My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 125

The family that Yukino grew up in was certainly not ordinary. Her family background was beyond question, and others included Haruno, as well as her mother, who was above Haruno and could sense something unusual.

There must be something wrong with their families.

That's what I think, but it's not for us outsiders to comment on how other people's families are doing.

"I don't think we should interfere in other people's domestic affairs."

"Hmm..." Yuihama thought for a moment, "Do-Domestic... Ah, is it DV?"

"Don't spout nonsense after learning just a little bit, or I'll beat you up."

"Could it really be a DV camera?"

This is not domestic violence; it's just visual.

"In short, wouldn't it be better if we all just pretended not to know anything about that accident or her family's affairs?"

In other words, it's something that's not to be made public. What Yukino doesn't want us to touch, we shouldn't touch.

We can't possibly understand each other perfectly, and if the other person pretends to know us well, we'll get angry too. There are many things in this world where indifference is the best choice.

For example, if we tripped and fell while carrying heavy luggage in the rain, or were scolded by the teacher in front of the whole class, we would always hope that no one would come to talk to us afterwards.

Well-intentioned words not only fail to comfort people, but may even cause secondary harm. Everyone should really recognize this.

Sometimes, compassion and mercy can be the last straw that breaks a person's back.

"Is it really okay to stay ignorant...?"

Yuihama seemed unable to understand and stopped walking, looking down at her feet, so I stopped as well.

"I don't think ignorance is a bad thing. If you know more, the troubles will also increase dramatically."

Knowing something undoubtedly involves taking on more risk. Many things would make us much happier if we remained ignorant. People's true feelings are the best example of this.

People will more or less deceive themselves and others while they are alive.

Therefore, the truth is always hurtful. It can only shatter someone's peaceful life completely.

For the next few seconds, we remained silent.

In the silence, Yui Hama figured out the answer in her own way.

"But I still want to know more... I hope we can get to know each other better and strengthen our relationship. I also want to help her when she encounters difficulties."

Yuihama took another step forward and walked ahead of me, while I followed one step behind her.

"Hey autistic guy, if Yukino is having any troubles, please remember to help her."

"..."

I couldn't think of a way to respond to her request.

Let alone a few seconds, even if I had twice or even ten times more time, I would never have come up with the same answer as her.

I don't intend to delve any deeper. I've never done so before, and I never will again.

"No, that's impossible."

There won't be any trouble under the snow. Even if there were, she wouldn't ask me for help, and I wouldn't intervene.

I had hidden several meanings in my words. Yuihama listened, looked up at the starry sky, and kicked away a pebble with her clogs.

"However, you will still help her."

"Who would know about something like that?"

Before I could ask Yuihama why she thought that way, she turned around and looked at me first.

"Because, didn't you save me back then?"

"I told you, it was just a coincidence. I didn't save you because I knew you, so it can't be considered that I saved you."

Whether it was her gratitude or trust in me, or anything more—it was all an illusion, a misunderstanding.

Not only me, but any evaluation of what anyone else could do doesn't qualify as an affirmation of me. Evaluations of actions and evaluations of character are entirely different things. We can't judge someone as a good person just because we see them do one good deed. Similarly, if my character were affirmed simply because I rushed out to save Yui, it would be quite troubling for me. Therefore, Yui's sentimental conviction must be wrong.

"Don't have that kind of expectation of me."

I'll definitely disappoint her. It's better not to have any expectations of me in the first place.

I kept a certain distance from Yuihama as we walked. The clatter of my wooden clogs and the sound of my shoes scraping the ground mingled and echoed through the night streets.

The discordant footsteps continued, and that mere step never seemed to be completed.

However, Yui suddenly stopped, catching me off guard and causing me to lean forward, which quickly shortened the distance between us.

She turned around, and the soft moonlight shone on her face.

"Even if that accident hadn't happened, you would still have helped me, which is why we came to watch the fireworks together today."

"How could that be... I can't help you at all."

It makes no sense to assume that something never happened.

There is no such thing as "what if" in life.

Life is nothing but constant regret.

Nevertheless, Yuihama slowly shook her head. Her moist eyes reflected the light of the streetlights.

"No, that won't happen. Didn't you say that even without that accident, you would still be alone? So that accident isn't the reason you don't have any friends... Because of my personality, I was bound to be introduced to the Service Club sooner or later, and that's where I met you..."

Her fantasy, which seemed so real, unexpectedly carried a sense of truth, so I couldn't easily dismiss or refute it. If Yuigahama, Yukinoshita, and I had met in different ways, we might have built a completely different relationship.

Just as I was thinking this, Yuihama continued speaking enthusiastically.

"You'll definitely still use that same idiotic, stupid, and reckless method to solve my problems. And then—"

Gudong.

I couldn't tell if it was me gasping for breath or the sound of her strong heartbeat.

She said no more.

I looked up, curious about what she was going to say next, and our eyes met.

"And then, I—"

Buzzing... This time it was the phone making a muffled vibration sound.

"ah."

Yui glanced at the small bag beside her, intending to ignore her phone and continue talking.

"I will definitely—"

"Don't you need to answer your phone?"

I used that sentence to stop her from continuing.

Yuihama's gaze fell on the small handbag this time, and she gripped it tightly. The next moment, she quickly pulled out her phone, looked up, and laughed shyly, "Ahaha!"

"...It was Mom calling."

After apologizing to me, she walked a step or two away to answer her phone.

"Yeah, I'm almost home. Oh, wait, no need, no need! Didn't you say I'd be there soon?"

After firing off a string of questions into the microphone, she pressed the end-of-call button, stared at the phone for a while, and then put it back in her handbag.

"My house is just ahead, please drop me off here. Thank you for bringing me this far... Goodbye!"

"Is that so..."

"Okay, goodnight."

Yui waved goodbye to me gently, and I raised my hand slightly in return.

"Um, then—"

Before I could finish speaking, she had already rushed home. Seeing her almost fall was quite worrying. After watching her disappear into a nearby apartment building, I also started my journey home.

As we passed through the bustling area, the excitement of the celebrations had not yet subsided, and drunkards and young men and women were arguing and shouting everywhere.

I didn't want to get involved with them, so I walked alone along the roadside. With each step I took, the surrounding noise and chaos seemed to fade away a little.

Once I reached a place where the crowds and skyscrapers had thinned out, the traffic gradually picked up. A car in the oncoming lane began to accelerate, its headlights dazzlingly bright, and I couldn't help but look away and stop.

However, this only lasted for a short time.

The gaze that had been elsewhere eventually had to return to what was ahead.

Volume 5, Chapter 7: So, what about Hachiman Hikigaya?

Summer on the calendar is coming to an end.

Today is the last day of summer vacation; tomorrow we'll be back to school. Although the cicadas have already started chirping, the sweltering heat hasn't subsided. It seems it will be quite a while before the true feeling of autumn arrives.

As the last day of August faded into the sunset, I prepared for the start of school the next day in the afterglow, packing my summer homework, which I had finished long ago, into my schoolbag.

Then I noticed that one of them was Komachi's independent research report. I guess I had printed out the paper copy for submission and then put it together with this pile of summer assignments.

I casually flipped through the report to review research on flame tests.

Fireworks have color because of the so-called "flame reaction".

If you put metals or salts in a fire, they will emit the colors characteristic of each element. The blue-white flame will also change its appearance depending on the element it comes into contact with.

This is surprisingly similar to us humans.

When different people come into contact with each other, they produce subtle reactions and ever-changing colors.

Even the same person will react differently to different people, producing completely different colors, just like colorful fireworks.

For example, Saki Kawasaki said she was a very unapproachable person.

She doesn't actively approach people, and judging from her type, it's unlikely she'll become friends with them. Therefore, for them, non-interference might be the best way to communicate.

For example, Kawasaki Taishi said she was beautiful, yet terrifying.

If we only consider appearances, this is the most apt description. In the eyes of others, she is like a sheer cliff in an icy sea.

Yoshiteru Zaimoto thought she was too upright, so he didn't dislike hurting others.

Part of his assessment is entirely correct, but I believe that hurting others is not a matter of whether she dislikes it or not, but rather that she doesn't know any other way.

After getting to know her, Totsuka Saika said she was a serious and meticulous person.

That's just her personality; sometimes she's even overly loyal to principles and rules, even though those principles are based on the justice she believes in.

After getting to know her, Komachi Hikigaya sensed her loneliness.

Whether it's the one moving out or the one seeing someone off, both will feel a sense of loneliness.

Of course, that was merely the sentimentality of an onlooker. No one could know their true feelings, perhaps not even herself.

In contrast, Hiratsuka Shizuka always protected her, deeply believing in her gentleness and understanding.

The teacher once said, "This world is neither gentle nor reasonable," so she must have had a very hard life. That makes sense. In her environment, eight or nine out of ten things could become stumbling blocks. The only thing that could be considered salvation is probably "friends." However, she might have suffered dozens or even hundreds of times more pain because of those "friends."

Nevertheless, Yukinoshita Haruno, who grew up with her, laughed at her, saying she was not worth mentioning at all.

With a cruel smile, Yang said that the poor but cute little sister was always chasing after her, never able to beat her older sister, and never receiving any loving glances.

I don't know whose caring gaze Haruno was referring to. Was it from a friend? Family? Relatives? Or fate? Whatever it was, only the strong Haruno Yukinoshita would feel sorry for her. I've never had that thought before.

Yui Yuigahama spent this time with her and even loudly proclaimed that she liked her.

Yuihama's words were completely genuine, accompanied by a childlike and heartfelt sob—the most beautiful confession I had ever seen. Even so, Yuihama felt a wall between herself and the other woman. But it was precisely because of this that Yuihama longed to get closer. That will was incredibly strong; she even sought my help, hoping to become an asset to the other woman.

So, what about Hachiman Hikigaya?

Could it be that I haven't discovered anything along the way?

I can somewhat understand her behavior patterns and the psychology that drives those behaviors, but that doesn't mean I can understand her feelings. It's just that we're in similar circumstances and positions that I've been able to happen to deduce similar answers.

No matter when or where, people only see what they want to see.

I think I found something similar to myself in her.

She maintained her proud and aloof nature, upheld her own sense of justice, and did not lament that no one understood her, nor did she give up trying to understand others. She truly possessed this extraordinary and perfect humanity that I so desperately desire.

I... don't want to know her any better.

The Yukino Yukinoshita I know is always beautiful, honest, and truthful; she dares to say what others dare not say; even without support, she remains steadfast.

Her beautiful figure was like a frozen azure flame, yet so fragile it evoked sadness.