[READER'S VIEWPOINT – Extra in Highschool of the Dead]
Name: Nach Smith
Progress: Act.5 (Page 17/34)
"Take pride in the fact that we will not become forgotten like the rest of Fujimi Academy," Shido proclaimed loudly as he stood at the center of the bus, spreading his arms wide as if trying to make himself look and feel bigger.
"We were the ones who had the ingenuity to take a bus. Miyamoto-san and that disgrace of a teacher did not fit in with the likes of us!"
"This is getting bad," Saya whispered, voicing the exact thought of everyone in their group.
"Let's work together for our mutual survival! By working together, we will triumph over this crisis!!"
"Indeed. He's acting like he's trying to get us to join a new religious sect," Saeko added as she glanced over her shoulder at Shido.
"It's not like—that's exactly what he's doing. Father Shido wants us to be his first disciples. Look at those idiots listening to him."
Like Saya said, every one of Shido's students had become completely brainwashed by his words.
In the original plot of the story, Shido's group was only supposed to include seven students: Miku Yuuki, the delinquent Tsunoda, the creepy Kurokami, a guy named Miura, a girl named Taniuchi, and two more students from Takuzo's group.
But since Takuzo survived thanks to Nach's interference, the girl Kawamoto and the guy Yamada were removed—rather, saved—from Shido's group.
Still, with the changes Nach and Kyoko caused, there were now a dozen students in Shido's group, all of them desperately clinging to him as he took advantage of their fear.
Setting aside the concern about Shido's cult...
"With the road like this, it might be a good idea to just leave the bus behind," Saeko said, bringing their conversation back to their original goal of reaching Saya's household.
"If we leave now, we might be able to meet up with Nach-sensei and Miyamoto along the way."
"You're really worried about Pervert-sensei, aren't you?" Saya teased, trying to shift the teasing about Nach from herself to Saeko.
"What about your family?"
Saeko explained that her father was her only family and was currently overseas for a martial arts tournament.
"To put it simply, I'm more concerned about returning the favor for Nach-sensei helping us escape the school."
With their conversation shifting toward their families, each of them voiced their concerns.
"Ahh, my family is gone right now. So, um, I'll just go where you go, Takagi-san," Kohta said, then proceeded to talk about his life which, in Saya's words, seemed like it had been set up for some outdated fictional character—with his father, a jeweler doing business in Holland, his mother, a fashion designer in Paris, even his ship-captain grandfather and violist grandmother.
"I-it's perfect..." Saya grumbled, surprised at Kohta's background.
"My family lives in the city, but I want to make sure Rei is safe before going back home," Hisashi said.
"If you're leaving the bus now, then I might as well get off too," Imamura said with a worried look on his face, despite hiding the fact that he was worried about his family and had been planning to leave since they reached the bridge.
As for Shizuka, she didn't have any relatives in Tokonosu City.
"I want to come along..." she said with a cheerful smile, yet everyone noticed she was worried about someone else. They all had an idea who it was, but to their surprise, it was for a reason they weren't expecting.
"...I still haven't apologized to Nach for not stopping the bus or opening the door for him."
They all knew it wasn't Shizuka's fault, and Nach didn't show any sign that he was bothered by it either. But before they could say anything reassuring, the person responsible interrupted their conversation.
"What's wrong, everybody? We're supposed to be working together..."
"It's no less disappointing to say so, Shido-sensei, but we have our own goals and are under no obligation to associate with you," Saya proudly declared, earning hateful glares from everyone in Shido's group.
"I can see you've already decided," Shido replied, flashing a scheming grin with his fingers clasped in front of his face as he glared at Saya.
"However, without you, it's most likely that the Takagi estate won't let us in."
"That's exactly my point. I'm not inclined to take someone like you to my mama and papa's mansion."
"Are you really saying that you would abandon us—Argh!"
Before Shido could rile up his students, trying to make them restrain Saya to stop her from leaving the bus, Kohta fired a shot from his nail gun.
But unlike in the original plot, instead of grazing Shido's left cheek, the nail pierced and got stuck in his left ear.
"AHHH!"
While Shido screamed in pain and stumbled onto the back seat, Kohta stepped forward.
"I didn't intend to miss. You just got lucky." He aimed his nail gun and fired another shot—AHHH!—nailing the hand of the guy who tried to leap at him and snatch his weapon.
"I won't hold back anymore—not with society falling apart, not now that I can't live a normal life. I won't hesitate to kill anyone who dares to bully me again!"
"Hirano-kun... that's... going a bit..." Shido murmured, his voice trembling as much as his body, unable to maintain composure due to the pain in his left ear.
"Busujima-senpai, take the lead and get out of the bus. I'll guard the rear."
"You're a real man, Hirano-kun."
Saeko stepped off the bus, followed by Shizuka, Imamura, Hisashi, and Saya.
But before Saya got off, she stopped and looked back at Takashi, who had uncharacteristically remained quiet throughout the entire conversation and commotion.
"And what are you going to do, Komuro?" she asked, her tone blunt and sharp, though her irritated expression was laced with concern.
"If you all want to die out there, then do as you like," Takashi retorted before looking away, earning himself a hateful glare from Saya as she exited the bus, followed by Kohta.
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What the heck was that, you freaking MC!? Why are you ditching your friends?