My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 488

"Then I'm leaving."

"Okay—be careful on the road."

Although it was out of sight, I could still hear leisurely sounds coming from the living room.

I rode my creaking bicycle along the familiar route to school. If Komachi gets accepted, will we be able to go to school together? No, probably not. Maybe we'll occasionally leave at the same time, but we probably won't go to school together intentionally. Komachi and I will maintain a comfortable, appropriate distance because of this.

Because my mind was preoccupied with Komachi's affairs, I was absent-minded at school, even during class meetings and lessons.

As the second class was about to end, I glanced at the clock. I had been checking it constantly since early this morning. Now, the hour hand had finally pointed to the number I had been waiting for.

The results will be released soon...

I secretly let out a sigh of relief, and finally the bell rang. After watching the teacher leave the classroom, I stretched my arms and relaxed my shoulders. Just then, my phone vibrated.

I hurriedly took out my phone, and the screen displayed "A new text message has arrived," along with Komachi's name.

The thought that this text message would tell Komachi whether she had passed the exam filled me with fear, and I hesitated whether I should open it.

Finally, I made up my mind and stretched my trembling fingers toward the screen.

Just then, a nimble beast rushed past, stirring up a gust of wind. Her hair, like a horse's tail, fluttered in the air, leaving a beautiful blue trail.

I looked over in surprise and saw Kawasaki Saki had already dashed out. Her younger brother, Taishi, must have sent a text message at the same time. I got up and ran out of the classroom.

When the other students saw that the person who usually stayed in the corner suddenly rushed out, they all asked what had happened, and soon a commotion broke out.

"Huh? What's wrong? What happened? Should we go too? Sure, sure!"

I heard Tobe's excited voice behind me, but since there were only ten minutes left before get out of class ended, I didn't have time to turn around. Kawasaki had already vanished gracefully at the far end of the corridor.

Her destination was presumably the list in front of the main entrance. So was mine, of course. In the end, it took me less than a minute to rush to the crowded and noisy main entrance.

Among the noisy crowd of test-takers, I immediately spotted Komachi. Komachi seemed to have noticed me too.

I wiped the sweat from my forehead, panting heavily, while Komachi, on the contrary, calmly raised her hand and slowly walked over.

"Ah, brother. Komachi passed the exam!"

Then, he casually tossed out a sentence.

Therefore, I was at a loss for how to react at that moment. My rapid breathing calmed down after a deep exhale, and a sense of relief, akin to fatigue, gradually spread through my chest.

"yes……"

I finally managed to squeeze out a sentence. To be honest, I was so happy I wanted to jump for joy and praise Komachi, but seeing her nonchalant expression, I felt I should go along with her.

I even wanted to pat Komachi's head, but she's all grown up now, so I should remain calm. I shouldn't act as her older brother anymore, but rather as a senior brother, following in my younger sister's footsteps.

So I started thinking about what kind of congratulatory words a mature and steady man would say.

"That's great. That's great... that's really great."

However, all he uttered were monotonous words. What a headache for this brother. Compared to his sister, has this brother not grown at all? I'm starting to hate myself. I usually love showing off my writing skills, but at a time like this, I can't even utter the right lines.

I looked at Komachi, worried that she might be disappointed in me.

Since words can't convey my feelings, I'll at least congratulate her with my brightest smile. However, my smile isn't very flattering, so please bear with me.

But Komachi didn't close her eyes. She just stared into my eyes with a smiling gaze.

"Yes, that's great. Really..."

She nodded, her large eyes sparkling in the sunlight. Her words were interrupted by a sniffling sound, her deep breath trembling. She tried to suppress her breathing, inhaling forcefully, but her exhaled breath was still choked with sobs.

"Really, really...that's great...that's really great—"

Komachi lunged at me, her head slamming into my chest. The wet breath I felt on my skin, the irregular sobs, crystallized into sound and crashed against me.

I don't know how long it's been since I've seen Komachi cry like this. The way she cries is exactly the same as when she was a child. She looked so mature this morning—after a wry smile, I suddenly realized.

Ah, no, that's not right. This person isn't truly calm inside; they're just trying to appear composed. To avoid worrying me and my parents, or causing them to ask unnecessary questions out of concern and put pressure on themselves, they're suppressing their anxiety and tension. She struggled to support her trembling legs as she faced the answer, a stark black-and-white answer that was almost cruel.

I genuinely feel that it's wonderful that she received such a reward.

My hand naturally reached out to Komachi's head, patted it a few times, and then ruffled her hair. Komachi in my arms burst into tears again.

"Waaaaah, brother, waaaaaah, this is great, waaaaaah!"

She cried so intensely, like Tatsuya Fujiwara, who was so immersed in a crying scene, that I patted her back to comfort her.

It seems it will take some time for my brother and me to truly separate and become independent. No matter how unwilling I am, Komachi will grow into a mature and outstanding woman. That day may not be too far away.

But before that, can I be the older brother one more time...?

After I had been with Komachi for a while, I heard Kawasaki Saki's sharp voice from behind me.

"Great ambition!"

"Sis, that's great!"

I turned my head slightly and caught a glimpse of Dazhi walking towards me, holding up the information he had just received for qualified applicants.

His voice was quite loud and full of pride, reminding me of Loki calling out to Adrienne in the classic novel "Loki".

Komachi probably only remembered there were other people present when she heard Taishi's voice. She snapped out of her daze, pushed me away forcefully, and wiped her eyes vigorously with her uniform sleeve.

That's true. Nobody wants to be seen crying by someone they know. I smiled wryly and shielded Komachi behind me.

Just then, Taishi noticed me and walked over. As for Kawasaki, she was alone in a corner, gazing at the sky, occasionally wiping her eyes. "Mmm, that's great, sister..."

I tried to imagine Kawasaki's feelings and couldn't help but sigh. Taishi walked up to me and struck a victory pose.

"Brother, I passed the exam!"

"Call me 'brother' again and I'll kill you. Call me 'senior.' Congratulations on getting in! And who are you anyway?"

"Thank you! I'm Kawasaki Taishi! Uh... Hachiman-senpai!"

Dazhi grinned, his expression more masculine than before, making him look like a real man. Therefore, I decided to congratulate him in a truly masculine way.

"...Great. Okay, I'll toss you up in the air."

"Is my brother going to throw me all by himself? That's not a throw, it's a German-style back throw! The ground below is concrete! Someone could die!"

Dazhi stretched out his hands to block me, creating distance between us. It seemed he intended to reject me outright. I gave a wry smile, preparing to tell him it was just a joke.

"Oh, you want to toss someone? Really? Come on~"

However, before I could speak, Tobe suddenly appeared, followed by Taiga and Ooka. He probably wanted to take this opportunity to fool around. Looking closer, I saw students from our class and other classes nearby. Speaking of which, where was Hayama…? I looked around and found him chatting and laughing with the teacher. It seemed he was speaking up for everyone. Even though it was recess, we still ran out of school. But his thoughtful gesture seemed utterly meaningless against Tobe and the others…

"Yay!"

The Ministry of Revenue shouted loudly and led Yamato and Ooka to surround Daishi, who was trying to resist, and threw him up.

I took the opportunity to turn around and look at Komachi behind me.

"Komachi, go and report this to the school. And to Mom and Dad as well."

"Um……"

With her still-reddened eyes, she sniffled as she answered, then took out her phone to call the school. I listened absentmindedly to her call, glancing at the clock. It was almost time to go back to the classroom… I looked at Hayama, who was helping to talk to the teacher, and Yui ran over from beside him.

"Komachi!"

Komachi looked up, quickly finished her call, and ran towards Yuihama.

"Yui-nee answered..."

I thought she had finally stopped crying, but as soon as she saw Yui, tears welled up in her eyes again. Without hesitation, she hugged Yui and burst into tears… “Are you crying even harder than when you were in my arms? Is it just my imagination?”

Komachi tearfully reported her acceptance into the school, and Yui nodded in response to every word, holding her tightly in his arms, forehead to forehead, and smiling.

"Congratulations...that's great...you've really worked hard...I'm very happy for you too!"

Yuihama's voice was as soft as a whisper, and her final smile was radiant. Even Komachi's tear-streaked face broke into a smile.

"Tell Yukino quickly too!"

Hearing Yuihama say this, Komachi nodded enthusiastically and picked up her phone. But the next moment, she stopped abruptly.

"Waaah... My eyes are so blurry, I can't see anything at all..."

"Ah... I'll do it."

Yuigahama dialed the number with a wry smile, then held the phone away as if taking a selfie, making sure the camera captured both herself and Komachi. They were probably going to use a video call so Yukinoshita could see Komachi directly... But would Yukinoshita even know how to use a video call?

I watched with growing anxiety as they struggled to finally start a video call. Komachi pressed her face against the screen and shouted, "Yukino-nee, answer—" before bursting into tears again. She seemed to have completely forgotten about contacting her family…

My family—especially my dad—must be incredibly anxious, worried that Komachi hasn't contacted me yet, perhaps she didn't pass the exam, and that's why she's becoming increasingly pessimistic… There's no point in imagining it here, I'll go tell them. Although my dad probably prefers Komachi to tell him herself. Oh dear, how alike we are, father and son!

Therefore, the previous part was given to my mother.

The cherry blossoms are in bloom. That's all.

╳ ╳ ╳

I watched Komachi leave, then returned to the classroom, still feeling a little lightheaded, spacing out as time passed. After confirming that Komachi had passed the exam, I completely relaxed, and the lecture content went in one ear and out the other.

As I savored this happiness, class after class went by. Thanks to the family's early education about chewing food slowly and carefully, I was able to chew the food two or three times over, even ruminating like a cow.

Thankfully, I wasn't very hungry when the lunch break bell rang. Normally, I would have rushed to the convenience store to grab some food, but today I leisurely strolled over.

As I pondered what to have for lunch and prepared to stand up, the classroom door made several noises before slowly opening. It's one thing for it to be a faculty office or clubroom, but it's surprising that someone would actually knock before entering a regular classroom…

Peeking out from behind the door was Yukino Yukinoshita.

The unusual visitor caused a stir in the classroom. Under the watchful eyes of so many people, Yukinoshita remained calm and explained the purpose of her visit.

"Is Kawasaki-kun there?"

"...Huh? Looking for me?"

Kawasaki blinked, pointing at herself, her voice slightly surprised. Yukinoshita nodded in agreement. Their appearances easily attracted attention, making them even more of a focus of everyone's attention. Under the curious gazes of so many people, Kawasaki looked extremely embarrassed, her brows furrowed, her face flushed, and she quickly walked towards Yukinoshita with a pout.

The two started talking right at the door. Hmm... I couldn't hear Kawasaki's voice at all, was it because she was too embarrassed...? Yukinoshita seemed to be lowering her voice to match her, so I couldn't hear a single word.

Those nearby also pricked up their ears, trying to find out what had happened. However, judging from their reactions, it seemed that no one had heard anything.

I guess it's probably about the ball. It's really impolite to eavesdrop on things you don't intend to interfere with.

So this time I actually got up from my seat and walked towards the back door of the classroom. As I passed the seats by the window, I noticed that it was unusually quiet today, so I couldn't help but take a look.

Yuihama watched Yukinoshita and Kawasaki. She probably guessed Yukinoshita's purpose for coming, which is why she remained silent and observed quietly.

However, this seems a bit unbelievable to Miura.

"Yui, aren't you coming over?"

Her tone was cold, even a little barbed. But incredibly, I could sense her concern for Yui. It was probably a high-context culture of omitting many words and condensing multiple meanings into a single sentence. Yui seemed to understand her intention.

"Hmm...she'll probably let me know if she needs anything later. And I'll be going to the club office too, so it's fine."

"Oh, really?"

Yuihama thought for a moment, then smiled and answered. Miura, unsure whether he was satisfied with her answer, gave an ambiguous reply, then played with his curly hair, exchanged a glance with Ebina, and both tilted their heads slightly.

I can understand their reaction. Yuihama's stance is somewhat different from before, so it's not surprising that they are confused.

However, the reason she changed her stance was probably because she had taken a few steps forward.

I glanced at Yui and the others before leaving the classroom.

╳ ╳ ╳

I casually bought some leftover khat from the store, grabbed some MAX coffee, and sat in my usual spot, enjoying a slightly later lunchtime with the sounds of tennis practice and the calls of green-eyed birds in the background.

It's a bit chilly eating out in this weather. However, perhaps because I'm still basking in the afterglow of Komachi's appearance on the list, it's not unbearably cold.

Tonight we'll probably be having a big celebratory dinner, so lunch can be simple. After finishing two savory bread rolls, I'll enjoy a warm cup of MAX coffee.

As I was lost in thought, I heard humming and light footsteps behind me. The voice sounded familiar... I turned around and, sure enough, it was Isshiki. When Isshiki saw me, her mouth slightly agape, as if she wanted to take a few steps back.

"Ah, it really is in a place like this."

"Hmm? Yeah. What's wrong?"

My opening line might seem a bit rude... but this isn't a new thing, so I'll ignore it and go straight to asking what's on their mind.

"It's nothing, I just have something I want to say to you, senior..."

Isshiki sat down next to me, then seemed to suddenly remember something and fell silent for a moment.

"...By the way, why isn't you in the classroom, senior?! I went all the way here to look for you! It's so embarrassing to ask others if you're there!"

Isshiki, probably recalling how embarrassing it was, blushed and forcefully pulled on my shoulder, protesting loudly. And her complaints weren't over yet.

"And what's more! And what's more! Senior Tobe even asked the others in a super loud voice! Something like, 'Iroha is looking for the penguin, does anyone know where he is? Hehe—' Doesn't that seem ridiculous?"