My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 133

Even I recognize who the person who walked in is.

She is Sagami Minami, who is in the same class as me. She is also an executive committee member of the school anniversary celebration, and she also serves as the chairperson.

Two girls followed behind Sagami, their faces bearing faint smiles.

When Sagami saw us, he immediately opened his eyes wide in surprise.

"Huh, Yukinoshita-san and Yui?"

Wait a minute, you forgot someone. There's another person here who's in your class and, like you, is on the school anniversary executive committee.

"Little Model? What are you doing here?"

Yuihama was incredulous at their appearance, but Sagami didn't answer her question and instead looked around the office.

"Oh, so the Service Club is your club."

As she spoke, she looked me and Yuihata up and down.

Then, I felt another chill. Sagami's eyes held a cunning glint, like a snake's, and his pupils seemed to split vertically, making me feel uneasy.

"How can I help you?"

Yukinoshita remained the same as always, treating strangers with an impatient, icy voice. However, her tone seemed particularly cold today, for reasons unknown.

"Ah... I'm so sorry to have bothered you so suddenly."

Sagami shifted his body slightly, correcting his choice of words.

"I'm here because I have something I'd like to discuss..."

She didn't look at Yukinoshita, but exchanged glances with her companions standing on both sides.

"Although I have been appointed as the chairman of the school anniversary executive committee, I am not very confident in myself... so I would like to ask for your help."

Was this what she and Professor Hiratsuka were discussing after yesterday's meeting? It seems the professor has once again thrown another struggling student into the Service Club.

I understand what Sagami is trying to say. Anyone would feel hesitant about something new or a task with great responsibility, let alone Sagami. Based on my observations of her behavior in class, Sagami is definitely not the type to take the lead in that kind of work.

However, should we help her?

Yukinoshita stared at Sagami, lost in thought for a while. Sagami, feeling awkward under her silent gaze, looked away.

"I think this goes against your original purpose of self-growth."

As Yukinoshita said, at the first executive committee meeting, Sagami took on the position of chairman and undertook those heavy tasks out of his own will, in order to improve himself.

Sagami was speechless for a moment, but his expression remained unchanged, and he gave a slight smile.

"That's true, but I don't want the event to fail and cause trouble for everyone, which is the worst thing I can do. Besides, collaborating with others to accomplish something big is a form of growth. I think that's equally important."

Sagami finished speaking in one breath without pausing, and Yukinoshita listened quietly.

"Besides, as a member of the class, of course I want to help out. It would feel really bad if I didn't help at all, right?"

Sagami looked at Yuihama.

"...Yeah, that's right."

After a brief moment of thought, Yuihama agreed with her opinion.

"I personally prefer working with others..."

"Right? Wouldn't it be great if this event could help everyone get along better? That's why we have to make sure it's a success!"

After Sagami finished speaking, his companions on both sides nodded in agreement.

However, Yuihama's expression was not good.

I can understand her feelings. To put it bluntly, Sagami's real purpose was to ask Yukino to clean up the mess he had made on a whim.

This is no different from the woodworker making outrageous remarks online and angering the guys at the game company.

What Sagami really wants is simply the title of "Executive Chairperson for the School Anniversary Awards." All the other talk about "gaining experience and knowledge through this opportunity" is just empty rhetoric. If she truly wants to fulfill the role of chairperson well, she should seek assistance from within, not from outsiders like us. For example, Senior Student Xun excels at seeking internal support. Although she herself isn't very reliable, her good character and personality garner strong support from student council officers, allowing her to maintain the smooth operation of the entire organization. Alternatively, she might demonstrate her unreliability and weakness to create a sense of unity among the members.

However, Sagami is different from Jun-senpai. She doesn't dare to reveal her vulnerable side—no, it should be said that she wants to seek external assistance in order to bluff her way out. That's what I sensed.

In that case, how is she different from the timber pedestal of that time?

Unfortunately, you have to deal with the mess you made yourself. Actions taken on a whim rarely end well. Please keep this in mind.

In the near future, she will face a painful lesson, regret it, and warn herself not to make the same mistake again. This is actually a kind of growth.

If we think about it this way, we could simply refuse Sagami's request this time.

Rather, if we truly cared about Sagami, we shouldn't have offered help so readily. Besides, I don't want to increase my own workload.

Yukinoshita has barely said a word since then. Sagami began to notice and slightly raised his gaze to observe her.

Yukinoshita sensed that the other party was waiting for a reply, and after gathering her thoughts, she slowly spoke to confirm again.

"...You mean I just need to provide assistance from the sidelines, right?"

"Yes, that's right."

Sagami nodded vigorously, indicating that she was right, but Yukinoshita maintained her cold expression.

"Is that so... Well then, I don't object. After all, I'm also an executive committee member, and I can offer assistance if it's within my job responsibilities."

"Really? Thank you!"

Sagami clapped his hands happily, making no attempt to hide his joy, and ran towards the snow.

Yuihama's reaction was exactly the opposite; she looked at Yukinoshita with a hint of surprise.

To be honest, I was a little surprised. I thought Yukino would definitely refuse such a request.

"Well then, I'll leave it to you!"

After Sagami gave a brief thank you, he and his friend left the clubhouse. Once the three of us were left alone, the atmosphere became heavy again.

This time I'm really prepared to leave the student union, but...

Yuihama made up her mind and stood in front of Yukinoshita.

"...Didn't we say we were going to suspend club activities?"

Her voice was colder than usual. Yukino noticed this, her shoulders trembled, she raised her head slightly to look at her, and then quickly looked away.

"...This is my own business, you don't need to care."

"But, under normal circumstances—"

"I'm always like this, nothing changes."

Yukino interrupted Yuihama's questioning first. Yuihama understood her stubborn personality and sighed softly as if giving up.

"...However, wouldn't it be better if everyone did it together—"

"It's alright. I know a bit about how the anniversary celebration executive committee works, so it's more efficient for me to do it all by myself."

"Efficiency... perhaps that's true..."

Upon hearing Yukinoshita's words, Yuihama was at a loss for words. Yukinoshita stared coldly at the cover of the newly closed paperback, as if implying to Yuihama, "I don't want to talk to you anymore."

We stood at the closest point to the snow and witnessed firsthand how capable she was, so we clearly understood that even if she were alone, she could still get things done.

"But I still feel that's wrong."

After saying this, Yui turned around immediately. No one present called out to her.

"...I'm going back to the classroom." She stepped out of the clubroom.

I stood there, stunned, watching them go back and forth. I only came to my senses after Yui left, then put my backpack back on and left the clubroom.

As I closed the door, I looked back inside.

Yukinoshita remained alone in the office.

The scene was terrifyingly beautiful, yet heartbreaking, like a ray of sunlight falling from the sky onto the ruins after the destruction of the entire world.

× × ×

Yuihama walked briskly down the corridor, her indoor shoes making a "slap, slap, slap" sound on the linoleum floor, a stark contrast to her disheveled appearance.

"What does this mean! What does this mean! What does this mean!"

"Hey, wait a minute, calm down first."

I called out to Yuihama, who was walking ahead of me.

The loud footsteps stopped abruptly, and as she turned around, her shoes made a "squeak" sound.

"What's up?"

She puffed out her cheeks, looking very unhappy. It was rare to see Yui Hama make such an expression.

"What's wrong with you suddenly acting like that?"

"I don't know! Really... Waaah~"

Don't bark, are you a dog?

Yuihama kept stomping her feet while organizing her thoughts, and then spoke out her thoughts word by word.

"I feel like... that's not the usual Yukino... she's not usually like that."

"Well, that's because..."

"the same as you."

Her subsequent words were like a dagger piercing my chest.

"..."

I'm well aware of this. Lately, I've been forcing myself to act the same as usual, but the very thought that comes to mind means I'm not myself anymore. When I realize something's wrong and try to correct it, I only make myself more unnatural. I'm completely trapped in a vicious cycle.

From an outsider's perspective, is it really so easy to see through...?

Seeing that I had fallen silent, Yuihama probably assumed that I had acquiesced or was reflecting on my actions, so she didn't press the matter further. This really relieved me.

"besides……"

I waited for Yui to continue, but she became hesitant and looked embarrassed.

"Could you... listen to me say something... that's not so nice?"

"What?"

I didn't know what Yuihama was trying to say, so I made a strange sound and asked back. Yuihama looked up at me uneasily and asked again to confirm.

"...Please don't hate me."

"I cannot guarantee that."

"Oh? That's troublesome..."

She immediately stopped moving and froze on the spot.

Well, that's true. This girl doesn't just show her glamorous side; I really don't know whether to call her stupid or what. But she also occasionally reveals her scheming side, which I can't handle.

However, if things continue like this, we won't be able to continue the conversation at all. It doesn't matter; whatever I hear now, I don't think it will change anything. I scratched my head, filling the silence.

"Sigh... Don't worry, I already hate most people, so it's impossible for me to hate anyone over some trivial matter."

"What a pathetic reason..."

Hmm, Yuihama is genuinely sympathizing with me.

"Don't worry. Hurry up, what's the unpleasant thing to say?"

After I urged her on, Yuihama took a small breath before saying:

"Um...actually, I'm not very good at...getting along with models."

"Oh. So, what are the unpleasant things to say?"

"This is it."

"What?"

I couldn't help but blink repeatedly, feeling just like Furby (Note 35: Furby, an electronic pet toy released in the United States in 1998). Damn it, Sagami. No, I wanted to touch it.

"What did you say? Was there anything wrong with what you just said?"

"I... I don't think it's a good thing to have trouble getting along with others, or to have unpleasant arguments with them..."

So that's how it is. Logically speaking, it's certainly not something to be proud of. Yuihama, I don't know how she perceived my silence, awkwardly placed her hands in front of her chest in an inverted triangle.