"Whaaaat the f**k?"Isamu's voice broke through the silence, disbelief lacing his words as he looked between his companions. His chuckle was hollow, lacking any real amusement. "Bit by what exactly? The fkin' zombies?!"
"Do you see any dogs out there?" she asked sarcastically.
Takumi's response was equally bewildered, his brows furrowing as he processed Isamu's words. "How the hell hasn't he turned? We saw our entire team turn in f**king seconds. It doesn't make any sense." His tone held a frantic edge, his eyes darting to the closed door behind them.
Isamu frowned, glancing back toward the hallway where the undead lingered. "Maybe he's immune… though it could be something else. Either way, I'm not stepping back into that classroom to find out." The thought of returning to face a horde of flesh-hungry zombies made his stomach twist.
Back in the cafeteria
Denji took a deep breath, his muscles flexing as he stretched his legs and back in the middle of the cafeteria. The silence was thick, each of them acutely aware of every small sound. Astrid sat on the counter, her legs dangling silently, her gaze trained on the door. Yuto lay sprawled on the floor, lost in thought, the furrow in his brow betraying his worry.
Their quiet vigil was abruptly interrupted by a loud bang from the storage room in the kitchen, the sound reverberating through the empty cafeteria. They all snapped to attention, heads turning sharply towards the noise, hearts thudding in their chests.
Astrid's eyes widened as she slid off the counter, her voice a cautious whisper. "What was that?"
"I don't know," Denji replied, his voice barely audible, eyes fixed on the storage door.
Yuto got to his feet, his gaze sharp, muscles tense as he eyed the door. "Who went in there last?" he asked, his voice edged with concern.
Astrid backed up slowly, her feet hitting a table leg, causing her to let out a surprised squeak. "I don't know, they were all in there earlier, packing their bags," she stammered, watching the door with trepidation.
Another deafening bang echoed through the room, and they watched in horror as the door burst open, revealing a zombie staggering towards them.
Back in the science lab
Haruka's soft humming drifted through the room as Isamu squinted, trying to decipher the signal the shaved kid, Riku, was making with his hands from across the lab. 'Is he in a gang or something? I seriously don't understand what the hell he's trying to say,' Isamu thought, his patience fraying.
"Hey, Haruka," he muttered, not taking his eyes off Riku. "What's the other guy's name in there? The shaved one?"
She stopped humming, rolling her eyes with a huff. "I'm not a Wikipedia, you know… His name's Riku."
Takumi snickered as he pulled a bottle of water from his bag, holding it up. "Well, Riku's kinda weird. What's he even pointing at now? I can't tell."
Haruka's spinning stopped as she caught sight of the water bottle, her throat visibly moving as she swallowed. "You have water, and you waited this long to tell me?" she said, her tone a mix of frustration and relief.
Takumi shrugged, chuckling as he took a small sip before tossing her the bottle. "My bad. Figured I'd let you finish spinning your ass off."
She didn't hesitate, draining the bottle in seconds and wiping her mouth. "What else do you have in that bag? Where the hell did you guys even come from?"
Isamu gave Takumi a warning look, subtly shaking his head. 'Shut your f**king mouth, Takumi,' he thought, nodding slightly to emphasize his point.
Takumi noticed the look and forced a smile in Haruka's direction. "I, uh, grabbed all the water bottles I could find in the club room."
Haruka raised an eyebrow, her skepticism apparent. "Why'd you even come here? You two could've just left this f**king place."
Isamu sighed, his gaze flicking back to Riku's signaling. "It's not that easy. The place is crawling with those things. If we just walked out, we'd be swarmed. So, we figured we'd make a sign on the roof, just in case a rescue helicopter flies by."
Haruka gave a begrudging nod, though her lips curled with a faint smirk. "Not a bad plan. But I doubt any rescue is coming for Nagano. It's a pretty low-priority place, population-wise."
Takumi rolled his eyes. "Your negativity isn't exactly helping, you know."
Isamu stepped closer to the door, finally catching on to Riku's signals. He let out a low sigh. 'The security guard has a gun! Those signs were terrible; the kid must be awful at charades.'
He grabbed Takumi's shoulder, nodding toward the gun outside. Takumi's eyes widened. "A gun… That could be useful. But who the hell here knows how to fire that thing?"
"Oh, the gun," Haruka murmured. "Yeah, we noticed it days ago, but there were too many zombies around to try and grab it. We're not even sure they can be killed."
Isamu exchanged a glance with Takumi. "Actually, we managed to kill one on our way here. Shoved a knife right into its skull."
Haruka squinted at them, clearly unconvinced. "That's great and all, but your knives looked pretty clean when you got here. Where'd you find them?"
Isamu hesitated, trying to think fast. 'She's asking too many questions…'
"We, uh, found them on the ground near the cafeteria," he replied, trying to sound nonchalant. "Someone probably tried to defend themselves but didn't make it. Lucky for us, though."
Haruka's gaze lingered on him, a creepy grin spreading across her face. "Very lucky for you, indeed."
Back on the 3rd floor
Mr. Kazuki slipped out the fire escape, his footsteps echoing as he made his way up to the 5th floor. The janitor's room was empty, the door swinging open, and he peered around the deserted hallway. The eerie silence pressed in around him, a reminder of the dangers lurking just beyond the walls.
As he stepped onto the rooftop, he was greeted by nothing but old, rusted pipes and dusty, neglected equipment. He looked around, confusion evident in his furrowed brow. "Where the hell are you guys?" he muttered, feeling the weight of isolation creep over him.
Back in the science lab
Isamu moved to the window, pulling back the curtains and scanning the exterior. His eyes landed on the fire escape, visible from the adjacent classroom. 'It's a no-man's-land out in the hallway,' he thought grimly, studying the hordes milling about outside. 'We'll need a plan to get across without drawing attention.'
He took a deep breath, bracing himself for what lay ahead. The odds were against them, but he knew there was no choice but to keep going.