Rei is also curious about the answer, so she turns her head toward Saya.
"Ah, that, yeah."
Saya puts a look of contempt on her pretty face. Did she just remember something extremely unpleasant? At that memory, she frowns and begins to speak in an irritated voice.
"They're angry at okaa-san because we didn't hand over otou-san's body to the ghoul investigators."
Speaking of Souichiro, I had accompanied Saya that day during his funeral. She had tried to stay strong throughout the ceremony, with her back straight and her chin up, as she wanted to appear a worthy heir to the Takagi family. But when it came time to watch the coffin being lowered into the ground, she finally broke down and cried her eyes out.
Watching your father being buried underground, knowing that you will never see him again, that you will never hear his voice or feel his hand on your head again. It must be an absolutely enormous pain.
Even so, both Saya and Yuriko probably preferred to say goodbye to a father and husband in this way, with a proper funeral and a place to visit his grave, than to hand Souichiro's transformed body over to a bunch of investigators to cut up and study.
Saya continues to speak in an increasingly annoyed voice.
"The ghoul inspectors and many other government researchers were absolutely furious with us. And when Okaa-san and I tried to explain to them that Otou-san wasn't a ghoul but a different kind of life form, they didn't even listen to us. We even sent them all the video evidence. We showed them the entire recording of that green worm entering Otou-san's body and how he subsequently transformed. Faced with that clear and irrefutable evidence, do you know what those stupid and incompetent adults did?"
"Hmph! They spent the whole time insulting okaa-san. Telling her she was lying and that she was just in shock over the loss of her husband and seeing things that weren't there. They called her hysterical. Okaa-san! The calmest and most rational woman I know! Okaa-san naturally got very angry at the disrespect and immediately shut down the meeting. She told them all to go to hell."
I see, so something like that happened with the authorities.
Well, I'm not too surprised. They probably thought Yuriko was too traumatized to think clearly and dismissed all her evidence without even examining it properly.
When more bodies turn up with their heads transformed, and when they see that those things can change their appearance at will, they'll eventually have to admit that there's another species walking among humans. By then it may be too late, or it may not be.
Saya's eyes suddenly shine. What is this girl thinking now?
"Hey, Arata, Rei. What do you think would happen if a parasite could successfully enter and parasitize a ghoul instead of a normal human?"
Only after she says that out loud do I realize that such a possibility exists, and it's absolutely terrifying.
A ghoul is already dangerous enough on its own. They have superhuman strength, speed, and regeneration, not to mention the biological weapons that come out of their backs. Now imagine combining that with the sharp tentacles of a parasite.
Shit.
Rei laughs awkwardly as she shakes her head.
"That... that's not possible, right? It would be too horrible if something like that existed."
Saya looks at her like she's an idiot for being so naive and optimistic.
"Of course it's possible, Rei. In fact, it's very likely that it has already happened somewhere. If the host of the parasite is a ghoul, then hybrid mutants could be born. Although it's not known exactly whether their organisms will be biologically compatible, which would make them exponentially more terrifying and dangerous, or whether their biological systems will fight each other internally and consequently weaken each other. It would be interesting to study that."
Eh, I'm afraid only you find it interesting to study that, Saya.
Personally, I just want to eat them.
Then I start thinking on my own.
What if zombies also joined that mix? Since it's only a matter of time before a massive outbreak of the undead appears. This is the world of Highschool of the Dead after all.
Could the parasites successfully parasitize a zombie? Or will the undead reject the invader? Since I realized that I had rejected the invasion of worms in my brain.
But I don't know if I count as a normal zombie.
And if the three types of monsters, ghouls, parasites, and zombies, coexist simultaneously in the same world at the same time, who will prevail in the end? Who will eat whom?
Of all of them, I honestly think zombies are probably the weakest of the three, not counting humans, of course.
Ghouls are definitely the most powerful for now, without a doubt, as they are perfect predators designed to hunt humans.
Speaking of ghouls, I'm pretty sure they come from the anime Tokyo Ghoul, right? My memories of my previous life are confusing and blurry, so I can't say for sure. But I'm almost certain that I've seen an anime about ghouls that eat humans in my other life that was called Tokyo Ghoul. I vaguely remember a black-haired protagonist who becomes half ghoul or something like that.
And this place where I am now, which is supposed to be Tokonosu according to the anime Highschool of the Dead, is now located in Tokyo in this reality. I don't know why the geography changed or if I'm just confusing things.
Putting aside all those confusing things I can't explain, parasites are problematic for anyone to deal with. They can parasitize any living being, and once they take control of a body, they can blend in perfectly with society. Above all, I remember that they can change their faces at will, taking on someone else's identity in seconds.
But honestly, an experienced ghoul with enough power could take down a parasite in direct combat.
The three of us finally abandoned those dark and depressing topics. Instead, we started having fun being normal kids.
Rei tells some funny stories about things that happened at her school, Saya complains about how stupid her classmates are, and I make some silly jokes that make them laugh.
Even though the world is slowly going to hell, the youthful spirit must still live on and shine brightly.
It's better to continue spending pleasant days and enjoying the company of friends while you still can, rather than being constantly depressed and distressed thinking about all the "what ifs" that could happen in the future.
Then it's time to return to our respective homes. The sun is already sinking toward the horizon. It's almost 5 p.m.
Since everyone knows there are monsters roaming the streets, we've decided to always return to our homes earlier, before nightfall, because it's safer that way.
I say goodbye to Saya by gently stroking her pink hair.
"See you tomorrow for the party, Tsun-Saya."
"Idiot! Don't call me Tsun-Saya!"
She protests as she shows her fangs peeking out cutely from her lips.
"Hmph! Anyway, see you tomorrow. And you better be on time."
Rei also says goodbye to Saya after giving her an enthusiastic hug that almost knocks them both over.
"Thanks for inviting us tomorrow, Saya-chan!"
"Enough, enough! Let go of me!"
Saya says that as she pushes Rei away from her with her cheeks slightly red.
Heh, tsundere.
Just as I turn to leave toward the mansion's exit, I notice Saya's piercing gaze fixed intensely on me.
But before I can think about the reason for that gaze, she shifts her eyes to Rei.
"Rei, wait a moment. Don't you leave yet."
Rei blinks in confusion as she points toward the exit where I'm standing.
"Huh? Why? I want to go with Arata."
Saya crosses her arms and puts on a serious expression. She's not joking this time, and she wants to talk about something serious.
"I want to talk to you about something important. Arata, you can go without worrying about us. I'll ask Okaa-san to drive Rei home after we're done talking."
Rei puffs out her cheeks in frustration.
"But I want to walk back with Arata! If you want to talk about something, do it now in front of him. We're all friends, aren't we?"
Saya looks at her with furrowed brows and a stern expression.
"It's a private matter between girls. Arata shouldn't be here to listen."
Only after hearing that does Rei seem to understand that it must be something really important or personal. She shrugs her shoulders in resignation.
"All right, I guess. If it's a girls' thing, then there's no helping it."
Then she runs up to me and hugs me tightly. Her slender arms wrap around my waist and she presses her face against my chest.
"See you tomorrow, Arata. I love you very much."
But she immediately notices that my body is completely stiff under her embrace.
"Arata? Why are you so tense?"
I snap out of my reverie when I hear her concerned voice. I shake my head quickly and put a big smile on my face.
"Ah, it's nothing. I was just thinking about something. Don't worry."
I hug her back briefly before pulling away.
"See you tomorrow, Rei. Be careful on your way back."
I turn to Saya as well and raise my hand in farewell.
"Bye, Saya. Thanks for inviting me tomorrow."
Then I turn completely around and start walking toward the exit of the Takagi mansion without looking back.
'So that day has come, huh?'
I think that, and feel something heavy settling in my chest.
It's obvious that Saya has been suspicious of me for some time now. Probably since the incident with her father, or maybe even earlier since that girl is too smart.
The reason she wants to talk to Rei alone without me present...
When I felt her piercing gaze on me just now and she asked Rei to stay behind, I felt my whole body go completely numb.
That said, I knew this moment would come eventually.
I always knew my secret couldn't stay hidden forever, I just prayed internally that it wouldn't be so soon, so I could have a little more time being just a normal kid with normal friends.
But it seems that God doesn't hear the prayers of someone who walks dead among the living.
So will Saya tell Rei that I'm a monster disguised as a child? Will she tell her all her suspicions and observations about me?
How will Rei react after discovering that her childhood best friend is not human? That I've been lying all this time about what I really am? Will she reject me too, like all the other kids who call me a monster?
When I seriously think about that possibility, I feel my conscience contract painfully.
If Saya and Rei reject me tomorrow, and if they tell me they never want to see me again...
The two of them can be considered the pillar that keeps my sanity intact, as they are the only people who have treated me well.
If Saya and Rei decide tomorrow that they no longer want me in their lives, that will be the exact moment when my emotional support pillar is completely destroyed. And then I will inevitably fall into madness and despair.
As time passes completely alone with no one to remind me that I was once human, I will slowly turn into a real monster.
Not only in body, but also in mind and soul.
A zombie without thoughts or feelings, and thus just a walking corpse with an insatiable hunger.
That is what awaits me if I lose them.
Will it even be worth living then?
I laugh at the sky as I walk through the streets back to my abandoned building.
×××
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