Tokyo Rebirth: Start From Picking Up Sayu

Faced with Sawamura Sayuri's inquiry, Eiri shook her head left and right.

"It's nothing, just asking..."

As she spoke, she glanced to the side and accused Kato Yusuke:

"And you too, why are you still wearing this outfit? Isn't it time to go to shrines during the New Year? Are you going to go dressed like this?"

Kato Yusuke did not argue with her, nodded and said: "I understand, then I will change now, excuse me."

After greeting the two of them, he turned and left.

After deliberately taking a long time, he changed his clothes and returned to the living room.

Sayuri Sawamura and Eri are sitting on the sofa chatting.

"Yusuke, you are so slow!"

"Sorry, I just responded to someone else's message, which delayed me for a while."

Kato Yusuke responded casually and walked over.

I don’t know what the mother and daughter talked about during these twenty minutes.

Although Yinglili hid it well, he still caught a hint of residual shyness on that face.

Before he could think more about the meaning behind it, the other party asked.

"Are you replying to Kasumigaoka Shiyu?"

"No, it's Xiao Xi and the others who asked me where I'm going to pay homage later."

"Xiao Xi...is she and Shinjou-san?"

"Um."

"That's it, have they decided where to go?"

"It seems to be Meiji Shrine."

"Why did you choose that place? It's going to be super crowded on a day like this."

"I don't know the specifics. They probably have their own considerations."

When Kato Yusuke said this, Sawamura Sayuri clasped her hands together as if thinking of something.

"If that's the case, then you can go to Meiji Shrine as well~"

""Huh? ""

"Isn't it right? It will be more lively this way, right?"

"But." Yinglili asked in confusion: "Mom, didn't you originally say that our family was going to visit a nearby shrine?"

"It was the original, but the situation is different now."

Sayuri Sawamura sighed and said: "After all, your father and Uncle Sakaki don't know when it will end, so you and Kato-kun go first."

After she finished speaking, she turned to look at Kato Yusuke.

"Besides, Kato-kun should also go see the girl named Xiao Xi, right? Isn't this just right~~"

Kato Yusuke hesitated for a moment, then nodded slightly.

He originally planned to go to Xiao Xi after this was over, but now that they could be together, he naturally wouldn't refuse.

With this thought in mind, he cast a questioning look at Yinglili.

When he saw her like this, the girl couldn't help but panic.

"Wait, why are you looking at me? Do I have to make the decision here?"

"Well, after all, we have an appointment first. If you find it inconvenient, I can make arrangements later."

"Otherwise it would be better~"

Hearing this, Sayuri Sawamura spoke again.

"Kato-kun, didn't you say that Mina-san won't be in Tokyo this year? You can bring Xiao Xi and the others here after visiting the shrine~"

"Bring Xiao Xi and the others here... won't this disturb you?"

"There's no such thing~ Rather, mom thinks it would be more lively if there are more people, right, Yinglili?"

"...?"

Looking at her mother who kept winking at her, Yinglili couldn't help but tilt her head in confusion, unable to understand what the look meant.

"Even if you say so..."

She hummed and turned away, muttering: "I didn't say I wanted to refuse..."

"Yeah~ That's right~~!"

Seeing that the matter was finalized, Sayuri Sawamura stood up immediately and pulled her daughter up.

"Then without further ado, Yinglili, hurry up and change your clothes and get ready to go, otherwise you won't be able to catch the train~~~"

"Wait a minute, Mom, don't push me, I'll just leave...!"

◇

Under the control of Sayuri Sawamura, Yusuke Kato and Eiri embarked on a journey to Meiji Shrine.

The crowded tram swayed all the way to Yoyogi Station, a few stops away.

Following the endless flow of people through the ticket gate, we walked along the snow-covered gravel road for a while, and finally arrived at the large torii gate of Meiji Jingu Shrine.

This is located at the intersection of the North and South Sanddos.

The entire torii gate is 12 meters high, 17 meters wide and weighs 13 tons.

It is said that this is the largest wooden torii gate in Japan, and a person standing under it would be as small as an ant.

"There are so many people..."

Kato Yusuke mentioned it casually.

"Because this is the largest shrine, of course everyone will come here to worship. I've told you this before."

Just like Yinglili said.

As the most popular shrine in Tokyo, there were so many people visiting Meiji Shrine today that it is hard to imagine what this scene should be like in the early morning.

Kato Yusuke shrugged helplessly and said: "That's right, let's go back after paying homage to the shrine as soon as possible."

"With your careless attitude, don't you think you will be abandoned by the gods?" Ying Lili said with a sideways look.

Kato Yusuke smiled and said nothing.

The two of them continued to move forward with the crowd, and finally saw a familiar face by the hand-washing pool in front of the guest hall.

"Wow - Happy New Year both of you!"

Accompanied by energetic greetings, Serizawa Yuu, who was wearing a high ponytail, rushed straight towards Kato Yusuke and gave him a big bear hug.

"Happy New Year, Xiao Xi."

Kato Yusuke was hit and stumbled back twice, and then gently touched the head of the person in his arms. His hair was smooth and cold.

Today, Serizawa Yui is wearing a thickened wool coat, her neck is wrapped in layers of scarves, and her hands are completely wrapped in mittens.

"Hello~ President, Sawamura-san."

Shinjoka walked up slowly, his hands in the pockets of his light gray cashmere coat, and a cream scarf also wrapped around his neck.

"Good evening you two, and Happy New Year~~"

"Well, Happy New Year."

Following Kato Yusuke, Eiri also pulled down the goose-yellow scarf that covered half of her face.

"Happy New Year, Shinjo-san, Serizawa-san."

After the simple greetings, the four of them got back into the crowd.

The three girls walked in front. Kato Yusuke deliberately stayed half a step behind and stretched out his arms to protect them.

The people around him couldn't help but look a little weird when they looked at the different girls around him, but no one said anything.

Climb the stone steps.

Entering the main hall from the Nanshen Gate, the view suddenly becomes wider and the congestion level is somewhat improved.

There are no vendors or merchants here, and there is only an antique shrine in front, allowing everyone to worship without any distractions.

They followed the crowd to the shrine.

Serizawa Yu, who couldn't bear the loneliness, was the first to ask: "Hey, what do you want to wish for?"

"As long as you know that kind of thing, you don't need to tell others, right?" Shinjoka replied casually.

"Sorry... I haven't thought about it yet." Ying Lili said softly.

"What about Brother Yu?"

Kato Yusuke pondered for a moment: "World peace?"

"""Eh?"""

The three girls all looked at him.

There was a brief silence.

after awhile.

Serizawa Yu: "Wow, wow... As expected of Brother Yu, so awesome~~~"

Shinjoka: "President, is he just joking? Xiao Xi."

Eiri: "I mean, Yusuke, you should be more serious...!"

Serizawa Yu hesitated for a short while, as if she had made some kind of determination, and said: "Okay! Then my wish is that Brother Yu's wish can come true!"

As soon as these words came out.

Not only was Kato Yusuke stunned, the other two people also showed different reactions.

"Well... let's not talk about anything else, this does seem like a wish that Xiao Xi would make~" Shinjoka pinched her chin to make an analysis.

"Idiot, Serizawa-san, you don't have to force yourself to cooperate with this guy!" Eiri said with an unbearable expression.

at this time……

Boom————!

A distant and loud bell suddenly rang inside the shrine, echoing in the space.

“Ah, it’s New Year~!!”

Serizawa Yu said hurriedly: "Everyone, hurry up and make a wish!"

The three girls took out their wallets, took out a five-yen coin and put it into the cash box. Bow twice, clap hands twice, close your eyes and make a wish.

Kato Yusuke also followed the steps of worshiping and put his palms together to pray.

Although there was no wish in his heart that could be called a wish, he still closed his eyes and immersed himself in the tranquility of the moment.

…

After the visit to the shrine was over, the four of them were finally able to escape from the crowded crowd.

Then, they drew the royal lottery and bought the royal guard.

During this period, Kato Yusuke also informed Shinjoka and Serizawa Yu about Sawamura Sayuri's invitation.

After hearing this, both of them happily expressed their willingness to go, but they were a little worried about not bringing a change of clothes.

In response, Yinglili generously said that she could lend her pajamas to them, successfully dispelling their concerns.

Return along the way you came.

The towering trees on the southern shrine are like crowns of shade, and wild birds are singing.

Looking back inadvertently.

The shrine is illuminated deep in the darkness of winter snow.

In the mottled light and shadow, priests and witches in robes, men and women praying devoutly, and children running around form a peaceful and peaceful scenery.

Kato Yusuke's eyes were slightly dazed, and his steps unconsciously slowed down by half a beat, and he hurried to keep up amidst the shouts of the girls.

Boom————!

The bell tolled quietly behind me, ringing the final and final ring to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new.

According to Buddhism, there are 108 types of human troubles.

Therefore, every New Year's Eve, the shrine will ring 107 bells, and save the 108th bell for the New Year to ring, in order to pray that they will not be troubled by worries throughout the year.

As for the effect of this, he, an atheist, didn't want to think about boring things at this time.

Leaving Meiji Jingu Shrine, we came to the streets full of ginkgo trees.

There are many stalls here.

There are not only common foods such as okonomiyaki, takoyaki, and candied haws, but there are also sweet wine stalls that can help people warm up in winter.

Tourists who had finished their pilgrimage gathered in front of various stalls, chatting and laughing while choosing the food and drinks they were interested in.

The lights of the vendors stretch endlessly to the end of the road.

In Meiji Shrine, the lights are like daylight and the sparks are like rain.

It's like this night, all the excitement and lights in Tokyo have settled here.

If you want to describe the current scene in detail...

On Lantern Festival last year, the lights in the flower market were like daylight.

On the top of the willow tree in the moonlight, people meet at dusk.

That's probably it.

At this time, Serizawa Yu suddenly spoke.

"Wow, why are there so many more stalls here? They weren't there when I came here..."

She stared at the stall with a look of disbelief on her face.

Shinjoka answered her casually: "After all, there are many children coming to worship today. It is easy to make a lot of money at this time."

Serizawa Yu looked excitedly from left to right, studying the vendors stretching on both sides of the road, and said, "It feels like we are at a festival. It's incredible!"

Kato Yusuke looked at her eagerness to try and said proactively: "If there is anything you want, just go ahead and buy it."

"This, in this case, I actually want to eat candied haws... Xiaoxiang, do you want it?"

"Well...then I want marshmallows."

The two of them said and walked towards the stall together.

"Aren't you going?"

"No, I'm not a child."

Yinglili put on a disdainful expression, but her eyes kept staring at a steaming stall, and she breathed gently through her straight nose.

Kato Yusuke looked along her line of sight, and there was a stall selling sweet wine.

From just now, a sweet and sour fragrance has been coming from there, which is very tempting.

"Want to drink?"

"……Huh?"

Yinglili blinked twice blankly and turned her head to look at him.

"Sweet wine, do you want to drink it?"

Kato Yusuke pointed to the stall in front of him and asked her, "Maybe if you want to eat something, I'll buy it for you."

The girl looked confused for a moment, then swallowed and said, "... underage drinking is prohibited, right?"

"That's true, but today is the New Year, and the boss seems to have added a lot of things to it. It can be regarded as a kind of cuisine."

"Cooking..."

Yinglili murmured, unable to hide her heartbeat on her face, but she seemed to be reluctant to speak out of concern for her face.

"I'll buy it back. You wait for me here."

"Hey, wait, I didn't..."

Ignoring her subconscious prevarication, Kato Yusuke walked to the stall and bought two glasses of sweet wine, secretly adding a piece of qi and blood medicine powder to one of them, and then returned to his original place.

"Here, this cup is for you."

"...I already said no more."

"Just do me a favor and drink the extra cup."

"what the hell……"

Yinglili muttered to herself, her eyes firmly glued to the disposable paper cup in her hand.

The warm liqueur was steaming under the cold air, with a sprig of rosemary stuck in it, and a ring of honey on the rim of the cup, exuding a rich aroma.

"Gudu..."

She secretly swallowed again.

After several hesitations, he finally couldn't resist the curiosity and desire in his heart, so he brought the paper cup to his mouth and took a small sip.

The hot sweet wine enters the mouth, with a rich and full taste. It seems to be filled with fruits, lemons and various spices. It is sour, sweet and delicious.

"Drink it well……"

She couldn't help but sigh in a low voice, but she heard a comment coming from beside her: "Isn't this too sweet?"

Turn around and look.

Kato Yusuke was staring at his sweet wine with a frown on his face, an indescribable expression on his face.

"Idiot, that's why I told you not to buy it..."

As Yinglili said, she suddenly couldn't help but laugh out loud, feeling funny about his deflated appearance.

Kato Yusuke looked at her smiling face and truly thought her unpretentious smile was quite beautiful, and his eyes couldn't help but soften.

"Sure enough... this is more suitable for you."

"Eh?"

He stretched out his hand mysteriously and pinned the other person's wind-blown hair above his ears, "So don't show that expression again..."

Yinglili's eyes widened in astonishment, her pupils shaking as if there was an earthquake.

This kind of intimate behavior made her very uncomfortable, and she always felt embarrassed. She couldn't help blushing, lowering her head, and whispered back the word "hmm".

"..."

"..."

Kato Yusuke was silent for a moment, and when he was about to pick up his paper cup and continue to enjoy the sweet wine, the girl suddenly grasped the little finger of his other hand tightly.

The movement of his hand paused, causing a circle of ripples to appear on the surface of the sweet wine, and then he looked sideways.

"…………Happy New Year."

Ying Lili stared at her toes and whispered, her cheeks blown pink by the cold wind looking inexplicably delicate and delicate, like a small plum blossom in the winter snow.

"Ah...Happy New Year."

Kato Yusuke responded in a low voice, unconsciously looking away and looking around aimlessly.

Tall ginkgo trees cover the top of the head.

The shadows of the trees are whirling and the crowds are flowing.

The stall owners were shouting and selling enthusiastically, and the tourists were also chatting and laughing loudly, and the whole space was filled with laughter.

It’s New Year.

He suddenly realized this with hindsight, and his mind was filled with thoughts.

Then, he withdrew his gaze and stared down at the sweet wine in front of him.

Colorful lights are reflecting off it.

Take another sip.

For some reason, he suddenly tasted the joy of life.

Kato Yusuke slowly shook his head, shook some sadness out of his mind, and quietly drank the hot sweet wine.

His little finger was still held tightly until the very end.

But on such a rare day, even the gods would probably turn a blind eye to such small actions.

The two men were silent.

…

Thanks to [Qiliuye] and [Reader 1543569666868273152] for the reward.