Chapter 23: The Exchange of Interests

"I'm not a god. Of course I can't be sure whether he has the ability to save us. But since he agreed, he must have some tricks up his sleeve." Haruno Yukinoshita smiled. There was no trace of the pleading and panic she had just shown on the phone. "But then why did you..." Yukino Yukinoshita felt something strange. If she wasn't sure, why make so many promises? "I just have a feeling that he's not that simple." Haruno tilted her head, as if recalling something. "Actually, I've seen him before. But it seems like he doesn't remember me." There were still zombie scratching sounds outside the door, but Haruno showed no sign of panic. After confirming the door was secure, she sat down in a chair. "Two months ago, in a hardware store in Setagaya. The towel rack in our dorm bathroom broke, so I went with some classmates to get a replacement. That's when I saw him picking up a katana. Yes, Sosuke Kitahara." She glanced at the contact list in her phone and continued, "Picking up a katana from a hardware store isn't that strange? Out of curiosity, I asked a few questions. I didn't expect to get much, but the shop owner accidentally let it slip. That katana was there to be sharpened." "Knowing that made me even more curious. A high schooler sharpening a katana? Was he planning to kill someone? I kept asking, but the shop owner realized he'd said too much and wouldn't say anything else. I had to persuade him a bit more to get the whole story." Yukino was a little surprised. "The shop owner told you everything?" "Of course, it took some effort. But I happened to have something he liked." Haruno rubbed her fingers together with a playful smile. "And the shop owner added another interesting detail. Apparently, Sosuke also modified a baseball bat there. The shop owner said it was for better smashing power. I'm guessing it's the one he's always carrying on his shoulder." "But that doesn't really mean anything, does it?" Yukino thought about the guy. She'd seen weirder students in schools with more relaxed rules. Apart from being tall and good-looking, Sosuke Kitahara seemed like just another high schooler. "You're right. It wouldn't mean anything if not for the zombie outbreak." Haruno walked to the window. Outside, most of the city was already dark. The sparse lights made it hard to believe this was bustling Tokyo. After a moment of silence, she suddenly turned and asked, "Do you think it's possible he knew about the outbreak in advance?" "What...?" Yukino was stunned. "That's impossible. Even our father only learned about the virus this morning, and he didn't expect it to escalate so fast. How could Sosuke have known two months ago? And why would he still bother going to school instead of fleeing Tokyo? At the very least, he should've hidden at home." "I'm sorry, Yukino. If I hadn't asked you to stay with me, you'd probably be safe in Chiba now." Haruno showed a rare expression of guilt. Yukino was supposed to return to Chiba yesterday, but Haruno had asked her to stay an extra night. By the time their father called them urgently in the morning, the road to Chiba had already been sealed. They had no choice but to return to the hotel. "There's no point dwelling on it. Since we're already here, I might as well help you." Yukino's words sounded hollow even to herself. Still, she believed that since things had already happened, there was no point in regret. Haruno smiled and sat back down, tilting her head. "But I can't help feeling like his tone on the phone was far too calm. Like he wasn't panicked at all. He went to school, survived a zombie attack, and made it to safety." Her expression darkened. "There's another possibility. Maybe his relatives are researchers. Maybe they knew about the virus in advance. Maybe they even worked on a vaccine. But they still underestimated how powerful the virus would become. Or maybe... the virus was intentionally released by someone." "That's too far-fetched. Why would anyone do that?" Yukino was shocked by her sister's speculation. "Who knows? But it's not something we can worry about now." Haruno shrugged. "We should be thinking about what to do if he doesn't come tomorrow. How can we get to the rooftop? Did you really not find any usable weapons in the room?" "I've already searched. There's nothing." Yukino's expression dimmed. She thought of the driver who had died protecting them. Then she hesitantly asked, "What if he dies trying to save us?" "Then that's just how it is. People die. Besides, I have a feeling we're heading toward a world more brutal than anything we've ever known." Haruno handed her a cup of instant noodles, her expression serious. "Who's going to remember a stranger they met by chance?" Yukino's hand froze as she reached out to take the cup. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came. "Yeah..." Yukino sighed. It was cruel, but she couldn't argue. After all, wasn't Sosuke only willing to help after learning about the helicopter and the yacht? Risk comes with conditions. If they died here, would he even remember them? Just fellow wanderers in the same collapsing world. "Alright, Yukino. Don't overthink it. You have to be strong." Haruno patted her on the shoulder. "At least I promised that if things change, I'll stay behind with them. A Yukinoshita's word always holds true even in the apocalypse." ... Elsewhere, completely unaware that his secrets had been half-figured out, Sosuke Kitahara was happily enjoying a hotpot. His apartment wasn't big, but it had an open balcony with a low rattan table and chairs. Sitting there gave him a perfect view of Tokyo's nightscape. Having hotpot on the balcony felt better than any restaurant. The room lights were off. Moonlight poured in, casting everything in silver. If not for the occasional screams, car horns, and distant explosions, it would have felt just like a date. "Ah... I'm so full..." Utaha Kasumigaoka lay lazily in the rattan chair, holding her round belly, a rare look of pure happiness on her face. The high-grade beef meatballs melted in her mouth, carrying a faint medicinal bitterness quickly overtaken by the rich broth. Sosuke put down his chopsticks and poured her another drink, scolding with a smile, "Slow down. There's still so much food in the pot. This is an authentic Chinese-Style hotpot base, I spent ages finding it online." "Why did you put so much in? There's no way two people can finish this." Utaha wiped her mouth and pouted, her lips redder than ever from the hotpot. She reluctantly glanced at the steaming hotpot again. "Are we really leaving tomorrow?" "Yes. The longer we stay, the more dangerous it gets. You saw the news Raccoon City was completely nuked." The news had left Utaha deeply shaken. She hadn't expected things to escalate to the point of using 'supreme' weapons. "In that case, I should eat a little more. Who knows when we'll get to have hotpot again..." Utaha sighed, then suddenly narrowed her eyes and asked suspiciously, "By the way, what's your relationship with the people we're rescuing tomorrow?"