Chapter 30: Haruno’s Concern (Revised)

Haruno paused for a moment, clearly not expecting him to ask her to fulfill her promise so directly. But she showed no hint of displeasure. Calmly, she turned around, took a key from her handbag, and handed it to Sosuke Kitahara. "The yacht is docked at Takeshiba Pier in Tokyo Bay. There's a snowflake logo on the hull, it's easy to spot. You'll see it when you get there. But, Kitahara, are you really planning to leave Tokyo by boat? It's at least an hour's drive to Takeshiba Pier assuming there's no traffic. Wouldn't taking a helicopter be more convenient?" "Just call me Kitahara. Drop the formalities. It sounds weird." Sosuke Kitahara casually tossed the key in his palm. Honestly, it was the first time he'd ever seen a yacht key. It didn't look much different from a car key. He stuffed the key into his pocket and smiled at Haruno. "You don't need to test me. Relax. I always keep my word. I'd love to take a helicopter out of Tokyo, but are you sure one will actually come? As far as I know, the phones are dead. Even messaging apps stopped working yesterday. How are you contacting them?" "You've got a point..." Haruno sighed helplessly. "I didn't expect the network to collapse this fast. Yesterday, I thought the lines were just too congested, but today... nothing gets through. Except for one news app, all other mobile apps have been shut down. I guess they're trying to prioritize what little resources are left." "But..." Her gaze sharpened as she looked straight into Kitahara's eyes. "I've already planned for emergencies. I made an agreement with my mother. If the helicopter doesn't arrive tomorrow, we'll assume something went wrong and won't wait any longer. We'll find our own way out." She spoke so lightly that Kitahara almost laughed. He glanced at her spotless clothes and figured they must've been hiding here since the outbreak started. He asked curiously, "I checked the elevator display. From the top floor to the lobby, this hotel has 26 floors. Are you really that confident you can make it out safely?" "Don't underestimate us just because we're women. My sister and I have trained in Aikido. Zombies are fierce, but they can't run. Their movements are slow. As long as you aim for their heads, they can still be killed." Yukino frowned slightly at Kitahara's dismissive tone, but Sosuke just shook his head. They really didn't know how dangerous these zombies were. Still, since they'd be working together, he offered a bit of advice. "If you're fighting one-on-one, they're as weak as you say. But only if you can overcome your fear." Perhaps it was the sincerity in his voice, but Yukino paused for a moment, then lightly nodded. "I understand. Other than dogs, nothing has ever scared me." "That's good." Kitahara smirked to himself. He almost wanted to ask whether 'simps' counted as dogs, but he knew their relationship wasn't close enough for that kind of joke yet. Even his system hadn't officially listed their names as teammates. "Mind if I use the bathroom? I'm covered in zombie blood. I need to wash up a little." He politely asked Haruno, and after getting her permission, he took his katana and headed toward the washroom. Standing at the door, Kitahara paused for a moment before smiling back at Haruno. "You really don't need to be so guarded around me. Since you chose to cooperate with me, you should trust my character. I've already seen the knife hidden in your bag. Take it out. With a few tweaks, it could actually make a pretty good weapon." "Ah..." Haruno's smile stiffened slightly, clearly a little embarrassed that her small precaution had been so easily seen through. In truth, when she first saw Kitahara covered in blood and radiating killing intent, she'd briefly regretted asking him for help. Not because of his exhausted and blood-soaked appearance this was a trade, after all. What she feared was that he might get the wrong idea. Unlike Yukino, who was cold but somewhat naïve, Haruno had long been involved in her family's business and had seen the ugliest sides of society. She knew exactly how much her family's status and her beauty could attract the worst kind of attention. With the world already in chaos, the collapse of order meant that moral boundaries were eroding fast. Kitahara held a weapon. If he had any bad intentions, their chances of fighting back were slim. Even if society returned to normal one day, he could easily blame their deaths on zombies, and no one would be able to hold him accountable. In the bedroom, Utaha Kasumigaoka was sitting hunched over on the sofa, tapping seriously on her phone. Haruno picked up a bottle of water, walked over, and asked, "Can you get online?" "No. The connection's terribly slow." Utaha slowly shook her head. She twisted the bottle open, ready to take a big gulp, but suddenly remembered there were two beautiful women watching her. Without a trace of awkwardness, she sat up straight and sipped modestly. "This disaster must really be severe..." Yukino sat on the bed, frowning deeply with nervous concern. "Last night, the internet was flooded with zombie news, but no one has officially defined what they are. We still don't know exactly how the virus spreads." "And this isn't just Tokyo, it's spread across the entire country. The speed is terrifying. Several cities have already mobilized tanks and the Self-Defense Forces to fight the zombies. I heard some small cities have already become dead zones. Even with bombs, the spread couldn't be stopped. There's no cure. Not even a drug to slow it down." "Who knows..." Utaha expressionlessly took another sip of water. Things had already escalated to this point. She knew that even if she revealed the contents of that letter now, it wouldn't solve anything. It might even bring them more trouble. She put the bottle down and calmly said, "But there's one thing you must remember. Never let yourself get bitten by a zombie. Even one bite, and soon enough, you'll become one of those things wandering the hallways." "And I suggest you listen to Kitahara more. The world outside is already a living hell." Everything Utaha had seen along the way still haunted her. Wrecked cars, burning buildings, zombies roaming everywhere, and desperate humans screaming for help. Blood and the stench of death filled the streets. Utaha felt like even calling it a 'ruined world' wasn't enough to describe it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oh, you like the story? Wow, who knew. Go ahead, drop a review and throw some power stones maybe I'll be motivated to keep going.