My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 783

Snowfall seemed weary and resigned as she sighed. Her long hair fell loose. She irritably brushed her hair aside and glared fiercely at Miura.

"Our parents are close friends and have known each other since childhood, so they would bump into each other at New Year's gatherings, that's all. It's not the kind of relationship you're thinking of."

"Well, I just happened to be there."

Yukinoshita stated the facts calmly, her tone as still as water. Yuihama added with a wry smile.

In fact, that's exactly the truth. We bumped into each other in Chiba on January 2nd, it's that simple. The question is how Miura will view this.

"Right……"

Miura squinted as if judging the truth, staring intently at Yukinoshita and Yuihama, then suddenly looked in my direction.

"Are autistic people also autistic?"

"Huh, oh, oh... that's right..."

Caught completely off guard, I gave a bizarre, panicked response. My attempt to be certain only created an atmosphere of unease! This intensified the suspicion in Miura's eyes.

"...Fine, I guess I have no choice but to believe it."

Surprisingly, Miura gave up quite decisively. She sighed in resignation. Yukinoshita, seeing this, widened her eyes in surprise. I probably had the same expression on my face.

Miura, noticing our continued staring, awkwardly twirled the end of her hair with her fingers and muttered under her breath:

"But, how should I put it? It's because Hayato rarely laughs like that. He seems really happy, he's never reacted like that before, right? So that makes it even more intriguing..."

If I had to categorize it, I'd say Hayama's laugh could be classified as either mocking or hilariously funny...

Yuihama gave a wry laugh, probably recalling that scene.

"Ah... I'm a little scared too... We're not dating, really not."

"Yes, Yui really doesn't have any."

That's exactly what I meant!

Miura nodded immediately, and Ebina smiled happily. Yuihama wore a slightly troubled, shy smile. Yukinoshita pouted, looking rather unhappy.

"I didn't either..."

Miura awkwardly curled his hair and muttered to himself.

"Okay, it doesn't matter anymore... But I'm really annoyed that they spread those kinds of rumors and then did nothing. It feels very irresponsible."

This was like a soliloquy, yet every word was addressed to someone. Miura glanced at me and sighed impatiently.

"...So, can you please handle this properly? That's all."

She tossed out those words and turned her head away. As if to say that her opinion was finished, she lazily shifted her weight to one leg and began twirling her hair with her fingers again.

I can understand what Miura was trying to say. Or rather, that's all I understand. After all, she was simply saying what she wanted to say. The one who doesn't understand is the one with the problem.

But her message was too vague and lacked specificity. So, I couldn't help but complain.

"What do you mean 'that's all'... Huh... What are you here for? To express your feelings?"

"What?"

I made a sarcastic remark to her, and Miura suddenly looked up, clicked her tongue, and glared at me. Ebina put her hand on Miura's shoulder, smiling wryly as she tried to smooth things over.

"Yumiko will worry too. I hope you can understand her feelings."

"Worry?"

A look of doubt appeared beneath the snow. Ebina nodded.

"There's nothing we can do about Hayato getting involved in these kinds of rumors. Even though he's always managed to keep it under control..."

Ebina lowered his head and said softly.

I couldn't see her expression, but judging from her indifferent tone, there must have been a cold gaze behind her glasses.

Perhaps this unemotional side is her true nature. I had the same feeling during the graduation trip incident.

Ebina is probably right. Hayama Hayato has maintained good control all this time. He manages himself, keeps those around him in check, and tries to solidify the status quo.

But when he heard the rumor in the classroom, his defenses faltered for a fleeting moment. He burst into passionate laughter. Though insignificant, that subtle difference was noticeable. Precisely because it was Hayama Hayato, who had always performed flawlessly, this small change even made one worry that one day it might escalate into a major flaw.

Will the situation change because of Hayama's actions, who is at the center of the rumors?

As I was pondering, Ebina suddenly looked up with a friendly smile on his face.

"Hayato doesn't seem to care much, but Yui and Yukinoshita might be having a bit of a headache, right? That's what Yumiko's mother is worried about."

"Ebina, who are you calling 'Mom'?"

Ebina playfully poked Miura's cheek, but Miura slapped her hand away. Despite this, Ebina smiled.

I understand. I almost laughed too. Not bad, Yumiko's mom… When I'm fifty, I want to go to "Yumiko's Little Bar," where she usually treats me with such casualness, occasionally worries about my health check results, and drinks watered-down liquor (which is cheaper)…

I imagined an impossible future, and Ebina, still smiling, bent down to peer at Miura's expression.

"But you're very worried, aren't you?"

A warm gaze fell upon him, and Miura was instantly speechless.

"Well... rather than worrying, I'd say I'm concerned..."

"Really... Yumiko is worried about me... I'm a little happy."

Miura spoke haltingly, his tone much more childlike than usual, while Yuihama's was gentler than usual.

"What are you talking about...?"

Miura turned his head away, his cheeks slightly flushed, twirling the end of his hair with his fingers, probably feeling embarrassed to have it emphasized again. This gesture made Yukino chuckle softly.

Hearing her laughter, Miura glared at Yukinoshita, but his gaze was no longer as sharp as before; it seemed more like a threatening gesture to mask his shyness.

In short, Miura's reason for coming here was not to confirm his friendship with Yuihama.

Although she didn't directly ask for our help or request our assistance in solving the problem, I could roughly guess her purpose.

I deliberately cleared my throat and faced Miura.

"So, all you need to do is let the rumors die down?"

003

"Huh? No, it's not that..."

Miura glared at me fiercely. The cuteness from a moment ago vanished without a trace; this seemed genuinely intimidating, not an attempt to hide shyness…

I avoided her gaze by faking a cough and delivered a plausible conclusion.

"I know, I know. We will handle it properly and resolve the issue. Is that alright?"

"Hmm...that's about right."

Ebina's expression was complicated; she seemed to have something else to say, but she nodded in agreement for the time being. A hint of despair lingered in her eyes.

Although I played a few word games, we reached a temporary consensus with Miura and the others.

To passively try to resolve this issue and take countermeasures.

However, it's not that I haven't thought of any specific methods.

There are few effective means to suppress the spread of rumors. It's impossible to eliminate the curiosity and interest of the unspecified majority, and we can't control what other people say.

Yuihama and Yukinoshita seem to understand this as well.

Yuihama let out a sigh mixed with confusion.

"Hmm—I also hope there's a way to solve this, but..."

"This kind of question can only be asked when other people lose interest."

I thought about it again and again, and both Yui and Yukinoshita had solemn expressions. Especially Yukinoshita, she spoke those words with great emotion.

"Yeah, that's right..."

While rumors don't necessarily last only 49 days, the standard approach when a fire breaks out is to remain silent until the topic cools down, refraining from providing further fuel to prevent the fire from escalating. Casually revealing information can sometimes become a new source of conflict.

Individuals or companies should have alternative strategies. The current mainstream approach is to explicitly deny any false reports, fake news, or defamation before considering legal action.

However, in the small, information-rich communities of students, the most powerful tactic is to defend to the end and say absolutely nothing. That said, outsiders, who don't communicate with anyone or leak personal information, probably possess an impenetrable defense in this information society, right? The main tank is too strong; I think we're guaranteed to win.

As I pondered the usefulness of independent operation in the IT society, Yui Hama murmured softly. "So, the reason no one talks about the term 'IT society' anymore is because it's really become an IT society? Like evangelism... The Cruel Angel's Thesis of Action~ Why am I suddenly singing the Evangelion opening theme?"

Yuihama pondered for a moment, then seemed to have thought of something and murmured:

"If we could find out who started it, would things be different...?"

"It's hard to say..."

Yukinoshita's words carried a hint of doubt. I had to agree with her. As expected of Yukinoshita. It seems her earlier statement about being used to gossip wasn't just empty talk. I looked at Yukinoshita with respect.

Under the snow, she rested her chin on her hand and gazed into the distance.

"In most cases, if you push the person who started it into a corner and severely reprimand them, they will adopt a victim mentality, which will only make the problem worse..."

Ok?

Hmm... that's based on your own experience, right?... You pushed someone into a corner and then harshly reprimanded them...

I wasn't the only one who was scared.

"........."

"........."

"........."

Yuihama let out a soft "Uh-huh," unable to speak, while Ebina gave a stiff smile. Miura shrugged, seemingly afraid of something. Was Miss Miura...that...? Was she remembering the trauma of being utterly refuted in Chiba Village during summer vacation?

No one spoke. Yukinoshita noticed the awkward atmosphere, her cheeks flushed pink, and she cleared her throat.

"In any case... I don't think we should take too aggressive action."

"You're right. In reality, it's impossible to trace the source of a rumor. In fact, it's pointless..."

"Really?"

Yuihama didn't seem to understand, so I nodded in response.

Gossip within the school makes it difficult to trace the source of information.

There is no clear evidence of whether or not something was said, and if the culprit is pressed for answers, they will not be punished for lying.

Moreover, assuming someone is actually caught, once the information is disseminated, it cannot be taken back. Negative comments or scandals about others are particularly easy to spread. Even if corrected, no one will be interested in accurate information.

Because it's a great topic to discuss, because it's an interesting subject, and because exposing the wrongdoings of others is an act of justice. Those who uphold justice have the right to punish those who spread negative opinions through their words.

Therefore, rumors, fake news, and scandals will not disappear until the novelty of the topic and people's sense of justice are exhausted.

To be able to stay in an absolutely safe place and use verbal bullets or arrows to unilaterally attack others.

Even if the information in that rumor is wrong, the person who spread the rumor out of a sense of amusement is not held responsible.

Because what's wrong is the "rumor".

Some people might even claim to be victims of rumors themselves, and then become angry. It's even possible that the person in question is at fault, since they themselves chose to spread the rumors. The party who caused the misunderstanding will be forced to bear the blame.

Today, the world sings its own triumphant song of justice. The world needs punching bags at all times. It desperately craves easy-to-find, convenient targets to criticize with a smile.

Unfortunately, due to manipulation, the gossip that has already spread cannot be taken back. Explanations, clarifications, corrections, and retractions are all meaningless.

"In situations like this, it's usually best to keep quiet and wait for things to calm down..."

I stole a glance at Miura halfway through my sentence; she had her head down. I couldn't tell what she was saying, but she probably couldn't accept it.

Not surprisingly.

Hayama, Yukinoshita, Yuihama, and even Miura are included. Why should they be upset by these rumors when they have done nothing wrong?

Outrageous.

"...Sigh, let's think of something."

Therefore, the sentence came out without thinking.

This problem certainly cannot be solved through legitimate means. Even right now, I'm constantly considering all the possibilities, only to immediately dismiss them.

My approach is unlikely to bring about any change; it's merely a death throes.

However, it's better than having to endure the nausea that's practically like acid reflux while listening to people talk about this boring gossip, and just sitting by and doing nothing.

I said this in a low voice, and the female members all turned their attention to me.