My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected: After Story ―And So, the Snow Falls Quietly― - Frozen Gathering

The after-school chime echoed through the hallway. The air in the classroom remained heavy as ever. The stares of his classmates—a mixture of curiosity and pity—pricked against his back. Hikigaya Hachiman ignored them and sluggishly rose from his seat. By the window, Yukinoshita Yukino still had the same page open, for well over ten minutes now. Her profile was pale, and her long black hair cut her off from the classroom like a wall. A few meters away, Yuigahama Yui was talking with her friends. Her voice was bright. Her smile was perfect. But the bigger that smile grew, the sharper the ache in Hachiman's chest became. He could see it as clearly as if he were holding it in his own hands—she was forcing herself. A month ago, Hachiman had shouted that he wanted something genuine, and he had chosen Yukino. He had shaken off Yui's tears. He still believed that choice had been the right one. He believed it—but he had never imagined that being right would tear the three of them apart this badly. (*…Time to go.*) Without a word to anyone, Hachiman left the classroom. The connecting corridor leading to the special wing was thoroughly chilled. Late February. Beyond the window glass, in the courtyard, the bare branches of the zelkova tree stabbed into the cold sky. The urge to escape to the clubroom surged within him, but Hachiman's feet climbed the stairs on their own. Third floor of the main building. The student council room. Isshiki Iroha had summoned him. Yesterday, she had more or less forcibly appointed him vice-chair of the prom executive committee. There was no escape route left now. Standing before the student council room, he could hear faint voices from within. Hachiman let out a small breath and opened the door. There were already people inside. Across a desk, Yukino sat facing a familiar female student. Her black hair, reaching to her waist, was neatly trimmed, and her deep violet, narrow eyes left a striking impression. Her bearing was impeccable, her back perfectly straight. Shiromeguri Meguri. Former student council president of Soubu High School. She should have graduated last spring. "Oh my, hello. Hikigaya-kun." Noticing Hachiman, Shiromeguri offered a gentle smile. Her slightly troubled eyebrows spoke volumes about her kind nature. "…Hey." Hachiman gave only a slight nod and sat in a chair against the wall. Yukino glanced at him briefly, then immediately dropped her gaze to her lap. The tips of her loafers trembled faintly. (*Why is Shiromeguri Meguri here…*) The moment the question arose, the door burst open with a loud bang. "Sorry to keep you waiting! Wait, almost everyone's already here!" Her flaxen medium bob swaying, the petite Isshiki Iroha bounded in. Behind her stood Yuigahama Yui. The hair tied up in her signature bun looked stiff with tension. "Ah, Hikki… g-good work today." Yui greeted Hachiman with a strained smile and sat in the seat farthest from Yukino. Yukino, too, made no attempt to meet Yui's eyes. The two-meter space between them seemed filled entirely by an invisible wall of ice. Iroha swept her gaze over the atmosphere among the three of them, but deliberately adopted a cheerful tone as she stood before the whiteboard. "With that, I hereby commence the first meeting of the Graduation Prom Executive Committee!" She opened the file in her hands and began writing on the whiteboard with a marker. "Okay, I, Isshiki, will be serving as committee chair. And the vice-chair is—" "…Me, huh." "As expected of senpai, you catch on fast! So, Vice-Chair Hikigaya Hachiman-senpai. Decorations lead is Yukinoshita Yukino-senpai, and publicity lead is Yuigahama Yui-senpai." At Iroha's words, Yui looked up as if startled. "Huh? Me, publicity…?" "Yui-senpai, you're good at communicating things to people, aren't you? Plus, if a senpai with such a bright atmosphere handles publicity, the prom's image will definitely improve." "…Yeah, got it. I'll do my best!" Yui clenched her fist and nodded. What kind of pain lay hidden behind that smile—Hachiman understood it painfully well. Iroha continued, gesturing toward Shiromeguri Meguri. "And for this project, we've asked former student council president Shiromeguri Meguri-senpai to join us as a special advisor. Senpai, could you say a few words?" Shiromeguri rose quietly. Her violet eyes gazed directly at Yukino. "I did not come here merely out of nostalgia or to lend a hand to my kouhai." Her voice was calm, but beneath it lay a firm resolve. "As I imagine you all know, in last year's student council election, I lost to Yukinoshita-san. On the surface, I stepped aside gracefully. However—deep in my heart, something has continued to smolder all this time." Yukino's shoulders twitched. "The frustration of losing. And, more than anything… my admiration for Yukinoshita-san. She possessed everything I lacked. Intelligence, decisiveness, a strength that refuses to be swayed by anyone. I could not defeat someone like her. But—" Shiromeguri paused, drawing a deep breath. Her eyes glistened faintly. "This time, I want to create something together with you. Not about winning or losing—I want to face you head-on, truly, and complete something together. That is my… way of settling things." A profound silence fell over the room. Yukino bit her lip and looked up at Shiromeguri. Her blue eyes wavered. As Hachiman gazed at Yukino's profile, he felt something creak deep in his chest. Shiromeguri's words had pierced his own heart as well. Facing someone head-on. Was that something he was capable of right now? Yui tried to smile at the two of them—and failed. Her mouth was smiling, but her eyes were not. She quietly lowered her gaze and gripped the hem of her skirt tightly. (*Again, I'm not doing anything.*) Hachiman stared at his own hands. How could he melt the wall of ice between Yukino and Yui? Was it even something he should melt? He still had no answer. "Alright then, regarding the budget proposal—" The moment Iroha began to speak, the door of the student council room opened without a sound. The atmosphere changed in an instant. It felt as if the room's temperature had dropped two or three degrees all at once. A chill crawled up his spine. Every pore on Hachiman's body was sounding an alarm. "Oh my, my. Doing something fun, are we?" Jet-black hair reaching to her waist. Blue eyes identical to Yukino's. But what lurked within those eyes was a fathomless darkness that her sister lacked. Yukinoshita Haruno stood there, a perfect smile plastered on her face. She closed the door behind her. The small click of the latch echoed unnaturally loud. The color drained from Yukino's face. Her fingers trembled minutely on the desk. Her lips moved slightly, but no voice came. She could only stare at her sister. Deep in Hachiman's chest, a flame roared to life. (*This woman—she's the root cause of what reduces Yukino to this state.*) As if she were entering her own home, Haruno walked with unhurried steps to the center of the room. Her gaze caught Hachiman for just a moment. Her mouth was smiling, but her eyes alone were frigid. It was the kind of look one might give an insect on the roadside. "Yukino-chan, you're not causing trouble for everyone, are you? Your big sister was worried and came to check on you." Haruno stood beside Yukino and gently placed a hand on her sister's shoulder. Yukino's body stiffened with a jolt. "…Nee-san. Why are you here." Yukino's voice was hoarse. A painful voice, as if wrung out of her. "Well, I heard my adorable little sister was putting on a prom. I thought I had to come support you. So I had a little word with the school." Laughing merrily, Haruno tossed a document onto the desk. It was an official notice bearing the school's letterhead. "Sorry, Iroha-chan. The prom budget has been frozen. I had a few conditions attached to the use of the Yukinoshita family's donations. Mother said you shouldn't waste money on pointless things." "…Wha—" Iroha's face stiffened. Haruno spun around and surveyed everyone. "But don't worry! I've come up with something nice instead. There's a really gorgeous event hall near Makuhari Messe. It's much nicer than the gymnasium, perfect for a prom. Why don't you use it? Of course, the Yukinoshita family will provide full operational backing, so you won't have to worry about a thing." She was smiling. A perfect, captivating smile. But every single word cut into Yukino's heart like a blade. Hachiman could see it clearly. Haruno's aim was not the prom itself. It was to obstruct Yukino's independence and keep her under her control. And to sever the bond between Hachiman and Yukino at its very root. "…Are you saying you want to hijack the prom?" Iroha spoke with a trembling voice. As student council president, she was trying to confront Haruno head-on. Her small fists were clenched so tightly they had turned white. "Hijack? That's a terrible way to put it. I just want to help, that's all. I mean, with no money and no venue, how exactly are you going to hold a prom? It's obviously impossible." Haruno tilted her head, speaking in a tone as if explaining something to a small child. Each word tore through the air of the room, chipping away at everyone's spirits. Yui hung her head, biting her lip. Her shoulders trembled. Shiromeguri's expression had gone blank, and she stared fixedly at Haruno. A quiet anger dwelled in those deep violet eyes. Yukino—was slumped over. Her sister's words had frozen her entire body. The moment he saw that, something inside Hachiman snapped. (*I won't let this woman toy with Yukino any more than she already has.*) Hachiman moved to stand. Calculations of self-sacrifice assembled in his head at a furious speed. Where was Haruno's weakness? How could he drive her out of here— But. "…In that case, try doing it yourselves." Iroha spoke first. She was staring straight at Haruno. Her usual mischievous, devilish smile was gone, replaced by a resolve as sharp as tempered steel etched onto her face. "We are not creating the Yukinoshita family's prom. We are creating Soubu High School's prom. Our prom. Even without a budget, even without a venue—we will absolutely not give up." Iroha's voice resounded to every corner of the room. Haruno's smile froze in an instant. She narrowed her eyes and looked down at Iroha. Her gaze held clear irritation, mixed with a faint hint of surprise. "…Hmm. I see. Interesting." After staring intently at Iroha for several seconds, Haruno turned on her heel. "Well then, do your best on your own. Though I doubt you'll be able to do anything. Ah—and, Hikigaya-kun." Haruno stopped at the door and glanced back at Hachiman over her shoulder. Her eyes were as cold as ice, seeming to see through everything. "Don't drag Yukino-chan into your pathetic self-satisfaction. You'll just end up sinking together in codependency." Leaving only those words behind, Haruno laughed merrily and exited the student council room. A heavy silence descended. No one could open their mouth. Budget: zero. Venue: undecided. All that remained was a hopeless situation and Haruno's poisonous words. Yukino clutched her trembling hands on the desk. Staring at Yukino's hands, Hachiman desperately tried to formulate a plan in his head. If he acted, maybe he could do something. He was used to playing the villain. If it meant protecting someone, he didn't care if he got hurt himself— "…Don't." Yukino's voice rang out, trembling but clear. She raised her face. Tears had gathered in her blue eyes, but deep within them dwelled a light of strong will that Hachiman was seeing for the first time. "…This is my fight. Don't interfere." "…Yukino." "I have to face Nee-san and Mother properly. If I don't, I'll never escape their curse for the rest of my life. The prom is… my first step toward that." She stood up. Her legs were still trembling. Her voice was not com

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Episode 2

Name: My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected: After Story ―And So, the Snow Falls Quietly―
Author: Novelia

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