Episode 21: A New Kind of Zombie?

"Such a waste."

After completing the second Matsukura City Marathon, Hayato returned to Yui's house.

He reported his findings. During dinner, Yui pointed something out.

The waste referred to the rubber gloves he had acquired—intended for use in negotiations.

The box listed: "Rubber-coated, smart touch, washable, 12 pairs."

The price tag read: an astonishing 14,321 yen.

That meant each pair cost over 1,200 yen.

"Indeed, a premium item."

Phones and internet were entirely unusable. Hayato’s smartphone remained in spatial storage. These gloves were clearly designed for precise tasks requiring high performance.

Adult male size. Too large for Yui’s hands, but suitable for Hayato.

"I doubt they’ll be made again."

"Likely not."

The primary raw material for rubber gloves was natural rubber.

Natural rubber is primarily harvested from the sap of rubber trees.

But in Japan, domestic production is minimal, so most is imported from overseas.

According to Hayato’s memory, tropical countries in Asia—Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand—were the main suppliers.

With trade routes severed, raw rubber no longer enters Japan, and new rubber gloves cannot be produced.

“When do you think overseas trade will resume?”

“Even if we could, do we still have fuel for ships going overseas?”

“Japanese vessels may revert to sailing ships.”

Edo-era wooden ships require no fuel.

The famous large ships, the Hokkai ships, sailed across the rough waters of the Sea of Japan, transporting goods from Osaka to Hokkaido.

Still, they were designed for inland seas. Navigating open oceans to import rubber would be difficult.

“Production cannot restart, yet demand remains high.”

“Likely.”

Across Japan, people are busy building barricades against zombies, cultivating crops, recovering supplies, and even fighting zombies.

And as they work, their hands get injured.

The demand for high-performance gloves would be considerable.

“We should probably have gloves made for Hayato too?”

Yui, concerned about Hayato, brought a drink made by mixing powder with water to her lips.

Hayato exhaled once, then picked up the glass placed before him.

The lemon tart cherry-flavored powder drink, acquired from the pharmacy, was a type he would never buy himself under any circumstances.

He took a sip, curious about the flavor, and found a crisp balance of tartness and sweetness.

— Lemon tart’s acidity, buttery tart flavor, and cherry fruit sweetness, perfectly balanced.

Perhaps prolonged consumption of foreign-world cuisine had heightened sensitivity to sweetness.

Hayato sipped the second mouthful, lingering on the aftertaste of tartness and sweetness.

Once composed, he offered an alternative.

"Use unused haircare, bodycare, and skincare products. Crop seeds can become food. Food is more necessary than shampoo."

Yui did not respond immediately.

Grooming appeared to be as essential to a woman as food.

Hayato continued.

"Start with cheap products. I heard some skincare brands included collagen moisturizing cream, but applying collagen doesn't make skin bouncy."

"Huh?"

Yui's expression showed outright rejection of Hayato's claim.

Collagen is an important protein that supports the skin's structure and enhances elasticity and moisture retention. Using a cream helps retain skin moisture and prevents dryness.

As Yui spoke, her tone gradually shifted to a more formal, distant politeness.

She prepared to counter Hayato's next words with full force.

Understood. Sorry. I'll bring the men's products.

Thus, men's haircare, bodycare, and skincare items were brought into Kirioka Agricultural High School.

◇◇◇◇◇◇

The next day, Hayato packed the men's products into Yui's father's travel suitcase and visited Kirioka Agricultural High School.

The backpack he had used previously had been handed over to Natsuki when returning, and he had received the travel suitcase in exchange.

The heavy suitcase slung over his shoulder, Hayato approached the staff room where Oomori was. As he announced its contents, the female teachers descended upon him like zombies.

The suitcase was snatched away. The zipper was yanked open with force.

"Let me see! What's inside?"

The voice came from a middle-aged female teacher, excited.

Another teacher shouted immediately after.

"Empty it out. We'll check the contents first."

Their eyes scanned the items packed tightly inside.

Shampoo, conditioner, body soap, skin cream, deodorant—none of it seemed to matter to them, male or female. They began picking each item up, one by one.

They had not obtained any of these in at least a year.

"This one smells fresh. Might be good."

"Let me check the ingredient list. Even though it's marketed for men, some of these won't irritate female skin."

"Let me check the fragrance. Pass it over."

One teacher muttered, staring intently at the body soap package, as another teacher leaned in with interest.

It looked like a large group of zombies swarming a human all at once.

Meanwhile, Oomori stood beside Hayato, arms crossed, expression stunned.

"Kumakura, you've brought something quite impressive."

"Yes. Quite an outcome, indeed."

If it had been for women, "quite" would not have sufficed.

Oomori and Hayato silently observed the small altercation unfolding before them.

Eventually, one teacher opened the lid of the skin cream in hand and began to smell the contents.

"How effective is the moisturizing?"

Another teacher responded immediately.

Hayato remained silent. Words unfamiliar to him began to fly through the air—glycerin, mineral oil, shea butter, jojoba seed oil, squalane, sunflower seed oil.

They seemed to offer effects such as moisturizing, moisture retention, and prevention of dryness. He extracted a small amount of the liquid, sniffed it, touched it, began to examine it.

The contents of the travel bag were already empty. All the goods Hayato had brought filled the desk in the staff room, spreading across its surface.

Oomori, keeping his gaze away from the female teachers, praised Hayato’s results.

Hayato, pretending nothing was visible, returned to his conversation with Oomori.

“It’s a fine line—whether fortune favored us or not.”

“What do you mean?”

He went to the Home Center in Koganei North to search for a hose and pump to collect gasoline. He found what he needed there, but when he made a second attempt, he discovered the back lot had become a gathering place for Zombies.

Hayato could not admit he had forced open the pharmacy shutter, so he falsified his source.

"Perhaps people who had barricaded themselves inside the Home Center were infected after Zombies broke in. I grabbed a bag from the floor and fled in panic. I was genuinely frightened."

"In situations like that, it's better to abandon the bag and run."

"I'll be more careful from now on."

His fabricated account made him seem dangerously reckless.

Indeed, he had nearly been overwhelmed by Zombies, and what mattered most was Hayato's true intent.

By blending truth with deception, Oomori nodded in acceptance.

"The hose and pump worked out, then."

"Yes. Actually, we managed to get gasoline, and the car is fixed."

"Amazing!"

Hayato reported the results, and Kobayashi, who had been listening closely, spoke up.

Kobayashi, who had been supervising, seemed concerned about the outcome.

He rejoiced in Hayato’s success as if it were his own, now that Hayato had become his pupil in matters of vehicles.

"Thank you for teaching me."

"No, no. It was ultimately Kumaokas who worked hard. Where did you get the gasoline?"

"Near a large Shopping Mall. I figured, since there are many people there, there would be many Zombies, and the fuel would be inaccessible."

"You’re usually reckless."

Hayato said this honestly, but as before, when lying, his recklessness was reprimanded.

Still, it was already done. Omori had already scolded him. Hayato had responded with a nod. Kobayashi did not press further.

"Where are we going now?"

It would not work if it were too cold or too hot, so we considered locations around central Japan—Nagano Prefecture, Yamanashi Prefecture, Shizuoka Prefecture, and Mie Prefecture.

That’s right. The Sea of Japan side is too cold.

Kobayashi closed his mouth. He seemed to be thinking of the Sea of Japan side.

Hayato imagined it too—a snow-covered town abandoned by people, zombies wandering aimlessly through the streets. He shook his head to dismiss the image.

A place with moderate warmth would be best. Crops might grow there too.

Hayato turned back to Oomori, who nodded vigorously.

"Mr. Kobayashi, give some seeds to Kumakura. I’ll leave it to you."

"Understood. I’d like to give agricultural guidance too, but that’s difficult. Ah—adding agricultural textbooks would help!"

Kobayashi clapped his hands, as if struck by a brilliant idea.

“That’s right—unless we bring something else again.”

“Textbooks, perhaps. Students who can no longer attend classes leave behind surplus materials… but it might be better if someone brought them.”

In the direction where Komori’s gaze was fixed, a group of female teachers stood clustered together.

They offered no words, only sharp, unblinking stares—demanding what came next.