Chapter Text
It is ironic really.
The week had started like any other with Takemichi going to school, meeting his Mizo Middle gang, and going about his classes. He was in a good place. He had friends, Average grades, and a girlfriend. High-school life couldn’t have been better.
Then, Tragedy had struck.
Because of course, , of course, Takemichi’s world would come crashing down due to an apocalypse. Not an epidemic, not global warming, not some riot or the other, but a fucking apocalypse
The government had decided to experiment on prisoners on death row. The tests had been going on for a few years and it had become common knowledge that you would be experimented upon if you committed a crime. While that wasn’t the entire truth, crime rates had gone down. Furthermore, the successes of the experiments proved to be revolutionary for the medical world, even at the cost of some human lives (They were going to die anyway, was argued). Everything seemed fine. Until it wasn’t.
A month ago, the headlines of the news channels and newspapers had hinted that one of the experiments had failed. Well, failures were common in the field of experiments and so the incident was deemed unimportant. How bad could it be?
Oh, how wrong they were.
About a week after that news, rumors of strange phenomena had started circulating outside the experimentation grounds. That the recent failure had caused the prisoner to turn savage. The rumor said that the prisoner had attacked the supervising scientist and tried to eat him.
Of course, it was ignored as being just a rumor and people went about their days.
It wasn’t until two weeks after that, that the news had displayed Breaking news, saying something had managed to break into the containment zone and the so-called, “medicine under experimentation” had been released into the air. Doubt and panic had begun to spread when the Prime Minister had made an emergency announcement saying that the “virus” had been contained and there was no need for panic.
Takemichi had felt that people accepted it too quickly but thought nothing of it. What could he do anyway>
A week after that, some sporadic cases of “zombies” started popping up. Of course, everyone had thought it was an exaggeration. After all, zombies weren’t real. It wasn’t possible. Right?
Wrong.
Today, Takemichi had been a little nervous. He had a slight feeling of dread pooling in his stomach, but he thought nothing of it and had got up to get ready.
He had bid his parents goodbye with a hug and some kisses, which was a rare occurrence. At their questioning stares, he had only shrugged and said that he just felt like saying it.
At school, everything had been normal until three hours ago, when an ill-looking girl had made her way through their school gates. She seemed to be breathing heavily and limping towards the entrance of the building and Takemichi, seated near the back window, had noticed.
He thought that perhaps she needed help as she was injured and when he saw some security guards helping her, he turned back to face his teacher.
When he turned to look out the window again, he saw two security guards on the ground bleeding.
The feeling of dread started becoming more prominent and he became more alert to his surroundings. Soon, he heard a high-pitched scream from the hallway.
The teacher paused and all his classmates looked confused, but Takemichi felt the feeling in his stomach grow. He heard footsteps getting closer and without thinking, he grabbed the hands of his friends and ran. His teacher shouted after them and his friends protested loudly, but he couldn’t hear anything else. He looked back to see an injured girl enter his classroom, heard the screams that echoed after and just knew.
‘Takemichi! What is going on?’ Takuya had asked, running beside him, dragging Yamagishi with him.
Takemichi had said only one word. ‘Virus’
Atsushi and Makoto had both paused for a second before running after Takuya and Takemichi. Yamagishi seemed to have realized something as well, as he too started running beside Takuya.
They could hear footsteps and screams as they ran towards the staircase. Thoughts of Hinata had crossed his mind but he couldn’t turn back.
They could see people crawling up the stairs. Some with an eye missing, some with their organs spilling out.
Takemichi wanted to puke but he willed himself not to. He looked around and seeing no other exit, ran towards the stairs leading up to the roof, making sure his friends were with him.
He hoped to whatever God there was, that Hinata and his parents were safe.
On the fifth floor, he had pulled the fire alarm and snatched the fire extinguisher off the wall. The… corpses seemed to be confused by the sudden noise and the white fumes. This gave them time to escape, and they ran towards the stairs again.
He ran for what felt like hours, with disgusting sounds, footsteps, and screams the only sounds he could hear.
That brings us to Takemichi on the roof.
He had somehow managed to barricade the door to the roof as he desperately tried to look for a way out. He was alone.
He thinks back to last week when those stories of “zombies” had been going around and his friends has asked him who would survive.
Takemichi had said that he would probably be the one to survive the longest and his friends had laughed at him. They joked, saying how Takemichi would probably be the one to die first because he was a nervous wreck and a cry-baby.
Even Hinata had laughed and Takemichi had chuckled along with them.
Now? He is on the roof, shaking and crying. Probably the only one alive in the whole school.
Takemichi loathes the fact that he had been right then.
What had he done to deserve this?
Funny, wasn’t it? Now that he had survived, it didn’t seem great at all.
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A few hours later, the sun is still high and there are probably around five to six hours of daylight left.
Takemichi is able to hear the low growls of those… things out there and his skin crawls with disgust.
What had the government been making for this to be the failed version? He thinks to himself.
He is a high school student so of course, he knew about zombies. However, this is real life. He can’t be sure about anything, and he surely isn’t some trained and overpowered MC like those from web novels. He can barely throw a punch even when his opponent isn’t trying to make him into a snack. The worst weapon he’s ever held would probably be a baseball bat. He hadn’t even managed to save his friends when they got snatched by those disgusting things and he didn’t think he would be able to in the future, should he meet anyone else.
Takemichi sits there. Tears run down his face but either the shock was getting to him, or he was a worse person than he had thought because his mind started calculating instead of grieving.
Is that normal?
The first thing he realizes is that he doesn’t know how this “virus” spreads.
Sure, the bite was it, but diseases spread in a lot of other ways, right? The news had also mentioned that the virus had originally been airborne. Then, does that mean they were all infected?
Was the government still under operation? Would anybody save him if he stayed put? He assumes not. That’s how these things usually went and considering that the experimentation had been happening near the National Diet Building, the Prime Minister is probably long gone along with most Scientists. Dead, or hiding
Either way, he won’t be getting saved. He will have to move.
He gets up on shaky legs, bile at the base of his throat as the scratches on the door gets louder. He looks around for a weapon. A sudden image of a sport shed flashes across his eyes.
When he had first discovered it on the roof, he had been confused and thought it stupid, but right now he is infinitely grateful for the convenient placement of the shed. Some part of him hopes that he will find other survivors curled up in the shed, but deep down, he just knows that he is alone.
As the small wooden door creaks open, and he steps inside, Takemichi sees bats and sticks in the shed. There is an old cupboard (probably for uniforms, basket/soccer balls, and nets) and a small bucket full of baseballs.
A stick wouldn’t do anything against undead cannibals, a gun would be difficult to find just laying around in a school and a bat wouldn’t do much damage either. A knife would be ideal for a high schooler like him but then again, he is just as likely to cut his own hand off as the other party’s. Furthermore, the range of a knife isn’t ideal, especially since he has no idea whether these “zombies” would die if he stabbed them in the brain. He constantly reminds himself that this isn’t a dream or a web novel.
He doesn’t know anything about these creatures, and he can’t take risks if he wants to live. So, a baseball bat it is.
He looks around for something that can help him, and his eyes land on a box full of nails (left from the repair work that had been happening probably).
He takes another baseball bat and uses it as a hammer to jam some nails into the top of his baseball bat. He stuffs some 'reinforced with nails' bats into a few bags he finds lying around the shed, along with some gym uniforms and shoes.
He doesn’t know how he will escape the rooftop, but if – when – he does get out of there, he is going to be prepared.
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About an hour later Takemichi is finally done with his preparations. He would have liked to take more than one bag, but he shouldn’t be carrying heavy things while running. One bag filled with weapons and clothes is enough. He stuffs more bags with weapons and clothes and leaves them in the shed should someone else find the shed. It is the last bit of help he can offer to unknown survivors.
Maybe Hinata would find it?
It was extremely unlikely that she had even survived. Takemichi still hoped.
An image of his friends and girlfriend flashes across his eyes. He feels tears sting at the corners of his eyes and he sits down on the floor with his back to the shed’s door to just breathe for a second. The dirty wood provides a strange comfort to his mind as he sits there reminiscing about the jokes and good memories that had been made just a few hours prior with his friends.
He can’t hear the scratches this far into the corner of the roof and he is glad for it.
He sits there for a few more minutes before collecting himself and pushing the memories and feelings away into a corner of his mind that he would revisit in safety. Right now, he needs to move.
He walks around the roof, trying his best to ignore the scratches and growls coming from the other side of the roof door, and notices a fire exit his friends had once used to bunk class. He turns back, there are still some things he needs to do. He drags a wooden table from the shed and barricades the roof door. He can see small cracks appearing on the door and it sends a shiver down his spine.
He runs back to the shed, takes a bat out of his bag, and slings the bag over his shoulder. It is heavy but not heavy enough to slow him down. It provides a firm and constant weight that reassures him. Keeps him present and grounded.
Maybe he is already losing it
He then takes another nail out of the box in the corner and uses it to leave a message on the rotting wood. It takes some effort, but he eventually manages to write down what he wanted.
‘WEAPONS IN BAG. LEFT FOR WHOEVER. TAKEMICHI WAS HERE’
Satisfied, he stands up and walks out of the shed. He stands in front of the fire exit for a little with the bat in his hands to make sure there are no zombies on the other side. Sensing and hearing none, he opens the door swiftly and makes a run for it, trying to be as quiet as possible. He had changed into sports shoes and packed a few more pairs for that exact reason. He knows that for the next few days he will be running a lot.
And so he runs.
Once he makes it out, he hides behind bushes and trees to get past the wandering corpses and jumps over the school wall.
The sky is beginning to turn a very light shade of pink and Takemichi knows he doesn't have much daylight left.
As he runs in the shadows of buildings, trees, and behind bushes, he thanks his PE classes and hopes that he would be able to find a convenience store of some kind to camp in for the night or even the next few nights.
He is determined to survive. For his friends that couldn’t and who screamed for him to survive in their last moments.
‘RUN Takemichi! SURVIVE!’
He swears he will.
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A long-haired blonde boy desperately holds onto a table to the door, it being the only thing between him and the corpses.
“Hurry the fuck up Ken-chin! They’re pushing me back!”
“Just a second! Put that monstrous strength to use, would you?!”
“Ugh!” The boy exclaims as the corner of the table slammed into his stomach amidst the ‘push-of-war’
He struggles and calls out to his friend again.
“Where is Baji?! God damnit these bastards!”
‘Ken-chin’ answers, “I see him! Hold on Mikey, Baji is almost here!”
“Tell. Him. to hurry the fuck up! Ugh!” The table pushes Mikey back a few paces as he tried to keep the corpses from pushing their way into the store they were currently raiding.
His arms feel numb from holding onto the table, but his friend wasn’t fairing too well either if the grunts and the small gasps of pain are anything to go by.
He feels immense relief wash over him when he hears Baji’s voice.
“Mikey! Draken! Let’s go! That way is blocked, we gotta head up!”
Mikey almost lets go, before he hears the ridiculous words that leave Baji’s mouth and pushes the table for dear life once again. His friend, Draken screams at Baji.
“UP?! Are you crazy Baji? Ugh! We – mh! – need to get out! Not – gah! – trap ourselves further! AGH!”
The next push from the other side almost brings the two down.
Baji screams again as if they are the idiots.
“Unless you want to get eaten, we need to MOVE! NOW!”
Mikey glances at his friend and realizes that he needs medical attention. He quickly lets go of the table, grabs Draken’s wrist, and makes a run for the stairs with Baji in front.
“Ah! This is a – uf! – a bad idea! Ow!”
Mikey feels a vein popping in his forehead as he screams for his friend to shut up before his wound gets worse. They will need to get medical supplies.
“Fuck!” He curses under his breath.
Suddenly they get pulled into a side room.
Mikey and Draken crash into the floor as Baji fall on top of them with the bag full of supplies.
“AGH!” The three howl in pain and Mikey looks up to see what had just happened. His eyes meet sharp blue ones and he forgets to breathe for a second before he comes back to his senses. He heard Baji screaming at the boy in front of them. He blinks and looks around at what seems to be a manager’s office. Possibly the store owner's
“What the hell? Hey! What’s the big idea buddy?!”
“SHHHH” The unknown boy hisses as Mikey and Draken get to their feet.
Mikey helps his friend settle into one of the chairs and turns back to the confrontation between Baji and the stranger.
“Do you want to attract those things? Because that screaming is doing nothing but ringing a dinner bell!” the boy whisper shouts.
That shuts Baji up.
Mikey steps forward and finally gets a good look at the boy. He is shorter than Mikey, perhaps younger too. His hair had obviously been dyed blonde at some point, but the sweat, water, soap, and weeks of dirt had brought out his original black hair, though the blonde dye remained. It created almost a gradient-like effect. His eyes were a bright blue, but dull, no doubt affected by the apocalypse. He is in gym clothes of some kind with a jacket and sports shoes. The attire is smart and so is the weapon in his hands. While he is busy observing the boy, Draken sighs behind him.
“Thanks for saving us.” Draken thanks.
“Don’t mention it.” The boy snaps. “And thanks for ruining my safe place with all your screaming.”
Mikey notices the slightest glint of annoyance in the boy's eyes before it is replaced with worry.
“You’re hurt…” He points at Draken.
“He is. Do you know any pharmacy nearby we could raid?” After careful deliberation, Mikey decides to be civil.
The boy thinks about something before he seems to make up his mind.
“You don’t need to. Wait here.”
He disappears into another part of the office and comes back a few seconds later with medicine in his hands.
“I’ll help,” he says and looks at Draken as if asking for permission. When he receives a curt nod, he slowly lifts the corner of his shirt.
While he applies the medicine to Draken's stomach, the boy speaks up again.
“I’m Hanagaki Takemichi, by the way. Thought you should know.”
Surprisingly, it is Baji who replies first.
“Baji Keisuke. Sorry for yelling at you earlier.” This earns him a small smile from the other teen.
“Ryuguji Ken or Draken. Thanks for taking care of me.” Takemichi nods in acknowledgment.
“Mikey or Sano Manjiro”
The teen freezes at Mikey’s name and finally looks up at all of them again. He blinks several times as something akin to recognition seems to dawn on him.
All three of them would admit that the look was a breath of fresh air after looking at ugly, deformed corpses all week.
“Manjiro… Mikey…. As in the leader of the Toman Gang?” Takemichi inquires carefully.
To say they are surprised is a good way of describing their current emotion. After the apocalypse hit, they didn’t have time to think of their Gang.
Mikey let out a bemused smile. “Yeah, that one.”
“Ah…sorry, that was probably a sensitive topic. I get it.”
This kind of human contact and understanding after a week of nothing but surviving is... nice... to say the least.
“I know a way out of here. The windows and doors are all boarded up. I have weapons and clothes. We will have to wait until nighttime to sneak out from the back door, but I’m willing to take you if you are willing to add me to your group. Do you have a base?”
Mikey is impressed and dare he say, a little flustered at this teen’s quick thinking. He notices Baji and Draken looking at him expectantly and can only sigh. Well he was going to ask him to join anyway.
“Yes, we do have a base. It’s the Musashi Temple. It was our base back when Toman was still… well, Toman.”
The teen’s eyes soften and he offers a soft smile. “I see.”
Then his voice turns serious again, “Are there other survivors?”
“Yes,” Baji answers this time. “A lot of them. We just ran out of food and we were raiding this place when we ran across you.”
“Hmmm, well I have more food. If you are including me in your group then I can let you take all of it. Along with various types of medicine and clothing. Oh, and of course, weapons.”
Mikey smiles and offers a hand.
“Then, welcome to Toman, Takemitchy.”