Episode 40: Searching for a Car in Chukann City

Under a pale overcast sky, an engine roared in the Parking Lot of Chukann Natural Hot Spring Hotel.

Hayato started the car, reversed along the route he had taken to reach the hotel, and turned toward the urban district.

The target was an SUV, the same model as the one currently in use.

"Probably there."

The domestic sales of the series exceeded fifty thousand units. There were 1,743 municipalities in Japan.

Divided evenly, that would be about thirty vehicles per municipality. But cities have more population than towns, and towns more than villages. Chukann City should have more than thirty units.

However, the same series included diesel models.

The vehicles Hayato could operate, using his premium gasoline, would be about half that number.

Even if other SUVs were found, their Battery specifications might not match. The same model was preferable.

When the orderly rows of rooftops came into view, Hayato stopped the vehicle.

"From here, it's the bicycle."

He exited the car and stowed it in the spatial storage, then mounted the bicycle.

He pushed off the ground and launched the bicycle forward with force, beginning to circle the city.

Without obstructions, riding the bicycle offered a far clearer view than scanning from inside the cracked vehicle.

The bicycle could navigate narrow alleys inaccessible to cars and peer into every corner of the Parking Lot.

Hayato began searching the silent town using the bicycle.

"Useless. Useless. Useless..."

He saw a minivan and a jeep parked nearby, and muttered a deeply disrespectful remark about their owners.

Then he spotted a white-and-black car with a red light mounted on the roof.

Not needed, but...

A house stood beside the road where the patrol car had stopped.

Police had arrived, likely responding to a citizen's report or during a routine patrol.

Two people approaching might have been overwhelmed by several zombies, bitten, and pinned down, unable to escape, possibly turning into zombies themselves.

Other officers should have arrived to reinforce them, but if multiple incidents occurred simultaneously, response would be impossible.

— Could I get a new pistol?

Hayato thought this, but decided to focus on the car search and moved away from the scene.

He considered trying to move the patrol car slightly, but it would draw too much attention.

If stopped at a checkpoint somewhere, he couldn't think of a convincing excuse.

The option of searching for a used car dealership was ruled out from the start.

Dealerships had stronger security than homes, and acquiring keys would be difficult.

Vehicles of high value were likely routed to prefectural capitals with larger populations, not kept in smaller cities like Chukann City.

If searching for an SUV in Chukann City, wealthy homes remained the most probable source.

Entrepreneurs, large landowners, heads of regional banks—those with sufficient wealth to live in a city of this scale would reside here.

"No, no, no, no, political campaign signs..."

The signs bore the message "Toward a Brighter Japan" and the names of political parties.

If striving for brightness in the current state, a Japan populated by cheerful zombies might feel slightly more lively.

Zombies favoring indoor living seemed less common. Outdoors-oriented zombies dominated, making the streets bustling with people playing tag.

Whether the politician’s envisioned future would come to pass remained uncertain.

Hayato watched the political sign reflected in a road curve mirror recede into the distance, then moved forward.

A community center came into view. A slightly better vehicle was parked there.

"Ooh, close."

Not the SUV they were looking for.

Hayato glanced back at the vehicle with reluctance, then moved past it on the road.

As they descended, a barbecue stand appeared, with several ordinary cars parked nearby.

The entrance was destroyed. The house search had already been completed.

After one year since the collapse of civilization, it was undeniable that many homes had been thoroughly looted.

With food production declining, large groups in shelters could not survive without raiding residential properties.

As they pondered what happened to the households once their food supplies ran out, the bicycle continued down the road.

Then, a Parking Lot came into view. A retro pink American car was parked there.

It resembled a vehicle from the 1960s to 1970s American era.

"Probability-wise, shouldn't we have found an SUV first?"

He glanced twice, then passed by without stopping.

A park appeared. In front of it stood an expensive-looking house. A different type of SUV was parked there.

"That's a Lexus, right? Wow, almost had it."

Price-wise, it might match the SUV Hayato was driving.

The problem was the battery compatibility.

Several battery types were secured, but the focus had been on the current SUV.

Safety from zombies was likely higher with the current SUV.

Reluctantly, he gave up and moved forward.

"Wow, nice car. But not what I'm after."

Scattered throughout were vehicles better than average.

But even if high-end, they were not the kind Hayato wanted.

Reluctantly, he moved on. The road led to a drugstore. A zombie emerged from the broken entrance. He nodded in acknowledgment and ran past.

"Guaa."

A sound came from behind, but the words were indistinct. Hayato interpreted it as not meant for him.

The phrase "Chukann City Citizen Marathon" surfaced in his mind. He shook his head.

The March citizen marathon was energetic. It might, in spirit, be a step toward the slogan on the sign earlier: 'Toward a Brighter Japan.'

But Hayato was not a citizen of Chukann City. He wished they would keep trying, excluding himself.

"None, none, none, none, oh, something high."

A modified vehicle, barely clearing the ground, was parked at the roadside.

Guaranteed to stall on rough terrain. Naturally, it was unusable.

The driver, key in hand, was nowhere to be found.

The best option remained private homes.

As he advanced along the road, a rental storage unit labeled "Sukkiri Storage Rental Box" appeared.

If Hayato reduced his load, he might fit the entire box inside.

Still, space storage was already possible. Meaning was nonexistent.

Then he passed a Chinese restaurant, an apartment building, a crossroads, a convenience store.

A broken vending machine. A home with shattered windows. A small used car dealership, found despite no intention to search.

He pictured a city councilman's sign. A gas station. Premium gasoline was plentiful.

"Premium gasoline could be collected in decent amounts."

In zones dense with zombies, premium gasoline often remained.

In areas abandoned by police or Self-Defense Forces, civilians removing zombies while collecting fuel would be difficult.

Even when collecting, regular cars used regular gasoline, large vehicles used diesel, so premium gasoline remained.

Hayato nodded slightly at the middle-aged woman zombie he'd encountered at the gas station, thinking it unnecessary, then moved forward.

"Vaa."

The woman zombie raised a hand in return, greeting him casually.

She even approached without hesitation.

"Sorry. I'm more inclined toward younger ones."

There were three periods of popularity in life.

But Hayato thought strongly that what one was popular for mattered just as much.

He shuddered, then fled from the woman zombie.

The town air, low in exhaust fumes, was crisp and clear.

Riding his bicycle through the rural area, he entered the next residential neighborhood.

A liquor store with a broken entrance. He stared, incredulous—stealing alcohol in a time like this? Perhaps he was wrong. Maybe drinking was the only way to endure.

A high-end sedan sat beneath a well-kept carport. He felt disappointment—it was not an SUV. He moved on.

"Used car dealers are common here."

A different used car lot appeared. Several vehicles stood in the parking space. Price tags were taped to the inside of the windshields.

He glanced over. No SUV among them.

A flicker of regret. He continued, passing a house with a prime minister's poster nailed to the fence.

Then, at a large estate surrounded by sturdy walls, he saw it—a carport beneath a heavy gate. The SUV he sought was parked there.

"Oooohhhhh!"

Hayato let out a sound without words.

The SUV before him was the same model, but in better condition than the one currently in use.

The difference was that the current vehicle was exposed to the elements, while this one was stored in a carport.

"Maybe it wasn't taken out because the gate was closed."

Even without opening the gate, the space storage system would allow it to be removed without issue.

After stowing the bicycle he had ridden, Hayato placed his hands on the wall, only chest-high, and vaulted over it in one motion.

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