Chapter 12: Geoguessing

A heavy silence hung in the air, broken only by the distant creak of the building settling. Finally, Yuki spoke, her voice low. "Food and water. We can't last long without them."

Ren nodded grimly. He glanced at Reina, who was chewing on her lower lip, her brow furrowed in concentration.

"The school bus," she blurted out, her voice barely a whisper.

Yuki's head snapped towards her, surprise flashing across her face. "The bus? Are you serious?"

Reina puffed out her chest, a hint of defiance in her eyes. "It's big, metal. Maybe we could use it to get to..." Her voice trailed off, searching for the right words.

A small smile tugged at the corner of Ren's lips. Before he could respond, Yuki let out a snort. "That might actually be the smartest thing you've said all day."

Reina's face flushed crimson. She opened her mouth to retort, but Ren held up a hand, silencing them both. 

He reached down, his fingers brushing against a crumpled sheet of paper lying on the dusty floor. With a sigh, he picked it up and unfolded it carefully.

"Let's make a plan," he announced, his voice firm. He rummaged through his school bag, pulling out a worn pencil. He knelt down and began to sketch a rough outline of the school building on the paper. The scratch of the pencil echoed in the stillness of the room.

"We have a few convenience stores nearby," he said, tracing lines outward from the school. "Snacks, drinks, maybe some instant noodles if we're lucky."

Yuki leaned closer, her eyes following his movements. She pointed to a blank space in the corner of the paper. "The supermarket," she said, her voice clipped. "Canned food. That would last us longer."

Ren looked up at her, a flicker of gratitude warming his eyes. "Right," he said, a smile tugging at his lips again.

"The supermarket. You always think of everything, Yuki."

A faint creak from outside the window sent a shiver down Ren's spine. He glanced at the window, his grip tightening on the pencil. "We should get started," he said, a hint of urgency in his voice. "The sooner we get supplies, the better."

"But we need to rest for the night," He reminded them, then heard a faint growl of an empty stomach, he looked up to see Reina, face flushed and glancing away.

"She hasn't eaten all day," Yuki sighed, she seemed to be disappointed at the fact that she'd forgotten such a crucial thing.

Ren stuffed his hand inside his bag once again, taking out a the packet of cup noodles, "Reina, take this." He offered, which the girl took gratefully.

"Idiot, where would we get water from?" He heard his classmate's voice, groaning at her words, then turned to her.

"The cafeteria?" He inquired curiously, "We should still have food!" He remembered, glad to be alive and safe.

Then Ren took out his notebook, the same book from the office he had taken refuge at.

"But before that, there are some things that you all need to know," Flipping the cover, Ren trailed his fingers across his notes.

"The infection is caused by prions," He informed the two, "from what I've read, they are virtually impossible to get rid of… but they can get deactivated with bleach or something."

He offered them the opportunity to know how long power would last for, how to filter out and purify water, and ways to prevent themselves from getting bitten.

Yuki stared at Ren impassively, her head seemed to be in deep thought, then for a moment she regained her clarity, "Ren, I suppose I will be relying on you from now on to survive." She smiled wistfully at her statement, a deep sense of wonder and disbelief washed up her heart.

Her only rival, would ultimately be superior to her, even in a situation where no-one ever prepared for…

"Senpai, how does one get infected by the disease?" Reina questioned hesitantly, still reeling from Yuki's sardonic responses.

"Unfortunately I don't know," Ren shook his head, "but, from what I've seen, it seemed to be through bites, maybe in the saliva of the infected? But that would mean-"

Yuki interrupted his thoughts, "bodily fluids, we need to be careful about coming into contact with its saliva, blood, and other substances, to be extra safe." Reina and Ren nodded at that, absorbing the extra information she had provided.

"Think about it, if it was airborne… no of us would be alive right now." Yuki stated coldly, "Unless we were immune, but who knows?" She shrugged,

"For all we know, we are probably already infected…" She looked away, taking in the view of the full moon.

"Yuki…" Ren reminded, glancing at the younger girl beside him, struck with fear.

A deep wave of bitterness overcame Yuki seeing the two, she had to let it go, finally calming her thoughts, Yuki sighed deeply.

"Let's just check out the cafeteria…" She offered weakly, Ren nodded, holding her hand gently, giving it a tiny squeeze.

"It's going to be alright," He reminded her. While he had no clue as to what she was thinking, he did see the turmoil in her eyes, and it felt right of him to take charge and comfort his friends.

"Ren," Yuki hissed, earning a twitch from the man, "you are holding my hand." She pointedly looked down at her hand, then back at Ren.

"Yes, but it's not like you aren't letting go, are you?" She almost felt her knees go weak at that, but decided on setting a frown on her sweated face.

Reina merely glanced before sniffing her own shirt before scrunching up her face.

"I need a shower," She commented, "I wonder if the Pool shower is alright…"

"A shower is definitely needed." Ren spoke, embarrassed at his own recognition of smell. "But do we have clothes to change into?" He inquired, turning to Yuki for help.

"Don't our clubs keep clothes to fit into?" Reina offered, displeased with the lack of initiative for her.

"Yeah, that's absolutely right," the only man in the group grinned, Yuki sighed and nodded, "I can wash the clothes, and leave it to dry for tomorrow." Shrugging her shoulders, Yuki turned to Reina.

"You coming?" She asked, earning a quick nod from the younger girl.

"I guess I'll see you guys at the cafeteria…" Ren answered tiredly, stopping a yawn from escaping his lips.

He needed a nice warm shower, and the school pool area offered the best it could, especially with all the facilities it had.