A youth story of a passerby at the end of the world

"Yes, I want it!" She nodded quickly, leaving the door open as if she were going back to get something.

The door was left open for her. Uesugi Genshin walked back to the living room and asked, "Where's Isshiki?"

"Her? She went to Yukinoshita's place." Miura Yumiko took off her shoes unhurriedly.

"Haha, Iroha-chan said she still has some unfinished work to do and needs to go help out over there." Yui Yuigahama bent over, causing her round breasts to sag through her wool pajamas.

A ball is still a ball even when it hangs down — From, Uesugi Genshin

"They'll probably come over here later," he said casually, scratching the back of his hair as he began to move the unsuitable low table aside.

"Are you going to draw?" Yui Yuigahama asked curiously.

“It was over before it even started,” Uesugi Genshin replied.

"That's an exaggeration," Yui Yuigahama said with a forced smile.

“You’re here.” Miura Yumiko walked into the living room and saw Kasumigaoka Utaha sipping water from her glass.

"Hmm." Kasumigaoka Utaha, having calmed down, nodded in greeting, out of politeness.

Yui Yuigahama continued, "Don't worry about us, I also want to see what you drew today."

Although he was pleased to hear her say that, he didn't think Yuihama would keep watching. She was just saying it out of curiosity. He knew very well that people these days didn't have that kind of patience.

"Excuse me~" came the charming voice of Feng Bin and Xiang from the doorway.

"Wow~~~, it looks so good." Yui Yuigahama clenched her fists in front of her chest and exclaimed in admiration.

At this moment, Toyohama Kazuka was wearing a gorgeous idol outfit, the same one she wore before, with a black lace mini-skirt and long legs in stockings that were very eye-catching.

"Hey~, that's pretty good." Miura Yumiko chimed in, not wanting to lie about such things, and frankly stating her inner thoughts.

“Hehe…” Feng Bin and Xiang spun around in a show of bravado, letting the others see her.

However, Uesugi Genshin simply raised an eyebrow and said calmly, "Isn't this the same one as before?"

"What~" Seeing his nonchalant expression, Toyohama Kazuka felt a pang of annoyance. She had finally decided to wear this for him.

"But it looks great, um, as always." She's already a dazzling idol, and her clothes are quite revealing, exposing her skin with a youthful pink hue.

Upon hearing Uesugi Genshin's words, Toyohama Kazuka's expression immediately changed, and she laughed, "Hmph~, you don't need to tell me."

In front of Uesugi Genshin, Toyohama Kazuka behaved like a child, expecting praise and wanting to act spoiled, even though she was a rebellious daughter in front of her mother.

"The concert is tomorrow," she said, blushing.

Ah, tomorrow is Sunday.

Uesugi Genshin suddenly realized.

"This outfit is for tomorrow." Since it's readily available, I can wear it without having to think about it the first time.

"Oh."

"We've included all the concert details in the report, how about that?"

"..." He hasn't seen the report or anything yet.

Before Uesugi Genshin could answer, she continued, "Please look forward to tomorrow's performance."

Aside from their obscure and uninspired pop songs, in addition to their own signature works, they also rehearsed several old songs from the last century.

They felt that such a cover song wouldn't cause much negative discussion, and it used a modern singing style, which was different from the style of the older generation of aunties.

You need to be a little more composed for your first performance.

“...I’m going out tomorrow,” Uesugi Genshin said, glancing at Yui Yuigahama. It was a pre-arranged agreement.

"Eh!!!"

On the contrary, when Toyohama Kazuka heard this, her disappointment was obvious, and she really started to act cute.

Chapter 157: The People of the Snow Country

Disappointed, extremely disappointed. This was someone's first time seeing her perform.

I look forward to perfectly showcasing another side of myself and proving that I'm not much worse than my sister.

"Why?" Fengbin and Xiang asked anxiously.

"Ah, didn't I tell you? Yuihama and I have to go out for a bit." Uesugi Genshin looked up at the girl and comforted her, it was rare for her to say something that made him look forward to it, but it turned out that he really didn't have any time.

"Ugh~" She cried, kneeling on the carpet, grabbing Uesugi Genshin's arm and shaking it. "Let's go see, please, let's go see. We can always find the time, maybe next time..."

After shaking it around, I felt all the muscles in my body jiggle.

"I have important business to attend to." Uesugi Genshin closed his eyes and refused to budge.

Yumiko Miura couldn't help but look at Yui. Sure enough, something had happened. She had guessed it before, it was probably... but now it seemed that leaving it to this girl was fine. She smiled gently.

"Hmm..." After a moment of silence, Toyohama Kazuka turned to look at Yuigahama Yui, who wore a wry smile. "Since..."

"Then let's take a look," Yui Yuigahama said with a smile.

"Really?" Toyohama Kazuka's expression brightened as she didn't expect things to take such a turn for the better.

"Are you serious?" Uesugi Genshin asked incredulously.

"Eh~" Toyohama Kazuka said angrily towards Uesugi Genshin.

Toyohama was unaware of the facts, so Uesugi Genshin didn't care much, but Yuihama herself...

"It's rare for you to invite me like this, isn't it?" Yui Yuigahama said with a gentle smile.

In Uesugi Genshin's view, it was fake, or rather, forced, but this forcedness seemed to be somewhat different.

“That’s right.” Toyohama Kazuka nodded in agreement, tightening her grip on Uesugi Genshin’s forearm, her body language seemingly saying, “See? He agrees.”

"Are you serious?" Ignoring her, Uesugi Genshin frowned and asked again. This is your mother, after all...

"Um... it's okay to wait a little while." Yui Yuigahama's eyes darted away, and her face showed a hint of fear.

“...You.” Uesugi Genshin stared intently into her eyes, trying to discern something hidden deep within them.

His furrowed brow relaxed, Uesugi Genshin pulled away from Toyohama's hand, placed his palms on the carpet, and stood up, walking towards Yuihama.

As they drew closer, their breathing became clear, and their delicate faces, noses, lips, and even the fine hairs on their faces became clearly visible.

His eyes seemed to understand. "You could be...?"

"..." Yui Yuigahama blinked, looking to the side with some fear.

"Ah..." With a sigh, Uesugi Genshin finally understood.

Yuihama doesn't not want to go back, but she's afraid to go back. She and her mother must have a very good relationship; they're a model mother and daughter.

That's why I'm so worried now, worried that something has happened over there. We've been out of contact for over a week, and anything can happen in that time.

It's like a child who doesn't want to know their grades at the end of the semester, but instead hides their report card. If they find out their grades before the Lunar New Year, they won't be able to enjoy the holiday.

If you do nothing, nothing will change.

This is also a way of escaping, and it's very effective.

Covering Yui's hair, ruffling the little dumpling, Uesugi Genshin turned to Toyohama, wanting to say, "I..."

"We're all really looking forward to your performance, Xiaohe and the others." Yui Yuigahama said first, grabbing Genshin's arm.

"...Toyohama, good luck tomorrow." Uesugi Genshin tacitly agreed this time; Schrödinger's cat...

"That's good." Yui Yuigahama wrapped her arms around his and said in a comforting tone.

Holding the blue teacup to her nose, Kasumigaoka Utaha stared at the girl who had pressed herself against her, lost in thought.

“Hey~” Feng Bin and Xiang laughed confidently, resting their hands on their chests. “I’m an idol after all, and I’ve been on stage countless times.”

In addition, they regularly perform commercial and charity shows, demonstrating that they are already highly skilled in their profession.

"It's good that you're confident." Uesugi Genshin scratched his cheek. This was indeed his first time attending a concert, so he was looking forward to it.

This time, the door wasn't knocked on; instead, it was opened directly with a key, and a small head peeked out.

"Ah, Rumi-chan." Yui Yuigahama's arms suddenly loosened, her feet clattering lightly on the carpet. She took a few steps forward and hugged the girl who had just entered.

Uesugi Genshin shook his head as he watched Yukinoshita walk in gracefully, her demeanor dignified. Isshiki, on the other hand, was much more lively. Trailing behind was Hayasaka Ai, who was wearing a white women's shirt and black shorts, her snow-white legs exposed.

"Here you go." Hayasaka Ai handed over the items. "Minister, here are the things you wanted."

Uesugi Genshin took it and saw that it was indeed today's business. "Make me a cup of coffee."

"Yes, yes~" She really knows how to boss people around.

I rushed into the kitchen, quickly rummaging through the coffee beans, milk, and sugar. I turned the milk carton upside down and glanced at the expiration date; it was already three days past its expiration date...

Past its expiration date doesn't mean it's spoiled, so it should still be drinkable.

Hayasaka Ai thought that with that guy's physique, he couldn't possibly drink himself to death.

Just as Hayasaka was making coffee, Uesugi Genshin moved back to the small table near the balcony, leaned against the balcony glass, picked up a stack of papers, the thickest one being the performance schedule for tomorrow.

Yukino has already approved it; we can trust her.

I casually flipped through the pages. Hmm, it started at 3:00 and lasted until 3:40. It wasn't long. Considering it was the first time testing the waters, we couldn't be too reckless.

"The school notice has already been posted." Kasumigaoka Utaha walked over and sat down next to Uesugi Genshin, making the surrounding air seem sweeter. She talked about what she had done that afternoon, "The response was good, and we submitted an observation report."

Then, take out a report and place it on top.

"Hmm, I'll conduct another survey after the concert." Uesugi Genshin looked at the ceiling light and pondered.

"Understood," Kasumigaoka Utaha nodded.

"And..." Yukino Yukinoshita also came over to talk about work, "I arranged a holiday for the students at the school. Everyone has been on edge, so this is a good opportunity for them to rest."

"But just in case, I plan to leave people on duty." Especially those guarding the outside.

“No, since we’re taking a break, then everyone should go.” Uesugi Genshin disagreed. “This is a rare first time, so let’s lock all the doors. At most, the executive department can stand guard around the perimeter of the training ground.”

There may be some bad things happening, but they won't be beyond what we can handle, so there's nothing to worry about.

It's only been less than a month since the apocalypse began, so there shouldn't be any rioters attacking. Even if zombies sneak in, after the show, we can have the executive department patrol the area, including the perimeter and warehouses, to check for petty theft. This is a form of entrapment.

"I see." Yukino Yukinoshita thought for a moment. "Okay."

"I also posted the notice about some staff being on leave," Kasumigaoka Utaha added from the side.

“Then I’ll have Isshiki go find Hachiman and the others, and have them notify the people who were originally supposed to be on duty,” Uesugi Genshin said immediately, then called out to the group playing Monopoly, “Isshiki.”

Monopoly was taken by Iroha Isshiki from the board game club. Anyway, nobody wanted it, or rather, nobody could take it, since the clubroom doors were basically all locked.

"Yes~" Isshiki Iroha put down the sieve in her hand, got up and ran over.

After Uesugi Genshin finished explaining, she reluctantly turned back to look at the game that was still in progress.

"I'll watch it for you." Hayasaka Ai came over with a cup of coffee and placed it on the low table.

"Ah, thank you." After thanking her, Isshiki Iroha hurriedly ran out, making the most of every second.

"Thank you." Uesugi Genshin also expressed his gratitude. Hayasaka's movements were very graceful, befitting her former role as a maid in the Shinomiya family.

"You're welcome." Hayasaka Ai didn't even lift her eyelids as she walked over and sat down in the spot where Iroha Isshiki had been sitting, taking her place.

Over there, Yumiko Miura suggested that Hayasaka should join in the next round as well.

Yukino Yukinoshita took out a book she had partially read yesterday from the small bookshelf and continued reading. The book was called "Snow Country".

This is a story about a Tokyo dance artist who leaves his wife and children to travel to a snow country and falls in love with a local geisha, Komako, and Yoko, who sits next to him on the train.

As a literary novel, the love it portrays naturally includes physical desire, and it unsurprisingly ends with a tragic ending.

But how should we evaluate this ethical relationship? It's truly perplexing...

Uesugi Genshin picked up the blue teacup and took a sip of the coffee inside.

It's a bit bitter...

Chapter 158: Flickering Fire

Slowly put down the cup, purse your lips, and prevent your tongue from sticking out because of the bitter taste in your mouth.