'What the f**k?!'
Isamu's thoughts echoed through the quiet, 'genius' mind of his. His heart raced as he stared out the window, his pulse pounding in his ears. Outside, Sato stood there, his silhouette eerily illuminated by the dim gray light filtering through the grime-streaked glass.
Sato tilted his head, meeting Isamu's wide-eyed gaze. A warm smile stretched across his face, his hand lifting in a slow, deliberate wave.
Isamu blinked, his breath catching. When he looked again, the window was empty.
Behind him, a voice called out, breaking his trance.
"Hey, Isamu."
His body tensed. He spun around, fists clenched, only to see Astrid leaning casually against the doorframe. Relief flooded through him as he exhaled sharply, glancing back to the window. Sato was gone.
'Am I seeing things?'
Astrid stepped closer, concern etched on her face as she studied him. "What's wrong? Did you see something out there?"
Isamu shook his head, forcing a weak smile. "No, just… thought I did. What's up?"
Astrid shifted her weight, her arms folding tightly across her chest. Her gaze flickered away, as if searching for the right words. "I, uh… I wanted to talk to you about what happened in the cafeteria."
Isamu let out a nervous laugh, scratching the back of his head. "Oh, you mean that. That was fine, really."
Astrid's face hardened. "No, not that. I'm not talking about the kiss." She paused, her tone sharpening. "I'm talking about the storage room window. You were the last one to leave… did you leave it open?"
The words hit him like a punch, coming out of nowhere. His mind raced, memories blurring under the haze of too many nights spent high. 'Did I? I honestly don't know. Maybe I thought it would be best if… No. I wouldn't try to kill Astrid. Would I?'
Isamu arched an eyebrow, feigning offense. "Huh? You think I left it open? My end goal being what, to have you killed? To let the only source of food be surrounded by f**king dead people?"
Astrid's jaw tightened. "I don't know what to think, Isamu. You were the last one there. How else would it have been open?"
He laughed bitterly, raking a hand through his disheveled hair. "You're right. I left it open so I could get you all killed. Genius plan, really. After all, when I came back to the cafeteria, I'd definitely want to be stranded outside too, right?" His voice rose, dripping with sarcasm. "Hell, maybe I had some ulterior motive when I went to help Yuna when she screamed for help. Or when I started building a ladder to get us out of this shithole. Too bad I have no clue what those motives are." He shot her a cold glare. "Let me know if you figure it out."
Astrid's lips thinned, but she said nothing more. She nodded to herself before slipping out of the room, leaving Isamu alone with his thoughts.
'Astrid accusing me so boldly isn't like her. She must be sure I was the last one there. But I wouldn't risk her—or the food. Which means someone else opened it. Takumi, maybe. That smug bastard would pull something like this, and I was starting to like him. But Kazuki? No way—he wanted out of here. I'll need to figure this out without starting a fight.'
He sighed, raking his fingers through his hair again. 'Too much to f**king worry about. I need another smoke.'
Turning around, Isamu froze. Another figure stood in the room, motionless. It was Hiroto.
Isamu stumbled back, his breath hitching. Unlike Sato, Hiroto looked ghastly—his skin pallid, his eyes hollow and lifeless. He waved silently, his movement jerky, unnatural.
'Okay, maybe I should lay off the weed But I've been smoking this whole time, why am I suddenly starting to get trippy now?,' Isamu thought, his pulse racing. He skirted around the figure cautiously, his steps slow and deliberate. Hiroto didn't move, not even to turn his head.
'F**king weirdo.'**
Isamu backed out of the room, never taking his eyes off Hiroto until he was safely in the hallway.
Later…
The group gathered in a cramped classroom, the heavy air filled with the faint scent of rotting fruit. They sat silently, each clutching a banana, the soft yellow skins spotted with brown. The only sounds were the faint rustling of peels and quiet chewing.
Haruka's gaze bore into Isamu, her stare unrelenting.
He shifted uncomfortably, angling his body away. 'What the hell is up with her?'
Out of the corner of his eye, movement in the adjacent room caught his attention. His stomach churned as he saw Sato and Hiroto—both unmistakably dead—feeding each other bananas.
'Okay, what the f**k! I didn't think I felt guilty cause I basically killed them both but my subconscious is saying otherwise. I mean they both got themselves killed, Sato would have turned and fatso had already turned. I'm seriously losing my sh*t.'
His mind reeled. 'I didn't feel guilty when they died. They got themselves killed. But this? What is this?'
Before he could process it, another figure appeared—Principal Tanaka. The man grinned, munching on a banana, his eyes gleaming with a sickening joy.
Isamu tilted his head, narrowing his eyes. 'Okay, no fking way. I don't feel guilty about him. That predator deserved what he got.'
BANG.
A loud thud shattered the silence, making everyone jump.
"What the hell was that?" Takumi exclaimed, his voice tense.
The group cautiously approached the window, peering outside. A crow lay on its back on the fire escape, its wings flapping erratically.
Yuto adjusted his glasses, leaning closer. "There's something seriously wrong with that crow."
The bird staggered upright, its head twitching violently.
Caw… caw…
It threw itself against the window, the glass slightly cracking under the impact.
"Okay, what the f**k?!" Denji shouted, stumbling back.
The crow stood still for a moment, blinking rapidly with milky, white eyes.
Isamu's heart sank. 'No f**king way. If animals can get infected, we are totally f**ked.'
He grabbed the back of his head, pacing in frantic circles. "It's a dead crow! Like all the f**king people here—it's dead!"
The tension in the room thickened as everyone stared at the window, the fragile barrier between them and the newly learned infected bird.