My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 683

"That's not what I meant. Maybe the bookstore doesn't have it, but your store does."

Hearing her say that, I suddenly realized what she meant.

"...I see. An original picture book?"

"Yes. Your parents probably drew it themselves to comfort their upset daughter."

Now that she said that, it explains why Komachi kept laughing at how badly she drew. Her parents probably aren't very good at drawing; maybe their drawings are just weird.

"If that's the conclusion, then I feel even more sorry for you."

"why?"

"The gift I finally came up with turns out it's completely unavailable in stores. It seems we're back to square one. But if you think giving picture books is okay, I have a lot I'd like Jingjing to read."

I took out several picture books that I thought were good and wanted to hand them to Kawasaki, but Kawasaki reached out his hand to refuse.

"It's alright. I should thank you for telling me the correct answer."

"The correct answer?"

Kawasaki looked refreshed.

I deduced a possibility from her expression.

"Do you mean to—"

"Yes, that's right. I want to draw my own picture book."

"What are you talking about, Kawasaki?"

Although I had already guessed the answer, I was still taken aback.

"You make it sound so simple, but drawing picture books is not easy."

"I know about this little thing. But I want to tell Jingjing with my own hands. Because I couldn't tell her yesterday."

Her slightly melancholic expression clearly conveyed her regret. She regretted responding to her sister that way yesterday. She regretted feeling so insignificant.

That picture book was both a gift and an atonement.

"I think that's just you being self-satisfied, is that okay?"

I said this seriously. If Kawasaki only wants to atone for his sins, then it's meaningless.

"...I felt it was meaningful for me to tell her myself."

Kawasaki gave me an uneasy yet sharp look.

"Although I'm very unwilling, you're right, this might be my way of satisfying myself. Even so, I still want to tell Jingjing in my own words. That's the best way to convey to her... I believe in myself."

"I see. It doesn't mean self-satisfaction, but rather trust. I understand."

I put the picture book back on the shelf and headed towards the bookstore exit.

"etc."

Kawasaki's voice made me stop in my tracks.

Do you think my reasoning... is terrible?

I turned my head and saw her staring at me with a somewhat timid expression. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"No, there's a craft shop on the first floor, right? We need to buy things there, like paper and pens for drawing picture books."

Kawasaki paused for a moment, then smiled.

"yes."

We left the bookstore together.

After we finished shopping, we dispersed on the spot.

She has exams coming up soon, so she'll probably have to go home to study. It must be tough for her to be so busy and still have to draw picture books, but all I can do is wish her good luck and thank her for helping me choose a Mother's Day gift.

When she got home, Komachi was lounging around in the living room.

"Brother, you're back—wait, are you carrying some souvenirs for Komachi, who's been waiting patiently at home for you?"

"Unfortunately, it wasn't. It was a Mother's Day gift."

"Oh—brother has finally taken the first step! Now you're just 19,000 steps away from being independent."

"That's still a long way off."

"What did my brother buy?"

Komachi stared intently at the paper bag in my hand, probably very curious about my gift.

"A black tea gift set. Nothing special."

"Oh—this isn't a gift your brother would buy. Did you choose it yourself?"

"...No, I picked it out with someone I know."

I thought Komachi would say, "Komachi told you to choose for yourself!" But instead, her eyes lit up with excitement.

"Huh? Who did she go with? Yukino-neechan? Or Yui-neechan?"

"Neither."

"Huh? Who is that?!"

"Kawasaki Saki. You've met her before, haven't you?"

"Ah—Dazhi's older sister."

Big ambition? Hearing a word I don't want to hear makes me feel a bit down.

"She also wants me to go shopping with her, so we're on the same page."

"That's it."

Then I remembered the picture book incident. Right, wouldn't it be easier to just ask Komachi?

"Komachi."

"What's up?"

I took a deep breath.

"...Are you happy with school life?"

"Why are you asking this all of a sudden? Of course I'm happy. It's because it's Komachi."

"That's it."

In the end, I decided not to ask about the picture book. Maybe Kawasaki and I were wrong in our reasoning. The picture book wasn't drawn by my parents; it just wasn't sold at that bookstore.

But what's wrong with that? It doesn't matter if the conclusion isn't the correct answer. In that case, the truth can remain forever in Schrödinger's catbox.

Two days after buying the gift.

As I was getting ready to go home after school, I sensed an unusual murderous aura. Looking back at the back of the classroom, I saw Kawasaki leaning against the door, beckoning me over.

Anyone who saw this would think she was going to call me over for a beating. Kawasaki was already being misunderstood because of her demeanor, so why did she have to choose such an easily misunderstood method even when calling someone? I walked towards Kawasaki, thinking to myself.

"Kawasaki-san, what can I do for you?"

"Come here for a moment."

Kawasaki raised his chin, pointed to the end of the corridor, and strode towards it. "Kawasaki-kun, people in my class are talking about this. Why do they act like they're going to lecture me?"

I followed Kawasaki out of the school building and moved to the back. Huh? Am I really going to get beaten up? A major crisis?

"Kawasaki, what did I do wrong? You've probably misunderstood. Don't hit my face, at least hit my body. No, don't hit my body either."

"What are you talking about?"

"Huh? Weren't you going to beat me up?"

"How inexplicable. Take it."

Kawasaki handed me a stack of papers. When I picked them up, they looked like drafts for a picture book.

"Take a look."

"Yes, that's fine... but please don't call me to a place like this."

"That's because...it's embarrassing to show this kind of thing to others."

Kawasaki seemed a little shy. While I found her cute, the thought of "Is it okay to be treated like a dramatic delinquent girl?" flashed through my mind. Oh well, if she doesn't mind, then it's fine.

"Anyway, I'd like to hear your thoughts."

"it is good."

I looked at the draft.

The contents are as follows.

The protagonist, Jinghua, lost her beloved goldfish, Meili. Jinghua wept. Then she buried the goldfish in the ground. Every day she thought of Meili and looked at the mound of earth. Before long, a new sprout emerged from there, growing into a tree. Jinghua felt Meili's life in that tree. The tree grew taller and taller, and winter came. Jinghua decorated the tree with various ornaments, and finally shouted:

"Merry Christmas!"

"W-How is it?"

Kawasaki asked anxiously.

"Hmm, not bad."

"real?"

The draft was hand-drawn, with traces of scribbles and corrections, showing that the creator really considered the younger sister's feelings during the production process.

Moreover, judging from the dark circles under her eyes, she probably got them from staying up all night.

I'm not sure if I can convey what I'm trying to say to Jingjing.

"Don't worry, it will definitely work."

"Very good."

Kawasaki breathed a sigh of relief, her entire demeanor completely different from the one who had been mistaken for a delinquent just moments before. Although it sounded childish, I couldn't help but feel how precious it was to act in a way that helped others.

"All that's left is to draw the picture and it'll be finished."

"I see. Good luck. Your sister will definitely be happy. You're going to give it to her on her birthday, right?"

"Yes. So I need to finish drawing soon and go home to prepare for my birthday party."

"I see. There's a lot to do, keep it up!"

I only got halfway through my sentence.

"Wait a minute. What did you say?"

"Huh? I need to finish drawing quickly so I can go home and prepare for my birthday party."

"Hey! Is it your sister's birthday—?"

"Yes, it's today."

The unexpected answer made me dizzy. I didn't expect it to happen today. I glanced at the clock; it was already 4:40. Time was running out.

"You mean you're going to finish drawing this picture book later?"

"right."

"No matter how fast you draw, it will still take at least three hours, no, four hours."

"But Jingjing's birthday is today... it would be meaningless if we didn't give it to her today."

That being said, is it really a good idea to do something so time-consuming? Besides, it must be quite a burden for Kawasaki, who seems to be sleep-deprived.

And holding a birthday party so late will also put a burden on Jingjing, right?

"Why not—"

Why does it have to be today? The moment I opened my mouth, I remembered what Kawasaki said at the shopping mall.

"The thought that Jingjing is still sad right now makes me feel depressed."

Really? You not only want to celebrate your sister's birthday, but also want to help her alleviate her inner anxieties? Really? I guess so.

I scratched my head and looked towards Kawasaki.

"You want to give the gift today, right?"