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

It was upon seeing her that Uesugi Genshin realized that the emotionless girl truly existed—utterly emotionless, devoid of words or feelings.

"Good morning." Pure white as a sheet of paper, Kato Megumi bowed gently.

"Good morning," Uesugi Genshin said cheerfully.

"Are you leaving already?" she asked calmly, her hands neatly folded over her lower abdomen.

"Ah."

"Then I wish Uesugi-kun a safe journey." With that lighthearted blessing, she left without hesitation.

What a pure and innocent girl. By the way, did she smile just now?

Chewing on the leftover beef jerky in the refrigerator, the spicy spices in my mouth made my mouth water.

Standing in front of the apartment under the snow, Uesugi Genshin obediently pressed the doorbell, and the mechanical doorbell rang with the same monotonous sound.

After making a sound, he waited a moment, and because the apartment's soundproofing was only so-so, he could vaguely sense the presence inside the door.

Someone was walking around inside. After a few seconds, the door quietly clicked open with the hard sound of the lock turning.

They have a very good sense of security; they even lock the door at night.

Normally, this kind of mechanical lock is easy to pry open, although he didn't know who in the Soubu High School had this skill.

But such a safety measure is definitely not something that Mr. Hiratsuka, with his carefree and oblivious nature, could have come up with.

Since Shiroi-senpai moved away, not counting Rumi, there are only three people living here now. Apart from Hiratsuka-sensei, Yukinoshita and Hayasaka are both such meticulous people.

It took another two seconds before the door was fully opened.

He waited at the door, which opened silently, as if lost in thought, and Yukino Yukinoshita peeked out from the crack.

Her long, dark hair fell smoothly down as she turned her head, as silky and smooth as silk, without any dryness or split ends, and shimmering with a natural luster. Such beautiful long hair is rare in the world.

Yukinoshita is different from her usual impression.

The bright white T-shirt was clearly a size too big for her slender figure, with even her fingertips hidden in the cuffs, while her delicate collarbones could be seen near the neckline.

As if to cover the deep neckline, the other side of her black hair slid down her chest.

Below are casual pants, which, although loose, actually look quite slim on him.

"It's practically the same outfit he wears at home," Uesugi Genshin thought to himself.

"You're here." Her expression was calm, as if she had expected it. "What, haven't you eaten?"

They probably made the guess after seeing the beef jerky in his hand.

"Hmm, not yet." Uesugi Genshin replied, licking the spice off his thumb.

"There's still some porridge in the pot, I'll get you some." With a sigh, she opened the door, making room for him to come in and out. As for breakfast, he had no choice but to agree.

"Ok."

I took off my shoes in the entryway and followed Yukinoshita into the living room. The layouts of all the apartments were basically similar.

The only difference was the furniture, and Yukinoshita's apartment seemed much smaller compared to his, with the living room sofa alone taking up a lot of space.

The TV cabinet was also there, with a green potted plant next to it.

On the finely crafted glass table was an open laptop, with neatly organized documents beside it; the person had probably been working on it last night.

Without an island counter, her dining table is right next to the kitchen, which further reduces the usable space.

At that moment, Liu Mei was sitting at the dining table, picking up her bowl and drinking soup.

"Where's Hayasaka?" Uesugi Genshin waved to greet his sister, then looked around but didn't see the other resident.

As for Hiratsuka-sensei, she should have left long ago, barring any unforeseen circumstances.

"I am here."

The secretary's voice came from behind him. Uesugi Genshin turned around and saw her standing at the door of the room, dressed neatly and fully armed.

Are you in such a hurry to go back?

"What about Yang Nai?"

"My sister is still sleeping." Upon hearing Uesugi mention her sister, Yukino Yukinoshita covered her face in anguish. Her sister wasn't like this before.

As a result, I've started sleeping in late now.

"......" Did you drink too much last night?

"Sit over there, and take the knife off first." Ignoring Uesugi Genshin's complicated feelings, Yukino Yukinoshita gave the instructions, and then went into the kitchen to serve breakfast to the person who had arrived.

Hayasaka Ai had a raincoat hanging on her arm, and it seemed she was planning to put it on later.

"Clang." Uesugi Genshin removed the sword from his waist and temporarily placed it on the living room table.

Then he sat obediently at the dining table, next to his sister.

"Class starts at nine, right?" he asked, looking at the student who had returned from studying in the US.

"Yes." Rumi Tsurumi nodded.

"Nine o'clock..." Uesugi Genshin thought for a moment, wondering if he could drop her off at school before setting off.

"I will entrust her to Kasumigaoka and Sakurajima." Yukino Yukinoshita said, placing the porridge in front of him as she came out of the kitchen, revealing her plan.

That's no problem. He tilted his head and said to his sister, "Stay home and wait for us to come back."

"Okay, I'll be good." Tsurumi lowered her head as if trying to hide her expression, earnestly promising to be obedient. "So, come back quickly."

"Hahaha." Ruffling her hair, Uesugi Genshin laughed helplessly, "That's hard to say."

If it were just a trip to Shuchiin, I should have been back in a day or two.

However, Haruno also asked him to go to Haneda Airport in Ota Ward to investigate the fate of the Self-Defense Forces, which made things difficult.

"..." She pursed her lips tightly, her fragile expression impossible to hide, revealing a heart that had always been easily broken and sensitive.

"Don't worry." He pulled her onto his lap and ruffled her hair vigorously. "Your brother is very strong."

"What about Yukino-neechan?"

Upon hearing Rumi mention Yukinoshita sitting across from him, Uesugi Genshin looked up and met her gaze, while making a promise to his sister, "I will protect her too."

"..."

Instead of the expected sharp rebuttal, Yukino Yukinoshita stared into Rumi's eyes and softly stated the facts, "Don't worry, I used to study Aikido."

It means she wasn't as fragile as people thought.

“Yes, yes.” Uesugi Genshin also smiled, “So there’s absolutely no need to worry. Just stay home and wait for us to come back.”

"Mmm!" Tsurumi nodded vigorously, trying to appear strong and calm. This was the first time that both of them were going out, and neither of them was by her side.

It's like a child who's home alone while both parents are at work.

Yet they are so obedient that it breaks your heart; they are so well-behaved, never crying or making a fuss.

Wow, how can there be such an adorable little sister in the world?

He began to understand a little better what Hachiman's previous sister-obsessed boasting was like.

Seeing that Uesugi Genshin had almost finished eating, Yukino Yukinoshita, who was sitting opposite him, stood up and said, "I'm going to change my clothes."

She definitely can't wear this thin loungewear when going on a long trip, especially since she'll be going into battle, so she needs to wear something both lightweight and sturdy.

While she went inside to change her clothes, Uesugi Genshin took the empty bowl to the kitchen and started washing it.

Hiratsuka-sensei probably won't wash the dishes right away, and since Yukinoshita and Hayasaka have both left, I guess I'll just have to wash them now. Come to think of it, none of their apartments have dishwashers.

"I'll take care of it." Hayasaka Ai walked into the kitchen, intending to take over the work from Uesugi Genshin.

"No need, it'll be done soon." Uesugi Genshin declined directly, since there weren't many dishes to wash.

After washing the dishes, he placed them on a rack to air dry naturally.

The water on the surface gathers together and condenses into droplets at the lowest point before dripping down.

Surprisingly, Hayasaka Ai was leaning against the refrigerator, quietly watching her boss wash the dishes. Despite being dumped on all the work, she was very proactive in doing chores at home.

Her sapphire-like eyes were fixed on his every move, as if she were monitoring him.

"Is there something strange about me?" Uesugi Genshin asked, turning to look at his subordinate as he dried his hands.

"No." Hayasaka Ai said, raising her eyes slightly. "Well, it's time to go back."

"What?" Uesugi Genshin grinned, "Don't you want to go back?"

"Of course not." Shaking her head, Hayasaka Ai hesitated for a moment. "Going back, I might... well, that..."

“Just treat it as a holiday,” Uesugi Genshin interrupted her.

"...Aren't you worried?" Hayasaka Ai lowered her head, her bent fingers pressed against her lips.

"What are you worried about?" Uesugi Genshin tilted his head, shifting his gaze to the side, refusing to look at her.

"That's the one..."

"Ok?"

"that......"

"?"

"......" Would it kill this person to be in such a hurry?!

Finally, Hayasaka Ai, enraged and embarrassed, turned around and went back to the living room.

Watching her retreating figure, Uesugi Genshin's lips curled into a scheming smile.

The doorbell rang again.

Yukino Yukinoshita peeked halfway out of the bedroom, wearing only a white shirt on her upper body, without a jacket, but already wearing sweatpants on her lower body.

"I'll go open the door," Uesugi Genshin said, gesturing for her to continue changing.

"Okay." Nodding, Yukino Yukinoshita closed the bedroom door again.

The doorbell rang once and then stopped. Uesugi Genshin walked to the entrance and opened the door.

"You're here."

Shiyu stood outside the door, hands on her hips, a knowing look on her face.

"Why are you here?" He looked around the corridor and saw that Shiyu was the only one there.

"I'm here to pick up Rumi." Shiyu let out a small sigh, then glanced at him sideways. "Someone, I thought you were at home, what are you doing here?"

“I’m here to see you studying in America,” Uesugi Genshin replied.

"Is that so?" Shiyu nodded. "Give me a kiss and I'll believe you."

“He’s just a kid.” He did as he was told.

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

"We're all leaving. Hiratsuka-sensei will be the only one left in the apartment." Uesugi Genshin said softly to Hachiman, who had come to see them off, as he loaded his things into the trunk.

"What exactly are you trying to say?" Hachiman asked, feigning ignorance as he looked at his best friend beside him.

"Please do not do this in the entryway or on the balcony. Also, please be careful in the kitchen and living room." Uesugi Genshin solemnly reminded him, raising his hand in a "yes, yes, yes" gesture.

This is, after all, the apartment where Yukinoshita and her sister live.

"...Speaking of which, did you hear the sounds last night?" Instead of giving a direct answer, Hachiman brought up another matter.

Blinking, Uesugi Genshin frowned and said, "No, have you heard anything before?"

"Hmm, the sound of sex."

"Downstairs or next door?" Uesugi Genshin immediately ruled out himself.

"Downstairs." Hachiman scratched his head speechlessly. "And they even had a fight last night. The girl was yelling at you, saying you only come to me when you want sex!?"

"I'll have Ye Shan remind them later." At least they shouldn't disturb the neighbors.

"No, it was sent from Hayama's apartment yesterday."

"!" Uesugi Genshin perked up instantly at this point, but quickly returned to his original state.