My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As Expected

Yui Yuigahama had always thought, That's nice.

She hadn't expected the strong-willed, proud Yumiko to notice how awkward she was acting. She'd thought she was hiding it pretty well.

Yui: [Yumiko, you're overthinking it. I'm just not very good at getting along with Yukino.]

Messages from Miura came pouring in almost immediately.

[Really? But I always feel like you act a little weird whenever you bring up Yukino.]

Yui: [I'm serious! I've explained this to you and everyone else so many times. The rumors about Yukino, me, and Hikigaya are all false. I don't dislike Yukino. (.?ω?.)]

[Oh, I see... In that case, if you don't dislike Yukino too much, I think maybe you could try getting along with her.]

[Of course, that's just my personal opinion.]

Yui let out a long breath. Her body, which had been leaning against the side of the bathtub, slowly slid beneath the water. She opened her eyes underwater and, through the dazzling light that made them sting slightly, saw a world transformed into something bizarre and kaleidoscopic by the refracted light.

Her pink hair floated in every direction beneath the water, like a flower in full bloom, its petals already beginning to fall.

She blew a bubble.

...It was no use.

No matter how good her relationship with Yukino became, she would still be abandoned completely.

Because Yukino's only true wish was to go home. Everything else could be given up.

Back then, the blonde girl had turned around in tears, her makeup smeared all over her face as she spoke words that made no sense and yet were unbearably sad.

"Yui, I'm really, really sorry."

"But I just want to go home..."

Eriri felt like Kasumigaoka had been acting a little strange lately.

She'd started checking her phone constantly.

Every ten minutes or so, she couldn't help glancing at the screen. Whenever her phone lit up with a faint buzz, she'd snatch it up at once.

Most of the time, it was just useless sales pitches or advertisements. But sometimes, after reading a message, Kasumigaoka would unconsciously smile.

It was as if she were waiting for a message from someone.

"Try posing a little sexier, Kasumigaoka. You're super knowledgeable about this stuff, aren't you?"

"You're the one who's super knowledgeable, you perverted manga artist with a mind full of filthy thoughts... Hold on, I need to reply to a message."

Her phone buzzed softly again. After thinking for a moment, she pulled out a sheet of paper and sketched something on it, then took a picture with her phone and sent it.

Yukino still hadn't agreed to tutor her for free that day. Feeling guilty, Kasumigaoka had offered to answer any questions she had about problems she didn't understand, even outside the weekends.

Yukino had agreed.

It was clear that she really wanted to improve her grades as soon as possible.

"Are you helping your student with her homework again?" Eriri asked, sketching quickly as she mocked Kasumigaoka. "Even a private tutor isn't this devoted. Don't tell me you like her?"

Kasumigaoka rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. My student's a girl."

"I've drawn yuri hentai before, you know. Besides, I've got half British blood, so relax, relax. I won't discriminate against you."

"You've got some nerve saying that when you're mixed-race and still get failing grades in English all the time..."

Their back-and-forth insults made Eriri feel a little like things had gone back to the way they used to be.

Back when she and Kasumigaoka had been tangled up over Tomo, they'd often traded barbs like this, neither one willing to back down.

After Tomo got dumped by that awful bitch, he'd sworn off romance and shut-ins, then started focusing on his entrance exams. He avoided both Kasumigaoka and Eriri like the plague.

They'd all once been gloomy losers who'd failed at love, but lately Kasumigaoka seemed to have come out of the shadows and found her energy again. She was even said to be preparing a new book.

Eriri, who'd lost all motivation to draw hentai, felt more and more frustrated about it. The fans on Twitter waiting for her next update were practically dying of anticipation.

Damn it, damn it, damn it!

How had she ended up being the only one stuck in place?

Didn't that make her look like the biggest loser?

Speaking of yuri, Eriri remembered something else.

"Kasumigaoka, did you hear? That Yukinoshita actually announced at Sobu High School that she likes girls!"

Had it already reached Eriri's ears? That was Yukino for you.

Kasumigaoka sighed inwardly, but smiled brightly. "Really, really? How surprising."

"Right? You think it's unbelievable too, don't you? I was practically stunned when I heard. So why did that woman steal Tomo from us back then?"

The golden-haired girl grinned as she joked, "Maybe she actually likes one of us~"

Kasumigaoka's heart skipped a beat.

"Hey, hello, Yukinoshita~"

That morning, as school started, Yukino had just sat down when she saw Yui Yuigahama walk into the classroom with a spring in her step and a bright smile.

She was the sort of girl who was super, super, super, super cute, and she was quite popular both in class and throughout the school.

Her shoulder-length hair was a little light in color, making it look more pale pink than brown.

The hair on her head was tied up in a cute bun with a black ribbon. As she walked, the ends of her hair and the ribbon swayed lightly.

Two of the buttons on her blouse were undone. She might have looked like a frivolous girl at first glance, but she was actually friendly and gentle. Not only was she very popular with the boys in class, she also got along effortlessly with the girls.

Ah, a social butterfly.

Just as Yukino felt a surge of class-based hostility, she saw this class enemy lean against her desk, her chest swaying slightly and temptingly. Her smile was even more dazzling than her chest.

"Good morning, Yukinoshita~"

Yukino: "..."

Yukino looked as if she'd seen a ghost.

Wait, she could understand why Miura's attitude toward her had changed after she'd raised her affection. But she'd barely even spoken to Yui before, hadn't she?

And supposedly, the two of them had once been rivals in love?

What in the world was going on?

"Are you memorizing English vocabulary, Yukinoshita?"

Yukino, holding an English dictionary, said, "..."

What did you think you were asking?

"Yukinoshita, your hair is so smooth. Is it naturally like that?"

How would you not know if it was natural? Just two and a half weeks ago, I'd changed my messy blonde hair back to black. Of course it was smooth because I'd spent money on taking care of it.

In her sixteen years, Yukino had feared two kinds of people most: clever people whose minds were constantly calculating the gains and losses, and complete idiots.

And right now, she felt like she'd encountered her lifelong nemesis.

Finally, Yui leaned in toward Yukino with a bright smile. Yukino leaned her head back slightly, feeling uncomfortable.

A gentle, sweet fragrance wafted toward her from the unbearably cute girl.

"Could I exchange Line accounts with you, Yukinoshita?"

Yukino was just about to think hard about what this girl was up to when the Unscrupulous System stirred again.

[The system has selected the best option for you to reverse your Negative Image: Accept Yui Yuigahama's request to exchange contact information.]

And so Yukino, who had been feeling prickly and uncomfortable just moments ago, suddenly found that her back no longer ached and her legs no longer hurt. She felt like she could climb eight flights of stairs in one go.

So she was a High Popularity Character who disliked me.

Why didn't she say so sooner? Yukino was best at dealing with people who disliked her.

And so they calmly exchanged contact information.

Miura, who had been watching them the whole time, had initially looked relieved and at ease. But soon, her face turned green, then greener and greener, with black in the green and purple showing through the black.

Once the two of them had successfully exchanged contact information, a terrifying, invisible Dark Aura seemed to radiate from behind Miura.

Onozawa Kaho looked puzzled. "What's wrong with Yumiko? Didn't she always want Yui and Yukino to be friends again?"

Junko Kamizawa turned a page in her textbook. "You idiot, Kaho. Yumiko only wanted Yui and Yukino to be friends again, not girlfriends..."

Onozawa Kaho looked confused. "Huh?"

Junko Kamizawa sighed. "Yukino still hasn't even exchanged contact information with Yumiko..."

Miura: ... (ノ?益?)

Shut up, shut up, shut up!

I'm about to cry!

Yukino felt that something was off about Classmate Miura today.

Blonde Yukino had been given the nickname Queen of the School. Her lofty attitude and sky-high pride gave her an overwhelming presence and appeal.

But today, Miura looked like a wronged little wife.

She was sprawled listlessly over her desk. Yukino had initially thought she might be sick and wanted to ask if she was all right, but when their eyes met, Miura immediately turned away in a huff.

Yukino: ?

Yukino looked completely baffled and could only turn her attention back to her textbook.

Blonde Yukino had probably put all her skill points into flirting, so her grades were truly terrible. She couldn't let herself keep slacking off like this before the next monthly exam.

Seeing Yukino simply turn away and stop paying attention to her made Miura feel even more miserable. She was practically about to puff her cheeks up into a little bun.

Yukino was such an idiot!

Miura slumped over her desk, and even her golden hair seemed to have lost its shine.

I'm the one you have a crush on!

Why does everyone else get her contact information before I do?

Of course, this wasn't jealousy. It was just... just that Yukino was a failure as a friend!

Or was her personality really that awful, so overbearing that even though Yukino had a crush on her, she didn't dare get close?

B-but aside from that moment of unexpected tenderness after the volleyball match in gym class, Yukino hardly ever spoke to her.

In that situation, Miura couldn't exactly show a gentler side of herself.

Ugh...

Junko Kamizawa and Onozawa Kaho exchanged a glance, then tagged Miura in their Line group, Loving Family Group.

Onozawa Kaho: [If you really want Yukino's contact information, Yumiko, you can just ask her for it.]

Junko Kamizawa: [If Yumiko were willing to ask, she wouldn't be Yumiko (￢?￢)]

Yumiko Miura: [...It's not like I really want it, okay? But if Yukino insists on giving it to me herself, I suppose I could consider accepting it.]

Onozawa Kaho: [...]

Junko Kamizawa: [...]

Unlike Yui Yuigahama, whom they'd only met in high school, the three of them had been friends since kindergarten. They knew this tsundere inside and out.

Junko Kamizawa sighed. In every other way, Yumiko was a reliable friend, and even had a bit of a caring, meddlesome mom-friend streak. But when it came to Yukino, she was so stubbornly dishonest that there was no getting through to her.

She messaged Onozawa Kaho privately on Line.

Junko Kamizawa: [If we're counting on Yumiko to make the first move, she'll end up bottling it all up until she suffocates.]

Onozawa Kaho: [What if we get Yumiko to add Yukino through the class Line group?]

Junko Kamizawa: [...Yukino isn't in the class group.]