Chapter 25: Selection
Next morning, I woke up because of the sound that the wind beats against the window.
“Nn……”
When I touch Aya-chan’s forehead, the heat didn’t fall and I was really nervous.
Next I got up and peeped under the curtain to the outside and it was still raining. Certainly the weather didn’t change since yesterday. This world has no weather forecast anymore and whether the rain cloud that spread out all over will vanish can’t be expected for the moment.
It is seven o’clock in the morning when I look at the clock on the wall. It is so bright that you can see it clearly. And whether I will know when the rain stops, it is significant to wait.
“……I go”
Kissing the forehead of the princess who sleeps, I go out of the room with extra clothes.
When heading for the bathroom, a delicious smell drifts from the living room. Therefore I instinctively follow the smell.
“Ah, senpai. Good morning”
“Ah, Shizuyo-chan? Good morning. ……Breakfast?”
“Unfortunately this is Aya-chan’s porridge, so don’t come near it”
Shizuyo-chan put her small tongue out, while stirring a small earthen pot for one person.
Mixed with eggs, it looks like a considerably delicious pure-white Donburi, when I approach.
“Let me have a look”
“Aa!”
I borrowed the wooden spoon laying next to the pot and I taste it, the balance with the exquisite sweetness of the soup stock of bonito and egg was kept and it tasted good without complaining. It may be rather a little strong in the salinity, but the salty taste is effective for sick people’s tongue moderately and it would feel well.
“Tasty”
“Thank you very much……however it’s your daughter’s meal. Your share is after you finish your work”
“E–i”
When I stretched myself and cracked the joints in my body lightly, I went to the restroom to wash my face. By the way, I have a toothbrush and a razor since yesterday.
When the air was arranged quickly and I finished changing into the extra clothes and stuffed the other clothes into the washing machine. There are no clothes inside and I understand that Shizuyo-chan washed already early in this morning. She likely will become a good bride.
“……Where is my bow?”
Because it is raining, I put my bow somewhere. In the waterproof porch is a caloric bar, chocolate, firecrackers and a lighter inserted. The knife is inside the knife sheath on my left waist and it let me feel it as a japanese sword though it looks ill-shaped and short. I also could have put it on my leg, but it might disturb when I squat down.
A green poncho is put on from the top because of the rain and I can’t take an umbrella. And because the slit is open on the side and it is possible to put it off freely, I find it useful at such a time.
“……N, Kazuya-san……?”
When I think that I’m ready to go out after I speak to Shizuyo-chan and go out of the restroom, I met Kurumi-chan who got up now.
She is different from her older sister and doesn’t seems to be a early bird, while her hair is messed up, she rubs her eyes. Rather than dressing neatly, her pajama which was opened boldly to the second button and slip down from her shoulder, can only be called sloppy.
“Good morning, Kurumi-chan”
“Ah, Good morning……Do you go to school?”
“Saying it first, you don’t need to accompany me”
Because I understand the meaning of her words, I said it first. Is Kurumi-chan dissatisfied with my response, because her expression became angry.
She said something like “Yes, I see” as if she can’t accept it. Because there is something necessary to get, I go out of this house that can surely survive as long as there is food and therefore I don’t take someone with me to a dangerous place purposely. Even if Kurumi-chan has her own will, she also have to consider Shizuyo-chan’s feelings.
“Don’t you think――――”
“Senpai”
Shizuyo-chan who showed her face from the living room began to talk so that Kurumi-chan’s voice who would like to follow is interrupted.
“Please take her with you. I think that she will be a help of transporting”
“No, that”
“Although I said that I don’t want to lose someone important any further……I don’t want to lose a close friend. And I know danger can reach Kurumi, when she takes along with Senpai, but I know Senpai will have a emergency plan. Speaking frankly, we have made the best use of Senpai, that’s why I want to make a loan so that we aren’t left by you, therefore please take Kurumi with you”
It was a very reasonable and rational judgment. There are no changes in the case that Aya-chan is the highest priority, but the favorable public image of these two sisters is quite high as of now. However, both can still be deserted now. ……While the talk ends here, I need to choose between the behavior of the sisters.
I can’t deal with a rational judgement emotionally. And now that it was judged rationally, I have no choice to refuse.
“Is it really good?”
“……Yes. Actually I would like to go myself, but because I think Kurumi can’t handle Aya-chan alone there is no other option……”
Seeing her sloppy attire, I can’t expect so much from Kurumi-chan. If I say conversely, Shizuyo-chan can make up with domesticities accurately and it’s possible to leave Aya-chan who fell asleep in her care.
“…………I understand. Kurumi-chan prepare as much as possible in a hurry”
“Ye, Yes!”
“I look after Aya-chan”
Kurumi-chan runs hurriedly and noisily to the bathroom, while Shizuyo-chan faced the bedroom while strongly grasping her palm. The truth is she wanted to go, but she judged each role calmly and gave up. ……This correspondence lets me an adult stiffer.
Honjo-san and Shizuyo-chan are good, did I miss my chance to get such a first class woman?
“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting”
Kurumi-chan went back and forth between her room and the restroom. She finally seems to have finished preparing, while I sigh in my poncho form. I guess she is shouldering a backpack, because of the bulge on her back and she seems to understand the things that she should do apparently.
Shizuyo-chan and Kurumi-chan´s mental age seems to be high……was it because they had no bamboo basket, but their archery skills that they tried to survive in such a world.
“Then, do we go?”
Anyway I and Kuruki-chan didn’t tell Shizuyo-chan and left the house quietly.
It is only raining softly outside and there is nothing that seems to be abnormal. In addition I´m thankful for not hearing a sound and incite some fear.
“Do we take the same route as last time?”
“That’s right. Let’s backtrack the road to school”
“Understood”
We go down the stairs while a splash sound is made. The reason for that is that the stairs are sopping wet, because of the cold wind blowing sidewise and carrying the rain.
Something living or dead is making a noise in the room near the stairs now……it isn’t talked about.
Thinking carefully, the previous society that is dead now, there is no such connection. Although there is not a case where corpses are walking around, the people were frightened about something.
“There is no one”
I didn’t mention anything special, when we arrived at the first floor.
There were no silhouettes at the entrance. However, because there are a lot of blind spots, we walk down carefully.
And as soon as we moved to the main entrance, the broken automatic door made a noise, when it opened. Although I know that electricity goes neatly, it isn’t so significant.
Just then I felt the gravity seems to have changed, the moment I stepped outside from the shadow of the apartment. If news still exist then they would be like “It is raining more than ordinary years” or “Such an downpour hasn’t been experienced until now”.
“……Yes”
“N?”
Kurumi-chan said something, but I heard nothing because of the rain.
“Because of the terrible rain”
“Owaa!?”
I whispered into her ear, when Kurumi-chan regains her balance after she almost fall down dangerously. At such a time, Kurumi-chan shows a mysterious sense of distance……and thinking she would smell after a man for a short while, she nodded.
“Ah, Kurumi-chan. Are you okay?”
The truth is we noticed it quickly and the conversation that had to be done indoors is done now.
“Because of the rain we can’t hear our voices, so let’s decide some easy hand signs”
“Ah, good idea. Indeed”
It’s narrowed down to only things, which we think are necessary because it isn’t remembered when it’s too much.『I』,『You』,『Hold it!』,『Come』,『Squat down』,『Run away』,『Do it 』. The fact is that a man can only memorize seven plus or minus 2 things for a short term.
“Did you remember?”
“More or less……perhaps, yes. Alright……?”
A little……I’m quite worried whether I say so. I´m bad with studying. 『 I』 I point to myself, before 『You』 I point to Kurumi-chan……the wind may be different if roughly looking like it plainly. The nuance only has to run.
Such a thing is reported to Kurumi-chan who has an uneasy expression and we advance towards the school.
It was the main street, but I wasn’t able to see zombies, do they also take shelter from this rain. Probably because humans who are their food don’t go out by this rain, so there aren’t many of them gathered. With such a weather, there is hardly a human go around in the outside. It would be difficult to be caught by zombies and others further because everyone will provide such a secret behavior like us.
“……Tss”
There was no zombie at the front, but the form that a zombie which was squatting down at a wrong lane, stands up unexpectedly was seen. It was a tall man, who seems to be about 190 cm.
Instantly hiding behind a car, I signal 『Squat down 』and『Come』to Kurumi-chan.
“Is it a zombie?”
“Yes. On the other side……do you see, there is a red car? In the inside”
“Yes……ah, what on earth. He is huge”
It isn’t bad to consider an escape way, but it’s only one zombie, so there is also no real danger. However it isn’t a wise policy to go to a wrong lane intentionally.
“Stop. It isn’t only one”
The car which hides us also hides other zombies. Only one corpse is visible, though there is more than one.
“Okay, captain”
Kurumi-chan saluted jokingly with a laugh, while we advanced.