My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 528

Her voice was barely audible, so I wanted to end the conversation. I nodded a couple of times, but still didn't look at her directly.

"Then... the match is over. May I ask for your permission?"

I couldn't ignore those words. I immediately looked at Yukino; she clenched her fists, her lips pressed into a thin line, as if abandoning her previous fragility. Her eyes, awaiting my answer, held an urgent determination.

"...No, it's not over yet. You did win this time, but that doesn't mean the overall outcome. We still need to look at the total score."

"As for the victory conditions, if I win this match, I win, and I can order you to do one thing... I remember that's what I said back then."

Seeing her calm explanation and assertion, I noticed my lips growing increasingly dry. A memory of hearing those words resurfaced in my mind. Desperate, I finally managed to open my mouth.

"...That's a matter of expression, or rather, it's a difference in our perspectives."

Snow breathed out trembling breaths, as if whispering sweet nothings, and said softly in a pleading voice:

"Then... it's up to you to decide."

Seeing that pure, innocent, dreamlike smile, I realized I had lost. She probably knew very well how I would answer.

Since I've decided to protect Yukino Yukinoshita's independence and respect her own decisions, I cannot allow her to relinquish that decision-making power to anyone else. Even if that person is me.

That's why she accepted the competition. Just for this moment of question and answer, she deliberately ignored and turned a blind eye to all the disagreements, conflicts, and misunderstandings.

To bring this game and this relationship to a proper close.

"How can I decide this...? This shouldn't be a decision made by you and me alone. Yuihama is also involved in this match. Besides, the criteria for victory or defeat are based on Hiratsuka-sensei's subjectivity and bias. Furthermore..."

However, I cannot accept that way of ending it. I blurted out a string of words, thinking that it couldn't end like this, hoping she could wait for me. I didn't even know how to stop her, yet I stretched my hand into the air, forgetting even to breathe.

"...I'll just say it straight."

But as soon as I stopped speaking, Yukinoshita revealed a lonely smile and looked at me with tearful eyes.

"I had a great time. This is the first time I've ever felt comfortable and at ease spending time with others, and I'm very happy..."

She looked genuinely happy, her face trembling with tears. I could no longer deny it or stop her. I helplessly lowered my hand, and Yukino nodded in thanks, then said:

"I've never argued or quarreled with anyone like this before... I've never cried in front of anyone. I was also very nervous when we went out together. I didn't understand a lot of things, I'd never experienced anything like this before... I didn't even know I could rely on someone. That's why I made mistakes..."

I looked up at the ceiling, listening to her trembling voice as she spoke to herself. The distant sunset stung my eyes, but even so, I couldn't close them; I could only exhale a melancholy breath.

"This kind of relationship, which is like a counterfeit, is wrong. It's definitely not what you're looking for."

With the monologue ending like this, I knew she had drawn a line, and finally I looked down at her face.

"I'm okay. I'm... okay now. You saved me."

Snow wipes away the glistening water droplets with her fingertips, a beautiful smile appearing on her face.

"So, this match, this relationship... let's end it here."

If that's her answer, I have no reason to object.

The goal of saving her has been achieved; the codependency has been dissolved with the end of the relationship; and the man's persistence has been carried through to the end. The concept of service was never there to begin with. Club activities and work are now concluded.

Therefore, nothing is left. All the reasons I had a relationship with her have vanished.

"I know... I lost."

I sighed deeply, as if to spill everything, wanting to fulfill my final responsibility, and asked:

"I will do whatever you ask. What do you want me to do? I will do anything for you as long as it is within my ability."

I swear that whatever her wish may be, I will help her fulfill it.

Yukinoshita breathed a sigh of relief and spoke with affection the words she had surely kept in her heart.

"Please grant Yuihama's wish."

"Is that your wish?"

"Yes, that's my wish."

She closed her eyes and nodded, as if accompanying someone on their deathbed. I tried to respond with a gentle smile.

"……I see."

After our final conversation, I stood up. Xuexia remained still, and the distance between us grew wider with each footstep until we reached the corridor.

As if to gently embrace it, I quietly closed the door.

Volume Thirteen Interlude

I locked the door tightly so it wouldn't open again.

One last time.

Touch that door, and let the sensation be etched onto your skin.

The colder it is.

The more painful it is.

The more confident you are that the answer you chose is genuine.

Not understanding what other methods could be used to confirm, the correct answer remained elusive. No matter how much time passed, the game of finding the differences never ended.

The longing for the one and only genuine thing is so intense that it becomes so complex and agonizing that one cannot even shed tears, and can only let one's whole body burn.

After burning to ashes, what remains is a distorted and beyond-recovery counterfeit.

Even so, it remains the most precious and irreplaceable fake to me.

At least keep it safe and prevent it from getting damaged. That will make all the difference.

—Hopefully this will be the right ending.

I prayed as I removed my hand from the door.

Take one step, then two steps, and head towards a place where even if you reach out, you can no longer reach it.

I will never look back.

Illustrations for Volume 13

Volume XIV, Prelude 1

Taiwanese version reprinted from Late Night Book Club

Input by: Late Night Book Club

Forum: ritdon.com

Just one sentence.

It took so long to convey just a short sentence.

I plunged into the crowd in front of the station. While I hesitated, the once warm sunset sank below the horizon, and my exposed fingers became frozen.

The phone, clutched tightly in my hands, showed the correct time on its screen: one hour and fifteen minutes had passed since I left school.

My eyes were fixed on the screen, but when I came to my senses, I realized that the clock numbers were constantly changing, and I let out a soft sigh every time I checked the time.

The streetlights and shops also lit up without anyone noticing. The streets, which used to be full of students in uniforms, have now disappeared, replaced by scattered office workers in suits.

I slowly moved my sluggish fingers, typing one word after another on the messaging app I wasn't used to, checking it over and over again.

Finally, with a barely perceptible touch, I lightly tapped the paper airplane icon to send the message. At the same time, I silently prayed that the message wouldn't get through.

However, the text I typed out was quickly displayed on the screen.

Would it be convenient for us to meet?

Just those few words.

These few words are meaningless. Nevertheless, she must have sensed something.

I stared intently at the message that had finally been sent out.

I thought a minute or two had passed, but the numbers on the clock didn't change; they remained stuck at the same time.

I remembered that she had said before that sent messages could be recalled, so my fingertips moved unconsciously, but I didn't touch the screen.

She also seemed to say that the other person would know the message had been retracted. She figured that once she saw I retracted the message, she would definitely contact me. Since that's the case, the result is still the same.

As I was thinking, the words "read" suddenly came to mind.

A few seconds later, she replied. She didn't ask for a reason or the location, only replying, "I'll be right there." Her words, reflecting her cheerful personality, made me smile involuntarily.

After I told her my current location, I put my phone away.

Her home isn't far from here. She should arrive soon enough.

While waiting for her, I quietly closed my eyes and listened intently.

The sound of the wind rustling through the treetops, the sound of tram bells, the sound of car engines, the calls from izakayas (Japanese pubs) to attract customers, the music from shopping malls, the conversations of people around me, and the melody played by pedestrian traffic lights.

A trembling breath that occasionally mingled with many other sounds.

Then I heard her footsteps. The sound, which had been light and cheerful like a polka, turned into a calm, waltz-like stillness, and then stopped.

Alright, where should I begin? I slowly opened my eyes and looked at her standing directly in front of me.

She wore a thick trench coat, an off-the-shoulder knit top, and jeans with the cuffs rolled up, a casual style that perfectly suited her lively personality. However, the scarf loosely wrapped around her neck subtly revealed a girlish softness.

She is such a lovely and lovable person.

"Hello there."

I greeted her, and she smiled, nodding as she swayed her light pinkish-brown hair, which was tied in a bun.

She had probably run all the way here and was still panting. She responded with a sound, but it didn't form a complete sentence. She gently fanned her face with her hand and deftly removed her scarf.

Seeing that, I knew the season was coming to an end.

Volume 14, Part 1: Nevertheless, Hachiman Hikigaya's daily life continues.

Water droplets slid down my cheeks and fell into the water, creating tiny ripples.

In the cold morning air, the only sound was the dripping of water.

I slightly opened my watery eyes. Through my blurry vision, I saw the dawn light streaming in through the window, making the water shimmer.

The water in the sink reflected my all-too-familiar gloomy, dead fish eyes.

Pulling out the plug, the figure swaying on the water's surface slowly floated away with the slightly milky-white water.

I grabbed a towel, roughly dried my face, and let out a deep sigh. The air I inhaled was mixed with the minty scent of facial cleanser.

Looking in the mirror, I still looked tired and listless. But thanks to the cooling sensation of the face wash, I felt a bit more refreshed than usual.

It's much better than yesterday.

Perhaps when something comes to an end, it will be more decisive than I imagined.

The Service Club competition, which lasted for nearly a year, ended yesterday with my defeat.

The breath exhaled gently through the towel near his mouth did not carry a sense of resignation, but rather a feeling of peace.

That's it.

After that, all I have to do is fulfill the last wish she entrusted to me—no, all I have to do is fulfill the last contract she left behind.

Yukino Yukinoshita's wish is to fulfill Yui Yuigahama's wish.

That was the only thing I could do.

To get myself going, I patted Nivea toner onto my face and quickly washed my hands.

As time went by, the tap water was no longer so cold, and washing my face after getting up was no longer a chore.

However, my fingertips were still ice cold.

I carefully dried my fingers with a towel to warm them before leaving the bathroom.

The small house seemed still shrouded in drowsiness, completely silent. I walked slowly down the hallway, careful not to break the stillness.

No one was in the living room, but the ticking of the wall clock was clearly audible.

Normally, I would still be dreaming at this time.

I don't know if my parents are still in bed or if they've already gone to work because of the busy end-of-season. Either way, it won't affect me.

I went around to the kitchen and turned on the electric kettle.

While waiting for the water to boil, I picked up the instant coffee bottle and spilled a couple of drops into my mug. Suddenly, there was a loud "thump"—the living room door opened.