My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 755

No, no, no, the only one that looks like a spell is the Assamese one, which resembles Eloim Essaim [Note]. They've said so much, and you're just giving up from the start? Hihama-kun…

Note: A spell used to summon demons.

"Hmm... then we'll leave the black tea to Yukino! Let's order different kinds and swap!"

"Okay, okay...that's fine...which one would you like to order...?"

Yuihama shifted all the blame to Yukinoshita, causing the previously composed Yuihama to furrow her brow and stare intently at the menu.

Ah—that child, she gets all serious the moment Hihama-san asks her a favor…

"I'll call the clerk over..."

After waiting for a while, I felt that she would never be able to make a decision if things continued like this, so I informed the two of them and raised my hand.

At my level, even if I raise my hand in the store, I'm unlikely to be noticed, which actually gives her time to hesitate.

I had barely thought that when I was discovered.

(Illustration 007)

The female clerk standing behind the cashier suddenly looked this way and quickly walked over.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting... Ah."

The clerk deftly placed three glasses of water on the table. Seeing her speechless, I was also momentarily speechless.

Her white shirt and black trousers were neatly ironed, and she wore a simple apron tied around her waist. Her slightly wavy black hair adorned her shoulders. Below, her eyes revealed a hint of surprise, and she wore a friendly and cheerful smile.

She is my junior high school classmate, Origami Kaori.

"Isn't this Hachiman Hachiman? What are you doing here?"

"Oh, oh. Uh, I'm a guest..."

"Oh—Hachiman Hachiman comes to places like this too."

She chuckled and took out the ordering machine from her apron pocket.

This guy is still the same as always...

She probably didn't mean any harm, but no matter how you listened, it sounded like she was thinking, "Why would Hachiman go to a trendy store like this? Hilarious..."

I work here.

As she spoke, she operated the ordering machine, preparing to take our order, glancing at me and the two people sitting opposite us.

As expected of people who had met before, no one asked the other's name. In other words, they only knew each other's appearance and names. Perhaps due to that subtle sense of distance, the atmosphere was unusually awkward.

The three of them first met when I was forced to play a double dating game with Hayama.

At the time, it happened to involve the student council election, and our relationship was also in a very awkward state.

I saw Orimoto again not long ago, when Soubu High School and Haibin Comprehensive High School jointly held a Christmas event, which happened to be in a super chaotic situation.

I really don't think this was a lucky encounter.

Yukinoshita, Yuihama, and Orimoto.

Their tentative glances and silences mingled together.

Yuihama wore a slightly troubled smile, but no one could guess what thoughts were hidden beneath her narrowed eyes.

Yukinoshita simply stared at Orimoto's face, her expression unchanged, and she didn't say a word. However, the aura she exuded was somewhat cold.

Zheben cast curious glances at the two of them.

What's going on? I'm on pins and needles...

To be honest, Zheben is someone who dumped me. I don't want to see her.

Normally, when I experience losses, I feel so embarrassed I mentally punch myself. But with Yukinoshita and Yuigahama present, my fists just won't stop; I'm almost about to unleash an actual, embarrassing punch... [Note]

Note: This is a parody of "Nose Hair Fist".

Everyone seemed to sense the awkward atmosphere brewing from the awkward punch, and an unusually heavy silence continued.

However, Zheben suddenly let out a soft sigh and said:

"We haven't formally greeted each other... right? My name is Orimoto Kaori. I went to the same junior high school as Hachiman, and I'm currently a student at Seaside Comprehensive... You've probably all heard about this from Hachiman, right?"

Oribon touched his curly hair, and laughed "Ahaha" as if to hide his shyness, glancing in my direction.

However, I couldn't laugh at all; I just shook my head silently.

Uh, how could I have said that... When I accidentally lose money, the situation is usually very chaotic, or I'm too busy to handle anything else... Besides, I'm always in a chaotic and busy situation!

I remained silent, conveying what sounded like an excuse only through a complex, bitter smile and the cold sweat that began to drip down my back.

Zheben probably realized it too, sighed helplessly, and then gave a cold laugh.

"Hilarious. That's what people usually say, right?"

"No, it's not funny at all..."

I said softly, Orimoto shrugged slightly, facing Yuihama and Yukinoshita.

"Okay, never mind. I really apologize for organizing the event. Thank you both."

She lowered her head slightly, revealing a bright smile.

This style of speaking, which is half honorific and half informal, truthfully reflects the attitude of the person who lost money. However, the casual tone and natural intonation also carry a rhythm that makes it easy to respond.

"Ah, hello... No, that's what I should say... Ah, my name is Yuigahama Yui. Um, I'm the classmate of the autistic guy... Hachiman-kun..."

Yuihama was also at a loss for words, responding with a belated self-introduction. Orimoto reacted instantly to a certain word in that sentence.

"An autistic man?... Pfft."

She turned her head away and burst into laughter. No, no, no, this isn't the time to laugh, is it?

"Ah, hahaha..."

Faced with Orimoto's sudden burst of laughter, Yuihama also forced a smile. Orimoto seemed to notice the fawning smile, immediately stopped laughing, made a gesture of wiping away tears, and hurriedly explained.

"Oh, sorry, sorry. It's really new for Hachiman to be called that—I'm not laughing for some weird reason."

He added, putting on a serious expression.

What she said must be true.

There's no deeper meaning behind it. Conversely, it means there was no consideration or concern involved. If you just assume she's that kind of person, you'll find her reaction unremarkable. She's simply conflating being outspoken with being clueless.

It's actually quite surprising that people I knew from junior high still remember my name. Everyone called me by nicknames like "frog," which are practically derogatory. Hearing "autistic guy" would probably scare them, and it wouldn't be surprising if they laughed. Whether "autistic guy" is a derogatory term is another matter, you know?

Okay, it's a common tactic to expand a conversation by bringing up people you both know. This time, it was just that her joking approach didn't align with Yuihama's.

"This person has a really low threshold for laughter."

"Uh-huh……"

I didn't mean to speak up for her, but I didn't want the atmosphere to become awkward for no reason and ruin our precious afternoon tea time. I said in a low voice, and Yui nodded.

If she were a little closer to Orimoto, Yuihama probably wouldn't have that slightly melancholic expression. They could have a normal conversation, and she could have laughed about this kind of topic. Because, honestly, Miura, who's good friends with Yuihama, can be quite unreasonable sometimes, you know?

Or perhaps they will start to deepen their friendship from now on.

Judging from the faint, bitter smile mixed with regret that appeared on his face now, one could predict that possibility.

As long as they maintain a proper distance from each other, their social skills should be fine. Although it's uncertain whether they'll have that opportunity in the future, they should be able to get along well.

And the remaining student...

"Well, uh..."

Orimoto looked up at the snow to hide his earlier embarrassment.

However, Yukinoshita's posture remained unchanged; she simply stared coldly at her. Ugh... Her eye color is an aggressive color... No, that's terrifying...

"Well……"

After a brief silence, even Zheben seemed a little timid, lowering his head and uttering a weak sound as if he was just trying to figure out how to respond.

Yukinoshita seemed to hear that voice, exhaling a gentle, composed breath. Was this it? The scenario where, when wild animals meet, the one that first averts its gaze loses?

She closed her eyes, cleared her throat, and glanced at the loss.

"I am Yukino Yukinoshita. I am Hiki, Hiki..."

She only got halfway through her sentence. "What's wrong, Yukino? Have you forgotten my name?"

It didn't seem so. She glanced at Yuihama, then at the loss, and muttered to herself with her head down:

"He's the president of the company, a man with autism..."

As soon as she finished speaking, Yukinoshita's face turned bright red, even her snow-white neck was stained crimson. We, who were listening nearby, were dumbfounded.

No, you actually called me an autistic man... Why did you suddenly use that term...? Just as I was wondering, Yui hugged Yukinoshita as if to protect her.

"Yukino! If you're shy, don't force yourself! I always feel so bad for you!"

"No, I didn't force you..."

Yukinoshita, who was being held in Yuihama's arms, said this, but her cheeks were still flushed, and she twisted her body.

Upon closer reflection, it turns out that Yui Hama was the first to call him "Autistic Man." Yukinoshita probably felt that Yui Hama's naming taste was being ridiculed and wanted to defend her.

That clumsy approach was very much in Yukinoshita's style.

By the way, although I really have a strange feeling that this situation is all because of my name, I'm sorry. I'll teach my ancestors a lesson next year during the Ghost Festival. Please forgive me.

In conclusion, I am quite satisfied that Hihama-san and Yukino have a very close relationship.

While I was drinking water, Zheben noticed their interaction and whispered something to me.

"They have a very good relationship."

"Oh, right. As you can see..."

After answering, I glanced over there and saw Orimoto looking at the two of them with a slightly confused and distant bitter smile.

For me, this was a familiar sight, but to someone who wasn't very familiar with them, the two beautiful girls hugging and cuddling intimately might not just seem like they had a good relationship, but could actually make one feel a little hesitant, right? Even I would feel hesitant. Because unless you step back and widen your perspective, you can't see the whole picture clearly.

In my memory, Kaori Orimoto was close to others, but I rarely saw her sticking close to other girls. However, my understanding of her wasn't deep enough to allow me to analyze her.

Even though they are both women, they may not be in the same cultural sphere.

So, what will Orimoto think when she sees these two...? I'm a little excited, secretly observing her reaction. Orimoto let out a small sigh and smiled.

"Oh, I see. Then I must have misspoke."

She murmured softly, making a clicking sound as she tapped the lid of the ordering machine, as if trying to change her mood, and immediately looked up. Her face held a familiar expression.

"So, what would you like to order? I can help you get the employee discount—"

She pressed a few buttons on the ordering machine and glanced at Yuihama.

"Um...is this alright?"

Yuihama's question was normal, and Yukinoshita, who was being held by her, also looked at Orimoto in surprise.

Despite the loss, he tilted his head back without changing his expression.

"I don't know? Anyway, it's someone I know, so it doesn't matter, right? I'm not sure."

This guy is really casual...

"I would be very grateful..."

What do you think? I looked at Yuihama and Yukinoshita. Yukinoshita didn't seem to have let her guard down yet. I stole a glance at her and quickly looked back at me.

"There's no reason for us to accept this offer."

Her turning her head away made her look like an unfriendly stray cat. As for Yuihama sitting next to me, her gaze darted back and forth between the snow, Orimoto, and me. Her uneasy expression reminded me of a family dog ​​when many guests come to visit.

"Oh dear, but she's a friend of the autistic guy... If she's a friend, this kind of thing is probably quite common, right?"

"Yes, yes, yes, it's very common in this store."

Zheben waves his hand, like a bat flapping its wings, and smiles at the stray cat and the house dog.

Zheben himself said it was acceptable, so I didn't need to refuse. After all, if something goes wrong, Zheben will be the one blamed! Ugh! Hachiman is such a jerk! Scumbag!

That is to say, considering how shameless or socially adept she is, and how well she gets along in this store, there shouldn't be any problems.

There's always a popular girl at your workplace... She chats with you a lot during her free time, and you accidentally fall for her. But she's just chatting with you out of boredom, so there's no hope at all. Seriously, she's clearly not interested in me, can she please stop whispering to me during work hours? Do you look down on me? Get back to work!

I almost recalled an unpleasant memory from my recent part-time job, and thanks to that, I quickly came to a conclusion.