My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 485

Yuihama was confused. Because she was talking about cherries… [Note: The repetition of "peach" and "cherry" makes it sound like a tongue twister; I really want to ask her to perform it again. But, I'll save it for next time.] [Note 42: The Japanese pronunciation of "错乱 (sakuran)" is similar to "樱桃 (sakuranba)".]

"So, what exactly is Prom?"

"Um……"

Yukinoshita nodded slightly, thought for a moment, and then began to explain.

"Prom is short for Promenade—a dance party. It's a dance party that high schools in other countries traditionally hold at the end of the school year... something like that, you can think of it as a lavish graduation party. Wasn't there a prom scene in that movie?"

Oh… that Dancing Queen party with its strong American style was Prom. I see. Halfway through my recollection, I suddenly realized.

"Huh? Isn't that just fiction? Do students really organize those kinds of events?"

"That seems to be the case, and it's quite common. Let me see..."

Yise took out her phone and started searching. After finding relevant information, she showed the screen to us.

"Clang clang—"

"Whoa whoa……"

The screen showed images of teenagers dressed in elaborate costumes and looking glamorous at a lavish party. The venues varied depending on the event: some were in stadiums, some in clubs with DJ booths, others in dance halls or even outdoors—all characterized by their extravagance. However, none of them looked like high school students…

"Look, look! This is perfect for taking photos and checking in! I really want to try it!"

"Don't use those inexplicable standards to judge..."

Isshiki pointed to a group of women in formal attire arriving at the venue in luxury limousines. From a male perspective, seeing Genghis Khan [Note] was more exciting than the cars… [Note 43: A mecha from the game *Virtual-On*, pronounced similarly to "limousine" in Japanese.]

This is not the time to be thinking about computer-controlled fighter jets.

The scale of the "prom" that Isshiki just looked up seems to far exceed our expectations for a graduation party. It's not quite the same as a nighttime pool party full of party animals, nor is it the Juicy Party Yeah [Note] style... [Note 44: A greeting created by Japanese female voice actress Chiaki Takahashi.]

I don't know if it's because it's foreign culture or just a matter of personal preference, but I really don't feel anything about it and can't imagine what it would be like for Soubu High School to hold such a dance.

"A simple thank-you reception would suffice; why bother with a ball..."

Upon hearing my question, Isshiki gently touched the chest of her pink vest and announced loudly:

"Heh heh, because I'm going to be the queen of the prom!"

"oh……"

What nonsense is this guy spouting... I thought to myself as I consulted Google, the great god, about the meaning of "Queen of the Ball".

Simply put, the prom queen is the prettiest girl in the entire school or grade, chosen by a vote. The prom king is also chosen from among the boys…

"I see. If we're choosing from our grade level, Hayama would definitely be the prom king..."

"Yes. In other words, Hayama-senpai is the king, and I am the queen—ah!"

Halfway through his explanation, Issei seemed to realize the time paradox, cleared his throat, and smiled at me.

"By the way, senior. Although it's not directly related, I'll ask anyway—are you planning to repeat a year?"

"Who wants to repeat a grade...?"

"Hey senior, you're here again~ You'll have to retake the exam anyway, so it's all the same in the end, right? If you repeat a year, you can still enjoy student discounts, which is super cost-effective."

"Please don't make decisions for me without my permission. Besides, even with student discounts, it's still a loss. I'll apply to my backup schools; I'm not going to be a repeat student."

Seeing my resolute determination, they all puffed out their cheeks and pouted, making an "Ugh—" sound.

"Oh, I see... Oh, then how about we help organize a ball as an alternative?"

"What is it supposed to replace...?"

Her expression instantly shifted from sullen to, "I've come up with a compromise for my senior!" she declared without batting an eye. Moreover, the content of her suggestion was truly underwhelming.

"Wait, you really want to throw a ball?"

"Yes."

I looked at her suspiciously, my tone full of denial. Ise remained unfazed, which made me sigh.

"It's definitely too late to start preparing now. The main thing is that I'm not good at that kind of thing, and I don't want to get involved."

"Hmm, um... I think it should be fun... but it seems a bit difficult."

"That's right..."

Yuihama gave a wry smile, and Yukinoshita closed her eyes, pressing her temples. The three of us were almost in agreement. Seeing that the other two also indicated they were having difficulty, even Isshiki seemed a little hesitant.

"Sigh, okay, I know that myself. But I still want to do it... Is that not allowed?"

Her tone had lost its previous forcefulness. She clutched the hem of her coat and looked up at me with a weak gaze. That demeanor, however affected, was surprisingly destructive, making one almost irresistibly inclined to grant her request.

However, if her ambitions for the ball are not thwarted here, things will likely become quite troublesome later.

Despite my reluctance, I managed to squeeze out the words of refusal.

"It's not so much that it's impossible, but rather that it's simply unthinkable. There are several reasons... you understand, right?"

The reasons need no further explanation. There are too many shortcomings: time, funds, manpower, experience, intelligence, and so on. I don't need to elaborate; Isshiki should already know these things.

Even so, she still proposed this impossible plan, probably for some reason... A more practical solution would be to find out the reason and find a compromise.

While I was considering a compromise, Isshiki fell into a deep thought, seemingly pondering something.

"Really... I understand. Then our student council will handle it ourselves."

"Hmm, okay...wait, what?"

I thought I had misheard, and glanced at her again. However, it wasn't a hallucination, and Isshiki didn't seem to be just making things up.

She raised her head and gazed at me with a solemn expression, her eyes quite firm.

"...Did you hear what I said?"

"Yes. So we'll have to do it ourselves."

She gave a calm and composed smile.

Since things have come to this point, there's nothing more I can say. I can't advise her to give up, nor can I cheer her on; all I can do is let out a sigh.

"Is that so..."

Yuihama was equally dumbfounded, and we stared at each other in disbelief. I asked her with my eyes, "What's going on?" She gently shook her head, indicating, "I don't know." Yukinoshita, however, kept her eyes tightly closed and did not participate in our eye contact.

Judging from the current situation, only Isshiki herself can resolve our doubts. I stared intently at her.

"There's no need to look so surprised... I knew it would be difficult, and being rejected was to be expected. I'm not that stupid."

She seemed quite unhappy, but Yui and I both understood everything.

"Ah—so you're just here to try your luck?"

"I see. No wonder you came empty-handed to negotiate without any preparation."

Isshiki pouted slightly, looking a little embarrassed, and looked away.

"I... I was thinking of watching that American TV series together, to get your interest in the dance..."

That's what you call empty-handed, okay... But honestly confessing is commendable. I gave Isshiki a warm look, and she cleared her throat a few times.

"Anyway, if you change your minds and become interested in the dance, feel free to come to the student council office! You're all welcome! So welcome you won't be able to leave!"

"They're just trying to exploit us... And are you really going to throw a ball...?"

"Yes."

Yise's answer remained unchanged. It seemed she had reached a conclusion. However, none of the proofs needed to reach that conclusion were valid. This was going to be tricky…

As I was pondering what to do, Yukinoshita suddenly spoke up.

"May I ask you something? Why are you so eager to hold a dance party?"

Isshiki was startled by Yukinoshita's sudden question, and his shoulders trembled. The question sounded like it was directed at Isshiki, but Yukinoshita seemed to be thinking about something else.

That's why Isshiki didn't have time to react.

"Huh? Well, I want to be the prom queen..."

"That's two years from now, isn't it?"

Taking advantage of the moment when Isshiki was speechless, Yukinoshita continued with her question. Isshiki answered by scratching his cheek and fiddling with his hair.

"Ah—I want to start preparing now."

"If a ball really is held two years from now, you won't need to prepare; you'll become the queen."

"Oh, oh... what?"

Isshiki blinked, looking at Yukinoshita with a completely bewildered expression. Yui and I were in a similar state, exchanging glances. Under Isshiki's surprised gaze, Yukinoshita sighed softly.

"What I mean is, you don't have a reason to 'have to do it this year'."

"No, I absolutely did not say such a thing..."

Ignoring Isshiki's confusion, Yukinoshita simply stared at her with a sharp gaze, awaiting her answer. Isshiki, overwhelmed by Yukinoshita's imposing presence, seemed momentarily at a loss, but she quickly figured out how to respond, clapping her hands together.

"Ah, think about it, I might not be the student council president next year! So, I can only start preparing now..."

"As long as you have the will, you will definitely be elected. There are already few candidates, and even if it comes to the final round of voting, you have the ability and actual results, so I don't think there will be any problem."

Every word Yukina spoke, though seemingly gentle in meaning, sounded like a reproach due to her sharp tone. The conversation felt like an interrogation of Iroha, leaving her speechless.

"That's because... uh... um, maybe that's true..."

"In that case, why not try again next year—"

"no."

Isshiki interrupted Yukinoshita. Just a moment ago, she was unable to retort, but her words remained unwavering. Yukinoshita stared at Isshiki, searching for her intentions with her eyes.

"...Even if I said I wanted to hold a ball next year, it probably wouldn't happen. Just like you all said, others would reject it with excuses like it's impossible or there won't be enough time... So no matter how difficult it is, even if it fails, I must prepare for the next move..."

The intermittent words stopped there, leaving only the faint sound of trembling breaths that were being suppressed.

Just as I was about to ask her, "Are you alright?", her flaxen hair shook violently.

"If you're going to do it, do it now. If you start now, it might not be too late."

She raised her head and looked at Yukinoshita with a determined gaze. However, Yukinoshita remained unmoved.

"...Why do we do this, and for whom?"

This composed question seemed to catch Isshiki off guard. She blinked repeatedly, her mouth slightly open as she pondered, looking somewhat like a child. However, she immediately broke into a smug smile.

"Of course, it's for myself!"

Isshiki placed his hands in front of his chest, leaned back, and arrogantly declared loudly.

Impressive, Issei. Whether that statement was true or a lie to hide something, I can only commend him for persisting to this extent. Asking for a reason now would be incredibly tactless.

Yukinoshita blinked in surprise several times before finally breaking into a smile.

"Really? Thank you for answering."

Her smile seemed genuine, as if she had wanted to ask the question from the bottom of her heart. Or perhaps it was simply based on pure curiosity. Yukinoshita's next words flowed so naturally, as if she had been prepared for it.

"Then let's have a dance."

"Huh? Really? Wow~ I love Yukinoshita-senpai the most! But what you just did was so scary! Please don't do that again, I'm serious."

Isshiki ran to Yukinoshita's side, screaming as she hugged her. Yukinoshita looked impatient and said in a cold, low voice, "Don't do that," pushing Isshiki away.

Seeing this heartwarming scene, Yui and I both sighed in unison.

"Since it's the president's decision, there's nothing we can do. Time to get to work..."

"...Yes, that's right."

I complained to myself, while Yui nodded with a wry smile.

In short, the Service Club's policy has been set. If there's a mission, accomplish it. I stretched and shrugged. Just then, Yukinoshita spoke softly to us:

"...Um, may I say something?"

"Um?"

Yuihama and I watched as Yukinoshita straightened her posture, looking a little nervous.

"This decision is my own; I don't intend to force you to help."

"...Oh, oh. What do you mean?"

What is she saying? I stared into Yukinoshita's eyes. She took a soft breath and straightened her back.