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

Hearing her lover say this out of the blue, Mai looked up and stared at him. "What's wrong? Why all of a sudden? If it's your mother, you don't need to care."

"I'm afraid you'll die if you follow me one day." With a soft sigh, Uesugi Genshin led her towards Sobu High School.

"Then you should avenge me." Mai said this as if she didn't care about life or death, her beautiful face full of determination.

“That was my original plan,” Uesugi Genshin said with a light laugh.

"That's perfect." Mai smiled easily and pressed her body closer, allowing someone's arm to fully feel the soft, delicate body they had just experienced.

"Yukinoshita and I have discussed it and plan to officially expand the original guard group and separate it from the organization department. We'll call it the Security Department, and I want you to be its head."

"What about the other candidates?"

“There are no other candidates.” With a helpless wry smile, Uesugi Genshin glanced back at the students at the intersection as he turned the corner. “Everyone is holding multiple positions. Hachiman is also a department head, Hayama is in charge of discipline, and Hiratsuka-sensei is an advisor to multiple departments.”

"Moreover, since it is the area surrounding the Soubu High School, we may come into contact with zombies that have wandered here at any time. The head of the security department needs to be someone with rich combat experience, who is strong, courageous and determined. More importantly, we need to be able to trust him."

The "we" here refers to him, Hachiman, and Yukinoshita.

The most important aspect of absolute loyalty is demanding it of one's own people and maintaining a firm stance, something that other members of the executive department cannot guarantee.

"...I want to fight alongside you." Before she could finish, she sighed, glancing sideways at the ground, her reluctant expression quite endearing. "But since that's what you want."

"Mmm." Her smile seemed a little happy. As they passed the apartment building, Uesugi Genshin stopped, then took her hand and led her upstairs. "Come on, here's your reward."

"Wait. I'm not a little girl who needs to be coaxed, and besides, is that a reward?!"

“...So, for me, yes.” he affirmed.

His hand offered no resistance, but he was met with Mai's meaningful gaze. "Isn't that an obligation?"

"...?"

What happened to the once innocent Mai-san?

Chapter 225: The Man Hanging in the Air

When you look at things from a different perspective or angle, the definition changes, doesn't it?

Going upstairs now is just a joke. I checked my watch, it's 11 o'clock, and it'll be time to leave after I finish eating.

"Let's go eat."

"Ah."

canteen.

I picked up the fried fish with my chopsticks, broke off a piece of fish, and dipped it in the tartar sauce next to it.

As expected, the cutlery from yesterday was specially brought over by Yumiko and Kato. Even when eating English-style fried fish, chopsticks are still used.

Tartar sauce is a supermarket product. If you make it yourself in the kitchen, you won't find any of the necessary seasonings, so this industrially produced sauce still costs money.

Uesugi Genshin had no intention of being stingy with his money, but Mai wanted to save it and didn't want to waste it.

They didn't agree to buy two directly, so it ended up with the two of them sharing one tartar sauce.

The combination of noodles and oil naturally produces a fragrant aroma, and when combined with fresh fish, it's delicious enough without needing anything else.

Ultimately, tartar sauce is just for cutting through the richness of other sauces; it's nice to have it, but not essential, especially since there's a cheaper alternative like ketchup.

"Are we going to eat this for the next few days?" Uesugi Genshin asked, touched, as Mai cut off a third of the fried fish and placed it on his plate.

"If it weren't fried, it would be pretty good." No matter how much oil you control, it will still feel greasy if you eat too much. If it were me in the past, I would consider this junk food and would never eat much of it. It's unhealthy and makes you gain weight easily.

Mai turned her head curiously towards the direction of the cafeteria kitchen. "By the way, aren't you the vice president of the school? Isn't it stupid of you to ask me this question?"

Then she squinted silently, looking at him with an expression as if he were an idiot.

Shrugging, Uesugi Genshin said, "Yesterday, Hayama and the others brought over a smokehouse. It's probably too late for them today."

Because we need to figure out how to use it, and the head of the cooking department is the daughter of an izakaya owner, she doesn't know how to use this thing, and no one else knows how to use it either.

So the meal is the same as yesterday's, mainly because fried fish is very easy to make, with simple ingredients and a simple cooking method.

As expected of a fast food restaurant, its positioning is very suitable for a cafeteria.

“Not that.” Mai pouted, pointing at him with her chopsticks, as if she was being difficult. “I want to eat more vegetables.”

"That's a little difficult, but as for canned fruit..." With Mai's salary at the executive department, she could probably eat it every day without any problem.

"Fruit is fruit, and vegetables are vegetables."

"Hmm, is potato considered a vegetable or a staple food?" Seeing the fried fish, Uesugi Genshin thought of pairing it with fries. Come to think of it, it had been a long time since he had fries. The last time he had them was two months ago when he ate at McDonald's.

"...Can potatoes be considered vegetables?" Mai immediately looked away and put a piece of fish with sauce into her mouth.

"Indeed, the starch content is quite high." If we're being honest, only foods high in fiber can be considered "vegetables," at least that's what Uesugi Genshin has always thought.

"I'm full." Mai put her hands together and said as she ate the last bite of fried fish.

"I'm almost done." He swallowed the fish and the last bit of tartar sauce from his plate in a few bites, and lunch was over.

After setting down their plates and chopsticks, the two left the cafeteria. Uesugi Genshin had just seen Tamaki and the others eating, so they would be leaving soon.

"Let's wait by the car first," Uesugi Genshin said.

“Okay.” Mai had no objections.

This operation will involve two vehicles: his jeep and the truck found in Newport.

They were all parked at the side gate of Zongwu High School. Without any other extra cars, the campus seemed much more spacious, and the teachers' cars had all been moved away.

The vehicles parked here are mostly mobile vehicles, and only a few people at the General Staff High School can drive them.

Although Hayama and Hachiman had learned, they were still beginners; they could start, but they weren't very skilled.

This time, Hayasaka was driving the truck. That all-powerful maid is amazing; she can do everything.

When they reached the side door, Uesugi Genshin realized there was no one there. "Was it too early after all?"

"Then let's wait a little while," Mai said, not in a hurry, as she advised her lover.

"Hmm, would you like to come up to the roof?" With that, Uesugi Genshin climbed onto the roof, sat comfortably, and extended a hand in invitation.

"Okay." After Mai went upstairs, she looked at the person who was already lying down with amusement. "You didn't fall asleep, did you?"

"If the wind and sun are comfortable enough..."

A large, thick white cloud blocked our view overhead, and the sun was nowhere to be seen in the sky, probably because it was obscured.

If you look closely, there are quite a few clouds in the sky, layer upon layer, as if...

"Is it going to rain?" Uesugi Genshin thought to himself, "This is troublesome," but then he thought, "Maybe not."

"It hasn't rained for over a month. The last time it rained was probably the first spring rain in early April. But there might even be a typhoon at the end of May." Mai didn't choose to lie down next to him because she knew that if she did, the person next to her might get handsy, and it would be very embarrassing if someone came and saw it.

It's fine to hold hands like this now, with his large hand covering my hand on the roof of the car.

"Typhoon? Typhoons are supposed to happen in June, it's still a long way off."

Typhoons in Japan occur from June to October, with September being the peak season. This is a unique characteristic of the coastal region and something you absolutely must experience.

Even high-latitude regions like Hokkaido were not spared. In Uesugi Genshin's memory, during his time in Kitami, the area was also affected by typhoons several times.

“In the past, I would have thought that typhoons were a good thing because I didn’t have to go to school. I could stay at home, listen to the rain, and sit on the sofa by the fireplace, which was very pleasant.”

"Do you have a fireplace at home?" Mai asked curiously, having rarely heard him talk about his hometown.

"No."

Upon hearing this, Mai rolled her eyes without any attempt to hide it.

“After all, it’s a tatami room, so there’s no way to install a fireplace. If we’re not careful, the house could burn down.” Most detached houses in Japan are made of wood. Genshin Uesugi chuckled. “I was thinking how great it would be if we had one. That’s what I was thinking at the time. The room was so damp and uncomfortable, and I couldn’t sleep at all, tossing and turning in bed.”

"Aren't you going to turn on the air conditioner?" If you use dehumidifier, there won't be as much moisture in the room.

"My family is energy-saving, and my parents both think that it's bad for children's health to be exposed to air conditioning for too long."

"Hehe, that's what my mother used to say too." Mai chuckled, her lips curving into an alluring smile as she drifted into memories.

"Ah..." Suddenly, Uesugi Genshin's expression turned serious. "Even if it's not a typhoon, if it's going to rain, we need to be careful to keep the stored flour dry."

Let's talk about it again when I get back in the evening.

There are no weather forecasts anymore, and there are no accurate predictions of when typhoons will arrive. This kind of work needs to be done in advance.

The two then waited quietly for time to pass. Mai also looked up at the clouds in the sky, realizing that a clear sky wasn't the only sign of good weather.

It's not bad like this now. The temperature isn't too high at noon, and if you wear just a couple of layers, the breeze feels very refreshing and cool.

"are you asleep?"

Hayasaka Ai's taciturn voice came from under the car, her tone flat and without any inflection.

“I wasn’t asleep.” Sitting up, Uesugi Genshin looked at the other person. “You drive the truck and follow me.”

"I understand," Hayasaka Ai nodded, accepting the task assigned by her superior.

"Mai, you can stay with Hayasaka." This meant that she should sit in the passenger seat of the truck.

"no problem."

After waiting for a while, people gradually arrived. Hayama Hayato was among the first to arrive, as he had a strong sense of being early. The others, on the other hand, arrived precisely on time, neither late nor early.

"Is everyone here?" Sitting on the roof of the car, Uesugi Genshin asked Hayama. This was his team, and he was responsible for counting the number of people.

"Yes, everyone is here," Ye Shan said with a smile. "I've already read the proposal you gave me."

In fact, it was Uesugi Genshin who asked Hayasaka to deliver it, but the plan was also revised from the first draft written by her, and the revision work was also done by her.

What a capable subordinate! Uesugi Genshin was moved for the umpteenth time, and he felt that he could no longer live without Hayasaka.

There's no going back to the days without Hayasaka Ai; this secretary is really useful.

“You and I will ride in the same car,” Uesugi Genshin said to Hayama.

"Okay, shall we go?" Hayato Hayama asked to confirm, indicating that there were no problems.

"Okay, let's go." After saying that, Uesugi Genshin got out of the car, and then stretched out his arm as if to catch Mai.

Hayato Hayama turned to his companions and shouted, "Let's go!"

"Oh!!!" Everyone responded enthusiastically.

Hayama and his direct staff got into the Wrangler, while the others sat obediently in the back of the truck.

Because the back of the truck is for loading cargo and is a completely enclosed structure, they had previously used a chainsaw to make several openings in the back and sides to facilitate ventilation, observation, and receiving instructions from the driver's seat.

"It's been modified to be very sturdy," Hayama Hayato said, sitting in the passenger seat, praising the steel plates embedded around the Jeep.

"Yes, thanks to Yang Nai."

"It's that person." His words were filled with longing and nostalgia. Perhaps he was thinking of the past, because a bitter smile appeared on Hayama Hayato's face that only Uesugi Genshin in the driver's seat could see.

The two vehicles drove out of Zongwu Expressway, and the overall route was first east and then south.

The Central District is not only the concentration of administrative organs, but also has a continuous coastline full of industrial docks, which I had seen from afar when I was at sea before.

At the same time, because it is the "city center", the pedestrian flow is much greater than that of Mihama Ward.

Seeing zombies lurking on both sides of the road, Uesugi Genshin chose to step on the gas this time.

With a roar of the engine, the Wrangler rammed into the zombie in front of it. The bumper sent the zombie flying, while the vehicle itself remained completely undamaged.

"If your car hadn't been modified, this place would have been quite difficult to get through," Hayama Hayato said calmly, watching the zombies being knocked away.

"Yeah, now all we need to do is keep crashing forward." Uesugi Genshin smiled slightly, then looked ahead again.

The overpass is just ahead, but they don't want to go up it. Going up would take them inland. They need to head to the nearby Central District.

So at this moment, Uesugi Genshin was turning the steering wheel and moving forward from the side of the road, which was only wide enough for one car to pass.

Then turn right at the next intersection and drive into the Chiba Street, then just keep driving along the road.

The desolation along the roadside gave Chiba a sense of familiarity mixed with strangeness.

The charred building in the distance was also quite conspicuous, its blackened surface resembling a plaster stuck to the tall building.

It stopped burning; I don't know if it had burned out or if the fire had been extinguished.

The reason for this is simply because there is a fire truck parked in front of the building, and the fire truck's ladder is extended all the way to the same height as the building, which is more than ten stories high.

“Uesugi-kun,” Hayato Hayama called out.