The coolness of the classroom floor seeped into Ren's bones almost naturally as he slumped on, back against the wall. Exhaustion finally winning as his rush of adrenaline began to pass. His voice, barely a whisper, muttered, "…I'm completely exhausted." Each word carried a weight of its own, as if he held boulders in each shoulder.
A heavy silenced upon the room, broken only by Ren's ragged breathing. Yarigawa watched him, her sharp eyes noticing the shift in his demeanour. The initial relief of their reunion faded away, replaced by a deeper, darker undercurrent of emotion.
Hesitantly, she inched closer, scooting over to his side, her hand hovering over his shoulder. "Ren?" she asked softly, her voice laced with concern.
Yarigawa felt the change on his face, silently ensuring her complete attention at hand.
The touch however gentle, only fuelled the emotions bubbling inside of him, he slowly lifted his head, staring into the windows.
Eyes red-rimmed and filled with raw, unmasked pain. "Yarigawa," he began, his voice weak and trembling. He wrapped his arms around his knees, burying his face in their warmth, and to hide the tears he tried to stop.
"I… I killed my mom today."
The words hung heavy in the air, a grim confession which shattered any sense of normalcy the two had established before. Yarigawa's amethyst eyes widened a fraction, a flicker of shock appeared on her face which led to profound understanding.
She didn't want to interrupt, didn't try to offer any empty words of solace. She simply waited for him to release his burdens, as a storm of complex emotions brewed within him.
Ren took another sharp breath as the weight of his actions came down on him in full force, trying to crush him. "I'm glad to have survived," he continued, his voice barely audible, "But I don't know if it's worth it."
He paused, "Every time I grip my shinai, I am constantly reminded of what I did, and it keeps eating me away." He choked a sob, the grief and guilt threatened to spill over, he held onto his pocket firmly, feeling the outline of the photo he'd picked up.
This wasn't the confident Kendo Captain, whose spirit radiated unwavering strength, the one to have completely suppressed her in their duels. She was reminded then, that he was still a child at heart, just like her, a broken boy forced into circumstances completely out of their control.
"Ren, before we go any further. I just want to let you know that," Yuki paused, considering her next words carefully, "If I were to turn, I would gladly allow you or anyone for that matter to take my life." She observed his gaze.
Ren sniffled, "Why are you saying that, fool?", though he contemplated the words, it held a deeper meaning than its surface.
"I would prefer to leave this world with the dignity of being allowed to leave as a human." She explained, slowly arching back, allowing her spine to touch the wall. Both students now shoulder to shoulder.
The sun had begun its rapid descent, once a bright yellow hue, now a reddish orange. Street lights turned on, automatically, though it did little to prevent any sense of comfort.
Another silence erupted from the two, though this time it held less tension. "I see," Ren noted her words, his eyes vacant, reliving his memories, with one final sigh, he closed his eyes shut. Pondering his fate, and his rapid thoughts.
"Thank you," He mumbled, earning a ghost of a smile from the girl, a silent acknowledgement of his pain. No further words were needed.
As the night grew darker, exhaustion, a relentless wave, washed over Yarigawa Yuki. The weight of the day's events, Ren's confession, and her own constant strain to preserve her own life all accumulated within her, pulling her eyelids down like iron bars. She could barely register when her head lulled to the side, finding it resting on her friend's shoulder. Every breath more shallow and even than the ones before.
Ren however remained awake, he'd tried to convince himself to sleep, yet the incidents left a deeper scar than he had expected, now anxious and worried for their safety, he couldn't sit still without knowing whether they were inside the school.
A quick glimpse at his shoulder, considerably softened his grizzled and steely pale blue eyes. Seeing her face, softer and seemingly more vulnerable compared to her usual demeanour, evoked a sense of protectiveness in his heart.
Making sure to take a mental picture of Yarigawa, drool running down her mouth onto his shirt, who had been quietly slumbering in her sleep. Perhaps the warmth of his body eased her exposed nerves. The emotional and physical exhaustion at its brink, he mused.
The world outside was indeed a cruel one, far more dangerous and cutthroat. He had to take risks, he'd decided.
With a soft tug, he carefully propped her gently on the floor, making sure to adjust his makeshift cardboard armour. It didn't matter whether it worked or not.
Something was better than nothing.
He contemplated before sliding the door open, just enough for him to crawl through, a gap in the barricade offered him an opportunity for sneaking out.
The shinai carefully pushed outside, Ren crawled outside after a quick peek outside to make sure he was safe. His gaze drifted to his backpack, reminding himself that food and water was scarcely available for both at the moment.
It was a risk venturing outside alone, yet the gnawing hunger twisted in his stomach with a gurgle from within. Neon lights flickered in the vicinity, a sign of constant electricity flowing.
"Good." He nodded, and swiftly pulled up his shinai laying on the floor. A decision hardened in his eyes, he couldn't let Yarigawa down, the only survivor and friend he had in this post apocalyptic world. He couldn't let them starve to their deaths, but first, their safe haven needed to be secure.
The deserted corridor stretched before him, bathed in an eerie glow of the city lights outside. He made a mental note to pass through the Kendo club room, hoping to find a bokken, a firmer and harder wooden sword, capable of dealing devastating blows with the right touch on the right hands.
He started with the classrooms closest, Yarigawa had mentioned the school was empty earlier, but it wouldn't hurt to double check, after all, these thin wooden doors barely held together with a push.
One moment of carelessness would mean death. 3B, was empty, nothing but chairs and desks, neatly placed. Ren felt his heart drumming in his chest, he wouldn't want to find another infected. Every room in the third floor was the same, empty desks, scattered paper and stationary. Relief washed over him with each cleared space.
He moved methodically, leaving behind a trail of relief, floor by floor he checked, his shinai hanging by his side. There seemed to be no sign of life, no moaning whispers or growls, only an unsettling silence.
Finally he reached the bottom floor, which connected to nearly all important sections within the school.
The library, his eyes widened, it contained a plethora of books, information regarding anything. It had to be safe, he decided.
He turned the door knob leading inside, the sound crackling as if a gun had been shot in this dead silence. Ren winced at the noise, and with soft creak, the door pushed open.
Rows upon rows of bookshelves stretched towards the high ceiling, a haven of knowledge, it carried the legacies of bygone eras, invaluable in these dying times.
He moved slowly, the library had to be the most dangerous section of the school, too many corners and turns, he had to be alert. The only sounds his ragged breathing, his shinai creaked under his tightening grip.
One last turn. Nothing. A wave of relief washed over him, yet a strange sense of foreboding followed through. Why was everything so deserted?
He half expected the library to contain at least a couple infected. He then reached the back corner of the library, which led to a small office tucked away for the librarians. His heart lurched, a trail of blood smeared across the door handle, that led inside.
Creeping to the door, he let his ear touch the wooden body of the door. And then it came, a low growl which made him weak on his knees.
Sweat pooled on his forehead, something had to be done, attempting to barricade the door would create noise, agitating the being held inside, and if it broke through, he would risk endangering both him and Yuki.
He flipped over to the register, where students would place their books to either borrow or return, it contained paper. Pilfering the A4 notice paper, he wrapped it around the handle, unwilling to touch any blood.
And with a hesitant breath, he grabbed the door knob, it resisted his grip at first, then gave way with a sickening creak. A metallic tang pierced his nose as he stepped in, the office was trashed, files and paper scattered on the floor, smears of blood stuck to the walls.
And in the corner, a slumped figure. A horrifying rasp of a growl left its throat, Ren shifted to position. The figure's mangled hand propped down to let it rise.
Another growl and it was on its feet, walking aimlessly.
'Can it not see me?' Ren was flabbergasted, observing as the figure, now identified to be the old librarian, Mr. Takeuchi, slowly taking steps towards the wall.
It presented an opportunity, he wouldn't look at the gift horse in the mouth. Raising his shinai ever so slowly, his feet slid toward the infected librarian, an apology was sent from his mind, before it brought down in full force. Takeuchi, the librarian collapsed to the ground almost instantly.
Ren prepared to take another swig, this time, right on the back of the skull