My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 602

Didn't I say so?

"No..."

I looked puzzled and glanced at my wife. She, however, showed no surprise and gracefully sipped her tea.

"I'm against it."

She didn't even glance at me, speaking casually in a low voice, implying that she was leaving the judgment to me.

Judging from her tone, his wife and Yang Nai must have already argued. Based on this, I will make the final judgment…

Hmm... In the past, the wife's opinion was usually absolute, and even if Haruno didn't want to accept it, she would still find a compromise in her own way and obediently listen. But now it seems that the wife is also respecting Haruno's opinion.

Well, Yang Nai is twenty years old now. We should treat her like an adult, not just someone who nags. That's probably why my wife didn't immediately object, but instead gave us a chance to talk.

But no matter how old they are, a daughter is a daughter. A father is a father. That will not change. This is an unchanging truth.

Okay—Dad's going to tease her a bit. Because I'm the type who prefers my daughter to stay home.

I tried to put up a little resistance.

"Didn't you already attend a language school abroad before? There's no need to go again now..."

My two daughters studied abroad before. They are children who returned from overseas, so they chose high schools that teach international literacy. If it's just to learn a foreign language, there's no need to study abroad again, right? They could stay at home... I was about to continue when Yang Nai smiled and interrupted me.

"That's right, but this time I plan to stay longer. I want to learn more specialized knowledge, and if possible, I'd like to stay for a year."

Yang said it casually, as if it were already a done deal. That's exactly how a wife talks. In that case, my objections are unlikely to be heard, and I can only nod with a gloomy face.

"...Is that so? Hmm...uh, but, money..."

Providing her with a stable environment where she can focus on her studies would cost several million yen. That's not an amount you can just come up with easily.

No, since it's for my daughter, it's not like we can't find a way, but my feelings are much more distressing than the financial aspect. It's going to be a whole year! And it's abroad! Dad will worry. And it's Yang Nai. There will definitely be problems.

Haruno is the type who'll escalate things quickly. Yukino, on the other hand, often finds herself in a dilemma without even realizing it. In other words, both of them are prone to problems. My wife? My wife, let alone problems, is more likely to cause emotional trauma to others (Note 27).

I stammered, looking hesitant, but Yang Nai, probably losing patience, said nonchalantly:

"Why not just sell the apartment?"

"That's Dad's house..."

"It's just registered under my name."

My wife seemed to be asking me, "You haven't forgotten, have you?" before quickly adding insult to injury. "Oh right, we discussed it together when we bought the house." I smiled and turned to my wife, indicating, "I know, of course I remember." Yang Nai seized the opportunity to add:

"But it will become my house sooner or later."

"Hmm, yeah, maybe..."

She spoke with such an air of self-righteousness, her attitude too frank, that I couldn't deny it. It's certainly possible you could inherit it, but you're not our only daughter...

I thought to myself sullenly, just then, another heir cautiously raised his hand.

"If my sister comes back to live with us, I'd like to move in..."

As if observing the atmosphere, Yukino spoke cautiously, while Haruno looked surprised.

"Oh, really?"

My expression was probably the same as hers. Huh, really? Why? I stayed home. Please. I'm finally back…

I swallowed my complaints and coughed to maintain my fatherly dignity.

"Is this what Yukino wanted to tell me?"

My wife just said, "The two of them have something to say to you." If that's the case, Yukino probably also has something she wants to discuss with me.

"Um, um... that's included too... but it's not just that..."

However, Yukino's reply was somewhat vague.

She's usually a very outspoken girl, so I was a little puzzled by her reaction. I stared at her intently, but Yukino lowered her head, seemingly finding it difficult to speak.

Her mouth moved as if she wanted to say something, but she couldn't put it into words. I waited silently for her to gather her thoughts, and soon after, Yukino slowly raised her eyes and muttered to herself:

"...Is that not allowed?"

Of course! What's the problem! As long as it's Yukino's wish, Daddy will grant it for you! I pretended to be calm and swallowed back the words that I almost shouted out loud.

"Well, there are no plans to use it at the moment..."

As I spoke, I glanced sideways at my wife, and she didn't object. This meant it was up to me to make the judgment.

"...Whatever you want."

At the critical moment, I adopted a fatherly demeanor and nodded firmly. Yukino's face instantly lit up with a smile.

"Thanks."

Seeing that smile makes an apartment seem insignificant. Although it could fetch a good price when rented out, Yukino's smile is far more valuable. A daughter's smile is priceless.

In fact, Yukino rarely makes requests. When she asks my wife or me for something, she always explains her reasons clearly. So if she makes a request without any reason like this, I simply can't resist.

Despite their different methods, Yukino and Haruno are both very good at asking me for favors. It makes me feel like I'd do anything for my adorable daughter. My wife? Of course, my wife makes me feel like I'd do anything for her too. She always tells me things like, "I bought an apartment," "I transferred the title to my name," or "You can't make much money with fixed deposits, so I used it to buy US Treasury bonds." That part is quite cute, so you could say it's very cute. The cuter it is, the scarier it becomes.

But Yukino finally agreed to come home, and now she's moving out again? I feel so lonely... I slumped my shoulders, and Haruno tilted her head at the same time.

"Yukino, you don't need to go back to live there, do you?"

I nodded in agreement. "Is it really necessary to go back to live there? It's not necessary, is it? Staying at home is fine, right? Staying at home... Dad wants you to stay at home..."

"It's more convenient to live there for school. That's why I moved out in the first place..."

Yukino sighed and said that the truth was not so.

Actually, Yukino only decided to move into that apartment after enrolling in school. It wasn't because she wanted convenience from the start that she moved out on her own.

Making school easier is the result, not the other way around.

The main reason Yukino lives alone is because of the traffic accident before she started school. Fortunately, Yukino wasn't injured, but it must have still had some impact on her mentally. Because we had to apologize to the victim and handle the aftermath, my wife and I were quite busy, so we suggested that she move out on her own to get away from all the trouble.

At the time, Yukino was a bit neurotic, and one of the reasons was to keep her distance from Haruno, with whom she had a poor relationship.

In my heart, Yukino is a delicate child.

Of course, this doesn't mean that Yukino isn't delicate. Yukino is also delicate, but in a different way. Yukino is as delicate as a glass artwork; once shattered, the shards will hurt anyone who touches her. Yukino, on the other hand, has a dreamlike quality, as if she would vanish at the slightest touch.

My wife? My wife is certainly very delicate. As for her nature and direction, to put it another way, she's a dangerous object that kills anyone who touches her. Dealing with her requires considerable dexterity (ideally, one should have a license to handle dangerous materials), and I must say, she is an extremely delicate woman.

The problem is that these delicate women have a tendency to hurt each other easily.

Now, Yukino, with a Cheshire Cat-like smile, leans against Yukino and teases her incessantly.

"It's not far from our house, is it? Is that really all there is to it—?"

"There's probably no other reason. But people who rarely go to school even though the school is so close to home probably wouldn't understand."

Yukino pushed Haruno, who was leaning against her, back away and retorted.

At this moment, the wife, who had been standing aside and elegantly sipping her black tea, suddenly stopped what she was doing.

"Yono...didn't you go to class?"

She slowly put down her teacup and spoke in a chillingly low voice. The gentle smile on her face only made her seem more terrifying. I thought even Yang Nai wouldn't escape this fate, but she seemed to be trying to evade the question, taking a large gulp of her black tea and quickly explaining:

"It doesn't matter, I've never been treated like that before."

Yukino, perhaps sensing a good opportunity, gave chase with a smile.

"Oh my? She's always meddling in our affairs, and she's never been punished... She truly is a great older sister."

"Well, I won't have to repeat a grade anyway!"

Yang Nai quickly tried to explain to me and my wife. "Not being held back a grade, does that mean you'll only get the minimum required credits...?"

Well, Yang is a smart girl, I'm not too worried about her studies. But that's just my opinion; my wife doesn't seem to think so. She gently called Yang's name.

"Yonai... calculate for me how much a single university class costs."

His wife pressed her fingers to her temples, her head aching, and sighed deeply. Then she gave Yang Nai a cold look.

Haruno was speechless for a moment. Yukino, standing beside her, happily puffed out her chest.

Faced with the unfavorable situation of being outnumbered two to one, Yang pouted and looked to me for help.

But I'm sorry, I've had the same experience, so I couldn't say a word.

A long time ago, I was told the exact same thing.

Just like now, she scolded me, with a sarcastic tone and cold gaze, for spending the whole day holed up in the smoke-filled mahjong parlor.

Recalling that scene, I suddenly remembered the smell of cigarettes I quit twenty years ago. Back then, cigarettes were only about half the price they are now, and I would smoke a pack a day, but I quit after Yang Nai was born.

"...Sigh, there's a limit to how much you should skip class."

I said with a wry smile, and my wife gave me a cold glance. But it was warmer than the icy look in her eyes when we were students, which made the more than twenty years we've spent together worthwhile.

I thought my words were quite neutral, but Haruno pouted unhappily, puffed out her cheeks, and turned her head away. Yukino, sitting next to me, triumphantly tossed her hair, proud of her victory.

It's been a long time since I've seen Yukino beat Haruno.

However, the enemy is no simple character either.

Yang Nai seemed to have thought of something, opened her tightly closed mouth, and then raised the corners of her mouth. Her full lips outlined an arc.

That cruel smile inherited from her mother was still beautiful from an objective point of view. However, as her mother grew older, she would open a fan to cover it up, probably trying to maintain a poker face, but Haruno would still deliberately show it to others to intimidate them.

Seeing that menacing smile, Yukino naturally became wary. Or perhaps it was Haruno's unique gentleness, giving the other person time to prepare.

Both daughters are gentle by nature. My wife? Of course my wife is gentle. There's no reason, and I can't give any specific examples, but I have to say she's gentle. Really? She's very gentle! Absolutely!

"Ah, right..."

Yang chuckled and muttered to himself, then moved closer to the side, twirling a lock of Yukino's long black hair with his fingers, and then poking Yukino's cheek with that finger.

"After all, you can't just invite that child over whenever you live at home."

"Varied--"

Yukino's back trembled instantly, and she froze. I froze too. Wait, wait... wait, wait, I can't take it anymore, it hurts so much... wait...

No, no, Dad won't allow it. Tell me that guy's name, address, and ID number. Also, get me a scarecrow and some big nails; I'll attack him directly with a hammer.

I really wanted to say that sternly, but because the blow was too great, I could only open and close my mouth like a goldfish.

Calm down, calm down. Have a sip of red tea first, then go find the hammer.

Yukino and I picked up our cups and drank our black tea at almost the same time. After letting out a long breath, Yukino launched into a long, rambling monologue:

"Yeah, yeah. If I live at her house, Yuihama-san can't just come over and stay overnight. But that's not the reason. In fact, sometimes I stay at her house, I just want to stay in that apartment because it's more convenient for going to school."

After speaking, Yukino, panting, slowly placed the empty teacup on the saucer. Her wife immediately poured her another cup of tea.

She's too straightforward and can't lie...

But feigning ignorance is also a parent's responsibility.

Besides, checking every single one of her daughter's friendships would be too much interference. Judging from Yukino's tone, that Yui-hama seems to be a female friend; they're close enough to visit each other's homes and are generally very close. Yukino, who doesn't have a wide social circle, should actually be happy to have a friend she trusts so much.

I tried to calm myself down, but Yukino, sitting across from me, giggled happily. She pulled Yukino close, brought her face to her ear, and whispered in a volume we could all hear.

"No, I wasn't talking about Hihama-chan."

"Sister, don't speak. Shut up."

Yukino turned her head and pressed her hands against Haruno's lips. Haruno's cheeks were squeezed into a ball, like a dog that had done something wrong.

It's been a long time since I've seen them playing.

As I was lost in thought, my wife, who had been helplessly watching from the sidelines, slowly began to speak.

"Stop it, all of you!"

As soon as she spoke in a calm voice, Yukino reluctantly lowered her hands, and Haruno also released her arms from Yukino's shoulders.

When the two were finally ready to listen to her, the wife stared at Yukino.

"It's best to handle things carefully, including those kinds of matters. You should make a clean break."

The wife's tone was no longer the gentle, indulgent, and persuasive one of the past, but rather a convincing one.

"...That would definitely make you disliked."

Yukino bit her lower lip lightly and continued speaking in a more casual tone than usual. Her childlike way of speaking reminded me of her when she was a child.

"Moreover, if he finds me difficult to deal with or puts a lot of pressure on him... I'll be in a real bind."