“Sasha, that… uh… are you going to tell on me?”
“Tell on you for what?”
“You know… about that. When I told you to stay back. You know that was a joke, don’t you?”
“Hmph. I’m not so sure,” I sniffed, turning my head away with a flourish.
A joke? Please. Anyone could see he was one hundred percent serious.
“Oh, come on, Sashaaaa,” Rob whined, drawing out my name in a way that totally didn’t suit him.
It wasn’t like I was actually going to tattle on him over something so childish. But given what he’d done? I was pretty happy to keep up the offended act.
After taking out the two mutant zombies that had appeared without so much as an RSVP, we went back to focusing on the food hunt.
I felt pretty gross, being covered in blood and all. But with more people in our group, our supplies were dwindling fast.
We couldn’t afford to return empty-handed.
“Still, it’s a relief we found a decent amount left. Right? There’s even some meat, your favorite.”
“Hmph. What’s with the sudden friendly act?”
“We just stared death in the face together! I think that makes us pretty friendly!”
Right. This from the guy who was drawing a hard line in the sand like a broken record just a minute ago.
Anyway… Since this was a tourist area, there were a lot of shops that sold food.
Some had even converted their storerooms to run on magic, extending the shelf life of their goods. But even so, this would only last us a few days. We’d need to secure more provisions whenever we had a spare moment.
“This is great, though. The fact that you can speak so much better now. His lordship will be so happy.”
Now that was an unexpected but welcome development.
My speech wasn’t back to perfect, but compared to before, it was a night-and-day difference. I’d been stuck at the same level since my first change, so maybe absorbing that mutant’s blood had triggered something.
“While you’re at it, how about you try drinking zombie blood like it’s juice?”
“I’m telling Yoan.”
“What! I’m serious, it clearly has an effect!”
“I’m serious too, yeah?”
I pouted and picked up my pace, hearing Rob scramble to catch up behind me.
***
“Eek!”
Kira was the first to spot me when we got back to our base. He recoiled in terror before scurrying off to fetch a wet towel.
“H-here, you should wipe yourself off.”
“Thanks.”
“Of course. But what on earth happened?”
“We ran into some mutants on the way.”
“M-mutants? Oh, I’m so glad you’re back safely! But… for some reason, your pronunciation seems a lot clearer. You even sound kind of proper.”
“Ah, um. A few things happened.”
“I knew it! It wasn’t just my imagination! Wow, that’s wonderful news!”
Kira’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. He clearly wanted to ask for details, but I just pretended not to notice.
While Rob carried the bags of food to the kitchen, I scrubbed at the bloodstains with the towel and glanced around.
I wondered aloud, “Where are Yoan and Derek?”
“They’re not back yet.”
“Hmm.”
In that case, I should probably grab a quick shower while they’re out. Somehow, having Yoan around made me a teensy bit self-conscious.
“Oh, my heavens. Sasha, you need to go wash up right now,” Bliss said, emerging from the kitchen and stopping short at the sight of me.
The blood on my skin was one thing, but the stuff caked in my hair and on my clothes was still there. I hadn’t seen a mirror, but I was sure I looked like a complete disaster.
“Let’s go.”
“Huh? Oh!”
Bliss suddenly grabbed my hand and started leading me somewhere.
It was a bit surprising that she’d taken my hand so casually. She wasn’t emotionally distant, exactly, but I’d always felt there was an invisible wall between us.
“It was such a pain yesterday, what with the bathroom water not draining… but Jeremy fixed it right up. You can use the sponge and soap in there. I’ll go heat some water for you, so just wait a moment.”
“Oh, cold water is fine. I don’t really feel temperature differences.”
“Still… won’t you catch a cold?”
“Me?”
“Right. I suppose not,” Bliss said with a small laugh. “Alright then. As for your clothes, I think it’s best to just throw them out. Luckily, this was a general store, so there are some spare clothes. I’ll leave a fresh set outside the door for you.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. You did so much for us today.”
After Bliss left the bathroom, I shucked off my clothes and tossed them aside.
Using a wooden dipper, I scooped water from a large barrel and poured it over myself.
“Ooh, that’s the stuff.”
So this was what an ice-cold rinse felt like.
I let out a groan that sounded like it belonged to some crotchety old man as I doused myself again and again.
“Nngahh, so refreshing. Hmm-hm-hmm.”
A little tune escaped my lips as I worked the soap into a lather on the sponge and scrubbed myself down. The dried black blood of the zombies mixed with the suds and streamed down my body in grimy rivulets.
I was working soap into my hair when the world suddenly tilted, and a wave of dizziness washed over me.
I quickly grabbed the wall to steady myself, breathing deeply. My vision went white for a second, and in that dizzying haze, a single scene flashed before my eyes.
Eh, this is…
Just then—
“Sasha!”
The bathroom door burst open with a bang, and a familiar voice called out.
“Ah.”
And then came a short, choked sound of shock.
Amazingly, my vision cleared and snapped back to reality. I slowly, creakily turned my head.
My eyes met Yoan’s, who was frozen in the doorway. I stood there, trembling, with nothing but a tiny dipper in my hands to cover myself.
“Get out! NOW!”
***
The second I was out of the bathroom, I threw on the fresh, fluffy clothes Bliss had left for me and promptly collapsed in a heap.
Normally, the living room was my space, but I needed some alone time, so I’d retreated to the dusty storefront and claimed the sofa.
Yoan, who had followed me, kept trying to talk to me from behind.
“Sasha. Bliss made a special meal, you know? Come on, get up.”
“Not hungry.”
“I swear, I didn’t see anything.”
“Be quiet.”
“It’s true.”
As if! If the water had been hot, at least I could have deluded myself into thinking the steam hid everything.
But the bathroom wasn’t even that big, and I was standing right in front of the door when he opened it. That was why he’d made that little “Ah” sound, wasn’t it?
Should I take comfort in the fact that he’d at least seen my back?
A man saw me naked…
“Hngh,” I whimpered. I was so annoyed I felt like crying.
It wasn’t even cold, but I pulled the blanket up over my head and just sulked.
“Hah, fine. I was careless. It’s my fault,” Yoan sighed from behind me. “But it’s not like I looked on purpose.”
“I know. But… it’s not like it can just be un-happened!”
“Sasha. Is this really the time for us to be bickering over something so trivial? Aren’t there more important things to discuss?”
“…”
He was right, there were.
The fact that I could speak better after absorbing the mutant zombie’s blood. And the place and the face I saw in that vision when I got dizzy. I was pretty sure it was the person Lily had mentioned, the one who could help us.
But then, how the heck am I supposed to deal with my embarrassment?!
I stubbornly kept my mouth shut.
“If that’s how you want to be, then I have no choice.”
I thought he was giving up and leaving, but then I heard the soft rustle of clothes.
My ears perked up instinctively. I was dying of curiosity, but I couldn’t give in that easily, so I held my ground.
A moment later, Yoan poked me.
“Sasha. Just a second.” His voice was softer than I’d ever heard it. “I’m pulling the blanket down now.”
After giving me fair warning, Yoan pulled the blanket off my head.
My vision, which had been dark, was suddenly filled with… flesh tones.
Eh? Flesh what?
“Why are you…” I said, my eyes widening in shock as I shot upright.
A rather lovely expanse of ivory skin and a well-defined chest were on full display. It was a very firm, very touchable-looking…
No, wait!
“Wh-wh-why are your clothes off?!”
“To make it fair. Oh, Sasha. Why are your eyes drifting downwards? I haven’t touched my pants yet. Should I take them off, too?”
He was clearly teasing me, but I knew Yoan was the kind of man who would do it—and more—if I dared him.
“Just put them back on, please,” I whined, my voice barely a whisper.
“So, are we all good now?”
“Not really.”
“I see this isn’t working.”
“Okay, fine! We’re good! I’ll drop it!” I shrieked.
Yoan gave me a smug grin and finally put his shirt back on.
“I heard the gist of what happened. You ran into mutants today.”
“Mhm.” That was probably why he’d rushed to the bathroom in such a hurry when he got back.
“And because you got covered in their blood, you can speak better?”
“Seems like it.”
“Then say something a bit longer. Anything.”
What I wanted to say was, “Yoan Keith is a dummy, a dirty dog, and an idiot,” but I restrained myself.
“It is a known fact that when one is suddenly asked to speak, one’s mind goes blank.”
“Wow. It’s true.” Yoan’s expression shifted from surprise to joy. “It finally happened. The thing we’ve been hoping for.”
“But that’s it. Nothing else has changed.” I was still just a very peculiar ‘zombie.’ To become human, I would absolutely need a cure.
“About that. While I was in the shower, something occurred to me…” I began, planning to spin a story about needing to find the woman from my vision.
But Yoan suddenly held up a hand, cutting me off.
I stared at him, confused, as he opened his mouth to speak.
“It’s so odd. You speak so well now, yet you continue to address me with such familiarity.”