Katashi wiped the tears from my cheeks and said gently.

“Okay, Hana, can we go inside your house?”

I nodded. The five of us packed our things and walked up to the front porch.

The house is not much different from other villas in the area, but compared to some people here, just the tiny front yard is too luxurious.

Standing in the yard of such a wealthy family for the first time, Daisuke and Yamato's eyes lit up as they looked around, unable to help but admire.

“Wow, this house is so big and beautiful…”

“Like a resort villa!”

These two, have you forgotten what I just did? I felt a little embarrassed. You guys are embarrassing me.

Of course Katashi didn't seem to be any suprised, his house was three or four houses down the street from mine, it was the same style, his room was in the same location as mine, he wasn't unfamiliar with it. But Katashi was in favor of the group going to my house instead of his. Katashi must be so closed off that even if it was the end of the world, he wouldn't want to bring his classmates into his house.

But back then, I went to his place all the time like I were in another room in my house. His parents were also easy-going, seeing that I was a girl, they didn't care at all, and even treated me like a family member.

But my parents didn't see Katashi that way. Even when he was little, Katashi was always shy whenever he came to my house to play.

Katashi held the door handle, but didn't push it down yet. Then he looked at me silently. He wanted to make sure one more time. Standing outside and looking through the glass door, he could see the dining room and living room inside. The lights were not on inside, so I couldn't see much clearly. I just hoped that my parents and Toru were already inside.

“Hana… no matter what happens inside, you have to stay calm.”

“Yeah, I know.”

I knew what Katashi was thinking. He knew how eager I was to get home, and how worried I would lose my cool if things didn’t go as planned. I had sacrificed a lot to get to this moment. I didn’t want to come all the way here only to find out that I was the only one who made it home or that my family had turned into zombies.

I shook my head, trying to dispel those negative thoughts.

Dad's car was parked neatly in the front yard, if my parents weren't home, then where else could they be.

Come on, Katashi, I'm getting impatient too. Don't scare me like that.

Katashi pushed the door open for us to enter.

The door swung open and I rushed inside, my flashlight illuminating an empty living room along with the street light from outside.

While Katashi and the others were still shaking off the water, I hurriedly went around the house to check. The living room, kitchen, and dining room, everything was the same as the last time I left home.

I tried flipping a few switches, but none of them worked. If the power was out at home, then the street lamps on the street could only be working because of the neighborhood’s backup power supply. It seemed like the power supply to the entire town had been cut off, not just to my school.

I was a little disappointed, but then I quickly heard rustling sounds on the second floor. At this point, the darkness was no longer scary to me, so I left everyone at the doorway and rushed up to the second floor alone with a flashlight.

And then the sight before my eyes left me stunned.

Katashi's words before entering the house echoed in my ears.

“Hana… no matter what happens inside, you have to stay calm.”

I feel so empty. I shouldn't have hoped so much and now I feel betrayed by the very motivation that kept me going.

“What's wrong, Hana?”

Katashi followed closely behind, running up and stopping beside me.

His pupils also dilated when he saw what was ahead. Katashi stopped. Even he couldn't believe what was happening right now.

“Hana… this…”

In the beam of light from the flashlight in my hand, in front of me, my parents had turned into two zombies walking in the hallway.

Seeing my light, they turned around, then growled and instinctively walked forward.

I turned to look at Katashi, trying to hold back my emotions, my eyes were stinging but I promised myself not to cry. My eyes at that moment seemed to beg him.

I nodded slightly.

“Okay, I understand.”

Katashi drew his sword and stepped forward. I just stood there watching as Katashi passed by the two zombies, swung his sword, and the two bodies collapsed before my eyes.

…

I sat huddled on the sofa on the first floor. Katashi and Daisuke finished cleaning up upstairs and joined us downstairs.

It had been thirty minutes since I saw my parents on the second floor.

Katashi stepped in front of me, face down, asking.

“Hana, are you okay?”

“Um… I'm fine.”

I didn't cry, nor did I appear too upset. It wasn't that I wasn't sad, I had just found out that my parents were dead, I was scared, I wanted to cry too. But I had promised Katashi that I would stay calm. Or maybe I was too emotional that I didn't know how to act. Or maybe the past two days, seeing so many people close to me die had made me a little numb.

“Daisuke and I have already put your parents to bed in their bedroom. Covered them with a blanket and closed their eyes carefully. When we left, we didn’t forget to lock the door from the inside. You don’t need to worry anymore.”

Daisuke sat in the opposite chair, head bowed and said nothing. Perhaps he understood and was showing me utmost respect at this moment.

I didn't want to worry Katashi either, so I answered him.

“I think I'll be fine, it's just, I think I need to be alone for a while…”

“Okay, I'm proud of you.”

Katashi patted my head and stood up straight, turned around and walked towards the kitchen.

“I have to go home to check on my family now, you should rest.”

He said then he held the sword firmly in his hand and was about to leave.

“Wait, Katashi…”

I grabbed his shirt from behind, forcing him to stop.

“Katashi, those two zombies just now were just my parents, right? Did you see Toru?”

Katashi didn't look back, but his posture seemed to shake his head.

So she hasn't come home yet, and that worries me even more.

But from now on I won't hope for much anymore, whether Toru is alive or dead out there, just consider her dead.

I got what I wanted, I'm home.

“Hana, no matter what happens to us, you must not cry. You have to stay calm, otherwise you won’t be able to do anything. Because if something happens to your parents, you are the oldest sibling, you have to stay calm so that your younger sibling can stay calm too, okay?”

My father's words echoed from a distant subconscious. It seemed that I had done exactly as he had said today. It was just that if anything happened, it would be Toru who would stay calm, not me.

As soon as Katashi left, Daisuke began to speak.

“Is there medical equipment in the house?”

He sat across from me, scratching his head.

“I know you want some privacy, but Yamato looks so miserable… we need to bandage him up so he doesn't get infected.”

Without giving Daisuke a chance to explain further, I nodded.

“Okay, come with me, I'll show you where the first aid kit is.”

After showing Daisuke to the first aid cabinet, we returned to the sofa. Daisuke helped Yamato up, put his leg on a cushion chair, and started bandaging him. I also took the initiative to help Daisuke get a basin of water and wet towels to clean Yamato. It's not that I was worried about Yamato or anything, among these people, Yamato was the one I hated the most. His attitude when he was helped wasn't any better either. I had to do it because I didn't want Yamato's blood to get on my sofa. Even though it was the end of the world, I still wanted to keep everything in the house neat and clean.

The moment Daisuke removed Yamato's bandages, I quickly turned my face away. I almost threw up. It looked worse than a wound torn by a zombie.

It seemed that sitting around wouldn't make me feel any better. I got up and went upstairs to take a shower and change my clothes. The longer I sat, the more I thought about it. First, I had to get rid of these wet, blood-stained clothes.

I left my seat, before going upstairs I didn't forget to tell the two boys downstairs, especially Daisuke.

“There is a bathroom downstairs. I'm going upstairs to take a shower. You boys are absolutely not allowed up here.”

…

I soaked myself in the cold water, washed away all my thoughts, and then went back to the changing room. Right now, all I wanted to do was change into comfortable home clothes. But then I remembered that there were two boys I didn't know well in the house, so after I finished bathing, I just put on the same uniform as before. I replaced the Blazer with a Hoodie for more comfort, because the Blazer was tight on my body, limiting my arm movement.

As I stepped out of the bathroom, I noticed Rin, who was sitting on the windowsill at the end of the hallway, staring out into the distance. But I ignored her. I had more important things to worry about than getting into another pointless argument. After the interrogation in the car and what I had done to everyone two hours ago, I didn't think Rin was ready to forgive me.

I walked downstairs and saw Daisuke sitting on the stair steps, lost in thought. His jacket was hanging on the glass railing.

Even though I didn't know Daisuke, and we didn't have much good feelings towards each other, seeing him like this made me feel uncomfortable. After all, he was a guest in my house, so I had to be clean and tidy.

I put my hand on Daisuke's shoulder and called out to him softly.

“Hey… I'm done bathing. If you want, you can go upstairs and wash up a bit.”

Daisuke didn't reply. I knew he was still mad at me. And such an offer wasn't enough to make up for all my mistakes.

“If you don't have anything to change into, I can lend you a set of my dad's clothes… I'm the host now, you don't need to be so polite.”

But Daisuke still didn't answer, nor did he even look at me, he just moved to the side, sitting close to the glass.

I suddenly understood, so I sat down next to him.

At this point, Daisuke began to speak.

“Are you sure you're okay? You need to rest, don't worry about us.”

“…”

“That Samurai guy told me not to let you into your parents' room, or you'll have a breakdown again. So, I guess I won't need that outfit.”

Daisuke looked at Yamato. After being bandaged, he had fallen asleep on the sofa.

“If only Hari were here,” Daisuke mused. “He's in prep medical school… maybe he'd know what to do with that leg.”

Only now did I realize how thoughtful Daisuke was. Ever since he came to my house, he had been helping everyone. Helping Katashi take care of my parents, helping Yamato bandage… and now, helping me forget my loss. In this group, I thought Katashi or Rin were the ones who acted like the leader the most. But in reality, the one who had been calmly making all the decisions since Hari left was this chestnut-haired boy.

“Daisuke, why are you so nice to me? Have you forgotten what I did out there just now?”

Daisuke still refused to look at me, it seemed like he was avoiding something.

“Why do you keep bringing up the past… We all make mistakes, right?”

“But I almost got everyone killed.”

“Hana!” – Daisuke turned around, looking at me with a determined gaze – “I have no right to be angry with you, okay?”

I was really surprised, he wasn't Katashi. For the first time in my life, other than my father and Katashi, there was a boy who could call me by my name so sternly.

But in that determination, I felt a sense of regret. Daisuke lowered his head into his hands, his voice filled with exhaustion.

“You're the easy one here! Have you forgotten what I did last night?”

I was stunned, then suddenly remembered what Daisuke was talking about. That's right, less than 24 hours ago, he and Hari were still planning to sexually assault me.

Daisuke used both hands to pull at his messy hair, tearing in pain.

“Why can you forgive me so easily? Do you know how it feels when you do something that you yourself find disgusting? Before, I promised myself that I would never hurt a girl. But in the end, I let my lust control me and lost my humanity. And you, all day long, you've been acting as if it never happened. Every time I see you comfortably talking next to me and Hari, I feel extremely ashamed. I almost ruined a girl's life... I don't deserve to be called a human anymore. Can you stop being so intimate with me, I don't deserve it!”

Daisuke's voice softened and I saw tears in his eyes.

“Especially… with the girl I like…”

In the end, I understood Daisuke's feelings. It turned out that he wasn't as bad as I thought. There's no one in this world who doesn't do bad things, and the sins that have been committed cannot be undone. But for me, knowing my mistakes and accepting them is the most sincere apology.

Today, not only me, but all of us have been through a lot. Thinking only about what happened to me, I suddenly forgot that it also happened to others. Listening to Daisuke, I understood his thoughts.

This time, I don't want anyone to suffer anymore. I will change, try to open my heart to others, and learn to accept them.

Because if Katashi can forgive me, then there's no way I can't forgive Daisuke.

“So, we'll both have to live with the sins we've committed, right?”

I clasped my hands together in front of me, trying to smile optimistically.

“But, I'm not mad at you.”

Daisuke looked up, saw my smile, and stammered.

“You… you really forgive me?”

I nodded.

“I thought you were talking about something, but I forgot about that a long time ago. This Hana may be selfish and arrogant, but I would never hold a grudge that long.”

“What about you…” – This time it was my turn to ask Daisuke – “What about you? Will you forgive me?”

Daisuke gently wiped away his tears, and also smiled.

“So you are just an idiot…”

“If you can forgive me, then why can't I forgive you?”

“Then… let's call it a draw?”

“Yeah, we're even.”

I moved closer to Daisuke, making his cheeks blush.

“Hana? What… what are you doing?”

I don't understand why I'm doing this either, but this is the first time, maybe I'm about to be connected to another boy other than Katashi.

Talking to Daisuke, I felt like I was about to make a new friend.

“You guys are all idiots. If you want to get a girl, you should try to be friends with her first, right?”

I pressed my shoulder against Daisuke's, causing him to quickly shrink back. This action made a tall guy like Daisuke suddenly become extremely cute.

“I'm sorry I can't reciprocate your feelings…”

I immediately held out my fist in front of Daisuke, like he often did with his friend Hari, waiting for Daisuke to bump it.

“But being friends with you isn't a bad idea… How about this? Do you want to be friends with me?”

Daisuke was surprised by my sudden request. He just froze, then quickly turned his face away.

“You suddenly asked me that… how should I answer?”

Looking at Daisuke cowering, I couldn't help but laugh. All the sadness in me at that moment seemed to temporarily disappear.

“If you can't answer right away, I'll give you some time… Remember, the girl you like is waiting to be your friend.”

“You… you stop it!”

Daisuke turned his face further and further away, but he couldn't hide the embarrassment on his face.

I don't know if I did the right thing, but at least I helped Daisuke forget his worries for a while.

Just as I finished bathing, Katashi returned from his house. He brought a bag of pre-prepared lunch boxes, along with clothes for Daisuke and Yamato.

Daisuke went to wake Yamato up, and I went to call Rin. But she was still sitting on the windowsill, motionless like a stone statue. I had no choice but to go downstairs and report to Katashi that I couldn't invite Rin.

I sat in the living room watching Daisuke and Yamato eat greedily. They had been running and running all day without eating anything, so they looked like hungry tigers. The three of us sat together, shining the flashlight and slurping our food in the beam. To be honest, I felt a little embarrassed eating with two boys. I knew they were hungry, but I wondered if all boys ate so rudely like this.

Katashi stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the wall between the living room and the dining room, staring blankly at the clock in the kitchen.

Seeing Katashi alone, I didn't want to eat anymore, so I put the lunch box on the table and walked over to him.

“What's wrong, Katashi? Why went through all the trouble bringing all the food here but not sitting down to eat with everyone?”

“So you think I'm the type of person who likes to sit and eat with those two?”

Hearing Katashi's mocking voice, I suddenly forgot that he was someone who hated being around other people.

I had to change the subject.

“Where did you get so many lunch boxes? Did your family prepare for the apocalypse?”

“My parents often come home late, and I don’t like cooking. I bought those lunch boxes at the beginning of the week. Now they’re spoiled, so I’m giving them to them.”

I suddenly felt my stomach growling. Just now Katashi told us to eat. I was so hungry that I took out a box to eat with them. While eating, I was so hungry that I didn't know if it was spoiled or not. Damn it, Katashi, how can you be so cruel?

“I… I can't believe it either, Katashi actually gave his clothes to Daisuke and Yamato…”

I bowed my head, looking at Katashi shyly.

“You… are really thoughtful, aren't you?”

“It's the end of the world so I just want to free those uniforms, no thanks.”

Katashi continued to ignore me, I knew I was asking the wrong question. Of course, he came home to check on his family in the first place. I kept beating around the bush, he was right to ignore me.

I'll get straight to the point.

“Hey Katashi, how is your family…”

But before I could finish my question, Katashi brushed me off. Being asked too many questions, he angrily walked into another room.

Ever since he got back, Katashi has been absent-minded. He hasn't said anything about his family. He suddenly became grumpy with me. It's as if the gentle Katashi of a moment ago has become a different person.

But then after a while, Katashi returned to his usual calm state, making me think that nothing had happened out there. Or was he just angry because I asked him too many questions? Katashi had dinner at his house before returning to mine. Making me feel like he had eaten with his family again.

I suddenly felt uneasy for Katashi.

When we were done, we wrapped the empty boxes again and placed them on top of the trash can in the backyard. Looking at the street lights outside, an idea suddenly came to Daisuke.

He asked me to get a map of the neighborhood, then spread it out on the dining room table.

The map was old, printed in a dark blue that looked more like a floor plan than a map. My family had been given this map when the area was still under construction. I had grown up in this house since I was a little kid, so I didn’t expect my father to still have it.

Yamato wasn't too keen on Daisuke's idea, he finished eating and stayed in the living room to sleep. Or rather, since he was bandaged up, Yamato couldn't limp anymore and was stuck in one place.

I ignored him and joined the plan with Daisuke.

“So what exactly is your idea?”

Daisuke glanced thoughtfully over the map before answering me.

“Okay, Hana, on this map, where is the backup power station for the entire area?”

“Here” – Daisuke handed me the marker so I could circle a square spot on the map.

"And your house, where is it located?"

“I think this is it” – I moved the pen across the paper, to the location of my neighborhood, marking the third house from the east.

So Katashi's house is the 6th from the east, but I just counted it in my head and didn't mark it, because Katashi would be angry with me if I did something unnecessary like that.

“Then what do you ask for?”

“I was thinking about switching the district's backup power line to your house, so we might have power at least through the night.”

“Can you do it?”

“If this house's line is connected to the public system, I can just redirect the backup power here.”

I also don't understand much about such physics knowledge, so I kept quiet and didn't ask any more questions.

Daisuke also stood up straight, resting his chin on his hand and thinking for a while. At first, he was quite excited about the idea until he saw the distance between my house and the power station on the map, then he stopped and hesitated.

“I don't think you need to take such a risk… it's the middle of the night anyway, it's dangerous to go out there now.”

“You're right…” – Daisuke was about to give up – “We don't need that much electricity right now..."

I threw the pen on the table, Daisuke was about to roll up the map when from the darkness, a voice spoke up, surprising me.

“If you can redirect the transmission to Hana's house, can you redirect it to mine?”

Katashi had been there listening to Daisuke's plan from the beginning, but hadn't said a word. He stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the refrigerator, half of his body in shadow.

“If your houses are close to each other, then that's not a problem…”

“Then I'm in.”

“Hey… you’re not joking, are you?” -Daisuke scratched his head -“I’m not going out there again tonight anyway. Hana’s right, it’s late now, even if we got that electricty, there’s no reason to use it right away. It’s time to go to bed, if you want to go out there now, you’re either an idiot or suicidal…”

"I will go."

Katashi repeated himself, very firmly. Katashi's decision came so suddenly that it left me completely bewildered.

“Katashi… what are you saying?”

“I said I would go… join that plan.”

Katashi glanced at me. His gaze was strange.

That look, and this impulsive decision, is not the Katashi I know.

“I know a safe way, if we go through the woods, we can get there without encountering any zombies.”

“Hey hey…” – A look of surprise appeared on Daisuke’s face – “I just came up with the idea, I never said I was going out there…”

“Then I will go alone.”

“You're crazy, Katashi. Stop it, this is no time to joke around.”

“I’m not kidding! If we don’t get that electricity tonight, all the streetlights will be gone. They’ve been on for a whole day, how much do you think there will be left by tomorrow?”

“So you're serious. Tell me, why do you need that electricity so badly?”

“None of your business. But I need that electricity TONIGHT.”

Daisuke angrily walked to the passage between the living room and the dining room, and spread his arms wide, stopping there.

“What do you need that electricity for? To sleep while the power is still off? Even though I have no right here, for Hana's sake I will absolutely not let you do that… If you want, then step over my dead body first.”

“I'll let you know when I get back, now get out of the way, I don't have much time left…”

“I don't care about your reasons, don't blame me if I have to beat you up.”

"Try me."

Katashi stepped forward aggressively, preparing to draw his sword.

“Both of you stop!”

Katashi and Daisuke both turned to look at me.

“No, you are not going Katashi!”

This time it's my turn to speak. If you're so determined to go out there, then I absolutely cannot let you go.

With all the courage I had inside, I walked up to him.

“There's no way I'm letting you go.”

However, in response to my intense emotions, on Katashi's face, there was only a challenging smile.

"Just try it."

His thumb pushed the sword's handle free from its sheath, causing the silvery gleam of the blade to flash in the darkness.

Daisuke was also displeased with Katashi's sudden attitude. He couldn't let Katashi do whatever he wanted anymore, so he stepped forward forcefully, blocking between me and Katashi.

He grabbed Katashi's collar tightly.

“You went too far.”

Daisuke was a head taller than Katashi. To face him, Katashi had to look up. However, there was no fear on his face. On the contrary, it was Daisuke who was at a disadvantage against Katashi.

“Admit it, Katashi, Hana said so, and you still won't listen?”

“I kicked your ass once… I won't hesitate to do it a second time.”

Katashi? What's wrong with him? Ever since he came back from his house, Katashi has been acting strange. He got angry with me, suddenly wanted to join in on some ridiculous plan, and had this inexplicable attitude. I wondered what the hell had happened to Katashi in the 30 minutes we were apart.

Katashi… that look…

It was as if he had turned into a completely different person.

You are scaring me.

Daisuke still held Katashi's collar tightly, and continuously attacked him with words.

“Katashi? Why, you were fine just a moment ago? Until I mentioned that power station, you suddenly changed. Let me ask you, if I hadn’t mentioned the power source diversion from the beginning, would you still be acting like this?”

“Why aren't you answering me, Katashi?”

“Are you listening to me?”

“Katashi!!!”

Then, Daisuke had to give up, he bowed his head, sighed before Katashi. He let go of the hand that was tightening around Katashi collar.

“Okay… Do what ever you want.”

Daisuke suddenly calmed down. His next words exuded a sense of helplessness.

“But if you're so determined to go… then I'll have to go with you, to make sure you're safe.”

What is going on here?

“Daisuke? You too?”

“Sorry, Hana… I had no other choice.”

Daisuke stepped back, letting me see the kitchen knife pressed against his stomach.

“Katashi… that knife… since when did you…?”

Katashi didn't answer me, but the sinister, triumphant smile on his face made me startled and quickly cover my mouth.

In just a brief moment, all my faith in Katashi seemed to be gone.

Katashi? Even you have to resort to such tricks?

I don't understand, Katashi, why do you suddenly crave that light so much?

During the 30 minutes it took him to get back to his own home, what happened to Katashi?

Because when he came back, he seemed like a completely different person. He was hot-tempered, grumpy, distant from me, and especially sensitive after hearing about Daisuke's plan.

If he wanted light to return to his house, wouldn't he just have to sit still and wait until tomorrow morning and there would be light?

There must be some reason why Katashi needed that light so urgently?

Or is it simply that after two days of deprivation, he was craving electric lights?

But whatever the reason, the Katashi I know would never act like that to get what he wants.

That was my personality, not his, and he was the one who motivated me to change and get away from being that person.

“I can't believe you are such a selfish person.”

I was so stupid to trust Katashi so completely.

“Katashi! I was wrong about you!”

“Katashi? Why did you do this? What happened while you were at your house?”

Catching my gaze, Katashi suddenly calmed down.

“Sorry, Hana.” – Katashi retracted the knife in front of him – “But I can't explain until I get back.”

…

Katashi and Daisuke sat on the kitchen floor, packing their things, they were about to leave again. On a suicide mission. Their clothes hadn't even dried yet, and they were already have to be out there again.

How ironic, Daisuke was the one who came up with the idea, and now, he was the one reluctantly dragged into this plan.

I stood beside them, shining the light for them both. Every time I had to prepare to go out there, to face those monsters, I always had the feeling that I would not be able to return. It was a feeling of excitement, of worrying that I would not survive, but also of helplessness, of accepting that I had chosen to face death, and there would be no chance of turning back.

But this time, I'm not the one who has to go out there, why do I still have this uneasy feeling?

Could it be that I'm still worried about Katashi?

I don't know either. My feelings right now are extremely complicated.

I'm really confused, I don't know who to believe right now.

“Katashi… if you want, I can go with you two.”

“No! You stay!”

“Three are better than two, I still can't rest assured letting you go out there.”

“No!” – Katashi growled again firmly.

“You stay.”

There it is! That's it! That's the look Katashi gave me when I made a mistake. Even though his words and actions just now made me extremely confused, that look made me feel reassured again.

That was the look in which I felt the worry he had for me.

“It's not that I'm worried about you or anything…”

I stayed quiet, continuing to listen to Katashi.

"Letting a weakling like you follow us will only get in our way."

Katashi turned back to continue tying his shoelaces. Looking at him now, if Katashi really had no ill intentions, then he must be hiding something important, but what could it be?

Katashi, what secret is so important that you can't even share it with me?

Katashi never puts his own interests above others, I know that. Somewhere in his eyes just now, I suddenly realized, could it be that he acted so excessively because of me?

But if it's for me, what's the point of that backup power?

And what does Katashi mean by he doesn't have much time left?

Going back and analyzing the conversation between Katashi and Daisuke, the 'destination' he wanted to direct the backup current to, was his house, not mine.

So, what happened at his house during that 30 minute period, was directly related to this electric current.

Surely, something had happened at Katashi's house, causing him to be in such a hurry.

Katashi's change is definitely related to what happened at his house, and will happen at that power station.

But really, what motive would cause Katashi to need to go to the power station tonight?

It seemed that all the evidence for Katashi's sudden change in personality had been gathered, but there was only one final piece left to combine all those irregularities into a complete picture. I felt that I was getting very close to that picture called 'truth'.

The last piece I was missing was the reason Katashi needed that electricity.

Thinking of this, I feel extremely uneasy.

If he was trying to do something for me, why did it have to be electricity? And if he was trying to bring light into his house, that had nothing to do with me.

Everything that happened seemed to have some invisible connection, extremely tight, but also extremely contradictory when I tried to put them together. If I had that last piece in my hand, then just a little bit more, I would have the 'truth' in my hand.

If I wait, then after you come back here, can I find out the mystery behind your unusual series of actions?

Only Katashi knows the answer, and he knows it best.

Katashi? Is there something else you're hiding from me?

Or maybe there's no secret at all, and Katashi is just trying to bring the electricity back to the remaining members of his family.

Katashi and Daisuke had both packed their belongings and were ready to leave. Outside of their coats, their arms and stomachs were wrapped in single-sided tape, forming a thin temporary armor. It was another of Daisuke's spur-of-the-moment ideas, but whether it would work or not, we had to try it out to see. With them on, I felt safer for them, at least they would be less exposed.

Daisuke opened the back door to the kitchen, and stepped outside first. He stood in the rain with his arms outstretched, testing the durability of his armor. The rain would definitely wash away the duct tape, but hopefully it would get them a short distance.

Katashi was about to step out as well. But before he could step through the threshold, my hands reached out in time.

“Katashi!” – I grabbed his sleeve.

“What?” He paused, waiting for my question.

“Katashi… your family…”

Just hearing the two words family, Katashi shook his head sadly.

“Is… is that so…”

“Hana… don't think too much about it. My parents' death has nothing to do with this mission.”

Hearing this, I suddenly understood. So, my second hypothesis was not the answer.

He's actually doing this… for me.

“…”

“…”

Both of them stopped for a while, no one said anything more. I also found it strange, so I tried to find a way to end the farewell.

“Katashi… come back safely, okay?”

“Why do you say that? Do you think I'm going to die?”

“No…” – I shook my head. Actually, what I was afraid of was worse than you dying.

“Oh well….” – I immediately let go of Katashi's sleeve, and replaced it with another farewell.

“When you get back… remember to take a shower.”

“Okay, I promise.”

With that, Katashi turned and ran out into the rain.

I watched Katashi's back as he walked away down the street, thinking how strong willed he was. Just like me, his parents had just passed away. It was a mental shock that should have come very suddenly, but Katashi kept it to himself, not telling anyone.

Although my trust in Katashi has wavered, I honestly still have a lot to learn from him.

…

Everything seemed to be fine for now. At least until Katashi returned, and I couldn't stay there and continue thinking about him. I was tired myself, so I closed the door behind me, planning to go back to my room to sleep, and give Rin some food. Even though he said it was rotten rice, Katashi was still worried before leaving, insisting on leaving a box behind and telling me to remember to bring it up to her.

So Katashi is still Katashi. Even though he hides his feelings, he always cares about others. If Katashi thinks of Rin like that, then surely, he can't be a bad person, right?

Right now, my instincts tell me to trust Katashi again. He's acting so strangely, there must be a reason I don't know yet.

I went back to the dining room to get the last lunch box on the table for Rin.

In the dining room, there was another clock, different from the digital clock in the kitchen, this was the clock my father brought from our old house, its clock hands creaked and sad, making it feel very uncomfortable when I was alone in the dining room at night like this. If I listened to it for a long time on a quiet night, it would give me a creepy, haunting feeling, as if something invisible was present around me. If I wasn't standing in my own house, I probably wouldn't have been able to stay still for long.

My mother asked my father many times to throw it away, but he insisted on keeping it, because it was a valuable watch that his superiors gave him when he first started his career.

12:00

Come to think of it, today is Saturday. Normally at this time, I would stay up all night to play video games or watch some random movies. Around twelve o'clock like this, I would go downstairs to get some snacks while watching the movie, and I would catch Toru going to the bathroom or getting a drink. There were a few times when I watched horror movies at midnight, and caught her shadow groping around on the first floor, which gave me a few scary ghost sightings.

Normally, we weren't that close. But after everything that happened today, I just wanted Toru by my side right now.

I packed up my lunch box and turned to leave the dining room.

Suddenly, thunder and lightning flashed, making me flinch.

In the flash of light, I suddenly felt a dark shadow looming outside the glass door behind me.

And then, lightning flashed a second time, forcing me to turn around in panic.

Only now did I see more clearly what was behind me.

What caught my eye was Toru's bloody face.

Her hands, just like the ones at school yesterday, were pressed against the transparent wall.

A bright red color of blood, along with a faint rain.

Even though it was just a blink of an eye, time around me seemed to slow down, like a haunting old movie.

The lightning flashed, returning darkness to the room.

I quickly rubbed my eyes, then looked up.

But this time, outside that glass, there was nothing but white rain.

The trees still swayed with the rain, and the sound of the wind howled down from upstairs.

And the ticking of the clock on the wall.

There is no Toru.

In the dining room at this time, there was only an empty set of dining table and chairs for four people.

And my shadow, illuminated by the moon, stretched across the floor.

I couldn't believe my eyes, I clearly saw Toru.

Even though it was only for a split second, I saw her.

That bloody face and red hands.

On the other side of the glass, but the image was extremely clear, deeply engraved in my mind.

Despite my extreme fear, the curiosity inside me drew me closer to the glass.

Mustering up all my courage, I walked back to where I had just seen Toru.

Strangely, the girl was not there, but the blood was still there, a crimson handprint imprinted on the glass from outside.

One entire wall of the dining room was a large pane of glass. I pressed my hand against the glass, in the same position as where 'Toru' had just placed his hand, and looked out at an empty corner of the garden.

There were still the same bushes swaying in the rain as before, no sign of any other living entity that had stood in this garden a few seconds ago.

“What about this bloodstain? Why is it there?”

I immediately removed my hand from the spot where the blood was. But as soon as I let go, on the other side of the glass, the handprint had disappeared, as if it had never been there. Obviously, on the other side, there was no trace of blood at all.

There was only rain pouring down, like a waterfall curtain, covering the entire glass wall.

Could it be that my mind is so unstable that I can see illusions?

But even if it was an illusion, Toru's ghost was trying to tell me something.

I saw tears flowing from the corner of her eyes, a stream of tears red as blood.

And the gesture on its lips, it seemed to be trying to say.

Based on her mouth shape, I could piece together each word into a sentence.

“On-the-fridge.”

'On the fridge?' what does that mean?

A ghost suddenly appeared in the middle of the night to give me a meaningless message.

“On the fridge” – That sentence doesn't make any sense.

Maybe it was because I was standing in the dining room that my brain was processing the information in such a distorted way. If Toru just now was just an illusion, then what she was trying to tell me was just something I was imagining.

I turned my head to look at the refrigerator, which was looming in the darkness. It was still standing there, exactly as I had left it the day before.

Nothing unusual.

Why… why in a panic? The first thing I think of is that refrigerator?

There was clearly something unusual about that ghost outside the window.

I don't understand… Or rather, there are too many things going on that I can't understand.

Thinking so, I shook my head and brought the lunch box upstairs for Rin.

…

I used one hand to shine the light and the other hand to hold the lunch box as I climbed the stairs. The creaking sound was due to the damp weather. It seemed that groping in the dark for two nights in a row had made me used to life without light. So I guess I'll have to wait until tomorrow morning to prepare anything. Right now, my only task was to deliver this lunch box to Rin.

From the moment I entered my house, Rin had been sitting alone by the window sill at the end of the hallway upstairs, looking outside. When I walked up, I saw from afar that she was sitting with her legs curled up, curled up on the window sill, her head leaning against the glass, her deep purple eyes looking up at the night sky. The magical purple light in her eyes reflected through the glass, along with her white skin and ebony-black hair under the moonlight, making me feel extremely jealous of her beauty.

“Okay, Hana, you can do it… Katashi is counting on you…”

I told myself, took a deep breath, and then boldly walked towards Rin.

Unaware of my presence, Rin continued to focus on looking outside. It wasn't until I stepped onto the damp floor, the sound of wood creaking echoed, that she suddenly turned her head in surprise.

Along with the moon outside the window, her deep purple eyes stood out in the darkness.

Rin has a very… special beauty. That beauty makes even a girl like me stand still.

She is like the moon, seductive and mysterious…

But I forgot one thing, that she, like me, is just a fragile girl, and cannot hide her feelings forever.

The expression on her face right now, did not belong to the strong Rin I once knew.

In that moment, she turned back, with deep eyes, and tears in the corners of her eyes.

“Rin… What's wrong?”

She was… weak and sad at the moment, giving off a feeling that made people want to sympathize. Tears were sparkling on Rin’s cheeks like diamonds under the moonlight. I didn’t understand what was happening, but just looking at her, I felt how pitiful Rin looked at this moment.

Rin… is crying.

Rin's collar was pulled aside, revealing a bite mark on her neck.

Under the mysterious moonlight, the purple glow in Rin's eyes that stood out in the dark was not because of her eye color as I had thought.

In Rin's eyes, a series of numbers appeared.

At first glance, anyone would have thought Rin had natural beautiful purple pupils. The number was hidden very carefully, but once seen, it was impossible not to recognize it a second time. The square number looked like it was printed on it, like a barcode.

“002”.

-FLOWER OF THE DEAD- EPISODE 3-END