Jobless Man’s Zombie Survival Life - Chapter 70: The Matter of Setting Things Right

Chapter 70: The Matter of Setting Things Right

“Mama!”

“Yukiko!”

Right in front of me, Yukiko-chan and Sakashita-obasan embrace, overjoyed at their reunion.

We’re at the Akizuki Town shelter.

The reason we’re here goes back to yesterday.

※

After the mess with Ooki-kun’s ex-fiancée drama, I was wiped out and crashed at home like a log.

Oh, by the way, before heading back, Miyata-san, who came to see me off, mentioned that the ex-fiancée’s sister also filed a search request for her.

…Well, I might look for her if I’m nearby.

But her last known location’s some backwater with nothing but a university, so I’m probably—definitely—not going there.

She had the nerve to mouth off after asking me to search.

I’m the type to hold a grudge, you know.

If she wants her found, she can do it herself.

Plus, after Ooki-kun’s story, my opinion of his ex is less than zero—straight into the negatives.

So, I was planning to kick back, maybe watch a movie or something.

※

But then it hit me.

It might be time to tell Yukiko-chan and her mom about that ossan.

Yukiko-chan’s out of the shelter and somewhere safe, same as obasan.

Now’s a good time to reunite them and break the news about him.

I knew from before that ossan’s family rating was rock-bottom, but he was still their father and husband.

They need to know.

Even if it means they hate me like a snake or throw stones, that’s fine.

I did it, so I’ve gotta take responsibility.

…Though I can’t imagine those two doing that.

Zombies roaming around are one thing, but obasan’s been good to me forever, and Yukiko-chan’s like a cute little sister.

Keeping the truth from them’s been weighing on me.

No time like the present—time to head to occhan’s place.

※

When I get to occhan’s, Yukiko-chan’s just coming out of the shop.

Must’ve heard the truck’s engine.

She’s holding the shuriken I gave her for some reason.

Self-defense, maybe? …Holding it out in the open kinda defeats the purpose, though… I’ll teach her later.

Like I said before, this place is practically sealed off, and occhan already sent all the zombies here to nirvana, so it’s safe.

“Hey! Oniisan, hi!”

“Yo, Yukiko-chan. Wanna go for a drive?”

“A drive? Where to?”

“To the general hospital in the next town! …Wanna go?”

“That’s… Yes, yes! Gimme a sec to get ready!”

Yukiko-chan darts back into the shop.

“Whoa, young girls are full of energy… What’s up, bouzu? A date?”

“As if.”

I tell occhan I want to take Yukiko-chan to see her mom, and he agrees it’s a good idea.

“If she’s alive, better see her.”

Wise words…

“Hey, it’s ojisan!”

“Whoa, Miku-chan’s full of energy.”

Hearing my voice, Miku-chan comes out and tackle-hugs me.

Kids and their boundless energy!

“Are you taking Yukiko-oneechan to see her mama?”

I explain where we’re going.

“I’d love to bring you too, Miku-chan, but can you let Yukiko-oneechan have this one?”

“Okay! …I wanna thank Ichita someday.”

Oh, right.

She’s super attached to that bear… Ichita.

…The name’s the only thing that bugs me.

While I’m at it, I pull out my phone and record a quick video of Miku-chan.

This’ll do for now—next time, she can say thanks in person.

“Sorry for the wait!”

Yukiko-chan’s back, changed into her school uniform.

…That’s your going-out outfit?

Waving goodbye to Miku-chan and the others, we set off and roll into Akizuki Town without a hitch, as usual.

※

“Hey, oniisan, why’re you taking me today?”

“…Well, things have calmed down a bit. Can’t live together yet, but I figured it’s a good time to catch up with your mom…”

“Got it! Yeah, makes sense!”

…Did I dodge that?

Yukiko-chan’s a good kid, but she’s sharp sometimes…

※

Driving with my heart in my throat, we finally spot the shelter.

Thanks to the SDF clearing the roads, it’s an easy trip.

Gotta hand it to them.

No way I could do that kind of work—skills or motivation.

Maybe because of the town hall escape chaos, or Kanzaki-san passing word, we get in without guns pointed at us this time.

I park the truck, and Yukiko-chan and I hop out.

I greet a nearby SDF member, introduce Yukiko-chan, and ask for her mom’s location.

Sixth floor, nurse’s station…

I leave the sword behind, bringing only my wakizashi.

In an SDF-run shelter, it’s safe enough.

If anything happens, a wakizashi’s better in tight spaces.

Leading a fidgety Yukiko-chan, we head to the nurse’s station.

“Excuse me! Tanakano Ichirouta here. Is Sakashita Mayumi around?”

No one’s at the desk, so I call toward the back.

“Oh! Ichirouta-kun! What brings you… oh…”

“Mama…”

Obasan comes out, freezes when she sees Yukiko-chan.

No radios, so no way to give her a heads-up.

“Mama!!”

Yukiko-chan, overcome, runs and throws herself into obasan’s arms.

“I knew you were safe… but seeing you like this…”

“Yeah…! Yeah…!!”

They hold each other, soaking in the moment.

…I’ll give them some time.

I plop onto a bench in the hallway corner to kill time.

※

“Hey, oniisan, wake up!”

A poke to my cheek snaps me awake.

Must’ve dozed off.

I can sleep anywhere safe—my special talent.

…Not that it’s ever been useful.

“Ngh… You two done?”

“Yeah! Thanks for giving us space, oniisan…”

“Thank you, Ichirouta-kun.”

Good, then it’s my turn.

“…Obasan, is there a room where we can talk, just the three of us?”

Time to set things right.

※

Obasan, looking puzzled, leads us to a private room.

It’s a former patient room for critical cases, now… well, empty.

Inside, I have them sit.

They’re startled by my sudden serious face.

“Uh… oniisan, what’s wrong?”

Ignoring Yukiko-chan’s wary question, I stand in the center of the room.

Taking a deep breath, I steel myself and drop into a dogeza before them.

“I’m so sorry!!!”

My first dogeza ever.

…Not something I wanna do twice or thrice.

“Wha!? What!?! Oniisan!?”

“Ichirouta-kun!?”

They sound worried, but I push on.

“…I killed Sakashita Takao!!”

Silence follows, heavy with shock.

It hurts, but I can’t stop here.

“He’d turned into a zombie, so I had no choice but to kill him and buried him in your yard!! It was right after the outbreak started!!”

“…”

“…”

“I meant to tell you sooner, but with everything going on, I waited for things to settle!!”

“…”

“…”

“I’m not asking for forgiveness! Do whatever you want with me!!”

“I’m truly, truly sorry!!!”

No one speaks.

The silence stabs at my heart.

Honestly, I still feel zero guilt about ossan, but I took a father and husband from them.

Gotta do this right.

“Oniisan…”

Yukiko-chan murmurs softly.

…Here it comes.

Bring it on! I’m ready for any curse you throw!!

“Why’d you bury him in the yard!?”

…?

Is she mad I gave him a half-assed burial?

“…Sorry, I’ll dig him up and do it properly…”

“Just leave him lying around somewhere!! Like the river out back!!”

…??

What’s that supposed to mean…?

“…Ichirouta-kun, get up.”

My head’s full of question marks when obasan speaks.

…Is she gonna slap me?

Yeah, dogeza’s probably awkward for that.

I stand and face her.

Should I crouch a bit to make it easier…?

She gently wraps me in a warm hug.

…????

My brain’s about to short-circuit.

“I’m so sorry… making you worry over our family mess…”

“Obasan… uh…?”

Yukiko-chan hugs me from behind too.

Hey! Stop it, you’re a marriageable young lady!!

“It’s okay…! You don’t need to feel bad, oniisan!!”

“Wha… what…???”

What is this!? What’s going on!?

Someone explain!!

※

They finally let go, and I slump into a chair.

“Uh… what’s… going on…?”

I’m lost.

“…Well…”

Obasan, face darkening, starts to explain.

※

“Ossan… was cheating!?”

“Yeah! And with a high school girl! Younger than me! So gross!!”

Yukiko-chan spits it out, unable to hold back.

Her eyes burn with dark hatred.

Apparently, ossan’s affair came to light two months before the zombie outbreak.

The girl, like Yukiko-chan said, was a high school sophomore.

Sophomore means 16 or 17… Hold up, that’s a crime, isn’t it!?

Yukiko-chan caught them by chance while out with friends.

She told obasan, and they were preparing for a divorce when the outbreak hit.

It got swept under the rug, and here we are.

Obasan hired a detective to dig up the girl’s identity.

It was a prostitution thing… or rather, that trendy “papa-katsu” deal.

Ossan was apparently smitten, meeting her often.

…He lectured me all high and mighty while buying a girl!?

Die, you scum! …Oh, he’s already dead.

But obasan… damn.

She seems so laid-back, but she’s got her act together.

“Since it was that kind of person, we were moving carefully… but then this happened.”

“That jerk always said awful things to Mama, badmouthed my friends… acting all high and mighty!”

“…Really?”

“And! He kept trash-talking you at home, oniisan! Saying you’d commit a crime any day, or that you were leering at me!?”

“Wow, he went after me too… That’s some reputation.”

“‘Too’!? He was badmouthing you too!? That scum!!”

…My unemployment and return home lined up with his affair getting exposed.

Even if he thought it was secret, from Yukiko-chan’s tone, their home life must’ve been hell.

I was probably a convenient punching bag for his stress.

A carefree, jobless slacker next door must’ve pissed him off.

…Kinda feels like killing him was the right call.

Cheating with a girl younger than his daughter… What a bastard.

…Why’d obasan marry a guy like that?

“So, oniisan, you don’t need to feel bad! …If anything, him dying—”

“Stop! Yukiko-chan, don’t go there!”

“Eek!”

Her words were getting dangerous, so I grabbed her shoulders to stop her.

That kinda talk doesn’t suit her.

“So, Ichirouta-chan… it’s not about forgiving or not. Let’s just forget it.”

“Huh?”

Obasan puts a hand on my shoulder.

“He… went missing in this chaos. That’s enough.”

…Obasan’s so mature.

She must have a lot of feelings about ossan.

If my dad did that, I’d beat him half to death—no, nine-tenths—before any court or mediation.

Then again, my dad tells Mom he loves her weekly.

No way he’d do that.

…I wonder how my parents are doing.

They’re probably fine, somehow.

※

Anyway, we agree to put this matter to rest.

I feel a bit guilty, but since they’re letting it go, I’ll gratefully accept.

Thanks to ossan being human garbage.

…What a relief.

※

“Yukiko-oneechan’s mama! Thank you for giving me Ichita! I’ll treasure him forever!!”

“Oh my, how adorable! Reminds me of Yukiko when she was little!”

“Miku-chan’s so cute! I’m gonna record tons of videos on my phone!”

“Take lots! And show me!”

“Okay! I’ll fill up the memory by next time!!”

Watching Miku-chan’s video I recorded on my phone, the two squeal like sisters.

I watch them, reaching for a cigarette… Oh, right, no smoking here.