My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 317

Upon hearing this, Komachi let out an exaggerated sigh.

"Brother—"

When I heard Komachi call me seriously, I turned my neck to look. She half-closed her eyes, curled her mouth into an eight-shape, and spouted nonsense with a comical expression.

"What did you say? You agree? People who constantly talk about individuality are the ones with no individuality at all. If you're always changing your mind, what kind of individuality is that?"

Her expression was comical, but what she said made some sense. Hey, that statement was so accurate, I couldn't help but agree! Although her expression and tone annoyed me a little.

"Hey Komachi, don't you think your tone is arrogant? And your expression is weird too."

To gently dissuade Komachi from her sudden arrogance, I spoke to her in a kind and gentle tone. She seemed displeased that I had called her expression strange; veins bulged on her forehead, and she retorted angrily:

"...She's imitating her older brother!"

"Not at all like it..."

That's what I say, but I've never really paid attention to my own characteristics. Are my words and actions really that infuriating? Observing myself from an objective perspective for the first time has been a huge shock. Shouldn't the real me be more intellectual, more composed, and perhaps a little nihilistic? Am I just...unreal?

Strange, could this really be true...? I was shocked and began to ponder. Komachi walked over and sat down on the sofa.

"Although I don't know what's wrong this time, it's impossible for my brother to change his awkward personality now. He's already a good-for-nothing. A piece of trash."

She continued, teasing me as I lay on the ground with her foot, as if she truly considered me trash. Halfway through, she suddenly stopped, propped her face up on her lap, and looked at me with a gentle smile.

"But Komachi really likes this kind of older brother! Ah, that's a big plus for her!"

Komachi said this, then concluded with an impeccable smile. I get it, I get it, this way of hiding shyness is exactly like someone else's.

"...Thank you so much, I love myself just the way I am. This is a really positive thing to say to myself."

"What the heck...?"

Komachi looked defeated, but I ignored her and got up on my own.

Now I've finally made up my mind. At this time tomorrow, I'll probably still think about today and feel so ashamed I'll roll on the floor. Even in the distant future, when this memory occasionally surfaces in my mind, I'll still feel a strong urge to destroy.

However, I don't mind. It's my past that has shaped me into the person Komachi loves today. Don't casually label someone's memories as painful; that's part of my charm. You know that?!

I believe I will come to love this charming version of myself.

× × ×

I stayed home and messed around all night, and the next day, I barely accepted reality.

I get up, eat breakfast, and ride my bicycle to school at the same time every day.

As I got closer to school, I rode slower and slower, and finally managed to get into the classroom just before I was late, barely making it to base safely.

...Okay, it's still impossible after all. If I could just get over yesterday's events overnight and move on, would I still have this kind of personality?

I muttered to myself, slumped over the table, unwilling to get up. Because it was so incredibly embarrassing, I had to be extra careful to avoid Yui Hama getting close today.

Yuihama seemed to care a little too, and we made eye contact several times during the morning tutoring session and the subsequent classes.

Whenever this happens, I always quickly look away and pretend to be asleep.

What exactly happened? What exactly happened...?

I rested my head on my open notebook, repeating the same sentence over and over again, with the intensity of someone desperately chanting Buddhist mantras while experiencing sleep paralysis. Even when get out of class ended, I would always sneak off to a vending machine or the restroom, and at noon I would hide in my usual spot to eat lunch, shivering.

Nevertheless, the clock, which always seemed to stand still in the past, is now spinning at an astonishing speed.

Before we knew it, the last class was over.

The moment has finally arrived.

If I keep fiddling around, Yuihama might come over and ask if I want to go to the clubroom together after she finishes chatting with Miura. I don't really want that to happen because... I feel a little embarrassed.

Yuihama, whether noticing my attitude or for some other reason, didn't come to see me all day. However, things were different after school.

It's best to leave the classroom before she actually comes over.

To be honest, the heaviness of my steps today even surpasses that of the day after I was rejected when I confessed my feelings in junior high. Looking back, I already guessed how others would react, so I felt somewhat relieved. Usually, in such situations, people would either tease me for days on end or treat me as usual, pretending nothing happened and implying, "It's nothing at all!" However, those people were all actually smiling wryly, and it was obvious that they didn't mean it at all. As for complete ignoring, I rarely see it.

If this is the reaction we predicted, I feel much more at ease.

However, I had absolutely no idea how those two people would react.

As I walked, I pondered, and before I knew it, I had arrived at the entrance of the club office. Strange, is the club office really that close to the classroom? I was clearly not walking very fast... Moreover, in the past, when I walked to the club office, I would look at the scenery outside the window along the way, but today I had no interest in appreciating it at all.

I stood frozen at the door, sighed, and considered going back. However, I was the one who made the request yesterday, so there was no option to "go back on my word" now.

I prepared myself and opened the door to the community office.

The door wasn't locked, and the sun, high in the sky, streamed into the room, the curtains completely open. Inside, there were many unused desks and chairs, but the table and three chairs for everyone's use remained unchanged. Yukinoshita sat in one of the chairs.

She looked up from the book in her hands and spoke with her usual calm expression.

"Hello there."

"Ah, oh."

She acted far more normally than I had imagined, leaving me momentarily at a loss for words. Upon calming down and reflecting, I realized that it wasn't uncommon for those around me to be completely oblivious, while I was the only one feeling anxious. This symptom is a classic example of excessive self-consciousness.

I felt a little relieved and sat down in the seat diagonally opposite me. I took out my paperback from my bag, opened it to the page with the bookmark, but found that I had no recollection of the previous content. After flipping back a few pages, I finally found a paragraph that I remembered.

It seems I'll finally be able to read properly today.

Neither Yukino nor I uttered a word, letting time flow by silently. The only sounds in the clubroom were the occasional turning of pages and clearing of throats. However, as the throat clearing became more frequent, it began to attract attention. I looked towards the source of the sound, and Yukino cleared her throat again, speaking:

"today--"

Her voice was a little shrill when she said those words. To cover it up, she coughed lightly again, glanced in my direction, and then noticed that I was looking at her too, so she immediately looked away.

"...Shouldn't we first specify the time and location of today's meeting?"

Oh right, I almost forgot. I asked the service society to help with the Christmas activities, so of course I need to explain the details clearly. I've been at the society office for a while now, but I haven't found the right moment to speak. However, there's still one person who hasn't arrived yet, so I'll wait for her to show up first.

"Indeed... let's wait until Yuihama arrives before we talk about it."

"...That's fine, saves us from having to say it again later."

Her gaze returned to the paperback in her hands, and she spoke softly, then fell silent. I had nothing to say either, and it seemed the silence would continue for quite a while.

Just as I was thinking this, the office door was suddenly and forcefully opened.

"Hi!"

Yuihama greeted them with a bright smile and walked into the clubhouse.

"……Um."

"Hello there."

After we greeted her, Yui smiled contentedly and walked to her assigned seat. Then, after a moment's thought, she pulled the chair closer to Yukinoshita. It seemed that chair was indeed much lighter than I had imagined.

She adjusted her seat, chuckled foolishly, and sat down.

"...Too close."

Yukinoshita grumbled under her breath and pulled her chair back a little. Yui then moved her chair closer.

"Yuihama-san...could you please move aside for a moment?"

Yukinoshita made a tactful request, casting a shadow over Yuihama's face. She pulled the chair back a little, placed her hands on her thighs, and lowered her head.

"Ah...yes, that's right..."

"I did not mean that……"

Seeing Yuihama's reaction, Yukinoshita wanted to say something, but in the end she kept her mouth shut.

They still seemed a little awkward. Just watching them made me feel so tired.

Well, after all, their vague conversations had been going on for quite a while, and they had just argued yesterday. Asking them to immediately return to their previous close relationship is indeed asking the impossible. Although I'm trying to sound like an outsider, I actually don't know how to handle this either.

Although the correct answer is not yet available, I still want to believe that the student affairs office has regained some vitality and is no longer the cold, impersonal space it once was. In any case, I must first address my own tasks.

As expected, I don't know how many times I cleared my throat in order to find an opportunity to speak to them.

× × ×

After giving a brief overview of the Christmas activities and their current status, we headed to the Civic Center on time.

On the way from the community office to the civic center, everyone only talked about topics related to the event. In terms of the number of words used, the previous superficial conversation was obviously much more lively.

I led the way, holding my bicycle, with Yukinoshita and Yui following behind. When we arrived at our destination, Isshiki was already waiting at the door. As usual, she was patiently waiting there.

After parking our bicycles, we walked towards where Isshiki was. Isshiki noticed us too, and looked surprised, her gaze shifting back and forth between the three of us.

"Yui-senpai and Yukinoshita-senpai... what happened?"

"Oh, I'll ask them to come and help."

I finished explaining in the simplest way possible, and then walked into the Civic Center. Isshiki nodded and followed, with Yukinoshita and Yuigahama walking behind in that order.

"Oh, I see... Ah! I mean, thank you both so much for your help!"

Isshiki flashes a bright smile at Yuihama and Yukinoshita, and Yuihama responds with a smile and "Hi!"

"Nice to meet you, Iroha!"

Snow, walking beside her, nodded in response.

"I heard your situation is not very good."

"That's exactly what I meant~"

As she answered, she handed me the shopping bag, which I took without hesitation. She gets used to things really quickly.

At that moment, Yuihama and Yukinoshita stopped in their tracks.

"..."

"..."

As the footsteps behind me abruptly disappeared, I turned around to look. I saw Yuihama with a blank expression, and Yukinoshita staring at the bag in my hand with a chilling gaze.

"What's the matter……"

"nothing."

"That's right, that's right, it's nothing."

Yukino turned her face away, while Yui laughed "hahaha" and waved her hand lightly in front of her chest to indicate that everything was alright.

I climbed the stairs, enduring unsettling stares. Yui looked around curiously, occasionally letting out a gasp of surprise; Yukinoshita, however, showed no interest and kept walking forward.

The group finally arrived at the training room where the meeting was to be held.

"Thank you for your hard work, everyone!"

Isshiki greeted us casually as she entered, and we followed behind her. Immediately, everyone's attention turned to Yukinoshita and Yui.

Yise walked quickly to Yusheng's side and said a few words to him. Yusheng nodded vigorously in satisfaction. I could easily guess that she was probably going to report the good news of increased manpower.

During this time, I placed the heavy shopping bags on the empty seats and quickly opened them. Yukinoshita, Yui, and other student council members also came to help.

When Yuihama was halfway through filling the drinks, she let out a soft "Ah." I followed her gaze and saw it was Orimoto. Orimoto also opened her eyes wide and looked at the three of us.

Oh dear, I completely forgot about Zheben... I'm starting to worry about how she'll react if we meet again now.

However, Orimoto did not come over, but simply nodded slightly. Yuihama also bowed in greeting, while Yukinoshita just stared at her.

There's no way around it; they probably don't have a good impression of each other... I can't even manage the distance between myself and my own group, so I really can't afford to worry about losing money. Honestly, my head is about to explode from the mountain of questions.

"Anyway, please sit down first..."

I said to Yuihama and Yukinoshita.

"Ah, um."

"it is good."

The two nodded in agreement. I took my usual seat, and Hihama moved to the seat next to me, while Yukinoshita chose Isshiki's usual spot. To be able to sit in the seat of honor so naturally, Ms. Yukinoshita is indeed quite remarkable.

When Isshiki returned, he had a troubled expression on his face.

"Huh, my seat..."

She paced back and forth near Yukinoshita, muttering to herself, unsure of what to do. Yukinoshita noticed her and prepared to stand up.

"Oh, I'm sorry, it turns out the seats are assigned."

"Oh! No, no, it's alright! I'll sit over there; it's calmer there."

Isshiki pushed Yukinoshita back to her seat and sat in the empty seat next to the vice president.