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

"In short! In short! Let's reconsider."

Kaguya Shinomiya abruptly ended the conversation.

"Yes, yes, Kaguya-sama."

Chapter 101: Little Bean Rice

When I returned to Spencer's villa, it hadn't changed much from when I last visited.

The mansion is surrounded by red walls and a black metal enclosure.

There are only three types of housing in Japan: villas, apartments, and detached houses.

Although villas can be considered a special type of detached house, they are usually discussed separately.

A detached house is a two-story building with a small yard that can be seen everywhere, with a living area of ​​more than 100 square meters.

Villas, on the other hand, are at least several hundred square meters in size, a huge difference, so no one would categorize them together.

The apartments are divided into regular apartments and tower blocks. The tower blocks have strict access control at the bottom, and the first and second floors are public activity areas that are not for living. The tower blocks are generally twenty or thirty stories high and can overlook the city's night view.

Uesugi Genshin looked around the street. Apart from the zombies he had killed lying on the ground, there was nothing special about it; it was still as clean as ever.

After all, it's an affluent area, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, the horde of zombies won't appear here. This place is a haven of peace in the heart of the city.

He crouched down, pulled up the green knitted sweater, and used the zombie's clothes to wipe the blood off the knife.

He stood up, walked to the doorbell of the villa, and rang it.

Quietly waiting for a reply from inside, just as Uesugi Genshin was starting to have doubts and wondered if something had happened.

Finally, someone answered the call, but no sound came out.

Uesugi Genshin leaned against the wall with his forearm against the doorbell, making his distinctive voice.

"It's me, guillotine!"

"...I understand, I'll open the door right away." The girl's hurried yet joyful voice came from the doorbell; it was indeed Kasumigaoka Utaha.

"Ouch, that hurts! Senpai." Kato Megumi's voice, faint and somewhat distant, came through the noise.

"Ah, sorry." Then came Kasumigaoka Utaha's flustered movements.

Uesugi Genshin hung up the phone, took two steps back, and waited a while before the villa door slowly opened.

He got back to his car, stepped on the gas, and drove in.

As you pass through the long stretch of green forest, the spire of the distant mansion becomes visible, gradually revealing its true form to visitors as it draws ever closer.

She stood in front of the mansion, her long black hair blowing in the wind, her features refined, and she was still wearing the sailor uniform from the private Toyosaki Academy.

The dark blue outfit paired with a white collar further accentuated her figure, as did her black tights.

The Wranglers that drove out from this place returned to their starting point.

Before Uesugi Genshin could even close the car door, Kasumigaoka Utaha rushed forward impatiently, crashing into him like a fierce rugby player.

Uesugi Genshin quickly grabbed her and spun her around to distribute the weight and maintain his balance.

"So what they showed in the movies was real after all," Kato Megumi muttered to herself from a short distance away.

Kasumigaoka Utaha twirled in the air, the soft fabric of her pleated skirt clinging to her shapely buttocks.

After being put down, she leaned on Uesugi Genshin's body as if she were drunk, carefully landing on her feet, using his body as support, the tips of her little leather shoes touching the ground two or three times.

"okay."

He looked up, and her beautiful face filled Uesugi Genshin's field of vision.

This isn't the first time we've encountered this distance; similar situations have occurred before.

But never before had the two locked eyes.

Something welled up from the depths of my heart, burning my body hot and slowly, and I could almost hear crackling sounds in the air—it was this inexplicable throbbing.

He felt a tingling sensation in his chest, the feeling from earlier still lingering.

Uesugi Genshin smiled gently, his side hair sliding down his cheek, the ends of which tickled his nose.

"Idiot, you're too slow." Kasumigaoka Utaha began wiping away the tears from under her eyes with the heel of her hand.

If there had been no hope from the start, she wouldn't be so sentimental. She wouldn't cry uncontrollably; she has a very strong sense of pride.

It is this hopeful wait that ferments day by day, and the anticipation begins to be mixed with complex emotions.

Because it is the only hope, they are afraid of losing it, afraid of being abandoned and left all alone.

Now that it's confirmed, the sense of relief and comfort that wells up inside her makes her sensitive and less rational.

"I'm sorry, it's only recently become completely safe over there," Uesugi Genshin comforted her, grasping her delicate shoulders.

Before this, it was undoubtedly safer and more comfortable here, so there was absolutely no intention to bring Kasumigaoka Utaha over.

"It's nothing," she said to herself, a smile spreading across her lips.

A beautiful smile, slender and delicate eyes—a stunning creation that can make your heart leap when viewed up close.

"Welcome back, Uesugi-kun." Kato Megumi, no longer playing the role of a nobody, stepped forward to make her presence known.

"Oh, Kato." Uesugi Genshin wasn't going to offer any pleasantries. "Are there just the two of you here?"

He glanced back and saw only the two of them. He knew that Aki Rin had walked out by herself, but there was no sign of Sawamura Eriri's family.

“Mr. Spencer, who is Sawamura’s father, has returned. Then, based on the government’s evacuation order, his family went to Haneda.” Kasumigaoka Utaha explained as she took Uesugi Genshin’s wrist and led him toward the mansion.

"Didn't you go with them?" This extra question caused Uesugi Genshin to be pinched on the wrist, which hurt quite a bit.

“Kasumigaoka-senpai and I think it would be safer to stay with Uesugi-kun,” Kato Megumi said on his behalf.

"Hahaha..." Uesugi Genshin laughed sheepishly, "Is that so?"

Normally, a government with an army should have sufficient capability to fight zombies, thanks to the suppression of modern firearms.

It is only now that I realize that is under ideal conditions. Not every government has a qualified or above-standard level of execution ability, and it also depends on luck. The Japanese government, which has been slow to take action, is shrouded in a strange fog, and it is not clear what is going on.

"Hmph~" Kasumigaoka Utaha's hand gripped his wrist even tighter, as if expressing her dissatisfaction.

"Is this mansion now vacant?"

Uesugi Genshin entered the room, and Kasumigaoka Utaha squatted on the floor, rummaging through the slippers meant for receiving guests.

"Yes, the Sawamura family said we can do whatever we want with them."

Kasumigaoka Utaha then neatly arranged and put away the shoes that Uesugi Genshin had taken off.

The interior of the mansion is in a European style, a very luxurious type, like the kind of mansions of noble families in the last century.

According to Uesugi Genshin's original life plan, he should have considered buying a villa when he was middle-aged. Ah, it's definitely more convenient to live in a tower in the city center when you're young.

Of course, everything depends on the wife's wishes. I can ignore my own, because I can live anywhere. As a freelancer who stays at home, I don't have to go to work every day like a corporate slave. When I get home, I don't have much time for entertainment. I wish I could stay at home and get moldy on weekends. So, living comfortably is the best.

"Mr. Spencer said that the remaining Self-Defense Forces near Tokyo are now stationed on the fourth runway of Haneda Airport and are planning to withdraw. Aircraft can take off and land there."

Haneda Airport's fourth runway was built on an artificial island in the sea, on the basis of the original Haneda Airport. There is only one road connecting the runway to the mainland, so it can be said to be very safe.

"Eh~, I see." Is this a plan to completely abandon Tokyo? Or is it intended as a base for a counterattack?

But since the runway is still operational, are the Sawamura family planning to seek refuge in the UK?

After all, Sawamura's father is a diplomat; if Britain had the time, they would probably send a plane to pick him up...

...I think so?

Uesugi Genshin sat on the sofa and said directly, "I'm here to pick you up. I also have some business to attend to in the port area. You can pack your luggage first and pack up anything useful."

“Okay,” Kasumigaoka Utaha replied, handing over the water.

Taking the water glass from her hand, Uesugi Genshin leaned back and slumped onto the sofa, not wanting to move much.

Kasumigaoka Utaha ran upstairs with a "thump thump," while Kato Megumi sat on the sofa next to her.

"Aren't you going?" Uesugi Genshin asked, tilting his head to the side on the sofa.

"It's all packed up, there's nothing to take care of," Kato Megumi replied.

They had packed all their belongings into their suitcases so they could leave at any time, except for one or two changes of clothes.

"Really? Is everything alright here?" Uesugi Genshin asked with concern.

"Nothing special, it's very quiet." Kato Megumi chuckled softly. She could laugh too, but her smile carried a hint of sadness and self-mockery.

A quiet environment means danger; perhaps only zombies remain. This is the apocalypse.

Is there enough food?

"Well, Aunt Sayuri had stocked up on groceries at home for a week, but she left right away. Plus, Uesugi-san brought some, so it's enough for me and Kasumigaoka-senpai to eat."

When there are only two people left, especially two girls, the food is consumed much more slowly.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you, Aki-kun went home too. I think his house is nearby." Kato Megumi herself had almost forgotten.

"Hmm." It seems that An Yi went home first before deciding to leave.

"...Are we having red bean rice tonight? We don't have any red beans at home, oh, and we don't have any cowpeas either." Kato Megumi somehow brought up something else.

"What are you talking about?" Uesugi Genshin was too lazy to turn his head, resting his head on the sofa and staring blankly at the ceiling.

Cowpeas (also known as string beans) were used instead of red beans because red beans are more likely to break during cooking, which is associated with "seppuku" (ritual suicide). Samurai in the Edo period considered this a bad omen, so they used cowpeas, which are less likely to break during cooking and do not have pods.

This custom gradually spread to areas near Tokyo. In some parts of Chiba Prefecture, peanuts and chestnuts are even added to red beans or cowpeas and cooked with rice, resulting in red rice.

However, they are all collectively referred to as red rice or red bean rice.

"Ah! I'll go upstairs and help Kasumigaoka-senpai." Kato Megumi stood up and walked upstairs as well.

There shouldn't be anything to pack, but the senior student didn't come down for a long time.

She wasn't found in her room; all the doors, including the guest rooms, were open. Kato Megumi eventually found Kasumigaoka Utaha in the master bedroom, which was also Mr. Spencer and Aunt Sayuri's bedroom.

"What are you looking for, senior?" Kato Megumi tilted her head and looked at her senior, who was kneeling on the carpet and rummaging through the bedside table.

"No!" Kasumigaoka Utaha suddenly turned around and shouted.

"What do you mean, 'nothing'?" she didn't understand.

Chapter 102: Then I'll study on my own.

Humanity would not prosper without the union of men and women.

Therefore, sex is reasonable, and love is sacred.

Reasonable and sacred actions should not be criticized, at any time.

"I see." Kato Megumi squatted down next to Kasumigaoka Utaha, nodding her head in a daze. "Senpai was worried that if she got pregnant, it would be a lot of trouble."

Now is not a good time. If they were to flee again, they would become a burden, something Kasumigaoka Utaha desperately wants to avoid.

"Hmm..." Kasumigaoka Utaha murmured softly. Having not experienced the setback of a "heartbreak," she was still a naive person when it came to love.

Now, the Spencers, who absolutely should have bought it—it's a normal thing for a married couple—couldn't find it at all.

Did they take all their aunt and uncle with them? Not a single one left. Did they really have the leisure to do *that* while evacuating the whole family? This was something Kasumigaoka Utaha couldn't understand.

Or is it used for something else, like a buoyancy bag? Or a tourniquet?

"I think it's because you're overthinking it," Kato Megumi thought, assuming that you were probably overthinking things, even though your considerations were indeed reasonable.

She tapped her chin and said, "Uesugi-kun probably won't care at all."

"No, today is a dangerous day." Kasumigaoka Utaha hugged her knees and buried her face in them.

"......"is that so?

Kato Megumi's expression remained unchanged, but her heart was in turmoil. This topic was far too shocking for a girl like her who had never been in love before.

"I...I'll go check on Uesugi-san." She stood up and patted her skirt.

"I'll pack my things and not stay here another night." Kasumigaoka Utaha abandoned the idea that had just crossed her mind.