Chapter 51: Preparing for the Worst

A gray tool bag was tossed to the ground, filled with ropes, wrenches, screws, and other equipment. "Sosuke, what are these for?" Yukino Yukinoshita pulled out an item from the bag and unfolded it in front of her. She realized it was a safety harness for high-altitude work, made from high-strength fibers to protect workers operating at dangerous heights. "Don't tell me you plan to use this?" Yukino's eyes widened in shock. Judging by the equipment, Sosuke's intentions were clear. She frowned, "It's too dangerous. I'm against it." Haruno nodded, "Sosuke, our agreement was that you would safely escort us to the helipad. You don't have to go this far." Utaha Kasumigaoka also spoke up, her voice filled with concern, "I don't agree either. This is risking your life." "When is anything not a risk in this world? Don't worry, Utaha, I know what I'm doing." Sosuke sighed. "If there were a better way, I wouldn't even consider this. But if the helicopter doesn't come, we have to prepare for the worst. I have food in my bag, enough to last a few days. But those people over there? They don't. Hunger can drive people to terrifying extremes. We can't predict what might happen." All three women fell silent. They still wanted to object, but just as Sosuke said, they had no better plan. Sosuke scanned the three of them. "Later, I'll tie a rope to the roof above the stairwell. If the zombies break into the helipad, you climb up immediately. The roof is three meters high; the zombies can't scale it. I'll draw them to the other side of the helipad where there's no barrier. I'll hook the safety harness onto an external metal beam and jump down. Zombies don't think they'll follow me right over the edge." He paused, his gaze steady as he explained, "If I'm lucky, an open window on the lower floors will let me swing right inside. If not, and I hit a glass wall, I'm confident I can climb back up." Haruno turned to look at Sosuke, seeing the quiet confidence on his face. From his strength and composure, it was hard to believe he was just a second-year high school student. Along the way, she'd realized she'd been underestimating him. When she focused purely on him, ignoring his age, Sosuke's sharp, handsome features and steady gaze were surprisingly appealing. The thought startled her. "Do you think the odds are good?" Yukino still couldn't let it go. "That's up to the heavens. There's no guarantee until I try. The risk is high, but I'm betting on survival." With his upgraded physique and his breathing technique, his chances were much higher than staying on the helipad and fighting hundreds of zombies. Preparing for the worst and hoping to avoid any risk was simply wishful thinking. "Rather than worrying about me, you should think about what you'll do when the time comes. I won't be able to draw all the zombies away. You'll have to clear out the rest in the stairwell. No one knows how many will be left. Be ready. Yukino, is your back still hurting?" "It's not so bad anymore. Even if it hurts, I'll grit my teeth and keep going. I won't drag anyone down." Haruno immediately grabbed Yukino's hand. "As long as I'm alive, I won't let anything happen to you." "Hey, hey, why are you all acting like this is a tearful farewell?" Sosuke couldn't handle the heavy atmosphere. It felt like something terrible was guaranteed to happen. "Let's lighten up a bit. Have some confidence." Sosuke smiled. "When the zombies are finally wiped out, I'll join a film crew as a stunt actor. Even if I can't land a leading role, with these skills, I'll definitely make a great stuntman. There aren't many who can pull off real action scenes without special effects like I can." His easygoing attitude and confidence lifted everyone's spirits. Even Yukino couldn't help but smile. "Utaha, is there something on my face?" Sosuke noticed her soft gaze. She shook her head. "When this is over, I'll write a novel just for you. In that story, you'll be the protagonist the only protagonist." "Oh, Utaha, you're a novelist? Then I'll invest in adapting your work into an anime, a movie, a drama Sosuke will always be the irreplaceable hero." Haruno chuckled. Utaha definitely wasn't just a pretty face. "Can we add a few more heroines?" "Die, you pervert." Laughter echoed across the helipad, sweeping away the tension. Even Yukino, usually so serious, smiled softly. The sound of their laughter caught the attention of another group. Akai glared at them bitterly, as if he'd just swallowed a fly. He cursed inwardly: Laugh while you can. Soon, we'll see if you're still smiling. What made him even more irritable were the people around him. When you start to pin your hopes on something, every moment drags like an eternity. Ever since the disaster struck last night, these people had done nothing but stare at the sky like idiots, waiting for the helicopter. They barely slept, barely talked, and just kept repeating the same question: When is the helicopter coming? Why isn't it here yet? The atmosphere infected even Akai, making him restless. He repeatedly took out a strange metal cube from his pocket and checked it. "Akai, do you have any food left?" His girlfriend, Asami, sat on the ground, her pale face even more bloodless than usual. A flicker of disgust passed through Akai's eyes. It came quickly and disappeared just as fast. "Sorry, Asami. In the chaos, I dropped the bag with our food downstairs." He smiled apologetically, his voice gentle, but he subtly inched away from her. Nearby, the woman who had asked to be tied up the previous night was now completely drained of energy. Akai frowned. Suddenly, his pocket vibrated. It was faint and brief, but Akai, who had been watching intently, immediately noticed. He pulled out the strange metal cube. A look of delighted surprise spread across his face. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. The story's already ahead on Patron. Go there if you want to catch up faster! [email protected]/_theon Change @ to "a"