Tokyoites don't have martial virtue

"Shouting so loudly in public...it's so embarrassing."

Throughout, Kyushu Makoto calmly observed them, like an elder looking at a younger generation with kindness, or like watching his friends with satisfaction.

"Youth is wonderful," he thought to himself.

137. Like shooting stars that brush past each other, they fly off toward their own separate paths in life.

The summer sun shone brightly, cicadas chirped incessantly, and high school students cheered with a sense of relief.

"Phew~ The damn exam is over! I, Suzuki-sama, have succeeded!"

After handing in his last exam, Yuji Suzuki jumped up from his chair with a shout that sounded like someone who had finally been constipated for years.

The other students also breathed a sigh of relief and began chatting in small groups, filling the classroom with a cheerful and relaxed atmosphere.

Kyushu Makoto approached Suzuki Yuujin's desk and asked, "You seem so happy, you must have done well on the exam, right?"

"Of course! I underwent two whole days of hellish training!" Suzuki Yuujin clenched his fists and said smugly.

"I'm absolutely certain I'll pass this exam; I can't possibly pass!"

"You've only been reviewing for two days, what's there to be proud of?" Tang Zegui stepped forward and jokingly mocked.

"Don't you understand how I've been these past two days?" Suzuki Yuji retorted, unconvinced. "You guys have been taking turns pressuring me, I haven't even had time to catch my breath!"

"Isn't this just your own fault? If you had studied even a little bit every day, you wouldn't have been in so much pain before the exam!" Tang Zegui immediately retorted, showing a knack for lecturing his friend.

Kyushu Makoto then looked at Takatsuki Genji and asked, "How did you do on the exam?"

"Oh, you'll pass." Genji Takatsuki nodded slightly and replied calmly.

After the exam, it was time for a class meeting. The homeroom teacher, Ms. Jiang Niao, walked into the classroom and began to talk about some routine notices and precautions for the summer vacation.

"Tomorrow is summer vacation. Please remember to balance work and rest, and be careful. Those of you participating in individual or club competitions this summer, good luck! I look forward to seeing you all again in the fall!" Teacher Jiangniao smiled warmly at her lovely students, her voice pleasant and melodious.

"If you encounter any difficulties during the summer vacation, you can ask your teachers for help, and your teachers will do their best to assist you!"

"Ms. Etori, please come with me to the summer festival!"

"Mr. Jiangniao, can I go on a date with you?"

Perhaps because they were too excited after the exam, two male students immediately stood up and started to jeer, which made the whole class burst into laughter.

"Please don't make such jokes~" Teacher Jiangniao's voice was still gentle, but it carried an irresistible sense of distance: "Anyway, I wish everyone a pleasant summer vacation, let's adjourn the meeting here."

After the class meeting, it was time for a big class cleaning, and Kyushu Makoto was assigned to take out the trash.

Kyushu Makoto was carrying a garbage bag full of beverage bottles and waste paper out of the classroom when he bumped into Edogori-sensei, who was carrying a stack of test papers.

"Kyushu, have a great summer vacation! If you have any questions, please contact your teacher." Teacher Jiang Niao gently pursed her lips, her pretty face slightly flushed, and smiled tenderly.

"By the way, Kyushu-kun, would you like to come visit me at my house during summer vacation? I've been learning to cook lately, so if you don't mind, please come and try my cooking~"

Of all the students in Class 2-2, Kyushu Makoto was the poorest. He lived in a cramped rented room, worked illegally every day, and was very frugal, wishing he could tear a Fukuzawa Yukichi into two pieces.

The thought that this student who had helped her resolve her lifelong regrets would have to endure such a difficult summer vacation caused Ms. Jiang Niao a pang of heartache. She felt that she should help him as much as possible, and ideally, she should bring him to live in her home during the summer vacation and temporarily treat him as her adopted son.

"Thank you for your kindness, Professor Jiangniao." Sensing his teacher's good intentions, Kyushu Makoto nodded in thanks.

"This summer vacation will probably be very busy, but I will make time to come and try the teacher's cooking."

Kyushu Makoto's words were not just polite talk; his vacation schedule was already packed with activities.

He's doing a lot of exorcisms with Miss Qinggong, going to the beach and summer festival with his classmates, and his passport, which he applied for half a month ago, is almost ready.

Citizens of Wano Country don't need to apply for a separate visa for short-term travel to Yanhuang, which saves Kyushu Makoto a lot of trouble. Once his passport is issued, he plans to go back to his hometown for a visit.

"I see~" Ms. Jiangiao said with a hint of regret, but still smiled and said, "Then see you in the fall, Kyushu-kun. And, I hope you can continue to supervise me in becoming an excellent teacher~"

After leaving the school, Makoto Kyushu rushed to the hospital where Suzumiya Momiji was.

As luck would have it, Suzumiya Kame texted me saying she was being discharged from the hospital today, and that she had already packed her bags and bought her train ticket to Kyoto that afternoon.

According to her, she originally planned to go to Kyoto in early June, where she had already rented an apartment, and she also planned to return the rental apartment in Tokyo at the end of May. So as soon as she was discharged from the hospital, she and her mother were going to Kyoto immediately.

Kyushu Makoto ran into the ward, panting, and saw that Ryoumi Kasumi had changed into a casual dress and was going through the discharge procedures. Her mother was sitting beside her, carrying several large packages, waiting for her.

"Oh dear, why is Harukawa covered in sweat from running?" Suzumiya Momiji's complexion had already returned to its usual rosy hue, but she was still a little stiff when she moved around, probably because she was afraid that her wound would tear open and relapse.

"I was just worried that if I arrived late I wouldn't get to see Momiji-nee, wasn't I?" Kyushu Makoto took out a tissue to wipe the sweat from his forehead and exhaled.

"Leaving Tokyo right after being discharged from the hospital? Isn't that a bit too hasty?"

"Well, what can I do? I've already paid the rent~" Suzumiya Momiji sighed and laughed.

After completing the formalities, Suzumiya Kame hailed a taxi to Shinjuku Station, and Kyushu Makoto also got in, bidding her farewell for her last days in Tokyo.

Perhaps because Hoshino's mother was also in the car, the two only chatted briefly about everyday topics, such as their future plans.

"Hmm, I'm planning to apply to a culinary school or a horticulture school." Suzumiya Momiji tilted her chin, thinking, "I hope I have a talent for it~"

"Then I wish you success," Kyushu Seihei said approvingly.

"And you, Harukawa?" Suzumiya Kame asked. "You should be on summer vacation by now, right? Any plans?"

"Actually, I recently found a new part-time job at a nationally certified, legitimate company with good pay." Kyushu Makoto thought for a moment; this was the only good news he could share with her.

“I have resigned from the hostess bar and will not work there anymore. In other words, I have escaped Kamurocho.”

"Eh~" Suzumiya Momiji extended her long, slender fingers with distinct knuckles, lightly covering her lips, a hint of joy in her eyes: "That's great, this way we can consider our promise fulfilled together~"

“Yes, we all escaped.” Kyushu Makoto nodded and smiled happily.

The taxi arrived at the bustling station, and Kyushu Makoto drove the two of them all the way to the ticket gate.

"I wish you all the best in Kyoto, and remember to keep in touch." Makoto Kyushu offered his farewell wishes.

"You too, Harukawa!" Suzumiya Momiji picked up her suitcase and smiled. "I hope you get into university smoothly too!"

For ordinary friends, a simple goodbye would suffice. But Kyushu Makoto had something important to confirm, so he couldn't just turn and leave.

"Oh, right, Momiji-nee." Kyushu Makoto put his hands in his pockets to avoid being teased again for talking to a girl with his fists clenched.

"What was your response regarding that night? Even if you go to Kyoto, you can still maintain a long-distance relationship, right?"

Since there's no escaping this matter anyway, running away will only make my conscience uneasy and my moral compass crumble. It's better to clarify the relationship swiftly and decisively.

"Sigh." Upon hearing this, Suzumiya Momiji gave a slight wry smile and turned to her mother, instructing, "Mom, go to the waiting room and wait for me."

"Then don't be late, Momiji." Hoshino's mother was quite sensible, giving her a word of advice before carrying her bag and walking alone into the ticket gate.

With Hoshino's mother no longer an obstacle, the invisible barrier between the two finally disappeared.

"Momoko-nee, what is your answer?" Kyushu Makoto looked at her nervously and asked again.

"Little Harukawa." Suzumiya Momiji put her hands behind her back and turned her face to the side at a 45-degree angle.

"what happened?"

Just as Kyushu Makoto was about to ask a question, Suzumiya Momiji reached out and gently hugged his head.

Immediately afterwards, Kyushu Makoto's lips were met with a warm and soft touch, like a gentle breeze blowing through the clouds, carrying the faint fragrance of maple leaves.

Unlike that night when he was forced to kiss her to save someone, this time, Kyushu honestly and truly felt the girl's lips, and felt the exquisite and wonderful feeling of being gently kissed by her, a moment so thrilling that it was indescribable in any words.

"Mmm~" Suzumiya Momiji released her lips with lingering pleasure and slightly opened her eyes.

"Consider this kiss my way of returning to you, Harukawa~" Suzumiya Kame released her arms, put her hands behind her back, and a blush appeared on her smiling face:

"That settles our differences. Don't worry about whether or not you want to be my boyfriend anymore!"

"Ahem...you..." Kyushu Makoto's eyes widened, and he took two steps back in astonishment, momentarily speechless.

"What's meaningless about 'clearing the books'?"

“Listen, Harukawa,” Suzumiya Kame said earnestly.

"You'll grow up to be a very successful man, maybe even marry a rich heiress and become an incredibly important person. So, I'm rejecting your confession."

"A rejection?" Kyushu Makoto was a little frustrated, but he also secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"But I'll always remember Harukawa as my good friend~" Suzumiya Kame stepped forward again and patted Kyushu Makoto's head reassuringly:

"They saved me time and time again without asking for anything in return, giving me a ray of light when I was hopeless and making me believe that I still have a reason to live in this world. I will feel honored to have such a good friend for the rest of my life!"

“I’m also very happy to have you as a friend.” Kyushu Makoto sighed softly and smiled with satisfaction.

"Speaking of my time in the hospital, I've been reading to pass the time, and there's a sentence I particularly like," Suzumiya Momiji said after a moment's thought.

"We are two different shooting stars, meeting briefly before rushing off into our own universes. But only by moving forward can we find our own starry sky. And as long as we keep moving forward, we will meet again someday."

"We met in the bottomless pit of Kamurocho, and now we've both escaped. So it's time for us to part ways and go find our own lives, right?"

Suzumiya Kasumi took out a small, maple leaf-shaped glass bottle from her pocket. Inside was a pale yellow liquid, like maple syrup.

"This is the maple leaf scented perfume I've been using lately, but it's just a cheap brand. You like the scent, don't you?" She shoved the perfume bottle into Kyushu Makoto's hand.

"I'm giving it to you as a keepsake."

"Oh, thank you..." Kyushu Makoto hesitated for a moment before accepting the perfume.

"This is bad, the train is about to depart!" Suzumiya Momiji glanced at her watch and said urgently:

"I'll be going now, I'll contact you later!"

She grabbed her backpack and ran quickly toward the ticket gate.