My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 168

Yukinoshita and Yuihama seemed to think so too, and they sat up straight, listening attentively to what Ebina had to say.

“Um, um…”

Under the gaze of three pairs of eyes, Ebina shyly turned her blushing cheeks away, but her strong will to speak still gave her the courage to open her mouth.

"Actually, it's about the Ministry of Revenue..."

"Household, household, household department? Is there a problem?"

I could understand Yuihama's urgency; after all, we'd been preoccupied with the Ministry of Revenue's troubles—or more accurately, his fondness for Ebina. Although I didn't show it, I was actually quite curious about Ebina's opinion of the Ministry of Revenue.

Facing our increasingly intense gaze, Ebina's cheeks flushed even redder.

"Well, it's a bit difficult to say..."

She lowered her gaze, fiddling with the hem of her skirt, searching her mind for the right words. Um, although...it's a little difficult to say...that kind of movement is distracting me, could you please stop?

That said, what kind of question could make the cheerful Ebina so shy that she didn't even know how to say it?

This... this doesn't mean the Ministry of Revenue is about to win a major victory, does it? Absolutely unforgivable!

"The Ministry of Revenue..."

"The Ministry of Revenue?"

Faced with Yuihama's excited reaction, Ebina finally made up her mind. She took a small breath, then suddenly opened her eyes and poured out her inner emotions without reservation.

"It seems like Tobe has been getting really close to Hayama and Penguin lately, which is a huge blow to Ooka and Yamato! I wanted to keep watching their super-friendship! If this continues, their love triangle is going to fall apart!"

It's collapsed... It's collapsed... It's resolved...

Her voice echoed in the silent office, and the others present remained speechless for a long time, staring blankly into the void.

If this isn't a quatrain, then what is? (Note 25: In Japanese, "绝句" means speechless or unable to speak.) And it's not a five- or seven-character poem; it's a speechless quatrain. Writing "绝句" as "ZECK" immediately evokes the feel of a band comic (Note 26: The Romanized spelling of "绝句" is "zekku," which sounds the same as "ZECK." The original title of the comic "Rock New Band" was "BECK.").

Yuihama was the first to reactivate her brain. Her quick reaction in this situation was a testament to the fact that she often spent time with Ebina.

"Um...so, what do you mean?"

Ebina nodded solemnly.

"Recently, hasn't Hubu been talking to Penguin a lot? Not only that, their group assignments for the graduation trip are also unusual, and they've been exchanging meaningful glances, hehehehe..."

She suddenly started laughing like a fool halfway through her explanation, it was really scary...

"Oh no, this is terrible!"

She snapped back to reality, spitting out the drool from the corner of her mouth with a "whoosh." It seemed Miura, who was supposed to be keeping things in check, wasn't around; no one could stop her daydreaming. In this respect, Miura was quite like her nanny… Thinking about it a little more, her friends were all people like Ebina and the idiot Yuihama—her tastes were truly unique. I couldn't help but feel sorry for Miura, and even found her somewhat endearing.

However, now is not the time to escape reality; Ebina hadn't finished explaining. I gestured for her to continue, and she smiled at me and went on.

"I don't understand why you two are getting along so quickly, but I'm a little worried that the Ministry of Revenue might be drifting apart from Ooka and Yamato..."

I can understand her worries. The Hayama group of four was split in two, and then Totsuka and I joined them; it all seemed very awkward. Not only Ebina, but the rest of the class was probably just as puzzled.

"Oh, no, this..."

How am I supposed to explain this? Ooka and Yamato are both aware of the situation and understand, but I can't honestly tell Ebina the reasons, so I'm speechless for a moment.

However, Ebina simply shook her head, as if to tell me, "It's okay if you don't tell me everything, I know everything."

"Penguin, when you invite others, please remember to invite everyone along and accept everything they say. To put it bluntly, please be a 'sucker' (Note 27: the Japanese for both invitation and seduction is 'yōu')."

"No...it's impossible..."

Overwhelmed by despair, I instinctively shook my head violently. The despair was so intense, it felt like there were two more transformations to come, and I felt like I might burst into tears at any moment.

Ebina seemed to sense my surprise; she calmed down and revealed a sad expression.

"I see...that makes sense."

I never expected her to understand...

"So you're not a 'seductive bottom,' you're a 'useless bottom.' I'm sorry, I shouldn't have made things difficult for you."

"No, no, no! You've got it wrong, completely wrong."

I take back what I said earlier; she simply doesn't understand... Right now, I have a terrible headache. How am I supposed to communicate with her? Besides me, Yui-hama also looked resigned and quietly sighed.

Only under the snow did they continue to endure.

She closed her eyes, pressed her temples, and spoke.

"So, what exactly is it... I hope you can explain it clearly."

She looked exhausted, but still tried her best to understand Ebina's words using her own logic. Serious girls are amazing; I've long since given up trying to understand them, so please try your best for me too.

"Hmm... how should I put it, I feel like something is changing within the group..."

Ebina's tone became melancholic, and Yuihama tried to ease her unease.

"But think about it, there must be some complicated issues between Ooka and the other boys, like interpersonal relationships."

"The complicated issues between boys... Ugh, Yui, it's so embarrassing..."

"Did I say something strange?!"

"No, it's not surprising at all, don't worry."

Ebina is the only one I'm worried about. Why is she blushing?

"In short, there may be many factors involved, but we can't possibly know what other people are thinking. They might actually be very close, but just not showing it."

"That's possible. But I'm sure they're not the same as before. I don't want things to continue like this."

At this point, Ebina smiled.

"It would be best if we could get along as well as we used to."

Her smile was very natural, without a trace of malice, and it didn't look like the kind of smile one would have when seeing BL (Boys' Love).

I think she really likes how the class is now and the relationships she has built around herself. That's not just a typical "fujoshi" (a female fan of male-male romance) perspective; it also reflects her thoughts on her current situation.

— We should all get along well.

Although I don't have a good impression of this statement, I'm sure there are others who share this wish. However, is what Ebina said truly only what it says literally? I still can't fully understand Ebina Hime.

That's why I can't help but try to figure out her true intentions.

...No, never mind. It's always been a bad habit of mine to overanalyze everything I say.

"Ah, but..." Just as my bad habit was about to kick in, Ebina suddenly remembered something and added, "It's a good thing that Penguin-san is joining the boys' group and getting along well with them. I can also feast my eyes on them."

"I won't join them. You should take better care of your eyes. I suggest you eat more blueberries."

The "feast for the eyes" that Ebina mentioned can't be achieved by me alone; I need to interact with other people. Right?

"Aha!" Ebina chuckled and stood up from her seat. "So, that's it. The graduation trip sounds amazing, I'm really looking forward to it!"

She realized she was about to drool, quickly covered her mouth, and then winked at me. Too bad, I think you're expecting the wrong thing…

"Thank you for your help, Penguin."

Ebina said this to me in the end.

After watching her leave, we looked at each other in bewilderment.

"What exactly is going on...?"

Yukinoshita raised a question that everyone wanted to know.

"Who knows? Anyway, we just need to figure out how to get everyone to get along. Besides, that group already has a good relationship, so we don't have to do anything."

The group assignments for the graduation trip were meticulously arranged for the sake of Hobe's romance, which can be seen as proof of their friendship.

Yuihama nodded in agreement.

"That's right. And I don't know how to get guys to get along... What should guys do to make their relationships more harmonious?"

Before I could even answer Yuihama's question, Yukino patted her shoulder and told her with a slightly lonely smile:

"Yuigahama-san, isn't it a bit too cruel to ask Hikigaya-san such a question? You should be more considerate of others."

"Absolutely right, please be more considerate of others—I'm talking about you."

Pretending to be gentle while mocking others is a far more cruel act.

Anyway, tomorrow is the graduation trip. The only thing the Service Club hasn't resolved yet is the Ministry of Revenue's request. In other words, there's nothing to worry about right now.

However, the words Ebina said to me before she left kept echoing in my ears.

× × ×

After returning home, I started packing my luggage.

Packing isn't as troublesome as I imagined; just a few sets of clothes are enough. Wait, what else do I need?

I couldn't think of anything else, so I slowly strolled to the wardrobe and randomly pulled out a few pieces of clothing. As long as I prepare plenty of underwear and socks, I won't have to worry about the length of the trip.

Finally, toiletries. Although hotels usually provide them, it's always good to bring your own.

Okay, all ready. My luggage can be easily packed in just one backpack.

Wow~~ I feel like a seasoned traveler, so cool! Everyone else brought UN0, mahjong sets, playing cards, and their luggage was crammed full of stuff. It must have been tough for them, right? I heard someone even brought an entire video game console. I can only admit defeat.

However, in this day and age, even if you find something you're missing, you can usually buy it locally. Furthermore, with a mobile phone, you can find most of the information you need. While this makes travel much easier, it also reduces some of the excitement.

I took my packed luggage to the living room and threw it on the floor.

We're leaving very early tomorrow morning, so it's best to go to bed early tonight. The meeting point is at Tokyo Station; we'll be taking the Shinkansen directly to Kyoto.

If you're late, you'll just get stood up.

Okay, it's really not a big deal. It's not like we don't know how to take the Shinkansen, and we can keep in touch by phone. Although the ticket price is definitely a drain on our wallets, I think we can't use bank transfers, right? Speaking of which, I've already paid, but I can't choose the time freely, what's going on? Do you guys still have any love in your hearts? (Note: A famous line from the Japanese drama "Under One Roof" on the 28th.)

In comparison, wouldn't it be better to deliberately be late, then enjoy a solo trip, strolling around with a railway bento box?

Thinking about this, I immediately lost the motivation to get up early.

I slumped onto the sofa with a thud, starting to think about whether to make a cup of MAX coffee. Just then, Komachi came running over. The house is already cramped enough, please don't run, thank you for your cooperation.

"Brother, don't forget this."

She held the rope, making the sophisticated machine hanging below sway back and forth.

"...I don't need a camera."

Because I don't need it. And if I want to take landscape photos, I can easily find tons of better ones.

"And what about Vita?"

She then carried my Vita, which I had carefully stored in a special storage box and had tied with a rope, and swung it around.

"Little V will stay at home; you're in charge of playing with it."

"Understood~"

Komachi nodded very seriously, tucking my little V into her bosom... I'll return it later, right? I... I'm just temporarily leaving it with you! Isn't this the kind of scenario that often happens between siblings, where the sister borrows the brother's electronic dictionary or something and it becomes her property, never to be returned?

Komachi, completely unaware of how desperately I was suppressing the urge to ask, poked her cheek with her right finger and asked curiously:

"If you don't bring these, what will you bring, brother? You'll be all alone, with nothing to pass the time. Won't it be tough?"

Komachi's care warmed my heart, but aren't you underestimating your brother?

"There are many e-books available online these days, so I won't be unable to find something to do."

Little sister, you really underestimate your brother. Once you reach my level, all you need is a smartphone to easily kill time; and to be honest, I can waste time even with my bare hands. I often make frog shapes with my fingers in class, croaking happily by myself. But, brother will never tell you about these past events!

"Besides, I'm not going there for fun."

Komachi blinked and asked in confusion:

"...What are they going there for?"

"It's a form of asceticism..."

As I said this, my gaze became distant. I never have any fond memories of graduation trips or similar events; sometimes I even wonder if I'm participating in a 72-hour silence endurance contest. Needless to say, I always win in the end.

I entered the time tunnel and shut my mouth, no longer speaking. Then, Komachi remembered something and clapped her hands with a "thump."

"Oh right, I almost forgot. Here, this."

She handed me something white. Was it underwear? No, it was a piece of paper. If she actually gave me underwear, I wouldn't know what to do. Uh, I mean... if she actually gave me underwear, my brain would have to race against my mouth to figure out how to react.

Thankfully, even my slow-witted sister can distinguish between underwear and paper scraps. What she gave me were paper scraps in a special shape that girls especially like to fold. They like to fold them into diamond shapes or little figures and pass them around during class. I couldn't help but think back to my junior high school days, when I was always worried that the notes might be full of bad things about me, and I'd unknowingly help pass them around, wondering what would happen if I heard giggling from the back of the classroom later… So, I urge everyone, please stop playing this kind of origami game.

I opened the note Komachi had given me, and the endless, flowing handwriting of the girl immediately caught my eye. There were patches of pink in the east and bright yellow in the west. I felt as if I had been struck by a critical hit from the Beast King (Note 29: The special skill of the Beast King Gluttony, the leader of the monster army in "Dragon Quest: Dai's Great Adventure -", which sounds similar to "endless flow" in Japanese).