Chapter 2- March 2, Sakurazaka Jin.

Before the alarm clock went off, I woke up and checked the time. It was 6:20 am.

As usual, I did some stretching and made it to the living room in time for 6:30 am.

Then, I picked up the TV remote and checked the news. After that, I opened my laptop and turned it on…

“Oh, I see. I guess it’s already fine then.”

At that moment, I came back to my senses.

I had been working unconsciously and mechanically, but there was no need to do that anymore.

The reason for living a regular daily life was to prepare for the prophetic dreams that came once a month. It was a routine to utilize the future that would definitely come in one month.

Using my abilities, I checked the stock and investment markets, and bought stocks of companies that I knew would rise in value. I also participated in government-run gambling, where it was easy to earn money if you knew which underdogs were going to win in advance.

My initial funds came from the inheritance and insurance money left by my parents.

To avoid arousing suspicion by winning too much, I also deliberately missed opportunities or made losses. Anyone would be suspicious if someone hit the bullseye every time.

Therefore, I only aimed for big wins occasionally and steadily made profits over time.

I have utilized this ability in other ways as well. By being aware of major events such as accidents, disasters, and incidents in advance through the news, I could live safely without encountering any danger.

I have been living such a life for the past few years. Even though it was only once a month, I could certainly win bets using my prophetic dreams, and my funds have been increasing. After graduating, I experienced working as a salaried worker once, but it seemed foolish to continue, so now I am enjoying my leisurely days.

“If the future one month from now is already determined, then the stock market won’t matter anymore.”

Both the stock market and government-run gambling won’t even exist one month from now with  the predetermined  future he saw.

Since I have already earned a considerable amount of money, my future life would have been secure as long as I didn’t waste it on unnecessary luxuries. But I never expected such a dramatic turn of events.

I have been thinking about what to do next since yesterday.

My laptop’s files, which I love to use, are filled with schedules of what to do for the next month.

My sister will probably wake up soon. Should I make breakfast and wait for her until then?

“Hey, good morning,” came the whispered greeting that lacked any hint of energy.

Glancing over, I saw my sister with her messy hair full of bedhead, shuffling towards me more slowly than usual. Dark circles were prominent around her eyes, and she stifled a big yawn, suggesting she hadn’t slept well. As if it were nothing, she was wearing my sweatshirt.

“The rice is ready.”

“Sorry for always causing trouble. Let me sit down here.”

I sat on the chair like an old man and stared absentmindedly at the scrambled eggs.

I continued eating, waiting for my sister to speak, but I didn’t touch the food, and I didn’t even try to speak.

Usually, the dining table is lively with my sister’s unnecessary chatter. Should I be the one to start the conversation?

“Did you sort out your thoughts?”

“Yeah, somehow… Sorry, I have to eat before my food gets cold. Let’s dig in!”

After finishing her meal in a hurry, she quickly carried both our dishes to the sink.

Having nothing else to do, I sat on the living room sofa and turned on my laptop. My sister sat across the table from me, looking intently at me with a serious expression.

Perhaps she had calmed down a bit.

“Okay, let’s talk.”

“First, tell me what you’re thinking, Yae-nee.”

“Okay, well, I’ve been thinking about it since then, but is there any way to find out the cause of why the world is overrun by zombies? If we could find that out, we could share the information on the internet or even with the media, and maybe we could help everyone.”

“Oh, here it comes.”

I felt at a loss for words as my sister looked up at me with her eyes. But I knew I should be clear and straightforward here.

“I think it’s impossible to trace the root cause within a month, even if you keep a close eye on TV and internet news every day. “

“But if we could prevent it beforehand, we wouldn’t have to end up with a world full of zombies, right?”

“That may be true, but even if we were to find the cause of this zombie phenomenon, there may be nothing we can do about it. What if it’s a bioweapon created by some giant pharmaceutical company, or a bio-terror attack involving a country, or a horror scenario filled with occult elements? What can we do about that? Are we supposed to be able to handle it?”

“Yeah, that’s true, but…”

My sister’s mood visibly dropped, and she looked down.

“We’re not protagonists in a movie or a game. Besides, if there really was some kind of conspiracy, we wouldn’t want to draw attention to ourselves and end up being targeted by the people who carried it out.”

I wanted to respect my sister’s kindness, but I also didn’t want to give her false hope. But…

“However, there might be someone who can be helped even a little, so can I rely on you to check the news every day? If you see any related information, no matter how trivial it may seem, please let me know and it would be helpful.”

“I got it! Jin-chan is really kind after all.”

She leaned forward to hug me on the table, but I stopped her with my hand.

“Okay, okay.”

I meet the smiling face of my sister peering through the gap between her fingers.

“Anyway, setting that aside, the next thing is more important. Should we stay holed up in this house, or should we relocate to a safer place? What do you think is better?”

I asked her, but I already had an answer in my mind.

“Well, as your older sister, I think we should stay put and fortify our position. Even if we were to run somewhere, there’s no guarantee it would be any safer. After all, the same situation seems to be happening all over the world, right?”

“That’s if we believe the news, though. According to reports, people have turned into zombies and are running amok all over the world. Of course, similar incidents have been reported all over Japan, too.”

If this were limited to just my town, prefecture, or country, the answer would be easy. We could simply escape to a safer area while we still can.

“I thought about moving to a high-rise tower apartment, but… If this panic situation subsides in a short period, it might be a good option. However, if things only worsen from here on, it would only buy us a little bit of time.”

If we had a year or so to spare, buying land or a house in a safe place could be an option, but one month feels both long and short at the same time.

“Then it’s better to stay and defend this house.”

“I think so too. We should gather preserved food and daily necessities to prepare for survival. If we can settle things in a few years, that’s great, but even if we can’t, it won’t hurt to have some supplies. We’ll need to prepare for other things as well.”

“Right, that’s true. That’s the better option, I think.”

My sister nods with a relieved expression.

My true reason for choosing to stay and defend the house is different. My sister, who has the physical and mental stamina of a tiny shrimp, is a hardcore shut-in, and I don’t think she could handle a life on the run in unfamiliar territory.

There are certainly concerns about the future, but they might be manageable with some advance planning.