The duo sat down, waiting in tense silence. Though Fuuko didn't fully understand what was happening, even she could sense the weight of the moment.
The low hum of the television filled the quiet room, then cut off abruptly as a mechanical male voice broke in, the kind typically reserved for emergency broadcasts.
"We interrupt this program to bring you an important announcement from the Minister of Health, Tokyo Metropolitan Government."
The screen shifted to a middle-aged spokesperson standing at a wooden podium with a mike on, the Ministry of Health logo looming behind him. Other than the logo, everything looked perfectly normal, like any ordinary announcement. Nothing out of the ordinary can be seen, at least, that was how it appeared.
**"Greetings, citizens. This is your Health Minister speaking. The Japanese Center for Disease Control and Prevention has received reports of a possible community outbreak in a town west of Hachiōji. The situation is under control and is being closely monitored by the authorities, but we advise heightened vigilance.
If you experience any unusual symptoms, please remain calm and seek medical attention at the nearest hospital. We urge you to avoid unnecessary travel and limit direct contact with wild animals or stray pets. If you observe any animals exhibiting aggressive or abnormal behavior, report this immediately to your local officials.
Please stay informed through reliable sources, such as official government announcements and trusted news outlets. The spread of false information or attempts to cause public unrest will be subject to legal consequences.
We ask for your cooperation. Thank you."**
The broadcast ended as abruptly as it had begun, the regular program resuming as though nothing had happened.
Nobita sat frozen, trying to process what he had just heard. A community outbreak near Hachiōji. Under government supervision... It is not exactly the same, but still far too close to the disturbing material Eiichi had shown them earlier. Uncomfortably close.
A knot of unease tightened in Nobita's stomach.
Why was the announcement so short? Why did it sound so vague, as though they were deliberately holding something back?
Before he could dwell on it further, his phone buzzed with a new message in the group chat.
Magical Girl: Discord. Now.
It was a summons that needed no explanation. The group had to meet immediately.
Without hesitation, Nobita darted to his room, Fuuko trailing close behind. He shut the door, turned the lock, and switched on the air conditioner. Sliding on his headphones, he pulled the USB mic closer.
When he logged into Discord, everyone was already in the group voice chat.
"Hey guys, everyone's here, right?"
"We are all here… except Suneo. Looks like he's busy packing, probably won't join." Eiichi's voice came through, followed by the hiss of a soda can popping open.
"That makes it worse, doesn't it? Suneo is suddenly called home right before this shit happens... Coincidence? I think not." Eri jumped in, her words echoed by the silence of agreement from the rest.
Suneo's dad wasn't an ordinary businessman, his connections ran deep. He had to know something about this. It can't be a total coincidence that he immediately demanded Suneo to come back home before the broadcast started.
"We'll call Suneo once he's back home, hope we can get some answer." Ream said firmly.
"He better not hide anything or i will..." A faint second voice chimed in from Eri side, probably Darusa, her "little sister." The mic then rustled as if Eri tried to cover it, but her sharp whisper still leaked through: "Get out..."
"What the hell is going on man?" Kenichi spoke out. His tone was casual, though the edge of unease could be heard. "A community outbreak? Sounds like a zombie virus to me."
He wasn't entirely wrong. Whenever a community outbreak is mentioned, most of them immediately think of a zombie plague or some out-of-control virus. That's probably thanks to the sheer popularity of zombie media and the countless hours they've spent on zombie survival games. Those games are always a blast with friends, the roleplay, the drama, the intensity, it all feels so surreal.
But this? This is reality.
And usually, outbreaks in rural or urban areas are tied to livestock, like H5N1. This outbreak, however, didn't feel like one of those cases.
"Right after Eiichi showed us those pictures too. Talk about timing." Miki muttered.
"Know anyone from Ome or Hachiōji, Miki?" Eri's voice was distant, as though she'd leaned away from the mic.
"Nope. Ream, Nobita, what about you two? You guys travel a lot, right?"
Of the group, apart from their off-world adventures, Nobita, Suneo, and Ream were the ones who had traveled the most. But...
"I wish." Ream said dryly.
"Same. Suneo probably knows, but he's not here, so…" Nobita shook his head.
Despite their travels, both Ream and Nobita still had small circles of friends. Suneo might have known more, too bad, he's not here right now.
"Uh… Ms. Mami just sent an announcement to my class. Starting now, all Japanese lessons will be online, and the classes she teaches are being combined. So… it's official now?" Kenichi's sudden interruption made everyone check their phones.
Sure enough, Ms. Mami had messaged them all, confirming that her lessons would be held online from now on. She also addressed some of the questions and urged everyone to stay calm.
But "stay calm" doesn't do much when you're not giving your student anything to work with.
"I didn't come all this way to Tokyo just to pay for some overpriced dorm and sit through online classes." Eiichi's frustration boiled over, he was not happy with these arrangements. His family had worked hard to afford tuition at one of Tokyo's most prestigious schools, ensuring he had access to the best facilities. And now? Now he was stuck paying for glorified YouTube lectures? This is a joke, he paid for the resource fees, not some boring lecture slides that can easily be downloaded. And why only Japanese classes? What about the others?
"We don't exactly have a choice, Eiichi. You saw the broadcast." Ream sighed.
Eiichi grumbled. An outbreak near Hachiōji, right when he was studying in Tokyo? Just his luck.
While the others chatted about online classes, Nobita opened his browser to dig deeper. What he found, or rather, didn't, make him frown. It wasn't just that reports had been erased, as Ream said. What stood out was that none of the mainstream outlets, like Tokyo Shimbun or Yomiuri, seemed to have any prior knowledge of this.
All of them had been caught off guard, which is very concerning. Normally, major media received advance notice and were placed under a news embargo, a routine agreement that barred them from publishing until a set time or condition was met. It was standard practice. And yet, this time, even the biggest outlets were left completely in the dark.
"I'm calling my parents again, just to check. You guys should call yours too." No one objected. Everyone knew how much Nobita worried about his mom and dad, so they let him go off first.
He dialed quickly, hoping they were still awake…
"N-Nobita? Why are you calling so late?"
His mother's voice was still thick with sleep. She'd clearly been in a deep slumber.
"Mom, did you see the news?"
"Hmm?" Tamako's voice was groggy, as though she barely processed his words.
"There was an emergency broadcast just now. You need to check!"
The urgency in his tone made her sigh, reach for her phone, and scroll through the latest headlines, rubbing her eyes awake. Her expression shifted rapidly from confusion to shock.
An announcement from the Tokyo Ministry of Health? In the middle of the night, with no warning?
"Oh my god, this is serious!" Her voice sharpened, fully awake now. "Are you and Fuuko okay?"
Nobita blinked, caught off guard. He'd called to check on her, but she was the one worrying about him first.
"We're fine Mom. I'm more worried about you and Dad."
"We're fine, don't worry." She paused, then added gently, "Your dad's asleep. He worked all day, I don't want to wake him now."
Leaning back against the bed, Tamako pulled the blanket over her legs. "Did your school say anything?"
"Yeah. Ms. Mami texted us. Classes are moving online. The school's shutting down for now."
The speed of the decision reassured her somewhat, it meant the school was taking precautions seriously. But the fact that the government had issued a nationwide emergency broadcast while withholding details… that was alarming.
"Keep me updated, okay?"
"I will. But you and Dad should call me every night, just to be safe."
Tamako raised an eyebrow, her eyes softening with affection. She knew he was worried, but she was still his mother. With a voice that was gentle yet firm, she reminded him of that.
"Isn't that supposed to be my line? Send me Suneo's number, just in case I can't reach you."
It made sense. If she couldn't get through to him, at least she could try one of his friends. Maybe he should send her the whole group's numbers, and ask them to do the same with their parents. Better safe than sorry.
"I'll send it. And the others' numbers too."
"Good. Now, go to sleep. Fuuko must be tired now, and you shouldn't stay up late either. Don't worry too much. I'll have your dad ask Mr. Honenawa about this when he wakes up. He probably knows more than we do."
Indeed, Suneo's dad had deep connections. He might have access to information not yet made public. Suneo would be back in Nerima Ward tomorrow, Nobita could call him then, and check in with Shizuka, Jaian, and Dekisugi as well.
"Mom, Dad… please be careful. I… I love you."
The sudden softness in his voice caught Tamako off guard. Nobita wasn't the type to say those words often.
Biting her lower lip, she smiled warmly.
"We love you too, Nobita. Take care of yourself."