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

"The same old routine, using work to numb myself, is that decent or not?"

Contrary to Hachiman's expectations, Genshin's words surprised him slightly.

"Eh~, what an accident." What does Yukinoshita Haruno mean by "accident"?

“Isn’t that how it is for both of us? We’re both having a tough time.” Uesugi Genshin didn’t look at Hino, but instead looked at the fields in the distance.

"Once I'm done with this, I'll probably go see Yukino." Yukinoshita Haruno tilted her head and smiled.

"I'll pass it on for you."

Are you sure you'll get the message across?

"I have plans to go to Shuchiin in Tokyo with Yukinoshita for negotiations, and I can visit here on my way back."

“Tokyo…” She gave him a meaningful look.

When Uesugi Genshin looked back, all he could see were incredibly soft and delicate eyelashes and beautiful eyes.

What's wrong with Tokyo?

"We've arrived at the next point."

"Here?" Uesugi Genshin looked at the warehouse-like building and followed Yukinoshita Haruno inside.

There were many people inside, most of them wrapped up tightly. A few were wearing camouflage, probably members of the Self-Defense Forces, while others were wearing black SWAT uniforms.

Japan has two types of special police: SIT and SAT.

Simply put, the difference is that the SIT, which is responsible for arresting heinous criminals, captures them alive, while the SAT, which deals with terrorist attacks such as hijackings, will shoot rather than talk.

"Miss Yukinoshita, these two aren't among the scheduled guests." A square-faced adult man in camouflage put down his cup of noodles and walked over.

“It’s alright, Mr. Murai, these two are with me.” Yukinoshita Haruno’s face wore a fake, formal smile.

"Aren't they students?... If you think it's good, then it's fine." The man named Murai seemed surprisingly easy to talk to. He walked back to his seat, picked up his cup noodles, blew on them, and slurped them into his mouth.

"Is everyone here?" Yukinoshita asked.

"There are a few more," a man in a gray motorcycle suit replied as he approached.

Yukinoshita Haruno glanced at him, nodded, and turned to Uesugi Genshin and the other, saying, "It seems we'll have to wait a little while."

"Oh." Neither of them had any objections.

The three of them walked to a corner and sat down on chairs. Uesugi Genshin and Yukinoshita Haruno sat side by side, while Hachiman moved behind them.

"You look quite imposing," Uesugi Genshin quipped softly, turning his head slightly toward Yukinoshita.

"You want to ask why they listen to me?" Yukinoshita Haruno turned her head towards him and said, "That's because I was in charge of the outing team from the beginning, and they joined later."

"That's it."

"Isn't it cruel to make your daughter take responsibility for something like this?" It's more of a rant than a complaint.

"Ah... I think those who can wield power in the apocalypse will live longer."

However, he remembered that the Yukinoshita family's internal educational policy was to create rivals in order to constantly surpass them; this family was full of devils.

Chapter 202: You Won't Let Me Die

"Where did all these people come from?" Uesugi Genshin changed the subject.

“Those are the soldiers of the 1st Airborne Regiment.” Yukinoshita Haruno didn’t specify, but she was referring to the soldiers in camouflage. “Some of their families are already living here.”

People with family members are not considered a safety hazard; this is common sense.

There were only six people in total, and they were all holding guns with them hanging in front of them. The one named Murai put his gun aside and focused on eating noodles.

Do they still have ammunition in their guns?

"Basically not. I'm more curious, though, who's stronger, you with a knife or him with a gun?"

"This is a strange question. The two are not comparable. If I could, I would also like to have a gun."

"That means you can't beat him."

"In ancient times, battlefields were always long and intense; if a long spear could be used, a short sword would never be used." Uesugi Genshin said in a low voice, "Well, in close combat, it's a 50/50 chance, depending on who gets the first move. The side that launches the surprise attack will win. You... why did you ask that question?"

With a smile, Yukino Yukinoshita glanced at the other half of the room, "And those few are from SIT and SAT who live around here. After the zombies appeared, they couldn't contact their departments and ended up staying here."

Special police officers deal with terrorists year-round. Unless they're new recruits, they've at least seen blood. Japan isn't that safe, and their combat effectiveness is much stronger than that of ordinary Self-Defense Force members.

As for comparison with special forces, I don't know, as their training methods are different.

"The remaining people include employees of my father's company, as well as those who joined from other survivor teams." In other words, the composition is complex.

"I understand. Where are we going to sit later?"

"A convoy, SUVs parked outside."

"Which type?" SUVs are divided into two types: city vehicles and dedicated off-road vehicles.

“We have all kinds, but ours is for city use, and it’s four-wheel drive.” As she spoke, she opened her palm to show the key hanging on her index finger.

Her skin was as clear as jade, and her hands were very beautiful. Then, Uesugi Genshin used his fingernail to scratch the calluses on her hands.

“You have one too,” she said casually.

That look made him shiver with cold; was it because he had reminded the other person that there were calluses on their hands?

Ah~, even Yukinoshita Haruno can't help but care about this kind of thing, right?

Her bright red lips curved into a smile, and her large eyes arched like bows as she stared at him.

His long legs, which were pressed together, moved slightly, and his toes kicked his shoes.

"It's not serious. Just wear gloves and take care of your hands, and the calluses will disappear." It's not like they're incurable.

"Hmph~, I know perfectly well." With that, she took out gloves from her pocket and put them on. They were fingerless.

So, Uesugi Genshin and Hachiman also took out their gloves and put them on, with their fingers sticking out.

The gloves themselves were fingerless, but they had all been cut open.

The fingertips have a wide distribution of nerve endings, which can improve sensory sensitivity.

In comparison, those that don't expose the fingers are mostly used for insulation.

This reminded him of the winters in Stalingrad, when there were no gloves, and people simply wrapped their hands in cloth, but their hands weren't cold because their fingers would warm up as they fired the gun.

Their actions signaled a readiness to depart, and others, noticing their movements, began checking their own equipment as well.

Another person came in, and the leader of the SWAT team greeted him, "Sawada, you're too slow."

"Sorry, sorry." Without saying anything, the man named Sawada walked over, bowing deeply.

“Mr. Sawada has three children,” Yukinoshita Haruno explained, turning her head to explain why the man had arrived so late.

He was almost always among those who were late, which is why he was known as "Late Sawada".

"That's impressive, three children." Hachiman remarked from behind them. Three children are a rare find in today's society. "He and his wife must be very loving."

"Maybe I'll have several children in the future," Uesugi Genshin said jokingly, turning around.

"You and him are completely different, okay?" And please don't use a joking tone; what you said is absolutely not a joke.

Before Uesugi Genshin could even tease him about whether he might be one of them, he said...

Soon, a few more people arrived. Murai had already finished his cup noodles, even drinking the soup clean. He crumpled the cup into a ball and threw it into the trash can.

He stood up and walked towards Yukinoshita. "Is everyone here? We can almost set off."

Apart from the two people that Yukino Haruno brought, the rest were all familiar faces from before.

"Let's discuss the group assignments first." He moved a chair in front of Yukinoshita Haruno.

To be honest, given his size, standing wouldn't be very friendly to either of them, and he knew that, so he simply sat down.

“There are quite a few people involved in this operation, and I hope you can split them up,” Yukino Haruno offered her opinion. “If the combat strength is uneven, it will take a lot of effort to rescue people if we encounter danger. It’s best to avoid any casualties.”

"Yes." They couldn't quite put their finger on why the six of them would work together so well. Now that they were a team, they couldn't just stand by and watch someone die if they were really in danger.

"If it's a group, three to four people is best." Yukino Yukinoshita didn't keep her voice down when she spoke, and everyone here could hear her. She also made a point of glancing around at the people looking at her.

“Yes, this is just enough for one more car.” Murai had no objections. “So, Ms. Yukinoshita, is this all there is to your group?”

He was referring to the two people the other party had brought. As he spoke, he glanced at the knife at the waist of the young man beside him, which was hanging from his side by a cord from his belt, and his hand casually resting on the hilt of the knife.

No, it's not that casual. He has no doubt that he can draw his knife in the blink of an eye, no matter what the situation.

The person sitting behind the two others had a specially modified baseball bat in hand when they came in, but it was stained with red blood that hadn't been cleaned off. It seems that Ms. Yukinoshita wasn't one of the two people who added the two on a whim.

“Yes.” Yukino Yukinoshita smiled, squinting her eyes. If they hadn’t happened to come by, she would probably be with her father’s former colleagues.

Then everyone discussed the specific group assignments. The six members of the Self-Defense Force were split into three groups, and the members of SAT and SIT were also basically divided into two groups based on their personal relationships. There were only three of them.

There are a total of eight groups of people, and in the end there will probably be eight cars.

"Sorry I'm late." The door opened, and Kuriyama walked in.

"You're not on the list, are you?" Murai looked around in confusion. All the groups had been assigned by now, and he was only arriving now.

These words made Kuriyama, who had just walked in, freeze, and his expression instantly turned ugly.

"Kuriyama-kun, did your father agree to your coming?" Yukinoshita asked with a smile.

“Agreed.” He nodded.

Kuriyama... Murai pondered. He knew that the other party's father was a member of the committee, but the people involved in this operation had all been vetted and carefully selected. After all, it was very dangerous, and no one could say for sure whether there would be any sacrifices.

“I also want to do my part.” Kuriyama’s eloquent words left Murai speechless.

"So, regarding the grouping... if Ms. Yukinoshita doesn't intend to add anyone, he looked at his comrade-in-arms, Furuya, who then looked at the ceiling. Okay."

Then he looked at S's group, but when they saw him looking at them, they turned their heads to look at the other two groups, clearly indicating that they were refusing and directing him to look over there.

When forming groups, people also pay attention to how close they are to each other. Most of the time, people who are familiar with each other or who get along well are paired up first, and then the rest are added to make up the number of people.

But nobody wants to suddenly accept the son of a committee member. Once he's in their group, shouldn't they protect him?

Although Kuriyama often participates in missions, it is precisely because of this identity that, upon reflection, one instantly does not want to provoke him. No one can guarantee their own safety, and one is in a state of great anxiety, instinctively rejecting other unstable factors.

"I'll just go with Haruno." Seeing that Murai and the others didn't react, Kuriyama said nonchalantly.

"Um, I'll be on the front lines, so I can't guarantee Kuriyama-kun's safety. Is that alright?"

Yukino's words made Kuriyama hesitate. He had originally wanted to say in a cool way that he would protect Yukino, but everyone knew that Yukino was always at the forefront and didn't need his protection at all in terms of combat power. His face flushed as he stammered.

But for some reason, he smiled subtly and said, "This is troublesome."

"Forget it, it would be bad if something happened to Kuriyama-kun." Then Yukinoshita Haruno clearly refused, "I've already told my parents in case I don't come back this time."

This made Kuriyama's face even more gloomy and ugly, as if he was about to explode in anger at any moment.

Someone from another group called out, "Kuriyama-san, come to our group."

The speaker was a member of the survivor group that Kuriyama's father had brought. Even though they were now scattered and living separately, they still had to take care of them out of respect for his father, since they were familiar with each other and it wouldn't be good if they were noticed later.

“Okay.” The next second, Kuriyama turned his head as if nothing had happened, his expression changing so quickly that Hachiman was speechless.

“Then let’s set off,” Yukinoshita Haruno announced.

They each took their weapons and walked out of the warehouse. There were indeed cars parked on the open space next to it, and more than eight of them. It seemed that vehicles used for going out were gathered together.

However, each car was reinforced with steel plates all around, especially the hood, which made Uesugi Genshin touch it with a hint of envy.

"I'll install it for you later, and while I'm at it, I'll check the car's condition. We have someone here who can fix cars."

"Thank you."

Yukinoshita Haruno graciously accepted Uesugi Genshin's thanks.

Suddenly, Uesugi Genshin felt someone staring at him. He looked in that direction and saw Kuriyama's back as he got into the car. "..."

After he took the knife out of his hand and sat in the passenger seat, he suggested to Yukinoshita Haruno, who was starting the car, "Should we make him disappear?"

Hachiman, sitting in the back seat, shrank back. "Disappearing?" he thought. "Gen Shinichi said it so easily. How terrifying!"

"Oh, how kind of you?" Yukinoshita Haruno teased.

"After all, we are allies." If Yukinoshita Haruno really said that she would kill him later, then Uesugi Genshin would definitely make a move, because he knew that Yukinoshita Haruno would not betray him. She must have made all the preparations before letting him make a move. The reason for this was because of his sister, Yukinoshita Yukino.