My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 173

"No, how should I put it? It's just a fortune telling, don't take it too seriously~"

She spoke calmly on the surface, but still happily folded the fortune slip carefully and put it into her wallet. She looked just like a girl in love, so adorable.

"But, isn't 'Great Fortune' actually not a good thing? Because there aren't any better fortunes beyond that."

"what?"

The Ministry of Revenue made a casual joke, but Miura took it very seriously and glared at him fiercely. This guy is indeed terrifying.

"Ah, no, the Great Luck draw is actually quite difficult to get~"

The Ministry of Revenue was naturally frightened and quickly changed its tune to protect itself.

There will always be people like this in the world, who deliberately try to dampen others' spirits when they're happy, making them annoying. I said the same thing when I went on a field trip to Nikko City in elementary school, and everyone disliked me afterward.

However, if Miura draws the "Great Fortune" card at the peak of his luck, then the Ministry of Revenue's statement is correct.

If you draw a lucky number, your fortune will only decline afterward, and vice versa.

"Ahhh, I'm the fierce one..."

Ebina said sadly.

"But think about it, if you draw a bad draw, doesn't that mean your luck will only get better from here on out?"

The Ministry of Revenue had just made a joke about Miura a few seconds earlier, so he quickly turned around and comforted Ebina.

Well, it seems he'll work hard even without our special help.

Okay, let me give him a nudge.

"I suggest tying the bad fortune slips to a higher place, because I heard that the gods can see them more easily that way."

This is clearly just superstition; folk beliefs wouldn't be this exaggerated, but I have indeed heard this claim.

Because I spoke out of the blue, both Tobe and Ebina looked around, searching for the source of the sound. Don't get me wrong, that wasn't divine will, it was me, Wario! (Note 42: A manga featuring Wario as the main character, the original title is "オレだよ！ワリオだよ！！") No, I'm not Wario at all.

They finally noticed my presence, so I repeated myself to the Ministry of Revenue:

"I heard it's better to tie her up somewhere higher, could you help her?"

The Ministry of Revenue saw through my intentions and reached out to Ebina.

"Oh, I see. Well then, give it to me."

"Ah, thank you, it's so nice to have a guy around."

Ebina handed the signature to the Ministry of Revenue. However, if what she actually meant was "It's so nice and convenient to have a boy," then tragedy would ensue.

Kebu stood on tiptoe and tied the slip to the highest point. I glanced at him one last time, then left Jishu Shrine with the feeling of having completed a task.

The rest of the itinerary followed the pilgrimage route.

I strolled along, admiring the main stage from the Okuin Hall, then descended the stone steps to join the path leading to Otowa Waterfall.

The waterfall's clear water is known as "sacred water," which is also the origin of Kiyomizu-dera Temple's name.

The three streams were also crowded with tourists.

The three separate queues were incredibly long, winding around several corners. Seriously, this is ridiculously over-the-top, just like Disneyland! Don't they have Fastpass here?

I was startled by the crowd and stood frozen in place. Just then, a chop to the head landed on me.

"How could you leave first!"

"It's not like we're splitting up today, so what does it matter..."

I touched the spot where I had been hit and looked at Yuihama. Then, Miura and his group followed.

"Oh, there's water flowing! There are three streams!"

Thank you for your honest and unpretentious thoughts, Mr. Hubu.

"It's Otowa Waterfall."

"It's alright," Hayama said calmly. Yuihama picked up the guidebook and began to read it carefully.

"Hmm~ The three streams of water will bless your studies, love life, and longevity respectively."

...I see. No wonder Professor Hiratsuka had been queuing up with an empty bottle of Daigoro (Note 43: a shochu brand launched by Asahi Beer, available in 1.8-liter, 2.7-liter, and 4-liter sizes) so early on; he was being a bit too greedy...

That said, is what Yuigahama said true? The information boards at the site not only made no such statement, but also clearly told visitors: "All three streams come from the same water source!"

However, everyone remained unsuspecting and obediently stood in line. Even though I was also in line.

After waiting for about fifteen minutes, it was finally our turn. By the way, because Hiratsuka-sensei filled up too much water for love blessings, she was even questioned by the staff.

Everyone picked up a ladle and scooped water.

Yui, who was in front of me, chose the middle dish, stretched out her long ladle to catch the water, brought it to her lips, and brushed the hair behind her ear to drink. Her fair throat moved up and down with each swallow.

"Ah, this tastes so good..."

She exhaled after finishing her drink, praising it highly. This is a famous spring with a history dating back to ancient times, its flavor proven by a long and rich history. Besides, it's a gushing spring, and the water is cool in late autumn, making it naturally refreshing to drink.

After Yuihama, it was my turn. I reached out to take the spoon from the sterilization device—

"Here, take it."

She handed me the ladle she had used, and I couldn't help but move.

"Uh, don't you think... this is a bit...?"

This person sometimes displays a shrewd, girlish side, and at other times is simply naive and confused, making it difficult for me to determine which one she is currently in.

However, she seemed to have given me the ladle out of kindness.

The next moment, she realized what this behavior meant, and her cheeks flushed instantly.

"what……"

"Um……"

Yes, that's right, you noticed.

I took out the sterilized ladle, reached for the stream closest to me, filled it with water, and drank it all in one gulp. The icy spring water was indeed incredibly delicious.

"Why...why care so much..."

...Of course I care. If I drink water directly from your ladle, won't I miss the taste?

Volume 7, Chapter 6: Yukino walks quietly through the night streets.

When I came to my senses, I was already lying in bed.

"An unfamiliar ceiling..."

I tried to recall. If I remember correctly, we came to Kyoto for our graduation trip today.

On the first day, we visited Kiyomizu-dera and Nanzen-ji temples, and then, for some unknown reason, we walked all the way to Ginkaku-ji. The autumn leaves were indeed beautiful, and strolling along the Philosopher's Path by the river not only provided exercise, but also created a wonderful atmosphere for Hobe and Ebina.

After today's itinerary, we went to the hotel for dinner, and then...

So, why am I sleeping here?

"Ah, Hachiman, you're up?"

Totsuka was sitting to the side with his knees drawn up to his chest. When he saw that I had woken up, he raised one knee and looked over.

"Ah, um... wait, what exactly is going on...?"

Did I activate the Sinful King (Note 44: a Stand ability from *JoJo's Bizarre Adventure* that erases time in the world and allows one to act within that erased time, thus seeing the future) and unknowingly jump directly to the ending where I begin my married life with Totsuka?

That's what I thought, but of course it was impossible, because I heard the clattering sound of mahjong tiles coming from not far away.

"Ahhhhh, I'm going to lose so badly I have to take my pants off!"

"Hayato, you're too strong!"

Looking towards the source of the sound, I saw the boys in the class making "bang" and "pong" sounds, laughing heartily.

Okay, I think I understand what happened. It turns out I was tricked by my usual routine of going to sleep as soon as I got home. Because I used up a lot of energy during the day, and the hotel dinner was especially large, I immediately fell asleep as soon as I got to my room after eating.

"The bath time is over, and the teacher said we can use the hotel bathroom."

“Wha-what!?”

Doesn't this mean I'm missing out on a precious opportunity to bathe with Totsuka?

I was struck dumb, jolted out of bed. It seems I have no choice but to kill the gods…

I gritted my teeth in resentment, and Totsuka pointed to the door of the room.

What does this mean?

Is it saying, "Hachiman, you're a pervert. Perverts like you should get lost and just wash yourself in the garden pond"? But I'm neither a pervert nor a prince...

I felt a sudden surge of nervousness, but Totsuka simply said gently:

"The bathroom is in that direction."

"Oh, thanks."

Although I really wanted to enjoy a bath with Totsuka, I'll save that for tomorrow. Anyway, the graduation trip is four days and three nights, and there are two more opportunities, so what's there to worry about? Besides, we'll be spending the third night in Arashiyama.

Hot springs! Open-air hot springs! This is amazing!

I finished my shower feeling great and returned to my room, where I immediately met the gaze of Hubu, who was lying on the floor. He seemed to have lost all his fighting spirit because of his crushing defeat at mahjong, but he quickly got up when he saw me.

"Hey, Penguin, you're awake! Want to play mahjong? Those guys are too good; you'll just get wrecked playing against them."

Hey, you think I'm bad at mahjong, so you can rip me off, right? Tell me!

But thinking about it carefully, the fact that he talks to me like this and even invites me to play mahjong is precisely his strength. Unfortunately, our radio frequencies don't quite match; to put it simply, we're not compatible.

"Sorry, I don't know how to calculate scores."

"Oh, really?"

I exchanged a few polite words, and the Ministry of Revenue didn't press the matter further. I followed suit with a few more polite words and rejoined the battle on the sidelines.

However, I really don't know how the score is calculated, since the system automatically calculates the score when playing against the computer.

Totsuka was also in the mahjong group, learning the rules from the others. He saw me and waved.

So, what's next? Or should we just keep sleeping?

Just then, someone boldly opened the door to our room.

"Hachiman, forget about that, let's play UNO!"

Zaimokuza's invitation was very similar to Nakajima's invitation to Isono to play baseball (Note 45 is a line from "Sazae-san", the original line is: "Forget about that, let's play baseball!").

"...Where are the people in your own class?"

He strode into our room, and I asked him a question. Timber pouted and pounced on me, but I pulled him away and made him sit down.

"Yamana A-Meng, listen to me! They went too far. They actually told me, 'Sorry, Zaimokuza, this game is only for four people.' So I had to wait outside for the loser to come out."

Isn't it normal for the loser to leave the game and exchange with someone outside? Besides, they invited you to participate in the game, so you should feel grateful and get along with them.

"Huh? What game are you guys playing?"

Totsuka raised a question, and Zaimokuza straightened his chest and answered:

"Hampaka Hampaka, the Dreamy Kingdom of Crayon Shin-chan (Note 46: 'Hampaka' is from the opening theme song lyrics of the anime 'Crayon Shin-chan'.)!"

Don't try to imitate the fantasy world of Crayon Kingdom!

"You guys even played those friendship-damaging games on your graduation trip..."

Games like Dokapo Kingdom (Note 47: a Monopoly-style game with RPG elements) or Momotaro Dentetsu can reveal a person's true nature.

If it's just malicious people using underhanded tactics, that's fine, since war is inherently ruthless. The problem is, playing with people who are easily angered can be very painful, because it can really damage friendships.

Other issues include people who don't want to play anymore halfway through and tell others "it's okay to skip me," and people who start reading comic books.

I also experienced something similar during my elementary school years.

"So, let's play UN0."

"Okay. I just asked someone to teach me how to play mahjong, but I still don't quite understand."

Cai Muzuo took out UNO cards from his breast pocket and shuffled them like a magician.

After shuffling the cards, he began dealing them.

"Hmm, I'll go first."