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

"Hey, are we going out again? What are we going over there for?" Yui Yuigahama asked curiously.

“Go with this envoy from Shuchiin to visit their school.” Uesugi Genshin pointed to the invisible figure behind him. “Also… we need to pick them up.”

"Picking someone up? Ah! Could it be..." Yui Yuigahama vaguely guessed what was going on.

"Oh, hmph..." Miura Yumiko looked away, pretending not to care, while starting to play with her hair again.

Although she looked restless and wanted to ask something, she would never ask any further questions.

"..." Hayasaka Ai, standing behind him, turned her gaze from the girl back to Uesugi Genshin. So it wasn't just a trip to Shuchiin...

"Then leave the matter of Musou to me," Miura Yumiko assured, patting her pert chest.

"Hey! Please wait, Miura-senpai. You've already entrusted this matter to me."

"What are you talking about? You probably don't even know this child's full name. I'll take care of him." With that, Miura Yumiko stroked Musou's mane.

It had been brushed very clean beforehand, and after grooming, the fur was exceptionally smooth and felt wonderful to the touch.

"Senpai~" Upon hearing this, Isshiki Iroha used her "cute" weapon, typical of younger juniors, and tugged at Uesugi Genshin's sleeve in a coquettish manner, swaying it.

Facing Miura Yumiko's gaze, Uesugi Genshin smiled and said, "Then let's take care of them together. With more people, there will be fewer things we overlook."

His matter-of-fact expression showed he didn't take it seriously at all.

"Oh." Iroha Isshiki released her grip and turned to examine the person who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. The other person was doing the same thing. Speaking of which, didn't Miura-senpai like Hayato-senpai?!

"Cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, and the like are not allowed. There are actually very few fruits and vegetables that are edible. Apples and carrots are among the few available, but of course, we don't have any here."

"Just let it eat the grass on the ground normally, but don't pull it up in advance and pile it up for it to eat. The grass that is pulled up will start to ferment and will cause bloating when it enters its stomach."

"Horses have small stomachs, so feed them small amounts frequently, and it's best to untie the rope and take them for a walk regularly."

Uesugi Genshin explained the precautions regarding the horse step by step, while emptying the water from the bucket and replacing it with a new one.

After explaining most of it, "That's about it."

"Well, I wanted to learn how to ride a horse," Miura Yumiko said shyly, twirling her curly hair with her fingers.

“Uh…” Uesugi Genshin smiled wryly, “It is possible, but I don’t have time right now. We’ll probably have to wait until I get back.”

"Mmm!" To everyone's surprise, Yumiko Miura's face instantly lit up with a charming smile, and she nodded vigorously.

"Ah!" Isshiki Iroha puffed out her cheeks, wanting some too.

Hayasaka Ai watched as Miura Yumiko and Isshiki Iroha actively struck up conversations with Uesugi Genshin, while at the same time they would glance at each other, keeping each other in check.

"...You and Secretary Hachiman really are brothers."

"Huh?" Uesugi Genshin didn't quite catch it, so he turned around and asked, "What did you just say?"

"nothing."

Chapter 96: Self-Awareness

A ray of morning sunlight shone through the window onto the floor of the temple, where it was reflected by the waxed wooden floor, causing a glint of light.

The crisp chirping of birds echoed outside the window, filling the still quiet campus. These birds, from the nearby park, huddled together on the treetops, chattering away.

However, none of this could alleviate Uesugi Genshin's somewhat gloomy mood.

He was sitting in the main seat when he turned around to look behind him again. The ukiyo-e prints on the wall behind him, which he found pleasing to the eye, had been taken down by someone and replaced with two pieces of calligraphy.

The left side is inscribed with "Vaisravana" and the right side with "Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain".

He himself could write this kind of calligraphy, so the key question is who did it?

He first turned his gaze to one of the other two people currently in the dojo.

Although Hachiman dared not meet his gaze, he said, "It must be Zaimokuza and the others."

"Hahaha." Hayama Hayato let out his characteristic ingratiating laugh. "There's nothing wrong with it, the handwriting is not bad."

"Hey, are you trying to smooth things over?" Uesugi Genshin asked, arms crossed, puzzled.

Ha, even if he went to the woodworker about this, he would only be shut down by the woodworker's words, "Hahaha! How about it, my masterpiece!"—words that show no remorse and no understanding of where he went wrong.

This feeling of helplessness persisted until everyone arrived at the dojo.

The Executive Department underwent its first expansion. Both Hachiman and Hayama did their best to select a group of people with high overall qualities from the less than 400 members of Soubu High School, whose male members were cut in half.

Hachiman had to work much harder than Hayato Hayama, personally persuading each person according to the club's roster, especially the former judo club members.

Soubu High School doesn't have any particularly outstanding clubs. Whether it's baseball or kendo, two popular sports in Japan, Soubu High School doesn't rank at all.

The soccer team actually performed much better thanks to Hayato Hayama, though only to a limited extent. The judo team captain, third-year student Shiroyama-senpai, was arguably the best performer in the league.

This club president, Shiroyama, even secured a spot in university through early admission, though this didn't guarantee an easy university experience. However, his judo club, like himself, was considered one of the more outstanding clubs.

The positions of the team members changed, and the four men from the judo club were indeed very strong. For some reason, they reminded Hachiman of potatoes, sweet potatoes, taro, and yams, which is how he referred to them in his mind.

So Minister Shiroyama was assigned to the direct staff group, and the remaining three were divided into various groups. Zaimokuza, Qinye, and Sagami served as the group leaders, and the remaining vacancies were filled by people from other clubs, including those from other schools.

This once made him worry about whether the three people in the woodwork group could handle the job. However, after these few days of training, their aura was not inferior, but they still seemed to be at a disadvantage in appearance.

There's no need to worry about Hayama Hayato's side. Tamaki found someone from the same seaside high school background to join the direct support group, while Tobe Sho, Ooka, and Yamato also established their own groups.

"Welcome to the Executive Department, everyone," Uesugi Genshin said after everyone had taken their seats.

The executives bowed in return.

"The Executive Department is the only armed and violent group at Zongwu High School. It enjoys the highest rewards and undertakes the most dangerous missions. I have only one requirement for you all: obedience. For the future of Zongwu High School, the lives of everyone in the school, and our own lives, entrust your lives to me."

"Yes!!!"

"I prefer to keep things brief, so this meeting is adjourned. I'm heading to Tokyo to negotiate with Shuchiin. During my absence, the two captains will jointly manage the Executive Department's affairs, including morning classes and afternoon tasks. And to the new recruits, please begin your first missions under your respective captains."

Then, Uesugi Genshin picked up the sword that was beside him, hung it back on his waist, and walked outside.

The remaining affairs were then handled by Hachiman and Hayato Hayama.

Hayasaka Ai was waiting for him outside the door, dressed neatly. She had washed and dried the raincoat she had worn yesterday and was wearing it again.

"Let's go too."

Hayasaka Ai jogged a few steps to catch up, "So dignified, Captain."

"is it?"

"Yeah, and his hairstyle is really cool, it's nothing compared to his usual look."

"..." Uesugi Genshin untied his ponytail again, and put the black hair tie back on his hand.

"You should have gone first." He and Hayasaka Ai walked side by side toward the school gate.

"No, it's better to go together. Besides, the Keiyo Line is also open to traffic. Although the journey might be a bit bumpy, we can travel the same route."

When we were discussing how to get there yesterday, she said that since the motorcycle wasn't hers, she should at least ride it back first.

However, if you wait a little while, just like you can see the full view of the General Staff Headquarters just now, it has become a fully disciplined armed organization.

Unlike the loosely organized intelligence gathered by Shuchiin, this kind of information is valuable to bring back, as it can help Shuchiin with their analysis and weighing of options.

"Whatever you want." Uesugi Genshin walked to his car, where he had packed everything yesterday.

"I'll lead the way, and I'll try to choose the most spacious areas. Stay close." Hayasaka Ai tidied her hair and tucked it into her helmet, making her face completely invisible once it was on.

"Ah."

The sound of two engines echoed through the deserted campus before driving out of Zongwu High School.

At the intersection of the seaside avenue, the students in the security team opened the roadblocks. They had been guarding the area all night, and someone would come to relieve them soon.

"Vice President, where are we going?" a student asked Uesugi Genshin, who had opened the car window.

"I have to go to Tokyo for some business."

"Really?" The student's eyes widened in surprise. To someone who had never fought zombies before, this trip must have been fraught with danger. Thinking about it, he was filled with admiration.

"Bon Voyage!"

"Oh." Seeing the student bowing for some unknown reason, and noticing that his behavior had attracted the attention of other students around him, Uesugi Genshin waved his hand, indicating that it was nothing to worry about.

"You too, you've worked hard."

"Yes!"

Eh~, in Hayasaka Ai's opinion, this scene is indeed rare, but upon closer reflection, it seems quite reasonable for it to appear on this person. In their Shuchiin, even President Shirogane is still a little bit lacking.

After all, while the student council seems important, most students don't actually interact with it directly, and this is also the case at Shuchiin University. Apart from students from the university itself, most people don't actually feel the authority of the student council, nor do they have any fervent reverence for it.

Well, is this also an advantage of having fewer people?

She twisted the throttle, the motorcycle needing to dodge haphazardly parked cars along the way, so it wasn't going fast; she just needed to get away from the zombies before they could react.

Looking in the rearview mirror, she saw the jeep following closely behind. She took a deep breath, feeling the air of the empty city, devoid of life except for zombies.

"I hope I can arrive before the afternoon," she thought to herself.

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

"President, how about taking a short rest?" For a fleeting moment, Kaguya Shinomiya had the urge to switch to decaffeinated coffee so that this person would simply fall asleep.

Miyuki Shirogane's working principle is not to burden student council members and other organizations. He is a kind and excellent leader who believes that one should not harm others for personal gain.

Such leaders are extremely rare, which is why those around him or those who observe his actions admire him greatly.

“No, not quite. This road is blocked, so we’ll have to plan another route. Or should we force our way through?” Shirogane Miyuki put down his pen and leaned back in his chair, as if he had given up, but he hadn’t actually stopped thinking.

He continued to analyze the intelligence brought back by the scouts sent out from all directions, hoping to find the optimal solution in the densely populated area of ​​Tokyo.

There can be no more sacrifices.

"Excuse me, Shinomiya, what did you say?"

"No, it's just that the president looks a bit tired. Would you like to take a short rest?" Kaguya Shinomiya said with her usual smile.

“No, there’s no time to rest now.” Remembering something, he drew a route on the spiderweb-like map. “Hmm, let’s do some actual reconnaissance.”

His regular newspaper delivery work and part-time jobs at a moving company have honed his basic physical strength. With just a little courage, he would be the perfect person to travel.

And so it was true in reality. He always took the lead and rushed to the front line. The supplies he found were redistributed, and even if people didn't have enough to eat, no one complained.

"Is that so?" Kaguya Shinomiya nodded calmly, but inwardly she was...

Ugh!!! Seriously, wouldn't it be okay to take a short break? President, you idiot!

Looking into those eyes, which had grown increasingly fierce from lack of rest, her heart pounded.

"The people from Setagaya and Adachi haven't returned yet." Shirogane Miyuki looked at the two missing sections on the map. Compared to the northern area, which was confirmed to be difficult to reach on foot due to the route through Shinjuku and the impassable roads, people would soon return.

“Yes,” Kaguya Shinomiya agreed.

Ah, Hayasaka hasn't come back either.

"I hope nothing unexpected has happened."

Relying solely on nearby convenience stores to support this population of a thousand is far too difficult. The rate at which food reserves are increasing is far slower than the rate at which consumption is occurring, a dangerous sign that has existed from the very beginning.

"Probably not," Kaguya Shinomiya reassured her, though she couldn't help but worry herself, and even felt a pang of regret—she should have known better than to let Hayasaka go out.

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

"This is Shuchiin Academy." Hayasaka Ai pointed to the magnificent-looking school in front of her.

"I see." Uesugi Genshin got out of the car, before he could even close the door.

The double-layered wall, composed of white paint and red bricks, clearly reveals the European architectural style inside.

"You." The girl standing at the door walked towards them.

“I am here on the orders of Vice President Shinomiya to take this person to see President Shirogane,” Hayasaka Ai explained.

"Shinomiya-senpai..." the girl murmured.

She looked behind Hayasaka Ai and asked, "Who is this?"

"Hello, I am Uesugi Genshin." Uesugi Genshin stepped forward, past Hayasaka Ai, and asked, "May I ask your name?"