novel-bin Page 693
Page 693
"Um, but... but my brother seems to like it quite a bit..."
"Ah—after all, staying at home makes him look a bit like an old man..."
Hearing Yuihama say in a slightly hesitant voice, I was even more shocked than Komachi was, because the shock was so great that even though I was sitting in the chair, my upper body was leaning to one side.
Hey, hey... I don't like drinking it because it's popular. I just really like sweet things like milk tea, and the sticky texture of the tapioca pearls is also quite interesting... Speaking of which, in its birthplace, Taiwan, bubble tea is already considered an authoritative beverage; it's beyond just being popular... I think it will gradually become something similar in Japan... just like the sundaes sold at Mini Island convenience stores in the summer...
Just as I was vehemently supporting bubble tea, or perhaps supporting older men, Ise casually added, as if to deliver a fatal blow:
"The older man always likes to follow trends from two weeks ago."
"I understand, I think so too... It's a bit overwhelming to hear someone come up to you and say, 'This is really popular right now...'"
Yuihama said impatiently, her face showing that she was quite frightened.
However, Komachi, who was listening nearby, was even more frightened.
"These two seem far too familiar with the lifestyle of middle-aged men..."
"Ah, because of Dad..."
"Yes, yes, because of Dad."
When Komachi heard Isshiki and Yui give the same answer, she seemed to realize something and kept muttering to herself:
"Oh, I see... Oh, I see..."
What's wrong...? Which kind of father are they referring to...? I don't really understand, but it's scary. I'll just pretend I didn't hear that!
Note: This is a reference to "Papa-katsu" (パパ活), which in principle refers to compensated dating that is not for the purpose of physical intimacy, where the male party who provides money is called the "Papa".
I looked away and saw that Yukinoshita had just finished preparing five servings of black tea. She poured the black tea into a dog-patterned mug, a plain teacup, and a paper cup.
"Tea, please."
After Yukino finished speaking, the three people sitting opposite her all accepted the cups and thanked her.
"Oh, thank you."
"Thank you, Yukino-nee!"
"Thank you, senior."
Yuihama, Komachi, and Isshiki held the black tea in their hands. Then, Yukinoshita silently handed me the last handleless teacup with Mr. Pan's design.
"Thanks."
Hearing my quiet thanks, she nodded slightly. I saw a hint of satisfaction in her expression; perhaps she was quite confident in the taste of the black tea today. Or maybe it was because I had thanked her properly, and she felt her usual "training" had finally paid off. Because she always tells me to be polite…
There was neither direct dialogue nor any moderate argument, but we subtly conveyed to each other thoughts and feelings. This kind of conversation between elderly people made me a little uncomfortable, and to avoid letting anyone notice my flushed cheeks, I blew on my tea, intending to get away with it.
Looking to the side, I noticed that Komachi, who was sitting diagonally opposite me, was holding a cup of black tea in her overly long sleeves and blowing on it.
Then, we took a sip at the same time.
"It's so hot! ...It's not hot at all."
My voice and Komachi's overlapped, creating a perfect harmony. This made Komachi and I look at each other abruptly, and although we shared a fresh sense of surprise, it wasn't the same for others.
"It's more accurate to say it's not hot enough."
Isshiki pulled the paper cup away from her lips, muttering to herself with a slightly dissatisfied expression. Then, she glanced at me with an expression that seemed to say, "What is this guy talking about?" and added quietly, "What is this guy talking about?" What kind of expression is that? It's cute, but it's so annoying... And how can you be angry about the temperature of the black tea Yukinoshita brewed!
Just as I was thinking about these things, Yui gave me a slightly subtle look and then said:
"Ah, after all, you're afraid of getting burned while staying at home."
Her smile was somewhat bitter, and I nodded in agreement with a similar expression. At that moment, Komachi, who was in the corner of my line of sight, drank her black tea with a grateful look on her face and moved her chair next to Yukinoshita.
"Everyone in our family, including our cat Xuejun, is afraid of getting burned."
"After all, it's a cat." (note)
Note: In Japanese, "cat tongue" is used to describe someone who cannot eat food that is too hot. The original text for "afraid of being burned" above uses "cat tongue".
"So, this is the perfect temperature for our house... What am I going to do, Yukino-nee, I love you so much..."
Then, like a cat, she placed her hand on Yukinoshita's thigh and stroked it, then meowed and snuggled up to her.
"Don't do this, Komachi..."
Yukinoshita seemed a little flustered, but she didn't seem to dislike Komachi's carnivorous, feline-like approach, so she let Komachi do as she pleased. After a while, she timidly reached out her hand to Komachi's head and gently stroked it with her fingertips. Hmm, not bad at all, the elegance of Machi-Yukinoshita is truly worth appreciating… It makes one want to sing, like Remeoroman, "Machi-Yukinoshita…"
Note: This is a reference to "Pink Snow" sung by Remioromen. The pronunciation of "町雪" (machi-yuki) is similar to the lyric "粉雪" (pink snow) in this song.
I wish I could be a wall... Just as I was playing the role of an absolute bystander, a cold voice suddenly rang out, "GUWARAGOWARAGAKIN," which shattered that wall.
Note: This references the unique batting sound of Masami Iwato from the baseball manga "Big Rice Bucket".
"Oh, really?"
I glanced to the side and saw Isshiki looking utterly speechless, muttering a harsh remark with indifference. Then, she took a sip of her black tea, her face contorted in disgust as she muttered to herself:
"I see... It's quite hot, and then it's bitter, astringent, and annoying."
She changed her earlier assessment that it wasn't hot enough, and then launched into a three-part critique, as spectacular as Bass's three consecutive home runs.
Note: This refers to the three members of the Japanese baseball team "Hanshin Tigers"—Randy Bass, Masayuki Kakefusa, and Akifumi Okada—who hit consecutive home runs in the 1985 Japanese professional baseball league. This is known among Hanshin Tigers fans as the "legendary triple hit."
No, it's not hot anywhere. I don't think it's hot at all—I looked away and sipped the black tea in my cup.
Neither cold nor hot, not belonging to either category, this moment is just right.
× × ×
After drinking the perfectly heated black tea, I finally felt better.
Satisfied sighs filled the air, and the activity room regained its tranquil atmosphere. A peaceful moment where nothing had happened. In other words, it was just leisure. Ultimately, it was no different from any other day.
Yukinoshita, Yui, Isshiki, and I were all doing what we wanted to do: drinking tea, reading, and playing on our phones.
But Komachi, who had just joined the club, was bored out of her mind.
"...Nobody's coming."
She rested her face on her hand and sighed softly.
"That's how it is. This stupid club is basically so idle it makes people stupid."
Rather than saying that they have nothing to do, they just serve in the club's usual activities.
There are only occasional tricky requests; normally, the activities of the Service Club are just passing the time in the activity room.
So I waved the paperback book in my hand, indicating that Komachi would be better off bringing a phone or a book to pass the time. At that moment, Yukinoshita, who was also reading, looked up and said happily:
"Yeah, that's why some silly employee treated this place like a library."
"That's right, there are fewer people here than in the library, it's very comfortable."
"So you knew you were that silly employee."
Yukinoshita rubbed her temples as if suffering from a headache, and sighed silently. Just as she looked down at the paperback again, she added quietly:
"...But it's better than before, at least I know I'm a member now."
Her movements as she turned the pages were very gentle, and her slightly narrowed eyes seemed to be gazing into the distance. The paperback book in Yukinoshita's hands looked like an old photo album.
"Hmm, ah, um, okay."
When I was brought here a year ago, I was still thinking about how to escape. Thinking back to that time and everything that has happened since then makes me feel incredibly ashamed; I want to kill my younger self. So, to get away with this, I need to cough twice!
Crackling sounds.
After successfully bluffing by coughing a few times, I spoke to Komachi again as if nothing had happened:
"Anyway, isn't it good to be unemployed?"
Anyway, there's no money for the work. Unequal labor is no exaggeration to call it evil. Besides, how long can we rely on manual labor? This is the age of AI.
Just as I was rambling on in my mind, Ms. Isshiki, sitting opposite me, uttered a remark devoid of love with a delighted expression:
"That's exactly what I mean. That way, we can delegate student council work here without any worries."
"You wish! By the way, what are you doing here... You're not a member, are you?"
This guy really does appear here without warning... Are the student council and soccer club alright...? I asked with some concern, while Isshiki put his finger on his chin and tilted his head.
"I'm not a member, but as a customer, isn't it my right to accept hospitality?"
"The Showa-era way of thinking!?"
This overly feudal and authoritarian mindset startled Yui, causing her to let out a loud scream. Seeing the incredulous look on Yui's face, Isshiki, perhaps realizing she had said something wrong, cleared her throat and said:
"I should say it's because we acted so recklessly last year that the student council's budget is almost insufficient. I need your help to cover the deficit."
"You're to blame yourself for almost 80% of it..."
Isn't it because you always organize some meaningless activities...? What's with that free intelligence magazine distribution...? Of course, the budget won't be enough.
When I impatiently started lecturing her, Yise puffed out her cheeks in a cute manner.
"The recent joint dance..."
"Yes, you're right, I'm very sorry."
I couldn't refute her bringing this up, so I gave a perfunctory reply and readily admitted my mistake, forcefully interrupting the conversation. Then, Isshiki let out a dissatisfied sigh.
"To be honest, I even wanted to borrow the cat's paw."
Note: This is a Japanese proverb describing a situation where there is a shortage of manpower and people are extremely busy.
"Oh, then you can borrow ours. Our cat is really cute~"
Hearing Isshiki's complaints, Komachi suddenly said this, reached into her pocket, and pulled out her phone. She tapped the phone a few times, then showed the screen to Isshiki.
The picture is a blurry, out-of-focus photo—my beloved cat, Snow House, is facing the camera with its rear end.
Seriously, Komachi, couldn't you have taken a better picture...? If you submitted this to the worst cat photo contest, it would be a sure thing... Even if people saw this, they'd just be completely baffled...
That was my initial thought, but one person gave a strong reaction.
"..."
Yukinoshita was peeking out from behind Komachi, frantically checking her phone, making it look like she was bouncing around on her seat. This person really loves cats, it's so cute, just like how cats love to jump around... (note)
Note: Feast is a cat food brand, and this reference is to one of its advertising slogans.
But no one else reacted. For example, Isshiki just waved his hand indifferently.
"No, I don't need real cat paws."
"yes……"
Komachi slumped her shoulders in disappointment at Isshiki's cold remark, but she immediately looked up, as if she had thought of something.
"Ah, then how about I lend you my hand, Komachi?"
She made the suggestion while mimicking the gesture of a lucky cat. True to her cat-owning nature, she perfectly captured the degree of finger bending, the angle of her wrist, the cuteness of the movement, and even the dangerous allure of a claw lurking beneath.
But her outstretched hand did not touch Isshiki.
Before that, a hand reached out from the side and grabbed hers. This surprised Komachi, who turned around to look. Behind her stood, of course, Yukino Yukinoshita. Yukinoshita, with a very serious expression, squeezed Komachi's hand.
"Oh, oh? What's wrong all of a sudden... Ah, Yukino-nee's hands are so warm..."
Komachi was initially surprised, but then she snuggled up to her like a kitten. Yukinoshita took the opportunity to grab her phone and petted Komachi (in cat form) while looking at pictures of cats. This is practically VR, right? So cutting-edge.
Yuihama and I watched this heartwarming scene leisurely from the side, but Isshiki looked a little unhappy.
She pouted at Komachi, then seemed to remember something, turned to me, and tugged at the hem of my coat in a coquettish voice:
"Senior, can't you think of a solution?"
"It's no use telling me..."
A sweet, delicate voice, raised eyes, and a weak grip on the hem of my clothes. I gently removed her hand. Don't think I'll fall for the same trick every time. I looked at Yukinoshita and Komachi, signaling to Isshiki, "Let's save this for next time."
"Why don't you ask the club president?"
Upon hearing the word "president," Isshiki and Yuihama also looked in the same direction. At the end of their line of sight was Komachi, who was playing around and making gurgling noises, as if she were lost in a dream. On the other side, Yukinoshita was stroking her chin while looking at her phone, showing us a mysterious two-sword style.
Yukino noticed our gaze, nodded, and calmly and clearly expressed her opinion.
"Yes, borrowing a cat is a good idea. Or rather, we should just get one."
She finished speaking with a shrewd smile, but her current words and actions were anything but intelligent. Yukinoshita… suffered from feline deficiency…
"He's not even listening to us!? This can't go on! Komachi, get up! Come back! House! House!"