Only I Am Not Attacked In A World Overflowing With Zombies Volume 2 Chapter 32

The city was quiet.

Heading east on the highway, there wasn’t a person in sight.  Not a single zombie either.

While avoiding the abandoned cars on the road, they slowly headed east in the truck.

As they moved towards City Hall, Mizuki was silent.  While embracing Takas.h.i.+ in her lap, she wasn’t wearing a seat belt.  Behind the seats lay Yuu, wrapped up in a blanket.

Where City Hall was located resembled a sand bank at the point where a river splits in two.  It was sitting in between a river to the east and west.

(So that’s how it is…..)

Yusuke thought this while taking in the approaching scenery across the bridge.

North of the sand bar was a commerce block with buildings including banks and hotels lined up.

In front of the buildings, across a large road, stood City Hall.  Behind it was a large park.  It had a parking lot and sidewalk paths winding through it, creating a nice backdrop for the building.

Perhaps because the zombies couldn’t swim, there weren’t many trying to approach from the water side.  If it was this place, which was almost completely surrounded with rivers, they could prevent zombie intrusions.   All they needed to do was be cautious of attacks from the north, and across the east and west bridges.

He had visited the place many times before the pandemic, but looking at it now, it was built in a good location.  With the help of this kind of terrain, over 100 people were able to survive.

Crossing the bridge, they saw people ahead.  They appeared to be 2 male sentries standing on the sidewalk, waving their hands.  Both of them were holding iron pipes about a meter in length.

Mizuki’s body tensed beside him.

Looking at his handgun, confirming it was ready to be used at a moment’s notice; he opens the driver side window a little and drops the speed of the truck.

He slowly brings the truck to a stop in front of the men.

The man wearing a hunting hat raise one hand and opened his mouth.

“Hey!”

“h.e.l.lo.”

Yusuke’s short reply was followed by silence.

The atmosphere was like they were both trying to find something to say.

Thinking about it, it had been a long time since he had a conversation with anyone other than Mizuki.

Yusuke takes the initiative,

“Ah…… are you from City Hall?”

“Y, yes!  Did you hear the broadcast?   You did well in staying safe.”

“Thanks.  Though there’s three of us, can you take us in?”

“It’ll be fine.  We’ll guide you underground so follow us.  Slowly if possible.”

Saying that, the men started walking.  Yusuke followed them slowly in the truck.  Looking at the side mirror, there was another one behind a car.  There was nothing overly suspicious about their movements.

Turning his gaze ahead, he can see people walking out from behind a barricade in front of City Hall.  They were a young man and woman, coming toward the bridge; both holding an iron pipe in their hands.  It seemed they had come to guide them further inside in place of the sentries.

It didn’t appear as if the male sentries had contacted anyone, so they must have decided to place the two by the barricade upon seeing the vehicle.

(This could turn bad…..)

They were more organized than he thought.

Countless people were looking down at them from the windows in the top floor of City Hall.  People of different age and gender were looking at them with faces filled with worry as well as curiosity.  They were refugees.

Yusuke slowly lets out a breath.  They seemed legitimate.  The man he first spoke to had also appeared to be honestly happy that they survived.

Returning his gaze, he brings the truck down the slope to the dark underground parking.

He had been expecting them to seize the goods in the truck once he reached the loading platform, but surprisingly, no one said anything.  Since rescue would be coming in a few days, it wasn’t a situation where they needed to desperately secure rations.

In place of that, they were told to hand over everything that could be used as a weapon for the sake of improving security.

Yusuke hesitated a bit, but it didn’t look like he would be able to keep anything hidden, so he did as requested.  He also handed over the pistol, wanting to avoid any needless trouble.  He had a spare gun, and if he removed the bullets, there wouldn’t be much danger in handing it over.  When he gave the gun which had lost its weight to the sentry, he received it firmly.  Confirming there were no bullets in it, the sentry seemed relieved.

Fortunately, there was a doctor among the survivors.

It was a young female doctor in her mid twenties with dark circles under her eyes.  Her wavy black hair was tied up behind her, with frayed bristles covering her face down to her cheeks.  She looked tired, as if she pulled an all-nighter.

While feeling around Takas.h.i.+’s belly,

“Has he vomited?”

Yusuke shakes his head.

One of the rooms in City Hall had been renovated to serve as a doctors office.  The lights were working, so they must’ve had a generator.  He could also here the faint sound of the refrigerator running.

Takas.h.i.+ was resting on top of a simple bed.  He was scared of being treated.  Mizuki had walked over and held his hand.

The female doctor cuts the hems of his pants, exposing the affected areas.  His leg is swollen with cuts here and there.  From there, the doctor speaks to what appears to be her a.s.sistant,

“Bring me a 30 centimeter ruler from the office.  If you can’t find one, search for something similar, it’s fine if it’s longer than 30 centimeters.”

After she finishes speaking, her a.s.sistant disappears into the corridor.

The doctor takes a bandage from the numerous first aid kits on top of her desk, and wraps the wounded area as she speaks.

“We don’t have an x-ray here, so I can’t be certain if there is a fracture or not.  But just in case, we should keep the leg in a fixed position while we monitor it.”

Mizuki watched with worry on her face.

When she is finished wrapping the leg, the doctor asks him,

“Takas.h.i.+-kun, does your stomach hurt?”

Takas.h.i.+ shakes his head.

“Is that so.  Well, if it becomes painful, speak up and don’t just try to bear with it alright?”

He gives a small nod.

She presses her stethoscope against his chest,

“Please take deep breaths for a moment.”

Takas.h.i.+’s chest slowly begins to rise.

“Does it hurt breathing in?”

Takas.h.i.+ replies “Just a little.”.

“Okay.  Thanks.  Don’t cry, you did well.”

The female doctor spoke gently.

The female a.s.sistant returned holding two thirty centimeter rulers.

Receiving the rulers, the doctor sterilizes them in boiling hot water on the stove in the room.  Removing them from the water and allowing them to cool, she places them on both sides of his leg, pinching the affected area.  Together with her a.s.sistant, they tied them to his leg with a towel.

“You’ll have to stay off your leg and rest for a while.  Also, if you see blood in your urine, please contact me.”  (TL: I think that goes without saying..)

Mizuki, who had been watching the treatment, speaks anxiously.

“Ano…. will he be alright?”

“He hasn’t shown any severe symptoms yet, so at this time there is no reason to worry.  Because he is still growing, it would be better to not use painkillers.  If the pain becomes intense, please let me know.”

“Okay.  Thank you very much.”

Relieved, Mizuki bows her head deeply.

The doctor stares blankly at her for a bit, then opens her mouth.

“….Whether or not you two have been injured, let’s confirm it now.  Fujino-san, come here.  Takemura-san, please follow that Tamiya-san’s instructions.”

Saying that, she takes Mizuki and disappears into the next room.

A man standing in the entrance taps Yusuke’s shoulder and brings him behind a part.i.tion wall.  (TL: One of those screen walls.)

Behind the wall, Yusuke does as instructed and removes his clothing to show that there are no wounds on his body.  They were wary of him being infected.  Roughly checking Yusuke’s body, the man let out an “Ok.”.

Yusuke returns to the bed, and after a while, so did Mizuki and the doctor.

When the inspections were over, the man Tamiya called over spoke.

“Sensei, may I continue the procedure?”

“Yeah…. that’s right.  The evacuee’s card.  Please have them fill it out here.  I do not what to pointlessly move the child.”

“Roger.”

After a while, a refugee form similar to a residence form was brought out in front of Yusuke.  It asked his age, s.e.x, street address, whether he had any diseases, skills/qualifications, and a checkbox for if he owned a car.  A single sheet was given to him for a single household.

Yusuke wrote his name first as the representative, then pa.s.sing the sheet along, Mizuki and Takas.h.i.+ write their names as well.

In this kind of confusing situation, they group people who have been traveling together in the same household.  Rations would be distributed to the representative of the household, and the representative would in turn distribute them among their group.

After the rules were explained, they were guided to their sleeping quarters.

Along the way evacuees were sitting on chairs and benches in the corridors, chatting peacefully.  Because there was no heater, everyone was overdressed.  There were many women and elderly.  Work had been a.s.signed to the workers. (TL: Workers as in Men I guess.)

It was most likely because rescue was on its way, but everyone had bright expressions.  As Yusuke’s party pa.s.sed through, curious gazes were directed towards them.

(They don’t really look like they’ve been cornered….  They must be doing well.)

As he was thinking such things, they arrived at their destination.

The destination was a room on the second floor, across the hallway, in the west branch of the government building.  The room was about half the size of a cla.s.sroom, and had a part.i.tion wall set up in the corner.  It had a nameplate on it that read “Urban Development Bureau, housing unit.”.  A stove had been placed at the center of the room.

Inside the room were five people.  Cardboard and sheets were spread on top of the tile and carpet floor.  Everyone had improvised their own beds to sleep in.  Everyone had dirty and exhausted appearances.  n.o.body lifted their face to look at them as they entered.

It was completely different from the lively appearances of the people they past along the way.  These were probably the people who had shown up after hearing the broadcast.

The man that guided them walks over to the wall,

“Have that child use this.  His level of exhaustion must be much greater.”

He spreads out a disaster stockpile mattress beside the wall.  Takas.h.i.+ lays on top of it and covers himself with a blanket.  His expression becomes calmer.

Yusuke lets his field bag down from his shoulder,

“Thanks for everything.  You saved us.”

“No, it’s good the kid is okay.  If anything happens, call the people outside.  We distribute meals every morning, but do you guys need anything now?”

“No….. more than that.”

He increased their distance from Mizuki and Takas.h.i.+ a little.

“There’s the corpse of another child in the truck.  We’d like to make a grave for him, will that be okay?”

The man’s face becomes stiff.

“…….Was he bitten?”

“No.  He was killed by a human.”

“Ah….. is that so…..”

The man’s face relaxes,

“A child huh…..  What a coincidence.”

He shakes his head,

“We had an old man die this morning, it was a disease…..  Tomorrow we are going to bury him in the park out back.  Is it fine if we do it together at that time?  It’ll be easier with more help.”

“We’ll be in your care.  Thanks.”

“Well, rescue will be here soon.  Don’t lose your spirit.”

“Yeah.  Thanks.”

Finis.h.i.+ng the conversation and returning, Takas.h.i.+ was already asleep.  He had been exhausting the strength in his body the entire time they traveled there.  He had reached his limit.

Mizuki stayed by Takas.h.i.+’s side, watching him sleep.  The doctor had given them two bins of water to wash and replace his bandages with.

Yusuke sits beside her,

“It was good there was a doctor here huh.”

“Yeah…..”

Mizuki nods slightly.

Takas.h.i.+’s injuries were definitely cause for worry, but it didn’t look like his condition was going to change anytime soon.

“You haven’t slept either right?  I’ll monitor him, so you get some sleep first.”

“……..”

Handing Mizuki a blanket, she takes off her jacket and drapes the blanket over herself.  Though there was a stove at the center, it was still cold in the large room.

She lies on the floor next to the wall, curling up with her knees in her chest.  She looks similar to a cat, balled up with gentle breathing as she sleeps.

“……….”

Yusuke sits there in silence, thinking about various things.

Rescue would come in three days.  How many people would survive until the rescue comes?  How many safe places are left?

(What’s going to happen now…..)

While they rested their bodies, the people around them increases little by little.

It was morning when they had arrived at city hall but during that day, other survivors began to arrive.  Because they were all piled in the same room, the once wide open s.p.a.ce became cramped and crowded.

Every time someone came and went, Mizuki woke up.  She would look at Yusuke and her brother from under her blanket, and confirming that nothing had changed, she would go back to sleep.  Though after repeatedly waking up, it would be a shallow sleep.

While nursing Takas.h.i.+, switching out with each other to sleep, it became night.  In the corner of the room dimly lit by the hanging LED lantern at the doorway; Yusuke, Mizuki, and her brother eat dinner.

The number of people in the room had increased to 30.  They stayed in groups of two or three people.  There wasn’t really anyone that was by themselves.

What stood out in the center of the room was a group of 10 people.  They were mainly well-built middle aged men, but there were a few girls mixed in.  Because they had brought a light with them to eat, as everyone ate, it was only well-lit around that group.  They weren’t keeping their voices down, and were talking actively among themselves.  It was the same atmosphere as a campsite.

On the lantern above the doorway, there was a note attached.  The writing could be read from inside the room, and was informing readers to call for help should anything happen, like the toilet going out of order.

Outside in the corridor, a group of men with armbands were chatting peacefully.  Yusuke leaves the room and one of the men asks him where he is going.  Saying he is going to the bathroom, the man tells him not to go anywhere dangerous or anywhere he has no business going.

On his way to the bathroom, he sees two sentries guarding a connecting corridor.

They seemed to be gatekeepers, keeping the people of the west wing out of the rest of the government building.

Yusuke suddenly thought of something.

(……Are we being isolated?)

If you thought about it, it was a stable environment accepting newcomers.  They didn’t know what all kinds of people would be arriving.  It was also possible someone could be infected.  It wasn’t strange for them to be cautious.

With rescue on their way, they broadcast the information and accepted people in out of goodwill.  That the people who were accepted were slightly inconvenienced couldn’t be helped.

Using the bathroom as an excuse, Yusuke stretched his legs.  Most likely to save power, one in five florescent lights had been removed from the ceiling, spreading the lights further apart.  Everywhere except the corridors were pitch black.

The stalls external tank had been attached and could be used to replenish the water in the toilet.  It was unexpectedly well prepared.

(TL: Not entirely sure about this one.  Just think of it like refilling the tank manually on a normal toilet.)

The power outage had just happened yesterday.  It did not appear to be addressed in a hurry, so they must have made meticulous preparations in advance, antic.i.p.ating the power going out.

He had felt it ever sense they arrived at City Hall, but they were extremely well prepared.  The people giving out orders must be competent.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

After he inspected the other doorways and closed fire exits, Yusuke returns to the room.

Upon seeing him enter the room, Mizuki’s face blatantly revealed her relief.

The following morning, Yusuke awakes feeling a chill in the air.

“Ah, I’m sorry……”

“Yes……..?”

He rubs his eyes, half asleep.

The morning sun s.h.i.+nes through the windows, illuminating the sleeping evacuees, cramped up together on the floor of the room.  Yusuke was lying in the corner of the room, wrapped up in a blanket.  Takas.h.i.+ was sleeping right beside him.

Cold air rushed in through the gaps in the blanket as Mizuki dove under the covers with them.  Body heat could be felt coming through from the other side of her cold clothes.  It appeared as if she left to use the bathroom.

Bringing her face close to Yusuke’s ear, she whispers to him.

“It’s okay if you keep sleeping.  I’ll get up.”

“I’ve already woken up….. I’ll get up in a minute.”

“Okay.”

With that, the two fell silent.

Together under the same blanket, time quietly pa.s.sed.

“Takemura-san.”

“Nn?”

“……Thank you very much.”

“For what?”

“……For everything.”  (TL: “Iroiroto” means various things though I think everything sounds better.)

Muttering softly, Mizuki rests her cheek on Yusuke’s chest.  It was as if she were a small animal.

As the sun rose, the evacuees began waking up.  There were people going to the bathroom, people talking to each other around the stove, and people asking about when the meal would be distributed.  The room was filled with a crowded atmosphere.

Right when Yusuke was thinking it was about time to get up, a man’s voice resounded.

“Mizuki!”

The lift their face.

Coming toward them, weaving through the crowd, was a tall young man with black hair that looked to be in high school.

“A-kun……”

Mizuki replies in a daze.

“Thank G.o.d you’re alright!  I couldn’t find your name on the roster.  I’ve been worried.”

Calling her, he came closer; and seeing them both under the same blanket, his face became tense.

The young man’s words seemed to be caught in his throat as he stood there staring at the two of them.  Eventually he looks away,

“……..Mizuki, I’d like to talk to you for a bit.  Is it alright?”

“Y, yeah……”

After that, she looks at Yusuke as if to ask if it’s okay.

“Sure, go.”

“…….Okay.”

With Yusuke’s consent, she leaves the blanket.

Prompted by the young man, Mizuki is guided out into the corridor.  Watching them leave,

(I have a feeling he will become troublesome…..)

While watching Takas.h.i.+ sleeping beside him, he thinks.

(It felt like he could have been a boyfriend.  If that’s the case, there will be a fight……)

If you saw your lover huddled under the same blanket with another guy, you wouldn’t be able to remain calm right?  Though it would be good if it didn’t turning into something big.

It was only about 10 minutes.

The young man returned by himself.  He lightly bows his head to Yusuke and speaks.

“Thank you for everything you’ve done for Mizuki until now.”

“……  You’re welcome.  What’s she doing?”

At those words, the young man slowly raises his head.

Contrary to his earlier words of thanks, his face was expressionless.

“From here on, I will protect her.  She’ll no longer be a problem for you.”

“…..Ah, is that right.”

Meaning he should no longer a.s.sociate himself with Mizuki.

At those blatant words, Yusuke’s mouth twitches.

The young man responds as if irritated,

“Thanks for protecting her, but now her relatives will a.s.sume that responsibility.  Do you have a problem with that?”

“Nah, not really.  Are you her boyfriend?”

The young man answers with an expressionless face,

“That’s right.  We’re dating.”

“Sigh…..” (TL: “Fuuun…..”)

Yusuke responds apathetically,

“But you know, will you really be able to take care of her properly?  That child is injured.  Do you have enough food?”

Those words seemed to sour the young man’s mood.  He raises his eyebrow,

“…..It seems you don’t get it.”

“?  Get what?”

“The one who runs this place is Makiura sensei.  If I ask, I can get various accommodations.”

Hearing that, he was referring to that female doctor.  So the young man is close to the doctor, who is the top in command at City Hall.

“Until rescue comes, we’ve been having all the new people stay in the west wing of the building.  But if I were to ask my relatives, I can move her to the main building.  The doctors office will be close, and Takas.h.i.+ could easily be moved.  It is definitely a better place than here.”

“……..heee.  That sounds great.”

Somehow his line of sight moved to the sleeping Takas.h.i.+.

This room was overly crowded, and staying warm was a problem.  It was certainly not a very good environment.

“Then….”

Something bitter floated in the young man’s eyes.

“I’ve already expressed my grat.i.tude.  Why is Yuu not here?  I got along well with him.  Also Takas.h.i.+ received these kinds of injuries……. Who is responsible for this?”

“……….”

Yusuke was silent.

If Yusuke hadn’t intervened, the three of them would certainly have starved to death.  If he were to put the blame on Mizuki…

In any case, the man in front of him didn’t deserve a proper answer.

However, Yusuke didn’t refute him.

(….well…… it’s fine right?  If the relatives take care of those two then……)

Yusuke lets out a small sigh,

“……..I get it.  I’ll leave the rest to you.  Where should I take him?”

Standing up and attempting to lift Takas.h.i.+, the young man interrupted.

“I’ll take Takas.h.i.+.  It’s our responsibility to get his name in the roster.  Feel free to use the left over blankets.”

“…….Thanks.”

Suddenly looking, Mizuki could be seen standing in the doorway.  She was looking at them with a panicked expression, not knowing what was going on.

When Yusuke approaches her, the young man vigilantly notices it.  He waves back at her letting her know nothing is going on.

Pa.s.sing through the entrance, Yusuke turns to Mizuki who was looking up at them and speaks.

“Sorry for everything.  You’ll be in his care from now on.”

“Yeah….”

Mizuki answered in a daze.

“See ya.”

Yusuke walked away with the young man talking to Mizuki at his back.

The burial began that morning.

Under the clear sky, several men were a.s.sisting in digging holes.  Since they couldn’t afford to cremate them, the would be buried wrapped in sheets.  In the park, there were countless gravestones made of sticks from the trees.

Yusuke waves his arm, innocently intermingling with the men digging the graves.

Once the grave reached one and a half meters deep, a body wrapped in a sheet would be carried to it on a stretcher.  There were no coffins.  Once the body is pa.s.sed to the men inside the hole and they lower it to the bottom.  The hole is then back-filled.

A middle aged woman and her daughter were watching with vacant expressions.  They appeared to be the family of the deceased.

When the old man’s burial was finished, the men dug a hole for Yuu beside the previous one.  Their arms had tired from digging the first hole, so they began switching out with each other.  Little by little, the hole was dug further down.

Yuu’s sheet wrapped body was light, and Yusuke was able to lower it to the bottom of the hole by himself.  Each time they shoveled dirt into the hole, his body slowly disappeared.

When everything was over, the grave diggers patted him on the back.  Friendly comforting him.  After giving his thanks, Yusuke was the only one remaining.

Crossing his legs and sitting in front of the grave, he began musing to himself.

Thinking about it, Yuu’s burial should have been left to Mizuki and that young man.  They had a much closer relations.h.i.+p than the one between her and Yusuke who she just met.

However, he couldn’t pa.s.s up partic.i.p.ating.

(I wonder if I’ve become a stubborn person…..)

Yusuke takes a breath,

“Looks like your luck’s ran out too huh…..”

Gently patting Yuu’s resting place, Yusuke stands.

(Well then….. before rescue comes, I should release Tokiko-chan huh)

(TL: YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS)

Without Yusuke around, there would be no one visiting the first floor of the apartment.  He couldn’t bear to leave her all alone there forever.  It was just his opinion but it was better to let her roam the city freely.

In order to find a point he could leave City Hall without anyone noticing, Yusuke walked around the park.

Ahead on the walkway was a small bridge.  There was a st.u.r.dy barricade built half way across the bridge.  At the base of the bridge were two men holding pipes, talking to each other.  They were monitoring the bridge.

Looking at the far ends of the park, Yusuke thinks to himself.

(I’ll probably be able to get out at night….)

Due to the active security, it wouldn’t be easy to escape.

At that time, a large choking sound was heard.

Turning around, a woman was sitting on a bench in the shade of a tree.

She wasn’t wearing a white coat, so he didn’t recognizer for a moment, but it was definitely the female doctor Makiura.  With her head dropped down, he had severe dark circles around her eyes.  She was wearing a long black skirt and a white s.h.i.+rt with a cardigan over it.  Her web of black hair flowed naturally.

Just looking at her, she had the appearance of an elegant language teacher liked by all the boys.

She takes a drag on her cigarette and begins coughing.  Seemingly noticing Yusuke, she puts her hand up towards him in a ‘please wait a moment’ gesture.

After a moment, she calmed down.

She slightly lowers her head,

“…….Excuse me.”

“Ah, no it’s okay……”

Yusuke was puzzled at their chance meeting.

Not caring about Yusuke’s presence, she fiddles with the cigarette in her hand in silence, but then looks at him,

“Do you smoke?”

At those words, Yusuke responds slightly embarra.s.sed,

“No, I don’t smoke much…… these days.”

“That’s good.  It isn’t very good for you.”

To Yusuke who looked as if he were going to say “Then why are you smoking?”, she tilts her head,

“I thought I needed a change of pace.  There were a lot of people around me who smoked so…  Halfheartedly, I gave it a shot but…… it doesn’t taste that great.”

“Well…. if you’re not used to it, it’s not something that’s very fun.”

Speaking to a doctor, he should use honorifics, but somehow he found it hard to do so.

When the pandemic hit, life became about survival.  In this kind of situation, worrying about social status and changing your speech to match felt awkward.

Makiura speaks indifferently,

“It’s fine to speak however you want.  In this kind of world.  We also look around the same age.”

“No, your the leader around here….. right?  Makiura sensei.”

“Who told you that?”

“A guy mentioned it to me…. he looked to be in high school.”

Makiura mutters something under her breath.

“…….My position is the vice president, but I’m in charge of treatment and counseling, I’m not the top.  The chairman, Mizuhas.h.i.+-san who teaches high school is much more qualified than me in age and experience.”

“Everyone takes their orders from you, or so I was told.”

“That’s, not a good thing…”

“Is… that so.”

A doctor should dedicate themselves to the role of a doctor, anything else would be a waste of time.

Wanting to change the topic, Makiura opens her mouth.

“I watched the burial.  Thanks for your help.”

Yusuke shakes his head,

“You dug a grave for us as well.  You really helped us.”

“……Was he your little brother?”

“No.  He was the brother of…… the kid you were treating in your office before, whether he was the older or younger brother…… I don’t know.”

“Is that so…..”

They fall silent.

Right when Yusuke was thinking it was about time to walk away, Makiura suddenly opens her mouth.

“Today, we buried a man named s.h.i.+nozaki-san……..”

Makiura cuts off her words, looking around with vacant eyes.

“The cause of death was unknown.  I had various ideas of what it could be, but the equipment here sub standard.  I couldn’t treat.. couldn’t do anything…..   I thought that at least I’d be present at the burial, but I didn’t have the courage to look at the family.”

Slowly the words flowed out as if she were whimpering.

He didn’t understand why she would tell him something like this in spite of this being their first time speaking to each other, and kept his mouth shut.

Perhaps realizing this, Makiura lowers her head,

“I’m sorry…….  However, about that boy.  There were no signs of danger.  But, I’m not confident.  There weren’t any signs of s.h.i.+nozaki’s life being in danger either.  If possible, I’d like to keep an eye on him.”

“Ah…… so that’s it.”  (TL: “Aa….. naruhodo”)

Yusuke scratches his face,

“However, we’ve already separated….”

“?  Did something happen?”

“That kids sister….. she met and joined up with her boyfriend.  He said that he would take her and her brother to stay in the main building.”

Makiura furrowed her brows in silence.

Without saying anything, she thinks about Yusuke’s words.

After a while, she nods slightly.

“I understand.  I’ll take responsibility for the matter of looking after him.”

“Thanks for the help.”

“No problem.”

(TL: Couldn’t really think of a good way to translate the two lines above.  Original is: “Tanomimasu” “Ie”)

Makiura spoke while standing.

“It’s about time to get back.  Sorry to have kept you.”

She leaves while waving.  While watching her go, Yusuke lets out a breath.

Across the river stood the quiet cityscape.  A nice breeze was blowing and the sky was blue without a cloud in sight.

“Well, with that……  Time to get back to roaming freely.”

With a crack, he stretches his body.

With this, he didn’t have anymore ties.

He was free to move as he pleased.

It wasn’t as if he didn’t have any worries leaving the two in the man’s hands, but he felt Makiura could be trusted.

As long as he could grasp the location of the Self-defense forces, he didn’t need to wait for the helicopter.  He was able to achieve the goal of making contact with a structured civilization.  (TL: not 100% on this.)

The zombies on the college campus did make him uneasy, but City Hall’s defenses were strong, and even if they couldn’t hold off an attack, rescue was coming in just three days. (TL: It says around 3 days.  Though in my opinion it should be 2 days since one has pa.s.sed.)

“When night comes, I’ll once again return to the city.”

Grasping the positions of the security, Yusuke returns to City Hall.

It’s superficial but Mizuki-san was not NTR’d.

(TL: The author says this at the end of the chapter.)