Saeko raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why the sudden suggestion? We usually spend the weekend at home. And you also mentioned that your friend would pick you up today. Why do you suddenly want to go out?"
"That friend suddenly got a call from their boss and was unable to come. Also, we have been training so hard lately, we deserve a little break."
"I don't know..."
"Just for today. Please, Saeko?"
She stared at me with her piercing gaze for a moment. Then, she shrugged and sighed.
"Fine, I guess having a date with my brother once in a while is not bad." She said, "...But you're paying."
"Of course, sis. I'm the one inviting you."
She nodded her head and started to eat her breakfast again. I did the same, feeling satisfied.
After we finished, we went to the mall immediately. At first, I followed Saeko to buy some clothes that she liked. Some of them were for me too.
Then, I revealed the reason why I was here. To stock for supply.
"Stocking food? Why?" Saeko asked.
"Just in case we need it later." I replied, avoiding eye contact. "You see, the news said that the virus from overseas will arrive here soon. It's better to be safe than sorry."
"I'm not worried about that. But why are you buying so much? Are you planning to live in a bunker or something?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Better safe than sorry. What if something like a pandemic happened? I heard the virus spread faster than one in the past. So, I'm planning to buy some supplies now, just in case."
"...I see. That sounds reasonable. But why are you so worried about this?" Saeko asked, looking at me suspiciously.
"I have a bad dream." I said that with a smile and continued walking, "Let's go."
"..."
She didn't reply and just followed behind me without saying anything else.
'Yeah, I can't tell you the truth. The reward for the third choice is too good and too precious for now. But… You realized something's wrong, no?'
We continued our shopping, and I bought some food and water, as well as other necessities.
I also bought several survival kits and camping gear, and a lot of tools. All of these would be sent to our house later and I planned to make a barricade with them.
My money decreased so fast that I almost regretted it. But no, this was important preparation.
Saeko was silent the whole time, looking at me with a curious expression. However, she didn't say anything else and just kept quiet. I didn't know what was on her mind, but I hoped she wouldn't get mad at me for buying so much stuff.
After we finished our shopping, we returned home and continued our usual lives.
Until Monday arrived.
It was time to go to school.
***
[Ding! You have received 50 Shop Points + 2 All Stats]
Welp, here we are.
"See you at lunch." I waved my hand toward Saeko, who went to her classroom.
Usually, I would go to my own classroom by now, but not today. I needed to check some things.
So I sneaked onto the school's rooftop where I could see everything and hid my sword in case the outbreak happened today.
Going to the roof was the fastest way to confirm my suspicion and confirm the truth of the apocalypse. But it was also risky because I would have no escape route.
'I hope I made the right decision.'
There was no point in thinking about that now, though. The only thing I could do was wait for the inevitable to happen.
If the zombies came, they would come. If not, I would have a good laugh and continue with my life with Saeko, maybe even get a girlfriend in the future.
I waited for a few moments, watching the school and the area around it. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Until I heard a sound behind me.
"Huh?"
I turned around and saw a boy who looked surprised to see me here. He looked terrible and tired, his eyes were slightly hidden by his dark hair. He had a tall body and slender figure. Not too thin and not too muscular.
"You're..."
'...Takashi, the protagonist.'
The fact he was here meant he skipped a class. And that could only mean one thing.
'This is the D-Day.' I thought as I looked at him.
As I was lost in thought, he asked me with a surprised expression, "Umm, senior. Why are you here?"
Maybe because it was my first meeting with the protagonist, the choices appeared in front of me again.
[Make your choice!]
1. Ignore him and look for any suspicious things. (Reward: 10 Shop Points)
2. Ask back why he's here and mock his answer. (Reward: 15 Shop Points)
3. Tell him you're a pervert who loves to watch girls' panties in the gym class. (Reward: 30 Shop Points)
No status increment? Seriously? The rewards were also small for such a strange choice.
'Sigh, the system is unreliable as usual. If I choose number 3, he would think I am a pervert, no?'
I decided to choose number 1 and ignore him. The choice wasn't really hard for me because I would do it even if there was no system.
[Ding! You have received 10 Shop Points]
"Tsk, silence, huh?"
I could hear him click his tongue, but I didn't turn around to face him. Instead, I kept looking at the gate, scanning for any suspicious activity.
As expected, it didn't take long for something to happen. Takashi also noticed it and looked at the gate.
A man approached the gate with a limp and fell to his knees, coughing up blood. His eyes were empty and white, his mouth filled with blood.
"Is that guy sick or something?" Takashi asked, raising an eyebrow.
I didn't answer and just kept staring at the scene.
Three teachers approached the gate and confronted the man. They tried to help him stand up, but suddenly, the man bit one of the teachers' hands, ripping the flesh and eating it.
"Aaaaah!" A loud scream echoed.
"What the hell!?" Takashi exclaimed, his eyes wide open.
I could see it all clearly. The blood, the gore, the screams, the panic.
It was real. This was not a dream.
My heart beat faster as I watched the scene unfold.
The outbreak had begun.
***
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