My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 464

Fortunately, I'm somewhat confident in my methods for dealing with young girls. Let me help Mr. Chuan take care of the young girl.

I quietly crept up behind Jinghua and gently patted her head.

"It's Hachi!"

Jinghua looked up, saw it was me, and called out happily.

"It's me! But not Hachi. Never mind, did you make chocolate?"

"Chocolate! Dark! And very sweet!"

"Sounds good, dark and sweet, very nice chocolate."

As I chatted with Jinghua, I patted her head. She looked up and saw Kawasaki looking in my direction.

"I'm sorry, I'm almost done cleaning."

"It's alright, no need to rush."

Because I want to play with my little sister a little longer... I would never say something like that! We should cherish this time, right? Wait a minute, am I being a little suspicious? Is there a problem with this...? What? Is there a problem?

As I was lost in thought, Kawasaki hurried back, deftly wiping his apron with his hands.

"Thank you, thank you..."

He stared at me while whispering his thanks. His mouth opened and closed, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.

"Well, we should probably head back now...we need to go prepare dinner."

"Oh, I see."

Hearing her words, I checked the time; it was indeed around this time. That's probably why Kawasaki was in such a hurry to tidy up. Although I could have just left it as is, she's surprisingly a very thoughtful and kind girl, Kawasaki. She's got amazing housewife skills.

"Alright, Xiao Jing, let's go back."

"Hmm... Little Sha"

Kawasaki gently stroked Kyoka's shoulder. Kyoka tugged at Kawasaki's skirt and responded in a coquettish tone. Kawasaki, as the older sister, seemed to understand perfectly what Kyoka meant by this.

"Okay, just a moment."

As she spoke, she quickly took a bag full of chocolates from her purse and handed it to Jinghua. Jinghua looked at the chocolates with a satisfied expression, then held them up to me.

"Here you go, Xiao Ba!"

"This child, they said they wanted to give him to you... Take him."

"Oh, thanks. That's great! You're really amazing, Jing!"

I kept rubbing Jinghua's head, and Jinghua hugged my waist tightly. Haha, what a clingy little thing, I thought to myself, and rubbed her head even harder.

"...And, there might be some of my own parts mixed in as well."

As Kawasaki put on her coat, she turned her face away and muttered to herself. "I'm not surprised to receive some, but I'm still a little shy..." Hearing her say that, I looked at the truffle chocolate in my hand.

"Really... I can't tell the difference? Your sister is amazing!"

"Isn't that amazing! But Xiaosha also works very hard! To an almost frightening degree!"

Jinghua, puffing out her chest in smug satisfaction, praised her older sister in a condescending tone. Kawasaki quickly interrupted:

"This is... um... a thank you gift for taking care of Dazhi..."

"Dazhi? Who is that?"

"Watch out or I'll beat you up!"

His angry expression didn't seem like a joke at all. Well, he waved his hand dismissively, "Of course I was just joking... I know who he was talking about, of course."

Kawasaki's sharp gaze softened, and his tense shoulders slowly relaxed. Before him stood the same gentle older sister who was always so kind to her younger siblings.

"It seems like communicating with you has become a little easier, but I don't know why."

Hearing that, fragments of memories suddenly surfaced. Like that last time, I'd impulsively blurt out those vague, incoherent words—well, even now. Thinking about it still makes me a little embarrassed, but before I could even stop, my usual joke slipped out:

"Yes... After all, we need to set an example for the younger generation. Let him keep working hard."

Kawasaki looked at me speechlessly: "Isn't it too early to talk about this?"

Then, she smiled naturally: "Never mind, I'll talk to him about it."

Turning his gaze back to Jinghua, he asked, "Shall we go?"

After she finished speaking, Kyo still clung tightly to me, refusing to let go. Kawasaki stared at Kyo with a questioning look. Then I felt Kyo flinch in fright. Hey, there's no need for such a scary expression...

"Alright, let's go, Xiao Jing."

As I said this, I started walking while still being held in Jinghua's arms.

"Well, let's go!"

Jinghua followed me. Kawasaki followed behind, sighing.

We continued like that until we reached the outside of the kitchen and went down the stairs. During this time, Kawasaki helped Kyoka put on her coat and tied a scarf around her neck, taking care of his younger sister with all his heart.

While she was doing these things, we arrived at the entrance of the exchange center, by which time it was completely dark outside.

"Do you want me to take you to the station?"

"No need, I'll be back around this time anyway. Besides, you have things to do, right?"

Kawasaki adjusted the bag and shopping pouches on her back, making a "heave-ho" sound as she bent down and picked up Jinghua. At that moment, something flashed before my eyes from under Kawasaki's skirt, but I completely ignored it. It felt like black lace, but I absolutely didn't see anything.

"Then, goodbye."

"Bye-bye, Hachi!"

Kawasaki lowered her head slightly to say goodbye, and then Jinghua, whom she was holding, also said goodbye to me.

"...Be careful on the road."

I called out to the two of them as they were about to embark on their journey home. Then I watched their figures disappear into the distance.

The winter night sky, neither windy nor cloudless, shimmered with bright sunlight, yet it still felt equally cold. The two people were pressed tightly together, so they probably didn't feel so cold.

Act Two

Back in the kitchen, there was no longer any sound of cooking; everyone was enjoying snacks, tea, and chatting.

The dessert-making activity before Valentine's Day is pretty much over. All that's left is to enjoy this relaxing time and then conclude the activity.

I walked toward the seat where I had placed my bag, and there stood Yukinoshita. She was preparing tea and black tea with elegant and fluid movements.

The portable stove on the cooking counter was heating the kettle, and the water inside was now boiling. Yukino poured the boiling water from the kettle, preparing to make black tea.

What was placed there wasn't the usual teacup, but a paper cup. It seemed like it wasn't something they'd brought specifically for this occasion.

Yukino poured black tea into paper cups, prepared three cups of tea, and then sat down. Then, she noticed me approaching and greeted me.

"Oh, thank you for your hard work."

"I didn't do anything tiring."

As I answered and sat down, Yukino quickly handed me a paper cup. A mischievous glint flashed in her eyes.

"Really? Contrary to what you said, you seem to be in a hurry."

"In a hurry..."

Is it because of chocolate? Yes, chocolate and maca are indeed very effective at relieving fatigue. That said, I've been looking around and I'm not wrong about that, so it's hard to deny what she said.

"Finally, I can rest."

As she spoke, Yukino took a sip of her black tea. I also blew on it and took a sip as well.

Unlike my usual teacup, the paper cup felt completely unfamiliar to me, and because the heat would transfer directly to my hands, my drinking speed naturally slowed down. Nevertheless, it was enough to warm my body, which had caught a chill outside. After a few sips, I breathed a sigh of relief.

You've worked hard too.

"Yeah, you're right, I'm really exhausted."

As she spoke, Yukinoshita's gaze drifted toward the oven.

Yuihama is right there.

She squatted alone in front of the oven, her chin resting on her hands. The faint light from the oven made her face appear pale.

Her tightly closed lips and focused gaze were reflected in the glass door. She seemed worried about not doing a good job; her back was hunched over, like an arrow ready to be released. Although the other ovens had already finished baking and were emitting fragrant aromas, she didn't look at them, her gaze fixed solely on the oven in front of her.

Her cookie was probably the last one to be baked. The others were already celebrating with their finished cookies. Looking at their happy faces, I suddenly felt that this event might have been a success. Sitting across from me, Yukinoshita quietly said:

"...I think it's pretty good."

As the central figures, Yukinoshita and Isshiki, seeing such a perfect ending, probably felt differently than we did. As she looked around from left to right, the undisguised passion in her eyes shone on each person. Although, in reality, everyone was just haphazardly doing what they wanted to do.

"But I don't really know much about events like this..."

"Yes"

Overwhelmed with emotion, she voiced her true feelings, causing Yukino to cover her mouth and chuckle. Then, she straightened up and began to weave her words together, bit by bit:

"But I'm so happy... I thought I'd never have another chance to make cookies with Yui-chan. Thanks to you."

Yukinoshita smiled, tilting her head to steal a glance at me. A little embarrassed, I turned my face away, hastily explaining:

"It's not my doing... If I had to say, it's precisely because Yuihama is this kind of person that things are what they are today, right?"

Although the words came out off the cuff, they surprisingly felt very fitting. Thinking about it carefully, we wouldn't be where we are today without her help. Without her, the Service Club might not have become so vibrant; perhaps none of this would have happened at all. Without needing words, Yukinoshita must feel the same way.

"...Yes. It's because of people like Yuihama that we can have friends."

She spoke these words in a nostalgic tone, gazing into the distance. It seemed as if she were speaking to me, but it sounded as if she were addressing someone who wasn't there. Immediately, she turned her gaze to me and began:

"Oh, right, this, if you want it..."

She said it suddenly, as if it were a spur-of-the-moment decision. She reached out to the kitchen table and saw two beautifully packaged bags of cookies.

"I thought you were only responsible for teaching."

"There always needs to be samples for others to imitate. Could you please take the other package to Komachi?"

I took the bag; it was tied with ribbons of different colors.

"Komachi will be very happy... Thank you."

Since I don't often receive these kinds of things, I wasn't sure what better way to thank her, so I looked at her a little awkwardly. Yukinoshita shook her head, indicating that it wasn't important to her.

It was a little awkward to keep staring at each other like that. I looked down at the two bags in my hands, and my hands unconsciously rubbed together, making a "crunching" sound.

Suddenly, a wail rang out. We looked towards the source and saw Yui standing in front of the oven, clutching her head and shaking it in pain.

"Hey... I'll go check it out."

Yukino sighed helplessly, stood up, and walked away. Watching the two of them from afar, she could hear their voices coming in fits and starts; they probably hadn't done a good job.

Yuihama, carrying a tray in gloves, walked over while sobbing to Yukinoshita. Yukinoshita looked at the tray in her hands with a puzzled expression.

Take a look—wait, what did you do? How could you even do something like that...?

"I'm sorry, Xiaoxue... I just felt the flavor was a bit monotonous, so I added something else..."

She explained haltingly, like a child who had done something wrong, rubbing her temples with a slight headache. Approaching me was an irregularly shaped cookie—no, an object. How could it be? It's a cookie, isn't it? Right? Right…right?

"But we still need to reflect on this... what strange things did you add..."

Yukino reached for the cookie, but Yui immediately moved aside.

"You can't eat this! You absolutely can't eat this!"

The tension, like a mother hen protecting her chicks, made me a little scared.

He asked hesitantly, "What are you doing... are you Breaking Bad?"

Yuihama immediately retorted:

"No way! How could it be poisonous!"

Then she half-closed her eyes, lowered her head, and murmured:

"Just, just..."

As if seizing an opportunity, Yukinoshita reached for the cookie, took a bite, and made a smug face at Yuihama.

"Ah! I told you you can't eat it..."

She was almost in tears! Her hands, trembling with sobs, clung to Yukinoshita's arms. But surprisingly, Yukinoshita remained unmoved, slowly chewing. Yuihama swayed playfully beside her, but she didn't open her eyes.

...No way? He ate himself into a vegetable?