My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 362

She looked at Yuihama, patted her on the shoulder, and then glanced at her from behind.

"Oh, and thank you too, you autistic guy."

That's too perfunctory, making no attempt to hide the attitude of "I'm just thanking you on the side"... Besides, I'm not a recluse... Oh well, whatever.

"And... Yukinoshita, too... Also, that one..."

Miura then turned to Yukinoshita, hesitated for a long time, and finally made up his mind to meet her gaze.

"I'm sorry." Then, she lowered her head forcefully.

Yukino blinked in confusion before letting out a soft laugh, raising her gloved hand to brush the hair from her shoulder.

"I don't care at all. Rather, I admire your courage to go directly to the community office to argue your point."

"Ha! You're so arrogant! It's infuriating... and I even apologized to you."

Despite the tense atmosphere of their conversation, their tone remained calm. Yui, watching from the side, couldn't resist any longer and pounced on them.

"Alright! Let's all go to the victory celebration!"

"I don't--"

Yukinoshita tried to break free from Yuihama's embrace, but Miura, who was also unable to move, glanced at her and said:

"Come on in too."

"...Alright. Let's go."

She hesitated for a few seconds, then smiled faintly and agreed. Miura turned his face away again.

The celebration banquet was held in a beautifully lit, charming English-style bistro. Most of the students, including those from the Hayama Group and Isshiki, had already arrived and were having a lively and cheerful time.

In reality, the celebration banquet wasn't about celebrating the successful conclusion of the marathon at all, but rather congratulating Hayama on winning the championship. In addition to the people mentioned earlier, Totsuka and Zaimokuza were also present.

As soon as Miura entered the store, he went to find Hayama. Yui hesitated whether she should follow, but when she saw Yukino nod to her, she smiled apologetically and caught up with Miura.

Yukino and I stayed where we were, ordered some simple drinks, and leaned against the corner bar.

"Thanks for your hard work."

"Hmm? Oh."

As Xuexia raised her glass, I returned the toast. Neither of us particularly enjoyed such noisy places. Staying in a corner and observing everyone's enjoyment offered the best sense of distance for everyone.

The two silently observed the scene. After a while, Hayama, who had been exchanging pleasantries with everyone, noticed our gaze and walked over. The protagonist really has it tough…

"Hi... thank you for coming."

"there is nothing."

Yukinoshita shook her head, and I nodded in agreement, wondering whether I should offer my congratulations. However, Hayama bowed to Yukinoshita first.

"I'm sorry. Recently... I've been bothered by some strange rumors."

For a moment, Yukinoshita was speechless with surprise. However, she quickly regained her composure and brought up what she had said earlier in the clubroom.

"This isn't a problem. Compared to back then, it's nothing."

"Back then...?"

Hayama repeated in a low voice, a bitter expression on his face. His face beneath the snow was also shrouded in shadow.

"...Now I understand to some extent that there might have been a better way to do it back then. So, I'm sorry for causing you trouble."

This time, it was Yukino's turn to bow her head and apologize. After raising her head, she added with a nostalgic look in her eyes:

"However, thank you for caring about me so much."

Ye Shan opened his eyes wide and looked at her with a face full of surprise.

"...You're different now."

"Really? I'm only sure that many things are different now than before."

Yukino looked at Yuihama, then glanced over at me. I felt like I'd overheard something I shouldn't have, and I nervously looked away.

She chuckled softly and looked at Ye Shan again.

"You don't need to be bound to the past anymore...you don't need to force yourself to chase after anyone's shadow."

"...That's part of my style."

Ye Shan smiled smugly.

At that moment, Yui appeared from behind him, followed by Totsuka. Caught up in the atmosphere, Yui excitedly grabbed Yukinoshita's hand.

"Yukino, the food's served! There's a whole chicken! And it's roasted!"

"It looks delicious! Hachiman, let's go together too!"

"Okay!" Just as I was feeling incredibly embarrassed and desperate to leave, Totsuka came to my rescue with a bright, sunny smile. Without a word, I was about to follow Totsuka away. At that very moment, Hayama gently pressed me down.

"We're going right now... right, Hachiman?"

He gave Totsuka and Yui a faint smile, and Yui nodded in response.

"Well then, let's head over there!"

Before I could say anything, she left with Yukinoshita. Totsuka waved and returned to his seat. Ah... I really wanted to eat roast chicken with Totsuka too...

After the three people left, Ye Shan shook the glass, and the ice cubes inside made a crisp sound.

"She's definitely different now... It seems she's no longer chasing after Haruno's shadow."

He squinted at the snow, his gaze sharpening. The voice that followed turned somber.

"...But that's all."

"Is there something wrong with it?" I asked without thinking.

For Yukino, this was undoubtedly a form of growth. She was constantly being compared to others who were even more outstanding than herself. This was proof of her long-term struggle to chase after Haruno's shadow, to obtain something different from Haruno. Therefore, I believe Yukino has reason to be proud of this.

However, Ye Shan looked at me blankly, bitterly tilted his head back and finished his drink, then asked seriously:

"...Didn't you notice?"

"What did you find?"

"Never mind, it's better not to know."

"That way of speaking is really annoying."

"People used to talk to me like that, so I naturally started to imitate it."

Hearing his wry smile, I was reminded of someone I knew who also spoke in a similar manner.

After Yuihama and the others returned to their seats, Miura and Isshiki eagerly waved to Hayama, urging him to hurry over. Hayama waved back, and just as he was about to leave, he suddenly exclaimed "Ah!" as if remembering something, and turned to me, saying:

"Oh, right, I forgot to mention something."

"what?"

"Regarding your opinion that I wouldn't reveal my reasons for choosing a group, it's definitely not to sever ties. Interpersonal relationships shouldn't be wiped out just because of class placement or further education."

"No, of course it will return to zero."

"Only you can reset to zero. I'm different from you," he said sarcastically.

"Really... then why didn't you say so?" I shrugged.

Ye Shan finished his drink, exhaled, and then, with a hint of melancholy, spoke softly, as if confiding in the eternal sleeper beneath a tombstone.

"Choosing the only permitted option is not truly your own choice."

At that moment, I finally understood that Hayama wasn't unwilling to reveal his chosen group.

The real reason is that he can't bring himself to say it. Even his "not answering" is not a matter of his own will.

From the past to the present, Hayama has always been busy dealing with the expectations and hopes of those around him. Eventually, he gradually became a machine that only knew how to satisfy everyone's expectations; any answer that wasn't the most appropriate was not allowed. Behind Hayama's words to Hobe, "If you don't think it through seriously, you'll definitely regret it," lies his own deep regret. That statement was, in fact, his confession.

From now on, Ye Shan will undoubtedly continue to meet everyone's expectations. However, this time, he will do so with his own will in mind.

Therefore, at least I need to come forward and deny it, so that he knows that there are still people in the world who do not impose expectations on him.

Only a precise and insightful denial can be considered true understanding; behind indifference lies genuine tenderness. Making affirmations without proper understanding only makes his shackles heavier.

"I also forgot to mention something... I hate you just as much."

I uttered those words and immediately turned my face away. Ye Shan's eyes widened in surprise, then he chuckled.

"Really? This might be the first time I've ever been told something like that to my face."

He stopped smiling, said with satisfaction, and then left the bar, taking a step forward.

"However... I still won't choose that. Because I believe it's the best way."

It was just a form of self-satisfaction—he added with a smile as he walked back to where he was supposed to be.

However, I couldn't laugh at all.

If anyone criticizes Hayama Hayato's answer as dishonest, can they offer a different and more satisfactory answer?

I took a sip of ginger ale and looked at where everyone was.

The ginger ale flowed down my throat, leaving a spicy aftertaste.

If the third note in Volume 10 is like this, then to whom does that monologue belong?

I have read this book countless times.

I remember feeling a deep connection with the shepherd in the story.

Thinking about it carefully, all that talk of justice, integrity, or so-called love is utterly boring. It's all ridiculously laughable.

Every time I think about this, lines from the story come to mind—

I am trusted by my friends.

To me, this was undoubtedly the devil's whisper. Under the seductive allure of those sweet words, I gradually transformed into a monster of trust, my heart constantly screaming, "Unforgivable traitor!"

The more one discovers their own wickedness, the more they try to hide and cover it up. As a result, what is hidden becomes the truth in the eyes of others, eventually taking on the appearance of reality and becoming taken for granted.

If you were to ask whether that's all there is to it, the discussion would go on and on. Because I simply have no way of knowing.

Therefore, I have been waiting for someone who can see through me to appear.

While waiting, I gradually came to accept the wicked and tyrannical king.

The king in the story could not trust anyone.

However, those who have read the book know exactly how it ended.

despite this--

What is the real ending?

The king said, "The hearts of the people cannot be relied upon."

Even now, tyrannical and wicked rulers still don't believe in the existence of "faithfulness."

Whether he tried it himself or witnessed it firsthand, he still wouldn't believe it. That's why he wanted to go inside, try again, and sabotage it once more.

If having even a fleeting thought of doubt within three days warrants a punch as the price, then who truly deserves the punch?

I closed the book and looked out the window.

The sun had already sunk below the horizon, and the last swaying rays of sunlight had vanished completely.

Faithfulness, or truth, is not an empty delusion after all.

Why was the king able to say those words?

Do these so-called "authentic" items actually exist?

Volume 10, Chapter 9. However, it was Yukino Hiyori who said this.

I clipped the bookmark in the clip, tossed the book onto the table, and looked up. On holidays, I visited an open-air café near Chiba Station, where I could watch the crowds of tourists come and go.

January is almost over. The sky is gloomy and the temperature is freezing today. Why did they have to choose a place like this to meet...? I put on my coat, a resentful look in my eyes, and looked at the person who had finally shown up. The other person waved to me, quickly bought coffee at the counter, and came to the seat in front of me.

"Sorry to keep you waiting—"

This person is Yukino Yukinoshita. Her voice was as cheerful as it had been during the unexpected phone call last night.

Although I adhere to the principle of not answering calls from unknown numbers, I still have to surrender when faced with persistent, relentless knocking. Maybe the other person really does have something important to say—I thought to myself, and answered the phone. The other person rattled off the time and place before immediately hanging up. When I called back to politely decline, she didn't answer. And so, this situation has arisen…

"...Excuse me, how did you get my phone number?"