At almost five o'clock in the afternoon, Kato Yusuke came to the convenience store.

"Welcome...what, it turns out to be Katozai." Asami, who originally wore a formulaic bright smile, immediately became casual when she saw the visitor.

"Good afternoon, aren't you busy right now?"

After Yusuke said this, Asami spread her hands to both sides.

"As you can see, there are still more employees than customers right now, but it will probably get busier after a while."

"Where's Sayu?"

"Change your clothes in there and you should be out soon."

"so."

Kato Yusuke responded, looking around the store, and then nodded to Asami.

"Then I'll go outside and wait for her."

"There's no need to do that, right? There aren't many guests now, so why don't you just wait inside?" the other party asked strangely.

The words just fell...

Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell~

Accompanied by a light prompt sound.

Several male high school students in Western-style uniforms walked in outside the door, and walked towards the refrigerator while chatting and laughing, apparently planning to buy drinks.

See the situation.

"Ah, welcome~~ Come if you've decided." Asami put on a friendly expression and greeted with a smile, and gave Yusuke an apologetic look.

Kato Yusuke didn't care about this, but he didn't want to stay any longer, so he walked out carrying his schoolbag on his shoulder.

Come to the railing outside the convenience store and wait.

Not long after, the sound of the switch opening and the sound of light footsteps came from behind.

Then came a familiar voice...

"Sorry, have you waited for a long time?"

"No, I just arrived not long ago."

As Kato Yusuke spoke, he turned around and saw Sayu walking quickly towards him carrying a tote bag.

"They said there's no need to pick me up specially. Doesn't the school matter matter?"

"Let's not talk about it for now, did what you said on Line happen again later?" Yusuke's eyes were quite serious.

Without talking too much about unimportant things, he went straight to the point and asked about the strange thing that the girl had encountered a few hours ago.

"Well, you're talking about the car that was wandering near our store, right? I kept paying attention to it later, but the car didn't show up again after it left."

Sayu, who heard his serious tone, recalled saying this, and naturally put her hand into his, and then added with a smile:

"Maybe it's like what the hourly wage aunt said. The other party just happened to be doing something around here, right? So Yusuke doesn't need to worry so much."

Kato Yusuke couldn't help but frown, and after pondering for a moment, he said: "About this matter, have you asked aunt the things I asked you to ask?"

"Yes, I've asked." The girl nodded her head obediently, with a silly smile on her face.

The two did not choose to go home directly, but communicated on the spot.

"-Anyway, auntie said that the car only appeared in the past few days, and usually leaves around ten o'clock in the morning, probably around noon.

But occasionally, there may be times when I’m busy working and I don’t notice it, so I can’t be sure of the pattern.”

"...Are you sure that they have never come to the store to buy anything?" Kato Yusuke asked while thinking.

"Well, that's what Auntie said."

"When you and Asami went to work, didn't you see anyone in the car?"

"Hmm... I don't think there is such a thing." Sayu tilted her head and thought for a moment, then slowly shook her head.

"Are you sure?"

"Okay. After all, those people look very fierce and conspicuous. If you have seen them, you will definitely have an impression."

"Does your store manager know about this?"

"Hey, do you want to tell the store manager??" Sayu couldn't help but blinked.

Kato Yusuke cast his eyes on her face and nodded slightly.

"Normally, if the other person parked near your store, he would have asked the person in charge for something, right? However, he has never been to the store, so it's okay to ask the store manager to pay attention."

"Although this is the case, is it possible that the car owner may also have other destinations, and just because this store happens to be at the right location, he stops here as a transit point?"

Facing the hypothesis put forward by the girl, Yusuke slowly shook his head.

"If that was the case, at least it would be parked in the parking lot instead of on the roadside. If the owner of that car really had any purpose, the store manager could also call the police to investigate."

"Police..." Sayu whispered, silently hugging his arm tightly, and fell into silence.

Kato Yusuke, who knew what she was worried about, pulled her into his arms, let the girl's head rest on his chest, and gently stroked the hair on the back of her head with his palms.

"After telling the store manager about this, you can ask for leave during this period of time and wait until the matter is resolved...or it doesn't matter if you just quit your job. You don't need to work now, right?"

"Eh--?"

After hearing this, Sayu couldn't help but look up at him, then lowered her head and leaned on his shoulder, murmuring in a weak voice: "... Yusuke, do you want me to do that?"

The girl's slender arms slowly moved from her waist to his shoulder blades, unconsciously grabbing the clothes.

"Aren't you willing?" Kato Yusuke asked in a soft voice.

"I don't know either..." Sayu whispered, her voice was very soft and slow, mixed with many subtle breathing sounds, which sounded a bit unreal.

Feeling this strangeness, Yusuke moved his hands more gently and said silently: "Although I don't deny that I have such thoughts, I will respect your decision. What do you want to do?"

For a long while, the girl did not speak, but silently hugged him tighter, as if she was holding on to something.

Many thoughts couldn't help but rush into Sayu's mind at this moment.

From family, to myself, to Kato Yusuke...and to the future of the two of them.

Inexplicably, she thought of the girl named Kato Megumi, and the night when the three met for the first time at the summer festival with gorgeous fireworks...

A feeling that I had never felt before welled up in my heart and finally turned into words.

"I think maybe we are overthinking it..."

The words were confused at first, but gradually became firmer.

"Because - I have been escaping, but if this continues, I will probably never be able to face society, so at least this time, I hope I can no longer escape."

Sayu raised his head and said, "Just think of it as preparation for me to have the courage to face my own problems. I want to stay in the store and continue working."

Those amber eyes were full of seriousness and clearly expressed their attitude.

Kato Yusuke was silent for a while, and then he said: "...I know, then follow your ideas, but you must pay attention to your own safety. I will come to pick you up from get off work recently."

"Well, I understand." Sayu nodded gently, hugged his body again, and murmured: "Thank you for supporting my willfulness."

"This is not willfulness."

"……Eh?"

Yusuke lowered his head and whispered in her ear: "I think this is not willfulness, but growth."

After a pause, he continued: "Also, after I finish the game over there, let's go back to Hokkaido together."

"——!"

The sudden mention of the location made Sayu's mind go blank instinctively, and then he instantly raised his head and stared directly at the young man in front of him.

"Hokkaido……"

Her mouth was mumbling and she was speechless for a while.

Kato Yusuke nodded affirmatively, "Well, Hokkaido. I should be able to control your family by then. Are you willing to go with me?"

A brief void.

Sayu seemed to have come back to his senses and nodded his head vigorously.

"Yes! I am willing...!"

Firm words lingered between the two.

Kato Yusuke smiled with satisfaction.

…

◇

As Yusuke Kato said.

In the next few days, he would go to the convenience store to pick Sayu up and down, and he would always pay attention to the situation around the girl.

Sometimes it's with Asami, sometimes it's just the two of us.
To be continued...