My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 123

"oh……"

Clusters of fireworks reflected on the mirrored exterior of the port tower, adding even more brilliance. This was followed by a series of fireworks displays, totaling up to eight thousand shots.

The deafening roar of fireworks was deafening. Were they Tao Pai Pai (Note 69, a character from Dragon Ball)?

At this moment, Yang Nai sat back down in his seat, making a creaking sound.

"Um, that!"

Yuihama seemed to have been waiting for this opportunity, and spoke to Haruno across from me. Haruno looked at her, blinking her big eyes several times.

"Hmm... I remember you are... something like Bin?"

"I... my name is Yuihama."

"Oh, yes, yes, I'm so sorry."

Although Haruno showed no malice whatsoever, she was definitely doing it on purpose... Her abilities are comparable to, or perhaps even surpass, Yukino's, and she couldn't possibly forget someone she'd heard of so easily. Even if she only said the slightest thing wrong, I deeply felt that she had ulterior motives.

I stared intently at Yang Nai, trying to figure out what she was planning, while Yang Nai gave me a gentle smile.

A chill ran down my spine. Her beautiful smile seemed to say that she knew what I was thinking, which made it all the more terrifying.

"Didn't Yukino come with us today?"

"Yukino, she should stay at home. After all, these kinds of public events are part of my job. Didn't I just say I came in place of my father? So I'm not here to play around."

Yang pointed to himself and said jokingly.

"It has always been the eldest daughter's job to appear in such occasions; this has always been my mother's policy."

Yukinoshita seems to have said something similar. She once said that external affairs were her sister's responsibility, and she was just a substitute.

Therefore, Yang is the rightful successor to his father. It is only natural that he would pass on his mantle to his eldest daughter.

However, that alone is not enough.

"So, Yukino can't come?"

Yuihama has hit the nail on the head. The fact that Haruno is his father's successor is not enough reason for Yukinoshita not to be here.

Yang Nai smiled, unsure how to respond.

"Well... anyway, that's Mother's idea... and wouldn't that make things less confusing?"

"You sisters look very alike. If there were only one of you, you definitely wouldn't get them mixed up..."

Yuihama seems to believe this claim, but the truth is probably not so; the key point is how the outside world will perceive it.

Declaring that there can only be one successor avoids unnecessary conflict; however, if outsiders perceive them as vying for the position, it will have negative consequences. Thinking about it this way, it really sounds like a samurai family…

Yang pressed his fingers against his cheek and sighed softly as if he had a headache.

"Actually, my mother is very domineering and scary."

"Huh? Scarier than Snowfall?"

"What? You're saying Yukino is scary?"

She stared at me blankly for a while, then burst into happy laughter. Her cheerful expression at that moment was different from usual; she seemed to be genuinely amused.

Yang wiped away the tears welling up in her eyes and let out a satisfied sigh. Only then did she notice her surroundings and cleared her throat slightly.

"Hachiman, how rude of you! Yukino is so cute! Is this what you've always thought of her?"

She chuckled a few more times, then leaned close to my ear and said:

"My mother is even scarier than me!"

"...Is she still human?"

Yukino is one thing, but is there someone even more terrifying than Haruno? Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration? That's not just a power suit; it's practically in the realm of Gundam.

"She has the power to make decisions about everything and will demand that her subordinates obey, so we have no choice but to compromise with her... Unfortunately, Yukino isn't very good at that."

I think she's not just bad at it, she's absolutely terrible at it.

"So when she went to high school and said she wanted to live alone, I was a little surprised."

"Did Yuki only start living alone after she entered high school?"

"That's right. She's not the kind of willful child, so her father was happy to buy that mansion for her."

Sigh, why do fathers in the world always spoil their daughters so much...?

"My mother, on the other hand, is firmly opposed and still refuses to accept it to this day."

"It seems she and your father have a very good relationship."

"Oh, are you curious about your future father-in-law?"

"No, I can't see any difference between Gifu and Shiga at all, and I'm not interested in them."

"Hmm... 12 out of 10."

It's surprising that she has such a kind face, yet her evaluation criteria are so strict.

"It's not quite right to say they have a good relationship. I think it's because my mother is too domineering that my father sides with Yukino."

It sounds like one is playing the bad cop and the other the good cop. To put it more simply, it's like the whip and the carrot.

"However, Yukino and I are both well aware of this, so we are just following the script."

"You two sisters are so annoying..."

I gave her a look of defeat, but that didn't diminish Hino's beautiful smile. She then turned to Yuihama and asked:

"By the way, are you here on a date today? If so, I'm sorry to bother you."

"No, no, how could we...?"

Yang watched Yuihama intently without letting her guard down for a moment.

"Hmm...you look so shy, it's suspicious...but if it really is a date..."

Her tone suggested she was trying to make Yuihama happy.

The fireworks display came to a temporary end, and the surroundings gradually darkened, making it difficult for me to even see Yang Nai's eyes clearly. However, I was certain that the light in her eyes was darker than the night sky.

"...So Yukino wasn't chosen again."

She murmured this to herself.

At the same moment, fireworks shot into the sky again with a series of crackling sounds, followed by intermittent booms, and the night sky flickered between light and shadow.

The fireworks burst and gradually faded away, leaving a whiff of gunpowder in the wind.

Yang Nai's calm smile was occasionally illuminated by the light.

"Excuse me, what did you just say...?"

Just as Yui spoke, another wave of fireworks was launched, and Haruno seemed particularly excited this time. Only after this wave of fireworks ended did she turn to look at Yui.

"Hmm? What's up?"

Yang Nai smiled slightly, as if to say that he had been so focused on watching the fireworks that he hadn't noticed the other person.

"Ah, um... no, it's nothing."

Yui swallowed her words, and the conversation ended there.

The next moment, several cannons roared like gunshots, scattering light in the sky with crackling sounds, and Yang clapped his hands like a child.

If it were Yukino, she probably wouldn't have done these things—but thinking about it carefully, Haruno probably knew very well what kind of views the outside world would have, which is why she took such actions.

These sisters look remarkably alike, yet their inner selves are completely different. Nevertheless, it's somewhat incredible that their gazes seem to be fixed on the same thing.

"Yes, Miss Yukinoshita..."

I didn't know how to address Yang Nai, so I simply used her surname for now, since I didn't think we were close enough to call each other by our first names. Yang Nai smiled slightly at me.

"Hmm? Just call me Haruno. But I'd prefer you to call me 'older sister' instead."

"Hahaha……"

I couldn't help but chuckle awkwardly. How could I possibly call her that?

"...Miss Yukinoshita".

"Haha, you're so stubborn, it's so cute~"

Damn it, I really can't do anything with this kind of person...

The most frightening people are those who are only a few years older than themselves. If it were someone like Hiratsuka-sensei, with a significant age gap, I could easily see her as someone from a completely different realm—a mature adult. However, since Haruno and I are only two or three years apart, there are subtle differences in our perspectives.

"Ms. Yukinoshita is an alumna of our high school, right?"

"Yes, that's right, I'm three years older than you."

Yang answered casually, and Yui Hama nodded with an "Oh~" sound, looking very interested.

"So, Yukino's older sister is twenty years old this year?"

"Almost. Because I was born relatively late, I'm still nineteen years old. Also, you can call me 'Yinno,' otherwise isn't it a bit troublesome? Or 'Little Yinno' would be nice too♪"

"Koyo... sounds a bit like a hand warmer (Note 71: the Japanese pronunciations of the two are similar.)" Yuihama couldn't help but give a wry smile.

"Then, it's Haruno-neechan's turn..."

The fireworks display has entered the next stage.

Fireworks launched in sync with the music bloomed into a heart shape in the sky. Could this be hiding some hidden meaning?

The background music includes classical music, pop songs, and even things I've never heard before. The fireworks displays are synchronized with the music, sometimes spectacular, sometimes subtle.

Now that we've entered a more relaxed phase, the number of fireworks has noticeably decreased, and spectators are leaving their seats to use the restroom or buy things.

There was also a lot more laughter and conversation in our area.

There were some simple dishes on the table, befitting a VIP seat.

Yuihama was chatting happily with Haruno across from me.

"By the way, Haruno-neechan, are you in university?"

"Yes, it's the nearby National Polytechnic University."

"Wow... she's really smart... she really is Yukino's older sister."

"To be honest, I'd like to move a little further to Tokyo, but my family doesn't approve."

Yang saw that Yuihama was both surprised and impressed, and a somewhat complicated smile appeared on her lips.

Well, if you want to work for a local company, it's definitely better to stay in the local area and attend university.

That said, whenever I participate in a conversation with more than three people, I always invariably end up being left out. From the moment I started until now, I haven't opened my mouth at all, except to eat. In short, at times like this, all I can do is keep eating and try to get through it. Mmm, the fried noodles are so delicious. The simple sauce flavor is, in essence, the flavor of a man (Note 72, a line from *The Solitary Gourmet*).

"So, you sisters both applied to the science track."

Yuihama's casual remark made Haruno stop what she was doing. Amidst the continuous sounds of fireworks, an eerie and unsettling silence fell over my neighbor's apartment.

"Oh, so Yukino wants to apply to a national or public university specializing in science and engineering..."

The smile on Haruno's face was somewhat mocking. However, perhaps it was because I observed Haruno from a clearer perspective that I had this thought. Maybe she actually loved her younger sister very much.

Yuihama silently watched Haruno's smile.

"Nothing has changed from then until now... Either use the same things, or give them to her..."

As Yang recalled the past, her gaze became distant, and her voice softened. But for some reason, that sentence made me feel uneasy.

It's probably due to my bad habit that I always try to interpret the meaning behind someone's words.

However, in that brief moment, someone else besides me also sensed something.

Yuihama's fists, resting on her knees, trembled slightly.

"Excuse me……"

"Um?"

In contrast to her thoughtful expression, Yang Nai remained extremely calm, merely tilting her head slightly to one side.

"...Brinno-neechan...do you and Yukino not get along?"

"Oh, no way! I really like Yukino!"

Yang Nai answered without hesitation, a warm smile playing on her lips.