“Wherever you two are, that place is home…”

The salty smell of the ocean and the warm breeze wafting from somewhere far away, I was awakened by the echoing words in my ears.

Slowly lifting the corners of my eyes, I let the first images after the coma flood into my eyes. From the darkness, blurry, gradually clearer and finally, clearer than ever. Above was the night sky. Vast, immense. But it brought a feeling of uncertainty and emptiness, just like the feeling in my heart at this moment.

The sky over Kyushu tonight, is so clear. Even in the chilly winter air, I can still feel the clarity of the air. Transparent. Light as if it doesn't exist at all. The air is so thin that it feels like even my breath could gently tear it apart.

I feel my body heavy.

The clouds still drifted lazily, soft, but I didn't want to touch them at all.

And so do the stars.

Holding on to the thin blanket, I timidly curled up inside. On the other side of the bed was Yamato, curled up in his own blanket. A sleeping Yamato, clutching his quiver tightly, leaned against the side of the trunk, swaying with the truck’s movements. After a while, the pick up truck went over a rough patch of road, and Yamato also bounced along.

I woke up earlier than expected, it was still the middle of the night. Letting my body get used to the cold a bit, I raised my head, got out of my blanket, and looked at the road ahead.

The night sky above, and the winding road ahead, lit up by the headlights of the truck. Just like that, just like that, emerging from the darkness.

The vehicle just took it and slowly moved forward.

Indefinitely.

I found myself sitting in the bed of a pickup truck, with Yamato and a pile of stuff covered in a white tarp blocking the road behind. A black pickup truck, I don't know how many since we left our town. Inside the cabin in the first row, a chestnut-haired boy was holding the wheel firmly, focusing on the road ahead.

It was Daisuke. Matsumoto Daisuke. He used to be my classmate. Looking at his tired eyes through the rearview mirror in front, I knew Daisuke hadn't slept for many nights.

Also sleeping soundly in the cabin was a young woman with long black hair, her face buried in a black woolen scarf. I didn't need enough light to recognize it was Rin.

Rin is not my classmate, but on this journey we started from the same place. Sharp but arrogant. Even though we have overcome countless hardships together, she and I still cannot like each other at all. With Rin's tongue and personality, even when she is sleeping, her face gives me the feeling that she is mocking me right now. It can be said that Rin and I will never be able to get along, both of us have a gloomy negative aura. Murasaki Rin and Tachibana Hana were never destined to be a team since birth.

Lying right on the engine of the car, I was still able to sleep very deeply. Although the car was moving at a very, very fast speed, the engine shaft under the car did not create any noise. Because I wanted to lie straight, I braved the cold and crawled out of the car. The floor of the car was very soft, just need to spread a small mattress, then I could sleep comfortably…

Or maybe I'm just used to sleeping in this truck bed for nights on end.

In contrast to the leisurely demeanor of the car, the roar of a motorcycle beside me broke the silence of the night. I sat up straight, although my eyes were still half-closed, I was awake enough to be awared of the scenery on both sides of the road.

It was the same road we had taken since we left our town in Kumamoto. Just a winding road along the strait. Between two mountains. On one side was a steep black cliff, on the other side was a deep abyss that plunged into the black sea. Kyushu Highway route number 9 had remained unchanged for so many years, the railings on the edge of the cliff looked shaky, if you were to be careless, you could plunge headfirst into the deep black sea below.

After leaving Nagasaki, we returned to this road.

But what do I have to complain about? At least I'm still alive.

That was Rin's idea. Ever since leaving town, the group had agreed on a route to follow the underground railway that led straight to Fukuoka, but that was until Rin came up with the idea of taking this old coastal route No. 9. It was simple, unlike the major highways, there were no abandoned vehicles causing traffic jams… and no zombies. Just those two reasons alone, she had completely convinced Daisuke and the others to abandon the shortest route. But I wasn't angry with Rin. Because thanks to her insight, we had found our second home, Nagasaki.

And even though Nagasaki is a thing of the past, at least thanks to her decision we're still alive today.

Speaking of the sound of a motorcycle, the person riding next to our pickup truck was none other than Hari. Like a lone wolf, he always separated himself from the group. Although he was close friends with Daisuke, in contrast to Daisuke's gentle personality, not long after we left town, Hari seemed to have become a different person. Cold and reserved. I almost forgot that this was once the obscure mushroom head in my world. Now, Hari, under that full-face helmet, was a completely different Hari. A large-displacement motorcycle, a jacket and leather gloves, middle-parted hair and a distant gaze, he looked like a romantic, both giving off a dusty feeling and a sad playboy feeling.

But it wasn’t just Hari, after all we’d been through, none of us in the group hadn’t changed much up until this point. My chin-length bob had now almost reached my shoulders. And instead of the eye-catching red uniform, I was now wearing a faded hoodie.

I can't remember the last time I cut my hair or looked in the mirror. But with the outfit I'm wearing right now, I'm confident that I can still outshine a fashionable Fukuoka girl.

Of course, no matter what, I'm still far behind Rin, because no matter how simple her outfit is, she still looks like a goddess despite the end of the world.

Suddenly, the image of a neat, strict, and proud Hana Tachibana flashed through my memory. How long has it been since I was that person? Looking at my hands under the cold winter sky, I knew what I had been through.

No longer is it the beautiful hand of an innocent and arrogant class monitor protected in a small school in some remote town.

It feels like it was just yesterday. And then next to that mean girl, there was a boy who always silently sacrificed. Staring blankly at the sea in the distance. Under the night sky, the sea was a deep black color, like the vague memories of a past I tried to bury in a far away place.

The wind from the open sea blew inland, carrying a warm voice from the other side of the ocean.

"I"

"Love"

“Rin”

His last words were like sharp knives, each one cutting into my heart. I knew I wanted to forget the past, but every night, I still woke up and heard his voice.

The boy that gave me a second chance to live until today.

Suddenly, I felt an indescribable emotion rising in my heart.

The land in the distance, on the other side of the ocean, seemed to want to hold me back. The further away I got from there, the more vague and lingering the horizon felt.

“It's been an year already…”  

I said to myself in a mocking voice.

It was a long rain, lasting two days and nights without stopping.

I heard deep wind howling from the end of the hallway.

Katashi's heavy breathing and the sound of the pouring rain outside the window.

The cold light of the moon reflected on the wooden floor.

Even though a year has passed, the images of that night still come back, haunting me every time I think I've forgotten it.

“You promise not to sleep?”

“Yeah… I promise.”

_ _ _

The rain had subsided a bit, but the atmosphere inside the house had become even more gloomy. The rain was still falling outside, but the silence inside the house was what truly terrified me.

Just a moment ago, there was still the whispering of Katashi and I talking, but now all that remained was the pattering of rain on the other side of the window.

Along this deep corridor, weaving through the darkness, were two figures sitting on the corridor.

Or one, because right now, left on the second floor hallway, there was only me and a cold body left.

The moon shone softly through the rain, but did not illuminate his face. Katashi's long black hair fell down, obscuring his face.

On those wooden boards, there were still traces of blood that my parents had left before.

“Katashi…”

I sniffled, still holding tightly onto his shoulder, shaking him.

Deep in my heart, I still didn't want to believe that Katashi… was dead.

“Wake up… Katashi… didn't you just promise not to sleep?”

“Wake up… Katashi… let's continue talking?”

“Katashi! I can't sleep yet… how about you stay up with me until I can fall asleep…”

I tried to fool myself into thinking that Katashi was still alive, even though I knew it wouldn't get me anywhere, I still aimlessly tried to wake him up.

Ten minutes… twenty minutes… then half an hour passed… finally, I had to accept that Katashi was no longer there. What I was holding on to, was no longer Katashi. What was left of me now, was only a limbless corpse.

Helpless, I buried my face in his thigh, sobbing.

“You meanie… you left without even saying goodbye…”

My hands clutched his pants, tears soaking through the fabric.

“You haven't said goodbye to Rin yet…”

Painful, torn but completely helpless. Instead of screaming to release all the emotions I was holding inside, I could only bow my head and cry.

And then, just when it seemed like I would never see Katashi again, for a brief moment, I heard his heavy breathing, and felt his hand on my head.

_ _ _

This morning, we stopped at an old gas station on the side of the road. After two days of aimless driving on the highway, a stop finally appeared before our eyes.

It was only when Daisuke pulled the car into the parking lot that I raised my head, half-asleep. I suddenly realized that I was no longer on the coastal road. On one side was still the mountain, but on the other, down the abyss, the blue sea had been replaced by forest.

Our stop was still on the highway, but it was far inland. Aside from a rundown gas station and an old convenience store, all around was the pale green of trees.

Yamato and Rin were still asleep. Daisuke went out first, carrying an axe. He walked silently across the parking lot towards the gas station. Disappeared into the thick fog.

I was in no hurry to follow. Although there was something I needed to do, it was best to let Daisuke scout ahead. Who knew what dangers might lurk in this middle of nowhere?

The weather is turning to winter, the space has a more gloomy color than ever. In addition, the fog makes the space even more mysterious.

Getting off the bike, I saw Hari leaning against the guardrail, wafting smoke into the valley below through the mist. I decided to leave the truck, put my hands in my pockets and walked over to him.

“Don't even think about asking… Minors are not allowed to smoke cigarettes.”

Before I could say anything to Hari, he said that to me. Hari didn't even look at me, just stared at the horizon in the distance.

Who is a minor? My birthday was in May, I'm already 19 years old. You and I are the same age, jerk.

I didn't argue, just keep the thoughts to myself. I stood beside him and looked into the distance. Enjoying the wind blowing down from the mountain.

“Just catching some fresh air, do you mind?”

Hari shrugged, still refusing to look at me.

I thought of nothing, letting my mind go blank, watching the scenery in the distance. Dawn had passed, but the mist had not yet lifted. I could not see the sky above, only the layers of forest below the cliff on the other side of the barrier.

Suddenly, a cold wind blew. I unconsciously pressed myself closer to Hari.

He didn't react, waited for the wind to blow, then gently pushed me away. After a while, he just coldly said one sentence.

“Where is that Katana guy? Why aren't you snuggling up to him? What are you snuggling up to me for?”

“Hari!” – I growled – “He is not my boyfrien…”

Before I could finish my sentence, Hari had already put the half-lit cigarette in my mouth.

Surprised by the bitter tatse coming from my mouth, I quickly forgot what I was saying and could only stick out my tongue and gag.

"If you are fragile, don't act like you're capable."

Hearing Hari's voice beside my ear, I felt even angrier. When did I ask you for a cigarette?

Since coming to Nagasaki, Hari suddenly became cold towards me. From then on, he changed his style completely, becoming a dark – edgy figure, like a copy of someone else I’ve known before.

I don't know why Hari suddenly became cold to me. I've never been close to Hari. Besides the fact that he once liked me, if it weren't for this zombie pandemic, we wouldn't have even once come into contact with each other. I'm sure that Hari's attitude this time was not my fault.

In the first few days with Hari, he showed himself to be a very hot-tempered person, always acting before thinking, and easily getting angry when things don't go his way. I can't say he's different now, but with the shell he's wearing, Hari now looks more mature and calm than he was an year ago.

I suddenly remembered that one time, Rin and I had the same menstrual period. If it weren't for Hari stubbornly rushing into that zombie-filled store for a pack of menstrual pad, both Rin and I would have been in big trouble.

This person is really hard to understand.

A moment later, I heard footsteps. Daisuke walked out of the gas station, the axe blade dangling close to the ground. Daisuke seemed to be in a good mood, as he walked, zipping up his pants.

Daisuke walked over to the pickup truck and looked inside. Seeing that the people inside were still asleep, he tossed the axe into the trunk and walked straight towards me and Hari.

Although it was the only stop along the route, this stop was quite open. The gas station and convenience store across the street were a wide yard away from us, and from where I stood, the gas station in the distance was still faintly visible in the mist. The parking lot was in the middle, but the only thing standing out against the sky was our black pickup truck.

Even Daisuke walking in the mist felt hazy as if he were a ghost.

“Good morning!” Daisuke waved.

I nodded slightly and Hari just raised his hand in response, not even bothering to look back at Daisuke.

"Cheers."

Even though he was stressed on the road for the past two days, Daisuke still had a very optimistic smile. He's like that, always showing his ease in every situation. Before, I always thought Daisuke was a good-for-nothing, his grades weren't high, and he hung out with Hari a lot. Knowing Daisuke, with him, I never felt burdened or anything.

Sometimes, when we stopped to rest on the side of the road, he would say this to me.

“Hana, the road is clear, do you want to try taking the wheel for a while?”

“Don't worry, I don't have anything else to do anyway…”

“You know… if one day I'm no longer here… someone else will have to replace me to operate these vehicles, right?”

A person like that, even someone as open-minded as me, would find it hard not to accept him.

I also couldn't have imagined that after all we'd been through, the person I was closest to in the group right now was Daisuke. Not in a male-female relationship, but a friend I could count on.

Daisuke stretched comfortably and looked towards the valley: “What are you two talking about? Why is it so quiet all of a sudden? Am I disturbing you two?”

“No!” – Both Hari and I shout back at the same time. Saying the same thing in front of Daisuke like this, I suddenly felt awkward, and so did Hari.

“Haha, that's good!” – Daisuke interrupted, putting his arms around Hari and I's necks – “Cheer up, why are you so down? I have a present for you two.”

“One for Hana.”

"Thank you."

“And one for Hari.”

“Thanks.” – Hari just coldly took it.

Daisuke brought out two bottles of tea from the convenience store. The one Daisuke chose for me was green tea, and the one Hari chose for me was black Oolong, both without sugar. After living together for a year, Daisuke still couldn't remember my favorite tea.

“Daisuke! How many times have I told you, I hate green tea flavor.”

“Sorry, sorry… I'll learn from my mistakes next time.” – Daisuke just awkwardly scratched his head.

Well, Daisuke's liberal personality sometimes has its downsides. He sometimes doesn't even pay attention to what I say.

“Give that to me. You can have mine.”

Only then did Hari turn to me. His gaze didn't seem to show any interest. Hey, what's the point of suddenly being generous when you're cold?

I did not hesitate to exchange for his drink.

We knew that the liquid in this bottle had long since expired, but to us at this moment, its taste was no different from a bottle of cold tea just taken out of the freezer. There was nothing like that pleasant feeling to cleanse the mouth at the beginning of the day with a sip of refreshing tea.

“I finally got Hana to open her mouth, huh?”

“…”

Daisuke leaned against Hari's motorcycle. The three of us silently watched the scenery below the valley.

“Hey Hana.” – Daisuke called my name – “I think you should talk to us more.”

“…”

“I mean, we're now friends, right? I know we're not him, but you have to open up sometimes. How long are you going to be a shut in like that?”

“…”

“It’s just that you seem very lonely. We may be safe now, but who knows what will happen tomorrow? There will come a day when I, Hari, or even Rin won’t be by your side anymore. I’m afraid that if that day really comes… you’ll regret it again, like what happened a year ago…”

But I did not answer.

“…”

“…”

“Well, I have to give in to you again.” – In response to silence. Daisuke patted my back – “Maybe not this time.”

Faced with my silence, he just scratched his head and laughed. Poor Daisuke, he was afraid he had said something wrong that would make me angry.

Daisuke may be easy-going, but he's also very smart. He knows when to talk and when to stop. When the conversation gets tough, Daisuke always plays it cool so that neither of us can start a conflict. Actually, it's not that I don't want to answer him, it's that I don't know how to answer. I'm an introvert, Daisuke is an extrovert. Our interests are different, and we have nothing in common. Since he couldn't start a conversation with me first, he intentionally let me be the one to initiate it. Very clever, because if I didn't answer, I would be the rude one in the conversation.

Not wanting to make Daisuke feel awkward anymore, I had to say something.

“…”

“…”

“I crave Gyudon.”

Unbelievably, that was the first thing that popped into my head. At this moment, I suddenly felt more awkward than Daisuke. Knowing that, I would rather keep quiet.

“Ah right…” - Hearing me say that, Daisuke breathed a sigh of relief. He unconsciously reached down to rub his stomach.

“I thought you were going to get angry… Now that you mention it, I miss the taste of Gyudon too.”

“Gyudon? Doesn't the nearest stop have canned Gyudon too?” – Hari interjected.

“Not that Gyudon.” – I looked disappointed at him.

“Leave him alone,” Daisuke consoled me. “Hari never eats out. He always stays home and has dinner with grandma. Hari, right?”

“Yes, I like being a good boy.” – Hari replied proudly.

Thinking about the hot beef in the stone bowl, I felt regretful. How long has it been since I had food prepared by a chef right in front of me? Seeing my sad face, Daisuke hurriedly comforted me.

“I heard Yatai Gyudon in Fukuoka is the best. When we get there, let's go out to eat Gyudon together, okay?"

“Are you serious?”

"Real."

“But I've never eaten at a Yatai before…”

“Wait… you're not kidding, are you?”

I nodded.

“My mother said that the food at those stalls is very unhygienic. If she finds out that my sister or I dare to sneak out to eat at those places, she will punish us severely.”

“Oh my, oh my…” – Daisuke rubbed his face.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with your mom, or what you’ve missed out on in your life, but if you’ve never eaten Yatai, you’ve missed out on a whole culture…” – Daisuke patted me on the back again – “Luckily for you, Daisuke is very knowledgeable about food. Come with me, and you’ll get to eat all the best food in the world.”

“This is correct.” – Hari added.

I knew Daisuke was just trying to reassure me. Fukuoka was a dead city now. But such harmless lies didn’t bother me. For a moment, I imagined myself sitting in a food stall by the Fukuoka River, watching the city lights twinkle and smelling the hot Oden wafting from inside while enjoying my bowl of rice…

“Anyways Hana, you're gaining weight.”

I had just started talking to Daisuke when Hari interrupted again. Hearing that, I suddenly felt offended and didn't want to talk anymore.

“…”

“Hari!” – Daisuke drawled.

“I know, I know.” – Hari shrugged- “Just telling the truth.”

It's true that since I started living this carefree life, I no longer care much about my diet. The convenience stores along the way are deserted, which means I can eat whatever snacks I want. But saying that out loud in front of a girl is no different than insulting her. I know Hari still likes me, he still tries to imitate that boy to get attention. However, he doesn't know that the reason the other boy has my affection is not because of that brazen attitude but because of the pain he is holding inside. If it weren't for the zombie pandemic, I bet he wouldn't even have a girlfriend, let alone be able to win me over.

Daisuke was frustrated. He must be getting used to the fact that his best friend was changing.

“Hot Gyudon… isn’t a bad idea…” Hari suddenly smiled mysteriously. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him so interested in something like this.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Daisuke, does this stop have a kitchen?”

“Yes, when I entered, I saw a small kitchen behind the store's restroom.”

“Come into the kitchen and prepare a few things with me later.”

"No problem."

“Then keep everyone away from the kitchen until noon, I have a surprise for you today.”

Having said that, Hari flicked the unfinished cigarette butt down the ravine, then immediately turned his head towards the gas station.

“Hari… what do you mean?”

“It would be so much fun to say it out of the blue. See you at lunch…”

Having said that, Hari raised his hand in greeting and walked straight into the mist, leaving us with his motorcycle.

“Hey, wait, I have something to show you…” – Daisuke leaned forward and called.

But it was too late, Hari was completely absorbed in his own affairs. He disappeared into the mist without looking back.

"Is he going to cook?"

“I don't know either…” – Daisuke scratched his head – “In the many years I've been friends with him, I've never once heard Hari mention cooking.”

I can't understand the boys' thoughts, but if the subject is Hari or someone else, I'd rather not know.

“Forget it.” – I shook my head- “What is it that you want to show Hari?”

“Ah, here…” - Daisuke took out a map, put it on Hari’s bike saddle, I also looked down – “I was going to let everyone wake up and then talk about it all at once, but Hari wanted to go first so I wanted to tell him as well.”

“Hana, do you feel like something is a little off about this place?”

He reminded me and I suddenly felt unsafe.

“I came across two zombies in there right now, one in the gas station restroom, one in the convenience store.”

Daisuke scratched his cheek with his index finger, his expression full of worry.

“If it's according to our routine, there shouldn't be any zombies here.”

I turned my head to look at the gas station hidden in the thick fog, suddenly feeling very strange. Another gust of wind blew by, but it did not bring a pleasant feeling but a chill down my spine.

If Daisuke wasn't lying, these were the first zombies we'd seen in weeks.

“Daisuke… this place isn't on our maps.”

Daisuke gulped and looked at me, nodding. Even someone as carefree as him was looking bewildered by this situation.

“Oh what news? Did I miss something?”

Breaking the tense atmosphere, a deep, thin male voice came from behind the mist.

And then the fourth person appeared. Walking towards us, was a sleepy boy. He walked over, waved to Daisuke, then winked at me.

“Ah! Good morning!” – Daisuke replied cheerfully.

“Good morning, Daisuke.” – He smiled friendly.

That's right, our group isn't just me, Daisuke, Hari, Yamato, and Rin. I keep forgetting that there's a sixth member of this group.

He's not a new member, in fact, he's closer to me than Rin, Hari, or Daisuke.

Even though he was always there, I still lied to myself that he didn't really exist.

Because every time I see his face, my heart feels so much pain.

He has black hair, he is not very tall and always wears dark clothes. He always carries with him, a Katana that he got from Principal Sai's room in the early days of the zombie epidemic. He has a warm voice, deep black eyes.

But just like how Hari treated me, my first reaction when I saw him was to quickly turn my face away. I didn't dare look straight into that person's eyes.

But he didn't bother to hesitate, without asking for my opinion, he boldly stepped forward and grabbed my cheek.

“Don't avoid me, Hana…”

Why do I become so weak in front of this person?

With that, he pulled my face back and kissed my forehead.

“Good morning, Hana.”

I closed my eyes tightly, trying to tell myself that it was just a ghost. I wished that Katashi had really died in that room that day.

Feeling that person's lips, all my worries suddenly disappeared. For a moment, I forgot that I was in a dangerous place, or how scared I was.

The morning sun gently penetrated the clouds, and the morning mist began to thin and then disappear. A picture of wild nature unfolded before the eyes in the valley below.

I heard in my mind, the sound of the ocean, the echo of words from a distant land.

"I"

"Love"

“Rin…”