My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 184

The Ministry of Revenue finally made up its mind to speak out.

At the same time, my body started to move.

When Ebina heard him speak, his shoulders trembled.

There are only a dozen or so steps left.

The Ministry of Revenue paused for the moment and looked directly at Ebina.

Is there any way to catch up?

Ebina's gaze shifted to the lantern at his feet.

—Say it now.

"I've liked you for a long time, please go out with me."

Ebina stared wide-eyed in surprise.

Of course, even I was surprised.

Seeing that I had taken the words he was about to say, the Minister of Revenue stood there stunned, looking dumbfounded.

After hearing my confession, Ebina hesitated for a moment before giving the standard answer:

"I'm sorry, I'm not planning on dating anyone right now, so it doesn't matter who confesses to me. If that's all you wanted to say, I have to go now."

She bowed slightly and jogged away.

The Minister of Revenue stood there, mouth agape, unable to move. He had missed his chance to speak and couldn't think of anything to say. He remained speechless, scratching his head and turning his face toward me.

That's what she said.

I shrugged and told the Minister of Revenue that. The Minister of Revenue brushed his hair back and looked at me resentfully.

"Comparing me to a penguin...that's going too far...but it's better to hear the answer before being rejected..."

He kept shouting "That's too much, that's too much," as if the sound belonged to that kind of animal.

Ye Shan, who had been observing from nearby, walked over and lightly tapped him on the head.

"It's not time yet, let's enjoy our current relationship for a while longer."

"Okay... she just said she doesn't want to date 'right now'."

The Ministry of Revenue sighed slightly.

He shuffled over and lightly punched me in the chest.

"Sorry, it's a penguin contest, but I won't give up."

He flashed a bright, irresistible smile, pointed at me, made his declaration, and then left, completely satisfied. Ooka and Yamato were waiting ahead, putting their arms around his shoulders and patting his back.

Hayama also left after the Ministry of Revenue.

As he passed by me, he spoke in a voice only I could hear:

"Feel sorry."

"What are you apologizing for?"

"I know perfectly well that's the only way you'll use... I'm sorry."

His face was full of pity. It wasn't that he looked down on me or mocked me, but rather that he felt genuine sympathy and pity for me.

I struggled to control myself and didn't throw a punch at him out of shame and anger.

Even after Hayama walked away, his gaze remained etched in my mind.

After those guys left in a hurry, the temperature in the bamboo forest dropped significantly.

Only I, Yukinoshita, and Yuihama remained here, some distance away from me.

The matter was finally over, and I breathed a sigh of relief, preparing to walk back to their place and go home together.

However, Yukinoshita stood still, staring directly at me.

Seeing her cold, reproachful gaze, I hesitated. Please, I beg you, could you spare my breath? Ye Shan's words just now have already caused me unexpected hurt.

Of course, Yukinoshita couldn't hear what I was thinking.

Her gaze was as sharp as a blade, showing no sign of softening. Yuihama, standing to the side, simply lowered her head, unsure of what to do.

"...I hate what you're doing."

When they were only a few steps apart, Yukino finally spoke.

She pressed her hand to her chest, glaring at him fiercely, her eyes overflowing with unvented anger.

"Although I can't explain why, I'm very anxious myself... In short, I really hate that kind of approach."

"Xiao Yukino..."

Seeing Yukinoshita so angry, Yuihama felt more heartbroken than anyone else. She made a gurgling sound and lowered her gaze again.

Seeing that I didn't respond, Yukino opened her mouth as if to say something, but no sound came out. Finally, she simply closed her mouth and bit her lip tightly.

The crimson maple leaves danced in the wind, and she looked away, turning her gaze to follow those leaves.

"...I'll go back first."

He coldly uttered his last words under the snow, then turned and left.

She was walking faster than usual, as if she couldn't wait to leave this place. Even if I took a step now, I probably wouldn't be able to catch up with her.

Yuihama, left behind, gave a weak laugh:

"Let's go back too."

She forced a cheerful tone. Fortunately, seeing through this person wasn't difficult.

"……Um."

So we started our journey back, with Yui following closely behind me. Along the way, she kept bringing up various topics to keep us from falling into silence.

"Oh dear~ that method failed~ that really startled me, and Hina also missed her chance to respond."

"Um."

"Well... I was really startled, I thought you were serious."

"How can it be?"

"Yeah, haha..."

We walked to the exit of the bamboo forest during our rambling conversation. At that moment, Yuihama's footsteps suddenly disappeared.

"But--"

She uttered those words and grabbed the hem of my shirt. I stopped and turned around.

"But... don't do that again next time."

I really wish she wouldn't say those things with a smile. That smile made me feel so pained and uncomfortable, and I couldn't help but look away.

Compared to being pitied or scolded, it's the smile from the other person that I find most unbearable.

"That's the most efficient method, nothing more."

That's all I can say. Actually, I could explain it in a more logical way, and I'm confident I could use all sorts of grand phrases to justify my actions. However, those words just sit dormant in my heart, silently decaying.

"That's not a matter of efficiency..."

Yuihama kept her head down, but her voice was quite clear.

"Some of them don't want to solve the problem and think it's better to maintain the status quo. It's impossible to satisfy everyone at the same time, so the only way is to seek a compromise."

As I spoke, I realized that I was also engaging in sophistry. This was nothing more than shifting my responsibility to some intangible person or object, which is exactly the kind of "deception" that I despise the most.

It's impossible that Yuihama didn't discover it.

She sniffed.

"The host wasn't rejected, Hayato and the others are still good friends, so Hina doesn't need to worry about it... Starting tomorrow, everyone can probably maintain their previous relationship without needing to change anything..."

Her voice trembled, leaving me no room to refute; her fingers trembled, rendering me unable to move.

I couldn't even look her in the eye; I could only freeze and remain silent.

"But...but..."

She loosened her grip on my shirt slightly, then tightened it again.

"Please consider other people's feelings..."

The sound of faint breathing followed this sentence.

"...You know so many things, why can't you understand this one thing?"

Of course I understand—I understand that once things change, we can never go back to the way things were before.

No matter what form things take, people will be unable to undo it. I can say that with certainty.

However, the coat that Yuihama was holding tightly seemed unusually heavy.

She wasn't very strong, but I felt a heavy weight on my shoulders. When she let go, there will probably be a lot more wrinkles on her coat.

"I hate this."

Yuihama mumbled like a child, then let go of my coat.

She took a step and gradually walked away from me.

At a time like this, there's no way I could chase after them.

I simply looked up at the night sky.

Inside the bamboo-lined tunnel, a white-tinged-green light emanated from it. The air here was cool, as if it were about to freeze.

The moon in the sky has long since disappeared.

× × ×

Standing on the roof of Kyoto Station, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the city.

Modern architecture and shrines/Buddhist temples are interspersed throughout, and the lives of ordinary people are hidden within.

Although the city has remained unchanged for nearly a thousand years, its appearance changes every day.

It has the reputation of a thousand-year-old royal city, yet it is constantly changing every day.

However, the reason why people praise Kyoto is actually because of its unchanging nature. People love it here precisely because its roots and essence have remained unchanged over the long term.

In other words, no matter what external forces distort it, its essential nature will never change.

Therefore, human nature will not change—no, it should be said that it cannot be changed. This is undoubtedly the best evidence of "unchanging".

However, I hope to believe that "keeping things the same" is always the right choice.

On the last day of my graduation trip, during the short time before boarding the Shinkansen, I didn't go to the souvenir shop, but instead waited for someone here.

I saw that the other person had deliberately climbed the long staircase to the roof and walked this way.

She was the one who whispered to me as we passed each other on the bus to Kyoto Station, asking me to meet her here.

"Hello hello~ Have you been waiting long?"

I shook my head to indicate that I hadn't been waiting long.

She had shoulder-length black hair and wore red-rimmed glasses. Behind the thin lenses were a pair of clear eyes, and her features and body were rather petite. If she were sitting at the library counter, she would surely be a pleasing sight.

She is Hina Ebina, who is also the client I contacted this time.

I want to say thank you to you.

"You don't need to thank me, because I haven't fulfilled your request."

I gave a brief reply and looked back towards Kyoto city. However, Ebina continued:

"That may seem to be the case on the surface, but the problem has indeed been solved."

"..."

I responded with silence.

To me, Ebina is an extraordinary being.

She has a cheerful personality, but is actually quite witty, which often makes me want to decipher the hidden meaning in her words. At first glance, she seems like a composed person, and she can interact with me without any barriers; this type of girl is usually quite dangerous. Based on my experience in junior high school, I developed the habit of carefully analyzing the words and actions of girls like this.