My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

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That sentence seemed to be directed at me. Unfortunately, I wasn't invited, so there was no way anything could progress—I grumbled inwardly as I nodded and watched them leave.

After all the noisy girls left, a silence descended.

I stayed where I was.

That being said, we have nothing to do.

Moreover, there's no need to say anything more now.

We've already spoken, and brought everything to a close. Even if we share similar goals and ideals, the gap between us remains so vast it's despairing.

From now on, we probably won't cross paths again. I understood this when I saw Hayama and the others' attitude this morning. This is the choice I made, and also Hayama's.

I picked up my schoolbag and walked away.

"you……"

Just then, Ye Shan's faint voice came from behind.

I had nothing to say to him, but I reflexively stopped and kept my gaze fixed ahead, waiting for his next words.

"...Yonai-nee really likes you."

"What?"

This statement took me by surprise, and I couldn't help but turn my head back.

Ye Shan met my gaze and chuckled softly. I felt as if he could see right through me, and I turned back to him, spitting out:

"Stop messing around, okay? She's just teasing me."

"At least she's quite interested in you."

Ye Shan spoke to me again.

Then, his tone changed abruptly.

"Yang Nai never bothers people she's not interested in. She can't do anything... There are only two things she can do—torture the things she likes to death, or completely destroy the things she hates."

Was this advice or a warning? Ye Shan's words were clearly barbed. Despite my curiosity about his expression, I didn't turn around.

"...That's terrifying."

I spoke frankly about my feelings. This was a fact I had already realized.

× × ×

I cycled along the national highway at night and finally made it back to where I was staying. Even though I had only been away for less than a day, I felt an overwhelming sense of nostalgia.

When I got home, I opened the front door and, to my surprise, Xiaoxue came out to greet me.

It let out a listless meow and rubbed its head and body against my feet. Hey, get away from me, your fur will get on my clothes!

"what's wrong?"

The cat, of course, couldn't answer my question; it just let out a disgruntled snort. What did that mean? Was it trying to greet me? (Note 14: A greeting used by the character Miyauchi Hōka in the manga *Non Non Biyori*.)

"Okay, let's go upstairs."

I said to Xiaoxue, and we climbed the stairs.

The second floor was pitch black.

Her parents usually don't come home this early, and it seems Komachi hasn't returned home yet either. The big exam is in three months; she's probably studying hard at cram school.

Because my uniform was covered in Xiaoxue's lint, I went to my room to change into my usual sweatshirt.

I tossed my uniform aside and headed to the living room. Since I'd made the rare trip to the donut shop today, I figured I might as well buy some. Hopefully, these donuts would lift my spirits a little.

Xiaoxue, who had been waiting for a long time, came over and meowed at me again.

"What, is there something else?"

She called out as she walked toward the kitchen.

There is a basin in the kitchen with the words "KAMAKURA" spelled out in wooden letters on it. At first glance, it is easy to mistake it for "KADOKAWA". However, in fact, it is just a food basin that Komachi made for Koyuki.

Only a few bits and pieces of feed remained in the food bowl.

"Have you finished your feed...?"

What's going on? So you didn't come to welcome me home, but just to complain that "I'm starving," is that it? You're not cute at all.

I opened the storage box in the kitchen and took out the cat food that every cat finds irresistible, a brand with a name that sounds like "Silver Spoon" (Note 15 refers to a Japanese cat food brand, originally named "Gin no Spoon"). I poured it into Yuki's food bowl. Speaking of cat food, it should taste a lot like chocolate-flavored breakfast cereal when mixed with milk.

As soon as Xiaoxue saw the food, she eagerly pushed her head towards it. I started to lose track of whether I was pouring the feed into the bowl or onto Xiaoxue's head.

"Remember to chew slowly and carefully."

Finally, I petted Little Snow, brushed the food powder off its head, and then wobbled towards the sofa, plopped down on it.

I sighed deeply several times, as if I were taking deep breaths.

After remaining motionless for a while, Xiaoxue slowly swayed to my feet.

It came to report to me whether it was full—just as I thought that, Xiaoxue jumped onto my lap, exhaled contentedly, and made a gurgling sound.

"...What, I didn't expect you to choose someone so sensible."

Although it might just be because it's cold and is using me as a giant hot water bottle. Let's try to interpret it in a positive light for now.

I stroked Little Snow's back and brushed its fur. As I brushed, my eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

It was a long day.

It's so tiring.

Volume 8, Chapter 4: In silence, Yukino Yukinoshita makes her decision.

I opened my eyes in the biting cold.

“…It’s so cold.”

I got up from the sofa, and the quilt slipped off my body with a "whoosh".

Last night, I slept right here. In my vague memory, my mother seemed to come over and say something like, "Sleeping in a place like this will make you catch a cold."

However, I clearly didn't heed her advice and continued sleeping. Judging from my vague recollection of the incident, I probably replied to her something, but in the end, I still fell into a deep sleep. Little Snow, who was lying on my lap, was nowhere to be found; it had probably gone to find a warmer place to sleep.

When I got up, my neck, shoulders, and back were incredibly sore.

Breakfast was already set on the table.

I ate breakfast while looking around the house. My parents seemed to have left for work early again, and Komachi had probably already gone to school, leaving me alone at home.

Several donuts that were left on the table the day before are missing; I wonder who ate them.

While changing clothes, I could clearly feel the temperature dropping day by day.

I think I really have a cold... or maybe it's because I slept in an unnatural position all night, resulting in poor sleep quality?

Moreover, I also felt a dull ache in my head. I remembered having headache medicine at home... I opened the cupboard and found the medicine I needed.

"Mmm, oh my god! The medicine is so amazing! Ahh ...

Phew, that's exactly what you need when taking medicine.

After leaving the house, I got on my bicycle and groaned "So cold, so cold, so cold, so cold" all the way as I headed towards school.

Yesterday was the first day of classes after my graduation trip, and I was inevitably a little restless. As life returns to normal, I'm gradually getting back into the swing of things.

Entering the school gate, I parked my bicycle in the designated area and walked towards the building entrance—after two years, everything around me was incredibly familiar. But strangely enough, I didn't feel any sense of familiarity.

I ran into Yuihama at the entrance of the building.

"Ah... good morning."

"Um."

I gave a brief reply to Yuihama's greeting and turned to walk towards the classroom. Yuihama followed behind, but her footsteps were not as noticeable as usual.

She let out a sigh, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't. I tried not to take it to heart and continued on my own path.

There were few people around at the stairwell, so Yui took the opportunity to climb one more step to come to my side.

"Today...won't you...go to the community office?"

She hesitated for a long time before finally asking the question. However, my answer was already quite obvious.

"Won't."

Yuihama seemed to have anticipated this answer and immediately covered it up with a smile.

"Y-yes... Ah, I'm thinking, should I listen to what Iroha has to say before deciding what to do?"

Judging from Yuihama's tone, she probably plans to act together with Yukinoshita. After I left the club office yesterday, they must have stayed behind to discuss things for a while longer.

We had only climbed a few flights of stairs by the time she said that.

"But if you didn't hear what was said, it seems a bit..."

The unspoken part by Yui leaves much to the imagination. This is the easiest way to evoke the listener's interpretation of the speaker's meaning. However, seeing the expression on her downcast face, I immediately knew the answer couldn't be ambiguous.

This familiar staircase seems unusually long today.

"you……"

I spoke casually.

"what?"

"...No, it's nothing."

Aren't you angry? — I swallowed the question that was about to come out. Asking such a question was too embarrassing and shameful.

How can we not even notice something like this?

Yuihama pursues the same old self through an unchanging lifestyle.

This should be consistent with the actions I have taken.

Maintain your usual demeanor, pretend nothing happened, and continue living day after day. Until some point, we've forgotten about it, and the situation has deteriorated to an irreversible point, then we feel regret, reminiscing about how it was back then, numbing ourselves with "it was a slightly bitter memory."

"...If you're just listening for a little while."

When I finally reached the top of the stairs, I said this, then quickly turned into the corridor, leaving Yuihama's response behind.

× × ×

As the day's classes came to an end, students left the classroom in small groups. Some stayed behind to chat and pass the time before club activities began.

I quickly packed my things, tidied my breathing in my seat, and prepared to go straight home—or so I thought.

The current Service Club activities are open to all, and even if I don't attend, they can't do anything to me. However, just like my conversation with Yuihama in the stairwell when I arrived at school this morning, I still have to go to the club office to hear Isshiki's side of the story.

To be honest, if I were to solve the problem in my own way, I could completely disregard Isshiki's own wishes and concerns. Therefore, I don't actually have to go.

That being said, my approach may still be affected by the different actions taken by Yukinoshita and the others.

So, to be honest, my real purpose in going to the club office was to learn about the content of "Under the Snow".

How long has it been since I last confronted Yukinoshita like this? Thinking back, when we first met Yukinoshita, we were always criticizing each other's actions. Or rather, it seemed like it was always my actions that were being criticized.

That's right. Thinking about it that way, the situation is actually the same this time. Yukinoshita once again rejected my approach. Since that's the case, our dynamic hasn't changed; it remains the same as before.

If nothing changes, then there is no problem.

I concluded that I should get up from my seat.

Apart from a few students still chatting, there was no one else in the classroom. Yui had already left the classroom.

I stepped into the corridor and headed towards the special building.

Not long after school ended, the static club began its activities. However, the corridor was still filled with a chill.

I recalled that at this time last year, I hadn't stepped foot in the corridors of the special building at all. As autumn deepened, I realized how cold it was here.

When I arrived at the entrance of the community office, I opened the door without hesitation.

"Ah, you've come..."

Yui looked at me and said, clearly relieved.

There were two other people in the office.

Yukinoshita glanced at me only once before looking back at the papers in her hand. I had no idea what she was writing.

Another person, Iroha Isshiki, sat opposite Yukinoshita and Yoruhama, turning her entire body to look at me. At first, she looked like she was wondering, "Hmm... who is this person?" But then she probably thought, "Oh well. I'll just smile at him anyway," and nodded to me with a smile.