DaisukiDayoSenpai

Bronze WINNER of WPC#322: Male Lead: Zombie Invasion

Takemi Kazuichi might very well be the luckiest and unluckiest person in the world. He was an orphan, and he was severely bullied in school. Because of that, he became a hikikomori, a shut-in. When he turned sixteen, he was adopted by a rich couple who loved him as if he was their own son. Unfortunately, they died in a plane crash, and Kazuichi never overcame his bad habits of being a shut-in, largely because of his preying relatives.

Fast forward to four years later, Takemi Kazuichi still stayed in the house left by his late parents. He never bothered going to work or going out to socialize with people. For the lack of a better term, he was a rich hikikomori. He never even bothered to check the news or log in on any social media. All he did was live his life in solitude, devoid of any human interaction.

One day, as he came out of the shower, he heard a strange thumping sound by the doorway. "That's weird, I didn't order any delivery today." He told himself before absent-mindedly opening the door.

And what stared back didn't resemble a human at all. It was a zombie— or so that's what the first thing that came into Kazuichi's mind. Unbeknownst to him, the world had drastically changed, and he was the last one to know.

Shut-In Of The 'Dead'

The room was dimly lit, the only source of light being a small lamp on the nightstand. Kazuichi lay in the center of the room, his body drenched in sweat, his face twisted in agony as he tossed and turned in the bed. His chest rose and fell in rapid, uneven breaths, as if he were fighting an invisible enemy.

Around him, his friends gathered in tense silence, their faces etched with worry. Ayaka stood closest to him, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, her eyes never leaving Kazuichi's pained expression. Jurou paced back and forth at the foot of the bed, his fists clenched in frustration. Arisu and Lea sat nearby, exchanging anxious glances, unsure of what to do.

"He looks like he's in so much pain..." Lea whispered, her voice trembling. "I've never seen him like this before."

Arisu nodded, her eyes wide with concern. "What could be causing it? He was fine just a few hours ago."

A Feverish Night