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

It seems to be called a light novel, a popular genre in recent years. It's a commercial product that uses ease of reading as its selling point, along with beautiful color pages and illustrations to attract attention.

Yukino Yukinoshita stood in front of the bookstore, lingering for a long time.

Chapter Three: Mystery

"Hmph hmph hmph~" Humming a tune called "Distant Sky" that didn't exist in this world, with his schoolbag loosely slid around his waist, Uesugi Genshin was in a pretty good mood.

Aside from the fact that the temperature hasn't risen yet, spring temperatures aren't very high; in fact, people can feel a chill in the mornings. But spring has finally arrived.

What should we eat today?

Curry? Or a simple cream stew? Or perhaps a hearty pan-fried hamburger patty?

He had never understood why people here loved curry so much, and why it appeared so often in anime. The reason, he thought, was simply because it was convenient.

The advantages of getting out of school early and living alone are fully demonstrated here.

There's no need to cook many dishes, because we can't possibly finish them all. One large dish can last for two or three days, which also reduces cooking time. Even if we take away cooking time, we still have plenty of time left in the day.

He believes that staying up late is a necessity for modern young people who are busy with work and study during the day, making the quiet and peaceful evening their only real time. They also tend to be greedy and want more of their time, making staying up late an unavoidable choice.

"welcome."

Uesugi Genshin went into the convenience store and bought some spicy curry cubes and a box of eggs.

I browsed through the newly arrived Jump magazines on the shelf, grabbed the latest issue, and was about to leave.

I was once again drawn to the eye-catching photo magazines. Hmm, let me give a brief critique.

Even in this world, not everyone is handsome or beautiful. If you look closely, you can still see the differences and flaws. Not everyone who is good-looking is perfect.

Although I've forgotten some of it, I still remember the bias of the author who wrote the first "The Love Story of Hachiman Hikigaya: A Question of Hair and Hammer". He compared the heroine Yukino Yukinoshita to a school beauty and described her as "unique", while the second heroine Yuigahama Yui was just an ordinary girl next door who was pretty when she dressed up.

There's no factional strife involved; the author made it clear from the beginning that the girl next door isn't Cinderella.

He quietly flipped through the pages, when the sound of pages turning filled the air.

He looked up and saw a girl from Zongwu High School.

With her long blonde hair, slightly sharp eyes, and slender figure, she is a girl who is very suitable to be described as a "beauty".

Yumiko Miura is the pinnacle of popularity in Hachiman's class, and one of the top girls in the class and even the school.

Her Majesty the Queen was flipping through a fashion magazine, the kind that talks about the latest fashion trends.

There are pictures here, which can be viewed after the updated version

Noticing Uesugi Genshin's gaze, she looked up at him.

"..." Perhaps seeing that they were both wearing the Soubu High School uniform, the other person didn't seem to pay much attention to them. The two nodded to each other, and Miura Yumiko lowered her head again to flip through the magazine in her hand.

"..." Had he not been discovered? Uesugi Genshin quietly closed the book, glancing at the slightly revealing cover. Fortunately, the other side facing Miura Yumiko was blocked by the comic book in his hand.

He closed the magazine completely... without putting it back on the shelf, and went straight to the counter to pay.

"3360 dollars."

"Give."

"Thank you for your patronage."

She took the bag handed to her, sensed someone behind her, and turned around to see that she was also about to leave. Uesugi Genshin ignored her and turned to walk outside.

I bought it anyway.

Girls in Tokyo often talk about these kinds of topics, and only those who keep up with the trends can take the initiative in the conversation. Ah... Chiba is also considered part of the Tokyo metropolitan area.

Japanese girls won't let you see the absolute territory (area of ​​skin/crown), he had heard that a long time ago, because you can't see it at all, it's not true.

This is the prevailing fashion among Japanese girls: 99% of Japanese high school girls (JKs) wear calf socks or short socks, and never wear knee-high socks or black stockings.

Yukino Yukinoshita's white-trimmed black over-the-knee socks are an unconventional outfit that goes against the trend and makes her stand out in class.

Yui Yuigahama and Yumiko Miura are typical Tokyo girls, both wearing ordinary calf socks.

Although I've seen it for so long and gotten used to it, the beauty of the calf curve highlighted by the stockings and the advantage of the exposed fair thigh are still commendable.

But not every girl in Tokyo has beautiful legs.

Ah... so he still wants to say that the tallest is the best!

Carrying the bag, I got off the subway. I was almost home. After walking a little further, the road gradually narrowed as I entered the residential area.

The surrounding high-rise buildings gradually disappeared, and the unique Japanese detached houses came into view, although the apartment he lived in was five stories high.

It was probably past 4 o'clock. Remembering this, I took my phone out of my pocket and checked the time on the screen.

A touch of orange began to appear in the distance of the sky, and the light became increasingly slanted.

As he passed a woman walking towards him, Uesugi Genshin slightly stepped aside to let her pass, taking a dozen or so steps.

The screech of screeching brakes filled my ears.

"Bang." It sounded like it bumped into something.

What?! There was a car accident?!

He looked back and saw the bloodstains on the wall clearly visible, as if a whole bucket of paint had been poured on it.

I thought he was about to be transported to another world again!

Respect for the deceased is paramount, and Uesugi Genshin quickly stopped himself from having any disrespectful thoughts.

It would be too ridiculous to travel through time again in this way. He lived by his sword and died with his sword! This was his principle in his previous life.

I don't want to jinx it, but given the amount of bleeding and the force of the impact, it's probably really over.

He silently recited "Namo" in his heart, then stood there, unsure whether to leave or not. He looked around, but it wasn't time to leave work yet, and there was no one around.

The thought that he might need help made him want to go forward, but the desire not to get into trouble made him hesitate.

After a while, the driver, still dazed, opened the car door, collapsed onto the ground, and then shakily stood up. It seemed he was alright.

He realized what was happening, quickly walked to the front of the car, looked at the woman he had hit, and hurriedly shouted, "Hey! Are you alright!"

He dared not lift her up, fearing it would worsen her injuries. His trembling hand reached into his pocket, took out his phone, and even dialed the number he was dialing was too difficult to make out.

Before he could finish hitting her, the woman on the ground seemed to groan.

"what......"

Then he stood up in a bizarre posture, stiff and contorted.

After she got up, both the driver and Uesugi Genshin in the distance gasped.

The scene was too horrifying.

This woman's head is broken!

Whether it was the angle of the car accident or something else, the woman's head was tilted at an exaggerated angle as she got up. Even from a distance, Uesugi Genshin could clearly see the whites of her eyes completely obscured.

The woman staggered away into the distance, her broken throat seeming to utter a few sounds.

"Ahhh!!!" The driver screamed in terror.

He collapsed to the ground, water streaming down his face. At this moment, he was no longer the strong and upright man who worked hard for his family; he looked like a pitiful creature who had been scared out of his wits.

Even Uesugi Genshin was terrified, not by the gruesome state of the "corpse".

It's not that I'm afraid of ghosts!

The woman, with bizarre gait and an odd posture, kept urging the driver to crawl backward, supporting himself with his hands.

After taking a few last steps, he collapsed to the ground with a thud...

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

Having returned home at some point, Uesugi Genshin sat on the sofa, clutching his hair tightly with both hands.

The scene from not long ago was still vivid in his mind; he hadn't taken a step forward then.

He is no longer sure if this world is an ordinary world. It's not that he doesn't want to question whether this world is abnormal or not, because he himself is the biggest anomaly!

The existence of a time traveler cannot be explained by modern science; his very existence proves that there may be something in the world he lives in.

But the previous worlds were all normal worlds, and the major events were consistent with the history he knew. Minor details were uncertain, after all, history books that record history are written by people, and who knows if unofficial history contains the truth, or if official history is necessarily correct?

Although this world is somewhat different, it is largely the same, having reached a peaceful modern era.

The result was what you saw before you!

It was like a freshly peeled bullfrog leg still throbbing and jumping on the cutting board.

He leaned back on the sofa, his head tilted back, his arm draped over his head, blocking some of the glaring light from the ceiling, looking somewhat dazed.

Chapter Four: Nothing Happened

Do monsters exist in this world?

Logically speaking, if you were to travel to Japan, there's a possibility that you'd encounter yokai (supernatural beings), such as Tokyo being the territory of the yokai Nurarihyon or the Great Dog General of the Western Lands.

But even so, he always had a suspicion that this world might not be as normal as it seemed on the surface, and that there might be some kind of underworld, where Tokyo had ghouls and also dark crows.

His daily routine had gradually made him forget about this idea, until today when it suddenly came back to him.

Another phrase came to mind at the same time.

Only magic can defeat magic.

He had witnessed the famine in Xiapi after the flood, where people ate each other, and he had also seen the ravaged villages of Jerusalem, which seemed to be filled with wandering ghosts.

He's afraid of ghosts because he's afraid he can't kill them!

What if we can't use physical methods to deliver the deceased, and we really have to use magic?

I wonder if the righteous spirit passed down from the great Eastern country will be of any use.

The previous scene could hardly be described as a final burst of energy before death or a struggle before death; a person is not a bullfrog.

There won't be any frogs that are still alive and kicking in the basin even if only their legs are left to marinate and their upper bodies are gone.

There's no use thinking about it anymore. Since it's already missed, there's no way to distinguish between truth and falsehood. Besides, it's not entirely safe to approach the time of encountering demons.

She deftly took off her clothes and threw them, along with the school sports uniform she brought from her backpack, into the washing machine to wash away the dirt.

I walked naked into the bathroom, turned on the shower, and water sprayed onto my body. Water droplets slid down the lines of my body, and steam rose up in the room.

After washing away the bad luck, I sat down on the sofa again, wearing a loose T-shirt and beach shorts.

Uesugi Genshin fiddled with the remote control on the table with his right hand, turning on the TV to see if there was any news.

"Ah, about this matter, since 2008..." (Talking about economics).

"Hahahahaha..." The canned, silly laughter comes from someone who works in variety shows.

"Why? Why not me?" The lead actress controlled her expression perfectly, crying like a beautiful woman; this was a melodrama.

"I will never let my..." And anime, right now it's time for children, the really "good" shows are all late at night.

The world remains unchanged, just as it always has.

"Ah~, there might be a flu outbreak recently, please be careful, but it's nothing serious."

Just then, the cell phone on the coffee table started playing a pipa tune; someone was making a call.

"Hello, is this Kasumi Shiko?"

"Hmm." A gentle, refined female voice came from the other end of the line.

"Why are you calling?"

"Judging from your tone, you don't seem too happy, Cheng-kun?" The tall girl with long, straight black hair and a white headband on the other end of the phone frowned slightly and unconsciously shook her leg, looking somewhat irritated.

At home, she wore a purple nightgown with black trim, the hem of which was so short it reached her plump thighs, and a red shawl over her upper body.

"No, something happened today." He seemed a bit listless, and his tone became much lower.

"...Are you alright? No, you don't seem to be alright either." Even though she was usually a bit sarcastic because of their familiarity, she softened her tone slightly, a way of expressing concern that she rarely used.

Even close friends might confide in each other when they're sad, but most of the time you should avoid passing on excessive negative emotions to them; they're not your emotional dumping ground.

However, it feels good to have someone comfort you when you're in a panic.