My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 399

Let's put the jade rope thing aside for now; I need to work harder too. I want to get Totsuka wearing a skirt!

Hmm… Totsuka, Totsuka, skirt, Totsuka—I mustered all my energy and easily spotted his figure. As expected of Totsuka, no matter where he is in the world, I'm confident I can find him instantly!

I hurried over and saw Totsuka and Zaimokuza playing with Kyoka. Kawasaki was at the preparation table nearby, deftly cleaning up the mess. They must have been babysitting the child during this time.

They seemed to be struggling to deal with children, and were in a difficult situation. Zaimokuza had completely entered Jizo mode, leaving Totsuka to fight alone, trying his best to strike up a conversation with Kyoto.

"Nice to meet you, Kyoka-chan. My name is Totsuka Ayaka. Please take care of me."

"Oh~ Saika... Saika... Saika? Shasha...?"

Because her name sounds a lot like her older sister's, Kyoka seems unsure how to address Totsuka. Yeah, I understand that feeling of confusion. I'm also confused because Totsuka is just too cute (confused).

No problem, I'm quite capable of taking care of little girls. Let me play with her in Totsuka's place.

I sneaked up behind Jinghua and put my hand on her head.

"Ah, Hachiman."

"It's 88!"

Totsuka breathed a sigh of relief and looked at my face. Kyoka also looked over with an innocent expression. I gently stroked Kyoka's head and turned her towards Totsuka.

"His name is Cai Cai. Just call him Cai Cai."

"Mmm. Cai Cai!"

The chaos in Kyoto finally subsided, and she was able to call Totsuka by her name normally. Totsuka smiled happily when he heard her call his name.

Alright, all done. But what about that Jizo statue behind Totsuka...?

"This is Yoshiaki, the woodworker. You can call him Cai Cai."

I pointed to the timber stand with my chin as I said this. Jinghua nodded and pointed to the timber stand.

"Zaimu seat."

"Calling me by my first name... I'm the only one who does it! Is that considered a reward in our industry?"

Even a woodcutter like him never expected to be addressed by his first name by a little girl. His face was full of astonishment, his surprise overflowing... No, was he secretly pleased? Oh well, whatever, he's just a woodcutter after all.

However, the kind-hearted Totsuka still remembered to comfort him.

"Don't worry about it. Kids remember strange things all too well."

"Hmm... but my name isn't anything strange..."

The wood support still tilted its head, as if it hadn't fully accepted it yet.

After a while, Kawasaki quickly wiped his hands with his apron and ran over. Jinghua called out "Shasha!" and pounced on Kawasaki.

"I'm sorry to have troubled you to take care of her."

"It's not troublesome at all, because Hachiman came to help too. Kawasaki-kun, is Maki ready?"

"Thanks to you."

After thanking Totsuka, Kawasaki turned his gaze to me and said in a low voice, somewhat embarrassed:

"Um...we should probably head back now...I still need to prepare dinner."

"Oh, I see."

I glanced at the clock; it was indeed almost time. No wonder she was in such a hurry to pack. Actually, she could have just left her things for us to unpack. I never expected Kawasaki to be so well-mannered. She'll definitely be a good daughter-in-law someday.

"Alright, Jingjing. Let's go home."

"Mmm...rustling."

Kawasaki gently stroked Kyoka's shoulder, and Kyoka tugged at Kawasaki's skirt, replying in a coquettish voice. Kawasaki, as the older sister, seemed to understand what she wanted to say.

"...That's true. Wait for me a moment."

Kawasaki took a bag of chocolates out of his bag and handed it to Jinghua. Jinghua looked at the chocolates in her hand with satisfaction, then handed them to me.

"Come on, bye-bye!"

"She seems to want to give you chocolate... take it."

"Oh, thanks. That was great! Excellent, Jingjing."

I patted Jinghua's head, and she hugged my waist tightly. Haha, this adorable little one. I continued to stroke her head.

"...I...my chocolate might have been mixed in too."

Kawasaki put on his coat, turned his head away, and muttered to himself. Hearing this, I looked at the truffle chocolate in my hand.

"Really... I didn't realize. Your sister is amazing."

"I'm pretty good, right? But Sasha works really hard too!"

Jinghua proudly puffed out her chest and praised her sister, like a little teacher. Kawasaki found it both amusing and exasperating.

"Now that we've given you the things, Jingjing, let's go."

Despite her sister's words, Jinghua still clung to me. Kawasaki glared at the disobedient Jinghua, and her body immediately trembled. Uh… was that a necessary expression?

"Let's go, Jingjing."

I let Jinghua stay put and take a step forward.

"Okay, let's go!"

Jinghua followed me forward. Kawasaki sighed and followed behind us.

"Goodbye, Jingjing, see you later!"

"Hmm, see you later!"

Kyoka waved goodbye as Totsuka and Zaimokuza watched her go. We left the cooking room and walked down the stairs. During this time, Kawasaki helped Kyoka put on her coat and scarf, then focused on taking care of his younger sister.

We arrived at the entrance of the Civic Center. It was already pitch black outside.

"Shall I take you to the station?"

"No need, we're already used to it. You still have things to do, right?"

Kawasaki slung her bag and shopping bags back on, called out, squatted down, and picked up Jinghua. In that instant, a glimpse of Kawasaki's skirt was visible beneath, and I desperately tried to look away. Although I think I caught a glimpse of black lace, I absolutely did not peek.

"Well... goodbye."

Goodbye, 88!

Kawasaki bowed slightly to say goodbye, and Jinghua in her arms did the same.

"...Be careful on the road."

After they embarked on their journey home, I watched their figures gradually disappear into the distance.

Although the winter night was clear and cloudless, the temperature dropped sharply. The two sisters huddled together tightly, seemingly not so cold.

Instead, I regretted running out without a coat.

Although they could go back to warm up immediately, their legs inexplicably wouldn't move.

I sat down unsteadily on the steps leading to the entrance and sighed deeply.

Although I didn't do much during the entire event, I still felt a bit tired.

However, compared to the exhaustion, I felt a greater sense of fulfillment.

I accepted the request from Miura, Ebina and the Kawasaki sisters to organize an event with Isshiki and others. Students from the seaside comprehensive high school, such as Orimoto and Tamana, as well as senior students and Haruno, responded enthusiastically. Hayama and Tobe participated as taste testers, and Totsuka and Zaimokuza also attended. Hiratsuka-sensei even brought chocolates.

It's already so full it couldn't be more full.

How delightful!

I muttered to myself.

A ticklish sensation shot up my neck, freezing my upturned lips. Perhaps it was the cold that made my cheeks so uncooperative.

I gently massaged my cheeks to warm them up before standing up again.

× × ×

Back in the kitchen, everyone had already made desserts, and they ate, drank, and chatted happily.

The dessert workshop on the eve of Valentine's Day is coming to an end. Now it's time to leisurely while waiting for the meeting to adjourn.

I walked to the spot where my things were, and Yukinoshita was there too. She was preparing black tea with elegant manners.

A teapot was heating up on the gas stove on the counter, and the water was boiling at that moment. Yukino poured the hot water from the teapot to brew black tea.

Today, she's using paper cups instead of the ones from the student union office. After all, she couldn't possibly bring her own personal teacup.

After pouring three cups of black tea, Yukinoshita sat down again. Then, noticing me approaching, she spoke:

"Thanks for your hard work."

"I didn't do anything tiring..."

After I sat down in the chair, Yukino handed me a paper cup, her eyes full of teasing intent.

"Really? But I noticed you couldn't settle down (Note 27: The original text is 'ちよこまか,' pronounced like a combination of 'choco' and 'maka.')."

"Chocolate Maca..."

Are you telling this lame joke because you made chocolate today? Chocolate with Peruvian ginseng sounds like it'll really boost your energy. Anyway, I am indeed drifting around a lot, so I can't completely deny that statement.

"Finally, I can get some rest."

As Yukinoshita spoke, she brought her teacup to her lips. I blew on my tea to cool it down and began to enjoy it.

Unlike regular teacups, paper cups always make me a little uneasy, and the heat transfers directly to my palms, naturally slowing down my drinking pace. Even so, it was still enough to warm my body, which had caught a chill outside. After taking a sip or two of black tea, I exhaled.

At this moment, Yukino also let out a sigh of relief; she was probably tired too.

"You've worked hard too."

"Yeah, it really is tough."

Yukinoshita said this, and then turned her gaze toward the direction of the oven.

Yuihama was standing there.

She came running over, wearing oven mitts and carrying a baking tray from the oven. Oh right, I almost forgot. Not only Miura and Kawasaki, but Yukinoshita was also in charge of instructing Yuihama on how to make desserts. No wonder she was complaining of being tired.

"Hey, you autistic guy! Come try this!"

Yui showed me the handmade chocolate chip cookies on the plate. She must have been patiently waiting in front of the oven; the cookies smelled freshly baked.

Although they appear to be ordinary cookies, and their shapes are not entirely uniform, there are no obvious signs of burning or foreign objects mixed in. So far, there have been no problems.

Okay, now all that's left is the taste.

I stole a glance at Yuihama in front of me. Her bright eyes were full of expectation, her shoulders trembled slightly with unease, and a somewhat uncertain smile played on her lips.

Seeing that expression, I really couldn't say I wouldn't eat it...

A sound came from my throat. But what I swallowed wasn't saliva; it was enlightenment!

"...Okay, I'll eat it."

After taking two deep breaths, I bravely rolled up my sleeves, about to extend my hand, when Yukinoshita, standing beside me, nonchalantly said:

"It seems you're prepared to die a heroic death. But don't worry, I'll offer my assistance."

"...Oh, I'm relieved then."

"You guys are going too far!"

I relaxed my tense shoulders, put the cookie in my mouth with a light heart, chewed it, and swallowed it. After a while, I didn't experience any unusual symptoms.

"...Wow, that's amazing! They can really eat a lot!"

"What do you mean by 'really edible'... Of course it's edible, it's food!"

Without realizing it, my honest opinion slipped out. Yuihama puffed up her cheeks in annoyance. "But for someone who knows your culinary skills, that's quite a compliment, isn't it?"

Honestly, I was really shocked. I didn't expect Yui to work so hard. Although I also have to thank Yukinoshita for her guidance... I looked at Yukinoshita, who brushed her hair aside and proudly puffed out her chest.

"Of course, because I've been closely monitoring every important step."

"So that was surveillance! I thought it was just normal teaching..."

Yuihama seemed a little dejected. But the "surveillance" and "education" that Yukinoshita mentioned were almost the same thing, so there was no need to worry about it. In fact, Yukinoshita didn't really care about the difference between the two words; she was currently busy moving the cookies from the baking tray to paper plates and carefully inspecting them.

Then, she gently stroked her chin and nodded slightly.