My youth story cannot be a knight war

A bent finger followed the spring theorem and popped out, hitting Miou's forehead with a crisp sound. Then Zaimokuza's other hand climbed up to her soft head and rubbed her hair hard.

Combing the shiny black hair into a bird's nest, Zaimokuza smiled as he watched the girl looking up at him with tearful eyes, and spoke in a bad mood.

"Yes! For example, I've always wanted to do this to you."

He bent the index finger of his other hand and tapped Miou's smooth forehead with the back of his finger.

"Because only this way can you know the consequences of a child deceiving an adult! Don't lie to me again!"

"Woo~ Bully!"

After twisting her head hard to break free from Zaimokuza's teasing, Miou covered her forehead, which was red from being hit, with both hands, and looked at Zaimokuza with great anger as he withdrew his hands, her cheeks puffed up like an inflated pufferfish.

"Mr. Zaimokuza, you're going too far!"

"This is the best way to deal with naughty kids."

He snapped his fingers and remained extremely calm in the face of Miou's accusation.

"Hmm~ Never mind."

After staring at Zaimokuza with a puffed face for a while, Miou let out a breath and said helplessly.

She watched Zaimokuza turn his head and look forward, and she also looked back with her hands behind her back. Together, they faced the sky, which had sunk and turned into the night sky, and looked at everything below.

Below this tall building is a vast city that stretches to the end of the sight, but this city is now as dilapidated as the ancient city of Athens left over from ancient Greece. Its former prosperity cannot cover up the deep sense of decline it now has.

Many white life-saving tents were opened in various places in the city, and many ragged people with gloomy faces were walking around in these refugee camps. They were like the embodiment of the city's present. The pain and anxiety about the future were embodied in the hearts of these people and became the atmosphere that enveloped the entire city, forming a silent barrier.

This is Tokyo, the city where Zaimokuza fought for a whole year, and everything in front of him is the final result of the efforts of him and others.

Looking at the people walking and the city below, the smile on Zaimokuza's face slowly disappeared. He looked at the ruined city silently, wondering what he was thinking.

And at a certain moment, Zaimokuza's gaze froze for a moment, staring intently at one of the refugee camps.

There was a police car parked there. A young police officer in a black windbreaker opened the door and walked out, carrying a lot of food towards the refugee camp. When many children inside saw him, they immediately cheered and rushed forward, tightly surrounding the young police officer with a helpless expression in the center.

"Aren't you going to say goodbye, Zaimokuza-san?"

Miou noticed Zaimokuza's gaze and also looked over there. After seeing the scene over there, he asked.

"This might be your last chance, huh?"

"No need... I've already said everything I wanted to say."

Zaimokuza turned his gaze away from Kousaka Kyosuke who was being hugged by the children, looked at the girl who was peeking out from beside him, and said with a smile.

"And even if I wanted to say goodbye... Mr. Kousaka and the others wouldn't be able to see me now."

“…Indeed.”

After hearing this, Miou was silent for a moment, then nodded in response to Zaimokuza.

"So, Mr. Zaimokuza, do you need to go somewhere else?"

"Okay, but I'll go alone."

Zaimokuza said with a smile as he reached out and touched Miou's hair.

"As for you, you'd better go back to Mr. Rick as soon as possible, otherwise he will be worried if you stay away for too long."

"Mo~ I'm no longer a child who gets lost and can't find my way home!"

Miou angrily slapped away Zaimokuza's hand that was playing tricks on her head and spoke.

"Hmm~?"

Zaimokuza let out a loud nasal sound from his nose, glanced at Miou, and used his eyes instead of his mouth to express his thoughts:

Do you think I believe it?

Miou, who noticed Zaimokuza's gaze, became even more angry. She stomped her feet on the floor tiles, which destroyed her gentle image. Her pupils rolled in her eye sockets, and the corners of her mouth suddenly curled up in a cunning arc.

Then she looked at Zaimokuza with feigned anger and spoke angrily.

"I'll prove it to you, Zaimokuza-san! I'm not a child anymore."

"Oh? How do you want to prove it?"

Zaimokuza rolled his eyes and said with a smile.

"First, Mr. Zaimokuza, please turn your head and bend down."

Miou put one hand behind her back, and swung the other hand along with her outstretched index finger, with a serious expression on her beautiful face as she spoke.

"okay."

Although he had no idea what her move was, Zaimokuza obediently turned his head and bent down.

Then, he felt a soft touch on the side of his face, and his black hair fluttered in the night sky.

"???"

Zaimokuza was stunned at that moment, until the flying hair fell from his eyes, he blinked and reacted.

He covered his face with his hand and turned around to look, but apart from the night wind blowing beside him, he could no longer see the girl.

"Yeah yeah~"

Realizing he had been taken by surprise, Zaimokuza rubbed his face with his fingers and shook his head wordlessly.

"Isn't this still a child?"

After he finished speaking, he turned his gaze back again, staring intently at the figure in the refugee camp over there, carrying a cheering little girl on his back, holding another child's hand and walking towards the refugee camp with a group of people, and pursed his lips.

Finally, he took a deep look, then withdrew his gaze and took another step forward.

Jingle bell bell~

The unique ringing sound of the Shinkansen's approaching station came to his ears. Zaimokuza stood in the empty carriage, staring at a person sitting in the carriage in front of him.

It was also a girl with long black hair. She sat upright with her fists clenched and placed flat on her knees. She was wearing casual clothes and a down jacket, and she turned her head to look at the gradually darkening night sky outside the window.

She was obviously a very quiet person. Even in the carriage where she was alone, she didn't make a sound. Zaimokuza just stood at the end of the carriage and looked at her, without saying a word.

The distance between them was neither far nor close, and they were both equally silent, but one of them was completely unaware that there was actually another person here.

When the Shinkansen arrived at the station, the girl stood up, picked up the suitcase at her feet, and walked towards the door.

Zaimokuza watched the girl approach from a distance, then walked past him without saying a word, just watching her walk out of the car door.

When the girl walked out of the door, two figures rushed out from somewhere and hugged her tightly. Her cries filled the entire train platform.

"Mio—you're finally back!"

"Mio~chan~ I miss you so much! Woo woo woo~"

"Ryu! Wei! Mo~ This is a public place, don't do this!"

Facing Hirasawa Yui and Tainanaka Ritsu who were hugging her, Akiyama Mio reached out helplessly to hug them, then looked up at Kotobuki and Nakano Azusa who were jogging towards her from a distance, and finally smiled.

"Everyone... I'm back."

"..."

Zaimokuza, standing inside the carriage, smiled as he looked outside the door at a group of girls hugging each other on the platform after a long separation, his eyes gently watching their expressions, whether they were crying or laughing.

He just watched quietly until the train's departure bell rang again, and the train door slowly closed in front of him. Then Zaimokuza finally said his first words.

"Goodbye~"

"Ugh?"

Hearing familiar and nostalgic voices coming from behind, Akiyama Mio, who was hugging several of her best friends, suddenly stiffened and her clear eyes widened.

She reacted immediately and turned to look at the car door that was about to close.

The car was completely empty, not even a single person was inside. There were only pillars and hand grips standing there, nothing else.

Looking at the closing door and watching the train go away with the long whistle, the stunned Akiyama Mio murmured.

"...Mr. Zaimokuza?"

……

The Shinkansen entered a pitch-black tunnel, and when the scenery outside the window was shrouded in darkness, Zaimokuza finally withdrew his gaze.

He turned his head, looked at the countless connected carriages in front of him, and lowered his eyes.

Zaimokuza took a step forward and walked silently towards the end of the carriages. The glass windows around him did not reflect his shadow at all as he walked past, like a ghost that no one noticed.

Everything that needed to be said has been said.

I have met all the people I wanted to meet.

Then, next, we should——

"Zaimokuza."

A familiar voice, transcending time and distance, rang in Zaimokuza's ears. He suddenly stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening instantly.

"—!"

His pupils trembled with disbelief, and Zaimokuza slowly turned around and looked behind him.

Behind them was the old campus of the university that was gradually being covered with a layer of white as it landed. Several people were standing at the school gate, quietly watching Zaimokuza turn around.

Standing at the back of the group was a female teacher in a white coat, and standing side by side in the front were three students in school uniforms, one boy and two girls.

Standing between the pink-haired girl and the black-haired girl was a thin boy with short black hair. He had one hand on his waist and looked at Zaimokuza silently with a pair of dead fish eyes.

The remaining three people also looked at him, with warm smiles on their faces.

Looking at the several people who appeared in front of him, Zaimokuza stood blankly at the intersection opposite the school. He did not move forward nor make a sound, his eyes were dazed as if he was dreaming.

Wow~

The sudden strong wind disrupted the trajectory of the wind and snow. The wind mixed with snowflakes blew past, and those familiar people turned into phantoms that dissipated in the wind.

Now there was only one person left standing at the school gate. The hem of his black windbreaker fluttered in the wind, and his calm dark eyes under his bangs reflected Zaimokuza's figure without saying a word.

"..."

When he saw this person appear, Zaimokuza's lips trembled and opened and closed, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he chose to close it.

The two of them were separated by a street, looking at each other in different directions, their eyes gazing into each other's eyes, and they could see their own existence in each other's eyes.

Zaimokuza raised his hand and rubbed the bottom of his slightly red nose with his fingers, looking at the man with eyes that were shimmering with lake-like ripples.

——Have you seen the story I wrote?

Hikigaya Hachiman remained silent, just continued to stare into Zaimokuza's eyes.

——I saw it, from the beginning to the end.

None of them spoke, but at this moment they both understood each other's unspoken thoughts through each other's eyes.

"……Yeah?"

Zaimokuza put down his hand that was rubbing against his nose and said with a smile.

"Our agreement is fulfilled."

"..."

In response to his words, Hikigaya closed his eyes and chose not to answer.

The snow fell heavier at this time, and the whole world slowly turned pure white. Apart from this touch of color, there was nothing left in the world.

All this was just like that snowy night in my dream.

And the last promise that was once made was fulfilled in this same snowy scene.

Even though Hikigaya didn't answer, Zaimokuza didn't care. He just smiled and looked up at the sky where snow was falling.

I don't know when it started, but a blazing white light broke through the dark clouds and continued to expand.

The areas covered by this light began to melt into dazzling streams of light and dissipated. The entire world began to tremble, foreshadowing its impending collapse.

In the trembling world, Zaimokuza turned his back to Hikigaya and raised his right hand in a farewell gesture.

Then he took a step forward, his steps briskly moving towards the border of the world ahead that gradually dissipated in the light, and light particles of the same color began to rise from his body.

Hikigaya slowly opened his eyes and watched the figure walk into the light. He walked farther and farther away and never looked back.

To the first friend in his life, he whispered the last words to each other.

"Goodbye."