Volume 1 - Chapter 17

A Game of Backstories

Aiko and I returned to the house together.

Ryotaro, Chiemi, Mio, and Yuki were gathered in the living space, having a fun conversation while snacking on some of the food we took from Halows Supermarket.

After a deep breath, expecting to be picked on by the women, I joined them. To my surprise they didn't say anything or act weird about time spent alone with Aiko.

She went down the hall to freshen herself up. We had actually discussed this while outside.

"Hachiro, welcome back!" Ryotaro said with a warm smile. "We were just discussing our favorite childhood games."

Chiemi gave us a knowing wink as Aiko walked away, but then asked me if I wanted anything to eat.

I knew I had no reason to feel awkward. They were smart women. They more or less knew what just happened, or could easily guess. Since all we did was kiss, I let the women think whatever they wanted to about what happened.

"Thank you," I said, taking a seat next to Mio.

"So, Hachiro, what was your favorite game growing up?" Mio asked, passing me a bowl of fresh cut vegetables.

I took some and thought for a moment.

"I used to like playing cards," I said, smiling at the memory. "But I never was any good and no one else played them. I did more studying than playing."

"That sounds wise," Chiemi said, her eyes twinkling. "I used to play ken, ken, pa! with my friends. We would draw the circles on the sidewalk with chalk and then jump around."

"I was more of a video game person," Yuki said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I used to spend hours playing games on the Nintendo with my children."

"Ah, a classic," Ryotaro said, nodding in approval. "I used to play that with my grandchildren. We would have competitions to see who could get the highest scores."

As we continued to talk and laugh, I started to feel more at ease. After a short bit Ryotaro went to take another nap, leaving me with the three others.

These women were my friends, and they accepted me for who I was despite some lighthearted jokes at my expense.

I didn't want to feel embarrassed about my desires for Aiko. They obviously knew, and I was being too hard on myself about it.

I turned to Mio. "I was wondering... what's your favorite tea out of all the ones we picked up?"

Mio smiled at me, her eyes lighting up. "Oh, Hachiro, that's so sweet of you to ask! I'd have to say my favorite is chamomile. It's so soothing and calming, perfect for before bedtime."

I nodded, taking a mental note. "Chamomile, got it. I'm glad you like it."

"I really appreciate you thinking of me when you were shopping," Mio said, her voice soft. "It means a lot to me."

I felt good that she was happy. "Of course."

She smiled again. "The chamomile will help us all get a good night's sleep." Then she handed me her cup and nodded for me to try the one she was sipping from.

I took the cup from Mio, feeling the warmth of the tea spread through my hands. I brought it to my lips and took a small sip, savoring the taste. It was a green mint tea, and the flavor was refreshing and invigorating.

"Mint is great for digestion," Mio explained, her eyes sparkling with knowledge. "And green tea is full of antioxidants. It's a perfect combination for a post-apocalyptic world."

I nodded, taking another sip. The tea was soothing, and I could feel it calming my nerves. I had always been a coffee drinker, but this tea was pretty good. Finally, I handed it back to her, not wanting to take her entire drink.

"I never really thought about the benefits of tea before," I admitted, looking at Mio. "But this is really nice."

Mio smiled, her cheeks flushing slightly. "I'm glad you like it. I've always loved tea. It's a comforting ritual for me."

I nodded, understanding.

I glanced over at Yuki, who was sitting quietly in the corner, eyes fixed on the floor. She sat like this a lot and looked very depressed.

Feeling bad for her, I took a deep breath and said, "hey, Yuki?"

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

She looked up, eyes wide and wary. "Yes?"

"I just wanted to check in with you. You've been really quiet since we got back, and I was wondering if you're okay."

She hesitated, then nodded. "I'm fine."

I could tell she wasn't telling me the whole truth, but I didn't want to push her, especially with Chiemi there. "How do you know Aiko?"

She looked away, eyes filling with tears.

"I don't. Not really. It's just... it's hard," she said, her voice trembling. "I lost my family. They were... they were eaten by the zombies at the baseball game. And I saw them... I couldn't stop them from being eaten…"

I felt a lump form in my throat as I listened to her words. I couldn't even begin to imagine what she was going through.

"I'm so sorry," I said, my voice choked with emotion. "That must have been incredibly difficult."

She nodded, wiping away her tears. "It was," she said. "But I'm trying to stay strong. For Aiko, and for the rest of you. I don't want to be a burden, but my entire life is gone. My family. I wish that blue meteor thing hadn't hit us. I wish Aiko hadn't saved us."

I shook my head. "You're not a burden. You're a part of our group now, and we're here to support each other. You don't have to go through it alone. We all died out there, just in different ways."

She looked at me, her eyes filled with gratitude.

"Thank you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "That means a lot."

I smiled back, trying to offer her some comfort. "Just remember we're here, like Chiemi said. And we'll get through it, one day at a time."

She nodded, taking a deep breath. "I'll try. I'll try to be strong."

Chiemi gave me a nod, and I was surprised she didn't argue or get mad at me for asking Yuki questions.

I looked at Chiemi, the older woman who worked at the convenience store somewhere between Aiko's house in the forest and the city.

I said, "Can you tell me about when you met Aiko yesterday?"

Chiemi looked up from her tea and smiled. “Of course, Hachiro. I was just minding my own business when Aiko and Ryotaro came rushing in the store. They were in a panic, and I could tell something was wrong. Aiko explained there was some kind of outbreak happening, and they needed supplies. I didn't hesitate to help them buy stuff but also I didn’t believe them."

"But why did you decide to join?" I asked. "Why didn't you just stay at your store?"

Chiemi's smile faded and she said, “the meteors fell and the zombies came. It all happened so fast right then in the moment. The other worker, Nina, she went to the drink cooler because she was feeling hot and sick. I didn’t know she was infected by the airborne infection.”

I nodded, listening intently.

“It was already too late for her but I didn’t know that,” she said. “Who believes in zombies for real? So I wasn’t believing Aiko and Ryotaro’s story. I just thought they were crazy people making this up. But when I opened the cooler to tell Nina, she was already a zombie trying to eat me!”

“That must have been scary!” I said.

Chiemi agreed. “I didn’t expect it! That's for sure!"

“So what happened?”

“I had to kill Nina. Well, she was already dead. I had to stop her animated brain dead body from killing me. I was inside the cooler in the middle of defending myself from her when I slipped and fell. We all knew there was a faulty wire near the corner of the cooler, but everyone avoided it. Blue electricity exploded from the wires and electrocuted me."

I nodded. Her story was similar to mine. Since they were all inside, they must not have seen the blue meteorite that hit the building.

“Anyway, after that I believed Aiko and Ryotaro." She said, "They calmed me down and then I left with them just as more zombies were coming towards the store.”

“Do you have any family here?” I asked.

Chiemi looked down at her hands. "My family is in the United States," she said softly. "All contact was lost when the cell phones quit working. I have no idea what happened to them. I can only assume they're... gone."

I felt a pang of sadness. I couldn't imagine what it was like to lose an entire family in such a short amount of time.

Both Chiemi and Yuki had gone through this at the same time. It was no wonder why they were bonding so well.

"I'm so sorry," I said.

Chiemi looked up at me, her eyes filled with determination. "It's okay. I know I can't do anything about it now. But I can help Aiko and Ryotaro and Mio. I can help you, and I can help Yuki. It's all that really matters now."

I nodded, feeling a sense of admiration for Chiemi's strength and resilience. "You're right," I said. "We're all in this together."

The words about doing this together kept repeating in every conversation I had. I realized I was relying on these other people to help get me through.

One person couldn't possibly survive the zombie apocalypse by themselves.

"Chiemi,” I said, “I hope you don't mind me asking, but how do you know things about guns?"

She looked at me with a surprised expression. "Well, Hachiro, I'm not an expert, but I do know a thing or two about rifles."

I leaned forward eager to hear more. "How did you learn about them?"

Chiemi took a sip of her tea before answering. "My husband was a hunter and before that he was in the self-defense forces which was where he learned. He used to take me out with him sometimes. He taught me how to handle a rifle safely and how to shoot accurately."

I nodded. It certainly explained how she was so comfortable from the very beginning. Aiko was talented and had obviously shot firearms before, but Chiemi was the best of us, hands down.

Ranking myself third best out of the six of wasn't saying much, but at least it was something. I felt like I would need plenty more practice before I considered a gun as my first weapon of choice.

I asked, “do you think you could give me a little more experience?"

Chiemi looked at me for a moment, considering my request. "I suppose I could," she said finally. "But the biggest problem will be finding spare ammunition. We already used up too much of it earlier."

I nodded eagerly. "Of course."

Chiemi smiled. "Alright then. I'll teach you more about the rifles we found at the police station."

I felt a surge of excitement at the prospect of learning some tips and tricks with the guns. It wasn't something I ever thought I would need to know, but in this new world, it could mean the difference between life and death.

Yuki spoke up and asked, “You will shoot them here?”

Chiemi and I both looked at her. I could tell she was fearful of the noise it would cause. Zombies would be attracted to the house if we did the shooting anywhere nearby.

She was right, I figured, and I looked at the older woman.

"Yuki’s right,” I said.

“She’s more than righto!” Ryotaro said, catching our attention.

The old man walked into the living space from down the hall. He looked energized after a short afternoon nap.

“When we are somewhere responsible I need a gun lesson as well!” Ryotaro continued, “I haven’t shot straight since 1995, and I’m talking about the Nintendo game Duck Hunt!”

We all broke into much needed laughter. The old man was so goofy.

Ryotaro sat down near us and continued his playful banter. “Those quacking bastards on the tv didn’t stand a chance against Grandpa Ryotaro!”

I laughed again for a long time. It was a good healthy laugh that kept us smiling all evening.