My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 801

She glanced at my feet, squinted, and looked like she couldn't bear to look.

"Yes, just a minor injury."

I simply couldn't bring myself to say that I tripped and fell. That would be incredibly lame. Besides, it sounded like an excuse from a domestic violence victim—"You've got it wrong! I really did fall down on my own!" I couldn't let her think I was being abused and cause her unnecessary worry.

I gave a brief reply and closed the cabinet.

Turning my head, I saw Yukinoshita staring worriedly at my feet.

"Did you bandage yourself?"

"Ah—no..."

I looked at the somewhat ugly knotted bandage and pondered how to explain it, but before I could even open my mouth, Yuihama let out a slightly exaggerated laugh.

"Haha—I really should tie you up again—! I'm not good at this kind of thing, I can't do it neatly..."

Seeing her with her hair in a bun and her lack of confidence, Yukinoshita gave a calm smile, gently shook her head, and said softly:

"No, this is fine."

"Am I the one who's injured?"

Why did she presume to assess my injuries? I told her, if you dared say something like that to the doctor near my house, you'd get a severe scolding. Before, when he asked me what symptoms I had, I answered, "It seems like a cold..." and got a thorough dressing-down: "Whether it's a cold or not is for me to decide. Besides, a cold isn't an illness. Do you understand?"

In short, my injury is really nothing serious. It won't hurt if you don't suddenly stretch your legs or squat down. So, be careful when sitting down…

I pulled over a round chair next to me and slowly sat down. Yukinoshita seemed to be waiting for me, and slowly began to speak.

"I heard you were running with Hayama-kun... Any progress?"

"...Most of the problems should have been solved."

Hayato Hayama's victory and the unexpected awards ceremony. Hayama's words at the awards ceremony should have largely dispelled the rumors surrounding him.

I explained this to Yukina in detail.

Yuihama would occasionally add a few words with gestures. Yukinoshita would nod in response.

Only when Hayama mentioned Hino did her nodding abruptly stop, her face hardening as she pressed her fingers to her temples. Hmm, hearing a family member's name at a time like this must be a bit of a mixed feeling, right...?

After explaining what had happened, I let out a long sigh.

"...Although it may not be immediately effective, as the second-best solution, it should have some effect."

I couldn't think of a better way to put it, so I came to a somewhat ambiguous conclusion. Yukinoshita put her hand to her mouth, lost in thought, and silently lowered it.

"Yes... the rumors probably won't completely disappear, but for me, this is enough. Thank you."

"If you want to thank someone, go thank Ye Shan. I didn't do anything."

"Yes, I will. But I should thank you anyway."

She smiled gently under the snow.

Since it's alright, I'll accept her thanks with gratitude.

But in reality, I really didn't do anything, and I wasn't being modest. The pointless conversation with Hayama, the embarrassing fall to the ground—in short, that's all I did.

The people who took concrete action were Hayama... and Yui. While it's unclear what impression her actions will leave on others, Yui's stance will at least clearly change in the rumors surrounding Hayama Hayato.

Regardless of whether it's good or bad for her.

This unease made me instinctively look at Yui. Yui quietly looked away, touched her bun, and looked back at me for a moment with her big, watery eyes.

Thanks to that eye contact, I remembered the way we had walked back together and felt a pang of embarrassment.

A brief silence descended, the sounds of the electric heater's fan and the humidifier's low operation echoing in the room.

In the completely silent room, the faint sound of exhalation could be heard.

"Is that all...? How's things going with Yui-chan?"

Yukino looked at Yuihama with concern. Yuihama clenched her fists and leaned forward.

"I'm perfectly fine! I don't care what others say anyway!"

"Not too much of a concern, does that mean you care a little...?"

"Oh, that's not what I meant! I don't care at all!"

Yukinoshita's expression was a little serious. Yui waved her hand and hurriedly explained, taking a deep breath as if checking the condition of her throat, and placing her hand on her thigh.

"Um... I have it too, and I've thought about it carefully... so it's okay."

She stared intently at the snow. Though her words were stammered, it was precisely this stammering that made them seem so genuine, utterly sincere.

As the sun sank below the horizon, its afterglow gradually painted the predominantly white infirmary a vibrant red. The faint sunlight illuminated Yuihama's serious face, and Yukinoshita stared intently at her, seemingly finding her dazzling.

"Is that so...that's good."

She raised the corners of her mouth, revealing an ethereal smile. Seeing that beautiful smile that made our hearts clench, Yui and I both gasped.

"It's about time we went."

Yukinoshita silently rose from her chair. Yuihama nodded in response and followed behind.

"Yes, we still need to prepare for the victory celebration banquet."

"A victory celebration banquet..."

Oh, right. I still have work to do... After running so much and getting injured, do I really have to do such a tiring job as a bartender...?

Thinking about this, my legs felt as heavy as lead. Ugh... I really don't want to work...

I lowered my head and stared at the ground, where a fair hand came into view.

I looked up abruptly, and it was Yuihama who had reached out her hand to me. She turned her face away and muttered softly:

"Um, I wanted to say... about your feet..."

"Can you please not make the injured work... hehe."

I responded with a mock joke, shouting as I stood up. I casually swung my arms with the recoil, lightly clenching my fists in front of my chest.

Okay... I'll do my best today too.

Conclusion 2 Yui's story 9 So, now first──

The small order printer used to print out details is constantly spitting out customers' orders.

After making one cup, they'd order three more; after making two, they'd order five more. The phrase "Hotaru!" kept echoing in my head.

The borrowed uniform was soaked with sweat, and tomato juice and pomegranate syrup had sprayed all over the white shirt, as if someone had just been killed a second ago.

Even in dirty clothes, the heart remains bright. At this very moment, Kiyoko Suizenji in my head is belting out "Note." I say I don't want to work, but my body is silently doing the work, because I'm in a drug overdose state due to endorphins. Dopamine is being released in droves, and adrenaline is surging. When I come to my senses, the playlist in my head has changed to Aya Mizumori. My brain is far too old-fashioned.

Note: Lyrics to "The Song of a Vajra" by Japanese enka singer Kiyoko Suizenji.

The celebration party held at the café where Kaori Orimoto works was an unprecedented event.

One by one, students entered the store; there must have been dozens of them in total. There was Hayama's group, Totsuka's group, and for some reason, even Zaimokuza was there.

An hour after the celebration banquet began.

I don't know if it was because everyone got tired of non-alcoholic cocktails, or because they were having a good time chatting at their seats, but the number of orders started to stabilize. For a while, there were only two or three order details hanging from the cabinet to the floor.

Just when I thought I could finally catch my breath, Zheben came running over.

"Hachiman, substitute. You can go and rest."

"Oh, is that alright?"

"Yes, all the meals have been served."

Zheben glanced outwards. I followed his gaze and saw the store manager, who had been standing in the kitchen, now relaxing in the kitchen. It was indeed a good time to rest.

"I understand. Ah, those three are drinks that haven't been made yet."

I gave the bartender's seat to Oremoto, and as we passed each other, I pointed to the orders that hadn't been processed yet and gave her some instructions. Oremoto nodded.

"Hmm. OK—Ah, Yukinoshita-san can rest now."

Orimoto peeked out from the outer area and called to Yukinoshita. Soon after, an exhausted Yukinoshita staggered over from across the dining area.

"Thanks for your hard work."

While I was comforting her, I handed her a large glass of black tea.

"Thank you... I'm so tired... It took more energy than I expected..."

Yukinoshita held the cup with both hands, took a big gulp of black tea, and adorably let out a small breath. What seemed somewhat unseemly compared to her usual behavior now appeared perfectly appropriate.

"This is what parties held in cafes are like. Izakaya chains on the ground floor are even more terrifying."

This time, no alcohol was served, so the customers were all well-behaved, and there was no need to clean up vomit. You don't have to spend two hours soliciting customers in front of the train station in the dead of winter just because the manager orders you to, nor do you have to ignore those stinky old men who make demands like "double the strength but the price can't change!" with a wry smile.

Upon hearing my tragic tale of the izakaya (Japanese pub), the thoroughly pampered young lady, Yukinoshita, was speechless and terrified. Orimoto, listening nearby, laughed loudly and exclaimed, "Indeed!"

He sighed wearily under the snow.

"I find it a little hard to accept your long-winded explanations about work... but thankfully you're very skilled. I was only able to manage because you slowed down the food preparation process."

"You've figured it out."

She shouldn't have any experience working in the food service industry. As expected of Yukinoshita, she's very observant. I said admiringly, and Yukinoshita gave a modest wry smile.

"The speed difference is so significant, it's unlikely we didn't notice. The speed at which the first drink was served was highly unusual. Did you prepare that beforehand?"

"We only prepare the basic items first, for example, those recipes that are partially the same."

"I see... I hope you could have let me know beforehand. That way, when taking orders, I might be able to hint at which drinks to order, which would improve efficiency..."

Yukinoshita rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought. Her eyes were bright and piercing, and a pleasant smile played on her lips.

This guy's pretty much a workaholic, I'm not in a position to say that...

"You mean you can also attend the victory celebration? No problem here."

Orimoto brought out our drinks and pointed to the dining area. Yukino and I exchanged glances, took our drinks, thanked Orimoto, and then approached the banquet.

However, despite it being a victory celebration, I couldn't find a place to belong. Yukinoshita and I weren't used to this kind of lively atmosphere.

Looking towards the dining area, the protagonist, Hayama, was constantly surrounded by people and looked extremely busy. The three idiots from the Tobe clan were also cheering loudly, making a lot of noise.

Miura, Ebina, and Isshiki occupied the seats inside, whispering amongst themselves. They were probably exchanging information related to Haruno. Yui, holding a tray to her chest and standing beside the table, would occasionally chime in. "Isn't Iroha still at get off work? You've practically settled down there."

Totsuka was chatting and laughing with someone who looked like a member of the tennis club by the window, and Zaimokuza joined in with a smile. If I wanted to bother someone, I would go there, but they were already talking, and I didn't think I could fit into that atmosphere.

The vice president and the secretary were busy flirting. Don't underestimate work; get to work!

Since we didn't know anyone else, we wandered over to the bar. At times like this, staying close to the wall is the safest option.

"Thanks for your hard work."

As Yukinoshita spoke, she held up a champagne glass to me. I understood her intention and picked up the glass as well.

"Mmm, oh. Thanks for your hard work."

"So……"

Yukino smiled slightly and swirled her champagne glass. The non-alcoholic version of the mimosa rippled, releasing a refreshing orange scent.

She didn't speak again. Words, silent and invisible, echoed only in my heart. I, too, remained silent, raising Shirley Temple to the same height and clinking glasses with her.

Thin glass creates a tranquil atmosphere of toasts amidst the noise of the store.

A clear sound without a trace of muddiness or distortion.

We all took a sip and exhaled softly. Yukinoshita covered her mouth in surprise.

"So delicious..."

"That's what work feels like."

I pretended to be mature for my age, but then laughed out loud under the snow.

"That's not a phrase you should say... but it doesn't feel bad."

I nodded in agreement.

Yeah, it's not bad at all.

I never imagined I'd be drinking with Yukinoshita... I always thought work was just drudgery, but if I could experience this kind of atmosphere, it didn't seem so painful.

Someday, we'll have drinks together after get off work.

...The atmosphere was so wonderful that I imagined such a future.