My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 334

"Brother, let's go."

I was halfway through replying when I heard Komachi's voice.

It's a quarter before nine in the morning. My parents went to Kamedo Tenjin Shrine early to pray, and it's about time we set off too.

"Indeed... let's go."

After confirming that the text message had been successfully sent, I climbed out of the kotatsu table and stood up.

× × ×

The crowded tram swayed and rattled along, taking us several stops away. Following the endless stream of people through the ticket gates, we walked downhill for a while and finally arrived at the first torii gate of Asama Shrine.

Legend has it that this torii gate facing National Route 14 was once surrounded by the ocean. This has been mentioned by Chiba-kun (Note 5, the official mascot of Chiba Prefecture), so it's certainly true. In other words, this place once boasted a magnificent landscape comparable to the World Heritage Site Itsukushima Shrine, so Chiba also has the potential to be listed as a World Heritage Site. Of course, in my mind, Chiba is already a World Heritage Site.

"There are way too many people out today..."

As expected of a World Heritage Site in my mind... it's incredibly popular...

"Because it's the largest shrine in the area, everyone naturally comes here to worship."

Yes, that's absolutely right... Wait, if everyone chooses to come here to worship, the chances of running into a high school classmate will also increase...

Oh dear... I visit the shrine near my home every year, so I completely forgot about this...

At this moment, Komachi began to look around.

"Ah, I see it, I see it."

Then, she slipped into the crowd and walked quickly forward.

"Hey, Komachi, where are you going?"

You are an important student in the family, so you must not fall, slip, or get lost. You must hold your brother's hand tightly. If needed, your brother can give you a princess carry. So come back here. I reached out to grab her, but then I saw a familiar face in front of me.

Wow—Happy New Year to you both!

Komachi charged straight at the girl as if she were about to pounce on her. When the girl saw Komachi, she waved enthusiastically, her bright brown bun bobbing slightly.

Happy New Year!

"What country is that greeting from... Happy New Year?"

I felt completely drained. Yui was wearing a warp-knitted wool coat, with a scarf wrapped around her neck in multiple layers, and her hands completely covered with mittens.

Standing next to Yuihama is Yukino Yukinoshita. She is wearing a white coat, a plaid mini-skirt, and black leggings underneath.

"……Happy New Year."

Yukino buried her face in her fluffy scarf. Her earnest greeting made me feel embarrassed, and my fingers unconsciously started fiddling with the loose threads of the scarf.

"Um... Happy New Year."

"Then, let's all go and worship together."

Komachi was the first to slip into the crowd, and the three of us followed. Halfway there, I gently poked her back a few times.

"Komachi, your older brother has a question for you."

"Um?"

I moved closer to her and spoke quietly.

"Why are they here too?"

"I made a date with Komachi☆"

“What are you talking about…”

Seeing my impatient look, Komachi pouted and said:

"They're Komachi's friends, what's their relationship?"

"That's true... but you should think about it before making the appointment..."

I scratched my cheek and pondered deeply.

Generally speaking, even if one were to invite others to join a worship ceremony, one would choose friends from the same school. No.

However, I didn't have any friends in middle school, so I don't know the actual situation... Right, it must be the monster's fault. Is this what they call a lone monster? (Note 6: The original text is "妖怪ボッチ", which sounds similar to the game "妖怪Watch" (妖怪ウォッチ).)...

Honestly, seeing how cooperative she is with her brother even during the New Year period, I can't help but worry about Komachi's friendships. Seeing the shadow fall over my face, and seemingly sensing what I was about to say, Komachi deliberately cleared her throat and whispered:

"Oh dear, these are extraordinary times. It would be more proper not to invite friends from school to come out and worship."

Ah, I see. I understood immediately. My classmates weren't on the invitation list precisely because they were mindful of everyone's tense mood before the exam.

After every major exam, some are happy while others are sad.

It's not uncommon to hear stories of close friends applying to the same school, with some getting accepted and others failing. If I heard that my boyfriend and girlfriend applied to the same school, and one got accepted while the other failed, I would definitely rush to them and demand they get accepted. If they gradually drifted apart because of this and eventually broke up, I might even gleefully wish them well in my dreams.

During junior high school, a major exam can leave an irreparable rift in a friendship. This is especially true when applying to prestigious high schools. Because these schools have a limited number of places each year, not all students can get in. Those who unfortunately fail will likely sever ties with those who do succeed. If it were me, I would have done so long ago.

Failing an exam is not only shameful, but it also makes people feel miserable and can even breed resentment and jealousy. Some people openly express these negative emotions, while others know how to restrain themselves, maintaining a smiling facade before finally cutting ties.

Although everyone knows that all good things must come to an end, and the day of parting will eventually arrive, the reasons are still complex. If you want to graduate happily with everyone, it's best not to bother your friends during the countdown to major exams. At times like these, you realize how many advantages there are to not having friends! I suggest that the first lesson in every cram school should start with teaching how to destroy friendships!

For the reasons mentioned above, it is actually more comfortable to be with friends who are a few years older than you at this time, without having to worry about too many issues.

Right now, Yukinoshita and Yuigahama are listening to Komachi talk with smiles on their faces, chatting away animatedly. Since the start of winter break, Komachi has been studying incredibly hard, trying to catch up on what she's fallen behind in. For her, this moment might be a time of peace.

As Yuihama moved forward with the crowd, she turned her head to look left and right, studying the vendors lining both sides of the road leading to the shrine.

"It feels like we've arrived at a festival!"

"Yeah! Do you want to eat something?" Komachi was also quite excited.

"I agree! I'll have... candied hawthorns then."

Just as the two were about to leave the pilgrimage route, Yukinoshita grabbed their scarves.

"Let's finish the worship first."

"Yes……"

Yuihama and Komachi then reluctantly returned.

It feels like an older sister disciplining her younger sister... I, the older brother, am just left standing aside...

Perhaps it's Yukinoshita's pragmatic personality, perhaps it's Yuihama's ability to cooperate with others, or perhaps it's Komachi's sisterly nature as a world-class little sister. In any case, despite their age difference, these three get along very well.

Yui walked in front, leading everyone forward; Komachi smiled happily, closely following in Yui's footsteps; Yukinoshita walked behind, silently watching them.

I lagged behind, gazing at the three people in front of me.

...Wait a minute. They actually look like three sisters...something seems off.

Not good.

On the first day of the new year, this inexplicable thought popped into my head. A smile involuntarily crept onto my face, and my cheek muscles relaxed. I quickly pulled my scarf up to hide my expression, and simultaneously averted my gaze from the front, looking at the densely packed crowd.

Honestly, does the New Year have to be this crowded...? My thought process is on the verge of paralyzing; I just want to go home right now...

Fortunately, once you climb the stone steps and enter the shrine grounds, the crowding improves somewhat.

There were no vendors or shops here, only a shrine in front, so everyone could focus on their worship without any distractions. We followed the crowd to the shrine.

What wishes do you all want to make?

"Why make a wish when visiting temples during the New Year, which isn't like Qixi Festival...?"

"Yes. New Year's shrine visits are not for practical purposes; they are not occasions to make wishes and ask the gods to grant them."

"Oh my god, those two are so boring..."

Komachi was very dissatisfied with our answer, and Yuihama chimed in.

"That's exactly right, isn't New Year's worship about praying to the gods? There's no harm in asking for something!"

Oh no, I don't understand her twisted logic at all. Yukinoshita was equally baffled, and sighed, pressing her temples.

"Sigh... well, you have a point. Although I think making a vow to the gods is more important than praying."

Yuihama Miyuki smiled, nodded vigorously, and happily took her arm. The two took out coins, put them into the offering box, rang the bell together, bowed twice, clapped their hands twice, and gently closed their eyes.

Taking an oath before the gods is a solemn and dignified matter.

Then, I followed the worship steps and joined my palms in prayer.

Is it a wish in one's heart, or an oath to the gods...?

I glanced sideways at Yukinoshita and Yuihama.

Yukinoshita stood there with her eyes lightly closed, a breath escaping from her lips; Yuihama squeezed her eyelids shut, making "mmmmmmm" sounds as she raised her eyebrows. I had no way of knowing what wishes they made or what vows they swore for three days.

I closed my eyes. Even though I didn't have any wishes that could be called wishes, I decided to hold off on making any wishes for now, as they were things that could be achieved through effort.

In short, let's pray that Komachi passes the exam smoothly. The only thing I can't help with, no matter how much I want to, is Komachi's big exam.

× × ×

After the pilgrimage, we were finally able to escape the crowds.

The shrine grounds are vast, and you can see shrine maidens, shrine maidens, and nurses everywhere you look (Note 7: "Shrine Maidens, Shrine Maidens, and Nurses" is an 18+ romance game released in 2003). —Just kidding, of course there's no nurse in the background. Yui looked around and noticed a certain spot.

"Ah, it's a fortune slip!"

"...Try pulling it out."

We pick up the hexagonal wooden cylinders one by one and shake them, causing the wooden sticks inside to fall. We tell the shrine maiden the number of the falling stick, and then we receive the corresponding fortune slip.

I opened the fortune slip I had drawn.

"Little Ji..."

I have absolutely no idea whether I should be happy or not... Oh well, that makes sense. After all, I only spent a paltry 100 yuan, so I can't expect too much. Looking at the fortune readings on the fortune slip, I still don't know whether I should be happy or not. This complicated feeling is like seeing the words "prevention is better than cure" on a health check report.

I drew a fortune slip that wasn't bad at all, and I hesitated whether I should tie it up. At that moment, Yukinoshita unfolded her own fortune slip and showed it to me.

"……lucky."

She even flashed a triumphant smile. Wait, isn't Xiaoji better than Ji? No matter how I look at it, that fortune slip is utterly ordinary... But since Yukinoshita is smiling so smugly, it must be Ji.

This person is still the same as always, unwilling to lose to anyone... Then, it was Yuihama's turn to let out a "hehe~" laugh and show off the fortune she had drawn.

"I am Daikichi!"

"...Yes, that's great."

Yukino said this, but her eyes burned with fierce anger. "It should be alright, right...?" she thought. "Wouldn't she angrily spend a fortune, determined to get the absolute best draw..."

Just as I was sweating bullets, Komachi appeared from beside Yukinoshita with a gloomy expression.

"Komachi drew a bad draw..."

To draw the worst possible lot on the eve of the big exam… Hama's smile vanished instantly, and even Yukinoshita, whose competitive spirit had been ignited, was speechless. What was going on? A tense atmosphere suddenly descended upon the scene…

Yukinoshita coughed lightly a few times, then patted Komachi on the shoulder and told her:

"Don't worry. Your family can withstand such a great calamity, so drawing an unlucky lot is nothing."

"You're so bad at comforting people... Komachi, it's just a fortune slip, don't take it too seriously. You'll forget what you drew in a week anyway."

"You're no better than me..."

"Even when someone draws a very auspicious fortune stick, they don't seem that happy anymore..."

Yukinoshita and Yuigahama looked at their fortune slips with complicated expressions. Strange... I tried so hard to cheer Komachi up, but now everyone else is getting depressed too.

Fortunately, at that moment, Yuihama had an idea and clapped her hands.

"Oh, right! Come on, let's switch."

She handed her signature to Komachi.

"Huh, is that okay?"

"Um!"

Looking at her beaming smile, Komachi was still unsure whether to accept the gift, so she turned to me for advice.

"Since it's a lucky charm, I'll accept it."

That was a super lucky fortune slip drawn by Yuihama, who somehow got into Soubu High School; it must be incredibly accurate. That fortune slip might have distorted countless causes and effects, and even completely ignored the laws of physics.

"Thank you, Yui-neechan... Komachi will do her best!"

"Yes! I'd be happy if Komachi could become my junior."