My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 696

"She can't be considered an ordinary person anymore..." Xiaomi and I expressed the same opinion with some fear. We put our palms together and bowed to Yui-senpai.

Thank you for always protecting this place I love... Now, let's go to the coffee shop and have a talk about how bad our senior is doing...

DB Bonus High School Edition, Part 1 (Omitted): On the road, looking at the world from the car window that Chiba is so proud of.

The scenery outside the car window slowly receded into the distance.

Perhaps because it wasn't rush hour yet, there were very few passengers on the monorail. The one Yukinoshita and I were on was also nearly empty, so we could clearly see the Chiba scenery across the street from the opposite window.

As the sunset, which had painted the white sand beach and the sea red, gradually faded into the distance, we drew ever closer to disappearing into the deep blue city.

A continuous line of car taillights and streetlights emitting a pale orange glow appeared below as the train sped towards a cluster of skyscrapers.

As the evening scenery gradually transforms into a night view, the feeling of flying in the air is just like riding an amusement park ride.

Just sitting on it is incredibly exciting, and the scenery is also fantastic—it's truly impeccable. Especially at dusk, the route from Chiba Port Station to Chiba Station is one of my favorites; I wouldn't be surprised if it were ever featured in a "seeing the world through the train window" report.

Note: "Seeing the world through a car window" is a Japanese Ivy League travel television program.

I could gaze at this dreamlike scenery for a lifetime.

...I wish I could watch this forever.

Yes, I'm escaping reality.

After that, I'm going to have dinner with Yukino's family. I'd be happy to have dinner with just Yukino, so bring it on, but it's a different story if it's with Yukino's family.

Oh no, what should I do...?

I lowered my head and sighed deeply. Suddenly, I felt my sleeve being tugged. I turned around and saw Yukinoshita sitting next to me with a somewhat troubled expression.

"...What's wrong? What's wrong?"

Even when I asked her, she just shook her head slightly. She pursed her lips, looking as if she wanted to say "it's nothing."

...However, her gaze was restless, sometimes looking around and sometimes looking at the ground.

What's wrong? You grabbed my sleeve and made me so nervous. Not only does she smell really nice, but her hair also gently touches me every time the train shakes! My palms are sweating! What's going on? Is she hinting at something?

I was completely bewildered, and my palms started sweating profusely, just as the train entered a curve and began to tilt.

In an instant, the force applied to my sleeve increased.

This suddenly reminded me.

Speaking of which, five years ago—no, not that long ago, maybe a few months ago at most—when we went to Disneyland for Christmas and rode one of the rides, she also seemed very restless. After that, when we went to the Kasai Rinchu Aquarium to ride the Ferris wheel, I remember she was also on edge.

The conclusion drawn from this is that Yukino Yukinoshita is afraid of heights...

Based on experience, the best way to deal with this is to distract yourself with something else. I remember doing that when I went to Disneyland.

If we just shift her attention to other things, she won't notice the height and the swaying of the vehicle. It's only a few stops; we can chat for a bit and we'll be there in no time.

no solution anymore.

I shifted my body, closing the distance between me and her slightly.

There's no other way; after all, we need to have a conversation, and it wouldn't be good if we couldn't hear each other because of the car's swaying and the noise of driving. So this is probably a permissible but unfortunate measure.

I said to myself, as if making an excuse, and shortened the distance between my two fists.

His thighs and shoulders touched hers.

Yukino looked over in surprise. It would be embarrassing to be stared at like that, so I pretended not to notice her gaze and quickly said:

"May I ask you something? Are you afraid of heights?"

"...I don't really like high places."

After speaking softly, Yukino turned her head to the other side. The same reaction she had when she asked at Disneyland. I knew it! I knew it!

"Well, actually, if you had told me what you were saying, we wouldn't have had to take the monorail."

Actually, we just chose the monorail with the fewest transfers; we could have easily reached Chiba Station using other methods. It was only because I excitedly said something like "Let's take the monorail," which sounded like a classic jazz tune, that we decided to take the monorail… no, maybe Yukinoshita knew I was a true Chiba City Monorail enthusiast (someone who loves the Chiba City Monorail the most), and that's why she went along with it. Wait, that can't be. By the way, what the heck is a monorail enthusiast anyway?

Note: "Let's take the monorail" is a reference to the classic jazz song "Take the A Train".

Anyway, I'm really sorry to have you with me... Hearing my subtly apologetic words, Yukinoshita shook her head, then placed her hand on her chest, took a deep breath, gently closed her eyes, and murmured:

"No, actually the monorail is fine... because it's a means of transportation, it's fine... because it's a train, it's fine..."

"You're already hypnotizing yourself..."

Is it really alright...? I breathed out anxiously, when suddenly the force gripped my cuff tightly.

She had initially held my sleeve with some hesitation using her fingertips, but now she was grabbing my entire wrist through the sleeve.

The way Yukina gently nipped at me like a kitten caught me off guard. Then she closed the distance and leaned lightly against my shoulder.

"I don't really like it... but I don't hate it either."

As she spoke, she smiled and exhaled, looking out the window across the street, where the distant skyscrapers were gleaming in the afterglow of the setting sun.

The train was still at a certain altitude, and the carriage swayed from time to time, but Yukina appeared remarkably calm. This was evident in her even, dozing-like breathing.

It's more accurate to say that I'm the one who can't calm down.

I could feel her unnervingly light weight emanating from her slender shoulders, and her warm body temperature was palpable through her school uniform.

Although I can't tell if it's shampoo or perfume, whenever a fresh, soap-like scent wafts from her, I can't help but straighten my slightly hunched back.

To avoid letting her notice my nervousness—no, she probably already noticed—I decided to ignore it, looked at the same view as her, and whispered:

"May I ask, is there anything else you don't particularly like?"

Although I think I know this very well, I still want to ask. Because there are many things like today that I vaguely sense but fail to understand.

"I can't answer that right now..."

Yukinoshita put her hand to her mouth and looked to the upper right. Indeed, she probably wouldn't be able to answer such a question if someone suddenly asked her. If someone asked her what Yukinoshita is afraid of, she wouldn't be able to answer it right away.

"First, it's about dogs. Then, it's about things related to monsters."

I just blurted it out! Isn't she afraid of a lot of things? Is she alright? Will she be able to live a good life?

"Anything else? What else?"

High places, dogs, monsters. I counted them off on my fingers, and when I got to the fourth one, I turned around to ask her opinion, but she looked very unhappy.

"I'm not afraid of dogs or monsters..."

"Alright, alright, let's skip this one."

Okay, it's alright, I know. That's why I specifically asked the question with "I don't really like it."

Seeing my serious expression and this subtle hint, Yukino pouted as if she were being stubborn, then sighed in resignation.

"...Yeah, I really don't like it."

She pondered for a moment, then suddenly raised her head and said clearly with a refreshed expression:

"I can't stand bugs."

"I can't stand it either."

Her open and forceful statement made me immediately agree. I understand, the bugs really can't stand it.

I was nodding to myself when Yukinoshita laughed happily and said:

"And what about you? What don't you like?"

"I will not eat raw tomatoes."

Yukinoshita nodded, took out her phone from her pocket, and started typing. "No, there's no need to write it down. Also, I don't like cucumbers, but pickled cucumbers are fine."

But before I could say anything, Yukinoshita glanced at me and asked with her eyes, "Is there anything else?"

"And then there's math... What else? I can't think of anything else."

When I was suddenly asked in a serious tone what I didn't like, I couldn't think of anything for a moment. I'm practically omnipotent; I dislike almost everything in this world, even monsters. So you could say I dislike everything in the other world as well.

What else... Just as I was racking my brains to think of anything worth mentioning, Yukinoshita seemed to have thought of something, and suddenly exclaimed "Ah!" while patting my upper arm repeatedly, looking like she wanted to say, "Ask me quickly, ask me quickly."

"You're so cute, so scary, and so embarrassing all at once! I'm afraid my heart can't take it. Could you please not do that next time?" I glanced at Yukinoshita, who was smiling broadly, her eyes sparkling with confidence as she said:

"If we're talking about what Hachiman doesn't like or isn't good at, isn't it dealing with interpersonal relationships?"

"Aren't you the same...?"

Why do you look so smug? I'd already taken it for granted; I had no idea...

"Nobody's good at that kind of thing, so it doesn't count. Besides, only con artists and mentally ill people would claim to be good at getting along with others."

Everyone experiences frustration due to interpersonal relationships at some point. If you were to do a horoscope reading and casually say, "Unfortunately! Leo is number 12! You might be troubled by interpersonal relationships today; your lucky charm is 7 trillion yen," it would be a guaranteed hit. No one is immune to interpersonal troubles. And having 7 trillion yen guarantees good luck? Do you think people are idiots? Just hand over those 7 trillion yen!

Hearing me say that, Yukino shrugged and smiled.

"Indeed, everyone has people they're not good at dealing with."

She had said that much, but then she added, "Let me think about it," and started counting on her fingers.

"You mean my mother first, right? And then my sister?"

"I'm going to see those two people next..."

Haha, you little rascal! I chuckled ingratiatingly, but immediately sensed the heavy reality looming before me, and my spirits plummeted.

Note: The phrase "Hahaha, you little rascal!" is a meme from Mitsukyoshi Sonoda's manga "Romance of the Three Kingdoms".

"...May I ask what we're having for dinner later?"

To prepare myself mentally, I asked Yukinoshita. Since I'm using someone else's money, I might as well enjoy myself to the fullest.

As a result, Yukinoshita said with a puzzled look:

"Didn't I say? We're having Italian food later. Don't you really like it?"

"You're not talking about Salia, are you...? Although I do really like Salia..."

Yes, Saizeriya is indeed an Italian restaurant, that's undeniable, but hearing her say that gave me a lingering sense of unease. Maybe it's because I've categorized Saizeriya as a separate cuisine.

But it's unlikely that they would go to Saria with the Yukino family.

Salia is a restaurant that ordinary people would go to regularly; the Yukinoshita family, from an upper-class background, probably wouldn't go there. No, if it were Haruno, it wouldn't be surprising if she were drinking alone with a large bottle of affordable red wine, but she probably wouldn't be in the mood for that today.

It must be a high-end, classy, ​​and fashionable place; my unease compels me to confirm.

"...By the way, where should we eat?"

"A store my family frequents."

"Hey, it must be one of those really expensive places. Isn't there a dress code? Will I even be able to go?"

I glanced at my school uniform; it was wrinkled everywhere. This won't do. Wearing such crumpled clothes, I'm afraid I'll be turned away. Oh dear, it seems I can't go. I really want to see you, Mom! I really want to see you, but my clothes are so wrinkled, and no matter how hard I try to smooth them out, it doesn't seem to work—I diligently patted my school uniform.

However, Yukinoshita seemed unconcerned, silently lowered my hand, and then said with a smile:

"The atmosphere at that store is very relaxed, not as strict as you described. Wearing a school uniform shouldn't be a problem."

"Is that so..."

Really? School uniforms are fine too? But Ms. Yukinoshita probably doesn't understand the lives of ordinary people. A relaxed atmosphere usually refers to a trendy cafe run by an individual. A shop that requires school uniforms as the minimum dress code can't be called a relaxed atmosphere.

In other words, she meant a really expensive place. Even if it's Italian food, it's definitely high-end Italian food. At this point, please don't just say "Italian food," just tell me you want to go to a really expensive place!

To have to meet my mother in a place like that, it's so hard for me...

Is a desperate last stand the only option...? Just as I was about to give up, I suddenly realized I was missing something. Even if the outer moat was filled in, I still had the inner moat. Not enough! I need to use the Osaka Summer Siege to escape this crisis! However, since the Osaka Summer Siege was lost, a desperate last stand is still more likely to succeed, but let's put that aside for now!

Note: If you are interested, you can refer to the Baidu Encyclopedia entry for "Siege of Osaka in Summer". Just start reading from the "Events" section of the entry. Here, Hachiman compares himself to the ultimately defeated Toyotomi regime.

"……ah."

I suddenly stood up, as if I had just realized it, and said:

"Oh no, I forgot to wear my tie. I need to go back first, or rather, I'm going straight back."

"You don't need to worry about that."

Yukinoshita immediately tugged at my sleeve to make me sit down again, then took a small bag out of her backpack. Inside was a tie that matched the Soubu High School boys' uniform.

"This was given to me by Komachi, so everything should be fine now."

"oh oh……"

Wow... my sister is so sensible and capable! She's already so useful right after graduation... she's much better than those students who call themselves "lubricant" when they're job hunting.

Ignoring my stunned expression, Yukino loosened her tie and pulled my collar over. Her unexpected action made me obediently submit to her, like a kitten being pinched by the scruff of its neck.