Chapter 32 - Chapter 30: A Story of Silent Hill
We were told by the people of Osawa Village that we could take it easy, and we had spent our time accordingly. Feeling apologetic about being provided with food and a safe place for free, I offered to help with the village work several times, but each time I was refused and told to stay and rest at home. And since we began living almost like shut-ins in the house we were assigned, nearly a week had already passed.
"Hey, haven't you gotten fat?"
As soon as I woke up in the morning, Yui, who was already up, said that to me. Mana-chan and Naomi-san were hanging laundry in the yard, and only the two of us were inside the house. The spacious Japanese-style house, which looked like it could appear in a period drama, was as silent as a ruin.
"Ah, as I thought? I haven't been moving much lately, and when I weighed myself in the bath yesterday, I'd gained 2 kilos."
"Honestly, even if it's safe here, aren't your stomach and your brain getting way too slack?"
"Even if you say that, Yui, you've also gotte— no, it's nothing."
Weight must be a forbidden topic for a maiden; Yui directed a gaze filled with such bloodlust that she could probably kill a frog just by looking at it, along with an "Ah?", so I hurriedly shut my mouth. No matter how spirited a girl Yui is, there are things you should and shouldn't say——————even if it's the truth.
However, it was also a fact that I had gotten fat in less than a week. Until now, I had been constantly tormented by the stress that an infected might be somewhere or might attack, and for the sake of saving, I only took the bare minimum amount of food. Consequently, my weight had inevitably been dropping, and compared to before this virus turmoil began, I'm probably quite on the lighter side now.
Because this village is safe, I can sleep peacefully at night, and there's no need to stand watch. Plus, I can eat plenty of fresh food. We are in the very environment we were thirsting for until a week ago; it would be strange to feel stressed by this.
If there's one dissatisfaction, it's that we can't go outside freely. Yamato-san, the temporary village head of Osawa Village, had told us to avoid leaving the house grounds as much as possible.
Osawa Village is deep in the mountains, far from any town, and even if you make a bit of noise, you won't be discovered by the infected. Naturally, in places where there are no people, there are no infected, so there are likely almost no infected around this village. Unless an explosion occurs, it's unlikely the infected would notice this village.
For that reason, the village people usually lived without making much noise. The only moving vehicle I saw in this week was the pickup truck used by the guard. Even that was moving at low speed so as not to make noise.
Yamato-san also restricted the movement of people. In the village, going out at night is basically prohibited. Even otherwise, an announcement has apparently been made to refrain from unnecessary movement as much as possible. He's likely considering the possibility of someone inadvertently wandering out of the village and being found by the infected. The village people know the terrain well, so that's unlikely for them, but it's a different story for refugees like us who came from the outside. He might not want us wandering around out of curiosity and causing unnecessary trouble.
Because of that, we spent our lives cooped up inside the house except for when receiving food distributions. Fortunately, both the bath and toilet are within the house grounds, and there's even a well, though it's a manual pump type. There was no inconvenience in living, but even so, after a few days, we began to have too much time on our hands.
The Japanese-style house was novel at first and we looked around here and there, but after living in it for nearly a week, there was nothing left to catch our interest. There were several magazines and paperbacks left in the house, apparently by refugees who had been here before, but having nothing better to do, we quickly read through all those books. Since we couldn't carry unnecessary luggage, there were no books or game consoles among the things we brought. Since our life consisted of eating and sleeping, it couldn't be helped that we got fat.
"Ah—, I'm bored."
"Then, shall I teach you some martial arts?"
"No, I've had enough. I've had quite enough of being beaten up."
To me, who muttered that while sitting on the veranda, Naomi-san said that. I've been taught martial arts and weapon combat techniques by Naomi-san several times, but in the end, I'm just an ordinary high school student, and I don't have the confidence that I've mastered any of them well. Besides, the moment you challenge an infected to martial arts, your death is certain.
I also learned how to fight using knives and axes, but those are useless as long as I stay in this village. After all, there's no opportunity to fight the infected. Moreover, except for two small knives we "accidentally" forgot to hand over, all our weapons were confiscated by the guard. Even if I wanted to train, I can't do anything without tools.
"There are no infected, and there's plenty of food. If only we could act freely, it would be the best..."
"That can't be helped; even before we came here, we weren't able to act freely. Compared to that, this place is heaven."
Yui's point made sense, but even so, I was feeling a sense of disappointment somewhere in this life in the village. What I wanted was to lead a life similar to before the world went to hell because of the virus, not a life where I can't even walk outside freely and stay cooped up in the house all day. At this rate, the only difference is that the worry of hunger and thirst is gone; it's almost the same as my life until now. I was even beginning to think that.
I understand that Yamato-san and the others are leading this kind of life as a result of putting the village's safety first, and I think it's unavoidable. However, I'm getting tired of being stuck in the house. At this rate, before the infected starve to death and Japan becomes peaceful, I'll become useless as a human being.
"...Speaking of which, I wonder if there's a school or something in this village?"
"What's wrong?"
"No, if there's a school, there should be a library, right? No matter how depopulated a rural town is, there's at least one school, right?"
Though it's likely been closed for a long time in this village, if that's the case, then so be it. It's not that I particularly want to read books; I just want to go outside and kill time. If there's no library, I'll stroll around the village; staying cooped up in the house makes me feel depressed.
"But, the adults said we shouldn't go outside the house..."
"It's fine, it's fine, it's okay. It's not like they said we absolutely must not go out. If they tell us it's no good, we'll just obediently come back then."
I laughed and brushed off Mana-chan's worry. Yamato-san and the others said to avoid going outside the house grounds as much as possible, but they didn't say we absolutely must not go out. In the first place, we go outside the house when we receive food distributions, so they shouldn't get so worked up about it. A shut-in life without anxiety about food, clothing, and shelter is the dream of many young people, but without the internet or games, I don't feel any charm in it.
Leaving Naomi-san, who was training at home, we went outside. No human figures were visible nearby, and only the figures of people engaged in farm work in the distance could be seen small.
For now, we decided to head to the village office to ask if there was a library. There would always be people stationed at the village office, and it wouldn't take that much time even on foot.
"It's quiet..."
This village is enveloped in silence in a different sense from the towns we've passed through until now. The towns we've hopped between until now were silent because the people themselves had vanished, but here, even though there are people, there's no vitality or anything. I understand they fear the infected, but this is no different from a ghost town.
"Somehow, it's lonely. Even though there are plenty of people."
"Yeah, but it might be unavoidable. If I were told to choose between being found by the infected or living quietly, I'd choose living quietly. Because if those things find you, that's the end."
Even so, it's too quiet here. Yui muttered.
Despite the fact that there must be other people living here, almost no sounds of daily life could be heard from the houses we passed on the way to the village office. Since most of the residents are likely elderly, it's natural that they don't make much noise, but even so, this village is strangely quiet.
"Hey, look at that..."
Suddenly, Yui said that and pointed ahead. When I looked forward, a pickup truck was driving toward us, its engine roaring as if to break the silence until now.
When the pickup truck stopped in front of us, a young man with a buzz cut got out from the passenger seat. Since a double-barrel shotgun was slung over his shoulder, they were apparently people from the guard.
"You kids, what are you doing here? You should have been told not to go outside the house much."
"Yes, but, well, we were really bored... We were going to look for a library or something."
When I answered that, the young man said with an exasperated face.
"There's no way a library would be in this village. There should be a few books at the village office, so come pick them up during the dinner distribution. Now, go home, go home."
Being told in a tone that allowed no argument, we had no choice but to turn back the way we came. We were put in the bed of the pickup truck and taken straight back to the house.
"Somehow, the timing was bad..."
Watching the pickup truck drive away, Mana-chan muttered regretfully. If that truck hadn't come, we could have stayed outside longer. To be taken back as soon as we went out, our luck is too bad.
"Maybe we're being watched?"
Yui said that in a joking tone, but with the timing being this bad, I couldn't help but think that might be the case. In the end, we weren't able to accomplish anything and ended up having too much time on our hands until the dinner distribution.
I look forward to your opinions and impressions.