You were out on another run to look for Shu's friend, this time you'd probably be closer to finding him! Chuo City isn't too far, it shouldn't be too long until you get there.
Because of how you and the others got carried away by doing some teeth rotting fluff back home earlier, you ended up traveling at night. Lovely. I mean it's not like it's a problem or anything, you did get used to driving at night before you grouped with the 4 boys, but you had an uneasy feeling.
You didn't know what it was about, what it's telling you. It was more like a gut feeling. And you've overthinked the possible scenarios that can happen if you arrive at the city.
Either the car immediately gets attacked by zombies. Steal someone's house and sleep, bad ending is that some zombie gets in and eats you all while unconscious. Or don't sleep at all to immediately go on a search for Ike.
Chances of finding Ike in that city is fairly hard. I mean, you all are looking for a singular person in an entire city of zombies. If only he specified where he went, it'd be easier. He could be camping somewhere like he did at the school, or he could be on the run looking for survivors.
You we're sitting in the backseat, in between Luca and Mysta. See, you were taking turns driving, especially when you all barely had sleep yesterday night, so you decided to be fair and let everyone take turns and rest when it's time to switch. The two beside you we're sleeping, Mysta's head on his side of the window, while Luca's was on your shoulders when you saw how his head sometimes repeatedly hit the window.
You kinda felt bad seeing his frustrated face when his head accidentally bumps against the glass, making it less easier to sleep, so you pulled his head on your shoulders. Vox was driving, witch Shu in the passenger seat.
"Y'know, if we get there where are we searching first?" You perked up, gently leaning your head on Luca's head in exhaustion. Shu shifted on his seat, "Schools maybe? If he camped at that school back there, he could possibly be camping at one in chuo too." He said, leaning on the door.
"If he isn't?" Vox asks as well. Shu sighed softly, closing his eyes tiredly, "Well either we continue searching or give up." He mutters, crossing his arms and letting himself lull to sleep. Your mood lowered down. Was he giving up already? After searching for his friend for almost two months? Vox also seemed silent at his sentence, feeling bad.
The two seemed really close, even of they met four months ago in the apocalypse. You couldn't really blame them, of you see a survivor it's practically a miracle. You didn't have to be alone anymore and you fought together to survive. You've been mostly alone ever since the start of the apocalypse, and Luca was probably the first survivor you saw after the whole country got turned into ruins.
You sort of developed some sort of strong will to survive to protect the other survivor you get attached to, or maybe that was just your attachment issues talking. But even so, when you met Luca, you've silently sworn to yourself to protect him. Not just Luca but the others too! Even if they have better experience in fighting than you, you're willing to stand up for them.
So imagining Shu getting separated from his friend kinda felt like a bus truck just hit you. You felt guilty, sad, clusters of other feelings all over the place. Right now, you focus on finding Ike, no matter how long it will take. If the others lose hope, you'd look for him yourself.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Shu pulled up in the front parking of a convenience store, sighing in exhaustion. You all were finally here, at Chuo City. It was past midnight, three people are knocked out sleeping, leaving only Mysta and Shu to be awake.
Mysta woke up earlier when he felt something heavy resting in his shoulders, turns out you also passed out sleeping. Being the nice person he is let him rest on him, not bothering to wake you up because you did deserve the sleep. Poor you was busy helping out all day, you needed a quick break even if it was in a car.
Shu turned to look behind him, glancing at Luca, you and then Mysta. His brows raised, "Are you gonna come and get few snacks for awhile? Uhm, potty break...?" He said the last part unsurely, grimacing in the process. Mysta's mouth open and closed like a fish out of water, unsure.
"Well I want to, but—" He pointed at your head that refused to move the past minutes. Shu let out a small 'ah', nodding his head understandingly. "Sure sure, I'll get some for you then. Want anything specific? Like what are yours and the others preferred snacks..? If you know." His head swayed from side to side, offering to get some snacks for them all.
"I thought we brought along food with us for Chuo City..?" Mysta's voice lowered, his hands pointing at the full duffle bags placed on his feet. Shu shaked his head, "Oh no, we mainly packed guns, real food, medical supplies, and some extra t-shirts or something." He shrugged, and Mysta gaped.
"So we left my favorite chips back at the mansion..?"
Shu nodded slowly, amused and dumbfounded. "Yep. We can just buy- I mean steal, some here though?" Shu tried to give the gray haired man a small smile, but Mysta merely pouted. "They don't sell my favorite chips in these convenience stores. But for (name) she likes..." and then he went to list out your's and the others favorite chips.
"Oh-kay. I'll be back." Shu jumped out, cocking his gun hotly. Now, what does he do while he waits? Reminisce? Try not to wake you up? Maybe he could help out on this Ike friend, he hasn't helped out a lot after all. But you counted his presence as helping out even if he was lounging on the couch, listening to you talk to Shu about Ike.
Now that he thinks about it, you're awfully considerate aren't you? You were like those group project leaders who just accepted doing all the work for the other project members. You we're always so.. nice and trusting. I mean yeah he gets that if you weren't trusting in the first place, he wouldn't be here right now. But he feels like you're exposing your vulnerability with being too trusting.
If Mysta wasn't Mysta, and he was actually a really really bratty criminal what would you have done? Say, you took this bratty criminal in just like you did to him, what would have happened? As Luca said, you'd both be abandoned on the roads, desperately hiding from zombies.
But no, Mysta wasn't a mean bratty criminal, fortunately. He was also like you and Luca who were trying to survive with Vox. He didn't want betrayal and all that angst shit, he didn't want you to end up on the roads, he didn't want you to wear yourself out in exhaustion because you were overly determined in finding Shu's friend.
Lots of people could take your trusting kindness as an advantage right now, if it weren't for the fact those people weren't Vox, himself, Luca and Shu of course. He knows you'd end up taking in more people in the future like they are some stray puppies, so if you won't be cautious for yourself, he will.
He's not crazy, he's being overly possessively protective. He's just simply looking out for you! And he knows it's not just him doing so. Take Vox stepping up when you volunteered to help Shu earlier as an example. Or Luca's wild theories of him and Vox being a potential threat. And Shu.. Shu with his typical sniping.
He's not clueless, he knows the others also want to protect you the way you want to protect them. He can't just let you jiggle up all the protecting to yourself, right? Everyone's got to be prepared and watched eachothers backs.
