Under Sakura Megumi's comfort, Naoki Miki quickly calmed down. Realizing she hadn't changed her clothes, she blushed and invited everyone into the warehouse.
On the floor of the warehouse were two sets of blankets, where she and Shitodo Kei slept together.
Besides that, there was a small sofa and a washbasin, as well as a bowl for dog food.
Taromaru was wagging his tail happily, eating the dog food in the bowl with relish.
In addition, there were many large shelves inside, filled with a lot of food. If there were no problems, they could indeed stay here for a long time.
However... the precondition was that they could endure this life, otherwise they would leave like Shitodo Kei.
"Excuse me, have you seen a girl? She has short hair like me, and she's also a student from Kyonohoka Academy."
Naoki Miki, who had finally calmed down, recalled Shitodo Kei, who had left that morning, and asked anxiously.
Although Shitodo Kei told her she would bring rescuers back, the zombies outside made her very worried about her friend's situation.
"Something happened, and now she's waiting for us in the car outside. She needs to rest, and we're here to rescue you."
Inaba Tsukiyo approached Naoki Miki from behind. Although small in stature, Naoki Miki felt immense pressure from her.
It was then that she realized this girl with the katana might be the most terrifying person here; those zombies outside were likely dealt with by her.
"Get what you need ready, then let's leave. Don't bring too much; we're going back."
"Oh… oh!"
Although she still had many questions, Naoki Miki obediently packed the portable CD player that Shitodo Kei had left before she departed.
On the way out, Sakura Megumi and the others asked Naoki Miki about what happened at the supermarket, and Naoki Miki didn't hide anything, simply telling them the course of events.
Though the story was simple, everyone could deeply feel the hardships within it.
Inaba Tsukiyo walked ahead, listening to the conversations behind her, a slight smile curving her lips.
While it was easy to let one's guard down like this, at a time worth celebrating, it was better not to complain.
As Inaba Tsukiyo and the others were about to return to the car, Shitodo Kei, who had just woken up, found that her body had not undergone any pathological changes, and her heart, which had been hanging, finally relaxed.
Looking out the window, she saw Inaba Tsukiyo and the others bringing her good friend Naoki Miki back, and she happily pressed against the window.
"Miki, you're back!"
"Kei!"
Naoki Miki, who was following Inaba Tsukiyo, heard her friend's voice and realized that Inaba Tsukiyo and the others had appeared on the rooftop because of Shitodo Kei.
Unable to hold back her thoughts, Naoki Miki immediately rushed to the car, hugging her friend tightly, crying tears of joy.
Facing such a scene, Inaba Tsukiyo and the others smiled. For some reason, the cries of Shitodo Kei and Naoki Miki touched Inaba Tsukiyo's heart.
Inaba Tsukiyo wasn't sure what this feeling was, but she didn't dislike the sight.
As planned, Naoki Miki and Shitodo Kei sat in Sakura Megumi's car, while Inaba Tsukiyo sat in the driver's seat, leaving the space for them.
Perhaps it was the release of long-held stress, but after crying, Shitodo Kei and Naoki Miki fell asleep.
Looking at the sleeping Shitodo Kei and Naoki Miki through the rearview mirror, Sakura Megumi couldn't help but smile.
"She just woke up, and she's already asleep again. It seems Naoki is very tired too."
"To keep her mind from breaking, she forced herself to keep going. Sister Megumi, didn't you notice the schedule hanging on the warehouse wall earlier?"
"Yes, if you don't find something to do, it's easy to give up. We have so many people, but they only had two."
In the apocalypse, there's no luxury like the internet. If you don't find something to do, life will certainly be much more monotonous.
Sakura Megumi had already planned to teach Kurumi and the other students as she used to in the coming days.
At least until they had corresponding combat power, Inaba Tsukiyo dared not let everyone go out together, so she had to find something for everyone to do, otherwise, such a situation would be too agonizing.
"Hey… Tsukiyo-chan. Haven't you noticed that Yuki is very strange? Sometimes she says things that people don't understand. It's as if…"
"As if this disaster never happened, and she's living a normal life. Is that what you mean, Sister Megumi?"
"…Mm, I'm very worried about her. Although it doesn't happen often, I'm very concerned."
This condition that Takenouchi Yuki exhibits, in professional terms, is called "regression."
This refers to when people, facing frustration, anxiety, or stress, abandon more mature coping skills or methods they have learned and regress to using certain behavioral patterns from an earlier stage of life.
They use primitive, childish methods to cope with the current situation and reduce their anxiety.
However, Takenouchi Yuki's situation isn't severe. Although she sometimes becomes like that, she can calm down quickly.
However, Sakura Megumi was worried that Takenouchi Yuki's condition would become increasingly severe.
This was in the extreme environment of the apocalypse; what if she accidentally encountered a zombie during an episode?
"If you're so worried, then just look after her. After all, you're the one she relies on most, Sister Megumi."
Takenouchi Yuki's reliance on Sakura Megumi was evident to everyone in the School Life Club.
As long as Sakura Megumi was by Takenouchi Yuki's side, Takenouchi Yuki would return to her original innocent and cheerful self.
Of course, the side effect was that if Sakura Megumi wasn't there, Takenouchi Yuki might collapse, which could lead to tragedy.
Sakura Megumi nodded. She would take good care of her beloved students. Even if she couldn't do much, she would protect them well.
The vehicles continued towards Megurigaoka City. This time, unlike before, they didn't have to stop and rest for a night; they could return quickly.
However, the car in front suddenly stopped, which puzzled Inaba Tsukiyo and Sakura Megumi behind them.
In front of Kurumi's car was a single zombie; there were no other zombies there.
However, the only difference was that this zombie had a sign hanging on it.
"We are at Nishikowa Elementary School. Please save us. We are going out to find food and water."
"Is that so? This way, even if we can't go back, we can still seek rescue. That's impressive."
Kurumi got out of the back seat, took her shovel, and approached the zombie, easily breaking its kneecap, intending to end its life.
Just then, Wakasa Yuri, in the driver's seat, suddenly got out of the car.
She, who had always kept her eyes closed and a gentle smile, now had wide, changing pupils.
"Hmm? Yuri's condition is strange."
Her heart rate increased, which was not a good sign. Wakasa Yuri had always maintained a stable emotional state, no matter the situation.
Inaba Tsukiyo had never seen her in such a state before.
Although she didn't know what was happening, when Kurumi eliminated the zombie, Wakasa Yuri took down the sign that was hanging on it.
Her right hand caressed the words "Nishikowa Elementary School" written on the sign, and she bit her lip, a figure constantly appearing in her mind.
This sudden situation quickly ended. Everyone returned to Kyonohoka Academy, but Wakasa Yuri's emotions remained abnormal after encountering that zombie.
One night, after everyone had fallen asleep, Wakasa Yuri quietly got up from her bed. After checking that everyone was asleep, she quietly left the School Life Club.
Wakasa Yuri went to the corridor window, opened it, and let the night breeze blow through her long hair.
She took a photograph from her pocket, one she hadn't taken out before, kept inside her bag.
"It seems you have something on your mind that you haven't told us, Yuri. It's dangerous to be out alone at night, you know."
Inaba Tsukiyo, dressed in rabbit pajamas, silently arrived behind Wakasa Yuri.
Wakasa Yuri seemed to have known Inaba Tsukiyo would come, as she wasn't startled. She turned around and looked at Inaba Tsukiyo.
'She's crying again. Why does everyone cry?'
The first to cry was Sakura Megumi, then Kurumi, followed by Shitodo Kei and Naoki Miki. Now, even Wakasa Yuri was crying.
Only the silly Takenouchi Yuki hadn't cried yet. Why did everyone she met seem to like crying?
"Tsukiyo-chan... what should I do?"
Silently shedding tears, Wakasa Yuri looked at the photo of her younger sister, unsure of what to do.
Her younger sister, Kouru, was a student at Nishikowa Elementary School, her most beloved and cherished sister.
Before, she hadn't remembered, always treating Takenouchi Yuki as her sister, and as a result, she forgot her real sister.
After the disaster erupted, communication functions were essentially paralyzed. Even if she wanted to make a call, she couldn't get through.
Although she really wanted to go to Nishikowa Elementary School, they were also facing zombie attacks here. It was only through Inaba Tsukiyo's efforts that the school building became safe.
But what about her sister? She was just a child.
Wakasa Yuri didn't dare to think, or rather, she was afraid to think about the problem, as she was someone who could only survive by relying on others to save her.
So what about her sister? How much hope was there for her sister, who was so much more fragile than herself, to survive? This was the question Wakasa Yuri had been pondering since returning to the academy.
At first, she hadn't thought about saving her sister, but she didn't want to be like Kurumi and Inaba Tsukiyo.
As for asking Inaba Tsukiyo for help, she had considered it, but Inaba Tsukiyo was already very tired from taking care of them. She didn't want Inaba Tsukiyo to worry about other issues, so she could only bury this concern in her heart.
It wasn't until she encountered that zombie from Nishikowa Elementary School that the worries buried deep in Wakasa Yuri's heart were unearthed.
"What... what should I do?"