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

Meanwhile, Hayasaka Ai, Horikita Suzune, and Kamuro Masumi didn't hesitate at all and directly accepted the cups from Yukinoshita.

Eriri was overlooked; she had taken medicine and was still suffering from a cold and fever, so she couldn't drink alcohol.

She usually doesn't have much of an appetite when she has a fever, but because she ate dinner very late, she has now regained some of her appetite.

After filling her own cup, Yukino Yukinoshita opened the lid of the sukiyaki pot.

Add appropriate amounts of soy sauce, mirin, cooking wine and other seasonings, bring to a boil, then add vegetables and continue cooking. The broth is mostly the juice that comes out naturally after the vegetables have been simmered.

The pot was bubbling and steaming, and the aroma of the ingredients filled the room.

Pan-fried white tofu until slightly golden brown on both sides, shiitake mushrooms with cross-shaped cuts, green lettuce soaked in broth, bamboo shrimp deveined, and marbled beef with alternating layers of fat and lean meat.

Because one pot couldn't hold it all, there was a whole plate of beef next to it, at least A5 grade Wagyu beef, which was also brought by Haruno, but Yukinoshita hadn't eaten it yet.

As expected of Yukinoshita's older sister, simply coming to tease her younger sister would be considered an unwelcome guest, but bringing a gift changes the nature of the situation.

"I'm gonna start now."

The seven people spoke together.

Unfortunately, there were no sterile eggs, which was one of Uesugi Genshin's regrets. He picked up his rice and then picked up a piece of beef.

One bite and the succulent beef bursts in your mouth, paired with a sweet sauce, and then a bite of rice—that's the charm of sukiyaki!

"It's delicious!" Honami Ichinose exclaimed happily, expressing her true feelings frankly.

"Mmm, it really is delicious." Eriri nodded, feeling her stomach acid starting to rise; her appetite was returning!

Of course, besides the main dish of sukiyaki, there are also fried chicken, French fries, twice-cooked pork, Chikuzen-ni... and molten omelet rice.

"Don't forget your omelet rice." Uesugi Genshin handed the plate to Eriri, along with the ketchup. "Would you like me to write something in the ketchup?"

"Write what?"

With a mischievous grin, Uesugi Genshin said, "It's the magic of infusing love."

This is something he learned from a maid café with Aki Tomoya, and the two of them naturally became even closer afterward.

"What nonsense are you talking about?!" Eriri said softly, choking back tears as she gripped her chopsticks, her face flushing easily. "I'll add it myself!"

As she spoke, she snatched the ketchup from his hand.

In a few quick strokes, he painted three wavy lines, then used a spoon to gently scoop up a spoonful from the edge and put it in his mouth.

...Delicious, this is delicious too.

“The omelet rice was made by this person,” Yukino Yukinoshita said, pointing to Genshin Uesugi. “And the twice-cooked pork.”

While fried chicken and fries are also options, well, compared to the previous two, they don't require much skill.

"Let me try some." Sitting next to Eriri, Horikita Suzune picked up a spoon and asked Eriri for some omelet rice. After taking a bite, she chewed it carefully and said, "The cooking is indeed quite good."

This man is such a good cook? That made her a little discouraged.

Hayasaka Ai picked up a piece of twice-cooked pork, which was stir-fried with pretty little pork belly. Needless to say, it was savory and delicious, and went very well with rice.

By this time, Masumi Kamuro had tasted every dish and began to selectively pick out meat, occasionally eating a bite of vegetables. In the past, she would have done the opposite.

But after more than a month of hunger at school, the desire to eat meat was irresistible.

"This wine tastes a bit like grape juice, it's very delicious." Honami Ichinose took a sip of the sparkling wine and was surprised to find it quite tasty.

"Really?" Horikita Suzune said with a slight surprise.

Masumi Kamuro didn't say anything, just took a sip and continued eating.

Eriri's omelet rice was also shared by Ichinose and the others. It was a big plate, enough to fill you up, so Eriri definitely couldn't finish it. She was happy to share it, but with each share, she felt a sense of loss.

The sukiyaki meat was the first thing they finished eating, and then they started simmering meat in the pot.

By the time we finished the beef, we had also eaten most of the other ingredients in the pot.

"Would you like some porridge?" Yukino Yukinoshita gently put down her chopsticks and asked the others.

"Mixed rice?" Horikita Suzune was the first to react.

“Yes.” Yukino Yukinoshita nodded.

"I can still eat a little bit." Eriri had a happy, bittersweet smile on her face.

"Well, isn't it nice to finish with carbs?" Uesugi Genshin said as he poured rice into the sukiyaki pot.

I stirred it with a spoon, then went to the kitchen, grabbed an egg, and cracked it into the mixture.

The egg yolks and whites melt into the porridge, eventually turning into a golden-brown mixed porridge with the white rice.

Then she turned off the fire, and Yukino Yukinoshita picked up a bowl and served a spoonful to everyone.

"Whoosh..." Everyone was blowing on the porridge as they filled the last gap in their stomachs with the last bowl of porridge.

But after the meal, Eriri suddenly clutched her stomach and mumbled, "My stomach hurts so much."

"Eh—" Uesugi Genshin didn't know what to say. He'd even eaten so much he had indigestion, what a child!

You need to know your own stomach and intestines!

When he finally cleaned the table, he left the Chikuzen-ni (chikuzen-ni) for last and didn't eat it.

Because you can leave some Chikuzen-ni (騰前释) as leftovers, you can just reheat it for tomorrow's breakfast without affecting its flavor; it might even become more flavorful.

Eriri is stuffing it in before her stomach can even react, right?

She's really having a lot of bad luck with a cold, fever, and bloating.

Uesugi Genshin carried Eriri to Yukinoshita's bedroom and put her on the bed. He gave her a glass of water and made her take her digestive medicine.

"Do you feel better?"

"No."

Horikita and the others took care of cleaning up after the meal; it's impossible for the same person to do both eating and washing dishes.

At that moment, Eriri stretched her hand out from under the covers and reached out towards Uesugi Genshin.

After blinking, Uesugi Genshin understood and took her hand.

Then he gently pinched her with his fingers, thinking that massaging her hands might distract her.

Do all girls have long, slender fingers? Eriri uses these hands to draw.

He ran his fingertips along the back of her hand while lost in thought.

Eriri, who had been breathing heavily with her arm covering her eyes, gradually lowered her voice.

I don't know if it's the effect of the medicine or his condition.

With a moment to spare, Uesugi Genshin began to look around the room. This was Yukinoshita's bedroom.

The soft color scheme, comfortable layout, and girly decorations, along with several Mr. Pan dolls on the bedside table, show that Yukino really loves pandas.

Thinking this, Uesugi Genshin smiled.

"How did it go?" Honami Ichinose walked in from outside and asked with concern.

Her eyes inadvertently glanced at Uesugi Genshin and Eriri's clasped hands.

"I took the medicine," Uesugi Genshin replied.

"Miss Eriri, are you still feeling unwell?" Homami Ichinose smiled at him as she looked up and walked to the bedside to ask.

“…It’s alright.” Eriri briefly raised her arm and squinted at Ichinose.

"Then get some rest." With a gentle smile, Uesugi Genshin lifted a corner of the blanket and placed her hand back under it.

"Mmm," Eriri responded softly.

Honestly, Eriri is even cuter now that she's seriously ill.

"Miss Yukinoshita has gone to take a bath," Honami Ichinose said to Genshin Uesugi. "We'll have to wait a while for Uesugi-kun."

"That's alright." Uesugi Genshin waved his hand and walked towards the door. "Good night."

Good night.

As I walked into the living room, Hayasaka and Kamuro were coming out of the kitchen, while Horikita was wiping the table with a rag.

Even though she was leaving early in the morning and might not come back, she still cleaned very carefully.

"Hmm—" Hayasaka Ai stretched out a big yawn and said to Horikita, "We've got this sorted out."

"I'm done wiping too." Horikita Suzune folded the rag and held it in her hand.

As if conducting an inspection, he ran his finger across the table.

It has the matte finish of solid wood lacquer.

"You should get some rest too." She stood up, looked at Uesugi Genshin, and said her last words of the night.

"Ah."

"What time do you get up tomorrow?" Masumi Kamuro asked, hands on her hips.

She was wearing the long-sleeved knitted shirt uniform of Soubu High School, and the curve of her chest was clearly visible. Although it wasn't as eye-catching as those of the fuller-figured girls, it still exuded a just-right beauty.

In comparison, the white T-shirt worn by Horikita Suzune looked much more cramped, partly due to the clothing itself, giving the impression of being stuffed full.

"Hmm... get nine hours of sleep, okay?" Uesugi Genshin said with a smile as he turned around.

"I see."

It's already past 10 o'clock, and I won't be able to go to bed until 11 o'clock. Tomorrow I can sleep until at least 8 o'clock.

Then the three of them left the living room, leaving Uesugi Genshin alone. He had to wait for Yukino to finish washing before taking a shower and going to bed.

Uesugi Genshin tugged at his clothes and sniffed them; the smell of laundry detergent was almost gone.

It was a little hot, perhaps because of the last bowl of hot rice. He walked to the French windows and opened them.

A cool evening breeze suddenly swept in.

It was pitch black outside the window. Even with the moonlight, you could only see the nearest building, and beyond that, you could only make out its general outline.

A city devoid of light, filled with a heavy, lifeless atmosphere.

Their apartment, bathed in soft light, felt like humanity's last isolated island.

"I'm done washing, you go wash up now."

Yukino Yukinoshita's voice came from behind, a magnetic, clear voice that was very quiet and steady.

"Hmm." Uesugi Genshin turned around and his eyes widened in surprise.

Leaning against the door frame, Yukinoshita stood there in a kimono, the pure white silk covered with tiny paper-printed camellia patterns.

Her hair was simply tied to one side, and her every move exuded a gentle and elegant temperament.

The night breeze gently caressed her cheeks, her black hair fluttering beautifully in the wind, while Uesugi Genshin simply... quietly watched the snow.

"What's wrong? Is it strange?" Yukino Yukinoshita gently raised her hand, her fingers pinching the ends of her hair that were hanging down her shoulder.

“No.” Uesugi Genshin shook his head, looking down until he saw Yukinoshita’s feet. “You’re wearing tabi socks!”

"Hmm." Yukino Yukinoshita also looked down, playfully wiggling her toes inside her tabi socks.

Then he looked at Uesugi Genshin with a subtle gaze.

"Don't get me wrong, I just really like this traditional combination." Uesugi Genshin explained that he was by no means a sock fetishist. "Especially the round, fair calves that are inadvertently revealed under the kimono paired with pure white tabi socks, it looks very sexy!"

If you can show off some of your white thighs, it's practically a Japanese-style version of the absolute territory!

"Ha..." Yukino Yukinoshita sighed in distress, rubbing her temples with a headache. "I know."

"Is this a furisode?" He wasn't quite familiar with women's kimonos.

“This is a small furisode.” Yukino Yukinoshita raised her arm to show the cuff, which was two feet long. “It is usually worn as formal attire for school or graduation.”

The Ōfurisode is a type of kimono worn for weddings.

"Because I don't usually need it, I only have this one and one yukata here, but I have many at home."

Here, "home" refers to one's hometown.

"A large furisode?"

Yukino Yukinoshita rolled her eyes at him. "It's a chufuiso, usually worn for New Year's or Coming-of-Age ceremonies. There's also a blue one."

The dai furisode is worn at a wedding, and it should be made after one has reached adulthood, because one's figure may have changed.