My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 778

After all, I usually walk to school alone, a solitary journey, or in short, a solitary school student. Having someone next to me makes me nervous... If there were a cardboard box with perfectly ripe mangoes, I'd really like to hide inside.

Note: Goto Ichiri, the female lead of "Lonely Rock!", hides inside a cardboard box of ripe mangoes to perform on stage because she is afraid of the audience's gaze.

It's kind of awkward to walk together without chatting... I glanced sideways at Yuihama.

Yuihama, however, didn't seem to mind the silence and climbed the stairs step by step.

Should I say something...? While I was hesitating, we had already climbed the stairs and arrived at the front door.

To change into indoor shoes, Yui placed the paper bag in front of the shoe cabinet. Her movements were quite deliberate and gentle, which piqued my curiosity.

Now's your chance! Your chance to strike up a conversation with her!

"...What's that? Something you brought?"

"Oh, this one?"

Yuihama seemed to suddenly remember after I mentioned it, and handed the paper bag forward, beckoning me over.

Well, we're not that far apart that I need to wave... I thought to myself as I moved a little closer to her.

Yuihama slowly pulled open the handle of the paper bag, as if she were peeking into a secret jewelry box through a crack.

Inside the paper bag was a small white box with a round handle; folding it up would make it easy to carry. This kind of packaging is mostly used for cakes, that's for sure. So, I'm guessing it contains a cake!

Oh right, the day we went out together, we talked about which kind of birthday cake to buy for Yukinoshita when we said goodbye. She must have bought it specifically for her.

"Ah—a cake."

Yui smiled to indicate that I was right. She even snorted loudly and puffed out her chest proudly. Judging from her smugness, it was probably a cake from some famous bakery.

"What? Is it a very high-end cake?"

"That's right, I went out shopping with my mom yesterday and bought a cake while we were there. I heard that shop is very famous, it's called Le something."

"Oh……"

Since it's so famous, please remember its shop name. But I'm not good at remembering names! I still call Kawasaki Taishi's older sister "Kawa-something's classmate!"

As I thought of my classmate, Yuihama's gaze remained fixed on the contents of the paper bag, her lips pursed, lost in thought.

After agonizing over it, I chose a regular strawberry whipped cream cake. But it seems a bit small...

Yui lifted the paper bag slightly and held it towards my face. Then she looked up at me, tilting her head and asking for my opinion with her eyes.

Her eyebrows drooped into a "V" shape, she looked a little troubled, her lips pursed as she fell into deep thought, her eyes watery.

She stared at me with that expression, and I didn't know how to react.

I muttered to myself, "Let me see," and peered out as if burying my face in a paper bag to avoid her gaze.

The box inside the paper bag is about 15 centimeters long and wide. Judging from the size of the box, the diameter of the cake should be about the same.

记得整模蛋糕有分5寸、6寸之类的尺寸……虽然我完全看不出这块蛋糕是几寸，光这样看感觉并不大。感觉是一般的尺寸。整模蛋糕常见的好像是4到6寸大，所以我想这块蛋糕应该也是这么大。8寸根本是怪兽，怪兽8号note。

Note: In Japanese, "8-inch" is written as "8-number". "Monster 8" is a work by Japanese manga artist Naoya Matsumoto.

"No way, that's perfect? ​​There are only three of us who want to eat."

Even if I have a huge appetite, eating a third of a whole cake will make me feel incredibly full. Not just full, but I'll even feel nauseous.

"That's right, but there's a lot of fruit in it, so you might accidentally eat a whole one."

"That's something only someone who just ate it yesterday would say... and you ate a whole one..."

Upon hearing this, Yui Hama froze on the spot.

She immediately shook her head in denial, and while rubbing her bun, she launched into a long and detailed explanation.

"Eh... Ah! No, no! It's called a sample! We bought a cake, so we just shared it with the whole family! I only ate about half, not the whole thing, really!"

"Yes, yes... half...that's amazing..."

I looked at Yuihama with a gaze that was half surprise, half fear, and half respect, and spoke my mind directly. I hate that being so direct amplified my emotions by a factor of one and a half!

Yuihama, not understanding my gaze, groaned and staggered.

"Hmm, hmm... I accidentally ate more than I expected... I was basically drinking it like a beverage..."

We often hear the phrase "curry is meant to be drunk," but it turns out cake is meant to be drunk too...

Okay, lately there have been some shops promoting "pork chops are meant to be drunk" and "hamburger patties are meant to be drunk." Maybe opening a shop with "cakes are meant to be drunk" as its slogan would be a hit. What do you think? Those of you at "Beverage Co., Ltd.", how about we team up and take a gamble? Looking forward to good news.

Note: The company owns chain restaurants such as "Curry is for Drinking", "Pork Chop is for Drinking", and "Hamburger Chop is for Drinking".

As I was engrossed in imagining the business I would be doing in the future, Yuihama seemed to be reflecting on the terrible mistakes she had made in the past.

"Waaah... I ate too much..."

She gently stroked her abdomen, her face etched with regret and despair. Then, nervously, she lifted her sweater to check if her belly had grown larger. At that moment, I felt I glimpsed something through the gap in the shirt buttons. Just a feeling. I felt I saw snow-white skin through the gap, but it was just an illusion. Maybe a hallucination.

I really don't know how to respond to this kind of topic! Praising her would be considered sexual harassment, wouldn't it? After fretting over it, I decided to ignore everything and just say a few random words.

"Oh, oh... well, since that cake was so delicious, it's already amazing that you managed to only eat half of it..."

"You make it sound like I'm a huge eater!"

Perhaps my response was too casual, because Yui covered her face with her hands, feeling deeply hurt.

"No way! You'll understand once you try it! You really just gulp it down!"

"Oh, okay, I understand..."

Yuihama was still trying to convince me, grabbing my arm and shaking it violently. The spot she touched was so sensitive, and we were so close; the faint scent of shampoo was making me dizzy… Seriously, um, I understand, so please let me go… or rather, let me go and you'll understand… although people who say "Let's sit down and talk, and you'll understand" usually get shot dead on the spot…

I was deeply shaken, and then I heard a distressed sigh behind me.

"…………Ah──"

Hearing a sigh that seemed to be forced out, I turned around to see what had happened. The Minister of Revenue was standing there scratching his cheek with a wry smile.

"Ah, Ministry of Revenue. Good morning."

Yuihama noticed the person behind her, immediately released my arm, and greeted Kebu. Kebu, still smiling wryly, responded with confusion:

"An'an... By the way, Happy New Year? Happy New Year to the penguin!"

"Oh... Happy New Year..."

How should one respond to a New Year's greeting from someone they know but aren't particularly close to? After a moment's hesitation, I gave a response that was neither too intimate nor too distant. This guy will never remember my name; whether he even knows me is debatable.

However, the Minister of Revenue looked even more troubled than I was. He clutched the back of his neck, appearing as if he couldn't speak, and then said:

"Ah...excuse me, you're standing...in front of my shoe locker..."

The Ministry of Revenue pointed behind me.

"Oh, really. Sorry."

Seat numbers at our school are arranged according to surnames, so my seat number was only a few numbers different from the Ministry of Revenue's, since our surnames started with similar numbers. Naturally, the shoe lockers were nearby. I stood in front of the shoe lockers, seemingly preventing the Ministry of Revenue from changing his shoes.

"I'm so sorry! You could have told me sooner..."

Yui apologized as she quickly distanced herself from me, making room for Hobe.

"Oh dear, you two seem to be having a great time chatting, I'm sorry to interrupt..."

Kebu gave a wry smile, glancing at me and then at Yui, muttering, "Wow..." His gaze, shifting between me and Yui, betrayed his guilt.

"No way...it's not like we're talking about anything important..."

Yuihama shifted her body slightly awkwardly and turned to look at me.

"Right, right?"

"Yes, yes..."

She lowered her voice and asked hesitantly, which made me feel inexplicably embarrassed.

Hey, what's going on? Did someone see our interaction just now? Oh no! I'm so embarrassed!

I was so ashamed that I wanted to twist and turn, but I managed to restrain myself. I moved my shoulder joints and made cracking sounds in my neck to cover it up.

I turned my head and unexpectedly met Yui's eyes. Yui gave a faint, wry smile and chuckled, ruffling her hair in a bun.

What's going on? I'm so embarrassed.

An awkward silence descended. I thought I would die of embarrassment on the spot, but the Minister of Revenue cleared his throat.

"Uh! No, that's not it! What I meant by 'excuse me' was... I didn't mean anything by it! How should I put it? You guys have had that experience, right? When a waiter is too busy, you feel awkward asking him to stop?"

The Ministry of Revenue tried to create a cheerful atmosphere, and Yuihama suddenly snapped out of her daze, nodding repeatedly.

"Ah—yes, right! When I go to a convenience store, if the cashier isn't at the checkout, I instinctively stand there and wait!"

"Hey!"

Kebu pointed forcefully at Yuihama, who echoed his sentiments. It seems the only option is to jump on this bandwagon! I'll also share some of my experiences working at convenience stores; I really want to share them quickly.

"Well... from the perspective of a store clerk, it feels like being pressured, which is very uncomfortable..."

"So that's what the staff thought!? I thought it was a thoughtful gesture..."

Yuihama was taken aback, while Keibe casually replied, "I understand," and changed into indoor shoes.

"I said, we're running out of time, aren't we? I still have to go to the community office."

The Minister of Revenue left after saying this.

I watched him leave, facing Yuihama.

"I'll go wash my face first."

"Huh, ah, um."

I suddenly said that, and Yui looked puzzled for a moment, but she immediately nodded.

I broke out in a cold sweat first thing this morning. I wanted to cool down my cheeks first and then go to the classroom after a while.

Well, bye... I raised one hand to say goodbye and left the scene.

Before I turned around.

"Autistic man".

Yuihama called out to me.

Looking back, she gently waved her hand in front of her chest.

After looking around to make sure no one else was nearby, he put his hand to his mouth.

See you later.

001

She murmured softly, in a voice no one could hear.

It was like a whispered conversation on a pillow, leaving me stunned in place.

How are you...?

This kind of maliciously cutesy behavior seems to be a one-woman show. Doing it without malice is just plain cute. How could you...

Seeing me frozen there, Yuihama tilted her head in confusion, then exclaimed "Ah!" as if she had thought of something, and put her hand to her mouth again.

Ah, this guy thinks I didn't hear him, right...? No, he doesn't.

I heard you. I just can't react.

I nodded to show that I had heard and understood, and Yuihama smiled with relief.

I nodded slightly in response to that smile, then turned around and hurried to the restroom.

Seriously, I broke out in a cold sweat first thing this morning... All I want to do now is wash my face with ice-cold water...

× × ×

The classroom, which had just started the new semester, was filled with a lively atmosphere.

The students, exchanging greetings of "Long time no see!" and "Happy New Year!", seemed quite excited. At first, they were discussing the group selection and volunteer surveys they'd received that morning, but they quickly shifted to other topics. They probably didn't want to face the big exams, right...?

The lively atmosphere continued even after school ended.

Many students remained in the classroom, probably with a lot to talk about. Among them, the most eye-catching was a small group centered around Hayato Hayama and Yumiko Miura.

They're usually very noisy, but today they're even noisier than before.

As usual, the three idiots, Hobe, Ooka, and Yamato, chatted about silly topics, while Hayama sat by the window, resting his chin on his hand and gazing out the window.