The neighbor's car was a two-box Suzuki MPV, a common multipurpose vehicle widely used by ordinary families in Japan, you could see them everywhere on the streets.
Sosuke Kitahara got into the driver's seat and handed his backpack, which held their food and water, to Utaha Kasumigaoka in the passenger seat. The interior was relatively spacious, and the bag fit on the floor without feeling cramped.
Utaha's long legs, clad in sheer black stockings, rested neatly beside the bag. Unlike those girls who exposed their bare thighs even in winter, Utaha's black tights were a year-round staple, tightly wrapping her beautiful legs. Still, the stockings were now dotted with visible runs and tears.
"What are you staring at? Your eyes are practically glowing," Utaha glared at him with wide, sharp eyes.
Sosuke chuckled and withdrew his gaze, locking eyes with her instead. "Keep an eye out later. Look for clothing shops along the street. That school uniform you're wearing isn't practical for moving around. We need to find something more comfortable."
"There's no need to go through all that trouble. I'm fine as I am."
"You didn't notice those torn stockings on your legs? Don't you know that could drive someone to crime?"
Utaha crossed her arms and gave him a disdainful glance. "I didn't expect you to have such petty, boring fetishes, Kitahara-kun."
"You're just figuring that out now, Kasumigaoka-sensei? Let me tell you a little secret my true fetish is tearing stockings."
"In just a few days, your perversion has evolved again."
Utaha clicked her tongue in mock disapproval, though her lips were curled in a playful smile, clearly not upset in fact, her tone was more teasing than anything else.
Sosuke knew Utaha well. Despite her sharp tongue, she was actually a simple, straightforward girl. They'd had this kind of flirty banter many times before.
Besides, even though he'd sneakily stolen a kiss last night, he had restrained himself afterward and hadn't made any further moves.
Utaha understood her own allure she knew full well what her face and figure did to men. The fact that Sosuke had stopped himself last night didn't make her feel defensive. On the contrary, it deepened her trust in him.
Just then, Sosuke heard the system's mechanical prompt.
"Trust Level with Utaha Kasumigaoka has reached 90%. Forced binding initiated."
Sosuke was briefly stunned. He'd only been joking to lighten the mood, but somehow her trust level had jumped again.
Though he wasn't sure what had triggered it, hearing the trust level reach 90% still thrilled him.
Fifty percent was the key threshold above that meant their impression of him had shifted in his favor, but it wasn't yet stable. A misstep could easily bring it crashing back down.
But at 90%, it meant the other person would no longer act against him and would instinctively defer to his decisions. In the future, if Sosuke argued with someone, Utaha would take his side without hesitation.
As for 100% it meant that no matter how absurd his choices might seem, she would believe in him without question.
The car engine let out an unpleasant roar as Sosuke smoothly shifted gears and pulled out of the parking lot.
The fastest route to the Chizuru Hotel was through a nearby commercial district, but that road was completely blocked. They had to take the long way around via the back streets. It would take at least half an hour to reach the hotel.
The rumbling of the car quickly attracted the attention of nearby zombies. They staggered toward them, bodies swaying as if drunk. Sosuke carefully steered along the street, doing his best to avoid hitting any of them.
The Suzuki MPV wasn't exactly powerful, and with so many bodies and debris scattered across the road, the vehicle's speed was limited.
They reached an intersection without incident. If they passed through it, they would soon reach a broader main road.
"I thought you were joking, but you actually know how to drive."
Utaha was genuinely surprised. Sosuke had driven with steady, practiced control the entire way, nothing like a rookie. "When did you get your license? We're the same age, right? You're only seventeen you can't even get a license yet, can you?"
"Who says you need a license to know how to drive?"
Sosuke grinned. This car didn't have enough horsepower. If he had a modified vehicle, he'd show Utaha what real street racing looked like.
"Try calling them again. Let them know we're on our way," Sosuke said, handing her his phone.
"I can't get through it just keeps giving a busy signal."
Utaha dialed several times, all with the same result. "Every line is busy. Could the network be down?"
"That doesn't make sense..." Sosuke frowned. Normally, even if something happened to people, as long as the equipment remained intact, mobile networks would stay up for days, even weeks. Unless the communication towers themselves were destroyed but who would go out of their way to sabotage those?
Sosuke then asked her to check the internet. Utaha confirmed that it was still working, though very sluggish.
"Do we still go?" Utaha asked.
"Yes. As long as they're smart enough to stay hidden in their room and not do anything reckless, they should still be alive."
Sosuke didn't believe those girls would be that stupid. Besides, teammates who could generate points were far too valuable to give up on. Even if he couldn't reach them by phone, he would honor his promise from last night and go check.
After crossing the intersection, Sosuke was greeted by a shocking sight a massive truck had overturned, completely blocking the road. Countless vehicles were piled up in a chaotic mess that stretched as far as the eye could see. In the mangled cars, zombies could still be heard howling, likely trapped inside and unable to escape.
"There are so many police cars up ahead. The road's blocked by them!" Utaha suddenly pointed forward in alarm.
Sosuke's brows furrowed. The road forked up ahead, but it was now blocked by abandoned police cars. They probably tried to make a stand here when the outbreak first began, but this place had quickly fallen. The officers never got the chance to drive the cars away.
Sosuke had studied the route last night. This was the most direct way. The other roads would require a massive detour and might bring even more trouble.
Was he supposed to just ram through?
He wasn't too confident in this Suzuki's crash safety.
As Sosuke pondered, a Honda suddenly sped out from a side street. The driver honked like crazy upon spotting the slow-moving Suzuki MPV.
"Idiot, the road's blocked up ahead! Let's see you try not stopping..." Sosuke cursed as he quickly swerved to the side, making room. The tires crushed a crawling zombie's head, sending black ichor splattering like crude oil.
The Honda driver clearly saw the police blockade ahead but made no effort to slow down. A loud crash echoed as the car slammed directly into the abandoned police vehicles.