My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 486

"Well, in other words... this wasn't a decision I made as club president, so it's not legally binding. Therefore, you don't need to treat this as a club activity. I would be very grateful if you could help. Even if it's just me, I'll make sure the dance is a success..."

Yukinoshita spoke softer and softer, her words becoming increasingly indistinct. Perhaps she herself didn't know how to express herself; her hands, resting on her lap, clutched her skirt, her head slightly lowered, and she bit her lip, looking as if she couldn't bring herself to speak.

These rambling words puzzled me for a moment. But I remembered that I had said similar fallacies before. Isshiki probably sensed this as well.

However, this is easier to overcome than my previous fallacies.

"So, we're free to participate, right?"

Yukino glanced at me, then hesitated before opening her mouth. But before she could utter a sound, a very gentle voice came from beside her.

"No, he's an autistic guy."

Yuihama pointed out my mistake, but her tone wasn't reproachful, admonishing, or corrective. Her voice was as soft as a feather, drawing my attention. She shook her head, then looked at the table and sighed.

After a moment, she gave Yukino a gentle smile.

"Yukino... wants to try on her own, right?"

Yukinoshita nodded in affirmation without hesitation.

Ah, really? It dawned on me. It wasn't what I thought; I had indeed misunderstood.

No matter how much time passes, even if we say a thousand words, layering them with phrases, we never quite get to the heart of the matter. She, with just a gentle sentence, revealed exactly what was on her mind.

Snow trembled as she took a deep breath.

"If you're going to do something, do it now. You might still make it in time... That's probably what I think too."

Isshiki stared wide-eyed in surprise at Yukinoshita's profile. Perhaps only Yuihama could remain calm. No matter the situation, only she could truly understand Yukinoshita's words.

"So, I want to take this step carefully... I would be very happy if you could watch from the sidelines."

"Okay, then I won't say anything more. But promise me—"

Yuihama extended her little finger, and Yukinoshita, perhaps unsure how to react, simply placed her hand in an awkward position, neither too close nor too far. However, while waiting, the two fingers cautiously approached and intertwined.

"Please don't force yourself. Also, if you need help, be sure to call me. This has nothing to do with the service club; it's because I'm your friend. I hope I can help when you need it..."

"Okay, I promise... Thank you."

After making the pinky promise, Yuihama raised the corners of her mouth, revealing a bright smile that still retained a touch of childishness, just like always.

"Okay, all right. I'm fine now. What about the autistic guy?"

Her voice was so clear and crisp, like the ringing of a bell, that I couldn't react immediately.

"oh……"

I could only offer a response that was essentially a sigh. I wasn't even sure which question I was addressing. Yukinoshita looked up at me uneasily.

"...Did I do something wrong?"

"...No. Let's leave it at that. Although I don't really understand it either."

"You're always so casual."

Yukinoshita laughed, and my voice carried a hint of amusement. I finally understood what I had found in that elegant bow of thanks, and what those subtle words were trying to express. It felt familiar, and understanding was perfectly natural. I had experienced this sense of peace and loneliness before.

"...I see, I think I understand now."

"Isshiki mumbled. She looked slightly tired, and her sigh was heavy. Yukinoshita noticed this and politely asked her:

"Um, I'm sorry... Do you mind? I'm all alone, you might feel uneasy..."

"Ah, no, I'm not worried about that part, don't worry about it, senior."

Isshiki smiled back at Yukinoshita, who bowed her head in apology, then stood up and took a step towards her, turning to face her directly.

"So, can we ask the senior student to come to the student council office starting tomorrow?"

"Yes. Please guide me."

"Not at all, I'm the one who should ask for your guidance, Yukino-senpai."

Isshiki jokingly saluted Yukinoshita, picked up the things she had brought, and turned around.

Yukinoshita seemed unaccustomed to being called "Yukino-senpai," looking puzzled. Isshiki ignored her, quickly walked towards the door, waved goodbye just before closing it, and left the clubroom.

After watching her leave, only the three of us remained in the student office. It was past the designated departure time, and it wouldn't be good to stay any longer.

"...Let's go back too."

After checking the time, Yukinoshita said, and Yui and I both nodded in agreement, quickly packing our things. Yui folded the blanket on her lap, tucked it under her arm, and walked out of the clubroom.

I went outside, and Yukino followed behind.

The darkness that lingered in the school building caused the temperature in the corridor to drop significantly. Just one door away, it felt like being in another place.

The chill that pierced the skin proved just how comfortable this office space was.

Since it's not work, I don't need to come here starting tomorrow. Thinking about this, I feel a little reluctant to leave.

However, this is what true independence is all about. Like Komachi's peaceful independence from her brother, it's a little lonely, yet also something to be proud of. Therefore, it's something to be celebrated.

The office door clicked shut, as if locking away something precious inside.

Only she possessed that key; I never touched it.

Volume 12, Chapter 5: As expected, Isshiki Iroha is the strongest junior.

The day after we finished discussing things at the community office, the temperature unexpectedly warmed up.

The strong winds had been blowing non-stop since early morning. Even after school, the windows were still rattling loudly. The sunlight streaming through the glass was enough to warm the classroom, so the heating was unusually unavailable today and was turned off early.

Students who are afraid of the cold and reluctant to leave the warm classroom ran outside immediately today.

There were only a few people left in the classroom, so I picked up my bag, which didn't have much in it, and prepared to leave.

Just then, someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around and saw Yui, who was already wearing a coat.

I roughly knew why Yui Hama had come, and silently stood up. She asked as she wrapped her scarf around her neck:

"Hey, you autistic guy, what are you planning to do today?"

“Ah—”

Her question was a little different from what I expected, leaving me momentarily at a loss for words.

Yuigahama personally told Yukinoshita that she would help as a friend if needed. As for me, I didn't express my opinion, nor was I asked for my willingness. Therefore, I'm currently essentially unemployed.

I have always maintained that "we should only do things when there is absolutely no other choice," and this statement is absolutely true and will not change in the future.

I currently have no commissions or consultations, no obligations or contracts to fulfill, and no sins to atone for.

Therefore, there is no need to go to the community office.

It took me inexplicably long to reach this conclusion, and my expression unconsciously turned into a wry smile.

"No, I'm going straight home."

Only after I finished speaking did I realize that my earlier "no" had been rather vague. But instead of revealing my true thoughts, I asked her:

"And you?"

Yui Hama also pinched the scarf on her face and thought for a moment.

"Um... I'm going home too..."

"yes."

"Um."

Yui nodded and buried her face in the yarn. The conversation ended there.

Although it lasted only a few seconds, there was indeed a silence between us.

I'm probably not the only one who's bothered by this silence. Although it's not exactly evidence, Yui and I exchanged glances several times.

What happened? What's going on now?

I was at a loss, feeling I should break the silence, but I couldn't think of anything to say. As if to hide my embarrassment, I put my not-at-all-heavy backpack back on.

"……goodbye."

"Ah! Yeah. Goodbye."

Yui waved gently. I nodded in response and walked towards the door, the sound of footsteps echoing behind me.

I glanced back and saw Yuihama go back to find Miura.

"I don't have any club activities today, so I can go with you guys~"

"Hmm...wait, what? You can go? Yay! Oh my god, I had no idea where I was going. Oh no, where am I supposed to go?"

As for Miura, she was fixing her hair and playing on her phone when she heard Yuihama's unexpected reply. Startled, she glanced at her twice, then immediately looked at Ebina. Ebina chuckled and said:

"It's fine as long as Yumiko decides. Anyway, it's all in Chiba, right? Although I don't know for sure."

"Huh? If I had to decide, it would definitely be 'The Story of the Ishigami'."

"Oh~ I'm eating fried skewers~"

In stark contrast to his earlier panic, Miura inexplicably adopted an air of arrogance, while Ebina clapped her hands and casually chimed in. This conversation seemed to delight Yui, who smiled innocently and asked, "Kushi-grilled? Going to eat kushi-grilled? Really?" What's this "Kushi-grilled Story" thing...? Are we all going to talk about kushi-grilled? Discuss kushi-grilled? I feel like we'll end up arguing about whether to look at it from above or below... [Note 45: Adapted from the film "Fireworks," the original title of which is a direct translation of "Should we look at the rising fireworks from below or from the side?" The Japanese pronunciation of "discussing kushi-grilled" is similar to "rising fireworks."]

In any case, Yuihama's after-school schedule seems to be set.

I had no plans at all, and only now am I starting to think about what to do, so I silently walked into the corridor.

Thanks to the previous long weekend, the anime inventory has been used up, and most of the books have been read in the club office.

That leaves only a pile of games I haven't finished yet. Komachi was preparing for exams, so I avoided playing on my console—I thought to myself as I walked down the stairs.

It's been a long time since I've been able to relax on the sofa and play video games without any inhibitions, so I'm quite excited. Especially when it comes to some highly anticipated sequel to a major title, I might play for three days and three nights straight... Is Eightman going to save the world again?

The more I thought about it, the more excited I became; I almost jumped for joy.

Upon reflection, I realized that this was how I spent my free time before I was forced to join the Service Society.

I went down to the first floor and walked towards the main entrance.

Then I saw her walking under the snow, her coat tucked under her arm. Judging from the direction she was heading, she was probably going to the student council office. Her steps were a little hurried, making me hesitate for a moment whether I should call out to her. In the end, I just watched her leave from a distance.

Starting today, Yukinoshita and Isshiki will be organizing a ball together.

I don't know the details of this matter. Apart from the Service Club, Yukinoshita and I have no interaction whatsoever, and we don't talk unless there are club activities. As a student in the General Studies Department, Yukinoshita in the International Liberal Arts Department and I don't even attend physical education or practical classes together.

We usually only bump into each other by chance. However, I still didn't insist on asking her about the ball.

Not finding an opportunity to strike up a conversation is certainly one reason. More importantly, even though I hadn't helped, deliberately going over to ask questions like "How's it going?" or "Are you doing a good job?" only made her think, "Why should I?" or "What right do you have?", which would create resentment. Therefore, I didn't dare to talk to her. The moment that thought crossed my mind, I already felt really annoyed! Excessive self-consciousness is truly terrifying…

While I was feeling down, Yukina had already turned the corner into the corridor.

There was no sign of confusion in her steps.

She stood tall and straight, gazing intently ahead, her steps measured and rhythmic. With each step, her long, glossy black hair swayed.

It wasn't until she completely disappeared from sight that I finally remembered I was on my way home.

╳ ╳ ╳

Since it was a home console game I hadn't played in a long time, I played all night without closing my eyes. The next day, I went to school still half asleep, and then continued playing like crazy when I got home.

The story progresses smoothly, and I can't stop playing. But in the world of RPGs, the moment of stagnation will eventually come.

The main reason is leveling up and collecting items. Leveling up isn't too difficult, but collecting items is daunting. People who grew up playing Pokémon often develop a compulsion to complete the entire Pokédex. They're like college freshmen opening their calendars and finding the holiday section blank, desperately filling in the empty spaces.

Trophies, titles, illustrations, plus the grueling gameplay from the second round onwards...

However, the result of a freshman who barely got into university and then spent the summer vacation having a blast is that after school starts, people talk behind his back: "Isn't that guy working too hard?" "To be honest, sometimes I can't bear to watch." "Just watching him makes me feel so sorry for him." "It's really hard to get along with him." Before long, he disappears like a broken wire. My enthusiasm was like that too, vanishing along the way... University students are terrifying!

Simply put, whether it's a hobby or a game, once it becomes a routine or has a set goal, it's no different from work. It took me three days and three nights to realize this, and today I left for school still half asleep.

I spent almost the entire day napping during class, which resulted in excruciating back pain by the time school ended.

After the last class meeting, I strained to straighten my creaking, aching back and twisted it a few times, just like I did when I was chatting with my dad one day. [Note 46: This is from the lyrics of the American nursery rhyme "Green Green," and the mimicry of twisting the back sounds similar to "Green." The phrase "the joys and sorrows of living in this world" below is also from the lyrics of that song.]

Severe back pain and drowsiness made me think about the joys and sorrows of living in this world, and I limped out of the classroom.

Totsuka, who seemed to have been watching from a distance, quickly walked over.

"Hachiman, you've been sleeping all day. Or rather, you've been like this for days. Are you alright?"

He stood next to me, observing my expression. This gesture, like a friendly rabbit, made me laugh, while also making Totsuka worry unnecessarily.

"It's nothing, it's nothing. I've just been staying up late playing video games for the past three days."

“I-I see…”