Chisato got out the chocolate-covered biscuits from her bag. It was a popular brand. The biscuit had a satisfying crunch, and the melt-in-the-mouth chocolate on top was great too. These were quality biscuits, but they’d pair better with regular coffee than sweet espresso. That said, there was nothing wrong with having sweet biscuits with sweet coffee—it was just what the girls’ tired bodies needed.
“They taste good.”
“Right?! I love these biscuits!”
Chisato was unreliable in many ways, but her snack choices and her taste buds could be trusted.
Before she knew it, Takina had shaken off the trauma from the car crash and was chatting with Chisato, snacking on biscuits as if it were a perfectly normal day. They talked about movies, guns, the café…and for some reason, also about Mr. Doi. At times, Chisato would throw in random questions, too.
“…And next time we’re in a pinch, I’ll rip my sleeves off. Sleeveless shirt’s the way to go.”
“Because it doesn’t constrict movement?”
“Nah, to unlock my full power.”
“What are you talking about…?”
“Huh? Don’t tell me you don’t get the reference. Aw, man! You haven’t studied that one yet, huh…? That’s why you didn’t get it… Makes sense.”
“Sorry, but what do you mean? I didn’t study what?”
“That foreign zombie movie where the main character only unlocks his full power when he’s sleeveless! He’s superhot, too, even though he’s played by Norman Reedus.”
“Ah, he was in The Boondock Saints, wasn’t he?”
“Yeah! That’s him! Good memory, Takina!”
“That was one of the movies you made me watch without explanation soon after I joined LycoReco.”
“I gave you those movies hoping we’d become best buddies like the heroes! The Boondock Saints is my favorite! It’s so cool, fun, and just the best all around! I’m older than you, though, so you can have the role played by Norman.”
“I don’t really want a role…”
“Besides, my favorite character in that one is the FBI agent, Smecker!”
Takina laughed, not really caring, and finished her espresso. There was some undissolved sugar at the bottom of the mug. She enjoyed crunching it between her teeth and she just couldn’t get enough of the intense sweetness.
It suddenly hit her that it wasn’t so bad, spending time with Chisato like this. Zombies had taken over the world, they were sitting on top of the van she’d crashed, and their future was uncertain…but somehow it felt nice.
Maybe it was just the magic of that delicious espresso.
Or was it…?
“Hmm?”
Chisato sensed that Takina was looking at her, and she turned toward her, cocking her head to the side. She looked so pretty.
Takina thought back to the conversation in the van.
“Shall we go somewhere far away, just the two of us?”
Had Chisato asked her again, Takina would have said yes without thinking.
It was just a dream, wasn’t it? They could do whatever they wanted without worrying about risks, drawbacks, consequences… The bubble of that dream world would burst at some point anyway. The Takina from the dream would disappear. And if so, she might as well follow her heart like Chisato.
It was a dream. Just a dream. In a dream, you could do anything.
At the same time, a calm voice in the corner of Takina’s mind reminded her not to be rash and not to use the fact that she was in a dream as an excuse to stop acting like herself.
Chisato was always true to herself, for better or for worse. Takina liked the idea of being herself too.
It was a conundrum: Be yourself or follow your heart. Either choice had its positives and negatives. Placed on a scale, the plates would keep shifting ever slightly up or down, never giving a clear answer. Takina felt uneasy. She wanted someone to push her in one direction or another, but that would be shifting responsibility for a choice she should make herself to someone else.
On the other hand… There was nobody except Chisato around. If Takina wanted someone to give her a push, it would have to be Chisato. Had Takina subconsciously made the decision already? Was…that what she wanted?
Takina felt her pulse quicken.
“You okay, Takina?”
Takina could see Chisato’s face clearer than before. Dawn must be approaching. The darkness of the night was subsiding.
“I’m okay… Chisato, the sun will rise soon. As soon as it gets bright, let’s get going, even if we don’t head directly to—”
Takina suddenly stopped, shocked by what she saw in the direction of the ruined old radio tower in the east. Against the brightening sky, she could see the tower and the silhouette of some giant creature.
“Oh, a monster,” Chisato stated matter-of-factly.
“What?”
Takina nearly dropped her mug. She couldn’t believe her eyes. The creature, with the rising sun behind it, was enormous. Remarkably so. It must have been hundreds of meters tall. And based on its outline against the sky, it was a squirrel walking on two legs.
“Quaaaaaaaaaaa!” roared the squirrel.
A squirrel shouldn’t be roaring, but this one certainly just had; its roar was so powerful that it made the air vibrate… It sounded oddly cute. Actually, its voice sounded exactly like Kurumi’s.
The monstrous squirrel approached the old radio tower, laying waste to the buildings in its way. Then it hit the tower with its paws. The city’s symbol of peace broke into pieces like a brittle plastic model with a thunderous rumble. A terrible shock wave shook the ground.
“Right… First zombies, then a giant monster. That’s how it goes.”
“And with the squirrel’s appearance, any semblance of reality is gone… I’m…not sure what to do now. What do you think?”
“What to do about the squirrel? I don’t know. It’s not like we could take it out with our guns.”
They looked at each other, at a complete loss as to what to do. Just then, they heard a different rumble, and the ground began to strangely shake again. They turned toward the noise and saw a tank driving on the highway.
Takina was not surprised by anything anymore.
The tank stopped in front of them, and the hatch opened with a bang. A familiar face popped up—it was Mika.
“Ooh! Teach! I thought you weren’t going to make an appearance!”
“The hero always arrives late. Well, Chisato and Takina. Are you ready to battle the monster?”
“Sure! Do you even need to ask? I love this sort of stuff!”
Chisato quickly packed up the portable stove and mugs, threw both bags into the tank, and hopped on top.
“Come on, Takina!”
She extended her hand toward Takina.
One moment, they were trying to escape from a zombie-infested city. The next, they were heading off to battle a giant monster… They were surprisingly busy, with barely any time to rest. Takina was glad they at least got to have a short coffee break.
“All right… All right, let’s do this, Chisato.”
Takina took Chisato’s hand and let her friend pull her onto the tank and into her embrace.
“Okay, girls, we’re heading in. Hold on tight.”
Mika disappeared back into the tank, closing the hatch behind him.
“Off we go to save Japan and restore peace!”
Takina let Chisato hold her as the tank drove toward the ruins of the old radio tower, where the giant monster awaited.
There was always something happening with Chisato around, Takina thought. That was the norm ever since they’d met several months earlier. And actually, it wasn’t so bad, although Takina wasn’t sure when she’d started to enjoy it…