My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 268

"...So, Yukino won't be the student council president."

"I am afraid."

Yukinoshita's current approach is to encourage other students to run for office. Although I have no way of knowing whether she has already decided on a candidate, I can easily foresee that this method will be difficult to implement. Considering the time and effort required, I don't think it's a good method at all.

So what exactly does she plan to do? — I was halfway through my thought when I heard a thoughtful voice coming from next door.

"Hmm..."

It was just the sound of breathing, something so simple, yet I couldn't help but notice it. The sound wasn't alluring or seductive. Her gaze out the window, the slight upturn of her lips, made me suspicious.

"...Is there a problem with this?"

I paused for a moment before asking the question. Yang looked back at me and gave me another charming smile.

"Hmm? It's nothing, because I've never done it myself."

"I see. That's a bit unexpected."

I originally thought that since Yang Nai had served as the chairman of the school anniversary executive committee, she must have also served as the student council president.

She dismissed it lightly.

"Really? The job of student council president is troublesome and boring. I don't like it."

"Oh, I see."

That seems understandable.

In fact, most of the work in the student union is quite tedious. While they may be on the front lines managing major events like the school anniversary, other tasks are either behind-the-scenes planning like the election management committee's work this time, or a bunch of repetitive administrative tasks.

Student council members mostly stay in the office, snacking while dealing with endless tasks. But if anything goes wrong, they'll face immense pressure. Moreover, every action of a student council member must be a model for the entire student body. To put it simply, it's similar to being a civil servant. Just look at the TV series "Clumsy Civil Servant" to get a glimpse of this.

Although Yang Nai wasn't a person who sought grand achievements, she was at least a hedonist. She loved things that were fun and lively. Compared to the student council, which required long hours of hard work, serving as the chairperson of the school anniversary executive committee and making the grand celebration the best it could be was more in line with her personality.

However, she didn't have a trace of that cheerfulness at this moment.

"...How boring."

Her words were so cold they chilled me to the bone. The next second, she chuckled softly. What was she planning?

Just as I was hesitating whether to ask, a voice called my name from another direction.

"Huh? Hikigaya?"

The unexpected sound was sharp and piercing, as if it were scraping my forehead.

I turned around and saw two high school girls.

One of them had a short, wavy bob haircut, slightly upturned eyes, and an incredulous expression. He must be the one who called out to me.

She was wearing the uniform of a seaside general high school near my home, but she was carrying a schoolbag from a private high school in Tokyo. I was completely unfamiliar with her attire.

Nevertheless, I recognized him at a glance.

"...losses."

I blurted out the other person's name.

She was my classmate in junior high school. I always thought I had sealed her away in the deepest part of my memory.

Nevertheless, I naturally thought of her name.

× × ×

Faced with this unexpected encounter, I froze completely.

I looked at the other person for a few seconds to make sure I hadn't mistaken them for someone else.

Memories from two or three years ago flashed through my mind, and cold sweat began to break out on my scalp and back.

Zheben was accompanied by a companion. That person was also wearing the uniform of the Seaside Comprehensive High School and was watching me cautiously.

The other person was left standing there, but Zheben didn't seem to care much. He lightly patted my shoulder.

Wow~ I miss it so much! It's such a surprise to see you here!

She stared at me intently without any politeness, and I could only manage a forced smile.

In my experience with junior high school, the chances of running into someone were extremely low. Besides, even if I noticed classmates I knew, they might not have noticed me.

But if we're talking about something unusual, it's that Zheben recognized me and even came over to talk to me, which is quite rare. In this respect, nothing has changed since we graduated from junior high school.

Zheben is a complete master of feigning familiarity, claiming to be the straightforward eldest sister. No matter who she meets, she has a way of striking up a conversation and closing the distance between them as close as possible.

After exclaiming "How amazing!" several times, she suddenly stopped.

"Hey, Hachiman, you go to Soubu High School?"

"Yes, that's right."

When she asked me that, I shifted my body and looked at my uniform. Among the top-ranked public high schools in Chiba Prefecture, Sobu High School is probably the only one that uses jackets as uniforms, so students in this area can recognize us at a glance.

Even the loss-making company sighed in admiration:

"Wow, that's unexpected—you're so smart! Ah, but thinking about it, we've never known your test scores, and you never speak up no matter who teaches you."

She's still the same as ever, speaking without holding back. She deliberately makes sarcastic remarks to avoid creating any distance between them.

I can tell that she aims to be a straightforward person.

Then, Oremoto's attention naturally shifted to Yono, who was standing to the side.

"Is she your girlfriend?"

She spoke with suspicion, giving us a suspicious look. I instinctively answered in a low voice:

"No……"

"I knew it! I knew it was impossible!"

She laughed heartily, and her friend next to her covered her mouth to avoid laughing too obviously.

In the past, I thought that kind of smile represented cheerfulness, and that being able to talk to anyone without any barriers was a sign of gentleness.

"Hahaha……"

Why am I forcing a smile? It's really uncomfortable.

The events of two or three years ago are about to be released from my memory, and I throw them out of my brain with a series of dry laughs.

Upon hearing this, Yang Nai suddenly leaned closer to look at my face.

"They...are your friends?"

Why does your tone sound like "So you have friends?"? Is this just my imagination?

However, I am not friends with Zheben, so I can't refute anything.

Fortunately, I know the best answer in this situation.

My classmate from junior high school.

Yes, that's the standard answer. Every time I hear someone I thought was a friend introduce themselves, they use the same line.

After I answered, Zheben bowed to Yang in gratitude.

"My name is Orimoto Kaori."

After listening to Orimoto's self-introduction, Yang Nai stared at her with a scrutinizing gaze.

"Um... Ah, I'm Yukinoshita Haruno, I'm from Hachiman... from... Hachiman, what's our relationship?"

"You're asking me? Who should I ask...?"

And why are you leaning in so close? Are you trying to seduce me? Please don't look at me like that.

"Calling them friends seems a bit strange. Hmm—older sister? Or future older sister…"

Yang Nai stroked her chin thoughtfully, glancing over here every now and then, to which I rolled my eyes in return. Then, she smiled and suggested:

"Ah, how about we take the middle value? What about your girlfriend?"

Wow, your confession is so creative!

Is this person an idiot? Strange, what was she thinking, thinking that the middle ground between "friend" and "sister" is "girlfriend"? But, if you replace "sister" with "younger sister"... Magic! Okay, no way. I'm overthinking it.

Yang's intention to amuse me was so obvious that there was no room for misunderstanding. Therefore, I was able to respond calmly:

"Why not just say 'senior'?"

"You're so cold~"

She wasn't satisfied with the answer and puffed out her cheeks in displeasure. The thought of poking her cheek crossed my mind, but I quickly realized it was impossible, so I just shrugged.

Although Yang Nai's behavior seemed overly deliberate, I was fortunate to have her there, otherwise I would have overthought things. This is probably the first time I've felt like thanking her.

If I were sitting here alone today and happened to run into Zheben, and she struck up a conversation with me, my mood would definitely get lower and lower, and I would go home and talk to myself against the wall for five hours straight.

The loss of Yoshiori is one of the greatest psychological traumas of our time.

I hoped they could leave before their painful past was unearthed. However, heaven did not hear my prayers, and Orimoto and Haruno continued their conversation.

"The relationship between the senior and the junior seems really great!"

"That's right—but that's not all!"

"Huh—what else?"

The friends who had lost money nodded occasionally, listening to their chatter.

I just listened silently.

The superficial conversation seemed to have no end, gliding forward endlessly.

During this period, all I could do was sigh and drink coffee.

I feel like I've been thrown into a minefield with no end in sight.

Suddenly, the conversation stopped.

They had already chatted for quite a while during their first meeting. Now it was time to call it a day.

However, Yang Nai quite naturally crossed his arms and asked with a faint smile:

"You went to the same junior high school as Hachiman... Did anything interesting happen between you?"

"Hmm—" Upon hearing this question, Zheben began searching through his memories.

I had a very bad feeling—no, I was almost certain of what she was going to say.

"I knew it! There must be something, right? Ah, gossip! I want to hear his gossip!"

Yang, seemingly eagerly anticipating the event, subtly hinted at it from the sidelines.

A cold sweat broke out on my back again. Memories of my junior high school days were brought back, and I almost laughed out loud. Sigh, how come you remember so clearly… I'm completely defeated by myself. Humans only ever remember unpleasant memories.

If—if my communication skills were better—I think I would have brought up that gossip and treated it as a joke to laugh at myself.

It's completely different when you say it yourself versus when someone else reveals it. I should strike first.

However, in the process of thinking and hesitating, I missed the opportunity.

Zheben brushed her wavy hair back and smiled shyly.

"Ah~ I remember now. Hachiman confessed to me before~"

She bluntly revealed the truth.

"Liar—"

"That really piques my curiosity!"

Not only Yang Nai, but also Orimoto's friends excitedly joined the conversation.

Playing this card, even at a loss, successfully livened up the atmosphere. She continued cheerfully.

"Because I had never spoken to him before, I was really shocked!"

wrong.

I actually spoke to her. I remember it very clearly.

Perhaps she herself has no recollection—or more accurately, she may be completely unaware that she is talking to me.

Not only that, I also sent her text messages.

Whether out of sympathy or pity, after finally getting a new mobile email address, I started racking my brains over what to send. Eventually, I managed to come up with a random excuse and send the message. After sending it, I was restless, wondering if the recipient would reply. While anxiously waiting, I angrily unsubscribed from the newsletter I received.