Highschool of the Dead: Fanfiction Darkpenn

Chapter 1.2: Saya's really expensive shoes

Saya's Really Expensive Shoes

On a shopping trip with Hirano, Saya finds more than she bargained for.

[Author's Note: This short story is meant to be read as an incidental part of the story cycle The Chronicle of Takeshi Komuro rather than as a component of the main narrative stream. It takes place while the group is in the city, at the mall; that is, within the time period of the story Dead and the City. Specifically, it takes place shortly before the story Close Encounters of the Sleeping Bag Kind.]

"I don't know if this is such a good idea, Saya," said Hirano.

"Of course it is, since I thought of it," said Saya. "This might be my last chance for some serious retail before we leave the city. Anyway, there doesn't seem to be any of them around."

"Still, I don't think it's a good idea to be wandering around by ourselves, without telling the others where we were going."

"Oh, I told Takashi we were going to look for more gas cylinders for the stove."

"And yet here we are in the boutique district." He looked around. Designer shops as far as the eye could see. At least the area was relatively untouched, by the look of things. Some other parts of the city were not much more than ruin and rubble.

He sighed. He did not really know why he was here, but on the other hand he would go with Saya pretty well anywhere that she wanted to go. He hefted the automatic rifle that he had liberated from the abandoned police station near the mall.

"Versace," read Saya, as they walked down the street. "Gucci. Prada."

"Those are people, right?" said Hirano.

She stared at him. "You really are hyper-challenged in normal things, aren't you?" she said.

"No! Well, sometimes. Yes, I suppose I am. Are we looking for anything in particular?"

"Yes, and here it is. Welcome to paradise."

It was a shoe store. An extremely expensive shoe store.

"This is absolutely wonderful!" said Saya as they went in. "I have the whole place to myself. Oh, these are really cute." She took a pair of turquoise pumps from the display case. She sat down and tried them on. Then she looked at the price tag. "Humph," she said.

"What, too expensive?" said Hirano.

"Not expensive enough," said Saya.

"Huh?"

"You really don't get it, do you?"

"Obviously not."

She tried on another pair. And another. And another. And so on.

"You know," said Hirano. "None of these are very practical in our current circumstances. A solid pair of boots would be better. You really need something you can run in. As in, away from zombies."

"Jimmy Choos?"

"Can you run in them?"

"Not really. You know, this whole shopping thing was much more fun when there were lots of salespeople around to suck up to you. Serving champagne and stuff. What do you think of these?"

"They're lovely."

"And what about these ones?"

"Also lovely."

"And these?"

"Yes, lovely."

"You really don't know, do you?"