The third semester of the first year of high school, at the end of February.

As soon as I left the school gate, the cold, dry wind hit my cheeks.

Shino Asada stopped and re-wrapped the white scarf around her neck.

She buried half of her plastic-rimmed face inside her scarf before stepping forward again. Walking briskly down the trail full of dead leaves, she whispered to herself.

“…… Of the 608 days of class in the three years of high school, 166 days have ended. Ernie sauce, also left for sixty-one days. ”

Finally, a quarter of the day passed. As soon as she thought of this, Shino didn't know what to do because this lonely day was too long. But if you include the junior high school era, more than 60% of such days have passed by now.

At that time, the third year of junior high school was the happiest year, because of the existence of Zhang Yu.

But that life will end someday, someday...... Someday it will end.

The poem is repeated like a mantra.

As a result, the time came so quickly that day, only hundreds of thousands of living expenses were left for her, and the contact information of another girl, who was the most precious person in his life.

During the days when Zhang Yu was away, she would talk to Asuna every day.

She took Asuna as a substitute for Zhang Yu, and gradually solved each other. She also felt that Asuna did have that qualification, and the connection between the two gradually became closer. I will often make an appointment to write homework together in the new VR game, chat or something.

When she entered high school, she didn't have many other friends.

In fact, even if the day of high school graduation comes, Shino doesn't have anything in particular she wants to do, and of course she doesn't have a career she wants to do. But I still hope to be liberated from this group of "high school students" who are forced to enter.

Shino really couldn't understand how she came to this prison-like place every day and listened to the weak lectures of the teachers. What's the point of doing gymnastics or doing something with a group of people who wonder if they haven't grown in their minds since early childhood.

Of course, there are a few teachers who make people feel that mathematics is very solid. There are also students who feel respectable, but their presence is not so important to Shino.

Now Shino's de facto guardians are grandparents. In the past, Shino had asked them to go to high school and immediately want to work in society, or to go to a vocational school to receive job training.

But the old-fashioned grandfather immediately turned red with anger, and the grandmother cried and said to Shino that I hope you can go to a good school and marry a good family in the future, otherwise we will be too sorry for your father.

So she had to work hard to get admitted to a well-known metropolitan high school in Tokyo.

But as soon as she arrived at the school, Shino was shocked. Because it is basically no different from other public high schools in other towns.

As a result, Shino was the same as when she was in junior high school, and every day when she left the school gate, she would ritually count how many days were left.

Shiina's apartment is located in the middle of the school's JR station. Although it is a small room the size of six tatami mats and a kitchenette, it is located on the corner of a shopping street. So shopping is quite convenient.

There weren't many pedestrians in the shopping street at half past three in the afternoon.

Shino took a look at the bookstore's platform and found that her favorite author had a new book released, but because it was a hardcover, she still patiently left the bookstore. If you make an appointment online, you can borrow the book at the municipal library in less than a month.

Next, she bought erasers and checkered notebooks at the stationery store. After checking the money left in her purse, Shino thought about what to do for dinner as she headed to the supermarket in the middle of the shopping street.

Zhang Yu left her a lot of money, but she was still very economical.

Shino's dinner is basically one dish and one soup, as long as it can meet the conditions of nutrition, calories, and price balance, the appearance or taste is not so particular. When Shino decides that dinner will be carrot and celery soup with tofu steak, and passes by the front of the playground to enter the supermarket next to it-

"Aada—"

From the small alley between the two buildings, a voice called Shino.

Shino first reflexively shrunk her body, and then slowly turned ninety degrees to the right.

In the alley, three schoolgirls in the same uniform as Shiina, but with a slightly different skirt length, stood there, one of them crouching on the ground and pressing his phone. The other two leaned against the supermarket wall, laughing and looking at Shino.

Seeing that Shino was just standing there in silence, one of the girls standing flicked her eyelids with an arrogant attitude.

"Come here!"

But Shino still didn't move. She just whispered.

“…… What's up? ”

At this time, one of them quickly approached and grabbed Shiina's right wrist hard.

"Don't bother, just come here."

She just wanted to reach out and drag Shino over.

Shino shook his hand and said.

"I'll go myself."

Shino followed her into the depths of the invisible alley outside the shopping street, when the schoolgirl who was squatting on the ground looked up at her. Her name is Endo, and she is the leader of the three. The black eyeliner, upturned eyes, and sharp jaws give the impression of a predatory insect.

Endo's lips with large glitter lipstick showed a twisted smile, and he only listened to her say to Shino.

"I'm sorry, Aada. We went to sing and ended up spending all the money on the train. We'll pay you back tomorrow, so lend it to us first. ”

She held up a finger. It's not a hundred or a thousand, it means 10,000 yen.

It's only been 20 minutes since school ended, and even singing doesn't cost much, not to mention that both of them should have monthly passes for the train, and the most exaggerated thing is why it costs 10,000 yen to take a train. Although Shino kept listing these indescribable contradictions in his heart.

But she also knew that even if she said it directly, it wouldn't help at all.

This is the second time she has been extorted for money like this by these three people. Last time, the poem rejected them on the grounds that they had no money at hand.

Although it may be useless to think that the same reason in her heart, Shino still said.

"How can I have so much money on hand."

As a result, the smile on Endo's face disappeared instantly, but he immediately smiled again.

"Then you can get it."

Shino was silent as she prepared to walk to the shopping street, and when she thought to herself, "This group of people shouldn't dare to follow someone else to the bank, and who would be so stupid and run back once they get out of here"—Endo continued.

"Put your bag and wallet here. As long as you have an ATM card, you can get it. ”