My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 462

Such sounds replaced any possible dialogue, and the conversation continued intermittently.

The weight in his hand gradually lightened; it seemed he was almost empty. At that moment, Ye Shan suddenly spoke:

"That's true."

"Ok?"

I watched him intently, completely unsure of what he would say next. Fortunately, he flashed his familiar, Hayama-style smile and continued:

"If... if everyone could just be here naturally like this,"

He looked up and glanced around the kitchen. His gaze followed each item:

Miura, almost excessively nervous, meticulously examined the weight.

Ichiro, whistling and skillfully operating the oven,

Yuihama, flustered and blushing,

And next to her, Yukinoshita, speechless and shaking her head.

Then, his gaze returned to me. However, his expression reverted to that of Hayama Hayato, a man with mixed feelings of joy and sorrow, and a touch of loneliness.

Everyone—

Who exactly is he talking about?

And who else is included?

With a vague thought in mind, I looked away from him and finished the last sip of my black coffee.

"I think it's probably not..."

I uttered the words, as if doing so would wash away the lingering bitterness in my mouth. Ye Shan looked at me with some confusion, then lowered his head and sighed. Then, he chuckled softly:

"Yes, especially Hachiman Hikigaya, he's practically the most unnatural person here."

He looked at me with a mature, yet not indifferent, gaze. I couldn't help but turn my face away.

"After all, I grew up in the city and never got close to nature, so it's understandable that I feel a bit unnatural."

"You're a resident of Chiba, how dare you say such things..."

Hayama responded to my feeble rebuttal with a laugh, his shoulders trembling slightly.

"What, you look down on Chiba?"

"No, no, I was just joking with a resident of Chiba City."

He replied with ill intent. So you were deliberately mocking me... Oh well, we can't be too harsh on someone like Hayama.

Perhaps this is the path Hayama chose. Although I dislike, and hate everyone who wants to walk, Hayama sees me in a similar way.

Just as I was thinking this, Hayama suddenly laughed at me:

"Are you too concerned?"

That statement, as if it saw right through me, annoyed me a little. Why are you laughing like that?

"No, I don't usually care about anything."

"He says one thing but means another. He does it in many ways."

As he spoke, he looked away, as if gazing at a distant place.

Looking over, I saw that Kebu must have successfully tasted the chocolate that Ebina was still making; he was currently making a ruckus, exclaiming things like "So delicious!", "So sweet!", "This is amazing!" Oh—you did put in some effort, didn't you… But Ebina is the type who'll face even more trouble after this, isn't he? For that kind of person, opening up is a process with several stages. Perhaps because we share a similar mental structure, I couldn't help but smile wryly.

Hearing my laughter, Ye Shan said in a low voice:

"I hope I can get used to it..."

Unexpectedly, I heard those words from him. He glanced at the Ministry of Revenue again, then turned back:

"No, not really—"

Perhaps I could have simply joked, "After all, that's the Ministry of Revenue," and ended the conversation. But I didn't say it aloud. Maybe it was because I suddenly saw Hayama's somewhat lonely face.

So, he didn't say anything more, but silently watched along with Hayama. In the distance were Ebina and Tobe.

Even though I accepted their requests before the school trip and did the worst possible job to fulfill them, those two people are still here, still in front of me.

I suddenly had a premonition. These two people look a lot like someone else.

While I was still lost in thought, I heard a sound beside me. Hayama finished his bitter drink in one gulp, then shook the can as if to let me know he was done. He then stood up to throw the empty can away. Perhaps Miura saw him, because she called out to Hayama in a slightly coquettish voice.

"Hayato——"

"I'm coming"

Seeing Ye Shan waving, an idea suddenly popped into his mouth:

"It's quite troublesome."

"...Not really."

He turned back one last time, gave a brief answer, and walked towards the cooking station where Miura and the others were waiting.

There was no specific name; it was simply said, "If you can get used to it."

Is it referring to the Ministry of Revenue, Ebina, or...?

As I watched him go, I brought the empty coffee cup to my lips again.

Act Two

The pastry making is starting to get better and better.

Those who are progressing quickly are already putting the dough into the oven or refrigerating it, moving towards the final stage of completion.

Even Ms. Haruno, who had been talking nonstop, seemed to have finished most of the work without anyone noticing. Not only that, but the senior student she was in charge of guiding, as well as the former student council members, had also almost finished. All that was left was to finalize the design and add some decorations.

How skilled is this person at multitasking? And as always, they're the kind of person who can easily do things that are hard to understand. In every sense of the word…

However, she was probably tired of taking care of others, and was now leisurely drinking tea with Yukinoshita.

"Yukino, what did you make—? Let your older sister have a taste!"

Ms. Haruno's persistent voice was completely ignored by Yukinoshita, who was currently supervising Yuihama and Miura.

Perhaps because she was a little annoyed by being ignored, Haruno spoke to Yukinoshita with a hint of willfulness in her tone.

"Oh, Yukino~~!"

"...Yono-nee, Yukino is busy right now, isn't she?"

Seeing this, Hayama smiled wryly and walked over to Haruno-san as if to offer some comfort. Perhaps the noise around them would distract Miura; maybe that was his way of showing concern.

Miura and Yui weren't the only ones focused on their tasks; Isshiki was also piping cream, doing some cute decorating work, with absolutely no spare time. Kyoka, one of the Kawasaki sisters, though covered in chocolate, still managed to create something that looked like a truffle, while Saki Kawasaki was busy taking pictures of it. Hey, how many pictures are you planning to take anyway...?

Everyone was focused on their work, and I figured my job as the taster would probably start soon, so I kept a straight posture and watched from the sidelines as much as possible without disturbing them. Just then, Orimoto came over and said something to me, even though I seemed to be idling around.

"Hachiman, do you have any extra chocolate molds?"

"Oh...please wait a moment."

It seems the progress at the Seaside Comprehensive High School is also going well. Although there's been a lot of debate about what to do, it's gradually getting closer to completion.

I told Orimoto to wait where he was, and then walked towards Yukinoshita.

"Excuse me, do you have any extra molds?"

"There are a few more over there. You can take them if you need them."

"Oh—thanks."

I wasn't the one who gave that answer.

Instead, it was Orimoto Kaori who followed me all this way.

Yukinoshita looked at the suddenly appearing origami with surprise. Perhaps the instructing voice had suddenly disappeared, for Yuihama also looked up with a strange expression.

A person wearing the uniform of Seaside Comprehensive High School appeared in the crowd of Soubu High School, and she was quite conspicuous. Although many people were watching her, Orimoto herself did not seem to care much, and was carefully choosing a model.

Then, as if casually, he said something else.

"...Speaking of which, didn't I give it to Hachiman?"

The tone suggested he genuinely didn't remember, which elicited a wry smile. "You don't remember?" Indeed.

Although Orimoto was the type who would give out chocolates to anyone, regardless of gender, when they asked her for them during junior high, I was still the type that most people weren't.

How did I accept this fact back then...? I thought about it with a touch of nostalgia, and it was a little late in answering.

I was just about to cough a few times to make the silence pass when I suddenly heard a clinking sound of utensils colliding. I looked over and saw Yukinoshita propping her chin up and staring in my direction, Yuihama looking away while her hand kept fidgeting, Isshiki nodding with a rather interested expression, Kawasaki looking on with a slightly dazed look, and Tamano coughing and blowing air. Tamano-kun, you're a bit noisy...

"No... I didn't give it to you, did I?"

I didn't let those past memories linger in my heart; I simply answered as naturally as possible. Then, quite naturally, I smiled as if nothing had happened.

"Hmm, it seems like no one has ever given you chocolate... Has no one ever given you chocolate before? Hahaha, that's so funny!"

"It's true, but it's not funny at all..."

What are you doing here? Didn't you come to borrow tools? What's with this mocking me? ... Trying hard to suppress the twitching muscles in my face, I watched as Orimoto giggled. I turned away shyly, only to see Yui and Yukinoshita looking at me with a somewhat confused expression.

"But you should have something to eat this year, right? If you want some, I'll come over later and you can try some."

After finishing his statement, Zheben, carrying the mold, walked back to his original spot.

I could only hurriedly respond with "Ah," "Okay," "Oh," and the like.

Well, this is definitely just Kaori Orimoto's casual way of speaking; there's no profound meaning behind it. There's no need to ponder the deeper meaning of her words, nor to worry about misunderstandings; just understand the literal meaning. Thinking about this, I couldn't help but sigh with a smile.

With a slight sense of satisfaction, I turned my gaze back to the kitchen counter where I had been standing, and my eyes met those of Ms. Haruno by the window.

Ms. Yang seemed to be watching our interaction from the side with a smile. Her expression clearly showed that she had seen something amusing.

At this moment, her expression shifted from a gentle smile to a slightly sadistic one. The corners of her mouth turned up slightly, and her narrowed eyes held a hint of sharpness. Ms. Yang looked at Hayama to the side.

"Speaking of which, Hayato must have received something from Yukino before, right?"

Although it sounded like it was being spoken to Hayama, everyone present could actually hear it.

Even Yukino, who had always ignored her, reacted to her. She looked at Haruno with a serious expression and stared at her silently.

Silently, not only under the snow, Miura also froze in place, and even Isshiki let out a soft lament.

There was clearly no need to say something like that in front of Miura and Isshiki, I thought with a wry smile, scratching my head. (Note: Compared to the main story, this part omits the line, "Somewhat inexplicably, my hand unconsciously clenched into a fist.")

Even Yukinoshita, who had remained silent until just now, had to respond. Yukinoshita sighed wearily, glared at Haruno, and forced a smile.

"That's right. You asked me to do it when I was in elementary school, didn't you?"

"I really miss those days."

Following Yukinoshita's words, Hayama smoothly steered the conversation away from the topic with just two words, his face bearing his usual smile. Hearing this, Haruno looked utterly disappointed, while Miura and Isshiki both breathed a long sigh of relief.

However, contrary to that answer, Yukino's expression seemed to grow even colder. She glanced at Hayama with a blank look, then walked away from the window as if she had lost interest. Hayama watched her leave with a slightly lonely expression.

Miss Yang stopped beside Yukino.

"So, who is Yukino planning to give it to this year?"

Her voice carried a playful, amused tone. If someone didn't know the two of them well, it would sound like cute sisters teasing each other. In fact, Yukinoshita's huffing and turning her face away also looked like she was sulking with her mischievous older sister.

However, at least Yuihama, I, and perhaps Hayama, were among the few in this room who could sense this strange, tense atmosphere. Haruno-san's gaze at Yukinoshita resembled that of a demon muttering something. Haruno-san's soft fingers traced Yukinoshita's slender neck, suddenly stopping at her throat.

Hearing her sister's gentle voice and feeling her beautiful fingers resting on her throat, Yukinoshita slightly raised her chin.

There seemed to be no warmth passing between them; they simply faced each other, like reflections of each other on the ice, fleeting yet beautiful. They both wore the same icy expression.

Beside them, Yuihama clutched her clothes tightly, her lips frozen, watching Yukinoshita with bated breath.

So everyone watching them held their breath, and an eerie silence quickly enveloped the area. The only thing breaking this deathly silence was the sound of soft breathing.

"I guess I'll give it to my friends... probably."

As she spoke, a smile suddenly bloomed beneath the snow. Her eyes sparkled like morning dew as she spoke, and her warm tone seemed to melt ice and snow; her calm voice was the kind one would use when visiting a sick person.

That gentle smile broke the cold mirror image.

"I understand... This is what Yukino plans to do, isn't it?"

Yukino tilted her head and smiled brightly, then she smiled again. This was the first time I had ever seen her smile. A smile that looked like she was about to cry.

However, it was also a very cute smile.

Her fingertips slid from the back of Yukino's neck down to her smooth, glossy black hair. Ms. Hinano gently combed through Yukino's hair with her fingers. Ms. Hinano continued to caress Yukino's head.