My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 234

"We're talking about cakes right now, aren't we? We're selling Christmas cakes, aren't we?"

Hiratsuka-sensei wouldn't listen to what I was saying.

"It's such a good deal, why aren't they selling...sigh..."

As she spoke, she reached her hand toward the counter.

"Oh no! Hiratsuka-sensei has started putting half-price stickers all over herself! Someone hurry up and marry her!"

Yuihama also joins in trying to stop the teacher.

"No, don't worry! Half price is a super deal! Besides, the consumption tax has increased recently, hasn't it?"

"That won't comfort her..."

"Yes. There's usually a surge in consumption before the tax rate is raised. This is different from Professor Hiratsuka's situation."

Hello! Yukinoshita!

Stop kicking her when she's down! What are you still doing over there?! Someone come and buy her! The value for money will definitely satisfy you!

I sincerely hope that some man will marry her soon, otherwise I might not be able to resist taking her in. I really can't understand why Ms. Hiratsuka, with such good qualities, can't get married... This mystery could easily be ranked among the top three of the world's seven mysteries.

"In short, from a practical point of view, we only have the most ordinary way to attract customers."

"To attract customers... then it's best to find something that can draw everyone's attention."

When Yukino suggested attracting customers, the Ministry of Revenue had a flash of inspiration.

"Oh, that's great! Come on over, we have extra Santa Claus costumes and reindeer antlers here."

He went behind the counter and took out a Santa Claus costume. Yui looked at the costume in his hand and pondered.

"Hmm... but it seems a bit big for a girl."

"Then, we can only leave it to the boys."

After the snow fell, the Ministry of Revenue looked at us boys.

"Takumi definitely can't fit in. It seems... Totsuka is the only option?"

"Huh? Should I... should I wear it?"

Totsuka was surprised, and so was I.

"Huh, was I skipped?"

"There's no way around it, it's just too difficult for you to take care of the guests, brother... so please, Totsuka-nii!"

Komachi patted me on the shoulder and then smiled at Totsuka.

"Well, then, I'll try it on..."

Seeing that he was indeed being treated as a boy, Totsuka gladly accepted it. He took the clothes from Tobe and immediately changed behind the counter.

"Hmm... like this..."

The rustling of fabric and his seductive voice occasionally reached our ears. Embarrassed to stare, everyone turned away. After changing his clothes, he came over to us.

"How, for example..."

Totsuka twisted her body shyly, and I couldn't help but let out a soft gasp.

"oh……"

The clothes were a little loose on him, making it look like he was wearing a mini-skirt. He kept getting nervous about the length of his shirt, constantly reaching down to pull it down, which only made my heart flutter. He seemed a little embarrassed by being stared at, adjusting his Santa hat with his other hand to slightly cover his face. His fair skin paired with his rosy cheeks made him incredibly cute.

Hubu, you did a great job! He really is a good person; I might even be able to be friends with him. Although I'll probably forget him completely in a week. My memories of Hubu will disappear in a week. (Note 82 is from the manga "One Week Friends")...

The Ministry of Revenue nodded in satisfaction.

"Wow, that's great! Now, let's shout together... Welcome to—Cake?"

He first demonstrated his sales pitch, but whether it could actually be used as a reference remained to be seen. Yukinoshita frowned and asked:

"I can't understand a word he's saying..."

"The hardest part about late-night convenience store language is listening comprehension. Translated into Japanese, it would be something like, 'Welcome, would you like to buy a cake?'"

After hearing my explanation, Totsuka immediately looked at me with shining eyes.

"Hachiman, you're amazing... Well then, I'll give it a try too—W-Welcome! Would you like to...buy a cake?"

At that moment, the wheels of history began to turn.

"Hmm. Okay, give me seven trillion cakes!"

"Oh, excuse me, I'd like a piece of cake too."

I lined up at the back of the timber stand, ready to take out my wallet. Yukinoshita, watching from the side, looked defeated and sighed.

"Why are you in the queue too...?"

"Oh no! It's all because Totsuka is so cute that I couldn't help myself..."

"But the guests are really starting to come."

As Yuihama had said, crowds gathered around, studying the shop's display cases, price lists, and the mountain of cakes, chattering amongst themselves. Some even decided to buy a cake to take home. Judging from the scene, selling all the cakes would be no problem at all.

The Ministry of Revenue also breathed a sigh of relief and said happily:

"Ah—it must be because there are cute girls lining up that the crowd keeps growing!"

"A cute girl? Oh, hehehe..."

Upon hearing the keyword, Hiratsuka-sensei smiled as if by reflex. Seeing this, Komachi couldn't help but choke up.

"Ugh! Tears are blurring the light in my eyes... Yes, teacher is a girl too... That's right, Komachi knows that very well. Girls will always be girls..."

A crowd gathered in front of the display case, drawing curious onlookers. The Ministry of Revenue, seeing this, smiled with satisfaction.

"Wow, you guys have been a huge help! It looks like the cake will really sell out!"

"No, we didn't do anything..."

Yuihama's words made sense; we really didn't do anything special. Professor Hiratsuka looked at the guests around her and said:

"Yeah... using crowds to attract even more crowds, that's how it works. Just like a ramen shop."

"Those customers at the ramen shop are probably fake..."

Okay, whether they're real or fake guests, as long as they can solve the Ministry of Revenue's problem, they're good guests. I looked at the Ministry of Revenue, who thanked us after successfully achieving his goal, and then took a cake out of the display case.

"Hey penguins, aren't you having a party? Here's a thank-you gift for you. I even thoughtfully included candles!☆"

"Christmas cakes don't need candles, do they...?"

For some reason, he even winked at me. So annoying.

However, since this is a token of the Ministry of Revenue's goodwill, I should accept it with gratitude. I accepted the cake, and Yuihama thanked the Ministry of Revenue.

"Ministry of Revenue, thank you!"

"You guys helped me a lot too, so it's OK. JUICY PARTY YEAH!"

The Ministry of Revenue gave us a thumbs up. This person, annoying as he may be, is indeed a good person. Unfortunately, he's really annoying.

"Even though I didn't understand what that sentence meant, thank you very much!"

Komachi thanked him politely. After a brief farewell, the group finally prepared to leave. Staying any longer would only interfere with Tobe's work. As they departed, Totsuka waved to him.

"See you next time, Mr. Hubu!"

"Hey—goodbye!"

While busy settling accounts for his guests, the Minister of Revenue waved in this direction. His voice was unusually loud.

"...Ah~~ I'm so envious! Next year I want to go with Ebina too—wait, isn't next year the college entrance exam? Oh no~~ Oh no~~"

The group left the shopping mall while listening to his muttering behind their backs.

× × ×

After finishing our shopping trip, led by Yuihama, we arrived at a karaoke bar in front of the station. Everyone entered the private room and picked up some confetti cannons.

After everyone received their confetti cannons, they exchanged glances to confirm their identity. Then, Yui Hama quietly counted "One, two, three," and everyone pulled the cannons together, shouting:

"Merry Christmas!"

Pulling the confetti cannon, we popped the Chanmery (Note 83: a Japanese-style non-alcoholic carbonated beverage that makes a sound when opened, an indispensable prop for Christmas parties) into a glass. We tapped the glass lightly for a toast, each offering our Christmas wishes.

At the same time, I looked around the entire space with curiosity.

"By the way, why did you choose a karaoke bar again?"

Yui answered while arranging the plates:

"If we held the party at Yukino's house, the neighbors would definitely complain that it was too noisy! Besides, this karaoke place allows you to bring your own cake."

"Ah, um, it doesn't matter..."

Yukinoshita continued:

"We were already out of cake, but we unexpectedly got three more from Mr. Hubu."

Komachi, who was cutting the cake, nodded in agreement.

"Brother Hubu is such a kind person!"

"To the nod of my ears, it sounds like you're giving me the 'friend zone' treatment. Am I just overthinking it?"

In truth, the Minister of Revenue is indeed a good person, but he may only ever be a good person, and I can't help but feel sorry for him. Even Isshiki bosses him around; his future is truly worrying…

Thinking this through, Totsuka helped pass the plate over.

"Here you are, Hachiman. We also have fried chicken."

"Oh, thanks."

I picked up the fried chicken and saw that Zaimuzuka next to me had a happy look on his face, while Hiratsuka-sensei across from me was happily pouring a drink.

"Hachiman, it's chicken, it's chicken... Fried chicken is something that soothes the soul..."

"Drink to your heart's content today, even if it's just Chanmery."

Everyone present was enjoying fried chicken and cake, drinking Chanmery, and chatting happily... But wait a minute.

Does this even qualify as Christmas? — This thought kept swirling in my mind.

To clear up my doubts, I placed the glass on the table, and the ice cubes inside made a crisp clinking sound.

"Hey, I have a question for you..."

"Um?"

Yuihama, her mouth stuffed with cake, turned her face towards me. Looking into her eyes, I slowly asked:

"How is this different from a birthday party or a victory celebration?"

"what?"

She immediately stopped what she was doing.

"We went to the same karaoke bar, drank and toasted the same way... Is this really how Christmas is spent? I feel like this is no different from those loud and boisterous young people, it's like my personality is starting to split..."

"Uh-huh……"

Unable to give an answer, Yui secretly looked away. Komachi, who appeared in front of her, made a disgusted face, as if to say "Oh my god."

"Brother, you're really hard to deal with..."

Despite her strong dissatisfaction, I wasn't the only one who shared the same thought. Yukinoshita put down the cake, squinted, and asked:

"...Indeed. How is this different from a birthday party?"

"Oh no! My brother's difficult personality has spread!"

Komachi looked like she had a headache, and Hiratsuka-sensei suddenly laughed and said:

"Hachiman, you're like a cheetah, you take one step forward, then immediately take two steps back (Note 84 is adapted from the lyrics of the enka '365 Steps March,' originally 'three steps forward, two steps back.' The singer, Kiyoko Suizenji, has the nickname 'Chitaya,' which sounds like cheetah.)..."

She even gave a "how is it?" look. However, Yuihama just whispered a question in Yukinoshita's ear, sounding puzzled.

"Yukino, do cheetahs really take one step forward and two steps back?"

"Hmm, this... I've never heard of it either..."

Even Xueji Encyclopedia, a veritable feline expert, couldn't answer the question. Hiratsuka-sensei couldn't help but let out a painful groan.