My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

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"It's not just that he's working for free, he's also been paying out of his own pocket the whole time, losing money from beginning to end."

We didn't look at each other's faces, and we exchanged meaningless words in an attempt to cover up the awkward atmosphere.

However, Ye Shan seemed to get interested, leaning forward slightly and giving me a smug smile.

"You went to such lengths because of a man's insistence?"

In that instant, I couldn't help but stop holding the glow stick and cover my face with a "Ugh—" look on my face.

"...Don't remember such trivial things so clearly, okay? It's so embarrassing, stop talking about it and forget about it. If you dare mention it again, I'll kill you."

I buried my face in my hands, muttering to myself with deep regret. Ye Shan, listening, secretly chuckled, a genuine sense of pleasure welling up inside. This guy really is—a good person.

Soon after, Hayama suppressed his laughter and gave me a serious look.

"There's still a way to get the losses back, right?"

"I think it's very difficult... I guess there's no chance."

I shrugged and faced forward, avoiding Hayama's gaze, picked up my coffee and drank it for a while, indicating that the topic was over.

Yuihama and the others, who had somehow stood up, were singing the last chorus when Totsuka, Zaimokuza, and the game club got excited.

As for the Ministry of Revenue, he shook a tambourine and shouted loudly, "Ye-hey—"

"You..."

Amidst the torrent of sounds, Ye Shan spoke in a low voice. His words were drowned out by the surrounding noise and could not be heard at all.

I turned my head away, not wanting to ask back, nor wanting to read his lips. Ye Shan didn't press me further, only sighing.

"It's so noisy..."

Words not directed at anyone are swallowed up by the noise and disappear. No one can hear this meaningless murmur.

What reached my ears was upbeat music, gorgeous vocals, and a lively rhythm. It seemed to be coming from other private rooms.

That's why I inadvertently remembered the words of someone who was drunk—or pretending to be drunk.

So I—

Waiting for the signal that the banquet is over.

× × ×

The Saturday after the lively victory celebration banquet ended.

Normally, I would stay home and enjoy my leisurely time. But today is different.

As agreed a few days ago, I am restless at Yuihama's house.

This is my second visit to her home. The first time, I only visited her room, and Yukinoshita was there too.

This time, however, I was all alone.

Moreover, her leading me to the living room made me even more uncomfortable.

Neatly folded clean clothes, unfamiliar foliage plants, toilet paper boxes covered with flower-shaped covers, dried flowers in the glass dish cabinet, potted plants on the balcony, and the delicate fragrance of trees—everything is different from my home.

It takes considerable courage for outsiders to step into a space that feels lived-in, even homey. But wait, that doesn't mean stepping into Yuihama's room doesn't require courage. Not only does it require courage, it absolutely does.

However, the living room can cause some concerns in another sense.

Especially when no other family members are seen...

Wait, wasn't it said that Hashira's mom was here too...? After arriving in the living room, I could only stand there, looking around helplessly.

No matter how hard I looked, I couldn't see anyone other than Yui and me; the room was completely silent. If I had to pinpoint anything, the only sound was the rustling of Yui rummaging through the cabinets in the island kitchen.

Yuigahama wore a white A-line hooded jumpsuit—presumably a loungewear piece—and fluffy slippers, looking very casual. The loose fit of her clothes further enhanced the holiday vibe.

I wore a navy blue Oxford shirt with khaki trousers. This was a safe outfit that Komachi had picked out for me before—correction, it was normal clothing that I wouldn't feel embarrassed wearing with Komachi. If I added a jacket, it would be considered business casual.

I didn't dress up specifically; I just wanted to look clean and avoid being impolite if I met the other person's father. In other words, choosing this outfit also showed how nervous I was.

In contrast, Yuihama hummed a song as she began to brew tea.

"I'll make some tea. Please make yourself a seat."

"Whoa whoa……"

As she instructed, I pulled out the chair closest to the door from the four chairs at the table and sat down. Since I had nothing to do at the moment, I glanced at the table and noticed several dessert cookbooks.

I'm bothering Yuihama's house today to make some sweets. I was thinking of asking her mother to teach me if it was convenient, but unfortunately, I can't find her. Plus, it's Saturday, so I was even prepared for her father to be there too, but it seems he's not home either.

but……

Wouldn't that mean the two of them would be alone together?

No, wait. There's another member—correction, a member of the Yui family—at home. As I was looking for that member, Yui came over with a tray of tea and cookies, sat down in the seat next to me, and handed me the tea.

"Oh, thank you... The shortbread isn't here today?"

"It went for a walk with its mother. It should be back soon."

"oh……"

Yuihama rested her cheek on her hand, flipped through the dessert recipe, and then reached for the cookies to accompany her tea, completely making herself at home. Well, she really was at home, so it was normal. Judging from her relaxed demeanor, she probably usually sat in that chair, just like this, all carefree.

In contrast, the chair I was sitting in seemed to be empty most of the time. Of the four chairs in the set, it was the only one that showed no signs of use. Her parents probably preferred to sit opposite her.

That made me suddenly curious about her parents, especially her father.

"...Just asking."

"What do you want to ask?"

Yuihama continued looking at the recipe, chewing on her second cookie and tilting her head to the side.

"Is your father not here today?"

"That tone of voice...it's so unfamiliar!"

Yui laughed heartily, but I couldn't laugh at all. I wouldn't mind meeting Yui's mother; in fact, I quite wanted to see her. But if it were Yui's father, I wouldn't know what to do. If I were Yui's father, I would definitely kill myself. No matter what our relationship is, the moment we got close to our beloved daughter, we crossed the line. This is the spirit of eliminating anyone who is even suspected.

"Dad's going to work, right? I'm not sure."

Yuihama ignored my worries and said casually, "That's great... I was just wondering how to greet him..."

I breathed a sigh of relief, a huge weight lifted from my shoulders. Just then, Yui moved her chair closer, and I followed suit, moving to the side. She pushed the recipe between us, as if inviting me to look at it together.

"Although I've thought of many options, I probably can't do anything too difficult, right?"

"That's right. It's best to do something that won't fail."

I propped my cheek up, leaned my body in the opposite direction of Yuihama, and flipped through the recipe with my free hand, thinking about what to do.

With each turn of the page, exquisite illustrations of desserts come into view. Muffins, macarons, apple tarts, financiers, canelés, caramel almond cookies... each one looks beautiful and delicious, and Komachi is sure to love them.

However, whether I can even do it is another matter entirely. It's simply impossible… First of all, how do you separate the egg yolk from the white… And what do you do with the white after separating it? Is it enough to just spread it on?

Yuihama also pondered softly, and after a while muttered:

"...Cookies or something? There should be a way, right?"

That's incredibly insecure... He tilted his head five times, and even turned to look at me at the end.

"I see... As for cookies, I might be able to make them too."

"What do you mean by that?"

I stared at Yuihama and said it sincerely from the bottom of my heart, only to be patted on the shoulder by her.

"it hurts……"

It didn't actually hurt, but I still complained quietly and gently touched the spot where I had been hit.

Just then, someone peeked out from behind my shoulder. It was Yuihama's mother. She seemed to have just returned from her walk. Yuihama's mother was wearing a light-colored spring sweater and long skirt, and was holding her beloved dog, Suki, in her arms.

"Huh—Mom objects! Something memorable is better."

She spoke in a gentle tone, peering between me and Yui to look at the recipe. She was so close, so warm, so soft, and smelled so wonderful—I couldn't take it anymore. I'm sorry for saying this all of a sudden. But it's true. And, the shortbread next to my ear is so noisy; it's sticking its tongue out and licking me…

"Sorry to bother you... Thank you for your help today..."

Even though I was constantly being licked by the shortbread, I still managed to say hello. Mommy Bibin smiled and said:

"Leave it to me! Mom will do her best!"

"Mom... go to the side first, I'll call you later..."

Yui sighed helplessly, got up and pushed her out.

"Didn't you want Mom to teach you?"

"I told you, I'd call you then."

Yui tried to resist, but Yui kept pushing her back, resulting in a playful push-and-shove game like children. The mother-daughter play was quite amusing...

"No, it's okay... This way, I can ask for help if I encounter any problems..."

The scene was so heartwarming that I wanted to watch it forever. But if I left it unattended, they would probably remain at an impasse, so I couldn't help but step in to mediate. Mrs. Hihama, looking like she'd found a kindred spirit, beamed with a smile.

"Yes, that's why it's better if Mom thinks about it too."

Her mother smiled at her, and Herahina let out a dissatisfied sigh.

"...Okay then. Which one does Mom think is better?"

She reluctantly sat back down and pointed to the chair opposite her. Seeing this, Mrs. Bibin smiled gently and sat down opposite us.

"Since we're going to make it by hand, let's choose a more delicate dessert."

"Exquisite desserts..."

Yui looked up at the ceiling and began to think.

Which dessert does the introverted male student think is good?

Mom picked up the pastry on her lap, tilting her head to the side along with her upper body, the pastry on her chest tilting to the side as well. Her innocent act made me smile, but I had to cover my mouth with my hand.

"When it comes to exquisite desserts... they're beautiful, photogenic, look expensive, and something you can brag about to your mom..."

(Note) Please pay attention to your word choice.

"So they're choosing from a housewife's perspective?!"

Yui's mother gave a slightly stiff smile, while Yui cast a pitying glance at her. Although she corrected my wording, she didn't deny the content; mature women are truly terrifying.

"...Ah, like macarons?"

I thought for a moment, then answered while staring at the pastry. My eyes were only on the pastry; I saw nothing behind it. That must be it. Then, many things entered my field of vision. But that was completely beyond my control.

"You answered incorrectly—"

Hearing her voice, I looked up. Mommy Bibin made a cross with her hands. "What is this person like? So cute..." she cleared her throat and declared in a very serious tone:

"Macarons are received from others, not made by oneself."

"Yes, I'd be very happy to receive it."

"But it's tiring to do."

Yuihama chuckled innocently, while her mother sighed, pressing her hand to her cheek.

Wow, that's complicated! I looked at the recipe; just making the shell alone seemed quite difficult. By the way, macarons are also pretty expensive. It looks like making them, whether you buy them or make them yourself, will be a bit challenging.

What should I do? I was completely confused, and Mom cleared her throat again.

"That's why Mom recommends fruit tarts!"

"Hmm, fruit tarts must be hard to make?"

Yuihama and I both gave each other an "Oh my god" look.

Just hearing the name makes me think it's going to be very difficult. I have almost no experience making desserts, and Yui isn't good at it either. If we make a fruit tart, it'll turn into an overflowing fruit tart (note)?

Note: This work is by Japanese manga artist Sō Hamayumiba.

I conveyed this message to Hibin's mother with my eyes.

But Hajime's mom smiled and made a horizontal V-sign, then winked at me and stuck out her tongue.

"Don't worry! You can just buy ready-made tart crusts. Then you just need to put the fruit on top, no problem! And once you learn how to make it, you can use any fruit."

"Then I should be able to learn it too!"

Upon hearing what Yui's mother said, Yui's eyes immediately lit up. That makes sense; if you make good use of existing materials, the difficulty will be reduced somewhat. I agree with her.