My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 406

However, there are exceptions, of course.

As we passed a tank of some kind of fish, Yui suddenly stopped. Yukinoshita and I stopped as well.

At first glance, the trough was dark and tacky, lacking the elegance of the other troughs around it. There was no lighting inside, and thin pieces of wood stood alone on the dirt piled at the bottom.

Some kind of fish, looking rather listless, swam listlessly. No, "swimming" doesn't quite capture it. The fish wasn't very active; it was more like it was floating in the water.

"Ugh...that's disgusting..."

Yui casually shared her thoughts, then looked at the commentary board.

"It seems to be called a hookhead fish."

"They live in murky rivers and don't swim much... Hmm?"

Yukinoshita, halfway through reading the explanation, secretly glanced over. Why was she looking at me? I also shifted my gaze to the explanation board and realized the explanation wasn't over yet. Oh… when prey like shrimp swims past, it instantly opens its mouth and eats it…

"What an ideal lifestyle..."

"I actually resonated with it!"

I blurted out my thoughts without thinking, which greatly surprised Yuihama, and Yukinoshita also chuckled.

"Come to think of it, this fish does resemble someone, Piggy Bank."

"They don't resemble each other at all, and their names are even less similar..."

Why was she smiling at me...? But, the hookhead fish's other name seems to be the "baby-rearing fish." Probably because this fish protects its young. But considering its habits, if its other name were changed to "autistic fish," it wouldn't be so unlike me... No, wait, I'm pretty good at taking care of kids too. Kids are wonderful!

Yukinoshita and I continued our conversation, while Yuihama had already ignored us, leaning out to stare at the sink. She chuckled contentedly, saying happily:

"Ugh...that's really disgusting..."

"Don't call it disgusting, it's trying its best to live."

We're all fellow passengers on the Earth spaceship. And why does this guy look so excited...?

Yuihama continued to stare at the hookfish, and Yukinoshita squatted down beside her, sharing their thoughts such as "It's disgusting" and "It's really not pretty."

Suddenly, a smile appeared on Yuihama's lips.

"But... I also think it's kind of cute."

"Whether it's cute or not, at least it looks pleasing to the eye."

After saying that, Yukinoshita and Yuihama exchanged a smile.

"When she was called disgusting before, she was already far from being cute..."

What's more, the appearance of the hookfish is truly disgusting. Are people who say this fish is cute out of their minds?

I really don't understand girls' aesthetic sense. Or is it like when a girl goes to a blind date or introduces a friend, and says to a guy something like "Your behavior is cute," "Your hairstyle is cute," or "Your voice is cute," implying indirectly that he's not cute? I've seen this kind of talk online.

I'm not just saying this, but people often warn that you can't trust what girls call "cute".

× × ×

Pufferfish, clownfish, seahorse, leaf-shaped seadragon, flounder with its face on the left, butterflyfish with its face on the right, and finally, ribbonfish and crinoids...

Along the way, we saw various deep-sea fish from all over the world's oceans and walked through the passage to the outside.

Having spent so much time in the dimly lit space, even under a gloomy sky, the sunlight still seemed dazzling to us. After passing through the automatic doors to the outer corridor, a cool sea breeze gently caressed our cheeks, and the salty scent of the sea filled our nostrils.

This place seems to recreate the intertidal zone, showcasing many seaside creatures such as crabs, barnacles, and starfish.

We continued on, stepping out from under the eaves and into a place where we could look up at the sky.

The snowfall is relatively stable; it's currently just a light snowfall. However, the recent weather seems to have become unstable due to the cold front, so it's uncertain how it will develop. Anyway, it's still afternoon, so there's probably no need to worry about the weather yet.

"Wow, there seem to be a lot of people there."

While I was busy worrying about the weather, Yuihama, who was leading the group, turned around and pointed ahead. I looked in the direction she was pointing and saw a group of people gathered there, happily making loud noises.

"Let's go take a look."

After we finished speaking, we headed towards what looked like a popular attraction. There was a small pool-like water tank that stretched horizontally along the outer path. Unlike other water tanks, this one was uncovered, with the water surface directly exposed to the air.

I looked at the information board on the wall, which read, "Please gently touch with two fingers." It seemed that this was an interactive area where you could touch marine life.

I poked my head out of the tank to see what kind of marine life I could get up close to.

It's a shark.

Another shark.

Small sharks and stingrays swam leisurely in the tank. I looked at the information board, which listed dog sharks, cat sharks, red stingrays, and star stingrays.

"Look, it's a dogfish!"

Yuihama excitedly patted my arm, staring intently at the dog sharks, then poked them a few times with her finger.

The shark didn't react, obediently letting her touch it. A short while later, Yui seemed to understand something and nodded gently.

"...It looks a bit like a shortbread!"

How does it resemble a dog? Is it just a slightly brownish exterior? I don't think it looks like a dog at all. Are you out of your mind? Besides, if it looks like something like that, shouldn't you go back and check if your dog is really a dog? Or maybe you've mistaken it for a shark?

But why is this guy called a dog shark...? I tilted my head and pondered, but couldn't come up with an answer. Someone else seemed to have the same question.

Yukinoshita, resting her chin on her hand, was intently observing the catshark.

Cat sharks are a size or two smaller than dog sharks and have distinctive stripes, making them easy to identify.

"Catshark..."

Yukino murmured softly, watching the catshark swimming intently.

"It's truly baffling... What exactly is it that resembles a cat... Since it has this name, it must have some similar features..."

It seems anything with "cat" in its name will pique her interest. She truly is an ultimate cat lover; if cats ever officially take over the Earth, they certainly won't treat you badly.

Yukino made up her mind, rolled up her sleeves, excitedly reached out to the catshark, stroked it for a while, and then showed a satisfied smile.

"...It feels a bit like a cat's tongue."

"That's just the feel of sharkskin."

Despite my complaints, Yukinoshita didn't listen at all and continued to focus on petting the cat shark.

"Cat...cat shark...cat...meow...no, it should be sand..."

"I don't think the sound of a shark is sand..."

Besides, sharks don't make any noise... I guess so. While I was thinking about this silly thing, Yuihama seemed to have found a new target, groping around in the water with both hands.

"Oh, and stingrays too!"

Yui shouted and stretched out her hand.

"Ah ah!"

But she immediately screamed and quickly pulled her finger back.

My hand slipped! It was so slippery!

Hearing the sound of her almost crying, Yukinoshita instantly snapped out of her reverie about the cat shark, ran to her side, and asked worriedly:

"What did you touch? Hachiman? You'd better go wash your hands right away."

Wait, don't mistake me for a stingray, okay? I don't secrete mucus. Oh, but I almost always sweat buckets when I'm around girls, so I might look a bit like a stingray. Girls, if you ever touch me, please remember to wash your hands!

However, the chances of touching sharks and stingrays are not many, so I rolled up my sleeves and used my fingers to stroke the dog sharks, cat sharks and stingrays to my heart's content.

As I enjoyed the combination of roughness and slipperiness, Yuihama beside me withdrew her hand and looked at the sharks with gentle eyes.

"What? Have you touched enough?"

"Yeah, they'll get tired if you pet them for too long."

"Really? That's very much your style."

I couldn't help but laugh. Being constantly petted by humans must be quite stressful for these animals. My cat at home even retaliates with its paws when I pet it. I really like her for being so considerate of others.

I said those words with that thought in mind. But Yuihama's body trembled, and she looked down.

"...What does 'my style' mean?"

I looked in the direction Yuihama was gazing. Snowflakes drifted down gently, creating ripples on the water's surface. Yuihama slowly raised her head to look at me.

"...I'm not as kind as you think."

Her eyes held a farewell-like, illusory smile, and the murmur sounded like she was talking to herself.

The moment I heard those words, I almost forgot to breathe.

What exactly made me say something like "It really has Yui Yuigahama's style"?

That uneasy feeling surged back, and my chest began to pound. I suspected I had overlooked something important, and a sense of unease filled me as I clenched my fists tightly.

Nevertheless, I still had to say something. Even so, when I opened my mouth, I couldn't utter the right answer. Seeing my trembling lips, Yuihama gave a lonely smile and lowered her gaze slightly.

After the words disappeared, the surrounding sounds became even louder.

Suddenly, a sharp scream rang out.

Upon hearing the voice, Yuihama suddenly looked up and quickly stood up.

"Ah, penguins! Let's go see them!"

"Yui-hama said with great enthusiasm. I looked at Yukinoshita; she was staring blankly at us, but quickly came to her senses. However, she seemed quite concerned about Yui-hama and me, her gaze shifting back and forth between us."

"Shall we go?"

"Ah... um... let's go."

Under Yui's radiant gaze, Yukinoshita responded with a weak smile. Had she overheard our conversation? She probably noticed Yui's expression unintentionally.

Yuihama took Yukizaka's hand and, with light steps, headed towards the rocky mountain.

Her silhouette and unusually high spirits seemed to suggest that "this topic is over" or "Let's have some fun together now."

I took a deep breath, regained my composure, and then caught up with them.

× × ×

After walking for a while, a large expanse of desolate rocky mountains came into view.

Numerous penguins were calling out incessantly above, some leaping into the pool with a splash, while others huddled in the shade of the rocks for warmth.

Wow—so cute!

"……yes."

Yuihama screamed and frantically took photos, while Yukinoshita smiled faintly beside her and also pressed the shutter a few times. Mr. Penguin is indeed very popular with girls.

Even so, I was completely captivated by its streamlined yet round body, its watery eyes, and its swaying gait.

"Wow, she's so cute... I have to send a picture to Komachi..."

I got as close to the fence as possible and kept taking pictures with my phone.

Just then, a brilliant idea struck me.

If I show these photos to Komachi after her exams, she'll definitely beg to come too. Then, if I casually invite her, she'll readily agree. That way, I can have a legitimate date with my sister! *sound of snoring*

My wicked plan was only half-formed when Yui and Yukinoshita moved on. Oh no, I'm going to be left behind!

After taking most of the photos, I quickly caught up with Yuigahama and Yukinoshita. They walked down the passageway and the stairs leading to the semi-underground area.

In addition to the regular tour route, the penguin enclosure also has a space adjacent to a huge pool, allowing visitors to observe the penguins swimming up close.

Unlike their sluggish appearance on land, penguins in the water display a completely different demeanor.

They change direction nimbly in the water, swimming around at amazing speeds as if they were flying.

Yuihama exclaimed in admiration, occasionally tugging at the sleeve of the snow-covered figure.

"Wow, that's amazing! They're swimming! Looking at them like that, penguins really do look like birds!"

"...Penguins are birds."

Yukinoshita pressed her free hand to her forehead, looking like she had a headache, and said impatiently. Yuihama, who had been teased, stared blankly with her mouth half open, but quickly came to her senses.

"...Huh? I-of course I know that!"

Yui quickly added, and Yukinoshita gave a gentle smile, which made me smile wryly as well. However, I could understand her feelings.

After fully appreciating the penguins' magnificent swimming style, we climbed the stairs and left the semi-underground space.