"Good morning, Mrs. Sosuke."
"Mrs. Yasuno, doing the grocery run this early?"
Inside the slightly cramped elevator, Kitahara Sosuke greeted the familiar faces with a polite smile. His family's home in Tokyo was a bit dated, but that also meant the neighbors were all well-acquainted. It was important to maintain good relationships, even if it was just with some casual small talk.
Once the others had stepped out, Sosuke remained alone in the elevator for a moment. He adjusted his school tie, glancing at his own handsome reflection in the elevator wall, before finally strolling out at a leisurely pace.
His school wasn't far, and he didn't need to squeeze through the main thoroughfares.
The street was lined with cherry blossom trees. Even though it wasn't the blooming season, riding a bicycle through the softly rustling leaves was still incredibly pleasant.
Students and office workers passed him by, dressed in uniforms and suits, bags slung over their shoulders.
Sosuke occasionally turned his head to watch them walk away, silently appreciating the beauty of this busy, ordinary life. Once the outbreak hit, Japan would become an entirely different, apocalyptic world.
"Huh? Why is that kind of car parked here? Did someone strike it rich?"
Sosuke's gaze was drawn to a luxury car parked up ahead, its hood bearing the unmistakable flying goddess emblem. In the six months since his return to this world, it was the first time he'd seen one in person.
In his first life, when he looked in the mirror and saw his handsome face, he thought for sure he was destined to marry into a rich family and live the good life.
But reality had slapped him hard. The zombie apocalypse came not long after. Money became worthless. These luxury cars were little more than flashy dead weight in a world where survival came first.
Still, he couldn't help but sneak another glance.
"Ah "
"Watch out!"
Two people suddenly rushed around the corner up ahead. The sidewalk on the left was crowded, so Sosuke instinctively swerved his handlebars to the right.
Thunk...
The bike's front wheel slammed into the car door. Sosuke barely managed to steady himself, avoiding a fall, but the recoil sent an ache straight through his lower body. His face twisted in pain.
"Great... how much is this gonna cost me?" Sosuke winced. A classic warning flashed through his mind: Negligent riding leads to family tears.
Whether or not his father would cry, he was certain his wallet would.
The driver stepped out of the luxury car just then. Wearing white gloves, the older man bent down to inspect the slight dent in the door with a practiced hand.
"I'm really sorry, sir. How much is the repair? I'll cover it." Sosuke bowed apologetically. Even though the crash was caused by trying to dodge those two people, he had been the one to hit the car. Ultimately, it was still his fault.
"At least six hundred thousand yen," the driver replied without a hint of anger. In fact, he sounded more like a friendly uncle than anything else. "Best to notify your parents. I doubt a student like you could handle this out of pocket."
"That much?!" Sosuke nearly coughed up blood.
Where were those two people who ran into the street? Don't tell me they just fled the scene...
He quickly turned to look.
Wait was that...
Long black hair cascading past the shoulders, flawless porcelain skin, bright, intelligent eyes, and a face almost too adorable to be real. Her black school uniform paired with thigh-high stockings exuded youthful charm in its purest form.
Yukinoshita Yukino.
In his past life, he'd once wandered out to Chiba out of curiosity just to catch a glimpse of her from afar. The two of them never had any real interaction.
And standing beside her was someone equally captivating her older sister, Yukinoshita Haruno.
Why were they in Tokyo? Don't they go to school in Chiba? Questions filled his mind.
Unlike the cold, distant Yukino, Haruno had a warm smile dancing on her lips as she studied Sosuke's expression.
"Oh no, it's dented already. If Mom finds out, she's going to be mad. But... we were partly to blame. We were in a rush, and you were only trying to avoid us when you crashed into our car," she said sweetly.
"I really was trying to dodge you two," Sosuke nodded quickly. So this car belonged to the Yukinoshita family. No wonder being from a wealthy household in Chiba, they could easily afford something like this.
He glanced at his watch and swore under his breath. He was cutting it close. He still needed to check in with the teacher before class.
"You know," Haruno said casually, "I think the real issue lies with the city's planning department. Why doesn't a huge city like Tokyo have a proper bike lane on this road?"
Sosuke blinked. That was... a brilliant deflection.
In just a few words, she'd shifted the blame to urban planning. Now they were both victims of the system.
"But hmm..." she added, "You did dent the car door, so you should take some responsibility too."
She pulled out her phone, smiling as she held it out toward him.
"You look like you're in a hurry to school, so how about this leave your contact info, and we'll figure it out later. Sound fair?"
"That works best," Sosuke agreed without hesitation.
He hopped back on his bike and passed by the two sisters, casting a sideways glance as he rode off.
One radiant and warm, the other serene and icy.
He couldn't help but wonder... would this fleeting encounter become just a one-time memory?
As Sosuke's figure disappeared into the distance, Haruno's smile faded. Her voice dropped into a serious tone.
"Yuki, get in. We're short on time."
…
September 20, 2020
8:50 AM – Toyosaki Academy, Class 2-C
After a brief "conversation" with his homeroom teacher in the office, Kitahara Sosuke returned to the classroom. He exchanged a quick glance with Kasasaka Shiko and slipped back into his seat.
Most students were buried in books, preparing for the final stretch of high school. Except for a few who had already decided not to take the national university entrance exam, nearly everyone was focused on studying.
Truth be told, Class 2-C had a strong academic atmosphere.
The last period of the morning was classical Japanese.
Their teacher, Aino Junko, was a seasoned woman in her fifties, and though Sosuke's desk wasn't by the window, it was close enough to drift into boredom. His eyes lazily wandered… and came to rest on the legs of the girl sitting on the right side of the fourth row.
Wrapped in black stockings, crossed at the ankle. Elegant.
Kasasaka Shiko.
When Sosuke first realized he was attending Toyosaki Academy and had Kasasaka Shiko as a classmate, he got curious. He wandered the halls to see if anyone else looked... familiar.
During recess, he took another stroll.
In Class 1-B, he saw Aki Tomoya joking around with his buddies. In the back row, almost invisible, sat the unassuming Kato Megumi.
When he passed by Class 1-G, he noticed someone missing Sawamura Spencer Eriri, the small-framed, blonde twin-tail girl wasn't in her usual seat. Maybe she was in the restroom or off sketching somewhere.
Thinking of Eriri brought his thoughts back to someone else her mother.
Sayuri Sawamura.
Gentle, playful, and beautiful, even older than him in age, she still pouted and teased him on occasion. Even when the world collapsed, time never managed to leave a mark on her face.
Maybe… one day… she'd be called Sayuri Kitahara.
A buried memory rose to the surface, tugging at Sosuke's heart.