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Lavenders, poppies, roses, and peonies. Sunflowers, bluebells, and daisies. Each petal, each flower, each grow, and each wither. The fields were covered in various flowers, each one of a different memory.
The Lily settlement had chosen the academy as one of their shelters—a designated safe house from the outside epidemic. A place to treat the infected and keep others safe.
Their school had received some professionals in each field of the organization, each profession that would help them settle in more comfortably and survive this fight.
Each and every student had been given a role—they were all separated into different fields of work. A helping hand in this mess. The classrooms had turned into small research spaces. The area just outside their school building had turned into a field of flowers. The nurse's office became a medical pharmacy with caretakers and medics from the Lily settlement. A little flowerhouse to keep the bitten away.
Another patient had been brought in just this morning. A sight he was all too familiar with. The scent of medical supplies and flowers of different species mixed together occupied the whole office. And he stood there, watching.
They looked so sickly. With fevers running high and flowers slowly covered each part of the body, making them almost unrecognizable.
"Toko?"
The light-blue-haired boy turned to his sister. She had a white coat over her orange dress and a light blue mask pulled down to her chin. Her pink hair was put into two ponytails, secured by a star hair tie. She held a clipboard in her hands, and the documents were held on it by the metal clip. "Nika…"
"Do you want to check up on him?" Nika asked, her grip tightening on the board. Toko nodded and followed his sister to one of the patient's bed.
There he laid, his puffy hair splayed out on the pillow, his skin paler than usual. He was sweating a whole lot, his breathing labored and body flinching to every little thing. Saliva overflowed from his mouth, dripping from the sharp set of teeth. Chains held the patient down by his wrists, which only made his tossing more aggressive.
Black spots spread across his skin, rotting into the flesh like a plague. The office filled with a foul stench and the sweetness of honey nectar. The smell mixture made Toko sick in the stomach. It was too strong.
Toko inhaled sharply, his chest tightening. "Koji…"
"One week." Nika placed a hand on his shoulder. "The rites will take place in one week."
"Isn't that a little late?"
His sister didn't look at him. She couldn't. "The paramedics were trying something new. To prevent the infection from spreading."
"Did Hoji agree to that? Did his parents consent to this?"
Nika didn't say anything, which gave him all the answers he needed. She wouldn't have a say in it even if she tried to prevent this.
Toko grasped her hand, squeezing it to comfort her. "You tried. It's not your fault."
"Toko? Nika?" Momoka peeked into the room. Dark circles were visible under her eyes, covered in an attempt at make up. Her dark hair was a lot longer, set into a high ponytail to keep it from getting in the way of work. Parts of him felt bad for her. She had always dreamed of being a reporter, and with this epidemic, her dreams were near impossible. She smiled at them, soft and weary. "Doctor Black is looking for you."
Doctor Black's office was one of the classrooms renovated into a research lab. The twins walked in, hearts pounding with unease. Toko did not like Doctor Black one bit. There was something about him that just screamed bad vibes.
Fubuki and Suoh were already waiting in the lab. Ranjiro was there too, his back turned to the red-eyed blond. Souta stood to a side, fidgeting in his place. This had to be something important if the doctor called all of them in.
"Toko, Nika. It's good you came." Doctor Black smiled at them. "I'm sure you've noticed that our supplies have been running low. I will need you to go out tomorrow to gather some."
Ranjiro's head snapped at the researcher. "Don't you have the supply runner team for that? Why do we have to be the ones going out?"
"The team that went out the other day returned gravely injured. We cannot have liabilities run out for needed things." The doctor's words shut Ranjiro down. The younger Kiyama couldn't argue against it.
Toko looked around, feeling a pair of eyes burning into his skin. His gaze met Fubuki's, who looked worried. His eyes moved swiftly, gesturing to Souta. And Toko understood. Except for Daigo's little brother, all the ones present here were leading a small group of people in their respective sections.
Everyone knew Souta's situation. He was sick with a chronic illness. And having him go out in this dangerous environment could be a liability to everyone present. And seeing as Doctor Black didn't seem to care, he probably wanted someone who couldn't do anything gone.
The blue-eyed gritted his teeth. He couldn't argue against the doctor; it wouldn't lead anywhere. But he knew allowing Souta out would be dangerous both for the boy and the party.
Suoh and Nika felt the unease rise. They could probably tell what Toko and Fubuki were thinking, too.
"You'll set out first thing tomorrow morning. Ranjiro, you take some people from your team to help." The young Kiyama nodded reluctantly. Then, the doctor turned towards the twins. "Toko, I'll leave you in charge."
"…Yes, sir."
Morning rays of the early sun had started to rise. Toko sat on the concrete floor. His sister sat on a nearby bench, her head tilted back to watch the blue-red sky. He checked his watch for the fifth time that morning.
6 A.M.
As if right on cue, Fubuki and Suoh emerged from the Beigoma Academy building. The red-eyed blond was pushing Souta, who was desperately trying not to be taken out by the shoulders out of the building as well.
"Don't worry. If anything happens, we'll be there to help!" Toko heard Fubuki say as the three approached. Suoh didn't say much to what the blond had said. Toko will admit that he has to admire Fubuki's optimistic view even in this situation. Not everyone is capable of staying positive when danger lingers just outside the doorstep.
Nika chuckled from her seat. "Fubuki is right. You don't have to worry, Souta." She smiled sweetly at the black-haired boy.
Ranjiro and three more people from his gang arrived a few minutes later. Despite them being usually fashionably late, it was good that they didn't let the ones already waiting rot outside. The later they went out, the more dangerous it'd be. Still, it didn't stop Fubuki from sending a very not-so-friendly glare the other blond's way.
"Let's get going," Toko interjected before a fight could break out.
The walk itself wasn't long. It didn't take much for the group to arrive at the empty parking lot.
"We're going to split up from here," said Toko.
"….What?"
The light-blue-haired turned to the group who stared at him, bewildered by his suggestion.
"What?"
Harumi snapped out first. "You... want to split up?"
He could tell what everyone was thinking. Everyone knows that splitting up in horror movies is a terrible idea. So he wasn't surprised when suggesting a split-up would give him that kind of reaction.
"We won't go individually. Just smaller groups. We could cover more ground and find more needed supplies," he tried to reason. He already knew not everyone would agree with it.
"It would be less dangerous if we went in smaller groups rather than alone. And we'd be done faster, too." Fubuki stepped aside from others, moving to Toko's side. "And Doctor Black did put you in charge."
Toko smiled faintly.
"Fine, fine.." Ranjiro's groaned. "How do you want this to go, leader?"
"Oh, uhm." Toko took a few seconds to gather his thoughts, looking around at the people watching him. "Let's do groups of three? Fubuki and Souta will go with me. Nika, you take Suoh and Ranjiro. Harumi, Gumita, and Tobisuke will go together."
He set his backpack down and pulled out some plastic and paper bags. "Harumi, your team will get stuff from the pharmacy. The nurses are running low on bandages, and we need more basic medicine." The boy gave him a nod, so Toko turned to his sister. "Nika, you take care of the clothes. Take as many as is needed." Nika pursed her lips but nodded. The light-blue-haired boy handed out the bags to each team.
Once the teams were distributed and ready to go, Nika dragged him to a side, covered in the shadows of the early morning. "Do I have to go with them specifically?" she asked.
"I want to keep an eye on Souta if anything were to happen to him, so that's out of the question," said Toko firmly. "And if I have Ranjiro and Fubuki in a team together, they'd be talking someone's ears off with their snarky arguments." He picked up his bag and threw it on his back. "I trust Harumi a bit more than Ranjiro. I know Ranjiro is their 'leader', but I need someone who I personally know enough to lead the teams."
Nika scratched the back of her head. "I guess that makes sense…"
"We should get going. If we return too late, it'll get dangerous."
Toko walked behind Souta and Fubuki. His eyes wary, paranoia creeping in his chest. The chances of getting attacked were low, but not impossible. He couldn't risk letting something happen to them.
Occasional replies here and there, but, truthfully, Toko didn't listen to what the other two were talking about.
Something was lurking around. He could feel it under his skin.
They turned around a corner, the supermarket just barely in sight.
Toko slowed down until he stopped to a halt. And listened.
Harumi watched as Tobisuke fiddled with the door handle, trying with all his might to open the pharmacy door to no avail. Gumita, as unbothered as she could be, sighed tiredly, turning away from the two boys.
"OPEN YOU—AGHHH!" Tobisuke shook the glass door violently. All Harumi could do was shake his head. For someone of a rather smaller height, Tobisuke sure had a lot of will.
"I'm just—" Gumita's voice rang behind him. He turned just in time to see her sit down on a bench nearby. She flopped to her side, her black hair falling on her face, "—gonna take a quick nap."
"GUMITA!"
Low growling and leaves crunching. Toko stood in horror as he took in the noise behind him. He steadily stepped forward, his pace getting faster by the seconds.
"Guys!" he whisper-yelled frantically. "We need to move!"
Both turned, seeing the slowly approaching monster that came their way. Fubuki's eyes widened. He grabbed Souta by his arm, and they all ran.
Running might be a bad idea. They didn't know which stage the zombie was in. But the store ahead was that far anymore, and they could get there in time to keep them safe.
He knew he should have packed a stack of flowers. Maybe a whole bouquet, too. Now, Toko can only hope the weapons they have on them will keep them safe enough.
The zombie lingered around the edges of their eyes. It didn't move as slowly as the newly turned ones, but it didn't attack right away either.
And behind them, through the glass door, Fubuki stood still. Watching in horror as everything went down.
Gathering clothes had never been easy. Every size had to fit, and for the worse, the person didn't have to like the provided clothes—which was the worst. Hearing them whine about the ugly, out-of-style rugs. Thankfully, Nika wasn't the one taking care of needed supplies; she was assigned with medical help. Until now, that is. Now she will have to hear about it.
Sometimes, Nika had to wonder if what they were doing would be considered as stealing once everything is over—if it'll ever be over.
The three walked down one store after another. Most of them had already been raided by previous supply hunts. Nika was looking through one of the shop display glass when—
"This apocalypse makes everybody so melodramatic."
She followed the voice to a different store nearby. Ranjiro was nowhere in sight, which probably wasn't any good. But how hard could it be to find someone with a broom for their hair?
By a different section of the street, Suoh stood in front of a display glass with his chin between his index finger and thumb. He was staring at something Nika couldn't see, but he was frowning deeply.
"Who takes the time to write 'GOD IS DEAD AND WE ARE IN HELL' on the wall in black spray paint? It's just ridiculous." He walked away from there, moving forward towards a different shop. His hand moved up to brush the white locks when it stopped midway. He sighed in frustration. "We're obviously in hell, so there's no need to point it out through bad graffiti."
Nika bit her inner lip, breathing heavily. This is going to take a long time.
Fubuki managed to forcefully open the locked door. His shoulder might be fractured but that would be a problem for later. He ran up to Toko and Souta, his hand by his hip, gripping the gun frame. Shooting the zombie itself won't do much good since they would be back on their feet. But it did knock them out for a good amount of time for him to get moving with the other two.
When he got in good range, he didn't hesitate. Fubuki pulled the gun out and shot without thinking.
The mark on Toko's wrist was inevitable. The deep-red bite by the zombie's sharp fangs left it bleeding. It wasn't much but the three knew.
Fubuki's hands shook, but he had to stay calm. He knelt down and draped Toko's arm over his neck. The blue-eyed smiled at him, his body shaking in Fubuki's half-hold, and breathing hollow.
He looked at the black-haired boy who still sat on the ground frozen in shock.
"Souta?" Fubuki asked carefully. The latter's purple eyes landed on him, still wide. The red-eyed blond reached a hand out, taking Souta's hand in his. "Are you injured?"
The black-haired opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but no words came out. He shook his head instead.
"We should head ba—"
"No," Toko coughed out. He let go of the blond, standing up on his shaky legs, leaning his weight on his feet to steady himself. "We need to get food."
"Toko, we're in no way able to get food. Not with your condition like this!" Fubuki argued
"It's okay. They'll be waiting. We can't fail this." He took a few steps forward but fell to his knees not long after. Toko cursed under his breath, trying to pick himself up again.
"Souta, stay with him. I'll take care of food."
The black-haired boy did as was said and stayed by Toko's side while Fubuki went in. He watched as the young Aoi wobbled around, trying to take a few steps just to fail and fall. Souta every time the blue-eyed fell, telling him to take it easy.
"What happened?!"
Nika ran towards them when she saw the state her brother was in. Toko's smile didn't reach his eyes. He tried to reach his hand out, but his sister saw the bite mark before he could even reach out. She gasped, her eyes turning glassy within seconds.
He dropped the hand, turning his head away from the rest. "I'm sorry."
The nurse's office was as white as ever. He sat on one of the beds, the monitors beeping every few seconds. It reminded him of a hospital.
Nika stood by the bedside, a small board in her hands. She hadn't left his side since they got back no matter how hard others tried to pry her away.
"How are you feeling?" she asked, adjusting the connecting wires.
"It's only been a few hours."
Nike frowned, giving him a look. Toko almost laughed. Almost. He turned away from her. "I'm fine."
The pink-haired hummed. Toko took her hand, his hold too gentle for the situation he was in. "I'll be okay."
Overnight, his vitals spiked through the roof. Sweat dripped down his forehead, drenching the sheets under him. He couldn't breathe.
The medics held him in check the whole night, not daring to let him out of sight.
The following morning, Nika held his hand. She didn't let go.
He didn't want it to be like this. He didn't want her to see him being all helpless.
She didn't say anything. Just sat there with him. And maybe that was what he needed. A moment of silence.
He listened to the monitor around him. It was dark outside once more. His arm was stretched out, reaching to the ceiling above.
The mark on his wrist was darker, a purple-black blotch in the place where the zombie's fangs had landed.
"How could you let this happen?!"
Toko recalled his sister's cries. His hand dropped onto the blanket. He tossed to lie on one side, remembering the fight they had in the parking lot before returning. The guilt in Souta's eyes. The silence Fubuki carried in his presence. He had managed to stop it from getting any further, but the damage was done.
The way Suoh looked at the three of them with a hint of aversion. The distraught in Nika's voice when she spoke to anyone. Ranjiro's shifted attitude to all of them. It was small, but even the smallest of them can have an impact on the consequences.
And he couldn't fix it.
"I'm sorry."
Toko turned his head towards Souta. "Why are you apologizing?" he asked. His breathing was shallow and his voice barely made itself audible. But the quiet around them helped carry the words.
It's been six days since he got infected. The bite had already healed itself but the remains of it stayed. His veins moved through his body in purple-brown shades, acting like roots settling into his organs. Sprouts pickled his skin like a small garden.
He remembered pained screams, unsure if they were his own or someone else's.
He missed Koji's rites. He heard something about it, but he couldn't recall what.
"What's wrong?" Toko asked, to which Souta could only smile.
"Everything's okay," the black-haired replied. The faraway look in his eyes made Souta's stomach turn. The dilated pupils in blue irises. He couldn't bring himself to talk.
Sunflower seeds dropped one by one, gathering around his bed, ready to harvest.
Something pierced through his skin just where the yellow flower had bloomed. He didn't react. He only watched as Doctor Black pulled the needle out, his eyes squinted from the very likely smile under the mask he wore. The doctor's green draped down his shoulders like flowing seaweed.
"Rest while you can. It won't be long."
A cosmos flower crown was placed on her head. Orchids were wrapped around her dress like she was a doll for their dress-up. Momoko braided her hair for Toko's rites, putting dandelions and violets between hair strands.
They put her mother into a white dress, a daisy cape running down from the back of the dress, trailing behind her on the ground as she walked.
She and Chiharu held one of Toko's hands from each side, walking with him down the blooming path. Her father walked behind them with a small rose in his suit pocket.
Nika's heart hammered in her chest. She hated this. The walk. The wait. Toko stumbled a few times, squeezing her hand each time he got back up.
The school gates were decorated with wisteria vines and smaller bouquets. They stood there, her grip firm on her brother's hand. One last moment with him.
Her mom let Toko's hand first. She gently brushed the remains of blue hair behind the boy's face, placing a soft kiss on his forehead.
Her hand fell on its own. She watched as Toko walked through those gates. No goodbye. Just slow, feet-dragging steps forward. Her mouth fell open. She wanted to say something. But no sound came out.
The sun was preparing to settle down into its sleep, coloring the sky with red and purple. Nika sat on the swings in the school playground. The late evening breeze swished past her.
"Nika?"
Her eyes didn't move from the scenery. Nails dug into the metal chains.
"Fubuki," she said after finding her voice again that day. "Would I have changed the outcome if the teams were different?"