My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 792

I don't need to hear their conversation to guess what they're talking about.

Knowing that my breathing couldn't possibly travel to that point, I still held my breath.

Even stepping on the sand makes them hesitate, carefully moving their feet back to avoid making a sound.

Carefully take one or two steps back, slowly increase the distance, and turn around...

They refuse to face it.

× × ×

I couldn't even bear to take the time to change into indoor shoes at the main entrance, so I wandered aimlessly down the corridor in my dirty shoes.

I really don't want to go directly to the community office.

I don't know what expression to wear when I face her. If I wait a little longer, will I be able to pretend nothing's wrong?

I instinctively headed towards the open-air corridor connecting the main school buildings and the special building. The reason I chose to walk along the side with the faculty offices instead of the side with the classrooms was probably because I wanted to take as many detours as possible.

I sat down on the bench by the window and looked up at the ceiling. I let out a sigh that had been building up in my chest and unconsciously closed my eyes.

However, closing your eyes is pointless.

Whether I pretend not to see it, see it but take no action, or don't notice it, I've long been used to it. The scene I catch a glimpse of in a short moment is imprinted in my mind and can't be forgotten.

The sunlight shining on my back had no warmth. Yet, the light I could feel through my eyelids was gradually fading, telling me that time had not stopped flowing.

Now, about Yuihama—have the two of them finished talking?

I sighed deeply, the sound of my footsteps on the linoleum floor mingling with my sigh. Just as I was thinking, "Is someone passing by?" and looked up, a powerful shout reached my ears.

"Hand chop attack!"

"it hurts……"

A dull ache shot through my head. I touched the spot where I'd been hit and looked up. Hiratsuka-sensei was holding a huge cardboard box in one hand, grinning at me.

"Still slacking off? Not going to participate in club activities?"

"Ah, uh..."

I racked my brains trying to figure out how to explain, but I couldn't come up with a decent reason, so I could only force a dry laugh to cover up my embarrassment.

Hiratsuka-sensei frowned in confusion, then let out a helpless and gentle sigh, looking like she had no way to deal with me.

"You've come at the right time. Come and help."

She raised her chin, gesturing for me to follow her. When she saw me stand up, she nodded in satisfaction and handed me the large box she was carrying.

"Here, take it."

"Oh, okay."

Hiratsuka-sensei picked it up with one hand, so I thought it wouldn't be heavy. I was surprised to find the box was quite substantial. What's inside...?

I squinted at the box, and Hiratsuka-sensei explained it to me.

"There happens to be a future aspirations consultation session today, and the materials inside are relevant."

"So there's such an event..."

"Yes, Isshiki put in a lot of effort to prepare this, even with tears in his eyes."

Seeing Hiratsuka-sensei smiling so happily, I suddenly remembered that when we went to the coffee shop before, Isshiki seemed to have mentioned having other work... Was this the other thing she wanted to ask us to help with...?

It's understandable why Hiratsuka-sensei couldn't help but laugh.

That girl, Isshiki, led the student council, working hard to complete her tasks on her own. As her senior, and the one who nominated her for president, I felt happy, proud, and a little lonely... right? It was that kind of smile, wasn't it? Not the "you've got it, you should suffer sometimes" smile, right? Teacher?

As I hesitated about whether to confirm Professor Hiratsuka's true intentions, we went to the faculty office.

Professor Hiratsuka opened the office door and waved to me. It seemed she wanted me to move in.

I followed her instructions, picked up the box again, and mumbled "Excuse me..." in a muffled voice as I walked in, following behind Ms. Hiratsuka.

"Just put it on the table."

"receive."

To this day, I have been caught repeatedly—correcting myself—and each time I have come to this table, only to be greeted by an unfamiliar scene.

Normally a chaotic mess, with documents, envelopes, canned coffee, and even model kits scattered everywhere—the desk is practically a party poof—but today it's perfectly tidy. The only things on the desk are a black-covered notebook bound with string and a ballpoint pen placed beside it.

For a moment I thought it was someone else's desk, except for the swivel chair that wasn't facing forward, which shows Hiratsuka-sensei's style.

"...Is this the right table?"

I felt uneasy and turned to ask, and Hiratsuka-sensei frowned.

"What do you mean……"

"No, it just feels so much neater now..."

Hiratsuka-sensei squinted at the clean desk.

"...Oh. Right. The year-end cleaning was postponed...I cleared out a ton of stuff before."

She wearily stretched her shoulder joints and patted her shoulders. It's tiring to tidy up a table that messy all at once... So I'll just put this box on the table that the teacher is trying to clear.

"Okay, wait over there for a moment, I'll be right there."

The teacher pointed to the faculty office. It was an area partitioned off, a meeting room we often used for discussing matters.

I nodded and walked towards the reception room.

As soon as I sat down on the sofa, the leather sagged in, the springs creaked, and my body sank deep into it. Finally, I had a place to sit properly, and I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

A cold object suddenly touched my cheek, as if trying to stifle my sigh.

Startled, I turned around and saw Hiratsuka-sensei sneaking up from behind, touching my face with a can of ice-cold MAX coffee. With a mischievous smile, she tossed the can to me.

"Take it."

"Thanks……"

Don't throw it away...

Ms. Hiratsuka sat down on the sofa opposite me and gestured for me to drink. Although she had paid for it herself, I was grateful and accepted it as a special treat.

I nodded in response and pulled the tab on my MAX coffee. The sound mingled with the scraping of a flint.

The flickering flame, like a candle burning in the wind, ignited the cigarette paper and tobacco, releasing a strong smell of tar. Hiratsuka-sensei, looking completely absorbed, slowly exhaled a thin trail of white smoke.

She picked up the ashtray on the low table, flicked the ash off with a loud thud, and glanced at me.

"Have you made your choice?"

That seemingly random statement made me freeze instantly.

This sudden question was very similar to the one Kaori Orimoto asked me when we were walking home together. I still felt like I had a fishbone stuck in my throat, unable to make a sound.

What? Choose what? What do you mean? That's so sudden. Uh, I don't know how to answer this question so suddenly.

Logically speaking, any reply is acceptable, as long as you respond immediately.

I dared not look across the wisp of white smoke; my gaze slowly drifted to the bottom of the ashtray. Ah, I wished I could just disappear in a flash.

I gulped down the sweet coffee and, as usual, raised one corner of my mouth in a smile.

"...What do you mean?"

I thought I was smiling, but what kind of expression was I really wearing? Hiratsuka-sensei stared at me intently, took another drag of his cigarette, and exhaled a puff of white smoke with a smile.

"You've chosen your groups. I sent them to you along with the volunteer survey, right?"

"Whoa whoa……"

I was stunned on the spot and responded with a surprised voice.

After she mentioned it, I remembered that I had indeed received that type of document on the first day of school. Because of gossip and the celebration party, I had completely forgotten about it.

The topic, which was different from what I had imagined, left me completely exhausted. I almost slipped off the sofa and had to pretend to drink coffee to adjust my posture.

"Yes, I received it..."

"You haven't submitted either of your papers yet. I'm wondering if you're having some kind of problem..."

The teacher gave a faint, wry smile. Her gentle gaze seemed to ask, "Do you have any other worries?"

She probably saw through it all along. After all, she always cared about us students, and I don't think Ms. Hiratsuka hadn't heard about those rumors. She just thoughtfully chose not to mention them.

To escape those concerned gazes, I grabbed my backpack and took out a folder filled with various documents.

"I simply forgot. I'll fill it out now."

I fumbled through the folder, but it was so messy I couldn't find the survey form, so I had to take everything out.

After finally finding the group selection survey form and the volunteer survey form, just as I was about to fill them out, Ms. Hiratsuka curiously peeked out.

"Um, it's difficult for me to write like this..."

I quickly covered the paper with my hand and said with a straight face, and Hiratsuka-sensei gave a wry smile.

"I'm a little curious... is it okay to watch?"

"Oh, it's pretty ordinary. It's all private liberal arts programs, just ranked from top to bottom based on the schools and departments I feel I can get into."

"It's okay, let me see, let me see~"

Hiratsuka-sensei leaned closer, her gaze towards my hand filled with genuine tenderness, contrasting sharply with her joking tone.

"...I'd like to see it once first."

Her voice was slow and calm as she spoke to me. I was already used to her face, yet it radiated a sense of loneliness, as if she were gazing into the distance. It was an expression perhaps only adults would show. I couldn't help but stare, mesmerized.

I don't know if it was because I hadn't said anything, or if she noticed my gaze, but Hiratsuka-sensei suddenly looked up and revealed a hearty smile.

"You might write about wanting to be a stay-at-home dad again."

I responded to her joke with a smile. Well, it won't matter if she sees me. Hiratsuka-sensei is my homeroom teacher, so she'll see me eventually... Following my earlier declaration, I casually wrote down the name of a private humanities program that suited my level. Hiratsuka-sensei narrowed her eyes, seemingly watching me intently.

"That's roughly it..."

"Yes, thanks."

When I finished writing, Hiratsuka-sensei looked up and, for some reason, seemed refreshed.

She thanked me in person, which made me feel embarrassed.

I casually replied with "No" or "No, not at all," and tidied up the various documents I had just taken out to cover up my embarrassment.

Ms. Hiratsuka's gaze fell on one of the sheets of paper. She picked it up with her finger; it was a recipe book that I had printed at the convenience store.

"……cocktail?"

"It's a non-alcoholic cocktail."

"Oh—?"

Why look at recipes for non-alcoholic cocktails? Professor Hiratsuka looked puzzled.

"I want to be a hostess at the after-party for the marathon."

When Hiratsuka-sensei heard this, she glared at me.

"Working without permission is prohibited, right?"

"It's volunteering. It's an activity of the Service Society."

It really was all for nothing. I shrugged, genuinely feeling a little impatient.

"Is that so... I'll say you barely passed."

Professor Hiratsuka chuckled softly, his gaze falling on the recipe for non-alcoholic cocktails. He then flipped through the recipe and remarked with a touch of感慨 (gan3kai3, a complex emotion encompassing both admiration and reflection):

"These students are so fashionable these days—they're drinking this at a celebration party. It looks exactly like a cocktail."

"It's just about the atmosphere. An amateur couldn't possibly create something this beautiful..."

While non-alcoholic cocktails may look identical to real cocktails, they are ultimately non-alcoholic beverages, meaning you won't get drunk no matter how much you drink. A skilled bartender might be able to create a slightly intoxicating effect through their attractive presentation and the atmosphere, but with my skills, it's a bit unsettling. If they don't make you drunk and look plain, the drinker will definitely feel empty. Especially someone as passionate about alcohol as Ms. Hiratsuka, she'd probably scoff at it.

Surprisingly, Professor Hiratsuka had a pretty good opinion of this thing.

006

"That's great. The important thing is to have fun. The most important thing is to have a good time."

As she spoke, she put a cigarette in her mouth, lit it, and then listlessly exhaled a puff of smoke.