When Tak.u.mi returns to the tea house, Anba and Yu was welcoming Tak.u.mi with a relieved look. It’s a feeling of having a reliable family member.
“I don’t think other zombie will come. I also have released the club president.”
Actually on the way he already instructed all the zombie in the area.
“Don’t come to the tea house no matter what.”
After that Tak.u.mi said to Anba. “It’s about Azuri, I think we need to accept the fact that she has become a zombie.”
Anba wanted to cry out loud but she is affraid that it will attract more zombie. Then Tak.u.mi softly talk to her ear.
“I know a little bit about zombie. This is the first time I saw zombie that could talk. I don’t know if she still have her consciousness. I really have no clue but there may be hope.”
Azuri was outside of the tea house and taking role as a lookout. However there’s not really important since Tak.u.mi already ordered the zombie.
“It is also important that she was not attacked by the club president and not attacking you.”
Tak.u.mi couldn’t make any conclusion because the lack of information.
Azuri didn’t attacked them maybe because her memory of them is already planted deep since childhood. Because they could still maintain their memory when still alive, it is safe to make an a.s.sumption.
However there is an info about a man attacking his own family. In this case, Azuri didn’t attack them but helped them.
“Azuri is a zombie but she is not like the others. I want you to keep treating her as usual. She is our family.”
Anba and Yu nodded to his words. Yu is not a family but is a childhood friend of Azuri. She have a deep years of relationship of her and have no problem treating Azuri as her family.
“However there may be problems in the future. Her eyes is red like the others zombie. We don’t know how other will treat her.”
The biggest problem that Tak.u.mi think of right now is the possibilities of Azuri attacking others that is not friend or family. She may attacked them but he should try it out anyway.
“In other words, the existence of Azuri is a secret. Anba, besides me and Kisaragi-san, don’t talk about Azuri to anyone.”
Anba and Yu nodded.
“If some life threathening situation occurs, I will take care of it.”
Tak.u.mi was thinking on what will happened to the world in the future. Will zombie overcome mankind? Will humanity perished eventually?
For now there’s no need for Tak.u.mi to care about his normal life. It was alright just to be alive, keep on surviving in this circ.u.mstances. Altough there will be more problem living in these environment.
“Onii-san.. What will we do noe?”
“First, I want to check mother and father condition. I will take the bike so it will takes around 30 minutes. I’ll go right now.”
“What about us?”
“As long as you’re hiding here, under the flooring and didn’t make any sound you will be safe. Azuri is also here.”
The two of them was found out under the flooring because Azuri is letting out a groan while transformed into a zombie. As long she keep silent, they are safe. Also the surrounding zombie has been instructed to not nearing the place. It was a safe place to stay.
“Azuri older brother…” Yu voice was trembling.
Yu look at him as a reliable man. If he leaves, it’s like she will have a sense of crisis coming in.
“It’s Hiiro Tak.u.mi. You can call me any way you want.”
“Well.. Onii-sama.”
Tak.u.mi was surprised a little. Anba calls him “Onii-san”, Azuri calls him “Onii-chan”. This is the first time he was called “Onii-sama”.
“Onii-sama, please call me by my first name.”
“Is that so? Yu-chan then?”
“Yes!”
Yu was smiling a little but it was not a sincere smile.
“Onii-sama, will you come back for me?”
“Of course. I will come back as soon as possible. If I met some problem on the way I may come back in the evening. You keep hiding here okay. I’ll call out for you when I return.”
He also said not to get out if it wasn’t him who come. He also left half of his food for then. Tak.u.mi began pedalling his bicycle towards his home afterwards.
“This is terrible.”
Tak.u.mi arrived at the town that he had once lived. It wasn’t a luxurious residential area but this place is packed. It’s a dense population area. Zombies scattering around, abandoned car all over the place and unpleasant smell coming to the nose. It must be coming from the corpse but he does not bother to look for the smell source.
When he lived as university student till now, he haven’t got a chance to get back. The landscape of his hometown brings him to a nostalgia.
“I can’t be sentimental here.”
He continued his journey towards home. Naturally the light on the house is all turned off.
The houses door are broken. He even found a familiar face.
“Nishizuka-san..”
It was a housewife that lives in the neighborhood.
(TL note; too bad we don’t have MILF scene here)
He keep walking and he recognize their faces.
“d.a.m.n..”
He finally arrived at his house and took out a key to open the door. It is still locked. His parents may still alive. He was entering with expectation.
“…!”
In the living room, the window is broken. The sight of his mother favourite garden can be seen. At that same time a wind blowing in from outside bringing rotten smell. He dazed while walking forward.
It’s there…
His mother corpse.
The body has been missing half of it. Maggots were wriggling from the belly. Tak.u.mi ran out to the toilet and throw up. He keep on letting out a grieving tone.
He keep imagining his mother last breathe. He only hopes she doesn’t suffer too much.
At first he want to cover his mother using futon and cremated her but it could burn the house as well. At the least, he will burried her at the garden which she loves.
He erected a grave and lifted his prayer.
He cleaned the fragments of gla.s.s in the living room using vacuum cleaner. It attracts zombie but he askes them to go away. He cleaned blood stain and trying to restore the house to its original condition. After cleaning, he looked for his father. There is a ma.s.sage on the answering machine but not from his father. He then left a note.
“I was with Azuri and Anba. I burried mother in the garden. If you saw this message, please go to this destination.”
He finished and pick up a flower from the vase. Put it in front of hia mother grave and clasped his hand together. He gives his prayer again before leaving.
He was sad.. He is too late too save his mother but relieved that she doesn’t becomes a zombie. Zombie invasion, maybe in the future the survivor will find a weapon to fight back. Dying instead of becoming a zombie maybe the only way to keep the dignity as human beings. Afterall there is no guarantee that a cure will ever developed.
Becoming a mindless zombie that roamed aimlessly. It was a sorry sight, he remembered about Azuri and he feel sad.
Even if she was a zombie, he is stil her brother. He need to protect her no matter what. But how? Tak.u.mi didn’t think about the future. He need to start thinking seriously. With such determination he returned to school.
He returned to the tea house and tell Anba everything. Anba was shocked, crying and clung to Tak.u.mi. She was prepared but it still hurt her heart. Seeing Anba, Tak.u.mi feel he was powerless and useless as a brother.
Then Tak.u.mi go with Yu to her home. If her family still alive, it would be great. It was only fivr minutes walk and he left Anba with Azuri in the tea house. This time, the zombie doesn’t attacked Yu which is with Tak.u.mi. But he didn’t realized that. Soon they arrived at Yu’s home.
Yu was frantic. She hurriedly entered the house and attacked by her mother. Thankfully Tak.u.mi was abke to stop her. However the shock of Yu is big. They returned back and Yu was hugged by Anba gently. There she cries till her tears dry out. Seeing Yu, Anba cried again and they cried so hard until they fall tired and asleep.
Tak.u.mi carried them down and lay them on the tatami. He decided to take a guard duty. He was sleepy but he want to keep these two safe. He decided to make a safe house, a base.
“For now I may try making the school as a safe zone.”
He was sitting on the outside of the tea house while thinking. He may make a clear floor of the school and let zombies roam around at the bottom as a guard to prevent new zombie coming. However how can he keep his ability hidden?
(TL note: it seemed the two girl haven’t known about his ability, only the fact that he is good at surviving)
He have no problem revealing it to Anba. But to Yu, she is still a stranger for him. He shouldn’t let others know about this. He can abandoned Yu but she was his sisters friend, what’s more she was a close friend of Azuri.
“What do you think I should do Azuri?”
Tak.u.mi sit next to Azuri and gaze to the distance. He was surprised when someone called him out. Of course it was not Azuri who look at him with blank stare. It was Yu who came out of the tearoom.
“You are not sleeping?” Yu was sitting in front of Tak.u.mi. Her eyes were shaking as if she was lost. She was also scared but seemed to want to do something.
(TL note: oh no! Could she be offering her body to him? She may get anxious that she was not his family and do it as a return for protection? Hahaha… Author-sama please give us a good scene)