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

Chapter 224: The Duties of a Lover

Even with such a disadvantage, she still wanted to win; that's the spirit of the Yukinoshita family's daughter.

Driven by her burning desire to win, she gripped the knife tightly, her palms already damp with sweat, resulting in a subtle change in feel.

The other person is probably in the same situation, but their physical strength is clearly not on the same level. It seems that a month's worth of exercise is still not enough.

She sighed inwardly. The abdominal muscles she had secretly touched last time were not something that could be developed in just one month. They must have been exercising regularly. Where did such a high level of self-awareness and self-discipline come from?

Slowly approaching until the tip of the blade is facing the tip of the blade, one step is enough to attack the opponent; this is known in swordsmanship as "one foot, one blade".

At this very distance, Yukinoshita Haruno deflected his sword and began her attack, but Uesugi Genshin seized the opportunity to slash horizontally, interrupting her stance and preventing her from continuing her attack.

After a brief exchange, the two returned to square one.

In an instant, she pushed off the ground with both feet and Yukinoshita Haruno's sword slashed towards her opponent's chest, its trajectory never straying from the central axis, thus maximizing her own protection.

Uesugi Genshin drew his sword and slashed back; the speed of the attack was so fast that it became a blur in the eyes of onlookers.

In the blink of an eye, a crisp snapping sound rang out, and they saw the wooden knife break.

The broken piece spun and crashed to the ground, its reverberation echoing loudly in the now-silent dojo, drawing everyone's attention.

The next second, they both exclaimed in surprise.

"really?"

"Hey hey..."

"Unbelievable!"

"I never expected it to break."

"...How terrifying." Whether this refers to the battle or the people involved, only the person in question knows.

She swung the much lighter wooden sword, but it no longer made a whooshing sound as it cut through the air. Yukino sighed, wondering when was the last time she felt this resentment.

"Let's call it a draw." Uesugi Genshin lowered his wrist and announced the result of the battle.

"Yes, thank you for going easy on me."

Hearing Yukinoshita Haruno's cheerful voice, he shook his head and said modestly, "No, I did my best."

“Yes, yes…” Anyway, it wasn’t about going all out to defeat her, Yukinoshita Haruno smiled with narrowed eyes.

Only if the opponent launches a full-scale attack will Uesugi Genshin have a chance to break the wooden sword in Yukinoshita Haruno's hand, allowing the battle to end gracefully.

Yang Nai probably guessed it too, otherwise she wouldn't have cooperated with him so readily.

"...There should be, right?" Uesugi Genshin suddenly looked at the other person with suspicion.

At this moment, Yukino took off her mask and flicked her tied ponytail.

The sweat on his face had a wet, beautiful quality; it looked so healthy, that's what bodybuilding is all about.

Noticing that she was being watched, Yukino looked at her with a smile that crinkled her eyes, but that smile gave her an indescribable feeling, like the itchy sensation of a frozen hand touching a warm place.

Is that really considered a smile?

Shaking his head and giving up thinking, Uesugi Genshin also took off his mask. The cool air rushed in instantly, and the sense of openness in his vision felt like liberation.

He handed the wooden sword to Hayasaka, who had stepped forward, and at the same time took off his rather clumsy protective gear. It protected him but also made him feel cumbersome, especially since Yukinoshita Haruno hadn't hit him even once.

It's much more comfortable not wearing any clothes. My back and forehead are covered in sweat. I tugged at my collar to let some air in, and took the towel Mai handed me. Her eyes were darting around, and she looked quite happy, as if to say that we still won in the end.

"That's all, dismissed." Uesugi Genshin said to his subordinates who were gathered around him, carrying his protective gear to the inner wall and then putting it down. Afterwards, the health department personnel would come to clean it.

"oh oh."

Then everyone took off their protective gear and walked outside, except for Hachiman, Mai, and... Yoshiteru Zaimokuza.

“Zaimokuza, you’re already a qualified strongman.” Uesugi Genshin stepped forward and patted his arm.

Sure enough, even if someone who was already that fat loses 100 pounds, they're still fat.

Looking at his gradually developing square face, Uesugi Genshin knew that this man was definitely not going to become a handsome man; he was heading down the path of becoming a muscular, strong man.

"Is this a compliment?" Zai Muzu asked, adjusting his glasses with a puzzled look.

"Of course it's a compliment," Hachiman laughed. What did you think he did for the past month of supervision?

After moving in together, I had more time and energy to better supervise him, and I deserve the credit for his current weight loss.

"From now on, Hachiman will continue to supervise you at the apartment; no further training is needed."

"Really?" His small eyes were filled with surprise.

"Hmm~" Uesugi Genshin replied to Zaimokuza using Zaimokuza's catchphrase, a satisfied smile on his face.

"Hmm~~~" With her hands on her hips, she burst into loud laughter, tears welling up in her eyes. "As expected of me! I actually survived such a dark day."

He then recited a poem aloud: "In May, the fine rain and dew are still heavy, so let me entrust my name to the wings of the cuckoo, and soar gracefully into the clouds."

"Isn't this a death poem? You idiot, you've used it in the wrong place." Hachiman, who was well-versed in history, immediately remembered that this was the poem written by the swordsman general Ashikaga Yoshiteru when he fought against the army of Matsunaga Hisahide, the greatest villain of the Sengoku period, at his own residence. It was said to have been written on his wife's sleeve.

"Right? I'm so cool, aren't I!"

Unrepentant, he even grinned at him, showing his front teeth. Hachiman felt exhausted. If he could reduce the time for a while longer and wait until the boy got used to it, he could move out.

That's what he was thinking, then the sound of knocking on the door frame made him look towards the doorway.

"Why are you here?" The person who came was Kawasaki Saki. Hachiman looked around and realized that she was probably here to see him; she couldn't possibly be looking for someone else.

"Um, I need to talk to you about something." As usual, his tone sounded displeased, but there was also hesitation in it.

"Oh." Hachiman replied without much thought, and started walking outside. Then he saw Ebina hiding behind Kawasaki. "Eh..."

"Yah hello~" Hina Ebina greeted, realizing she couldn't hide anymore. Was she unable to hide or did she never intend to hide at all?

"Zaimokuza is gone." Hachiman turned and called out to Zaimukza Yoshiteru, hoping he could break the deadlock.

"Oh!" Just as Yoshiteru Zaimokuza, who couldn't see into the air, walked up to Hachiman's side.

Saki Kawasaki stated directly and plainly, "I want to find just you."

"Well... I'll take my leave now." Now that he finally understood, Yoshiteru Zaimokuza gave Hachiman a cool look, then casually walked away first.

Watching Hachiman's hunched back as he walked at the back, Uesugi Genshin gloated, "What a disaster."

"What happened to them?" Mai asked assertively, following his gaze in that direction.

"Something must have happened." Confirming her guess, Uesugi Genshin turned to look at her. "The apocalypse has really changed a lot of things."

It acts as a catalyst for a stagnant relationship, making it easier to express vague, unconscious feelings.

If you treated today as if it were your last day, the world would change.

"That's how it is." Mai raised her head slightly. Although it wasn't common, she knew that the two girls seemed to have a good relationship with her lover's friends, so their problem was indeed related to their relationship.

She turned to look at her lover, "Mom, we're leaving soon."

"Then I'll go deliver it too."

"Yes, she plans to work for the Chiba Self-Help Committee. It's said that Mrs. Yukinoshita there thinks highly of her."

"Is that so?" After all, they are both strong women, so they should have a lot in common.

Furthermore, since most women there are currently unemployed, they might need such a capable woman to handle matters that are difficult for men to manage.

He then brought up another matter, saying, "I would feel even more lonely tonight if you weren't here."

Mai's fingers slipped between his fingers.

Fingers intertwined.

My heart is racing.

"You're not lonely at all, are you?" There was a hidden meaning in her words.

He used his fingers forcefully, but Uesugi Genshin didn't feel any pain; it was just him being affectionate.

Mai's profile, as she spoke, appeared somewhat shy, which amazed him.

At the same time, he seemed both pleased and happy to see Uesugi Genshin's surprised expression.

"I know, I was going to keep you company tonight anyway."

A surge of emotion welled up within him. Looking around the empty dojo, Uesugi Genshin casually said, "Tell me, should we...?"

Then she got stepped on. Because she was wearing pants and no pantyhose, the feel wasn't quite perfect, and she glared at herself.

"Let's go! I'll go back and take a shower first; I'm all sweaty and dirty. Then I'll take Mom to school."

As she spoke, she pulled him forward.

"Really not..."

"what do you want to say?"

With an expression that said "I'm really going to get angry if you keep talking," Uesugi Genshin knew that the special scene couldn't be unlocked.

"It's nothing." His tone was sullen.

My hand was gently squeezed again.

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

"It's so slow, Mai." Mai's mother's gaze naturally drifted to the two of them holding hands.

She was standing in front of the car, arms crossed, her black clothes exuding the charm of a mature woman.

Will Mai be like this in the future? Uesugi Genshin couldn't help but imagine the future.

"Wasn't it supposed to be 10:30?" Mai glanced at Uesugi Genshin, though she had spent a lot of time in the bathroom because of someone.

Uesugi Genshin wanted to return a playful smile, but Mai's eyes told him "don't do anything unnecessary," so he readily complied and was very obedient, like a dog that had eaten its fill of bones. He thought the analogy was quite apt.

"Is that so? Never mind then." Mai's mother seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. She glanced at her watch again. "It's about time we went."

Before Mai could reply, Mai's mother opened the car door.

After getting into the driver's seat, she looked up at Mai standing next to the car before closing the door and said, "You probably don't have a good eye for men, just like me. Be careful not to let him be too promiscuous."

He never expected her to say such things. This left Uesugi Genshin unsure how to react, and he was unusually a little embarrassed.

She really is a mother.

“Absolutely no problem.” Mai replied decisively, without even looking at her mother.

"You're really confident," Mai's mother remarked, her tone a mix of complexity and amusement.

"After all, I trust his judgment."

Of course, Uesugi Genshin has very high standards. Ordinary pretty girls won't even catch his eye. Looks alone aren't enough. Just like he told Yumiko before, he would pass on anyone he didn't know. Besides, his heart is only so big. If he cuts it a few more times, it will be completely shattered.

"That's what you say, but knowing your character, you'll definitely keep a close eye on them."

Mai's mother said this as if she had already seen through everything.

"this......"

Mai was momentarily speechless, her sore spot touched. However...

"At least I won't make him feel restricted like you do."

She immediately retorted in a low voice, not referring to her mother's divorce, but to herself.

Mai's mother ignored Mai, who was clearly in the wrong, and turned to look at Uesugi Genshin, saying indifferently.

“Gen Shin-kun.” Mai’s mother turned her gaze to him.

"Ah, okay." Having fallen in love with her daughter, Uesugi Genshin bowed respectfully.

"As you can see, my daughter is willful and difficult to please, but I'd still appreciate it if you could take good care of her."

It was a reasonable statement, and Uesugi Genshin had roughly guessed it. At this point, she wouldn't object to their relationship. She might have expressed some opinion on his private life, but now her words made Uesugi Genshin feel that he had worried for nothing.

"I will do my best."

By the time Uesugi Genshin made that promise, Mai's mother had already closed the car door, fastened her seatbelt, and stepped on the gas.

So she must have heard it.

Watching the car drive out of the wall, Uesugi Genshin ordered the students of Sobu High School to re-seal the exit with barriers.

"Mai, you should leave the Execution Department."