My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 489

Wow, that's so vivid... Okay, I don't know what it's like to say "Yay--" in that situation. But, it's quite possible that Hobe would do something like that. If his actions were entirely based on goodwill, it wouldn't be so bad, but that guy is probably trying to show Ebina, "Don't let my appearance fool you, I'm actually a very nice person! Right?" That's really infuriating.

"Well, okay, I'm sorry. Although the one in the wrong was the Ministry of Revenue, not me. In the end, it was Hayama who jumped in to help, right?"

I predicted what would happen next, and Isshiki let go of my shoulder and waved.

"No, before that, Miura-senpai couldn't stand it anymore and yelled at Tobe-senpai to shut up before she calmed down."

So this is how it turned out? It's certainly imaginable... As that scene flashed through my mind, Isshiki continued to add.

"Senior Hayama suggested I ask Senior Yui, and that's how I ended up here."

"Oh, I see... So what's up?"

"Yes, there's something I'd like to ask you for a favor, senior."

I asked again, and Isshiki sat upright, her arms wrapped around her legs, looking up at me with her large, watery brown eyes. Her slender fingers gently tugged at my sleeve, and her flaxen hair swayed in the wind.

"Senior...can you come and help?"

"I can't help it. I hate dances."

My cute act isn't working on me anymore—even so, I still instinctively turned my head away. I couldn't help it; if she kept staring at me, I might accidentally agree!

Besides, I just refused, so it wouldn't be good to change my mind immediately. Furthermore, giving in here would be tantamount to being defeated by Ichiro's cuteness...

That would be too impure and too dishonest. For her to uphold her principles, to risk her very existence, and to make a choice based solely on her own judgment is quite dishonest. I should also be a little more reserved about my answer. Besides, I personally don't approve of holding a dance. If I were to make my own judgment, rather than relying on the club's decision, my answer would remain unchanged.

However, sometimes, the words spoken seem to change completely depending on the listener. Upon hearing my answer, Isshiki smiled with satisfaction for some reason. She lowered her eyes as if drifting off to sleep, gently placed her hands on her chest, raised her chin, and said in a voice as soft as a bird's song:

"Even though he said that, he still looked very happy when I asked him for a favor."

"...Do you think I look happy?"

I tried my best to put on a reluctant expression. Since she wouldn't understand if I spoke to her, I had to show her with my eyes.

Isshiki, perhaps unwilling to be outdone, suddenly turned serious as well. She narrowed her usually bright eyes, shooting out a glint as sharp as a blade.

"...Do you want me to answer honestly?"

"Huh? You...you're being a little scary. Don't take it so seriously."

She was so serious, it startled me a little. I had to change the subject quickly!

"Wasn't Yukino helping out? Did something go wrong? Ah, don't tell me you two don't actually get along. It'll make me sad."

"Well, let me just say this: I really like Yukino-senpai... although whether she likes me or not is another matter, and I don't know if we get along well."

At first she seemed angry, but she became a little depressed in the second half of the story.

No, I think Yukino likes Iroha... and quite a bit... I think it's best not to say this for the sake of yuri—no, it's better not to say it at all. She'll probably realize it herself later.

At that moment, Isshiki looked up and waved his finger to tell me about the current situation.

"To be honest, the preparation process went incredibly smoothly. I knew she was a super capable person, but when we actually worked together, I still wondered why she wasn't the student council president. I really want to fire the vice president and ask Yukino-senpai to stay in the student council forever."

"It wasn't you who got fired, but the vice president... He worked very hard too. I'm just guessing."

As long as you don't flirt with the secretary, you seem like a serious person... So stop flirting and get back to work! What are you doing in the student union?

Isshiki's tone was a mix of envy, jealousy, and longing, suggesting that Yukinoshita had fully unleashed her abilities and showcased her skills. Given her capabilities and experience, it was easy to imagine what she would be capable of. Therefore, the future easily came to mind.

"If you get along well and things go smoothly at work, that's fine... but even smooth sailing can lead to problems."

"What?"

Isshiki curled her lip, narrowed her eyes, and gave her a "what are you talking about?" look. That attitude was really annoying… well, you can't blame her. After all, she wasn't the student council president during the school anniversary celebration.

So she didn't know that some things could only proceed smoothly because someone was forced to sacrifice themselves.

Rather, no one on the team planning the ball knew about it. Furthermore, Yui wasn't present, and despite being told not to push herself, Yukinoshita might still start to overexert herself if the situation became urgent. Therefore, someone needs to discover this and stop Yukinoshita, otherwise, problems will arise.

In that case, it would be best to tell Isshiki.

"It's not exactly advice, but don't rely on Yukino too much. She can handle most things, so it's easy for others to delegate tasks to her. But if she gets exhausted, progress will come to a complete standstill. She's incredibly stubborn and unwilling to admit defeat, even though she doesn't have much stamina, and she'll occasionally push herself to the limit without batting an eye... Anyway, I advise you to be careful."

If you're not planning to help, perhaps you shouldn't interfere, but at least let me offer some advice. I said this in a tone that suggested I wouldn't meddle too much. With Ichiro's quick wit, that should be clear.

"……I see."

Isshiki listened to me quietly, and finally muttered to herself, "Looks like I understood." Then, she looked at me with an incredulous expression.

"I already felt that way, senior..."

Huh, what's going on? How scary... I suddenly started to feel uneasy as she stared at me with a suspicious look.

A smile curved her pouting lips.

"Overprotective, huh?"

Although there was a smile on her lips, her tone was as cold as ice, tinged with sarcasm. After blinking a couple of times, her narrowed eyes returned to their large, watery shape, as if to tell me that she had just been joking.

Only then was I able to turn my head slightly and exhale the breath I had been holding for so long.

"No, I don't think so..."

I said in a weak voice, my index finger pressed against my chin, and I tilted my head.

"How would you describe it? The 'older brother' attribute?"

"Hmm, maybe."

"Does the senior really like girls younger than him?"

"No..."

Isshiki leaned forward to ask, and I stepped back the same distance. After I denied it, Isshiki stepped back slightly, as if to keep her distance, and said jokingly:

"Really?"

"What's there to lie about? Anyone with a younger sister will unconsciously treat others the same way they would treat their sister. It's probably just a habit."

I sat up straight again, slung my back back, and sauntered into my pockets, looking like I was "used to being the older brother." Seeing this, Isshiki instantly gave a helpless smile and sighed softly. His switching between these expressions was astonishing. If it weren't for me, I probably would have missed it.

"I advise you not to do this again."

"Whoa whoa……"

Iroha spoke to me bluntly and coldly. Then, she rested her chin on her hands on her knees and gazed listlessly at the playground.

"No girl would be happy to be treated like a younger sister."

The melancholy words faded away in the cold wind, but I believe they came from the heart.

Or perhaps she has a similar experience. Isshiki is likely to be liked by men older than her, so it's not surprising that she's treated like a younger sister. Although I can't understand why anyone would compare this super pretentious little devil junior to a younger sister. After all, my younger sister—Hachigaya Komachi—is a world-class younger sister. There was no one like her before Komachi, and there will be no one like her after Komachi. I have never seen a younger sister who surpasses Komachi, and Komachi is my only younger sister. I've been saying "As long as I have a younger sister" ever since my past lives [Note 55: "Past lives" is the theme song of the movie "Your Name," and "As Long as I Have a Younger Sister" (Taiwanese translation: "If Only I Had a Younger Sister") is a light novel by author Hirasaka Yomiyuki].

Wait a minute. Does that mean Komachi also gets told things like, "You look like my little sister" by other men...?

This feels a bit... I felt a bit depressed, so I just said what was on my mind.

"Yeah, that's right. Guys who call themselves 'older brother' are disgusting, shameful, and practically criminal."

"Huh...? Yeah, that's really disgusting..."

Isshiki suddenly looked over, giving me a "What is this guy spouting nonsense? It's disgusting" expression, and distanced herself from me. Then she cleared her throat a few times and continued the conversation:

"That's not what I meant. What I meant was, this way it doesn't feel like being treated like a girl. And wouldn't the senior be unhappy if he was said to be like an older brother?"

"No, I'm actually the older brother, I have no complaints..."

"Ah... that's probably true for boys. Well—"

Isshiki seemed to realize something, checked her throat, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, like an actress preparing to immerse herself in a role. I waited a moment, then she slowly opened her eyes and looked at me expressionlessly. Ready… Camera on!

She first gave a polite smile, then maintained that expression and slightly averted her gaze.

"Ah, haha... Senior, you remind me of my dad. Ah, no, well, how should I put it... well, thank you for taking such good care of me~"

This news had a huge impact on Hachiman's heart.

That statement was incredibly hurtful. Unless one mentally interprets it from a third-person perspective, exaggerating their reaction like Zhuge Liang in Mitsuteru Yokoyama's *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, their heart might not be able to take it. Most importantly, I sensed her intention not to be too rude, not to hurt the other person, which is even more heartbreaking. To say something like that to a high school student is absolutely offensive, isn't it? Even if I'm over thirty, being said that by someone several years younger would still hurt me deeply!

After Isse finished her near-perfect performance, she looked at me with her eyes and asked for my thoughts. I nodded heavily.

"...I'm so hurt. I've clearly been put in a different category. More importantly, I'm starting to worry about whether I smell like an old person, whether I'm really smelly...I just want to die."

"Regardless of the taste, that's it. It feels like being put in a different section."

Yise crossed his arms, nodded vigorously, then raised his index finger to give me a suggestion, and added:

"A man who tells a girl 'You're like my little sister' will most likely later say something like 'I don't see you as my little sister anymore'—it's a pair of lines."

"My God, what the hell... What do they take my sister for... My sister is a sacred and inviolable sanctuary... I really hope they rethink the concept of a sister and reflect on their actions..."

"Although the reaction wasn't quite what I expected, oh well... anyway!"

She rolled her eyes, reluctantly accepted the offer, then stood with her hands on her hips, ready to lecture, and began her earnest instruction.

"You can't just say a girl looks like a younger sister anymore—"

Iroha suddenly stopped mid-sentence, quickly stepped back, covered her mouth, and said:

"Ah! Could it be that you were planning to tell me all along, 'I no longer consider you my little sister'? Hearing that line now doesn't move me at all. Please come again next time. I'm sorry."

"Okay, okay, I understand, I understand. I won't say it, I won't say it."

He rattled off a long string of words in rapid succession before finally pausing to let out a deep breath. At the same time, I also sighed.

"You weren't even listening to me, were you?"

Isshiki puffed out her cheeks in protest. Who taught you to talk so fast every time, and always end with a hairpin? Who's going to listen anyway...?

Seeing my exhausted face, she snorted unhappily and turned her head away.

"Never mind. Anyway, I'll have to trouble you for help."

"Huh? What? Didn't I already say...?"

Asking someone for a favor in this manner is not very friendly, but she seemed a bit stubborn, which made me unsure how to refuse, and I couldn't find the words to say for a moment.

After a moment of silence.

"Because I'm not the senior's sister."

Isshiki brought her lips close to my ear and whispered softly. Her voice was completely different from before; it was so sweet it was almost melting, yet it also carried an indomitable will.

Before I could react, she patted her skirt, quickly stood up, and a smile appeared on her lips.

She walked away with light, waltz-like steps. The trail her skirt traced in the air, the graceful movements of her slender fingers, and the shimmering grains of sand that drifted down followed her into the distance.

"I'll be waiting for you in the student council office after school!"

She waved from a few steps away, finished speaking, and then walked on her way, humming a song.

If I tried to talk back, my voice wouldn't reach me; if I tried to chase after her, I wouldn't be able to catch her. How could I possibly treat someone as skilled as her as a younger sister?

We must change our mindset. Isshiki Iroha is truly a world-class junior...

╳ ╳ ╳

After school, I walked slowly down the corridor leading to the student council office.

Since I couldn't refuse Isshiki's request on the spot, I had no choice but to go. But now, how could I bring myself to join them? Thinking of this, my steps naturally became heavy.

Unfortunately, the student council office wasn't far at all, and I arrived at my destination in no time.

Before long, someone helped open the door. Isshiki peeked out from the crack in the door.

"Ah, senior. You're so slow~"

"Yes, I'm sorry."

I was indeed dawdling, so I obediently apologized and entered the room under Isshiki's guidance.

Yukinoshita and Yuihama were here too, but I didn't see any other student council members. They're probably working elsewhere.

If Yukinoshita needed help, she would most likely turn to Yui first, so it's not surprising that she was here. Yui had probably heard Isshiki mention me before; when she saw me, she simply waved and greeted me casually.

As for Yukinoshita, she opened her eyes wide in slight surprise and murmured in a voice mixed with doubt and confusion:

"Hikigaya-kun..."

"Hmm... Isshiki asked me to come. Anyway, I'll come and help."

Judging from the snow's reaction, Isshiki probably didn't tell her I was coming to help. I said, Iroha, reporting, contacting, and discussing are all very important, okay? Showing up uninvited only brings misfortune to everyone…

However, while Yukinoshita was confused, she didn't seem particularly troubled. Instead, she gave a wry smile, as if she felt apologetic.

"Really? I'm sorry. We just happened to need some manpower today, that's great. Thank you."