My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 369

Iroha is so slow! (Note 19: This is a reference to the catchphrase of the online game Kantai Collection character "Shimakaze," whose voice actress is the same as Isshiki.) I feigned dissatisfaction and complained to Isshiki, who puffed out her cheeks and said in a sullen manner:

"Shouldn't you reply 'No, I just got here too' at a time like this... We're going on a date soon, you know."

"……Dating?"

A somewhat unfamiliar term… In my mind, “dating” is a ritual held to appease female spirits who occasionally go berserk, and it usually ends with a battle (Note 20, from the storyline of *Date A Live*). Just kidding, the battle is just a joke. Generally speaking, dating simply means a man and a woman going on a trip together.

But why did I suddenly decide to go on a trip with Isshiki? — Perhaps my inner questions were written all over my face. Isshiki put on a "I can't do anything with you" expression, put her hands on her hips, and sighed softly.

"Didn't my senior say he'd help me plan my date?"

"……ah--"

Come to think of it, there really is something like that. I didn't expect Isshiki to be serious! I did casually say something like "Let me think about it"... but that was just to brush her off! Ugh, she caught me out!

"...Then why didn't you make it clear from the beginning? I also need to do some preparation beforehand..."

For example, she might fill her schedule completely and then tell her she doesn't have time; or she might try to make the dates incompatible, forcing the trip to be postponed indefinitely; or on the day itself, she might suddenly have stomach cramps so bad she can't go out—well, even if she made things clear from the beginning, I don't think the outcome would change. Speaking of which, even though I'm really looking forward to the agreed-upon day, when the day arrives, the thought of "maybe I shouldn't go, it's too much trouble..." always pops into my head—what's going on with this phenomenon?

I tried to make a last-ditch effort, but it was to no avail; Isshiki's attitude did not soften in the slightest.

"Because if I ask my senior out in the usual way, he will definitely not come out."

"...You're right."

This guy is something else; he should be able to easily pass the Hikigaya Proficiency Test Level 3.

Regardless, it was my mistake to let her seize on my words. Things have come to this point; I can't just say goodbye and let it all fall apart. This was my fault for not thinking things through carefully and making a hasty promise; it would be irresponsible of me to back out now.

Therefore, resolving the matter quickly and going home as soon as possible is the best course of action.

Let's go.

"Okay, let's go."

Iseki nodded and smiled.

"So, where are we going?"

Upon hearing what I said, Yise's smile instantly turned gloomy. She took a deep breath, then pouted, looking quite dissatisfied.

"You immediately shifted the blame to someone else... I thought my senior would help me think of something."

"When I act alone, I make meticulous and detailed plans, but when I act with others, I am basically the one following behind."

"Never mind, never mind... It's so cold here, let's think about it as we walk!"

Iroha slumped her shoulders in exasperation, then quickly perked up, re-wrapped her scarf around her neck, and took a step forward. Hmph, it seems she's gradually managing to keep up with my pace.

Speaking of which, who made me wait for so long in this freezing place?

× × ×

We walked along the main road in front of the station, heading towards the central business district.

This area can be considered the main street of Chiba, lined with all sorts of restaurants, department stores, and amusement facilities. On weekends, it's packed with people. Even on weekday evenings, students are often seen strolling around here. I know this area very well.

If you walk straight along the main road, you'll reach the places I frequent. Cinemas, bookstores, and amusement parks are all concentrated in this area.

Then turn left and you'll see PARC0 Department Store. If you're coming to Chiba for shopping, that's a must-visit. It seems like many people share my opinion; the whole avenue was bustling with people.

Even on a familiar path, having a girl by my side feels different. Walking side by side is naturally the most natural thing, but my pace unconsciously quickens, and I easily leave Issei behind. I try to exhale slowly, calm myself down, and remind myself to slow my pace a little more than usual, walking half a step ahead of Issei.

As I moved forward, dodging the crowd to the left and right, Isshiki suddenly quickened her pace and came to my side. Then, she leaned forward slightly and looked up at me.

"Senior, where do you usually go most often?"

"My own home."

"turn down."

"Okay..."

Yise's tone became sharper than usual, and she even glared at me slightly—how scary! I cleared my throat and changed my words:

"Libraries and bookstores are great places to kill time without getting bored."

"A date at the library..."

Isshiki tilted his head and muttered to himself. After looking up at the sky and thinking for a while, he lowered his head and looked back at me.

"Excuse me, that kind of place feels too intellectual, more suitable for Hayama-senpai. Could you please choose a place that's less intellectually stimulating?"

This girl... in terms of school grades, I'd say I'm quite intelligent, wouldn't you say? Oh well, I don't really want to go to the library with Isshiki anyway.

I'm still a little nervous, and if I go to a quieter place with her now, I'll definitely be even more restless. It's like a dad finally having a holiday and wanting to relax, only to be bothered by his kids – you can imagine how he feels. Speaking of which, if I went to the library with Hayama, maybe I could concentrate on my studies… Oh no, I'm actually imagining myself on a date with Hayama at the library! If Ebina finds out, things will definitely spiral out of control!

In short, Hayama is irrelevant to our current itinerary, so let's leave it for now. I racked my brains and started thinking about other amusement parks that most people would visit.

"So, it'll be karaoke, darts, billiards, bowling, and table tennis... Baseball batting cages would be nice, but there don't seem to be any near Chiba Station..."

I asked Isshiki with my eyes if she was satisfied with the answers I had given her, and she said earnestly:

"Although it's not the main point, I don't think my senior is suited to playing billiards at all."

"It's none of your business."

"Ah, but table tennis would be perfect for you, senior!"

Even if you added that sentence, I wouldn't care...

Does this guy have a prejudice against table tennis...? It's clearly a very cool sport. Do you know a work called "Ping Pong"? The original manga and anime are both amazing.

We bickered all the way until we unknowingly arrived at the intersection where five roads branched off, where we were stopped by the traffic lights.

Turn left here and you'll reach PARC0; go straight and you'll reach the movie theater. There's nothing worth exploring on the right, so choose one of the two options.

"...Let's go see a movie first? That can kill at least two hours."

"Why make killing time a prerequisite... Oh well, let the senior decide..."

"Then it's decided to be a movie."

Although Isshiki was somewhat dissatisfied, he still agreed to the decision, so we took a step forward and headed towards the movie theater.

As expected of a holiday, the cinema was packed with people, with thousands of heads thronging the entrance.

As I checked the screening schedule and theater availability, Isshiki next to me raised his hand and pointed to a poster for a Hollywood blockbuster. The poster also bore the label "Oscar-nominated film."

I want to watch this.

"Then I'll choose this one."

On the other hand, I chose a movie that had no chance of winning awards like the Oscars. The two movies had almost the same running time, so the time she and I left the theater shouldn't be too far apart.

"Let's decide on a meeting place. How about the Starbucks downstairs?"

I've never had the habit of watching movies with others since birth, so this decision is perfectly natural to me. Besides, I even considered the end time of the movie, so why is Isshiki still looking so dazed?

"...Huh, what's wrong?"

When Isshiki heard my question, he finally nodded, as if he understood something.

"I see. It's because you only make this kind of decision that things turned out that way."

Although I don't know exactly what you've figured out, I still appreciate your understanding. Isshiki sighed helplessly, shifting her gaze from the electronic display board. Just then, she stopped looking and stared intently in a certain direction.

I looked in that direction and saw it was a sign for a bowling alley. Below the sign were promotional words related to billiards.

After checking the promotional text at the bottom of the signboard, Isshiki turned and looked at me.

"How about we skip the movie and go play pool instead?"

"Yes, that's fine, but are your boots okay?"

I looked at the uniform boots and asked her a question. She paused for a moment, looked down to check her high-heeled boots, and then looked up at me.

Her expression was a mixture of surprise and confusion, and her adorable half-open mouth reminded me that she was a girl younger than me.

She seemed to have something to say, but hesitated to speak.

“What, what happened?”

"It's nothing... It's quite surprising that you would notice such a small detail, senior."

"Your eye level is different from usual; it's obvious even without paying special attention."

After hearing my answer, Isshiki took a step forward, pressing her entire body against mine, as if to confirm if it was really true. I took a step back, and Isshiki frowned, then took another step closer. This was probably her way of telling me not to move. I leaned back slightly, and Isshiki raised her head, her soft little mouth slightly parted.

"Ah, really. It feels closer than usual."

I had never seen her face so close before. I saw her smiling lips gleaming with a bewitching luster, and I couldn't help but swallow.

I was momentarily at a loss for what to do. Itsuki seemed to notice that we were too close, her cheeks flushed, and she looked away. Then, she cautiously looked at me, as if to hide her shyness, and gave me a smile.

"...It doesn't matter, we can borrow the shoes on the spot."

I avoided Isshiki's gaze and turned to head towards the bowling alley. Isshiki gave a brief "Okay" and followed me, swaying slightly.

This junior is really good at acting cute...

However, even if her cuteness is intentional, it cannot hide the fact that she is genuinely cute, which makes me even more at a loss.

To be honest, she is indeed cute; although her behavior seems a bit deliberate, it is still endearing; and as for her personality, although some aspects are troublesome, her spirit of deliberately presenting a cute appearance is also lovable.

Oh no, this guy is so cute! So cute that if he stood on stage and shouted, "I'm everyone's school idol—Iroha!" it wouldn't feel out of place...

However, I knew perfectly well that her target wasn't me, but Hayama Hayato, so I managed to maintain a certain level of composure. If it were the naive me of the past, I'm sure she'd have stolen my heart immediately…

I quickly recalled all that Chiba had done for me, rekindling my love for my hometown, and my emotions calmed down. Thank goodness! If I hadn't loved Chiba so deeply, I would have already fallen head over heels for Iroha! Grateful to Chiba, I admire Chiba!

Once I calmed down, I remembered the purpose of accompanying Isshiki out today—to help her plan her trip with Hayama.

After walking through the shopping street inside the station and seeing the bowling alley, I turned to Isshiki to confirm.

"Speaking of which, does Hayama play table tennis? Wouldn't it be better to find some trendier sports?"

"That's perfect! If we go to places that Hayama-senpai usually goes, we won't be able to distance ourselves from our competitors!"

"I see……"

What she said makes sense. Isshiki's current competitors—like Miura—probably won't invite Hayama to play pool, and doing so might actually create some distance between them. However, I'm not sure whether that distance will be due to being ahead or behind. It's possible that for Hayama, this won't even be a factor in creating a gap...

In short, let's work harder for the sake of our lovely junior.

× × ×

We went to the bowling alley near the cinema, bought tickets at the entrance, and headed to the pool table in the corner.

I sat down on the leather sofa next to me and changed into my indoor shoes. Iroha also sat down next to me, took off her trench coat, and reached for her high-heeled boots.

Isshiki's pink knitted sweater was a well-fitting type, subtly revealing the curves of a girl's body, while the high-waisted skirt emphasized her slender waist. She took off her boots in a way that made people hold their breath, revealing the lines of her calves through her stockings.

My gaze was drawn to her slightly childlike movements, but I accidentally met her eyes. I saw Isshiki tilt her head and look at me, as if asking, "What's wrong?" Of course, I wouldn't admit that I was captivated by the contrast between her alluring charm and innocent behavior, so I just silently shook my head and handed over the racket in my hand.

He bowed and thanked her, took the racket, and used it as a fan to wave it around before standing in front of the table.

"The last time I played table tennis was in junior high school physical education class."

"When you enter the second year, you can decide for yourself what physical education class you want to take."

I moved to the opposite side of the table. She rolled up her sweater sleeves, raised her racket, pointed it at my nose, and gave me a confident smile.

"So, if I win, you have to treat me to dinner, right?"

"Bet for lunch... I don't mind."

I tossed the ping-pong ball to Isshiki. Since we were going to have a match, betting something would surely liven things up. She caught the bouncing ball and raised her racket.

"Then it's decided! I'll start—hey."

Accompanied by a listless shout, the ping-pong ball bounced weakly towards them.

"call."

Without applying any extra force, I swung my paddle and pushed the ping-pong ball back. The ball landed perfectly in front of Ikise and bounced up to just the right height. She then hit the ball back with a "hey!"

The two played a ping-pong match for quite some time.

The sound of the ping-pong ball bouncing evoked a sense of nostalgia. Back when I went to hot springs with my family, I often played table tennis with Komachi. For Komachi's sake, I honed my skills to create a drawn-out, evenly matched game; "treating her to a game" was no problem for me. When playing Mario Kart or Puzzle & Puzzle with her, I'd unconsciously switch to "treating her to a game" mode as well. Because Komachi always gets sour when she loses…

Using the techniques I used when playing table tennis with Komachi, I tried my best to hit the balls back to positions where they were easy to return.

"ha!"

"Hey."

Iroha kept letting out listless shouts, while the ping-pong ball continued to bounce back and forth on the table. It seems my brother's "Sister's Invitation to a Match" move—one of his 108 moves—is still going strong.