My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 9

"I'm so sorry!"

Yuihama immediately ran over. "Excuse me, are you a puppy?"

Yukinoshita went behind her and retied the knot.

"I always feel like... Yukinoshita looks like my older sister."

"My sister isn't that clumsy."

Yukino sighed, her face clearly showing her "I give up" expression. However, I think Yuihama's description was surprisingly apt. The mature and composed Yukino and the baby-faced Yuihama really do look like sisters.

Moreover, it feels quite homey.

I want to clarify that only old men would advocate for a nude apron at this time; I believe that a uniform paired with an apron is the perfect look.

A warm feeling welled up inside me, and a smile involuntarily appeared on my lips.

"You...you autistic guy, I'm asking you something."

"W-What is it?"

Oh no, I think I just gave an uncomfortable smile, so I subconsciously responded by making Yuihama's voice shrill, which made people even more uncomfortable. It's a really negative multiplier effect.

What do you think of girls who are homebodies?

"I don't dislike them. Most guys would probably like to date this type of girl."

“I-I see…”

Upon hearing this, Yui smiled with relief.

"Okay, I'll do my best!"

Yuigahama rolled up her sleeves and began beating the eggs, then added wheat flour, sugar, butter, vanilla extract, and other ingredients. Even I, who don't know much about cooking, could tell that Yuigahama's skills were extraordinary. Perhaps some people would think...

It's just making cookies, but it's precisely because it's simple that the quality is so easily revealed. Because there are no tricks to it, the chef's true skill shines through.

First, they cracked the eggs, but Yuihama cracked the shells in with her.

Next, add flour and mix everything into a paste.

Next was the cream, which hadn't melted at all.

When adding sugar, they naturally added salt instead, and vanilla extract was added indiscriminately, almost overflowing the milk.

As for Yukinoshita? She was pale-faced, clutching her forehead. Even I, with my poor cooking skills, felt a chill; Yukinoshita, who was an excellent cook, must have been terrified.

"Next..."

Yuihama took out instant coffee.

"Would you like to have cookies with your coffee? Hmm, something to drink will make it easier to swallow. You've been very thoughtful."

"Oh? No, it's for flavoring. Don't guys usually not like sweets?"

As Yuihama poured coffee, she turned to me and said this. Because her eyes weren't on her hands, the coffee quickly piled up into a small black mountain in the bowl.

"That's more than just seasoning!"

"Huh? Ah, then let's add some sugar to adjust it."

She then built a white hill next to the black hill, and then both hills were submerged by an egg tsunami, eventually turning into a hell.

I'll jump to conclusions first—Yuigahama lacks cooking skills. Not that her skills are high or low, but rather that she simply doesn't have any.

Yuigahama not only has no culinary skills, but she's also incredibly capricious and prone to creating things in the most useless places. She's absolutely unsuitable for the kitchen, and I certainly don't want to do chemistry experiments with her—we might accidentally end up dying.

After it was baked, for some reason it looked like a completely black cake, and you could tell it was very bitter just by smelling it.

"H-How could this happen?"

Yuihama stared at the object X in astonishment.

"I can't understand... why you make so many mistakes..."

Yukinoshita said in a low voice. She probably had some concerns and didn't want Yuihama to hear, but she couldn't help but say it anyway.

Yuihama piles object X into the plate.

"It may not look very appealing... but you'll have to taste it to know!"

"That's true, it just so happens that there are people here to help with the taste tests."

"Hahaha! Yukinoshita, it's rare for you to say something wrong... This is called testing the waters!"

"This isn't poison! Poison? Hmm... is it really poisonous?"

Yuihama loudly complained, but then seemed uneasy. She tilted her head slightly and looked at me with her eyes, asking, "What do you think?" But I knew the answer without even asking, didn't I?

Ignoring Yuihama's pleading gaze, which resembled that of a puppy, I turned to Yukinoshita and spoke.

"Hey, are you really going to eat this stuff? It's basically charcoal from JOYFUL Honda (a Japanese chain of home goods retailers)."

"The ingredients she used are all edible, so there shouldn't be any problems... right? Besides—"

She paused for a moment, leaned close to my ear, and whispered:

"I'll eat it too, don't worry."

"Really? I didn't know you were such a good person. Or do you have a crush on me?"

"...You might as well eat by yourself until you die."

"Sorry, I was just startled, so I accidentally said something strange."

This is just a snack... no, I don't even know if this plate of food counts as a snack.

"I invited you here for a taste test, not to clean up the mess. Besides, I'm the one who accepted her request, and I'll take responsibility."

After Yukino finished speaking, she brought the plate to me.

"The problem cannot be properly resolved without finding it, so taking a risk now is a last resort."

Even if you told me these black objects were iron ore, I might very well believe you. She picked up a piece from under the snow, and her eyes seemed a little moist as she looked at me.

"...I shouldn't die, right?"

"That's what I was going to ask..."

I answered Yukinoshita, glancing at Yuihama. She was looking at us with a look that said she really wanted to join in… Perfect, let her have a few pieces too, and experience our suffering for herself.

× × ×

I barely managed to swallow the cookies baked by Yuihama.

It was truly awful. Although I didn't vomit and pass out immediately like in the comics, I think it would have been better if I had just passed out. If I had actually passed out, I wouldn't have needed to eat any more.

The taste of these cookies makes me suspect they contain saury innards, but that also means eating them won't kill you immediately. However, from a long-term perspective, it wouldn't be too surprising if eating these cookies increased the risk of cancer, and then you developed the disease and died a few years later.

"Ugh~~ It's so bitter and tastes awful~~"

Yuihama was munching on a cookie while tears streamed down her face. Yukinoshita immediately handed her a cup of tea.

"It's best not to chew it; swallow it with a drink. Also, be careful not to touch your tongue, as this biscuit is like a potent medicine."

It's rare for someone to say something like that so casually.

Yukino poured freshly boiled, still steaming hot water from the teapot to make us black tea.

After the three of us finished the equally divided cookies, we drank black tea to wash away the taste in our mouths. Only then did I feel a little better, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

To boost everyone's morale, Yukinoshita spoke first:

"So, let's think about how we can improve the problem."

"Yuihama will never cook again."

"Completely denying me?"

"Hachiman, that's the last resort."

"Is that how you want to solve the problem?"

Yuihama was first taken aback, then looked disappointed, slumped her shoulders helplessly, and sighed deeply.

"I guess I'm just not cut out for cooking... Is it something that requires talent? But I don't have any talent for it."

Upon hearing this, Yukino sighed.

"...I see, I know how to do it now."

"What should I do?"

She answered me calmly:

"We can only try our best."

"Is this considered a solution?"

In my opinion, hard work is the worst solution.

There are no other possibilities but to keep trying—conversely, this means things have reached a point of no return, which is practically the same as having no way out. Since there's no hope, it's easier to just tell the other person to give up. Nothing is more empty than wasting effort. It's more efficient to make the other person completely give up and invest that time and energy in other things.

"Effort is a good solution, provided that the approach is correct."

It was as if the snow seemed to read my mind. Are you a superhuman?

"Yuihama-san, you just said you have no talent, right?"

"Huh? Oh, yes."

"Please change that mindset. People who don't even make the most basic effort have no right to envy talented people. Losers fail because they don't understand that successful people accumulate effort little by little, and that's why they fail."

Yukino's words were very harsh, but flawless and left no room for rebuttal.

Confusion and fear appeared on Yuihama's speechless face; she had probably never been reprimanded to her face like this before.

Then, Yuihama forced a smile as if trying to cover it up.

"But...but nobody bakes cookies anymore...and this kind of thing just isn't for me. That must be it! Hehe..."

Just as Yuihama's shy laughter was fading, Yukinoshita put down her teacup with a soft "click." The sound, though calm, was as clear as ice. Yuihama and I couldn't help but look at Yukinoshita, and found that she exuded a sharp aura.

"...Could you please stop trying so hard to please others? It annoys me. Why do you have to ask others about the root of your own clumsiness, incompetence, and stupidity? Don't you think that's embarrassing?"

"Wow, wow..."

Yukinoshita's words were very strong, making no attempt to hide her disgust, so much so that even I had to back away and gasp repeatedly.

"..."

Yuihama fell silent, overwhelmed by the sheer power of the snow. Because she had her head down, I couldn't see her expression, but from the way she clutched the hem of her skirt, I could tell what she was feeling.

Yuigahama must be very good at communicating with people. To be one of the most outspoken members of the class, besides her appearance, she must also need considerable social skills. Conversely, this means she is good at pleasing others, but lacks courage and is afraid to risk being alone to be true to herself.

On the other hand, Yukinoshita is a complete egocentric. She is incredibly proactive, and her behavior seems to be proud of her solitary nature.

They each belong to completely different types.

If we were to describe it as a contest of strength, Yukina clearly had the upper hand, and what she said made a lot of sense.

Yuihama's eyes welled up with tears.

"I……"

She probably wanted to say "I'm leaving," but her voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, as she was about to cry. Her shoulders trembled slightly, making her voice sound even weaker and more powerless.

"I think Yukinoshita is so cool..."

""What?""

What is she saying?

Yukino and I spoke at the same time, then looked at each other in bewilderment.

"You don't say anything polite at all... How should I put it? I think it's so cool..."

Yuihama stared intently at Yukinoshita, who stiffly took two steps back.

"What...what are you saying...did you even understand what I said? I was being very rude."

"No! That's not true! Ah, you are indeed being very harsh, I'm a little scared, but..."

Yes, that's right. To be honest, I didn't expect Yukinoshita to be so rude to a girl; even I was a little shocked. However, Yuihama seems to be more than just shocked.

"I think what you said is true. When you were talking to the autistic man, although you were attacking each other... you were definitely communicating. I'm always living my life by reading other people's expressions, this is the first time I've encountered something like this..."

Yuihama did not run away.