Yukinoshita’s Method of Correction [35]

Higashigumo irritably scratched his head. “Look, I’m just basing my guess on the experience of… a friend of mine, combined with the clues we currently have.”

“All of us are only guessing,” Yukinoshita Yukino said calmly, brushing back her hair. “Or do you think your guess is somehow beyond doubt?”

“Fine,” Higashigumo exhaled deeply. “I…”

“You have a friend,” Yukinoshita continued expressionlessly, interrupting him. “To simplify things, let’s assume this ‘friend’ is actually you.”

“This time, it really is my friend.” Higashigumo’s gaze became complicated. “One Christmas, this friend’s roommate went out on a date, leaving me—leaving my friend alone in the apartment.”

“You might as well pretend this friend is you,” Yuigahama Yui suggested helpfully. “It’ll be easier for you to explain and for us to listen, and we’ll just pretend it’s not actually you.”

“It really wasn’t me in the first place...” Higashigumo cleared his throat. “I’ll just say it from my perspective, then. On that Christmas night, I turned on the bathroom lights and the hot water, filling the room with steam and warm, glowing light, like some holy miracle had appeared."

“I sat at my computer, separated from the bathroom by the living room, posting online, pretending I was just waiting for a girl to finish her shower and join me."

“But in reality, I was the one who turned on the water. There was no one in the shower."

“My roommate came back with his date. He stared in surprise at the bathroom door, then asked me if I’d brought a girl home."

“I should’ve been honest, but the truth was too pathetic."

“So I said yes, I’d brought someone home."

“My roommate patted me on the shoulder, smiling knowingly, and disappeared into his room with his girlfriend."

“Later, my roommate told others I had a girlfriend."

“People asked me, ‘Is it true?’"

“I had no choice but to say yes. I couldn’t admit that I’d turned on the water myself, that the bathroom was empty."

“And so I entered a troublesome period of my life."

“I couldn’t join any more of the singles’ hangouts after work because everyone thought I had a girlfriend."

“People around me became curious about my mysterious girlfriend, wanting to meet her."

“But I didn’t have a girlfriend. I’d turned on the water myself, and the bathroom was empty."

“I kept refusing their invitations. They thought we’d had a fight and encouraged me to buy her little gifts."

“Cute presents, lipsticks with shades I couldn’t distinguish."

“A girlfriend would be happy to receive them—if only I had one."

“To avoid suspicion, I even bought sanitary pads and left them conspicuously open in my room, pretending someone actually needed them."

“Pretending someone actually existed who needed them."

“Slowly, everyone came to believe I really had a girlfriend."

“No one knew that I’d turned on the water myself, and that the bathroom had always been empty.”

Higashigumo sighed deeply. “That’s my... friend’s real experience. So when I heard Sasaki had a girlfriend nobody had actually seen, my immediate thought was—why are you all looking at me like that?”

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize…” Yuigahama sniffled gently, “Higashigumo, lots of girls actually like guys like you.”

“No, wait…” Higashigumo rubbed his forehead, frustrated. “It really was my friend’s story!”

“I get it, I understand.” Komachi’s eyes reddened slightly. “Can you at least tell me your type? Maybe someone I know would suit you. I could introduce you two.”

“I’m not planning on dating anyone right now,” Higashigumo sighed again. “Seriously, don’t misunderstand. It’s not about me.”

Yukinoshita, unusually gentle, smiled kindly, her eyes full of sympathy. “I know a few banks with very attractive ATM designs...”

“Now you’re just bullying me!” Higashigumo indignantly protested. “Why would you start recommending ATMs?”

Yukinoshita tilted her head slightly. “I recall that’s your preferred type.”

“Who in the world prefers ATMs?!” Higashigumo huffed sarcastically. “I prefer rich older women, actually—yet you never introduce me to any of those.”

Yuigahama and Komachi simultaneously glanced at Yukinoshita, then back at Higashigumo: “Ooh~~”

“In any case…” Yukinoshita shot Higashigumo a sharp glare. “It’s very likely Sasaki’s girlfriend never existed.”

“Huh?” Yuigahama, abruptly returning to the original topic, voiced her confusion. “But why would he…”

“Remember, there’s a pair of childhood friends in their club,” Higashigumo reminded her gently.

“And even though Miki initially chose Sasaki’s poster, she quickly changed her choice out of concern for Hojo’s feelings, so Sasaki might’ve…” Yuigahama paused, quickly scrolling the video. “Wait—didn’t Tanaka film it here?”

“He only filmed a silhouette.” Komachi played back the clip. For the brief moment it appeared, the shadow remained completely still. “For someone who makes props like Sasaki, creating a model to cast a shadow on the curtain would be easy—and somehow, no one noticed.”

“Hojo likely sensed something wasn’t right, but rather than suspecting Sasaki’s girlfriend was fake, he probably suspected Miki was secretly dating Sasaki,” Yukinoshita pointed to the poster. “That’s why Hojo stayed late every night, obsessively drawing posters and deliberately leaving the clubroom door open.”

“That explains this part too,” Yuigahama observed, watching Sasaki on the screen leave the prop room, put down the models, and reach into his pocket. “He wasn’t looking for fishing line—he intended to lock the door. But remembering his imaginary girlfriend was supposedly inside, locking the door with someone inside would seem strange, so he left it unlocked.”

“Then, while Sasaki and Tanaka were filming downstairs, Miki went to the prop room to borrow a model for Hojo’s reference,” Komachi reasoned logically. “She likely knocked first, asked if anyone was inside, and when no one answered, she entered. Seeing the silhouette behind the curtain, she assumed it was Sasaki’s girlfriend. When she didn’t respond to questions, Miki decided to peek behind the curtain…”

“She probably saw a dressed mannequin wearing a wig or something...” Higashigumo imagined it vividly, feeling distinctly uncomfortable. “Piecing everything together, she quickly understood the truth. Perhaps she got curious, or frightened, and accidentally knocked over Sasaki’s ‘girlfriend’.”

“When Sasaki saw movement in the prop room, he immediately knew someone else had entered, which explains why his expression became so dark,” Yukinoshita continued, watching the footage carefully. “Then, going upstairs and seeing the model in the Film Club room, he realized it had to be either Hojo or Miki who’d discovered his secret.”

---

T/N: I HAD THE SAME LINE OF THOUGH! THERE WASW NO GIRLFRIEND!

This is a fan translation of 雪之下的矫正方式 by 微凉温热 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!