I was roused by the resonating chime, alerting me to the start of the day. Switching on my music and donning my earphones, I strolled down the corridors with an air of confidence. "Good morning, Takashima! It's lunchtime, by the way," someone greeted, waving enthusiastically. "Mr. Takahashi wants to see you in his office," chimed in another person. I casually responded, "Sure, I'll conjure up another eloquent speech just for him." Yes, it's true—I've earned a reputation as a troublemaker at school. I frequently doze off in class and show minimal interest in my usual activities. Oddly enough, though, my grades manage to pass muster. So, expending effort on tasks is inconsequential when I need to buckle down.
Upon reaching Mr. Takahashi's office, I removed my earphones and took a seat before him. "Takashima! One of my favorite students," he greeted with a smile. I returned the gesture and quipped, "Haha... Thanks. It's the first time I've become someone's favorite." His expression turned serious, and I quickly added, "Sorry about that."
He sighed, rising from his desk. "You're a smart kid, Takashima. You have a great future ahead of you." I responded nonchalantly, "Yeah, I guess." Mr. Takahashi went on, "It's true. Not everyone can maintain good grades while being a troublemaker." I took it as a compliment.
"But you know," he continued, "the world is an awful place. Someday, you'll have to change to blend in, or you'll have to leave to feel the freedom of life. So tell me, Takashima, what will you do when it's the end of the world, and you have the chance to save the whole world or save yourself? What will you pick?"
The room became charged with a palpable tension after Mr. Takahashi's profound statement. Tentatively, I inquired, "If I answer that question, will it alter reality?" Mr. Takahashi responded, "I don't know... It's your choice, your point of view." Letting out a sigh, I decided, "Well, I choose to save myself." He found my response amusing and probed further, "Why did you pick that?"
I replied, "It doesn't matter what others think about something. What matters is what I think about it. I can't let someone else dictate my choices." Seating himself back at his desk, he acknowledged, "That's a great answer. However, for me, it depends on the situation. Choosing to save yourself grants freedom. Opting to save the world brings admiration, but freedom becomes elusive. Now, what if... the world needs you to save it, and you have no choice but to do so? What would you do?"
The room fell into a hushed stillness, the distant murmur of voices outside the door permeating the quiet. Mr. Takahashi sighed, breaking the silence, "That's an answer I want to hear someday. But for now, I must tell you that your behavior won't save you when the time comes, so you better man up and face reality... I'm rooting for you." My laughter rippled through the room, and I quipped, "Looks like you weren't joking about me being your favorite..."
Mr. Takahashi countered, "Everyone's my favorite. You were just fortunate enough to come here every day..." I interjected, "And listen to all of your issues. Nah, that ain't lucky." Leaving the room with those words, I adorned my ears with earphones, immersing myself in my playlist.
Lost in my thoughts, I mused, "If I were compelled to become the hero and save the world... That's one peculiar statement from him. And now, I can't seem to shake it off. A hero, huh... I think he's got the wrong person to call a hero." In a moment of distraction, gazing out the windows, I was abruptly jolted as someone smacked me from behind. The cheerful voice of Kanda rang out, "Yo, Takashima!" I turned to face her, responding, "It didn't hurt, Kanda. It's supposed to be like this," as I flicked her forehead. She retorted, "That hurt." I chuckled, replying, "That's your fault for doing it first." We shared a laugh.
We proceeded to stroll through the halls together. Kanda inquired, “You got called into Mr. Takahashi’s office again, didn’t you?” I responded, “Indeed, I did, and it's not for the reasons you might assume.” She countered, “I doubt that. You’re someone that’s hard to deal with.” I retorted, “Then why stick around if that's your opinion?” She admitted, “That's because of your dancing skills. I want you to teach me more!” Letting out a sigh, I replied, “You can't do it. My stunts are very different from what you're used to.” Unfazed, she declared, “Then, I'll practice.” I chuckled, responding, “Practice all you want, but I refuse to be your teacher.” She commented, “You know, you're a very rude person for a senior.” I quipped, “You have plenty of seniors, so why pick me?” She explained, “I had no choice. You know how to dance.” I countered, “What about that friend of mine?” She replied, “She's got skills, but it doesn’t really suit my style.” I added, “And mine also doesn’t suit yours.”
Suddenly, Kanda grabbed my hand and pleaded, “Please, please, please. I want to do those stunts. I want to do it. Please teach me.” I couldn't help but think, "This junior is really pushing it..."
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The bell chimed, signaling the end of the break, prompting students to return to their classrooms. Kanda released my hand, insisting, “You better teach me a stunt sometime.” I countered, “And you better know that I won’t.” Smiles exchanged, we went our separate ways.
Upon entering my classroom, I found my classmates peering outside. Curious, I asked my friend, Saeki, “Dude, what are they looking for outside?” Saeki responded, “I don’t know. Some girl, probably.” Taking my seat, another friend, Takeda, approached. He inquired, “Did you get an earful from our adviser?” I clarified, “It wasn’t an earful. He even told me I was his favorite student.”
Hakuryuu joined our conversation, asserting, “You know that ain’t the truth. It’s me. I’m the favorite one. However, this guy’s my favorite one.” He pulled Shoji into our group. Puzzled, Shoji asked, “Why did you pull me over here?” Hakuryuu explained, “I pulled you here because I’m here to show off my favorite person.” Shoji quipped, “Oh… I’m your favorite. Because I’m black?!” Hakuryuu didn’t say anything, only smiling at him. Shoji retorted, “You racist bastard.”
Laughter echoed among us until shouts from outside reached our ears. My classmates engaged in animated discussions about what they had witnessed through the window. Standing up, I joined them to take a look. The sight was tragic, and I muttered silently, “A human eating a human…” Saeki, also observing, asked, “What kind of play is this?” Hakuryuu nonchalantly replied, “It’s probably just a practice for their performance task.” Takeda chimed in, “But, bro, they used a lot of fake blood. That’ll be tough to clean.” Shoji added, “Yeah, it’ll be.” I sighed deeply, remarking, “That ain’t fake blood. The stench, the skin ripping off, the deterioration of the people… That ain’t a play. That’s… real…”
As I spoke, a person-turned-zombie below us locked eyes with me. Urgently, I declared, “Guys, we need to leave.” Without further explanation, I sprinted outside the classroom, swiftly descending to the first floor. Rushing to the junior's classroom, I shouted, “Kanda!” Grabbing her hand, I pulled her outside without providing any details. Confused, she asked, “Where are you taking me?! Class is about to start!” I replied, “Class ain’t happening.” Perplexed, she questioned, “Huh? What do you mean by that?” I disclosed, “Because… zombies are here.” With that, the windows shattered, allowing zombies to invade the school.
Ascending the stairs alongside Kanda, I turned to her and expressed, “I’m sorry… about your friends. I can’t save them all.” She offered reassurance, “They’ll probably be fine.” Skepticism lingered in my response, “I highly doubt that.” Determinedly, we both raced to my classroom, and I urgently shouted, “Start barricading the classroom! Zombies have entered!” The sudden announcement left everyone in shock and terror. Kobayashi, grappling with mistrust, asked, “How can I trust you?” My reply was stark, “Don’t, and you’ll die.” Kobayashi pivoted and declared, “Start barricading the doors. We need to protect everyone here! That’s what matters!” Surveying the room, I observed, “Looks like Saeki, Hakuryuu, Shoji, and Takeda started to move.” I informed Kobayashi, “We'll try to save the students as much as possible.” Though still skeptical, Kobayashi conceded, “I still don’t trust you, however, I know that you won’t joke around like this.” I instructed, “Protect my junior. I’ll save the people downstairs.”
Swiftly, I ran outside the classroom and surveyed the floor. Realizing not everyone had received the message, I rushed downstairs and witnessed a horde of zombies closing in on an unsuspecting classroom. Determined to divert their attention, I stomped my foot on the floor, successfully attracting the attention of the approaching zombies. I quickly retreated and descended to the first floor, muttering, “This is a bad idea, but I’ve got no choice!”
The ground floor was a chaotic tableau of horror—zombies running amok, growling, chomping, and screams resonating in the air. Blood, zombies, and people desperately fleeing filled my vision, and the weight of the grim reality pressed down on me. Thoughts echoed in my mind: “Why did this have to happen…”
As I ran, seeking other students to save, my efforts seemed futile. Everywhere I turned, blood and zombies dominated the scene. Doubts crept in, “Mr. Takahashi, I ain’t a hero. All I’m doing right now is just running. Running away, I’m not a hero like you said. I’m not someone near that…”
Back upstairs, I unintentionally found myself back in Mr. Takahashi's office. Closing the door behind me, I saw him sitting on his desk, covering a wound, bleeding out. I spoke, “Mr. Takahashi…” He replied weakly, “Takashima…” I confessed, “Mr. Takahashi… I ain’t a hero. I ain’t a hero like you’ve said I am.” His laughter filled the room as he spoke, “I never said… you were a… hero. And you never know… It might… happen.” I took a seat, listening to his last words. He urged, “Survive… Takashima. And live… the life you want… That’s… my final lesson… for you.” I laughed and vowed, “That’s what I’m going to do, sir… That’s what I’m going to do.”
Taking a ballpen from his desk, I struck it into his neck. “Live well in the afterlife, Mr. Takahashi. You deserve better,” I whispered. Wrapping his coat around my arm, I taped it up, preparing for the battle ahead. I ventured outside, using the coat to fend off the encroaching zombies. Racing up the stairs, I found the classroom already barricaded on the fourth floor. In the room above mine, I barricaded the doors with tables and chairs. Exhausted, I muttered, “This is tiring…” Despite weariness, I took off the curtains, tying them together. Once done, I opened the window and assessed the situation below. Determined, I declared, “I got my way down, however… I need to ensure that everyone below survives.” And so, my zombie life story began.
Zombie 1 - End