January 11
"What's going on... My head hurts, I'm starving, and I can't even see clearly without my glasses. What happened to me?!"
Yurizono Huaxiu struggled to open her eyes, only to find everything in front of her hopelessly blurred. Instinctively, she reached for her glasses, but found nothing beside the pillow.
After fumbling around for a while, she finally found them near the pillow, the frame bent out of shape.
Only then did she realize that her outer clothes had been taken off, and that she was wrapped up in a blanket. But she had no memory at all of how she got that way.
And her body hurt—badly. It felt as though someone had pinned her to the ground and used her like a rag, grinding her against the floor.
The sore places on her body were already bandaged. It seemed Kyoko had treated her wounds.
The last thing Huaxiu remembered before losing consciousness was that her body had suddenly stopped obeying her. Something had kept luring her upward, drawing her toward the top floor.
At some point in the middle of that, she vaguely remembered Sister Kyoko calling her name. After that, everything blurred together. The last clear impression she still had was of being carried back in Kyoko's arms.
If I've already been brought back and settled in here...
then Sister Kyoko must have made it back safely too, right?
The moment that thought struck her, Huaxiu hurriedly looked around.
But there was no light in the room at all. Everything was pitch-black.
She was alone in the bed. In the darkness, only her own breathing could be heard. The moonlight filtering in from outside did not illuminate the room—instead, it made everything feel even colder and emptier, turning the room into something straight out of a horror movie.
"Sister Kyoko... where are you?"
Huaxiu did not even bother putting her clothes back on. Still wrapped in the blanket, she climbed out of bed and started looking for Kyoko.
Her bare feet touched the cold, smooth floor, and the chill bit straight into the little warmth she had left.
With a creaking sound, she opened the bedroom door and stepped out into the living room.
Various supplies were scattered all over the floor. In the darkness, Huaxiu kept stepping on things as she went. Fortunately, there were no nails lying around, or she might have pierced her foot badly.
A distance of only a few meters somehow turned into a trek worthy of crossing a river.
"Sister Kyoko should be in her own room... Please don't think I'm some kind of pervert for sneaking over in the middle of the night."
When her hand touched the doorknob, a strange thought flickered through her mind—but it was immediately overwhelmed by her worry for Kyoko's safety.
She turned the handle and opened the door.
When she saw that someone really was lying in the bed, she finally let out a small breath of relief.
Even so, she still was not fully at ease, so she slowly walked to the bedside.
In the dim moonlight, Huaxiu carefully approached. The pale light fell across Kyoko's smooth face. Her eyes were closed, her brow furrowed faintly, as though even in sleep she carried some deep sorrow.
Then Huaxiu noticed Kyoko's thigh, exposed from beneath the covers.
It was wrapped in several layers of bandages.
The sharp medicinal smell was strong enough to sting the nose.
Maybe it was the strength of the medicine. Or maybe Huaxiu had simply become too sensitive to anything that touched her emotions.
Whatever the reason, tears slipped from the corners of her eyes without her permission. The ache in her heart swelled until she could no longer control herself.
She did not dare cry out loud for fear of waking Kyoko, so she could only sob quietly to herself.
The tears would not stop.
Kyoko was hurt because of me.
Because of me, she got hurt.
My heart hurts so badly.
It hurts the most.
And just as Huaxiu sat there drowning in sorrow, Kyoko opened her eyes.
Golden pupils, sharp as a serpent's, fixed on Huaxiu.
Still sunk in grief, Huaxiu was caught completely off guard as someone suddenly grabbed her. The blanket slipped away, and before she could react, she was pulled bodily into someone else's bed.
"Ah... mm..."
The shock nearly made Huaxiu lose control of herself completely.
"Huaxiu, sneaking into my room in the middle of the night without even putting your clothes on—what exactly are you trying to do?"
Kyoko wrapped her arms around Huaxiu and held her against her chest, speaking right beside her ear.
Their bodies pressed tightly together, like two flames burning side by side.
In her previous life, Kyoko had been male. In this life, she had long since lost that body, and after living another full lifetime, she had become someone almost neutral in that regard—she did not feel any strong aversion to or preference for one sex over the other.
But if she were to choose a lover, she still hoped that person would be a woman.
At that moment, it felt as though a fire was burning inside her, urging her to pin Huaxiu down, urging her toward something more.
But reason won out over desire.
Huaxiu was still only on the verge of starting high school.
Get a grip, you idiot.
Kyoko forced herself calm almost instantly.
There were still things she needed to settle first.
Huaxiu, for her part, was also deeply uncomfortable.
She could not say with certainty whether Kyoko liked girls—but she herself definitely was not straight.
Did anyone understand how helpless a girl like that could feel in front of a cool, distinctive older woman?
Maybe other people wouldn't, but Yurizono Huaxiu certainly did. She already felt herself close to falling.
If an older woman like this decided to pursue her, then a pure-hearted little girl like her would stand no chance at all.
Though, admittedly, the older woman's chest was not as developed as Huaxiu's own, even though she was only sixteen.
Still, in the current situation, Huaxiu was not actually all that distressed.
Just as she had said before, as long as she could go on living like a normal human being in this apocalypse, and as long as she was not being mistreated, then she was willing to give herself.
And besides, the person who had accepted her was not some frightening stranger, but a beautiful woman close to her own age. In Huaxiu's eyes, short-haired Kyoko was both handsome and captivating—the very image of an ideal partner.
The awkward atmosphere did not last long.
Kyoko had already gotten out of bed and put on a thick two-layer cotton pajama set, leaving the entire bed to Huaxiu.
Sensing the warmth beside her disappear, Huaxiu could not help feeling a little disappointed.
"Sister Kyoko... what are you doing?"
Takashiro Kyoko was now sitting across from her in a chair by the bed, a weather forecaster gadget turning idly in her hand. A small lamp had been switched on, casting light over the little bedroom of barely twenty square meters.
The air had suddenly become tense, as if a storm were gathering.
Huaxiu was afraid. She could not understand what was happening.
Had she done something to hurt Kyoko during the part she could not remember?
As Huaxiu's thoughts spiraled, Kyoko finally spoke.
To Huaxiu, it felt like a judge delivering a sentence.
"Do you still remember what happened today?"
It was just a question, and Kyoko's tone was not harsh—but to Huaxiu, it sounded terrifying, like the tolling of a funeral bell.
Her body felt wrong. Her mind was heavy and sluggish, and it was suddenly hard to breathe. Her heartbeat sped up.
"I really don't remember what happened this afternoon. While I was collecting supplies, my body suddenly stopped obeying me. I truly don't know what happened after that."
By the time she reached that point, her eyes had reddened again, and tears began to spill out once more. Her voice was hoarse and trembling.
At a moment like this, Huaxiu could only be one of two things: either an incredible actress, or someone truly terrified.
And could a girl who was not even grown up yet really manage something like that?
If you believed she could, then maybe you were the fool.
Realizing she had frightened Huaxiu badly, Kyoko moved at once to make up for it.
Fortunately, she was not the kind of person who spoke in half-sentences and let misunderstandings fester. She hated that sort of vague, evasive way of talking. It created problems for no reason, and if you had something to say, then say it.
"I'm not blaming you. Nobody could have predicted something like this. I just wanted to talk to you properly about it. Don't carry that burden by yourself. Do I really seem that frightening to you?"
After saying so much at once, Kyoko's throat felt dry.
From last night until now, neither of them had really eaten or drunk anything.
She casually handed Huaxiu a bottle of cola, opened one for herself as well—there were only eight left now—and after they each took a few sips to steady themselves, the conversation resumed.
"When it happened, I'd already lost control of myself completely. I had no command over my body at all. I don't remember anything in the middle. The only thing I vaguely remember is being in your arms at the end. I'm sorry. I dragged you into this, Sister Kyoko."
"We're two bitter melons growing from the same vine. There's no point talking about who dragged whom down."
Seeing Huaxiu crying so miserably made Kyoko feel awful too.
But one question still lingered in her mind:
If Huaxiu had been living next door to that thing, then why had she not been affected earlier?
At that moment, the system broke the impasse.
[Alright, Kyoko, I'll tell you. That special infected was only born the day before Huaxiu found you, so she wasn't affected very much before that.]
[And the reason it controlled her was because it couldn't control you. You're just too strong. Also, could you maybe try reading the monster compendium? You've killed so many already.]
That settled it.
The problem had been explained, and thanks to Miss System, the two of them were spared an even uglier misunderstanding.
"I see. Special infected like that really are impossible to guard against. Even the government forces were wiped out, so it's hardly surprising you couldn't resist it."
Kyoko wiped the tears from Huaxiu's face and handed her a warm set of sleepwear. Then she sat down beside her to help her calm down properly.
"Don't worry. I won't leave you behind, Huaxiu. You're hungry now, right? I'll go make something. You rest for a bit."
After Huaxiu changed into the sleepwear, Kyoko hurried out of the bedroom and went to the room next door.
Wearing only a single layer of sleepwear was far too thin without any floor heating.
Fortunately, once the fire was lit, warmth began to spread. The things being burned now were old wooden furniture and corrugated cardboard. Things that had once been expensive were now nothing more than fuel.
After the smoke thinned, a pot of rice porridge was ready. By sheer luck, yesterday they had found sealed bags of rice in one of the apartments.
Kyoko checked the time.
It was three in the morning.
After the two of them finished eating, she coaxed Huaxiu back to sleep, then quietly slipped out again.
Her pistol and sword had been left on the twentieth floor. Since all the dangers in the building had already been eliminated, she brought only a flashlight and a short knife with her.
The trip was uneventful, and she easily recovered what she had gone for.
But the moment Kyoko returned home, still hurrying around in her sleepwear, she found Huaxiu awake and sitting on the sofa, waiting for her.
That made things awkward.
The look in Huaxiu's eyes was exactly like that of a wife catching her husband sneaking home after a night spent fooling around elsewhere.
In truth, Huaxiu had simply been worried about Kyoko's safety. After realizing Kyoko had gone out, she had not followed her, but had stayed in the living room and waited for her return.
There was something plaintive and uncertain in Huaxiu's gaze. To an outsider, she looked like a pet cat desperately hoping not to be abandoned by its owner.
Fortunately, after Kyoko explained herself, Huaxiu gradually calmed down.
This night had simply been far too full of upheaval.
Kyoko did not want to lose the only companion she had.
And Huaxiu, even more desperately, did not want to be abandoned by Kyoko.
Outside the window, the cold wind was slowly dying down, and the snow had finally stopped falling.
The warmth in their hearts was enough to overcome the freezing wind.
Two hearts linked to each other.
Two lives, sharing one resolve.
Two pairs of hands exerting their strength in the same direction.
Two minds leaning toward the same goal.
In the apocalypse, survival could only be won through trust and cooperation like this.
The two girls returned once more to the same bedroom, sharing the same large bed, and slowly drifted back to sleep.
There were still four hours left until dawn.
The moon had already moved to the southwest, and morning was drawing near.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 115)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter108)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter82)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter144)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 70
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 99
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 95
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 99
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 92
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 47
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 44
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 43
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 26
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 32
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