Chapter 14: A Plan
After all the running, fighting, and almost dying, we finally got a chance to rest.
Not for long, obviously.
We were still trapped inside a school overrun by zombies.
But for the first time since the outbreak began, nobody was actively trying to eat us.
I'd call that progress.
The faculty office had become our temporary safe zone.
Several desks had been pushed against the entrances.
The windows had been checked.
Weapons were placed nearby.
Everyone settled down wherever they could find a seat.
Or floor space.
Or an intact desk.
I ended up claiming a chair near the back of the room.
A while later, Takagi finally returned.
At some point, she'd slipped away to one of the nearby washrooms.
Honestly, I couldn't blame her.
If I'd spent the last hour covered in blood, dust, and zombie guts, I'd probably want a shower too.
The difference was immediately noticeable.
Her face was clean.
Her hair looked a little more presentable.
And most importantly—
The glasses were back.
...
You know.
Maybe this was a hot take.
But the glasses looked better.
The contacts weren't bad.
The glasses were just... iconic.
Like seeing Superman without the cape.
Or Batman without the trauma.
It just felt wrong.
I admit, back when I watched the anime, Takagi had actually been one of my favorite characters.
Purely because of her design.
Yeah.
I was shallow like that.
"Hmm?"
Apparently, I'd been staring a little too long.
Because Takagi immediately noticed.
"What?"
"Um... Nothing."
She narrowed her eyes.
I pointed at her face.
"The glasses suit you better."
For a moment, she simply stared at me.
Then blinked.
"...What kind of line is that?"
"A sincere one."
"No one asked."
"That's not usually how compliments work."
"Then stop giving them. Hmph!"
With that, she immediately turned around and walked away.
...
Well.
That could've gone worse.
At least she didn't call me an idiot.
Progress, I guess.
"What is this?"
Meanwhile, Rei had managed to turn on the television.
It immediately drew everyone's attention.
"..."
The room fell silent.
The screen showed a reporter standing in front of what looked like a park.
Emergency vehicles filled the background.
Police officers stood farther back.
"It's feared that more than ten thousand people have been victimized in the Saitama area so far."
The reporter was trying her best to remain professional.
Keyword: trying.
"...The governor has already declared a state of emergency—"
A gunshot interrupted her.
"It's a gunshot!"
Everyone on the screen turned.
The camera shifted toward several body bags lying on the ground.
"I wonder what they just fired at?"
One of the body bags suddenly moved.
Gunshots rang out.
"No, what? No way!"
The reporter froze.
The cameraman backed away.
"HELP ME!"
More screams.
The camera shook violently before crashing onto the pavement.
The image tilted sideways.
Feet rushed past.
Someone yelled.
Another gunshot echoed.
Then the broadcast abruptly switched back to the news studio.
The anchorwoman looked visibly shaken.
Yet somehow, she continued reading the information placed in front of her.
Professionalism truly was terrifying.
The broadcast continued quietly in the background, offering generic advice on how to remain safe during the emergency.
For a moment, all of us just sat there.
Nobody spoke.
Simply listening.
Watching.
Realizing.
The world outside wasn't coming to save us.
Takashi was the first to break the silence.
"...Is that all?"
Nobody answered.
He frowned.
"Why didn't they tell us anything else?"
"The answer's obvious."
Saya adjusted her glasses.
"They're trying to prevent panic."
Rei looked at her.
"At a time like this?"
"Especially at a time like this."
Saya pointed toward the television.
"Fear creates chaos."
"Chaos destroys order."
"And once order collapses, how exactly are you supposed to deal with those things?"
Nobody immediately argued.
Because she wasn't wrong.
The military could fight zombies.
The police could fight zombies.
People?
People tended to panic.
And panic had a habit of making everything worse.
The discussion continued from there.
About the infection.
About the government.
About whether the military could restore order.
About whether the outbreak could still be contained.
Rei still seemed hopeful.
"I think they'll figure something out."
Saya immediately shot that down.
"Figure out what?"
"The entire world is dealing with this."
She pointed at the television again, just as the broadcast switched to reports from overseas.
Buildings burning.
Military checkpoints.
Crowds pushing against barricades.
Different countries.
Same nightmare.
Eventually, even that stopped.
The screen flickered.
Static filled the room.
"The United States."
"China."
"Europe."
Saya looked around the room.
"Every report is the same."
"This isn't some isolated incident."
"It's a pandemic."
The room became quiet again.
Even Takashi didn't have a response to that.
The only sound came from the television's static.
I listened.
And listened.
And listened some more.
Eventually, the conversation started going in circles.
Theories.
Assumptions.
Questions nobody could answer.
Honestly, it reminded me of internet forums.
The apocalypse edition.
"Hiro."
I looked up.
Saeko was staring at me.
"Hm?"
"You've been awfully quiet."
Immediately, everyone turned toward me.
Wonderful.
Exactly what I wanted.
Attention.
My favorite thing.
"What?"
Saya frowned.
"Don't tell me you've been sleeping this whole time."
"I wish."
That earned a small chuckle from Kohta.
Small victories.
Saeko leaned slightly forward.
"What do you think?"
The room waited.
Honestly?
I didn't want to answer.
Not because I didn't have an opinion.
But because my opinion was incredibly boring.
Still.
Everyone was already looking at me.
No escaping now.
I sighed.
"I think you're all asking the wrong question."
That got their attention.
"What do you mean?" Takashi asked.
I gestured toward the television.
"Whether they're zombies."
"Whether they're infected."
"Whether the government can stop this."
"Whether the military can stop this."
I shrugged.
"Those things matter."
"But I don't think we're going to find the answers while sitting in this room."
Nobody interrupted.
So I continued.
"Right now, the only thing that matters is surviving."
"We can look for answers after we're no longer trapped inside a zombie-infested school."
"We can't stay here much longer. The more time passes, the harder leaving this place is going to become."
That, at least, nobody could argue against.
"We came here for transportation in the first place."
"Our original plan was to get Marikawa-sensei's car keys."
"But now there are seven of us."
I looked around the room.
Then at Marikawa-sensei.
Then around the room again.
"...Yeah. One car isn't going to cut it anymore."
"Then what should we use?" Rei asked.
Before I could answer, Saeko spoke first.
"What about the minibuses used for school trips?"
I immediately pointed at her.
"That."
"Exactly that."
Kohta walked over to the window.
After a moment, he nodded.
"I can see them."
"They're still parked outside."
Perfect.
The plan practically built itself after that.
Get the keys.
Reach the parking lot.
Start the bus.
Leave the school.
Simple.
At least on paper.
Several more minutes passed as everyone prepared.
Weapons were checked.
Supplies were distributed.
Bags were secured.
Eventually, we all gathered near the door.
Ready to move.
Or as ready as people facing the zombie apocalypse could be.
Takashi placed a hand on the handle.
Everyone tensed.
Then something occurred to me.
A very important detail.
One that would make our lives significantly harder if ignored.
"...Oh."
Everyone looked at me.
"One more thing."
"What?" Takashi asked.
I glanced at each person in the room.
Slowly.
Very deliberately.
"For the love of God..."
I looked directly at Takashi.
"Do not shout."
Then at Rei.
"Do not scream."
Then at the rest of them.
"Seriously. I'm begging you."
Silence.
"...What?" Saya asked.
She blinked.
"That's your advice?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"No reason."
There was absolutely a reason.
Several reasons, actually.
But explaining future plot points was generally difficult.
Takashi shook his head.
Then opened the door.
And together—
We stepped back into hell.
End of Chapter 14
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