Finally Met
I woke up in the mansion and immediately stocked the fridge with a decent amount of food, stuffing survival essentials into drawers all over the place. 'Gotta play the long game early on, build up some affection.' No need to risk the dangerous outside when supplies are plentiful. Better to cozy up in this lovey-dovey newlywed vibe.
I grabbed Takeru's smartphone and messaged Ritka.
'It's 11 now... Better whip up some lunch.' I stashed Takeru's phone in my Inventory and headed to the kitchen. Gotta show off some homemaker skills to win Ritka over. Hot guys who can cook are a thing, right? Whether it's the sexiness or the sex that seals the deal, we'll see. I popped several instant rice packs in the microwave, transferred them to the rice cooker, marinated some stolen salmon, and boiled instant miso soup to kill time.
Then the doorbell chimed.
Beep!
Time flew, and Ritka must've arrived. Anticipating the real-life version of the girl I'd only seen on monitors, I slowly opened the front door.
There she was—porcelain skin, sharp features. Her intense gaze gave off a haughty vibe that hinted at her personality. Tall, probably over 170cm, with tight jeans hugging toned thighs that made me swallow hard. The ponytail girl with bold eyeliner glanced at the unfamiliar guy, checking the room number in confusion.
"Uh... Is this not Takeru's place?"
"Yeah, Yamamoto residence. But who might you be...?"
"Ah! Hi. I'm Kanzaki Ritka, Takeru's girlfriend."
"Ohh~ I've heard about you from Takeru. I'm Yamamoto Kazuma, his older brother. He said he was popping to the nearby mart—come on in and wait."
"Sure. Thanks."
Even while sneaking glances, Ritka strode in confidently after me. 'Incubus charm at work? She doesn't seem suspicious.' Looks like our Ritka needs some safety training. 'I've got the safety stick right here.'
I sat her on the living room sofa and brought orange juice from the kitchen.
"Thanks."
"Don't worry—I'm just visiting from an out-of-town gig to check on things."
I flashed a sly smile, and she relaxed, shoulders dropping with a faint smile. 'Fuck... She'd smile while sucking my dick too, huh?'
"Call me Kazuma, no need to be formal. Oh, can I call you Kazuma too? You're Takeru's brother, so older than me."
"Hell yeah, music to my ears."
Her friendly vibe made my pants tight. I flopped on the sofa, flipped on the TV to the news. Ritka seemed relieved to watch instead of awkward chit-chat, her expression easing.
'11:45 now... 15 minutes left.' We chatted idly over breaking news when explosions rocked outside, and an urgent alert blared.
'It's starting.'
The apocalypse has begun!
LOVE & DEATH!
I dismissed the tacky story window and casually stepped onto the balcony, peering down at the street. The slaughter unfolding below left me momentarily stunned.
'Whoa... fuck. This is zombie apocalypse for real?'
The stars of the carnage differed starkly from undead seen in gates—not mere monsters, but subculture zombies spreading via infection. Right before my eyes.
'Modern weapons are useless. Gotta sweet-talk Ritka into staying put.' Hearing the news, Ritka—skeptical—followed me to the balcony for a better view.
"Kazuma... what the hell is that...?"
Her pupils shook violently. I glanced at her trembling hands, feigning calm.
"Unbelievable, but... their moves and looks scream classic zombies."
Unable to think of anything else, Ritka stared intently at the street. As a yakuza daughter, she had high violence tolerance among the three heroines—no worries there. My role: stay composed, be the reliable big bro type.
'Surprisingly homemaker material despite looks—easy to handle.'
"Kanzaki, let's head inside and monitor the news. Takeru's probably heading back—mart's close."
"Kazuma... Takeru'll be okay, right?"
"Government's deploying SDF, cops are on rescue or containment. Don't worry—trust them and wait."
I preemptively nailed down no reckless Takeru-searching. Recalling the street horror, Ritka returned to the living room without protest, eyes on the news.
Honestly, in this zombie chaos, anyone dashing out to "find someone" is insane.
'Still, she needs some sense of danger.'
"Odds are Takeru's hunkered at the mart. In a pandemic, he's safer than us."
Her eyes widened questioningly, so I slowly explained our situation.
"Hiding till stable's fine. Key is how long—zombie apocalypse style means stocking food, water, supplies. Best if it ends quick, though."
Realization dawned; her face paled, forgetting Takeru-worries.
"Gave him living expenses recently—essentials should be stocked. Let's gather what we need. I'll check survival gear; you do kitchen food/water?"
"Ah! Got it!"
I led naturally again; she perked up and headed to the kitchen. Rifling rooms, I hauled out pre-hidden gear: spear, bow, camping stuff from Inventory. Bought with drained subsidies.
"Whoa~ what's all that?"
Ritka rushed over from the kitchen, eyes lighting up.
"Takeru and I do survival hunts sometimes. Who knew it'd help."
"Huh? Survival?"
"Yeah? Got a hunting license—didn't he tell you?"
"No..."
Learning his "secret" hobby via me puffed her cheeks. Current Takeru's invincible; I'm god. 'Takeru... bro'll bury you in a sunny spot.'
Brushing off awkwardness, I pulled out cases for spear and recurve bow.
"Kanzaki, know how to use spear or bow?"
Assembling the bow, as expected, she lit up.
"Archery club since middle school! Won competitions too."
I showed assembly slowly, handed her bow and arrows.
"Practice on bed or sofa if needed—but conserve arrows. House holes? Don't sweat it."
She tugged the string repeatedly, admiring the mana-enhanced recurve over standard Japanese bows. I chuckled, headed to kitchen.
Prepped lunch; hearing noise, Ritka hurried over.
"Need help?"
"Set the table?"
Newlywed vibes made my lower half heavy. But hold it—suit pants show too much. Damn... Quick adjustment; prep done fast thanks to foresight.
"Not much, but gotta eat in times like these."
"Plenty! Itadakimasu."
Despite booms and news, my chill vibe loosened her up. Her lively side emerged over meal.
"Kazuma, looks like a week on normal rations, no issue."
"Week... Government'll sort it. No word from your folks?"
"Parents in Kyoto're safe. Told me to hide till stable—mind if I crash a few days? Hehe."
I smiled—story on track as planned.
"My house, make yourself at home. I'll drive you home when done. Public transit to Kyoto? Forget it."
"Yeah... thanks."
Dominating the situation, her lips curved softly. 'Fuck, wanna eat her raw.'