Tokyo Rebirth: Start From Picking Up Sayu

Wait until you arrive at the shrine.

The family went in to worship together as planned.

Compared with the bustling Tokyo, Asahikawa is a completely rural place, but there is still an endless stream of tourists coming to worship.

According to traditional customs, if people do not come to pray to the gods for blessings on New Year's Day, they will not have good luck in the following year, so everyone naturally attaches great importance to it.

Throw coins into the money box, ring the bell, bow, clap, make a wish...

Follow the steps to pray and complete the prayer.

Mrs. Ogiwara asked her son to queue up to buy a tamori, while Sayu went to a corner of the shrine alone.

There are two tall pine trees planted here, connected by a rope in the middle, and there is an erected sign next to them.

According to the introduction, the two towering pine trees were named "male pine" and "female pine" respectively, and thus became symbols of good marriage.

"——I hope that the once broken string can be tied up again."

She clasped her hands in front of her chest and closed her eyes, praying from the bottom of her heart.

Cherished people come to mind.

It is said that the shrine is the best place to express determination, but this is her greatest expectation now.

In a small, wide open space, the temple staff placed an iron bucket with firewood burning inside for people to keep warm.

After all, no matter how sunny the weather in Hokkaido is, the temperature is still minus six degrees, which is extremely cold.

Sayu, who was slowly walking closer, was about to warm himself by the fire when a girl gathered around the barrel suddenly raised her head.

The two of them met each other's eyes inadvertently.

After the girl was stunned for a moment, her whole face suddenly lit up.

"Ah - Sayu-chan! Happy New Year! You're here to pay homage too!"

Needless to say, it was Yuko Masaka who appeared in front of her.

"Well...H-Happy New Year, Yuko."

Sayu greeted him slowly, and stood in the empty space next to him at the other party's signal.

Yuko Masaka was obviously very happy to see her at the beginning of the new year. She immediately hugged her arm enthusiastically and started chatting with her.

After chatting, I learned that Yuko also came here to worship with her family, but because she met her father’s work colleagues after the visit, she was forced to come here alone to warm up and wait.

"That's it."

Sayu nodded gently with a smile and stared at the simple bonfire in front of him.

Crack, crackle, crackle~

The sound of firewood burning makes people feel inexplicably calm.

"Speak of it, Sayu-chan."

A friend next to me asked: "Where have you been the past few days? I have been worried about your mother calling my house to check on you, and I am very worried about this."

As Yuko Masaka spoke, she patted her chest fearfully, her eyes full of curiosity.

After a while, Sayu gave an answer.

"...I went to see a person and asked for some confirmation."

"Eh? You said you want to meet someone and ask for confirmation...?"

"Um."

"...??"

Masaka Yuko tilted her head in confusion, troubled by this vague attitude for a while, and when she was about to ask in detail, a certain idea suddenly came to mind.

"Sayu-chan——!"

She couldn't help but open her eyes in shock, and asked urgently: "You must have gone to Tokyo, right-!?"

Thunderclap~ burning sparks are jumping.

"Um."

Sayu raised her hand to brush the broken hair around her ears, and nodded calmly to admit, "I went to Tokyo, and I also went to meet Iwanami-san."

"--Why?!?!"

Masaka Yuko asked in disbelief, her voice rising twice unconsciously, causing the people warming up next to them to look at the two of them strangely.

Sayu breathed a sigh of relief, turned around and walked back.

"...Let's go over there and talk."

"Ah, wait for me...!"

…

The two came to a place where there were relatively few tourists and sat down side by side on a bench.

As soon as they sat down, Masaka Yuko asked impatiently.

"Hey! Sayu-chan, is it true that you said you were going to meet that person? Why on earth would you do such a thing——??"

Faced with this inquiry, the girl was silent for a while, and then said softly: "...I want to bring an end to that summer."

"What--??"

"Sorry, there are too many things I don't want to say, but..."

Facing his friend's gaze, Sayu slowly turned his face.

"——That person is not a bad person. He is very, very important to me. I owe him more than I can ever finish in my lifetime. Yuko only needs to know this."

"——!!"

The girl's expression was solemn, exuding a noble atmosphere, like a miko offering kagura.

Masaka Yuko's eyes widened in astonishment, so frightened by the aura she inadvertently revealed at this moment that she was speechless for a moment.

Not paying attention to the wavering shown by his friend, Sayu looked at the bonfire not far away, the orange firelight swaying in his eyes.

The two of them became quiet.

After a long time, Yuko Masaka gradually regained her composure.

"Sayu-chan..."

She murmured hesitantly, feeling like something was stuck in her throat, but she couldn't continue to ask.

If the other party wanted to explain, he would definitely tell her directly.

Since others choose not to talk about it, it means that the owner wants to keep those things in his heart.

The two have been friends for so long, she can still understand this.

"..."

Masaka Yuko lowered her head, her expression changing constantly.

Frankly speaking, she had no idea why her friend said those words, but one thing was very clear.

That is, although Sayu looks very stable, he is actually a very stubborn person.

Once you decide to do something, you will have a mysterious power to follow through.

And as long as this propulsion force pushes the owner forward, there seems to be nothing to worry about.

Just when she was worried about what to say, the other party suddenly added something.

"Also, I'm pretty sure that I like him, and everything I do is out of my own will. Yuko, you don't have to worry about me being deceived."

The tone was calm and very calm.

The emotion without confusion made Yuko Masaka unconsciously raise her face and look to the side.

The quiet breeze caressed the other party's tea hair.

...The person in front of me must not be praying to anyone, but swearing to himself.

"I want to bring an end to that summer."

Suddenly, she recalled what she had just said.

It's like saying goodbye to the past.

In order to continue to the next season, the girl made a declaration at the shrine at this moment.

"...That's it."

Masaka Yuko exhaled through her nose, and her restless mood calmed down inexplicably.

Although there were many other things she wanted to say, and even now she still couldn't clear her thoughts, there was still one thing she couldn't say.

She asked her most important friend sitting next to her: "...What are you going to do next?"

The girl looked back at her, smiling as peacefully as if she was sleeping.

"—I will miss him."

A simple sentence.

For some reason, Masaka Yuko sensed the huge emotion that was brewing in the other person's heart.

During the three-day trip to Tokyo, her friend seemed to have become more mature.

No, I should say——

The other person is considered to be the more mature type among his peers, but he is the more naive type, and he is the one who is always taken care of...

She slightly reluctantly kicked the stone pavement under her feet and carefully sorted out what she wanted to say most at this moment.

after awhile……

"In that case——"

She said in a firm tone: "Then no matter what decision Sayu-chan makes, I will support you! I promise you."

"Yuezi..."

Faced with the little finger that she suddenly stretched out, Sayu couldn't help but be stunned for a moment.

But immediately, the girl understood what she meant, lowered her eyes gently, and extended her right little finger.

"...Thank you, Yuko."

Sayu said softly: "No matter what, you are my best friend."

The two little fingers hooked together.

'What a nice view……'

Masaka Yuko looked at the slightly thinner but still lovable face in front of her, feeling as if her mind had been completely taken away, and she could never take her eyes away.

——She could only look at the other person's face intoxicated.

At some point, the Sayu she was familiar with disappeared.

Although the other party acted as if nothing had happened.

However, there was indeed sadness and change flowing in those amber eyes.

She breathed out unconsciously, and her eyes felt slightly warm and moist.

"……Uh-huh……!"

She resisted the sour feeling deep in her nose, wrapped her hands around the other person's right hand, and put her forehead against it.

please--

she prayed.

It's like being saved.

At this moment, Masaka Yuko sincerely hopes that there will be someone in this world who can save her best friend.

——Tell the other person to stop showing that sad face.

…

Thanks to [KUSSN] for the tip.