My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 793

"I really envy you guys for having so much fun even without alcohol. I simply can't imagine a celebration without alcohol. Or rather, other people wouldn't accept a celebration without alcohol..."

"That's right, middle-aged men are like that."

I echoed her sentiment, and Professor Hiratsuka nodded vigorously, a hint of exhaustion in her expression. Was it that… the company dinner that wore me out…?

Although this is just my imagination, adults—especially the previous generation of Showa people—drink at all kinds of events. It's like the feeling that "New Year's should have a New Year's atmosphere." Of course, drinks are served at events like celebration banquets, year-end parties, and farewell parties. If you drink non-alcoholic beverages at such occasions, some idle people will say, "How dare you not drink the wine I poured!" and pester you relentlessly.

"I really want to drink too..."

Hiratsuka-sensei exhaled white smoke with a sigh.

It swayed for a moment, then quickly disappeared into the air.

Mr. Hiratsuka looked out the window, as if searching for the direction where the white smoke had disappeared. Curious about what was there, I looked over, but all I could see was the twilight sky and the playground; nothing special.

The scene the teacher was looking at was certainly not here.

"...So, sometimes I especially miss it."

She murmured softly, a gentle yet sorrowful smile playing on her lips.

"We don't need to drink to be so happy. We don't need to get drunk to have fun until morning. We can chat non-stop just with bottled tea."

It was a lament for the distant past, a tone that speaks of things that are gone forever. Loneliness is what makes it beautiful, and because time cannot be reversed, words of reminiscing about the past sound especially sweet.

"Even late at night, even in a park by the roadside, even in front of a vending machine, even while still in uniform, the conversation wouldn't stop. No one suggested going back, so everyone just went to one of their houses to continue chatting, and before they knew it, they fell asleep..."

I stared intently at the face that wore a nostalgic smile. You could say I was mesmerized. I longed to hear this person recount their past forever.

However, perhaps my gaze was too impolite, because Ms. Hiratsuka shifted uncomfortably and cleared her throat to cover it up.

"I was seventeen once too."

Her smile was slightly shy. The bashful smile made her look even more youthful than usual, offering a glimpse into her past adolescence.

"I'd like to see my teacher when she's seventeen."

Upon hearing this, Hiratsuka-sensei laughed heartily.

"Haha! You're in trouble if you see me when I was younger. I used to be a super hot girl, incredibly popular. You'll be dumped by me in no time."

"How could it be based on the premise that I have feelings for you? And you dumped me without my consent... although I also felt that it would eventually turn out that way."

"what?"

Ms. Hiratsuka stared in disbelief, blinking rapidly. But she quickly recovered, wiping her forehead as she exhaled a large puff of smoke.

"Thank goodness... If I had met you when I was seventeen, I might have been kidnapped in a second."

“How is it possible…”

Seventeen-year-old Hiratsuka Shizuka was so gullible! It suddenly makes me want to meet her. I mean, you seem even easier to fool now.

The teacher exhaled a small puff of smoke, indicating she was joking, and slowly extinguished the cigarette with the ashtray. She straightened her back, and the gentle look in her eyes returned to that of a mature adult.

"Hachiman, you were seventeen years old once too."

"Uh, that's exactly what I am right now..."

Hiratsuka-sensei nodded in response to my complaint.

"Yes...you're seventeen this year. There are some things that can only be done now, and are only allowed to be done now."

Her tone was like she was lecturing me, which made me subconsciously sit up straight.

Ms. Hiratsuka picked up the recipe book that was placed on the low table.

"Non-alcoholic cocktails are also included. They're a bit insufficient for someone like me who's no longer young; I can only drink them as a substitute for alcohol, but..."

Professor Hiratsuka carefully checked the recipes for each drink. There was no gin or vodka. While the recipes appeared identical to those for cocktails, they were not.

From a rather unfortunate perspective, it is clearly a counterfeit that imitates the real thing but is all show and no substance.

"...But it's not a substitute for you. It can't be masked by drunkenness, it can't be masked by drunkenness, it can be said to be something purer."

Ms. Hiratsuka quietly handed me the recipe.

"What matters is the thought behind it. Even the simplest non-alcoholic cocktail is far more sophisticated than any cheap one you pick up randomly."

The recipes for the fakes flipped before my eyes.

however.

If even a counterfeit that cannot be concealed by its appearance can still be accepted.

If even youthful, unrequited feelings are worthy of being poured into it.

It might become something.

I reached for the recipe the teacher handed me. My hand clenched it, and the paper crumpled a little, but I figured it would be ruined by my own eyes later, so it probably didn't matter.

I took the recipe, and Ms. Hiratsuka gave me a gentle smile, while I raised one corner of my mouth in return with a mocking smile.

"At least I want it to look nice... because I'm not confident about the taste."

"Sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy—each has its own merits."

"Won't this lead to customer complaints?"

We looked at each other and smiled.

We were just talking about non-alcoholic cocktails. There was clearly another meaning behind it, but we didn't say it aloud.

It doesn't need to be explicitly stated; it's clear enough.

No, I know. I just thought I understood, but I didn't actually do anything. And she gave me a push.

"I should go to the community office now."

I stuffed the folder into my backpack and got up from the sofa.

"Okay, keep it up."

Ms. Hiratsuka followed behind me and saw me out. Just as we were about to leave the meeting room, she called me from behind.

"Oh, that's right."

I turned around and saw Hiratsuka-sensei making a fist-bumping gesture at me intimidatingly. What are you doing...?

"It's fine to have a celebration party, but don't go too wild. Drinking alcohol will get you suspended from school."

"No one's going to drink at a victory celebration like this..."

Hiratsuka-sensei threw his last punch with extra force. I sighed, smiled, and turned away.

"I've already decided who I'll drink with for my first time."

Then, without permission, he made an appointment with the person behind him three years later.

× × ×

The steps toward the community office felt a little easier.

There was no one else in the corridor of the special building; only the sound of my footsteps could be heard. The pace of my footsteps was faster than usual, as if urging me on.

The office door was right in front of me. I let out a long breath in front of the door, quietly trying to muster my energy, and grasped the doorknob.

The door opened easily with a gentle pull, without any resistance.

The refreshing aroma of black tea. The deep hum of an electric heater.

And Yukinoshita and Yuihama looked over in surprise.

"Hello there."

"Ah, this autistic guy is so slow."

The scene in the office remained unchanged. Yukinoshita, elegantly holding her teacup, and Yuihama, munching on sweets, were both as usual.

It's as if what happened behind the school building just now never happened. Or maybe I misunderstood and jumped to conclusions too quickly.

Nevertheless, what I'm going to do won't change.

"Well, thank you for your hard work."

I gave a casual greeting and stepped into the office.

But he didn't sit in his usual seat.

Yukinoshita gave me a questioning look as I stood still, while Yuihama stared at the plastic bag in my hand, wondering what was inside.

"Can I leave a little earlier today? It sounds strange to ask this, even though I just arrived."

"what?"

They tilted their heads almost at the same time, like a mother and daughter owl.

"I need to go to Isshiki's place to handle the victory celebration banquet."

"I see..."

"Should we go together?"

"No need, aren't I supposed to be a bartender? So, um, there's something I need to discuss..."

As I spoke, I took two cans of MAX coffee out of the plastic bag and placed them in front of the two of them, as if offering them as tribute.

"I want to use MAX coffee to make non-alcoholic cocktails, so I need to propose it to her first. Ah, this is a return gift from before."

The proposal was just a made-up excuse, but it was more convincing than I had imagined.

Yukinoshita pressed her temples, indicating a headache, and sighed helplessly. Yuihama was also clearly speechless.

"well……"

"You introverted guy, you really love MAX coffee...!"

"What does it matter...?"

Their reaction was really excessive, but their reasoning seemed to have been accepted. They both nodded, looking like they couldn't do anything about it. Hmm—it's good that they're so easy to talk to, but I have mixed feelings…

Well, although I feel bad about it, I've already received permission, so I'll take my leave.

"I'll be going now. Bye!"

I carried the plastic bag, raised one hand in an apologetic gesture that said "I'm so sorry," and hurried toward the door.

"Okay, okay... goodbye."

"Ah, um, see you tomorrow..."

The two of them waved to me gently, looking surprised. I nodded in response and slowly closed the door.

Okay, let's move on to the next destination.

I retraced my steps, walking briskly down the corridor of the special building toward the student council office.

Of course, it wasn't to tell Isshiki that I wanted to make MAX coffee non-alcoholic cocktails.

I have only one goal.

This will put an end to this series of rumors.

Therefore, I need to establish a cooperative relationship with Hayama Hayato, the key figure in the rumors. However, even if I wanted to discuss this with Hayama, I have no way to contact him. At present, I can only rely on others to relay the message or go directly to him.

At times like these, the most reliable person is the student council president and soccer club manager, Iroha Isshiki.

Anyway, we have to wait until Hayama's club activities are over.

Since that's the case, instead of waiting in the cold wind, I'd better ask Isshiki to help me contact him and wait for him in the student council office. As expected of Iroha, so reliable.

I walked for a short while and arrived at the student council office. I opened the plastic bag I was carrying and checked its contents. Besides MAX coffee, there were several other drinks and snacks. Perfect as a substitute for gifts.

Offering someone a meal under the guise of giving them a gift might make them more willing to help. Gifts have that kind of magic. Calling it the principle of reciprocity might be a bit of a stretch, but the other person is definitely more likely to listen to you. If someone brings me food, I might think, "Do I really have to work... Ugh... I don't want to work..."

In short, I need to use this bag of gifts to win her over and cooperate with Iroha in the student council office! I mustered my energy, knocked on the student council office door a few times, and waited quietly for a moment.

"Ah, here it comes."

A slightly surprised voice came from behind the door, followed by hurried footsteps. The doorknob slowly turned, and the door creaked open a few centimeters. Peeking out from behind was a cute girl with glasses, braided pigtails, and a slightly rustic appearance.

"Um... excuse me, is there anything I can help you with?"

I remember she was the secretary's sister. She seemed a little apprehensive, her face saying, "Waaah... a stranger came... how scary..." Am I just being paranoid?

However, my mental fortitude is top-notch. I decided to take a hard line and pretend to know her. I forced open the door, which was about to close, and handed her the plastic bag.

"Ah—hello. This is for you."