Tokyo Rebirth: Start From Picking Up Sayu

One hundred and sixty-nine, farewell

On the tram.

From an objective perspective, Kato Yusuke briefly told Megumi about Serizawa Yuu.

From how he met the other person and asked for help, to how he entrusted him to be taken care of by Shinjoka, to the reason why he ran away from home...

While he was stating this, the girl just listened quietly and did not express any opinions.

In this way, the two arrived at Takadanobaba Station together.

Walking out of the crowded station and standing in the bustling station square.

After getting off the train, Kei asked for the first time: "Well, first of all, do you know where to find that girl? Yusuke."

"——I know." Kato Yusuke nodded and looked in a certain direction.

"Follow me, let's go this way."

He said and stretched out a hand, "There are many people here, hold me. Be careful not to get lost."

"...Well, that's up to you." The girl put her hand into his without any hesitation.

A slightly cool soft touch came from his hand, but Kato Yusuke no longer had any previous distracting thoughts at this moment.

According to the direction confirmed on the tracker when he left the station, he pulled Hui and walked forward.

Actually.

Since leaving home, he has been taking advantage of various opportunities to confirm the location on the tracker.

The strange thing is that except for Serizawa Yu who moved for a while at the beginning, she basically stayed in one place.

From the time they took the tram to here, for about fifteen minutes, the girl remained motionless.

Kato Yusuke had no way of knowing the reason, and could only vaguely guess that the other party might be tied down by someone or something.

Fortunately, the sky is not completely dark yet, and the security situation here is relatively safe, so there should not be any great danger.

Having said that, when I think of the image of the girl sitting alone under the telephone pole...

He was inevitably a little uneasy, and unconsciously sped up his pace a little.

The two hurried on in silence and arrived at a small park ten minutes later.

Then I saw this picture...

The orange sunset dyed the park red and desolate. Lively children were playing on the horizontal bar inside, making lively laughter from time to time.

A group of elderly people were sitting on the small stairs next to the open space, taking care of the children not far away, and pulling a girl along to talk about something unknown.

The girl was wearing a camel-colored long-sleeved sweater, a dark brown skirt, and was holding a beige canvas bag in her hand.

Through the uneven surface of the bag, you can see that there are a lot of things inside, and there is also a green onion sticking out diagonally from the bag.

If one ignores her overly young appearance, her outfit is basically the same as that of an ordinary housewife.

Judging from the atmosphere emanating there and the expressions on people's faces, there was no sense of tension.

"..."

Kato Yusuke breathed a subtle sigh of relief, and his expression became less serious and relaxed.

[Target: Serizawa Yu, tracking completed, the remaining number of usable items is 1. 】

——A system prompt popped up in my mind.

"Huh...that~"

The companion next to him asked aloud: "Is that girl the one you are looking for? Yusuke."

Maybe it was because he had walked a little hastily just now, Hui's breathing was a little faster than usual, and the temperature on his hands also warmed up unconsciously.

At this moment, he was looking at the girl not far away, with a little curiosity in his clear and bright eyes.

"Well, it's her."

Kato Yusuke confirmed her guess, then slightly lowered the brim of the peaked cap on his head, and shouted: "Xiao Xi——"

The voice spread in the park and immediately attracted people's attention, including Yuu Serizawa.

"——Yusuke-san!?"

The girl looked back with surprise on her face, her bright little face suddenly lit up, but she was stunned for a moment when she saw their figures clearly.

Knowing that the other party reacted this way because of her, Hui nodded gently in greeting.

"Oh, is your friend looking for you? Little girl." An old woman on the other side of the steps asked Serizawa Yu, drawing her attention back.

"-Yeah! He's my friend."

She said, bending slightly and bowing, "I'm sorry, I have to go, grandpa, and grandma. Bye~"

"Oh~ Goodbye, little girl."

After saying goodbye to several old people, Serizawa Yu trotted to the entrance of the park.

"Yusuke-san..."

Just as she was about to say something, Kato Yusuke raised his hand to stop her.

"Leave here first, and we'll talk about it later on the road."

"Huh? Ah, okay..."

So the three of them left together.

…

We walked like this for a while until we were some distance away from the park.

"What happened to those people just now?" Kato Yusuke asked bluntly: "Are you in trouble?"

"Well...ah haha, actually it can't be said to be troublesome." Serizawa Yu, who was walking on his left, smiled bitterly.

"Those grandfathers and grandmothers are residents of this neighborhood. I have met them several times when I go out. It was today that I was arrested and asked about their background."

"Asking about your background?"

"Well, because I only started to be active here recently, and because I was wearing a school uniform before, I seemed to have been recognized, which took a lot of time... But I still made up a story to get over it."

"Ah, come to think of it, I heard Yusuke talk about it."

Kei, who was walking on the right, leaned forward slightly and asked curiously: "You go to Yotsuya Futaba Academy, right?"

"That's right...Um, may I ask you..."

"Hmm~ Sorry, I should introduce myself. My name is Kato Megumi, and I am Yusuke's classmate and friend."

"Classmates and friends... Hey, that means Xiaoxiang... I mean Miss Shinjo..."

"Well~ we are all classmates."

"That's it...so that's what it is."

Serizawa murmured and suddenly relaxed for some reason.

"My name is Serizawa Yu, just call me Xiao Xi. Please give me your advice, Ms. Kato."

"You can just call me Kato, okay?"

Megumi responded with a smile, and then said: "Also, Shinjou-san seems to be worried about you. You can call her back."

"Telephone...this...sorry."

Serizawa said apologetically: "Although I do have a mobile phone, the service has been suspended because I did not pay the bill."

Hearing this, Kato Yusuke suddenly asked: "Shinjo said that she had gone to find you, but you didn't go to the supermarket where you usually buy things."

"Well, that's because I went to another supermarket today. Although it's a little far away, there is a promotion there today, so..."

When Serizawa Yu said this, she suddenly reacted belatedly and asked timidly: "Ah, uh... well, did I cause trouble for everyone?"

"It's nothing. Remember to tell me before you go out next time..." Kato Yusuke said nothing in the middle of the sentence.

The girl also lowered her eyes in loneliness and forced a smile: "...Ahaha, there will be no next time."

A moment of silence followed.

As if to break the deadlock, Serizawa Yu smiled "hey" again.

"But it's okay. I will keep Yusuke-san's words in mind. Also..."

She gently lifted the pocket full of ingredients in her hand and said in a relaxed tone as much as possible:

"As a thank you and apology for causing trouble to everyone, can I cook you one last dinner? Of course, Miss Kato, please come too."

"..."

Kato Yusuke remained silent.

"We have already had dinner." - Just when he was about to reply, someone spoke before him.

"Yeah~ sure, if Serizawa-san and Shinjo-san think it's okay, I'm willing to go."

After responding to Serizawa Yu, Megumi asked: "Where are you, Yusuke?"

Kato Yusuke took back the words he had prepared, then nodded slowly and said concisely: "Okay."

…

In this way, the three of them came to the apartment together.

Katcha, kadah.

When Serizawa Yu just opened the door with the spare key, before she even had time to say anything...

Kick, kick, kick, kick --

Along with a series of light footsteps, the girl's extremely angry voice came from far to near.

"Are you kidding me! You're the eldest lady who always makes trouble for others——!"

The next second.

The petite and exquisite Shinjoka rushed up angrily, put her hands on her cheeks mercilessly, and then pulled her on both sides hard.

"I'm pulling!"

"it hurts!?"

The intense pain caused Serizawa Yu to scream involuntarily, but it still could not calm Shinjoka's anger.

"Damn it! Where did you go? You idiot lady! Do you want me to be hated by the president? I will never let you go."

"It hurts so much~~~~Xiaoxiang, I'm sorry!"

"Shut up! Do you know how long you have been out of contact-?"

At this moment, Shintiao Xiang was really furious and vented his anger wantonly.

She never expected that after taking care of this girl for so long, something would go wrong at the last minute.

If something really happened, how on earth would she face that person——!

In this state, she didn't even have time to observe her surroundings until that familiar voice sounded from the side...

"Okay, Shinjo."

The strength in Shinjoka's hand relaxed unconsciously, and she subconsciously turned her head to look.

"...President? And vice-president?" She couldn't help but be stunned.

"Good evening, Shinjou-san." Megumi greeted as usual.

"Ouch, it hurts. But... Vice President?" Yu Serizawa, who was holding her cheek, was confused, but Shinjoka had no time to answer this question.

First she glanced at the young girl who appeared in front of her house, and then at Serizawa Yu. Her eyes couldn't help but move slightly.

"Good evening, Vice President, did you find her back...?"

"No." Hui shook her head, "To be honest, Yusuke should have found her, I just followed her."

"That's it, President, I..." Shinjoka tried to apologize, but Kato Yusuke interrupted her directly.

"The Female CEO's Almighty Soldier"

"Anyway, let's go in first and talk about it later."

…

The four of them entered the room together.

"Well, I'll make coffee for everyone." Serizawa Yu took the initiative to run to the kitchen to get busy, while the others sat down around the table.

Megumi looked around the room and said, "Hey, I always feel that the layout of Shinjou-san's home is similar to that of Yusuke's."

Shinjoka's eyelids twitched slightly, and she replied with a smile: "Is that so? But single apartments are basically the same, right~?"

"Yeah, and even the house number is the same as Room 201, but Shinjou-san's decoration here needs to be updated a bit. "

"Hehe, thank you~ After all, I was looking for a house for a long time, and finally I chose this place."

Hearing this, Hui glanced at her.

"Is that so, does Shinjo-san also live alone? I just found out about this."

"If anything, I actually just moved here not long ago."

"Hey~ Did Shinjou-san move all these things by himself? That's amazing."

"about this……"

Shinjoka said respectfully: "Actually, I asked the president to help me move before, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to clean up so smoothly. The president is a very nice person~"

"...Hey, that's it."

After hearing this, Hui glanced sideways as if inadvertently, her peripheral vision stayed on the young man for a second, and then nodded.

"Yeah~ I understand. Yusuke takes good care of everyone in the student union."

Kato Yusuke said nothing, while Shinjoka nodded repeatedly as if unaware of the atmosphere, and replied "It's true~" and then changed his words again.

"But, although the president is indeed very kind to everyone, the person I rely on most in my heart is definitely the vice president."

Before Hui could express her opinion, she asked again with slight curiosity:

"By the way, the president and vice president seem to be wearing the same clothes today. Did you buy them at the same store? What a coincidence."

"...?"

Hui's eyelashes twitched slightly, and then she said with a normal expression: "Yes, I bought it in the same store."

This was the set that Yusuke Kato bought for her when they last went shopping.

"What, is that really the case~?"

Shinjoka held her chin with one hand and said, "But the vice-president is so cute in this outfit. He and the president are just like couple costumes~~~"

Faced with her words, Hui's face changed slightly, and she said with a faint blush: "... They are not a couple. That is a huge misunderstanding."

"Ahaha, I understand, it's just a joke, don't care, don't care~"

Shinjoka covered her mouth with her hands and laughed while talking.

The loose sweater sleeves wrapped her hands, revealing only the slender fingertips as green as green.

After laughing for a while, Shinjoka did not let the topic go any further, but continued to say this:

"Well~ Anyway, you are welcome to be a guest here, Vice President. In fact, Xiao Xi has always wanted to cook for the President one last time. If you don't mind, please stay and eat together~"

After saying that, he stood up and walked to the kitchen, helping Yu Serizawa bring coffee, without even looking at Yusuke Kato the whole time.

After looking at her back thoughtfully for a while, Hui withdrew his gaze and looked at someone beside him.

The thoughts in my mind went around a few times.

The girl's eyes were slightly turbulent, but finally calmed down.

◇

After that, Serizawa Yu carefully prepared a large table of sumptuous dishes and basically tried her best.

Megumi, who thought he was full, couldn't help but eat a little more after tasting the girl's craftsmanship.

The same goes for Kato Yusuke, but he doesn't eat much food and spends most of his time drinking miso soup.

Serizawa Yu, who also didn't eat much, sat on his left.

It was as if she had been observing his situation. Whenever she saw that the soup in the bowl was almost finished, she would get up in time to help him continue to fill it.

"Don't worry about me, just eat it yourself."

Even if he told the other party this, the girl would just nod her head in agreement with "Yeah~", but in reality she was still focused on him.

Seeing this, Kato Yusuke also gave up persuading and drank the soup silently.

Perhaps due to his influence, the atmosphere at the table was also quiet.

Seemingly curious about the girl's affairs, Hui took the initiative to ask.

"Speaking of which, Serizawa-san. Although Yusuke has told me some things about you, can I ask a question?"

"Question? Well, that's ok. What do you want to ask Miss Kato?" Serizawa Yu sat upright for a moment.

"Ah~ You don't have to be so nervous. It doesn't matter. I just want to chat with you. If there is anything you don't want to answer, don't force it."

"No~it doesn't matter, just ask Ms. Kato."

"Well, that would be rude."

Megumi pondered and said: "Actually, I'm a little curious, why did Serizawa-san choose to run away from home in the first place? Don't you have anyone else you can rely on? Like friends and boyfriends."

"Friends and... boyfriend?"

"Well, after all, compared to asking strangers for help, people you know are more trustworthy, right?"

"Aha……"

Serizawa Yu blinked her eyes and said with a smile: "Ah haha, because I have been studying in a girls' school, I don't have a boyfriend."

"No? What about friends?"

"...Well, although I haven't tried it before, everyone hates me."

"Hate you……?"

"Yeah, because my parents used to be respectable people, and they always looked self-righteous... However, they both passed away in the accident."

Serizawa explained in a low voice: "Once I lost my backing, my original friends suddenly started to hate me... No, maybe I am annoying to begin with, haha..."

As he spoke, he couldn't help but laugh bitterly.

"Is that so...I'm sorry." Hui murmured quietly, not knowing how to react for a moment, and finally fell silent.

The brief interlude made the atmosphere a little unusual, but Shinjoka immediately changed the subject by talking about the cultural festival, so it wasn't too cold.

Time passes slowly...

Wait until after dinner.

Feeling a little sorry in her heart, Megumi didn't listen to Serizawa Yu's obstruction, and took the initiative to help her wash the dishes together, and then prepared to leave.

Kato Yusuke also stood up to say goodbye, planning to send her home.

Just before they were ready to go out...

"——Please wait a moment, Yusuke-san, and Miss Kato." Serizawa Yui hurriedly walked up.

"Well, this is the coat that Yusuke-san borrowed from me before. I'm sorry that I haven't returned it to you. I've cleaned it well. Also, please accept this...!"

She said, stretching out her hands and handing over the paper bag containing her jacket and a notebook.

"Recipe notes that can be easily made"

The Juanxiu font on the cover caught Kato Yusuke's eyes.

"...What is this?" He couldn't help but asked with some confusion.

"I made the recipe notes."

Serizawa Yui explained: "It records the cooking methods that Yusuke-san likes to eat. I sorted them according to Yusuke-san's reactions when eating the dishes. Please use them well."

"My favorite food...?" Kato Yusuke murmured to himself.

"Um--!"

The girl nodded vigorously, let out a short laugh of "Hey", looked at him and said:

"...Although I will no longer be able to cook it for Yusuke-san by myself, I have written down the steps for making each dish.

If you want to eat it in the future, just follow the above instructions and you should be able to eat it..."

The voice gradually became lower as he spoke.

Serizawa Yu maintained the movement of reaching out, with a bit of reluctance in her clear eyes.

Standing behind her, Shinjoka leaned against the wall with her hands behind her back, her expression a bit "bored".

"..."

Kato Yusuke's lips moved, as if something was stuck in his throat, leaving him speechless for a moment.

He looked at the recipe note in silence, but did not reach out to pick it up.

What kind of food does he like?

At best, it was just something Sayu had cooked for him, nothing more.

My mood became heavy unconsciously.

Hui looked at his reaction with a confused look on his face, and then turned his head away.

"...Well, if you don't mind, can you give me this note? Serizawa-san." She asked.

"Leave it to...Ms. Kato...?" Serizawa Yuu asked lightly, unconsciously shrinking her hand back.

"Well, because Yusuke hardly cooks by himself, I will occasionally go to his place to help prepare some food. Then I can cook it for him. And I will also put this notebook with Yusuke."

"Is this...?"

Perhaps feeling reassured by the last sentence, the girl murmured, a smile appeared on her face again, and she stretched out her hand again.

"...Well, yes, then, please accept it."

"Hmm~"

Megumi reached out to take the paper bag and notebook, and said seriously: "Thank you, Serizawa-san, I will look at it carefully."

"...No, Miss Kato, you're welcome, haha... I should say, it's really great to have someone to take care of Yusuke-san..."

With both hands empty, Serizawa Yu put down her hands, grabbed her right forearm with her left hand, and cast her eyes on the boy.

"And there's Brother Yu..."

She pursed her lips tightly and tried to smile.

"Actually, I've always been a little worried about your condition.

Maybe you may not be aware of it, but the way you look at me occasionally, Brother You, always makes people feel very, very sad...Did I remind you of someone or something? "

The soft voice echoed and reached the ears of several people.

Kato Yusuke's eyes couldn't help but shrink slightly, and he lost consciousness for a moment.

"..."

Hui next to him looked at him thoughtfully, then gently stretched out a hand and touched his arm, "Yusuke...?"

There was no response, just the faint sound of dull breathing.

"...But nothing~"

Ignoring the young man's eyes that seemed to be looking through him into the void, Serizawa Yuu continued.

"Brother Yu, who is like this, will occasionally show a relaxed smile when eating food. Even if it is just a little bit, it makes me feel really good that I can help you."

She took a deep breath as she spoke, her eyes sparkling with tears. Although she was slightly choked, she still forced a smile and said:

"Anyway, I should say goodbye tomorrow. Please don't push yourself too hard in the future. Remember to take good care of yourself, okay?"

"…………"

As if being hit by a heavy hammer on the chest, Kato Yusuke's face was tense, his lips were a little blue, and he couldn't make any sound.

His eyes were shaking violently, his chest was rising and falling rapidly, and it was like a tsunami was going on in his heart.

An unspeakable bitterness surged up.

There is a slight itchiness and stickiness deep in the throat.

He opened his mouth and couldn't help but want to say something.

His Adam's apple rolled up and down, and in the end he just swallowed heavily.

Unspeakable depression spread in the entrance hall.

There was silence for a long time.

Suppressing the embarrassment in his heart, Kato Yusuke said in a low voice: