Decisions

3 days until Z-day.

The room was dimly lit, the furniture that used to decorate it gone, sold off. With the exception of a normal bed and a desk with a computer and a printer. Other than that, the room was empty.

"Maybe selling the fridge so early was not my smartest idea." I say to myself while looking at what used to be a kitchen. Both the fridge and the stove were missing and fast food packages littered the kitchen counters.

"If the landlord sees this, he is going to shoot me in the face with a rocket launcher. Thankfully, he should not return until the end of this month and the world should go to shit before then, so I'll probably get away with selling off everything in here."

While I felt like shit for stealing from the landlord, as the furniture did not belong to me. I had already decided that I would use everything I could to make sure that I was prepared for the upcoming panic.

After surveying the empty room, I turned my head back to the computer screen, the words *the thinnest part of the skull* typed in the search bar.

"Pterion… so hitting, or better yet, stabbing sideways is the best way to directly deal damage to the brain after all. Come to think of it, I wonder if the reanimated dead have a fragile skull, or Takashi and his group can swing stuff around with the force of a truck. Because, if I remember correctly, they were cracking skulls open from every direction possible. Yea, I hope it's the first one or I am o-so screwed"

Next to the computer laid several stacks of printed papers. From manuals on how to use and maintain several guns, including the ones that I know Takashi's team will find later, manuals for cleaning blades, and 'how to' guides for silent running. Things that could help me survive a jam.

There was also a locked credit card and a small notebook on the desk.

"While I don't intend to pack anything on me, I better make sure I don't sound like a dinner bell when I have to move. After all, I intend to be the one that 'checks' Saya's theory."

I say to myself while picking up the papers that had methods on how to make your movement silent. From methods of choosing what gear to carry by running in place with whatever you aim to have on you, to using tape on the things you have in your pockets and how to stop your shoes from squeaking.

I then place the papers back on the desk and pick one of the gun manuals.

"I can also use these to get closer to Kohta. Having an acquaintance in the group can make quite the difference. Plus it would make it easier for me to explain why I could use the damn things in the first place."

After I spent some time skimming the manual, I lifted my head, only for my eyes to fall to the now useless credit card that was resting on the desk. The credit card that was given to 'me' before arriving in Japan.

"You know if the outbreak doesn't happen, I will have so much to answer for... I don't even know what happened to the past Naier before I became him."

Sick of dealing with the feeling of dissociation, I took my phone out of my pocket and glared at it. Turning the phone around I opened the back cover, removed the battery and took out the SIM card. Finally, I throw the disassembled phone inside the desk drawer.

"But, with three days left, I need a clear head to prepare for what is to come. And God knows I can't keep my mind focused if this thing keeps reminding me that this body is not my own every time it rings. I can't save everybody, hell I don't even know if I can save myself, so I can't afford any distractions."

After agreeing with myself that mopping about what 'was' and what 'is' ain't going to change a thing, I picked up the small notebook and started flipping through it. In it were schedules written with 2 different colors of black and red. The days written in black were the times I went to the shooting-range, with the red ones being days spent on self-defense lessons. Mostly armed ones, as I don't think I wanna punch a zombie in the face thank you very much.

Most of the cash I acquired from my, not so proud actions, was actually spent at the gun range, and I actually had to pass through several of them till I was able to convince one of the range owners to allow me to use the gun range. Of course, the fact that I said I would pay extra probably helped him make his decision.

"I pretty much turned the furniture into bullets if you think about it" I chuckle slightly as I keep flipping through the pages.

The rest of the cash went to food and driving lessons, as neither me, nor the old me knew how to drive.

(Was Japan's minimum legal age for driving always 18? I mean, I did have to jump through some hoops on that part too as I'm supposed to be 17...)

Normally, I would totally be lost if I were to be put behind the wheel, be it car or bike. And once again, I had to pay quite the "extra fee" just to get the teacher to agree to teach me.

(I guess with enough cash an underage person can get behind the wheel as well as behind a gun. Well, it's not like I'm going to need a license for either of those in the future, so the knowledge is all i really need. Also knowing how to drive and use a gun would probably be helpful even if the outbreak doesn't happen. Ughh...great, now I'm thinking like a frigging fugitive.)

I also thought about buying bite-resistant underclothes too, but I would have one hell of a time trying to explain why I was wearing that stuff in school.

Same goes for bringing any weapons. Even if I could manage to find a blade that was long enough for me to not risk shoving my hand into a zombie's mouth, I could not think of a good reason as to why I had such a thing with me in the first place. Best I could do for my equipment was to gear up along with the rest, or help them gear up faster.

I looked over at the calendar on my PC screen. With only 3 days left before "all you can eat day", I decided that it was time for me to check where the school stores its sporting goods, and to make my "accidental" contact with Kohta.

But first, I'm going to go outside to get some fresh air and buy something to eat for tomorrow morning, then go to sleep. But mostly to get some air as this whole thing was making me feel sick with anxiety, i needed to move, get out of this room...

2 days until Z-day

*Annoying alarm noises*

The alarm on my phone goes off, signaling me that it is time to get off my ass and get ready for school. Slowly, I got up to a sitting position and shut the annoying phone down. After that, I just stared at the wall in front of me for a while.

"I sorta expected to have a nightmare again, I guess I must have gotten thick-skinned"

I look to my right seeing the desk with all the papers.

"Right...Kohta-papers-guns-meeting"

I get up from the bed and head to the bathroom to wash up. Funny as it may sound, the bathroom was the only place I decided to not touch. Nothing was missing in there.

I quickly shake off any sleepiness I had with a couple of cold water splashes to my face. With that done, I grabbed the packaged food I bought last night and started preparing for school.

(So much junk food can't be good for me...)

I head towards my desk with the bun in my mouth, picking up a stack of papers that had a Mossberg 500 Cruiser Pump Action Shotgun printed on the front page.

That should get Kohta's attention so I can strike up a conversation with him. Wish I had a stapler to keep the papers together though.

I shove the papers in my bag that was sitting next to the desk and prepare to leave. Opening the front door, I am greeted with another sunny day... The calm before the storm as they say, I turn my head back to my apartment and look inside.

"2 days left, after that it's sink or swim."

Closing the door behind me, I head off towards the school, if all goes well I will end up with a new friend today… And god knows I need some good news in my life right now...