Part 2.
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{Break}
(Around the same time)
For the first time in days, things had started going smoothly for Haruka. The middle-aged woman moved between the large canvas tents spread across the Takagi estate lawn, checking on the families who had been taken in after the outbreak. People looked exhausted, irritated, and restless, which suited her just fine. Fear and discomfort made people more easily swayed.
She stopped near the Tanaka family's tent, a former neighbour, and offered a practiced smile. "How is everyone doing today? Do you need anything?"
Another woman with similar short dark hair and around the same age as her adjusted the silk scarf wrapped around her shoulders, though its once expensive fabric was now wrinkled and fraying at the edges, sighed with helplessness. "We are grateful to still be alive, of course, but this entire situation is unbearable. We are treated like refugees. Food only comes twice a day, and now we're expected to share our personal supplies as well. Our phone batteries are nearly dead, and I can't spend another day sleeping on these... rags."
Haruka lowered her voice sympathetically. "I completely understand. Honestly, this is all because of the Takagis focusing too much on things they shouldn't. After everything our families have done for them over the years, this is how Soichiro treats us."
That immediately caught the attention of the others nearby.
"Exactly!" Sato Tanaka called from the neighboring tent, his face red with annoyance. "These beds are awful. They smell damp, and when we asked for help cleaning them, some people actually demanded items in exchange for their services or to just put up with it! The same people who worked for me before now treat me like I do not even exist!"
"And the students are getting better treatment," another man added bitterly. "I saw them receiving newer blankets while the rest of us got leftovers. I even heard some got their own rooms!"
A younger woman named Yumi folded her arms tightly. "My hair products ran out two days ago, and I'm already starting to see strands fall out. When I asked if there was anything else available, they handed me a bar of soap meant for laundry. Laundry soap."
Several people around the tent murmured in agreement, the complaints spreading naturally now that someone had finally spoken them aloud. Haruka listened quietly for a moment, arms folded beneath her chest, while the others continued venting their frustrations one after another. The afternoon air felt stuffy beneath the rows of tents, carrying the smell of damp grass, sweat, and cheap instant food that had been distributed earlier.
"We've all been patient," she said after letting the complaints settle slightly. "Nobody here is asking for luxury. But surely it isn't unreasonable to expect a little more consideration after everything we've contributed to his campaign. A room for us is the bare minimum!"
Mrs. Tanaka sighed loudly while adjusting the worn silk scarf around her shoulders. "Exactly. We supported the Takagis for years. My husband donated money during the election campaigns, attended gatherings, all of it. Yet now we're crammed into tents while those students walk around acting important."
Another man named Kenji clicked his tongue in annoyance from nearby. "One of those kids refused to give me an extra pillow yesterday. A teenager. In my face." His expression twisted with irritation just remembering it. "The nerve of these people not respecting their elders."
"That boy with the glasses? I saw him ordering adults around near the storage area earlier, which handled the guns. This is a joke!"
A few bitter laughs followed.
Haruka lowered her gaze slightly before speaking again, careful not to raise her voice above the others. "Soichiro has a lot on his shoulders right now. I understand that much." She paused briefly, choosing her next words carefully. "Still... relying this heavily on students during a crisis like this feels careless. Adults should at least be part of these discussions as well."
That immediately earned more nods.
A woman sitting near the entrance of another tent leaned forward. "Finally, someone says it properly. We're treated like we should just stay quiet and accept whatever scraps we're given."
"We don't even know what their long-term plan is," another added. "Every day it's just more waiting."
"I heard from my son that one of those teenagers is even a killer!"
The complaints began overlapping again after that. Some grumbled about food portions, while others brought up sleeping arrangements, supplies, or how the students seemed to move around the estate freely while everyone else remained confined to assigned areas. Haruka didn't interrupt them this time. Instead, she simply remained there listening, occasionally nodding or offering small comments that kept the conversation flowing naturally.
"If things continue this way, people are bound to grow frustrated sooner or later. That's normal." Her statement immediately got several verbal approvals. Several people exchanged looks with one another while muttering under their breath. Someone cursed the Takagis quietly from the back of the group. Another began talking about how things had been managed before the outbreak, compared to now. The tension that had already existed inside the camp seemed easier to notice once everyone started voicing it openly.
Seeing the discussion continuing on its own, Haruka finally excused herself with a polite smile. "Try to rest for now," she told them. "Constant stress won't help anyone. We will make sure our voice is heard and that our treatment to get better."
The moment she stepped away from the crowd, the pleasant expression faded from her face almost immediately. People were dissatisfied, especially when many amongst them were former high-class families tied to the Takagis. Getting their support ended up being much easier than trying to talk with other survivors from more mundane backgrounds.
Those idiots were content with what they had.
"Where is Goro?" she muttered under her breath.
At first, she assumed her husband had returned to their tent. The path back through the rows of canvas shelters was crowded with people moving between supply stations and resting areas, though most avoided eye contact entirely, too tired or irritated to bother with conversation anymore. Reaching their assigned tent, Haruka pulled the flap aside and stepped inside.
Empty.
Their belongings remained neatly organized exactly the way she had left them earlier. Folded clothes sat stacked beside the bedding while a half-empty bottle of water rested near the corner of the tent. Nothing looked disturbed. The bed itself had already been straightened, which only made it clearer that Goro had not been there recently.
A faint crease appeared between her brows. Stepping back outside, she started asking around casually at first.
"Have you seen my husband?"
Most people simply shook their heads.
A few answered with vague shrugs before returning to their own conversations. One older man thought he had seen him near the storage area earlier, but another insisted that it must have been someone else. The lack of answers slowly chipped away at her patience. "Just where the hell did he go?"
The further she walked through the estate, the more irritated she became.
Eventually, the crowded rows of tents began thinning out near the outer perimeter of the property. Beyond the cleared grass stood dense trees and overgrown brush forming a natural barrier around the estate grounds. The sounds of conversation from the camp became quieter there, replaced instead by rustling leaves and distant insects chirping somewhere deeper within the woods.
"...or... ave... ku!"
That was when she finally spotted him after hearing faint voices in the distance.
Goro stood near the treeline with his back partially turned toward her, speaking to someone positioned farther within the shade of the trees. From this distance, she could only make out part of the other figure through the branches and patches of sunlight breaking through the leaves. Slender build. Smaller frame. Definitely not another middle-aged survivor from the camp.
Haruka slowed her steps immediately.
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she watched the interaction from afar. The way her husband stood there, relaxed enough to continue the conversation without noticing her presence, made her curious. After glancing around briefly to make sure nobody nearby was paying attention, she quietly moved toward a large tree near the edge of the clearing and stopped behind it, using the thick trunk to hide herself from view while she listened.
Keeping quiet, she moved closer until she reached a large oak tree. She slipped behind the trunk and carefully peeked around it, listening.
"...everything is all right?" Goro asked, his voice carrying obvious concern. "You're sure?"
A soft, feminine voice answered him.
"Of course, everything is all right. You already do more than enough for me. Honestly, I feel bad making you worry this much."
Haruka froze slightly, for she knew that voice.
"No, no, don't say that," Goro replied quickly. "You've been helping people here nonstop these last few days. I've seen it myself."
The girl laughed quietly, the sound gentle enough to almost sound innocent.
"What about your arm?" The young girl asked. "Is the injury doing better?"
Goro lifted his forearm slightly. Even from behind the tree, Haruka could see the clean white bandage wrapped around it. An injury he received almost two days ago. "It's fine," he said with an awkward laugh. "Just a bruise from falling over. Better that than getting bitten."
The girl giggled softly again.
Then her tone changed.
"This should probably be our last meeting."
"What?" Goro immediately protested. "Why would you say that, Miku?"
Miku... why did that sound familiar?
"I just don't want to cause problems," she explained quietly. "People might misunderstand."
"You worry too much," he said with a small shake of his head, keeping his voice low enough that it barely carried beyond the trees. "Nobody's going to start rumors just because we talked for a few minutes." A faint smile appeared on his face as he adjusted the strap of the bag hanging from his shoulder. "Honestly, you should spend less time stressing yourself out. Things are miserable enough already without carrying all of it on your back alone."
The girl standing across from him gave an awkward laugh and looked away for a moment, lightly brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
"I'm fine," the younger woman insisted softly. "Really."
"I'm not so sure about that." Goro folded his arms loosely while leaning one shoulder against the nearby tree trunk. "Every time I see you lately, you look exhausted. You help around camp all day, skip breaks, and then disappear somewhere quiet the second things calm down. You don't always have to push yourself that hard, you know."
"That sounds hypocritical coming from you," she replied with a faint smile.
That earned a quiet chuckle from him.
"Fair point," he admitted. "Still, if you ever need somewhere quieter to sit for a while, you can always come find me. We could at least have coffee together without those... monsters or complaints interrupting every five seconds."
Behind the tree, Haruka's expression tightened slightly.
The girl laughed again. "You make it sound like we're sneaking away from work."
"Maybe we are. Can't say I'd complain about that either."
There was a short pause between them before he spoke again. "Do you need anything? Food, maybe?" His hand moved toward the side bag almost automatically. "I think I can still get some chocolate from storage if you want some and some bottled water."
That made the younger woman blink in surprise before smiling politely.
"Chocolate does sound really nice," she admitted. "But I think you should save it for the people guarding the front lines instead." She clasped her hands together behind her back while speaking. "I heard sweets like that help soldiers stay energized during long operations. So it'd probably be better for the ones out there dealing with zombies."
For a second, Goro simply stared at her before letting out an amused breath through his nose. "You're really considerate, you know that?"
A hint of embarrassment crossed her face immediately. "It's nothing special."
"No, it is," he replied without hesitation. "Most people here would've accepted it immediately and asked if there was more."
Another laugh escaped her lips. "Then maybe everyone else is smarter than me."
"Somehow, I doubt that very much."
The two remained there a little longer beneath the shade of the trees, speaking quietly while the distant noise from the camp drifted faintly through the air. Eventually, the girl stepped back slightly and bowed her head politely.
"I should probably go before someone notices I disappeared again. I... I like spending time with you, Goro, and thanks for the water!"
"No problem, there is plenty more where that came from. All right," Goro replied, though the answer carried a trace of reluctance that irked Haruka. "Just don't overwork yourself."
"I'll try."
"And next time, c-can you... um... can you stay a bit longer instead of rushing off immediately?"
That seemed to catch her off guard slightly, though she only answered with a small nod. "Oh my~ How bold of you! I... yes, let's do that. Anyways, you should be careful too," she told him before turning away. As she walked down the narrow dirt path cutting between the trees, Haruka finally got a proper look at her face once the branches stopped obscuring it.
Recognition hit almost immediately.
'It's her!'
The same one she spoke with personally just yesterday!
Yet frustratingly enough, the name initially refused to come back to her, no matter how hard she tried to grasp it, but now it finally did. Haruka could remember the face clearly now. The soft voice. The polite attitude. None of it matched the one she spoke with yesterday!
Crunch!
"-!"
Movement near the treeline pulled her attention away from that thought.
Goro reached into the bag hanging at his side and pulled out several small bottles before handing them over discreetly. The younger woman accepted them with visible hesitation before bowing again and finally leaving through the trees. Haruka immediately stepped farther behind the oak trunk before either of them could notice her.
Her eyes narrowed.
More supplies.
Not only had he met this girl privately, but now he was handing things over without telling anyone. The irritation sitting in her chest twisted harder the longer she stood there, replaying the conversation in her head.
It wasn't just the supplies bothering her.
It was the tone in his voice.
The eager smile, all of it, raised her suspicions.
Part of her wanted to dismiss the feeling immediately. Goro had always been friendly by nature. That was one of the reasons people tended to like him so easily. He spoke gently, listened carefully, and rarely turned others away when they needed help. Once the sound of footsteps fully disappeared into the distance, Goro finally turned and began heading back toward the camp.
Haruka quickly smoothed her expression before stepping out from behind the tree as though she had only just arrived there herself. Timing her approach carefully, she reached out and tapped his shoulder without warning.
The man flinched slightly before turning around.
"Oh, Haruka." A nervous smile appeared on his face. "Is everything all right? You look a bit tense."
"It's nothing," she answered immediately.
The reply came too fast even for her own liking. Trying to keep her tone even, she folded her arms. "Where have you been?"
Part of her already braced for some awkward excuse or panicked lie.
Instead, Goro answered almost casually.
"I was just walking around, checking on people in general. Some of the students, too. Seeing if anyone needed help, and I just happened to run into the girl who patched me up."
That response caught her off guard, but also made her realize that he was telling a half-truth. For a brief second, worry washed through her chest before she quickly buried it beneath a neutral expression.
"I see." Still, the irritation from earlier had not disappeared. Stepping closer, Haruka looked at him sternly. "Did you already forget what we talked about yesterday? We're trying to negotiate for better treatment here. That will never happen if you start getting too familiar with those students. They're obviously going to oppose us."
The older man gave a slow nod. "I understand your concern. Honestly, I share some of it too. You know this, Haruka, and like we've agreed, it's not like we're aiming to throw them all out. Some of them are on our side after all. Not all of them are bad people," he replied calmly. "Some genuinely want to help everyone here. A few of them also think the situation could be handled better. And well... I don't think we might even need to go that far."
That only made her more frustrated. "Have you gone soft?" she asked sharply. "Or are you losing your mind entirely? You're the one who proposed that idea in the first place as well!"
A tired sigh escaped him. "Haruka..."
Instead of arguing immediately, Goro gently placed his hands on her arms.
"I wasn't thinking straight. These are just kids," he said quietly. "A lot of them lost their homes. Some lost their parents, too. Everything they knew disappeared in a matter of days. Maybe we should think more carefully before making things worse."
Confusion crossed her face almost instantly. "You were the one who started complaining about all of this in the first place!" she snapped. "You kept criticizing the way Soichiro handled everything. You were the one angry about how people here were being treated."
An awkward laugh escaped him. "I know, I know. Maybe I was speaking out of frustration back then."
Before she could interrupt, his grip on her arms tightened slightly in reassurance. "That doesn't mean I've changed sides," he added. "I still want things to improve for us. For everyone. I'm just... paying attention to more people than I expected."
Haruka stared at him silently for several seconds.
Then one thought returned to the front of her mind.
"...Is this because of that girl from earlier that you spoke so sweetly with and even offered her our limited supply of water?" The question immediately made him freeze. Slowly, Goro looked back at her.
"You were spying on me?"
"Don't change the subject," she shot back instantly. "Answer me properly. You've been acting strange lately."
For a moment, he simply stood there rubbing the back of his neck before letting out another sigh.
"You're overthinking things," he told her. "I'm only trying to avoid unnecessary trouble right now." His expression softened slightly. "But trust me on this. I'm still on your side. In a few days, maybe even sooner, we'll have our normal lives back again."
The reassurance eased part of the tension inside her chest, though not entirely.
Haruka studied him carefully before finally nodding once.
"Just... be careful. We still have a reputation to maintain. Don't get too involved with those students. Teachers and students are all the same in the end. They drain people dry while pretending they're helping." Goro looked mildly uncomfortable hearing that, but still nodded anyway.
"You can trust me."
With that, he headed back toward the tents, disappearing into the crowded rows of canvas shelters and hanging lanterns while she remained standing near the treeline. The sounds of the camp drifted faintly from the distance: people talking over one another, children crying somewhere further inside the compound, generators humming low in the background. Haruka folded her arms tightly beneath her chest, her eyes lingering on the direction her husband had gone.
Something about that entire exchange continued bothering her.
Not enough to fully confirm her suspicions, but enough to leave an unpleasant feeling sitting in the back of her mind. The way he had reacted when she mentioned the girl, and her knowing that the latter was acting. Worst of all was how defensive he had become afterward while still trying to reassure her everything was fine.
"Tch."
She clicked her tongue softly before forcing the matter out of her head for now. Standing there accomplishing nothing would not help her.
Turning away from the trees, the woman made her way deeper into the estate grounds toward another cluster of tents where several familiar faces had gathered around folding chairs and supply crates being used as makeshift tables. Some survivors were eating simple meals from paper containers while others complained amongst themselves in tired, irritated voices. A battery lantern hanging from a nearby pole cast a dull yellow glow across the area.
The moment they noticed her approaching, several people straightened in their seats.
"Haruka," Mr. Sato greeted first, lowering the cup in his hands. "Any news from the Takagis?"
"Nothing useful," she answered immediately with a white lie, annoyance clear in her tone as she stopped near the center of the group. "At this point, sitting around quietly and waiting clearly isn't improving anything either."
That immediately drew everyone's attention toward her.
Mrs. Tanaka frowned while adjusting the silk scarf around her shoulders. "Then what exactly are we supposed to do? They control everything here."
Haruka slowly crossed her arms, letting her gaze move across the gathered survivors before answering.
"We stop acting grateful for scraps and actually make ourselves heard."
Several confused looks appeared at once.
One of the younger men sitting near the back scratched his cheek awkwardly. "What does that even mean?"
"It means we speak openly instead of whispering complaints inside tents every night," she replied firmly. "We're not fish in a glass box. We're people with families, careers, responsibilities. Yet somehow we're expected to quietly accept whatever we're given while a group of students and soldiers decides everything for us."
A few people exchanged uncertain glances, though several others visibly nodded in agreement.
"I asked for extra blankets yesterday," one woman muttered bitterly. "They told me supplies were limited, then I saw newer bedding being carried somewhere else an hour later."
"Same thing happened to me," another man added. "We once helped fund half the events in this district before all this happened, and now we're treated like refugees begging for scraps."
The irritation in the group slowly became louder as more voices joined in.
Haruka waited a moment before speaking again, carefully raising her voice just enough to cut through the overlapping complaints.
"Tomorrow, we're gathering everyone willing to stand with us in front of the estate itself." Her expression hardened slightly. "No hiding inside tents. No staying quiet. We demand proper treatment openly, and we stay there until something changes."
That caused several people to sit upright.
"You're talking about a protest?" Mr. Sato asked, surprised.
"Exactly. We ask Soichiro to step down and hand control to us, where we can actually make decisions made for the betterment of all of us rather than a select few!"
The younger man from earlier shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "Wouldn't that just create more problems?"
"And attract zombies if we get too loud or if there's any shootout," one of the older survivors added quickly. "If people start shouting outside-"
A few nearby faces stiffened at that possibility, but Haruka dismissed the concern with a wave of her hand.
"There are barely any left near the estate anymore," she said with confidence. "Most were already dealt with by the soldiers days ago, and the rest wandered away from this area. At worst, a handful show up occasionally. People are letting fear control them too much. Don't just gobble up everything you hear them say, we have eyes, we can see that most of the ground around the estate is now empty!"
The tension in the group gradually eased.
First came nods.
Then quiet murmurs of agreement.
A woman near the back straightened in her seat. "Honestly, someone should have done this sooner."
"Exactly," another voice added. "If nobody says anything, they'll just keep ignoring us."
Haruka listened to the growing support around her while keeping her expression calm and composed on the outside. Inside, however, satisfaction slowly crept in. The resistance had been smaller than expected. Most of them already carried frustrations of their own; all they needed was someone willing to push things forward and give those frustrations direction.
People followed confidence surprisingly easily once uncertainty started wearing them down long enough.
Especially frightened people searching for someone willing to speak loudly for them.
Haruka turned from the tree, a new fire in her eyes. She walked back to the cluster of tents, her steps purposeful. "Gather the others," she instructed Mr. Sato, her voice low and firm. "Anyone who feels the same way. We need to talk."
Within minutes, a small crowd had formed, their faces a mixture of fear and anger. Haruka stood before them, her hands on her hips. "If we do not take action now, we will continue to be ignored. Worse, we will be pushed out of this community. More survivors will come, more students will arrive, and it is clear that the Takagi patriarch no longer cares about us. What happens then? They will throw us out to fend for ourselves. Is that what you want? To be left outside these walls when the dead are clawing at them? We must make our voices heard before we are silenced for good."
"Yeah!"
"We will follow your lead!"
She moved from group to group, repeating her message, stoking their fears and their sense of injustice. The murmurs of discontent grew louder, more unified. Suddenly, a hush fell over the people nearest her. "The guards," someone whispered. Everyone went silent, their eyes darting towards the path. A group of armed guards marched past, their expressions stern. Walking with them, being a beautiful woman with purple hair, her presence immediately drew attention.
Yuriko spotted Haruka and the gathered families, her expression softening into a polite smile as she approached them. The others looked tense, but the latter kept a bright, practiced smile on her face, pretending as if everything was perfectly fine. "Yuriko! What a pleasant surprise," she greeted her.
"Haruka," Saya replied, her own smile genuine. "Is everything alright? Can I help you with anything?"
Caught off guard by the direct offer, Haruka's smile faltered for a fraction of a second. "We are just fine, thank you."
"I have known you for so many years. I am sorry we haven't been able to communicate a lot lately, with everything going on. Please excuse me for being distracted." This admission caught Haruka completely by surprise. "I am aware that things have been tense around the camp lately. Some people may not be satisfied with the way we are handling things, but I want you, and everyone else, to rest assured that soon, all of this will be a matter of the past. Things will get better."
Her words seemed to have an effect. A few people in the crowd shifted, their angry expressions softening slightly. Haruka noticed the change immediately and realized what Yuriko was attempting. She scoffed aloud. "Do not try to deceive us."
The sentence shut the other side up. With her staring back at Haruka with confusion, while the latter smirked inwardly, seizing the opportunity. "I am keenly aware of what is truly going on here. Yuriko does not need to put up false statements to fool everyone. We are all aware of your husband, Soichiro, working alongside those teenagers. He is wasting his time listening to them, not even sparing a moment to pay attention to us. Our voices are not being heard. Our complaints are being treated as non-existent."
"That is not the case," Yuriko countered, her own smile fading. "We are just focusing on keeping everyone safe both here and outside. The power plants are too important to let go. Those students have just arrived. Besides, try to understand, they are still grieving from everything that has happened, many having lost their families."
"Is that not the case with everyone here!?" Haruka shot back, waving a hand at the crowd behind her. "We lost everything! Our houses, our livelihoods, our friends! We are just as hurt by this as those students, and yet they are the ones who end up getting special treatment!?"
"They just arrived," Yuriko argued helplessly. "Many are already starting to help. Many are putting in great effort, culling the numbers of the zombies and even securing the power plant."
"Hah!" This made Haruka sneer. "Stop with your lies. Who would believe those spoiled brats could do anything like that? You and Soichiro are creating such stories to elevate the image of the students, all because you want to put the spotlight on your daughter."
Yuriko's eyes narrowed. "This has nothing to do with Saya."
Haruka ignored her completely. "If you want the others to listen to you, if you want them to feel like they are not being ignored, then you had better take action."
"My husband is trying. There are issues with the young ones who are here, who we are supposed to protect."
"This is the zombie apocalypse!" Haruka shrieked, her voice rising with fury. "We are supposed to look after ourselves first! Those who are a burden should be rejected and thrown out! We have supported you for years. We funded your husband's campaigns and used our connections. And if you and your husband want the support of our people again, you should take things more seriously. Or else, we will take matters into our own hands."
"..."
At first, Yuriko said nothing. Simply sighing, the sound heavy with defeat. "I understand," she said quietly. "I won't say anything more." With that, she turned and walked away from the tent.
Her reaction made Haruka smirk. She spun around to face the crowd. "See!? See how she ignored us? See how she favors the others just because they are acquainted with her daughter? We are going to be left to die, and she doesn't care! She offers pretty words and empty promises while we rot on these cots! How long until the food runs out? How long until they decide we are not worth the effort and open the gates for us?" The fear-mongering dialogues poured from her, putting everyone on edge.
Feeling more confident, Haruka walked outside the tent, her head held high. She was organizing a list of supplies they needed to "demand" when a young man approached her. She immediately felt guarded, her distrust rising. "Is there something I can help you with, Soma?" She recognized him as one of the students whose parents were in her group.
The man flinched slightly under her harsh gaze. "Excuse me, but have you seen the nurse assistant somewhere?"
Haruka's brow furrowed. "Nurse assistant?"
"Yes," the man confirmed. "Her name is Miku."
The name immediately triggered a memory, a specific face from the encounter her husband had near the trees. Her mood soured instantly. She sneered. "Why would I even know where that girl is? And why are you searching for her at this time? We have more important things to worry about than focusing on the nurse assistant."
The man coughed, avoiding her intense stare. "I'm just... close friends with the girl. I wanted to thank her for patching me up when I got wounded unloading those crates in the basement. She's a kind girl who works a lot. I wanted to give her a gift, to thank her for all her service."
His explanation only annoyed Haruka further. "Why are you behaving as if she went beyond the call of duty to treat you? She's just doing her job, which she was tasked to do. So is everyone else. Why aren't you going to give gifts to the other people working around the estate as well?"
This made him visibly uncomfortable. "I just feel like we're good friends," he said in a timid tone. "And I also just want to make sure she's doing fine."
This annoyed Haruka even more. She started to mumble under her breath, "Everyone is running after that bitch at this rate."
"What?" Soma asked, confused.
Haruka shook her head and tapped a finger rudely on his chest. "You need to focus on more important stuff right now. You're wasting your time running after a dirty girl like that, someone who is just leeching off everyone else."
Soma's face flushed with anger. "Don't talk like that about Miku!" he exclaimed loudly. "She already has to deal with such rumors just because of a few jealous people! You'd better not add more fuel to the fire! Especially when she's going out of her way to help others!"
His outburst caught Haruka off guard. The promise of violence in his voice momentarily scared her. Before she could say anything, the man just walked past her, leaving her standing there, stunned and silent.
Haruka cursed under her breath. "Idiots," she muttered through clenched teeth before turning away from the gathering. The conversations behind her continued anyway, people already discussing tomorrow's protest amongst themselves with growing confidence. Listening to them any longer only irritated her further. None of them seemed to understand that once things started moving, hesitation would only ruin everything.
Wanting a moment away from the noise, she headed toward a quieter section near the outer edge of the compound where fewer people wandered around at night. The glow from the estate lights barely reached this far, leaving much of the area dim beneath the trees and fences surrounding the property. After checking that nobody familiar was nearby, she pulled a cigarette case from her pocket and slid one free before placing it between her lips.
Only to realize a second later that she had no lighter.
Her expression immediately soured.
"Perfect," she muttered irritably while patting her pockets again despite already knowing it was pointless. Just as frustration threatened to rise again, a small flame suddenly flicked to life beside her face.
"Here, lass."
Haruka paused.
A hand holding a lighter hovered near the cigarette, the small orange flame swaying slightly in the night breeze. She leaned forward instinctively and lit it before finally looking toward the owner.
The blue-haired boy from earlier stood beside her.
Cu held another cigarette loosely between his fingers while taking a slow drag from it himself, smoke curling upward past his face. Compared to the nervousness and tension filling most of the estate lately, the relaxed look on him felt strangely out of place.
That alone worsened her mood slightly.
Still, the first pull of nicotine settling into her lungs managed to calm the headache building behind her eyes. She exhaled slowly, watching the smoke drift into the darkness between the tents while silence settled between them for several seconds.
Eventually, she glanced at him from the corner of eyes.
"Someone your age shouldn't be smoking."
The blue-haired young man took another drag before answering casually, "I fully agree." A faint grin appeared on his face. "Which is exactly why I'm hiding here instead of letting Kyoko catch me."
The answer caught her off guard enough to almost laugh, though annoyance kept the reaction buried. Instead, she studied him more carefully beneath the weak lighting around them.
He certainly had the appearance that people would trust easily. Attractive face, relaxed posture, confident without looking overly aggressive. But looking at him now, casually smoking beside the fence like some ordinary delinquent, it became even harder for her to believe the stories surrounding him.
This is the one helping them fight zombies?
Impossible.
At most, she could imagine him handling himself better than the average student. But the way people spoke about him earlier almost sounded like they were describing an entire military squad rolled into one person.
Ridiculous.
"I'm only staying here a minute," Cu said suddenly, breaking the silence again. Smoke escaped from the side of his mouth as he spoke. "And I realize you don't seem to like me very much."
Haruka narrowed her eyes slightly. "What gave you that impression?"
The boy gave a small shrug. "Call it intuition."
"It's not your business to involve yourself in my personal affairs and start asking questions," she replied flatly before taking another drag from her cigarette.
A quiet chuckle escaped him.
"So you really don't like me after all."
The relaxed response only irritated her more. Most people backed down once she answered them like that, yet he continued speaking without looking bothered in the slightest.
Cu leaned back lightly against the fence behind him, cigarette glowing faintly between his fingers. "Whatever plan you're going with won't work. So I'm giving you a chance to back off before it becomes a bigger problem."
"-!?"
The words hit her hard enough that, for a brief second, her mind completely blanked.
How?
Her grip around the cigarette tightened slightly before she quickly forced her expression back under control. By the time she looked at him again, the surprise had already vanished behind a glare.
"Don't throw baseless accusations at me without proof."
Another shrug.
"I'm just repeating what I heard."
That answer only made her stomach tighten further.
The woman immediately started going through possibilities in her head. Someone overheard? One of the survivors talked too much already? Or perhaps that blue-haired brat was simply fishing for a reaction and happened to get lucky.
Either way, she refused to give him anything.
"What exactly did you hear?" she asked carefully, keeping her voice even this time.
"That some people around here are getting tired of complaining quietly." His eyes shifted toward the rows of tents nearby. "And honestly? I get it. Conditions aren't exactly comfortable."
That response confused her slightly.
There was no accusation in his voice now. No threatening tone either. If anything, he sounded oddly understanding.
"But," he continued, "pushing frightened people into making emotional decisions right now is dangerous. Especially in a place already packed with stressed survivors, armed students, and trigger-happy adults."
Haruka scoffed softly. "You're acting like we're planning a revolt ."
"I don't think you are," Cu replied immediately. "Problem is, crowds stop behaving rationally once enough panic spreads around." He flicked ash onto the ground beside his shoe. "All it takes is one argument, one shove, one person screaming, and suddenly everyone forgets what they originally wanted."
"And what?" she asked coldly. "You're here to scare me into submission?"
The blue-haired young man laughed under his breath and shook his head.
"No. If I wanted to stop you by force, this conversation would've gone very differently." Another cloud of smoke left his mouth before he glanced toward her again. "I'm just telling you that if things get ugly tomorrow, the people caught in the middle won't be the Takagis."
This made Haruka angry. "Kids your age and their tendency to just spew random rumors and tarnish my reputation," she spat. As she finished her smoke, she realized she was no longer in the mood. Throwing the cigarette butt carelessly to the ground and walked away from him. "Your free meal and luxurious time, taking advantage of all the resources given to you by the Takagi estate just because you're friends with their daughter, will soon end. You need to back off and let proper adults handle this. You and the other students are just going to waste our finite resources."
Her answer only received a low hum from the man. "Grumpy," he said, which irritated her more, but she ignored it and walked back.
"Hm?"
As she neared the area where the other survivors' tents were, she noticed something odd. In the distance, a large number of people were huddled around the area where her tent was. More and more people were walking towards the spot. She wondered what the commotion was about.
As she drew closer, the noise grew louder. It wasn't just a commotion; it was the distinct sound of people arguing, and beneath it all, a girl crying.
She pushed past the onlookers.
"Move! Give me some space!" Haruka snapped as she shoved through the crowd gathering between the tents. Bodies pressed together so tightly that she could barely force her way forward. The noise alone was enough to make her irritation rise by the second: shouting, arguing, people gasping loudly, others trying to push closer just to see what was happening.
Someone nearly stumbled into her shoulder, and another person muttered, "It's over there!"
"What happened!?"
"I heard a girl screaming!"
The crowd only thickened the further she pushed. By the time she finally forced herself through to the center, breathing harder from frustration, the sight waiting for her made her entire body freeze.
A fist flew through the air.
Pa!
"Ah!"
The man from earlier, the one who had been desperately searching for Miku before, Soma, slammed his punch directly into Goro's face with enough force to send spit flying from his mouth. Her husband staggered sideways before collapsing hard onto the dirt.
But the punch barely even registered compared to everything else.
Goro was shirtless.
His trousers hung loose around his waist, partially unbuttoned, his belt dangling awkwardly to one side as if he had tried pulling them back up in a hurry.
And behind him... A girl sat curled against the floor, clutching a white bedsheet tightly around her completely naked body - Miku.
Tears streamed down her face while her shoulders shook violently with sobs. Several women were already rushing toward her, quickly trying to cover more of her exposed skin with jackets and blankets while she cried harder the moment anyone touched her.
Haruka felt her lips move weakly.
"What... what is going on...?"
Everything was happening so fast that she couldn't even process it all. Her voice barely came out above a whisper.
The answer came immediately in the form of a furious scream. "How dare you touch her!?" the man roared while trying to lunge forward at Goro again. "How dare you force yourself on Miku!?"
The accusation hit like a slap across Haruka's face.
For a second, the entire world around her seemed to stop moving.
Goro scrambled backward across the dirt, panic written all over him. "No! No, you've got the wrong idea!" Then his eyes landed on his wife. Whatever little color remained in his face disappeared instantly. "Ha-Haruka, listen to me, this is all a misunderstanding-"
The furious Soma noticed her too and immediately pointed toward her accusingly.
"You!" he shouted. "Did you know about this!? Earlier, when I asked where Miku was, did you purposely lie to me because you knew your husband was doing this to her!?"
"What are you talking about!?" Haruka snapped back, completely stunned. "I don't even understand what is happening right now!"
Her gaze immediately locked onto Goro.
"Explain this."
The older man hurried back onto his feet, holding his hands out desperately. "I didn't do anything! He's lying! This isn't what it looks like!"
The response only made her expression darken further.
"Then why are your clothes half off?" she demanded. "And why is she naked!?"
"What do you think happened!?" the other man shouted over her. Veins bulged visibly in his neck from rage. "That bastard dragged her in here against her will and was about to... if I hadn't heard her scream then...!"
"That's not true! If I wanted to do that, why would I invite her here, where it's surrounded by people!? She's the one who came to me! She kissed me first!" Goro barked back immediately before turning toward Miku in desperation. "Tell them! Tell them you came here yourself!"
The moment those words left his mouth, several people in the crowd erupted loudly.
"He admitted it!"
"What kind of married man sneaks around with a girl young enough to be his daughter!?"
"Disgusting!"
"No!" Goro shouted frantically. "That's not what I meant!"
But nobody was listening anymore.
Miku only cried harder.
The girl pulled the bedsheet tighter around herself while trembling violently. Her face looked pale and wet with tears as she stared toward Goro like she was terrified of him.
"I... I only came to thank you..." she sobbed weakly. "You said you wanted to speak privately and then..." Her voice cracked apart into louder crying before she could finish.
Several women immediately surrounded her more protectively.
"It's okay, sweetheart."
"Don't force yourself to talk."
"Someone get Nurse Shizuka!"
One older woman turned furiously toward Goro. "How could you do this to her!?"
"I didn't!" he yelled back desperately. "Nothing happened! She wanted to meet me herself!"
That only made things worse.
"Oh, my god..."
"Listen to him blaming her."
"What a creep."
Haruka felt heat crawling up her neck as whispers began spreading through the crowd faster and faster.
"I always thought something was strange about that family."
"Didn't Haruka keep criticizing the students protecting us?"
"Maybe this is why."
"No wonder she wanted the students gone so badly."
"Was she trying to cover for him this entire time? She can't control her own husband."
Another voice spoke up loudly from the back.
"I saw him earlier! Goro was practically dragging that girl toward his tent while looking all excited!"
Haruka whipped around instantly.
"You're lying!"
But another person added onto it before she could continue.
"And Miku has been helping people nonstop every day with Nurse Shizuka! Why would she make this up!?"
"Exactly!"
"That poor girl nearly works herself to exhaustion helping everyone!"
"What kind of monster takes advantage of someone like that!?"
"No!" Haruka screamed over the crowd. "You're all being manipulated! This is obviously a setup!"
Instead of calming anyone down, the accusation only turned more eyes toward her.
Suspicious eyes, disgusted ones, and some, openly hostile. Even the people who had supported her earlier now remained silent near the back of the crowd, refusing to step forward or defend her. That silence terrified her more than the shouting.
Goro turned toward Miku again, almost pleading now. "Please... just tell them the truth. Tell them nothing happened!"
Miku looked up slowly, tears still streaming down her cheeks.
"How could you..." she whispered shakily. "After everything... after I trusted you..." Then she buried her face into the cloth again, crying harder than before.
The crowd exploded again.
"Scum!"
"Beat him unconscious!"
"Throw them both out!"
"People like this don't belong near children!"
Haruka felt panic finally beginning to settle into her chest as the situation spiraled completely beyond control. Desperate, she pushed toward Miku and grabbed her harshly by the arm.
"Ah!" Miku yelped with pain, nearly dropping the cloth around her body.
"Was it Yuriko!?" she shouted directly into the girl's face. "Did Yuriko put you up to this!? Did she tell you to ruin us!? Tell me right now, or you will regret it!"
The reaction from the crowd was immediate.
"Get your hands off her!"
"What the hell is wrong with you!?"
Several people yanked Haruka backward while others moved protectively in front of Miku. Meanwhile, more women hurriedly wrapped extra layers of blankets and coats around the crying girl before carefully helping her stand.
As Miku was guided away through the crowd, she turned her head slightly back toward Haruka.
The tears vanished instantly.
A grin spread across her face.
The girl stuck out her tongue before pulling one eyelid down mockingly, like a child making fun of someone.
"You..."
For a split second, Haruka's entire body went numb. Then the realization hit her all at once.
This was planned.
"You little bitch!" she screamed violently before lunging toward her. But several people grabbed her before she could get close.
"Has she gone insane!?"
"Hold her back!"
"She's trying to attack the victim now!"
More hands restrained her arms, while others shoved Goro back down whenever he tried getting closer.
"They should both be locked up until Soichiro gets here!"
"Throw that one outside the gates!"
"Rape is unforgivable!"
"No!" Haruka screamed desperately while struggling against the people restraining her. "Listen to me! She's lying! This whole thing is fake!"
Nobody listened.
The last thing she saw before being dragged away was Miku disappearing into the crowd, surrounded by comforting voices and protective arms, while angry faces glared toward her and Goro from every direction.
"I will not forgive you for this!" Haruka screamed as people dragged her backward through the sea of furious survivors. "Takagiiii!"
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The next 5 chapters of Snafu, and my other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters, Steel Eyed Faker soon to be 3 chapters, Taimanin with 3, Hound having 3 and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.