Calm? Before the storm.

1 Day until Z-Day, Morning.

*annoying alarm noises*

...

*annoying alarm noises intensifies*

...

Five minutes later, another alarm starts going off.

*The most annoying sound in the world arrived to provide backup for the annoying alarm noises*

The ear-piercing medley of sounds made me jump on my bed. My phone, the piece of technology responsible for that unholy sound, laying right next to my ear, going off in full volume… I forcefully silenced the alarm while simultaneously glaring at the screen in front of me.

"Ughhhh… who's the idiot that had the bright idea of putting 'that' as an alarm..."

-FOUR HOURS AGO-

Laying on the bed while looking at the alarm's configuration on my phone as I try to decide on an alarm tone.

"There's no way I'll be able to wake up in four hours just from the normal alarm. Sadly, it seems I'll have to resort to some headache inducing methods."

-RIGHT NOW-

"...oh..."

I put my hands on the temples of my head as I tried to massage the headache out of them.

"I was right about waking up at least… and of getting a headache."

I groggily get out of the bed and head towards the bathroom to splash some water to my face in order to wake up…

After almost drowning myself in the sink I head out of the bathroom and sit by my desk before looking at the computer screen.

"Last day of peace huh, or at least it should be if the outbreak starts the same day it did in the anime… though, now that I think about it. Even if it doesn't happen, I'm still in as deep shit as ever."

Shaking the morbid thought out of my head I get up from the chair and get dressed in my uniform so I can head out.

"I'll have to get something to eat on my way to school. I also need to figure out what to do there as I have no plans for today. Probably some last minute physical training. What with Kohta and hiding a weapon at school I've been neglecting it somewhat. Not that one day of training would do much at this point, but the more the merrier...Hmm, I should also decide whether I should try to make contact with the rest of the group without looking like a creeping weirdo... Yeah, good luck with that me."

I put the screwdriver in my bag, so that I don't end up somehow forgetting it home during Z-Day, then pocket the keys and head out of the apartment.

After making a brief stop at the usual convenience store and buying something to eat, I continued making my way towards the school.

"YAWN… ughhh… I'm getting sleepy again. I'll fall asleep in class like this."

On my way to school I decided to keep my eyes open for any signs of unusual disturbances. Sirens blaring, emergency vehicles rushing by, or even a panicking pedestrian, really, anything that could be used as proof for a sign of what is about to come.

"What could be considered a sign though? If I were to meet a shambling corpse, then it would be too late too matter. And if I start seeing cop cars and ambulances sprinting left and right that would also mean that it's too late"

Giving up as fast as I started, I stopped bothering to look for signs of an upcoming zombie apocalypse and picked up my pace.

Once I made my way to school I went to my class and slumped down on my desk.

(There is one more thing I need to figure out, and that is if this whole thing follows the anime timeline of events or the manga.)

I close my eyes, focusing on one small detail I had noticed so far concerning the matter.

(If I remember correctly. Takashi ,in the manga, stayed on the roof when he skipped class. In the anime on the other hand he stayed on the stairs instead. And I've seen him one to many times wasting away at the stairs so far. Plus in the manga he didn't look THAT dejected about Rei. In the anime, he looked much worse. So, considering how dejected he looks right now, along with his predilection of haunting the stairway, it's two points for the anime, and zero for the manga. The last nail that will decide what will eventually happen will be tomorrow. If Takashi meets Morita before the outbreak, then it will probably follow the manga's line of events. If he is on the stairs again and Saya is the one that meets with him, then it will probably follow the anime's course.)

After I stopped pondering about tomorrow. With my eyes still closed, I started to nod off, at least until the bells rang out, indicating that the class is going to start. Forcing me to open my eyes.

(Got to stay awake, can't get in trouble with the teachers again. Even if this might be the last day they can really do crap about it)

What followed is an agonizing hour of fighting off my urge to just hit my head on the desk and go to sleep, until the bells finally rang out again, indicating that the class was over. Many of the other students then got up from their seats and went their own way, be it alone or with their friends. After the class was almost empty I finally got up and left the classroom.

I walked by the vent to make sure it was as I left it last night, then passed by the stairs to see if Takashi was still there. And yep, like clockwork, sitting there, moping about. I'm not gonna bother him though, figured talking to him would return me with nothing again, so I left him be.

(This break is too short for me to go to the gym and do anything worthwhile, so I should wait for the next period's break as it's much longer. I'm also too sleepy to think of doing anything else, so I'll just aimlessly walk around and see if there's something else I can do.)

After strolling about in the school for some time, the bell rang. Signalling me that I have to prepare myself for another hour of trying to keep myself awake. With that cheery thought in head, I trudged back to class...

It was...in the middle of the lesson when I got an idea that I would probably have thought much earlier if my brain was not on a strike at the moment.

(I could just go and hang out with Kohta today...He probably won't mind, and it will help me interact with him on Z-day. Not now though, as I'm going to run some laps at the gym to wake myself up.)

After I decided on my next plan of action I then got back into trying to keep myself awake, while also trying to make it look like I'm actually paying attention to class.

(I just hope the teacher won't ask me anything because I'm hearing jack of what he is saying right now)

And, an hour then passed, with the teacher thankfully ignoring me. So once the lesson was out, I got up, picked up my bag and then headed straight to the gym.

While I was on my way to the gym, I peered into my bag

(Spare shirt, check, water bottle, check. Hmmm… actually, I should bring some extra clothes in my bag tomorrow. Using the excuse that I was planning on going for a run right after school if anybody bothers to ask. I don't want to stay in my school uniform for more than I have to, and I'm sure that the guys don't change clothes in Rika's apartment. Hell, I don't remember if they even actually wash them, as you never see them wearing anything else. Then again, they would probably smell like ass if they didn't, and the Humvee doesn't have the best ventilation system… Actually, didn't Alice pee on Takashi that one time? Yep I'm pretty sure she did, so Takashi should actually do, smell like ass… Maybe that's the reason why they took turns sitting on the roof… pppfft.)

While I found the thought of the humvee smelling like piss funny enough to have to hold myself off from laughing, the students that turned their heads to me after hearing me, did not seem to agree with me… Not that I expected anyone to actually know what I'm thinking about. So, I straightened my jacket, ignored the soon to be dead people and picked up my pace.

(Smooth going there, me.)

Arriving at the empty gym I put my bag down and look at the inside of the gym. My eyes then fell on the banner, the one that two days ago caused me to start freaking out about 'why' I was here.

(It might be because this is the last day before shit hits the fan. Or because yesterday I had a change of pace from my usual routine by hanging out with Kohta. But I don't feel like losing my shit right now… The calm before the storm as they say, no?)

Getting my head into the game, I looked at my phone to make sure that I had enough time to do some laps before the next bell. Nodding to myself after looking at the phone's clock, I then proceeded to put the phone inside my bag and started running around the gym.

(The increase in my heartbeat and blood flow should wake me up. And if not, then I'll probably end up tripping and planting my face on the gym floor. The impact after that will wake me up for sure. Win-win either way.)

Ten minutes in, and I could feel my head beginning to clear up.

(Good, seems to be working. By the time I'll have to head back to class, I'll be wide awake.)

While I was jogging around the gym I started thinking about tomorrow again.

(Tomorrow, same time, I'll probably be running for my life. Or well, running might be an overstatement. If the zombies are blind like they should be, I'll probably be walking very silently rather than running at full speed, unless of course, something catastrophic happens...other than the dead rising to eat to living that is. Hum, At the very least it won't be that hard for me to navigate through the school as long as I'm quiet, and thankfully, being quiet is something I was always good at.

As for fighting, I still pray that the dead do have fragile skulls, rather than Takashi and co being able to swing with the force of a truck. If the worst comes to shove, I'll just focus on knocking them down and then escaping. If they are as slow and dumb as they looked in the anime and manga, I'll have more than enough time to act after they get disoriented once they hit the ground.

Countering shouldn't be that hard either. As long as they don't grab me I can probably outmanoeuvre and trip them up. If I can, for example, grab one by the outside part of their arm, I should be able to just yank it away from me, or even move behind it without letting it block me off by 'hugging' me… Well, all of my musings and planning only counts if the zombies actually have the same attributes the anime portrayed them to have. Otherwise, I'm about to be caught unprepared and I'll probably end up very dead, very fast.)

As I finished ruminating about the very close future, I heard the bells ring, signalling that the next class was about to start. I stopped jogging, and headed to the bathroom after picking up my spare shirt from my bag. After I fished changing shirts, I headed back to class.

(The next couple of lessons have short breaks so I could go find Kohta and see what he's up to. I just hope that he won't see me as a walking ticket to a gun range now.)

The next two lessons passed by normally, with nothing unusual happening other than the occasional jackass making fun of how I was spaced out yesterday after PE.

And after the lessons finally ended, I went towards Kohta's class, which I now knew the location of as he told me so yesterday. In order to see if he's there.

(Great, now I'm feeling nervous again.)

I was halfway down the stairs and was about to go to the hallway where Kohta's homeroom is when I noticed a purple haired girl walking on the hallway in front of me.

(Saeko?… Scratch my previous worries. NOW I'm nervous… Fuck, what do I do? I can't just walk up to her and be all like 'Hur-Dur Ello Lets Be,Friends, Because, I KnoW YoUr SeCrEt.. Yeah, I can see that happening. Damn it, who knew it could be so hard...speaking to people you never thought you'd meet)

"Hey you're blocking the way. Move"

(At best she will think that I'm some kind of creep, and at worst she'll go all sadistic yandere on me without the dere. Well, the anime portrayed her as a kind, cool and collected person even if she was partly faking it. So I don't think I'll be having her bokken landing on my head… At least not here, with other people around. Not sure what will happen to me outside of school if I botch my charisma roll though.)

"HEY STUPID ARE YOU DEAF!?"

My shoulders jerked upward after a shout from behind startled me, causing me to slightly jump in place. I turned around to see who else but the other person I'm the most nervous at interacting with, Saya… and she looked royally pissed. Her hands were folded under her chest and her face was locked in a rictus of fury with a piercing glare.

(Shit)

"Sorry didn't mean to hog the stairs." I moved to the side as I apologised.

"Ughhh."

That's all she said as she stormed past me.

(Well, I fucked up. At least I met Saya… ? Though now I wish I hadn't. Good job, me.)

Looking at the hallway again, I see Saya entering a classroom and Saeko was nowhere to be seen.

(Well, Saeko is gone and Saya is in the same class as Kohta. I really don't want to go in there right now.)

So, I go down the stairs, turn the other way around, and head towards the exit.

(That went smashingly...)

After making my way outside, I sat on the nearest bench while taking a small bun wrapped in plastic out of my jacket's pocket. I have not eaten yet, as on the big lunch break, I was at the gym.

While eating, I aimlessly scan my surroundings for something to get my mind off the day, and as 'luck' would have it, I spot Rei with Hihashi being all couple-like nearby. Then, I turn my head around and look back at the school, scanning the school to look for the place where Takashi usually sits, moping.

(Yep, there he is...and I think he is staring at those two right now?…My condolences dude… But I still think that you're a fucking lucky bastard.)

I then looked back at the couple.

(Still, I know that Rei is still interested in Takashi. So what the fuck is she doing?)

Finishing my bun I get up and head back towards my class.

(Girls are fucking weird I tell ya.)

After making my way to class and slumping on my desk, I took a look outside.

(It's funny though… Do I really need a god-damn zombie apocalypse to somehow manage and interact with the rest of the cast? I really do suck at this socializing thing don't I?)

Sighing at my inability to 'man up' as the tryhards would say, I turn my head back to focus on the blackboard and decide to not do anything particular for the rest of the school day. With that in mind, I stayed at my desk with a glassy look in my eyes until all classes ended. Until the final bell rang out, signaling the end of school.

I got up from my chair and walked out of the class, passed by the vent again to make sure it hadn't been spotted, and then headed towards the exit, when an idea hit me.

(Oh wait, I could call Kohta and ask if he wants to hang out.) I take my phone out, but instantly I hit a roadblock.

(Right, I never asked for his number. It would do no good even if I did though, as my phone has no sim card in it… ughhh)

I put the phone back in my pocket and continued walking. After reaching the main gates, I looked back at the school.

(Tomorrow, I must either be with Takashi's team or be dead.)

With that morbid thought in my head, I turned around and walked out of school.

*HALF AN HOUR LATER*

Not long after I arrived home I was sitting on my chair, looking at an online map for a sports shop.

(I do have some cash left over that was meant for food that I can spend on something else. So, if I go on a last shopping spree today and tomorrow nothing happens, then I can officially say I'm royally fucked.)

The idea that I might have got the date wrong then passed by my mind.

(No, I know I got the date right. I remember the exact date of the outbreak, or at least the day when the zombies reached Fujimi High, because I used that same date on one of the games I played as a starting date for the ingame outbreak as well. The date of the outbreak was actually shown on the TV Takashi and co used to see how the media reacted to the zombies in the staff room, so I should have the correct date down.)

I get up from the chair and print a list of the things I want to buy, along with a map of the city for the last leg of my preparations.

(Bandages, a better, more comfortable bag, a navigation map and food that will last at least until tomorrow night. The school does not have a strict regulation on bags, so I'll be able to take the better bag with me tomorrow. And by better, I mean a bag that does not have any metal parts dangling about and I can firmly secure on my back, so it will not move around when I run or climb.

I'll just use the excuse that I was planning to go Parkour running right after school, so no one would raise an eyebrow as to why I brought a different bag, along with a change of clothes and bandages. I'll also put the field hunting boots and my gloves in it so I can wear them after the panic starts.

Now, the bandages I can buy from any pharmacy, and use them as minor protection on my hands from scratches or to avoid any infected blood from getting into a cut.

While never shown, I don't actually know if only the saliva is infectious. Saeko, being a close-range fighter, and 'occasionally' going bat shit crazy on the zombies, should have had blood splashed into her mouth or eyes more than once. Yet, nothing happened to her, thankfully. So maybe it's only whatever is in their mouth that can spread the virus? Perhaps it's because the dead don't have any blood circulation so there is a chance that the infection is only in their head? Uhh, anyway, I'm wasting daylight now.

A map is obviously needed for when Takashi and Rei get split up from the rest of the group, so we can decide on a meeting point. In the anime, they picked the police station but met on the bridge that linked the two parts of the city together by sheer dumb luck. And from how the characters moved afterward, I can say the police station is on the other part of the city, over the bridges.)

After pocketing whatever cash I had left, I took my keys and headed out. The sun was still out, the day looking as great as ever, for now.

I start jogging towards my destination, occasionally picking up speed as a last minute exercise.

First, I stopped by a sports store to buy a bag. After a little time spent searching, I ended up with a black tear resistant bag that had no metal parts other than the zippers, along with two extra belts that went around the lower part of the chest and waist. I asked the employee if I could wear the bag to test it out.

The moment the employee nods at me with a 'yes', I put on the bag, checking if it fits me and how easy it is to get something from the side straps without taking it off, along with how much it shakes if I run in place...and yes, the employee did get confused when he looked at a teenager play-jogging in his store.

(This is big enough to hold all the books I have, along with my boots, a spare change of clothes or two and some extras, like a phone charger, a small pistol, or something of that size. The two sides got belts that will be perfect to strap on a bigger gun or whatever close range weapon I might end up with. The fact that I can also grab whatever is on the sides without taking the bag off is a definite plus. Now, the extra 'outside' pockets where I could fit ammo, clips, or other need to get fast materials like bandages and such sold it to me. Me likes this bag.)

I make a thumbs up motion to the employee that he returns with an awkward smile. He also asked me if I wanted to buy a compass, flashlight and a swiss army knife, as I said that I will be going on hiking trips with this bag. Which I'll admit, made me feel stupid that I didn't think of buying em myself.

(Thanks mister employee.)

After taking off the bag, buying it along with the extras and then putting it back on, I head off for my other two targets. That swiss knife cost me like half the cash I had left though. At least it does seem to have a crapload of things on it … is that, a magnifying glass?)

Second place I stopped by, my favorite convenience store. Where I bought enough food to last me until tomorrow night.

(Last time I get to visit this place. The poor employees will probably have a hard time tomorrow with all these glass walls slash windows. Good luck, you'll need it)

After wishing the clerks good luck in my head, I start heading towards a pharmacy. On the way, I also passed by an electronics store that I looked up on the net.

(I was thinking of buying a solar power bank but the H.A.N.E, or High Altitude Nuclear Explosion to the layman, will probably fry whatever circuitry it has in it. While a H.A.N.E, after reading about it online, should not be as lethal as it was in the anime, I cannot risk it. Maybe the explosion will be near us or maybe H.A. in this world are more effective. Whatever the case, I should spend what cash I got left on something that will be useful at a hundred present rate.)

Leaving the electronics shop behind, I stopped jogging and started casually walking until I reached the pharmacy.

Going inside, I asked the clerk to give me two rolls of white bandage. After I finished paying for them, I left the shop to find a nearby place to sit down.

(What else could I bring with me to school… that wouldn't look too weird at least?)

I then imagine myself showing up to school in a fully plated, heavy knight armor, great sword and crossbow attached.

"I was aiming to parkour with extra weight for a challenge."

(Yea right.)

I chuckle to myself, get up and set my course back towards my apartment.

As I was now walking, instead of jogging, it was taking me way longer to head back, and the sun was slowly losing its bright shine, signaling that the day was slowly ending.

(Last day is almost over… I expected that I would be freaking out like a squirrel on coffee right about now. Yet, I'm weirdly calm for some reason. I just hope I won't wake up with the outbreak banging on my door. Maybe I should go and keep my favorite night guard some company today as well… Yeah not a good idea. Don't want to be sleepy tomorrow. Although I doubt the adrenaline will let me feel sleepy even if I don't sleep at all tonight.)

Looking at the town around me, I couldn't find anything amiss, nothing to tell me that tomorrow the world will go to shit.

(Wish I had an emp resistant yacht with an unlimited power supply, a fridge with infinite food and an unending collection of video games… heh.) I chuckle to myself once more.

Once I reached my apartment I headed inside, placed my new bag on my bed and filled it with what I will need for tomorrow, along with some books to test out how silent the bag was under heavy load. After spending a good hour testing the bag and finding it to be worth the cash I paid for it, I took it off, opened it and looked at what I have packed.

The clothes I packed inside were a jacket with a hood, a long-sleeved shirt and a pair of pants that would be comfortable to do stunts with. Along with a change of underwear and socks.

(After I end up with the team, hopefully, I might be able to switch into more tear resistant clothes like leather. But for now, this will do.)

Feeling that I spent enough time fussing about the bag, I left it on the bed and headed to my computer.

Looking at all the files I had saved in it and recalling all the time I spent preparing, along with all the decisions I have made…Yea...not good for my mental health

(Come on, I'll be fine. I can climb walls, I can swing wooden sticks very strongly and I can shoot with metal sticks pretty accurately. I'll be fine… for the initial part of the outbreak at least.)

Truth is though, I didn't spend too much time researching on how to survive long term. Maybe I didn't really care? Maybe I didn't think that I would survive that long? It didn't matter now. I made my choices and the curtain was about to rise, the play, about to start.

(You know what? fuck it. Tonight, I'm going to watch movies, I'm giving myself a break.)

I pick a list of zombie movies that would last up until midnight. I felt a bit stupid that i wanted to watch zombie movies right before the actual zombie apocalypse but ehh… fuck that too.

After hitting the play button I slump in my chair and fold my arms.

(Wish I had some popcorn.)

Letting the next few hours slip by me unnoticed. I watched what will soon become my reality. After that, I ate my last meal for today, brushed my teeth and went to sleep. And for what might be the last time, I feel asleep in my apartment. Right as the clock hit Midnight.

Z-Day.