Reborn In Tokyo After Picking Up Sayu Who Ran Away From Home

   Starbucks.

  The girl looked at the boy, her eyes glistening like dewdrops.

  The voices of the surrounding people seemed to suddenly become smaller, and time flowed peacefully and comfortably.

  Line of sight interlaced.

   Kato Yusuke was a little panicked.

  Since the day of the Houye Festival, the relationship between him and Kei has come to a standstill.

  He moves forward, and the opponent retreats.

  Like two people facing each other across the bank, separated by an invisible river, draw a dividing line.

   And now, there seems to be a tree on the shore.

  He may be able to build a boat, or he may not be able to do anything.

   Kato Yusuke took a light breath, then slowly exhaled it from his chest, looked directly at the other party and said word by word:

   "...Maybe my request is selfish, but I hope Kei can always stay by my side."

that moment.

  The girl was stunned for a moment and lowered her eyelashes.

  There seemed to be something extra in those clear eyes, but it was like a mirage in the heat wave, making it hard to see clearly.

  The other party did not respond immediately, but gently raised one hand to tie up the hair that was left in front of his face, and then asked calmly:

   "...Then, Yusuke, in what capacity or position did you say that to me?"

   "...What identity?" Kato Yusuke repeated in a low voice.

   "Because, what you just said seems to have some unreasonable demands. Even if you want me to consider it, you must first let me know what attitude I should adopt, or whether I have the right to think about it?"

  “…What would you do if I said there was no reason, I just thought so?”

  Yusuke Kato paused for a moment, then continued: "Just like Megumi said just now, our studio also needs you, so I hope you can stay."

"Right…"

  The girl agreed ambiguously, neither agreeing nor denying the words, looking over her eyes as if signaling him to continue talking.

   "..."

   Kato Yusuke reached for the matcha latte on the table and took a sip.

  Unknowingly, the coffee has become completely cold.

   It tastes like iced sweet milk, and the taste of matcha is a little astringent, which is indescribable.

  During this period, Hui just kept staring at him, waiting for the follow-up.

   "Honestly..."

  He slightly lowered his gaze, moved away from the other party's eyes, and then slowly said:

   "I'm not ready to see you in a relationship, and I don't want to be prepared for that."

   "That is to say... Yusuke will feel unhappy seeing me with other boys, can I understand this?"

"Um."

   A short silence.

   "Is that so..."

  The girl had the same expression on her face as before, and she said nonchalantly:

   "Seriously, isn't your opening statement too oblique? You just need to say that at the beginning."

   There was a hint of lightness in the tone, and there was also a bit of sarcasm mixed in it.

   She seemed satisfied at last.

  Yusuke Kato was dumbfounded, not knowing how to react.

  Hui leaned back on the chair and said softly:

   "However, it's like you will be unhappy when you see me going out with other people. On the other hand, it's the same on my side..."

   As for what, it naturally refers to his relationship with other girls.

  Kato Yusuke's lips twitched, and he whispered sorry.

  Hearing the words, this is how he expressed his convenience.

   ""The meaning of apologizing to me in this situation, you'd better think about it more?" Do you remember what I said before? "

"…of course I remember."

   "So can I ask you about this now? Why are you apologizing to me?"

   Kato Yusuke pondered for a moment, then looked straight into the opponent's eyes.

   "Because I ruined our relationship, I kissed you on the school's rooftop... However, I don't regret it."

   "—!"

  As if she didn't expect him to mention that matter suddenly, the girl couldn't help but froze, then immediately lowered her head.

   Under the rendering of the setting sun, that face seemed to be slightly flushed.

   After a while, she raised her head again in a leisurely manner, with a slight dissatisfaction in her eyes.

   "... I always feel that I seem to have misjudged your thick-skinned level."

  Yusuke Kato touched his nose, "Actually, I've been thinking about this all the time, so are you really angry because of this?"

"angry?"

  The girl blinked twice, her slender and thick eyelashes fluttered like a fan, and then she let out a meaningful oh.

   "Well, it's not completely without anger, but it may be a little different from what you think."

  She paused and said: "... To be precise, I'm just a little angry about the meaning behind it."

"what…?"

   Kato Yusuke asked without confidence: "...the meaning behind it?"

   "I ask you, Yusuke."

  Hui stared at him, eyes more serious than usual, "...Do you understand the meaning of kissing me in that situation?"

   Kato Yusuke kept silent, using silence instead of answering.

"Ugh…"

   A sigh came into my ears.

   "Because you refused to step on the brakes, so I have to speak straight, okay?

  About Kasumigaoka-senpai and the others, Yusuke, what are you going to do? Or... how would you like me to treat this? "

   Kato Yusuke's heart tightened.

  Before he had time to speak, he added something casually to the convenience.

   "Ah, let me tell you in advance, that kind of harem male protagonist like Galgame is really bad, I won't accept it?"

  As soon as the voice fell, the air seemed to vibrate slightly.

   The two fell into silence.

   Kato Yusuke opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

  The girl's statement was serious and solemn, and her seemingly calm tone was full of unshakable determination.

  —It was so clearly conveyed into his heart.

   This short conversation brought out a gap that both sides knew but had been buried all along.

  The obvious meaning in her words seemed to make the current situation even more embarrassing.

   That subtle atmosphere blocked Kato Yusuke's throat invisible, and he couldn't say anything else.

  At the moment, the store is noisy and crowded, and the air is very dull.

  He leaned lightly on the back of the chair, not knowing what to do with himself.

   For quite a while, no one spoke at the table.

  Kato Yusuke's brain was running at high speed, one idea after another kept coming out of his mind, and then dissipated one by one like bubbles.

  Although the other party didn't finish what she said, he already understood what she meant.

   To describe it simply, the current situation is like doing multiple-choice questions.

  And he can only choose one, or one side.

   Kato Yusuke frowned tightly, and unconsciously clenched his trousers with both hands. While overlooking the current situation in his heart, he tried his best to find an opportunity to break the deadlock.

However.

   There is no correct answer to this kind of thing.

  Before he knew it, cold sweat was dripping from his forehead.

  Megumi, Shiwa, Kokano, and Sayu from memory flashed in my mind one by one.

  A shadow appeared in Kato Yusuke's heart, and at the same time there was a dull pain and indescribable self-loathing.

  ‘Can I let go of Shiba-senpai and Xiao Kano? '

  He asked his heart.

   Logically speaking.

  Kanoko Hasami is now free from the pressure of the house, life has become much easier, and she can take care of herself even without him.

   As for Shiba-senpai.

  The relationship between the two has not yet broken through to the end, and perhaps other methods can be used to compensate each other...

But-!

  Isn’t that how things work out—?

  Thinking of this, Kato Yusuke's expression couldn't help becoming distorted, and he couldn't help clenching his teeth tightly.

  He can indeed make up materially, but what about other aspects?

   To put it bluntly.

   After experiencing so many things.

  Can he live up to Shi Yu, who has never turned back for him, and Xiao Kano, who is devoted to him?

   can be on the other hand.

  Can he afford to lose Kei?

   "..."

  The young man raised his head vigilantly and fearfully, looking at the girl in front of him who said she would stay by his side at the nearest position, her Adam's apple kept rolling up and down.

  The other party's eyes are still as indifferent as before, but they also reveal a faint color of thinking, as if they have been silently observing his reaction.

   "Hui..."

  He took a deep breath, and the voice that came out of his throat was inexplicably dry.

  The girl looked at his tense face, her expression changed for a moment, and then she slightly pursed her lower lip.

   "...Sorry, I seem to have said something nasty and it bothered you so much."

   "No, it's me..."

  Yusuke Kato was only halfway through his words, and the other party interrupted him.

   "Otherwise this is fine."

  Hui tilted his head slightly, pondered and said:

   "Actually, I've been thinking about how to get along with you recently, and how to treat our relationship... Then, I finally thought of it just now."

   Kato Yusuke didn't speak, just listened carefully.

   "Yusuke...no, Yusuke Kato."

  The indifferent tone suddenly became formal.

   "Basically, our recent relationship is indeed not right, and I don't think it's good, so I should explain it clearly to you."

  Hearing this, Kato Yusuke swallowed subconsciously, but still nodded.

  According to the following dialogue, will decide where their future relationship will go.

  He clearly recognized this, and felt a little nervous for no reason.

  While studying his reaction, Megumi put one hand on his chest lightly, and took a shallow breath.

   "...In short, you don't need to make a decision now. After all, we are only high school students...I will wait until college."

"the University…?"

   Kato Yusuke muttered to himself, his thoughts stopped for a moment.

   Ignoring his reaction, the other party stared down at the table and continued speaking.

   "That is, I can wait until we go to college.

  If you still liked me, Yusuke, I would be your... lover and date you.

  Before then, you have a long time to think about it. I will wait patiently for you to make a decision and try not to interfere with you.

  Basically that's it. "

  Yusuke Kato opened his mouth in astonishment, his mind was emptied by this unexpected development, and he couldn't help blurting out: "What about before university?"

  As if seeing through his inner thoughts, Hui's tone softened a little, and her light hair flowed down.

   "It's okay, just like we agreed, I will continue to stay by your side to accompany you."

   "..."

  Kato Yusuke closed his eyes in silence, thinking quietly.

   Judging from the results alone, he seems to be on base safely.

  With a rather clear attitude, the other party clearly gave him a conclusion.

  He doesn't have to make a decision right away, the question is deferred to the university.

   Before that, he had a little over two years to think about it, or to make arrangements and deal with it.

   Then, he needs to make the final decision at that time.

   To sum it up in one sentence, it's like changing from the death penalty to a reprieve.

   After clarifying the key points, Kato Yusuke slowly opened his eyes. In his heart, there was both the joy of remaining alive after the catastrophe, and also some kind of unspeakable loss.

  Megumi Kato is always Megumi Kato, and she will not easily compromise just because she has a good impression of someone.

  Think of it here.

  Whether it was joy or disappointment, it all turned into a long sigh in the end.

"…I understand."

   Kato Yusuke nodded slightly.

  Hearing his sigh, Hui frowned slightly for a moment, like a little dissatisfied, but immediately recovered.

  "...By the way, today is actually the first time in my life that I was confessed. Although I refused, but..."

  The crystal clear eyes stared at him.

  “…The first love since I was a child, if the object can be the person I like…it will be fine.”

  The girl said in a slender voice, then quietly lowered her eyes.

   Kato Yusuke's breathing stagnated slightly.

  At this moment, Hui gave him the feeling that he was looking at the underwater moon through thick ice.

  She seems far away, but she is so clear.

   "...Okay, anyway, I've finished what I have to say, so let's do this, Yusuke. From tomorrow onwards, I will temporarily forget about this matter, so bye~"

   Without giving him a chance to respond, Hui finished his farewell words in one breath, and then hurried away as if fleeing, leaving him where he was.

  ◇

  After leaving the mall.

  The girl got into her cousin's car and went home together.

  The new Audi S6 drove smoothly on the road.

   "Let me say, Xiaohui."

  Kato Keiichi looked at the co-pilot out of the corner of his eye, and asked, "Is it really okay to just leave Kato-kun alone like this?"

   "Huh? But I said goodbye."

  Hui, who was playing with his mobile phone, replied without raising his head, his tone full of puzzlement.

   "I'm not talking about that."

  Kato Keiichi smiled wryly.

   "It's just that he is your friend after all, and he is also someone you like. You can actually chat with him for a while, don't worry about me..."

   "Well, I think it's better for Keiichi-san to concentrate on driving? Also, I don't seem to have talked with anyone about the person I like, have I?"

   Hearing the displeasure and resistance in the girl's words, Keiichi Kato couldn't help being a little dumb, and then sighed with a little emotion.

   "Well, since you don't want to talk about it, forget it.

  By the way, you haven't talked about that topic, but Hiromi-san has already passed on the story of Kato-kun in our family. "

   "Sister, she is really—!"

  Hearing this, Hui complained a little unbearably, and for a while complained about her sister who was about to become a bride, but still had a stubborn personality.

  But after a while, he regained his sense of normalcy.

   Not wanting to see the smiling face of her cousin next door, she rested her elbow on the car door and rested her chin in one hand, just looking out of the window.

   Even though the car has driven quite a distance, the Sunshine City of Ikebukuro in the distance still looks very tall.

  She quietly watched the tall building that was gradually shrouded in night, but felt that her thoughts still seemed to be still in that Starbucks.

   Take a step back, respectful and reserved.

   Taking a step closer, feeling unwilling.

  So she took half a step lightly and stretched out her hand.

   Standing on the other side, as long as you stretch out your hand, you can go to her place and wait quietly.

  「I will be by that person’s side closer than anyone else.」

  When she made this promise, she didn't say anything.

  —But there are always some things that cannot be compromised.

  Just like the relationship between people, it will change because of some opportunity.

   When I saw his tears for the first time.

   When one person monopolizes his sleeping face.

  When he understands that he cannot be monopolized by one person.

  ──The person who wants to stay by that person's side and live in his heart is her.

  She couldn't help wishing so deeply.

  In retrospect, since the intersection of the two people.

  From the moment I was pulled out of a world where there was nothing, and the relationship with the people around me was neither far nor close.

  The love that rolled out because the lid slipped open will definitely not be able to close again.

  She wants to be his "uncompromising number one", and she does not hesitate to go through all kinds of difficulties for this.

  I hope that one day, I can face him with all the emotions hidden in my heart.

  In order for him to only look at her.

  In order to keep her in his heart.

  In order to let the hands that are held together never separate.

  In order to be able to hug him tenderly in the night when the moon cannot be seen.

  If it can become his special.

   For her, this is the best.

  …