My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

"Tsurumi... Rumi."

"I'm Hayato Hayama, nice to meet you. Shall we go see if it's hidden there?"

As he spoke, Hayama gently nudged Rumi's back, leading her in the right direction.

...Hayama is too strong!

"Did you see that? That guy just guided the little girl like that, and even naturally asked her name!"

"I saw it. You probably won't be able to learn that kind of skill in your entire life."

Yukinoshita's tone was very disdainful of me.

However, she immediately put on a serious expression.

"However, that approach is not good."

Rumi returned to the squad under Hayama's guidance, but she was still not very happy. As before, she didn't look at anyone, but just stared at the nearby woods and the small stones on the road.

Moreover, she wasn't the only one who felt unhappy.

As soon as Liu returned to the team, the girls, who had been noisy and boisterous, instantly tensed up. Although they weren't exactly disgusted, it was still quite unusual.

They didn't try to avoid it, didn't click their tongues or stomp their feet in displeasure, and didn't utter any complaints.

However, the atmosphere at the scene spoke for itself.

Even without anyone directly criticizing us, we can still sense the blame.

It is a form of violence that is nonverbal, nonphysical, and nonbehavioral, but it is also a form of pressure.

Yukino sighed, as if to say, "I knew it."

"really……"

"Even elementary school students have this problem."

After I spoke, her gaze flicked towards me.

"Elementary school students and high school students are the same people, there is no difference between them."

Liu Mei had just returned to the team, but somehow she was excluded by the other team members again.

If you don't take the initiative to talk to people, and no one talks to you, you will naturally be ostracized by the group.

I saw Liu Mei fiddling with the camera around her neck again from afar.

According to the map, the checkpoint sign is located nearby.

With so many people searching together, it should be found quickly. Sure enough, not long afterward, they found the slightly dirty signboard under the shade of a tree.

This signboard was originally white, but after years of wind and rain, it has turned brown.

A blank sheet of paper is pinned to the signboard; all you need to do now is solve the riddle on the paper.

"Thank you, big brothers and sisters!" the little girls said loudly, and then we parted ways.

They set off to find the next checkpoint, while we headed towards the destination.

I turned around one last time and just then saw Rumi, who was a step behind the group, disappear into the shade of the trees.

× × ×

After leaving the woods, there is an open area, and this halfway point on the mountainside is the end point for wilderness orientation.

We will welcome the students who have arrived at the finish line in this square.

"Oh, you guys are so slow. Hurry up and unload all this stuff, then help prepare lunch."

Professor Hiratsuka stepped out of the van. It seems there's another road leading here, besides the orienteering route.

We opened the trunk and saw a mountain of plastic baskets filled with lunchboxes and drinks. The cool air wafting out of the car felt wonderful against our slightly sweaty bodies.

After the boys brought out the plastic baskets, Mr. Hiratsuka pointed behind them with his thumb.

"There are also iced pears served as a snack."

I heard the sound of flowing water; the teacher was probably soaking the pears in the stream.

"Here's a knife; could you please peel and cut the fruit?"

The teacher patted the basket beside her, which contained a number of fruit knives, mini cutting boards, paper plates, toothpicks, and other tools for cutting fruit.

However, cutting enough pears for an entire grade of students is a huge undertaking, and we also have to help distribute the lunchboxes.

"Let's divide the work."

After Hayama made this suggestion while looking at the piles of work, Miura, staring at his fingernails, spoke first:

I'll skip the cooking part.

"I can't help it."

"I'm fine with either."

The Ministry of Revenue and Ebina followed suit. At this point, Hayama thought for a moment and then said:

"Hmm, how should we divide the work... We shouldn't need too many people to distribute the bento boxes... How about this, the four of us will be in charge of distributing the bento boxes."

"Then let's go peel the pears."

Yuihama followed up with her answer, and the number of people in the two groups was roughly determined.

"...Wouldn't it be better if you went to distribute the lunchboxes?"

I asked her as I walked towards the river to get some pears.

"Huh, why... Ah, I know, you mean I'm not good at cooking, right? But peeling a pear is something I can do perfectly well!"

"No, that's not what I meant."

Yuihama is also very close to Miura's group, and I asked her if it would be okay if she went. Oh well, it doesn't matter.

We brought the pears back, prepared the fruit knife, and immediately began working. Yukinoshita and Yuihama were in charge of peeling, while Totsuka, Komachi, and I were in charge of plating and inserting toothpicks.

Yukinoshita moved with remarkable agility, and Yuihama confidently rolled up her sleeves, ready to show off her skills. However, she was already wearing short sleeves.

"Hmph, my skills have improved quite a bit."

"Really? That sounds intriguing. Let me see your skills."

Yukinoshita had been observing Yuihama with a smile... but her face gradually darkened.

Yuihama's pear, with its prominent curves, resembled a sexy goddess. What kind of technique was that? It was practically a Buddha statue carved with a single stroke (Note 28: simple carving using only a chisel).

Why is her body so uneven... Her cooking skills are frighteningly lacking.

"Why? I clearly saw Mom peel it so many times..."

"You're just looking..."

Despair immediately gripped the scene, but after a sigh, Yukinoshita mustered her spirits, picked up a fruit knife and a pear, and demonstrated how to peel them with practiced ease.

"Yuigahama-kun, you need to hold the knife in place, and then use your other hand to rotate the pear."

"Like...like this?"

"Wrong, the cut should be level with the pear. If you cut too deep, you'll cut into the flesh... You're too slow. You need to be quick, otherwise the warmth of your hands will thaw the pear."

"Are you my mother-in-law? Yukino, you become terrifying when you pick up a kitchen knife!"

"I'm sorry, there's no time now. Let's save the cooking class for next time."

I picked up a pear and tossed it to Komachi.

"Komachi."

"Heave-ho!"

After receiving the pear, Komachi quickly peeled it with the extra fruit knife.

"You switch places with us and go stick toothpicks in."

“Ugh…”

Yuihama was very unwilling to accept it, but she still reluctantly handed over the fruit knife.

Since it was my suggestion to switch jobs, I couldn't let anything slip, so I was more careful than usual when I was cutting.

Swish! Swish! Swish! The pear gradually revealed its fresh, ripe flesh, like an innocent young girl taking off her clothes one by one. Excellent, excellent—I kept cheering in my mind.

Very good, very good. Your skills haven't declined. I'm a man determined to be a stay-at-home dad, and I'm willing to put in any amount of effort just to avoid working.

Totsuka looked at my hands, his eyes shining.

"Hachiman, you're amazing!"

"Ugh! Really! How come this autistic guy is so skilled... It's so uncomfortable."

"What are you 'groaning' about... Huh? Are you feeling unwell?"

I was secretly shocked.

"...For a boy, your movements are indeed very skilled."

It's rare for Yukino to praise me... no, this might be the first time she's ever praised me.

I couldn't help but look down at the snow—

"but……"

A pile of rabbit-shaped pears appeared in front of her.

"It's still a long way off."

That radiant smile, as if boasting "I won," was truly dazzling. This woman, just to demonstrate a difference in skill, mass-produced shaped pears in such a short time—it was almost too much of a show of defiance…

"The skin of a pear is very hard, so it will definitely be easier to eat after peeling it off... Okay, okay, I give up."

"Oh dear, I'm not competing with you."

Yukino said this after I gave up, but her voice couldn't hide her joy.

Although I wasn't particularly happy, Yukinoshita's good mood improved my overall work efficiency, so I'll just consider it a good thing.

She was in high spirits when she spoke to Komachi beside her:

"Komachi's high school entrance exam coming up soon, right? Let me test you: which prefecture produces the most pears?"

"Yamanashi Prefecture!"

"Hey, you idiot, don't just answer without thinking. At least use your brain for a second."

Komachi's answer saddened me. Is it really okay for her to take the exam like this? It seems I'll have to supervise her studies when we get back.

Yukinoshita glanced at Komachi with a wry smile, then turned to ask Yuihama.

"It's okay, there's still time before the exam, so let's start studying now... So, Yui-san, do you know the answer?"

Perhaps anticipating that Yukinoshita would then ask her a question, Yuigahama answered confidently:

"Hmph... Tottori Prefecture!"

"No, please go back to high school and reread it."

"Why are you treating me colder than you treat Komachi!"

Because you are a high school student and Komachi is a middle school student, don't blame Yukino for treating you differently.

However, it's a bit of a shame to answer with Tottori Prefecture; if we go back a decade or so, that would be the correct answer. Currently, Tottori Prefecture ranks around third in pear production.

Upon hearing Yuihama's reply, Komachi immediately smiled smugly and said:

"Heh, heh, heh~ Komachi knows the correct answer. Since it's not Tottori Prefecture, it means... Shimane Prefecture!"

"No, and I can't understand your reasoning."

"It's probably because 'Tottori' and 'Shimane' feel very similar..."

Residents of Chiba Prefecture have a rather weak understanding of geography outside the Kanto region. When it comes to geography, they are only interested in their own ranking within the Kanto area. Tokyo and Kanagawa firmly hold the top two positions, so they are already extremely busy just trying to compete with Saitama Prefecture for third place.

"So, Yukinoshita-san, which prefecture is the answer?"

Totsuka asked her for the correct answer.

Chiba Prefecture.

"As expected of Yukimoto Encyclopedia, you could rename it 'Chiba Encyclopedia' now."