Next part of chapter 13.
-Fujimi High-
"Why aren't they back yet?"
Rei stood at the window, her arms crossed tightly under her chest, eyes fixed on the front gates of the school. She hadn't moved from that spot since Cu and Saeko had left. Every few seconds, her gaze shifted, scanning the horizon as if sheer willpower might summon them back. Seeing not a trace of those two made her mood worsen by the minute.
Behind her, Takashi and Igou were burdened with heavy cardboard boxes stuffed with bags and supplies that had been gathered from various classrooms. They moved carefully, placing each load onto the desks and tables they had cleared earlier.
"I think maybe we should go out there," Rei said, voice tight with unease. "They might need our help."
Igou straightened, his back cracking audibly as he stretched after setting down his box. He glanced toward her, then to Takashi, before speaking.
"That would just make things worse. Cu can handle himself, especially with Saeko by his side. If anything, it's the zombies that should be afraid of them. From what I overheard, they were heading toward the bridge. That area's far. Don't expect them back for another hour or two."
"An hour or two?" Rei turned on him, frustration rising. "That's too long! How can you be so calm when he's out there? It's dangerous and—"
"I get it," Igou cut in gently, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Believe me, I do. We're all worried. But the last thing he would want is for us to fall apart while he's out there. Someone's got to keep things running smoothly here, and that means keeping a level head."
"You could help us out too," Takashi offered, brushing dust off his shirt. "It might keep your mind off it."
Rei glanced over at him but didn't respond. Her silence said enough. Igou watched the brief exchange, frowning slightly as he sensed tension between them.
"He's right," Igou added, turning toward her. "The two girls, um… Momo and Fumiko? Yeah, them, they could use a hand getting the rest of the supplies moved. We're transferring what we can from the cafeteria to the gymnasium. Last thing we need is one of them tripping and dropping something loud enough to bring those things back to the gate. I don't know about you, but I don't trust that barricade to hold forever unless we put some cars or a bus in front of it."
She considered his words. As much as it stung, both Takashi and Igou made sense. With a reluctant sigh, Rei nodded.
"Fine. I'll help."
Still, as she followed the hallway toward the cafeteria, a small part of her continued to smolder with frustration. It wasn't just worry, it was another emotion she could not properly put into words. She knew Saeko was the better fighter, no point denying that, but she had trained just as hard! Her skill with the spear had grown considerably, all thanks to Cu. Every time they sparred, every correction he made to her stance, her grip, her strength, her breathing, technique — it had all made her stronger. And yet, when it came to real combat, he had chosen Saeko.
Absolutely refusing to believe the coin trick had anything to do with his judgment. He played that trick on Igou before, when both of them were drunk, to win several bets.
She tried to push the thought away, but it clung to her, uncomfortable and bitter. Cu obviously just met Saeko, and their relationship could not be said to be close. The purple-haired woman did try to approach before, but he obviously was not interested. It all made little to no sense to her.
As she arrived near the cafeteria, her train of thought was broken by an odd sight. Momo and Fumiko stood awkwardly in the hallway, not moving, both staring forward. Rei followed their gaze and frowned. A small group of students was walking in and out of the cafeteria, arms full of food and supplies, and chatting rather loudly between themselves.
Rei's eyes narrowed. Something wasn't right.
"What's going on here?" she asked sharply, approaching the two girls.
Fumiko turned to her, clearly uneasy. "Umm… Miyamoto-senpai…"
"Just call me Rei."
"Right, Rei, they're… they're moving the provisions from the cafeteria to the gymnasium."
The orange-brown haired girl's gaze swept over the students again, who did not really answer her question as to why these people were here in the first place. It obviously was not the whole story.
"I can see that," Rei answered slowly, her eyes narrowing as she looked over the crowd of students still moving in and out of the cafeteria. "But why are there so many of them here? We made it very clear that no more than two or three should be traveling together. This many people stomping around and chatting on top of that is going to make a large amount of noise, and that's something we cannot risk."
Both Fumiko and Momo exchanged a nervous glance, neither of them saying a word at first. The silence hung between them for a few seconds before Momo finally sighed and gave in.
"Alright, I'll just tell the truth. Honestly... It's a bit complicated," she admitted. "We followed the instructions at first and were just carrying the first two boxes of water to the gym. But then one of the teachers showed up. He said we shouldn't be doing everything on our own, that everyone should work together, and then he sent this group to help."
"We tried to tell him that wasn't the plan," Fumiko added quietly, "but he wouldn't listen. He kept insisting this was safer, better for us, and more efficient, and... well... here we are."
Rei's gaze focused as she took a closer look at the students hauling crates out of the cafeteria. They weren't random volunteers, she recognized every single one. They were all part of the track team.
Which was supervised by him.
That settled it. She didn't like coincidences, and this didn't feel like one.
"It's fine," she said at last, stepping forward. "I'll handle this from here. You two should go help Igou and Takashi. They're being stubborn, trying to carry whole boxes of student belongings by themselves. Those things weigh a ton. Make sure they break the loads down properly."
"Are you sure?" Fumiko asked hesitantly, clearly reluctant. "We did say we'd handle this and... I feel kind of guilty. If we'd just pushed back harder, maybe none of this would've happened."
She lowered her voice at the end, guilt flickering in her expression.
"I just don't want to let you down... or Cu... or anyone," she murmured, tightly clutching the hem of her skirt.
Rei blinked. She hadn't expected that.
From what she remembered, both Fumiko and Momo had been close to Cu for quite some time. She'd seen them talking often, always smiling, laughing together in that easy way that spoke of history. According to Cu, he'd met them on his first day here. He said they were just friends, and Rei had no reason to doubt that... except for one time. One time during recess, hanging on the rooftop and seeing him asleep, head resting on one of their laps. She hadn't brought it up, hadn't mentioned it to anyone, or him for that matter. But ever since, a part of her had questioned whether their relationship was really as platonic as it seemed.
'Wait, why do I care? This isn't the time for that.'
She shook off the thought, burying it deep as she turned away and made her way down the corridor. The students here weren't the problem. Arguing with them wouldn't do a thing. If she wanted to fix this, she had to go straight to the source — the teacher who gave that order. She needed to speak to him directly and put an end to this before it spiraled out of control.
As she passed the infirmary on her way back, something caught her attention. The door was slightly ajar, and inside she spotted the familiar blonde nurse bent over a tray, gathering supplies into a canvas bag. Standing nearby, Kyoko stared silently out the window, completely still, lost in whatever thoughts had claimed her.
"Oh, if it isn't Rei," Shizuka said lightly, looking up with a smile. "Why are you alone? Is something the matter?"
Rei opened her mouth, then paused. Kyoko hadn't even turned around at the sound of her colleague's voice. Her shoulders were stiff, arms crossed, face unreadable. The girl did not need to guess what had her so distant. She could see it in the tension in her back, the way her gaze clung to the horizon outside.
"No, it's nothing," Rei replied, mustering a small smile. "Do you need help gathering these medical items, Shizuka-sensei?"
Shizuka blinked, mildly surprised.
Among all the faculty, the peculiar nurse was the only one Rei genuinely liked. Shizuka never pried or involved herself in student gossip. She existed in her own little world, always distracted by something no one else seemed to see, but never unkind and usually bubbly. She treated Rei like any other student, never patronizing, never distant.
Whenever Rei needed peace, she came to the infirmary. Shizuka never asked questions. Sometimes, she would even let her lie down on one of the beds, draw the curtain, and rest. She never told anyone, never reported it, just let her stay. Even now, that quiet kindness had not changed.
"It's fine, I've got everything handled, and Kyoko is here to help as well," Shizuka said calmly whilst shaking her head. Voice steady and cheerful as she continued organizing medical supplies. "I still don't know how to treat bite wounds from the infected, so I'll be taking everything with me. Some students may also get sick or nauseous from the stress, but I don't have much of a stock. Humph, this stingy school and that greedy principal…"
As she spoke, the woman reached into her coat and pulled out a surgical knife. Rei had no idea where she'd gotten it from. The nurse held it with the ease of someone far too comfortable using such a tool.
"In the worst-case scenario, we can always try removing the limb before the infection spreads. But it may cause unbearable pain for those poor souls," she added, her tone a strange mix of genuine empathy and detached curiosity.
A cold shiver crept down Rei's spine at the twisted image. She could almost see the scene — bloodied stumps, silent screams, Shizuka watching it all unfold with scientific interest.
"I don't think it's possible to save them, Sensei," she said softly.
"We must still prepare for every possibility," the blonde replied. "What if Seth comes back with a cut or even just a bruise? We don't know if the virus is airborne."
"Wait, what? Seth? Where?" Kyoko suddenly blinked and looked around, as though waking from a trance. Hearing Cu's name must have snapped her back to reality. She caught sight of Rei and quickly adjusted her stance, brushing her uniform and clearing her throat. "O-Oh, I was just keeping watch by the gate. Don't mind me."
Rei said nothing, simply nodding.
Now that she thought about it, Kyoko was Cu's guardian. It made sense that she was worried about him. Igou and Takashi were right — standing around all day doing nothing, just staring out the gate, wouldn't help anyone. The incident with the cafeteria had already given her a headache. She remembered the promise she'd made to Cu and knew it was her responsibility to hold up her end.
After saying her goodbyes, she left the infirmary behind and made her way to the gymnasium. Some of the track team students were there, unloading boxes filled with water, canned food, and other provisions, carrying them inside the storage room with the physical education teacher, Tejima, holding onto the keys.
Upon the podium stood someone Rei had not expected to see holding court.
"We are in a time of crisis," Shido was saying, arms spread wide as though offering divine salvation. "It's all too easy to surrender to fear, hysteria, and despair, especially when we worry about our families, our loved ones outside these walls. But do not fear, dear students. We have everything under control. Just look around you. Outside is chaos, complete anarchy, where even the police have failed to protect their citizens and themselves. And yet here we are, alive, standing strong, holding on to hope!"
His voice was smooth and warm, carefully modulated. A sermon disguised as reassurance. A teacher's voice, dripping with sincerity that in her ears sounded disgustingly fake.
"It is my duty as your teacher to look after each of you and ensure that you will one day return to your homes, safe and sound. I, too, have family out there. People I care about deeply. But right now, each of you matters to me just as much. In times like these, we are not students and teachers. We are family."
"We're not anything of the sort!"
Rei's voice rang out loud within the room, cutting straight through the initially established atmosphere of Shido's speech. She was already halfway up the steps before he could react, eyes filled with disgust, with no plans on holding back her thoughts.
"What nonsense are you babbling now?" she demanded. "First of all, you've done absolutely nothing. The one keeping the undead out, the one who told us to stockpile supplies, to stay quiet so we wouldn't attract them, the one who's out there right now risking his life to save a friend; Is Seth, not you."
Shido did not flinch, but she wasn't finished. Not even close.
"You've been sitting pretty this entire time, and now you're trying to steal credit for everything he's done. You even ignored his rule about pairing off for every task and sent the track team to raid the cafeteria on their own. Are you out of your mind? All that noise, all that movement — do you want to get us killed!?"
She didn't wait for a response. Her voice rose with every word, fueled by days of bottled-up rage. Some of it was leftover anger from her general overall dislike of this man. Some of it was new, freshly sparked by the pathetic display she'd just walked in on.
"You act like you're in charge, but you're just a parasite. You let others take the risks, then swoop in to take the praise."
The gym was silent now. Dozens of eyes were fixed on the stage, students holding their breath, track team members frozen in place, unsure if they should keep moving or stay.
Rei stared at him, daring him to answer. But much to her frustration, the man kept that same slick smile plastered across his face, tilting his head slightly as if wounded by her words. "Student Miyamoto, I understand that you may have some grievances against me, perhaps because of your academic struggles last year. I accept full responsibility for that. It is, after all, a teacher's duty to guide each and every one of his students toward success."
His voice was smooth to others but oily to her that made her skin crawl, like a snake salesman who'd polished every phrase for effect.
"Now, more than ever, we need to act as a unified body. The track team has already volunteered to help distribute the supplies without putting undue strain on those two poor girls from earlier. I have no idea why Seth would put such a burden on the two of them. The track team is more than capable of moving in silence, you should not underestimate them, nor treat them as if they were fragile children. Miyamoto, don't let personal bias cloud your judgment. Our survival depends on level heads."
"Oh, shut the hell up with your lies!" Rei's voice rang through the gym. She wasn't falling for a single syllable. Every word out of his mouth reeked of manipulation. "If you truly gave a damn about the students, then get the hell down from your little stage and go help carry the damn boxes from the cafeteria like everyone else then! You're a grown man. What, are you too precious to lift something for once in your life?"
"Hey, Rei, you're being kind of rude to Shido-sensei!" someone called from the crowd. A boy, one of the younger ones, stepped forward defensively, glaring at her.
Meanwhile, Shido dropped his smile and put on a look of wounded dignity, eyes cast to the floor as if the words had cut deep.
"He's just looking after all of us! Why're you picking a fight with him now? Don't be a bitch just because he made you repeat a year. That was your own damn fault."
"Yeah, and he's an adult! He knows how to handle this better than some random guy like Seth! Who even is that? Some foreigner who ran off on a whim, probably made up a sob story about saving a friend so he wouldn't have to deal with the hard stuff here!"
"He would never do that!" Rei snapped back. Her voice shook, not from doubt, but from disbelief at how easily they'd swallowed Shido's poisonous words. "You don't know what you're saying! He's risking his life out there while you're all being tricked like sheep!"
"Shut up!" another girl barked, stepping forward. Rei recognized her, Miku Yuuki. "The only one trying to manipulate people is you! You act like you're better than everyone else, like you're some kind of leader, but it's all about control, isn't it? That's why you've been barking orders since day one!"
"And don't think we don't know what you did with those three boys," another voice chimed in from somewhere in the crowd. "Just because you threw yourself at them doesn't mean you get to act like you're in charge, bitch!"
The jeers piled up, one after another, the accusations blurring together into a maddening, buzzing storm. Some hurled insults, others spread lies, and more still just laughed and sneered. Their voices overlapped until none of it made sense anymore, and all Rei could feel was the red-hot blood pulsing in her ears.
Especially when some kept insisting that Cu had already died.
Her heart thundered against her ribs. Her skin crawled. The overhead lights felt too bright, her breath too shallow. A wave of nausea clawed up her throat, and a dizziness set in that made the room tilt at an unnatural angle. Her tongue felt too heavy to form the words she wanted to scream. Every face in the crowd blurred into one hateful mass.
She hated this.
She hated them.
She hated Shido.
Then, she remembered Cu's voice. Calm, steady. That one moment, he'd spoken to her with belief before leaving. It had been so unfair how easily he could do that — trust her, believe in her, more than she believed in herself.
"Rei! What are you doing?!" Tejima shouted, but his voice came too late.
To everyone's horror, and even Shido's surprise, she stormed toward the weapon rack Cu had left behind. Without hesitation, she seized one of the wooden spears and turned on her heel, marching back to the stage.
She didn't hesitate.
With cold eyes, she pointed the weapon directly at Shido's face, her hands steady despite the chaos roaring in her chest.
The smug calm in his eyes faltered. Panic flickered beneath the surface, his jaw tightening, a bead of sweat betraying the calm he pretended to hold.
"This is all your fault," she said through clenched teeth. "I should've known trying to talk was useless with someone like you. You're nothing but a silver-tongued snake. And if words won't work..."
She inched forward, bringing the yari closer.
"...then I'll make sure you listen. Even if I have to beat it into you. If anyone here's got a problem with that, then you better say it to my face right now. Go on. I fucking dare you!"
In the end, she simply imagined how Cu would have handled the situation if he were here instead. Perhaps he could have succeeded with just a few words, for he possessed that kind of effortless charm in her eyes, something she lacked. But he was also no stranger to being viciously straightforward with his intentions, and if that meant urging her to go against everyone here just to keep these ungrateful idiots alive, then so be it. She'd stopped caring about what they thought of her long ago.
Seeing the conviction burning in her eyes, he thought the girl, at the very least, had begun to realise that she was completely serious now. Then Shido quickly tried to calm her down.
"R-Rei, you must be extremely stressed right now. That's clear to see. But violence is never the answer. You'll only create a division between you and the students. Think carefully, would your friend want—"
Crash!
His words came to a complete halt as everyone in the area jolted from the loud crash outside, followed by the thunderous roar of an engine. The previously mounting tension dissolved into cold dread as their expressions shifted in unison. A single terrifying thought struck all of them — had the gate been broken?
"No!" Rei burst out, running to the door and throwing it wide open, revealing the chaos beyond.
But it wasn't the gate that had fallen.
Rather, the entire group at the entrance stood frozen, staring upward at the impossible sight that hung in the sky. Mouths dropped open, eyes stretched wide in disbelief at the flying metal heap screaming through the air above them, a rusty car, if it could still be called that. The thing looked like it had lost a war in a junkyard. Three of the tires were completely shredded. The lower body was mangled so badly that they could see clearly through to the inside from below.
With a crash that shook the air, the wrecked vehicle slammed onto the field, metal shrieking and sparks bursting like fireworks as it skidded wildly across the track. It traced a long, beautiful curved arc. Pieces flew in every direction, the roof detached and spun off into the trees, the hood and engine dropped one by one, tumbling across the ground, and finally, two of the tires flung themselves free, bouncing away as if desperate to escape.
At last, what remained came to a shuddering halt right in front of them. Only the faint skeleton of the lower frame was left, barely held together by twisted chunks of metal and a couple of exposed seat frames. The front end was completely gone—where a certain blue-haired man sat grinning like a lunatic, both hands clutching a steering wheel that had long since detached from anything functional.
An excited grin stretched across his face as he laughed out loud, clearly unfazed by the mechanical horror show he had just piloted. The same could not be said for his passengers.
A gangster-looking man clung to an elementary school girl whose face had gone ghost-white just like his, their bodies limp and eyes rolled in the back of their heads, unconscious from sheer terror. Behind them, Saeko sat with her arms crossed, calm as a statue, though two elderly passengers were still gripping her arms like their lives depended on it.
"Hahaha, that was fun! I should drive more often next time."
Those words alone were frightening enough to snap the two passengers in front back to life.
"No!" they shouted in perfect unison, scrambling away from the wreck and from Cu as though he were a walking curse or another one of those undead.
"Never again!" they added, faces pale, stumbling backward as far as their legs would take them.
Their reactions only made Cu laugh louder, his voice echoing across the stunned courtyard.
While the students and even the teachers remained frozen, trying to process what they had just seen, Rei sprinted forward. Without hesitating for a second, she leapt into his arms, wrapping them tightly around his neck. And before anyone could so much as blink, she pressed her lips against his, uncaring, unthinking, completely ignoring the dozens of shocked eyes now locked onto them.
It took Cu a heartbeat to react, his brows lifting in surprise. Then he shrugged and kissed her back, wrapped his arms around her slim waist and pulled her closer, letting the moment carry them both. For several seconds, time slowed, all sound drowned out by the heartbeat thundering in her ears, until a very pointed throat-clearing from behind snapped her back to reality.
Saeko stood there, arms still crossed, raising an eyebrow.
Rei immediately recoiled, her face turning crimson as she backed away, breath caught in her throat. Cu, on the other hand, simply swiped a thumb across his lips and gave her a lopsided smile.
"Thanks for the lovely welcome," he said casually, and her heart pounded even harder.
"Sorry, I was late," he added, his gaze now shifting to the scene around them. "You can let me handle things from here."
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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, 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.