Our Courage, Chapter Three (part c)

The next morning, while Takeru was brushing his teeth, Yuuri ran up with a strange expression.
“Jogging? You’ve got a good pace going,” Takeru said lightly, but her pale face was serious.
“Where’s Yamato?”
“Oh, he’s gone to get food, since he’s the leader now.”
As soon as she heard this, Yuuri started rummaging through Yamato’s bag.
“What? What are you doing?”
“My gun’s gone.”
“Huh?”
“Someone stole it early this morning.”
“You don’t think Yamato took it?”
“Then who did?”
“I don’t know but, you do have enemies all around you. It wouldn’t be strange if any one of them stole it.”
“You’re saying he’s not one of them?”
Takeru shrugged in response to Yuuri’s glare.
“...Maybe.”
Hearing that, Yuuri gave up and stood. A sarcastic smile came to her lips.
“Have you heard, we should congratulate Yamato?”
“Why?”
“He and Kiichi are planning to run away, just the two of them.”
Takeru went pale.
*
Several hundred children were gathered on the plaza. They’d come to get the food supplies.
“We were told to only give food to the leaders,” a guard said, looking around.
Makoto smirked back. “We all are the leaders.”
At this signal, all of the children glared at the guard at once.
“You said to get into groups, but all of us are by ourselves.”
Watching the guard panic, Makoto began to laugh shrilly.
*
Somehow, Yamato managed to secure five portions of food, and was returning exhausted to the tent when a figure planted itself in front of him. It was Yuuri.
“Mori didn’t come either so I got some for the two of you,” Yamato said, holding out the supplies. Yuuri brushed his hand aside.
“What?”
Yuuri glared at him without blinking. “Give me the gun back.”
“Huh?”
“Don’t play dumb.”
“I’m not-”
Before he could finish answering, Yuuri was holding a knife at his throat. A voice came from behind them.
“So, your gun is gone?” It was Makoto. He spread his hands and shook his head. “Don’t get me wrong, I don’t know anything about it.”
Yuuri glared at him. She closed the knife and started to walk away. Makoto called to her in a hateful tone, “Be careful. Without your gun, everyone is your enemy.”
As he spoke, he made a pistol out of his finger and aimed it between her shoulders.
“Bang!”
She kept walking. Watching her back, Yamato saw an indescribably solitary figure
*
Takeru sat alone in the field before their tent.
Today also it was sunny. The breeze off the ocean felt good and brought a faint smell of the tide. The buildings on the opposite shore sparkled.
Kiichi was really making a raft... and that wasn’t all. Kiichi was so involved in making the raft that Yamato had to bring him food...
Takeru remembered the scene from a short while ago, when he had stealthily peeked into the gym.
Those two, they were seriously planning to escape.
Yamato came back.
“Sorry, I’m late.”
With a start, Takeru switched back to his humorous face.
“Seriously, I’m starving. Canned food again? I don’t suppose we could get some sushi or stir-fry.”
Yamato laughed awkwardly.
“Well, can’t ask for luxury. Let’s eat!”
“...Takeru.”
“Yeah?”
“Did you hear?” Yamato asked, and Takeru responded vaguely, “what?”
“Yuuri’s gun got stolen.”
“Oh right, I heard, I heard.”
“I see.”
After a brief pause, Takeru said with an unusually serious tone, “Is that all?”
“Huh?”
“Ah, nothing, never mind,” Takeru weakly shook his head while stuffing his mouth.
“I wonder if Yuuri will be all right,” Yamato muttered.
“Maybe it’ll turn out that it’s better to be alone.”
Into Yamato’s head arose the image of Yuuri’s solitary figure, and no matter what it couldn’t be erased.