My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 525

Yang Nai seemed to grasp the gist of it after just a glance at the text on the website. Thanks to her for saving me time.

I was just about to breathe a sigh of relief that I didn't have to explain the details when my breath caught in my throat.

I held my breath as I noticed Yukino's cold gaze fixed on me.

"What I don't understand is why you did this... Didn't I make it clear to you? The relationship between the three of you."

Her smiling voice, though tinged with a hint of mockery, carried an undercurrent of helpless sorrow. It was as if she were rebuking me for a mistake, as if she were lamenting my defeat. Every word she spoke was like ice water seeping into my nerves, instantly freezing me.

"Do you really think this is for her own good?"

"...It has nothing to do with Yukinoshita. She didn't ask me to do it; I did it on my own. So, it's a kind of self-satisfaction."

I gave the reasons I had prepared beforehand.

When I asked Yukino Yukinoshita to release the information, I knew I couldn't avoid this problem. Therefore, I chose the simplest and least erroneous explanation. Even if it's far from the absolute correct answer, it's probably not wrong either. At least, it's part of the truth in my heart.

However, this was simply not going to work on Yang Nai. That's why I kept avoiding seeing her until I had no other choice.

Yang chuckled softly, picked up her mulled wine, and took a sip. As she stroked the rim of the glass, she said to me, as if correcting a mistake:

"Yukino didn't ask you to do it; you did it yourself... so it's not co-dependence... it's just on the surface, isn't it? In the end, nothing has changed."

I couldn't immediately deny it, and I was speechless. Yuihama looked at me and Haruno with unease.

Isshiki, Hayama, and probably Yuigahama as well, though they didn't say it directly, they probably all thought the same thing. I was also somewhat aware of it. That was just a pretext, a manipulative excuse.

"Yukino has chosen to be independent and wants to end this relationship. Shouldn't you just stand by and watch over her?"

Yang Nai's voice was incredibly gentle, as if she were advising a child.

I couldn't look directly into those eyes and lowered my gaze. I couldn't help but deeply realize that Yang Nai was definitely right. I subconsciously gripped the hem of my coat.

"...I don't think so."

"Yui-hama murmured. Her voice was so faint it was almost drowned out by the wind, yet it reached my ears clearly. From that suppressed emotion, I couldn't discern her expression. I looked at Yui-hama's face.

She didn't look at me, nor at Yang Nai. Yuihama straightened her back and stared at a point on the table.

Haruno, who had been staring at me, shifted her gaze to Yui, then tilted her head slightly, urging her to continue. Yui understood and began to speak slowly.

"‘Watching over’ sounds nice. But in the end, it's just about keeping your distance. Avoiding each other, staying away from each other, doing nothing like that, nothing will change. And then, probably, it will just end like this. For us, for the ball..."

Her profile, appearing even more mature than usual, was illuminated by the dim lighting in the shop, casting an ethereal shadow. Her beautiful figure and lonely expression sent a pang of pain through my chest. Or perhaps it was because I had too easily imagined the ending she had described.

"Therefore, we must stay nearby as much as possible and proactively intervene. This is necessary to bring this to a proper conclusion. So..."

Her words, each one uttered without a clear focus, culminated in a sigh. I had no idea what Yuihama was going to say next, nor could I discern the expression on her downcast face.

Even so, I still understand one thing. No, actually I've understood it for a long time.

"Yes...we must bring this to a proper conclusion..."

This wasn't said to anyone else, but rather as if to oneself. Yui nodded silently in agreement.

The desire to bring things to a proper conclusion has probably been a shared wish of ours all along. Only after reaffirming this did I finally have the strength to lift my head.

Yang Nai and I locked eyes. She gave me a gentle smile, tilted her head slightly, and squinted her eyes.

"Is any ending acceptable? Even if it's an ending that Yukino... or anyone else would rather have?"

"It doesn't matter."

I answered without hesitation. Seeing my expression, Yang Nai gasped as if caught off guard. Then, her smile vanished, and she asked in an even colder tone:

"...Hachiman, why did you go to such lengths?"

This time I didn't answer immediately. It wasn't that I was hesitating. The answer was already clear. It's just that I've been asked similar questions several times now, which has made me a little unsure how to express myself. Yuihama stiffened, listening intently.

Therefore, I decided to try my best not to lie, while also not contradicting what I said before, and to maintain my consistent style of answering.

"It's probably what's called... a spirit of service. A heart of mutual help. Do you need a reason to help others?"

I spoke without batting an eye, and the chair next to me wobbled slightly. I felt Yuihama's shoulders relax. Haruno exhaled a short "Ah-ha" and looked up at the sky.

"You're such an interesting person."

"Since you find me funny, I hope you'll at least smile."

I wonder if Yang Nai noticed that there was no smile on her face at all, only a feigned lightness in her tone. After I said that, she smiled, as if she had only just realized it.

"All you do is lie... You don't tell the truth, do you?"

"What's the point of telling the truth? I have nothing to say. Even if there is..."

I swallowed back what I was about to say and uttered other words.

"I'm not talking to you either."

"……Too."

For a fleeting moment, Yang Nai narrowed her eyes, as if she had seen something dazzling, but her smile didn't fade, and she responded jokingly. However, her tone was inexplicably cold, and the sigh that followed was devoid of emotion. Perhaps she herself knew it. Yang Nai reached for the glass, finished the now-cold red wine, wiped her lips with her fingertips, and as if to restart the conversation, nodded with an "Mmm," then raised her face with a smile.

"I'll help you leak the news."

"Trouble."

Yuihama and I bowed slightly to thank her, while Haruno propped her cheeks up and started scrolling through her phone.

"But even with that, it's still quite difficult, isn't it?"

Her sudden remark left me completely bewildered, and Yang Nai revealed a mischievous smile.

"Although we've gathered all the necessary elements, they're not people we can deal with using direct attacks. Besides, the opponent is my mom."

"Ah...indeed..."

Thinking of the mother of the Yukinoshita sisters, Yuihama and I looked at each other and couldn't help but smile bitterly.

If things go according to my plan, some parents will object to the fake dance, and the person at the window will likely remain the same. In that case, I, as the person in charge of the students, will have to deal with her.

Honestly, thinking back to our conversation a few days ago, I feel that I can't beat her in terms of logic or in terms of magical girl Nanoha [Note 47: "Logic (ﾛジｶﾙ)" is similar in pronunciation to the Japanese anime "Magical Girl Nanoha (魔法少女ﾘﾘｶﾙなのは)"].

I frowned and pondered, while Yang Nai yawned listlessly and added:

"However, depending on the way the negotiations go, there might be a turning point. Because that person probably doesn't care about the ball at all."

I couldn't understand the meaning behind those words, so I tilted my head in confusion. But it seemed like Yang Nai wasn't going to continue, and she hummed a song while looking at the drink menu.

"...Sigh, I'll try my best."

"Yeah, come on."

Yang didn't even glance at me, offering only a casual word of encouragement. The conversation ended there.

It was almost time to go back. I looked at Yui and asked, "Are you leaving?" She nodded in response.

"...Then we'll take our leave. Sorry for taking up your time."

“Thank you!”

"Okay. Goodbye."

We got up from our seats, and Yang Nai simply waved goodbye. She picked up the drink menu and seemed to intend to stay there longer.

We bowed to her one last time and left the coffee shop.

The café is just a short distance from the station. On a weekday, it would be close to rush hour, but today is a Saturday with no special events, so there aren't many people.

Arriving at the bus terminal in front of the station, I pondered what to do next, glancing towards Yuihama next to me.

After leaving the store, Yui Hama remained silent, seemingly lost in thought. I was a little concerned and secretly observed her expression; a helpless smile appeared on Yui Hama's face.

Then, she suddenly stopped and spoke with an embarrassed expression.

"...What is the interdependence that Haruno-neechan mentioned earlier?"

She wore a wry smile, but her tone was unusually serious. I couldn't give her a perfunctory answer, so I sat down on a nearby bench, pondering how to respond. Yui, also with her backpack clasped to her chest, sat down next to me.

"That's hard to explain... You understand what dependency means, right?"

Yui nodded, burying her face in the backpack in her arms. I chuckled in response and continued, "Explain as clearly as possible, avoiding as much specialized knowledge and minutiae as possible."

Simply put, codependency is a state in which the person being depended on also feels that the relationship is good. They find self-worth, satisfaction, and security by being needed by others... and both are deeply involved.

As I spoke, I noticed my tone getting lower and lower. The more I thought about it, the more it seemed to fit my own situation, and a bitter taste of saliva welled up in my mouth.

Yuihama seemed to have a clue too, and gently bit her lower lip.

"That's not a good thing, is it...?"

"...Well, it can hardly be called healthy."

So, it really was wrong after all.

Hearing my murmurs, Yuihama's expression darkened. It pained me to see her like that, and as if trying to escape something, she stood up in one breath.

"...What that person said may not be entirely correct. It's just that this viewpoint is acceptable."

Therefore, there's no need to take it to heart. I awkwardly forced a smile to convey this meaning.

Yuihama nodded with a slightly sad smile and stood up.

We stepped out at almost the same time and arrived at the ticket gate, with Yui Bin slightly raising her hand.

"Well then, I'm going to take the tram."

"Okay. Be careful on the road."

"Okay, see you at school... Goodnight."

Yuihama placed her hand in front of her chest and waved gently, watching me leave.

After walking for a while, I turned around and saw Yuihama still standing in front of the ticket gate. As soon as our eyes met, she waved even more vigorously. I gently raised my hand in response, but felt embarrassed and quickly left the station.

I walked home alone, the night wind blowing.

Everything that needed to be done today has been done, and everything that could be prepared has been prepared.

After that, all that's needed is to bring things to a proper conclusion.

Volume Thirteen Interlude

Looks like I won't get drunk tonight either. While mulled wine warms the body, it can't penetrate the depths of my heart. After so many drinks, I still can't feel any excitement, just nausea. I swirled my fifth glass, considering whether to order another bottle, reaching for the wine list, but ultimately decided against it.

The four-person table is very spacious. No matter what drinks I order, how many drinks I order, or who I call out, it will never be able to fill that empty space.

With nothing to do, I opened a book I was halfway through, but didn't turn the page; the bookmark remained stuck in the same spot. I reread it several times, even knowing the ending, but because I kept searching for the true ending after the first one, I couldn't seem to finish it.

There's not a trace of falsehood; it's the only correct ending. As long as someone can prove that it truly exists, it doesn't matter if I can't have it myself.

I raised my glass to my daydreams as an accompaniment to my drinks, gazing through the distorted glass at the seat opposite me. But there was no one there, only a beautiful woman with a seemingly wicked personality, laughing self-deprecatingly in her reflection in the glass.

Suddenly, a figure appeared in the glass, and I was startled. Upon closer inspection, it was her, who should have already gone home. She was panting, probably having run over.

"Did you leave something here?"

I handed her the blanket and asked her to sit down. She obediently sat in her original seat. I propped my head up, trying to figure out what was wrong. She grabbed the blanket and her skirt from her lap and spoke with a serious expression.

"Um... I still think you're wrong... about interdependence."

Her sudden words startled me. "You came all this way just to tell me this?" Then it dawned on me. So that's it. Today, this child came to protect him from me. If it were based on possessiveness, it would be somewhat endearing, but this was more akin to protectiveness.

I really wanted to sincerely praise her commendable spirit. However, since she'd already issued a direct challenge, I had no choice but to respond. I don't intend to blame it on genetics, but I do share some of the things I dislike about my mother.

Actually, I don't like saying these kinds of things. It's too much trouble, I'm not that free, and I'm not interested. Being disliked by someone I like wouldn't make me feel good either.

However, ignoring mistakes will only make you feel worse.

I knew it would make me uncomfortable, but I still drank the contents of my glass in one gulp.

╳ ╳ ╳

The dark red liquid, as murky as blood, splashed and foamed. The foam burst and swayed in the glass, like my heart. My heart was still pounding wildly as I rushed back from the station.

"That's how I see the relationship between the three of you."

I've never heard of the term "codependency," nor do I know its detailed meaning. Because I don't understand complicated things, and because I've always pretended not to understand. Although there are times when I genuinely don't understand at all.

However, what that person said was very easy to understand, and I realized it immediately.

"Me too, isn't that right...?"

My heart, which had finally calmed down, started pounding again. Even though I hadn't asked for anything, even though there was no hope, it raced on its own, arriving at the answer in an instant.

The person raised the corners of their mouth... revealing a very sad expression.

"Hachiman depends on you. And you feel happy and want to do anything for him... But that's where the worst part of your illness lies."