HOTD Arc - Chapter Ten
As soon as we pulled up to the apartment, I was the first off, the images of that nightmare making me feel on edge inside the metal cage that moved.
Once I was outside, I felt free, so I let out a bated breath before turning back to Natalie who was close behind me, looking too worried compared to the usual indifference I'd seen on her face, "You okay, Jack?" she asked and I raised an eyebrow at her, surprised she was the type to pry but she carried on, "I ask not out of sentiment but out of curiosity in your continued mental stability. If you were to have a breakdown and attack us, not many of us would survive. From the information I've gathered so far anyway," she said this, yet I still held a suspicious look.
"...Try saying it isn't out of sentiment when you wipe that worried look off your face," I sighed before rubbing my eyes, "I'm just tired, Natalie. I need a drink and a rest. That's all," I finished before moving on the conversation, "Will you all be okay unloading the supplies?" I asked, receiving a few nods from my team and dumb stares from Takashi and the other characters.
Seeing that my teammates knew what they were doing, I just gave a nod before looking to Shizuka, "Do you have a key for this place?" I asked and she shook her head before replying.
"No, I don't. But she should have a spare key under the doormat," she answered, a finger to her chin. Hearing the vague instructions and unsure tone Shizuka was using when speaking them, I just sighed before motioning her over to me.
As she and the others all began to pile off of the bus, quietly, Shizuka walked over to me while the others walked to the back of the minibus.
"You're coming with me. Lead the way," I motioned with my hand and Shizuka gave an unsure nod before walking in front of me. The apartments weren't that big - only three floors with 4 apartments per floor. But they looked pretty high-quality. Expensive too. But right now, that didn't really matter other than the fact that expensive apartments have stronger doors and better sound-proofing.
I brought out my knife and took my gun from my holster - only for emergencies, though.
I walked closely behind Shizuka knowing that if the infected went for her, she'd be defenseless. Which got me thinking.
"Why didn't you bring a weapon with you, Shizuka?" I asked, somewhat curiously as I looked around the pathway leading to the stairs of the apartment.
"Hm?" she looked back over her shoulder at me, an eyebrow raised before she realized the question I'd posed. She smiled and went back to looking forward, "I'm much too clumsy to fight with anything. Especially with homemade weapons and clubs. Plus, I'm a medical professional!" she puffed her chest out, seeming proud, "I'm here to heal people not fight the infected," she gave a self-assured nod.
Hearing her optimism, I couldn't help but shake my head, "...Shizuka, while that is an admirable aspiration, this world won't allow such pacifistic ways any longer. The sooner you realize that, the better," I said and Shizuka went quiet for a while before she went to answer me.
Though before she could answer, an infected middle-age woman lunged out from the bushes to the side. Shizuka froze up in fear, so I dropped my gun and pulled her back before slamming my knife into the infected's temple making it's body go completely limp. The body and the knife with it, dropped to the ground and I let out a sigh before turning back to Shizuka, "See what I mean?"
Shizuka just looked a bit flustered, her cheeks slightly red, before she averted her eyes and gave a weak nod, "...I guess," she said and I helped her steady herself again before I bent down and picked up my gun and pulled my knife free of the infected's head.
With that, we continued walking but this time Shizuka stayed right next to me. Seems the quick run-in had frightened her somewhat. She was silent as well and it was only until we started up the stairs that she said the apartment was on the third floor and it was the apartment right at the entrance of the stairs.
Once we made it to the top, I saw a fancy-looking black door with a eye-hole in it. It looked exceptionally stable. Seemed like a heavy door, so kicking it would do more damage to me than to it if we couldn't find the key. A battering ram would be too loud as well.
But before I got carried away with plan B's, I looked under the doormat and found nothing before I looked up at the potted plants hanging from some hooks that had been nailed into the wall.
Standing up, I picked up the potted plants before pulling the bush out of the way. Nothing.
I put it down and out of the way, the flowers and bush of the plant practically ruined from my search. But I couldn't care less and moved on to the other plant, all while Shizuka watched from the side with a worried look.
In the end whatever was plaguing her got the best of her as she spoke up, "Rika...Rika's gonna be really mad that you've messed up her plants," she said with a tone that said she was worried for me like this Rika was some sort of super assassin or something.
Not looking to her, I moved the leaves out of the way and found the key. Grabbing it, I stood up and replied to her as I unlocked the door, "In a pandemic that could possibly wipe out humanity, your friend would come after me because I messed up her plants?" I asked as the key clicked into place. Another quick turn and the door unlocked with a nice and refreshing click, "And anyway, we're gonna be using her apartment for a night - wouldn't she be more annoyed about that?" I asked with a glance to see Shizuka wryly smiling.
"...Rika can be petty sometimes," she said with a half-smile with a small amount of embarrassment about her friend being present on her face.
Shrugging, I opened the door before walking in, quickly followed by Shizuka. I flicked the light switch next to me and the light came on without even a single delay or stutter.
Good.
But seeing as it was around noon still, I flicked the lights off before walking through the apartment, clearing the rooms with my gun raised and my knife ready under it held in a reverse grip. But there was nothing in here. Everything was secure. So in the end, I walked to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator and saw what I wanted.
A six-pack of beer.
Grabbing it, I walked to the front room and sat myself down on the sofa before breaking one off and cracking it open. Lifting it the can up, I downed the beer. It was only one of those small cans but it was still a nice beer.
"Ah~" I let out a refreshed sound before pulling another beer from the pack.
All the while, Shizuka just looked at me. When I got to my second beer, she seemed to come out of her stupor, "...Should you really be drinking right now?" she asked, to which I looked back at her while taking a sip from the can I was holding.
"If now isn't the time to drink, then I don't know what is," I let out a chuckle, feeling somewhat relaxed for the first time today.
At this point, Matt came into the apartment and saw me reclining on the sofa with my legs kicked up on the coffee table. He was holding a few boxes of food and he just stood there in the hallway looking at me before clicking his tongue and walking in, "Glad to see you're enjoying yourself while the rest of us carry the supplies like peons," he quipped with a roll of his eyes before gesturing to the supplies with his chin, "Where should I put these?"
"Kitchen" I said with a grin in between sipping at the beer. Seeing Shizuka look at me and then to the beer, I broke one off and threw it gently to her.
She fumbled but caught it in the end, "I-I shouldn't drink! What if the students need our help!?" she gave a hushed whisper of urgency, to which I shrugged.
"You're underestimating your students then. Natalie and Hana from my team could get them all up here uninjured. That Saeko Busujima would be able to take out any of the infected that came at her and the others could use the impromptu weapons to fend of the infected while they make their way here," I listed off some reasons to relax a little before continuing after another beer sip, "Anyway, there aren't any infected around the minibus or the pathway anymore. The only one there was the one that tried to attack you and that one's been dealt with. So, relax a little, Shizuka," I said this before patting the seat next to me.
I wouldn't let my guard down or lose focus completely but relaxing is a major part of scenarios like these. You need to find the right times to relax otherwise you'll fry your nerves by being on edge all the time.
That nightmare about that bastard thing was no doubt brought on by my own stress about this whole situation, so that should tell you that sometimes you need to learn to relax.
Plus, this is the right place to relax as well. Not like I'm deciding to relax while I'm fighting off a horde of infected, is it? I'm in a safe apartment with a weapon to defend myself with, teammates who are somewhat competent and some beer to drink but not enough to get completely drunk.
So, this is the right time to relax.
Shizuka seemed to come to this conclusion as well, as she sat herself down next to me and cracked open her beer can, downing it like I had.
The only difference being that she seemed like a lightweight.
...Why do I feel like I've awakened a monster?
. . .
"And-and-and that's when he said he didn't want to do it after I went through all that difficulty to get ready!" Shizuka gave a spirited shout before pouting and puffing up her cheeks.
"No! What did you do after that?" Kyoko gave an equally spirited reply from her position to the left of me.
Shizuka lifted her chin to the air, a rosy tint to her cheeks, "I broke up with him!" she stuttered out.
Kyoko raised her beer can up, clinking it to both mine and then to Shizuka's, "Mhm! Mhm! Good choice, Shizuka!" she slurred before chugging her beer and finishing it, "Ah~! Nothing beats a good beer, right, Jack-san?" she turned to me, her glasses slightly crooked and halfway down her nose. Honestly, like this she looked a lot less strict that she had when I first saw her. I'd even say she looked pretty cute.
But I don't do drunk women. Consider it a part of my very limited moral code. Even with that thought in my head, I gave a slight smile, "Yeah. A good beer after a hard day is always refreshing," I said before standing up, "You two can keep the beers. I'm going for a bath," I said, looking toward the clock that said it was coming to around 6 in the afternoon.
We'd been drinking and talking for quite a few hours. I was fine but Kyoko and Shizuka were both pretty drunk. I tried to tell them to drink in moderation...but they were adamant and they seemed to need the relaxation more than anything.
So I just let them do what they wanted.
As soon as some of the others heard what I said, they perked their heads up, with Hisashi and Matt standing up and looking to me. Matt took a step forward toward me, "Yo, can we come with, Jack? The heat is getting to us and we're sweating our balls off," he crudely said but I understood where he was coming from. It was pretty hot right now and the AC didn't cut it for the whole group.
Just as I was about to answer, Rei spoke up from the side as she fanned herself with a impromptu fan made from a magazine, "The girls should get the first chance at the bath before all you boys take up all the hot water," she said with a pout, getting a sound of agreement from Saya and surprisingly from Hana and Beth as well.
I looked toward her but before I could reply, Takashi did, "Well you should've said so earlier. Jack-san said he wants to go have a bath first so shouldn't us guys get the first chance?"
In reply to Takashi, Rei scoffed, throwing him a sidelong glance, "I don't think you get a say on saying things early. If you believed that I wouldn't have got with Hisashi because of your indecision, would I?" she said and the room went silent. Takashi seemed to be in a state of disbelief and for the most part, Rei looked the same. Her eyes wide as if she couldn't believe she'd just said that. Hisashi gave Rei a reprimanding look, looking thoroughly disappointed in her. "Takashi, I'm sorry--" Rei tried to apologize but Takashi just held up his hand to cut her off.
"I don't care, Rei. Just shut up, yeah?" he said this indifferently but anyone with eyes could see how hurt he was from what Rei had said. I saw this as my time to get involved and to stop it before it devolved any further.
"Oi," I didn't shout but the utter presence from my voice brought everyone's attention to me. Seeing I had the stage, I continued, "I don't have the energy for this shitty teen drama, alright? I just wanna have a bath, crack open that safe of guns in the master bedroom and then set up on the balcony for the night. Now, I'm going for a bath. I don't care if the girls come in with me or the boys. Just make up your minds and stop acting like children," I sighed before putting my beer can down and making my way to the bathroom.
Slowly but surely the guys of the room followed me while the rest just sat silently with Rei being the most silent. I looked back at her and she kept glancing between Hisashi and Takashi.
God, I hate teen drama.