Jobless Man’s Zombie Survival Life - Chapter 38: A Calm Rainy Day

Chapter 38: A Calm Rainy Day

The day after scouting Shiiya High School.

I woke up in the shelter’s infirmary.

Looking out the window, I saw pouring rain.

Yesterday, after bringing back a haul of supplies and reporting to Miyata-san, a sudden downpour hit, like someone flipped a bucket.

It’s the kind of rain we haven’t seen much lately.

I waited for it to stop, but after one hour, then two, it didn’t let up, so I decided to stay at the shelter.

The usual spot: the infirmary.

Is this place becoming my vacation home?

Miku-chan went to sleep with Yukiko-chan.

She kinda got dragged along, I think.

Since she’s scared of the dark, she’ll rotate sleeping with Ogahara-san or Kanzaki-san for a while.

A while… yeah, probably forever.

I can’t see Yukiko-chan letting her sleep alone.

She really dotes on her like a little sister.

It’s a bit unsettling, but having a room to myself is nice.

Compared to the other evacuees sleeping in groups, this is VIP treatment.

…Gotta help with chores to keep the hate down.

Yesterday’s food haul should keep my rep solid for a bit.

So, I woke up to the same relentless rain.

“…Guess today’s scouting is canceled.”

For some reason, zombies get active at night or in rain.

Looking outside, I could see them wandering in the distance.

Our visibility’s bad, and the zombies are lively.

No way a scout goes well in this.

Especially since the last scouting spot, Shiiya Civic Center, is near the city center.

Zombies thriving in a maze of buildings? Terrifying.

I stepped into the hallway and saw Miyata-san nearby, so I confirmed the cancellation.

He said to rest up since I must be tired from yesterday, and the rain’s not stopping.

My good deeds paying off, huh?

No farming in this rain either, so I’ll just chill here.

I’ve got a secret weapon: a DVD player.

Not the fancy one from home, but a compact one I snagged from an electronics store.

If it breaks, no big loss.

Battery’s fully charged, with a spare.

Can’t use it today, but I’ve got a solar-powered high-capacity battery too.

I could watch all day!

I opened my backpack to browse my DVDs.

They’re stored in a binder, so I can carry a ton.

Hmm, what to watch…

How about one from my top three action movie actors, that Germanic guy with a slightly thinning top?

It’s been a while—let’s go with the first one where he’s a grumbling cop!

He gets beat up but ends cool.

That’s the stuff.

Time to play.

I sprawled sloppily on the sofa, watching the player on the table.

Pure bliss!

On screen, the lead cop was climbing a Japanese company’s building.

That voice actor, rest in peace, was my favorite…

Next time I’ve got a free day, I’ll binge that red-tights, coolest space pirate anime.

“Ichirou-ojisan! You’re such a sleepyhead!!”

“Gah!?”

The door slid open, and Miku-chan poked her head in.

She caught me in the laziest pose! Embarrassing!!

“Oh! Ojisan’s watching TV? Can Miku watch too?”

“H-Hold on, this is a DVD. I’ll switch to one we can start from the beginning.”

“Okay!”

Miku-chan trotted over, eyeing the player.

No way! This one’s too intense for a 10-year-old…

I quickly stopped the video and swapped the disc.

Any kid-friendly movies?

…Man, my collection’s all people dying and explosions.

Miku-chan sat quietly, eyes sparkling with excitement.

Ugh, the pressure…

“Onii-san, have you seen Miku-chan… oh, there you are!”

“Morning, Tanakano-san!”

“Yukiko-oneechan, Hina-oneechan! Let’s watch a movie together!”

“Whoa, Onii-san’s got cool stuff! I wanna watch!”

“It’s been ages since I saw a movie…!”

Oh no! More people!

Gotta find something…

Oh!

This should work.

No gore either.

So, the four of us ended up watching a movie.

Sitting squished with three girls felt awkward, so I took what’s probably the health teacher’s chair.

The sofa went to the ladies.

To set the mood, I closed the curtains and turned off the lights.

No popcorn, but I passed out chocolate bars and room-temp juice from yesterday.

Showtime.

The pick: an animated movie from an American company.

It’s about a boy in a rural town who befriends a giant, sentient robot.

I’ve loved it since seeing it in theaters as a kid, rewatching it tons.

The three didn’t even know it existed.

…Generation gap, huh?

The boy steadily bonds with the robot.

Love that retro-futuristic design.

Its movements are so charming.

The three were glued to the screen.

Glad it’s a hit.

“You… go… I stay. Follow… not…”

“I love you…”

The movie hit its climax.

This part always makes me cry…

That robot’s content expression as it closes its eyes… crap, I’m tearing up.

“Ugh, Robot-san…” “Sniff, sob…” “Guh, sniff…”

All three were moved.

Yukiko-chan was bawling, despite being the oldest.

After the movie, they sighed.

“I didn’t know such a great movie existed…”

“Yukiko-chan, you cried too much.”

“Ojisan’s eyes are red too! Robot-san was great, huh?”

“That robot’s got such a cool vibe…”

“Right? One of my top favorite robots!”

We shared our thoughts.

This is what movie-watching’s all about.

Watching alone’s great, but chatting after with a group is awesome too.

They loved it so much, maybe I’ll grab more kid-friendly animated movies.

That shop I hit before has tons of stock.

Why not bring a bunch of DVDs and set up a theater?

The evacuees are probably bored, so entertainment’s a good idea.

Electronics stores I’ve checked still have untouched PCs and players.

This is a school—there’s gotta be playback gear somewhere.

It was getting late, so we all had lunch.

The three got rations; I had my own.

I asked Miyata-san about food stocks before.

The school’s reserves, plus what the police brought when setting up the shelter, are holding up.

They’re growing veggies for long-term survival.

No meat, but soybeans work.

Once SDF coordination kicks in, we might get meat from nearby ranches.

No immediate internal crises.

The problem’s outside.

As town supplies dwindle, people might target this place for food and fuel.

Bet those looters lately are part of that.

…Hope it doesn’t turn into big trouble.

Anyway, lunch.

Today’s menu: canned yakitori, SDF white rice cans, and tomato juice from a supermarket.

Guys, stop trying to share your food!

Ojisan’s fine with this!!

They said the rain canceled afternoon plans too.

Movie marathon it is.

Next up, a Japanese animated movie.

After that emotional ending, let’s go with a clean finish.

On screen, a witch girl in black flew on a broom, a chatty black cat along for the ride.

Below, city lights sparkled like jewels.

I checked, and none of them had seen this super famous delivery witch movie.

Seriously? Even the high schoolers?

It’s on TV all the time…

But that’s fine—fresh eyes are better.

Life in a new town.

A flying mishap.

Then, a big win with a deck brush, leading to a happy ending.

That ED’s always so refreshing.

“So fun! The kitty was cute!”

“Ugh, did she get her talking back… I’m curious.”

“The bakery had a baby… and the cat too.”

“Man, at least act happy about that herring pie… even just for show…”

They were thrilled.

Good, good.

If it was just me, I’d keep going with a movie marathon, but Miku-chan’s here.

Can’t strain her eyes too much.

Let’s call it here.

I asked Ogahara-san, a former student here, and she said the school has playback gear.

I’ll ask Miyata-san if they can watch when I’m not around.

I can supply the DVDs—tons at that shop.

My collection’s mostly explosions and death.

With lots of kids here, maybe I’ll grab some wholesome stuff for their education.

After, the three left the infirmary, saying we’d eat dinner together.

…I’m gonna get food shared again, aren’t I?

Better pick something fancy for dinner.

To avoid getting rusty, I headed to the judo dojo on the gym’s second floor.

No evacuees use it, so it’s perfect for training.

I got Miyata-san’s permission on the way.

I also asked about movie screenings, and he was all for it.

It’s great for kids’ stress relief, especially since we can’t go outside.

I asked about power, and he dropped a bombshell: the school’s roof is all solar panels.

On sunny days, that covers plenty.

An eco-friendly school… wild.

Gotta stock up on movies next time.

…This place feels even more like a target now.

I practiced forms with my sword at my waist.

I focused on seated forms, drawing from a sitting position, since I skipped these before.

With more human fights likely, surprise techniques are key.

Drawing from seiza to a kneeling stance.

Fighting surrounded while seated.

Drawing and thrusting from a prone position.

Cutting while pinning someone beside me—practiced a few forms.

Then, bokken swings and shuriken-throwing motions.

Finally, close combat with a wakizashi, using my sword naginata as a stand-in.

Got a good sweat, so I finished with stretches.

“Good work.”

“Eek!?”

Kanzaki-san at the dojo entrance!!

“How long have you been there…?”

“Since the seated four-way cutting form, I think.”

That’s basically the start!

Just come in normally!!

“I thought I might catch some secret techniques…”

What, a martial arts nerd?

Oh, right, she’s like that!

My style’s got nothing cool!

The advanced stuff’s all dirty, brutal first-strike kills!!

…Well, there’s some.

“There’s something?”

“It’s not that great…”

“Show me sometime?”

“Now works…”

“I’m the save-the-best-for-last type.”

…Fair enough.

Kanzaki-san handed me a towel, and I wiped my sweat.

So soft.

Like my place, they’ve got well water here, so I can do laundry.

I’ll wash my inner clothes and underwear later.

We talked while heading back to the school building.

“I heard you watched a movie. Miku-chan was thrilled.”

“Yeah, thought some entertainment would help.”

“Watching more after dinner?”

“Maybe a short one. It’s kid-friendly ‘cause of Miku-chan. Wanna join, Kanzaki-san?”

“Is that okay? I’d love to.”

After dinner (I planned a fancy one, but they still tried sharing. Why?), we watched another movie.

A short animated one before bed.

The one with the big forest spirit and cat-shaped bus.

Everyone’s seen it, but they enjoyed it, which is great.

Miku-chan loves this movie and was super happy.

I spotted Moriyama-kun with dead eyes, so I dragged him in.

He must’ve been stoked to watch with Kanzaki-san.

I sat him next to her, but he was a statue the whole time.

The rain didn’t stop, so I’m staying tonight too.

…Days like this aren’t bad.

Watching Miku-chan sleep on my chest, maybe inspired by the movie, I thought so.