My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 111

Just as I was about to take a step, Kawasaki spoke up somewhat awkwardly:

"Um... could you please tell her thank you for me? In the end, I still didn't say it."

"You tell me yourself."

"I should definitely say I'm right, but how should I put it... it just feels a little awkward."

Her tone softened slightly. I turned my head and saw that she was looking down, staring at her feet as she walked.

"Even if some people haven't done anything wrong, you still just can't get along with them, right?"

"yes."

There are indeed such people, so non-interference is the greatest concession one can make. To ensure peace between the two sides, one could choose not to intervene.

Interpersonal relationships are not limited to being inseparable, chatting happily, or having crazy fun all the time. Maintaining an appropriate distance is also a commendable behavior if neither party wants to hate the other.

For Saki Kawasaki, Yukino Yukinoshita was exactly that kind of person.

Although she had to acknowledge the other person, she still couldn't get close. She understood that stepping into each other's spheres wouldn't bring anything good, only unnecessary harm, so she avoided contact as much as possible. This wasn't escapism or avoidance, but a very practical way of coping, a sign of respect.

"Besides, I probably won't see her again anytime soon. If I miss this summer intensive course, we probably won't see each other again until the start of the new semester, but we're not in the same class. However, if it's a club activity, you should see her again soon, right?"

"No, I don't think I'll see her before school starts either."

At least I won't actively seek out Yukinoshita.

Thinking about it carefully, that's exactly the situation between us. We won't get close to each other unless someone pressures or forces us. Besides, I don't have her contact information.

We crossed the zebra crossing and descended the stairs leading to the building's basement, our footsteps echoing faintly around us.

"Besides, even if we meet, we don't necessarily have to talk."

"That makes sense. We don't usually talk much at school either."

"That's absolutely right."

However, if someone speaks to me, I will definitely answer politely, to the point of making them uncomfortable. But if the other person is a lone wolf like Kawasaki, I naturally relax and become more casual. Are we birds of a feather?

Before we knew it, we had entered the basement.

As soon as I stepped through the automatic doors, I saw Komachi sitting in a seat next to the drinks bar. She saw me too and waved.

"Ah, my brother's here!"

"Um."

I gave a brief reply and sat down next to her. Directly opposite me was a middle school student whose name sounded very similar to that of Master Sano (Note 14: This refers to "Master Kawasaki," which sounds similar to "Kawasaki Taishi." Master Kawasaki's formal name is "Hiramaji," and he is located in Kanagawa Prefecture.). He nodded to me after we made eye contact.

"Brother, I'm so sorry to have asked you to come all this way."

"Don't call me 'Big Brother,' or I'll kill you!"

"Hey, are you trying to fight my brother?"

Kawasaki sat across from me, radiating intense anger without uttering a word.

She glared at me so fiercely! That's why having a brother complex is really disgusting. The thought of being so close to my own family makes me feel incredibly uncomfortable. Stop it!

While Taichi helped soothe Kawasaki, who was baring his teeth at me, I used that time to press the service bell and quickly order from the staff.

I'll order two more drinks. As for the plan to smash Milanese-style baked bread in my face, Kawasaki is just too terrifying, so I'll have to give up on that idea.

I took a cup of coffee, sipped it, and then got down to business.

"Okay, didn't you need something from me?"

"Actually, I'd like to ask about Soubu High School."

"Why don't you ask your neighbor's sister?"

Saki Kawasaki and I went to the same high school and were classmates. If I didn't remind myself of that, I would have really forgotten.

"I still want to hear the opinions of other men!"

For some reason, Dazhi clenched his fist, looking quite excited.

However, even with his enthusiastic inquiries, I couldn't offer any valuable answers.

"Our school isn't anything special. I guess all high schools are pretty much the same, no matter where you go. Although the activities at each school may vary a bit, like the scale of the school anniversary celebration or the vibrancy of club activities."

I haven't seen other high schools, so I don't know if this statement is accurate, but that's certainly my impression. If we narrow it down to daytime general education courses, eight or nine out of ten high schools can be categorized into a few fixed types. Aside from special courses, they're all pretty much the same. Frankly, my expectations before entering high school were almost identical to the reality afterward, so I can draw this conclusion.

The only mistake was being forced to join the Service Society.

"Hmm? But if the deviation values ​​(Note 15) are different, won't that affect the school's atmosphere?"

Komachi tilted her head in confusion and asked.

"It's true that the higher the deviation value, the fewer delinquent students there should be, but there are also people who have high hopes for delinquent students."

As I said this, I glanced across at the other side. Kawasaki noticed my movement and glared back at me.

"Why are you suddenly looking over here... I'm not going to have any expectations."

Am I mistaken? I always felt she was the kind of person who would say something like, "Don't hit her face! Remember to hit her body, her body (Note 16: This is a line from the TV drama "3rd Year Class B Kinpachi-sensei," spoken by student Yamada Reiko. She instigated a large group of people to use vigilante justice against her classmates, but didn't do it herself.)", so subconsciously...

I was taken aback by Kawasaki's gaze, so I coughed lightly to cover it up and then returned to the original topic.

"In short, the only difference between junior high and high school is the proportion of different types of students. Everyone is starting to 'act like a high school student,' which makes things complicated."

"Like a high school student..."

Dazhi didn't quite understand and turned his head to one side.

"I don't know what you're expecting, but most people just yearn for the unrealistic 'high school' depicted in stories."

Note 15 refers to the academic ability deviation value, which is a normalized data obtained by using the collective mean and standard deviation of raw scores to judge a student's level and chances of university admission. The "student" image is created by a collective performance to make themselves appear more like them. The reality is that cruel.

I believe that no matter where you go, there are unwritten rules about "how high school students should behave," such as the following:

High school student code of conduct:

First, high school students should have people to socialize with.

Second, high school students should have a lot of friends, making a lot of noise like a bunch of lunatics.

Third, high school students should behave like "high school students" in TV dramas and movies.

Those who violate the above regulations will be punished by seppuku.

To use an analogy, consider the Shinsengumi, especially Hijikata Toshizo (Note 17, the Shinsengumi's vice-commander, who came from a commoner background). He was a fundamentalist in the Shido code, and because he couldn't be considered a pure-blooded samurai, he held a longing for the samurai.

If we want our ideals to be closer to reality, we have to force ourselves in some ways.

For example, if a guy wants to be popular with a girl, even if he is naturally introverted, he has to learn to read the girl's mood, send a bunch of annoying text messages, seize the opportunity to show his generous side, or make a lot of noise to make his presence known.

On the other hand, if a girl wants to make friends, even if the person originally has a pure and innocent style, she still has to dress herself up in the latest trendy clothes (laughs), attend every social event to accumulate achievements, and actively listen to the latest Japanese songs until she knows them by heart.

Even so, in order not to be excluded from the category of "ordinary" and to maintain the same values ​​as "everyone," they still have to work so hard.

"Ugh... I feel like I'm hearing a lot of annoying things..."

After hearing what I said, Dazhi's face darkened.

"Although these are my awkward but true insights, if you want to get along well with everyone, please be prepared to make a certain degree of sacrifice."

Living a different lifestyle is certainly painful, but living the same lifestyle as others is also painful. Conclusion: Living is truly painful.

"Oh dear, everyone has finished their drinks."

Komachi probably wanted to change the dull atmosphere, so she hummed a song and gathered everyone's cups together, probably intending to take them to the drink dispenser.

Kawasaki noticed this and stood up from his seat.

"I'll go with you. It's too much work for one person to carry so many drinks."

Komachi gratefully agreed and walked with Kawasaki to the drinks area, while I absentmindedly watched them leave.

At that moment, Daishi suddenly remembered something, abruptly raised his head, glanced at Komachi and Kawasaki in the distance, and leaned closer to say:

"Ahem, ahem... although this question is a bit strange..."

He started with that sentence before sneaking off to the main point.

"What are the girls like there? Aren't they cute? Don't you think that girl named Yukinoshita is an absolute beauty?"

Oh, that's his main point.

It turns out that he was so enthusiastic at the beginning because he was waiting to ask this question.

Since I've been asked this question, I'll think about it for a moment.

Hmm... to be honest, there are quite a few cute girls...

Honestly, I only remember "cute girls" and "ridiculous looks like they've been punched" in school, so I don't remember any ordinary girls.

"There are indeed many cute girls. Our school has an international wellness class where girls make up 90% of the class, so the overall number of girls naturally increases as well. By the way, the proportion of beautiful girls also increases."

"Wow! A dream scenario!"

What is that? It looks just like Bandai's corporate slogan, "Dream & Creation".

However, there are some things I need to make clear to him first.

"But, Daizhi..."

I spoke carefully, word by word.

"Your mother probably says this often, right? Even if you like a cute girl, she might not like you back."

"I...I've been brought back to reality!"

Dazhi opened his eyes wide, as if struck by lightning and received divine revelation; his previous restlessness vanished without a trace.

"The key is that you need to reach a state of complete resignation. The concepts of 'give up if you can't force it' and 'a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step' are very important."

Recently, I've also wanted to promote the principle of "know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated."

"Honestly, do you think you have a good chance of getting along with someone like Yukinoshita?"

"That makes sense... I certainly couldn't do that! That person is terrifying!"

That's very honest; I really want to give him a few axes as a gift. After all, the flowers beneath the snow aren't just high-mountain flowers, they're flowers that bloom in the Guyana Highlands (Note 18: a highland region in northern South America spanning six countries).

If you don't have a deep understanding of Yukino Yukinoshita, you might indeed find her terrifying, imposing, and incredibly arrogant.

That's what I thought at first too. Hmm... if that encounter in the clubroom that day counts as "the beginning".

"Ugh, Soubu High School... what a scary place, terrifying~~"

Daishi trembled involuntarily, and for some reason, he started speaking with a fake Kansai accent. I was a little annoyed by this, so I decided to continue my attack.

"Even if the environment changes, you can't change. Those who think things will change after entering high school are just fantasizing. I advise you to stop dreaming."

First, I need to shatter his unrealistic fantasies! Haha, although I did have a glimmer of hope for it too. But that kind of high school life is ultimately just a distant ideal; teaching him to face reality is my way of being gentle.

"Hey, don't go too far!"

When Komachi came back, she put down her drink and tapped me on the head. "No way! I didn't bully him! I just teased him a little"—I tried to make an infuriating excuse like a primary school student, but they really would say that.

"Dazhi, you don't need to take it too seriously. Instead of worrying about those things... you should think about whether you can pass the exam first."

Kawasaki sat back down next to Taishi, took a sip of his drink, and said this. Taishi's body stiffened instantly, and he began to mutter.

"Well……"

"Are you having any difficulties?"

"To be honest, it's a bit challenging given the current situation, so I've been urging him to study hard."

When I asked Daishi his question, he couldn't answer at all. In the end, Kawasaki answered for him and also scolded him. Daishi lowered his head in disappointment.

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu"

At this point, Komachi smoothed things over and helped Daishi regain his spirits.

"It's okay. Even if Taishi doesn't get into Soubu High School and goes to a different school than Komachi, Komachi will still be your best friend! No matter what happens, we'll always be friends!"

"No, no matter what happens, we'll still be good friends... Oh, I see..."

"Yes! Definitely a friend, a good friend of the primate family♪"

It turns out she came to deliver the final blow...

From my brother's perspective, I was certainly relieved; however, from the perspective of someone who is also a boy, I started to feel sorry for him. It's too pitiful to let Dazhi be so desperate.

"Okay, so... should I call it the goal? Once you figure out why you want to get into that high school, won't you have the motivation to study hard?"