(I open my eyes slightly and the first thing I see when I wake up is the cat clock on the wall)
It's 9:38 in the morning... wow... did I sleep that long?
(I get up from the sofa and stretch my limbs)
I guess I was a little more tired than usual yesterday
(All the heavy tasks I did yesterday come to mind, from facing a zombie taller and heavier than me to carrying a sleeping MILF on my back...)
Yes... yesterday was a tough day... (yawn)
"You're awake..."
(A voice comes from the side of the room and interrupts my thoughts)
Huh?
(The voice came from Mrs. Akiko, who was standing at the entrance to the room.)
-Oh... I apologize if I scared you...
(I could tell from her gestures that she was a little anxious.)
No... don't worry, it's no big deal...
Oh... I see.
(I could see her complexion calming down a little.)
Well... you must be hungry... if that's the case... you can come to the kitchen...
I made something for breakfast and thought about calling you to eat, but since you were sleeping so soundly, I didn't want to wake you up abruptly...
Oh, I see...
(That's good, at least I don't have to worry about making breakfast now.)
(With no time to lose, I head to the kitchen with Mrs. Akiko, who looks a little anxious.)
Wow...
(breakfast turned out to be coffee, bacon, eggs, and pancakes that were rolled up and covered in a thick sugary mixture)
even though a couple of minutes had passed
(I was somewhat skeptical about the breakfast in front of me, since I usually eat oatmeal, cereal, toast, or something reheated, but I never imagined seeing a breakfast like this)
(in fact, it resembles the breakfast of an average wealthy family)
(I took a first bite, then two, three, four, and so on until I had completely cleaned my plate)
(delicious...)
(That was the only word I could think of right now.)
(This has been by far the best breakfast I've had in years.)
(In fact, maybe in my whole life. That statement brings back memories of how difficult it was to make ends meet in my previous world and how sometimes I had to settle for a piece of bread for breakfast.)
And how did you like it?
(Mrs. Akiko asks me that question with a somewhat tense expression on her face)
It was delicious
(I answer without hesitation)
I see...
(after those words, I could see that she was more relaxed)
...but
But?
(Mrs. Akiko's complexion paled slightly again)
You could stop making this kind of food and opt for something simpler that doesn't require so many resources.
(Actually, it wouldn't be bad to have a breakfast like this every day, but the amount of supplies used is a bit excessive)
I... understand.
(Mrs. Akiko looked slightly embarrassed.)
(Having made that point clear, I thank her for breakfast and head to the living room.)
(Once in the living room, I get ready to leave again.)
(...)
(It's time to go back to Mr. Yamada, Jun, and Misaki.)
(I wonder how they are doing, especially Jun...)
(With that in mind, I leave the room, saying goodbye to Mrs. Akiko and the children)
(I go down the stairs somewhat cautiously in case I encounter any zombies, but luckily I don't run into any and am able to leave the building)
(In the distance, in front of the hotel, I could make out some silhouettes walking clumsily, which was evidence that they were nothing more than zombies.)
(I walk along one side of the street, trying to reach the next possible alley.)
(As I walked, I could see that there were some zombies lying on the ground, unable to walk. On one of them, I could see a strange lump on its back.)
(which gave the impression that something inside him was out of place, perhaps that's why he couldn't stand up and could only crawl awkwardly with his hands)
(I stop looking at the zombie and keep walking while trying not to attract its attention)
(and so I avoid many zombies that are somewhat close to me)
(This reminds me...)
(There was a time in my previous life when I read a review that complained that the perception of zombies and zombie variants was very repetitive and that, compared to other games with the same theme, these were very mediocre...)
(At first I somewhat agreed with this review, but after thinking about it I realized that this was nothing more than a prejudice, since I have seen series that play with this concept, ranging from beings similar to humans, only that they are dead, to beings that mutate and become biological weapons...)
(Although, well, I understand a little why they were complaining, because who isn't fascinated by the concept of the living dead becoming stronger and more lethal as time goes by?)
(But in my situation, I'm grateful that this is the case, as I don't want to imagine how I would have to deal with it.)
(As I continue walking along the sidewalk and approach an alley I could take)
(I come across the scene I witnessed with Misaki the last time I went to her rescue.)
(where the guy who was cursing us had been standing, there were only scraps of clothing and several traces of blood; the only thing left there was the infected woman who had been beaten by the guy the last time)
(She looked the same as last time, her face bruised and beaten, with one eye hanging from her left eye socket.)
(Although unlike last time, she now held a skull in her hands that was stained a dark reddish color.)
(I could see that the skull still had some hair on it and a small piece of spinal cord that was still attached to it.)
(The woman was lying there biting the edges of the skull. Looking more closely, I could see that she was biting it very hard because her teeth looked broken and her gums were bleeding. Although, looking closely, perhaps the blood did not necessarily come from her gums).
(I look away and continue on my way).
(After passing through the alley, I crossed the road and a few meters in front of me was Mr. Yamada's house).
(I walk to his house and ring the doorbell).
(After a few minutes, the door opens and Misaki greets me, her eyes slightly red and swollen. She has a somber look on her face.)
You're back...
...Yes... Did something happen?
(Misaki just looks down.)
(Maybe I should prepare myself for the worst...)
(With that in mind, I enter Mr. Yamada's house.)