My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 114

"Hmm, I saw you guys at the movie theater. I was going to go up and say hello, but I ended up following you all the way here. Hmm, looks like my optical camouflage is in excellent condition today."

"I think everyone is just pretending not to see you."

However, I didn't notice him because my eyes were only on Totsuka.

"Long time no see, Zaimokuza-kun."

"Mmm, mmm, guhahahaha!"

When Zaimokuza heard Totsuka greet him, he laughed nervously. Come to think of it, it's amazing that Totsuka could accept Zaimokuza so naturally... But if he can chat with someone like me, he can certainly talk to Zaimokuza too.

"Did you see that movie too?"

"Hmm. It's a pity that today's film was a complete failure. The unique dampness and gloom of Japanese horror films were completely gone. I don't know if I should say it was tainted by an American style, losing its sense of nobility in order to cater to the masses. It's a truly pathetic bad movie... Oh! As for my personal situation, I'm a bit special. Although I watch horror movies, I don't consider them as so-called Hollywood-style mass entertainment, but rather as works of literature. I guess that's influenced by Lafcadio Hearn. Pfft! I've inadvertently started showing off my profound knowledge. Oh dear~ How rude of me! I seem to have made myself sound like an otaku, but I'm definitely not an otaku!"

You're having another episode...

It's really a headache that people with chuunibyou (middle school syndrome) always know a bit about the occult. Besides Izumi Yakumo and Izumi Kyoka in the literary field, they also have some knowledge of folklore, such as Yanagita Kunio and Origuchi Nobuo, but it's really sad that they seem to die if they don't show off their knowledge.

By the time Zaimokuza finished speaking, I was completely ignoring him, but Totsuka patiently listened until the very end. Totsuka is so kind; even if that kindness came at a price, I wouldn't find it too strange.

"Hmm~ But I quite like that style."

"Mmm, I like it too."

“Eh!”

The attitude of the timber pedestal changed drastically in an instant. It happened so fast that I thought it was a flash of light.

"You're really something, changing your stance so quickly, you can really go toe-to-toe with those politicians..."

"Shut up! Hachiman, what do you think?"

"Regardless of whether it's interesting or not, it's clear that it's a big-budget production, and the plot is easy to understand."

After all, even when I was only focused on Totsuka halfway through the movie, I was still able to understand the plot to some extent.

"Yeah. The scene where the ghost suddenly jumped out was really shocking. I was really startled! I almost thought my heart was going to stop."

Only now do I realize my heart is about to stop. Watching Totsuka dramatically wave his hands to recreate the movie scene, trying so hard to express how terrifying it was, I felt my heart was about to give way.

"However, for someone like me who has lost the ability to feel fear, that's nothing. If I had to say, that 'person whose name I can't speak' is more terrifying."

Halfway through his sentence, Zai Muza suddenly began to tremble, as if recalling how terrifying Voldemort was. Aside from Yukinoshita, I can't think of anyone else who could terrify this guy to such an extent.

"Oh, yes, it's definitely scarier under the snow."

"Hachiman, what you said was really hurtful. Although I was a little scared at first too..."

Totsuka initially puffed out her cheeks in displeasure, ready to scold me, but the latter part of her voice weakened.

"She's so serious and meticulous in everything she does, so it must be terrifying."

"Another reason is that she's too frank. I never guess how badly she'll scold me."

In fact, whether it's watching a movie or anything else, even if everyone is looking at the same thing, they won't have the same feelings.

We might have similar feelings.

However, the very word "similar" is proof that our feelings are different.

We will only ever see what we want to see.

Whether it's your feelings about a movie or your impressions of a person, there will be as many interpretations as there are people in the world.

Therefore, statements like "I understand" or "I can comprehend" are utterly ridiculous. To think that one understands something is itself a sin.

However, we had to pretend to understand.

We must redefine our own and each other's existence based on our vague understanding of one another, and proclaim to the world "I understand the other" or "I am deeply understood by the other."

If we don't do this, our own existence will vanish without a trace.

This principle is precisely so ambiguous. The more we think about it, the harder it becomes to understand, and it even becomes like a gestalt collapse (Note 24: a psychological phenomenon that refers to the situation where a person suddenly does not recognize a word or character after staring at it for a long time).

With each collapse, we have to pick up some information again and reconstruct our own and others' appearances. This is nothing more than a simulacrum (Note 25: The human brain easily identifies an inverted triangle as a human face; this is called a "simulacrum"). It falls apart with the slightest touch, and is merely a clumsy and primitive appearance.

If we're talking about terror, this is what true terror looks like.

The air conditioning in the coffee shop made me shiver. I shrugged to stop the slight trembling.

Before I knew it, the drink in the glass was gone, so I had to put the glass down.

At this moment, the timber stand spoke:

"However, this is a good way to rest, and now I can focus on writing again. By the way, Hachiman, do you... do you want to see my... my original manuscript?"

Don't look up at me with a blush on your face, it's not cute at all!

"Let's talk about it after you finish writing the whole manuscript. But you still carry it with you all the time?"

"Hmm, that goes without saying. As a writer, it's only natural that I can write anytime, anywhere. I always carry my writing tools with me, such as my laptop, Pomera (Note 26, a simple word processor manufactured by KING-JIM Corporation of Japan), tablet, and smartphone."

There really are guys who feel a sense of accomplishment just by having all the tools they can think of.

Totsuka looked at the woodworker, who seemed to be smug about something, with respect in his eyes.

"So, Zaimokuza-kun always writes very diligently, huh?"

"I don't know if he's serious or not."

I can say with 100% certainty that Zaimokuza is absolutely not seriously writing anything. The more someone pretends to be a writer, the more they talk about creative theories, the less likely they are to actually write. To prevent Totsuka from developing any strange fantasies, I must first shut Zaimokuza's mouth shut, and perhaps stab him with a kitchen knife while I'm at it.

The woodworker seemed to sense my attitude and appeared extremely displeased.

"Pfft, I'm sorry, but I don't want to listen to your lecture. I think you're the one who's accomplished nothing."

"I guess so. I only attend summer intensive courses at cram schools and do some independent research."

"Huh? Is there such an assignment?"

Totsuka suddenly tensed up upon hearing this. It seemed he had finished his summer homework early before he started to relax.

"No, that's my sister's homework."

"Oh, it's Komachi's homework. Hachiman is such a good older brother!"

"It's nothing. If I were a really good brother, I would have let her write it herself."

"So, what did you study?"

"It's just a collection of information I found online."

"Huh? Is that alright?"

"Hmm~ Free research emphasizes 'freedom' anyway, so that level of intensity should be fine. If you take it too seriously, it might be unbearable for others."

"That's right. Especially since Komachi is a girl, I've heard it's better not to take things too seriously."

Komachi's only request was, "Don't stand out too much compared to others." Seriously? If I were to stand out, I'd be even more impressive than Dalsim (Note 27, a character in Final Fight who can float in the air. In Japanese, both "striking out" and "floating" are pronounced "fuku"). Isn't that a bit much? If you ask me how striking my brother is, saying he's so striking he could float into space wouldn't be an exaggeration.

That said, I myself have been ridiculed once for taking my independent research too seriously. So please, stop displaying those things on the cabinet at the back of the classroom.

"Those assignments are indeed quite difficult; it's hard to come up with any novel topics."

Totsuka said nostalgically.

Few people, upon hearing "anything is possible," can immediately think of research topics; they're not inventors.

"That's when our IQ is truly tested. In addition to academic skills, it also tests our creativity."

"Since Zaimokuza-kun aspires to be a writer, he must be quite good at it, right?"

"Although I can't tell how high his IQ is."

"Hmm, I'm actually the type with high EQ and a lot of emotional sensitivity."

EQ is the so-called emotional quotient.

The following is just my personal opinion: Anyone who brings up EQ when discussing IQ definitely has a low IQ; this has proven true time and again. As for those who mention ET, that's Steven Spielberg. I'd also like to add that anyone who mentions ED is practically a football legend, Pelé (Note 28: former famous Brazilian footballer, an advocate for erectile dysfunction (ED) treatment).

"So, someone even brought a mini 4WD car to school, saying they wanted to assemble it..."

Upon hearing this, the woodcutter shuddered violently and, for some reason, began to sweat. Was this guy a toad?

"Huh...huh? Hachiman, you went to the same elementary school as me?"

"You're that kind of person too... And don't revert to your old self over something so trivial!"

If I had to say, I'd much rather he just go back home (Note 29: The original Japanese word for "returning to one's original form" is "素に戾る", and the original word for "going home" is "巢に戾る". The two are pronounced the same.).

"I've also played with mini 4WD cars."

"What a surprise..."

"Huh? Why? I'm a boy too."

Totsuka let out a soft chuckle.

I tried to imagine Totsuka as a boy playing with mini 4WD cars. For some reason, I pictured him wearing a hat, a T-shirt, and sweatpants—he must have been incredibly cute back then… Oh, right, he's still just as cute now. Totsuka is so adorable, both then and now, he should be included in the *Konjaku Monogatari* (Note 30, a collection of folk tales from Japan's Heian period) and taught in schools.

"Hmm, you're no match for my giant G (Brocken Gigant). I've equipped it with a real hammer; in a head-on collision, it'll smash your opponent to pieces."

"To do something like that means you're a complete idiot... Damn it! I've installed razor blades on the Beak Spider myself, so I have no right to judge others..."

In addition, I also attached sewing pins to the Ray Stinger.

"But that's dangerous!"

Upon hearing Totsuka's rebuke, Zaimokuza and I exchanged bewildered glances.

"Don't worry, we're just playing by ourselves."

"Indeed. Lone wolves don't hurt others, they only hurt themselves."

"You must not hurt yourself."

"Yes……"

Faced with Totsuka's reproachful gaze, I sincerely reflected on my behavior.

"Hmm, umm... But I still have ways to modify the car's performance! Compared to other four-wheel drive cars, mine is as fast as the wind!"

The woodworker's boastful words really got to me.

"What? You think you beat my Black Spider? My Black Spider has small-diameter one-way wheels, Reston foam tires, ultra-high-speed gears, a high-torque motor, a body with both air cooling and lightweight design, stabilizer bars for high-speed cornering, and aluminum variable front wing guide wheels! This is theoretically the fastest configuration I can get!"

I always play by myself, so I've never actually tried it. After all, no one buys me tracks to play with my four-wheel drive cars, so I can only make tracks out of cardboard boxes. As a result, the cars get stuck together with duct tape and can't run properly at all.

After I finished speaking, a provocative smile appeared on the face of the man in charge of the timber.

"Heh heh heh, still using aluminum convertibles? Your information is pathetic... Weight will be the car's fatal flaw."

"You're talking nonsense! My Black Spider has a low center of gravity; that way it's stable and can perform at its best!"

"Oh...then do you dare to duel me?"

Zaimokuza and I glared at each other, neither of us giving an inch, both of us ready to throw a punch at any moment and shout "Go! Charge!"... Oh, no, the one throwing the punch is actually Jun Kenzaki from "Hot-Blooded Fist" (Note 31: "Charge" in the original text is "Magnum," and the character Jun Kenzaki from "Hot-Blooded Fist" has a special move called "Galactica Magnum").

We stared at each other in silence until an unexpected remark broke the deadlock.

"Ah, not bad! I sometimes want to play with it too. My Avante (Note 32: a Tamiya model four-wheel drive car released in 1988) is really fast!"

"Avant-garde?"

Why are they from completely different generations? And knowing which car to choose is incredibly expert-like! It's not the mainstream Boomerang or Emperor!

...However, upon closer reflection, it's possible that generations have different perspectives.

I've lost count of how many years have passed since I started playing with Mini 4WD cars. But I still retain the same passion I had back then. Even now, after a heavy rain, I still wield my umbrella like a sword, saving the world time and time again in my fictional world.

Perhaps when I grow up, I will still think about these things.

Even though people live in different generations, their roots are not different.

Therefore, a boy's time will never end.

FROM Zaimuzhao23:32

TITLE nontitle

Hmm, the original manuscript is finished. I'll attach it to the file and send it to you.

MAILER-DAEMON 23:32

TITLE Returned mail:see transcript tor details

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