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It’s been a couple months since the outbreak of the virus.
Chifuyu hasn’t seen many of his fellow Toman members in a long time, not including Baji and Kazutora. Him and the two idiots are travelling together in a group. So far it’s been smooth sailing, but with Baji’s unpredictable actions and Kazutora’s emotionally unstable mind, Chifuyu believes that calmness will only last a little while longer.
He knows that Draken is ‘dead’, and so is Mikey. They ‘died’ the day it happened. The two of them probably roam the world as zombies, unless they’ve been killed by humans that are still alive. Chifuyu hopes that’s the case, because he knows fine well that Mikey wouldn’t like to be a walking corpse, Mikey has never been one to be tied down like that.
As for the other members? Chifuyu has no idea what happened to them. They were all in separate places when the virus spread through the town like wildfire. Wherever they are, Chifuyu hopes they’re okay and living, not as some lifeless sack of flesh.
“Chifuyu, it’s time to go.” Kazutora taps him on the shoulder and smiles, bringing him out of his thoughts.
They’re currently residing in some old abandoned shack. It’s only barely staying together but most houses are occupied by zombies, and Baji faints at the sight of them, so it was agreed that they’d never go into someone’s house unless it’s absolutely necessary.
Chifuyu pushes himself off the wall he’s standing against and grabs the rifle he stole during their first week with the virus.
He slings the strap over his shoulder with chilling ease and makes his way to the front door of this rickety building they’ve found themselves in.
Stepping out the door, Chifuyu casts his gaze onto Baji’s form. He’s tapping his foot floor, hair whipping in the harsh wind while surveying the area for those rotting monsters. And upon seeing none, Baji walks out into the open road, Kazutora following soon after.
Chifuyu gives a final glance at the shack they’ve been staying in, checking nothing had been left behind before following after his two best friends.
There’s only two core rules to surviving the virus, the zombie apocalypse. One, stay in open area’s. Places like wooded greenland are not ideal since some zombies can be a washed out green, they blend in with the greenery too much. And two, don’t let yourself get bitten. If you do, cut off the bitten part before it spreads.
These are the rules Chifuyu wrote down in his diary. Yes, he has a diary, it’s not weird! Sometimes the three of them are staying in the same place for weeks at a time, and it gets boring, so this is what Chifuyu does to cope with unrelenting boredom.
“Come on ‘Fuyu, let’s try and make it to an open area by then end of the day,” Kazutora shouts loudly, notifying anything in their area that someone is here, human and zombies alike.
Chifuyu jogs until he’s by the banana haired male and slaps him on the back of the head, “I swear, if you just gave the zombies to our location, I’ll feed you to them.” Kazutora rolls his eyes and mutters something along the lines of ‘yeah right’ sassily.
It’s quiet after that, themselves and the surrounding area, but it doesn’t stop Chifuyu from snapping his head at seeing the slightest movement in the corner of his eyes. Even the small wave of grass swaying in the wind makes his heart speed up unhealthily.
The three of them are travelling through a familiar place. He doesn’t really remember why it’s familiar, the overgrown trees and cracked pavements makes it hard to identify, but he knows it nonetheless.
The street they’re travelling through is smaller than what Chifuyu considers safe, zombies could jump out at them suddenly and it would be too late to run away.
Chifuyu calls to Baji, his voice hesitant and hushed, “be careful. Check all the driveways before moving forwards,”
“Whatever,” the black haired boy grumbles with an annoyed huff, pistol gripped tightly in his hand, loaded and ready to shoot at any an unexpecting creature.
They continue to travel through the tight street before Chifuyu comes to a sudden stop, worn-out sneakers making a high pitched noise squeak against the ground.
Kazutora and Baji whip their heads around in alarm. “What the fuck?! You always go on about us keeping it down but you’re always making the most fucking noise!” Kazutora complains, rubbing his head with the pads of his fingers in anger.
Chifuyu doesn’t look at them, his eyes trained on something through the open door of a random house.
Baji raises his eyebrows in confusion before backtracking to where the younger’s standing. Kazutora follows shortly after, curiosity flowing throughout is body. He peaks his head out from behind Baji’s large frame.
Kazutora let’s out a gasp, filled with fear and uncertainty, once he see’s what Chifuyu is so captivated by. Maybe captivated isn’t the right word, but the sight in front of them is something that Kazutora can’t pull his eyes away from.
In that door way is a blonde boy, a dyed blond boy, with striking blue eyes and white-green skin.
Chifuyu feels like he’s about to be sick.
There, in the house, is Hanagaki Takemichi. Now he remembers why this street was familiar, because it was the street he and Takemitchy used to take to get to his house from the Toman meetings. He can’t believe he’d forgotten so soon. This was Takemichi’s house.
Takemichi stares at the three of them, a manic grin on his face as he takes bites out of a human’s leg.
He rips the meet of the bones like something akin to a lion after being starved for months. It’s bloody and ravenous.
The blonde boy chews on the meat pleasantly, as if he’s dining in a five star restaurant, still grinning at them in a way that Chifuyu isn’t sure he likes.
It’s a shame that something like this has happened to Takemichi. He thought that the elder would be safe and alive, he’s always been under the impression that Takemichi invincible, but it seems everyone has their limits.
Takemichi stands up, leg still in his hand. He’s grasping onto the ankle tightly, green wrapping around sickly white skin.
The blonde hobbles his was out of the door was and then takes a few steps before he falls to the ground, legs giving up under him.
And Chifuyu can see why. Takemichi’s legs are nearly bones now with bits of flesh and muscles attached to them that makes moving almost impossible.
Takemichi opts walking for crawling but doesn’t get far until Baji is pushing Chifuyu behind him. The blonde boy stares up at the gun through his crazed eyes and leans forwards, pressing the top of the gun to his forehead. He lets out a gargled noise but frowns when it doesn’t come out the way he wants it to.
Takemichi pulls his head back from the gun and reaches inside of his mouth. He twists his fingers slightly before grabbing something and yanking it out of his mouth.
It’s a necklace.. and more importantly, it’s the matching necklaces that he and Hinata used to wear. Chifuyu moves his eyes from the necklace that just came out of Takemichi mouth and gazes at his chest. There, Takemichi’s own four leaf clover necklace dangles.
Chifuyu heaves over, gagging.
“Takemichi, don’t come any closer if you know what’s good for you,” Baji demands, standing his ground with a firm expression, despite the fact he’s visibly shaking.
“B-Baji,” Takemichi croaks out, smiling up at him. The expression is no longer manic, which is probably a plus, but neither of them are taking any changes, “it’s j-just me, no need to p-pull the gun out,”
The three of them jump when Takemichi speaks. They’ve not come across a zombie that can speak, they only gurgle.
Takemichi voice is rough, like he’s been sick or hasn’t used it in a while, both of which are probably true, if Chifuyu has to guess.
Kazutora steps out from behind Chifuyu and glares, looking down at the boy on the ground, “how can you speak?”
He shrugs before grinning. “I ate zombie flesh..” Takemichi says, sickly coloured skin crinkling around his mouth from a dried red substance around his lips, “I b— I became a cannibal.” Quickly, the blonde changes the subject, eyes widening, “Chifuyu! I missed y-you so much. I’ve been waiting for you to come by! Or a-anyone really! I saw Hakkai a couple weeks ago, he w— he was horrible! All white and hole-y! Mikey is o-officially dead, by the way, I ate him! He was rotting, like gross and chewy, but in a good way, you know?”
Chifuyu feels faint as he watches his best friend, smile happily at the things he was saying. “No— no, I’m afraid I don’t know,” the younger replies to the blond, his voice shaking slightly as he tries to keep his emotions under control.
“Oh! I could show you! There’s this one really tasty body in the backyard!”
“NO!—”
Chifuyu watches as Takemichi flinches from the loudness of his voice. His expression drops from the excited, to confused, to hurt in seconds.
“Takemichi,” Chifuyu starts, his voice soft as if he’s talking to a child, or a dog, “you have to realise what you’re doing isn’t okay. You’ve got to stop this,”
“Wha..? But Partner,” Chifuyu winces at the use of the nickname but the other doesn’t realise and continues, “I’m doing this for you, I l-love you Chifuyu,”
Kazutora barks out a laugh, which definitely doesn’t help the situation at all. Chifuyu elbows him before kneeling in front of Takemichi, despite Baji’s warnings. “This still isn’t okay. I don’t think you’d want to be..” Chifuyu gestures to all of Takemichi, “this. It isn’t the Takemichi I fell in love with. I’m sorry.”
It’s quiet for a while, but when a small whisper falls from the elder’s lips, “I don’t want to die.” It’s the first glimpse of the true Takemichi he’s seen this whole time, it’s the only action that seems like his own.
“I’m not asking you to, that wouldn’t be right, but you have to stop eating people, human or otherwise,” Chifuyu responds, brushing his fingers through Takemichi’s locks that are stale with old old blood.
“I would never eat you partner, I’d never eat your brain,”
“That’s not what I’m saying. I’m telling you to not eat anyone,” Chifuyu reiterates, hand falling from Takemichi’s hair, but still remains crouching in front of him.
“Okay.. I can.. try,” Takemichi says, gritting his teeth.
Chifuyu doesn’t reply, but instead leaves a small kiss to Takemichi’s cheek before standing up and walking away.
In his mind, he knows he probably shouldn’t go, but he can’t stand seeing Takemichi like this.
The elder lets out a surprised noise as he watched the three of them walk away. He splutters on his words as he tries to drag himself forwards. Then gives up, knowing he won’t be able to get there fast enough, “visit me! Please,”
Chifuyu turns to give a small nod before he’s walking round the corner, tears falling from his green eyes.