My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 78

"Yes, sure... but only when my parents aren't home."

"Hmm, why is he the only one who's different?"

Does a timber base really need explaining?

The lovely Totsuka captivated me. At the same time, I caught a glimpse of Yukinoshita's hesitant and awkward demeanor.

"H-Hachiman-kun... um... I, me too..."

"Um?"

I couldn't hear her clearly, so I asked again, but this time she ignored my question.

"N-nothing, everyone, come and eat the cake, it's already cut."

"Ah, right. Komachi, get me a fork."

"good!"

As I took the fork from Komachi's hand, I thought I heard someone mutter faintly:

"Sigh... cats..."

× × ×

Yuihama put the cake in her mouth and a few seconds later made a sound of admiration.

"Mmm~~ Yukino's cake is so delicious~~"

"Really? I'm so glad you like it."

"It's so delicious! There's no problem with Yukino-neechan getting married now, right, brother—"

At that moment, a loud noise came from the next private room.

"ah!"

"Here they go again...aren't they a bit too noisy?"

I glared impatiently at the wall, while Totsuka shrugged and smiled wryly:

"Yeah, but karaoke rooms are always noisy... Hey, is there a peach in this cake?"

"That's right, because delicious peaches are starting to appear on the market now."

Yukino added a generous amount of peach to the cake, resulting in a very elegant flavor. As I savored the cake, Zai Muza calmly spoke:

"In ancient China, peaches were believed to grant immortality and were considered a very precious secret. This shows that peaches are indeed a food full of joy."

"Oh? This is such a great little piece of knowledge, why are you only telling it to me? Although I understand how you feel."

"But Yukino-neechan is really good at cooking~"

Komachi said admiringly, but Yukinoshita maintained a calm attitude, neither proud nor humble.

"You flatter me. Komachi probably cooks at home too, right?"

"Yes. My parents both work outside, so Komachi cooks. But my older brother used to be in charge."

After Komachi finished speaking, Yuihama suddenly stood up in surprise.

"What! You mean an autistic man?"

"Yes. It would be dangerous for Komachi to handle knives and stoves before she went to higher grades. That's why my cooking skills are among the best in the country for sixth graders!"

"What's with this talk of whether to boast or not..."

I don't know what to think, but I'm not trying to brag, I'm really bragging.

"If it's household chores at a primary school level, big or small, it's no problem for me. I'm already prepared to get married and become a stay-at-home dad anytime! I will absolutely not work! To work is to lose!"

After I made that loud declaration, Yukinoshita pressed her temples as if she had a headache.

"Saying those kinds of things again with that dead fish-like look..."

"Turns out autistic guys can cook, I wonder if I could learn... I still haven't been able to give away any cookies..."

"Ah, speaking of cooking, I almost forgot."

Yukino rummaged through her schoolbag for a while, then took something out and gave it to Yuihama.

"Here, this is for you."

"Huh? What's this?"

"A birthday present. I don't know if it matches your interests..."

"Oh, so this is something you picked out after flipping through several magazines you would never normally read, whose content is nonsensical and harmful to the brain?"

I had barely finished speaking when Yukino glared at me. How terrifying.

"You don't need to say anything more."

"Yukino, thank you for everything you did for me... May I open it now?"

"Yes, sure...please go ahead."

Yukinoshita was a little shy. Seeing this, Yuihama gave her an exceptionally happy smile and began to open the package.

"Apron... Thank you so much! I'll cherish it!"

Hama seemed very happy, which relieved Yukinoshita.

"Instead of treating this apron as a mere decoration and cherishing it, I would be much happier if you used it more often."

"Okay! I'll use it properly!"

"Well then, it's my turn."

Totsuka looked at the two of them, then rummaged through his schoolbag.

"Come here, Yuihama. Since you always tie your hair up, I picked out a hair accessory for you."

"Thank you, Xiao Cai! This is so cute, it feels even more girlish than me..."

"This is what Komachi gave us."

Komachi also came prepared, taking out a beautifully wrapped gift from her schoolbag.

"Here, the picture frame."

"Thank you, Komachi!"

"I was originally planning to include a photo with it as a gift for Yuihama-neechan, but all I have at home are a bunch of lifeless photos... Is it just that my camera can't take any good pictures?"

"Ugh, as expected, the photos make me look like I have a dead fish eye... Wait, I don't want those kinds of photos at all!"

Despite Yuihama saying that, she still seemed very happy.

Seeing everyone giving gifts, Cai Muzuo couldn't help but scratch his head.

"Hmm... This is bad. There's really no time to prepare a gift in this rush."

After all, he only decided to participate at the last minute; it would be terrible if he had actually prepared a gift. Yui thought so too, so she smiled gently at him and said softly:

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

"Oh, right! I'm giving you my signed handwritten manuscript—"

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

Yuihama said the same thing twice, but the second time her tone dropped to absolute zero.

"Oh dear, I was rejected! Cough cough, in that case, I'll give you my 'Selected Anime Songs 100' CD."

Upon hearing this, I immediately grabbed Timber's shoulder to stop him.

"Wooden base, stop! Absolutely do not do that!"

"Um, why did you stop me with that almost crying look on your face? That's really unusual."

He turned to look at me, puzzled.

"I have no choice but to tell you... This is a story about a friend of a friend..."

"This phrase sounds familiar..."

Yuihama seemed quite puzzled, so I explained in detail:

"When he was in junior high school, he had a girl he liked. She loved music and belonged to the orchestra. On her birthday, he mustered up the courage to give her a birthday present. Knowing that she loved music, he stayed up all night to make a collection of anime songs he recommended. He was extra careful in selecting the songs, deliberately avoiding love songs that were too otaku-ish or had overly direct lyrics."

"Yes, that sentiment deserves praise."

"But I can already imagine the consequences..."

Zaimokuza and Yukinoshita each gave their opinions, but the important part is yet to come.

"The person was so moved by the gift that they almost cried. Little did they know, tragedy would strike the very next day. During lunchtime, the student in charge of the school's public address system playfully introduced a song, their voice carrying throughout the campus: 'Hmm~ Next up is Otaku Tani Hachiman from Class 2-C... Hehehe, he requested a love song for Yamashita-kun~'"

"Enough! Hachiman, stop talking!"

"hateful!"

Zaimokuza hugged me tightly, and I burst into tears in his arms. Yuihama, on the other hand, looked away, avoiding direct eye contact with the scene.

"As expected, it's about the autistic man's past..."

"Idiot! That's not my past, it's Otaku Valley's!"

I loudly refuted Yuihama, but no one present believed me; even Yukinoshita showed an expression that went beyond sympathy, bordering on fear.

"I really underestimated Hachiman... You're much more serious than I thought..."

"Even after my brother graduated, the name 'Otakuya' continued to circulate. Komachi had to pretend she didn't know my brother, and those days were really tough..."

"Hachiman has become a legend..."

Amid my weak sobs, everyone spoke softly, but to my ears, they only made me feel more heartbroken.

× × ×

"Oh my gosh, thank you so much everyone! This is probably the happiest birthday I've ever had!"

Yuihama looked at the mountain of gifts and said, while Yukinoshita just shrugged.

"You're exaggerating."

"No, I'm really happy! Although I've always been happy when my parents celebrate my birthday in the past, this year feels especially different... Thank you, Yukino."

"...I...I was just doing what I was supposed to do."

Yukinoshita turned her head away, but Yuihama still looked at her happily. Maybe this really is a wonderful birthday.

"But it sounds like your family has a very harmonious relationship. Last year on my birthday, I only received 10,000 yen in cash, and that didn't even include the cost of the cake."

"Yeah, me too. I'll probably use the rest of my money to buy KFC."

"Huh... is that all? We always prepare a cake at home, and when I wake up the next morning, there's a present by my bedside..."

"Are you confusing this with other holidays?"

But if it were Totsuka, I would definitely want him to have the best birthday ever. Totsuka's parents, you did the right thing!

In comparison, our family...

Just as this thought crossed my mind, Komachi spoke first.

"Actually, only my brother received that kind of treatment. When it's Komachi's birthday, everyone goes out to buy gifts, has a meal together, and then buys a cake to take home."

"Could it be that only Hachiman is unpopular...?"

"What?! What nonsense are you talking about? I'm incredibly pampered! I plan to have my parents support me for another twenty years; it would be a real problem if I didn't get that pampering!"

"This kind of son is really annoying..."

Yuihama seemed genuinely disgusted, which hurt me somewhat. At that moment, Komachi offered a wry smile to smooth things over for me.

"But my parents are really easygoing..."

"Their casualness is something even I find hard to bear."

"Perfect for you..."

Yukinoshita was very blunt, but the truth is far more complex.

"They even named me 'Hachiman' because I was born on August 8th."

"This is so casual!"