My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 397

"Yukino, what did you make? Let your older sister try it—"

Yukinoshita ignored her nagging and continued watching Yuihama and Miura make desserts.

Under the watchful gaze of the snow, Miura focused intently on pouring the chocolate into the mold, while Yuihama busied herself unmolding it.

Seeing that he was being completely ignored, Yang Nai was unhappy and continued to nag Xue Zhixia in a tantrum-like tone.

"Hey, Yukino~ Can you hear me?"

"...Yuna-nee. Yukino-san is very busy right now..."

With a wry smile, Hayama walked over to Haruno and comforted her. Perhaps he was also worried that the noise from others would distract Miura.

Miura and Yui weren't the only ones focused on making chocolates. Isshiki was also piping whipped cream, trying her best to make her creations even cuter; as for the Kawasaki sisters, although Kyoka's face was covered in chocolate, her truffles were still quite impressive, while Kawasaki Saki was busy taking photos to commemorate the occasion. How many photos do you want to take to be satisfied...?

Everyone was focused on making desserts, and I, as the person in charge of tasting, was about to start my work, so I just stood to the side, trying not to disturb them. Just then, Orimoto casually strolled over, and seeing me idly doing nothing, asked:

"Hachiman, do you have any extra chocolate molds?"

"Oh, um... wait a minute."

It seems there's been considerable progress at the Seaside Comprehensive High School as well. Although they spent a long time discussing what to do, the progress was surprisingly fast.

I asked Okimoto to wait a moment, and then walked towards the snow.

"Excuse me, do you have any extra molds?"

"There are a few more over there. Feel free to use them if you need them."

"Oh, thanks."

I wasn't the one who answered.

Instead, it was Orimoto Kaori who followed quietly.

Yukinoshita, seeing Orimoto's sudden appearance, looked surprised and immediately fell silent. Yuihama, noticing the abrupt interruption of the instructions, also looked up in confusion.

Among the group of students from Soubu High School, the uniforms of Haibin Comprehensive High School stood out. Oribon, unfazed by the stares of several pairs of eyes, continued selecting molds one by one.

Then, she murmured absentmindedly:

"...So, did I give you chocolate?"

She genuinely seemed to have no recollection of it, so I could only offer a wry smile. She doesn't remember... I suppose so.

Ever since middle school, whenever someone asked for a chocolate as a favor, I would accept it regardless of gender. But I don't belong to that group at all, so I'm an exception.

What were my feelings about this at the time? Because I inadvertently recalled the past, I momentarily forgot to answer her question.

In the ensuing silence, a few coughs and the clinking of cutlery broke the silence. I looked around, snapping out of my reverie. Yukinoshita was looking at me, her chin resting on her hand; Yuihama looked away, her hands trembling slightly; Isshiki was nodding enthusiastically. Meanwhile, Kawasaki stared at me blankly, and Tamano coughed incessantly, blowing his bangs back with his breath. Mr. Tamano, you're being a bit noisy…

I think... no.

The memories of the past didn't cause me any heartache; I felt my answer was quite natural. Oremoto smiled just as naturally and said:

"Oh, okay, then I'll give it to you this year."

"Huh? No... Ah, um..."

Unexpected words easily shattered my natural composure, leaving me speechless and embarrassed. No, in a sense, this was actually my natural state... What's wrong with me? Am I really that disgusting?

"Come and eat when I've finished cooking."

He left those words behind after losing money, then took the mold and went back.

After she said that, I couldn't just refuse. But it might just be a polite remark... I watched Zheben's departing figure with a troubled expression.

Kaori Orimoto has a straightforward personality, and these are probably just some of her typical, easily misunderstood words and actions; there's no deeper meaning behind them. I didn't overthink it or misinterpret it, accepting the fact naturally and letting out a sigh mixed with a smile.

With a sense of satisfaction, I turned my gaze back to the kitchen counter, and my eyes met those of Hina by the window.

Yang Nai had a smile on her face, as if she had been watching our conversation since the beginning, her expression as if she had seen something pleasant.

The next moment, Yang Nai's gentle smile suddenly turned sadistic. She slightly raised the corners of her mouth, her narrowed eyes flashing with a malicious light. Then, she looked at Hayama beside her.

"So, Hayato received chocolates from Yukino before, right?"

She seemed to be speaking only to Hayama, but everyone present could hear her voice.

This remark elicited a reaction from Yukino, who had been choosing to ignore it. Yukino looked at Haruno with surprise, silently glaring at her.

Miura was also unable to make a sound; she even froze completely. Isshiki also let out a small groan.

There was no need to bring this up in front of Miura and Isshiki, was there? I couldn't help but smile wryly and scratch my head. Incredibly, I found myself clenching my fists, unable to untangle my hair.

Yukinoshita didn't deny Haruno's words, but instead glanced at me with a troubled expression.

She was at a loss because her old stories were suddenly dug up. She bit her lower lip awkwardly, her eyes darting around.

My expression was probably the same as hers. I felt like there was phlegm stuck deep in my throat, and my stomach felt like it was churning with something, just like when I have indigestion. It was quite unpleasant.

Yukinoshita lowered her head, and I looked away as well. Ahead of me, Yuihama looked at us with unease and worry.

It was only a brief silence, but it felt agonizingly long to me. I knew I needed to break the silence, so I sighed deeply, but couldn't find the right words.

"Ah, that's right. We received them together before we started elementary school."

Finally, it was Hayama who broke the deadlock with the most standard answer in this situation.

Hayama skillfully defused the situation with his impeccable, cheerful smile. As a result, it was Haruno who seemed somewhat disappointed.

Upon hearing this answer, Miura gently patted his chest, and Isshiki also breathed a sigh of relief.

But Yukino's expression was the complete opposite, turning incredibly cold. She glanced at Hayama with a bored look, then left the window as if she had lost interest in him. As Hayama watched her leave, a hint of loneliness flickered in his eyes.

Yang quickly came to Yukino's side.

"Yukino, who are you planning to give the chocolates to?"

She adopted a teasing tone and a bright smile. If one didn't know the sisters' situation, they might think they were just joking around. In fact, Yukino's turning her head away made it seem like the younger sister was sulking at her older sister for teasing her.

"...It has nothing to do with my sister."

"Huh—aren't you going to give your sister chocolate?"

Yang chuckled twice, half-jokingly saying this, and Yukinoshita glared at her unhappily.

"I can't possibly give it to you. I have no reason to give it to you, and you never give me chocolate yourself."

"Hmm...that makes sense."

Yang Nai nodded in agreement, then sighed as if with a wry smile.

"Since Yukino said she wouldn't give it to me, then I definitely won't. Because you've never been one to lie."

This is very similar to my previous impression of Yukino Yukinoshita, but Haruno Yukinoshita knows her better than I did back then.

"However, there are times when you don't tell the truth."

Yang Nai stared at Yukino with a colder gaze than before, and chuckled twice.

"You didn't say you wouldn't give to anyone, which means you still have people you intend to give to, right?"

Yukino remained silent, returning the gaze with icy eyes. Despite bearing that gaze head-on, Hinano still wore a smile.

"However, you don't actually give chocolates to many people."

"Boring. Say what you want."

Yukinoshita used this as an excuse to end the conversation and continue with her work.

She reached for the empty bowls and plates in front of her and began to tidy up the cooking utensils, making loud noises as she did so.

After the Yukinoshita sisters' playful antics ended, the cooking room became noisy again. The chaotic atmosphere actually made me feel comfortable.

I had barely breathed a sigh of relief when I heard a loud crash. I looked in the direction of the sound and saw a steel bowl fall to the ground and roll to my feet. A faint sound mingled with the echoing metallic clanging.

"I'm...I'm sorry..."

Xuexia's ears turned bright red as she ran over to pick up the bowl with her head down.

It was rare for her to make such a mistake—I thought to myself as I bent down to pick up the bowl that had rolled to my feet.

As a result, my eyes met those of Yukinoshita, who had also squatted down at the same time. We both hesitated, unsure whether to extend our hands, and remained frozen in an awkward position.

Our faces were almost touching when I quickly pulled back, almost touching her fingertips.

Why should I waver? Seeing you like that, I'd waver too, wouldn't I?

"It doesn't matter……

I turned away to apologize and gave Yukinoshita space.

Yukinoshita hurriedly reached for the bowl.

However, it was difficult to apply force when the rim of the bowl was in contact with the ground, and the steel bowl rolled away again with a metallic sound.

The rolling sound kept echoing in my ears. Even after the bowl stopped rolling, the sound in my head lingered.

The sound finally stopped when someone picked up the bowl.

Looking up, I saw Yuihama proudly puffing out her chest, twirling the steel bowl between her fingertips.

"Hehe, Yukino is still too green. I'm an expert at cleaning up cooking tools."

Seeing her smile, I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Something that had been weighing on my chest quickly dissipated, giving me the mood to vent, and I was finally able to stand up again.

"...But you're completely incapable of doing anything else."

"That's what I meant... thank you."

Yukinoshita smiled and thanked her, reaching out to take the steel bowl. Yui nodded gently and handed the bowl to Yukinoshita. Then, looking somewhat lonely at her empty hand, she gently clenched her fist.

I was captivated by her expression. I felt like I'd seen the same expression somewhere before.

When exactly did that happen? I thought back as I slowly sat down on the chair by the wall.

As I sighed deeply, I seemed to hear someone chuckling softly.

× × ×

The kitchen began to fill with delicious aromas.

Several people crowded in front of the oven, eagerly waiting for the desserts to bake. Among them, Miura was particularly attentive, staring intently at the oven's glass window.

Once the desserts were baked, it was time for a tasting, and I was finally able to shed my unemployed status and start working.

To prepare for that moment, I quietly left the crowd and went to the side to rest and recharge. Just then, someone gently patted my shoulder from behind.

When I turned around, Ms. Hiratsuka was standing right behind me. She was holding the chocolates we had just been given on the paper plate; it seemed there were still some left over.

"This event was well organized."

Ms. Hiratsuka pulled over the chair next to me and handed me a paper plate. I picked up one of the chocolates and replied:

"Yes...it's rather inexplicable..."

I'm not even sure if this qualifies as an event. It just feels like we've gathered all sorts of people together and messed things up.

Ms. Hiratsuka seemed to understand this as well, and chuckled happily before looking at the students in the cooking room with warm eyes.

"That's good. Anyway, you've always been a strange guy, and the people around you are pretty much the same, so it's normal that things turned out this way."

"This is ridiculous... Don't you think this is a bit much?"

"At least, you've become easier to understand than before."

Hiratsuka-sensei gave a teasing smile and then picked up a piece of chocolate.

"People's impressions change every day. As long as you spend the same amount of time together and continue to grow together, you will naturally understand."

"I don't feel like I've grown. What I'm doing now is no different."

"Nevertheless, things have changed somewhat."

Ms. Hiratsuka swallowed the chocolate and wiped her lips with her thumb. This gesture was like that of a teenager, not sexy at all, and I couldn't help but chuckle softly.

Indeed, my impression of Hiratsuka-sensei may have changed. Therefore, other people's impressions of me should also have changed.

However, this change also brings unspeakable fear.

"Change... Now that you've said that, it feels a bit strange."

"Strange feeling?"

Ms. Hiratsuka tilted her head slightly, peering at my face. Embarrassed, I turned my head away and hurriedly continued speaking.

"Hmm—something just doesn't feel right..."