Mr. Sasaki's Diary: Part One
February 22, 2015
Today marks the second day since the lid of the hellish cauldron was opened.
Though I've endured terrible things, I've managed to escape to a relatively safe place.
Right now, I've hastily built a barricade in the staff room and am resting here.
Outside the room, I can still hear the groans of those walking corpses.
Since I can't stay calm without doing something, I've decided to keep a log.
To be honest, I'm not particularly good at writing... but then again, it's just for my personal records. No need to get overly serious about it.
I only hope this might one day serve as proof that Sasaki Hayato once lived.
Well, that's all.
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February 23, 2015
Thanks to the students' desperate efforts, the grounds of Sugakyo High School are nearly secure.
Currently, the number of refugees stands at 43.
17 adults and 26 children.
Among them, six are elderly, and two require care.
After discussion, it was decided that the leader would be the police officer, Takami Gōzō.
I will do my best to maintain an objective perspective, overseeing the community from a distance.
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February 24, 2015
Due to the aforementioned "zombie" phenomenon, two refugees have undergone mutation.
The two were executed by a courageous female student.
Naturally, anxiety has spread among everyone.
All personnel have been instructed to strictly secure doors and windows at night.
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February 25, 2015
A first-year student from Sakagahara High School, Kohei Hibiya, requested, "I want to undergo zombie-hunting training."
It seems he's confusing bravery with recklessness.
Of course I objected, but with Matsuda's endorsement, permission was granted on the condition that he wouldn't push himself too hard.
Our leader is a capable and responsible man, though his weakness lies in being easily swayed by his daughter's pleas.
Of course, we'll assign an adult supervisor to keep an eye on him for the time being.
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February 27, 2015
With a shortage of manpower for building barricades, we've decided to let the children's "zombie hunting" proceed largely based on their own initiative.
That said, we still feel uneasy... yet they're proving smarter and more cautious than we expected.
We adults had better step up our game.
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February 28, 2015
We have enough food for several months, and warm beds to sleep in.
The problem is the faint moaning sounds of the "zombies" heard during the night.
Several people have already shown signs of nervous breakdowns.
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March 1, 2015
From the school rooftop, a distress signal appeared at the supermarket, "Captain."
As a last resort, volunteers were sent to "Captain."
As a result, three distressed individuals were successfully rescued.
Yet as a cost, one brave female student and one Self-Defense Force member were left behind outside the safe zone.
Everyone firmly believes the two will return, but I do not.
No matter how much training they've undergone, as humans, they will inevitably have flaws.
And those walking corpses—never miss a single opening... they'll latch onto your throat without hesitation.
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March 2, 2015
The aforementioned Self-Defense Force member died in the line of duty.
The brave girl in question safely returned.
It seems the Self-Defense Force member risked his life to save her.
I sincerely pray his soul finds peace in paradise.
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March 3, 2015
That night, I was woken up by Mr. Suzuki.
It appears a student has escaped beyond the safe zone.
The aftermath was so absurd that I hesitate to write it down in my diary.
In short, sometimes appetite can even surpass the fear of death...
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March 4, 2015
The attack by the "monster" as described by Mr. Yohga Norio.
Thanks to everyone's efforts, we successfully repelled it.
However, as a result, one male student and one female refugee died.
When everything had ended, I realized I was beginning to feel like everyone was family.
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March 5, 2015
Receiving life advice from a certain female student.
It's not anything particularly significant, so I'll omit the details.
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March 7, 2015
Due to certain circumstances, the aforementioned female student has departed toward Sōwakō.
Furthermore, regarding her specific details, … out of her own request, I'll keep the records to a minimum.
In any case, may fortune accompany her journey.
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March 8, 2015
A strange-looking girl arrived at school accompanied by three flying dragons.
After speaking with her, the four of us—Mr. Asada, Mr. Hibiya, Ms. Suzuki, and I—heard an explanation far beyond our imagination.
It turned out she was a "reincarnated one," apparently having already experienced this apocalyptic situation once before.
I find myself strangely unshaken by anything that might happen now.
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March 9, 2015
Thanks to the goodwill of the "Reincarnated," nearby "zombies" are subdued.
Using abandoned vehicles and scrap materials, a barricade is constructed through the night.
We also successfully transport supplies from the nearby shopping district.
Tonight, we should be able to sleep in peace.
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March 10, 2015
Thanks to Mr. Suzuki's suggestion, a movie will be screened in the music room, which offers excellent soundproofing.
Unanimously, a low-key, comedic film was chosen.
I attended the screening myself, and found myself on the verge of tears over seemingly ordinary scenes from daily life.
We must, at all costs, reclaim the days of the past.
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March 11, 2015
The girl in question returned.
She seemed to have grown another step as a warrior.
Whether that was a good thing or not, I couldn't say.
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March 13, 2015
The rescue operation for survivors in the surrounding areas is currently underway.
The community's population is increasing daily, and the number of refugees has already more than doubled from the initial amount.
As the number of people grows, so does the likelihood of problems arising. From now on, we must pay close attention not only to the zombies but also to the behavior of our neighbors.
We must avoid the kind of disaster seen in Romero's films—where a community is wiped out entirely due to betrayal.
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March 14, 2015
Preventive measures against Economy Class Syndrome, led by Mr. Suzuki Asaka, are being implemented.
It has been decided that, with the exception of those with severe physical conditions, every refugee will be assigned some form of work.
When preparing for a prolonged period of evacuation, people might start farming by digging up the schoolyard, mend frayed fabric to make it usable again, and constantly brainstorm new meal plans to avoid boredom with daily meals...
Well, I suppose it's not a bad trend.
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March 17, 2015
Conflict arises among the refugees.
It seems the incident began with a drunkard's idle chatter. But it could have easily resulted in fatalities.
You never know what a desperate person might do.
Going forward, we'll need to enforce stricter alcohol management.
And one more thing.
If injuries or thefts occur within the community, should we be allowed to administer vigilante justice?
Moral judgments like these will undoubtedly bring about difficult challenges in the future.
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March 18, 2015
It's understandable, but the man who was the aggressor in yesterday's fight has become noticeably isolated within the community.
That's a worrying sign.
Although the cause lies with him, isolation in such a closed environment could easily lead to another tragedy.
Something must be done.
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March 19, 2015
Recently, after transporting supplies from a toy store, we've ended up with a large number of plastic model kits.
As a result, it seems that building plastic model kits has become popular among the students.
It's certainly not a bad sign to have something engaging that can help them relax, but... complaints have started coming in about the school building starting to smell like solvent.
After discussion, it was decided to create a dedicated space for plastic model building on the rooftop, where they can freely indulge in their creative activities.
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March 20, 2015
Mr. Suzuki's intuition was not wrong.
As the refugees were given tasks to complete during the day, the frightened, zombie-like expressions on their faces began gradually to soften into smiles.
They were also helped by the consistently cheerful personality of Mr. Suzuki.
The man responsible for the earlier altercation, too, seemed to be gradually accepted by the group, perhaps due to his earnest dedication to his work.
Or perhaps he himself realized it.
If I were to be expelled from this place... I’d likely join the ranks of those walking corpses within a few hours.
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March 25, 2015
We encountered some trouble on the journey, but just now successfully reunited with the community centered around Okita Takashi.
There are many elderly people and women and children among them.
I must think of tasks they can manage.
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March 28, 2015
Reports come in that the children's crying is too loud to sleep at night.
It seems the psychological stress among the people in Okita's community is more severe than expected.
It seems they didn't have warm beds like us, but instead lived squeezed into a narrow space under the cold sky.
I've heard that many children have been abandoned by their parents.
What else can we teachers do but give it our all in times like these?
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April 2, 2015
Decided by the proposal of Mr. Suzuki, Mr. Asami, and Ms. Koubaka, the morning hours will be dedicated to the children.
Although the specific lesson content has not yet been determined, we aim to accommodate as many student requests as possible and provide opportunities for them to learn what they wish to learn.
Of course, if any students wish to learn English, I myself will be happy to teach them.
However, the curriculum of the classes must be thoroughly revised.
Their chances of passing the university entrance exams are likely to be extremely low.
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April 3, 2015
Thanks to the mediation of the girl in question, we have established exchanges of supplies and personnel with the community in Hoshino, the aviation park community, and the surrounding communities in Nerima.
First, tomorrow there is a meeting with Mr. Oda, one of the representatives.
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April 4, 2015
First meeting with Mr. Oda.
He's a man with a heavy, distinguished face, reminiscent of a film actor from thirty or forty years ago.
To be honest, he's not really my type.
Yet for some reason, I thought he might get along well with Hisakuni Norio.
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April 8, 2015
The campaign to turn the Seibu Ikebukuro Line into a trade route has begun—the "zombie" eradication operation.
Those who excel at dealing with "zombies" are deployed at the front lines, while those following reinforce the barricades.
Thanks in part to the fact that zombies had already been cleared to a certain extent (probably because the female student had passed through earlier), the operation is progressing smoothly.
That said, it will probably take about a week before the trade route is fully secured.
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April 19, 2015
The trade route is nearly complete. In the future, trucks will travel back and forth regularly, facilitating the exchange of essential supplies and personnel.
Recently, zombies have almost disappeared from around the school grounds. Many evacuees have even returned to retrieve their belongings.
Even among these people—eventually, they all came back to Sakagahara High School.
Perhaps everyone understands this now.
That being with trusted neighbors is far more secure than staying shut inside their familiar homes.
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April 20, 2015
After gathering supplies from various places, food has become quite abundant.
Now the challenge is how to fairly distribute it among everyone.
Until now, I've tried to distribute supplies equally among all the refugees, but there's an emerging opinion that we should differentiate the amount each person receives based on the work they take on and its volume.
I sincerely wish everyone would unite to overcome this crisis together... yet it's not entirely unreasonable for parents to want to indulge their own children more than others'.
According to reports, the community at Ichihon Gei University has implemented a simple class system, distributing ration tickets based on each individual's contribution.
Though it's not exactly appealing, should we follow their example?
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April 21, 2015
As the sun set, a monstrous creature resembling a mantis nearly ten meters long appeared.
However, it was quickly eradicated shortly after its emergence by a dragon known as a "Reincarnated One."
The dragon has now become a symbol of guardianship among us.
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April 22, 2015
I hear leaflets are circulating that specifically label me as a communist. How troublesome.
Incidentally, I've been non-political since university days.
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April 23, 2015
In the afternoon, several angry men and women stormed into the staff room.
Saying it was a protest regarding the unequal treatment of refugees.
In short, they seem to want jobs that carry heavy responsibility—just like me and Mr. Asada.
How convenient.
Though I currently serve in a role akin to community advisor, that's never really been my nature.
If anything, I'd prefer to focus on my original role—as a teacher and staff member.
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April 24, 2015
Unfortunately, I can no longer take over their duties from yesterday.
Upon further investigation of their reputation, I discovered they refer to the brave children of the supply procurement and life-saving team as monsters.
Since they're constantly traveling to various locations, they may seem like unfamiliar outsiders to the community members.
Fewer and fewer people seem to remember that they are merely ordinary boys and girls.
We must absolutely avoid any situation that isolates them.
If there's still a reason for me to cling to this position, it's only this.