I have a plan.

“Mrs. Rin, how bad is the zombie situation in the university?” Yuto asked, placing his hand on his chin, watching her movement closely.

She gulped down her saliva, crossing her arms tightly. "It's... pretty awful - well, at least that's how I recall it."

Yuto moved nearer, speaking with more edge than before. "Rate it - how bad is it from one to ten?"

Mrs Rin hesitated, her eyes moved toward the windows, then back at the students who were listening quietly.

 She finally answered him. “A seven. At least a seven. Most of the university building is overrun. The hallways, the classrooms, the sports grounds… everything.”

The classroom went dead quiet. A few students gasped at Mrs. Rin’s answer, while the others dropped their heads in fear, not being able to look up.

Yuto narrowed his eyes. “A seven, huh? Then that means we still have a chance.”

Mrs. Rin’s head turned toward him. “Yuto Sato, what are you implying?” Her tone suddenly became louder... She only calls him by his full name whenever she is angry at him.

He sighed, rubbing his temple before he continued. “I’m saying we can’t just sit here and wait to die. We need supplies if we’re going to wait for the authorities: food, water, anything we can find. I say we pick a small group, go out, and bring back what we can.”

The second he said it, things completely changed in the classroom. Some students backed away, and their eyes became wide open. Not even Mrs. Rin spoke up after that.

Then a girl in the crowd spoke out, her voice trembling but filled with hatred at the same time. “Yuto… ever since you got here, you’ve been itching to go back outside. I get it if you have a loved one you’re trying to reach, but please… don’t drag others into it.”

Another student barked from the back, “Yeah! Why don’t you go alone if you’re so eager?”

Yuto bit down on his lip, his fists tightening. "Are you fucking kidding me? These people I was planning to help… this is how they think?" He murmured internally.

But then again, he couldn’t blame them. Everyone was terrified... Human nature shows its ugliest side when fear takes over. 
He was scared too; his body still ached from the fall, and his heart hadn’t stopped pounding since this zombie nightmare began. The only difference between him and them was that he refused to let fear hold him down. He wanted to survive. He wanted to live. And no, it wasn’t for family. He didn’t have any. No siblings, no parents... an orphan through and through. But he didn’t need some tragic reason or backstory to want to survive... Do people really need a reason not to want to die, or worse, turn into a mindless monster?

He breathed out slowly, like he’d been holding it forever.

“Fine,” Yuto accepted nonchalantly, scanning the room. “I’ll go alone. But hear me now, whatever I find out there will be for Aoi and me. No one else.”

The classroom erupted in disbelief.

“What kind of a condition is that?!” one student shouted. "Why just Aoi?" someone blurted out. Whispers started moving across the room.

Yuto raised his hand, silencing them. His tone was cold and nonchalant. “First of all, who said I was giving you any condition? Secondly, Aoi is my girlfriend. And thirdly, I’ll be the one risking my life out there, not you.”

The classroom automatically became tense as whispers and mutters started circling the air. All eyes stayed fixated on Yuto, some glaring, others avoiding his eyes completely.

Then Aoi stepped forward, her hands clenched nervously in front of her. She looked at Yuto, then at the rest of the class.

“For the love of God,” she said softly, but also loud and audible. “Can you all just listen for a minute?”

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to stand straighter. “Yuto isn’t wrong. We can’t just wait forever… but he also can’t do this alone. If we keep tearing each other down, none of us will make it out of here alive.”

Her eyes moved to Yuto, then back to Mrs. Rin. “I… I don’t want to lose anyone else. So please… let’s stop arguing and think of a real plan together.”

The tension in the room eased slightly. Some students adjusted in their seats, their eyes dropping to the floor. Mrs. Rin folded her arms, yet didn’t say a word.

Yuto peeked at Aoi - his face eased up briefly, knowing that she took his side.

“That’s true,” one of the boys muttered. “But… she’s right, too. If we sit here waiting, we’ll starve before anyone comes.”

A different girl hugged her legs tight, speaking in a shaky, “Maybe… maybe if we stick together, we’ll have a chance…”

Yuto clenched his teeth. Ridiculous, really. Watching them switch sides in seconds. Zero belief. Can't stand on their own two feet. "Fucking NPC."

He straightened up, stepping forward. His voice was calm and at the same time audible. “Exactly. We don’t all need to go. Just a few. Two or three people who can move faster, bring back what we need. That’s it.”

The students didn’t immediately reject him. Some even nodded reluctantly, exchanging nervous looks.

Mrs. Rin bit her lip, unsure what to do. Her eyes shifted from Yuto to the scared students nearby. “…If we do this, it must be carefully planned. No one leaves recklessly.”

Yuto allowed himself to smile a little. Finally. They were starting to comply with his reasoning.

Aoi gave him a little nod of support, squeezing his hand tight.

Time went by quickly. Minutes passed... Everyone had gathered in the middle of the classroom, forming a little circle. No one was shouting. All eyes were on Yuto as he stood with his arms folded, speaking with a determined tone.

“First things first,” Yuto said, glancing around at them. “As I have said before, we can’t send too many people. The larger the group, the harder it is to move quietly. Four at most. Three would be better.”

A guy at the back raised his hand nervously. “W-What about weapons? We don’t have anything.”

Yuto nodded. “That’s the second step. We’ll need to improvise. Chairs, broken table legs, anything sharp we can find. We’re not hoping to fight the zombies head-on, but if the occasion comes, we can kill them and move on. Our priority is food and water.”

Some students took a deep breath, while others looked around at the smashed-up chairs. It wasn’t much, but it was something.

Mrs. Rin crossed her arms, listening carefully but still frowning. “And where exactly do you think you’ll find supplies? The cafeteria will already be overrun by now.

Yuto's eyes met her eyes without flinching. “'Will be'? That means there’s still a chance.”

Mrs. Rin let out a long breath, dragging both her hands down her face. “Please… whatever you do, just make it back in one piece.