Ch.180Chapter 20. Patriot (32)

I crossed yet another intersection. From a not-so-tall building’s rooftop, I leaped to the adjacent rooftop. I advanced methodically, step by step, just as I had been doing.

I entered a golf equipment store. I took off my clothes, white with dried sweat and salt, and changed into clean new ones. As I exited the changing room, someone was already waiting.

They smacked my wrist and snatched away my dirty clothes. I didn’t bother trying to get them back. I already knew that if I didn’t hand them over nicely, they’d take them by force.

“If you’ve got nothing to do, pick out a golf club. For a full swing at zombie heads.”

After I said this to the men and women staring at me intently, they all scrambled to move. Meanwhile, I grabbed a box of golf balls and threw it at the building’s glass window. At the crashing sound, zombies gathered, slipped on the golf balls scattered across the street, and bled.

Time for dinner.

Zombies know how to scream too. Less a scream of pain, more like rage. It’s fairly easy to distinguish. Does your blood run cold when you hear it, or do you heat up along with it?

“Let’s go.”

Catherine kissed my cheek, or rather… she licked my cheek once and led me to the back door. Fortunately, looking in the mirror, it seemed she hadn’t left a mark.

The intersection was already in chaos.

Entering a new area, I threw stones at building windows and cars. Somewhere, an anti-theft alarm would inevitably sound. Then zombies would gather, and we’d move to a quieter location.

If I were doing this alone, it would have been very slow, but thanks to moving in groups of three and four, our progress was incredibly fast. Everyone positioned themselves according to my gestures and threw stones in sequence. Sometimes we were spotted, but the discovered group would quickly lure them away while another group struck the zombies from behind.

That’s how we escaped, block by block, methodically. Everyone showed clear signs of fatigue, and Elian declared a break. From my perspective, it was still working hours.

“Hold me.”

She wants me to hold her. Despite both of us steaming from running across three streets. Like standing next to a boiler, we rub our hot bodies together, entangling lips and tongues, hands moving to each other’s chests. It was better to keep them distracted. Otherwise, they’d try to take off my pants.

“Mmph… hah… ahh… I like it. I like it… I’m happy. So happy… I’ve never felt anything like this before…”

That’s what they say, but I can see it. The effect of the two vials of concentrated pheromones Cassandra gave me is gradually fading.

If the intensity had started weak and gradually increased, it might be different, but now it’s the opposite—it was strongest at first and is gradually fading. It means they still like me, but perhaps not with the same blind, irrational devotion as before.

How do I know? That expression. Momentary, but that distinctive look of disgust when touching something dirty flashed across their faces. In truth, anyone would react that way when picking up someone else’s sweaty clothes—unless they were a pervert. Of course, right after that, they wrap their faces with those clothes and roll around in ecstasy, but we can’t keep going like this forever.

As the drug effect wears off, the effort falls on me. When I see a woman hesitating strangely, as if trying to break free from addiction, I signal “this way” and take her to a secluded place. The other women complain, but knowing their turn will come eventually, they don’t completely object.

“Mmm. Mmmm…”

Since we need to keep moving, pants stay on, but kisses and caresses are certainly possible. Of course, there are times when we both get caught up in the mood or desire and try to cross the line,

Tap tap.

That’s when my dear male comrades knock on the doorframe with their rifles. The women still don’t want to leave me, but they become less blatant than before. The distraction helps.

Of course, these male friends aren’t helping me at all. Out of jealousy and resentment, they’re just looking to interfere and would shoot me dead given the chance. They know they might be torn to pieces by the women if they did, so they don’t take further action.

‘This is really dangerous.’

The first time I felt alarmed was at lunch today. During a short break, a man with glasses called me over. Average build but with quite thick arm muscles.

“Stay away from Maya. Understand?”

I silently looked at the man and walked toward the balcony. Not because I couldn’t remember who Maya was and was trying to recall, but because I was hoping Camilla, Letitia, or Cassandra’s drone would find me quickly. Having gone through several buildings, it seemed they had lost track of my position.

“…Are you ignoring me now? Stop!”

The man cracked his neck with a popping sound. Forcing it like that can’t be good for the joints.

“What is it?”

With an attitude that clearly said ‘I don’t follow your orders,’ I walked steadily and flung open the window. The breeze wasn’t cool but lukewarm, tickling the back of my head. Hoping a drone camera would find me, I spread my arms wide and leaned on the balcony railing. Somehow, this seemed to agitate Glasses even more.

“Maya was an innocent and pure girl! Kind, compassionate, even taught Sunday school to children. Always smiling, acting selflessly, like a blank canvas. And you, you…!”

I was taken aback. Could he be Maya’s boyfriend? Had I committed the mortal sin of stealing someone’s lover?

“Are you two, um, married or something?”

“…We will be, soon!”

I didn’t want to ask, ‘Who is Maya?’ That would make me look too much like trash. The damn drone camera still hadn’t found me. Usually it even taps on hotel windows and runs away! This won’t do. If I move further, the chances of being found decrease. I need to buy time. I wanted to appease Glasses as much as possible.

“What are you grinning about!”

“I’m sorry.”

I apologized sincerely. Glasses hesitated. I added politely:

“I didn’t know she was to be your partner. If you two really had that kind of relationship, I sincerely apologize. But I won’t do it now.”

“Ha! Such pretense. Why not?”

“Because everything you’ve said so far is just a one-sided claim. In matters like this, the person involved’s opinion is important too. I need to hear directly from Maya herself. Bring her here.”

Glasses stormed off, huffing. Shortly after, there was quite a commotion, and he returned alone, dejected. Seeing his spirits so dampened, I could guess what had happened. In the end, I had to go out alone to call Maya. But who was Maya again?

“Maya, where are you?”

A woman leaning against a pillar jumped over. Ah, I remembered. The one who most eagerly thrust her backside.

“Mr. Hoot, did you call for me?”

“Let’s go to the balcony for a moment? I have something to tell you.”

Maya quickly clung to my arm, but the other women were the problem. They all stood up, each holding something, with a menacing aura.

“What do you want to talk about? We can talk here, can’t we?”

Maya wrapped her arms around my waist. Before she could reach for more dangerous areas, I quickly declared:

“Well, I’ll have something to say to all of you soon. It’s a bit awkward to do publicly, so I’ll call you individually… it won’t take long!”

“You’ll keep your promise, right? My turn has been pushed back three times already!”

This woman’s name is… ah, forget it.

“Then come after Maya.”

I understand why ancient rulers didn’t keep harems. Pulling a zombie’s wisdom tooth would be less exhausting than this. Looking at Glasses flaring his nostrils, I was getting a headache.

“What? Ali? Why are you here?”

The woman who had been melting like heated butter suddenly turned cold and sharp as an ice pick. Glasses—Ali—fidgeted under the pressure. I took the opportunity to lean back against the balcony.

“Wait, Maya. Don’t come closer. Talk from there. What’s your relationship with that man?”

“…What?”

Maya glared at Ali with a face full of disgust, much like women do when told “your boyfriend is passing by.”

“Ali is a neighbor and classmate. Now he’s part of Elian’s reconnaissance team. Why do you ask?”

Ali’s face turned bright red. Tears welled in his eyes. Shame. Embarrassment. Humiliation. The corners of his mouth twisted as he looked back and forth between Maya and me. Anger. He’s angry at me. But fighting here would be amateur.

“Maya. This might be surprising and awkward, but Ali seems to care about you a lot. So, you’re close friends, right? Childhood friends who grew up together? That’s correct, isn’t it?”

Surely she wouldn’t deny even that. Maya nodded readily.

“So what?”

“Ali seems to be worried about you even now.”

Glasses looked at me with surprise. His anger hadn’t completely subsided, but he looked hopefully toward Maya. Yes, that’s it. Resenting the man who stole her won’t change anything. He should focus more on the woman he loves. It seemed to have an effect as Maya blinked rapidly.

“Ali? Why would he?”

“I won’t tell you that part. But I…”

“Maya!”

That tactless bastard. Ali cut me off. Maya glared at him with even more displeasure. Ali’s attitude changed dramatically. He straightened his collar, smoothed his hair, dusted off his shoulders, and tried to stand as tall and straight as possible.

No, man. That’s not it. That’s really not it.

“The Maya I knew was the most innocent and kind person in the world. This doesn’t suit you. Give it up.”

An invisible time bomb seems to be ticking.

This is neither a confession nor an attack. It’s a suicide confession attack. A confession made by a man who’s ready to self-destruct whether it works or not. So that someday, looking wistfully out the window of a lonely cabin, he can console himself with “At least I gave it a shot.” That kind of embarrassing kamikaze mission.

“Ali, what are you talking about? Speak so I can understand. Go back? The gas station in our neighborhood exploded. Nothing’s left of our homes. Besides, the northern district is now gang territory. And you want us to go there?”

Hmm, I’m not sure if “innocent” means she’s slow or if she’s pretending not to understand. But seeing her slightly bite her molar, it seems like the latter. This is the face of a woman desperately pretending not to understand to avoid awkwardness with a childhood friend. Ali finally took a deep breath.

“I actually feel the same way about you as…!”

Here it comes!

“Ah, this is boring.”

I grabbed Maya’s arm and pulled her sharply toward me.