My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 228

"Huh? Hmm... Oh, I see! Well then, let's do it tomorrow! Everyone get ready, let's go out and buy gifts together!"

Yuihama became excited. Yukinoshita nodded, looking at her with a calm expression.

"Yes, that's better. I'm a little tired today too..."

Fortunately, Yukinoshita proposed extending the deadline by one day, which ultimately brought the matter to a satisfactory conclusion. With a conclusion reached, I stood up from my seat and prepared to head to my next destination.

"...Then it's settled."

Just as I was about to open the door to the office, I realized I had forgotten to say something, so I stopped and turned to look at the two people behind me.

See you tomorrow.

Yukinoshita was a little surprised by my behavior, but she immediately smiled, and Yuihama waved to me happily as well.

"Okay, see you tomorrow."

See you tomorrow!

I left the office as they said goodbye. Even though it was just an ordinary sentence, it felt like I hadn't heard it in a long time.

× × ×

After picking up my fried chicken at KFC, I started my journey home.

"I'm back."

Climbing the stairs and opening the living room door, Komachi, who had been lying on the sofa, immediately got up and ran over quickly.

"Brother, welcome back!"

"Mmm. Here, fried chicken."

I handed the bucket of fried chicken to Komachi, who carefully accepted it and took it to the kitchen counter.

"Thank you, brother♪ Mom will be back soon too."

"Hmm. And what about Dad?"

Then, she picked up the coat I had just taken off and tossed on the sofa and helped hang it on the hanger. When I asked her a question, she simply tilted her head to the side and replied:

"Who knows?"

Why is he so cold to him...? Did Dad do something that made Komachi hate him again?

Oh dear, how pitiful! Although I can't really help him because his own daughter dislikes him, the thought that he has to work even on this day makes me feel that being a corporate slave is just too tragic...

"But brother, is it alright that you're not spending today with Yukino-neechan and Yui-neechan?"

"Of course, I'll spend Christmas Eve with my family."

When Komachi heard my answer, she gave me an ambiguous look.

"Hmm... the way my brother rejects me sounds so much like a girl who already has someone else she likes..."

"Huh, a girl would use that as a reason to reject someone? Oh dear, all those naive guys in the world who thought, 'What a wonderful family girl,' aren't they so pathetic... How could you be so heartless as to tell me something I don't even need to know?"

Oh my god, girls are terrifying… After hearing Komachi's words, I might start to suspect ulterior motives behind every little thing a girl does. For example, a girl who kindly offers me a throat lozenge might actually be implying, "Talking to you is incredibly boring. Here, take this lozenge, and shut your mouth." Wait a minute, doesn't this sound familiar to me from my middle school days?

I felt a deep sense of fear, and my body trembled involuntarily. Komachi put her hands on her hips, puffed out her chest, and said:

"My brother is so suspicious, yet he loves to daydream. Komachi is going to help him dispel his fantasies little by little. This is how a sister shows her love for her brother~"

"Oh, thank you..."

Although I don't need Imagine Breaker to help me break these fantasies... As I fell into a slump, Komachi shifted her gaze to the bucket of fried chicken on the kitchen counter and looked back with an apologetic expression.

"Actually, brother doesn't need to worry about us. Wouldn't it be better to go out and have some fun on Christmas Eve?"

"It's not what you think. Whether we're going to celebrate or do anything, we've decided to postpone it until tomorrow. It seems like we should go buy gifts first, and then have a party."

"Really? Wow~ Komachi wants to participate too!"

Seeing Komachi excitedly come closer, I remembered something else.

"Oh, right. They also wanted to invite you as a thank you for helping with the Christmas activities today. But... you're preparing for your exams right now..."

"Oh well, missing a day or two won't make a big difference. Besides, I can just find another day to study extra hard, right?"

"That's setting yourself up for failure. The so-called deadline always slips away when you think there's no problem, you still have time, and you might even make it. You need to know that even if the deadline can be postponed, the exam date will not change."

"Brother, the deadline can't be postponed..."

Komachi's gaze towards me had long since transcended reluctance, reaching the level of pity. Ha, ha, ha... I knew it! There's no reason for a deadline to be extended... Not long ago, the memory of being chased by the progress of the Christmas collaboration event tugged at my heartstrings. Sigh, why does a "deadline" exist in this world... If it weren't for this thing, countless people could live happily ever after... It's because of this great enemy that countless people live in misery. From this perspective, a deadline is undoubtedly an evil, and the existence of something that eliminates evil is, of course, justice—okay, enough of my rambling thoughts.

Don't forget you're still talking to Komachi. Deadlines are precious, but my sister is priceless!

"But it's already this late, going out to play is really a bit..."

Is this really a good idea? Will it have a positive effect on Komachi? I'm racking my brains over this, but she herself seems indifferent, calmly saying:

"Relax, relax~ Wouldn't it be more troublesome to leave Komachi at home, worrying about what her brother is doing and whether he's gotten into trouble again, so she can't concentrate on her studies?"

"Okay, I understand."

I sometimes have all sorts of thoughts, like whether there are flies around Komachi, whether Kawasaki Taishi will hit on her at the cram school, and if that brat dares to get close, I'll definitely kill him... As a result, I can't concentrate on doing anything properly.

Seeing that I was about to be convinced, Komachi gave me the final push.

"Moreover, for Komachi, being constantly urged to study will actually reduce her motivation."

"Oh, that's spot on. Yes, you're absolutely right!"

I couldn't help but reach out and point at her forcefully.

"When you're forced to study or work by others, your efficiency actually decreases. Thinking about it that way, it's quite unbelievable."

I subconsciously let out a weary sigh. At that moment, Komachi revealed a victorious smile.

"Right? So..."

"...Okay, but remember not to stay out too late."

"Hooray! Komachi needs to hurry and think of what gift to buy!"

Seeing her happily raising her hands, I felt I had to quickly remind her. I didn't want her to fail her high school entrance exam because of this.

"You should study hard too—oh right, speaking of gifts, I suddenly remembered something."

I grabbed the schoolbag that was thrown aside, took out a package from it, and placed it on Komachi's head.

Come on, Merry Christmas!

Komachi looked incredulous, picked up the package from her head, and stared at it for a long while. Then, a smile gradually appeared on her lips.

"This is... a gift for Komachi? Thank you, brother! Can we open it now?"

"Please go ahead. I only chose this because Yukinoshita and Yuihama suggested it. If you want to thank them, go thank them."

When she heard me say that, she stopped in surprise from unwrapping the gift.

"...Huh? Did my brother choose this with them?"

"...In short, it was a perfect storm of favorable timing, location, and people..."

This time, Komachi revealed a sly smile.

"Oh, I see~ You chose them together, right?"

"...What did that expression and tone mean? It was really annoying."

I was incredibly annoyed and gave Komachi a deadpan look. But she remained unmoved, still smiling and looking at me with warm eyes.

"No, Komachi was just so happy that she couldn't help but smile. For Komachi, her brother's answer was the best Christmas present."

"Oh, really. Okay, whatever makes you happy."

After speaking, Komachi raised her finger, striking a pose of superiority.

"Oh, but you can't say things like 'I chose this with other girls' when giving a gift. Otherwise, Komachi will lose a lot of points. But Komachi is my brother's sister, so she doesn't care at all. In fact, she's even happier. My brother, Yukino, and Yui-neechan together are the strongest trio."

"Okay, okay~ Although I hardly ever have the opportunity to give gifts, I'll still remember. Alright, it's almost time to prepare dinner."

"Okay—oh, right, I also need to text Yui-neechan to ask about tomorrow's plans..."

I decided to take Komachi's advice and went into the kitchen.

First up is the Hachiman family's Christmas. Let's show off our skills tonight... That being said, almost everything, including the KFC chicken bucket, is store-bought food.

× × ×

After Christmas Eve, dawn breaks and it's Christmas Day.

Komachi and I left home to meet everyone at the shopping center. The road to the shopping center was decorated with lights and ornaments, exuding a strong festive atmosphere, and the passersby seemed to be in high spirits.

The most excited of them all was my younger sister, Komachi. She had been humming a song happily since the very beginning.

"You're really energetic this early in the morning."

Upon hearing this, Komachi, who was walking ahead, turned around gracefully and said:

"Because it's Christmas today! And later we're going shopping with Yukino-neechan and Yui-neechan, and then there's a Christmas party where we can exchange gifts, so of course Komachi is really excited!"

It seems she had already obtained today's schedule beforehand, and might even know it in more detail than I did.

"Okay, girls probably really enjoy these gift-exchange events. Speaking of exchanging, all I can think of is the unfinished Pokédex from back in the day, and Pokémon that couldn't evolve..."

I was caught up in the pain of the past, and Komachi gently encouraged me:

"Don't worry, there will definitely be another chance... Aren't the Ruby and Sapphire going to be remade?"

"Your reasoning doesn't quite hold water... Besides, I'm a member of the original faction..."

If the remake could add a miracle exchange feature, it would certainly solve a lot of problems. But Komachi, if we're really talking about it, why didn't you exchange with me first...? I gave Komachi a resentful look, and she patted my shoulder and pointed to the entrance of the shopping mall.

"Alright, forget about those little details, we're at the shopping center now. Ah, they've arrived too."

I looked towards the entrance and, sure enough, spotted Yui and Yukinoshita. Yui noticed us too and raised her hand to wave.

"Hi-lo—"

"Hi, Yui-neechan, Yukino-neechan!"

"Hello there."

Komachi greeted the two of them. But, not that I'm saying anything, but please don't greet them like that in public, it just feels a little embarrassing... I couldn't help but steal a glance around.

"You're here really early. So everyone's here? If everyone's here, let's get going."

Today is Christmas, and the shopping mall is incredibly crowded. The thought of squeezing through so many people makes me feel unbearable; I just want to finish my visit as soon as possible. However, Yuihama said:

"Wait a minute, I've invited Xiao Cai too."

"Really? Then I'm willing to wait a lifetime until he appears."

"Hmm, although something about what you said seems a bit odd..."

Yuihama hesitated for a moment, at which point Komachi interrupted the conversation:

"Yukino-neechan, Yui-neechan, thank you for your Christmas presents."

"No, I hope you like the gift."

With a smile, Yuki shook her head gently, telling Komachi not to be so polite, and Yuihama nodded in agreement.

"Oh dear—Komachi doesn't really trust her brother's taste, so it's wonderful that you two can choose the gifts!"

This time, it was my turn to nod vigorously in agreement with Komachi's words. I also felt that asking Yukinoshita and Yuihama to help choose a gift was definitely the right choice. Regardless of what the gift actually was, the fact that they chose it is probably even more gratifying. Yuihama looked at the smiling Komachi and smiled happily herself.

"Yes, we did give him several suggestions, but in the end, it was up to him to decide."

"Yes. This person never uses his brain properly, yet he hesitated until the very last moment that day."

Yukinoshita looked over, twirling her long hair with her fingers. Komachi, upon hearing this, gaped in astonishment.

"...Huh? Is this...really?"

"Wait, there's no need to say that... Please, don't bring it up again..."

Giving a gift should make you look like you didn't think much about it, you just bought it if you saw something you liked. It's super embarrassing if the other person knows you racked your brains over the gift. I couldn't stand Komachi's direct gaze anymore, so I awkwardly looked away and casually changed the subject.

"But you, you say you never use your brain properly. Who in the world thinks as thoroughly as I do? I'm practically a statue of The Thinker."

Yukinoshita put her hand to her mouth to hide her smile.

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry, it should be that I never use my brain properly to think about serious things. That's the real reason."

"Yes, that's fine."