Tokyo Rebirth: Start From Picking Up Sayu

the other side.

Kato Yusuke looked at his phone, at a loss.

The chat interface with Xiao Xi was still on the screen.

In the recent period, the girl would always want to ask him to go to the association from time to time. Even though he declined many times, she still persisted.

As this situation gradually increased, he gradually became less able to refuse.

In particular, Motoyama Mina would call every week to ask about the status of him and Xiao Xi. He had been perfunctory so many times that the other party was almost a little suspicious.

Kato Yusuke was silent for a while, then brought up the chat interface with Shinjoka.

The last time they chatted was last month.

Unlike the situation where he greeted him every day before, the other party never bothered him again since that day.

Unlike before, daily lessons are not sent out every now and then. Even the work of the student union is reported through the chat group as much as possible, showing a well-behaved and knowledgeable appearance.

‘Isn’t it good to abide by the contract with peace of mind? ’

Kato Yusuke thought indifferently and put his phone away.

The next moment, the doorbell rang.

After opening the door, Asami smiled and raised her hand to say hello.

"Hello~ Katozai, good evening. Here, this is for you."

The other party said this and handed a square document into his hand.

Kato Yusuke originally thought it was some kind of document from the community, but after taking a closer look, he discovered that it was an envelope with "Yours sincerely, Kato Yusuke" written on it.

"……What's this?"

“Believe it, you’ll know it just by looking at it, right?”

"Isn't the address above your house number? Why is there my name?"

"Ahaha, about this, please turn over the letter and read it~"

So Kato Yusuke did as he was told, and then fell silent when he saw the sender's information on the back.

Asami smiled and explained.

"You should understand now, right? To put it simply, Sister Sayu is worried that you won't accept the letter, so she asked me to help deliver it to you~"

"But then again, in today's era, she still uses such an old-fashioned way of communication. She is really interesting, Sayu."

"Should I say that it wouldn't be too troublesome to write a letter? Isn't it more convenient to use phone calls and emails... Ah, that's right! Sayu-chan doesn't seem to have your contact information, Kato-zai, um... then There’s nothing we can do about it.”

Asami seemed to be very interested in this matter, and kept talking to herself.

Kato Yusuke didn’t want to hear any more, he said a cold hello and was about to return to the room, but——

"Wait a moment, Katozai."

The other person put his arm around his shoulder for some unknown reason and stared at him with an uncharacteristically serious look.

"Before you go back, let me ask you, you should be able to read the letter written by Sayu, right?"

Kato Yusuke was a little silent, "...Does this have anything to do with you?"

"Knew it……"

When Asami heard his answer, she showed a depressed expression for a moment, but immediately turned serious.

"Let me tell you, Katozai. Is this a letter sent from a place as far away as Hokkaido?

In order to deliver this letter to you, the postmen worked very hard. Don't you think you should take other people's feelings into consideration?

If you just throw it into the trash can, the letter and Mr. Postman will be very pitiful.

So even if you don’t like it, please wait until you read it carefully before throwing it away, okay? please. "

After finishing speaking, he bowed slightly in a serious manner.

Kato Yusuke alternately looked at the letter in his hand and the other person's face, and whispered: "...I know, don't let her send it next time."

"Ah haha, I can't guarantee this. Ah~ But I will convey your wishes to Sayu sister, just like helping her hand this letter to you. That's it, bye~"

Asami waved her hands with a bright smile and left gracefully.

Kato Yusuke closed the door, returned to the living room with the letter, sat down in front of the workbench, then put the letter aside and started drawing.

Due to Yinglili's recent poor condition, the progress of the original painting has not progressed, causing the schedule to fall behind significantly, and he had to make up for the missed parts in time.

Especially since he has made an appointment with Hui to go hiking together next weekend, and he will be unable to work for at least two days, so his time is actually quite tight.

Faced with such a situation, the most important thing for him to do right now is to work hard instead of thinking about what is there and what is not.

In this way, the boy focused on drawing.

It's different from the absurd "Chainsaw Man".

"" This work pays more attention to the details and emotional expression of the characters, so it cannot use the sketching style like the former, but requires careful craftsmanship and a lot of effort.

The reason why Yinglili got stuck was actually part of the reason.

But this does not happen with Yusuke Kato.

His wrist moves flexibly, and he writes at a speed that would be dazzling to ordinary people, gradually presenting the character's image on the drawing software on the screen.

As time went by, the original paintings of Fujibayashi Apricot and Fujibayashi Muku were completed.

The two sisters wore the same uniforms and white knee-high socks. Apart from the length of their hair, there was almost no difference in their appearance.

Therefore, when dealing with such a character, you must pay attention to the character's demeanor and temperament so that players can make distinctions.

For example, compared to her outspoken sister Xing, the introverted Muku has to be a little weak and shy to reflect the role difference.

Kato Yusuke has the skill of [Painting (Master Level)], which makes it easy to handle. He can also use various painting techniques with ease.

Diagonals, crosses, golden section...

The composition of the two original paintings is balanced and natural, the expressions of the characters are also very vivid, and there is basically nothing that needs major changes.

Save the layer file and compress it, attach some comments on the coloring, and send it to Mayu Sagara via email. The work for tonight is over.

Turning to look at the balcony.

Unconsciously, the setting sun shining in from the window gradually turned dark. The moonlight took its place and silently shed a silvery glow that complemented the lights in the house.

He looked away, his eyes inadvertently falling on the envelope beside him. After hesitating for a few seconds, he picked up the letter.

Open the envelope, take out the letter paper, unfold it, and the round fonts come into view——

"Yusuke, are you okay? I'm sorry for disturbing you in this way. It would be great if you could read this letter~

()』

Kato Yusuke glanced at the handwritten Japanese characters and read on in silence, realizing that the contents above were all trivial matters.

"Yusuke, why is your cat called Hei?"

"Yusuke, Tokyo and Hokkaido feel really different. I really want to show you my hometown."

"Yusuke, the closing band we saw last time was great. Can we go see it together next time we have a chance?"

"Yusuke, have you read "Numa Man"? This is a book someone gave me. After reading it, I found the content in it to be unexpectedly interesting."

…

Such and such——

Except for apologizing for the trouble he caused, "I was wrong but I won't change it," the owner almost always shared his daily life.

Continue down.

"Yusuke, I miss you so much. I want to go to you as soon as possible and make up for all the time in the past. Although you are probably very annoying (wry smile)..."

"In short, as there is a saying, a short separation is for a better reunion, so I will try my best to endure it before school starts (ì_í)."

"...Last of all, I left my scent in the envelope, so please don't forget me. - Yours sincerely, Sayu."

Kato Yusuke subconsciously looked at the envelope on the table, picked it up again and put it in front of his eyes. Only then did he realize that there seemed to be something else inside, so he poured it into the palm of his hand.

——It was a pure white handkerchief.

A vague citrus smell floated slightly.

"…………"

The young man looked at the handkerchief blankly, and after a moment he whispered two words, "...boring."

As he spoke, he put the letter and handkerchief back into the envelope and prepared to take a shower. When he reached the bathroom door, he stopped and slowly returned to the living room.

"Meow meow meow~?"

The black cat was lying on the cat climbing frame with his hands folded, tilting his head and looking at him in confusion, as if asking "What are you looking at?".

Kato Yusuke ignored it, put the envelope in the drawer of the bedside table, and then went to the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later.

After taking a shower, he changed into clean home clothes and returned to the living room, where he made himself a cup of coffee.

Looking around idly, his eyes fell on the bow on the wall.

——Let’s take care of the bow.

He suddenly thought so and took action.

Take out the skin care products you bought online.

Take out a piece of natural beeswax from the bow bag, heat it over simmering water until it melts, and stir evenly with chopsticks.

While waiting for cooling, wipe the bow body with a soft cloth and detergent to remove dust and stains on the surface.

At this time, the beeswax has also cooled to the appropriate temperature.

Dip a sponge into melted beeswax and spread the wax evenly over the surface of the bow in the direction of the bow's grain.

Next, gently wipe the bow body with a clean cotton cloth to remove excess wax and make the surface of the bow body smooth. At the same time, apply a layer of string wax to the bow string.

Considering that he probably wouldn't use it in the short term, Kato Yusuke removed the bow string and stored it back in the bow bag.

Because the process of waxing the bow body usually takes two to three times, he continued to repeat this step.

With careful maintenance, the bow became smoother, and his overwhelmed mood gradually calmed down.

After finishing everything, Kato Yusuke hung the bow back on the wall, and then sat down by the bed.

There is a faint smell of beeswax in the air, and there is an atmosphere of quiet reflection.

His eyes fell on the drawer of the bedside table.

Involuntarily, he took out the letter from inside again, took out the handkerchief, brought it up to his nose and smelled it.

The refreshing citrus fragrance immediately flows into the nose, and the smell is inexplicably reassuring and heart-pounding.

A light and sweet voice seemed to ring in my ears——

"I left my scent in the envelope, please don't forget me."

"…………How can it be?"

Kato Yusuke gritted his teeth suddenly, his right hand holding the handkerchief kept shaking, and the girl's smile kept appearing in his mind.

The smell coming from the handkerchief was a memory that haunted him and was indelible.

The citrus fragrance once filled every corner of this room, but now——

...But he could only rely on these small things and memories to survive.

"What are you doing..."

He murmured to himself, replaying everything about the other person in his mind.

Sayu's expression, the conversations she had with Sayu in daily life, the taste of the miso soup, and the places they visited together——

He unfolded the letter and read it again as if he was searching for something, looking at the various long and short sentences, and finally found a line of inconspicuous small words at the end.

"Yusuke, what is your impression of me? It's not just disgusting, right...? (Quietly)"

Before the subjective consciousness could react, several answers had already popped into his mind.

Very crybaby.

However, he is very dependent on his people.

Also, he is someone he likes very much.

"Ha ha……"

He laughed dryly, and the vision in front of him began to become distorted and blurred.

"...What have I done..."

Kato Yusuke bowed his body and lowered his head, covering his face with his right hand, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably.

I thought about it and thought about it and thought about it.

No matter how you think about it——

His Sayu is gone, and now Sayu has embarked on his own path.

Therefore, he must start over.

But……

"That's not possible at all...!"

A dry voice squeezed out of his throat uncontrollably.

When he met Sayu again, his heart was shaken far more intensely than he imagined.

Obviously he tried his best to refuse, but the other party rushed forward, like a sharp knife piercing his heart, insisting on making him bleed.

Grief, loneliness, regret...

Mixed emotions surged through his chest like a flood.

His body felt as hot as if it were on fire and he was trembling endlessly.

If there is a theory of cause and effect in the world, then Sayu who is actively attacking now is undoubtedly his retribution.

"Ahem..."

The corners of Kato Yusuke's mouth were twisted, the outline of his teeth was faintly visible on his tight cheeks, and his dull chest was heaving violently as if he were pressing on a huge boulder.

For quite a while, the only sound in the room was his heavy breathing and the black cat's confused cry.

Ignoring the black cat's meow, he stood up on his knees and staggered to the front of the closet.

Open the cabinet door and drawer, put the things Sayu sent together with the handkerchief from before, and then close the drawer and cabinet roughly.

"..."

Kato Yusuke held the wall next to the closet with one hand to support his body, lowered his head deeply and exhaled repeatedly to calm down his miserable mood.

"……system."

He asked in a hoarse voice:

"...If I use that blank memory potion to copy my memory, and then give it to the current Sayu to drink, can I bring the original Sayu back...?"

The next second, a pleasant electronic female voice sounded.

"Ding, the prop [Memory Potion (empty)] does not have the effect mentioned by the host and cannot replace the user's personality."

"…………that's true."

Kato Yusuke grinned self-deprecatingly, muttering to himself what he already understood, and just stood there in a daze.

After a while, he asked again: "...System, can I still find the original Sayu...?"

After a while of silence.

"Ding, the host has a certain probability of obtaining some special props, such as [Memory Potion (Ogiwara Sayu)], and the user has a small probability of generating a second personality after taking it."

a long time--

"…how do I get it?"

"Ding, when the host completes the task, there will be a one in a billion chance of randomly obtaining this prop."

"…………"

Kato Yusuke clenched his fists and remained silent for a long time.

…