[Ding!]
[Transfer successful. Host, please complete the main storyline missions of High School of The Dead.]
[Pre-awakening behavior results as follows:]
[After transferring, you live next door to the protagonist Takashi Komuro and heroine Rei Miyamoto. With your parents having passed away early, your aunt Aoi Komuro and Rei's mom Kiriko Miyamoto looked after you often.]
[You and Rei grew up together. After entering middle school, you also approached Saya Takagi proactively, thus gaining a second childhood friend.]
[When playing at the Takagi household, Saya's mother, Yuriko Takagi, always looked at you with the eyes of someone watching her future son-in-law.]
[In high school, not only did you maintain excellent grades, you also joined the kendo club. Though no match for the club's captain, Saeko Busujima, you still challenged her regularly.]
[In your second year, you noticed your childhood friend Rei Miyamoto seemed unhappy...]
[...]
A few seconds later, memories fully integrated. Sai Akuto now had a general grasp of his situation.
Because of the preset behavioral directives, pre-awakening Akuto had acted rather conservatively.
He had only created situations where he could interact with heroines, without pursuing them directly.
...
With Saeko, he joined the kendo club and rose to the rank of vice-captain. Though still beneath Saeko's level, he was far beyond ordinary students.
With Saya, he often competed in grades and discussed problems with her. But overall, she remained the same stubborn tsundere.
With Shizuka Marikawa, Akuto's frequent kendo training left him with injuries. As the school nurse, she often tended to him, making them fairly familiar.
The most important, of course, was Rei.
After seeing the memories related to Rei, Akuto froze for several seconds.
Because of the "Villain Protagonist" system, he, just like Takashi, was Rei's childhood friend.
And since Akuto had excellent grades and strong kendo skill, Rei's affection for him had been exceptionally high since childhood.
But therein lay the problem.
When her affection rose high enough, Rei had confessed to him.
And due to the preset condition forbidding direct intimacy, Akuto had rejected her.
So right now, he and Rei were already in an "everything laid bare" state.
"Luckily Rei hasn't thought about finding a fake boyfriend to spite me. If she ever tried that, I'd definitely slap her a few times."
For slapping Rei, Akuto felt no hesitation.
Because Rei was the type that needed a good slap.
If you didn't slap her, her eyes would never be clear!
...
Once he understood the situation, the system chimed again.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, host has triggered the main storyline mission — Escape Fujimi Academy.]
[Mission Rank: Green.]
[Description: After witnessing the zombie invasion from the rooftop, you rush into Rei Miyamoto's classroom and drag her out.
The ordinary, everyday world has now become an apocalypse. All common morals will be overturned.
Survival will become the sole priority.]
[Objective: Escape Fujimi Academy with the ones you care about.]
[Note: The more people you bring, especially heroines, the greater the rewards.]
...
While Akuto was regaining memories and receiving the system task, Rei was violently struggling against his grip on her wrist.
"Akuto-kun! If you don't explain why you're dragging me out of class, I'll go right back in!"
She had said this because just moments ago, Akuto had barged into her classroom and forcibly pulled her away.
As an honor student, skipping class was unacceptable to her.
But as her words fell, two out-of-breath male classmates rushed out from the rooftop door.
"Akuto, Rei, let's go back to class. The teacher's furious," said one, Hisashi.
In the original plot, Hisashi was Rei's boyfriend. Here, though, he was still just a classmate who often talked to her.
"That's right, Rei, Akuto, let's just go back," Takashi added, panting behind him.
Akuto glanced at the two.
Judging by their behavior, both were obviously interested in Rei. Otherwise, why chase after her the moment they saw her being taken away?
...
Before Akuto could reply, screams from nearby explained everything.
"There's a lunatic biting people in the school! Call the teachers!"
"Ah! He's dead! He died!"
"No! They're not dead! They're still moving!"
"Don't get near them! If you're bitten, you'll turn into one of them too!"
...
"Is... is this why you pulled me out, Akuto-kun?"
Rei swallowed hard, her eyes instantly softening like a kitten as she looked at him.
"Yeah. From today on, this world changes completely." Akuto's voice was grave.
"Uwaaaaah!!!"
Even as he finished, Hisashi let out a scream of agony.
Because he had been nearest the rooftop door, a zombie lurking behind it had chosen him as its first prey!
"Stay back!"
Despite the pain of torn flesh, Hisashi tried to shove the zombie away.
But to his shock, its strength was monstrous. No matter how he struggled, it was useless!
"Get away!"
Summoning his courage, Takashi kicked the zombie hard from behind, sending it tumbling down the rooftop stairs.
Bang!
The moment the zombie fell, Akuto seized the chance to lock the rooftop door.
Relieved, everyone exhaled—except Akuto.
Instead, he picked up a baseball bat and calmly approached Hisashi.
Seeing Akuto's cool gaze, sweat drenched Hisashi's brow.
"A-Akuto-kun... what are you doing?"
"Hisashi, you saw it yourself. These walking corpses are just like the zombies in movies."
"And in movies, when someone gets infected... what do the survivors do?" Akuto asked flatly.
"..."
Cold sweat poured down Hisashi's face.
"M-maybe the government will make a vaccine?"
"Akuto-kun, don't come closer! I'll go hide on my own! Just don't come closer!"
"Hey! This is murder! Rei! Please, talk some sense into him!"
This Hisashi was different from his original counterpart.
In the original, Hisashi was outstanding from childhood—kind and dependable.
But this Hisashi, after developing feelings for Rei, realized that compared to Akuto, he had no chance.
Grades, looks, skills, popularity—everything was inferior.
And a man's jealousy burns brightest when facing a rival.
Unable to compete, Hisashi had grown petty and bitter—a stark contrast from the original.
...
Hearing his pleas, Rei only bit her lip, glancing hesitantly at Akuto, and said nothing.
Instead, Takashi spoke up.
"Akuto, maybe we should lock him up instead? What if there's a way to cure him?"
Akuto immediately countered.
"Fine. Will you stay locked up with him? Will you guard him day and night?"
"..."
Takashi fell silent.
"Rei! We're friends, right?! You're just going to watch me die?!"
"Takashi! Don't worry, I'd never hurt you. Just stop Akuto for me!"
"Akuto! Don't kill me just because I like Rei too! That's petty revenge!"
Facing death, Hisashi's true colors showed.
Akuto's expression didn't change.
"Is that your last words?"
Then he swung the bat down.
Crack!
White and red sprayed together—brain matter splattering in a perfect fan across the rooftop wall.
Hisashi. Dead.
(End of Chapter)
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