My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 309

"Oh, sure, of course."

He finally breathed a sigh of relief and smiled gently.

"Great! So, what would you like to eat?"

"I'm fine with either."

It was only then that I realized "anything is fine" is a terrible answer. Never answer "anything is fine" if the other person is a girl. By the way, even if a guy gives specific answers like ramen or udon, the girl will still give him a sour look. In short, when a girl asks "What do you want to eat?", you can only answer with foods they might be interested in. What's going on? Is this some kind of prank? Or some kind of mind-reading training method for guys?

Fortunately, Totsuka is a boy, so it's okay.

He blinked and continued asking:

"Haven't you decided what you want to eat yet?"

"Oh, of course it's you—" I almost blurted out a line that sounded like something a big bad wolf would say, but of course I wouldn't actually say it. Because I'm just a human (Note 30: a line from Geronimo in the manga *Kinnikuman*)....

"No, I just came here on a whim, so I'm fine with eating anything."

I responded in a gentlemanly manner.

Although I originally planned to eat ramen, that was just a choice made by elimination. After getting used to eating alone, I naturally choose restaurants with a bar. It's not a problem when there are only a few people dining, but it always feels a bit awkward to occupy the entire table by myself.

Besides, even if I can't eat ramen, as long as I can be with Totsuka, any food will taste like a delicacy.

I take back what I said earlier about "everything tastes good when someone else is treating," but when I'm with Totsuka, everything tastes good. I suggest that Momoya (Note 31, a food manufacturer specializing in canned seaweed, pickled products, etc.) or that other food company launch "Totsuka Rice Topping Sauce." It would be a huge hit, and I'd be willing to buy out not only all of Gaopin, but the entire company.

Returning to today's dinner menu, Totsuka clapped his hands and suggested:

"Ah, how about some roast pork?"

Hey, hey, hey, while it's not exactly polite for guys to eat barbecue with girls, it's not much better for guys to eat barbecue with each other...

Seeing that I remained silent, Totsuka turned his head to the side, seemingly beginning to change his mind.

"Hmm... but it seems a bit expensive."

"Yes, you should let someone else treat you to barbecue."

"Haha, Hachiman is indeed Hachiman!"

He said with a wry smile.

But, roast pork...

If I wanted meat, there were other options. I looked around and spotted a First Kitchen fast food restaurant. Located right next to the station, it had a prime location and often attracted large numbers of students. A large banner hanging at the entrance advertised "Rib Rib Rolls," making it hard to miss.

"Or how about that?"

I pointed to the curtain, and Totsuka's eyes lit up.

"Oh—it looks delicious!"

So, tonight's dinner will be First Kitchen. Speaking of which, what's with the abbreviation for First Kitchen (Note 32: First Kitchen is originally written as "ファㄧストキッチン", abbreviated as "ファッキン", pronounced like "fucking")? It gives me a creepy feeling... don't ask.

The interior was quite warm, a stark contrast to the howling wind outside; the number of diners was also considerable, with most looking like people who had just finished tutoring classes or get off work.

As we waited in line at the counter, Totsuka let out a soft breath, his cheeks slightly flushed.

"It's so hot inside."

As he spoke, he used his slender fingers to untie his scarf, revealing a rather beautiful neck beneath. As I looked at it, my cheeks involuntarily flushed.

Wait a minute, something's definitely wrong... Totsuka's a boy, and the reason I'm blushing is definitely because of the heating, or maybe I have a cold. Calm down, calm down, let me recite a haiku first!

Are you sick? I'm not sick. You must be sick.

...I must be sick. The mere thought of composing haiku is enough to tell me I'm quite ill.

My heart was pounding. After a while, it was finally our turn to order. To shorten the waiting time for the customers behind us, it was better for the two of us to order together.

I stood next to Totsuka, and we studied the menu together.

Totsuka pointed to the rib roll among them.

"Hachiman, let's eat this!"

"Okay. Then, two rib roll sets, please."

After paying the bill, we carried our trays up the stairs.

There happened to be an empty table on the second floor, so we went there, put our things down, and immediately began to feast. First and foremost, of course, was today's main attraction—rib rolls.

Although it wasn't quite to the point where one would shout, "This is so delicious!" and have their eyes and mouth light up, as if floating into space (Note 33: This refers to the animation effects in the animated version of "Chef's Taste of the Wild"). With Totsuka's recommendation, it was still quite delicious.

It was delicious, but I didn't quite understand Totsuka's reason for recommending yakiniku (grilled meat).

"...By the way, why do you want to eat roast pork?"

I've eaten with Totsuka a few times and know he doesn't eat much. And if I had to say, he probably prefers vegetables to meat.

Totsuka, somewhat embarrassed, spoke up:

"What I meant was that when you feel tired, you should eat some roasted pork..."

Oh—I see. Totsuka definitely just finished exercising, and he's probably hungry. I've heard before that you need to consume protein after weight training, so this is probably based on a similar principle.

I came up with my own explanation, but Totsuka immediately added in a low voice:

"I feel like Hachiman has been really tired lately..."

"Really?"

I know I've been tired lately, but it's mental fatigue, so I put on a nonchalant expression and said that. However, Totsuka didn't think so.

He shook his head, put down the food in his hand, and looked up at him with concern.

"Has something happened?"

His eyes and tone were gentle, but his genuine attitude was clearly different from usual. Looking at him, I was taken aback.

Before answering, I'll take a sip of oolong tea. Otherwise, my voice might become hoarse.

"...No, nothing's wrong."

Fortunately, I had swallowed quite a bit beforehand, so the sound came out of my throat smoothly. I acted more cheerful than usual, and maybe even smiled, to avoid causing Totsuka unnecessary worry.

However, compared to my smile, Totsuka seemed somewhat forlorn.

"...That's true. Because Hachiman never talks about these things."

He slumped his shoulders, staring at the table, making it impossible for me to see his expression. All I knew was that his next sentence was spoken in a much lower tone.

"Zaimokuza-kun should know, right...?"

"How could that be? What does it have to do with him?"

Totsuka's sudden mention of a completely unrelated person made me feel uneasy for a moment. Perhaps in his mind, Zaimokuza and I were quite close. He shook his head, looked at me, and said:

"But you went to see Zaimokuza earlier."

Hearing "before," I finally understood what Totsuka was referring to.

During the student council president election, Zaimokuza was the only person I consulted besides my family member Komachi. Later, with Komachi's help, more and more people joined in, but strictly speaking, I only talked to Zaimokuza personally. There's nothing particularly special about it; it just so happened that Zaimokuza was the first person I met, and he was easy to talk to, so I could ask for his help without feeling pressured. That's all.

However, Totsuka doesn't seem to think so.

"The thought of how Zaimokuza-kun managed to get Hachiman to tell me all those things makes me so envious of him..."

Totsuka slowly expressed his feelings in simple words. Hearing his words, I had the illusion that "his actions at the time were praiseworthy."

But in reality, it was certainly not as wonderful as Totsuka imagined. In my view, it was self-serving, selfish, exploitative, and calculating behavior.

Totsuka was unaware of this.

That's why he said those kind words to me.

"Although I may not be of much help..."

He clutched the hem of his sweatshirt under the table, his slender shoulders trembling slightly. I didn't want to cause him any unnecessary worry.

I scratched my head, pondering how to appease Totsuka. After a while, I stammered and said to him:

"It's not what you think, really... it's nothing serious. I've been busy lately because Isshiki asked me for a favor... After all, I was the one who gave her a push to become the student council president... that's all."

I only picked out the general outline of the whole thing, and didn't mention the rest of the truth, so I stuttered a bit when I explained it.

It's always better to say something than nothing at all. Totsuka then raised his face and looked me straight in the eyes, as if verifying the truth of his words.

"Really?"

"Really, so you don't need to worry."

If I had a few more seconds to think, I might have changed my mind. Therefore, I chose to answer immediately.

"turn out to be……"

Totsuka finally relaxed with a "whoosh," picked up his coffee and took a sip, then held the cup, warming his palm with the heat of the cup.

"Hachiman is really handsome," he murmured.

"what?"

My surprise was written all over my face, and only then did Totsuka realize what he had said.

"I...I didn't mean anything strange!"

He frantically waved his hands in denial, his cheeks flushed red, then fiddled with his hair, trying to think of an explanation.

"Hmm...it's hard to describe...every time you encounter something painful or sad, you try to overcome it all by yourself, without ever crying to anyone. I think that's...very cool..."

After Totsuka explained, I felt even more embarrassed and could only pretend to rest my cheek on my hand, shifting my gaze elsewhere. When I spoke next, my tone became very awkward.

"...That's not true at all. I would not only cry to someone, but I would also complain endlessly."

"Haha, maybe."

Totsuka chuckled at that remark. He maintained his gentle smile and softly reminded him:

"...But remember to tell me if you encounter any difficulties."

I nodded silently. Since he was being sincere, I couldn't easily reply with words. Besides, in Totsuka's mind, "trust" and "mutual help" were both beautiful things.

He nodded to me as well.

Then, a silence fell between the two of them, and Totsuka looked down somewhat embarrassedly.

The atmosphere was no longer so tense, and I spoke casually:

"Would you like some dessert?"

"Ah, great idea!"

He excitedly raised his head and expressed his strong approval.

"Okay, I'll go buy something and bring it up. You wait here for a moment."

As soon as I finished speaking, I stood up from my seat without waiting for Totsuka's response.

As I walked down the stairs, the counter was still crowded with customers queuing up, so it looked like I'd have to wait a while.

With people constantly coming and going, the heating here is quite strong. My head is starting to feel groggy; it would be best to go outside for some fresh air.

The December night was quite cold, but the sensation of my burning cheeks against the crisp outdoor air was surprisingly pleasant. I wasn't wearing a coat or a scarf, and the dry, cold wind seeped into the gaps around my neck, making me shiver involuntarily.

I stood alone on a street corner at night, shivering. A passerby gave me a strange look, but the others paid no attention to me.

Totsuka's words flashed through his mind.

Handsome, isn't he...?

That's not true; it's just stubbornness. I was simply showing off.

I simply set out in my mind what attitude I should have, and I'm determined to stick to that attitude no matter what.

The stubborn monster of rationality and the repulsive monster of self-awareness still reside within this body.

If I only remained at the stage of having self-awareness, I might have interpreted Totsuka's words positively.

However, Yuihama's forced smile, Isshiki's occasional forlorn expression, Tsurumi Rumi's solitary figure, and Yukinoshita's resigned, calm smile repeatedly raised questions about me—

Is that really the right thing to do?

I sighed and looked up at the night sky illuminated by streetlights. The sky was covered with clouds, and there were no stars in sight.

Volume 9, Part 5: Hiratsuka Shizuka prays for the ending they are facing.

After school, I walked out of the clubhouse and looked out from the corridor of the special building.