Kenji's heart wouldn't slow down. Rei Kanzaki—beautiful, brilliant, blessed with biology—and currently straddling him in a tangle of torn skirt and heaving breaths—had just moaned his name like he was her last lifeline. Not the worst way to start a Monday.
She pulled away quickly, flustered but trying to maintain teacher-mode. Her cheeks were flushed, and her shirt clung to her curves with sweat. Kenji didn't even try to hide that he stared. Sin, as always, had a comment.
"Oof, she's a whole dissertation on desire. Want me to scan for compatibility?"
"Sin, shut up."
"Compatibility: 94%. Fertility status: ovulation window detected."
"I said shut up!"
Rei looked around, adjusting her glasses. "We need to get to the staff room. I had my phone there… maybe we can call for help."
Kenji helped her up. "You think anyone's picking up phones right now?"
"No. But the staff room has a security monitor. If we're lucky, we can see how far the infection's spread."
They moved fast through the halls, ducking into shadows whenever a growl echoed too close. The school was no longer a school. It was a feeding ground. Classrooms had become nests. Lockers rattled from inside. Screams had stopped. That was somehow worse.
They reached the staff room. Door was locked.
"Stand back," Kenji whispered. He kicked it open with a satisfying crash.
Sin purred, "You just got +1 Dominance. Keep breaking doors, daddy."
Inside, the staff room was a mess. Coffee mugs broken. Papers soaked in blood. But the monitor still worked. Rei tapped the keyboard. Kenji stood behind her, eyes scanning the cameras. The main gate? Overrun. The cafeteria? Carnage. The gym? Burning.
Then one monitor caught his breath. A girl. Alone. Swinging a desk at two infected trying to claw through the library door.
Kenji narrowed his eyes. Long pink hair. Sharp eyes. Athletic frame in the Kyosei girls' uniform.
"She's cute," he whispered.
Rei turned. "You know her?"
"Not yet," he said, "but I will."
[Ding!]
Potential Romantic Interest Detected
System Tracking Initiated. Future encounters pre-ordained.
Sin cooed. "Oooooh, she's spicy. Future harem candidate #2? Or are you gonna play the slow-burn game?"
The moment broke when the emergency alarm blared through the intercom.
"ALL STUDENTS. PLEASE EVACUATE. CODE BLACK. THIS IS NOT A DRILL."
"Too late for that," Kenji muttered.
Suddenly the sound of running feet. The door slammed open. Three students burst in—two guys, one girl. The girl was crying. One of the guys had a bloody baseball bat.
"Kenji! You're alive?!"
He turned. "Tetsuo?"
It was his friend from class C. Half the bat was covered in gray matter. Tetsuo looked wild. "The school's fucked, man. I saw Mrs. Harada bite into Coach Toma's neck like it was sushi."
Kenji gritted his teeth. "I know. We saw the cams. Where's your class?"
"Gone. Maybe one or two made it. I've been swinging this thing for hours. She's Akane," he nodded to the girl, "from Drama Club. She saw her friend get eaten alive."
Kenji glanced at her. Big eyes, trembling lips, uniform half-ripped. Trauma clung to her like perfume.
Sin hummed. "Not a MILF, but she's cute. Wanna comfort her with your... presence?"
"Stop it."
Rei Kanzaki stood tall, wiping blood from her lab coat. "We'll regroup in the cafeteria. Lock it down. If we can secure food and water, we buy time until help arrives or…"
"Or we plan an escape," Kenji finished.
The survivors nodded. Tetsuo tossed Kenji a crowbar. "Let's go."
[Ding!]
New Weapon Acquired: Blood-Tipped Crowbar (Durability 77%)
+3 Blunt Damage. Bonus to Headshots.
Sin giggled. "Now that's foreplay."
They headed out. Together. Survivors. The start of a team.