Jobless Man’s Zombie Survival Life - Chapter 27: The Fate of the Pistol and What’s Next

Chapter 27: The Fate of the Pistol and What’s Next

I was driving toward the shelter.

My mission: deliver the pistol from the late Takayama-san to Miyata-keibu.

I’m getting all sentimental, which isn’t like me.

I’m no saint, obviously.

If someone’s rude, I’ll beat ‘em down without a second thought, and if they die, I probably won’t care.

The guys I’ve fought so far just got lucky.

If they come at me again, I’ll kill ‘em without hesitation.

But after seeing that note and photo, I can’t not deliver this.

I’m not saying I’ll see it through to the end, but I at least want to hand over his belongings to the police.

I don’t know if I could or would do the same, but Takayama-san’s way of life deserves respect.

He wasn’t rude, and he wasn’t a zombie.

At the very least, I want people to know about his honorable end.

If he were alive, I’d love to tell his daughter, “Your dad was a great man.”

…Or maybe it’s better not to tell her about her father’s death?

I’ll talk it over with Miyata-san.

I arrived at the shelter.

I’m getting used to this place.

A gate guard approached.

Not Moriyama-kun.

Well, he’s not on duty 24/7.

…Hope he’s not glued to Kanzaki-san’s side all the time.

Moriyama-kun, too much affection can backfire, y’know?

They let me in with a face pass.

Trust is scary.

I parked the truck and headed into the school.

I asked a cop in the hallway where Miyata-keibu was and made my way to the staff room.

“Excuse me, it’s Tanakano. Is Miyata-san…”

“He’s here, Tanakano-san.”

A few other cops were inside.

Miyata-san was at what looked like a manager’s desk, probably taking a break.

He gestured to the seat across from him, so I sat.

“So, what brings you today?”

“…I’ve got something for Miyata-san, or rather, for the police…”

“Oh?”

I pulled the pistol from my pocket and set it on his desk.

It landed with a heavy thud, and Miyata-keibu’s eyes widened.

“This too.”

I dumped the bullets next to it with a jangle.

“This is… where did you find it?”

“Found it at a nearby police station today. Along with this.”

I handed him the police ID, with the note and photo tucked inside.

“It was in the hands of a dead cop.”

“! I see…”

“This isn’t something I should keep.”

Miyata-san took a sharp breath and opened the ID.

When he saw the photo inside, he froze.

“Takayama-senpai…!”

“…You knew him?”

“He was my senior in high school. Even after becoming a cop, he looked out for me…”

Small world, huh.

Good thing I brought it here.

“We lost contact, and I was worried… so he’s gone…”

Miyata-san opened the note, reading each word carefully.

His brow furrowed as he finished, then he stared at the photo of Takayama-san and his daughter.

His hand trembled slightly.

After a moment, he lowered his head, let out a heavy sigh, and leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling before facing forward again.

I’d never seen him look so pained—must’ve been close.

“…What was senpai like?”

“He was in the back room of the station, holding the pistol. Bite mark on his neck. Looks like he took his own life before turning.”

“…”

“I figured looters might take it, so I grabbed the pistol and ID. I buried his body behind the station.”

I skipped the part about the three idiots. No need to bring it up, and I’d rather forget.

“Tanakano-san, I’m glad it was you who found Takayama-senpai… Thank you, truly.”

“I’m glad I could deliver it to someone who knew him.”

We shook hands.

This pistol will surely help someone in Miyata-san’s hands.

Oh, one more thing I meant to ask.

“Um, where’s the daughter in the photo now?”

“…Akira-chan, you mean?”

So her name really is Akira.

“She’s at Ryugu City’s Mikagura High School, I believe…”

Ryugu City’s the prefectural capital, north of Shiiya City.

I know Mikagura High.

It’s a private, all-girls boarding school.

Famously strict with high academic standards, like this school here.

Their security’s tight too—my friend tried sneaking into their festival once and got swarmed by buff guards in seconds.

By the way, I forgot, but this shelter’s Yurei High School.

I just call it “the shelter,” so it slipped my mind.

Mikagura High, huh… It’s a big school for a girls’ academy, and I think it’s got high walls like this place.

Might be a shelter too.

“Is it a shelter, by any chance?”

“With its location and sturdy walls, I’d guess so, but we haven’t been able to contact them, so I can’t say for sure…”

“I see…”

It’s probably fine, though.

As long as there aren’t any idiots like the ones I’ve run into here.

There can’t be that many idiots out there, so it’s probably safe.

…It’s just my imagination that I keep running into them. Yeah.

Miyata-san agreed to take responsibility for the pistol, so that’s settled.

Akira-chan’s situation bugs me, but it’s not like I can do anything about it.

After parting with Miyata-san, I got permission to smoke on a bench in a corner of the schoolyard.

Ditching that heavy burden made my cigarette taste as good as ever!

Puffing away, I zoned out, watching the surroundings.

…The schoolyard’s dotted with patches of tilled soil—makeshift fields.

Did they haul dirt from nearby farms?

A few people were working on them.

With so many refugees, they’ve got plenty of hands, so the fields are pretty big—about half the schoolyard, maybe.

Feeding this many people must be tough.

Veggies are great, but I’m craving fresh meat…

Meat company warehouses probably lost power ages ago, so everything’s spoiled.

Hunting birds is risky with ticks and all, plus I’d need a bow or slingshot.

Never seen a crossbow for sale anywhere.

I don’t need to go through the hassle of hunting birds—food’s not that tight yet.

When you think about it, fish are the easiest to get.

Alright, the pistol’s dealt with—time to go fishing.

It’s just barely mackerel season.

This time of year, I can catch ‘em with lures.

Fresh mackerel… hell yeah.

“Namerou! Gotta make namerou!!!”

“Sounds delicious.”

“UWAAAAAAAHHH?!?!?!”

I dove forward off the bench, rolled, crouched low, and spun to face the voice, ready for a fight.

Kanzaki-san stood there, eyes wide.

I overreacted with a full combat move.

So embarrassing!!

“…Impressive.”

“S-Sorry, you startled me…”

I stood, brushing off dirt.

I didn’t sense her at all…

Is Kanzaki-san a ninja…??

Also, her praise is weird.

“Going fishing?”

“Yeah, well… got a craving for fish.”

“Nice.”

We chatted like nothing happened.

This woman’s got such a great vibe.

“Oh, are those rod shuriken?”

She instantly spotted the shuriken strapped to my left wrist.

Her martial arts obsession makes her sharp!

“Yeah, just some amateur work I threw together with home center stuff.”

“As expected of Nankumo-ryu.”

“No, no, it’s not that fancy…”

Kanzaki-san’s eyes were sparkling.

She really loves martial arts.

Also, too close! Too close!!

A young woman shouldn’t get that close!!!

If I were a middle school boy, I’d be proposing on the spot!!!!

In the end, Kanzaki-san begged me to show off some moves, using a nearby board as a target.

A bunch of refugee kids from the school building swarmed over, and it turned into a crowd.

I ended up demonstrating some basic iaido too, and they loved it.

…Am I at some ninja village attraction?

The kids were thrilled, so it’s fine.

I’ll pretend I didn’t see Kanzaki-san’s eyes sparkling as much as the kids’.

I also ignored Moriyama-kun staring from the school building’s shadows.

Scary!!

Just come over, Moriyama-kun!!

It’s fine! Kanzaki-san’s into martial arts, not me!!

…Though she’s probably not into you either.

Your approaches keep backfiring, man.

I left the shelter, relieved of the pistol’s weight but a bit tired thanks to Moriyama-kun.

Time to go fishing soon!!

First, a trip to the fishing store!