The morning light could be seen peaking at the edges of the windows as the morning made it presence known
Takumi looked over the students spread throughout the gymnasium.
His footsteps echoed softly through the otherwise silent building as he made his way toward the nearest window.
The silence was anything but peaceful. It was heavy, weighing the hearts of all these people
The kind that pressed against your chest until even breathing felt difficult.
Stopping before the crimson-tinted glass, Takumi stared outside. His heart thumbed in a way he thought he had forgotten long ago as he gazed at the view outside
Beyond the school grounds, countless figures wandered aimlessly. Their slow, uneven movements were almost hypnotic.
He drew in a slow breath.
"...At a time like this..."
His voice, though quiet, managed to reach every part of the gymnasium. He didn't need to turn to know he had tge attention of everyone present
"...when the fate of the people we care about is unknown..."
His eyes drifted toward the school's outer fence.
"...or they've already..."
The words caught in his throat.
Gone.
He couldn't bring himself to say it.
The crimson reflection on the glass stared back at him.
For a fleeting moment, the countless undead beyond the fence seemed to overlap with his own reflection, as though they had taken root within his eyes.
"..."
"...I'm really not suited for speeches after all."
He let out a quiet, self-deprecating laugh.
"...Takumi...do you actually have the time to joke at a time like this?"
The voice wasn't loud
It wasn't angry or shocked either
Takumi finally pryed his gaze away from the window and looked towards the direction of the voice just now
Dozens upon dozens of eyes were locked onto him, long before he had reached the window
Hibara Hondo, sat at the edge of one the gymnasium's corners.
His eyes were staring at him with so much frustration, Takumi could almost feel it on his body
"Takumi...dude, I don't even know if my old hag is ok....HOW.....how can you even joke in a situation like this?"
Hibara Hondo barely managed to restrain his urge to shout, his body shook with suppressed frustration and anger
"Your sister is also out there! Along with Aunt kiriko! How can you jus—"
Hibara Hondo suddenly stopped his rant midway. His words slamming back into his mouth
Takumi, now fully facing him stood there, staring at him quietly
Hibara looked at him with slightly confused eyes, the anger or sadness he expected to see on takumi never appeared
Instead, his eyes met nothing but a the gaze of a 17 year old boy, trying to hold the sky
Haibara suddenly had a bit of regret, he wasn't some kind of stupid NPC, he understood what Takumi was trying to do....he just felt too much and let go
"Hibara.... you aren't wrong with what you said...my mom really could be dead...my sister could encounter a situation that may lead to that too"
Takumi clenched his fists, his voice losing some of it's steadiness as he continued
"As ridiculous as this is....as unbelievable as it may seem...we now find ourselves in a situation that we previously only considered in passing"
"Heck we don't even know if we'll have the luxury to grieve for our families"
The students said nothing, the words takumi said had no magnemity, they were crude, unpolished and undeniably true
" At a time like this....having someone like me, standing up and telling everyone what to do, not reading the room....is something you didn't ask for..."
Takumi took a deep, shaky breath.
"...we had no idea that the future would be something like this...most of our previous problems seem so insignificant now."
A small smile curled at his lips.
"...before the world went to hell, most of us only ever worried about exams, our dreams...or whether our crush even noticed us..."
Takumi's mismatched eyes moistened at the memories of those happy, carefree days, a thin mist clouding his vision.
"...yesterday...death brushed past every single one of us....just because we don't want to face the things outside doesn't mean they'll disappear."
The atmosphere grew even heavier.
Their expressions twisted with churning emotions, yet not a single tear fell.
"...me standing here, lecturing everyone...is also something that none of you asked for....despite the fact that my group saved most of you, i still don't have the right to tell anyone what to do...nor should i."
His words echoed clearly throughout the large gymnasium, carrying a sincerity every one of them could hear.
"...because i don't know what the right answer is either."
Takumi lowered his head slightly.
"...i don't know if my mother is alive..."
"...i don't know if my sister is safe..."
"...and i don't even know if we'll get the chance to see them again."
His clenched fists trembled.
"...but..."
"...staying here..."
"...doing nothing except drowning in our own misery..."
"...that's probably the worst thing we can do."
Takumi wiped the dampness from his eyes before looking at everyone once more.
"...it doesn't have to be something difficult...or even something important..."
"...we just need to move."
"...whether it's helping prepare breakfast..."
"...checking the barricades..."
"...thinking about what we'll eat later..."
"...or even talking about what we'll do if life somehow goes back to normal..."
A faint smile appeared on his face once again.
"...anything..."
"...because doing something..."
"...has to be better than letting this silence swallow us."
-------------
Fujimi City
Gold Rose Apartment
Takashi threw a chip into his mouth as he walked into the living room of his current residence with slow steps.
It had been a few hours since he woke up, and he was faring better than one might expect considering his recent... moving on.
"Crunch."
He took a seat on one of the couches and glanced toward the opposite side of the room, a smirk already struggling to form as he opened his mouth.
"I actually prefer your previous attire."
His voice, hoarse, still managed a slightly teasing tone.
A long-haired girl sat quietly at the other end of the room. Brown eyes peered toward Takashi.
She looked at his expression, which bore what she dubbed the 'punchable' expression, with open disdain.
"Don't disgust me. Just because Aya took pity on you doesn't mean I won't rub salt into your... womanhood."
Takashi's smile twitched. Phantom pain shot through him as he slowly closed his eyes. They were exceptionally clear in the dim light.
Reina Kisaragi smirked as she looked at his reaction, a hint of schadenfreude in her gaze.
"Your friend really made you charming... but that dress makes it even more clear, princess."
"...Actually..."
A grin slowly spread across her lips.
"...you're making me feel a little jealous, princess~"
Takashi's hands trembled as the words sank in. His pupils were slightly bloodshot as he took several deep breaths.
He looked at the girl with cold eyes...
...only to find that she was looking back at him with the exact same expression.
[Reina Kisaragi! Just you wait, you bitch! Once I awaken, I'll definitely show you who's the real princess!] — Takashi
The second day of the apocalypse had begun...
...and both the protagonist and the antagonist started it in a memorable way.
End of Chapter 13