My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

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"what?"

What is this woman talking about? I have absolutely no idea what her purpose is... I asked her back, and she glanced at Isshiki, who was talking on the phone a little further away.

"I was just wondering if you were planning to do something to Isshiki."

So, what exactly is this woman talking about...? Yise may be cute, but she's way out of my league. Besides, she's not the type to give me any improper thoughts.

"That's not true... I've never had a girlfriend, so how could there be any talk of breaking up?"

Why do I have to tell these things to girls I confessed to before? Is this some kind of new form of bullying that transcends time...? I must really like myself for being able to answer honestly under these circumstances. If I lived in a Japanese folktale, I'd definitely be a winner in life—oh wait, I don't own a dog, and I don't have a tumor on my face. Wait, these two seem to be different stories (Note 22: from the Japanese folktales "Grandpa Who Blooms" and "Grandpa Who Removes Tumors," respectively).

Zheben blinked several times in surprise.

"Oh... I always thought you were dating one of them."

I looked at Orimoto and asked who "they" meant. Orimoto understood what I meant and added, twirling his raised index finger:

"Those guys we ran into when we went out together last time."

I only went out with Orimoto once, and it wasn't just the two of us; Hayama and Orimoto's friends were also there. To be more precise, I was just a third wheel.

At that time, under Hayama's arrangement, Orimoto met with her friend and two girls. Those two girls were Yukinoshita and Yuihama.

The person Zheben is referring to now is probably the two of them.

"We... are just from the same club."

I couldn't immediately think of a proper way to describe our relationship. Although I believed I had answered the question honestly, whether the answer was correct or not remained a question mark. How much did I truly understand the meaning of "being in the same club"? Just as I was about to continue pondering this, I was interrupted by Orimoto's voice, which sounded like either surprise or admiration.

"Oh, so you're in a club. What club?"

"...Service Club"

Although I couldn't think of a good explanation, and knowing that making up an answer would only lead to more questions, I answered truthfully. Zheben chuckled upon hearing this.

"What kind of club is that? I've never heard of it before. It sounds hilarious!"

"No, it's nothing funny..."

Zheben burst into laughter. Okay, at first glance, this club is indeed baffling. But it's not funny at all.

That's right, I can't laugh at all.

× × ×

After Isshiki finished making the call, I went with her to the daycare center. This daycare center was practically next to the community center, just a short walk away. In addition, since it was a municipal institution, they quickly got into the swing of things with the project we proposed through the school.

Thanks to Isshiki's prior notice, we were quickly led inside.

Looking at the nursery I hadn't seen in so long, and smelling the milk powder in the air, I felt a surge of nostalgia.

We passed by a place that looked like a classroom and looked through the glass windows. Everything inside was very small. Some children were stacking building blocks, while others were running around.

The walls were covered with crooked, worm-like words and crayon drawings that were incomprehensible, and decorated with colored paper flowers and stars all around.

I attended daycare myself, but my memories of that time are very vague. Back then, a girl once gave me a locket or a key and told me that "Zawsze in love" (Note 23, from the manga Nisekoi) wasn't impossible, but unfortunately, my memory is completely blank now.

Out of a sense of novelty, I made an "Oh—" sound and looked around, then made eye contact with the childcare worker in the classroom through the glass window.

The childcare worker immediately whispered to her colleagues next door, who looked at me with obvious suspicion. Yes, moms, this daycare center has excellent crisis management; I highly recommend it!

I quickly left the scene and said to Isshiki ahead of me:

"I don't seem to be very popular here..."

"Hmm... Senior, your gaze is very suspicious..."

Isshiki glanced at me and replied like that. How rude! I thought you'd speak up for me!

That said, even if she had called ahead to let everyone know, the sudden appearance of a high school boy in uniform at the daycare would inevitably raise suspicions. Continuing to follow her, potentially frightening more children and arousing the suspicions of the caregivers, wasn't a good idea either.

"...I think I'll wait over there."

I pointed to a spot against the wall in the hallway that a child couldn't see, and Isshiki put his hands on his waist and let out a big sigh.

"Alright, it's unavoidable. So, senior, I'll handle the rest."

"It's up to you now."

Yise continued walking forward, preparing to go to the office for a discussion.

Thinking about it this way, I've already gone all the way to the daycare center, but I'm just waiting here in vain. It's really too useless.

I looked around to see how I could pass the time before the conversation with Issei ended. Sitting in the hallway to wait was one option, but I chose to stay alone to avoid arousing suspicion in the children and the caregivers. Doing so would only make me more suspicious and defeat the purpose.

Finally, having no other choice, I could only stand there in a daze.

I once worked as a short-term intern at a model home for a real estate project, standing under the scorching sun for eight hours straight holding up a sign, so standing here for a moment is nothing compared to that. I blanked out my thoughts, letting time slowly slip by. Being an intern holding up signs is truly grueling, and after deducting the dispatch company's commission, insurance, and other fees, the actual amount I received made me want to cry out in despair: "Oh my god, my hourly wage is so low…" (Note 24 is adapted from a job-hopping website @type's online advertising copy. The original sentence was "Oh my god, my annual income is so low!")

In comparison, the place I'm standing here now has a roof to provide shade and a wall to lean against, and the time is much shorter. The working environment is fantastic... Oh my god, I'm such a corporate slave...

And so, I would occasionally let my mind wander, and sometimes ponder some trivial thoughts. Suddenly, a classroom door nearby slowly opened.

I looked over and saw a little girl tiptoeing out of the classroom to the entrance of the nursery, looking left and right.

She tiptoed and jumped up and down, trying very hard to see outside, looking quite adorable. After a while, and making sure she couldn't see anything, she slowly strolled back.

The little girl's hair was black with a bluish tinge, tied in two ponytails on either side with hair ties. Her innocent expression and delicate features made her undeniably adorable.

As soon as she spotted me, she made an "ah" sound and came over.

Then, she grabbed the hem of my coat, opened her mouth, and looked up. Oh no! What if someone calls the police? If I ask her what's wrong, will she think I'm abducting a little girl? But this is a daycare center, there's no one else around, so it should be okay, right…?

"...Hmm? What's wrong?"

In this situation, I couldn't continue to ignore her. I tried to speak calmly, but the little girl started tugging at her clothes, so I crouched down to bring my eyes level with hers. The little girl, unsure what to do, finally said:

"I'm telling you, 'Ah Ah' hasn't arrived yet."

"Oh, I see."

...Who is "Sasa"? Young children often mispronounce words, could she be saying "Mom"...When Komachi was little, she often pronounced her brother as "hehe", which always puzzled me as to why she was always laughing.

Although having a younger sister like Komachi at home made me resistant to people younger than myself, I wasn't very old at the time and had never dealt with such a young child before, so I still didn't know how to handle it. Anyway, I decided to take her back to the classroom first; it wouldn't be good to leave her wandering around outside alone.

"Sasha will be here soon. Do you want to play there for a bit?"

I gently pressed her small shoulders and led her to the classroom door. The little girl was quite obedient and followed me quietly. Just as I was about to open the glass sliding door, she tugged at my clothes again.

"Ah! Look, look, that's rustling!"

She pointed to the crayon drawings on the classroom wall, but I had no idea which one it was. I could only guess that it was probably a portrait of some mother... Besides, there were so many drawings on the wall, how could I possibly find it?

"Which one are you talking about, Sasha?"

"that!"

The little girl pointed again to the wall covered with pictures, but of course I still couldn't find it. Hmm... which one was it...?

I bent down again, looked into the little girl's eyes, and said to her:

"...Come on, this is the right side, this is the left side."

I raised my right hand and then my left hand to show the little girl, and after she nodded, she raised her hand in return and said:

"Right side, left side."

"Yes, that's right. Now, raise your right hand."

The little girl quickly raised her right hand.

"Raise your left hand."

She quickly raised her left hand again. Very good, very good; it seems she distinguishes between the left and right sides quite clearly. So, I pointed to the picture on the wall and asked:

"Okay, now let's test you. What number is Sasha from the right?"

"Wow!" The little girl's eyes lit up immediately when she heard the riddle. She started counting on her fingers.

"Hmm... the fourth one!"

"You got it right! That's amazing!"

I gently touched her head. Hmm, so that was Sasha… I still couldn't find her. But playing with her for a bit, at least it distracted her a little.

Just as I was about to urge her to go into the classroom, I heard a gentle voice from behind me.

"Jingjing——"

The person who appeared behind me was someone I recognized very well—my classmate, Saki Kawasaki.

Upon hearing her call, the little girl immediately broke into a bright smile, ran straight towards Saki, and threw herself into her arms.

"rustle!"

Kawasaki stroked Jingjing's hair with affection, then looked at her with the eyes of someone looking at a suspicious person.

"...How did you get here?"

"Well... it's part of my job."

I was curious why Kawasaki was here, but she spoke first, then looked behind me as if searching for something.

"Oh... what about Yukinoshita and the others?"

Kawasaki did ask that question, as expected. Generally speaking, the "work" I referred to was nothing more than the activities of the Service Club. She had participated a few times herself, so it was understandable that she was puzzled when she found out I was alone today. However, Kawasaki didn't ask for too much detail, so I didn't need to explain further. Besides, she probably wouldn't be too pleased if she heard about our internal affairs. Therefore, I answered simply:

"...They're busy with other things; I'm all alone here."

"……oh."

She stared at me for several seconds, then simply responded with a sound before looking away.

"how about you?"

This time it was my turn to ask. Kawasaki placed his hand on the little girl's shoulder, gently held it, and answered with a slightly embarrassed expression:

"I'm here... to pick up my sister."

"oh?"

It turns out the "Jingjing" she just called out was none other than her own younger sister. That's wonderful! For a moment, I thought it was my daughter…

It was only after Kawasaki pointed it out that I noticed how similar the two girls really are. It seems this little girl has a promising future. My only hope is that she'll be more straightforward and behave like a lady; otherwise, if she's like her older sister, it would be terrifying.

With a small sense of anticipation, I looked the Kawasaki sisters up and down. Kawasaki, seemingly interpreting my gaze, spoke somewhat flusteredly:

"Ah, um... This is my younger sister Jinghua... Come here, Jingjing, quickly tell your big brother your name."

"Kawasaki Kyoka!"

Urged on by Kawasaki, Jinghua raised his hand with great enthusiasm.

"I am Hachiman."

Jinghua's spirited voice warmed my heart. After I gave my name, Jinghua blinked her big eyes.

"...Hachi...Hana? What a strange name!"

"Hey, Jingjing!"

Kawasaki quickly offered a reminder, but her voice remained gentle. At this moment, Kawasaki was different from usual, giving the impression of a gentle older sister; this was a different face from the brotherly affection she displayed in front of her younger brother.

"It's okay, I think the name is weird myself. Anyway, you've worked so hard, coming all the way here to pick up your sister."

Kawasaki responded coldly:

"It's nothing... My parents usually pick me up. I only get picked up on days when I don't have to go to tutoring classes."

"But I remember your house is quite close to here."

My house and Kawasaki's house aren't actually far apart, but we're in different junior high school districts. It's only one or two bus stops away from where we live. Honestly, I'm not sure if it's appropriate to leave my child in daycare here, but it's definitely not right next door. In that sense, Kawasaki's situation is really tough. She herself touched her long hair and said softly:

"That's true, but we mostly drive to pick them up and drop them off... and it's hard to get into daycare these days, plus the municipal ones are cheaper."

"Ah—I understand."

Kawasaki looked like a housewife burdened with a multitude of worries. I looked at her with a touch of admiration, and then noticed the shopping bag in her hand. Was Kawasaki perhaps going to buy groceries for dinner first, and then coming back to pick up her sister? A bunch of scallions sticking out of the bag added to her housewife-like appearance.

"I've been busy working and haven't had much of a chance to come here..."

"Ah, I remember now."

"Um……"

Kawasaki gazed at Kyoto with gentle eyes, then abruptly turned his gaze away halfway through.

She seemed hesitant, glancing at me every now and then, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something but couldn't. I figured that even if we waited until dark, we'd just remain in this awkward silence, and seeing her fidgeting, I started to feel uneasy too. Please, say something already, I'm getting shy…