My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 341

"……yes."

Yukinoshita does resemble her mother quite a bit. At least from the surface impressions of her appearance and the aura she exudes. However, in terms of the feeling she gives off, she's more like Haruno. Haruno once mentioned her mother. I think I understand what she said back then to some extent now.

"But……"

Bin's lips parted and closed, hesitating whether or not to speak. Just then, the elevator made a "ding" sound, and the doors slid open.

We stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the first floor. Yuihama then spoke again. However, what she was about to say was probably no longer the same topic as before.

"Oh right, so Hayato and Yukino really have known each other since they were little. I've heard that they've known each other for a long time."

"What do you mean by 'really'... They weren't lying."

"That's true, but I just don't think they're alike. If they've known each other for a long time, why do they talk so little?"

"Everyone's situation is different. Attending the same school doesn't mean you have to talk to each other."

"Hmm—that makes sense."

The "past" is a private realm that only the person involved can enter. The "past" is not entirely beautiful and warm memories; it must also contain ugly and cold past events.

Because of the existence of the past, the rift will widen further once contact is severed. A shared past and a solitary past are entirely different things. Even if both accumulate to the same level, they cannot form the same mountain peak or reach the same summit. This difference will change many things, including stances, environment, and even the way people address each other.

The elevator went straight down without stopping.

We stopped talking, and the only sound in the enclosed space was the low rumble of the engine, with the floor beneath our feet trembling slightly.

The elevator continued downwards, silently plunging into an endless abyss.

I suddenly felt a little scared and didn't dare to look at what would appear in front of me when the elevator doors opened.

Volume 10, Part 3: Before anyone knew it, Isshiki Iroha had become a regular visitor.

As the first three days of the Lunar New Year came to an end, the chaos and turmoil of the New Year period subsided.

After a few days of leisure at home, the parents returned to work and immediately resumed their usual busy schedules; Komachi, who was about to take the exam, also officially began her all-out sprint.

Thanks to this, only Xiaoxue and I were left at home, wasting our days doing nothing.

However, being in a relaxed state of mind doesn't mean my heart is at peace. The less one has to do, the more restless one feels. When busy, one devotes all their energy to the task at hand, leaving no room for other thoughts; conversely, once idle, the mind starts to wander, contemplating the uncertain future, and then sinks into melancholy. Sigh... I really don't want to go to school, and I don't want to work...

Ironically, during the short winter break, the brain is particularly susceptible to being dominated by such thoughts.

The feeling of having nothing to do and nothing to do can easily lead to anxiety that "these days will eventually come to an end." We all know all too well that comfortable days can never last.

The end will inevitably come, and it's already within sight. Therefore, constantly wasting time will create a huge mental burden. NEETs who have been living off their savings for years must feel this way when they inadvertently realize that their parents are also getting old—I'm nestled in my comfy bed, gently patting the fur on Xiaoxue's belly, and casually thinking about these things.

However, only by overcoming the immense mental burden can one become a true strongman or a jobless person. So-called jobless people and light novel authors always wait until the situation becomes dire before saying, "I'm going to get serious!" Therefore, jobless person = light novel author. QED, proof complete—you can also like *Bonds of Reasoning for Young Detectives* (Note 19: The Chinese translation of *QED Proof Complete* is *Supernatural Little Detective*, and both *Bonds of Reasoning for Young Detectives* are manga titles).

Lost in thought, I suddenly realized—Xiaoxue, I envy you so much. My winter vacation is over…

Starting today, I have to go back to school.

That being said, due to the chaotic schedule during the winter break, the mornings were once again spent in a flurry of activity.

While washing my face, I smoothed out my unruly hair and looked at myself in the mirror. The morning chill combined with the cold tap water instantly dispelled any sleepiness I might have felt.

—Ready to go. Let's do our best today!

× × ×

After a winter break, the classroom was filled with a lively atmosphere.

The students greeted each other with "Long time no see" and "Happy New Year," still a little restless. All the pent-up feelings from the winter break were released at once. Everyone chattered excitedly, their energy several times greater than usual. Perhaps this was the excitement of reuniting after a long separation at the start of the new semester.

However, that's not all the reason.

Another reason was a form that the tutor gave out during his free time.

I listened absentmindedly to my advisor's explanation while glancing at the form. It was labeled "Graduation Development Survey," a form we'd filled out several times before; this was the final survey for our second year. This time, it would determine our final choice between arts and sciences in our third year.

No matter how unwilling we are, this list constantly reminds us that our second year of high school is coming to an end.

After the New Year, the countdown to our time in this class begins. A year has passed, and time seems to be flowing even faster. I'm sure I'm not the only one feeling this way.

A week of January has passed, and there's not much left in this school year. We have less than three months left to get together.

All the major school events have come to an end. A month later, the campus has a kind of atmosphere reminiscent of professional baseball games. There are no longer any goals to achieve, nor any activities to unite the whole class. Everyone's attention is focused on familiar people, which is why the classroom is so noisy.

Furthermore, starting in the third year, in preparation for the upcoming college entrance exams, we stopped attending school in January. Therefore, in effect, this winter was the last winter of our high school career.

The feeling of having nothing to do and nothing to do can easily lead to anxiety that "these days will eventually come to an end." We all know all too well that comfortable days can never last.

× × ×

This noisy atmosphere continued until school ended in the afternoon.

Many students remained in the classroom, seemingly still chatting. The group led by Hayato Hayama and Yumiko Miura stood out particularly.

As usual, Hobu, Ooka, and Yamato chatted about trivial things one after another. Hayama sat by the window, resting his chin on his hand and looking outside, occasionally smiling and nodding in response to their words.

Miura and the others next door were also chatting about other topics.

Miura wasn't very motivated today either. He leaned back in his chair, lazily fiddling with his blond hair with one hand while staring intently at the survey form that had been handed out that morning with the other.

"Yui, which one do you choose?"

She waved the survey form in her hand and asked Yuihama, who was sitting diagonally opposite her.

"I guess I'll be in the essay selection group."

"Oh, right? What about Ebina?"

"I'm also in the literature group. What about you?"

"Hmm... I'm still considering it."

Across from him, Ebina adjusted his glasses and retorted with a question. Miura thought for a moment, then glanced at Hayama and the others beside him.

She considered it in her mind for a moment before speaking to the group.

"...Minister of Revenue, how are you?"

Upon hearing his name called, the Minister of Revenue turned around to inquire about the situation. He saw the survey form in Miura's hand and immediately understood.

"Oh—the arts/science group, right? I haven't decided yet. I'm really bad at memorizing things, so I might choose the science group."

"what?"

"Wow, that's unexpected!"

Miura's reaction was clearly saying to him, "Are you an idiot?" Hama was equally surprised. Yes, indeed. Tobe's choice was more of a surprise than a delightful one. While he couldn't say for sure, he didn't seem particularly good at science. Ooka and Yamato seemed to think so too, and couldn't help but confirm if he was serious.

"Hey, are you really going to choose the science group?"

"Don't act impulsively!"

The Ministry of Revenue seemed displeased and pouted in rebuttal.

"What can I do? I just can't memorize any English words!"

Wait a minute, whether you're in the humanities or sciences group, you'll encounter English...

Seeing that the Minister of Revenue had made his decision after only a casual thought, the two men felt relieved. They put their arms around his shoulders and whispered in his ear:

"Choose your essay group with us! Okay?"

"It's tough for science students in university!"

"That's what I'm saying! If you choose the humanities track, you can have a relaxed university experience and enjoy four years of fun! If you want to have fun, you should make the most of your student years. Think it through carefully for your future!"

It seems that neither Ooka nor Yamato went to university for academic pursuits. For them, attending university is a way to postpone entering the workforce. However, what they mean by "thinking about the future"...

People who say things like that, eleven out of ten, will deliberately act old-fashioned after entering society, giving young people earnest advice: "I've always regretted not studying harder in school."

No problem, the tide will come out and we'll see who's been out of their pants! Let these people suffer when they're looking for a job! I hope you find your experience completely blank on the eve of your interviews, and rush off to climb Mount Fuji or fly to India for a self-discovery trip—huh? You mean me? I wasn't planning on working anyway, and my soul level is probably even lower than theirs.

Unexpectedly, the persuasion from Ooka and Yamato had such a great effect on the Ministry of Revenue.

"Ah—that makes sense! That's wonderful—"

In the blink of an eye, the Ministry of Revenue switched sides. I could almost see his future plunged into darkness.

It was somewhat unexpected that even someone like the Minister of Revenue was anxious about his future. He then asked the others:

"And you? Which group did you choose?"

"Hina and I should be in the literature group, while Yumiko is still considering it."

Hearing Yuihama's reply, he vigorously brushed his hair back and stole a glance at Ebina.

"Oh, I'll choose the literature group too."

"But when I was looking for a job later, it seemed like science majors were more in demand. I also think science is pretty good, you can do element matching with chemistry!"

Ebina spoke so earnestly at the beginning, but unfortunately, his lewd nature kicked in at the end, and he chuckled foolishly, "Hehe~", ruining everything.

"...Oh...I see. Well, that makes sense. Hmm."

That's not right at all... Although the Ministry of Revenue nodded in agreement, he was also finding it difficult to cope. It was clear that Ebina's defensive barrier was as strong as ever, without any sign of weakening.

The reactions around her were unusual. Normally, someone would have knocked on Ebina's head by now to prevent her from getting further out of control, but that person didn't react at all today. Ebina also found it strange and looked at Miura.

Miura stared blankly at Hayama, seemingly oblivious to the conversation that had just taken in.

"...Hayato, what about you?"

Ye Shan hadn't participated in the conversation until now, just watching from the sidelines. He shrugged, a wry smile playing on his lips.

"Yes... it's already decided."

"yes……"

Miura appeared indifferent, but her gaze remained fixed on him, as if she wanted to press further. However, Hayama silenced her with a smile, effectively cutting off her question. The conversation was abruptly interrupted, with Tobe stepping in:

"Tell me, Hayato—otherwise I won't know how to choose—"

"Knowing what I choose won't help. It's your own decision, and you'll definitely regret it if you don't think it through."

What Hayama said is quite correct.

He wasn't just using the high-sounding phrase "you decide your own affairs" to appease the Ministry of Revenue. When we agree with others and choose the same answer, and later find it unworkable, we blame others and start looking for culprits in our lives. We were the ones who initially chose to cooperate, yet later we complain about them. This attitude, full of compromise and deception, is definitely not an honest one.

After listening to Ye Shan's lecture, the Ministry of Revenue made a lot of noise, but in the end he obediently accepted it.

"There's no other way, I'll just have to think about it—"

Everyone nodded, and the topic of the survey came to an end.

After the common topic was finished, there was a brief silence.

To avoid an awkward atmosphere, Ooka thought of a topic and spoke to Hayama.

"Oh—by the way, Hayato, I heard you're dating Yukinoshita. Is that true?"

"What?"

Miura spoke first, and the others gaped in surprise. Maybe I included. What was that guy saying out of the blue? How could they possibly be dating… wait, impossible? Impossible, right…

Thanks to Ooka's unexpected intervention, time seemed to freeze instantly.

"What did you say?!"

When they came to their senses again, Miura suddenly stood up from his seat with a "click".

The other students in the class also stopped chatting and looked over curiously. The entire classroom suddenly became silent.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Hayama stared sharply at Ooka and asked in a stern voice:

"Who said such irresponsible things?"

Ooka was stunned by his completely unusual attitude and couldn't utter a sound for a moment. However, Hayama's intense gaze wouldn't allow him to remain silent.

I saw that expression once. It was late autumn, when I went on an outing with Hayama, Orimoto, and others.

Under intense, watchful eyes, Ooka stammered in response:

"Well, it's not something anyone said, it's just a rumor... It seems like someone saw you guys in Chiba during winter break..."

Ye Shan then let out a slight sigh, regained his usual expression, and smiled.

"Oh, I see. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but we only met that day because of family matters, it wasn't a pleasant occasion. Besides, how could I possibly date her? Right, Minister of Revenue?"

He patted Ooka on the shoulder and asked the Ministry of Revenue for its consent in a cheerful voice.

"Ah...yes, that's right, that's what I was thinking!"

"See?"