Chapter 345 - Meaning of Family During the Time of the Dead Season

Day 347 8:21 A.M

Osaka: Blood Battalion Base

Equipment: Melee: Piyavka Machete, Piyavka Cleaver

Gun: AR15, Beretta M9 Pistol

(Kyosei's View)

We left the room of the twins for now when Miyuki scolded us that the twins needed to recuperate more and our presence is just a nuisance for their further recovery.

The others went back to their respective work. Meanwhile, I went to the infirmary with Cindy and Miyuki to look into the dog who just awakened. Despite being shot by a normal tranquilizer, the amount of time it slept is not the effect of the tranquilizer itself but due to its fatigue culminating after so long.

"The dog is pretty hostile and we can't let it out of the cage just easily. We already asked the production guys to create a big cage to hold off the dog in the meantime," Cindy said.

"Is it too hostile that it will try to bite anyone who wants to approach the cage it was in?" I asked.

"Yes. When it woke up, it started shaking the cage to get out but it started barking. I don't want to shoot it with another dose of tranquilizer as it might harm the dog and we also have a limited supply of shots, so I left the dog inside the cage. When I left to go to the room of the twins, he already calmed down but he is still growling to anyone who approaches the cage," Cindy answered.

"Do you have some experiences with a dog, Kyosei?" Miyuki asked.

"My only experience with a dog is with Laika. Other than that, it was either used to chase me down in a gang fight. Nothing of an actual training a hostile dog," I answered.

"Then how should we call this dog down? Is it going to stay in a cage until the rest of its life?" Miyuki frowned.

"If it is too much to handle, that is the only thing we can do, no matter how cruel it was. At least, he won't suffer against the dead anymore."

When we arrived at the infirmary, we saw Haru is currently inside the infirmary and is currently crouching on something. I can't see it since one of the beds is blocking whatever Haru is trying to approach.

"Is that where the cage is being placed?" I asked the two and pointed to where Haru was.

"Oh, that's right. We need to get in, Mr.Haru might get hurt if he opened the cage blindly," Cindy said and we rushed inside.

Haru looked at us and stood up while wiping off the dust on his hands to his handkerchief.

"Looks like you guys are here. I wanted to see the dog that you guys brought back before but because I was too busy, I can't come immediately. Since I am not busy right now, I decided to enter the infirmary with our everyone. I apologize for barging in," Haru scratches his head.

"Ah, don't worry about it. However, you shouldn't carelessly approach it, he might bite you since he was hostile to others!" Miyuki said.

"Don't worry. I don't know if it was fate but you guys have brought someone close to me."

We frowned on what Haru just said.

"What do you mean, Sir Haru?" I asked.

"This dog is someone that belongs to my family before my little brother moved to Kyoto last year. He is Taro, our family dog who came with my brother to at least ease his loneliness in Kyoto."

"How do you know this is your dog, Sir?" Miyuki asked.

He crouched again and opened the cage. The dog growls a bit but when he saw Haru, he calmed down and lets Haru pat his head. He then traces Taro's neck and shows to us the collar with his name imprinted on the gold color bone hanging on his collar.

"If Taro is here, that means Makoto died during his time in Kyoto when the apocalypse exploded there." Haru's face is looking sad while patting Taro.

"We didn't meet anyone who looks like your brother when we went to Kyoto so he might have died even before we have arrived in Kyoto. Even when we arrived in a survivor settlement, I don't see any sign of him. Aside from that, if he is alive, he should be with Taro when we found him."

"Yeah, figures. I am not hoping he is still alive even after that onslaught. It would be a miracle if he managed to stay alive even after the Night Rage, but he should have at least said goodbye before he has gone somewhere in the afterlife."

"You sounded like you are not close to your brother," Miyuki said after noticing Haru's reaction when he heard that his brother might be dead.

"We never had a good relationship. He is stubborn and we would always argue with each other whenever we had a misunderstanding. However, even so, he is my brother. Only one thing would keep us bonded together and that would be playing with Taro. Other than that, we would be arguing without stopping."

"Having a sibling sounds complicated," I mumbled. I am an only child so I can't relate. Miyuki and Cindy nodded which means the two are also the only children in their family.

"Hahaha, yeah it is very complicated. So if you guys wished for a younger brother or sister, don't bother wishing for it. You guys are in for pain."

We nodded in unison from the advice of Haru.

"So, what now? Anyone of us can't approach Taro at all as he gets hostile once we approach his cage," Cindy asked.

"Of course I will be the one who will take care of Taro. He is my brother's dog and he is family to me. My parents are already dead and my only brother is also dead. Taro has no more family other than me. It is my responsibility to continue raising Taro so you guys don't need to worry. I will also train him in my spare time so that he won't attack just anyone. Is that fine with you guys?"

"If that is the case, then we will agree with it. After all, we can't approach him even if we wanted to. We can't afford to let him bite us," Cindy said.

...

After Haru left with the cage of Taro, I also left the infirmary to go to the shooting range.

Family is something I have lost many times in my life. And I can't even remember my real parents and how they were when they were still alive. I can't seem to understand the feeling of it but when I lose it, that's when I felt all the pain like when I lost Mr.Leo. Maybe if I was stronger, I might have protected them.

Not only that, Kato who transformed into a special infected is still somewhere in Osaka and we still have no news about him. We treated him as family and he left before he was fully controlled by his transformation to avoid accidentally killing anyone.

I have lost more than I can count but I can't lose this one. This is the main reason I can't laugh at all. I traded my ability to laugh and smile to avoid all sorts of positivity in my life and to expect the worse so that I will not get pained once I lost something important to me.

Until then, I can only stay like this. And nothing can change that fact.

...

Osaka: Blood Battalion Base

Equipment: Melee: Piyavka Machete, Piyavka Cleaver

Gun: AR15, Beretta M9 Pistol

(Kyosei's View)

I suddenly received a summon from Haru to come to the HQ. It sounded so urgent so I decided to hurry to the HQ to respond to his calling. Once I arrived at the place, Haru is there and Nanami is also sitting while typing on her laptop. And for some reason, Miyuki is also in there behind Nanami.

"Looks like you are in time today, Kyosei. You should do this whenever I call you so that you can save some time for yourself rather than dawdling while coming here," Nanami said.

"If it doesn't sound urgent, I wouldn't come here this fast since it wasn't urgent enough."

"Is that so? Well, we indeed summoned you here since this is pretty urgent and you were right about it," Nanami said while smiling.

"What is this urgency that you wanted me to see as soon as possible? Is there some sort of crap happening that I am not aware of?"

"Indeed there was, Kyosei. Not only that, this matter directly concerns you and your parents."

When I heard that this matter is concerned to my parents, my ears perked up and I didn't know why but I am anticipating what this was.

Earlier today, we have spotted two individuals riding in a car escaping somewhere while wearing lab gowns. Nanami decided to capture footage of them. Miyuki and Nanami confirm this as something that might be related to you, Kyosei," Haru said.

Then, Nanami uses the projector and on it is the two faces of people that I have seen in my dreams many times. They are also the faces in the folder that Haru compiled about the family of every survivor.

There is no doubt, those people has the same look as my mother and father.