My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 514

Yui shouted angrily, and after throwing a tantrum for a while, she probably calmed down and turned her head to ask:

"how about you?"

"I'm in charge of the original proposal and website design. I plan to first gather information and finalize the proposal for the presentation."

I quickly packed my things. The game club office could serve as a workplace, but there were no computers available for my free use, and it wasn't very convenient to look up information.

I stood up from my seat, and Yui next to me also prepared to leave. "Why are you leaving...?" I looked at her with a questioning gaze. Yui slung her backpack over her shoulder with a "whoosh" and smiled smugly.

"If you want to plan and design, the art director has to be present. Doesn't that mean..."

"……yes."

I nodded with a slight smile, glancing around the room. Zaimokuza was diligently gathering information on social media, while Sagami and Qinye were enthusiastically discussing their work strategy. Hmm, leaving it to them shouldn't be a problem.

"...Well, that'll make things troublesome."

"Thank you for your hard work! See you tomorrow!"

I felt a little embarrassed to leave first, so I said goodbye quietly and left the club office with Yuihama.

After we entered the hallway, Yui asked me:

"Where are you going to work?"

"A well-equipped place...an internet cafe."

"Can I watch DVDs?"

"Yeah. As long as you can borrow the machine, you can even watch Blu-ray. And there's all-you-can-eat ice cream."

"Oh, I see. Let's go then!"

Yuihama quickened her pace, and I hurried to keep up.

╳ ╳ ╳

After leaving school, we went to the video rental store in front of the station. While I was browsing the animation section, Yui quickly borrowed the movies I wanted to watch and took them to the internet cafe. So far, everything went smoothly.

However, they encountered unexpected obstacles.

"...Which type of seat would you like to choose?"

"Uh, um... well, this..."

This conversation was repeated about three times at the counter. The clerk remained smiling throughout, but after two minutes, her smile froze.

"I need to work, so a reclining chair with an adjustable back would be better..."

I pointed to the seat instructions and subtly indicated my opinion. Yui nodded in agreement.

"That's true. But if you're writing a proposal or doing design work, don't you think it would be more convenient to do it while watching a movie?"

The photo shows a two-seater chosen by Yuihama, which includes a computer and a TV. It's quite convenient to be able to work while watching videos.

"But it's inconvenient to work without Office installed on the computer..."

When doing document-related work, word processing software is indispensable. A simple text editor isn't unusable, but if you're writing a proposal, Word or PowerPoint are certainly better. I told Yui, and she lowered her shoulders.

"Oh, really?"

I secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Just then, the shop assistant, who had been silently watching us, smiled and said:

"We also have double seats with office space."

Yui Hama also smiled and thanked the shop assistant who had come up with such a brilliant solution so late in the day.

"Oh, I see! Thank you... The clerk said they have it."

She asked me, "How was it?" Well, General. I concede.

"Then, then, this double flat-lying one..."

With trembling fingers, I pointed to the double reclining seat.

The shop assistant flashed a warm smile, as inviting as the heater, and quickly and efficiently took us to our seats. Her eyes were just as warm, making me feel quite embarrassed; sweat was pouring down my body beneath my coat.

I don't dislike couples. But rather than being shy or at a loss, I'm confused because I lack confidence in how I'll fit in in a confined space.

After entering the space, which was actually about one square meter in size, I was still confused, holding a glass from the beverage bar, not knowing where to sit.

"I also looked up some things with a prom theme—"

Yuihama, who had taken her seat first, prepared the borrowed DVD and pressed play. I, on the other hand, tried to stay in a corner, turned on my computer, and started working. While writing the proposal, I glanced at the video Yuihama was playing out of the corner of my eye, jotting down any parts that caught my attention or that I felt could be used.

When the ballroom scene came on, Yui patted me on the shoulder.

"Our school doesn't have any buildings like dance halls, right? Oh, but what I saw just now was the dance party outside."

"There shouldn't be any restrictions on where the dance can be held. Rather, since several schools are going to participate, it would be more feasible to hold it at one of them instead."

I jotted down my thoughts. Yui nodded repeatedly, I wondered if she admired me.

"I see—ah, like Disneyland!"

"It's not realistic from a budget perspective."

"Okay... I was just saying."

She pouted and turned her head away, holding her hot cocoa and drinking it. I found her appearance somewhat cute, so I stopped typing and chuckled softly.

"However, Tesco does have a thousand-layer flavor."

"I think most people would feel that it has a Tokyo vibe."

"That's Chiba's stuff."

"You're really persistent!"

Yui covered her mouth and laughed.

Because this was an internet cafe, we spoke more quietly than usual. Although the topics we discussed were all business-related, it sounded more like whispered conversations. The dimly lit space, which separated us, made our figures clearer than usual.

Yuihama wrapped the blanket in a ball around her lap and used it as a pillow.

"Hmm—that's the Mikazuki Ryugu Palace Hotel!"

"It has a strong chiba flavor, but not much of a party vibe."

"No, I've been there with my family before..."

She picked up her phone and swiped her fingers around, probably looking for a photo. A short while later, she seemed to have found it and moved over with a "whoosh."

"look!"

On Yuihama's phone screen was a selfie of herself wearing a T-shirt and making a V-sign next to her cheek. The background was a swimming pool illuminated by laser and neon lights in the dark. And—unfortunately, it was partially cut off—Yuihama's mother, wearing a swimsuit, was relaxing on a lounge chair. Yuihama's mom is so young…the power of genes is truly amazing.

Ah, no, the focus should be on the swimming pool, not that. The real key is the super-glamorous, sparkling swimming pool that looks like it's part of a concert. I'm taking a closer look at the pool in the background.

"What's with this swimming pool? It's so obscene... It's practically a nighttime swimming pool... They're having a party here..."

"It's...it's not obscene! Look!"

Yuihama blushed, patted my legs with a rolled-up blanket, then quickly closed the photo and showed me the official website of Ryugu Palace.

Indeed, the official website looks quite complete. My first impression was "very beautiful" and "very attractive".

"In terms of budget, this is much more realistic than before... Are these kinds of events held in seasons other than summer?"

"Hmm—probably."

Yui nodded and showed me the screen. It said things like "Open all year round," which is amazing... I really want to go there.

"It's a pity it's a bit far. I'd like to take a picture; it would be better if it were closer."

A thought suddenly struck me, and I opened the half-finished proposal. Considering the website design, it would be best to include a memorable image. However, choosing a location and such took too much time, so I postponed dealing with that.

Yui Hama also pondered, but a yawn crept into her voice.

"The photos... Ah, where's the sea?"

"The sea? Which side?"

"The one near the school, right next door."

"That's Tokyo Bay..."

It's not even Chiba Bay... It's one thing for a resort or factory night view to be okay, but the sea in winter is usually not very photogenic.

However, Yuihama didn't seem to think so. She angrily bumped my shoulder with her own, and as if to explain something to me carefully, slowly said:

"It's alright. Rather, I really want that sea. Can't we see it from our school?"

"Um."

"And then, every evening when the sun sinks into the sea... I think it's a beautiful sight, and I have a very happy day."

She closed her eyes and murmured softly as if in a dream.

Although she didn't specify when or where it was, she was definitely referring to the sunset that day.

For a brief moment, just before the sun dipped below the horizon, that room was filled with the afterglow of the sunset.

I've seen it several times; it's nothing special, just a common sunset.

It was all so natural that I couldn't even remember what I had said or what books I had read, yet I could vaguely picture in my mind the aimless passing of time at dusk.

"You'll also feel..."

The murmurs became intermittent, and the weight on his shoulders materialized.

"I hope that days like these can last forever."

Her voice was so soft it seemed to disappear. After a long enough time for the words to melt into the air, I nodded.

"……yes."

She didn't respond, perhaps because, in a conversation, there had been too long a silence. Instead, there was the sound of steady breathing and a soft weight on her shoulder.

The movie, which has been playing continuously, has reached its climax.

Soon, the credits will roll. Even if I wanted to rewind, I wouldn't know where to go back to because I didn't watch it very carefully.

Do you want to skip straight to the end like this?

Should we start from scratch?

Or, like before, continue to pretend you didn't see it?

Before I even had time to worry, the end credits started playing.

Volume Thirteen Interlude

I'm pretending to be asleep.

I wish the movie would never finish playing.

I wish I didn't have to face the ending.

The warmth from his face was warmer than I had imagined. He tried to remain still, worried about waking me; his slightly stiff shoulders were broader than I had expected.

He only stretched out his other hand, occasionally tapping on the keyboard, then stopped after a short while, and a faint sigh could be heard.

He slightly pulled the blanket covering my legs, then suddenly stopped. It tickled me, almost making me laugh, so I covered it with my breathing. He then draped his own blanket over my shoulders.

The movie is about to end.

Finally, a very long end credits played. When it ended, I had to pretend I had just woken up and tell another lie.

I kept pretending not to see it, pretending not to know, and pretending not to understand.

Actually, I clearly noticed it.

Even if you do something like this, the outcome is already set in stone.

But this is the only way I can do it; I can't think of any other way.

As long as we can be together, as long as there's time and place for the three of us to spend together, that's enough. Let's do what we can for that.

I understand everything. It's cunning, an excuse, a lie.

But please let this period of time continue a little longer.

I will settle this matter properly.

I won't pray for anything to happen.

Even if tears well up in my eyes without my noticing, I will hold them back.