My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 562

I called out to her, and Yukinoshita's back trembled.

I thought of many things I should say. But I was sure they would all be wrong. So, I chose the one I thought was the most blatantly wrong.

"To be honest, I'm not confident I can successfully put on this ball. We lack time, money, and everything else; the problems just keep piling up. Frankly, the issues are as high as a mountain, and there's no guarantee that major problems won't occur. There are no guarantees. This is just a whimsical act on my own for personal reasons. It's a very difficult project; you don't need to force yourself."

At this point, the others couldn't help but laugh, as if to say, "Why are you bringing this up now?" Even I couldn't help but smile wryly.

However, this is how the conversation between Hachiman Hikigaya and Yukino Yukinoshita should be.

Yukino lowered her brows in distress, a look of impending tears on her face, and said with her head bowed:

"...What a shallow provocation."

Her voice trembled, so faint it seemed it might disappear at any moment, and it sounded like she was being sulky or angry. Regardless, I was sitting here just to hear her voice.

"I'm sorry, but please accept this. I know it's a difficult request, but please help me out."

Yukinoshita's shoulders trembled slightly as she exhaled a melancholy breath. After a deep sigh, she raised her face.

"Okay, I accept. Because I'm very competitive."

She smiled and answered firmly, then gently wiped her eyes. I hadn't seen that faint, bitter smile, which seemed to say, "I can't do anything with you," in a long time.

Yukinoshita put away her smile and turned to face her mother and sister again.

"...I will do my best to handle this matter as the person in charge."

"yes……"

Hearing her resolute answer, her mother nodded with a gentle smile.

Then, gently close your eyes, and then slowly open them.

At that moment, her expression and tone changed instantly. Her icy gaze held a chilling aura, and I unconsciously flinched, but Yukinoshita and Haruno remained unmoved.

"Yukino... I've said what a mother should say. Even so, if you've decided to do it, you must show results."

"...You don't need to tell me."

Yukinoshita brushed her hair aside, revealing a brave and fearless smile. That look overlapped with the fearsome image of Hinano.

× × ×

A while later, after the meeting in the reception room ended,...

By the time we finished our brief discussion of the plans, it was already dark. I left the school building and walked towards the bicycle parking area, my legs trembling with extreme tension and fatigue.

Nevertheless, I struggled to pull my bicycle across the school gate. Just then, I saw Yukinoshita walking listlessly not far ahead.

Her steps were very heavy. She paced back and forth hesitantly, adjusting her coat and scarf, seemingly undecided whether to go home or stay. It was a stark contrast to her usual confident demeanor. She walked very slowly; I could gradually catch up even while holding my bicycle.

I felt awkward walking straight over, but saying hello would also feel awkward. After all, I didn't know how to start a conversation with her. More importantly, I didn't think a simple greeting would suffice.

In the end, I decided to wait and see how things developed, while thinking about how to start a conversation.

I pulled my bicycle and slowly walked to Xuexia's side.

Yukino glanced over, a look of surprise flashing across her face, then immediately lowered her gaze and silently quickened her pace. I also sped up to catch up with her.

The sound of footsteps and the turning of wheels chased each other, but in the end, they maintained the same distance.

We walked in silence for quite a while. The fact that we remained silent for so long at this distance suggested that we were both arguing and unwilling to speak first. Another major reason was simply that the atmosphere was awkward.

We passed several bus stops and corners along the way, but we didn't look at them or pay attention to the pedestrians passing by. We just kept going straight along the road.

Okay. I was the one who brought up that troublesome issue, so I should be the one to start the conversation.

I made up my mind and spoke up after crossing the elevated tracks of the Keiyo Line, and then began to wait for the right opportunity.

One step, two steps, and soon the tram passed directly overhead on the elevated tracks. For a moment, the noise of the street seemed to disappear completely.

I let out a long breath and said to the figure walking half a step ahead of me:

"...Sorry for dragging you into this."

"...There's nothing we can do about that."

I managed to squeeze out a polite line. Yukinoshita didn't turn around, replying coldly in a low voice.

"How could I possibly refuse in that situation? What exactly do you want? This is ridiculous."

Yukino's speaking speed and pace quickened with her muttering.

"That's already the kind of thing new religions do, like door-to-door sales."

"Wait, it can't be that exaggerated. I did make up a bunch of baseless stories, and I did stir things up a bit. But I didn't offer any solutions; instead, I'm asking you for help."

"There's not even a solution, that's worse than fraud... You're going too far."

In fact, fabricating non-existent risks, inciting anxiety in others, and then offering solutions is a classic case of fraud. The biggest difference is that I didn't offer any solutions. From this perspective, it is indeed worse and more egregious than fraud.

A deep sigh escaped beneath the snow.

"Seeing my family being deceived firsthand terrified me."

"I didn't lie... If I could fool them with that level of deception, would I need to tell such a huge lie? The fact that they're willing to compromise on this point terrifies me..."

At this point, I let out a deep sigh of relief.

Neither Yukinoshita's mother nor Haruno could possibly believe my foolish ramblings. The conversation in the reception room completely shattered the plans for the joint ball.

They might find my clumsy plan amusing. Even so, for the Yukinoshita family, they don't have to take this risk at all.

Yukinoshita understood this, of course. She was still the same as always, walking half a step ahead of me, slinging her backpack over her shoulder, and muttering:

"Indeed...neither Mom nor my sister would back down so easily."

"Right? The ending was really terrifying. What happened? What was the intention?"

"How could I possibly know?"

She turned her head away as if throwing a tantrum and strode forward quickly.

A long road stretches out from the seaside, soon connecting to the national highway. Turn left here, and you'll enter the road leading to my home.

However, during the conversation, I missed the opportunity to say goodbye.

...No. Before we got here, there were clearly opportunities to part ways, but I ignored them all.

When I arrived at the overpass crossing the national highway, I took steady steps and pushed my bicycle forward without hesitation.

Yukino didn't look back at me as she walked up the stairs. I followed behind. However, since I had to push my bicycle uphill, my pace was definitely slower. One step, two steps, the distance between us gradually increased, and Yukino reached the top of the stairs first.

To catch up with her, I leaped up two flights of stairs at a time, pushing my creaking bicycle with all my might. She glanced at me from beneath the snow at the top.

She seemed to be waiting for me. I apologized with my eyes, and Yukino shook her head to indicate that she didn't mind. However, our eyes met only for a moment. Yukino turned back to face forward and walked away quickly.

I quickened my pace, barely managing to walk alongside her. We were always half a step apart, but the distance that had increased to two steps while climbing the stairs had disappeared.

The sound of their footsteps overlapped. Yukinoshita continued the conversation from before.

"The way Mom looked at me then was the same way she looked at my older sister..."

"...Does that mean you've gained approval?"

"Maybe they've been abandoned."

Yukino shrugged and laughed self-deprecatingly.

"Besides, I don't think she'll think highly of me because of the previous ball. And now I'm going to do something even riskier; any normal person would think that's foolish."

Her tone suggested she herself found it foolish. I hesitated, unsure how to respond, and stopped in my tracks. In those few seconds, Yukinoshita took a few more steps forward.

"...I'm sorry. I know outsiders shouldn't interfere in family matters and the future, but I still made a mess of things. I'm sorry for the trouble...I will take responsibility."

I carefully considered my words and quickened my pace.

"There's no need for that. You shouldn't be held responsible for the choices I made. You should be doing other things."

After I caught up with Yukino, she slowed down slightly.

"...Why did you do such a reckless thing?"

She sighed softly as if hesitating, then lowered her head and murmured. I couldn't see her expression clearly, but I could still hear the sadness in her barely audible voice.

How should I answer her?

As two cars passed under the bridge on the national highway, and I took three steps forward in the snow, I stopped.

This is not about thinking, but about making a decision.

"...I have no other way to maintain this relationship with you."

"What?"

Yukinoshita suddenly stopped and turned around. Her face was filled with shock, and her half-open mouth clearly showed her confusion.

"Without club activities, we'll have no connection anymore. I can't think of any other excuse to drag you out of this."

"Why do you do this...?"

She stood blankly in the middle of the overpass, the headlights of approaching cars illuminating her face, revealing her biting her lip.

"...What about our agreement? I clearly asked you to fulfill her wish."

His reproachful voice trembled, and his lowered gaze seemed to express remorse.

I had already expected her to say that and to make that kind of expression.

Even so, I decided to be willful to the end and say the next sentence, regardless of the trouble it would cause others.

"This can also be considered one part of the process."

Yukinoshita gave me a puzzled look, tilting her head in confusion. The orange streetlights on the overpass were as dazzling as the sunset that day, and I squinted.

"...She hoped that you could be by her side during her ordinary after-school hours."

I told her her wish, and Yukinoshita was speechless for a moment. She turned her face away so that I wouldn't see her tearful eyes.

"...In that case, it can be achieved without doing this specifically."

"How could that be? Even if we could call each other acquaintances, friends, or classmates, I don't think I could maintain that kind of relationship."

"You might be right... but I'll do my best. I'll definitely do better... so don't worry."

After speaking, Yukinoshita seemed to want to end the conversation, bid farewell to the past, and move forward.

Her defiant demeanor seemed endearing. I raised the corners of my mouth, a sarcastic smile spreading across my face.

"It may sound harsh, but we both have very poor social skills, overly twisted personalities, and are terrible at communicating with people. I don't think we can do very well together. Once we distance ourselves, let alone get closer, I dare say we'll only drift further apart. So—"

I followed a few steps behind the snow.

Watching the receding figure, I reached out my hand, but a hint of hesitation arose in my heart.

I understood perfectly well that if I wanted to continue the conversation, I just needed to call out to her. Even if we continued walking, it wouldn't be difficult to continue the conversation. To be honest, unless there was an important reason, I didn't need to touch that hand at all.

However, the reasons do exist.

The only reason that cannot be compromised.

"—Once you let go, you can never hold on to it again."

I was trying to convince myself—no, I said it to convince myself—and I reached out my hand.

My other hand was holding the bicycle in an odd position. I didn't know how much effort I should put in, and my palms were starting to sweat.

Even so, I still held onto Yukinoshita's sleeve.

I took her surprisingly slender wrist into my palm.

"..."

Startled, Yukina stopped in her tracks and looked back and forth between me and her own hand in surprise.

I stepped on the side stand of the bicycle and skillfully stopped it with one hand. I felt that if I let go, she would run away like a shy cat.

"It's really embarrassing to say something like this, I feel like dying right now. But..."

After uttering the first sentence, he then let out a deep sigh.

Yukinoshita awkwardly shifted her body, seemingly offering a slight resistance, to see if I would let go. She looked like a cat trying to keep its paws from getting wet. I really wanted to let go, but before I finished speaking, I wanted to hold her tight.

"Saying I want to take responsibility isn't enough. It's not an obligation. Should I say I want to take responsibility, or should I say I want you to make me take responsibility...?"

Overwhelmed by self-loathing, my hands gradually lost their strength. It was truly disgusting of me to say such things. My grip on Yukina loosened, and my hands fell limply to my sides.

However, Yukinoshita didn't run away; instead, she stayed where she was. She smoothed out her sleeve and grasped the spot I had just grabbed. Although she still wouldn't look at me, at least she seemed willing to listen to me. Reassured by this, I slowly began to speak.