Shizuka Nanami, Pt. 6

“Sh-Sh-Sh-Shizuka! Hu-hurry up and sh-sh-shoot!”

Saburo stuttered while holding Hironobu down. Hironobu had let go of Saburo, who he probably acknowledged as a zombie now.

“I-I can feel myself...slipping away. Not much...time left. Y-you gotta sh-shoot, now.”

I was running out of time. I raised my arm and pointed the bazooka at Saburo, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

“I’m glad I came.”

Charlotte whispered behind me. There was a camcorder in her hand; I had no idea when she’d pulled it out.

“Because now, I get to film this moving scene up-close.”

A cold fury unlike anything I’d ever experienced rose in me like a tidal wave.

I caught a glimpse of the following message on my phone, which I’d dropped earlier.

“Your ammo has been charged up to 200 percent. Activating dire artillery mode. You may now fire a power grenade launcher.”

“NOOOOOO!!”

I stomped on my phone over and over and over.

My right hand reverted to its usual form at the same time my screen cracked.

“I see. So you refuse to shoot.”

The expression on Charlotte’s face then was hard to describe.

She looked as though she were crying, laughing, angry, and delighted, all at once.

“I won’t shoot.”

Hironobu and Saburo slowly advanced towards me. I looked at Charlotte without turning around.

“Honestly, I’m a bit jealous. That was something I failed to do.”

The two zombies bit my neck from behind on both sides, but I no longer felt afraid.

Thank you, Hironobu, for saving me so many times.

Sorry, Saburo. I couldn’t shoot after all.

And finally. Goodbye, Ryo.

An image of him holding a bunch of hydrangeas in the classroom flashed through my mind, and tears welled up in my eyes. They turned black as they rolled down my cheeks.

“Blue hydrangeas, eh...?”

Charlotte muttered.

“How fitting.”

“...How...?”

I didn’t say my thought out loud. How did Charlotte know about the blue hydrangeas?

“Oops, my bad. I’m filming the inside of your head as well. Makes things more interesting, don’t you think?”

“H-how d-dare! You intrude on...!”

All sorts of emotions swirled inside me, making it difficult to articulate my thoughts. Something else was blocking out my rage of having my memory of Ryo tarnished. I felt like I was losing a grip on myself.

Right. I’m no longer...

“‘Enduring love.’ That’s what blue hydrangeas symbolize. It’s a pity you never got to tell him.”

“Stop ruining...my m-m-memories with Ryo! You bitch!”

That was the last image I saw before I ceased to think.

It was sacred: something that belonged only to me.

I was arranging flowers in the classroom with Ryo. Although we didn’t exchange any words, just seeing those flowers together with him made me happy.

I beamed, and Ryo glanced at me with a small smile.

“How...how dare you!!”

I was plunged into darkness. Everything faded to black, like the end of a film.

“Good night, Shizuka.”

The last thing I saw was Ryo smiling at me.