My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 211

Thank you. Please take care of me.

Sagami seemed to have finished speaking, bowed, and turned back to us.

The senior student who had been watching Sagami breathed a sigh of relief.

"The matter has been resolved."

She smiled and looked at me, and I could only nod.

"……yes."

I uttered those words, then forced myself to swallow the feeling that was stuck in my chest, like a fishbone.

On the surface, the problem does seem to be solved. From a purely formal perspective, it certainly gives the impression that the problem has been easily resolved.

However, if you look inside, there are countless unresolved issues.

This is a bad habit.

Sagami's words sounded like he was defending himself while waving the banner of righteousness to criticize others, and he cleverly made Haruka and Yui's explanations sound like they were using club activities as an excuse to escape.

This conjecture is rather unpleasant.

However, the more unpleasant the speculation, the more likely it is to come true. Sometimes I really have the illusion that I actually have futuristic vision.

"Please, God, let me be wrong sometimes," I prayed earnestly in my heart as I quietly waited for the meeting to begin.

× × ×

Once all the latecomers had arrived, the meeting finally began.

Under Hiratsuka-sensei's watchful gaze, it was Senior Xun who spoke first. It seemed she was still not comfortable handing everything over to Sagami immediately.

"Alright, let's begin the meeting. First, based on the conclusions of the last meeting, I'd like to propose some improvement plans. Yukinoshita-san, may I trouble you with that?"

"OK."

Yukino stood up from her seat and glanced briefly at the student council members, who immediately began to act. It was unclear when they had become so completely obedient to Yukino.

The student council officers distributed photocopied materials to each member. Yukinoshita, holding the same copy of the materials, began to explain.

"Regarding the work schedules for each club mentioned at the last meeting, the schedules you have are up to the day of the sports meet. This arrangement was made after taking into account the competition schedules of each club, please confirm."

As they listened to the explanation and checked the information in their hands, the team members on site let out a series of confused exclamations, seemingly panicked by the unexpected arrangement.

That's true. From another perspective, this could indeed be seen as the decision-making group making a decision on its own. However, we also have corresponding methods to address this.

"Well, this is just a proposal. We'll make adjustments if needed. We've already explained this to the presidents of each club, so it shouldn't be too much of a burden for anyone..."

Yuihama immediately added, "As someone at the top of the school hierarchy, she can easily secure collaborations with the presidents of various clubs, a fact that everyone present clearly understands."

Thanks to her, no one complained... I guess Yukinoshita probably didn't see this as a proposal, but rather as a decision.

"Furthermore, regarding the 'Thousand Horses Battle,' to alleviate everyone's burden, we will modify some of the rules and simplify the costumes used. This will reduce the workload, and compared to the results of the last meeting, we should be able to achieve the goal with fewer people."

Yukinoshita calmly continued her explanation. "What's 'artificial'? Is it that thing? Does it sound like 'Koizora'?" "That seems to be 'Ninja Sky'."

Such an uncompromising and forceful explanation might be more accurately described as coercion.

Yukino's schedule is incredibly meticulous; she even included comparisons with previous versions. I honestly can't tell if she's just efficient or simply has too much free time. Probably both. Furthermore, it's also possible she included it to prevent the on-site team from finding excuses to avoid work, hence the added option of a "bad personality."

However, thanks to her efforts, the members of the on-site team seemed willing to comply with the decision.

Yukino glanced around the now quiet meeting room, then returned to her seat. It seemed she intended to leave the rest to the chairperson.

Sensing her meaning, the senior student urged Sagami to hurry up.

"So, let's start from where we left off last time."

"Yes, yes. Then, we will assign tasks according to this schedule..."

I rested my cheeks in my hands as I watched Sagami preside over the meeting.

Up to this point, the situation is under our control. We have adjusted the schedule that caused the dispute at the meeting, worked with the presidents of various sports clubs, and proactively proposed a plan to reduce the manpower required for the 1000-horse race. Furthermore, Sagami and the on-site team's Haruka and Yu have reached a reconciliation.

Given the current situation, there is nothing more that can be done. From the perspective of regaining trust, this is a moderately good strategy.

Even so, my eyes still tried to find all the elements of unease, drifting disobeyingly around.

I continued to use my negative imagination, constantly envisioning the worst-case scenario.

However, this wasn't to prevent the worst-case scenario, but rather a defensive measure to mitigate the impact should it actually happen. I feel really sorry for myself.

Because you see, the degree of injury differs depending on whether you know the situation or not. Compared to being overconfident and then suffering a major setback, knowing from the beginning that it won't work reduces the emotional turmoil. Minimizing the damage means recovery won't take as long. That's the wisdom of life.

The work was being assigned in a serious and quiet manner inside the meeting room. It seemed that nothing serious was going on.

The hosting in Sagami went very smoothly. There was also a senior student accompanying her. And with Hiratsuka-sensei sitting behind them, keeping a close eye on the entire event, no one dared to make a sound.

On the surface, everything was calm and there were no disputes or conflicts.

Even so, those eyes still managed to capture that crucial moment.

Haruka and Yui walked towards the whiteboard to register their names, deliberately keeping their expressions blank as they passed Sagami. After leaving Sagami, they nodded to each other to confirm their identities.

“Eh…”

"Um……"

I could hear them whispering to each other. Perhaps they said something else, but I had no way of knowing.

Well, it hasn't been long since Sagami apologized. I don't think the grudge between them can disappear completely in such a short time.

I stopped observing and speculating, leaned back in my chair, making a creaking sound, and then stretched my back.

When you lean back until you're about to fall, you'll see a world that's upside down.

My eyes were met with raindrops sliding down the windowpane. It seemed the rain hadn't stopped.

× × ×

Some time has passed since the last meeting, and the operations committee has finally become somewhat operational again.

However, to say whether things are going smoothly is perhaps a bit of a stretch. Although we have a work schedule, our work efficiency has actually decreased.

The idea that everyone will act according to a written schedule and itinerary is just wishful thinking.

We are not robots; we also have days when we feel unwell or want to sleep. Sometimes there are sudden emergencies, and sometimes it's just a natural urge to be lazy.

Therefore, when scheduling shifts and travel plans, it's best to include buffer zones. Yukinoshita probably did just that.

However, there are times when even setting up a buffer won't help.

The purpose of a work schedule is to regulate the workload of each person. In other words, work beyond one's assigned duties is absolutely not to be done, nor is it necessary to do so. The work schedule is a promise, a vow, or a constraint.

The so-called complete division of labor, in other words, sets a limit on the amount of work. Ironically, the rules set to force others to work become shackles, giving them a reason not to work.

Yeah, I understand. What? That's not my job... As long as you live, the day will come when you have to say that. Cleaning up the messes of someone who slacks off and does nothing is incredibly absurd. It's really strange, I mean it!

...That's how it should be, so why am I still working myself to the bone here?

As I was planning the sports meet program and simulating student movement patterns, a large stack of new written materials was piled up next to me.

I flipped through the documents to see what it was this time, and it turned out to be a request form for borrowing items needed for the competition.

"..."

I scratched my head and temporarily left my seat.

Changing your mood is also essential. To do this, I need to go out, then come home, take a bath, eat, and then sleep. Changing your mood is really important.

Just as I was thinking of buying some coffee and walking out of the meeting room, I was caught red-handed by Yuihama.

"Ah, autistic guy, you've come at just the right time."

Shouldn't Yuihama be outside making the entrance archway? What's going on? Is she taking a break? I wondered, tilting my head slightly to ask what was wrong.

"Well, we're a bit short-handed. Could you come and help us out?"

"No, I have other work... I mean, what happened to the field team?"

When I asked, Yuihama gave a weak smile.

"They said I have to participate in club activities..."

"Here we go again...?"

This pattern continued to occur over the next few days.

Sagami's claim that "it won't burden everyone's club activities" became their shield, so many people would slip home halfway through or take a break.

Then, as fewer and fewer people came, the concentration of the on-site personnel also decreased, and the work efficiency also declined.

Everyone has various reasons why they can't do things perfectly, so someone always has to help fill the holes dug by others.

However, if everyone only cares about "their own schedule," that hole will never be filled. To avoid this situation, we have set up ample buffers, but the current situation is that these buffers are becoming increasingly ineffective.

Therefore, our decision-making team was fully mobilized to begin the work of the on-site team. In particular, Yui Hama actively inspected various locations, provided assistance, and coordinated efforts, busily demonstrating her abilities.

However, after calming down and thinking about it, Yuihama isn't really suited to help with today's preparation work... While being a girl is part of the reason, the most important thing is that, judging by her cooking skills, she's absolutely unsuitable for making things. It wouldn't be good to let her continue to cause trouble, and having her slow down the work progress is also a problem. I've been sitting and working for a while now, and I'm feeling a bit tired, so getting up and stretching doesn't seem like a bad thing. And, and... well, whatever.

"I can lend a hand, just to change the mood."

"Okay! Thank you!"

Yuihama happily pushed my back from behind.

I twisted my neck and shoulders to make sounds, and obediently followed Yuihama's movements.

After walking down the corridor and stairs, I saw that a large part of the passageway had been occupied by a group of people who were making what appeared to be an entrance archway. I initially thought that only the on-site team was working there, but upon closer inspection, I realized that the people sawing things with a saw were student council members.

The rest of the crew didn't make much of a move, only occasionally glancing at their watches.

"What's going on here...?"

"Um... hahaha."

Yui smiled and brushed it off, but honestly, I couldn't laugh. There's so little time left until the sports meet, and it's turned out like this.

Although I had imagined it before, seeing the reality was still frustrating. If this is the case, what difference does it make if one more person slacks off?

"That's exactly how I look when I'm working."

"You introverted guy, it's a wonder you weren't fired..."

Although I find it unbelievable, I don't know why I never get fired, no matter how sloppy my attitude is at work. I'm even thinking of just asking the shop to fire me. Besides, I still get paid even if I skip work. I think the shop owners are probably aware of the risks of hiring high school students. In fact, for them, there are plenty of replacements.

However, finding replacements for the operations committee isn't so easy. Of course, we could negotiate with various organizations to recruit new members, but we no longer have the time or the manpower to mentor newcomers from scratch.

The fastest way is to skillfully coordinate with them.

Despite saying that, I once again surveyed the entire room with my dead fish eyes.

You can't find any motivated people anywhere. Even I, who am completely unmotivated, think everyone is unmotivated, which shows how exaggerated the situation is.

Just as I was feeling helpless, Yui Hama next to me reached out and scratched her cheek, revealing a wry smile.

"I did want to encourage everyone, but I felt like the atmosphere wasn't quite right..."

"No, this is fine."

One person talking at length will only provoke resentment. The stage where simply boosting morale is effective is long gone.

This is where we should stick to our usual lone-wolf style and not rely on others. After all, those who don't do anything will never do anything no matter what.

It seems there are quite a few things to make, like the signboard or the entrance arch. Let's finish what's halfway done first.

I spotted a student council member I recognized, so I moved over to where he was working. Upon closer inspection, I saw several male students resting behind him. Was it a shift system? (Playing dumb)

"I've brought some help!"

Yuihama pointed at me and said that the cadre looked relieved.

"...Yes, you must be working very hard all by yourself." I silently extended my hand. The cadre understood my meaning and handed me the hammer. I nodded to him, and he nodded and bowed to me before getting up and leaving to find a shady spot to sit down.

Student council members are a valuable asset; we can't push them like this. You should get some rest.

I fiddled with the hammer in my hand, and after confirming its condition, I squatted down to prepare to begin.

"Well then, I'm going to get started."

"oh--!"

Yuihama responded, moving to the opposite side and crouching down to hold down the wood. "No, um, if you crouch in front of me, I'll see your underwear... um... shouldn't I be wearing my gym uniform at a time like this?! Seriously! Where am I supposed to look?!"

I swung the hammer to clear my mind of distractions. If I didn't concentrate, I might accidentally hit my fingers.

The two of them started hammering away together, and the lazy guys on the side seemed to feel a little guilty and stood up, saying things like, "Let's get to work too."