Tokyo Rebirth: Start From Picking Up Sayu

After eating and drinking enough, the group came to Gakushuin University from Yoyogi.

When passing by a convenience store on the national highway, Shinjoka and Serizawa Yuu bought some overnight supplies there.

Although pajamas can be borrowed, it is necessary to prepare your own items such as underwear.

In addition, the two also bought many snacks inside.

Then, they came to the landmark area nearby.

Serizawa Yu stood at the intersection, looking up slightly at the long slope with no end in sight, and exclaimed in amazement.

"Wow, this, is this the Detective Slope that Ms. Sawamura mentioned? Wow~ It always feels so spectacular~~~!"

Shinjoka, who was standing next to her, had a lollipop in his mouth and a question mark on his face.

"What are you surprised about? It's not far from where we live. Have you never been here?"

"Yeah! Because the supermarkets I often go to are all over the station, so this is my first time here~!"

Contrary to the excited Serizawa Yu, Shinjoka was a little unmotivated.

Kato Yusuke took their reactions into his eyes and said: "It's getting late, let's go up first, and be careful of slippery roads when walking."

"Hey, Yusuke..."

Yinglili suddenly tugged at the corner of his clothes, "Before that, I want to stop by somewhere. Can you accompany me...?"

Kato Yusuke couldn't help but be stunned, "...Going somewhere?"

"Well...it only takes a while, it won't be long." Yingli replied in a whisper.

Before Kato Yusuke could respond, Shinjoka said first:

"Ah~ In that case, let me take Xiao Xi and leave first. The presidents and you guys can just take your time. Let's go, Xiao Xi."

"Huh? Ah, wait..."

Ignoring Serizawa Yu who was still a little confused, Shinjoka just dragged her forward quickly.

When they walked some distance away, Ying Lili clearly saw that the other party gave her a meaningful smile, which made her feel panicked.

But soon, the two disappeared at the end of the ramp, leaving only a series of footprints to prove that someone had been here.

Only then did Kato Yusuke ask: "So, where do you want to go?"

Yingli took a shallow breath: "...I want to visit the old elementary school."

"What?"

Kato Yusuke thought he heard wrongly and asked in surprise: "On such a day and time, is there still an elementary school open?"

No wonder he would ask this.

After all, New Year’s Eve is the most important holiday of the year in Japan.

Except for convenience stores and some chain restaurants, most other stores will be closed today, let alone places like schools.

Yinglili didn't explain this, and walked in another direction, "...it's not far from here, come with me."

Kato Yusuke frowned, but he couldn't let her leave alone, so he had to follow her.

After walking for a few minutes, the two came to the gate of a school called "Shimamura Elementary School".

There were no surprises. The door here was locked and the whole campus was quiet.

Kato Yusuke originally thought that Eiriri just wanted to come over and take a look, but the other party secretly climbed over the school gate and entered inside while he was observing the surroundings.

Even if he reminded him that this was an illegal intrusion, he ignored it, and the person involved urged him to follow him quickly.

With a complicated mood, he also dug in.

The two walked around the campus one after another, looking around at the same time.

Playground, teaching building, swimming pool...

The facilities in the entire elementary school are highly standardized and are almost modeled after elementary schools across the country.

Compared to the private Toyosaki, this place seems very rustic.

While Kato Yusuke was absentmindedly visiting, the girl walking in front suddenly let out a sigh.

"The school building...has become new without even realizing it."

"After all, you have graduated a long time ago. Is it normal to think this way?"

"I'm not talking about that, but it seems like it's been renovated."

"Don't you notice this when you pass by?"

"Absolutely not."

Yinglili put her hands behind her back and kept walking.

"Besides, I wouldn't normally take this route, absolutely not."

The other party emphasized in a soft but firm tone: "After all, all I have left here are some negative memories..."

"..."

Kato Yusuke's feet slowed down a beat, and then he continued to follow as if nothing had happened.

"Yinglili..."

"It's okay, I won't cry anymore, you don't have to worry."

The girl chuckled and said, "It's better to say that my tears have dried up to the point where I can't even cry even if I want to."

"...Is that so? You are very strong."

"That's not the case."

The light pony tail dances gently with the shaking of the head.

Yinglili put her hands behind her back and said as she walked.

"It's just because you are willing to stay with me, Yusuke...otherwise I would never come here by myself."

"Is this considered bringing in accomplices to share the responsibility for illegal intrusion?"

Hearing Kato Yusuke's casual joke, the girl turned back and glared at him angrily.

"Pull an accomplice? Why do you say it so harshly? It's just a walk!"

Kato Yusuke pretended to be carefree and shrugged without saying a word.

Bathed in the bright moonlight, the two came to the campus atrium.

"We're tired from walking, let's sit here for a while." Ying Lili pointed to a bench outside, covered with a layer of snow.

"You can't sit down like that, right?"

"Just clear the snow and it'll be fine."

"It's going to be cold."

"You're so long-winded. It won't do anything if you simply sit down for a while."

"..."

Kato Yusuke was speechless, but he still stepped forward to push away the snow with his hands, wiped the remaining water with a paper towel, and cleared the space for the two of them.

"Okay, you can sit down now."

"Well, thank you for your hard work. By the way...you treat every girl like this? You provide warm central air-conditioning everywhere."

"Isn't this the attitude you should have toward someone who helps?"

"Then... women's friends?"

"Are you deliberately looking for trouble?"

Yinglili curled her lips in disdain and patted the empty seat next to her, "You should sit down too, why are you standing there stupidly."

Kato Yusuke sighed and sat down next to her, vaguely doubting whether the other party was too drunk, but he lacked evidence.

After all, the person involved spoke quite clearly and clearly, and apart from being a little choked, there were no other abnormalities. It really didn't look like he was drunk.

not to mention--

In order to avoid any problems, he settled almost two-thirds of the two glasses of sweet wine he bought himself.

"Ah, by the way... Yusuke."

As if she suddenly remembered something, Yinglili took out something from the pocket of her embroidered coat, "I forgot to return this to you."

Kato Yusuke looked at her hands.

What caught my eye was a crumpled handkerchief.

"Thank you for lending it to me before... I'm sorry it ended up like this, otherwise I would return it to you after washing it?" the client said a little embarrassed.

"Don't worry, I'll just handle it myself."

Kato Yusuke waved his hand nonchalantly, took back the still warm handkerchief from his white and tender hand, and put it into the pocket of his jacket.

"Speaking of which, Yusuke."

Yinglili raised her head suddenly, her eyes focused on the sky.

Blown by the wind and illuminated by the moonlight, the marshmallow-like clouds continue to flow and change into various shapes.

"I thought about it carefully later and made a decision."

She closed her eyes slightly and said, "No matter what, my behavior on Comiket was a bit excessive, so I should apologize."

"……Apologize?"

Kato Yusuke cast a questioning look at her.

"Well, apologize~"

Yinglili nodded affirmatively, her tone cheerful.

"Look, didn't I return the girl's souvenir book to her? That was a bit too much.

If our positions were reversed, if someone returned my notebook without any reason, I would also feel sad and unhappy, so I should... No, I want to apologize to her. "

"..."

Kato Yusuke glanced at her and asked: "...Is this okay?"

"I can't say whether it's good or bad. This matter has nothing to do with that girl in the first place. It's my own attitude that is too bad..."

Yinglili paused for a moment, then deliberately changed into a relaxed tone and continued.

"Of course, this is equivalent to officially admitting to that girl that I am not as good as her, which makes me a little unhappy~ But who says this is also a fact?"

"That girl...Hashima Dekai, she is really good at painting this time. That book has a purchasing appeal that far exceeds that of the same category, so it is inevitable that it will be a big seller~"

"Thinking about it now, I shouldn't have been so narrow-minded at that time. Although I lost to her this time, there is still a long time to come, and it's not like I have no chance to get back on track, right?"

A quite natural smile broke out on the girl's face, and she looked straight at him without evading her gaze.

There is no trace of falsehood in the deep blue eyes that seem to suck people in.

After a brief absence.

"...You have grown up."

When Kato Yusuke said this, Eiri immediately frowned in displeasure.

"Why do you treat others like children again?"

"Feel sorry."

Kato Yusuke smiled gently, "I mean... you have become mature."

"Well, if I insist..."

Ying Lili glanced at him with wandering eyes, "Actually, I'm just not scared anymore."

"Um?"

"Because no matter what."

The girl said: "I will always have the most powerful person beside me who will take care of me all my life... As long as I think about it this way, I feel that there is nothing to be afraid of."

Although the owner tried his best to act as if nothing had happened, he still couldn't hide his slightly red cheeks, and was far from being as calm as he pretended on the surface.

A daze flashed in Kato Yusuke's eyes, he paused and asked: "...Did you drink too much sweet wine? This doesn't look like you."

"What, it's rare for someone to say this to you, so I should treat it with more gratitude..." Ying Lili muttered dissatisfied.

As soon as she finished speaking, she stretched her body towards the moon and said "Hmmmm~", then looked back and smiled.

"Okay, now that we've seen almost this place, it's time for us to go back. Let's go home together~"

The girl stood up before him and took a few steps forward with a little jump.

The flow of time seemed to suddenly slow down.

The nights here are very peaceful, with no noisy trams or dazzling street lights.

The girl who looked like a fairy was bathed in the moonlight, her snow-white skin shimmering. She was smiling very, very happily.

Whenever the breeze blows, her long hair flutters.

Surrounded by the cold and dark campus, her clear voice sounded particularly pleasant to the ears.

The scene that was beyond reality made Kato Yusuke hallucinate about seeing an elf or goblin.

He couldn't help but stop and admire it, and even held his breath unconsciously.

It seems that if you take a step closer at will, the perfect world that the other party has built alone may be destroyed.

but……

"What are you doing here? If you don't leave, I'll leave you behind!"

Yinglili stood in front, staring at him with her hands on her waist, forcing him back to reality.

"..."

Kato Yusuke looked away from her without any trace, coughed and said: "...Well, let's go then."

He stood up and followed the other person outside.

Back to the school gate.

Yingli climbed up the metal door skillfully, pushed forward hard and landed beautifully, but the next second she squatted down again holding her right ankle.

"It hurts, it hurts...!"

Kato Yusuke turned out of the school gate and knelt down in front of her, "What's wrong?"

"I think... I sprained my foot."

"Is it important?"

"It's okay, this little one... hurts so much!"

Yinglili once tried to stand up, but she immediately frowned and bent her knees, gasping slightly.

At first glance, it doesn't look like he can walk.

"So didn't I tell you not to be so reckless..."

Kato Yusuke sighed helplessly and looked around.

There were no cars or even pedestrians on the dark streets.

He pondered for a moment and asked: "What should I do? Can you still walk?"

"Probably, no..." Yingli lowered her head and said weakly.

"Is the pain serious? Do you need to go to the hospital?"

"It's not that serious..."

"Is that so?"

Kato Yusuke nodded, turned his back to her and squatted down, "Come up then, I'll carry you back first."

"Um……"

A weak voice responded to him softly.

Along with the rustling movement, a soft and light weight pressed on him.

Even when Kato Yusuke put his hands around the other person's soft knees and hips, the master did not resist at all. Instead, he directly relaxed his whole body and gave himself to him.

"...Hold on for a little while?"

"Um……"

Yinglili put her hands around his neck, and the hot breath caressed his ears.

"..."

Kato Yusuke paused, then stepped forward.

From an angle that he couldn't see, the girl quietly raised her head, her eyes flashing with coquettishness and guilt.

…

The two of them returned the way they came.

The bright moonlight shines through the clouds and onto the silver-covered streets.

The streets were already cold at night, but as the crowds gradually dispersed and the surrounding area became quiet, the chill became even more obvious.

The treetops rustled and the sound of snow falling to the ground could be heard in the distance.

"Hey, Yusuke."

Ying Lili lay on his back, looked at his side face and asked, "You don't wear a scarf when you go out, don't you feel cold?"

"I have a hoodie underneath my jacket. I can wear it if necessary."

"After all, it won't be cold..."

Just as Kato Yusuke was about to respond, a furry scarf was wrapped around his neck from the left side, wrapped around his neck, and finally withdrawn from his right shoulder.

"...Here, I'll give you half of my scarf, so you can make do with it for now. Remember to thank me properly."

The girl murmured in a low voice, as if she didn't care about his rough living habits before she was willing to give up her scarf out of kindness.

"..."

Kato Yusuke couldn't help but pause in his footsteps, and then moved forward silently.

The two soon arrived at the Detective Slope and began climbing.

The cold wind blew in their faces, blowing their hair.

Yingli tied the scarves around their necks tighter and moved their heads closer to him, allowing the cold wind of winter nights to take advantage of them.

As the electric lights flickered, the two people's flickering figures clung to each other and merged into one.

The slope in front of us was already very steep, and it was snowing now, which undoubtedly made the climb even more difficult.

Even so, the young man always carried her steadily and his steps were as steady as walking on an ordinary road.

From the outside to the center, he hugged her legs tightly, but not too tight to make her uncomfortable.

Obviously the two of them are about the same age, but this back is very reliable, like the only driftwood in the white ocean.

She lay on her shoulders, which was 1.83 meters tall, and her field of vision became much wider.

The usual streets seemed to suddenly become miniature models in a crystal ball, with an unobstructed view.

Yinglili looked at the cars, manhole covers, houses, and narrow alleys covered with snow, and felt that the scenery was so beautiful that it was hard to bear to step down.

"Creak~" a sound.

Kato Yusuke stepped on it without mercy.

She looked down at the trampled snow and said angrily: "You really don't understand the style at all...!"

Kato Yusuke seemed to understand the meaning of her words and said without hesitation: "Because the most important thing now is to send you home."

"——!"

Yinglili, who was still a little dissatisfied just now, immediately stopped speaking.

Her body rose and fell with the boy's footsteps.

He walked deep and shallow in the snow, white air overflowing from his breath, filled with hot vitality in the cold night.

She calmly tightened her arms slightly, lowered her body, and rested her chin on his shoulder.

In the quiet night sky, it was as if someone had overturned the bucket and scattered the stars all over the sky.

Vega and Altair are shining brightly, and the lines connecting the stars are pure and beautiful, as if they are having a tryst.

"...Thank you for staying with me."

A reassuring whisper rang out.

"It's nothing. I have caused you trouble before, so don't worry about it." Kato Yusuke simply replied.

Not knowing what he thought of, Yinglili suddenly laughed and continued his words.

"Really, it turns out you also know~?"

"What?"

The girl clasped her fingers and counted them one by one arrogantly.

"In the early days, you used informants to threaten people to join the club and force others to take you into the industry. But in the end, you ended up painting so well for no reason, and you surpassed me all of a sudden. It's so bad!"

Her words brought back memories, and Kato Yusuke also had a smile in his eyes.

"Is that so? Am I bad for being often called upon by you to help meet deadlines, draw notebooks, manage club accounts, contact printers, and perform various odd jobs? I'm so sorry."

"A man who likes to care about everything is the worst!"

The girl's fist hit his chest, Kato Yusuke smiled and said nothing.

"And later..."

Not giving silence a chance to take advantage of the situation, Eiriri kept talking.

"You suddenly took such a long leave during the second semester, and when you came back, you inexplicably locked yourself up and became depressed, causing everyone to worry together. I hate you like that."

"..."

Kato Yusuke suddenly put away his smile and replied in a low voice: "Well, that was my fault. I'm sorry for making you worry."

"However, although I do hate you..."

A soft exhale sounded in my ears, "But, I also like you like this..."

Kato Yusuke suddenly stopped moving forward.

A scent of flowers and plants floated over, tickling his nostrils. Through the clothes, the warm body temperature is actually transmitted.

Carrying that worryingly light weight, he thought for a while and said, "...even if our relationship doesn't change, I will stay with you."

"...Who wants your kind of company, and there are so many people who want to be with me, so who do you think you are?"

Yinglili blushed slightly and said to herself:

"What I want is something more special, a companionship that belongs to love, love... love... anyway! This is a special treat for you, please seize this opportunity...!"

Whenever night comes, people always become sentimental.

Kato Yusuke was silent for a long time, and then took a deep breath.

The cold air surged deep into the nasal cavity, causing bursts of stinging pain.

"……Feel sorry."

He took heavy steps and stared at the front of his boots that were wet with snow. "There is already another girl by my side. I'm sorry, I can't respond to your heart..."

"--I know!"

Yinglili kicked her feet wildly and interrupted him forcefully, "Who told you to say this? I just want to tell you."

"tell me……?"

"...Well, from today on, whether it's painting or your affairs, I will work hard. I just want to tell you this, just be mentally prepared."

"...Isn't this kind of statement too unreasonable?"

"So what? It's not like you just met me on the first day, that's how I am anyway."

Kato Yusuke couldn't help but smile bitterly, and he could hear that she didn't want to make the atmosphere serious in her tone, so he simply said no more.

"Yusuke..."

Eirili said in a weak voice: "What happened at the cultural festival last time...did you like it?"

Kato Yusuke was amused by her sudden bold statement, and deliberately imitated what she said, "I hate you like this."

Yinglili giggled, as if she had anticipated his answer.

"...I love you like this."

The girl said, putting her soft lips against his cold cheek.

"——Uh-huh."

The glossy lips exhaled a warm breath mixed with a light white mist.

The moonlight leaking from between the clouds reflected the overlapping silhouettes of the two people.

…

Thanks to [Lei Xin Jiang] for the tip.