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

"Where are the survivors?" Uesugi Genshin asked directly as he walked over, and continued walking inside.

He never expected that there would still be people alive in this shopping mall, even though there were so many zombies outside.

Walking around the zombie corpses at my feet, the blood flowing out was very fresh, not to mention the bloody and gruesome state of the zombie's face was definitely the work of my own men.

“In the office inside,” Yamato quickly replied.

"Have you checked the other rooms?" Uesugi Genshin asked seriously as he turned around.

"I've seen most of them, and they don't look like zombies."

It's obvious that Yamato misunderstood.

Shaking his head, Uesugi Genshin looked at the Ayanokouji squad that had already joined up, and then directly ordered Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, who was standing idly by with nothing to do, "Ayanokouji, go and check all the rooms."

He was afraid that the situation he and Yukino had encountered would repeat itself. Who knew what kind of mental state the person hiding now was in?

"Hmm." Although he didn't know what he wanted him to check, there had to be some unusual traces, so Ayanokouji Kiyotaka nodded in agreement and turned to walk towards the first room.

Seeing him set off, Shirakawa immediately stood up straight and followed him without being told.

Reassured, he handed the matter over to Ayanokouji and walked to the door of an office.

Most of the members of the Hayama squad were either standing or squatting outside the door, but when Uesugi Genshin came over, those who were squatting stood up on their own.

Inside the door were only Hayama's team members; Hayama Hayato and a man with a thick beard were sitting on the sofa.

His unkempt appearance made him look like a homeless man, and he was wolfing down a bag of bread, not even noticing the newcomer in the room.

“Mr. Kazama, this is our…leader.” Hayama Hayato patted the man on the back and introduced him.

"Mmm." Only then did the person named Kazama raise his head, and Uesugi Genshin finally saw the person's face clearly.

It was very clean, probably because of the drinking fountain in the room, which is connected to the water pipes of the shopping center.

This person was probably in his thirties. To be honest, he had a very ordinary appearance, just like the average office worker you see everywhere on the street.

However, he was extremely thin, with visible bony bones on his face, which basically confirmed that he was malnourished.

"Hello."

"Y-hello." Kazama swallowed the food in his throat hastily, his eyes blurry.

"What's wrong?" Uesugi Genshin asked.

"N-nothing...it's just...we finally saw some living people."

"..."

Having learned the general situation, Uesugi Genshin realized that the man named Kazama was just a customer who had come to shop at the time, and that he was supposed to have a date that evening, but it seemed that he had stood him up.

However, when the zombies were attacking everyone in the shopping mall, he did not choose to rush to the entrance like most people, but was forced to hide inside in a panic.

"How long has it been since that thing appeared?" Kazama asked Uesugi Genshin, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.

“It’s been a month and a half since the zombies appeared,” said Uesugi Genshin, sitting on the sofa opposite him.

“Zombie…that’s a fitting name,” Kazama muttered to himself, looking down.

"Didn't you record the time?" Uesugi Genshin asked.

"My phone died. I was still in the mood to write at first, but then I basically just slept the whole time," Kazama said, shaking his head.

He survived on a box of instant noodles in his office until now, and almost starved to death.

At first, he thought he would be rescued soon, so he ate one cup of instant noodles a day. Gradually, after a few days, he could no longer hear the sound of the helicopter overhead. He felt something was wrong, so he ate one cup of instant noodles every two days, and later he ate only one bite a day.

When people lack energy, they do get tired easily and want to sleep. At this time, the body begins to break down protein in the muscles to provide energy, which is why the person looks so thin.

"Then...where are the Self-Defense Forces? What is the government doing?" He stammered as he asked if the country's leadership had tried to do anything. In the past month, he had hoped more than once that the government would send someone to rescue citizens like him who were trapped.

At first, those... zombies were frantically trying to pry open his door. He was so scared that he huddled in the corner of the room, not daring to move. It wasn't until much later that things gradually calmed down, but he still didn't dare to go out.

“The government has collapsed, and as for the Self-Defense Forces… there’s no hope.” Uesugi Genshin answered simply. He didn’t want to explain about the Self-Defense Forces in Haneda and Izu, because even if he did, he couldn’t send the person there, and Haneda wasn’t a good place to go anyway.

“I see…” Kazama fell silent for a moment.

At that moment, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji walked in, stood behind Genshin Uesugi, and whispered in his ear, "We haven't found anything special."

Hearing this, Uesugi Genshin was pretty sure that this was a poor soul who had been trapped here all along. "Mr. Kazama, you've been all alone here, haven't you?"

"Yes, yes, it's just me." He looked up and hesitated before asking, "Can I come with you?"

His eyes held hope, longing for someone to lead him out of his predicament.

“Yes, I will take you to a safe place,” Uesugi Genshin assured him.

Hachiman, leaning against the door, blinked and basically guessed that the delivery was probably to the Chiba Self-Help Committee.

People who don't even know if they have psychological problems should be left to the other side.

"Phew—that's great." Kazama breathed a sigh of relief, a sob escaping his lips.

Uesugi Genshin understood his current state. When a person is alone in a room with no internet, nothing to do, and no one to talk to, it is easy for them to become emotionally unstable.

The difference between this and the dark room is that people in the dark room can't endure it for as long.

When he led Kazama out of the shopping mall, he stood at the door, excitedly stretching out his hands, and took unsteady steps. The moment they stepped outside, he knelt down excitedly, his mouth agape in silent disbelief.

He vividly portrayed the feeling of seeing the light of day again.

"Hachiman, take him to the Yukinoshita family's place," Uesugi Genshin said to Hachiman.

"I knew it!" Hachiman rolled his eyes and muttered to himself. All he wanted to do right now was go back to see Komachi and... his girlfriend.

"Are you bringing your men with you?" Uesugi Genshin asked.

"I can manage on my own." In the end, Hachiman couldn't bear to let his group of guys "work overtime" with him.

Damn it! My boss is really amazing.

"Then I had them go back with Hayama and Ayanokouji's car."

"it is good."

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

"Give a gift."

"What? What?" Isshiki Iroha happily accepted the gift, a box. "Can I open it?"

As she spoke, she opened the box.

“You’ll get a share too,” Uesugi Genshin said to Yui and Yumiko, who were standing a few steps behind Iroha, and shook another box in his hand.

"Ah, it's chocolate. It's just like your style, senior." Iroha exclaimed after opening the box, then said regretfully, "I wish Valentine's Day was in June."

Let's talk about it next year.

"Next year," Yumiko sighed, looking at the chocolate in her hand.

"Will there be Valentine's Day next year?" Yui asked.

The important thing is whether there will be that atmosphere; nobody knows if this kind of holiday, which is neither important nor unimportant, will even exist again.

“There definitely will be one.” Iroha turned to look at her two seniors and held up her finger. “It’s just like a cultural festival, or rather, Christmas. The student council can organize the event.”

She rested her index finger on her chin, tilted her head cutely, and spoke in a light tone, as if she were the one who called the shots in the student council.

Then she turned to look at Uesugi Genshin, and at the same time took his arm, saying in a coquettish tone, "Right~~~, senpai?"

"Yes Yes."

That's a matter for the future anyway.

Chapter 350: An Agreement Has Been Reached

"I apologize for the sudden visit and for disturbing you both with such trivial matters."

Sitting opposite his parents in the snow, Hachiman Hikigaya spoke politely and calmly.

"Oh dear, it was us who suddenly called you over, Hikigaya-kun," Yukinoshita's mother said with a slight smile in return.

“It’s already dusk, we won’t take too long,” said Representative Yukinoshita, setting the tone for this sudden, unilaterally requested meeting.

“You’re Yukino’s classmate too, so don’t be so nervous. Just make yourself at home,” Yukino’s mother said.

"I understand." Even so, Hachiman simply changed to a less restrictive sitting posture, bending his back slightly instead of sitting up straight.

"Hmm." Yukinoshita's mother gently tapped her palm with her folding fan and looked at her husband.

"So what is it?" Hachiman asked.

“It’s about the person you sent,” Councilor Yukinoshita said seriously. “I heard he was trapped in the Aeon Mall Marinepia.”

"Yes," Hachiman nodded affirmatively; this was nothing to keep secret.

"Have you cleaned up that area?" Councilor Yukinoshita asked calmly, concealing her true feelings.

Even with the most calm questioning, Hachiman could sense the other's eagerness; the question clearly indicated a desire to get a share of the pie.

He replied, "Not yet, it will take about two more days to clean it up."

"Two days?" Councilor Yukinoshita paused for a moment, then praised, "You guys are really amazing, considering you're still so young."

"You flatter me. It was only through the desperate efforts of my comrades that we managed to kill those hundreds of zombies. If there's anything I can help with, please let me know," Hachiman said modestly, though with a hint of sarcasm, before asking.

"..." Councilor Yukinoshita opened her mouth slightly, then slowly closed it again.

Seeing her husband's embarrassed look, Yukinoshita's mother smiled knowingly and continued, "It's like this, we need some supplies here, such as medicine, medicine for colds, fevers and stomach problems."

"That's no problem. Medicine has an expiration date, and since there are only a few of us, we won't need much." As for whether or not we need a condom, he didn't ask about that first.

“Yes, there are also some foods that can be stored for a long time,” said Councilor Yukinoshita after her wife spoke up.

“In that case, we can provide some canned fish here,” Hachiman suggested.

"Canned fish?"

Yukinoshita's parents exchanged a glance, and Hachiman explained, "We have organized a group of people to go out to sea to fish, and then send the surplus to the factory next door to be processed into canned goods. I think that should meet your requirements."

“...Okay.” Councilor Yukinoshita nodded. At least fish is still meat. Japan is an island nation, and people used to eat fish. Now we are just living like the ancients again.

"Could you please send some more wine?" Yukinoshita's mother asked, covering her mouth with her fan.

"Sake?" Hachiman asked to confirm.

"Yes, whiskey, shochu, or even vodka are all fine, as long as it's a high-proof spirit. Also, please send some cigarettes over here." She listed them out to Hachiman one by one.

"I see." Hachiman understood. It was probably for relieving the pressure on combat personnel, just like how they served flammable oolong tea to the new squad the day before yesterday. "Not many people here smoke, so you can basically send over any cigarettes you want."

At Zongwu High School, very few people smoke. In fact, the disciplinary committee monitors smoking. The main reason is air pollution, not because they are afraid that students will get lung cancer. Getting sick is their own business, and besides, they may not even live to see that day.

So it's purely to avoid affecting others, and also because tobacco is addictive, and the difference between tobacco and powder is that it doesn't cause permanent nerve damage.

Rather than becoming addicted and unable to quit later, it's better to use this now to exchange for something useful with others.

“That’s wonderful.” Councilor Yukinoshita smiled with satisfaction.

"Hmm." Hachiman raised his head and asked the person opposite him, "I wonder what your Chiba Self-Rescue Committee can offer to Soubu High School?"

If the other party dares to say something like, "Hey, isn't it free?" then everything he just said is null and void. He has no right to represent the Soubu High School and betray its interests.

If anyone's going to sell, it would be safer for Xuanxin to do so. After all, he's already taken two of their daughters, so consider it compensation.

"I don't know what Yukino is lacking." Yukinoshita's mother tilted her head as if waiting for the words to continue.

"First, let's talk about fresh vegetables." Hachiman knew that there was already a large area of ​​farmland here, which was now being put to use, with various crops growing on it. It was much larger than the park next to Sobu High School, even though there were more people here.

"This will take more than half a month." After nodding in agreement, Yukinoshita's mother calculated in her mind, "I can give you 30%."

"There's no rush. We can discuss this in detail when your daughter comes over later." Hachiman indicated that this matter was not his responsibility and that he would have Yukinoshita or Haruno come over to discuss it later.

"Ah."

"And then there are poultry and livestock," Hachiman continued.

"We don't have many cows, and we have to wait for them to give birth to calves. After all, it wouldn't make much difference to just give you a bull or a cow, would it?" Yukinoshita's mother laughed heartily, making a joke.

"Yes."

"As for chickens, I can give you a few now, no problem. You can take them back with you later, Hikigaya-kun."

Chickens can be male or female, since their production and growth time is much shorter. Of course, as poultry, their meat yield is far less than that of livestock.

"Thank you very much." Hachiman bowed his head in gratitude. At least Genshin wouldn't have to go to the beach with his bow and arrows to shoot seagulls anymore. They had thought of doing that before when they wanted to eat yakitori, but seagulls are seagulls after all, not chickens.

"It's nothing, it's just an equal exchange." Yukinoshita's mother told Hachiman that this kind of exchange is the best because neither side loses out.