Kasumigaoka Utaha's home was also in Shinjuku Ward, just four blocks away from Ichinosuke Street.
This was already the edge of Shinjuku, and it didn't at all resemble the bustling prosperity that the Tokyo area should have.
Under the night sky, small buildings stood quietly in rows.
Streetlights were arranged one by one, stretching into the distant dark world.
The bright light shone down on the heads of the two, their overlapping shadows silently intertwining.
Kamisaka Yuto walked and chatted with Utaha all the way.
There were still many details about this world that he didn't know, and since he was very curious, he was always asking questions.
Utaha answered all of his questions one by one.
When they finally reached a secluded, two-story detached house, Utaha stopped.
This was her residence.
Yuto glanced at it curiously; the small building was pitch black, with no lights on. He figured she was living alone, otherwise, the lights wouldn't be off.
"Have you always lived alone?" Yuto asked, a little curious.
"No, my parents just went on a business trip a week ago. Right now, I'm the only one home."
Now sober, Utaha's expression had returned to normal.
She took a few small steps forward, then suddenly turned her body to face him.
Her flowing hair fluttered in the air for a moment, and her eyes suddenly became somewhat mischievous.
"Hey, Yuto-kun, would you like to come in for a bit?"
Utaha leaned her upper body forward slightly, bringing herself closer to him with a curve playing on her lips.
'That was a very dangerous statement!'
'Late at night, a girl living alone, an invitation to come inside..... the three elements were all there!'
"I refuse," Yuto immediately refused.
He wouldn't be fooled by the girl in front of him!
The overt temptation was, in fact, just her dangerous game.
"I didn't expect you to refuse, Yuto-kun. Tsk." Utaha pulled her upper body back, looking at him with an unreadable smile.
Even in the dim light, her beauty was still captivating.
"If I had actually agreed, you probably would have called the police, right?"
Yuto's calm words made Utaha shrug her shoulders. "You guessed right! Yuto-kun."
Although Yuto wouldn't dare say he completely understood the girl before him, he still had a basic grasp of her personality.
Though she seemed bold and mature, it was actually all just a disguise. She was just an inexperienced girl forcing herself to act mature.
If she really ran into someone bold, she would definitely choose to flee or hide.
"Hurry up and go back to sleep. Don't you have school tomorrow?" Yuto said helplessly.
Just taking her home tonight had taken nearly an hour, and it was now past one in the morning. He still wanted to go back and continue his business.
"Hmph! What a boring idiot!" Kasumigaoka Utaha huffed in displeased.
She turned and started walking toward her house, but she had only taken a couple of steps before Yuto called out to her.
"Kasumigaoka-san, while I don't know much about light novels, I think you'll face setbacks no matter what you do. As long as you persevere, the result shouldn't be too bad. It's better not to give up so easily."
Yuto's mind recalled the scene of her arriving at his shop tonight.
Her eyes were red-rimmed, her body was trembling slightly, and her fingers were clenched tight. She was truly a pitiful sight.
He had a rough idea of why she was like this. The girl had told him yesterday that she was going to submit her manuscript today.
And then today, she was this heartbroken, it was easy to guess what had happened. It was almost certain that her submission had been rejected.
Now that they were about to part ways, Yuto felt it was better to encourage the girl a little.
After all, the real pain comes from letting a dream truly slip away.
With her back to him, Utaha's lips curled up slightly when she heard his words.
A film of moisture slowly gathered in her eyes, but she quickly blinked it away.
She turned around, her hair stirring a faint breeze, and smiled at him.
"Yuto-kun, are you sure you won't come up for a bit? It's really just me at home."
The smile on the girl's lips was mischievous and wicked.
Yuto shook his head slightly, now starting to suspect his encouragement had been for nothing.
"No, thanks. Hurry up and get to sleep. Goodbye!" Yuto turned and left resolutely.
'Time to make a quick exit!'
Watching him depart, the smile on Kasumigaoka Utaha's lips slowly faded.
A soft sigh escaped her. "Thank you."
The quiet murmur was like a gentle spring breeze—warm, yet gone in an instant.
....
Although the Tokyo Metropolis is prosperous, just as light cannot illuminate every dark corner, there are always some places that are not as well-off as others.
The Kasumigaoka residence was on the edge of Shinjuku.
The immediate area was fine, but a little farther out was a more ordinary and run-down neighborhood.
Although that place could barely be considered part of the Tokyo urban area, its overall atmosphere was completely inferior to other places, whether in terms of public safety or daily life.
Kamisaka Yuto was passing through this place.
He knew from Kasumigaoka and the news on TV that this area was slated for redevelopment soon.
For now, due to its unique public safety issues, the place had a special moniker.
'The Black Crow District.'
It was a district where black crows gathered.
This place had the most delinquents in all of Tokyo, and they were also the most rampant. Since they were minors, they couldn't be sentenced for any serious crimes, and things like brawls were issues that could be treated as either major or minor.
Therefore, the main method the police used to deal with the local delinquents was education.
Yuto walked and thought, shaking his head from time to time.
He truly felt it was a pity for these delinquents, but he also understood.
High school students were a group under a lot of stifling pressure. Using their fists to vent their emotions was just one way for them to express their dissatisfaction with the outside world.
It seemed childish, but it was also the limit of what they could do.
"He's running! Get him!!!"
"Makise Takashi!!! Aaargh!!!"
"Kill the guy from Suzuran!!!"
"Hosen is the strongest!!!!"
Hearing the commotion, Yuto couldn't help but sigh.
Only delinquents would be up at this hour instead of sleeping.
The sound of hurried footsteps rushed toward him, and he looked toward a dark corner not far away.
A figure covered in blood was staggering toward him.
Behind him was a group of bald heads.
Yuto's expression changed slightly.
Although the bald men had shiny, gleaming heads, their still-immature facial features revealed their identity as high school students.
He was somewhat impressed by them, not everyone had the courage to shave their heads during their high school years.
When the blood-soaked figure was still a short distance away, one of the bald men behind him threw something that hit his leg, causing him to fall directly to the ground.
The bald high schoolers then caught up.
A flurry of curses and blows followed. Yuto now understood why this area was called the Black Crow District.
He shook his head and was about to walk away, but several figures had already blocked his path.
White clothes, bald heads, and deliberately fierce eyes.
"May I ask if there's a problem?" Yuto knew he wasn't getting away.
He had already secretly prepared himself.
Although he had worked as a cook in the apocalyptic underground, he wasn't a complete pushover.
Combat was all about being fast, precise, and ruthless.
All he needed was to seize the opportunity, aim for a weak point, and strike with all his might.
"Kid, you seemed to be enjoying the show!"
"Since you saw us in action, you're gonna have to pay the price!"
"Get him!"
Yuto sighed internally.
As expected, he shouldn't have thought these people were open to communication.
When chuunibyou teens went delinquent, when would they ever listen to reason?
The three bald men immediately rushed forward.
Yuto's lowered hands instantly clenched into fists.
'Focus!'
In that instant, the world before Kamisaka Yuto's eyes seemed to slow down.
His eyes filled with utter shock, as even he didn't understand what was happening.
The figures of the three bald men seemed to be stuck in slow motion, their punches like snails crawling sluggishly.
In this space where time was abnormal, only Yuto was normal.
He walked up to the three bald men with extreme ease.
Even though he was standing right in front of them, they seemed unable to see him; their movements and expressions remained frozen in their previous poses.
Yuto threw a punch at each man's eye socket and the bridge of their nose.
It was a very strange scene.
Blood splattered into the air, flowing like clearly visible streams of water, extremely slowly.
This was the sight strictly from Yuto's perspective.
After doing all this, he couldn't help but feel a sense of relief.
In an instant, the world before him returned to normal...
The three bald men clutched their faces in pain and collapsed to the ground, looking as if they wouldn't be getting back up.
The other bald men in the distance saw this and all rushed over.
Yuto focused his attention again, and in a flash, the scene before him changed once more.
...
"Th... Thank... you..."
Lying on the ground covered in blood, Makise Takashi thanked Kamisaka Yuto with difficulty.
He had a large, sturdy build like a gorilla, but at this moment, he was in a truly miserable state.
"You're welcome. Goodbye." Yuto waved his hand and walked away.
Calling the police would be useless, as they were all minors and would, at most, get a lecture. B
efriend a delinquent? Forget it. It was better to keep his distance.
"Wait! My name is Makise Takashi! May I ask your name?" Unable to stand, Makise saw Yuto leaving and immediately shouted out in desperation.
He was a delinquent with a code of honor, if someone helped him, he had to repay the favor!
"I'm just a mysterious passerby." Yuto's figure quickly vanished into the night.
Lying on the ground, Makise gasped for air.
Blood was steadily seeping from his wounds, and cold sweat mixed with the blood.
He felt like he was probably going to die here. His vision went dark, and he was about to lose consciousness.
"ANIKIII!!!"
Before he passed out, this was the last sound Makise Takashi heard.
It was his underling.