My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 745

Isshiki sighed deeply and shrugged helplessly.

"But it seems that junior high school students will also be coming, so we have to prepare for them."

"Get ready. What do we need to do?"

Komachi blinked and asked, while Isshiki nodded impatiently.

"I'll introduce our school, show them around the campus, and then we'll have time for questions."

Perhaps the details of the event had not yet been finalized, Yise said, resting his fingers on his chin as he pondered.

As I listened, I casually responded, and vaguely grasped the gist of the school's information session.

Visiting a school, in particular, is something I can really imagine.

For junior high school students, just stepping into high school must be a small event in itself; they'd be very happy. At least if I were a junior high school student, I'd be quite excited.

Let's imagine it for a moment.

--summer vacation.

The scorching heat was almost unbearable, causing the asphalt road to steam.

The crisp sound of the metal bats striking the ground carried far, while the cicadas chirped loudly to the point of being ear-piercing.

The environment inside the school buildings was completely different; it was quiet and even a bit cool.

An empty school building. A quiet corridor.

A disheveled summer uniform, a thin skirt.

My lovely senior walked in front of me.

During the school visit, she asked me why I wanted to attend this school. I replied, "Because it's the closest to my home." The senior student laughed dumbfounded and said, "What kind of reason is that?"

However, as we were about to part ways...

She gently tugged at my sleeve and touched my shoulder.

"……I'm waiting for you."

Whispering in my ear, smiling at me—

Hmm, not bad. Great! Can I also participate in that event?

I showed absolutely no sign that I was thinking about these things, muttering to myself as if to say, "I'm deep in thought." Wow, great... really great... um—great...

"That's it, right? Simply put, it's like a campus open day."

"Ah, that's the feeling."

Isshiki pointed the finger that was resting on his chin at me.

I see. I can roughly imagine what a campus open day would be like.

Putting parents aside, I don't think junior high school students will pay attention to a teacher enthusiastically explaining a bunch of things related to the school from the stage in the gymnasium or auditorium.

Junior high school third graders, who are fifteen years old, might ride stolen motorcycles recklessly and smash all the windows at school at night. Given this, actually showing them around the school buildings and pointing out the easier windows to break would likely be more effective in capturing their interest in the school.

I thought I made a good point, and Komachi, who was sitting diagonally in front of me, clapped her hands.

"Oh! Open day at school! Come to think of it, Komachi has heard of it..."

"Xiaomi, so you knew about this?"

Komachi slowly crossed her arms and muttered something, while Isshiki gave her a sharp look. Komachi nodded solemnly and opened the notebook beside her.

"Yes. Open Campus, that's the magic spell that opens the notebook..."

"No, that's not it."

Isshiki immediately put on a stern face and waved his hand in denial, coldly replying, while Komachi stroked her ahoge and chuckled, as if to say, "I think so too—".

Oh dear! Komachi is so naughty! I'll forgive you because you're so cute, but if you're serious, you might have to write a letter of repentance in that Campus notebook for the rest of your life! ☆

"No, Komachi probably knows. She just doesn't know the specifics of the event."

As she spoke, she stole glances at me, her eyes conveying, "So what's going on?" demanding an explanation. Okay, I'll tell you.

"The so-called open house... well, simply put, it's a visit to a university or vocational school. Experience classes, try the school cafeteria food, tour the research labs... and introduce clubs? It seems like they do all that."

Komachi applauded for me after listening.

"Wow, no wonder you're a test taker."

"It's fine."

I gave a cold laugh; actually, I'd never really been there.

But by the time you reach your senior year of high school, conversations around you will gradually become related to exams, and you'll naturally hear about those things. Occasionally, there will be people who are happy to share detailed information with you, such as, "That school's open day seems pretty good," or "By the way, have you heard the legends about that university?" Are you like a male friend in a dating sim?

I showed off the knowledge I had heard, and Ise chimed in from the side.

"Organizing experiential courses and food tastings is difficult. However, I plan to give them a tour of the school and introduce them to the clubs."

"Oh—not bad, I think so."

"Wow, what a casual response..."

Komachi said weakly, "But I really don't have any other thoughts. Besides, the super motivated group that would specifically come to a serious event like a school information session would definitely be happy with any activity. Plus, with a cute upperclassman acting as a guide to help explain things, the boys would probably be overjoyed, and the girls would probably be longing for it."

So, not bad? I was very optimistic, but Isshiki looked worried.

I was a little worried, so I looked at her and asked what was wrong. She hesitated, sighed, and looked a little troubled.

"Then, we need to make materials to introduce the club..."

She paused briefly, glanced at Komachi, and then spoke the rest of her sentence to me.

"What should the Service Society do?"

"What should we do...?"

I reflexively gave vague answers.

Isshiki gave a faint, bitter smile, but I could tell from her eyes that she was serious. Being stared at intently by her forced me to ponder the meaning of that question.

That's probably not just a work-related question.

I have a feeling that she's asking about the club's future plans.

The image that came to mind when I arrived at the community office today suddenly surfaced in my mind.

Next year, or six months from now.

A girl reading a book in the setting sun.

I was left alone in this small town run by the company.

To prevent my imagination from coming true, it would be best to do something to attract new students' interest.

But that's not a wish I should make.

This club, this place, is what Komachi has preserved. It is Komachi who has continued what we considered an inevitable end.

I only benefited from her.

At the same time, she felt a sense of unease, worried that it might become a constraint for Komachi.

"Oh no... what should I do..."

Turning my head, I saw Komachi frowning and scratching her head.

"Komachi hasn't thought about it yet..."

She glanced at me as if observing my reaction, and gave the same answer as when it was just the two of us. Although she didn't explicitly agree or disagree, her roundabout way of putting it clearly showed she wasn't too happy.

Since Komachi wants to keep things to herself for now, I'll take care of the rest. Delaying things until later is one of my specialties.

"Is that document absolutely necessary to submit?"

Ichiro frowned in thought.

"Formally speaking, the Service Club is at least a formal club, and it seems a bit odd not to mention it at all. The school will probably investigate."

"I see……"

The school cannot possibly fail to check the materials distributed at the school's information session.

As a formal club, the fact that there is no information about a service club on the website suggests that the school is likely to point out this issue and confirm it.

It seems that if I don't want to submit the documents, I need to find a reasonable excuse.

After all, the Service Club is a dubious club with ambiguous activities.

If we accidentally attract attention, the school might become suspicious. Even I, a member of the club, am starting to wonder, "What is this Service Club anyway? It's all so weird." To avoid getting into trouble later, we absolutely mustn't give others anything to complain about.

So, how can I cleverly avoid facing this? As I racked my brains, Isshiki sighed softly.

"No rush, you guys think about it."

After speaking, Isshiki looked at the empty seat. Komachi's gaze met his.

"Okay. It's not convenient for Komachi to decide this on her own. Tomorrow, Komachi will discuss it with Yukino and Yui."

Komachi clenched her fists in front of her chest, mustering her energy.

This concerns the future direction of the Service Society, and Yukinoshita and Yuigahama will likely have their opinions. I do too. Whether or not we put our thoughts into words, we should give everyone a chance to speak.

In that case, we'll decide on a conclusion tomorrow... Thinking of this, it suddenly occurred to me.

……tomorrow?

"No, tomorrow isn't convenient. I won't be there."

The two of them froze at the same time, but tilted their heads in different directions.

"Is that so?"

"Is there something you need, brother?"

"Visiting the tutoring center. And taking a trial lesson while I'm at it."

Don't let my appearance fool you, I'm a test-taker. Although going to tutoring classes at this time of year means I'm much slower than others, I said with a hint of smugness. They looked uninterested and just made "Oh" and "Oh" sounds.

"Oh, really? Then Yukino-senpai and Yui-senpai will be on duty tomorrow... I'll show my face."

"A long-awaited women's gathering!"

The two had a very pleasant discussion.

Unfortunately, I have some bad news to tell you two.

"Ah...no, Yukino won't come, right?"

As I spoke, I subconsciously looked away.

I haven't done anything wrong... but I feel incredibly ashamed.

Perhaps my reaction was too strange, because Komachi and Isshiki stared at me with the same "Mmm!" as the Rakuten Credit Card character (Note: a character in a Rakuten Credit Card advertisement, one of whose lines is "Mmm!").

"Ah, I see..."

Komachi immediately sensed something, nodded, and gave a warm smile. Isshiki, on the other hand, frowned, as if about to click his tongue in disdain, and let out a huge sigh.

"Ha! Here comes another one: a date that uses visiting a cram school as an excuse to go on a date—a landmine."

"Don't call it a landmine..."

I retorted unhappily, but since whether it could be considered a date was still up for debate, I couldn't bring myself to criticize her.

× × ×

There are many trial courses and free trials in the world, but not all of them are based on good intentions.

For example, some advertise a "free one-month subscription," but a careful reading of the terms of service reveals that the first month is only free if you subscribe for two months or more. You might subscribe to nutritional supplements advertised as "free now," only to find yourself unable to cancel the subscription, only to receive the package after a while – a completely unexpected trap. The application process can be easily completed online, but cancellation requires a phone call – what kind of logic is that? Thanks to this, my dad ordered so much turtle essence and black vinegar combined into a nutritional supplement that he could eat it for a lifetime. Turtles will eventually become extinct.

Someone once said that...

Free things are the most expensive.

Most free services are shady. They offer free services precisely because they can generate profits exceeding sunk costs in some form, while simultaneously incurring losses for others. Like turtles, they are forced to bear the risk of extinction.

That's why, even when I'm just visiting a tutoring center for a trial lesson, I don't hesitate to spend time carefully reading the details of the admission brochure. I even read it more carefully than I would my textbooks or reference books.

According to the data, in this era of severe low birth rate, every cram school seems to be taking various measures to attract new students.

The tutoring center I'm visiting today also offers online courses, correspondence courses, and mobile app integration in addition to regular classes, providing comprehensive support systems such as learning assistance and individual tutors.