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“Should I take this to the storage room?”
“Senior, it seems that’s something to be brought inside the house.”
Jinguichi, wearing a work coat, was in a fluster holding a cardboard box, when his junior Hinoyama directed him.
Hinoyama, dressed in a tracksuit, looked like he was wearing cropped pants since the length didn’t reach his ankles, exposing his arms and legs.
The two of them received clothes left behind by our father.
Originally, they had planned to return to their home and office, but after hearing my story, they changed their minds and stayed here to help fortify the place.
It seems that they acted out of fear that the company had fallen out of control.
“Don’t just stand there zoning out, start moving the dirt and debris!”
“Okay, okay.”
The one giving orders with authority is Diya, who’s riding the excavator and digging the trench.
Since she’s the only one here who can operate heavy machinery, it’s best to obediently follow her lead.
We load the soil placed at the edge of the trench onto a wheelbarrow and transport it away.
The collected dirt and debris have formed a small mound. It’s a bit lower than my height in elevation.
So, what we’re doing is digging a moat around the outside of the fortress walls.
Yesterday, Jinguichi got fired up and exclaimed, “If we’re going to fortify this place, a moat is a must-have for our defenses!” after hearing about our fortress DIY project.
It seems that Jinguichi is a big fan of the Sengoku period and is well-versed in siege warfare.
After hearing about the premonitory dream, the detective duo stood there with their arms crossed, lost in thought for a while. But then Jinguichi suddenly hit his knee with a loud thud and let out a big breath.
“It’s hard to believe, but with all this evidence and the situation at hand, even without deduction, it’s clear. It’s the real deal.”
Staring intensely at the three items lined up on the desk, including a voice recorder, a paper with information on zombie transformation gathered from the internet, and a winning betting ticket, I managed to convince them.
“When evidence and firsthand experience are combined, anyone can’t help but believe,” I said.
“With this situation, we’re running out of time. We only have a little over a week until April 1st, the day of the problem, senior.”
“Finding the root of all evil and solving everything… it’s probably impossible. If it were a game or a movie, we could just storm the enemy territory and wreak havoc for a happy ending, but unfortunately, real life doesn’t always work that way.”
Everyone here understands that it’s a difficult task. Despite resting a bit in the car, all three of us – including myself, who had been fleeing in the mountains – were nearing our limits, so the discussion ended there.
I was the first to wake up in the morning and since I had nothing to do, I continued with the DIY work alone. But then, one by one, more people joined in, and now we’re here.
” Digging holes is fun” Diya said, operating the excavator with gusto.
Although she had obtained her license, she had hardly ever had the opportunity to use the machine before.
” What about me, what should I do Jin-chan?” Yae-nee asked
My sister stands silently behind me without making a sound.
It might be a surprising scene for ordinary people, but I am used to my sister’s suspicious behavior.
She seems to have become quite friendly with Diya, but there is still a distance between her and the detective duo.
Even so, being outside is a significant step forward for my sister.
She has a white towel wrapped around her head and is wearing a tracksuit, showing her willingness to work. However, carrying heavy loads is still a challenge for her.
“I want you to show Jinguichi-san and Hinoyama-san where to carry the luggage.”
“Y-Yes, understood.”
I hope this will help shorten the distance between them even a little bit.
My sister nervously closes the gap between them, while the two detectives look bewildered. …Hang in there.
“I want to dig the northern moat today!” exclaimed Diya.
“Don’t push yourself too hard,” I replied.
Ideally, the surroundings should be completely enclosed by a moat, but then there is the question of what to do about the entrance.
Although we replaced the gate with a sturdy one, if we dig too close to the gate, we won’t be able to come in and out.
Since we still need to move things in and out, we want to keep that area intact.
“Hey, Diya. Can I talk to you for a sec?”
“Hmm, what is it?”
As it was dangerous to approach, I shouted from a distance so as not to be drowned out by the sound of the engine.
Somehow, she heard me and turned off the engine before getting out of the vehicle.
“It’s a bit late to ask, but do you really not need to tell your parents or relatives about the zombies?”
“Oh, that. I thought you didn’t want to spread the word.”
“I know, but there are people who my need your help.”
— Unlike me.
“Well, the thing is, my parents are currently on a world cruise. They won’t be back for another six months or so. I guess it’s safe to say that the ocean is the safest place to be right now. Also, my parents eloped, so we’re not really close to any relatives. My uncle is my mother’s brother, but he hated our hometown as much as my mother did, and he’s single with no girlfriend.” Diya said.
“So, you don’t have anyone you want to help?”
“It’s not that I don’t have anyone. If there were friends from my school days or fans who needed help, I’d want to help them. But I wouldn’t sacrifice my own life for them. At the end of the day, I’m the most important person to me.”
Although she was joking around lightly, her eyes didn’t show any laughter.
It’s natural for her to have inner conflicts that she can’t express with words. It’s not something that can be easily resolved.
“How about Hinoyama-san?”
“I heard he left home after fighting with his parents during his school days. Apparently, he had terrible toxic parents and doesn’t want to see them. He started working at a private detective agency right away, so he doesn’t have a boyfriend or close friends.”
“When did you hear such detailed information?”
I heard that he was a colleague of her uncle, and that the have met before. However, I don’t think they were close enough where they would talk about personal matters.
“Yesterday, we had a girls’ gathering after you and my uncle went to sleep. Did you know that your older sister also participated?”
Oh, that’s news to me. So the three of them did something like that.
“Well, I don’t mean to criticize you and the others for their thoughts. But, if I can help someone, I want to help them. Oh, I’m not trying to be tsundere or anything!”
“Why are you being tsundere?”
The way she acts reminds me of my sister when we hang out.
Diya’s opinion is the right thing to do as a person. I don’t want anyone to die other than myself either. If there’s a chance to help someone, I want to do it. But it comes with a condition that we ensure our own safety first.
“But honestly, to be frank… whether we reveal it to the whole world or not, wouldn’t it be the same? If the villagers know, then the boss must know too, right?”
“Ah…”
“Did you not realize that?” she asked.
“…No.” I admitted
Now that she mentioned it, there was no need to keep it a secret anymore. If they were already being watched, it might be safer to broadcast it worldwide. Whether the information would spread or not was a different matter.
“I was careless,”
I have too many thoughts in my head, it’s pathetic that I can’t focus on something like this.
“I’m such an idiot. Why don’t we just use the internet to spread the word quickly? I could even make a video post… a video… ahhhhhhhhh!”
“What’s wrong? Why did you suddenly shout?”
Diya roared rather than screamed towards the sky.
When the voice subsided, she lowered her head and slumped her shoulders.