My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 630

Komachi waved her hand and answered seriously.

Hmm... So stubborn... Why don't you just admit that we look alike...?

The next day after school, Komachi and I went to the main entrance before heading to the club office.

The client, Kawasaki Taishi, was also present. Taishi nervously glanced towards the school gate, sighing frequently. His anxiety was understandable.

After all, we didn't have a detailed plan. Komachi's strategy was extremely simple. So simple that we could just use "THE Komachi" as the name for the Simple series. (Note 47)

Therefore, a minimal number of people will suffice. Komachi and I are enough. Of course, this is also because we're concerned that fewer people will make the other party more willing to speak up. The person we're about to face is difficult to deal with; it's hard to predict their reaction. At least I probably won't be able to conduct normal negotiations.

Komachi, who was in charge of the negotiations, wasn't particularly worried. She sang "Not here yet? Not here yet—" and looked out of the school, calm and unhurried. Moreover, it seemed as if she was even looking forward to the other party's arrival.

Shortly afterward, the person to be negotiated arrived at the agreed meeting place.

Her long, dark blue hair was tied into a ponytail with a hair tie and swayed slowly, while the two small braids bounced lightly in the air at a slightly slower pace.

It is Saki Kawasaki and her younger sister, Kyoka Kawasaki.

The moment Jinghua saw us, she waved and ran over.

"Komachi——!"

"Jinghua—!"

Komachi gently hugged Kyoka and rubbed her head. Kyoka squinted her eyes shyly, looking very happy, while Kawasaki was quite confused.

"You told me to bring Jinghua here, so I did, but... um, what are we supposed to do now...?"

She probably didn't understand what was going on before Daishi called her out. Kawasaki looked at me, Komachi, and Daishi, his eyebrows drooping in a V-shape. Well, since things have come to this, it'll be faster to explain things to her.

"Oh, sorry. Dazhi's having trouble deciding which club to join. Think about it, we have a lot going on here too, right? So…"

"Ah—! Stop, stop, brother! What are you saying?!"

Daishi yelled and tried to interrupt me, intervening between me and Kawasaki, then gave me a reproachful look. Uh, you didn't tell me to keep it a secret...

Moreover, I probably don't need to say it.

"...You don't need to worry about that kind of thing."

Kawasaki frowned, pursed her lips, but spoke gently. It seemed she had grasped the general situation even before I explained.

"Uh, but..."

Her gentle yet slightly sad gaze caused Dazhi to become incoherent, and the words he was about to say disappeared from his mouth.

"...But, as a younger brother or sister, I still worry."

He continued the conversation by mentioning Komachi. Daishi nodded vigorously in agreement.

"Ah, um. I understand... but that's my responsibility..."

Kawasaki explained, somewhat perplexed, but Komachi simply laughed it off.

"...Therefore, Komachi wants to respect her younger siblings' opinions."

Komachi crouched down, bringing her level with Kyoka. Kawasaki and Taishi both looked puzzled. However, there was nothing strange about it.

From the very beginning, Komachi's negotiating partner was Kyoto.

"Jinghua, I have something to tell you. Your older sister will be a bit busy later and might not have time to pick you up. The time we can play together at home might also decrease."

No matter how hard you try to explain to young Jinghua, it's uncertain how much she will understand.

But we can't not tell her because of that. More importantly, we can't ignore her wishes just because she's young.

Komachi told her tactfully, and Kyoka blinked two or three times and nodded.

"I see..."

Confusion and sadness flickered in her large eyes, which soon welled up with tears. Seeing this, Kawasaki wore a melancholy expression and reached out to embrace Kyoka.

Before that, Komachi hugged Kyoka tightly.

"But Dazhi might stay with you in your sister's place!"

Then, in a playful, cheerful, and lighthearted tone, he spoke, and Jinghua laughed. Then, seemingly imitating someone, he puffed out his chest and said in a deliberately mature manner:

"Zhizhi... well, okay, there's nothing we can do about it."

"Huh? There's no way... Huh?... Does Jinghua hate her brother?"

Dazhi's voice trembled. Jinghua glanced at him and replied coldly:

"ordinary."

"Normal... I see. At least it's not something I dislike..."

"You're so optimistic..."

"Ah, um, I think Jingjing really likes Dazhi..."

Kawasaki, somewhat flustered, tried to speak up for her, which made Komachi laugh.

"Yeah. You can't bring yourself to say you like him, right? Because your brother has a lot of flaws."

"I understand—! Komachi too?"

"Yeah, that's right—they never clean or help tidy up the house, but they'll suddenly start picking up hair from the carpet when they feel like it. It's really annoying."

"It's true. Men are so picky, yet they're not considerate at all."

Komachi's tone was gentle, but her words were quite sharp. On the other hand, although Kyoka's tone sounded like she was acting like an adult, what she said might actually be true. Kawasaki nodded silently.

They continued to complain. Daishi and I slumped our shoulders in reflection, and Komachi's tone suddenly softened.

"...But sometimes I think my brother is pretty good too. We—we watch Pretty Cure together."

"Oh—Angel of Grace..."

"Yes, yes, yes. Then we'll imitate them and play together."

The moment Komachi said those words, Kawasaki looked at me in horror.

"What are you doing……"

"No, that was in the past..."

The moment I tried to explain, Jinghua's energetic voice rang out.

"I'll do it too! With Sasa! Right?"

Kawasaki, suddenly brought up, covered her face with her hands in embarrassment. "Uh, it's okay, I understand... You're a good older sister... Of course you'd want to imitate Pretty Cure..."

I looked at Kawasaki and Kyoka with a warm feeling, and my Pretty Cure coughed softly. Oh dear, I've completely forgotten about the battle plan... I coughed back to indicate that I understood.

The strategist Komachi Hikigaya's plan is about to be revealed. It's party time!

"My brother is amazing. He teaches me to read, cooks with me, and helps people in trouble... He's really cool."

"Jinghua's brother is amazing too! Jinghua's brother is really good at it! And let me tell you, Zhizhi is really good at tennis. He's so cool."

This is "Creating Something from Nothing," one of the Thirty-Six Stratagems of the Art of War. Also known as the "Brother Bragging Contest."

He made his brother's non-existent strengths sound real, and even managed to get information about his brother's merits from Jinghua... He actually came up with such a delightful plan. That guy is a party strategist (Note 48), right?

"Oh, I see. Not bad. Very handsome."

"Hmm! Jinghua likes the handsome Zhizhi?"

Komachi smiled and looked this way, and Kyoka followed suit. What came into view was her younger sister's most adorable smile. They were like two blooming flowers.

"Eh, oh, oh oh..."

Dazhi was so moved he could barely speak, and he cried. So, it was my job to give him another push.

"...You heard that too. It's also a good older brother's job to let his little sister see his handsome side."

I gave him a real push, and Dazhi staggered a step toward Jinghua. However, his remaining rationality made him turn back.

"Uh, uh, but it's not really right to do this to my older sister..."

Hmm. Just one more step... Okay, let's wrap this up.

"What does it matter? Your sister is working so hard probably because she wants to show her younger brother and sister what she can do."

"Hello, hello...!"

Kawasaki quickly grabbed my shoulder, trying to stop me, but didn't deny it. That alone was enough for Daichi. He scratched his nose and chuckled, "Hehe!"

"...I'm going to make it to the national tournament."

Then, with an extremely dashing declaration, he charged towards Beijing.

Well, as for the tennis club, there's bound to be a solution if we talk to Totsuka. He'll definitely help us find a compromise that's best for Taishi. Even though I feel a little bad about leaving everything to him, mission accomplished.

This solution is far from good. The problem likely hasn't been resolved either.

However, this method of helping people is very much in Komachi's style. Yukinoshita is right.

I breathed a sigh of relief. Komachi walked over to Kawasaki and said:

"Saki-neechan, if you encounter any problems in your sibling relationship, please come to Komachi! Because Komachi is a professional younger sister. Bring it on! Although Komachi isn't sure how much responsibility she can take when it involves other people's affairs!"

"What? You're too honest. But... well, I'll consider coming to you if I need anything... thank you."

Komachi's directness caused Kawasaki to give a wry smile, which eventually turned into a gentle one. She quietly said goodbye to us, waved softly, and walked over to Taishi and Kyoka.

As we watched the Kawasaki siblings walk away side by side, Komachi suddenly muttered:

"...It's so nice to have a handsome older brother. Komachi is a little envious."

"That makes it sound like I'm not handsome at all."

"That's exactly what Komachi meant... Where is there anything handsome about my brother...?"

She looked disappointed, so I deliberately made a cool expression.

"As long as I close my eyes and mouth, my face is still presentable, right?"

Komachi tried to examine my face from every angle, but soon after, she resignedly slumped her shoulders.

"My brother trusts people's gullibility too much... Even with Komachi's eyes, he can't see through it..."

"Haha, my cultivation is insufficient... mainly because my cultivation is insufficient."

"Really... then let's go back to the club office."

Komachi turned and walked towards the school building. As she passed through the main gate, her steps became small, skipping steps as she hummed a song.

"...Okay, I'll show you my handsome side later. After all, we'll be together for another year."

Komachi ran up the grand staircase leading to the main entrance, and I said to her as she walked away, slowly following behind.

It would be a shame to rush things. This is my last year at the same school as Komachi. Let me enjoy it to the fullest, until I get tired of it.

I steadily climbed the stairs step by step and finally caught up with Komachi. She turned around at the top floor, her skirt fluttering in the air.

"It's not just for a year, it's for a lifetime... So, you have to keep showing Komachi how handsome your brother is."

After speaking, Komachi pressed down her wind-blown hair, a mature smile appearing on her face. Even after fifteen years of knowing her, I had never seen such a beautiful pose, and I was momentarily captivated by it.

"...Just kidding, Komachi thinks that last sentence got a high score!"

No sooner had she thought that than she playfully made a horizontal V-sign with both hands next to her cheeks, revealing a bright smile.

Until I get tired of it? What nonsense. How could I possibly get tired of it? If I wanted to truly enjoy life, my life would be far too short. A lifetime wouldn't be enough.

I see, it's true that having a younger sister is all that matters... right?

Finish

Short Story Collection 2: Afterword

Postscript (by Idakang)

Hello everyone, I am Yidakang.

In this collection of short stories, "My Youth Romantic Comedy Was Wrong As Expected," I wrote the story of Zaimokuza!

I never imagined I'd have this opportunity to participate, and while I feel honored, I'm also quite nervous. In some ways, I put in even more effort than when I was writing my own work… Did everyone enjoy it?

While writing this, I stuck notes in the paperback where Zaimokuza appears, and reread those passages with particular emphasis, which deepened my feelings for Yoshiteru Zaimokuza. I've never even stuck notes in textbooks or reference books before.

Hopefully, this will bring some joy to everyone.

Especially for all you fans of Caimuzuo, I sincerely pray that you won't be criticized with things like, "My Yihui is not like that at all!", "Don't look down on Caimuzuo!", or "I don't acknowledge this kind of Caihui!"