My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 189

For some reason, the word "wooden base" seemed to resonate with me, but I don't think it has any particular meaning.

"Just listening to bingo and raffles makes me feel really happy."

"If there are gifts to be won, it's worth participating!"

Haruno and Komachi are also interested in bingo, which shows that they have a strong desire for material things.

Despite the two becoming excited, Hiratsuka-sensei sighed softly.

"But for the people organizing the event, it was hell..."

"what?"

I sensed something was wrong from the teacher's quiet tone, but instead of explaining further, she raised her hand to call out to the shop assistant.

"Ah, give me a Highball (Note 63: a cocktail name)."

She took a large gulp of wine before beginning her story:

"First, the most junior staff are responsible for the counter, acting as a temporary luggage depot, serving an endless stream of guests. If they're not skilled enough, the counter will be a complete mess, putting you under immense pressure. After finally dealing with all the guests, you think you can finally breathe a sigh of relief? Wrong! During the banquet, you also have to help with luggage, because some guests will leave midway. Just when you finally feel relieved, the banquet reaches its climax at the Takawa Prince Hotel (Note 64: the original title was "宴も高轮プリンスホテル," a common lame joke at Japanese banquets)—what I'm saying is, the grand finale. Ah, another glass of golf, please."

"Teacher, you're drinking so heartily..."

It's so cute that Totsuka is intimidated by the teacher's imposing manner.

Ignoring Totsuka's fearful gaze, Hiratsuka-sensei finished her second cocktail in a few gulps and put the glass down.

"It's not over yet—"

"Oh, and there's more..."

The part I just heard was torturous enough.

However, the alcohol began to take effect in the teacher's body, and now nothing could stop her.

"Of course. At the end of the banquet, guests' luggage needs to be returned one by one. During this stage, problems may arise such as luggage not being found or some people not having checked their luggage in the first place. After finally dealing with the luggage, you think it's finally over? Wrong! Next, you have to go to the banquet area to reserve seats, and after the banquet, you have to call taxis for the VIPs. This should be the end, right? Wrong! At this point, a bunch of things that no one knows who left behind will appear, so you have to carry them with you and wait for the owners who will never appear... Ah, excuse me, another glass of highball."

Hiratsuka-sensei was so fast at consuming alcohol that even Haruno couldn't help but advise him against it.

"Xiaojing, you've had too much to drink."

"They're all just complaining..."

After listening to her teacher's long string of complaints, Yukinoshita was exhausted and felt dizzy. However, her reaction was so indifferent that the teacher felt quite sorry for her.

"Don't say that. Teachers don't usually have a chance to complain, so why not let her vent now?"

"Oh, you seem to know quite a bit about this."

Don't underestimate me. During the school anniversary celebration, I was also a working stiff on the executive committee, so I understand how the teachers feel.

Of course, you'd want to complain at times like this, but nine times out of ten, the other person will always shut you up with their usual line, "You're not the only one having a hard time." But why should I have to suffer just because everyone else is having a hard time? What kind of cause and effect is that? Tell me!

Hiratsuka-sensei lit a cigarette and continued to complain listlessly.

"Sigh... You guys have the day off tomorrow, but I still have work to do..."

"Isn't this person being a bit too self-destructive...?"

Just as I was starting to lose it, Ms. Hiratsuka turned around and met my gaze. Suddenly, she perked up.

"Okay, let's begin!"

"Start with what?"

"Top 3 Things You Hate Most to Hear Your Boss and Seniors Say!"

The teacher got completely absorbed in his own world, and this time I simply couldn't keep up.

"No, I don't want to hear it at all."

I don't want to listen to such a depressing chart... it will only make me less inclined to work...

Everyone else present was uninterested, but Hiratsuka-sensei was in high spirits.

"First, there's third place."

"It seems the teacher has made up her mind..."

Snow revealed a fierce expression, while Hiratsuka-sensei had already taken her position.

"Third place! 'You didn't take any notes, does that mean you know everything?'"

The teacher's tone was very realistic, perfectly mimicking how a superior would say those words, which dealt Yui a heavy blow.

"Ah... I was indeed told that when I was working part-time..."

"So, I was scolded like that when I was working, and when they saw that I hadn't done anything wrong, their expressions actually got even worse..."

The teacher continued to announce the second place winner, injecting vitality into the gradually gloomy atmosphere.

"The second person said, 'I need to talk to you about something tomorrow, could you spare some time for me?'"

Those present felt as if they had been sitting on a raging god, their spirits plummeting.

"They were polite on the surface, but it actually felt terrifying..."

"It will keep bothering me, and I won't be able to concentrate on my work all day..."

"Not only that, but the exact time and content of the conversation weren't specified beforehand..."

Totsuka, Yuihama, and even Yukinoshita all lowered their gazes, staring at a corner of the iron plate. Professor Hiratsuka had even held a special impromptu lecture to explain things in detail for the future of these young people.

"Hearing these kinds of things is really agonizing, so you have to be careful. At night, you'll start struggling with the thought of 'Should I just take tomorrow off work?'... Ugh, what am I going to do tomorrow...?"

"So the teacher had heard that phrase before..."

Komachi looked at her teacher, who was approaching thirty, with pity. Seeing this, Yuihama finally couldn't hold back any longer.

"Stop! You can't tell the truth! It's too painful!"

"Haha, it's no big deal. Next up is the first place that everyone's been waiting for."

Hiratsuka-sensei forced a laugh to brush it off, but I simply couldn't.

"There's something even worse... Can I please stop... It's really painful..."

"Nobody's really looking forward to it..."

Yukino was right; nobody in the room wanted to hear any more. If they heard the winner's sentence, they might never dare to step into the workplace again.

However, no one could stop Hiratsuka-sensei.

"The number one problem is the endless cycle of 'Didn't I tell you to ask me if you don't understand something?' 'Tsk, such a simple question, can't you think about it yourself?' 'Hey, why didn't you ask me first before making your own decisions?'"

In an instant, these three sentences formed a ouroboros, swirling endlessly in my mind.

"No matter what I do, it's not right... Is there some kind of bug in this world?"

"The ultimate three-stage technique that cannot be escaped! Is this the 'Heaven and Earth Demon Battle Stance' (Note 65, the secret technique used by the Great Demon King Barn in 'Dragon Quest: Dai's Great Adventure', which allows for simultaneous attack, defense, and magic use in an instant)...?"

Timber swallowed hard, wiping the sweat from his brow. If new employees were caught in this flawless, three-pronged attack, probably half would be eliminated.

After we were attacked, only Yang Nai smiled nonchalantly.

"There's nothing we can do; this world is inherently unreasonable."

"I really don't want to work..."

Everyone saw the dark side of society, and a dark cloud hung over their heads. To liven up the atmosphere, Yang Nai came up with an idea.

"Why is everyone so lifeless? This is the time to play games!"

"That's right!"

Komachi quickly cast her vote in favor. However, I only had a bad feeling about this pairing…

"Don't joke around..."

Despite my muttered complaints, the others remained oblivious to the impending crisis.

Totsuka tilted his head to one side and asked curiously:

"What game do you want to play?"

"Oh, good question!"

Yang pointed at him forcefully, and Hiratsuka-sensei, having calmed down, joined the conversation.

"In this situation, it's obviously the King's Game."

"Teacher, you look like an old man..."

“Woo-gu!”

Yuihama's thoughts were quite frank, causing the teacher to fall silent once again.

In a corner of my field of vision, I caught a glimpse of the wooden base trembling incessantly.

"Playing King's Game with girls... a dream, a scenario... this... this program, could it be sponsored by Bandai, the company that creates moments of joy?"

"Calm down, Bandai isn't the sponsor."

This program is still seeking sponsors, and it's not too late to apply!

Another person present was also curious about the "King's Game." That person sat up straight and looked over with a serious expression.

"The King's Game... If it's a contest for the throne, I certainly shouldn't lose. Please tell me the rules of the game."

"It's not that kind of game!" Yuihama exclaimed nervously.

Finally shaking off her despondency, Hiratsuka-sensei crossed her arms and said:

"Okay, let me explain the rules. In this game, the participants first draw lots to determine who the king is. The person who draws the king's lot can give any order to the others. The slogan shouted during the draw is 'Who is the king?♪' Got it? It's 'Who is the king?♪'!"

"This person is far too excited..."

And when they talked about "Who is the king♪", I got especially excited and suddenly thought the teacher was so cute.

Komachi's eyes lit up after hearing the rules.

"I can issue any order! This is wonderful!"

My sister's devilish personality is really... ah!

"...So that means we can deal with Totsuka..."

"The opportunity has arrived!"

A sudden inspiration struck me, and Zaimokuza (the woodworker) displayed perfect understanding at that moment. I didn't need to say much, because Totsuka's cuteness is universally acknowledged.

Totsuka, a world-class idol, is afraid of the game's content, which increases his cuteness by another 40%.

"Being able to issue any order sounds a bit scary."

"Indeed... especially those people over there, they probably don't have any good intentions."

Yukinoshita glared at her fiercely.

"Wait a minute, can you stop looking at me like that?"

Dissenting opinions arose at the scene, so Yang proposed another solution.

"How about we skip the King's Game and switch to the Yamanote Line Game (Note 66: Participants choose a theme and answer questions related to that theme in sequence, without repeating)?"

"Oh, I can have that."

Yuihama was the first to agree, but I live in Chiba and am completely unfamiliar with the Yamanote Line.

"I rarely ride the Yamanote Line, so I don't know much about it."

"It's okay, the Soubu route is fine too, the name doesn't matter. Everyone knows how to play, right?"

So the name of the game isn't important after all...

Yang looked around at everyone and asked, while Yukinoshita became belligerent.

"no problem."

After confirming that everyone understood the rules, Hiratsuka-sensei leaned forward and said:

"Let's begin! Our slogan is: 'Sōbu Line Game ~Yeah♪'"

"The teacher is so excited, it's kind of cute..."

The teacher was super excited, and a little playful. It seemed like she was getting into my target zone, which was really scary.

So, everyone started chanting slogans.