My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 332

However, the smile she shows now, like the small but warm glow of a candle, no longer makes my heart ache.

× × ×

I walked through the school building at sunset.

With the Christmas activities coming to a close and all the follow-up work completed, it's time to say goodbye.

The cleanup work also included moving the props used in the event, as well as some miscellaneous items, back to the student union office, but the office was already filled with personal belongings, leaving us with nowhere to put them.

The decorations used to set up the venue were originally destined to be thrown away, but Isshiki thought they might be useful in the future, so she kept them. This is typical of someone who is bad at organizing things... Anyway, those things were temporarily given to Yukinoshita and the others for safekeeping in the Service Club's office.

After putting my things away, I was left behind to help the student council organize their belongings, and I was only just freed from that situation.

Next, all they need to do is go back to the club office and report to Yukinoshita and the others that all the work is done, and then they can be dismissed.

Winter break had begun, so there was no one else in the hallway except me. My footsteps sounded especially loud.

Upon arriving at the office and opening the door, a fragrant aroma wafted out. Stepping inside, a warm feeling filled the air.

"Ah, welcome back—"

"Thanks for your hard work."

Yuihama sat in her usual seat, Yukinoshita was brewing black tea, and I took my own seat, looking at the tea set on the table. The aroma and warmth from the doorway were coming from there. This scene had been gone for a whole month, and now, looking back, it felt like a lifetime ago.

"Yuihama-san, the black tea is ready."

Yukino poured the black tea into a cup and said to Yuihama.

Yuihama picked up a mug with a lazy puppy pattern printed on it, while Yukinoshita also picked up an exquisite teacup from the saucer.

On the table, an unclaimed cup with a Johnny panda design and no handle remained unclaimed.

This cup was also steaming with hot white smoke.

"Huh, what's up with this cup?"

I could guess this was my portion, but the black tea they always poured for me was always in a paper cup. Yui and Yukinoshita spoke at the same time, answering my question.

"A Christmas present!"

"It's too wasteful for only one person to use a paper cup."

Your accounts differ greatly. Which side has the real reason...? I looked at Yuihama, who explained happily:

"We bought these together! I picked out the style, and Yukino picked out the pattern!"

I suppose so… When I saw that the tea was served in a handleless cup with Johnny the Panda printed on it, I had a pretty good idea of ​​what was going on. What really puzzled me was when did they start holding a gift exchange event here? Was I the only one who hadn't received an invitation?

"A Christmas present... but I haven't prepared anything..."

I scratched my cheek, feeling bad that I was the only one who received a gift. Yukino placed her teacup on the saucer and said calmly:

"Don't worry about it, I just bought them to replace paper cups."

Oh dear, it seems she's determined to stick to the paper cup substitute argument... Actually, even if it's a paper cup substitute, it's fine. No matter how awkward or childish I am, I wouldn't accept a gift from someone and not know how to be grateful.

“…Thank you.”

"You're welcome~"

I thanked them both sincerely, and Yuihama happily returned the favor with a smile. Next, I want to thank them for something else.

"And... thank you... thank you all for accepting my request, which is why things were able to come to a successful conclusion."

After I finished speaking, I immediately bowed to them to express my gratitude, which lasted for several seconds.

Fortunately, I entrusted them with the task, and the event, which seemed doomed to fail and destined to end abruptly, was successfully completed. I dare not say whether I have fulfilled my responsibilities, but I still want to sincerely thank them.

"Your request isn't over yet."

At that moment, Yukino said something intriguing, and I suddenly looked up.

She gently stroked the rim of the teacup, a slightly helpless smile appearing on her face.

"...Didn't I say I would accept your request?"

"Yeah, but isn't it already over? What kind of riddle is this?"

She smiled happily.

"Maybe so."

That smile and that suspenseful tone were so deliberately contrived. I seemed to glimpse beneath the snow, where the adult facade had been shed, revealing a side of myself I'd never seen before. Yet, this riddle remained unsolved.

Yuihama, lost in thought, suddenly let out a soft "Ah." Then, she glanced casually at something and whispered:

"I... I think I understand... It's okay if you don't need to understand."

"what?"

"Okay, let's not talk about this anymore!"

She wouldn't let me ask any more questions, so she slammed her hand on the table and stood up.

"It's Christmas Eve, how about we do something later? Oh, tomorrow is fine too! It's Christmas tomorrow, how about we have a party?"

"Forget it, I don't want to..."

Ignoring my objections, Yuihama turned to look at Yukinoshita.

"Yukino...do you already have a plan?"

She probably remembered that a while ago, when everyone was casually talking about Christmas plans, Yukinoshita said she had other plans, so she was being a bit reserved when asking now.

"...If there are any events, I can make time for them."

A bitter smile appeared on his face as he spoke.

Upon hearing this, Yuihama immediately broke into a bright smile.

"Really? That's great—it's decided then!"

"Why didn't you ask if I was free... Is this a subtle way of telling me not to participate?"

"Since you're unlikely to be busy these next couple of days... Ah, how about we throw a party? I really want to eat Yukino's cake!"

"The cake you ate earlier was baked by me... and besides, I baked so many today, I don't want to bake cakes anymore anytime soon..."

Upon hearing the word "cake," Yukinoshita instantly showed annoyance, clearly exhausted from the day. However, on the other hand, she seemed to be enjoying it as well.

When Yuihama saw that she didn't agree, she let out a soft "hmm~".

"If Yukino isn't willing to do it... then I'll do it!"

She pointed to herself smugly, as if to say, "Isn't that a great idea?" But Yukinoshita's face immediately fell.

"Hearing you say that, no matter how unwilling I am, I have no choice but to do it..."

"That was a really harsh thing to say! Ah, how about we do it together!"

Yuihama looked at Yukinoshita with delight, leaving her speechless for a moment. Finally, Yukinoshita gave in, letting out a soft sigh and replying with a smile:

"...Okay, this method is not impossible."

As expected, I couldn't persuade her otherwise... I watched them smile at each other, and I smiled wryly too, then looked out the window.

The dazzling sunset in the western sky cast its final brilliance before the deserted sea, briefly illuminating the entire office. However, night would inevitably fall, and the temperature would plummet.

However, since it's Christmas Eve, it might be nice to let this warmth continue into the night.

If your heart's desire comes true, and you can truly obtain what you want—

I think I still won't have any wishes or hopes.

Anything that can be obtained is definitely a fake, and it will disappear one day.

The desire has no physical form, and the request cannot withstand being touched. Once this most precious treasure falls into our hands, it will be in danger of being completely destroyed.

On the glorious stage, I witnessed the ending of that "story".

What happened after the ending is still unknown to me.

Therefore, I will definitely continue to pursue this.

Postscript to Volume

Goodnight everyone, this is Watari.

Spring is here! Speaking of spring, it's a season of reunions, and also a season of farewells. You're probably wondering, "Which one is it?" Anyway, I really hope I can quickly say goodbye to work and meet with my vacation. Get it?

However, there are indeed many questions in this world that make people want to ask, "Which one is it?"

"Deadlines" are a prime example. Logically, we'd feel a sense of urgency about submitting our work on time, but some might think, "I know—they just made up these dates to get me to work faster, right? Two more weeks won't be a problem!"

Furthermore, everyone reacts differently to deadlines. Some might reply, "Almost done (lying)," while others might say, "I can't possibly give birth (rolling their eyes)," and still others might plead, "Please let me rest... (choking back tears)."

The meaning of words is greatly influenced by the listener's education, values, and environment. This applies to words with concrete content, and even more so to words containing only abstract concepts. For example, the words "growth," "change," and "real things" may have different meanings depending on how each person uses them.

Thinking this way, words can convey less information than we imagine. Therefore, even if we think we've spoken clearly and the other person will understand, the reality is likely quite different; it's all just self-satisfaction. Novels might be the best example of this, even though I'm still typing on a keyboard today.

That being said, let’s hope that at least for now, his self-satisfaction can be a form of happiness.

And so, the ninth episode of "My Teen Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected" comes to an end.

The following is an acknowledgment.

ponkan⑧神, I always look forward to your cover sketches. After Komachi, this time Hiratsuka-sensei has raised my excitement level to new heights. It's truly amazing! Thank you so much.

Editor Hoshino-sama, oh dear, next time it'll definitely be fine! Wahaha—I don't even know how long I've been saying that… I'm so sorry to trouble you every time, and thank you so much. Oh dear, next time it'll definitely be fine! Wahaha!

In addition, I consulted O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi" when writing this book.

Finally, to all the readers, thanks to everyone's support, this story is nearing its end. There's just a little bit left, and it would be my honor if you would stay until the very end. Also, thank you all for your enthusiastic support; the second season of the anime has officially been decided, and I'm truly grateful.

So, that's about all the space I've used up. Please allow me to put down my pen here.

One day in March, shivering in the strong spring wind, I used MAX coffee cans to stack up a tower to cross the river.

Illustrations for Volume 9

The first journal entry in Volume 10 might not belong to anyone.

The Taiwanese version is from the Kingdom of Light

Scanned image: Ren Leipi

Input by: Ren Leipi

First proofreading: Ren Leipi

Photo editing: COCY

My life has been nothing but shame.

Unconsciously, my eyes were drawn to this line of text.

With the year-end approaching, the family is busy with a thorough cleaning. I took out my collection of books to organize them, and as I was doing so, I couldn't resist the urge to flip through them.

The reason I chose this book from among my many collections is probably because its short four-character title resonated with me in a wonderful way.

No Longer Human

As far as I can remember, I read this book after I entered junior high school.

When I was halfway through the second journal entry, I abruptly closed the book and never opened it again. For my younger self, *No Longer Human* was difficult to understand, and for a middle school student, it seemed rather dry. Besides, there were plenty of other interesting things to do; I wasn't so bored that I had to pretend to be knowledgeable and force myself to read this book to pass the time.

Therefore, I chose to close the book at that time.

That book was like digging out one's own nature, especially the one that had been buried deep within, and laying it out brazenly in the sunlight.

I even suspect that he clearly wrote down why I forced myself to continue reading during junior high school.

Only now, when this book, which I thought had been thrown away, reappeared before my eyes, did I pick it up in surprise.

But thinking about it carefully, I realized there was no way I could possibly throw this book away.

Some say that a bookcase reveals the personality of its owner.

If that's true, then it must be my true nature. Over the years, I haven't been able to let go; I've just buried it away and chosen to ignore it.

But now I've picked up this book again.

Revelation? Destiny?

I personally don't believe in these kinds of things. However, hastily denying them gives the impression of implicitly agreeing, which I don't like either.