My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 702

"Great, Yukino! Now you can go have fun."

"You can't just play all day, exams are coming up soon, right?"

Faced with Haruno's teasing tone, Yukinoshita calmly responded and tilted her head in my direction, as if seeking my permission.

"Yes, yes... I still have exams to take, so I probably won't have much time to play..."

I gave a dry laugh to brush it off, and then I heard the sound of a fan closing on the other side.

"That's true. We can't have these kinds of frequent gatherings until the exams are over."

Looking in the direction of the voice, I saw my mother gently touching her cheek, speaking softly and gracefully. "No, no, no, I don't mean to have frequent gatherings." What is this beautiful woman in the kimono saying...?

Just as I was looking on in astonishment, Yang, who was sitting next to my mother, nodded and then said:

"But it's good to relax once in a while, isn't it?"

This is impossible to relax at all. What is this sexy woman talking about...? Is she trying to turn this gathering into a regular event? I feel like I need to stop her... I gave Yukino a wink, hinting at this.

Having received the hint, Yukinoshita nodded.

"Well, just once in a while..."

Then, she muttered to herself, her gaze lowered, and she became shy. Hey! That's not right! I was hoping you'd cleverly reject her! But her shyness was quite rare, so it was perfectly fine!

However, if they invite me again, I'll try to postpone it, muddle through first, and accept the invitation only after I'm mentally prepared... I definitely can't bring myself to refuse directly... After all, if I'm too direct, Yukino will be especially disappointed...

Thinking about the troubles ahead, my stomach started to ache, so I rubbed it with my hand. I don't know how my mother interpreted this, but she put her hand to her mouth and said:

"Oh, I'm sorry, you must be hungry. Let's eat."

After she finished speaking, she greeted the waiter, seemingly thinking that I was implying that I was hungry.

"Since it's a set meal, there might not be enough food, but you can always order more if needed. Please don't be shy, eat as much as you like."

Note: Western set meals follow a specific order of serving, typically in the following order: appetizer → soup → side dish → main course → salad → dessert → beverage.

Actually, I just had a stomachache, but when she stared at me with those excited, girlish eyes, I couldn't say a word.

"Boys usually have a big appetite, right?"

And after hearing her say that, I couldn't bring myself to say it. There was no pressure in her eyes as she looked at me; it was just a gaze full of pure interest.

Her quiet yet joyful expression was so much like hers... I compared her to Yukino sitting next to me and couldn't help but laugh. My mother seemed to think I was agreeing and clapped her hands happily.

"Oh, how about we take a look at the menu? We can order now."

"No need, I'll finish my set meal first and then see."

At this rate, we'll probably eat until we're stuffed. "When it's time to refuse, you have to say it firmly," I said with a smile, trying to be tactful. Yukinoshita's mother lowered her brows and said:

"Is that so..."

Her disappointed look was so similar, it was really hard to refuse her... Just as I was thinking this, Yang Nai, who had been watching from the side, suddenly laughed.

"Mom, you're getting a little too excited. I'm sorry, there are no boys in our family, so I'm not sure how much you guys can usually eat."

Yang laughed loudly, which made Yukinoshita's mother a little unhappy, so she covered her mouth with her fan.

"That's not true at all. I know that kids this age really eat a lot."

"Really? You mean Hayato? I don't think he'd eat much at a time like this."

Yang Nai asked, puzzled, after hearing her mother's angry words.

Speaking of which, the Yukinoshita family and the Hayama family are old friends. They used to have gatherings and meals together during the New Year, so I think I saw Hayama eating around that time.

That guy really has it tough... enduring this atmosphere the whole time. A feeling of warmth suddenly welled up inside me, but at the same time, a sense of annoyance also rose in my heart. However, compared to the annoyance, I still felt that having dinner with the Yukinoshita family was more difficult, so I felt a little sorry for him! Although I was still annoyed!

But as Haruno said, Hayama Hayato doesn't give the impression of having a large appetite.

I vaguely remember seeing him eat during lunch break; the amount he ate was extremely normal, or rather, excessively normal. He always paired whatever he ate with a salad or smoothie—a typical Hayama-style pretentious eating habit. If you're a man, go eat some brown, fried food!

Just as I was imagining what Yeshan's diet would be like, my mother gave me a somewhat troubled smile and a worried look.

"...But the Hayama family eats healthier food."

Hahaha! Goodness! Note, how could you say that? We eat very healthily at home, you know? Just as I was about to return a resentful glare, Yukinoshita suddenly whispered cheerfully beside me:

Note: This is a reference to Mitsukyoshi Sonoda's manga "Romance of the Three Kingdoms".

"Hachiman, let me just say this: a cycle of ramen, Max's coffee, and Saizeriya doesn't exactly make you healthy, you know? Do you eat at least thirty different kinds of food every day?"

Note: "Eat 30 different foods a day" was a dietary goal promoted by the Japanese government in its healthy eating policy in 1985, meaning that one should eat at least 30 different foods every day to ensure a balanced intake of nutrients. However, this goal was secretly removed in 2000.

"Don't worry, I've been eating curry a lot lately. There are easily more than thirty kinds of spices in curry, so it's not an exaggeration to call curry a complete food."

"Seasonings and spices are not included..."

I put on a smug look, and Yukinoshita rubbed her temples as if to relieve a headache.

Upon seeing this scene, the mother suddenly looked into the distance, a nostalgic smile appearing on her face.

"Your father was like that when he was young too. He would often play mahjong while eating curry, ramen, and fried noodles, and he didn't care at all, even if it was the middle of the night. It's amazing how he could stand living in those smoky, chaotic places..."

"Midnight? Mahjong? A smoky mess?... Wait, weren't we talking about Dad?"

Yukinoshita seemed concerned about the words she heard and asked in surprise, to which her mother nodded. This greatly surprised both Yukinoshita and me.

No matter how I think about it, what I just said doesn't fit the image of the Yukinoshita family in my mind, at least it has nothing to do with the Yukinoshita mother and daughter here.

"What kind of person is your dad...?"

I asked quietly, and Yukinoshita shook her head in confusion. It seemed that, at least in her daughter's memory, he wasn't that kind of person.

Hmm... I'm even more confused now... Just as I was wondering, Yang Nai winked at me and reassured me:

"Don't worry about it, don't worry about it, you'll see him sooner or later."

"I really don't want to see it..."

I swallowed those words and didn't say them aloud. If I could, I wouldn't want to see my mother and sister so readily...

However, when her mother spoke of her father, whom she had never met, a gentle smile appeared on her face, completely different from when she had confronted her earlier because of the ball. Seeing such an expression, it was hard to have a bad impression of her. No, rather, she made a very good impression.

Perhaps it's like this under the snow.

"I was quite worried at the time, and I even made him lunchboxes. People can change so quickly."

"A bento box... Is this how it is...? Uh..."

She was somewhat surprised; to her, the way her mother shyly recounted the past seemed quite novel.

Yukinoshita's mother noticed our stunned gazes, coughed lightly, and smiled to cover it up.

"So don't worry about it, just eat."

That sounds like you're saying, "It'll be corrected eventually anyway, so don't worry about it now"...

Forget it, I'll think about what happens later. For now, I'll just focus on enjoying the feast that others are treating me to.

...Um, I don't need to pay for this meal, right? Is that right?

× × ×

With a signal from the leader, we gently clinked our glasses together.

Yukinoshita's mother and Haruno held white wine, while Yukinoshita and I held oolong tea. Due to the different shapes of the cups, the thin glass cup opposite us made a crisp, cool sound.

Without even a formal greeting, we ended our brief and quiet toast. Just then, the appetizers were served.

The scallops and sweet shrimp are arranged compactly on the huge plate. The finely cured meats and the garnished sauce complement each other, making the plate look like a painting.

With such a plate placed in front of me, I couldn't help but swallow hard.

Because it aroused my strong appetite.

But that's not all there is to it.

"I am being tested... I am being tested right now..."

I unconsciously mumbled something to myself.

"Let's begin our meal."

Yukinoshita's mother smiled gently and said this, but she showed no sign of starting to eat. The same was true for Haruno, who sat beside her.

A silence, seemingly with ulterior motives, suddenly descended.

It would be strange if they didn't have ulterior motives. Both Yukinoshita's mother and Haruno were secretly watching my hands, adopting a posture of observing my every move.

Three pairs of cutlery were placed on either side of the plate in front of me. There was also an extra spoon on the right, seemingly being sidelined. The plate also had cutlery, arranged in pairs like a king's treasure before me. Even a thousand-armed Guanyin wouldn't need so many utensils. Although Guanyin is supposed to use chopsticks…

Note: This references Gilgamesh's Noble Phantasm from the Fate series.

But I am not the Thousand-Armed Guanyin. Although there are Asuras and Rakshasas before me, at least I am human. Therefore, I will use these utensils in order.

In other words, I am now undoubtedly undergoing a test regarding table manners.

However, I have mastered the etiquette in this regard perfectly.

In situations like this, what we Japanese do is observe our surroundings and imitate them at will!

So, I glanced at the snow beside me.

Then, Yukinoshita seemed to notice my pleading look. She nodded slightly, and then reached out for the knife and fork first.

I am extremely grateful. As expected of Yukino, she even knows table manners perfectly; she's practically a Wikipedia-level expert now. I followed Wikipedia's lead and reached for the cutlery.

But right now.

"Oh, by the way, Yukino, how's school lately?"

As if she had just remembered, her mother spoke to him under the snow.

"Huh?... Ah, it's alright."

Yukinoshita replied, somewhat confused.

That said, this mother has raised her child very well. After being spoken to, Yukinoshita stopped what she was doing and switched to listening mode.

Therefore, I have no one to refer to now. This is the same as telling a new employee, "Don't ask others about everything right away; think about it yourself first."

My mother smiled again at my confused expression.

"Ah, Hachiman, please don't mind, please continue with your meal."

"good……"

Although I responded, my mental fortitude wasn't strong enough to just say, "Wow! How lucky! Let's dig in!" And I knew very well that if I started eating without a second thought and made a mistake, the other person would unleash an undefendable barrage of "Don't you ever ask questions before you do things? Didn't I tell you to ask if you don't understand?"

Note: "Wow! How lucky!" is a reference to Himeishi Raiki's catchphrase from the "Aikatsu! Parade".

That being said, since I've already responded, it wouldn't be appropriate to remain completely still. I scanned the various cutlery pieces back and forth.

Which one? Which one should I start with?

"I'm starting to eat—"

At that moment, Yang Nai picked up the knife and fork on the inside without hesitation or reservation.

"Mmm—it's delicious."

Yang Nai took a bite of the marinated meat and made a happy sound. I carefully observed her smile and pointed to the knife and fork she was using to confirm. As long as I copied her exactly, there shouldn't be any problems. "The people in front of me did it this way, so it's fine!" That's what my inner cat was thinking too.

Note: "Live Cat" is an online character created by "Futaba☆Channel".

It's the same when burning incense at a funeral! Just imitate the person before and forcefully throw the incense ash onto the memorial tablet, right? I understand, I understand, I know it best.

Note: This alludes to Oda Nobunaga's outrageous behavior at his father's funeral, where he typically picked up a handful of incense ash with his fingers, held it in front of his eyes, and then put it back into the incense burner.

Just as I realized everything and was about to reach for the knife and fork on the inside, I was suddenly gently patted on the thigh. The soft touch and warm body temperature came from her slender fingers, which made me straighten my back involuntarily.

"Hachiman, the knife and fork should be used from...?"

Yukino leaned in and whispered in my ear. Her voice and expression made me nod nervously. At that moment, Haruno across from me puffed out her cheeks and said unhappily:

"Hey, hey, hey, let's do this when Mom and my sister aren't around."

"It's not okay when I'm not around. Yukino, what are you thinking about that? Ah, Hachiman-kun, hurry up and eat, don't worry about it."

My mother greeted me with a smile under the snow, and I could only respond with a wry smile.

The three of them ignored me and continued chatting, but their eyes kept glancing in my direction. So that's it; they're even putting on an act to test me?

Only Yukinoshita, while echoing her mother and sister, looked at me with concern. In the instant the conversation stopped, she quickly whispered:

"Is everything okay?"