From the perspective of the crowd, they could only see Kasumigaoka Utaha's back as she was caught, her skirt fluttering and settling back into pce as she descended. From their angle, there was no sign of the near-collision that had almost cost Kagehiro Shiro his nose.

  His arms were locked firmly around her waist and hips as he took several steps back to buffer the impact of her jump. Since he couldn't speak while his face was pressed against her, he lightly tapped her side to signal that it was safe to let go.

  Utaha leaned on Shiro's shoulders for support, coordinating her movements with his until her feet finally touched the solid ground. She looked down at the carnage around them; the grotesque remains of the zombies made her feel a profound sense of relief.

  "So, these are the things you were fighting," she whispered.

  "Mhm..." Shiro rubbed his nose with his right hand, still shaken by the close call. He made a mental note to tell her not to do that again, though the thought of her actually listening to him was quickly dismissed.

  He vaulted back over the fence to get the remaining three.

  Watching Eriri hesitate, Katou Megumi stepped forward. "I suppose I'll go next."

  She followed the precedent set by Utaha, slipping off her shoes. Unlike Utaha's distinctive bck tights, Megumi wore standard school crew socks. Shiro crouched by the fence again, and Megumi tossed her shoes over.

  As she stepped up, Shiro couldn't help but notice the clear, pale skin of her legs—they seemed to catch the light in an understated way. She stepped onto his thigh, then onto his right shoulder, followed by the left.

  "Kagehiro-kun, your shoulders are quite broad," Megumi remarked in her usual ft tone.

  "I'm standing up now."

  "Mhm," came her calm reply from above.

  Shiro rose slowly until Megumi could reach the top of the fence. She pulled herself up and sat on the edge.

  Shiro vaulted back over to the outside. Utaha had already retrieved Megumi's shoes. She held them up for the girl, but...

  "..."

  "..."

  "I can't reach," Utaha noted, stretching as high as she could, her uniform pulling up almost enough to show her midriff. She was still short of Megumi's dangling feet.

  "Let me," Shiro said, stepping in before Utaha could strain herself further. All eyes from the tennis court were glued to them now. Shiro took the shoes and slid them onto Megumi's feet. She didn't wiggle her toes or py any tricks, which Shiro found immensely grateful.

  "Alright, Kagehiro-kun. Please catch me properly."

  "Got it."

  Megumi jumped. Shiro was prepared this time; he tilted his face to the side, his nose pressing against the fabric of her uniform at the waist. He caught her scent—a light, clean fragrance—and held her firmly without bumping into anything. He set her down gently.

  "Mmm... a safe nding," Megumi said pinly.

  Shiro returned to the inside of the court once more. "You two, hurry up!"

  "I know, I know!" Sawamura Eriri snapped nervously.

  She mimicked the others, tossing her shoes over the fence. Her golden twin-tails swayed as she moved, adding a touch of unintended cuteness to her frantic actions. Unlike the previous two, Eriri wore bck over-the-knee socks.

  Because of her petite frame, her feet were noticeably smaller than the others as she stepped onto Shiro's leg. Once she was steady on his shoulders, he warned her, "I'm standing up. Be careful."

  When he stood, however, Eriri's height became an issue. Even standing on his shoulders, only her eyes cleared the top of the fence. She had to scramble and climb the rest of the way, eventually getting stuck in a precarious, sprawling position atop the wire.

  She bit her lip, trembling slightly as she realized she was stranded on the edge. Sensing her panic and wanting to save her from the embarrassment of the crowd's gaze, Shiro spoke softly. "Don't worry. I'm going over now. I'll catch you."

  In Eriri's mind, the idea of dangling her backside toward a crowd of onlookers while shaking with fear was the ultimate social death. She was a refined dy! A princess! Her internal monologue was a scream of agony, and she desperately wished for him to hurry.

  Shiro vaulted over to the outside. "It's okay. Just let go toward me. I've got you."

  Eriri hesitated, but gravity made the choice for her. She let go, her body curling up as she felt the terrifying sensation of weightlessness.

  "Kya!" a tiny, short-lived shriek escaped her.

  But the fall was brief. Two strong arms caught her securely, repcing her terror with a sudden, overwhelming sense of safety. She squeezed her eyes shut, her small hands clutching Shiro's chest tightly. She looked like a frightened golden kitten.

  "Are you okay?" Shiro asked.

  The voice made Eriri's eyelids flutter open. She saw Shiro's face, still partially obscured by his long hair and looking quite gloomy. The momentary spark of a "maiden's heart" she might have felt was instantly extinguished by his dour expression.

  "...I'm fine."

  Shiro held her by the back and her silk-cd thighs—noting they were unexpectedly soft—and turned toward Utaha, who was holding Eriri's shoes.

  Eriri felt strangely comfortable in his arms, like a baby in a cradle, despite her heart hammering so hard she could feel it in her throat. Before putting the shoes on, Utaha reached out and pyfully poked the sole of Eriri's foot.

  "Eek...!"

  Once Eriri was set down, she immediately began to argue with Utaha, but the older girl cut her off.

  "Was that Shiro-kun's first Princess Carry (Ohimesama-dakko)?"

  Shiro thought about it. "Mhm. Now that you mention it, I suppose it was."

  He turned back to get the st person, leaving a red-faced Eriri behind to hiss at Utaha.

  "Gah! Kasumigaoka Utaha, what are you saying?!"

  "I'm just saying, Sawamura-san. How wonderful for you, taking Shiro-kun's 'first time'."

  "You—!"

  "I think we should move a bit further away before talking," Megumi suggested. The three girls were standing in a very cramped spot, right next to the fallen zombies.

  They moved a few paces away from the fence as Shiro addressed the final member of the group.

  "Alright, your turn, Aki-kun."

  "Right, I'll—"

  "Actually, keep your shoes on," Shiro interrupted. "Just start climbing. I'll shove you up from below."

  "Wait! Really?!"

  As Aki Tomoya scrambled up the fence, Shiro shoved him from behind with zero delicacy, effectively unching him toward the top. Being a guy, Shiro didn't worry about where his hands nded. Aki cleared the fence in record time.

  Shiro vaulted over for the st time, joining the group outside the fence. He looked up at Aki, who was still perched on the top.

  "..."

  "..."

  "Just try to climb down. If you fall, I'll break your nding."

  "Wait, I don't get a jump-and-catch?!"

  "Well... if you really want one, I suppose I could," Shiro said, his voice dripping with mock-seriousness.

  "Never mind! I'll do it myself!" Aki shouted, horrified by the mental image of being caught like a maiden.

  The five of them—Shiro, Utaha, Eriri, Megumi, and Aki—stood safely outside the tennis courts.

  "Alright, let's go," Shiro said, leading them toward the Aston Martin parked on the field.

  Now that the adrenaline was fading, the sight of the mangled corpses around them was becoming truly unsettling. Eriri walked on her tiptoes, desperately trying to avoid the bloodstains on the pavement, looking like a frightened squirrel.

  As they walked, the voices from inside the tennis court faded. Aki slowed down, looking back at the crowd behind the fence. He could just make out a familiar figure standing at the front of the group.

  He looked down at the dead monster near his feet—the crushed skull and the blood-soaked earth.

  "...Yoshihiko," he whispered.

  That was his friend. A boy who didn't judge him for being an Otaku, someone he could actually talk to at school. And now... his friend was left back there. What would happen to him? Would he be attacked like the others? Would he become one of them?

  Aki's footsteps grew heavy.

  "What's wrong?" Shiro's voice came from ahead.

  Shiro-sensei is always so perceptive, Aki thought.

  "My... my friend is still in there." Aki lowered his head. The horror of the zombies made him imagine Yoshihiko being tackled, bitten, and turned into a monster.

  "...I'm sorry, Aki-kun." Shiro spoke gently. He truly didn't have room for another person in the car.

  Aki couldn't stop the tears from falling. Guilt and fear cwed at his heart. Eriri watched him with a mix of resentment and pity, her "tiger tooth" showing as she bit her lip. Utaha stood with her arms crossed, waiting for the boy to compose himself, while Megumi remained as unreadably calm as ever.

  Shiro scratched his ear. "If you're worried, get on your phone and post a message on the Shuchiin Academy forums. Tell them there's a group of students trapped here in Chiyoda and they need rescue."

  It was all he could offer. "The Student Council President there is extremely reliable. If there's anyone with the capability and the will to help, it's him."

  Shiro had been following the news online; he had high confidence in Shirogane Miyuki, the President of Shuchiin. He was a man of immense responsibility and capability. If he knew people nearby were in danger, he wouldn't sit idly by.

  Of course, in a zombie apocalypse, nothing was certain. Luck pyed a huge role. But Shuchiin was their best bet. The teacher locking the gate was a reactionary move, but it wasn't the worst idea—it kept the immediate threat out. For a day or two, they should be fine.

  Shiro just didn't have the time. He couldn't go find a bus and evacuate the whole school. If he deyed any longer, night would fall—and the first night was the most dangerous time for anyone caught out in the open. His first priority was getting Utaha to safety.

  "I see..." Aki took off his gsses and wiped his eyes, taking Shiro's words to heart. "I'll do it. I'll post it right now."

  ***********************************************

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