Tokyo Rebirth: Start From Picking Up Sayu

The bus drove smoothly on the highway.

There are many passengers in the carriage, but there are only a few people like Kato Yusuke and Megumi wearing hiking clothes.

March is the peak season for traveling to Mount Fuji, but it is not the best climbing season.

Generally speaking, Mount Fuji is only open from July to September in principle, and you need to make a climbing plan during the rest of the time.

Due to the low temperature in Mount Fuji at this time of year and the top of the mountain still covered with snow and ice, most climbing routes are closed and only a few are open.

The above information was learned from the store owner when the two went to buy mountaineering equipment a while ago.

Kato Yusuke didn’t know why Megumi chose to climb the mountain at this time, but for safety reasons, he followed his boss’s suggestion and hired a professional guide.

Otherwise, the two newcomers might not even be allowed to climb the mountain.

The bus departs from Shinjuku, Tokyo, and drives all the way to the trailhead of Mount Fuji's fifth station. The whole journey takes about three hours.

The two chatted for a while in the car, and then fell asleep listening to music quietly to recharge for the next trip.

At 11:30 noon, the bus arrived at its destination smoothly.

What appears in front of you is a group of buildings distributed in a semicircle, mainly composed of rest stops, restaurants, restrooms, service desks, and many shops. Next to it is the tall Mount Fuji.

People were wearing thick clothes, some were buying or renting climbing equipment, some were packing their bags, and some were enjoying hot food and drinks.

As soon as I stepped off the bus, the fresh and cool air hit my face.

"Ah, it's actually snowing here~"

Hui looked up in amazement, exhaling a faint white breath from her glossy lips.

Kato Yusuke followed her gaze and saw scattered snowflakes falling from the sky. The ground that fell on them slowly melted, leaving a small snow scene nearby.

He took a deep breath, feeling a faint cold tingling sensation deep in his nasal cavity, which was refreshing.

"Be careful not to catch cold." Yusuke Kato reminded: "The temperature here is more than ten degrees lower than at the foot of the mountain, only 5 degrees Celsius. Let's go indoors first."

"Huh?" Hui turned her face in confusion, her fair nose stained with a light redness, "Shouldn't we go find Mr. Guide first?"

"I just contacted the guide in the car, and he will meet us in an hour. In the meantime, let's take a stroll here and have lunch. In addition, you also need to report that your family is safe, right?"

"Right."

Hui nodded in agreement, took out his phone and took a few photos, and then followed him towards the facility in front.

After contacting their families, they wandered into a certain store.

In addition to selling various mountaineering supplies, there are also many souvenirs and local specialties, such as Mount Fuji’s famous biscuits, T-shirts, keychains, postcards, etc.

By the way, like most scenic spots in the world, the food and drinks sold here are slightly more expensive than in the city.

But once you think about the fact that this place is located at an altitude of 2,300 meters, the desire to complain about the behavior of profiteers becomes minimal.

"Ah~ Yusuke, look at this."

When walking to a certain row of shelves, Hui pulled out a light-colored wooden stick and displayed it excitedly.

"Vajra Staff...?"

Kato Yusuke read out the product information posted on the shelf and felt confused, "Is this a weapons souvenir?"

"No~~"

The girl smiled softly and explained.

"This is a hiking stick unique to Mount Fuji, and it is a souvenir here.

As long as you purchase it, you can ask someone to stamp it at various mountain huts on the way to the summit to prove where you have arrived.

It’s a very memorable and fulfilling thing~”

"oh?"

Mountain huts are hotels built on Mount Fuji to provide accommodation for tourists.

Kato Yusuke also pulled out a diamond staff, and sure enough he found a seal on the staff——

"The Realm of Heaven and Earth, Mount Fuji Observation Deck—Fifth Station 2305"

From the foot of the mountain to the top of the mountain, Mount Fuji is divided into ten stages, and each stage is a "station".

If the base of the mountain is considered the zero station, then the top of the mountain is the tenth station.

Since this starts directly from the fifth station, the first seal on the cane is the fifth station.

In other words, as long as they purchase such a cane, they can use it to get stamps at the mountain huts from the 6th station to the 10th station.

Kato Yusuke clarified the key and said with a smile:

"I see, this is really interesting, but I heard that almost no mountain huts are open nowadays. Even if you buy one, you can't get it stamped, right?"

"Well, that's right..."

Hui slightly nodded regretfully and put the diamond staff back into the display cabinet, "Sure enough, should I come during the mountaineering season...?"

"If you want, you can buy one first. At least the mountain hut we booked should be able to get it stamped. The rest can wait until next time." Kato Yusuke suggested.

"Next time..." Hui looked at him funny, "Yusuke, you always think that when you say this, you will come with me next time?"

Kato Yusuke thought for a moment and said, "That's what I thought. Is there anything wrong?"

"...No, it's nothing."

Hui's eyes flashed, as if a docile deer jumped in her bright black pupils, and then she tilted her head cutely.

"However, I think it makes sense to do this now, so I won't buy a cane. I'm a little hungry, let's go eat."

"Well, that's okay too."

Kato Yusuke glanced at the time and agreed.

So they randomly chose a restaurant and ate udon noodles and grilled warabi mochi.

The latter is a very popular snack here. It is made from ferns picked from around Mount Fuji and grilled with soy sauce, miso and other seasonings. It tastes very refreshing and delicious.

After eating, I took a short break and went to the bathroom.

An hour almost passed.

The two retrieved their bags at the store and then found the hired guide.

The other party's name is Noguchi, a middle-aged man in his thirties who has considerable mountaineering knowledge.

After a brief greeting, Noguchi immediately checked their equipment to be prepared.

From climbing gear to food and water to medical supplies and personal hygiene products, Noguchi checks everything carefully.

After all, he is leading two inexperienced students today, and the current external environment is very harsh, so there is no room for carelessness.

Fortunately, the situation was much better than he expected. Kato Yusuke and Megumi were quite well prepared in this regard, which even surprised him.

He looked at the two people hesitantly, feeling that the young men were almost armed to the teeth, and their whole bodies were filled with the scent of Fukuzawa Yukichi's ink.

Such as hiking gloves, hiking hats, hiking masks, hiking shoes, hiking poles, goggles, etc. Needless to say, these needless to say.

In Yusuke Kato's backpack, he even saw picnic equipment, tents, sleeping bags, and portable oxygen bottles, just like an equipment dealer.

A rough estimate shows that this set of equipment costs at least 200,000 yuan, or even much more.

"Bbsp;Diaond", "TheNorthFace", "Saloon", "Deuter", "MountaHardwear"...

Looking at these brand-name outdoor products, Noguchi's originally cold eyes became filled with emotion.

These are all good things...

At this moment, he was already convinced that the young couple in front of him must be rich kids who came to experience something new, or they were mountaineering enthusiasts in the family.

He had no objection to this.

Mountaineering is an expensive sport, so it never hurts to invest in equipment.

That will not only make your life more comfortable in the wild, but also increase your chances of survival when encountering danger. The only problem is——

"I said this little brother..."

Noguchi chose the right words.

"Although it is a good thing to be well prepared, you are a little too prepared. We will spend the night at the mountain hut at the eighth station, so there is no need for picnic equipment and tents."

"The most important thing is that your luggage totals about 20 kilograms. It will be very heavy to carry on your back. You will not be able to exercise as much as usual on high-altitude mountains. I suggest you store these things first."

When Hui heard this, she also turned her gaze to the young man beside her, with a look of inquiry in her eyes.

There wasn't much luggage in her backpack, just some necessities. In order to take care of her, the other party took the initiative to take away most of the shared supplies, so she carried so many things.

It's not that she hasn't protested for this, but that man was very chauvinistic in this aspect, leaving her with no choice.

Facing the advice given by the guide, Kato Yusuke waved his hand in front of his chest and said:

"It's no problem, Mr. Noguchi. I have very good physical strength, so it won't matter if I carry this little weight on my back. Rather than this, let's set off earlier, right?"

Seeing his persistence, Noguchi couldn't help but muttered "Well..." and finally had no choice but to compromise.

"Okay, but I have to say it in advance. If you feel unable to do what you want on the way, little brother Kato, you must remember to tell me in time, and I will help you share some of the burden. Do you understand?"

"Okay, I will pay attention." Kato Yusuke nodded, "Thank you, Mr. Noguchi."

"You're welcome, this is my duty. My goal is to make sure you get to the top of the mountain safely, and I will do everything in my power to ensure that."

Noguchi said with a serious face, which made people feel very reliable.

At the guide's suggestion, Kato Yusuke and Megumi went to the bathroom and put warmers on their waists, backs, hands and feet respectively.

Everything is over, the time is already 12:50 noon.

The three of them officially set off on their mountain climbing journey.

Follow the signs and come to the paved mountain road.

——What you see is snow-white.

Unlike the foot of the mountain that has thawed, there is still a lot of snow and ice on Mount Fuji at this moment, covering the mountain road in white.

However, there is a vigorous lushness in this white. Many tall pine and maple trees are scattered on the hillside, revealing their tenacity and vitality.

As a guide, Noguchi walked in front without hesitation, clearing the way for Kato Yusuke and Kei behind.

Having said that, there is really nothing to open up at this stage.

The climbing route chosen by Yusuke Kato and others is the simplest Yoshida Line. Although this route is longer, the slope is relatively gentle, making it very suitable for tourists who are climbing Mount Fuji for the first time.

For now, except for the snow on the ground, which was a little obstructive, the road under their feet was actually quite smooth.

Walking on it like this feels like a leisurely winter outing.

"Always felt……"

While walking, Kei looked around and said, "There seems to be no one around, Yusuke."

Kato Yusuke nodded and responded: "It is the off-season after all, so this is normal."

Because they were wearing hiking masks, their voices were a little unclear, so they were close to each other.

After thinking for a while, Kato Yusuke asked: "Megumi, do you feel tired?"

"No~ It's better to say that we rested in the car for so long, and then we ate udon noodles and grilled warabi mochi. Now I'm so energetic that I just want to move my body."

"That's good. But the altitude will be higher and higher, and altitude sickness may occur. If you feel uncomfortable in any way, remember to tell me as soon as possible."

"Well, I understand."

Hui nodded in understanding, and then asked: "By the way, Yusuke, has Eiriri contacted you? How is the progress of the original painting?"

"We just had a phone call this morning. She said she had a new idea and is now going all out to implement it." Yusuke Kato said in a relaxed tone.

"That's it~~ I always feel a little annoyed."

"ah?"

"Ah, that's not what I meant. I just feel that we can't help Ying Lili solve her troubles, so I'm a little upset."

"Don't worry, as long as you have this intention. Senior Shiyu also said that the creator's bottleneck period must be overcome by oneself. All we have to do is watch from the rear."

Hui glanced at him slightly, then returned to the right angle.

"...I don't deny this, but compared to us, Yusuke, you probably did more than that, right? You probably also played a role in pushing her from behind."

"I don't think I have done anything that great. Everyone has contributed, so I can't count it like that." Kato Yusuke said calmly.

"You don't have to lower yourself to that level, do you? At least from my understanding, although Yinglili's character is straightforward and awkward, easy to understand and difficult to get along with, but..."

Megumi paused for a moment before speaking in a slightly softer voice than before.

"——Eiriri will never betray the person she reveals her heart to, and that person is you, Yusuke."

Kato Yusuke's eyebrows bulged, and he looked at the girl next to him in surprise and uncertainty, feeling that the atmosphere was inexplicably serious.

"Hui...what do you mean?"

"...You really don't know?"

Hui turned to look, her eyes seemed to shine through the goggles directly into his eyes, and there was a hint of lingering haze in her voice.

"Eiriri has completely broken off all relations with that classmate Aki for you? What is the meaning behind this, Yusuke, do you really not understand?"

Snap, the trekking pole penetrated the snow.

Kato Yusuke looked away without saying a word, and stepped heavily, crunching the snow on the ground.

Hui also walked forward and said after a while:

"By the way... Yusuke, you said that Eiriri will be back next weekend, right? Otherwise, let's go to Nasu Plateau together on Saturday to pick her up."

"Going to Nasu Plateau...?"

"Yeah, I remember it takes about two hours to get there by train, right? It might be a bit difficult to get back and forth on the same day. We can ask Eiri to let us stay in the villa for one night and come back together on Sunday."

She said in a calm voice: "Although I can't help Eiri in other places, I at least want to do something that I can. What do you think, Yusuke?"

"Well……"

Kato Yusuke hesitated and answered truthfully:

"Actually, I asked Yinglili today if she wanted to visit her, but she said that she wants to concentrate on painting now and doesn't want to be disturbed, so I can't guarantee it."

"That's it..."

Hui nodded slowly, "Well, let's wait for news about Yinglili."

As she said this, she felt slightly depressed inside.

Logically speaking, as a friend, she should have given support to the other person, but she still couldn't help it. She didn't want to give up on the people around her, so she even went against her friends to do so——

"…………traitor."

There was a faint murmur floating in the cold air, and then it returned to silence.

…

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