My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 403

I hugged the soft cushion and couldn't help but start looking around.

The shelves are filled with cute little things and mysterious Asian-style ornaments, and fashion magazines are piled up like mountains. What used to be a desk has become a place to store items.

Although, as Yui herself said, she probably didn't tidy the room often, it was still quite neat. At least it was much cleaner than my room.

However, I just couldn't calm down. The room was filled with a fragrance, and that alone made me restless. The scent was wafting from the bed, and I couldn't help but glance in that direction. I noticed a small bottle beside the bed with a few thin sticks stuck in it. That seemed to be the source of the fragrance.

What was that…? As I stared intently, a coughing sound came from behind me. I looked away and saw Yuihama awkwardly fidgeting.

"No...please don't look around like that..."

"Huh? Ah... I saw something that looked like fried spaghetti, so I..."

I awkwardly tried to explain myself. Yui listened and gave me a "I can't stand you" smile.

"That's room air freshener..."

Oh—so that's room air freshener… Judging from its appearance, those spaghetti sticks seem to absorb the air freshener and then release it into the air… I guess so. I was secretly impressed by the variety of things girls have in their rooms. At the same time, something in the corner of my field of vision trembled slightly.

"Fried spaghetti..."

Turning my head, I saw Yukinoshita burying her face in the cushion, trying not to laugh. Is it really that funny...? This person's sense of humor is still so unpredictable...

As I thought about it, I couldn't help but smile. Yui-hama also breathed a sigh of relief.

Once the atmosphere finally allowed people to calm down and talk, Yukinoshita raised her head from the cushion and straightened her posture.

Then, she quietly lowered her head.

"I'm sorry... I've caused you trouble..."

Not at all! Don't worry about it!

Yui waved vigorously in front of her chest, deliberately responding in a cheerful tone. At the same time, another, even more cheerful voice came over.

"Yeah, there's no need to worry about it at all."

We heard no knocking, and the door suddenly opened, revealing a woman carrying a tray of tea. She wore a thick sweater and a long skirt, giving her a composed appearance, but her baby face made her look quite young. Whenever she smiled brightly, the bun at the back of her head bounced energetically.

"Mom! Don't suddenly rush in!"

“Eh~”

Yui protested unhappily, but the mother simply brushed it off with a smile. Now, even without introductions, I can immediately guess she's Yui's mother. Her kind smile and beautiful figure are practically identical to Yui's.

...Even if she said she was her older sister, I'd probably believe it. But since Yui called her "Mom," she must be Mom, right? Yui's mother, or simply Yui's mother. Hmm, it doesn't feel like an abbreviation at all, nor is it any easier to pronounce.

Yuihama's mother squatted down beside the low table and began preparing tea, then brought the poured tea to me.

"Oh, thank you. I'm sorry..."

In this situation, it would be more polite to say something like "No need to trouble yourself," "You've gone to so much trouble," or "Thank you so much, I don't need to say thank you." I rarely visit other people's homes, so I didn't know how to handle it. The fact that the other person was Yuihama's mother made me even more nervous, and I started to stammer.

Just looking at her face made me feel inexplicably embarrassed, and I hesitated to raise my head. It wasn't until I heard a happy exclamation above me that I curiously looked up and found Yuihama's mother staring intently at me.

She kept observing me for a while, sometimes saying "Oh—" and sometimes "Hmm~".

I didn't know how to respond and was speechless for a long time. Then she laughed happily first.

"You're that... introverted guy, right? Yui often talks about you!"

"Is that so..."

I want to die. This is so embarrassing, just let me die.

"Mom! Stop saying all that nonsense!"

Yui rushed towards her mother in a panic, snatched the plate of snacks, and then pulled her up.

"Why is this happening... Mom wants to chat with him too~"

"No need!"

Yuihama's mother kept complaining, but Yuihama still pushed her out of the room.

Yukino watched the interaction between the mother and daughter with a smile, and her eyes met those of Yuihama's mother.

"Oh, right, Yukino."

"Wha...what is it?"

Yukinoshita answered with a puzzled look, and Yuihama's mother smiled and said:

"You'll be staying here tonight, right? Let me get you a blanket..."

"I can do it!"

Yui pushed her forcefully out of the room and locked the door. There seemed to be sounds coming from outside, but Yui ignored them completely and sighed softly.

"Ahaha... I'm sorry. It seems like Yukino's arrival made my mom too happy. How embarrassing..."

Hearing Yuihama say this shyly, Yukinoshita gently shook her head, telling her not to take it to heart, and then gave a helpless smile.

"You two have such a great relationship... I'm a little envious."

Yukinoshita's expression carried a hint of loneliness and resentment. If her mother and sister were like their family, even if they weren't Yukinoshita, it would probably be difficult to get along with them. Yui and I fell silent.

Noticing the silence, Yukino quickly changed the subject.

"I'm sorry, I said some strange things... I should probably head back now."

After Yukino finished speaking, she prepared to get up. Yui immediately stepped forward to stop her, urging her to sit down again, and said in a cheerful tone:

"Speaking of which...why don't you want to stay here tonight? I often stay at your place anyway...everyone has times when they don't want to go home, right?"

"Eh? But..."

The sudden suggestion confused Yukino, who hesitated for a moment. Her gaze darted around, and she even stole a glance at me, seemingly racking her brains. Uh… even if you look at me, I can't offer you any advice…

However, judging from Yukinoshita's earlier conversation with Haruno, even if she were to go home under these circumstances, it would clearly only lead to the same thing repeating itself. Besides, judging from Yui's tone, she seemed to have her own plans. I secretly glanced at Yui, and she nodded slightly in a way that only I could understand.

That's true. When it's difficult to face each other, deliberately avoiding each other is a passive but effective way of communicating. Of course, if we don't set a deadline for reaching a conclusion in this situation, we might just keep running away. But in any case, giving each other some time is not a mistake.

"...Since I can't calm down right now, why not just think it over properly tonight? Let me tell her that first."

"Hmm, that's a good suggestion."

Yuihama agreed with what I said. Yukinoshita hugged her knees and thought for a while before finally nodding gently.

"...Indeed, you're right."

She took her phone out of her bag and started dialing. It was probably Haruno on the other end. After a few rings, the other person finally answered. Yukinoshita raised her head and said:

"...Sister? I can't calm down right now anyway, so I'll think about it carefully tonight and then give you an answer. I'll just let you know for now..."

After Yukino finished speaking, the person on the other end of the phone didn't answer, and there was a silence between them. I heard Yukino's slightly confused breathing, and a soft murmur of "Just now..."

I looked at the owner of the voice, and Yui looked at me and Yukinoshita with surprise. Just as I was about to ask her what was going on, the person on the other end of the phone let out a listless laugh.

"Is that so... I understand. Hachiman must be over there too, right? Let's call him over."

Even through the phone, I could still hear that provocative remark in the quiet room. Yukino hesitated for a moment at Haruno's request. Then came the cold, urging voice from the other end of the line, "Hurry up!" She sighed softly and handed the phone over.

"...My sister said she's looking for you."

I silently took the phone, held it to my ear, and slowly spoke:

"...What can I do for you?"

"...You're really kind."

Yang Nai's soft mockery was both pleasant and alluring. Because I couldn't see her, I almost thought I was bewitched by a yokai.

The smiling face on the other end of the phone must have possessed a strangely distorted beauty. I can clearly picture that expression. Despite their similar appearances, I don't think the two look alike at all.

I swallowed hard and instinctively looked at Yukinoshita.

Snow falls blankly as she hugs her arms, leans back against the window, and lets her gaze escape to the outside.

Neither the scattered streetlights nor the red lights of distant buildings could illuminate the night before it was about to rain. The windowpanes were like dark mirrors.

The eyes reflected in the glass were incredibly clear, yet also incredibly empty.

× × ×

Yang only said one sentence before hanging up the phone, bringing our conversation to a close.

I wiped the phone screen clean with a handkerchief and handed it back to Yukinoshita. The next moment, a wave of fatigue washed over me. Only then did I realize that it was already quite late.

"I should probably head back now."

"Um……"

After I grabbed my bag and stood up, Yui-hama stood up as well, and Yukinoshita, who was a bit slower than us, also stood up. It seemed they wanted to see me off.

"It's fine to say goodbye here."

"It's strange to say goodbye here, isn't it?"

After saying that, Yuihama opened the door. At that very moment, a ball of fluff rushed over from the other end of the corridor.

That was Yuihama's beloved dog, Crispy. Crispy just bumped into me like that.

"Ugh..."

"No, shortbread!"

Yuihama yelled and picked up the flat-topped Mochi lying at my feet. Yukinoshita, seeing this creature, was so frightened she didn't dare move. Oh no, I remember this guy is afraid of dogs.

On the way home, Yukinoshita stayed three steps behind Yui, trying her best not to touch Mochi. Meanwhile, Mochi was barking and moving energetically in Yui's arms. Hmm… is this okay… maybe it'd be better to remind Yui first.

As I put on my shoes and prepared to leave, I said to Yuihama:

"Yuihama, since Yukinoshita is spending the night here tonight, how about some shortbread...?"

"Hikigaya-san."

Yukino interrupted me sternly. She pouted slightly, crossed her arms, and glared at me. Ah, I see. So she really didn't want to admit she was afraid of dogs… Oh well, she probably couldn't bring herself to say that about her friend's beloved animal. Inconveniencing someone at their home and causing them extra trouble probably wouldn't be pleasant for her either, so I should respect her wishes.

However, once words are spoken, they can never be taken back. This is a common principle of the world.

Yuihama tilted her head in confusion.

"Um... what happened to the shortbread?"

She asked me the same question again, and I didn't know how to answer.

"Uh... Shortbread might feel lonely, but it should learn to be patient sometimes. Especially this guy."

"Okay, don't worry!"

I made up a story off the top of my head, and Yui nodded vigorously. Oh... I didn't expect her to be so confident in her training skills... But, that guy doesn't seem to listen to you at all... Just as I thought that, Yui sadly slumped her shoulders.

"...because among the family members, Su Bing is more attached to her mother."

"Ah, I see..."

Dogs have a strong sense of hierarchy, and someone like Yui would probably be trampled underfoot by Mochi. In that case, it probably won't go near Yukinoshita. This is a good opportunity for her to get used to dogs.

"Then I'm leaving."

After I finished speaking, I gently stroked the head of the shortbread.

"Well, bye."

"goodbye."

I walked out the door as they watched me go. Even on the outer veranda, I could still hear the lonely cries of the shortbread. With a touch of lingering regret, I began my journey home.

× × ×

After having dinner at home, I crawled into the kotatsu (heated bed table) and read to pass the time.

My parents, who rarely come home early, were already in bed, leaving only Xiaoxue and me in the living room. However, Xiaoxue was curled up asleep on the quilt at the heated bed table, while I remained awake.

The living room door suddenly opened, and Komachi, wearing pajamas and a nightcap, walked in.

"You're still awake?"

"Okay, time to sleep. Just a little while longer."

Komachi went straight into the kitchen.

"It doesn't matter to me, go to bed early."

"Um."

"The exam is tomorrow, is it really okay to stay up so late?" I couldn't help but feel a chill run down my spine, but the person in question answered nonchalantly. A short while later, the sound of the gas stove came from the kitchen.