The girls hadn’t fully decided to go with him to escape the school as they were still thinking about it. But there is already a good sign that they may come with him. And if they do come with him, it’s a huge responsibility on his back. Literally, he plans on carrying Suzune and as for the two, they’ll move on their own.
He believed that with his current armament, he could get them out of here. What he needed was a solid plan.
And that plan involved getting to the parking lot, hijacking one of the cars, and then driving toward his apartment. It’s a plan that will get them to safety, and confirm the safety of his little sister. As for his mother and father, it’s going to be difficult as they were in the middle of work when everything happened.
He was contemplating deeply to the point he didn’t notice Miko standing in front of him.
"Uhm... here, bread and biscuit," Miko said shyly, extending both hands toward him with a small plastic-wrapped loaf and a can of juice.
Riku blinked and looked up from his thoughts. "Oh... thanks."
He took the bread from her hands. It was a soft-looking melonpan, a sweet, dome-shaped bun with a crisscross pattern on top—one of the more popular snacks you could find in a konbini. Along with it was a packet of Calbee biscuits and a can of Pocari Sweat, a common sports drink in Japan.
"I thought... maybe you’re hungry... after all you’ve done for us..." she added, glancing down and fidgeting with her fingers.
Riku smiled faintly. "I appreciate it. Really."
He took a bite of the melonpan and was surprised at how sweet and fluffy it still was. The soft crunch of the outer shell, the fluffy dough inside—it reminded him, just for a moment, of better days. Days when the biggest problem he had was finishing homework or catching the next train.
Miko stood there awkwardly, clearly unsure whether to leave or say more.
Riku swallowed and looked over to Suzune, who was leaning back against the wall, her eyes half-lidded from fatigue.
"Is Suzune... okay?" he asked softly, careful not to sound too worried. "She’s still in pain, isn’t she?"
"U-Uhm... y-yes..." Miko nodded quickly, pressing her fingers together and avoiding his eyes. "Suzune-san... she’s trying not to show it, but it looks like it still hurts. She always says she’s fine but... I think it’s worse than she lets on..."
She twiddled her thumbs. "S-She’s always been like that... always acting strong, even if she’s breaking inside."
Riku glanced toward Suzune again, watching the slow rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. She looked calm, but he knew Miko was right. The way she tensed whenever she shifted her leg—the faint wince she tried to hide—it all pointed to something serious.
"...Can I see her ankle?" Riku asked suddenly.
"E-Eh?!" Miko squeaked, her cheeks instantly flushing red. "Y-You want to... t-touch her foot?!"
Riku raised both palms, panicking a little. "N-No, no, not like that! I mean... I just want to check how bad it is. I might be able to help stabilize it better. I’ve had first aid training."
"Oh..." Miko looked away, clearly embarrassed. "S-Sorry. I didn’t mean to assume..."
Riku smiled awkwardly. "It’s fine. I get it."
Miko gave a small nod and turned toward Suzune. "Uhm... I’ll ask her..."
Miko stepped carefully toward Suzune, crouching beside her with a soft, almost hesitant voice.
"Uhm... Suzune-san," she whispered, tapping her friend’s sleeve. "Riku-san wants to see your ankle. He says he knows first aid... a-and maybe he can help fix it better?"
Suzune’s eyes fluttered open slowly, her gaze moving from Miko’s flushed face to Riku, who was now kneeling a respectful distance away. He didn’t say anything—he simply met her gaze and waited.
There was a long pause. Then, with a tired breath, Suzune gave a slow nod.
"If it’ll help... you may," she said. "Just don’t expect me to thank you if it hurts."
Riku let out a small chuckle. "Fair enough."
He slung his MP5 over his back and approached quietly, lowering himself to one knee beside her. Ichika, who had been sitting on her other side, shifted slightly to give him room but kept a wary eye on him.
"Alright, I’m just going to lift the hem of your skirt a little above the ankle," he said, making sure to announce his actions clearly. "No funny business. I swear."
"Just get on with it," Suzune muttered, though her ears flushed slightly.
Riku gently took hold of the cloth, revealing the makeshift bandage wrapped around her ankle. It was a poor job—strips of cloth torn from a spare shirt, knotted tightly to stop swelling but not secured enough to prevent movement.
"Looks like a bad sprain... possibly a fracture," Riku muttered as he carefully touched the sides of the joint. Suzune winced slightly, her leg twitching.
"Sorry," he murmured. "It’s swollen, but not discolored. That’s a good sign. Still, you’re not walking on this anytime soon. What happened to your ankle anyways?"
"I got it while we were running, I tripped and that’s the result," Suzune said.
"I see..." Riku acknowledged and then caught sight of her legs, it looked perfect, silky, and beautifully curved. He averted his eyes, not wanting to gaze at it longer than warranted.
"You were just looking aren’t you?" Suzune asked flatly, her tone dry as dust.
Riku flinched. "N-No! I wasn’t—I mean, I wasn’t staring or anything!" he stammered, waving his hands defensively. "I was just checking for bruises, I swear!"
Suzune gave him a long, unimpressed look. The faintest curve of a smirk twitched at the corner of her lips.
"Mm-hmm. You men are all the same," she said, letting her head rest against the wall again. "Even in the middle of the apocalypse."
Riku groaned quietly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Seriously, I didn’t mean anything weird by it. You have my word."
"It’s fine," Suzune muttered. "Just... don’t make it a habit."
Ichika snorted quietly from the side. Miko, meanwhile, had her face buried in her hands, red as a tomato. She quietly left them and went somewhere.
"Hayashi, suppose we come with you. What’s your plan on getting us out?"
Meanwhile, Miko had wandered toward the sliding door on the far side of the room.
She leaned closer to the frosted glass and quietly slid it open just a crack. Her eyes peered through the narrow gap, trying to catch a glimpse of the hallway outside. Everything seemed still. Quiet. Too quiet.
"Hmm... I think it’s—"
Then, without warning—
A pale, rotting face slammed against the glass from the outside. The rıghtful source is 𝗻𝗼𝘷𝗲𝗹•𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮•𝕟𝕖𝕥
Its lifeless white eyes stared directly at her, mouth gaping open in a silent, grotesque snarl. Bits of flesh hung from its face. The frosted pane cracked slightly from the impact, its fingernails scraping violently against the surface.
"KYAAAAAAHHHH!!" Miko screamed, falling backward onto the floor.
Riku shot up in an instant, his hand already on his MP5.