My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 274

"Of course, as the older sister, I'm very curious when my younger brother goes on a date with his future brother!"

"What future younger brother...?"

"Her own younger brother" probably refers to Hayama. For Haruno, who is three years older, that's probably what she thinks. However, that sounds more like "Hayama and I are on a date," so could you please change your wording?

I shivered, and Yang Nai continued speaking to himself:

"And... I want to know why he went to such lengths to find you."

The artificial smile on her face was gone; now, a more terrifying, faint smile appeared.

However, based on my observations of Hayama at school, I can somewhat understand why he did that. He always felt bad that I was being ignored. I was clearly in that shop at the time, but I wasn't invited, and Hayama didn't like that.

Therefore, there's nothing to be curious about. What intrigues me more is the person in front of me.

"You seem to be taking it easy..."

I voiced my question, and Yang Nai answered with complete ease:

"That's what college students who are both academically excellent and wealthy are like."

Wow, I never thought you could show off like that.

That said, college students really have it easy... although that only applies to those who don't have to work, don't have to worry about food or clothing, and don't have academic pressure.

But if life is really that leisurely, shouldn't students be out having even more fun? College students who spend all their time traveling and partying practically never attend classes. They throw flower parties in spring, barbecue parties in summer, Halloween parties in autumn, and hot pot parties in winter—spending the entire year in a drunken stupor. Their main hangouts include friends' houses near the university, amusement parks, arcades, and mahjong parlors. If college life is really like that, I probably'll never be able to adapt.

However, Yang Nai doesn't seem to have any connection to those places at all. So what does she usually do? She always seems mysterious... At that moment, a thought inadvertently popped into my mind.

Do you have few friends?

"That's right. You're the only one I'm close to..."

As she said this, she even pretended to blow her nose. Good heavens, I've had enough—

Honestly, I don't think it was just a joke.

Haruno is the type who can live well on her own. Come to think of it, since she's Yukino's older sister, it's not surprising that she has a proud and aloof side.

Many people must admire and respect her glamorous appearance and the contrast with her dark inner self, and thus take the initiative to approach her, wanting to get along with her. When I first met Yang Nai, she was also on a trip with a group of friends.

Nevertheless, very few people can establish an equal relationship with her.

Perhaps it was for this reason that she was so devoted to her younger sister.

Yang saw that I suddenly fell silent and gave a bitter smile.

"Okay, okay, I was just joking. I won't bother you today, don't worry."

I snapped out of my daze and replied without thinking:

"Okay, please make yourself at home."

"Oh my, what a surprise!"

Yang blinked in surprise. But there was really nothing surprising about it.

I don't mind her interrupting and causing trouble. To be honest, I'd love for her to ruin the trip as quickly as possible so I can get away with it sooner.

"Hmm—then I won't be polite. Ah, it's almost time."

She glanced at her watch to confirm the time, and I did the same. If we went now, we'd arrive on time. Okay, let's stroll over slowly.

I quickly tidied up the items that didn't really need tidying and got up from my seat. Haruno, still seated, smiled at me.

"Work hard!"

"Yes, I will try my best not to bother them."

She didn't actually travel with us; instead, she watched from a distance.

"Be careful on the road!"

Yang waved gently in front of her chest, and I nodded slightly in acknowledgment before leaving the coffee shop under her gaze.

× × ×

The sun had already set, and the streets were gradually revealing the face of night. Besides me, there were quite a few other people waiting in front of the station for their appointments.

It's Friday, and I bet a lot of people are looking forward to going out for a drink after get off work.

A couple who had just met exchanged a few words, then walked past me hand in hand.

I pulled up my sleeve to check my watch; it was exactly five o'clock, the agreed time. I hate being the first one to arrive. Being first means I have to nervously wait for everyone else to show up. However, given today's situation, if I, the mere bystander, am late, it will definitely cause them trouble.

No matter how I look at it, my situation is awkward. I can't stand out too much, but I also have to be careful not to drag them down. It seems the next few hours will be quite nerve-wracking.

Shortly after five o'clock, Hayama appeared first. He took the tram and mingled with the crowd as he passed through the ticket gate. Since Hayama stood out among the crowd, I naturally noticed him.

Ye Shan adjusted the tie on his chest slightly, looked around, then spotted me, gently raised his hand and walked over.

"Sorry, I'm a little late."

"No, it's just right."

A minute or two slower is still within the acceptable margin of error. I'm not that particular about time myself, so I don't mind at all.

The remaining two girls... We all looked around, searching for them. At the same time, Hayama spoke up, somewhat hesitantly.

"...I'm sorry, I barely managed to find you. You've done me a huge favor, thank you."

"It's nothing. I just didn't dare not come because Yukinoshita's older sister is too scary. If you want to thank someone, go thank her."

If it weren't for Yang Nai's phone call, I definitely wouldn't be here. I'm not exaggerating, but I hate being gossiped about by women older than me. Besides, I can't handle my younger sister's requests, and I also have requests from classmates. Ugh, girls are so scary!

I never expected Hayama to attack from behind, making the effect even more pronounced. The fact that his "we must all be good friends" obsession had become so severe was truly terrifying. Even though I didn't harbor any resentment, I still couldn't help but complain to him a few times.

"I'm telling you, why didn't you go so far as to beg her to help me—"

"Ah, it seems like it's here."

I was interrupted by Hayama halfway through my sentence. The place he was pointing to was some distance away, but I could still see Orimoto and her friend.

They noticed us waiting there and immediately ran over.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!"

"Sorry we're late..."

Orimoto raised her hand to greet me, not really bothered by those few minutes, just like me. Her friend, Nakamachi, lowered her head apologetically.

"Not at all... Well then, let's go."

Hayama smiled and took the first step, followed by Orimoto and Nakamachi. Hayama had probably informed the two girls beforehand, so they didn't give me a "what are you doing here?" look when they saw me.

"Shall we go see a movie first?"

Hayama turned around and asked, while adjusting his stride to shorten the distance between himself and the two girls.

I followed one step behind them.

This is not an attempt to imitate the Yamato Nadeshiko (ideal Japanese woman). Of course, I would deliberately lag behind the group out of consideration. However, I have an even bigger reason.

When I met their gaze, I felt an inexplicable sense of unease.

If you had to put it into words, it would be a feeling of frustration, like "Is this how it should be?" Even if "going out with girls" really only exists in its literal sense, it is still a very important activity for high school boys.

I never imagined I would have this feeling.

During my two trips in early summer and summer vacation, I kept reminding myself "absolutely must not misunderstand," so I didn't have this problem. However, today I don't need to worry about misunderstanding at all.

How should I put it? I don't seem to feel anything at all...

When Hayama came, I did feel a slight flutter in my heart—no, I was just kidding.

I walked silently, listening to other people's conversations.

Tonight's itinerary is to watch a movie, go shopping, visit an amusement park, eat something, and then the meeting is over.

An extremely standard dating itinerary.

Fifteen minutes have passed since we set off, and all I've said are six phrases: "Yes," "No," "Hmm...", "Oh—," "I see," and "I see." Even fighting game characters have more lines than me...

These six sentences alone are enough to handle any conversation. Don't you think my social skills are amazing? I even think that guys who don't initiate conversations with me have pitifully low social skills.

Everyone chatted and laughed along the way, enjoying the scenery, and finally arrived at the movie theater. It's surprising how long a five-minute journey could take when traveling as a group.

This is the first activity tonight.

Although we were going to see a movie, the choice of which film to watch wasn't mine, but rather in the hands of the two girls. Fortunately, they chose a movie I hadn't been able to see last time, which made me genuinely happy.

Hayama bought movie tickets for everyone with incredible efficiency. Wow! Hayama is so cool!

Thinking about it carefully, since I'm just a superfluous, accompanying guest, I should be responsible for buying the tickets. But in reality, "accompanying guest" is just a euphemism for making up the numbers; it doesn't change the fact that I'm practically invisible, so it's best not to have excessive expectations.

They had probably checked the showtime beforehand, and the group went straight into the screening room without waiting outside.

Orimoto and Nakamachi sat on either side of Hayama, and I sat next to Orimoto. Those three were bound to sit like that; there was no other way. As for myself, since I knew Orimoto, the only option was the seat next to her.

The movie hadn't started yet, and the theater was filled with hushed chatter. The same was true for the person to my right.

I leaned against the left armrest, my body naturally facing to the right, forming a symmetrical posture with the "Maitreya Bodhisattva in half-lotus meditation image". This posture is also known as "Hmm? Oh, yes, I am listening", and its advantage is that it creates the illusion that I am also participating in the conversation, so others do not need to pay special attention to me or force themselves to talk to me.

The lights in the screening room finally dimmed, and the entire audience fell silent.

In the dim light, the movie thief began to dance and twist on the screen. The "movie thief" had become a well-known and iconic character, and many people would chuckle softly upon seeing him.

As I was looking at the screen, the armrest to my right vibrated. I glanced over and saw Zheben with his hand to his mouth, whispering to me:

"If your middle school classmates knew I went to the movies with you, they'd be shocked!"

"yes……"

"Right!"

She suppressed a laugh and nodded vigorously.

That's absolutely right. If their classmates knew, they'd be absolutely shocked.

To be honest, even I was surprised.

If it were me back then, I would definitely have been shocked too. But I wouldn't have been happy; instead, I would have desperately refused with reasons I didn't understand, such as "That's not how it is, I don't want to go out with you at all." I really don't understand what middle school students are so innocent about.

Although my fundamental mindset hasn't changed much, at least I can still go to the movies. In that respect, I should have grown somewhat.

At least I will never again misunderstand or have unrealistic ideas.

Even though I was sitting next to Zheben, so close to her in the dark, I had no intention of investigating the truth.

I leaned against the left-hand handrail, while Zheben leaned against the right-hand handrail.

This sense of distance is somewhat nostalgic. Thinking back, we were like that in junior high school too. Now, reflecting on it again, I realize that the distance between me and Orimoto has never shortened. Orimoto Kaori treats people she's not interested in with the same attitude. That's all.

Something that never even started can finally come to a proper end.

× × ×

As we stepped out of the movie theater, we immediately felt the cold night wind.

During the two hours of watching the movie, the outdoor temperature dropped significantly.

The movie itself is pretty good. It has some watchable parts and none that are particularly boring, and it's about the same standard as Hollywood films.

Hayama and others were also sharing their viewing experiences. I see. No wonder movie theaters are a top choice for dates—you don't have to worry about running out of things to talk about afterward. Perhaps *Hot-Dog PRESS* (Note 22: a now-defunct Japanese magazine. Primarily aimed at young men, it provided information on trends and romance, essentially a "dating guide" for young people) wrote something similar.

Nakamachi kept exclaiming, "It's so beautiful!" and "It's so interesting!" Hayama nodded with a smile, and Orimoto joined in the conversation.

"Didn't you think that explosion was shocking? Hikigaya was even more scared! His reaction was so idiotic, I almost died laughing—"

"I didn't expect it to be so loud..."

My name suddenly appeared in the conversation, so I responded briefly. Being called out by name and not reacting will leave a bad impression. The most important thing today is not to bother them.

Ye Shan then spoke.

"Oh, I was a little scared too."

"But you seem super calm to me~"

Nakamachi clung tightly to Hayama, looking at his face as she spoke. Orimoto, not to be outdone, walked up to him and deliberately clapped his hands exaggeratedly.

"Ah~ That's right, that's right! I was a little scared too, only Hayama sat there steadily~ But, compared to... Kikiya's reaction..."

Orimoto couldn't hold back any longer and laughed so hard his body shook. Nakamachi glanced over and chuckled as well.

Hmm, hmm... it seems they really enjoy my clown performance (rolls eyes).

It's okay. Even if I'm ridiculed, as long as I, this appendage, don't bother them, that's fine.