Chapter 28

"Yuki, are you safe?"

Yuki, whose full name is Yukihoshi Sumire, pressed her face against my chest as if making a rustling sound.

"Ah... were you two lovers or something?"

"No, she's a junior at work. I didn't expect her to be alive."

Unable to bear the warm, sympathetic gaze of Mr. Oda standing beside us, I pulled away the overjoyed Yuki with a look of exasperation.

The Yuki I remember wasn't the type to be this physically affectionate. Yuki looked up at me with her moist, round eyes, like a small animal.

"Senior, that's what I should be saying! You've been skipping work and not responding to my messages!"

Furrowing her brows and raising her eyebrows, Yuki glared at me with tears in her eyes.

"Ah, sorry, sorry. A lot has happened."

Unable to bear her gaze, I averted my eyes from Yuki and desperately tried to think of an excuse.

I never thought Yuki would really have managed to evacuate.

It's a very happy thing, but it's a problem.

I had planned to make up a story if the survivors here asked about what happened since the zombie outbreak, but with Yuki, an old acquaintance, it wouldn't work.

How should I cover up the period when I was in another world...

"Ah, well, since you two know each other, I'll leave it to you, Yukihoshi. Please tell her everything."

Mr. Oda, who had been watching our interaction with a smile, added, "You two, I'm glad for you," and then went down the stairs.

"Ah, well... Senior, I'll show you around for now! I'll hear all about it later!"

Yuki and I were left in the room. Yuki said this, then gripped my hand tightly and started walking.

"Hey, Yuki."

We've never held hands before.

To the Yuki who was as always very physically affectionate, I called out.

"I have to hold on to you so you don't disappear again!"

Yuki said this without turning back.

+++++

I was sitting in seiza in front of Yuki in a room on the third floor of the police station.

"Alright, Senior. What would you like to start with?"

In front of Yuki, who was sitting in a chair, I bowed my head like a prisoner awaiting judgment.

Wait a minute, what's going on here, how did it come to this?

Looking back, after introducing myself to the 15 or so evacuees who were already there, and being shown around the building and hearing the rules, I was led to Yuki's room, and before I knew it, I was in this situation.

No, I think Yuki, with her red eyes, had repeatedly told me to sit in seiza.

Finally, with a cry of "Seiza!" while crying, I gave in and ended up in this situation.

Silence dominated the room for a while.

It was especially quiet because there were no car sounds from outside, and the ticking of the clock on the wall was particularly loud.

A sniffle was heard, and Yuki spoke.

"Sorry, Senior. You don't have to sit in seiza anymore."

I had expected her to raise her voice, but Yuki, contrary to my expectations, said this in a calm voice.

"I just wanted to try it once, hehe."

Yuki wiped away the tears that had overflowed from the corners of her eyes with her finger and showed a mischievous smile.

"No, I'm sorry. I should have responded to your messages. A lot has happened."

I broke my seiza and apologized.

What should I do now?

I had been thinking about this since I was being shown around, but I couldn't come up with a good excuse for the blank period before the pandemic. I even thought of wild ideas like losing my phone or going into seclusion in the mountains, but Yuki, without a care for my worries, brought up a different topic.

"It's fine. You probably have your reasons. But, Senior, why are you so calm?"

I didn't understand what she meant.

The tears that seemed to have subsided earlier were again overflowing from Yuki's eyes.

She pressed her lips together and glared at me, as if trying to hold them back.

"I'm glad you're safe, and we've met again like this. But, Senior, you're so indifferent. You're cold."

So that's what she meant.

To be honest, I thought Yuki was dead.

Of course, I hoped she was alive, but I had a sense of resignation about it.

This was probably due to my three years of experience in a world where death was a daily occurrence. Now that I think about it, Yuki's point does make sense.

"No, I'm really glad you're alive, Yuki. I was worried, really. I came here because of your email."

These were genuine words that came out of my mouth without thinking.

I thought it was inevitable if she were dead, but if she's safe, there's nothing more I could be happier about.

But, indifferent, huh.

Maybe I was, indeed.

"Hmm... Really? That would be nice."

Yuki, hearing my words, turned her face away and wiped her tears with her sleeve.

The corner of her mouth, visible from the side, seemed to be slightly raised.

"Wait, Senior."

She looked up at the sky and tilted her head, then turned back to me and said,

"Even though you saw my email saying I was evacuating to the city hall, why didn't you reply to that?"

...It seems I might have made a mistake.