Chapter 8 (Lead The Way)

"Senpai, Imea" Uminoke approached them.

"So what?~" They both stared idly.

"..What" Uminoke was confused.

"So it's been a kiss" Mera stared.

"What, what are you guys thinking?!?" Uminoke was red-faced.

"Yeah, we thought you and him were Uhm..." Mera's gaze showed something that made Uminoke really embarrassed.

"No, no, don't don't!!" Uminoke shook her head quickly making Mera laugh idly.

That night, they were all in a house that wasn't too big, Imea ran into Kella in the bathroom hallway.

"Kella, you are healed"

"Yes, this is all thanks to Mr Roland," Kella replied.

"What did he do to you that made you so fast? Did he give you medicine?" Look at Imea.

"I don't know, he just massaged and made my bones sound, then they just healed..."

"Hm... (Is Mr. Roland good at sprains?)" Imea imagined it.

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Mera cooked eggs and at the dinner table Roland ate her cooking.

"...This, why is it so delicious?"

Mera turned her head and smiled.

"I'm really good at cooking"

Roland glanced at her confusedly.

On the other hand, Uminoke walked up to the house.

"(I wonder if Line is actually on the balcony, because I asked Roland earlier, he said Line was on the balcony...)" She thought then looked through the balcony glass door and apparently Line was indeed there.

She opened the balcony glass door, and there was Line sitting smoking leaning against the glass door. Uminoke sat beside him. They sat on the floor at the bottom with the balcony railing leading directly to the front. Line turned his head and put out his cigarette.

"Why did you light it? If you think about it, when we first met, you also put out your cigarette when I came" Uminoke stared.

"I don't want you to inhale it" Line replied with his usual face. Making Uminoke silent for a moment.

The atmosphere became fleeting and Line just remained silent with a flat face and didn't look at Uminoke who was currently hesitant about saying something.

Until he actually said something. "Line" her call made Line turn slightly to her.

"I really thank you, if it weren't for you at that time, I would have died and wouldn't have come here," said Uminoke.

"It doesn't matter, we haven't met once or twice anyway."

".. What do you mean... You're talking about that again... We did meet but I only saw you sitting on the balcony of the building in the heavy rain."

"You've definitely seen me other than when it rains, haven't you?" Line stared.

Uminoke was silent and remembered something. But he still couldn't remember. "I don't remember anything about you?"

"Tsk, do you remember when you were interested in going up to the temple?" Line stared and at that moment Uminoke was lost in thought, remembering.

--

Several years ago, Uminoke walked through the city as usual. She was still in high school, on his way home she saw stone steps leading up to a temple. At that moment there was a cat on the middle step.

The cat was the same as Line's cat, he looked at Uminoke with his yellow eyes.

"Hello, you are very cute, can I touch you?" Uminoke walked closer, but suddenly the cat went up the stairs, but the cat also went up before her.

"Hey wait!" Uminoke followed him. As a result she ran up the stairs to chase the cat.

But suddenly when she got to the top she collided with a man.

"Aaaah" Uminoke shouted in surprise.

They both got hit and Uminoke was about to fall down the stairs, the man quickly pulled his hand and held Uminoke's waist. "You are okay?"

Uminoke couldn't see the man's face clearly because of the sunlight. The man let go of his grip and it was seen that he was Line wearing a black coat.

"... Thank you very much" Uminoke lowered his body and ran down the stairs. It was obvious that he had only glimpsed Line's face at that time. And that's how she remembered what Line said that they had met again.

---

--

-

"Hah, it was you at that time, ho… how could I forget" Uminoke was surprised.

"(Line at that time looked very good and handsome in the clothes he wore at the temple... His clothes were indeed formal... When he saved me from the first zombie his clothes were also formal... Did he live in the world of big business but why does he have tribal tattoos and that military pendant necklace?) At that time why were you there" Uminoke stared.

"My house is there, I was going to work but you bumped into me," Line replied.

"At that time, I was really embarrassed, oh my gosh, how could it be like this?" Uminoke panicked.

"Don't worry, you already look mature after all."

"... Thank you" Uminoke smiled slightly.

"You really don't want to ask anything else about me?" Stare Line.

"Um... I want to know... About that dog tag" Uminoke pointed to the pendant that was in Line's clothes. Then Line took it and let it go.

"Listen Uminoke.... If you want to know, please don't be afraid of me after I tell you this," Line said then Uminoke nodded seriously.

"Can you read the numbers on this pendant?"

Then Uminoke saw that it said A/0.

"A/0?"

"Those are the ranks and grades in the military... I won't tell you what these ranks mean I'll just tell you I'm from the military and it's been a long time."

"So it's true... Then what about the tribal tattoo?"

". . . That. . . . Mark tattoo"

"What sign?"

"I'm also a terrible person..." Line replied with a worried face, not wanting to tell everything and that made Uminoke speechless. She thought Line was really hiding something that needed to be told.

"So, can you give me a kiss now?" Line approached.

"No, what do you mean, what are you doing, I don't understand what you mean" Uminoke pushed him and walked in but Mera blocked her.

"Wow, it turns out you two are dating, aren't you?" She stared idly.

"B-boyfriend, what do you mean. We're not boyfriend and girlfriend, right Line?" Uminoke turned around but Line just remained silent and stood up and walked into a room.

Uminoke became confused at him. "(What happened to Line?)"

Roland, who was in the kitchen, watched them silently. "[Line said that the girl is his girlfriend, but the girl doesn't want to admit it, apparently it's just an ordinary girl, I'm really confused why he wants to be with that girl]" He thought to himself.

The next day, Roland was seen repairing the bottom of the jeep in front of the house.

"Tsk Tsk... It was a bit damaged after yesterday's explosion... Luckily it was some distance away before it was hit by the explosion... I'll fix it little by little." He was busy repairing it under the car.

He didn't know that a zombie was going to pounce on him and walked towards his feet but suddenly the zombie was hit by a stick and fell. Roland, who was a little surprised, immediately came out from under him. He saw a frightened Imea holding a wooden stick.

"...You killed him?" Roland looked at the lying zombie. But Imea just remained silent, still shaking.

"You're holding it wrong." Roland took the stick that Imea was carrying.

"S... Sorry, Mr Roland, this is the first time I've hit someone."

"It's clear that it's not a person."

"I...I mean...Zombies...M...Mr Roland also has to be careful about that...If I weren't there...Mr Roland might have been bitten."

"It's okay... But yes, thank you... By the way, do you have a boyfriend?" Roland approached. This surprised Imea.

"No, no, no, I don't have one, maybe because of my strange attitude."

"... Strange? I don't think you're strange. (I don't know why I've seen this girl before... But where)" Roland said then Imea smiled fondly at Roland.

Imea also fell silent with her face turning redder. She was really shy and it seemed like there was a scent of love here.

--

Uminoke saw Line who was on the balcony smoking while looking at Roland and Imea who were below.

"[Is Line angry with me]" Uminoke looked worried.

Line threw away the cigarette and turned to go inside. He looked at Uminoke who had been behind him. "What is it?"

"Do you angry with me?" Uminoke stared. But Line just kept quiet and lowered his head and walked away. Uminoke was disappointed to see his attitude.

"(Why... Is it just because I rejected him... He doesn't want to... Even though I just wanted him to continue fighting to gain my trust, I just deliberately played with his feelings so I could find out whether he really likes me. to me....)"

-

"You want to come?" Roland stared.

"Hey, where?" Imea was confused.

"Line and I will find a way so that when we go to Kyoto there are no obstacles at all."

"Em, I want to but I can't fight, maybe I'll just be a burden" Imea replied.

"But I want you to come," Roland glared. Makes Imea stiff. Finally she joined Line and Roland.

After a long while, Roland stopped the car. "Sorry, I have to pee," said Roland as he took off his seat belt and left them.

"[Em, Mr Line has become strange, I want to talk to him], that's it, Mr Line" Imea called but suddenly Line turned to her while shooting bullets at her. Imea was shocked but luckily Line didn't shoot her, he just shot the zombie that was going to get into the car from behind Imea.

"Hah, aaah" She was surprised when she turned around.

"So, what's up" Line said.

"... Um, so and so, Mr Line, are you feeling unwell?"

"Why do you think that?" Line interrupted.

"Hey, actually, do you really like Miss Uminoke?"

"Didn't I admit it in front of you?"

"Then what makes you keep quiet like this... This is starting to make me and Miss Uminoke worried... As long as Mr Line knows that he is also thinking about Mr Line" Imea looked at Uminoke in defense. But that made Line confused.

"(What are you actually talking about...)... Actually, I was just thinking who that Iranian girl actually is... Her accent isn't really Iranian," said Line. Instantly Imea fell silent.

"Yeah... So you're not silent because you're disappointed with Miss Uminoke because she rejected you?"

"She didn't reject me... It's just that he needed time to accept me..."