My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 492

After an impatient sigh, she quickly complied with Yuihama's request and pressed on her waist.

"Okay, that solves the problem. You can do your own makeup."

"Ah, um! Thank you, Saki! I'm sorry, you autistic guy, for keeping you waiting! I'll get right on it!"

Yui hurriedly sat down in front of the dressing table, wrapped a scarf around her neck to protect her dress, and quickly spread out her makeup tools.

"Take your time, it's okay. They're still discussing things."

"Hmm—" she mumbled as she applied her makeup. Kawasaki silently passed by her, quickly walking towards the doorway where I was, and said wearily:

"Then I'll go back. You can handle the rest yourselves."

"Yes, thank you for your hard work. I'm sorry, they seemed to have asked you for help at the last minute."

"yes."

I wanted to comfort her, but I was glared at... Waaah, I'm so sorry~ I shrank back and lowered my head, and then I heard a breath that was hard to tell if it was a sigh or a soft laugh.

"The dress has a very long hem, and the heels are high. Tell her to be careful before she gets used to it."

"Oh, okay."

Kawasaki finished speaking in a cold yet incredibly gentle tone, then walked past me. Her back looked quite weary. Oh dear, Kawasaki, that tsundere! How adorable—I thought to myself, watching her leave.

Now that only Yui and I were left in the room, and since I had nothing else to do, my gaze naturally drifted over. Yui, who was brushing her face with a brush in front of the vanity, suddenly stopped halfway through.

"Um... I feel really awkward if you keep staring at me like that..."

Our eyes met in the mirror, and Yui protested to me a little shyly. Her cheeks, which had just been brushed, were flushed with a faint pink. Seeing her like that, I felt embarrassed too and looked away.

"Ah, sorry. Never mind me, please continue. Isn't that enough? Is it still not enough?"

"Huh...not yet."

She stared at the mirror for a moment, then immediately started working on it.

“Yes, yes…”

"I think that's enough, you're beautiful enough," I swallowed back the words that were about to come out, and only gave a brief reply. After Yui finished using the brush, she picked up the lip pencil.

"Because we're filming a video, what if it doesn't turn out well?"

"Yukino said she would edit the video so that it would be impossible to tell who it was."

"That's the version uploaded online. The original file will be kept and won't be deleted. If it were me, I wouldn't delete it... So, I want to leave it looking beautiful in the video."

After Yui finished speaking calmly, she applied a light layer of lipstick. She lifted her chin and moved it slightly, observing her face from different angles, slowly refining the lines with a lip pencil. Her pale red lips shone with a sheen, and she looked completely different from usual in the mirror. Her expression, fixed on the mirror, lacked its former childlike innocence, making her seem like an unattainable figure. So, I couldn't help but speak:

"is that so……"

"That's it! Great, mission accomplished!"

Yuihama wasn't facing the mirror; she turned and smiled at me. That simple gesture put me at ease, yet I found myself holding my breath. To hide it, I unconsciously scratched my head.

"Do you need your hair fixed too?"

"No..."

"Ugh—your hair is such a mess. This is an introductory video; you need to look your best. The way you're doing it is just..."

Yui looked up at the top of my head, her expression shifting to pity. Is it... really that bad? It seems like things really aren't going to work out. Besides, it's not good to have a scruffy guy in an introductory video meant to build a good impression.

"Okay, I'll fix it up a bit... Could you lend me some hair wax? Hair gel will do too."

I walked to the dressing table, and Yui offered me her seat. Having received instruction from Komachi, I could manage something as simple as styling my hair. Since I was wearing a formal dress, a simple slicked-back hairstyle would do the trick. The problem was, if I were to slick my hair back, it would only make me look more like a thug…

As I reached for the hair wax on the table, a hand reached out from behind and snatched it away. I turned around and saw Yui Hama casually saying:

"I'll help you organize it. If you do it yourself, it'll probably look weird."

"Huh, completely negating my taste... Okay, I can't argue with that... But it's such a small matter—"

"Leave it to me, leave it to me. I'm really good at this!"

Before I could finish speaking, Yui grabbed my head and turned me towards the mirror. It hurt so much! And to my embarrassment, all the sweat glands on my scalp were open and sweat was about to pour out! I was panicking terribly, but Yui was humming a song with great enthusiasm.

"This customer, is anything itchy?"

"We don't need to play this game anymore, hurry up and get it done..."

Embarrassed and sweating, I froze. Then, for some reason, Yui's hands stopped moving too. Huh, what's wrong? Does she find the sweat on her scalp disgusting? Sorry~ I saw Yui's serious expression in the mirror.

"Your scalp is so hard... you'll go bald later."

"Hey, you can say anything else, just this one. Saying it will start a war..."

"Just kidding, just kidding! It's so soft! I'll tickle you, I'll tickle you!"

"It itches so much! Stop scratching! Please stop...please stop, please..."

I let out a wail, covered my face with my hands, and curled up. My expression must have been incredibly awkward; I didn't want to see it myself, nor did I want anyone else to see it. At the same time, slender fingertips entwined around my hair, slowly combing it into strands. The song Yuihama was humming unconsciously transformed into a gentle melody.

The sensation was like combing my hair, or stroking my head, along with the occasional gentle touches of my fingertips, gradually relaxing my body. I felt like a carp lying on a chopping board, eyes closed and completely still.

“…Okay, done.”

Hearing this, I opened my eyes. Yui, reflected in the mirror, tilted her head, her gaze asking for my opinion. I nodded a few times, indicating that I looked beautiful. Truly, so beautiful that I felt unworthy of her. Seeing my satisfied expression, Yui smiled and placed her hand on my shoulder.

"You need to look handsome in the photos too."

"Leave it to me. Post-production technology is getting more and more advanced; the power of technology is omnipotent."

"Haha, what's wrong?"

She patted my shoulder with a smile. And with that, we were both dressed. I stood up and headed towards the venue, Yui's footsteps following behind. She walked slowly and gracefully, unlike her usual clattering footsteps, which reminded me of something.

"Kawasaki is warning you to watch your skirt and heels."

"Oh, I see. It's definitely not very convenient to walk in. It'll probably be quite difficult until you get used to it..."

"Yeah...and it's very dark here."

I slightly raised my left arm, straightened my back, puffed out my chest, and tucked my chin in. And, don't panic? That's what I was taught.

Yuihama stared at me in surprise for a while before she understood what I meant, chuckled softly, and silently put her arm around mine. Just like that time before.

We made many excuses for this behavior, and on this short journey, we moved forward slowly at the same pace.

╳ ╳ ╳

Filming went smoothly. The biggest reason was probably that the scene of the king and queen dancing, which was initially a concern, was filmed almost perfectly in one take. Yukinoshita and Isshiki displayed remarkably exquisite dancing skills.

Yukinoshita modestly claimed to know only a little about dance, but she stunned the audience from the very beginning. The sound of her leather shoes clattering, her elegant twirls lifting the hem of her tuxedo, and her pure white gloves gently taking her partner's hand—every movement made the impromptu actresses on set scream with excitement.

As for her dance partner, Isshiki, due to the difference in experience, could only closely follow Yukinoshita's steps from beginning to end, occasionally accidentally stepping on her foot, and her movements were so-so. However, the way she lowered her head each time she made a mistake was quite endearing, and when Yukinoshita covered up her mistakes with a smile, Isshiki responded with a cute and bright smile in return. Her earnestly feigned pitiful girlishness made the boys watching from the sidelines swoon.

The audience responded with applause and cheers, creating a very lively atmosphere.

However, Isshiki, who checked the video during his break, didn't seem very satisfied.

"The photos are great, and the cheers are enthusiastic, but it's still quite different from what I expected... It's like some kind of formal dance competition..."

"Yes, I also feel it's different from what I imagined..."

Yukinoshita, peeking at the screen from behind Isshiki, sighed while pressing her temple. I listened, trying to recall the scene from earlier, and began to think.

Yes, indeed... it felt more like watching a performance than a dance party where everyone could have fun together...

Isshiki nodded, probably having reached the same conclusion as me. She turned to look at Yukinoshita.

"Okay, let's use this for the dance video. I want to shoot some more really exciting scenes."

"A scene of unrestrained, boisterous fun... Well then, let's film everyone dancing together. How about you and Tobe-kun as the main subjects, following the camera?"

"That's all we can do. Sigh..."

Isshiki looked extremely unwilling... There was nothing she could do; Yukinoshita wasn't good at dealing with that kind of person. Just as I, an outsider, was inwardly chuckling, Yukinoshita looked this way for some reason.

"...We need to film another video as a backup. Yui-chan and Hikigaya-chan, would it be convenient for you to do this?"

"what?"

Yuihama was stunned, and I was dumbfounded too. What was this guy saying...?

"Wait, I've never danced before..."

I slightly raised my hand, and Yui nodded vigorously. I said, "You think we're filming Ballroom Dance?" Just then, Isshiki walked over with small, quick steps. [Note 58: A work by Japanese manga artist Tomo Takeuchi, based on ballroom dancing.]

"Just dance this part however you like. Like dancing in a club."

She put one hand on her hip and wagged her index finger with the other, saying, "This explanation is practically useless... I'm really exasperated by her." At that moment, Yukinoshita also walked over, offering a wry smile as she added to Isshiki's explanation.

"Just imitate others. I only want to have it as a backup, since the more editable clips the better. Otherwise, you can think of it as someone who's there to highlight Isshiki and the others."

"Oh... well, that's something I'm quite good at..."

The nickname "supporting actor" is well-deserved. And Yukinoshita is right; the more material, the better. Besides, there probably won't be another opportunity to film such a large-scale production in the future. It's better to film as much as possible now than to discover later what's missing and worry about what to do. This assessment is correct.

Thinking about it this way, it makes perfect sense, but something still feels off to me, as if some part doesn't make sense, or a crucial piece of the puzzle is missing.

"Hmm... Is it really going to be just the two of us?"

When Yui asked tentatively, I instantly felt like I was piecing together a jigsaw puzzle. However, that feeling was immediately shattered by Yukinoshita's answer.

"Because this part is quite prominent, I'm hesitant to ask others for help. It would be great if you could assist me. If there are any difficulties, I can try to find other solutions..."

"Ah, that's not what I meant... If you don't mind, that's good."

Yukino answered without hesitation, and Yuihama gave a slightly embarrassed smile, waving her hand in front of her chest to agree to her request. Since the other party had already made that request, it was naturally difficult to refuse. In fact, most of the people gathered here today were there out of goodwill and enthusiasm, so it wasn't appropriate to force them.

"Anyway, let's try jumping it once first."

Isshiki clapped his hands and gave the order, and everyone began to move. Yui and I also mingled into the crowd. I stood in the designated position as instructed, with Yui directly in front of me.

"...Can you dance?"

I asked Yui Bin in a low voice, and she pouted slightly, looking a little embarrassed.

"I don't know... Ah, but if it's just about the 'Yay!' feeling, then just dance to match the atmosphere!"

"Is this what 'Yay!' feels like...?"

"Yes, yes, that's it! Yeah—"

Yuihama forced herself to get excited and tried to teach me with idol-style movements and gestures, but I was still completely confused and finally sighed. Tobe, who was wearing a tuxedo next to me, probably reacted to the "Yeah—" and put his arm around my shoulder.

"Hey hey hey~ A little more high-spirited than a penguin, right? It's 'Yay-hey-', isn't it? Come on, yay-hey!"

Although I couldn't understand it at all, at this moment, that inexplicable enthusiasm seemed exceptionally reliable.

"Oh...you seem quite used to it..."

This was half a monologue. The Minister of Revenue grinned, smugly beginning to act as a teacher.

"Right? Oh, relax, don't worry. It's just like that. Just keep dancing to the rhythm and you'll be fine. How should I put it? Basically, just dance to the music! Start dancing as soon as the music starts! Like that?"

"Senior Hubu, stop talking so much nonsense, you're so noisy."

Under Isshiki's relentless scolding, Hobu cried out, "Oh no, oh no," and reluctantly returned to his original position.

Although his advice is utterly useless, perhaps that's exactly the attitude needed now. In that case, the only thing to try is to emulate the Ministry of Revenue. When an unfamiliar song appears at a concert, as long as someone gives the signal first, everyone can join in the chanting.

I braced myself and waited quietly for the music to start. Then, the lights dimmed.

Classic ballroom music flowed out. Spotlights moved about, and the light from mirrored spheres shone down from the ceiling.

At first, everyone moved stiffly, at most swaying their bodies to the rhythm. It wasn't until a few people, led by the Minister of Revenue, raised their fists that some people followed suit. They clapped vigorously to keep the rhythm, and the distance between them gradually closed. They took a step, turned around, took another step, and high-fived, interspersed with comical robot dance moves, and some even boldly hooked their arms around each other.

As everyone began to revel in the music and the ballroom atmosphere, the next piece of music began. Although not quite a ballad, this piece was much gentler than the previous one.

So far, I've only been imitating others, swaying my body or snapping my fingers to the music. Beyond that, I haven't been able to really fit in; I can only act like a metronome, using my feet and head to express the rhythm. Then, my free hand was tugged.

Yui smiled shyly. My heart, already racing from all the activity, suddenly raced even faster. I glanced to the side a few times, almost instinctively.

Some people were casually waltzing for fun, while others maintained a distance, staring at each other's feet.

So, nobody was paying attention to us except Yui. I gently placed my free hand on her shoulder, and she wrapped her hand around mine. I didn't know how to dance, so I just swayed my body, moving forward as she moved backward, and moving to the side as she moved. The parts of my body that were in contact with Yui gradually became hot, and I was worried about my sweaty hands. Plus, our faces were so close that I didn't even dare to breathe too hard.

It was more painful than I had imagined, mainly mentally... I couldn't help but mutter to myself, justifying my actions.

"Sorry, I'm sweating a lot."

"Ah, yeah, because it's quite tiring."

"No, I mean, sweating so much is disgusting, you should just die, right?"

"Wow! That's an exaggeration! And it makes her seem incredibly insecure!"