My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 791

Upon hearing this, Isshiki smiled. Yukinoshita, in contrast, had a very serious expression. She forced a gentle smile, as if considering my feelings, and spoke in a tone like a mother worried about her child.

"Hachiman-kun... are you alright?... Can you handle the service industry?"

"I can handle this little thing. I have experience working at family-run restaurants and izakayas."

However, I only worked at it for a few days before running away, so I can't really call myself experienced.

Even within the service industry, the job types are incredibly diverse. For example, the restaurant server I worked for didn't need to fawn over customers; their job was simply to quickly and accurately take orders and provide food. Customer service language was standardized, and basic communication wasn't a problem. Anyone could do it if they suppressed their emotions. Even so, if it was still painful, you could simply quit!

Yukinoshita still looked at me uneasily, and Orimoto said to her:

"Don't worry, I'll be coming to work that day too. Oh, and I'll lend you the uniforms, so don't fret."

"No need for uniforms... This is just a celebration for our own people..."

Just as I was about to refuse, someone grabbed my sleeve from under the table and tugged at it.

Oh...you scared me...what? Can you not do this all of a sudden? Turning around, I saw Yuihama raising her hand shyly.

"I'm thinking of trying it on..."

"Oh, right..."

Since you want to wear it, there's nothing I can do... I'd also like to see it...

Is there anyone who doesn't want to watch? No, right? (Note)

Note: This is a parody of Manjiro Sano's famous line from "Tokyo Manji Avengers": "Is anyone afraid? No one, right!?"

I glanced at the seat opposite me. Yukinoshita was pressing her temples, looking like she had a headache. Ah, she gave up. I could tell she couldn't refuse Yui's request. I understood. As for Isshiki, she was squinting at me, as if checking something.

"Are there uniforms for boys too?"

"Yes, yes, of course there is."

Zheben's gaze shifted to the kitchen. The handsome manager from before was standing there. He noticed us looking at him, grinned, and gave us a thumbs up. Oh, oh… the manager seems like a nice guy, but he's the type who'll be difficult to deal with once you get involved… I know that all too well.

Does Isshiki mean I'll be forced to change into that outfit too? As I wondered this, Yui Hama next to me kept patting my upper arm.

"Great! It's perfect for introverted men!"

"Is that so...? Thanks..."

Okay, I've already washed my hair. I've come to terms with it, just like Yukinoshita.

"I'll tell you the details once we've decided on them."

"Okay, thank you for your help—"

As Isshiki and Orimoto were exchanging contact information, the doorbell rang, signaling that a guest had arrived.

I reflexively turned my head and saw a familiar figure.

The other person seemed to remember me too, and widened their eyes in surprise. They immediately squinted at me, then pouted and blew their bangs upwards.

"Ah, President. Welcome!"

As Zheben greeted us, the student council president—Yusheng, the student council president of Haibin Comprehensive High School—smiled. Yusheng gave us the same smile.

Hi, long time no see.

"Ah, hello."

We responded casually, nodding in acknowledgment. Whether Yu Sheng was content with such a greeting or simply didn't care about us, she shifted her gaze back to the folding machine and arrogantly picked up her MacBook Air.

"I still have work to do... Can I sit in my usual seat? And the usual drink too."

"Ah... um, please make yourself at home if no one is sitting here, and I apologize if someone is. Personally, I recommend the 'Today's Recommendation' coffee."

"Then, how about that one..."

"Okay!"

Zheben tossed aside Yusheng, who wore a faint, wry smile, and headed towards the kitchen, loudly calling for the manager. He probably intended to ask the manager to take care of him. Of course, it was still her break time… That guy had no idea what Yusheng meant by “the usual”… He cleverly slipped through the cracks; I was deeply impressed.

Shortly after, the manager came over to show Yu Sheng to a table. Yu Sheng glanced at me then and blew on her bangs.

Zheben, having tossed the jade rope to the shopkeeper, returned to his seat with a tray in his hand containing freshly poured black tea and coffee.

"Here, let me refill your drinks."

"Oh, thanks."

We thanked them profusely, gratefully accepting the tea and coffee, and calmly enjoying them... That was the ideal, but reality brought the sound of "click-clack-thump!" on the keyboard, as if deliberately typing for others to hear, breaking the peaceful moment.

Looking towards the source of the sound, Yu Sheng seemed to have hit a roadblock at work. He blew his bangs back, frowned, stared at his laptop, and even rubbed his temples with his eyes closed to indicate eye fatigue. Then, he snapped his fingers with an "Oh," and probably thought of something, took out his iPad, and started writing on it with the stylus.

The way he worked—correction, the way he made his presence known—was very practiced. Judging from what he just said, could Yu Sheng be a regular customer of this shop?

"A rare guest has arrived..."

I asked a different question, and Zheben nodded with a wry smile.

"Ah—the president. He seems to love coffee so much. He talks about coffee all day long and keeps getting refills. It's like he'll be drinking coffee his whole life."

I said, he probably doesn't like coffee...

We exchanged wry smiles. Yui, Isshiki, and I all noticed... but it's best not to say anything about these things.

Keep it up, Yusheng!

I cheered him on in my heart, but there was someone on the other side who needed encouragement even more.

"This makes me not want to come to this store anymore..."

Yukinoshita lowered her head, a deep sadness welling up within her. "I see... After all, this is your beloved shop..."

Keep it up, Yukinoshita...!

End 2 Yui's story 6 It's only natural that Hiratsuka Shizuka was also seventeen years old.

Shirley Temple, Cinderella, Virgin Mary... and non-alcoholic versions of basic cocktails like Chandie and Mojito.

The shop where I was working at a loss offered a wide variety of non-alcoholic cocktails. My exhausting sixth lesson ended just by looking at the PDF she sent to my phone.

The marathon is just around the corner, meaning there's very little time left to prepare for the victory celebration.

The shop owner specially gave us a cheaper price, but the price was that the student council and our service club had to go there as field staff.

That doesn't matter. That doesn't matter at all.

The problem is that preparing each drink is also part of the front-of-house work. Come to think of it, when I worked at an izakaya (Japanese pub), the bartender's job was also considered a front-of-house job.

So, who should be the bartender?

This is a very difficult problem.

To be a bartender at a celebration banquet, and one where drinks are all-you-can-drink, there are three main requirements.

First and foremost is speed. The ability to precisely process the endless stream of orders and prepare large quantities of drinks at once.

Next is the casual attitude. It's crucial to just grab any amount from the detailed measurements in the recipe, like "10ml grenadine syrup," "20ml lemon juice," and "one lime sheet." Measuring with a measuring cup every time is simply too slow. Ideally, you should also have the flexibility to think, "I'm out of lime sheets, so lemon slices will do...it's about the same anyway..."

Finally, it's about knowing when to give up. This is the most important thing. "There's a slight misadjustment... Oh well! Nobody expects the drinks to taste amazing at an all-you-can-drink bar!" This straightforward attitude of not caring about the customers is an essential quality for any bartender.

If you possess these three qualities, you'll not just become an immediate asset at an izakaya (Japanese pub), you'll be a key player. You'll definitely be a starter. Later, if someone books the entire place for a banquet, even if you're not scheduled for that time, you'll be pulled in to fill in. You can even deliberately slow down the serving of drinks at banquets where there's a possibility of trouble, showcasing your skills. Despite all this, your hourly wage won't increase, and you won't even find an opportunity to amend your contract. Hasn't the boss heard the famous saying, "Sincerity isn't shown through words, it's shown through money"? The result is that they only bring you in when things are incredibly busy, and your inner runner is constantly being assassinated. That's why I quit. Why do I keep quitting all the time?

Based on the above conditions, I conclude that I should be the bartender.

Yukino will likely follow the recipe exactly, and given her personality, she'd be better suited to managing the whole operation. Isshiki, on the other hand, will mess things up, make mistakes, stick out her tongue, tap her forehead, and say, "Wrong, wrong, hehe☆," which should be manageable, but as student council president, she'll be responsible for greeting everyone. Yuihama will improvise the recipe, creating a lot of unconventional drinks, so she'll need to focus on serving customers outside. While Osamoto will help, it'll be more efficient to let her do what she's familiar with.

So, the class meeting ended quickly while I was reviewing the recipes on my phone, and before I knew it, it was time to go home.

Students also left the classroom to participate in club activities or go home, leaving only a few people in the classroom. I put on my coat, slung my backpack over my shoulder, and decided to follow this trend.

Just then, someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around and saw Yuihama standing there, already wearing her coat.

"...an autistic man."

"oh."

What's wrong? I asked, puzzled. Yuihama remained silent for a few seconds as if deep in thought, rubbing the scarf around her mouth.

"Um, I have something to do today..."

Yui buried her face in her scarf, her gaze fixed on the ground, seemingly troubled about what to say.

However, she quickly raised her head and said in her usual cheerful tone:

"I'll be at the office later. You go ahead."

"...Oh, I understand."

Anyway, we didn't agree to go together every time.

I nodded in agreement, and Yui returned a slightly weary smile before walking out of the classroom with a melancholy expression. What's wrong with her? Is she going to see the dentist...?

That listless smile was a little bothersome, but I felt awkward asking about his private life.

I watched Yuihama leave with her back hunched, then followed her out of the classroom. I'll go to the club office after I finish what I need to do.

In short, print out this PDF file first.

If I want to take notes, I still need to look at paper documents. I know I can take notes and highlight with a highlighter on my phone, but the screen is too small and it hurts my eyes to read. Besides, I always feel that I can remember things better from paper documents. Yes, I am essentially a Showa era person.

Is there a place on campus where I can print materials?... I wondered as I walked down the corridor.

There's a photocopier in front of the library, but I remember it can't print out files from a phone. Applying to use the computer lab is a hassle... The student council office should have a printer, but if you borrow it without permission, you'll likely be forced to do work.

In that case, going to the convenience store outside the school is the fastest way...

I made my decision and headed to the bicycle parking lot.

Since I'm going to make a special trip to the convenience store, I might as well buy something... like some refreshments from MAX Coffee that Yukinoshita and Yuigahama treated me to before...

× × ×

Press a few buttons on your phone, then press the printer button, and the machine will start printing with a loud bang.

I tidied up the papers the machine had spat out and threw the freshly printed recipes into a folder full of miscellaneous documents.

Then I wandered around the store, bought MAX coffee, several other drinks and some nice-looking snacks, and left the store.

Looking up at the sky, dusk was beginning to fall in the west. I hadn't thought it would take much time, but in winter the sun sets in a flash.

As the sky darkened and the temperature dropped, I shivered from the cold and rode my bicycle against the wind back the way I came.

Back at school, the shouts of the sports club echoed through the cold air.

Many students must have already gone home. The parking lot was empty. I parked my bicycle haphazardly in one of the empty spaces.

I locked the car, picked up the rustling plastic bag, and headed towards the front door.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a familiar bun hairstyle in the shadows of the school building. The setting sun cast a shimmering glow on the pinkish-brown hair.

Yuigahama...

Has she finished her business? I'm also going to the community office, I'd better let her know...

With that thought in mind, I walked toward Yuihama.

He had only taken a few steps when he suddenly stopped.

Forced to stop.

As the sun was setting, I saw someone standing opposite Yuihama behind the school building.

I reflexively ducked behind the school building wall, pressing myself against it, but I couldn't feel the cold temperature of the cement. I only felt the chilling coldness of my breath as I whispered my exit.

I only caught a glimpse of the person in the shadows; I couldn't recognize who was in front of Yuihama, nor did I care to observe their appearance.

But you can tell from the back that it's a boy.

She was taller than him, had slightly wavy black hair with a cropped style, and wore a khaki down jacket. The veins on her hands were visible as she gripped the hem of the down jacket.

My legs trembled with nervousness, and the sound of my sneakers hitting the sand as I took that final step was a vivid image in my mind.

I dared not look from afar, nor did I dare to peek out of curiosity; I could only hold my breath and hide by the wall.

I've seen that scene.

No, I've never seen the exact same scene before. The background, characters, composition, perspective, angle, and object placement are all completely different.

The atmosphere was remarkably similar to that of Disneyland at Christmas and the area behind the school buildings at that time.

Therefore, I had to realize it.

I can't hear anything. And I don't want to hear anything.