Dead Serve

Part 4~The Cafe

The knife embedded itself in the wall above Ennoshita's head, his heart was beating faster, hitting against his ribs like a drum. It couldn't be an infected- they didn't use weapons- which meant it was an actual person and one could argue, they are more dangerous than any infected you'll ever come across.

"Wait! Wait, please, we don't mean any harm!" Kinoshita jumped out in front of Ennoshita, holding out his hands in a peaceful manner. He tried to keep himself small to reduce an intimidating effect he had on the lady.

"Get out! Do you know how much danger you have put my family in by coming here?! Get out! Get out!" The lady threw another knife at Ennoshita, only stopped by Narita's fast reflexes, making it embed itself in a can of plum tomatoes.

Ennoshtia swiftly grabbed Kinoshita, hurling the bag onto his shoulder as they ran for the exit. "Wait! We can't leave without our disguises! We will be killed on sight!" Ennoshita gave the lady a hopeful look, begging her to understand.

"That's not my problem!" The lady went to throw another knife, Ennoshita braced himself for the pain, throwing Kinoshita and Narita behind him.

"What's going on in here?"

Never in all their lives, had the three second-years been so glad to see the grumpy store owner. "Coach Ukai!"

Ukai looked shocked to see the three volleyball members. He gently placed a hand on the lady's back, pushing her to the back. "Don't worry, I'll deal with this." The second the lady was gone he let out a sigh. "You're lucky she didn't kill you."

"Yeah, it was pretty close," Kinoshita said with a laugh, pointing at the tomato sauce spreading out on the floor.

Ukai let out a sweet laugh, closing his eyes so he could imagine the scene. "I bet it was. What are you doing here?"

The trio sighed, looking at the floor with broken expressions.

"Are... Are the others..." Ukai couldn't bring himself to finish the question, he didn't want to think about what these boys had gone through. They were just children.

"They're alive," Ennoshita announced. "Everyone but Hinata is hulled up in the gym but we don't have much food left. We barely found any the first time we went looking and Daichi has been trying to keep it going but..."

"So you came here to get food," Ukai guessed with a sullen expression, the boys nodding in the background.

"We didn't think you were... you know," Kinoshita whispered with a sad expression.

"No... It's fine. You had no way of knowing." Ukai got up, picking some ideas off the self, trying to ignore the question bouncing in his mind. "...Have... Have you heard from Takeda?"

The silence tightened its grip on Ukai's heart. They hadn't and the harsh truth was starting to hurt. It was his own fault for letting himself hope.

"I'm sorry, I wish we had better news," Ennoshita whispered, knowing there wasn't really a good way to comfort someone in these times.

"No. It's fine. I'm a little glad." Ukai let out a bitter laugh, sighing as he continued along the shelves. "While Takeda may have died before he deserved it, I am glad he didn't have to watch the world fall. I know, he would have died valiantly and he would be waiting for me."

"Do you think... Hinata is waiting too?" Ennoshita held his breath, having not meant to say that out loud.

Ukai let his face soften and a smile to grace. "I'm sure they are both cheering us on. Here you go." Ukai handed the group the food, all of it stored in the store's bags.

The boys awed at the food they were being offered. "Wait, don't you need this," Kinoshita asked in shock. There was no way they were being given this.

"Not really. We have plenty more," Ukai explained while ruffling Ennoshita's hair. He walked calmly to the back, sighing as he left. "I'm sorry, I can't go with you but look after the others, alright?"

"Ukai! Wait!" Ennoshita jumped up, running over to the grumpy coach who saved them in volleyball and was now saving them in the apocalypse. He hesitated for a second before pulling out his phone. "We searched the school and I came across this. I was planning on sending it to you but the signal around here has stopped. It's a letter, from Takeda. I think he intended to give it to you the day Hinata got infected." Ennoshita handed Ukai the phone, the picture clear on the screen.

Ennoshita joined the others by the door, already pulling the bins onto their head.

"Won't you need this," Ukai asked in shock.

"Nah. It's almost out anyway. You better read the letter before it runs out of power." Ennoshita helped Narita push aside the shelf before leaving through the hole and pulling it semi-closed.

'My dearest Ukai,
I wish I was brave enough to tell you in person, but I know I'm not, so I'll use the words that have brought me this far.

I will never forget the day you agreed to help us. It was a light in the dark, a single drop of hope for the club. You save the team and because of you, I know we will win today. But even if we don't, it won't change anything.

I love you Ukai.

Nothing in this world could keep me from you and I know even if all the world was against us, my feelings will never change. You are the most amazing person in the world and in my life.

If you feel the same, meet me at the cafe, you know the one, I await you.
Yours always, Ittetsu Takeda.'

Ukai watched as the phone powered down, his salty tears hitting the black glass. "Why...? Why didn't you just tell me?" Ukai felt his legs buckle as he cried for his lost love. He didn't hear the window smashing.

“You came! Come on, let’s go inside. Everyone is waiting for you.”

"Come on, we're almost there," Ennoshita ordered hopefully as they arrived at the gate. They threw the food over and used the bins to climb up. Narita was quick to get on the other side. as he waited to help Ennoshita who was forced by next. Kinoshita struggled, the bins wobbled and threatened to tumble.

"Wait, do you hear that?" Narita looked around for the source of the sound. "Look out!"

Kinoshita jumped up as the infected crashed into the bins and caused them to fall. With his support gone, it couldn't be long until Kinoshita was on the floor as well.

"Kinoshita!"

Kinoshita's eyes met the others for just a brief second. They could see the fear that shattered their soles. The rot festered hand reached up, grabbing onto Kinoshita who struggled harder. "No! No! I don't want to die!"

The commotion had caught the attention of the other members who were out in a second, arriving just in time to watch the infected pull, Kinoshita, down and bit into his throat. Kinoshita's blood spurted out, hitting Ennoshita and Narita who were in shock. This couldn't be happening.

The infected reached out to grab them but Kageyama got there first, hitting their handoff and breaking it in one swing. He didn't wait as he spun and swung the baseball bat over his head, driving it down through the gap in the bars and into the infected's head.

It was only when the infected stopped moving did Kageyama realise who that was. Who it used to be.

Hinata Shoyo was finally at peace and Kageyama had the blood on his hands.