Sitting in the car its kind of awkward riding with a dead body. Espeshally one that’s bleeding so much. I wrapped up the head wound on it with some spare cloth, so it doesn’t bleed all over the inside of the car but its still soaking through the cloth on the head. Little spots along its body where it was dragged also keep bleeding like all the blood in its body is still pumping but without the brain it can’t move.

When we pass by Tanada’s place I tell her about the red one and she said she would make preparations to get stuff packed in case problems start popping up more often here.

When we get back to the base Saya and Saeko are surprised to see me all bandaged up too.

“What happened Haru? Did you forget how to walk and get your ass kicked by a staircase?” Saya may be teasing me but she still looks worried. A lot of the other girls look worried too.

“What did this to you? Was it another survivor? Is what ever it was still alive?” Saeko has a much more serious look as she scans around for possible threats.

“There's a new zombie type. They have a reddish skin color like blood pumping just under the surface, they are much much stronger than normal ones. Let’s talk about it inside. Samada get one of the guys inside to help load the stuff and the body, I want Shizuka to take a look at it with me.” I limp inside with Saeko and Saya supporting me. While people start getting busy.

“So, what did I miss here?” Looking around I see a lot of small changes; the supplies are in boxes rather then bags. Ice chests are set aside empty but set next to the fridge in preparation for moving food over. Theres makeshift weapons on a table like they were making them before I got there. I also noticed Takashi flirting with Miku on the couch and her being very much into it. Then he stops as soon as Rei walks in as she takes over Miku’s position of ‘caring’ for his wounds. Alright, I don’t mind him taking Miku thats one less of my annoyance to deal with.

“We’ve been busy preparing for a move. This place won’t support many more people and the buildings around it arnt as easily defendable. This is espeshally true if more of those red ones show up. If they are smarter than normal ones, then that means they will start massing and seeking survivors that are hiding.” Haaa this is so frustrating. This might even be my fault too. If this is an anime world based around strife and the main character developing, then if I make it too simple then the world will get harder, or I might try to kill me off to return it to the previous route.

“Well let’s rest up for tonight Shizuka do you mind looking in this thing for anything weird?” I look over to Shizuka who looks like shes going to be sick.

“I know it’ll be gross, but we need to know how its different from a person its skull is much harder than usual, so we at least know that much. I’ll come help you in a bit I just need a quick nap or I’m going to pass out.” Shizuka nods but still doesn’t look right. Kawamoro’s parent come in and start moving their stuff to one of the rooms.

“Alright everyone! Can I have your attention please!” Everyone stops and looks at my beaten form.

“We will be searching for a new space tomorrow. We have found out that there are dangerous zombies out there that are red skinned that are much smarter and stronger than the normal ones. If you see one do not engage if they are within line of sight, try not to move they respond to movement. We need to find a more defensible position. We need numbers and we need weapons. We heard about another base Inland across the river we are going to go scout it out and see if it would be good to move there. Can I get volunteers for the scouting?” I ask the group surprisingly Saya and Saeko both raise their hands.

“We are going.” They both say. That’s more of a statement of fact rather then asking or volunteering but okay.

“Uh sure. Why though?” They glare at me and look at my bandages.

“Okay, fair enough. Saya why are you going?” Looking away from Saeko

“Hey, I can be helpful too! Really though that’s in the direction of my family estate. So, I feel like I could check in on them. The place is very large and could support everyone here plus extra. There is also a lot of room for farms and expansion if need be. With heavy gates to defend the property too.

That’s a good idea actually.

“Good job, I forgot about that place since you’ve never invited me over. It was always just meeting at other places or out and about or you took us to your beachside place once. God its weird to think about how rich you are.” The headache coming on when I found out the bratty girl was rich and hated me at a young age and that I needed to be nice to her for more food. Now its awkward because I guess I did too good of a job and that was WHY she was bratty to me.

“It’s not that I didn’t want to, but you know I just uh my parents can be much and you were always so frustrating and I’d told my parents about you so I could never let them actually meet you.” Her face burns redder up the more she speaks. Saeko comes up behind her and hugs.

“Awww poor Saya, not able to invite her crush over because then her parents would tell him.” She squeezes Saya in a hug from behind.

“LET GO I WAS A GENIOUS EVEN AS A CHILD I KNEW THEY WOULD LET IT SLIP!” she thrashes around inefficiently. Making everyone laugh around.

“Aww your no fun. Are you sure you don’t like it Saya?” she squeezes again.

“NO, I mean um kind of of no wait what?” Sayas getting more and more flustered.

“Relax can’t you tell I’m just fucking with you?” She teasingly smiles.

“Ahem, we are still in public girls and you’re making everyone else wait on you. Please uh take that elsewhere. Regardless that makes sense for you to join then. Anyone else?” Hedaki also volunteers and so do Taniuchi and Samada. Rei wants to stay here with Takashi much to his annoyance probably since Miku is a lot more forward and he can’t do anything with while Rei’s here.

“In that case lets all have a good night rest. Okay everyone? We got one family already tomorrow we will continue on and try to find a safe space for us to continue ever onwards!”

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I move over to Saeko and give her a hug behind Saya.

“Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go pass out!” I start limping my way to the bedroom.

The next morning.

“So, yesterday I noticed something Haru… something about my sadistic side…” I’m brushing her hair.

“Whats that?”

“Um well I noticed when I defended the house from some zombies. I I enjoyed killed them. Its like theres the part inside me that awoke that night 4 years ago. That part that enjoyed beating the man to a pile of meat and bones. That power over his life. I really like what we do here… but its sometimes just not enough now. But when I’m out there cutting them up. I feel, bliss… The fact that you gave me this blade. The idea of fighting besides you cutting them apart ending them. It makes me… mmmm.” She bites her lip.

“Oh? We have ourselves a little battle junkie huh?” I poke her nose. This would a little scary if it wasn’t for having plenty of undead out there to deal with it all.

She smiles sighing in relief that I didn’t respond negatively “hehe I guess so. What I’m saying is… the next time we see a red one. The ones that gave you a hard time, ones that hurt you… I will kill it.” She gives me a hardened look that softens as I give her a kiss.

“Alright, you can have first go, at it. But I’ll be right there to help if you need it.” I lean in and whisper into her ear “If you enjoy killing them, we can make a date of it. Going out with nothing but swords each other. Once we clear the last one, we would be all alone in an area with nothing else to do.” She blushes at the idea.

“You guys are weird. Why am I here again?” Saya interrupts sitting up and staring into the ceiling.

“Because you can’t stand talking to people dumber than you and those are in very short supply now?” Looking over at her. Saya didn’t do anything with us last night, but she came in to talk and relax in the morning. I don’t know if she understands proper relationships or boundaries since it was a little weird to just walk into our bedroom but oh well shes here now and its not like its not fun teasing her.

“Ha someones very confident in themselves Haru.” Saya says poking my cheek.

“I mean we can probably find you a wrinkly old man if you’d like?” she lets out a long sigh and sits on the side of the bed.

“You know what meant idiot.” Leaning back on it a bit. Blushing slightly as she robotically moves to join our cuddling.

“You know you don’t have to force yourself, right? You can cuddle if you want or not up to you.” She pauses for a moment swears under her breath before committing. Cuddling up with an angry huff.

“Aww that’s cute.” I give her a kiss on the cheek causing her to go still.

“While this is nice and all we do need to get ready for the day. With everything most of the way packed we need to visit your estate sooner rather then later.” Brushing her hair the same way I did Saeko. It feels strange doing it to someone else, the texture of her hair is different, not nearly as straight as Saekos so it curls into my fingers as I move through.

“Well let’s get ready to meet your parents. How should I introduce myself? Hello my name is Haruto Izuka, your daughter wanted to join me in polygamy and call me dadd-“ I playfully start joking as she tackles me to shut me up.

“NUUU you better not say anything like THAT.” She looks a bit teary eyed.

“I mean its fine, although I’m not really into the whole ‘daddy’ thing. It definitely would make meeting him a LOT more awkward.” This makes her face go red and she hides in Saeko’s chest.

“Aww why say that Haru you’re going to embarrass her to death. It’s not her fault she might have ‘daddy’ issues~” She might say that but shes also got that teasing smile going on as Saya is having a meltdown in her chest.

“Alright alright enough teasing around. Let’s get ready to meet the parents. Let’s hope they approve!”

“Ahem about that I uh might have already told them that we erm were um dating?” Saya mutters slightly.

“How? We only really started like yesterday evening. Even then I was planning on taking things slow until I nearly died yesterday?” Did she call them or something?

“No, I mean I sort of told them about you… and they met Takashi and Rei and her boyfriend. They talked about you… They knew I had a crush on you… I just sort of slipped it in there is was me dating you instead of Saeko… I mean I didn’t think much of it at the time. Mom just kept asking if I was interested in any boys… Or girls… She kept pestering me until I caved. She uh kept pestering me to ask you out and I didn’t want to say I couldn’t, so I told her I did and you said yes… Since -gulp- since I didn’t want her to think I’d failed or uh keep pestering me about relationship stuff…” She looks really red now.

“Wait how long ago was this?” Thinking back on every time we hung out. She always invited Rei and Takashi too. We were never left alone together or when we were a bodyguard was there giving me the stink eye. I thought that was just her telling them to scare me. But if that’s because of her parents…

“Um when I was uh 13” she shrinks a bit at that. Ah so just before I started dating Saeko. She probably told them then was planning on asking me separately but then I started dating Saeko and she didn’t want to lie to her parents so she just kept lying.

“So, they think we have been dating for four years and never thought to ask to meet? When Saeko has a blade that is literally engraved with our anniversary date and time? I’m going to look like a bad boyfriend.” I let out a bit of a chuckle.

“I don’t see how this will work out, no wonder you never just invited me around despite having a crush. Your parents wouldn’t let you, would they?”

“No! mom kept trying to get me to be more daring…Invite you over to meet them and stuff… I told her that I wanted us to go at our own pace and that’s why I hadn’t introduced you yet. If it werent for Rei gossiping and the bodyguards reports they probably would have thought you were imaginary. Dad found out from mom one night and then he had bodyguards out every time we ever went out to do something and it always had to be with friends. It frustrated me and I may have um taken it out a bit on you. I’m sorry Haru…” Huh so one crazy girl that gets off on killing and a girl that has been stalking me for years telling her parents we have been dating. I sure know how to pick’em. Though this ties back into the anime world theory, this kind of thing wouldn’t ever actually happen. Do all the girls with odd hair have some odd backstory and quirk? Tanada is a slob, Miku is obsessive, Hideki was abused, Auntie is lesbian, I think? I don’t know Kawamoto or Taniuchi’s back stories but I’m sure they also have something odd about them.

“Okaaay Saeko how do you want to go forward with this? My vote is the truth.”

“Seconded” Saeko says while holding down the embarrassed Saya.

“NUUU It’s been four years! Do you know how embarrassing that will be! Theres a guest bedroom there with your name on the front that’s gone unused because I kept saying I’d invite you next week. Mom thought it would be funny to put a plaque for you on a room since then you could come any day even if you were busy the others…”

“You know for someone that calls themselves a genius you sure didn’t pick up on some hints, I think that was just her messing with you and calling your bluff. You realize they probably talked with Rei and Takashi before, and they told them about Saeko and I being together, right?” Saya buries her face even more into Saekos chest.

“WHYYYYY?” haa I can already tell this is going to be fun.

“You know we can just act like we were dating all this time. Go in there like you’ve been saying the truth this whole time but were just leaving out Saeko. That’ll fluster them.” I rub her back.

“Yeah, then they wouldn’t think its as bad right? Though you’re probably going to have to explain yourself to papa about having us both.”

“Sure, I’ll let him know all about how his lecherous daughter seduced me after my near-death experience. I was weak, a broken man unable to resist their combined assault.” I dramatically hold my heart and fall over on the bed prompting a giggle from both.

“Regardless, I hope that from now on we can all work together to have a better future together.” Maybe one day I’ll tell them I reincarnated. For now, I’ll just let them think I’m special and I don’t really know why I have these skills that’s true enough.