Villian. They are survivors who commit crimes.

However, what is a crime in the new world where it is permissible for someone to take someone else's property without regard to the law?

In short, crime here means committing inappropriate acts against other survivors.

Killing, robbing, raping or even enslaving someone who is still alive and still within the scope of the human race.

Survivors who commit this crime will be labeled as criminals or villains. They are very hostile to the survivors in general.

Motorcycle gang is a term for a group of people who riot using motorbikes in the city area where Tanaka lives. This name somehow makes it seem as if motorcycle gangs are the same as criminals, but because of the habits of the people who call them that, Tanaka also tries to follow.

“Yeah, a few days ago… Looks like four days ago a motorcycle gang was combing this area!”

Tanaka had previously asked if there were any motorcycle gangs around. Yuki answered him with an answer that made Tanaka even more wary of the situation outside.

Yuki continued the story of her experience.

“I was scared because they went up here too. I hid in the washing machine and luckily it wasn't checked. I thought that the occupants of this room were caught because they also seemed to have entered your room and… I didn't find anyone in this room before!”

Tanaka felt a little goosebumps hearing the ending.

Tanaka was confused about what happened. Yuki previously said it happened four days ago which meant that it was very close to the time when Tanaka would wake up from hibernation.

However, putting that matter aside for a moment, Tanaka tried to find out more information regarding the whereabouts of the criminals. Yuki looked at the hikikomori quite sharply as if expecting an explanation for the strangeness.

It's odd that Tanaka wasn't caught or even more strange not knowing about the incident. That's what Yuki thought.

Tanaka understood Yuki's intentions.

“Well, the point is you managed to dodge the baddies right? In that case, thank God. Besides, I'm not even sure what happened yesterday because I fainted in the room at that time!

Yuki sighed. He didn't get a satisfactory answer from Tanaka.

"Just that?"

Yuki replied who seemed disappointed and dissatisfied. However, what Yuki considers is that Tanaka is a ghost, villain, another survivor or is it true that he is the original owner of the room.

Yuki still couldn't be sure.

"So it's possible that the criminals are still hanging around here huh?"

Tanaka again confirmed the answer. This is an important point because the presence of criminals around is tantamount to the existence of distress itself.

Unlike zombies, it's likely that some of them have the power of bless or dangerous weapons. Obviously in this regard, Tanaka was at a huge disadvantage.

Yuki who still didn't answer seemed to indicate that he didn't know for sure.

Tanaka then tried to estimate what he should do to overcome this threat.

Powerful weapons, powers and bases. This was all that Tanaka needed to anticipate the arrival of the criminals.

The only thing that Tanaka could gain right now was strength. He must strengthen his body so that his body is ready if he has to fight against the criminal survivors.

“Ummm...”

Yuki suddenly spoke. Tanaka who was in a serious thinking mode earlier was distracted and now he was trying to pay attention to Yuki. The eyes of the two survivors met.

“They would have left if the info was correct. They originally had a base in the area west of here, but it's already been attacked by hordes of zombies and mutants so the chances of survival are slim… But I'm not sure either.”

Tanaka who heard that responded quite happily. Even though it was just ambiguous good news, it was enough to make Tanaka feel safer walking around.

In the afternoon, it is a good time to exercise other than the morning time. Tanaka is ready to retrain his body like it was back in high school. That was Tanaka's current intention in line with the goal of strengthening the body.

“Oh really, that's great news. I'll try to check later… But before that I'll…”

Tanaka took off the clothes he was wearing which is the most expensive one he had.

Yuki who saw this thought that Tanaka was going to rape her.

“W-what are you going to do… Stop!”

Tanaka who was still not completely undressed was about to get hit by a twisting attack from the buckle. It had almost hit the left side of the head if only he hadn't caught it.

"What are you doing?!"

Tanaka asked the intention of Yuki who had just attacked.

“Stop right there, whether it's you or even an important person I won't allow to rape me! I'd rather die than be a slut like that!”

"What are you talking about... Ahhh!"

Tanaka noticed it. It is unusual for a man to take off his clothes in front of a woman.

Tanaka had forgotten about that since all he had been focusing on for a moment was only about himself having to get stronger. Tanaka who realized this misunderstanding couldn't help but chuckle at that.

"Listen, I didn't mean to rape you. I took off my clothes because I wanted to practice. And you go back to your room, you yankee!”

Tanaka explained the purpose of taking off the shirt which was still on the second button.

"Uh, really?"

Yuki who had a normal face now started to blush. She was embarrassed by what had been a misunderstanding, but she couldn't just let her guard down either.

“…If you really have nothing else to do then go back to your room before I change my mind!”

Tanaka mocked the girl whose face was red. Because of Tanaka's words just now, Yuki became even redder and she left Tanaka's room.

Tanaka himself continued what he was about to do earlier.

However, Tanaka still couldn't forget the two important phrases he had heard earlier. That is 'rape' and 'undressing'.

"Stop it you damn brain!"

Tanaka said to force his imaginative brain to stop thinking about events that might happen if it was according to what Yuki said. After all, right now Tanaka had to focus on developing his body first instead of imagining wildly like that.

Tanaka started his push-ups. The target is forty or more.

At least that's a good start for the body of a hikikomori who got a miracle in the form of a strong body.

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“One, two, three… ten… twenty… fifty… one hundred… four hundred… four hundred and ninety eight, four hundred ninety-nine, five hundred. Yosh enough, now I want to scream but forget it and think about it!”

Tanaka stopped doing his push-ups for the 500th time. To be honest, it was too much for a hikikomori.

"Why am I so strong?!"

Tanaka gasped. This was a very strange thing for him.

It was true that he felt his body getting healthier and feeling great. However, something like five hundred push-ups was too much for a hikikomori who used to struggle to reach the fifth push-up.

Tanaka tried to check his body. As far as memories Tanaka could dig up, his body was the same as before except that he had a scar that he couldn't remember when he got it.

"When did I get this wound?"

Tanaka rubbed his stomach where there was a scar that was quite difficult to tell if he wasn't careful.

"Ah, maybe because I looked down so often!"

Said the hikikomori with his hypothesis to close the topic.

Tanaka still needs to train other body parts. Stomach and legs.

Tanaka does sit-ups. The result is more or less the same as the previous push-up.

"Again, five hundred!"

Actually Tanaka could still continue. However, he couldn't waste much time since he knew that the record he got was already too much for him.

"I think it's time for a jogging!"

Tanaka decides to go out for a jog. His old habit which had stopped since he graduated from university.

Inwardly, Tanaka was a little afraid to come out since knowing that there was some kind of villain around. However, he tries to be confident in his ability to avoid trouble and escapes secretly.

Tanaka came out of the room, locked the door and then met a girl who was carrying a cane and was dressed very tightly. From her body shape and other features, Tanaka could guess that she was Yuki Fujiwara.

"Yo, yankees!"

Tanaka greeted and mocked Yuki in one greeting. The high school girl herself was a bit annoyed by the call, but she tried to act casual.

They both exchanged glances. Tanaka saw a girl with clothes that covered almost the entire body. Contrasted with what Yuki saw, a man in his twenties in casual clothes and shorts.

"What do you want to do?"

Tanaka asked out of curiosity.

Curious as well as wanting to try to get to know other people after a long time he didn't do it.

"What are you saying! Look at the conditions down there. That's not a good thing at all you know. If it's not cleaned up soon that place could become a hotbed for viruses and I could get infected without even getting bitten by a zombie!”

Yuki explained. His voice was somewhat obscured by the mask he was wearing, but it still sounded clear to Tanaka's ears.

“If it is that dangerous then I will help!”

Tanaka, who had just realized that, now wanted to help. At first he didn't have such thoughts since he felt that everything felt 'normal'.

'This is weird, why didn't I think of that?'

Tanaka asked himself. He knew that his whereabouts could not be detected by zombies. However, he was completely unconvinced that other substances from zombies such as blood or saliva could infect him.

Tanaka and Yuki collect zombie corpses.

Yuki who was just a high school girl or at least still young wasn't used to this kind of sadistic scene. Body parts and pieces of human flesh are scattered everywhere and must be taken. It could be seen from the look on Yuki's brows that she really felt like 'ugh, this is disgusting and very dangerous'.

On the other hand, Tanaka who was hummingly muttering a song looked like he was very used to this kind of thing. He didn't realize it for some time or rather until he saw Yuki who had a cute brow expression.

'That's right, why am I even getting used to this? Wasn't it just a while ago that I felt nauseous just looking at this body piece?'

Tanaka asked himself. He didn't know the exact reason why his body, abilities and even his way of thinking had become so different. To him, it must have come from a common cause.

'Well, think about it later. Back to work!'

Tanaka exclaimed in his mind to give orders to the body. Or at least that's what this hikikomori usually does to cheer himself up.

......

...

"Yosh, it's finally over!"

"Heh, right,"

Tanaka called out and Yuki tried to connect. They had finished what they had started a few minutes ago.

Now is the time for them to burn the corpse and body parts.

However, Tanaka realized something from what had just happened.

The two of them didn't interact conversationally at all except when Tanaka's part called out earlier. This means that Yuki is a passive type who can't start a conversation.

Tanaka who realized this now wanted to try to open an atmosphere that could be considered less awkward.

"Ummm, Yuki... Are you from school X?"

Tanaka started the conversation with a normal question which wasn't important in the apocalypse. Or so Tanaka thought as he tried to come up with a lighthearted question.

"No… I'm from school A!"

Yuki confirmed. School X is a school in the city where they currently live. While school A is a school which is in the next town and is quite far from their place.

Tanaka who knew which school it was immediately realized.

'Demn, the school is in the next town!'

That was roughly Tanaka's reaction in her mind. He tried to think about the reason why this girl was living in this cheap and far away boarding house instead of living in a closer place.

However, transportation costs and time are quite crucial for efficiency.

Tanaka, who was thinking too far, stopped his analysis and hypothesis mode.

"Oh, is that so. Do you have a boyfriend?"

Tanaka tried to respond and asked something that seemed sloppy.

Tanaka immediately noticed the oddity, but the words had already come out.

'What the hell am I thinking just now!'

Tanaka asked in his mind. He now felt very strange.

Yuki was silent for a while as if she was deep in thought for an answer. Tanaka glanced at Yuki occasionally, hoping that the high school girl wouldn't give the twenty-six-year-old uncle a look of disdain.

“…No, I don't have any. I'm not even sure I have friends."

Yuki ended it with a slight laugh as if it was something funny. However, to be honest deep in her heart she was very sad because of it.

Tanaka noticed Yuki's change in emotion based on her eyebrows. That's probably the reason why Yuki prefers to live in a boarding house farther away to attend school. Or maybe it's more like choosing to live in this boarding house to get away from something from school.

Tanaka tried to change the topic.

"Why don't you come to the nearby camp?"

Yuki looked at Tanaka, she hesitated to answer.

“…I-I don't know. I'm too scared to try it."

Yuki said which was still quite ambiguous as it sounded. However, Tanaka who had some life experience could guess what a young girl who had above average body criteria like Yuki was considering.

Based on the information previously read by Tanaka, the survivor camp does not consist of just kind-hearted survivors who selflessly help others. Some of the groups did not hesitate to use their members as 'fun' objects where most of the victims were women.

Even though they are classified as offenses for raping, they are not dealt with harshly. However, they had their own regulations and not all camps had the capacity to interfere in the affairs of other camps.

“Is that so, for me it is also the right choice for a beautiful woman like you to take. I would also prefer to avoid camps or other unknown associations if I were you!”

Tanaka tried to synchronize what Yuki might think. The high school girl who heard this now turned to Tanaka, surprised at what the man had just said.

"You know what I mean?"

Yuki tried to convince herself by asking the man. Tanaka who was being hurled with such questions tried to put together a sentence to explain to her.

“I mean, I used to be a smart and 'all-rounder' person… No, I don't mean to be arrogant but the point is, that's why the company just used me. In community, if you have no political power then you have no more value than a community tool. Not considered as a human with their rights. And for a beautiful woman like you, I'm sure that they will do 'something'."

Tanaka explained quite a bit. The story is about a snippet of Tanaka's life which is the reason why he gave up on fighting in his career.

Yuki understood what Tanaka was saying. Tanaka now felt a bit embarrassed because his words earlier seemed like he was a person with such perverted thoughts. Despite, that is the fact.

Tanaka felt awkward.

"… Well, at least that's how we men think,"

said Tanaka subconsciously. He only realized after saying it.

Tanaka was now even more nervous. The sentence he just said was a dead flag for him. That would be tantamount to saying that Tanaka was that kind of pervert.

Even though the facts were true, he was too timid for that.

They were both silent for a few moments. Silently forgetting what they should be doing, burning piles of zombie corpses.

A few moments were wasted until Yuki finally decided to return to work which was followed by Tanaka.

...

Black smoke rose into the sky. The air around is heavy and of course dangerous to breathe.

A girl kept glancing at the boarding gate. Glancing just in case there are zombies who are attracted by the sound of the fire scorching the corpses.

Tense. that's how Yuki felt right now. However, there was something that made Yuki feel better.

It was her chat partner who was still accompanying her. Even though it ended a bit awkwardly, to her the conversation was very precious.

"… Thank you!"

Yuki suddenly said. Tanaka who was a bit confused tried to check around if there were other people around.

"Huh?"

There was no one other than the two of them. Meaning Yuki said 'thank you' to Tanaka. Or maybe to herself.

Yuki who saw the man confused smiled slightly. Smiling at the ridiculous behavior of the man who was originally twenty-six years old.

"… No just forget it. By the way, where were you going?”

Tanaka looked at Yuki's face. The girl is currently smiling.

Tanaka became a bit nervous.

“O-oh, I wanted to go jogging and running… I wanted to improve my skills because the situation was very dangerous right now. I need to become stronger to survive!”

Tanaka remembered his purpose in leaving the room. It was to check his leg strength and stamina.

"You are right. I'm also still too weak right now. But is it okay for you to jog outside? I mean, haven't you met those zombies before?"

Yuki who was a little worried tried to ask about Tanaka's readiness.

"Yes, you know. I'm an expert at hiding and I can avoid them. You saw me come back with a cup of noodles, didn't you? That's the proof!”

Tanaka answered in a lighthearted manner. He was still quite hesitant to reveal his abilities to others since he himself wasn't sure where the abilities came from.

Yuki who didn't remember much about the thing before she fainted could only say yes. However, he knew that the man had indeed managed to bring quite a lot of food into his room.

"Okay then. I guess it's useless to worry about that. I'm going back to my room first!"

Yuki exclaimed while moving slightly towards the stairs. He was now walking towards the stairs completely.

“Yes, and be careful with the stairs!”

Tanaka replied with an addition. On the stairs, Tanaka still saw some bloodstains that hadn't completely dried from a distance.

The ability of sight that Tanaka had not yet realized.

Tanaka started the postponed activities. Afternoon jogging.