It was just a normal day. The new semester had started after summer break. Arata stood on the building's balcony, staring blankly at the school gates below.

  A memory flashed in his mind.

  He and Hikari, both just kids, stood facing each other.

  “Arata! Let’s marry each other when we grow up! I like you!” she said cheerfully.

  Arata replied with casual indifference, “Okay…”

  “Pinky promise.”

  “Yeah, pinky promise!”

  Their small fingers linked together.

  But just a few months ago…

  Arata stood in front of Riku.

  "You suck," Riku snapped. “You always make me feel like crap! You’re the worst. I hate you!”

  She walked away, leaving him stunned.

  Two months later, Hikari introduced Riku—as her boyfriend.

  They looked so happy. Hikari was smiling like she’d never smiled for him.

  Arata gritted his teeth.

  Tch. What a past I have.

  Suddenly, a tap on his shoulder pulled him out of his thoughts.

  “Arata? Why are you ditching class?” a girl’s voice asked.

  He turned around, slightly startled. A pink-haired girl with glasses leaned forward.

  “Arata, if you keep skipping class, you’re going to fail a grade, y’know?”

  She was a little too close. Arata blushed, glancing at her large… distractions.

  “Uhh, but I haven’t failed yet, right? So no problem!”

  The pink-haired girl puffed out her chest smugly. “You know I’m always here to tutor you, right? No failing on my watch!”

  Arata sighed. “Yes, yes, Yume-sensei. But seriously, Yume, why are you skipping class? Isn’t it still sixth period?”

  “Hmph! I’m a genius! Way smarter than everyone. Missing one class won’t hurt.”

  Arata put on a dramatic act. “Wahh~ Sensei! Really? Then pwease teach me~”

  She stumbled back. “HUH?! P-PERVERT! Just get back to class already!”

  She stormed off. Arata turned his eyes back to the entrance gate. It was peaceful. Almost too peaceful. The roads were quiet, the school grounds empty with everyone in class.

  Then… he noticed someone.

  A man, slowly staggering toward the school gate, bumping into the steel bars again and again.

  “What the hell…?” Arata murmured.

  Three figures approached the gate. A woman and two men—teachers from the PE department.

  “Hey! What are you doing? Are you out of your mind?” the female teacher shouted.

  The man didn’t respond. He kept banging into the gate.

  The burly PE teacher stepped forward. “Hey! Can you hear us?”

  The woman tried again. “May I know your problem?”

  Still no answer.

  The muscular gym teacher reached through the bars and grabbed the man’s collar. “Listen to us, damn it! Stop screwing around with the gate!”

  The burly man warned, “Hey, don’t resort to violence!”

  The woman added, “Sensei, don’t—”

  But it was too late.

  The strange man lunged forward and bit down on the gym teacher’s arm.

  Blood sprayed out as the man screamed. “AAARGHH! IT HURTS!”

  The woman rushed forward. “Sensei! Are you okay?!”

  The muscular man dropped to the ground—too fast. Too quiet.

  The burly teacher stared, pale. “He’s… dead…”

  The woman crouched down beside the body. “But… how? It was just a simple bite…”

  Then, she saw the man’s hand twitch.

  “See? He’s not dead yet!” she said with relief.

  She leaned closer. “Sensei? Are you okay?”

  The man didn’t answer. His eyes rolled back, and suddenly—he grabbed her wrists.

  One hand slipped, pulling down part of her dress, revealing her reddish bra.

  “Eh?! Sensei?” she gasped, confused.

  He bit her.

  She screamed—but only once.

  Arata watched the whole thing. Eyes wide.

  “DAMN IT!”

  He sprinted back to his classroom, slamming the door open.

  “Arata!” the teacher shouted. “Don’t barge in like that! Sit down!”

  He ignored them, heading straight to Hikari’s seat. He grabbed her hand.

  “Hikari, we’re leaving. It’s not safe here!”

  Hikari stood up, shocked. “Let go! What the hell?!”

  Riku stepped in. “What happened, Arata?”

  Arata’s voice was serious. “It’s not safe anymore. Three teachers just died at the school gates. We need to leave now.”

  Riku swallowed hard. “I’m coming with Hikari.”

  Arata clenched his jaw.

  “Fine…”

  Suddenly, the classroom speaker crackled to life.

  “All students and teachers—violence has broken out on school grounds. Please follow your teachers to safety. I repeat, violence has—”

  The voice distorted. Then came screams.

  “Ahhh! Argh!!! AHH—!”

  The announcement cut out with horrifying cries.

  Panic exploded in the classroom.

  Students screamed and bolted for the door, pushing and shoving with no regard for anyone. A girl was shoved down the staircase, tumbling and crying out as she hit the steps. A boy kicked a girl in the back to make her fall, then stepped on her in a frenzy to escape. Another student nearly fell out of the window but barely grabbed onto the ledge.

  Arata gulped. “THIS IS A F*CKING MESS!” he shouted.

  Riku, calm as ever, said, “Let’s just get out of here first!”

  Hikari nodded. “Yes, let’s go!”

  They bolted down the corridor. But before they could get far, a zombie student stumbled out in front of them—growling, eyes glazed, and jaws snapping. It lunged, biting anyone it caught.

  Arata froze. “What the hell…”

  Riku watched silently, then nodded. “Poor guy… Anyway! Let’s go to the rooftop!”

  Arata glared. “Why the hell the rooftop?! We need to get out!”

  Hikari defended him. “Listen to Riku! He’s always right, you know!”

  Riku explained, “It’s chaos everywhere. We don’t know what’s going on outside. The rooftop is clear—for now—and higher ground is safer. We can wait for help!”

  Arata gritted his teeth. “Fine.”

  He ran to a nearby utility box and pulled out a steel bat. He tossed a wooden one to Riku.

  Riku caught it. Hikari frowned. “Arata! Give Riku the steel bat!”

  Arata smirked. “Nah.”

  He then broke off a janitor’s broomstick, sharpened one end against the wall, and handed it to Hikari.

  “Here you go, warrior princess.”

  The trio moved forward.

  The rooftop was not empty.

  It was a madhouse—students screaming, running wild, while zombies hunted them down.

  SHIT! How did it all start? Arata thought.

  Suddenly, a zombie lunged at them.

  Arata dodged and pushed forward. Hikari slipped by as well.

  Riku tried to dodge but stopped short. “Hikari! I’ll distract it! You kill it!”

  Hikari nodded. “Okay, Riku!”

  She thrust her weapon into the zombie’s chest. It went limp.

  She exhaled. “It’s… dead?”

  Riku approached. “I think so. Let me just—”

  The zombie twitched. In a flash, it grabbed Riku and tried to bite him.

  “DAMN IT!” Riku shouted, struggling as the zombie’s strength overpowered him.

  “Riku! No!” Hikari cried.

  The zombie’s teeth sank into Riku’s shoulder.

  “Arata! Save him, DAMN IT!” Hikari screamed.

  Arata gritted his teeth. He didn’t want to… but he had to.

  He stepped in and smashed the zombie’s head, blood splattering across the rooftop.

  “So that’s how they die… headshots,” Arata muttered.

  Riku held his shoulder—bitten, but still standing.

  They kept moving.

  A metal bat gripped in his hand.

  Behind him, Hikari—with yellow hair and a makeshift spear.

  Beside her, Riku—the blonde, holding a wooden bat and a fresh bite on his right shoulder.

  Arata took a deep breath.

  I don’t know when it started… but I’m gonna survive it.

  He shouted, “EVERYONE! MOVE TO THE UPPER LEVEL OF THE ROOFTOP!”

  Hikari nodded. “Yeah! It’s safer, Riku!”

  “Yeah, Hikari! Let’s go!” Riku added.

  Arata rolled his eyes. Tch…

  “3… 2… 1… MOVE!”

  They rushed forward.

  Arata swung his bat, bashing through zombie skulls.

  Hikari pierced them clean through the chest with her sharpened shaft.

  “Don’t mess with a former martial arts student, DAMN IT!” she yelled, knocking one out cold.

  Riku followed, swinging hard, smashing heads left and right.

  Their goal: the staircase to the upper rooftop level.

  “Sorry, don’t sh*t on me!” Arata said, slamming his bat into a zombie girl’s skull.

  He ran ahead, smashing a zombie boy, dodging another.

  Hikari jabbed a zombie girl in the chest.

  Riku cleared the path with brutal bat swings.

  They reached the stairs. Arata got there first. Riku followed.

  But—

  Hikari was missing.

  She was almost there—when a zombie boy grabbed her and slammed her to the ground.

  Arata’s eyes widened. “NO! HIKARI!”

  Riku shouted, “HIKARI!”

  Arata moved instantly. He shoved Riku aside, charged in, and obliterated the zombie’s skull with a vicious swing.

  Blood sprayed like a broken faucet.

  He helped Hikari to her feet. “You okay?”

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  But Hikari ignored him. She ran to Riku and threw her arms around him.

  “I was so scared!”

  Riku hugged her back. “It’s okay now.”

  Arata clenched his jaw.

  Tch… figures.

  They made their way up to the upper level via the stairs, but the zombies weren’t far behind. Arata and Riku quickly grabbed some heavy objects to barricade the stairs.

  Arata sighed, wiping the sweat from his brow. “Now... we’re safe.”

  Riku shook his head. “Not really. We need something to see at night. Otherwise, we won’t even know they’re coming.”

  Arata gritted his teeth. Damn, bossing me around again... But he reluctantly went to check the storeroom. He returned empty-handed. “Nothing useful.”

  Riku’s head hung low. “I see.”

  Hikari sat beside him, her voice soft. “Arata, aren’t you blind? Maybe there’s something else…”

  Arata shook his head. “Nothing.”

  Riku sat on the floor, his hand clutching his shoulder where the zombie bite was slowly turning him. Hikari stayed by his side. Arata, standing near the edge of the roof, stared out at the city below. It looked peaceful, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that it was far from safe.

  Riku coughed up blood. “Argh... it hurts...” His voice cracked with pain.

  Hikari’s face tightened. “Riku! Hold on, please! Everything’s fine!”

  But Arata knew it wasn’t. And Riku knew it wasn’t.

  Riku called weakly, “Arata… I have a request…”

  Arata looked down at him, heart pounding. “Yeah?”

  Riku coughed more blood, his face paling. “I... don’t want to die as a zombie. Please... kill me before I do.”

  Arata froze. Riku’s eyes welled up with tears. “Please... kill me now. I want to die as a human. Don’t make me suffer. Oh... if I jump from the corner now... I could end it...”

  Hikari cried out, “Riku, no! There’s gotta be another way! You won’t die! The bite isn’t that deep!”

  Arata’s expression hardened. “A bite’s a bite.” He readied his metal bat, grim determination in his eyes.

  Hikari stood up, furious, and slapped Arata across the face. “THAT’S WHY I HATE YOU!”

  But before Arata could respond, helicopters flew overhead, the sound of blades slicing through the air. He looked up and pointed.

  “Look! Helicopters. Military?”

  Riku glanced up with a tired expression. “Nah, seems like the SDF. They won’t do anything unless the government gives the order.”

  An American military helicopter flew by, its insignia clear. Arata's eyes widened. “American military? What are they doing here?”

  Riku chuckled darkly. “Give up. They won’t help unless it’s absolutely necessary, or unless the government tells them to.”

  Arata sighed, the weight of it all sinking in. Riku coughed again—this time he collapsed onto the floor.

  “H-Hey, Riku!” Hikari rushed to his side, holding his head up. “Riku? Speak to me!”

  She gently shook him, her face full of worry. But then, Riku’s hand twitched. Hikari gasped. “See? Riku, you’re okay! You couldn’t die like that!”

  But then, Riku’s eyes snapped back, glazed with the unmistakable emptiness of a zombie. He lunged at Hikari, growling and snapping.

  “H-Hikari?” she gasped, her eyes wide with disbelief.

  Arata stepped forward, pushing Hikari out of the way. “Move, damn it! You’re too late! He’s dead!”

  “No... no... it can’t be...” Hikari whispered, shaking her head.

  Arata’s grip on the bat tightened. “I’m sorry, Riku. But I’ll keep our promise.”

  Hikari flung herself in front of Riku, tears streaming down her face. “Don’t kill him! I know he can be saved!”

  But Arata didn’t listen. His heart pounded in his chest, and without another word, he rushed forward, swinging his bat at Riku’s head.

  “Hikari, get out of the way!” Arata shouted, his voice harsh, though it cracked with emotion.

  Hikari cried out in desperation, “NOOOO! RIKUUUUUU!”

  Amidst the chaos in the school building, Yume stormed back into her classroom and spotted a chubby nerd huddled in the corner. She snapped, “Oi, Takashi, come here! We’re escaping.”

  He looked up, startled. “Me?”

  Yume’s patience ran thin. “I don’t have time to babysit a fat nerd, DAMN IT! MOVE!” She shoved him ahead of her, dragging him along.

  Takashi scrambled after her, panting. “But, Yume-san, where are we going?”

  “To safety.” Yume replied tersely.

  Takashi, confused, asked, “Then... escaping the building?”

  Yume shook her head, eyes sharp. “It’s too dangerous. Just look at this mess. The rooftop is the best option.”

  Takashi hesitated. “So, the teacher’s conference room on the top floor?”

  “No, damn it!” Yume snapped. “I’ll explain later. Just follow me!”

  She led him to an empty classroom. Takashi hesitated before entering, looking at Yume.

  “Yume-san, why are we here?” he asked.

  Yume glared at him. “Close the door, fatty! Zombies could be right behind us!” Takashi rushed to close it.

  “Now what?” he asked, looking around nervously.

  Yume raised an eyebrow. “I heard you’re a big nerd. You should know what to do with this!” She tossed him a strange weapon.

  Takashi caught it, his eyes lighting up. “A nail thrower? But this thing needs electricity to work!”

  Yume tossed him a sarcastic look. “Check it yourself, damn it!”

  He inspected it, intrigued. “Wait... this is gas-powered! But do we even have nails?” He dug through a nearby box, pulling out nails and a gas filter. He loaded the weapon, pointing it at Yume. “Bam!”

  Yume flinched, eyes wide. “Hey! Fatty! Don’t point that at me!”

  Takashi smirked. “Nah, just testing. It’s got too much recoil. Hard to aim. A scope would be better…”

  Yume sighed in disbelief. “How do you know all this?”

  Takashi puffed out his chest. “I’m into military stuff.”

  Yume shot him a skeptical look. “A fetish?”

  He shrugged, suddenly getting to work. He grabbed a wooden board and began cutting it with a small saw. “Watch me!”

  Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door. Yume froze. “They’re here... the zombies! NERD! DAMN IT! MOVE FASTER!”

  Takashi continued to cut the board slowly. The door burst open, and three zombies shuffled in. Yume’s heart raced as she backed into the corner, eyes wide in terror. “I DON’T WANT TO DIE BEFORE I SEE MY MOM! PLEASE!”

  Takashi slapped some tape around the wooden board, securing it on both sides of the nail thrower. He didn’t even flinch as Yume stumbled back in panic. A zombie lunged at her, almost grabbing her. But before it could reach her, a nail shot through its eye.

  Takashi smirked, pumped up. “Headshot on the first shot! Woohoo!”

  Yume blinked, startled. “Save me!!”

  Takashi didn’t hesitate. He pulled more nails from the box and loaded them with precision, his eyes glinting with focus. “Don’t worry, Yume-san. I’ve got this!”

  One by one, he nailed the zombies in front of him.

  He smirked, the thrill of the kill clear on his face. “Alright, Yume-san, rooftop, right? Let’s go!”

  Yume followed quickly behind him, relieved but still shaken.

  Meanwhile, in the school dojo, a girl swung her wooden sword with wild abandon, knocking zombies down one after the other with ease. She laughed, a manic glint in her eyes. One zombie, then two, then three—each fell without much effort.

  With a smirk, she looked at her handiwork. “Is this really all you’ve got?”

  On the rooftop, Arata and Hikari sat by the wall, their silence heavy. Riku’s body lay in front of them, his face covered by a cloth. Hikari glared at Arata, her voice thick with anger. “You didn’t have to kill him! That’s why I hate you! That’s why you’re the worst. You never understand me!”

  Arata stood up, his voice rising. “There was no other choice! You think I wanted to do that?”

  Hikari’s eyes hardened. “Then I’d rather die with him.”

  Arata gritted his teeth, fists clenched. “Damn it! He wouldn’t have wanted that!” He turned away, walking toward the edge of the rooftop.

  “Hikari called after him, her voice desperate. “Arata? Where are you going?”

  Arata’s steps faltered. He turned around slowly, his expression hardening. “My mind’s not working. I need to smash some heads.” He leapt onto the barrier of the stairs, heading toward the other side.

  “Hikari’s voice cracked, tears streaming down her face. “Arata! Don’t go! I didn’t mean it! I don’t want to die! Please, come back!”

  For a long moment, Arata stayed still. Then, with a slow sigh, he returned to her, his shoulders tense. Hikari rushed into his arms, her tears soaking into his chest. Arata gently wrapped his arms around her, his own frustration momentarily forgotten as he held her close.

  Meanwhile, on the building’s stairwell, Yume and Takashi continued their ascent, fending off zombies as they moved. Yume, breathing heavily, sighed. “Gosh, it’s like we’re in a movie or something. A virus like this spreading, everyone turning into zombies... Totally a horror film plot.”

  They reached the rooftop, and Takashi immediately scanned the area. “Let’s go to the teacher’s conference room. The teachers might be able to help.”

  Yume nodded grimly, pointing at the room ahead. “Look…”

  Takashi’s jaw dropped as he saw a group of students banging on the door. “Sensei! Please open the door! Help us! Arghh!” One of them was bitten by a zombie, but the door remained shut.

  Takashi swallowed hard. “The teachers aren’t helping…”

  Yume’s face hardened. “Everyone’s on their own now.”

  Takashi, speechless, simply nodded.

  The two of them continued forward, moving cautiously, stopping to fight off zombies and then moving again. They were in this together—fighting to survive.

  In the nurse’s office, a nurse, Miyuki, groggily awoke, her face half-hidden by drool as she mumbled to herself. “Huh? Is it dinner already? I want to sleep...” She glanced around, her rice cakes wobbling with every slight movement. They were so big; she couldn’t move around easily. “Wait… zombies? Like in the movies? The virus spreads, people get bitten…?”

  She shuffled to her desk, gathering anything useful she could carry. “I’ve got to go... take what I can.”

  At that moment, a student burst into the room, stumbling toward one of the beds. “Hey, Ryo, are you okay?” His carefree attitude vanished when he looked down and saw a zombie rising from the bed. “Argh!” It lunged at him, pulling him close.

  He managed to dodge, swearing. “Shit!” Turning to Miyuki, he shouted, “Miyuki-sensei, leave now! I’ll distract it! Please, just go!”

  Before he could finish, the zombie lunged again, biting into his shoulder. The boy cried out in pain. “Sensei... please… leave now!”

  Just then, a sword slashed through the zombie’s neck, sending it flying across the room. The boy looked up in shock, only to see a girl with violet hair standing nearby, smiling coldly.

  “Thanks...” he said, leaning against a glass wall.

  She replied casually, looking at the boy. “You’re bitten. Listen, you’re going to turn into one of them. Do you want your family to see you like this? To be the one to hurt them?” Her smile deepened. “Is that what you want?”

  The boy, tears in his eyes, shook his head violently. “No... Please... kill me.”

  The violet-haired girl smirked, raising her sword. “What’s your name?”

  Miyuki tried to speak, but the girl cut her off. “As a woman, it’s my duty to respect the man’s final wish.”

  The boy, blood coughing from his mouth, barely managed to choke out, “I... I’m Haruki...”

  Before he could say more, the girl moved swiftly, her sword slicing through him in one clean strike. Blood sprayed against the glass as his body slumped, lifeless.

  The girl turned to Miyuki, her expression unchanged. “Miyuki-sensei, let’s go.”

  Miyuki nodded, her rice cakes jiggling as she tried to keep up. “Thanks…”

  The girl nodded, her wooden sword in hand, as she cleared a path ahead, smashing zombies left and right. Miyuki followed, struggling to keep up, but she was determined. The fight for survival had only just begun.

  Yume and Takashi hid behind a wall. A lone zombie staggered nearby, groaning. Yume soaked a towel with water and whispered, “Get ready.”

  Takashi, tense, asked quietly, “Yume-san… do we really have to do this?”

  “Shut up, fatty,” Yume muttered, and flung the wet towel against a wall near the zombie.

  The zombie turned at the noise and shuffled toward it.

  “Knew it!” Yume whispered triumphantly. “They react to sound. Experiment successful!”

  Takashi raised an eyebrow. “How do you know?”

  She grinned. “I’m a genius, obviously.”

  Takashi chuckled faintly. “I see…”

  They moved forward slowly.

  “Fighting wastes stamina. Running keeps us alive longer. So avoid fights, don’t make noise,” Yume instructed.

  Takashi nodded, following behind. They had just discovered the zombies' weakness—sound.

  Meanwhile, on the rooftop, the makeshift barricade on the stairwell was falling apart. Zombies slammed against it relentlessly.

  Arata took position, gripping his metal bat. Hikari stood beside him, wielding a long water pipe.

  “On three… two… one…!” Arata shouted.

  He shoved the barrier aside, and a flood of zombies poured in.

  “Now, Hikari!”

  Hikari blasted them with the water pipe at full force, sweeping them off the stairs. The hallway cleared.

  “Let’s go!” she yelled.

  “Yeah!” Arata replied.

  They rushed down together. But the zombies kept chasing. They had to stop, fight, then run. Stop again, fight again. Repeat.

  Suddenly, they heard a scream.

  “STOP!”

  They followed the voice, only to find a boy—already turned.

  Arata sighed. “Too late. Let’s move.”

  Hikari nodded, face grim.

  Yume and Takashi were now completely surrounded. Zombies blocked every escape route.

  Takashi fired his last nail from the nail gun. “Damn it! Out!”

  Yume tripped and fell. “Mom… Dad… Please… I don’t want to die!” She began to cry.

  One zombie closed in.

  Takashi was trapped between three zombies. “Get off me!” He fought back with self-defense moves but couldn't reach Yume.

  “Mom! Dad!” she screamed again.

  The zombie lunged. Yume, panicking, hurled trophies and vases from the table she leaned against.

  “Stay back! Stop! Please STOP!”

  But she ran out of projectiles. The zombie kept coming.

  Yume collapsed, trembling. “Mom... Dad... save me...”

  In desperation, she grabbed a power drill nearby, flipped it on, and rammed it into the zombie’s gut.

  “JUST DIE ALREADY!” she screamed as the drill whirred violently, echoing through the halls.

  Her cries were heard by Miyuki, the violet-haired girl, Arata, and Hikari. All four rushed toward the sound.

  Arata and Hikari came from one direction, the other two from the opposite side.

  Arata froze. “Yume?”

  She was on the ground, drilling into the twitching corpse, covered in blood and shaking.

  “Yume, stop!” Arata said gently.

  He knelt beside her, slowly pried the drill from her hands, and set it aside. “It’s okay. You’re safe now.”

  Yume clung to him. “Thanks…”

  Hikari looked on, just a little jealous.

  Arata stood up, gripping his bat. “I’ll take the left.”

  Hikari smirked. “I’ll take left too.”

  The violet-haired girl cracked her knuckles. “Then I’ll take right.”

  The three stormed forward, slicing, smashing, and stabbing zombies with brutal precision.

  Takashi reached Yume and stayed by her side as the others fought.

  The violet-haired girl spun with her wooden sword—taking down one, two, sometimes three zombies at once.

  Arata’s bat crushed skulls with every swing. Hikari swept her spear through the crowd like a tornado.

  When the carnage was done, the trio returned.

  Yume was still crying, blood-soaked and trembling. She turned to Arata, clinging to him.

  “Arata… I’m covered in blood… and… I killed someone…”

  Arata held her. “You saved yourself. He wasn’t human anymore. He was a zombie.”

  She continued to sob silently.

  Then, the violet-haired girl stepped forward. “I’m Rin Shizuka. Nice to meet you.”

  Arata nodded. “Kazuki Arata.”

  Hikari folded her arms. “Kanzaki Hikari.”

  Yume sniffled. “I… I’m Amamiya Yume.”

  Takashi saluted casually. “Takashi. Takashi Jin. Resident military nerd.”

  Arata rolled his eyes. “Totally unnecessary, man.”

  Miyuki blinked. “Wait, now me?”

  Everyone nodded at her in unison. “You’re Miyuki-sensei. We know.”

  Miyuki pouted. “Rude…”

  Rin cracked her knuckles again. “Alright. Let’s get out of here. We’re wasting time. Miyuki-sensei, car would be better…”

  Miyuki raised a hand nervously. “Actually… my car keys are in the teacher’s room. On the ground floor…”

  Everyone stared at her.

  She stepped back, her rice cakes bouncing defensively. “Hey! It’s not my fault! Everyone keeps their keys there!”

  Rin sighed. “To the teacher’s room it is, then.”

  The group retrieved the car key quickly. Everyone stood before the school gate.

  Rin and Arata stepped forward and pushed it open from both sides.

  Arata called out, “Everyone go first! Rin and I will cover the rear!”

  The others nodded and moved ahead. As they exited, Miyuki struggled to keep up—her absurdly bouncy rice cakes weren’t built for speed.

  Suddenly, a scream echoed, “Stop!”

  Arata’s eyes narrowed. “There! Someone’s still alive!”

  He and Rin rushed toward the voice.

  A boy stood between a girl and a zombie, defending her.

  “Haruki, let’s run!” the girl cried.

  Haruki shouted, “No, Aiko! You go first! I’ll be right behind you—I promise!”

  But he was bitten.

  “No! Haruki!!” Aiko wailed.

  Arata grabbed her wrist. “Come on! We have to go!”

  But she yanked her arm free. “Stop! I’m not leaving him!”

  She ran back to Haruki’s side, dropping beside his bleeding body.

  Yume gritted her teeth. “Is she insane?”

  Miyuki shook her head, sighing, “I get it. The world’s ending. Some people would rather die with the ones they love than survive alone.”

  Yume exhaled. “Damn it... What now?”

  Arata hesitated, but there was no time. He turned and rejoined the others.

  Meanwhile, inside the school building, two girls sprinted hand-in-hand through the gym.

  The black-haired girl gasped, “Mina, we’re best friends forever! We’ll survive this!”

  The blonde girl shouted back, “Yes, Airi! Always!”

  Suddenly, Airi slipped—slamming into the ground.

  A zombie lunged and sank its teeth into her leg. “Arghhh!”

  She grabbed Mina’s ankle. “Save me!”

  But Mina’s eyes went cold. “No… Let go!”

  She kicked Airi’s hand off and ran—leaving her to fall into a pit of zombies.

  But karma had no chill. Another zombie lunged from behind and bit Mina too. “AARGHH!”

  The group finally reached the parking lot and climbed into Miyuki’s car.

  Rin and Arata stood guard.

  “Everyone get in! We’ll cover you!” Arata shouted.

  “Be careful, Arata!” Hikari called out.

  Miyuki jumped into the driver’s seat and turned the key. “Come on! Start! START!”

  Outside, Rin and Arata kept knocking down zombies left and right.

  The engine roared to life.

  Miyuki shouted, “It started! Everyone, GET IN!”

  Rin and Arata jumped in just in time.

  As the doors closed, they saw a few survivors stumbling toward the vehicle.

  Arata stood at the door. “Stop! Let them come! They're still alive!”

  Hikari’s eyes widened. “No, Arata! You’ll regret this! Don’t let Kurosawa-sensei on! Please!”

  But Arata ignored her.

  Kurosawa-sensei approached calmly, smiling. “Everyone, hop in! Though... some of you may be a bit late.”

  Suddenly, a student behind him fell, twisting his ankle.

  “Sensei! Help me!”

  Kurosawa looked down coldly. “Nah. Weaklings die first.”

  He smirked and smashed the boy’s face in with his foot, then boarded the vehicle.

  The door shut. Silence. Shock.

  The bus rolled forward.

  Miyuki gripped the wheel, her face pale. They’re not human. They’re not human anymore...

  She floored the gas, ramming through zombies, the gate, and into the uncertain chaos of survival.

  Inside the eerily quiet school building, a lone teacher wandered the halls.

  “Huh? Nobody’s here... but I was really looking forward to squeezing some high school rice cakes today…” he muttered with a twisted grin.

  He looked around, expression blank. “Guess I’ll get to work... or maybe... this is just a dream?”

  He walked casually, weaving through the undead like they weren’t even there. “Yeah... it’s just a dream. I just need to wake up.”

  Still smiling, he approached a window, opened it wide—and without hesitation, threw himself out.

  His body hit the ground with a sickening crunch. Blood splattered across the concrete.

  He died instantly.

  Whatever sanity he had left… was long gone.