My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 475

This stubborn feeling is very similar to Yukinoshita when I first met her; the way she appears to be listening to someone but isn't actually paying attention is similar to Haruno's. Is it really true that they're mother and daughter?

Given this, Hino, as the older sister, should be better at dealing with their mother. Her assistance might indeed be meaningful.

Just as Yang Nai thought of this, he suddenly laughed.

"Even so, I don't know if it will work."

Yang Nai chuckled at what he had said a moment ago, then picked up the bottle and poured the rest of the liquor into a glass. He had absolutely no idea whether this person was reliable or not…

She stopped smiling, finished her drink, and looked at Yukino with a serious expression.

"However, it's best to be prepared not to return here for the time being."

“…I think so.”

"what?"

Yuihama made a surprised sound, and Haruno said with a wry smile:

"My mother sent me here because she was worried about Yukino. Now that Yukino has gone back, why would she let me go so easily?"

To put it bluntly, it's surveillance.

No, perhaps "management" is a better word. Well, Yukinoshita is still a minor, so it's not wrong to say that doing this is justified. Only those who have actual guardianship over their children are called guardians.

"First, pack your luggage. Also, remember to tell your mother. Since you're suddenly going back, the family needs to make some preparations."

Ah—when Dad suddenly decides to visit relatives, Grandma often grumbles like that, then cooks a huge feast that stuffs us to the point of bursting. Grandma, even though I'm still young, my stomach has its limits…

Now is not the time to reminisce about the Hachiman family's life; the problem lies with the Yukinoshita family. Yukinoshita remained silent for a moment, then nodded obediently.

"You're right, let's do it that way."

"If you're going home... I'll stay here for now. Is that alright?"

"There are no personal belongings of mine here to begin with, so you are free to use them as you please."

Yukino answered without hesitation. Yono then thanked her, feigning seriousness.

"Thank you. It would be too much trouble to prepare anything else. You can pack at your own pace."

According to her, Yukinoshita will probably be staying for quite a while after returning home. This means she'll not only have to change her commute to school, but also completely relocate her social circle. As a guy, I can't help but wonder, "Is all this really necessary?" But girls are different; they have to prepare clothes, hair dryers, skincare products, and all sorts of other things. Komachi always packs a considerable amount of luggage when she travels.

Although I don't understand the hardships involved, Yui, being a woman herself, seemed to understand. She raised her hand:

"Ah! I'll help too."

"It's alright, I can't trouble you like this..."

"I don't mind at all! Let me help! I love organizing things!"

"But……"

Yui insisted on helping, but Yukino kept politely declining, and the argument went on and on. After a long standoff, Yui suddenly pouted and lowered her head.

"That's all I can do to help..."

That sounded particularly depressing. She probably realized it herself, quickly looked up, and gave a weak laugh. Yukinoshita was speechless for a moment, seemingly also feeling guilty.

Seeing this scene, I also felt a little sad. To criticize Yukino's own decisions is tantamount to going against her wishes.

Even so, Yuigahama's desire to do something for Yukinoshita is quite precious. So, what should I do?

Without much thought, the words just flowed out naturally.

"What's there to be polite about? These days, unpaid labor is very valuable. Recently, many unscrupulous companies have been caught by the labor bureau as soon as they cross the line."

This kind of talk is totally in Hachiman's style. It's definitely shooting the arrow before drawing the target, deciding the conclusion before making up the reasons, but even I think it makes a lot of sense, with a persuasiveness of 87%. Young people shouldn't worry about salary, there's a clock-in system and a responsibility system after work, and a two-day weekend (but it doesn't say that you get two days off a week), ah... what great empty words.

However, I was the only one enjoying it. Unsurprisingly! Yukinoshita and Yuihama both stared at me silently with blank expressions.

Only Yang Nai laughed.

"Oh, that sounds nice. Why don't we just stay here overnight? Once Yukino goes home, she probably won't be able to come here whenever she wants."

This statement truly showed her older sisterly demeanor, even gentler than usual. Besides, there was a hint of sadness in her words. Indeed, if Yukinoshita went home, Yuihama's chances of staying overnight would decrease.

This reason alone caused the situation to change little by little. Yukinoshita, who had previously refused, gradually softened her stance.

Yukino bent down slightly and looked up at Yuihama.

"...Could I trouble you?"

She was probably too embarrassed to ask, so her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her voice was barely audible. Yuihama smiled and patted Yukinoshita's thigh.

"Yes, of course!"

"Thanks……"

Whether she disliked having her thigh patted or Yuihama's smile was too straightforward and bright, Yukino quickly thanked her, looked away, and turned to look at Hinano.

"...But if Yuihama-san stays overnight, there won't be enough blankets for the guests."

Yang Nai listened and patted the sofa she was sitting on.

"It's just one night, I'll be fine sleeping here. And I'll probably keep drinking by myself."

She answered, shaking the empty wine bottle, and Yukino sighed softly.

"...Is that so? Then that's settled."

"Um."

Yang stood up, indicating that the topic was over.

"I'm going to the convenience store. What do you need?"

The two shook their heads. Yang Nai nodded in understanding, picked up her coat hanging on the back of the chair, and walked towards the door. As I watched her, the clock came into view. It was almost time to say goodbye.

"Then I'll go back too."

If we stay any longer, even I'll have to help Yukinoshita pack her luggage. That would make me look like the protagonist in Mitsuru Adachi's works, holding a girl's thing and making "Ugh!" sounds, and I might even end up staying.

Absolutely not! Otherwise, I'll end up like Tatsuya and Hiro [Note]! Besides, to be honest, girls' rooms make me incredibly restless; I just want to get out as soon as possible… [Note 6: All are male protagonists from Mitsuru Adachi's works.]

I stood up after Haruno, and Yukinoshita and Yuigahama also stood up and followed behind me. It seemed they were seeing me off.

I squatted down in the entryway to put on my shoes, while Yang Nai just slipped on her sandals and went out first. She's so great that she doesn't try to accommodate others at times like this…

However, I didn't want to go out with her and spend an awkward time in the elevator. So, I deliberately slowed down and stalled for time.

Just then, a shoehorn reached out from behind.

"Oh, thanks."

As I took the shoehorn and turned to thank her, I saw Yukinoshita with a guilty expression, unsure of what to do with her hands after letting go of the shoehorn, and finally hugging her own arms.

"I'm sorry to have made you listen to such nonsensical things..."

She lowered her head and spoke softly, and I nodded gently. It was indeed irrelevant, and nothing significant had actually changed. I had simply confirmed the obvious fact that "Yukinoshita will use her own strength to put her decision into practice."

"It's alright. It's necessary."

Not just for Yukinoshita, but probably for me as well.

I stood up and tapped the ground a few times with the tip of my shoe to make sure I was wearing the shoes properly, then returned the shoehorn to Yukinoshita.

"……Thanks."

"I didn't do anything. If you want to thank someone, thank Yuihama. Now, pack your bags."

She thanked me with a slight smile, making me a little embarrassed. I couldn't help but glance at Yui behind her. Yui raised her hand to her chest and clenched her fist tightly.

"Don't worry! If it's just tidying up, leave it to me!"

Conversely, will there be problems with other household chores...? Hmm, well, Yuigahama doesn't seem like someone who's good at organizing. But since she's gradually overcoming even cooking, which she's not good at, she'll probably learn other things as well.

Although these changes are quite slow and easily overlooked, we are changing little by little.

"I'm leaving. Goodbye."

I gripped the doorknob and turned to say goodbye. Yui waved in front of her chest, while Yukinoshita raised her hand above her waist and waved gently.

"Okay. Goodbye."

"Be careful on the road."

"Um."

I felt a little embarrassed to be seen off. I gave one last reply, nodded slightly, and quickly walked out the door.

╳ ╳ ╳

Stepping out of the elevator where I was the only passenger, the elevator lobby remained completely silent.

It's already this late, there probably won't be anyone coming or going.

This area is a quiet, upscale residential neighborhood, and as the night goes on, there are naturally fewer pedestrians. I experienced this feeling as I stepped out of the elevator lobby.

Then, I saw a woman dressed in a way that seemed out of place in this upscale residential area.

It was Yukinoshita Haruno who left before me.

The soft, light pink striped fleece hat had long sleeves, but the chest area was slightly open, revealing long, beautiful legs through thick shorts.

The way he casually draped a coat over his shoulders clashed with the upscale decor of the lobby, creating a sense of incongruity that contained a dangerous beauty.

She's already eye-catching enough; isn't this unguarded dressing a bit despicable...?

Although she wasn't someone I wanted to actively approach, she was already standing at the building entrance, and I couldn't ignore her. The important thing was that she was smiling and waving at me, so I had no choice but to obediently go over.

"...Didn't you leave first?"

Hearing my question, Yang chuckled softly and whispered mysteriously to me:

"Don't you feel like this is a pre-arranged meeting? Isn't that nice?"

"...This is called an ambush, isn't it?"

Both are about waiting for someone, but the difference is as huge as between Aming and Yuming [Note]. No, think about it carefully, "waiting for someone" and "ambush" are just different mindsets, the conclusion is the same. The result is terrifying for both... [Note 7: refers to the duo of Takako Okamura and Haruko Kato and Japanese singer Yumi Matsutoya.]

But the scariest one was Yukinoshita Haruno. She walked straight ahead without looking back, seemingly convinced I would definitely follow. The nearest convenience store is probably in front of the station, and I have to walk that way to get home, so it's fine...

I followed Yang Nai through the high-rise residential area and came to the wide main road, where the winter night wind blew in our faces.

The cold wind blowing in his face made Yang Nai shrink his neck and bury his face in his coat.

Then, as if noticing something, she sniffed a few times, frowning as she looked at the shoulder of her coat. What's wrong...? Just as I was wondering, Yang Nai stretched out her arm.

"Um."

She gave a disgruntled "hmm" and stood next to me. Her arm, so close to mine, swayed back and forth, as if trying to convey something.

Huh... what's wrong...?

Wait, calm down... Does she want me to hold her hand? Huh? Why? Does she want to collect my fingerprints? That must be it! Brilliant deduction! Is my iPhone going to be used to buy random gems? No way! Please don't stop until you get a five-star gem!

My heart was filled with turmoil, and as I turned my head away, unsure of what to do, I suddenly smelled a cigarette.

"...Ah—the taste?"

"Um."

Although Yang Nai responded, her mind wasn't on me; she withdrew her hand and smelled it again.

The smell of cigarettes probably came from her jacket when she was drinking at the bar. I've encountered that smell before when I worked at an izakaya.

Maybe she just took a shower to wash away the smell of cigarettes from her hair.

Smokers are used to the smell of cigarettes, so they may not care, but for non-smokers, the smell is quite pungent. Especially the kind of cigarettes stuck to Yang Nai's coat, which have a very high tar content, very similar to the strong-flavored tobacco from the Showa era.

If it's a slim cigarette with flavors like mint, vanilla, or fruit that are more acceptable to women, it's a bit better.

...Does that mean the person she was drinking with was a man?

Is it a boy? It should be a boy. Could it be her boyfriend? Huh? Really? She has a boyfriend? No, at her age, it's not surprising at all. But hearing this kind of news always brings a strange pang of sadness, like hearing a voice actress announce her marriage. Anyway, please don't use "Report" as your blog title; a lot of people will be devastated and want to lie down and rest. [Note 8: "I'm going to lie down for a bit" is a popular Japanese internet slang term. It originated from a fan's comment on a discussion board when voice actress Rina Hidaka was rumored to be dating.]

Now is not the time to be discouraged. No, I'm not discouraged! I'm just startled by how unexpected it was! I... I don't like you at all!

Thank goodness... If it had been someone closer to me, I would have been devastated. For example, Komachi, Komachi, or Komachi, and Komachi again.

After escaping reality for a while, I regained my composure. As expected of Komachi, she can even cure a sudden rise in body temperature, a rapid heartbeat, and shortness of breath. Is she some kind of miracle cure or a heart-saving elixir?

Back to the main point. The strong smell of cigarettes on Yang's jacket indicates she'd been in the store for quite a while. I think she probably used deodorant, but the smell just wouldn't go away.

"...Looks like you've been sitting in the shop for quite a while."

"Yeah. He wouldn't let me leave, and I almost had to stay with him until dawn."