"You said I look like who, Yusuke-kun?"
The cool voice rang in his ears. Haizaki jolted, snapping back to awareness. He realized he had just spoken his thoughts aloud. He had been distracted.
"No…"
Haizaki instinctively replied.
"You were thinking of the 'me' in that world, weren't you?"
Other than herself, Yukino couldn't think of anyone else Haizaki might compare her to. Had the "her" of that world once said something similar to Haizaki? Yukino wasn't sure about Haizaki's relationship with "her." It shouldn't have been just ordinary classmates. But… it didn't really concern her.
Staring at Haizaki, Yukino didn't press further, waiting for his answer. Haizaki, meanwhile, muttered to himself naturally. Her seatmate in the past had often muttered to himself too. Though she hadn't understood his words.
Suddenly, Yukino thought—should she learn Chinese?
"Sorry…"
After a pause, Haizaki spoke with slight apology.
"You don't need to apologize. You haven't done anything that requires it."
Haizaki realized then that Yukino's mood had soured.
Ah… a woman's heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea. One careless word, and she's upset. Ask her, and she'll never admit it.
For example…
"Yukinoshita-san, sorry for making you angry."
"I'm not angry."
As expected. Girls were always like this. If she truly wasn't angry, her gaze wouldn't have shifted away.
"Mm, if you're not angry, that's good. I don't really know how to comfort girls."
Haizaki turned the key, starting the SUV.
"I don't want your comfort."
Haizaki glanced sideways, noticing Yukino's expression. Suddenly, she thought of the question from earlier. Her ears flushed faintly red. She looked out the window, diverting her sudden embarrassment.
"Let's go."
Haizaki pressed the accelerator, the SUV moved forward.
An hour and a half later, the two drove away from the hospital. They had spent the morning busy—securing a vehicle, weapons, and medical supplies. Haizaki planned to begin dissecting mutants in the afternoon.
After the dissection, he intended to prepare for heading to the Chiba Epidemic Countermeasures Division. That division likely held clues about the crystallization virus outbreak, research data, and possibly even a vaccine.
"I'll dissect the mutants. Yukinoshita-san, you…"
"I'll clean the villa and prepare dinner. We'll be staying in Chiba for a while, so I want the environment to be better…"
"Keep the walkie-talkie on. Contact me immediately if anything happens."
"I know. Don't worry."
She was curious about Haizaki's dissections, but the thought of bloody scenes made her decide against it. Just imagining the mutants bleeding made her feel physically and mentally uncomfortable. If she had to face dismembered limbs and internal organs, she knew she wouldn't be able to handle it—she would vomit.
Rather than embarrass herself later, it was better to avoid it from the start.
So Yukino decided that instead of letting curiosity ruin her mood, she would use her time to clean the villa. She needed to contribute to their group.
For now, she could reduce Haizaki's time spent on chores, giving him a better living environment. As for other things, she could only rely on learning and effort later.
But the most important was mindset. Yukino understood this was the hardest part. If she didn't adjust her mindset quickly, she might become a burden to Haizaki.
…
Once again, Haizaki entered the villa filled with crystallization mutant corpses. Wearing protective gear and carrying surgical tools, he took a deep breath.
In the daylight, he could clearly see the true appearance of the mutants.
Their heads were distorted, eyes bulging, nose bridges raised, mouths split open, tongues not protruding—overall, completely devoid of human aesthetics.
Their skin was pale, not fair, but faded toward a bluish-white.
As for their limbs… unless broken by his kicks and strikes, it meant their joints bent at angles beyond human limits.
Haizaki gritted his teeth, choosing a relatively intact corpse. He had wanted to bring it to a hospital or research lab. But transport was troublesome, and there were too many. So he decided to dissect them here in the villa.
Dragging a corpse into the next bedroom, he threw it onto the bed and recalled his biological knowledge. Practice was the best way to test understanding.
Nearby lay a diagram of human organs and body parts, for reference in comparing differences.
Haizaki bent down, pulled out scissors.
"Snip, snip…"
The mutant's tattered clothes were cut open. Haizaki switched to a scalpel.
The sharp blade pressed against the chest. With a firm wrist, the knife pierced the body. It felt like cutting glass.
Fluid seeped from the incision. Haizaki ignored it, continuing.
Generally, the most important parts of a biological body were the internal organs and brain.
So, enduring violent stomach cramps, Haizaki quickly processed the organs, then focused on the brain.
His medical knowledge was limited, mostly basic information he had picked up.
But when he dissected the mutant's brain, he found something unusual. Its shape differed greatly from a human brain. One-third of it had changed. Haizaki poked it with his finger—it felt like stone.
At that point, Haizaki could no longer suppress his body's reaction. He rushed out, tore off his mask, and vomited violently.
He couldn't take it. Organs, blood, brain—especially those bluish-white eyes. Just remembering those pupils made him nauseous.
Three minutes later, Haizaki returned to continue dissecting. He couldn't stop halfway.
…
As time passed, Haizaki gradually grew accustomed to being in a room filled with bloody, dismembered bodies. He had to adapt. If he wanted to understand the virus, to understand the mutants, this was necessary.
He would need instruments to observe cells, the microscopic presence of the virus. But that would come later.
Taking advantage of the fact that the corpses had not yet begun to rot or stink, he hurried to familiarize himself with the structure of the mutants, identifying the differences from the human body.
Three hours later, the walkie-talkie sounded—Yukino had prepared dinner. Though a little early, since it was ready, he didn't delay.
Haizaki stopped his work and went to the designated temporary changing room. Using hot water and disinfectant, he performed a simple sterilization. The clothes he had worn were thrown directly into boiling water mixed with disinfectant. Haizaki washed himself, then checked again for any possible contamination. It should be fine. There was no professional sterilization room here, but this would have to do.
"Sniff, sniff…"
Haizaki couldn't detect any odor. Still, he sprayed some air freshener. Yukino wouldn't say anything, but the smell would be unpleasant.
Before entering the villa, Haizaki sniffed again. Finding no odor, he stepped inside.
The smell of dinner… was fragrant.
"Go wash your hands…"
The villa's tap water was, of course, cut off, but there was a small pond in the neighborhood. Since it was flowing water, it was relatively clean and could be used for washing. For drinking, they used expired bottled water.
"Mm…"
Yukino smelled the blood and air freshener on Haizaki, but said nothing, continuing her work.
"Dinner is simple…"
Perhaps she wanted to prepare him in advance.
"It's already great."
The red sausages gave off a tempting aroma, and the rehydrated vegetables released a fresh scent. For Haizaki, who had just been busy dissecting mutants, this bowl of braised rice was a feast.
But sausages… Hold it in, hold it in. Not the same thing. Haizaki reminded himself repeatedly, forcing down any odd thoughts.
"Hiss…"
He took a bite with his chopsticks.
"It's hot, be careful."
Seeing Haizaki burn himself in his eagerness to eat, Yukino couldn't help but add a reminder. A faint smile flickered at her lips.
"Mm, it's delicious. You've helped a lot."
If it were just him, he would never have had the energy to prepare such a meal. He would have settled for biscuits. Not because of lack of time, but simply because he found it too troublesome.
Having Yukino prepare dinner truly made things easier.
"All I can do is this."
Her voice was calm, stating a fact. But Haizaki heard the frustration of a girl who felt powerless in the current situation.
Yes. She was the school beauty of Sōbu High, always at the top of the rankings, from a wealthy family, a true daughter of privilege. But now, in this "Crystallization Mutation" world, her former pride seemed worthless. Even someone as composed as Yukino couldn't avoid negative emotions.
"Yukinoshita-san, starting tomorrow, you'll undergo shooting training. You need to master handgun skills. At least be able to hit a mutant within ten meters with one shot."
Haizaki put down his chopsticks, speaking seriously to her.
"I'll make time to teach and train you. In one week, I want to see results. If you don't meet the standard…"
Yukino's heart tightened, her pulse quickened. She didn't know what punishment Haizaki might impose—or if he might… make her leave. She grew nervous.
"Weighted… three-kilometer run. I know you're not good at physical training. If you don't want to suffer, then learn properly. Work hard. Show me results."
Yukino was shocked by Haizaki's "cruelty," but she couldn't refute it. Her sharp mind understood his sudden insistence on training. It wasn't only to help her quickly gain self-defense skills, but also to ease her psychological state.
Haizaki had already noticed her mood and condition weren't right. Even if she didn't want to admit it, some facts couldn't be denied. Living in an apocalyptic world, experiencing its changes and mutant attacks, she inevitably had psychological issues. If not properly adjusted and managed, one day they would worsen.
"Alright. If I can't meet your standard, I'll run five kilometers with weight."
Yukino put down her chopsticks, looked back at Haizaki, and answered seriously. Even if it broke her legs, she would finish.
"I said three kilometers."
Haizaki felt she was being stubborn.
"You originally wanted to say five kilometers, didn't you? Don't consider me. If I fail, I should run. If I can't adapt, I'll be eliminated. Isn't that the law of survival in this world?"
She spoke as if about someone else, her expression calm, her tone steady.
"Even in my world, it's the same. If you can't adapt to society, you're eliminated. Just not as brutally as here."
Haizaki couldn't refute her. But that didn't mean he accepted it.
"I said three kilometers. Cadet Yukinoshita, do you understand?"
Haizaki's face was stern, his tone firm.
"Understood, Instructor."
Her reply was crisp and simple. At that moment, she no longer argued. And really, what was the point of arguing? Faced with Haizaki's forcefulness, she couldn't resist.
"Good. That's enough."
"I'm finished eating…"
Haizaki set down his bowl and chopsticks. Yukino was stunned—he had eaten quickly.
"In such a hurry to…"
She didn't want to mention mutants and ruin the appetite. But thinking of how Haizaki could dissect them and then eat normally, she secretly admired his mental resilience.
"That side is almost done. I need to handle some finishing work."
He had left several mutants exposed to the sun. He needed to check them. If there were major changes, he might need another dissection. Then record and photograph them.
"Mm."
Knowing she couldn't help, Yukino only responded.
Haizaki stood, straightened his clothes, pushed back the chair.
"I'll head over. Contact me if anything happens. Stay safe. That place isn't suitable for girls, so don't come…"
Before leaving, Haizaki reminded her again. Even he had vomited several times—Yukino would fare worse.
"I know. I won't go. Don't worry."
This man, beneath his calm exterior, had a gentle heart that cared for others. Unexpected, yet fitting.
But Yukino's thought at that moment was—was Haizaki's concern for her, or for "her"?
"Mm, I'm going."
Yukino watched Haizaki leave the room. The setting sun cast its light on him, leaving a long shadow.
Yukino finally turned her attention back to her dinner. She needed to think about her future. Without plans or arrangements, she might waste precious time.
…