After getting the exhausted Rika settled in, Shuya glanced outside. The sky was just beginning to lighten with the first hints of dawn.
He checked the clock on the wall—6:52 a.m., only a few minutes until seven.
Unlike the others, Shuya didn't feel like sleeping. Instead, he headed straight into the kitchen to start preparing breakfast. Thanks to his Nen awakening and youthful energy, he felt completely refreshed. Even after going all night with both Saeko and Rika, his body and mind showed zero signs of fatigue.
He thought it over. Rei and Saya had stayed up all night and still hadn't learned Nen yet, so they probably wouldn't wake up anytime soon. He'd let them sleep until lunch. Rika was in pretty much the same boat.
That left breakfast for himself, Saeko, Shizuka, and Yuriko. Four people. He decided to make a bit extra—just in case.
With a clear plan in mind, Shuya moved quickly. It didn't take long before a full breakfast was ready and neatly arranged on the table.
Once everything was set, he pushed open the door to Saeko's room.
The purple-haired girl was sleeping peacefully on the bed, her brows relaxed and the corners of her mouth curved up in a tiny, satisfied smile. Even in her dreams, she looked content and completely at ease—no guard up at all.
Watching her sleeping face, Shuya couldn't help but feel a wave of emotion. No matter how bloodthirsty Saeko was deep down, or how much she loved the thrill of killing, that pure girl-like radiance she carried could never be hidden.
Who would ever guess that this girl, with such an adorable sleeping expression, had slaughtered thousands of zombies with her blade just the night before?
Seeing her like this, Shuya suddenly wasn't in such a rush to wake her.
He leaned down, resting his arms on the edge of the bed, and slowly reached out with mischievous hands toward the defenseless purple-haired beauty.
Using his index finger and thumb, he gently pinched a strand of her purple hair and lightly brushed it across her cheek.
In her sleep, Saeko's brows furrowed slightly, clearly bothered by the tickling sensation.
She reached up and swiped at her face, trying to brush away whatever was annoying her.
Shuya wasn't about to let her win that easily. The second her hand moved, he quickly pulled the strand of hair back, making her miss.
As soon as she lowered her hand, he started the teasing all over again.
After three rounds of this back-and-forth…
Saeko finally realized something was up.
Her eyes snapped open, purple irises flashing with clear irritation. She had serious bedhead energy.
Until her gaze landed on Shuya—leaning over the bed, still holding that strand of hair and grinning like the troublemaker he was.
The anger melted away instantly, replaced by a mix of joy and playful annoyance.
"Good morning, Saeko-senpai," Shuya said with a light smile, showing zero embarrassment at getting caught.
"Good morning, Shuya-kouhai," Saeko replied, turning onto her side and propping her head up with one hand as she looked at him. "So this is your idea of a wake-up service? I'm not very impressed."
"Oh? Then what kind of wake-up service would you prefer, Senpai?" Shuya asked, playing along.
"Instead of this mischievous little devil routine," she said, blinking at him playfully, her purple eyes sparkling with mischief, "I was hoping my prince would wake me with a kiss… like in the fairy tales. You know, waking the princess?"
She opened her arms toward him. "Think you can manage that?"
Shuya couldn't help but chuckle. He hadn't expected Saeko to show such a cute, spoiled side on top of that adorable sleeping face.
Of course, he had no reason to refuse.
He gently brushed the stray strands of hair away from her face, then reached down and lifted her into his arms. His gaze dropped to her soft, inviting lips, and without hesitation, he kissed her deeply.
The kiss lingered for a long moment. When they finally parted, Shuya looked down at her. "Enough?"
"Mmm… enough," Saeko answered, nodding with clear satisfaction. A faint trace of lingering affection still shone in her eyes.
"Alright then, time to get up for breakfast. After we eat, we'll head out and keep hunting zombies."
The road to getting stronger didn't wait for anyone. With any other woman, Shuya wouldn't have said something so unromantic. But this was Saeko. Taking her out to slaughter zombies was probably more exciting to her than a date at an amusement park.
Saeko gave a soft hum of agreement. "Okay."
"Perfect. I'll go wake the others."
With that, Shuya left Saeko's room and headed for the one Shizuka and Yuriko were sharing.
The moment he stepped inside, he was met with a resentful stare from the bed.
It was Yuriko Takagi.
Shizuka was sleeping soundly, wrapped around her like a koala bear, clinging tightly.
"You finally showed up~" Yuriko said in a tired, dramatic voice.
Seeing the normally composed, scheming mature beauty looking so defeated made Shuya want to laugh. Who knew the intellectual big-sister type could be worn down so easily by Shizuka?
What he didn't know was that Shizuka wasn't just being clingy by accident. Even though Yuriko had repeatedly promised she wouldn't cause trouble while Shuya was with Rika, Shizuka had ignored her completely and insisted on sleeping while hugging her.
The worst part? Thanks to awakening Nen so early, Shizuka's grip was ridiculously strong. Yuriko couldn't break free no matter how hard she tried. The blonde woman had locked around her like a living restraint.
And no matter how much Yuriko called out, Shizuka wouldn't wake up.
She'd been stuck like this the entire night.
Shuya teased her with a grin. "Want me to leave again?"
"Don't you dare!" Yuriko said quickly, even knowing he was messing with her. "I'm begging you, little brother Shuya. Save your big sister here."
Seeing such an entertaining scene, Shuya nodded with satisfaction.
He wasn't planning to abandon her anyway—he had come to wake them for breakfast.
Smack!
He gave Shizuka's plump rear a light slap, producing a soft, muffled sound. "Shizuka-nee, time to wake up."
"Hmm? Is it morning already?"
Shizuka slowly stirred, sitting up while still looking half-asleep. The second she saw Shuya, she immediately started pouting cutely. "I want little Shuya to carry me~"
Yuriko watched this display through gritted teeth. Is this woman faking it? I called her for hours with no response, but one pat on the ass from Shuya and she's suddenly awake? Does she have some special button installed back there?
"Alright, both of you get up. Breakfast is ready."
Shuya easily lifted the still-clingy, childlike Shizuka into his arms, then turned to Yuriko. "After breakfast, I need to talk to you about something."
"Is it about Nen?" Yuriko asked.
"Sort of. But not entirely."
Shuya shook his head and asked her a serious question instead:
"What do you think—when is this zombie outbreak actually going to end?"