"What "Chainsaw Man" wants to show is a little warmth under the appearance of darkness and thorns, and it is easier to show the best and worst of people in a desperate environment."

"There is no absolute black or absolute white in the world. Every living soul is half human and half ghost."

"There are no dogmas or formulas in this work. It is simply about a person's process from physiological needs to self-realization from the perspective of the character. That's all."

His voice spread steadily, and there was a sudden silence in the conference room.

"Hey, Yuu-chan."

Shiyu rolled her body and looked up at him. Her face was slightly hot, and the light in her eyes was like stars falling on the seabed, dense and bright.

"...You know? This special thing about you is what makes my heart move the most."

"We were just discussing our works, nothing special." Kato Yusuke said calmly.

"--not like this."

Shiyu shook his head slightly, tracing his angular jawline, tall nose, deep eyes and long eyelashes with his eyes...

Time seems to have stood still quietly.

Her eyes gradually became blurred, and the excitement in her heart made her couldn't help but reach out her hand, gently put it on his cheek, and then said softly: "Even if it is a work, it is also a work created by you."

As the cold catkins touched his cheek, Kato Yusuke couldn't help but stop breathing, then raised his hand to push the girl's hand away and lowered his eyes.

Staring at that jade-like face.

A touch of complexity briefly disappeared from the depths of his eyes, and then became obscured again.

"I believe I've read almost enough. You can go home, senior."

"Go home...because Kato-san is waiting for you?"

Shiyu asked in an erratic voice, and without waiting for his answer, she took his hand and spoke in a voice that was unclear whether it was a joke or a serious one.

"I know she is taking care of you. Although I can't cook like her, I can do a lot of things, such as raising you and so on..."

The voice gradually became quieter after speaking.

A blank moment enveloped the two of them.

The girl pursed her lower lip slightly and grabbed his hand hard, her slender fingertips turning slightly white.

"..."

Facing those gently trembling wine-red eyes.

Kato Yusuke was silent for a while, then slowly put down his hand, moved her hair away from her eyes, and spoke in a calm and firm tone.

"You have a better choice, Senior Shiyu."

"..."

Shiyu turned her body in silence, facing his side, lowering her head so that the expression on her face could not be seen clearly, and her voice was slightly hoarse: "Is this...the second rejection?"

I didn't hear any answer, so I accepted it as acquiescence.

The girl quickly let go of his hand and put her hands together beside her head, as if she was resting.

After a while, her body began to tremble slightly.

Kato Yusuke was sensitively aware of this, but remained silent.

There are things he cannot give because he himself is also incomplete.

From the moment he lost the important person, he felt that he had also lost the ability to love others.

The warmer the body is, the more it reminds him of the warmth he once had with Sayu.

He had no intention of accepting a new relationship with a broken mentality and letting others become Sayu's substitute.

Whether it's Megumi or Shiyu-senpai.

The two of them are neither Akane Kurisaka, who has fixed views and a will as strong as iron, nor Shinjoka, who hopes to gain value from him.

Facing them, he couldn't act calmly like he did with those two people.

There are completely different concepts between the two.

Kato Yusuke quietly smoothed away some of the fluctuations in his heart, and the expression on his face became calm again.

He looked at the girl lying on top of him, trembling slightly, as if "sobbing".

He couldn't help but move his lips, preparing to say something.

However, the other party took the initiative to speak the next second.

"...Hey, Yuu-chan."

Shiyu lowered his voice, took a deep breath, and asked in a joking tone: "The way we are now... from a certain angle, doesn't it look like I'm burying my face in your buttocks?"

The sudden turn of events temporarily stopped his thinking.

A series of question marks popped up from Kato Yusuke's head.

While his thoughts were paused, the other party slowly sat up holding his legs.

The smooth hair is slightly messy, the snow-white cheeks are slightly rosy, and the small lips are like ripe cherries.

"Well~~~I've almost rested."

The girl gently folded her hands, stretched her backhand forward, and stretched like a begonia flower that had just awakened, beautiful and moving.

After coming back to his senses, Kato Yusuke watched her bend down, put her feet into the small leather shoes on the ground, and gently lifted the heels.

Because of his previous rejection, he didn't know what to say.

On the contrary, Shiyu himself didn't seem to take it to heart. He just said that he had to go to the bathroom, and then left the room.

As the door of the conference room was gently closed with a "click", the room became quiet again.

Kato Yusuke sat on the sofa for a while, leaned back, raised an arm to cover his eyes, and looked at the ceiling quietly.

The bright incandescent lamp shone above his head and shone in his eyes, making his eyes look a little dazed.

After that, he didn't wait for the girl to come back from the bathroom.

After packing up the reader survey, Kato Yusuke picked up the cardboard box, said hello to Machida Enko, and left the Immortal River Building on his own.

…

Take the train from Jimbocho, ride all the way home to a nearby station, and then head towards the apartment.

The dark blue sky has reached the entrance to the night, with sparse stars hanging overhead, faintly illuminating the path underfoot.

Kato Yusuke thought about what Sayu once mentioned, the park that Mami took to where he was said to be able to see the sky full of stars, and his mood became a little heavy.

If Sayu was still here, they might have eaten together at home during this time, walked together on the street near the apartment, or simply spent time together at home.

Two completely opposite emotions emerged in my heart at the same time.

A feeling of longing quietly began to grow so much that he couldn't help but want to fly to Hokkaido immediately to see the person he wanted to see.

But there is another kind of absolute calmness and reason that is stopping him.

Kato Yusuke stopped suddenly, and the expression on his face changed for a while, then returned to normal after a few minutes.

I walked back to the empty apartment with steps that were neither light nor heavy.

Eat alone and bathe alone.

Turn off the lights and go to bed earlier than usual.

While staring at the dark ceiling, she hugged the black cat nestled on her chest.

His eyelids gradually closed as he became conscious.
Chapter completed!