𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐝𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐨𝐬 // 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐤𝐨𝐤𝐮

Chapter 1 • Jinko?!

Nakajima Atsushi had been separated from his group after a fight with the strange creatures, which were referred to as kanshiiki.

Akutagawa Ryunosuke had been separated from his group after an explosion in an abandoned building.

They wandered on their own for days on end.

What are the odds that the would find each other?

Atsushi stumbled tiredly through the empty streets as he looked for a place of shelter. His weretiger powers were the only thing keeping him alive at the moment. Without it, he probably would've died of starvation or injuries.

Akutagawa rested behind the counter of a small deserted convenience store, so that he wouldn't be seen by any of the kanshiiki. Of course, he would love to fight them off, but Rashomon could only last for so long. At the moment, he didn't have enough strength to summon Rashomon without him coughing up blood.

Just as Aku was about to close his eyes, thinking that he was safe, he heard the door chimes jingle. Someone had entered.

'Shit. I'm in no condition to fight off one of those monsters... I have to though, there's still hope that I can reunite with the others.' Akutagawa thought as he moved into a crouching position, ready to attack at any moment.

'I have the advantage with the element of surprise. I can attack now before things get difficult. Ok. 1. 2. 3!' Akutagawa jumped over the counter and pounced onto the creature, pinning it to the ground, ready to use Rashomon and pierce its body.

"Gah!" the creature yelped.

Wait. Those monsters don't make sounds like that.

Akutagawa looked down and couldn't believe his eyes.

"Jinko?!" The raven haired boy exclaimed, recognizing the white uneven bangs framing the weretiger's face. And he could never forget those two-toned eyes.

"Akutagawa?!" Atsushi shouted, equally surprised. He remembered that stupid nickname that Akutagawa gave him when they first met. And those cold eyes of a killer.

They stared at each other in shock for a few moments before Akutagawa pushed himself off the weretiger with a sneer.

"Tch. You're so weak you couldn't even fight back." Aku spat as he sat on the floor beside Atsushi.

"So... you're alone too?" Atsushi asked.

"Explosion. Couldn't find the others. You?" Akutagawa replied.

"Separated in a fight with some kanshiiki." Atsushi answered casually.

"...Hey, Akutagawa. Why aren't you fighting me? You could easily kill me right now." Atsushi asked, acknowledging his fatigued state.

"Couldn't even if I tried. I used Rashomon too much fending off those creatures. If I used it any more, I'd probably cough out my heart or something." Akutagawa shrugged.

"How about you, Jinko. You could easily slit my throat right now."

He looked at Atsushi and noticed he was clutching his side. The white haired boy silently removed his arm to reveal a big gash in his side.

'Ah. So his weretiger powers are being used up trying to keep him from dying from that wound.' Akutagawa realized.

"Get up. There should be some bandages around here." Akutagawa stood up and offered his hand to the weretiger.

Atsushi, who was too desperate for help to argue, took his hand with no hesitation.

They looked for the medicine shelf of the convenience store and found some bandages to wrap around Atsushi's wound.

As Akutagawa tended to the weretiger's wounds, Atsushi attempted to start a conversation.

"So, explosion? I thought those creatures weren't smart." Atsushi pointed out, hoping that the creatures minds weren't advancing.

"They're not. Stupid Kajii-san decided it was a good idea to throw a lemon bomb at one of them inside a building." The raven haired boy grumbled.

Atsushi suppressed a laugh. For one of the members of Akutagawa's group, Kajii sure could be... overwhelming sometimes.

"Akutagawa, why are you helping me? Aren't we enemies?" Atsushi said as Akutagawa was finishing wrapping Atsushi's bandages.

"Well, we're loners out in this dangerous world, Jinko. Right now, I'm the only person you have and you're the only person I have." Akutagawa answered, tying the weretiger's bandages up and looking outside the glass door of the store.

The city was barren. Not a single human being in sight. Buildings and streets covered in dirt and blood stains. It was so silent that all that could be heard was the whistling of the wind.

Akutagawa was right.

They only had each other.

They had to trust each other.

If not, they would die.

A/N

first chapter!

honestly i'm pretty proud of this chapter and i think i did pretty good

so brief explanation of the name of the creatures, i translated the words 'infected' and 'creature' in japanese and got the words 'kansen shita ikimono'. so me and two other people combined those words to come up with the word 'kanshiiki'!

so yea, i hope you liked this chapter! if so, i'd appreciate it if you voted ❤️