Survival? Definitely Not A Test

Chapter X

"No"

Takemichi took hold of Naoto's hands and fix his posture in archery. The action caught the younger off-guard, the closeness between them made his cheeks burn. Hinata and Emma were cooing over his redden face not too far from them.

"You have a lot of potential in this but you need to aim it higher so it will go farther"

"Y-yes!"

It was into a week that Takemichi tasked them with weapon training. They were complaining at first but nothing angry Takemichi couldn't handle.

Takemichi let go of Naoto's arms before ruffling his hair affectionately. Looking around, he watched as the others were drowning in their sweat, panting heavily, missing the way Naoto's cheeks burned. The uneasy feeling in his heart or stomach didn't lighten at all these past two days. Things were too calm in this house. It was like a calm before a storm.

"It's almost three weeks huh..." Someone suddenly talked. Takemichi turned to the side slightly to see who was talking. Tachibana Hinata. She was also looking at the others with worry shining in her eyes. "...since their first day of training"

Pursing his lips, Takemichi sighed softly before turning away. "Yeah, it could happen anytime now" three weeks since the first day of their training plus the days Takemichi gave them to rest before the training. It sums up to almost a month.

"The wave," Hinata smiled softly while fidgeting with her fingers. "It's hard to imagine such a thing exists"

Takemichi didn't say anything. He knew that no matter what, these things shouldn't exist at all. Scratch that, the whole zombie apocalypse thing shouldn't exist in the first place. Instead, Takemichi brought his hand up to Hinata's head, patting her head gently.

Hinata's eyes widen before the tears pooling in her eyes, touched by the lovely gesture. Before the tears fall though, she wiped them away and chuckled slightly.

Takemichi smiled at her softly. His expression was so soft that it made Hinata's heart squeeze painfully. Even in this whole mess, Takemichi was the one who took care of them from the beginning. She didn't know how Takemichi could stay strong even in this.

"Although, didn't we supposed we supposed to be safe?" Hinata whispered, confused. Takemichi glanced at Hinata from the corner of his eyes, face still facing those who were training. "Our number didn't even add to twenty"

"Nothing hurt to be prepared" And that was the sentence Takemichi kept reminding himself. He did a lot of mistakes in the past and he would not be careless in this life. As best as he could.

He pursed his lips anxiously when he remembered that time. He remembered how his house was swarmed by the undead, a bunch of them, with only Mana and him in the house. It was a miracle they could get out of the house and still survive.

It was still a wonder how it had happened. Takemichi observed the wave for a long time but he still couldn't figure out how it happened with only two people.

The only conclusion he came to, there were people in the neighbourhood and they didn't want Takemichi to know.

But, why?

"How is the preparation going?" Takemichi asked Hinata softly, trying to change the subject.

Hinata put his hands under her chin, thinking thoroughly before she answered, "Everything is good so far, we separated the things we need and not. We don't have much in the first place. We are strays that got picked up by you after all"

"Joking aside, good. That means we can depart the moment the wave hits. It is right to leave the task to you" Nodding approvingly, Takemichi ruffled Hinata's hair in rough affection, smiling wide.