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

"Kuriyama-kun, would you like to have lunch together?" Yukinoshita Haruno asked with a smile.

“Okay.” He climbed up the pole right away.

"Let's go then." Yukinoshita Haruno turned around and continued walking forward, while smiling at Uesugi Genshin beside her.

Uesugi Genshin sighed inwardly and followed her. Kuriyama quickly ran a few steps and sat on the other side of Yukinoshita Haruno.

They were supposed to be chatting, but they've already gone into the dine-in area.

This area is similar to an urban village, and it's quite far from the residential area where I initially parked.

It is rare to find large tracts of farmland in a crowded city, but such places are few and far between, and there are only a handful in the surrounding wards of Chiba City.

On his way, he saw that crops had already been planted in the fields, which must be under special management. After all, it was a base for thousands of people. If the reproduction of food could not be guaranteed, they would probably starve to death by scavenging alone.

While accompanying Yukino Yukinoshita to get lunch, Uesugi Genshin asked, "What's the deal with that person?"

"His father brought a group of over 700 survivors to join him."

"I see." Uesugi Genshin nodded; it certainly had influence. "Is it troublesome?"

"A minor problem."

"So what constitutes a big problem?"

"Food? Safety?" Yukinoshita Haruno tapped her lips with her finger, speaking casually.

After saying that, she sighed, "Even though I'm keeping my distance from him, he's still so persistent. It's so annoying!"

Uesugi Genshin thought that her aloofness was just her way of being reserved. He felt that if he tried harder, he would definitely have a chance, since he thought his father was one of the important managers of this base.

Therefore, the marriage of the children of both parties should be the right and proper thing to do.

This is also a kind of marriage alliance.

Do you dislike persistent men?

Yukinoshita glanced at Genshin Uesugi, then handed him the item in her hand, saying, "At least you don't dislike it."

Chapter 201: Unrivaled Elite

"That guy is just vindictive, has a bad temper, is petty, and arrogant... but that doesn't seem to be anything else."

“I’m vengeful too,” she muttered under her breath, as Uesugi Genshin raised his hand to remind her, “Manners, manners, Miss Haruno.”

Shouldn't general slander be accompanied by excessive praise?

Well, this isn't slander, but for Yukino Yukinoshita to express her disgust for someone so directly in front of him, that guy named Kuriyama is quite something.

"Ok?"

“You’ve been working hard too.”

"Originally, I planned to refuse him directly, since his father had basically been sidelined and he couldn't cause any trouble on his own."

"Hmm... then is my appearance a bit out of place?"

If he were to directly refuse her in this situation, it would be tantamount to implying that she liked him and that's why she was rejecting him. Kuriyama would definitely think that way and then get angry and embarrassed.

She gave him a look that said, "So you know that too," and then led him back to the dining table.

That's when Uesugi Genshin realized that what he had in his hand was his lunch, which turned out to be the Self-Defense Forces' Type II individual combat rations, along with a self-heating pack.

Type 1 is canned, and Type 2 is plastic packaging with a self-heating pack.

This small canteen was originally a restaurant run by locals, providing dine-in services for people in the neighborhood.

It gets very lively around mealtimes, and in the evenings there's even the sound of clinking glasses.

Now it's much quieter; there are plenty of seats, but with them, there are only three tables.

The other two tables were seated further apart, and their quiet conversations couldn't be heard from here.

"Is there hardly anyone eating here?" Uesugi Genshin asked.

"Because we give them food every day." Before Yukinoshita Haruno could speak, Kuriyama answered first, his tone not very friendly.

“People who work usually eat at their workplace; nobody would specifically come here. Those who live at home also don’t eat here; they eat with their families,” Yukinoshita Haruno explained with a smile.

"I see." Uesugi Genshin nodded. "Then what about these rations?"

It seems that the Self-Defense Forces' combat rations are still being distributed as emergency food.

“This is classified,” Kuriyama interrupted abruptly.

“It’s hardly a secret,” Yukino Yukinoshita said softly and casually. “Although the Self-Defense Forces destroyed the weapons, the other things in the warehouse that couldn’t be moved are still there.”

"destroy?"

Why do you ask so many questions during meals?

Ah, this guy, should I beat him up? Hachiman thought to himself, something that had originally interested him, but had been interrupted time and time again.

Yukinoshita and Genshin Uesugi smiled at each other and began to eat quietly.

Generous? Impossible. They both took note.

Fried rice, white rice, and hamburger patties—carbs on carbs and hamburger patties with very salty gravy. Has the Self-Defense Forces' military budget been embezzled?

-----------------

"Are these bean sprouts?" Iroha Isshiki picked up a bean sprout with her chopsticks and examined it closely. "They're quite unusual."

Surprisingly, these were fresh vegetables; canned foods usually don't come with bean sprouts.

"The beans that the cooking club distributed on the second floor of the cafeteria are ready to eat now. Except for some that we'll keep to see if they'll bear fruit, the rest will be eaten." Yukino Yukinoshita, sitting opposite Isshiki, explained to him while eating her food.

"We should be eating bean sprouts for a while now."

"Sigh..." Isshiki Iroha hesitated before speaking softly, "Eating a little bit every day..."

"Ha... well, it's still an important source of vegetables. If you don't like it, then you'll have to be prepared to eat it." Hearing Iroha Isshiki's soft words, Yukino Yukinoshita sighed reproachfully. "Later, we'll have to ask the organization department to gather some people to help plant the sprouted bean sprouts on campus."

The park next door is all greenery, so it would be a shame to remove it, but it's not usable if we don't. We'll need to replan it later.

"That's so unfair! In the end, you still have to eat it, right? I'll eat it." Iroha Isshiki just wanted to complain. "Speaking of which, senpai didn't come back yesterday."

“There’s absolutely nothing to worry about him, right?” Yukino Yukinoshita chewed softly.

A "clunk" came from the side, the sound of chopsticks poking the plate, a sound of resentment from Hayasaka Ai.

"Hayasaka-senpai, you seem to miss her a lot." Iroha Isshiki chuckled, covering her mouth.

"Not at all." She completes all the tasks assigned to her without any complaints, as long as they are within her job responsibilities.

But why is her workload getting heavier and heavier? How come most of the work in the executive department has fallen on her shoulders?

She was involved in every aspect, from training and planning to execution and follow-up, essentially overseeing the entire process.

No way! She's going to protest! She's going to appeal! When he gets back, she'll tell him he's only doing his own job and shouldn't dump work on her!

Seeing Hayasaka Ai grip her chopsticks tightly with a resolute expression, Yukino Yukinoshita and Iroha Isshiki said nothing and continued eating.

The chickpea puree was cooked until very soft and tender.

-----------------

“Yono, I’ll be there this afternoon too,” Kuriyama suddenly said at the quiet dining table.

"Really? That's dangerous. Have you discussed it with your father in case something happens?" Yukinoshita asked, seemingly out of concern.

"Dad, they haven't said anything yet, but there won't be any problems," he assured confidently.

"Just in case, it's better to let you know. I don't recommend you go," Yukinoshita Haruno said with a squinting smile.

"Since you've gone, Yang Nai, how can I stay here?" Besides, it's not like everyone involved automatically has priority in allocating weapons if they're found.

"It would be best to say something."

"Since you put it that way, Haruno." Although it was reluctant, he still appeared to be listening to Haruno's advice, his expression seeming to say: I only listened because you said it, are you happy now?

"I've finished eating. My mother needs me to hand in the report from this morning, so I'll take my leave now."

Kuriyama glanced at his half-eaten meal, surprised to find that the other person had already finished it.

Even without Yukinoshita looking in their direction, Uesugi Genshin and Hachiman, who were already mentally prepared, picked up their empty packaging, threw it in the trash can, and followed Yukinoshita out of the cafeteria.

Only Kuriyama remained at the table. He stared blankly at the two who had left, his face darkening.

When we got outside, the midday sun was still very bright, making the ground and the distant fields glow golden.

"So what exactly is it?" Uesugi Genshin continued talking about what he hadn't finished saying earlier.

"Did you know that there's a Self-Defense Force base in Funabashi City?"

"Hmm, the 1st Airborne Regiment, right?"

The Ground Self-Defense Force's only special forces unit, with the motto "Unrivaled Elite," is arguably the only truly capable fighting force within the Ground Self-Defense Force.

It is a brigade-level unit, but it only has 1900 personnel, and even fewer combat personnel.

"Yes, although they cleared out the zombies inside at first, they suffered considerable losses because it was too sudden. Commander Riku, the commander, was killed." Yukino Yukinoshita said, speaking of information she had somehow obtained. "Someone is planning to follow the cabinet's orders to go to Tokyo to protect important personnel."

Although the Prime Minister is nominally the supreme commander, the Cabinet is the highest military decision-making body, and the Ministry of Defense, headed by the Minister of Defense, is primarily responsible for military affairs.

However, apart from the front-line commanders within the troops: the brigade level is the Army General Staff, and above that is the Army Staff Office in the Joint Staff Office, which is the Army Staff Office in the General Staff.

Then comes the Minister of Defense, and the order issued directly by the Cabinet is somewhat irregular.

“Some company commanders suggested going to Gunma Prefecture, where it would be safer to defend the mountains and wait to rejoin the troops. However, members of other companies revealed that he was actually from Gunma and wanted to go back to his hometown to defend his hometown.”

Gunma Prefecture is located in the northern part of the Kanto region. In ancient times, it was called "Ueno". Two-thirds of the area is mountainous and hilly, where agriculture is very prosperous and the livestock industry is also quite good. If you can stay in the mountains, you can live a good life.

However, it seems unlikely that anyone would believe that he had no ulterior motives. After all, his own superiors were dead, and who knew if friendly forces elsewhere had suffered heavy losses? He probably went there purely to stay and make further plans.

"Most soldiers' families live in the local area, so many of them are considered Chiba locals. However, some of them refuse to listen to anyone and plan to go find their families."

"Isn't this a deserter?" Hachiman asked from behind the two of them.

"I don't think so." Uesugi Genshin thought for a moment. "After all, the command system was completely destroyed, so it would be somewhat illegitimate for him to take orders from anyone."

If there were even one superior, things wouldn't have come to this. People in other companies at the same level all had their own opinions about who to listen to. Since there was no unified opinion or command, it seemed reasonable to prioritize saving family members.

"I don't know what happened after that. Some went to Tokyo, and some went to Gunma. This time, we'll go there to see if we can find anything left."

"What happened with the destruction of those weapons?"

"Ah, that was the cabinet's initial instruction to prevent weapons from falling into the hands of mobs and causing greater social unrest; the order was to destroy any weapons that could not be taken away on the spot."

Wouldn't they be considered a mob? Uesugi Genshin and Hachiman exchanged a glance, then shrugged helplessly; they clearly shared the same thought.

"But execution depends on the actual situation. Maybe it won't be executed at all, or maybe it's been completely wiped out and there's no way to execute it. This trip there is to confirm that."

Although it was a garrison, it was built in the city. Some residents would run there for protection when they saw that things were not going well. Who knows what happened later?

Perhaps supplies were left behind there, perhaps people remained there, or perhaps there were hordes of zombies inside—no one can say for sure.

Back at the hall, Yukino went inside to change her clothes. When she came out, she was wearing a pair of riding breeches and a jacket that were easy to move in. However, the riding breeches were a bit tight, and the size of her buttocks was clearly visible.

"Where are you looking?" she asked jokingly, her left hand on her hip and her right index finger raised as a reminder.

"No, are you sure you want to wear this?"

"What's the problem? The pants are sturdy, and the jacket is fine too."

Originally, riding breeches were designed to prevent chafing on the thighs while riding horses, and the thick fabric they used did indeed provide protection that was difficult for zombies to scratch.

"You can ride a horse?" Uesugi Genshin asked curiously, his hands in his pockets.

"I really like it." Instead of answering "yes," Yukino Yukinoshita gave a big, luxurious smile, showing that she had a deep love for horseback riding.

"Let's go." With that, she walked forward, leading them to the next place.

“Speaking of which, I haven’t met your father yet.” Uesugi Genshin turned around and looked at the guild hall.

“Father is busy, and Mother is busy too.” Yukinoshita Haruno added a respectful title after her mother’s name. “It would be best if you two didn’t meet right now.”

She smiled and said, "She originally wanted to meet Yukino first, but luckily I've been too busy to go to Soubu High School."

"agreed?"

"Perhaps." Yukinoshita Haruno gave an ambiguous answer with a light laugh. "Maybe she wants to see Yukino's own resolve before making any plans. So, how's Yukino-chan doing?"