I was awakened by noises.

“Hana! Wake up! Hana! The principal wants to see you!”

It was Miyu's voice. I tried to open my eyes but my eyelids kept closing. I was so tired yesterday that I slept deeply. Now it was hard to wake up from this dream.

Is it morning already?

I felt a pressure on my shoulders, the feeling of a hand grabbing me.

“Wake up, Hana, this is serious!”

It was still Miyu's voice. She was trying to wake me up. The noises from the other students in the class showed that something serious was really happening.

With all my strength I opened my eyes.

Appearing before me was the face of my best friend Miyu, she looked extremely worried. Surroundings behind Miyu was still dark. The window was still covered in a curtain of rain but a little light was filtering in enough for me to know that it was daytime.

I sat up, rubbing my sleepy face.

“How long have I been sleeping?”

“Now is not the time for that, hurry up, you don't have much time!”

I don't understand what's going on here anymore. However, with the series of events that I had to deal with yesterday, I can say that I'm getting used to it.

I nodded.

“Wait a minute for me to wake up.”

It didn't take me long to pack my things, but the noises coming from the classroom seemed to be about me. All eyes were on me. All my classmates were looking at me with wary eyes. Even Sayo and Meiko, my closest friends.

What's going on? Did they know about last night?

I looked outside, the sky was still dark and the thunder was still rumbling. It seemed like this storm was not going to end soon. However, with a little bit of daylight, I could see things in the classroom more clearly.

“Hana!” - Miyu urged me.

I stood up and followed her. Other students stepped aside to let me pass. They usually did the same to me, but in a respectful manner, like a queen. But this morning, from the look in their eyes, it seemed like they were keeping their distance from me.

“Where are we going? The principal's office is downstairs.”

“It's urgent, you'll know when you get there.”

Miyu just grabbed my wrist and pulled me along. She moved so fast that I couldn't do anything but follow her. I could hear people talking in the hallway on the 4th floor.

“Hey, you know what? The glass on the first floor is starting to crack, I don't think we can hold out much longer…”

“I… It should be fine… everyone down there is still trying to hold on…”

Uh oh, reality is getting dire. We don't have much time left.

Miyu led me up the stairs, towards the roof of the building. I could feel the fierce wind from above blowing straight into my face.

Miyu stopped, we were blocked by a crowd of about fifty people lined up along the stairs ahead.

In front of the door to the rooftop, I could see a group of students huddled together. There was a barrier preventing them from going outside and a few armed men were lined up pointing guns at them. They looked like they were from the army.

I could hear the roar of the helicopter blades.

The army is here? So we're saved?

But what happened here was not quite what I thought.

“Let us pass! Monsters!”

“You bastard principal! What do you think of your students?”

“Are our lives not as precious as those bastards?”

“Everyone quiet!” – An armed soldier pointed his gun to the sky and pulled the trigger. The loud gunshot made the bustling crowd quiet down a bit.

“He won’t dare shoot!” - A male student turned back and said to the crowd. I recognized him. It was Jo Kaido from class 3B. His achievement ranking was fourth in the entire school, two places behind me. It seemed like he was leading this group of people.

“That's right! Staying here means death! Going forward means death! Better to go forward!”

The crowd was in an uproar as if they were about to break through the barrier. The scene looked exactly like a riot.

A soldier doing riot control spotted me among the students, I could hear him talking to someone on his walkie-talkie.

“Subject detected.”

“Clear the way.”

The armed soldiers pointed their guns at the ground, causing the students to quickly move aside.

The entire crowd of students parted on both sides of the stairs, opening up a path before me. It was like a stairway leading up to heaven.

“Ms. Hana, Hana Tachibana, please come up here.”

I turned to look at Miyu, her expression was sad, but she still nodded and looked up. It seemed like she wanted me to step foward.

“Only Hana Tachibana can go foward.” – The soldier threatened.

"See you later."

I had no choice but to leave Miyu in the crowd to follow the instructions.

Guns were aimed at the students on both sides of the stairs I was walking up. I didn't need to look to know the hatred burning in their eyes.

Stepping outside, the wind swirled stronger, blowing my hair and skirt up, but opening up a much clearer view.

In the middle of the large yard in front of me, a military helicopter loomed. The helicopter had landed close to the ground, but the rotor blades were still spinning.

Looks like they're ready to leave.

A soldier came over and held an umbrella for me, and led me to the helicopter. I might be an excellent student, but what made me get this special treatment?

As I got closer to the helicopter, I saw two people sitting inside. One was Principal Sai, with his signature bald head, and the other was Yuji Sanada, another Top Elite of the school. She was ranked third, just behind me.

I didn't rush in, standing two steps away from the helicopter, I called out. The wind was already noisy, and with the sound of the propellers above, even though I was very close, I had to shout for the person inside to hear.

“Principal Sai, where is this helicopter going?”

“We’re going to the National Center for Disease Control in Tokyo. Ms. Tachibana, each school is only allowed to save three students. Get on the helicopter, we need to protect talented people like you.”

I stood there, stunned. It turned out that this helicopter was not a rescue helicopter to save us, but a way for at least three students to escape.

“What are you waiting for? Get on the helicopter!”

So that's how it is, I understood what Principal Sai meant. Only three students can be saved. Me, Hana Tachibana, the second highest student in the school, and Yuji Sanada, the third highest student in the school. Principal Sai will save the three best students because we will be valuable in the future if we survive this disaster.

No wonder Jo Kaido, the fourth ranked, was so angry.

If this were a normal request, I would have accepted it without hesitation. But this situation was different. Leaving town now would mean leaving behind my parents, Toru, Katashi, Miyu, and my other friends.

I may be an arrogant girl who is willing to despise and trample on the values of others, but I do not despise human life. Leaving my loved ones behind, then I am no longer human.

I was afraid of death, and this was the ideal way to get me out of this predicament. But thinking back to what I had done to Katashi, my small mistake had caused him to suffer for the rest of his life. If I agreed to board this helicopter today, I would regret it for the rest of my life.

“Wait a minute.” – I asked Principal Sai.

“Where is the other person?”

“You mean Miss Murasaki?” – Principal Sai stammered – “She is determined to stay, there is nothing we can do to convince her.”

Principal Sai didn't look me in the eye when he answered. I knew something was fishy here.

Rin Murasaki, class 3C, a rich girl with long black hair, the only person in this school who can surpass me. The top of the school in everything from achievements to appearance. If Principal Sai doesn't try to keep her, then why is he trying to keep me?

“Tachibana! Don't listen to that damn old man! He took advantage of Murasaki's decision to get a ticket on the helicopter!”

From behind the barrier, Jo Kaido roared towards me.

So that's how it is. From the beginning, the government only intended to save three students, not the teachers. If what Jo Kaido said was true, then the principal Sai I always respected was just a coward who put his own interests before his students.

“Is that true, Principal Sai?”

I asked for clarification.

“Ms.Tachibana! If you don't get on the helicopter right now, I'll give your chance to Jo!”

I had barely finished my sentence when, in the middle of the rain, Principal Sai yelled loudly, the sound of helicopter blades was louder than anything else.

The atmosphere suddenly became strangely quiet.

Once again, all eyes were on me. They were all silent, waiting for me to make my decision. Behind me, behind the barriers, Jo's face was more impatient than ever.

You guys… are all just a bunch of commoners.

I answered slowly.

“So be it.”

Everyone stunned when I gave my answer. Hana Tachibana, the class president of class 3A, a haughty girl who only thought about herself, was now willing to turn down a golden opportunity to give it to someone less capable.

“Are you sure about your decision, Hana?”

Without needing to let Principal Sai ask a second time, I resolutely gave my final answer.

“I'm sure.”

Principal Sai shook his head, and Jo breathed a sigh of relief.

“Let him pass!”

Principal Sai ordered the soldier. He received the request, nodded in confirmation, then grabbed my hand and led me away. I confidently looked straight ahead. Thank goodness I didn't make the wrong decision.

I was led back inside, behind the iron bars. At the threshold, Jo was escorted out, he thanked me softly.

“I can't understand smart people like you and Murasaki, I hope you feel right with your decision.”

"You too."

I looked at Jo with a sarcastic look. He was surprised at my calm expression.

As Jo boarded the helicopter, the other students who remained behind cursed him.

“Traitor!”

“We shouldn't have trusted you!”

“You are just like that selfish principal!”

Jo didn't look back, he just shrugged. Their solidarity from earlier had disappeared in an instant. That was human nature. In the end, only oneself was the most important.

The soldiers retreated into the helicopter. Just as they were about to leave, the students immediately broke through the barrier and rushed out.

But it was too late, the helicopter had already taken off. Leaving the students chasing below.

Standing in front of me was Miyu, she looked at me, smiling gently.

The engine noise grew louder and louder, becoming more and more intense. I turned my head to look at the other end of the rooftop. The rioters were still not giving up. They were racing to grab a hold of the helicopter's lower strut, not letting it fly away.

They pushed each other, trying to climb up there, but the helicopter's pull was stronger and it pulled a few students on the front lines off the rooftop, falling below where the zombies were waiting.

Amidst the chaos, a hand reached out and grabbed my wrist, pulling me in the opposite direction.

“Miyu? What are you doing?”

I turned to look at the face of the person pulling me away, but instead of Miyu, it was another familiar face that wasn't too hard for me to recognize.

“Katashi! What are you doing?”

“You have to leave now! This place is not safe anymore!”

Katashi quickly pulled me down to the fourth floor. I lost sight of Miyu in the crowd again.

On the way down, a stream of people ran up, even more crowded than last night. Everyone's face was blank as if they were about to die.

He pushed me into the warehouse, then quickly jumped in after me, then grabbed a nearby broom to block the door.

I was thrown to the ground by him, my butt was sore.

Katashi pulled out the Katana on his back and focused his gaze on the door.

I only heard the sound of people rushing outside.

“Katashi! What the hell is going on?”

He didn't look at me, still focused on the door as he answered.

“The glass door on the first floor just broke, the zombies are pouring in, the people downstairs are all rushing up here, it's not safe up here!”

I wasn’t surprised by what was happening. When Miyu and I had walked through the hallways of this floor a while ago, we had heard people talking about the broken glass, and it wasn’t strange to me. What was going to happen, was going to happen. It was just that everything had happened so quickly, so suddenly, that I didn’t have time to prepare.

"But hey…"

I asked Katashi, there was still one thing that bothered me.

“Isn't that katana an antique displayed in the principal's office? How did you get it?”

“…” – Katashi did not answer.

“Well, he probably won't come back here to ask for that sword back anyways.”

I turned my head in surprise, from the darkness of the warehouse, a figure approached us.

Through the light coming in through the cracks in the door, I saw the snow white skin, tall, slim figure of a female student, along with silky black hair.

The light from her eyes stood out in the darkness. Creating a mysterious and captivating feeling.

That arrogant tone, could only be…

“I'm Rin Murasaki, do you mind if I join?”

-FLOWER OF THE DEAD- EPISODE 1-END