My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 466

That's all I can do. It's your turn now.

As I said this, I turned my face towards her.

at this time,

I recalled my first conversation with her.

At that time, it was just the two of us.

No matter who it is besides us,

Even he wouldn't know.

However, she remained the same as before.

He looked at me with a somewhat uneasy expression.

To ease her anxiety, I tried my best to speak to her in the gentlest tone possible.

It would be wonderful if you could show an even brighter smile than you did back then.

"This time, we're going to give away the handmade cookies, right?"

This must be the correct form.

So, this is my secret recipe. 

Yuihama's recipe:

With trembling hands, I shook the sugar off little by little.

It doesn't matter if the finished product doesn't look very pretty.

That's because being cute is more important than being pretty.

But that's probably impossible.

Because a lot of things were mixed in.

I try to mix only sweet things, cute things, and things I like.

Just as I expected, it failed.

It was bumpy and uneven. It was both sweet and bitter.

I guess it's because my brain isn't working very well that I've always been like this.

Therefore, I can't be absolutely correct.

I don't know what's correct. This is certainly not the absolute right answer either.

That's why it has a hidden flavor that only I know about.

So that no one would know. So that he wouldn't know either.

Milk and condensed milk, and some bitter coffee.

The pure white cream was gradually stained and blurred by black.

It can never return to its original pure white.

Even if I only add a tiny bit, the bitterness will permeate everywhere.

That's so unfair!

For me too,

The same goes for her.

However, this must also include an element of liking it.

Because I want to like it. Me, and my friends.

Called by her voice, I raised my head.

Meeting his intensely focused gaze made me feel somewhat hesitant.

And, she's just as beautiful as she was back then.

They are completely different from me, and not similar to me at all.

That's why I started to dream about it, and gradually I came to like it.

The initial conversation when it was just the two of us.

I was so nervous that I couldn't say anything.

I suppose things are the same now as they were before.

Although I want to laugh out loud like usual,

But I didn't smile with the confidence I usually do.

Even so, she and I are probably smiling in the same way now.

"...Okay, I'll do it my way. Thanks!"

I don't know if this is correct.

But that's my secret recipe.

Perhaps what is being told now is another story about him, her, and her.

It snowed that day, which was unusual.

It doesn't snow much in Chiba. Usually, cumulonimbus clouds flowing from the Sea of ​​Japan are blocked by the mountain ranges that surround Honshu and bring snow there, while Chiba, with its flat terrain, only experiences dry, cold winds.

However, occasionally, snowfall occurs at a delicate juncture, like it is now. In my short seventeen years of life, I have experienced snowfall on New Year's Day, on my coming-of-age ceremony, and even a blizzard at the end of March.

This snowfall was also untimely, coinciding with Komachi's entrance exams.

Fortunately, the wind wasn't very strong, and the snowflakes were just fluttering in the air.

Wearing her usual school uniform over a coat, then gloves, a scarf, and boots, Komachi, fully equipped, was about to step out of the entrance hall. Although she was much earlier than her planned departure time, considering that transportation facilities might be overcrowded in this weather, it was better to leave early.

"Did you bring your admission ticket? And your eraser, handkerchief, and pencil?"

The five-pointed pencil was a lucky charm my dad bought at a shrine when he prayed for passing his exams. As its name suggests, it's pentagonal, but otherwise just a regular pencil. Honestly, I find writing with a regular pencil more comfortable. Generally, test-takers would carve options like A~E, 1~5, or A~O on the side of these pencils, and when they encountered a question they didn't know, they'd spin the pencil seeking divine guidance. So, you could say it was a pencil born to be spun.

Komachi took one last look at the contents of her bag, nodded vigorously with a soft "hmm," leaned her umbrella against the wall, and saluted me.

"No problem! Then, brother... this humble official will set off first!"

"Okay, take care. Watch your step!"

"Ugh, it's so cold. Seinko Sein plays the guitar... Ah, this isn't on the test."

Shivering and whimpering, Komachi walked out step by step. Watching her retreating figure, a wave of unease washed over me: "Is this girl out of her mind?" Could it be that over-studying caused her to become strangely excited...?

However, no matter what, the day of the entrance exam has finally arrived.

All the panic and confusion up to this day was inevitable. Although the end of the world is not coming for the time being, no matter how much you struggle, exam days and deadlines will eventually arrive.

All I can do now is pray. Thinking this, I couldn't help but look up at the sky.

Thick, dark clouds hung low in the sky, silently scattering snowflakes, seemingly with no intention of dissipating. It looked like it might snow all day.

I shivered from the cold and took a step back towards my door. Just then, another series of tremors came.

I reached into the pocket where the vibration was coming from and pulled out my phone to check the call. The screen displayed "★☆Yui☆★". It was Hihama calling. That was the name she entered when she added me to my phone as a contact, and she hadn't changed it since.

I hesitated for a few seconds before answering. But the call wouldn't stop, vibrating incessantly. I gave up resisting, pressed the answer button, and quietly held the phone to my ear.

"……Hello"

The moment that sound was uttered, a bright and clear voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Little Qi, let's go on a date!"

"……ha?"

To be thrown that out of the blue without warning or any warning was so unexpected that even someone as calm as me acted like a fool and subconsciously let out a loud, strange sound.

Act Two

After that phone call, I began to slowly prepare to leave.

Looking out the window, the sun had already risen above the horizon. The snow that had been falling since early morning was still falling heavily.

Before leaving home, I checked the traffic situation on my smartphone. It seemed that the congestion on the routes I was going to take had eased, so at least I didn't have to worry about not being able to get there.

In fact, the transportation network in the Kanto region is extremely vulnerable on snowy days.

Especially in Chiba, a region that is separated from other prefectures by the Edogawa and Tone Rivers, if the bridge were to restrict passage, it would not only be a peninsula on land, but it could be considered one of all the isolated islands in the world. There might even be dangerous elements who declare an "independent nation of Chiba".

After stepping outside, a little time passed, and the sky showed no sign of changing. Snowdrifts began to accumulate on the flat ground, and a thin layer of frost formed on the asphalt roads.

Although this level of snow accumulation wouldn't block people's way, the icy ground was particularly slippery. I followed the path created by car wheels and other pedestrians, step by step, until I reached the bus stop.

During the brief transfer from the bus to the tram, I looked out the tram window at the sea.

The snowflakes, seen from the window, drifted from right to left. The sun had risen high enough to illuminate the gray, snow-covered clouds with touches of white.

The trains on the coastal route are still somewhat crowded. However, this isn't entirely due to the weather, as the route becomes particularly congested when events are held in Chiba. For example, when there are game or car shows at Makuhari MESSE, anime conventions at BIG SITE, or concerts in Shin-Kiba, the trains are packed with people.

More importantly, this route passes by Tokyo Disneyland, the largest entertainment complex in Japan. It is commonly referred to as the TDR (Tokyo Disneyland) station.

What's more, today is Valentine's Day.

So even though the snow was still falling, the atmosphere inside the tram was quite lively. I listened to the conversations of the couples around me, and every single one of them was murmuring things like "How romantic!", overjoyed at the snowfall.

Indeed, this scenario is absolutely perfect for a Valentine's Day date.

Soon after, the white amusement park and the smoking volcano came into view in the direction the tram was traveling. After an announcement that the tram was about to stop, the tram began to slowly slow down.

With a violent jolt, the tram came to a complete stop, and the doors slammed open with a loud thud.

The cold air, mixed with snowflakes, blew into the carriage, and the couples inside got off the train shoulder to shoulder, as if they were in a hurry to exchange places with the cold wind.

The warning bell rang as the train doors were about to close. This is a unique bell at the Disneyland station, adapted from the music played inside the park.

As I listened to this melody, I stepped onto the platform.

In a hazy state, I recalled a promise I made sometime ago: that we would come here together again someday, a promise that has yet to be fulfilled.

It was an agreement that could not be called an agreement; it failed to maintain its original form, but it was realized with some changes.

I recalled the phone call Yuihama made to me this morning. I couldn't refuse her invitation, not out of confusion or surprise.

After all, I was the one who invited her first, but I kept delaying it until now.

I took a deep breath, tightened my scarf, and hurried toward the observation line, or rather, the Tokyo Disneyland Loop Line monorail station.

This is the meeting point designated by Hihama.

The shopping street near Maihama Station was also decorated with heart-shaped souvenirs and snowflake-shaped ribbons during this special time of year, and the flickering neon lights freely painted a Valentine's Day atmosphere. I put all of that aside and saw the figure waiting for me there.

"Xiaoqi!"

She must have taken the train I just missed. Yui noticed me approaching, calling my name and gently waving her pink umbrella.

I nodded to her and quickened my pace slightly in her direction.

"I'm sorry, am I late?"

"No, I just arrived a little early."

As she said this, Yui chuckled sheepishly, fiddling with the pom-pom on her knitted hat. She was wearing a beige coat and a long sweater, a slightly long scarf around her neck, and her hands were tightly wrapped in gloves. It seemed she had taken good precautions against the cold. However, even with leggings underneath, she still looked a bit chilly in just a short skirt. Correspondingly, Yui wore a pair of thick-looking boots, perhaps to strike a balance between cold and warmth.

Anyway, we met up successfully. All that's left is to find the right time to talk to her.

I glanced at her furtively; Yuihama was shifting her body, seemingly unable to calm down in the silent wait.

With the atmosphere practically ready to exclaim, "It's Valentine's Day!", the fact that we ended up here just doesn't seem quite right. Honestly, this situation is pushing me to my limit.

But I was the one who first said, "As a return gift, let's go somewhere fun together." I guess I should be the one starting the conversation now.