teacher grab a bottle—and driven by curiosity, she had started drinking too.
Saeko smiled, amused, and reminded him:
"You can call me by my name, Takashi-kun. We decided that yesterday too."
Takashi, embarrassed, began calling her Saeko.
Now only Saya, Saeko, and Rei remained inside. Nanashi and Kohta were outside, loading the weapons into the military Humvee.
Saya crossed her arms and let out a cold hmph.
Takashi and Rei introduced themselves properly to the group.
"I'm Komuro Takashi. You can call me Takashi. I'll be in your care."
"I'm Miyamoto Rei. You can call me Rei."
Yawning, freshly awake and carefree, Shizuka spoke up:
"I hope Saya-chan's house is nice."
She didn't concern herself with yesterday's decisions—she always went with the flow.
With everything settled, they began packing whatever could be useful.
It was still early morning. Kohta had risen with renewed resolve and commitment to the group, waking Nanashi.
Nanashi followed his orders and began moving the weapons to the Humvee.
But an uncomfortable feeling crept over him.
He looked around and saw Saeko standing still, watching him.
He could feel her gaze fixed on him—not smiling.
When their eyes met, Saeko didn't look away.
Nanashi didn't understand. Confused, he continued packing.
Kohta was explaining to Shizuka that, thanks to the Humvee's design, they could cross the river without any problems and head toward the Takagi residence.
Shizuka also got to work, following Saya's instructions.
Nanashi, still nervous, hoped they would reach their destination safely.