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

When I have you, I feel happy whether I'm buying a tie at a department store or cleaning a fish in the kitchen.

Love is like a warm current nourishing me.

When I lost you, even the sounds of birdsong and the fragrance of flowers held no appeal for me.

It has a simple naming style like Norway with its forests, and it's also a book about love. The author is quite sentimental, and only older people can feel the genuine emotions in it.

However, Izu is still too close to Tokyo. A central hub is only a central hub because someone is there. Now that the person has left, it really doesn't matter where they are. It's understandable to remotely control things from a distance.

It all comes down to accountability. People resign at the drop of a hat, but no one is held accountable for what they did. As long as they bow down, everything is forgiven. This is similar to the way the powerful chaebols next door end up in jail.

When it happens too often, it becomes absurd and has long since become a kind of common-sense unspoken rule, so you can't trust politicians' character.

Reaching back, my fingertips traced the fabric of my clothes as it swayed gently in the breeze.

"It's almost done."

Let's leave the rest to body temperature.

Looking back, I saw that everyone in the room was busy with their own things, sitting on the sofa looking at their phones, and no one was looking this way.

He abandoned the idea of ​​bringing his clothes inside to change, and instead put on the clothes that smelled strongly of laundry detergent while standing in a corner of the balcony.

The uniforms of Zongwu High School are black, and after washing, the dried bloodstains are no longer visible.

He tugged at his collar, adjusting his school uniform to a comfortable level of restriction.

As Uesugi Genshin opened the glass door, several people who were playing on their phones looked at him.

"I'm leaving."

"Ah, um."

This was agreed upon, there are no problems.

"That......"

"You don't need to come down with me."

"so."

"Ah."

The entryway floor was covered with shoes: tall boots, high-top shoes, and short heels, with a pair of men's sneakers standing out in the middle.

He changed his shoes at the door, grabbed the car keys from the cabinet and the baseball bat from the wall.

But after thinking about it, he put the baseball bat down again.

"I'll leave the weapon here."

"Hmm." It was Toyohama Kazuka's voice from behind.

"Then I'm going out." I reached out to open the door and looked back to see that the entryway was crowded with people.

"I'll go down with you." Feng Bin and Xiang were dressed neatly, slipping their stockings into their shoes, just like yesterday, dressed like teen idols.

It really is a sweet bullet.

Those who remained silent tacitly agreed, and the two walked out of the room.

We waited for the elevator together, and with a "ding," we stepped into it.

Inside the elevator, Uesugi Genshin stared blankly at the constantly changing floor numbers, standing side by side with Toyohama Kazuka.

"We're friends now, right?" Toyohama Kazuka lowered her hands and clasped them together, fidgeting with her fingers.

"Yes, we're friends now."

"That's good."

She added, "Remember, two weeks from now."

It doesn't mean anything, I'm just worried.

"As much as possible."

"What~"

Hearing that sweet and innocent tone, Uesugi Genshin once again sensed the truth: as expected, his personality is unchanging. Does his blonde hair make him tired of rubbing against others?

"Understood," Uesugi Genshin replied, seemingly casually.

The elevator stopped in the underground parking lot. He got out, while she remained inside.

Genshin Uesugi turned around and waved, while Kazuka Toyohama waved back from inside the elevator.

Absolutely!

The elevator doors closed; those were her last words.

Looking at the yellow elevator doors, Uesugi Genshin casually complained, "Seriously, don't add to my burden."

Being expected of someone.

Without expectations, there is no disappointment; without constraints, there is no hurt.

Hachiman was absolutely right. He twirled the car key in his hand and walked toward his car.

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

I spend my daytime hours on my phone and online, with basically nothing to do.

After lunch, Xiaohe said he wanted to learn how to pick locks online. But is it really possible to learn that?

Hirokawa Uzuki was a little confused. Would anyone online teach people how to pick locks, a skill that is usually something you would never need in your life?

After Nissan left, everyone immediately revealed their true colors, or rather, they completely relaxed.

The atmosphere in the lounge used to be a little different from now; it felt more like being at home.

Lanzi lay sprawled on the sofa, swinging her legs up and down, completely oblivious to the fact that her skirt was riding up due to the movement, and was looking at her phone with a serious and leisurely expression.

"..."

Yae rested her chin on her hand, watching the news on TV, as if she could glean something from the mouths of those hypocritical people.

Ying, out of curiosity, followed Xiao He and tried to pick the lock on the neighbor's house.

After thinking for a moment, Hirokawa Uzuki decided to organize the wardrobe first and see if there were any clothes that everyone could wear.

I was so tired yesterday that I just grabbed a pair of loungewear to wear.

The owner of this house is probably of average height and build, as their loungewear is not too small for them.

To be honest, she was a little troubled because she couldn't wear other people's underwear.

Opening the wardrobe, the most eye-catching item is a women's white shirt, which makes one imagine that this is an office lady sitting in an office.

Knitwear, chiffon blouses, solid color dresses, trench coats, vests, blazers...

Upon careful packing, there were still many different kinds of clothes.

She thought about her wardrobe... Aside from idol outfits, it was probably just school uniforms.

......

Am I completely unlike a normal girl?

A hint of self-mockery arose in her heart.

Chapter Thirty-Six: Friends?

"No way..." Toyohama Kazuka sighed and sat down against the door.

It seems that the skill of prying open doors is not something that can be learned easily, and are there no more detailed and easy-to-understand tutorials or anything like that?

She fiddled with her phone dejectedly, tapping the screen with her fingernails, making a clattering sound.

Hotaru Okazaki had already gone back inside; her efforts all afternoon had yielded absolutely no progress.

It made her feel like she might not be able to learn it.

The overhead lights had already come on with the arrival of the evening glow, and in the empty corridor, her shadow was cast on the ground.

I stretched out my arm and twisted my hand backward to remove the paperclip stuck in the door lock. I had tried several different tools, but they were completely useless.

Go back and wait for dinner.

Thinking this, she turned her head to the side and prepared to stand up.

"!"

Then she saw that the glass in the stairwell was completely black!

It felt like something was standing nearby.

My body was stiff and I felt a chill; my hands, pressed against the ground, were clenched into fists.

She slowly rose without making a sound.

If it were a zombie, she thought, and all she wanted to do was hurry back inside and grab the baseball bat from the doorway.

So soon we'll be facing a test?!

After a few seconds, the dark figure at the door remained motionless.

She wondered if it was just her imagination.

It's because the stairwell is too dark; the light can't penetrate it, making the interior appear black.

That fleeting glimpse just now was nothing but my imagination... what a load of rubbish!

What could possibly flash by so quickly? There was no reflection, and I hadn't moved an inch.

It might not be zombies. There were no zombies in the stairwell, and the doors should have been closed. The heavy doors are designed to close automatically, so even if there were zombies in the corridor below, they wouldn't be able to reach the stairwell.

That... is a person!

My heart pounded even harder. What if it was some kind of armed thug? Not everyone is like that guy, ruthless yet kind-hearted.

Kazuka Toyohama looked down at the idol outfit she had changed into that morning, and through her slightly protruding breasts, she could see the puffy hem of her black miniskirt.

Finished!

No deterrent effect at all!

This is what a cat with its fur standing on end looks like—it's a living example of what cats do.

She remained frozen in place, staring intently into the distance, trying to prove it was an illusion, afraid of being even slightly mistaken.

Just when she thought the shadow was an illusion, the door creaked open.

We're doomed!!!

The first thing to be extended was a gleaming white knife.

!!!

Xuanxin!!!

Feng Bin and Xiang were wailing inwardly, their blue pupils constricting. If there was a next time, she would definitely grab his leg and make him not leave!

I'm such an idiot!

She kept her eyes forward, tiptoeing to turn around and grab the baseball bat next to the open door.

The knife, stained with red paint, was securely tied to a wooden stick.

The other person was wearing gloves and was holding the knife not far away, presumably to apply force.

Following the hands appeared an arm covered by a yellow jacket, giving it a very defensive appearance.

More creaking sounds followed, sounding particularly jarring at this moment.

Once a gap large enough for a person to pass through is created, their silhouette appears.

"..." The other person looked over.

"..."

Even so, they were wearing masks and hats that completely covered their faces.

Stare into each other's eyes.