A youth story of a passerby at the end of the world

Caught in the middle, Hotaru Okazaki was completely unaware of anything, giggling foolishly. She was so sweet.

"What do we do next?" Toyohama Kazuka asked worriedly.

"I guess I'll just have to try my luck at her house again."

Generally speaking, unless someone is sick and on leave from work, there is a high probability that no one is home.

"How about we call again?"

"I'll try again." After saying that, Toyohama Kazuka took out the phone that looked very girly.

"Beep beep..." The phone's beeping echoed in the quiet car.

Uesugi Genshin turned to look out the window, wary of his surroundings, because the others were all staring at their cell phone screens.

After waiting for a long time, I heard the phone call notification that the line was busy.

"Has something happened to my sister...?" No wonder she had such suspicions.

"As long as it's not one of the first to be affected, it's probably fine, right? After all, it's Sakurajima Mai." Uesugi Genshin wasn't just saying that to comfort her; he genuinely believed it.

"By the way, do you know where Mai-san lives?"

"Don't you know?" said the friend.

"Under what circumstances would a girl invite a man into her home?" Uesugi Genshin asked, somewhat speechless.

"Well..." Toyohama Kazuka replied that she couldn't.

She leaned forward, her slender fingers pointing at the navigation, "I remember Dad mentioning it."

"It's getting dark." Looking at the orange-red clouds in the sky, Uesugi Genji leaned his chin on his hand and looked out the window, pondering how to spend the night.

"right here."

The navigation still shows that we are in Kamakura Ward, which is only a few kilometers away, but considering the traffic conditions, it should take about ten minutes to get there.

Having experienced so many years in the entertainment industry, he remembered that Mai Sakurajima bought an apartment directly, making her quite wealthy.

Even he, because he is hesitant about where he will settle down in the future, is currently still renting.

According to the Hachiman brothers, this is the future of the stay-at-home husband they've always dreamed of; marrying her is a huge win.

"Let's go then."

To put the car in gear and start it, you must first leave the school.

Walking around the school building along the road leading out of the school, there were some zombies blocking the way, as well as some zombies that had been knocked down. They were clearly the two zombies, Azusagawa Sakuta and his companion.

The fact that they weren't seen after driving out of the school indicates that they had successfully left the school.

After all, humans are definitely much stronger than zombies, but they are also much more complex. Because of the complexity of their minds, unity and trust are the biggest reasons why humans are defeated.

Most people value their own safety, so creating a group that they identify with is the top priority. This will inspire them to have a sense of honor and responsibility and contribute their efforts to the group.

They started their journey normally, and I didn't see either of them. But there are many roads, and it's hard to say which one they might take. At least I didn't see them, which means they're okay, but it's like Schrödinger's cat.

The sky shifted from orange-red to a pale purple, night was approaching, and the herdsmen and horses drove forward in the last rays of the sun, along the post-apocalyptic streets in the twilight.

The people in the car remained silent, leaning against the door and seats, looking exhausted. Indeed, the fear and anxiety of the day had taken their toll.

Inside the car, everything from the daytime felt like a dream, but the scenery outside the window instantly brought me back to reality.

Meanwhile, Uesugi Genshin was focused on driving. He was playing a parkour game, but a real-life one, carefully dodging obstacles.

Reality is a garbage game.

The streetlights coming on signal that night is approaching. Driving on the streets at night should be avoided at all costs, as visibility will inevitably be limited, making it extremely dangerous.

As the sun completely sank below the horizon, leaving only a faint orange glow, we finally reached our destination.

"I hope it's good to be here."

Chapter 30: Escaping the Back Room

It was a residential area with narrow roads, only wide enough for two cars to drive side by side, but that was just right. There was also space for a sidewalk on the side of the road, just like the layout of where he lived.

This side is lined with apartment buildings that are at least five or six stories high.

The Wrangler finally stopped at an apartment building that was at least seven or eight stories high. The building wasn't new, but it probably hadn't been built for more than ten years.

There is access control downstairs, and the main door is a glass door. Through the glass door, you can see a zombie wandering around inside the building.

However, you should find a parking spot first. Parking on the main road like this is a bit too careless, especially at night like this.

If he encountered an unlocked bicycle while on the run, he would definitely borrow it without hesitation and never return it.

Therefore, it is reasonable to think this way: it is necessary to park a car that looks very nice in a place that is not easily seen.

Stepping on the gas again, and avoiding the approaching zombies, Uesugi Genshin drove around the apartment building.

After driving only a few meters, we saw the underground parking lot, which was fully equipped.

The barrier didn't lift even when the car stopped right in front of it, clearly indicating that it wasn't an automatic sensor that anyone could pass through.

He got out of the car carrying the baseball bat that had been placed on the side of the vehicle.

It's going to be tough for a while. I snorted to clear my nose. Luckily, for now, those guys don't have any other strange smells besides the metallic smell of blood. Who knows what will happen in a while.

The smell of gunpowder is much fresher than the smell that makes you want to vomit.

The zombies in the residential area looked tattered and ragged, dressed like beggars, and stained with blood and dust. To put it bluntly, they looked like wild men who had just come out of the mountains.

Scratched by thorns, his clothes were worn and covered in dust, looking like he hadn't bathed in a long time. He walked unsteadily, his face so tired he looked like he was about to roll his eyes.

See, that's it.

Speaking of which, there's a question: do zombies heal their wounds? Logically speaking, anyone would die from excessive blood loss, but zombies are already dead to begin with.

Only time will tell; at least for now, there are still fresh bloodstains.

After discreetly dealing with the approaching zombies, Uesugi Genshin entered the guard post and pressed the button to open the gate.

They got into the car, which started up again with a rough roar, and then disappeared into the ground before the zombies in the distance could react.

The parking lot isn't big, about the same size as the previous one, but this one is for residents only.

There were no more zombies underground, and indeed, zombies wouldn't just appear underground for no reason.

I parked in a secluded corner, and there was no movement in sight, so it seemed safe.

"Alright, we've arrived."

"Shall we go up?" Hirokawa Uzuki asked, as there was an elevator and an emergency staircase not far away.

"It's just me and Feng Bin here. You guys stay in the car and hide."

The fewer people there are, the easier it is for him to take care of them; even if it's just one person, he can always ensure their safety.

"I see." Hirokawa Uzuki glanced at the somewhat dimly lit underground parking lot, swallowed hard, and her Adam's apple bobbed.

It's already 7 o'clock, nighttime, and even with the lights on in the parking lot, there's still a creepy feeling.

Coupled with the zombies' hoarse roars, it really creates a terrifying atmosphere.

If the lights were flickering on and off right now, that would be a different kind of story.

"I see."

Upon hearing the response from the side, Uesugi Genshin turned off the engine, picked up a baseball bat, and got out of the car first. He then began to check each car one by one to make sure that no one was inside and to eliminate any potential hazards.

To make room for Toyohama and Kaori to get out, Nakago Ranko, who was in the back seat, got out of the car first to make room.

"Be careful. If anything happens, remember to hide behind Genshin-nii." Nakago Ranko said, holding Toyohama Kazuka's hand as she came out.

"Well, don't worry."

As a team that works together, they have a good relationship, and because there are few people, they don't form many cliques.

"Then I'm leaving." Fengbin and Xiang looked at the people in the car.

"Well, have a nice trip."

Be careful!

"I'll leave the car keys here. Lock the car properly and keep quiet. If anything happens, call my cell phone," Uesugi Genshin said to Hirokawa Uzuki in the front seat after quickly surveying the parking lot.

“Okay, brother, but I don’t know how to contact you,” Hirokawa Uzuki replied.

Kazuka Toyohama remembered Uesugi Genshin's contact information.

"I'll add it to our group chat," said Kazuka Toyohama, taking out her phone.

"OK," Hirokawa Uzuki made an "O" gesture.

After closing the car door, Uesugi Genshin checked the door to the stairwell. There was no access control. Was this an emergency exit?

He and Fengbin opened the stairwell door, preparing to climb the stairs.

At this moment, Uesugi Genshin also received a friend request, and all four of them added each other.

The names, each with its own unique style, were completely indistinguishable, each bearing its own meaningless symbols. Fortunately, there were annotations.

After we added each other, I received a series of emails from people asking for my guidance.

Among them, Nakago Ranko's smiling face is adorned with a heart symbol, Hirokawa Uzuki's face is sticking out her tongue with a "hehe" expression, and the other two are similar.

It's filled with emoticons, and at first glance it looks like spam.

After putting his phone back in, he began leading Feng Bin and Xiang up the stairs.

"My sister's house is on the ninth floor, can't we take the elevator?" Toyohama Kazuka followed closely behind Uesugi Genshin, almost just one step away.

The sound was so soft it was like a whisper, but in the narrow stairwell, the echo spread out and became quite loud.

Uesugi Genshin also turned around and covered his mouth with his hand, bringing his mouth close to Toyohama Kazuka's ear, where she could clearly feel the man's breath.

"The elevator made quite a racket. If the corridor is really full of zombies, they'll all rush in and there won't be anywhere to hide."

Feng Bin and Xiang's ears gradually turned red, and they twitched involuntarily, feeling a little itchy. "I see."

Those monsters sense things by sound.

"So if you encounter danger, remember to run downhill as soon as possible."

A warm breeze blew past her ears, and she obediently replied, "Okay."

Kittens can sometimes get puffed up, but they're really cute when they're quiet.

Uesugi Genshin knew that she harbored a rebellious soul, and that she had even run away from home to hide in her older sister Sakurajima Mai's house, so he felt that she was quite adorable in her current state.

He continued climbing the stairs in silence. Climbing nine floors was indeed incredibly frustrating, but thankfully he knew there were no zombies in the parking lot and he could take the elevator down.

The motion-activated lights in the stairwell would turn on every time they arrived, and thanks to this, they couldn't suppress the sound of their footsteps; darkness was more deadly than silence.

Voice control is clearly a very intelligent invention, yet here it demonstrates its anti-human side.

Upon reaching each floor, Uesugi Genshin would check whether the exit doors were closed properly and whether there was anything visible outside through the windows.

Finally, the two, who had started panting heavily, climbed to the ninth floor.

There are no zombies either.

This is fortunate, because fighting in a narrow stairwell is full of unexpected dangers, such as "knife getting stuck," "falling into a hole," and "being on top of someone."

After confirming once again that there were no zombies outside the door, Uesugi Genshin opened the door. The heavy door creaked open, and Toyohama Kaori tilted her head behind him to look through the crack in the door, her golden ponytail slipping down her side.

There was no one in sight, except for the door, which was being controlled but still creaking slightly.

He handed the door to Toyohama Kazuka and pushed it open. Uesugi Genshin took a few steps forward. The corridor lights came on, and he peered into the ninth-floor corridor, deliberately tapping the wall with a baseball bat, but there was still no response.

After confirming that it was safe, he said to Toyohama Kazuka, who was keeping the door open, "It's safe now, you can come over."

Kazuka Toyohama glanced back at the stairwell where nothing had happened, then quietly closed the heavy stairwell door.

Where does your sister live?

"Let me see..." She identified the door numbers one by one.

Upon closer inspection, it became clear that each household had a nameplate next to their door, which was a doorplate bearing their surname.

As long as you know roughly which floor you're on, you'll never go the wrong way.