Chapter 24 - Chapter 22: The Story of Regaining Love
Summer had truly set in, and nearly three weeks had passed since we arrived in this town. Though it occasionally pained me, the wound on my wrist had closed, and my physical strength had recovered to the point where I only got a little out of breath even if I ran up the stairs, perhaps because enough blood had finally been made in my body.
The water was finally running out. The water I drank yesterday was a little less than two liters, which is said to be the minimum necessary for a human to survive. Today it's less than that, and tomorrow it will be even less. Though that's only if we continue to stay in this apartment.
Following the escape plan Naomi-san had made, we were solemnly proceeding with preparations. We siphoned gasoline from the passenger cars left in the apartment's underground parking lot and gathered everything that seemed useful.
In the end, after that, no one opposed Naomi-san's plan, nor did anyone oppose me serving as the decoy. If someone had, I would have changed their mind no matter what. Either way, preparations were proceeding smoothly. I had been taught how to fight using blades like axes and knives by Naomi-san, and I had also learned how to ride a motorcycle. My only regret was not being able to put those into practice, but well, I'll manage somehow on the fly. Naomi-san had said a motorcycle is just a bicycle with an engine, after all.
There were plenty of things like gasoline, weapons, and medicine, but we had consumed almost all the water and food. To make the escape successful no matter what, it was necessary to be in perfect physical condition. If I couldn't move due to hunger or my judgment was dulled by thirst, it would all be for naught.
It was, so to speak, a last stand. If things went poorly, we'd be wiped out; if one side messed up, the survivors would be either one or three. But if everyone acted in perfect condition and did well, all four of us could survive together. The danger was greater for me, but that was also taken into account. Naomi-san probably thought that if the meetup failed and I was thrown into the middle of the infected, I could manage somehow on my own. That's why she agreed to me being the decoy; all the more reason I can't betray those expectations.
I decided to take a short break while packing my things in the apartment room assigned to me as my own. To begin with, there wasn't much luggage to take out. There was food and water in the backpack, but only a little. Medicine, Molotov cocktails, and flares made up the bulk of the luggage in case the meetup failed.
Looking at the clock, it was just past 4:00 AM. The sun would rise in another hour. It's not like the infected can find prey at night just like humans; they stay still and don't move during the night. Even so, I was hesitant to execute the escape plan during the night. Since I didn't know where the infected were in the town, I wanted to avoid a situation where I moved through the darkness and realized I had charged into a group of infected.
For that reason, the start time of the escape operation was set for dawn. In the dim light, we could visually identify the infected. Though there was a possibility they might notice us as well, Naomi-san said the movements of the infected are dull at dawn. If I believe her words, it's the easiest time of day to act.
I lowered the sheath containing the knife and the holder wrapping the heavy axe to my belt. I wouldn't be carrying the bat I was used to this time. If I hung the bat on my back, it would suddenly become difficult to ride.
I put on a vest with many pockets and put various things into them. First aid kit, map, compass, lighter...
I picked up the incendiary grenade that looked like a spray can. Naomi-san had told me to use this to blow up the tank truck, but I wondered if I could do it well. It sounded like something out of a movie, but I had no choice but to believe I could.
I carefully tucked the grenade into a pocket so as not to accidentally pull out the safety pin and finally took a breath. Thinking that I was wearing a weapon that could easily burn my body to a crisp, the grenade felt heavy both physically and mentally.
"Are you ready?"
Saying so, Yui suddenly entered the room without knocking. Since she was already carrying a backpack, it seemed she had finished her preparations. Bulky items like fuel were to be left at the apartment and loaded after securing the hybrid car and returning here. In the backpack she was carrying, just like me, were the minimum necessary supplies in case the plan failed.
"Yeah, for now."
"'For now' is a weak answer. Are you really okay?"
"I'm fine, I can do it."
However, Yui's eyes looking at me were suspicious. Yui let out a sigh and continued in a slightly lower tone.
"...Hey, why did you go out of your way to be the decoy? It would have been fine if I did it. I'm worried about whether I can ride a bike, but that's the same for you. Why didn't you try to push the decoy role onto me?"
"Why? Because the success rate seems higher than if you did it. Nothing more, nothing less."
Of course, that wasn't the only reason. Yui naturally saw through that as well and said while staring into my eyes.
"Liar, I can tell by looking at your eyes. You're still hiding something from us, aren't you?"
I was, various things. Like the fact that I killed my parents with my own hands, or that Mana-chan's parents had turned into infected and were beaten to death by me, and I still haven't told her. I knew I had to say it someday, but I still didn't have the resolve.
In the end, I'm just a chicken; it boils down to that. Fearing blame, I continue to hide the fact that I killed Mana-chan's family, and I don't have the confidence to reveal myself to others. Even the fact that I volunteered for the decoy role—I can't deny that deep in my heart, there's a suicidal desire to erase myself. This world is too painful; if so, I might be wishing to die while being useful to someone.
"...I can't talk about it now, but I'll tell you someday."
"Really?"
"Really."
Yui still had slightly suspicious eyes, but she said nothing and patted my shoulder. She surely doesn't think I'm troubled by such a petty reason. Though for me it's a significant reason, and for Mana-chan, it's a secret that literally influences her future life.
Having finished our preparations, we left the room and headed to the underground parking lot together. The apartment grounds were surrounded by a high fence and a gate, and zombies hadn't invaded inside. This was because Naomi-san had tightly closed the gate when she moved here and annihilated all the infected that were inside.
Just in case, I peeked out from the shadow of the building to check the situation outside. The street was eerily quiet, and I could only see enough infected to count on one hand. Those infected were just hanging their heads and wandering aimlessly, but if we stepped out onto the street even for a moment, they would surely change their eyes and come chasing after us.
Passing through the cleverly hidden entrance to the basement, we arrived at a parking lot that looked like it could accommodate a hundred cars. The cars parked there were all luxury cars, classic cars, or sports cars. I couldn't imagine how much they would all cost if sold.
If there had been a hybrid car among these, we wouldn't have had to go all the way to the car dealership, but there are infected on the street anyway. Someone has to be the decoy and attract them. That doesn't change.
"Alright, everyone's here."
Naomi-san, who had arrived at the parking lot first with Mana-chan, nodded upon seeing everyone. Two Kukris hung from her waist, and a crossbow was slung over her shoulder. She also seemed to have several of her special handmade Molotov cocktails. In her current state, she might be able to easily defeat ten or twenty infected, but unfortunately, with us as dead weight, she wouldn't be able to demonstrate 100 percent of that ability.
"Then, I'm counting on you. You have the meetup point in your head, right?"
I nodded. I had marked it on the map, and since I had hammered the map into my head, I remembered at least the place to meet up. My memory of the roads on the way is shaky, but well, I'll manage somehow. The important thing is to attract the infected to the tank truck, blow them up, and meet up. If I can do just that, there's no problem.
Just in case, Naomi-san also handed me a transceiver. It only has a communication range of about a kilometer or so, but it will be useful if I lose sight of the meetup point or if the plan fails. I pray there's no occasion to use it.
"Um, please be careful."
"I know. Well, see you later."
Seeing Mana-chan's worried face, my heart ached. If I die, she will have to live on without knowing that her family is already gone from this world. In that case, even if the infected are wiped out from Japan, Mana-chan will continue to search for her dead family. To prevent that, I have to tell her the truth someday. But that time isn't now.
The motorcycle I was to ride was a seasoned bike that seemed to have been used for newspaper delivery. The front basket attached to it held the Molotov cocktails lined up in a beer crate, so they could be thrown while riding. According to Naomi-san, it was the bike least likely to break down, and she had secured it in case she had to escape alone someday.
From here on, I have to go alone. If I start the engine now, the infected will gather from the noise, and if the other three are with me when I jump out of the parking lot, the infected might head toward them instead of me. Jump out of the parking lot on the bike, ride around the area flashily, and attract the infected. That's my job.
I pushed the heavy bike alone toward the parking lot exit. Since the parking lot exit was connected to the ground, pushing it up the slope was quite tough. Looking back, Yui was looking this way as if she wanted to help, but she must have known that doing so would make everything pointless. She just saw me off in silence.
From now on, I have to act alone again, just like before I met Yui. But it's quite a relief not to have to take responsibility for other people's lives. If I die, it's my own responsibility, and there's no fear of it affecting Yui and the others.
Out of breath from pushing the bike, I finally finished climbing the slope. I pushed up the bar at the parking lot exit and went out onto the street through the shutter Naomi-san had opened in advance. A few infected were wandering the street, but they were facing completely the wrong direction and didn't seem to have noticed me.
"Now then, shall we rock and roll?"
Behind the seat, on the luggage rack where a basket seemed to have been attached before, a radio-cassette player Naomi-san had placed there was fixed with a band. I turned on the power switch of the radio-cassette player, turned the volume control knob to the maximum, and pressed the play button.