My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 166

Yukinoshita nodded in understanding.

"You're going to attack their weaknesses directly, huh? When it comes to despicable tactics, no one can surpass you."

"Your way of praising me is rather strange..."

I wasn't happy at all, and even doubted whether she was really praising me.

"So, what type does Ebina like?"

She was a girl who outshone even the most beautiful flowers, and adolescence is the perfect time for romance. To use a metaphor, she was like a blooming flower, her girlish charm off the charts. It's only natural that young girls have such a strong interest in love.

I looked at Yuihama expectantly. She turned her face away and said:

"Hmm... if it's Hina, she might not like a certain type of guy, but rather a pairing of guys..."

...Okay, Rafflesia is still a flower, and there's a saying that "a rotten sea bream is still a sea bream (Note 18 means that even if something is flawed, it doesn't diminish its value)." If Ebina doesn't rot to its fullest extent, it's not called Ebina.

"However, that side could also be called her personality. She's always been an eccentric person; her thinking is quite different from everyone else's."

Wow, the Ministry of Revenue is truly great, even speaking up for Ebina. Love really can make people blind.

So, does speaking up for someone at all costs mean I have feelings for them? If I hear someone criticizing Totsuka or Komachi, I get so angry I lose my temper. Does that mean I have similar feelings for them?

This is clearly visible from a third-person perspective, and Yukinoshita nodded in agreement. But the next second, she looked puzzled.

"Leaving aside Hobe's feelings for now, what does Ebina think of him?"

"Uh, well..."

Yukinoshita's question was simple, but Yuihama hesitated. "Oh dear, isn't the answer obvious? This question is too easy," she thought. "I secretly mentally cast down Mr. Jin's doll (Note 19: The original text is "スㄧパㄧひとしくん," a prop used in the quiz show "Hitachi Sekai Fushigi Hakumin." Guests use this doll as a bargaining chip before answering questions.)."

Wow~ This is so intriguing!

Suddenly, the Minister of Revenue became alert and leaned his entire body forward.

"...Are you sure? This is the last chance to back out."

"However, without knowing this, we cannot proceed."

“I-I see…”

So, Ms. Yuihama, please reveal the correct answer.

"Um..." Under our watchful eyes, Yui Hama couldn't bring herself to speak. "...She seems to think you're a good person."

After giving her answer, she silently looked away.

Waaah... my tears...

—A good person.

When girls talk about a "good person," they mean someone who is good in every way; at best, they mean someone who is easy to boss around.

Upon hearing this answer, it was easy to foresee that the Ministry of Revenue's commission would end in tragedy.

However, the Ministry of Revenue revealed a confident smile and murmured:

"...Isn't this a positive compliment?"

Only if your thinking is positive, or if that screw that left your head a long time ago just happens to be a plus sign.

If I were to criticize someone, I could come up with a whole bunch; but when it comes to brainstorming ideas, I can't think of a single one.

The Ministry of Revenue's shallowness far exceeded my expectations.

"No, but at least she didn't say she dislikes you, isn't that a good thing?"

Yuihama tried her best to smooth things over, but Yukinoshita and I had already given up.

"There are limits to how we can go on alone..."

"There's no way around it, the gap between the Ministry of Revenue and Ebina is just too great."

As you can see, Kebu is a frivolous and easily carried away guy. In contrast, Ebina is pretty and lovable, but she is a fujoshi (a woman who enjoys playing yaoi).

In this situation, it was Ebina who seemed abnormal.

She's an openly yaoi fangirl, and also at the top of the school's social hierarchy—a rather rare combination. Surprisingly, there are many top-tier yaoi fans who hide their interests. I've heard that there are quite a few outgoing and pretty girls at the events frequented by yaoi fans. This is based on what I've seen in manga; both *My 801 Girlfriend* and *Genshiken* are drawn this way, so it's definitely true.

Kebu and Ebina should have belonged to different social classes. Basically, Kebu's group was glamorous and easily attracted attention; as for Ebina, she was indeed very pretty, and with her restless and cute side, the definition of "cute" changed slightly when compared to Miura.

If we think about it in the conventional sense, Ebina is "an incredibly cute girl that only I know about." Not only do lower-class people within the upper echelons secretly like her, but this extends down to the middle class and even the lowest-class boys, who all harbor the hope that "maybe I'll have a chance to date her." Back in junior high, I might have even fallen for her.

However, it was Miura Yumiko, the leader of Class 2-F, who shattered this general notion.

Wherever she goes, Miura maintains her usual aloofness; on the other hand, she actively gathers cute girls around her, forming the Miura Group. She doesn't adhere to the definition of "cute," but rather selects girls based on her own judgment.

This makes me a little puzzled that Kawasaki wasn't selected. She's quite pretty, and it would be great if she could change her unfriendly personality and her serious brother complex.

In some respects, the key to this commission lies in the hands of Miura, who has created an environment that defies everyone's expectations.

I had barely thought of this name when Yuihama blurted it out.

"We may need to ask other people for help, such as Yumiko."

"That makes sense. As the ancients said, 'To shoot a man, first shoot his horse.' I think we should give up."

"Why did you give up again!"

Yuihama was surprised again. However, this time I had a legitimate reason to give up.

"It's better to give up that idea. I don't really think Miura would be willing to help."

"Hmm, well... but Yumiko really likes this kind of topic."

"...It's best not to."

She looked at me in surprise because my tone had inadvertently been a bit cold.

After all, the chances of successfully completing this commission are extremely slim.

Moreover, no matter how you look at it, it will seem like Yuihama and Miura were instigating the Ministry of Revenue behind the scenes.

Regardless of the truth, that's how it appears to Ebina.

If it were just Yuihama alone, the club could be used as a shield to protect her, saying that she had no choice but to follow along because of my involvement and that of outsiders like Yukinoshita.

However, if Miura also gets involved, Yuihama's influence will be greatly amplified due to her weak connection with the Service Club. At that point, Ebina will definitely not have a good impression of her.

I don't really want things to turn out this way.

The potential benefits of this commission are disproportionate to the risks involved.

"In short, it's best not to do that."

"Hmm... okay, then forget it."

Fortunately, Yui didn't press for an explanation. This kind of thing is purely emotional and difficult to explain logically. Trying to reason with it would only be troublesome and incredibly foolish.

"But then we're really at a loss."

Feeling somewhat weary under the snow, he let out a short sigh.

Indeed, judging from all indications, this commission is highly unlikely to succeed; we cannot find any favorable factors whatsoever.

"I think we should just give up?"

I was already fed up, so I asked the Ministry of Revenue if we should give up the idea. The Ministry of Revenue listened, slapped his forehead hard, and slumped his shoulders in disappointment.

"Ugh, comparing yourself to a penguin, that's really going too far. Hayato's right, you have such a sharp tongue... Hmm? Wait, wait, or is it just that you have a sharp tongue and you say things on purpose?"

"No, I'm very serious..."

The Ministry of Revenue didn't listen to me at all, and even leaned closer to me.

"However, people often say, 'The opposite of liking is indifference (Note 20, a quote from Mother Teresa),' so you, Penguin, are actually thinking about me very seriously, aren't you?"

This person...this person is just too annoying...his annoyance is exactly the opposite of that of a timber pedestal.

Besides, no matter how I think about it, the opposite of what I like is what I dislike.

"Indifference" stems purely from not knowing the other person and being unable to make an evaluation. Once acquainted, however, one inevitably categorizes the other person into "like" or "dislike." Those categorized as "dislike" will forever be subjected to aversion and suppression. The opposite of liking is dislike, which can be murderous.

However, the Ministry of Revenue completely misunderstood my thoughts. He looked out the window and spoke in a disjointed manner:

"I'm very serious... Although Yamato and Ooka are very supportive, they're probably just waiting to see what happens..."

At this point, he scratched his nose somewhat shyly.

"So, the fact that you're so insistent on stopping me makes me think it's not so bad."

"..."

I didn't mean that at all. Can you please stop trying to explain it in a positive light? No, no, no, that's really not how it is. Please stop talking about it.

"Ebina, she actually has a side that no one knows about. Sometimes when I see her by chance, it feels like I've been stabbed hard in the chest. I always feel like she's not as simple as she seems, and you can't judge a book by its cover. That gives me a jolt. Ugh... what am I saying? It's so embarrassing... so disgusting!"

The Minister of Revenue, embarrassed, frantically fiddled with the back of his hair.

Thank you for answering questions we didn't even ask. Also, I don't like the look of your long hair. Stop wearing that bright smile and get your hair cut, okay?

However... I didn't expect this guy to be observing Ebina, and quite closely at that.

Over the years, I have continuously observed all sorts of different people, and thus I have come to realize that Ebina is not just a girl with a cute appearance.

She must be hiding some secret in her heart.

Although the Ministry of Revenue has not yet entered the core, after observing Ebina for a long time, it has still discovered something.

After making a discovery, you start to pay attention to the other person, and then without realizing it, your gaze is firmly drawn to them. Then you discover a completely new side of them, and your heart starts to burn – everyone must have had this experience, including the Ministry of Revenue and me.

Why do boys always seem to have this stubborn streak? They know it's impossible, yet they won't give up. So, all boys in the world are fools.

Hubu is also a boy who falls in love, just like I used to be. Even someone who is successful in real life or at the top of the social class on campus is still just a devoted boy at heart.

"Well, there's no harm in failing anyway..."

Since he is so sincere in wanting to pursue Ebina, we are willing to offer our assistance. This is precisely the philosophy of the Service Society.

"Please, I hope you can give me a good outcome."

The Minister of Revenue clasped his hands together and pleaded with me. I waved my hand and told him, "I know, I know." Just then, a cell phone started vibrating somewhere.

"Ah, it's my phone. Hello? Oh? Oh, sorry, sorry! I'll be right there!"

He quickly hung up the phone, grabbed his schoolbag, and hurriedly left.

"What's wrong?"

By the time Yuihama asked him the question, he had already run to the entrance of the clubhouse.

"Going to the club! I heard the seniors are going to check it out, it'll be terrible if I don't show up! That's all for now!"

He tossed out those words, flung open the office door, and stormed out without looking back. Yukino watched his rapidly disappearing figure and muttered to herself, "That guy's so annoying..."

After the Ministry of Revenue left, the place immediately quieted down.

The office fell silent, and the three of them, unsure of what to do next, simply grabbed whatever was at hand.

Yukinoshita started making tea, and I picked up the paperback on the table while Yuihama flipped through the magazine next to her.

She suddenly stopped halfway through flipping through the magazine and stared intently at the pages. Her serious expression was different from usual, so I curiously leaned over to see what was going on.

"What did you see... Oh~ a knotted rope?"

"I don't know if this will be of any help to the Ministry of Revenue."

Her gaze was completely absorbed by the magazine. Yukinoshita, having finished preparing the tea, joined us.

"Kyoto has many shrines and temples where you can make connections, and there are even tour groups that specifically visit those places. However, relying on divine help is too passive..."

"Yes, there's an old saying: 'If you don't burn incense regularly, the gods will abandon you.'"

Giving up like a god is called "divine abandonment"... Strange, why doesn't anyone complain "Why did you give up again?" I feel so unaccomplished.

I looked at Yuihama, and for some reason, her eyes lit up.

"...That's right!"

"You're saying you're giving up?"

Is "God-abandoned" really that good? I don't really like this word because I can't think of a rhyming way to use it.

"No, that's not it. We want to use their trip to Kyoto to bring them closer. Hina said she really likes Kyoto, and if she overhears Tobe casually sharing some interesting facts about Kyoto, she might just fall for him!"

According to Yuihama, there was little hope for a normal campus life, so she could only hope for a change of environment and see if anything would change during the graduation trip.

The graduation trip lasted four days and three nights, which sounded like a Western movie about "how to find a lover in four days and three nights," starring Cameron Diaz and Hugh Grant.