"W-Who are you?"Molly's voice trembled. She stared at Gantzuke like he'd stepped out of another world.
"I'm Gantzuke. That's Mari."He kept his tone calm—not a whisper, but low and steady."We didn't think anyone else was still here."
Molly glanced at him, then at Mari beside him.
"I'm Molly."She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and sat up straighter.
"You—"Her words caught in her throat as her eyes landed on her sister's mangled body at the base of the stairs. She turned away.
"I'll take care of it," Gantzuke said gently, understanding without needing her to say a word.
He grabbed a brown bathrobe from a toppled laundry basket and laid it over the child's body. Then, with a heavy sigh, he covered the mother's corpse with a nearby blanket.
Molly cleaned up the mess on the floor using a towel she found, then went into the bathroom to shower. Gantzuke heard the water running.
"Let's go downstairs," he said to Mari. He was tired. Stressed. Craving something sweet.
She nodded.
They moved to the kitchen. Miraculously, the ceiling light here had survived the gunfire. Empty juice bottles and snack wrappers from Gantzuke's bag cluttered the table.
A few minutes later, Molly came down, freshly showered, hair damp.
She told them she had lived in the house with her mother and little sister. Her father had died years ago. Gantzuke introduced himself properly—told them he was from Earth.
Their eyes lit up.
"You're from Earth? Can you take us there?" Mari reached out, her soft hand resting on Gantzuke's arm.
"If I could, I would," he replied, then added:"But listen—"
He outlined his plan to reach a shelter, but Mari shook her head.
"My dad and I came from there. Infected people got inside. They slaughtered everyone."
"Then we need to go to another planet," Molly offered.
"The interstellar links are probably shut down by now," Gantzuke said grimly."We're stuck on this rock."
He longed for a cold beer. Always did, when he was stressed or needed to think.
"I need a shower," Mari said. The blood and brain matter on her school uniform had begun to stink.
"Do you have anything I could change into, Molly?"
"Yeah. I'll find something for you."Molly stood and headed upstairs, avoiding her sister's body.
"You should shower too," Mari said, wrinkling her nose."You smell… awful."
Gantzuke laughed softly.Her forced strength reminded him of himself, after his mother died—when all he wanted was to cry, but forced the tears to stay inside.
"Right now, I want a cold beer more than a shower."His voice and smile made Mari's cheeks flush.
"You're stronger than you think, Mari."
There was something in his eyes—no words could capture it.A kind of warmth inside sorrow.It told her she wasn't alone. Not in this world. Not in this pain.
"Thank you."...He's really sweet… she wanted to say, but instead, just smiled—like a spring flower blooming in rubble.
"It's a little old, but it should fit."Molly returned and handed Mari a folded T-shirt and jeans.
"Heard you wanted a cold beer," she added, opening the fridge and pulling out a four-pack.
"Bless you," Gantzuke murmured, taking a can.The green label and red star made it look like a gift from the gods in the middle of hell.
"Are you two… like, a thing?"Molly asked, nodding toward Mari as she walked off to shower.
"Why would you ask that?" Gantzuke raised an eyebrow.
"The way she looks at you—it's like she's in love."
"We just met."He smirked, sipping the beer. He felt oddly proud—for a rough-looking guy like him to catch the eye of a high school girl.
"I saved her. Brought her here."He glanced toward the metal shutter, riddled with bullet holes. Outside, streetlight spilled through in lines of gold.He could hear the shuffling, groaning of the undead.
"Your house might buy us a little time," he said.His mind turned to the armor-piercing ammo and the phone he took from "John Wick."He reached into his pocket, fishing for it.
"Do you have a charger for this model?" he asked, showing Molly the device.
"Just call me Molly," she smiled, then walked over to grab a charger from behind the fridge.
"Thanks, Molly."Gantzuke gave her a quiet, grateful smile.
"You think we'll still be alive tomorrow?"She asked, sinking into the chair at the head of the table. She stared at the red-star can in her hand, then drank.
"I don't know," he said honestly. "But we've gotta do something."
The sound of running water reminded him that Mari was still upstairs.
"Tonight, get as much rest as you can. And wear something you can run or hike in."
He eyed Molly's pajama shorts.
"Why?" she frowned."No way I'm sleeping in boots."
"We don't know if that purple thing will come back," he said, gesturing toward the bullet-riddled shutter.
"I'll keep watch. But I need you both ready to run."
"Got it," Molly said softly, staring down at the table.
"I don't want you to see them like that again," he added.
She broke.
Face down on the table, tears welled up again.
She couldn't stop thinking of her mother and sister—lying dead just meters away.
"I'll take care of it. It's okay," Gantzuke said, stepping behind her. He gently placed a hand on her head.
She leaned into him, pressing her face into his stomach.
"H-huh…huhuh…"Her sobs wracked her body.
"It's okay. It's okay."He stroked her hair and kissed the crown of her head.
"You'll be alright," he whispered.
His voice was warm, but strong."Everyone hits something like this in life eventually. If you make it through... you'll understand it all a little more."
Molly nodded slowly.
"Thanks."She wiped her eyes, stood, and quietly walked upstairs to change.