"Good evening, citizens of Tokyo. The Japan Center for Disease Control and Prevention has successfully contained the recent outbreak. However, malicious rumors have begun spreading online, falsehoods designed to cause panic and unrest. Let me remind you that anyone found disseminating such misinformation will be prosecuted under the Anti-Fake News Act. Everything is under control and there is no need for panic. Please disregard any baseless claims or defamatory rumors you may encounter online, and rely only on official sources. Thank you."
Short, curt, and eerily identical to the last broadcast.
Mami frowned at the vagueness of the announcement. "Successfully contained" sounded hollow when no one dared specify what exactly had been contained. She glanced at her students' faces on the screen. Not one of them looked relieved. If anything, they seemed even more uneasy. Just like her, they were disheartened, unsettled by the coldness and haste of the statement.
"The message seemed awfully defensive." Sharp as ever, Ream crossed her arms at the broadcast
"You're right, Ream." Mami replied, her tone thoughtful. "One sentence about the outbreak, and the rest is directed towards misinformation. Controlling the narrative seemed to be more important than the actual situation."
"So… were we worrying for nothing?" Taro asked hesitantly.
The teacher shook her head, it's the exact opposite, if anything they should be even more worried and concerned.
"I wouldn't say that, Taro. The fact that we don't know what caused the outbreak, how it spreads, how the authorities are containing it, or what preventive measures the public should take is extremely concerning. Protocol dictates that clear direction from the top allows smooth execution at the bottom. But right now? None of it is being done. No official spokesperson, no speeches, no clear guidance from our leaders…"
Her words weighed heavily, yet the clarity and logic in her analysis gave the students a strange sense of reassurance. Their young teacher wasn't panicking. She was sharp, composed, and ready.
Mami's eyes glanced at her companion, Konpoco, the stocky little raccoon dog who'd with her through thick and thin. He merely shrugged, lifting a paw with a goofy grin, as if to say everything would be ok. And if not, well… his mistress had a "knack" for handling things her own way, and that method had never failed.
"You're amazing, Miss." someone murmured.
Mami propped her chin in her palm, letting out a soft sigh under the students' admiring stares. "Well, my previous "job" required some crisis-management training. But honestly, this is the first time I've faced an outbreak like this… Either way, I want you all to stay alert and remain indoors."
She clapped her hands lightly, shifting the mood. "That's all for today. You have until next Monday at 5:00 p.m. to submit your assignments. And make sure the marking rubrics are attached, okay?"
Groans erupted across the call. Looks like the dreaded assignments were more concerning than the outbreak itself. Nobita, however, didn't mind. He had already completed it with Miki earlier. Now, he was just waiting for the others to submit it first.
He checked the clock: 6:16 p.m. Just in time for dinner.
"Yes Miss, thank you."
"Goodbye, everyone. Stay safe."
One by one, the students exited the call.
Nobita stretched with a wide yawn. The real question now was: what to eat? He could spend 30 minutes of his life to whip up a fresh mackerel from the freezer and cook rice… or he could just stroll down to the convenience store for a cup of ramen and a cheeky bag of chips.
He was still locked in this grand philosophical battle over dinner when his phone suddenly buzzed.
The caller ID made him sit upright. It's Suneo.
A few days ago, the group had tried calling him for updates, but Suneo's father was always coming and going, leaving him no chance to ask anything. So Suneo had promised to call back once he learned more.
Nobita swiped to answer.
"Suneo? How are you doing? Did you..."
"Nobita! Did you see the broadcast?"
The panic in Suneo's voice cut him off.
"Yeah, I did. What's wrong?"
"Listen! Things are NOT under control. Don't believe a word they're saying. It's all lies."
Nobita blinked. Why does Suneo sound like one of those conspiracy cranks from late-night dramas? Taking a deep breath, Nobita forced himself to stay calm and reining in his thoughts as his gaze drifted to the window.
Beyond the glass, gray clouds smothered the sky, only thin rays of sunset piercing through. Rain was brewing again, this season, evening storms had become routine.
"Calm down, Suneo. What's going on?"
"Remember how I said my dad's been busy? Well… he's planning for us to move. He and a few colleagues managed to get their hands on some documents from researchers investigating those recent animal attack cases. According to what they found, the animals were infected with some kind of unidentified disease... That's all my dad says, it's all heavily classified, so he can't go to full detail. I'm reaching to you now using a VPN and a series of proxy networks."
A chill crept up Nobita's spine. Infection wasn't a term to be used lightly in this context. The fact that the Tokyo Health Minister had called it an outbreak meant something serious was happening. If a viral infection is causing the animals to attack humans, there is only one such disease that comes to Nobita's mind.
"Infected? Like what, rabies?"
"No, worse. A completely new mutated virus. Nobody knows how it affects humans yet, but it's bad enough that the government sealed off the Okutama mountains and Hachiōji entirely, no information getting in or out."
Now Nobita understood the VPN, and the government's silence. But even he knew that sweeping things under the rug never worked in the long run. Problems only piled up until they came back to bite twice as hard. A community outbreak needed to be contained swiftly, before it could take root in neighboring towns or cities.
And surely, the government knew that too. They had to.
"Why hide it? Shouldn't we be informed?"
"It's what they always do, at least that's what my dad says. You should head back to Nerima Ward as soon as possible. There are rumors the highways might be locked down soon... We won't be here much longer. My dad and his colleagues are already preparing to move to Rishiri Island. He says it'll be safer there."
Nobita bit his lip. Their suspicions about the animal attacks hadn't been paranoid after all. But for Suneo's family to abandon Tokyo and everything they had built for some remote island?
He had to get home. Classes were already suspended; nothing was stopping him now. But…
"I get it. I'll… I'll try to return to Nerima. But Eri and the others…" His voice wavered.
"Don't worry, I'll tell them. I called you first just to test if the VPN would hold. I'm scared of big guys tapping our lines you know?"
Nobita let out a small chuckle. Paranoid as it sounded, if Suneo's father and his colleagues were digging into the outbreak, they could very well get to some complications with the authorities actively concealing the truth.
"Thanks, Suneo. Stay safe. Keep me updated, yeah? And my parents, please, take care of them…"
"Of course. Who do you think I am? I'll keep an eye on your family. Same with Jaian's and Shizuka's. If anything happens, I'll call right away. My mom and I will look after them."
Relief loosened the tight knot in Nobita's chest.
"Alright, I'm hanging up so I can warn the others. Book your ticket now, got it?"
Suneo, who was usually cocky and boastful, now sounded more like an older brother nagging him.
"You sound just like Ream." Nobita teased with a weary grin, then ended the call.
He turned toward the rain-streaked window and sighed. Another stormy night.
The soaked streets, the swirl of umbrellas, the glow of streetlamps reflecting off slick pavement, it all looked strangely tranquil. There was something almost spellbinding about watching raindrops race down glass from the warmth of his bedroom.
A click from the kettle broke his reverie. Nobita switched it off, then pulled out his phone to book a train back to Nerima. The earliest departure was noon tomorrow. Done. The wall clock read just shy of seven.
"They're probably eating dinner now…" he murmured. He'd call his parents later to tell them.
For now, all he could do was wait. Suneo's words still echoed in his head, but at least his friend had promised to watch over his family.
As dire and intense the situation is, there is no point dwelling on the things he can't change. Better to enjoy the present. And right now, his stomach was growling. Time to raid the convenience store.
He grabbed his jacket and patted Fuuko, who lay curled up on the bed. The usually energetic little wind-spirit was drowsing in the heater's warmth, wrapped in a loose scarf. She hummed contentedly as the storm rumbled outside, embodying the urge to sleep through the gray.
Umbrella in hand, wallet and phone in his pockets, Nobita headed downstairs. A blast of cold wind made his coat billow like a cape as he stepped into the storm.
The short walk to the store turned into a battle. Wind drove the rain sideways, rendering his umbrella almost useless. Gritting his teeth, Nobita pressed forward, powered by an unshakable determination: dinner must be had.
Ten grueling minutes later, he stumbled into the fluorescent haven, dripping wet. He joined the small crowd of office workers sheltering there and immediately gravitated to the cup-noodle display.
"Indomie again, I guess."
His hand reached out automatically, then caught sight of a Tamago sando on the shelf. His eyes lit up. No hesitation, into the basket it went, along with several other snacks.
After a series of stuffing food items into his basket, Nobita went over the counter to pay for his dinner. He glanced at the old TV hanging from the ceiling. A live broadcast showed a politician dodging questions about the outbreak and the animal attacks.
"A disease spreading among animals…" Nobita shivered at the thought of docile creatures turning rabid, blood-thirsty.
Shaking his head, he accepted his bagged groceries and braved the storm once more.
By the time he reached his apartment complex he was already drenched and shivering. Shedding rain at the entrance, he hurried down the hall to his unit.
"Fuuko, I'm back!"
The wind spirit leapt from her warm corner, fluttering eagerly. Nobita held up the bag, revealing her prize: a steaming chocolate pudding.
"Fuu!"
Nobita rolled his eyes at Fuuko's impatient little hands reaching over his bag. He seriously spoiled her a bit too much sometimes.
"Alright, alright."
The crinkle of plastic and the rich scent of chocolate filled the room as she perched by the counter, eyes locked on her dessert. She squeaked in delight when he set the plate down and patted her head, a well deserved treat for the affable spirit.
The clock read 7:37 p.m. Plenty of time. He'd call home around 8:30.
For now, dinner and a few YouTube videos.
Between egg sandwiches, cup noodles, and binge-watching videos, time slipped by like sand through his fingers. When Nobita finally glanced at his clock, his eyes widened.
9:34 p.m.
Quick on his hands, Nobita cleared the table, tossed the trash, and sprinted to his room. Flopped down his comfy bed, he quickly pulled his phone out and tapped his mother's name from recent contacts, Nobita patiently waited as the line began to beep.
"The number you have dialed cannot be reached. Please try again later."
The unexpected robotic voice raised eyebrows, hung up, he tried again. Same result.
Maybe he misdialed? He carefully reentered the number. Again, same thing. Even separate calls to his parents' Line accounts failed.
"You've got to be kidding me."
Maybe he can reach Suneo?
He quickly dialed his friend's number. But once again, dead line.
"No way. Not Suneo too! What the hell?"
Fuuko floated closer, worry etched on her face. She could sense Nobita's anxiety spiking.
Panic, Nobita hammered out a message on Discord, pinging everyone, praying for a reply.
To his relief, everyone who lived within central Tokyo all saw his message and responded. Soon, they all gathered in voice chat.