While they were eating noodles together, slurping down to the very last bit, Rio suddenly remembered the soda bottle he had taken from the beverage factory. He reached for his backpack, making Elaine watch him curiously as he unzipped it.
"I almost forgot, I grabbed a bottle of soda from the factory while I was evacuating," Rio said, pulling the soda bottle out of his bag. "I think it’s a perfect pair for these noodles. It's not cold, though," he added with a grin, placing the bottle on the table for them to share.
Elaine's eyes widened in disbelief. "You mean you got this at that factory?"
"Yeah," Rio replied, nodding. "I live nearby. When I was fleeing from the infected, I crossed through the factory grounds. A security guard caught me looting and pointed a shotgun at me, but after I dropped my knife and explained, he gave me the soda for free. They didn't want me to leave, so I climbed the gate and escaped. Fell pretty hard, though. That’s how I broke my nose."
Elaine laughed, a mix of amazement and amusement on her face. "So, not only are you a trespassing creep, but you're a thieving creep as well? You must be quite agile. You fall into the thief class, don't you?"
"Thief class?" Rio looked puzzled.
"You know, like in RPG games. The agile and sly characters who usually wield knives."
"Oh, I get it," Rio said, chuckling. "Ragnarok Online, right?"
"You know that game?" her eyes lit up. "Do you play it?"
"Yeah, I used to play it often times. I have a low-spec laptop so its one of the best games I could play." Rio explained. "You're right though, I chose the thief class tree in my playthrough."
"I play and stream it too! What class do you think I am?" Elaine asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Based on how you pointed that hair dryer at me earlier, I'd say you're somewhere between a mage or a gunslinger," Rio said with a grin.
Elaine burst into laughter, the sound infectious, and Rio joined in.
"Do you know? I almost got hit by a truck on my way to the factory," Rio added casually.
Elaine's hand flew to her mouth. "No way—are you serious?"
"Yeah, but I jumped out of the way before it hit me. The truck crashed into traffic on Sumulong Highway. It's really chaotic out there, which is why I avoided the road and traveled by climbing and cutting across rooftops. That’s also how I ended up in your apartment."
Elaine listened, worry creeping into her mind as she thought about the Halili family. They had evacuated to the quarantine zone and probably took Sumulong Highway. She felt a pang of concern, especially for little Lucia, whom she had grown fond of while playing games together on her Switch. Her appetite waned, and she stopped eating, lost in thought.
"Hey, you okay?" Rio asked, noticing her sudden silence.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Elaine replied, snapping back to reality. She stood up abruptly. "I'll go fetch the cups."
Elaine went to the kitchen, grabbing two plastic cups from the cupboard. She washed them as a courtesy, knowing Rio seemed to appreciate neatness, before returning to the table. Rio watched her, a curious expression on his face. Once she was back, he popped the soda bottle open, the carbonation hissing out. He poured some soda into the cups, the fizzy liquid bubbling up as it filled them.
As Elaine took a sip, Rio observed her closely. Something about her seemed familiar: her long black hair, glasses, and freckled face triggered a memory. Then, it hit him—Elaine had mentioned she was a streamer. He had seen her in a livestream, the one where she shot an infected security guard off-camera.
"Hey, you said you stream, right?" Rio asked, breaking the silence. "I think I saw you online once. I might be mistaken, though."
Elaine blushed, suddenly feeling awkward. She had assumed Rio didn't know about her online persona since he hadn't shown any signs of recognition earlier. Now, she felt exposed.
"You know, when you broke into my apartment, I thought you were some crazy, obsessive fanboy," she confessed. "Then, I was surprised you didn't know about me at all."
Rio laughed, finding the idea hilarious. "What? No way! Then you really are that streamer."
…
"So, you knew about that last livestream I did," Elaine said, her voice barely a whisper. The weight of her confession hung between them. "You knew I killed that person."
The atmosphere between them grew heavy and somber.
"I was at the mall earlier that afternoon too, before everything happened," Rio said, his tone becoming serious and somber. "Coincidence, huh?"
Elaine looked at him, sensing the shift in his demeanor.
"I was looking for a job after school," Rio began, his voice tinged with regret. "Little by little, I came across signs that something bad was about to happen, but I shrugged them off. I didn't know things would turn out this way." He took a deep breath, the weight of his next words evident. "The truth is, I killed someone too," he confessed, locking eyes with her.
Elaine's eyes widened, her breath catching in her throat.
"For me, it was… my mom," Rio said, his voice breaking. "When I got home from the mall, she was eating grilled squid. She invited me to join her, but I refused, feeling down and tired from job hunting. I took a nap, and when I woke up, there was an outbreak. My mom was sick, locking herself in her room to protect me."
Elaine listened intently, her heart aching for him.
"I was there when she lost herself to the virus," Rio continued, his eyes distant as he relived the memory. "She made me promise that if she ever turned violent, I had to kill her and evacuate to the quarantine zone. The time came, and so I did. I took the pillow and..." His voice faltered.
"Stop," Elaine said softly, reaching out to him. "Just stop." She wiped her eyes, feeling the depth of his pain.
"What I wanted to say is, you did what you had to do to protect yourself and others," Rio said, his voice steady despite the tears in his eyes. "Even though I still feel guilty for taking a life, I know I have to keep moving forward. You should too."
"Thank you for telling me this," Elaine said, her voice trembling. "All this time, I've felt so guilty for hurting that person against my will. I can still see his face when I shot him. But now, knowing I'm not alone with this feeling, it's a bit easier to bear." She wiped her tears, looking at Rio with a mix of sorrow and gratitude. "I'm sorry about your mom, Rio."
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"Let's continue eating," Rio said, his voice soft. He grabbed his cup of soda, taking a long drink, and then picked up his fork to take a mouthful of noodles. Elaine followed suit, their shared grief and understanding creating a fragile but comforting bond between them.
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"Ah, I'm stuffed," Elaine said, holding her stomach.
After finishing the bowl of noodles and the bottle of soda, Rio stood up and began clearing the table. He stacked the dishes neatly, from large to small bowls, and placed the forks inside the layered cups. He brought everything to the sink, preparing to wash them along with the cooking pot and colander. Pouring dishwashing liquid onto the sponge, he added a sprinkle of water, causing it to bubble up.
"Hey, you don't need to do that," Elaine protested.
"It's okay, let me do this one last time before I head out," Rio replied with a smile.
Though grateful for his responsible actions, Elaine felt a pang of sadness at the thought of him leaving soon. The idea of being alone again in her apartment with no hope frightened her. After washing the dishes, Rio put the clean kitchenware in the cupboard, dried his hands with a towel, and went back to the table, only to find Elaine nowhere in sight.
"Elaine?" Rio called out.
Wondering where she might have gone, he noticed her bedroom door slightly ajar. He walked towards it to check on her and say his goodbye. Standing by the door, Rio saw Elaine fully covered with her blanket on the bed, curled up.
"What's wrong?" Rio asked softly.
"How is it that you guys aren't scared of going out there, especially with everything that's been happening and the infected being violent? Is it just me?" Elaine's voice trembled with desperation. "Every time I step outside, everything goes wrong. I always end up getting hurt. Even before the outbreak, I was terrified—so terrified of dealing with the outside world and people that I'd rather stay in my room all day, hiding behind my monitor. I could accept living alone for eternity, but being isolated with no one to worry about me, no one coming to help... it hurts so much that I just want to end it all." Tears streamed down Elaine’s freckled cheeks, her voice breaking. "What's the point of living when there's nothing left to live for? When you have no friends, when you're invisible to your family who have their own lives, and there's no one there for you when the world is falling apart and you need someone the most?"
Rio sat beside her, his heart aching for her. He noticed the sleeping pills next to her, realizing the depth of her despair. (Is she planning to overdose herself?) He took a deep breath, trying to find the right words to comfort her.
"I'm sorry for being so emotional," she sniffled. "Don't worry about me, you can go now…"
"Just like you, I'm scared. I don't know if I'll end up getting infected or die from something else out there, but I made a promise to my mother. She was the only family that I have. Even though she's gone now, I have to go to the quarantine zone alone and live on. It was her final wish," Rio confessed, his voice steady but filled with emotion.
Elaine listened, tears still streaming down her face.
"You can come with me if you want. We'll go to the quarantine zone together," Rio offered. "I'm not that strong or reliable, and I can't promise we'll be safe... but I'll be there with you."
His words made Elaine peek out from under the blanket, wiping her teary eyes.
"Once we arrive in the quarantine zone and all of this is over, maybe you can find a new reason to live for," Rio said, trying to give her a glimmer of hope.
"Are you sure I'm okay to come along? Am I not going to be a liability to you?" Elaine asked, her voice shaky.
"You're not a liability at all. You've helped me so much already: giving me a place to rest, band-aids for my injury, and food. So why not?" Rio recited all her helpful actions, hoping to lift her spirits. "I could always use a hand from someone helpful like you. But the question is, are you ready to go out there?"
Elaine weighed her options: die alone in her apartment with her suicidal thoughts or brave the outside world and evacuate with a companion she had just met.
"Can you swear you won't leave me behind out there and that you won't do anything to make me feel bad or hurt?" Elaine looked at Rio, her eyes filled with vulnerability.
"Look, I'm no hero. But if I can protect you, I'll do my best," Rio said sincerely. "Why would I want to hurt you anyway?"
"Please, just answer. I know you're a good person, but I..." She stumbled over her words. "I couldn't trust a man ever since... that happened to me," Elaine revealed, her past trauma surfacing.
"...I promise," Rio said, seeing how defenseless and broken she was. He understood that she had underlying trauma caused by men, and he felt a protective instinct towards her.
Elaine held up her pinky finger in front of Rio's face.
"What is that for?" Rio asked, puzzled. "You want me to smell it?"
"No! It's called a pinky swear. Now put your pinky finger together with mine," Elaine instructed. "To affirm the promise you made."
"Like this?" Rio raised his pinky finger, feeling a bit awkward with the physical contact.
Elaine linked her pinky finger with his. "Now it's official. You're someone I can fully trust, and I'm coming to evacuate with you," she said, letting go of his pinky. "In gaming terms, it means I have joined your party." She smiled, a genuine smile breaking through her tears.
(She's… cute,) Rio thought to himself, feeling a newfound sense of responsibility and connection with her.
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Elaine scooted closer to Rio, sitting at the edge of the bed. "So where do we start, party leader?" she asked with a soft smile, feeling a newfound ease in his presence.
"You can start by packing your things," Rio suggested gently. "Grab whatever you think you'll need—extra clothes, underwear, your phone charger... anything that might help along the way."
Elaine stood up, retrieving an old, dusty backpack from the back of her closet. "I haven't used this backpack in years," she said, brushing off the dust. "Not since I graduated from college."
She began to gather her clothes, but the way she hastily shoved them into the bag caught Rio’s eye. He noticed how disorganized it was, with clothes crammed in haphazardly, leaving little room for anything else. Sensing her struggle, Rio stepped forward.
"Here, let me help," he offered, gently taking the backpack from her and spilling the clothes onto the bed.
Elaine bit her lip, feeling a twinge of embarrassment. "Sorry... I guess I'm not very good at this," she mumbled, feeling like she was burdening Rio once again.
"It's okay," Rio reassured her with a small smile. "You just need to roll the clothes to save space. That's how I did mine." He demonstrated the technique, carefully folding and rolling one of her shirts. "I learned this when I was a scout in elementary school. It's called the ranger roll—military folks use it too."
Elaine raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "You were a scout?"
"Yeah," Rio chuckled, a hint of nostalgia in his voice. "My mom made me join extracurricular activities so she wouldn’t have to worry about me while she was working. I quit scouting in high school, though. After that, I got really into parkour. I was in seventh grade when my mom enrolled me in a parkour class."
Elaine’s eyes widened, a grin spreading across her face. "A parkour class? No wonder you’ve got those sneaky thief skills!"
Rio laughed, the sound lightening the mood between them. "Yeah, I guess all that running and jumping came in handy."
As they continued packing, Rio found himself engrossed in their conversation, almost forgetting where they were. His hands worked methodically, folding and rolling each piece of clothing with practiced ease. But then, without thinking, he picked up a pair of Elaine’s panties. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks, and he quickly placed them back down, his face flushing with embarrassment.
"I—I think you can handle this part on your own," Rio stammered, turning his gaze away, his cheeks burning.
Elaine looked at him, then at the clothes, and couldn’t help but laugh softly. "It’s okay, Rio," she said, her tone gentle and understanding. "Thank you for showing me how to pack properly. You’ve been a big help."
...
After packing her clothes with Rio's help, Elaine moved on to gathering the other essentials. She carefully placed her handheld game console, its charging dock, a few favorite game cards, her phone charger, and a power bank into her backpack. She added her personal hygiene products—things that would help her feel somewhat human in this upside-down world. With everything in place, she zipped up the backpack, feeling a mix of readiness and anxiety.
But there was one more thing to do.
"What do you think I should wear?" Elaine asked, glancing over at Rio.
"Something you can move freely in, that’s comfortable but still offers some protection," Rio replied. "We’ll be doing a lot of running, so make sure it’s something that won’t slow you down."
His tone was calm, but the gravity of the situation wasn’t lost on either of them. As Rio stood up from the bed, he headed toward the door, giving Elaine space to change. "I’ll be outside. Take your time."
"Okay, got it." Elaine closed the door as Rio left the room. "Now it makes sense why he's wearing activewear like sweatpants, a windbreaker, and running shoes—or maybe it's just his style?" she thought as she began selecting clothes from her closet.