Chapter 77 - Chapter 75: A Story About Charge! Tonight's Dinner (T/N: Reference to a TV show)
——————That boy appeared before Aki and the others suddenly.
Already more than half a year had passed since they holed up in this Sayuri Girls' Academy, but for Aki, who hasn't stepped out of the academy premises even once during that time, the boy was a human from the "outside" she saw after a long time.
That said, since entering this academy, she had almost never gone outside. Going out was strictly restricted, and even if going out was permitted occasionally, the curfew was 8 PM. On top of that, the academy is surrounded by a forest, and beyond that, vast rice fields spread. It takes more than 30 minutes to walk to the nearest bus stop.
"Who is that person, I wonder?"
Beside Aki, Aoi, who is in the same room and one year younger, was trying to observe the state outside from a slight gap in the curtains. Aki, who grabbed the scruff of her neck, hurriedly moved Aoi away from the window.
"Wait, it's dangerous. He looks like a dangerous guy. He had a lot of guns, and he pointed a muzzle this way."
"Certainly a gun was pointed, but wasn't that just him observing this way? His finger wasn't on the trigger. Well, it's a concern that he has enough guns to sell them as he walks."
Saying so, Aoi shook the binoculars in her hand. Those binoculars are Aoi's personal property, but the surface is given a green and brown camouflage paint. They weren't stylish opera glasses used for theater viewing, but rugged military ones that didn't suit a girl's hand at all.
Aoi, who had black hair grown to around her shoulders, was a girl who looked like nothing but a young lady from a good family if she sat silently in a chair. However, Aki, who lives in the same room, knew that her hobby was so-called military-related. These binoculars are Aoi's personal property, and she has brought in various other items that would make the dorm mother faint if she knew. These binoculars are still a small thing.
"A JSDF member, maybe? That man?"
"He seems too young for that, doesn't he? Besides, what he had wasn't the JSDF's Type 89, but the police's MP5. I couldn't see the rifle well..."
Words like Type 89 or MP5 were not understood by Aki, but it was certain that he didn't seem to be a person permitted to legally hold guns in Japan. Aoi was also observing the person outside with binoculars until the boy turned this way, and he looked no different in age from themselves. She couldn't possibly think such a boy had obtained a permit for a hunting gun.
His clothing was also not camouflage or a uniform, but winter clothes that seemed to be sold anywhere, like ski wear. The car is also a normal wagon, and he doesn't look like a person from the police or JSDF at all.
"Anyway, let's go down and ask for the teachers' instructions."
"Roger that."
Aki and Aoi hurriedly headed from their own room on the third floor to the common room on the first floor. There were few people in the corridor where the lights were turned off for power saving, and the doors of the rooms they passed on the way were left open, but no human figure is in the dark rooms. There are several rooms on the third floor of the dormitory, but only the two of them, Aki and Aoi, were living there.
While illuminating their feet with a light whose bulb part was covered with red cellophane, they went down the stairs while being careful not to make noise. Aoi's knowledge that red light is less conspicuous in the dark compared to normal light was useful.
"Wait, let's go while keeping our posture low just in case. If he shoots, he'll easily penetrate window glass."
She didn't think a boy about their age would suddenly shoot, but on the TV before the radio waves stopped and it became unviewable, it was said that riots were occurring frequently. That said, it's already over half a year ago, but she couldn't say there are no rioters. They proceeded through the corridor crouching as Aoi said, and reached the common room beside the entrance hall on the first floor.
The common room, with bookshelves, a sofa, and a TV placed in the corner of the room, was designated as an emergency gathering place for the students remaining in the academy. Apparently, everyone recognized that now is that emergency, as all the students had gathered. Those who peek outside from the window, those who crouch and tremble in the corner of the room, those who are discussing the response together, etc., were various, but the number was clearly small compared to the total number of students enrolled in the academy.
In March, which was actually nearly 9 months ago, the virus landed in Japan. At that time, the academy adopted a policy to send the students living in the dormitory back to their parents until the situation was settled. As soon as preparations were made, the girls returned to their hometowns where their parents were, but several remained in the academy. Those whose preparations were delayed or whose parents' acceptance system was not ready. And unfortunately, there were also those who had to stay in the academy due to the pandemic just when they could return to their parents.
Aki stayed in the academy because her only relative, her father, was working alone in Tokyo and there was no one to welcome her even if she returned. There are 10 students who stayed in the academy or couldn't return, just like Aki. And the one who is leading such girls is Sakaguchi Yuko, the oldest person in this place.
Even though she's the oldest, Sakaguchi was a new teacher in her second year this fiscal year. Moreover, since the school hasn't been open since April this year, she practically has only one year of experience as a teacher. She could be said to be just out of university, and it couldn't be denied that she was unreliable as a teacher.
"Everyone is gathered, right? Did you properly lock all the doors and windows on the first floor?"
It was decided in the manual they made by discussing together to lock all entrances and exits in case of emergency, but this was the first time practicing it. After all, from the start of the pandemic until today, not one person had visited this academy. Both the infected and rioters were only seen through the TV screen, and for Aki and the others, they were only distant existences.
"That person, what on earth is he? Since he has a gun, is he a JSDF member or a police officer?"
"Maybe rescue has come."
At that one word, rescue, several people raised their faces. For these 9 months, Sayuri Girls' Academy was equivalent to a landlocked island. In exchange for being safe, no information comes from outside at all. Since the TV stopped and radio waves no longer came in, old information and speculation were the only factors determining their actions.
No one tried to go outside on purpose and collect information. The forest around the school becomes a natural defense, and there was quite a bit of food left in the cafeteria's refrigerator. Over 300 students and faculty are now 11. If they economize, it will last for quite a while, and in fact, there is still food now.
That's why they didn't go outside and just continued to wait for rescue earnestly. Without any way to know what the outside world has become.
"Probably that person is not a JSDF member or a police officer or anything. His weapons and equipment are completely different. I think he's just a civilian who obtained guns somewhere."
Aoi blew away the slightly brightened atmosphere all at once. Aoi often can't read the room, and Aki, who often acts with her in the same room, was also troubled by that.
That said, there were many times Aoi's knowledge was useful, and her remarks couldn't be ignored. Besides, no matter who looks at him, a boy about their age doesn't look like a rescue team.
"That means, as expected, what they were doing on TV..."
Rioter. When those two characters came to everyone's mind, a voice was heard from outside. When they hurriedly looked out the window, the boy who should have been outside the school gate had entered the premises before they knew it. Now his face is clearly visible, and Aki caught her breath at the boy she saw after a long time in every sense.
What first caught her eye was the scar running from his forehead to his right cheek. He has a face that could be anywhere, but that face is giving a dreadfulness to the boy who only looks ordinary. He was like a veteran soldier or a yakuza who has survived numerous conflicts.
The rifle and submachine gun he had earlier were now hung from his shoulders by slings. Both hands, which held nothing, were raised in the air, but is he trying to show that he has no hostility?
"I know you're inside. I have no intention of hurting you. I just want you to provide a place where I can rest. I will never get in your way."
His voice was projected, but no emotion could be gathered from those words. She received such an impression that a well-made voice software is speaking, or a robot is speaking.
"What should we do? He seems to be seeking help."
Aki turned toward Yuko, who is the teacher, but she also seemed to be at a loss. After all, it's been a long time since they encountered a person other than themselves, and a boy at that. In Sayuri Girls' Academy, which is a girls' school, men naturally don't exist except for teachers and janitors, and furthermore, since going out is restricted, there is almost no opportunity for students to interact with boys of the same age. Aki also last met a boy of the same age only when she returned to her hometown for winter break in January this year.
"Let's turn him away! He is dangerous no matter how you look at him! He might have other comrades and be planning to attack all at once when we let our guard down."
The one who insisted on that first was Sakuma, a third-year. Aki was not good with Sakuma, who also had some hysterical parts, but she felt there was a point in her insistence. In the riots reported on the news, it was said that incidents where men attacked and assaulted women were occurring frequently.
They have known for over half a year that the police won't rush over even if they call 110. And probably outside the academy, the law and police have also ceased to function. What a man with weapons does in such a situation was something that could be understood by looking at Africa or the Middle East where civil wars continue.
If those were model guns, there's nothing to fear. After all, the opponent is alone. No matter how much they are girls inferior in physical strength and physique, if 11 people stand up to him, they should be able to restrain him in an instant. However, if those guns are all real, Aki and the others had no way to stand up to him.
The weapons in the academy are at most spears made by tying kitchen knives to mop handles, or Japanese bows used by the archery club, and bamboo swords or wooden swords of the kendo club. But no matter how many such things they bring out, they probably won't be a match for a submachine gun capable of rapid fire.
"I don't think so. He has both hands raised. If we had guns and wanted to do it, he would be dead in an instant. He's raising both hands prepared for that, so doesn't he really have no hostility?"
The one who spoke when a noisy discussion was about to start was another third-year. That third-year, who cut her black hair short and had an androgynous face, was named Oba Rei. In the academy where there's almost no male presence, the boyish her was gathering great popularity from younger students. Even now when the students in the academy are only 11 after the pandemic occurred, she still has popularity from younger students.
"Oba-san, you are too optimistic. He might be planning to kill us all after tricking us into inviting him outside, don't you think?"
"I don't think he would go out of his way to make a loud voice and draw our attention to himself if that were the case. If the boy outside recognized our existence and intended to kill us all, I don't think he would do something that exposes himself to danger."
When Rei speaks, it was always in an indifferent and aloof tone. That tone, which seemed to have attained a state of detachment from everything, was something that gave a sense of security, and Rei's remarks have never been wrong. Still, the boy holding guns looked strange and was terrifying. If he is deceiving them and starts swinging those guns the moment he enters, there is nothing Aki and the others can do. At most, they would crawl on the ground and beg for their lives.
"...I will go outside and listen to him."
When a noisy discussion was about to start, Yuko decided. "Teacher...!" Sakuma raised a voice as if protesting.
"It's already been over half a year since phones and radio became unusable. We now don't know what the outside has become. In that respect, he should know the situation outside. I think we should talk to that person also in terms of collecting information."
"But, if he attacks..."
"In that case, leave me and all of you run. You remember the emergency movement route, right? If harm is added to me, or if I judge it's dangerous, then everyone run."
But if that happens, Aki and the others will have to abandon this academy. This academy where food, clothing, and shelter are provided, and where there are many memories. Will they be able to survive after going outside?
However, everyone in this academy vaguely intuited that they themselves, who had been able to live peacefully until now, were the strange ones. It could be easily speculated that humans eat humans, and law and order have vanished from the world. Still, because there was enough food and a safe place, they just turned their eyes away from that and continued their life until now.
Now that it has become like this, they can no longer pretend not to know. Aki realized that the time has come to face the boy who embodies the reality of the "outside" world and face this world that has changed greatly.