My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

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Komachi's recommended souvenir list!

The third-ranked dish is Nama-Yahashi (Note 30: a triangular, flat confectionery with a filling in the middle, a famous Kyoto product). It can be either the original, main store, or other names.

Second place: Yujia Ya oil-absorbing sheets (I'll include some for my mom too).

First place: The answer will be revealed after the commercial break!

...This kind of suspenseful tactic is infuriating.

"What exactly is number one...?"

"The number one reason is listening to my brother talk about his wonderful memories of his graduation trip."

She answered with a smile. What a clever little devil, but so cute...

"Kyoto has many shrines where you can make a connection, so remember to visit one!"

"You don't need to worry about that, just focus on your studies!"

"Yes, then, please say hello to everyone for Komachi."

"understood."

Why do I have to go to so many places now...? It's okay, things like Nama-Yahashi are unlikely to be sold at the station; Yojaya oil-absorbing sheets are so famous that even I know them, so I should be able to buy them at the station.

So, the remaining places to go are...

...While you're at it, go and pray to the deity who blesses your studies.

Volume 7, Part 5: As you can see, Yui Yuigahama worked very hard.

Hello everyone! I'm Hachiman! Today I'm heading to Tokyo!

I hopped on the train and headed to Tokyo to catch the Shinkansen.

I got up really early, ready to leave early, and met my parents who were getting ready for work. They were still adding things to their souvenir list from Komachi. But Dad, I'm not an adult yet, so even if I just run errands, I can't buy any sake. So, I'll accept the money you give me to buy sake!

Chiba is not far from Tokyo, arguably the closest prefecture to the city. In other words, Chiba is the closest prefecture to the capital, making it practically a "quasi-capital." Thinking about it that way, isn't Chiba almost the capital itself? Awesome, Chiba is absolutely fantastic!

Taking the Sobu Rapid Line will take you directly to Tokyo Station without any transfers. The Keiyo Line is also an option. Super fast, Chiba is incredibly fast!

However, the platforms of the Sobu Rapid Line and the Keiyo Line are also notoriously neglected at Tokyo Station. The Sobu Rapid Line's platforms are buried deep underground, so deep it makes you wonder if they're there to drill for oil; as for the Keiyo Line's platforms, they're similarly so remote it makes you wonder if this is even Tokyo Station. And Chiba is incredibly far away…

If you want to take the Shinkansen, Shinagawa Station is a bit far, but at least it's more convenient.

Tokyo is so far from Chiba, how rural must Chiba be? If Tokyo is rural, then Kyoto, which is even further away, must be some kind of hidden paradise.

I took the local train from the station near my home and transferred to the Sobu Rapid Line at Tsudanuma Station.

The train, stopped on the platform, was about to depart. I hurriedly ran into the carriage, letting out a gasp as the doors closed. Luckily, I made it in time... I looked up and met a pair of clear, icy blue eyes.

"..."

"..."

We looked at each other in bewilderment.

The other person looked out the window in a panic, their black and blue ponytail swaying.

Saki Kawasaki—I finally remembered her name and silently repeated it in my heart.

Oh right, I think we lived quite close by. Our houses were separated by a national highway, so we were assigned to different school districts in junior high school. However, the nearest bus stops to our houses were adjacent, so when transferring to the Sobu Rapid Line, we always changed buses at the same stop.

Kawasaki glanced at me, and we made eye contact again. She immediately looked away and gazed out the window.

What exactly happened...?

I missed the golden opportunity to say hello, but leaving felt like surrendering and losing half the battle. So I was stuck there, unable to move.

Four or five minutes before arriving in Tokyo, Kawasaki and I could only lean against the doorway on either side.

As soon as I stepped onto the platform of Tokyo Station, I recognized the students wearing our school uniform in the crowd.

It seems everyone came here together. Ha, you guys are too scared to come to Tokyo alone? Are you country bumpkins from the countryside? Hey, hey, hey, follow my lead, okay? I came here alone! Do I have a chance to stay in Tokyo, pursue my dreams, and become famous?

After climbing a seemingly endless staircase, I finally returned to the ground, but I was still indoors, so I couldn't see the sun, the blue sky, the stars, or the moon... What a concrete jungle.

In this metropolis, like a parched concrete jungle, teems with people. I've already started to miss Chiba; I long to go home…

I floated and swayed in the surging crowd, being transported to the Shinkansen boarding area. In the crowd, I was changed little by little, and I couldn't help but wonder if I would be constantly criticized by you, who was far away (Note 31 is from the lyrics of "Graduation Photo" originally sung by Yumi Matsutoya).

The Shinkansen area was already packed with students from our school, making the already crowded Tokyo Station even more unpleasant. Amidst all this people, I was still alone. In English, this is called HATCH BOTCH STATION (Note 32: "HATCH" is pronounced the same as the Japanese word for "eight," and "BOTCH" is the same as the Japanese word for "lone wolf"; the whole phrase sounds similar to the old NHK children's program "HATCH POTCH STATION").

"Hachiman!"

Among a large group of students, someone called my name. Almost no one in the entire grade called me "Hachiman." To be more precise, the number of people who could even correctly pronounce my surname "Hachiman" was close to zero.

At this moment, the person who calls me by my name so intimately...

"Hachiman... Kyoto is the hometown of my soul, how I miss it. Woohoo! Woohoo! (Note 33: The original text here is "ルフランルフラン", which comes from the French word "refrain". Yoko Takahashi has a song called "魂のルフラン (魂の轮回)"!)!"

...Oh right, this guy also calls me "Hachiman" directly.

The timber stand walked towards them while making strange coughing noises.

"What's up?"

"Hmm, how could I possibly need to talk to you? I just ran out of battery on my NDS early, so I'm looking for another way to kill time."

"Oh, really. Hey, your luggage is huge, are you planning to hide deep in the mountains?"

The timber stand was carrying a large, bulging bag that was stuffed full; I have no idea what was inside.

He patted the bag on his back and pushed his glasses up with his middle finger.

"Oh, I'm going to Mount Kurama to practice my swordsmanship."

"Mt. Kurama? The location is indeed a bit remote. They have a good eye for it."

In fact, Mount Kurama is also a popular tourist attraction, but it is a bit far from Kyoto city, so it would be difficult to see all the places in a short time.

"Hmm. Although it wasn't my decision, training with a tengu isn't without its fun."

"Are you still planning to go to Kishin? Well, in some ways, it's quite comfortable not having to decide for yourself, I think that's good."

"Yes, that meets my expectations. There are indeed dream shops in the world that people want to visit in person... Speaking of which, shouldn't you criticize my setting? Otherwise, it's not very interesting."

The wood base pouted in dissatisfaction. However, complaining about your chuunibyou (delusional) personality is completely useless; it's faster to just ignore it. I'm not going to be kind enough to complain for you.

"Isn't it great to be able to go wherever you want? This is a rare opportunity, have fun!"

"Hmm, so Hachiman, where are you planning to go?"

"Well, it's a long story. I still haven't decided what to do by the third day."

"The third day is a free day for visiting? Hmm, you can come shopping with me at the Dream Shop."

"That's fine too..."

Although I'm not particularly keen on going with the shopping group, I am somewhat interested in the shopping itself. Unfortunately, the third day already has a Service Club activity scheduled, so it's best not to accept any other invitations for now.

"It's almost time to meet up (Note 34: The original text uses "approximately" instead of "approximately," which sounds similar to "独行侠" (polcchi))."

"He's definitely a lone wolf... Hmm, alright, see you in Kyoto."

"Uh, I think we probably won't run into each other..."

After saying goodbye to the woodworker, I started looking for my classmates in Class F.

I casually stayed on the periphery of the group, as if I belonged to that group. I turned around and looked around, and spotted a familiar face in a noisy corner.

It was Hayama and his group.

Therefore, Class F must be there without a doubt.

Hayama and his group were positioned at the core, with several small groups scattered around the perimeter. My task now was to remain quietly on the outermost edge. It was time to activate my Shadow Technique. This skill's effect was to make me undetectable to those around me, but recently, perhaps due to my level increase, it had gained an additional effect: "I always feel like every time I notice that guy, he's already silently appeared nearby." The fact that they were aware of my presence clearly indicated that my overall aura was increasing.

Finally, the time to gather arrived.

The students, who had been scattered everywhere, gathered together in an instant and formed an orderly line.

After roll call by class, the next step is entering and marching. Are we about to participate in the sports meet?

Next, we had to take attendance by group to confirm the number of participants. At this point, I was finally able to reunite with my group member, Totsuka. This is the Space Encounter Arc (Note 35 is from the PS2 game "Mobile Suit Gundam: Space Encounter Arc")!

"Hachiman!"

Someone who calls me by my name directly this time is definitely right... What a comforting voice...

Good morning, Totsuka.

"Yes, good morning, Hachiman."

I greeted Totsuka and we exchanged a few words before following the group to the Shinkansen platform. Our train had already arrived.

All students filed into the carriages assigned to their respective classes.

The seating arrangement on the Shinkansen is quite peculiar. Each row has five seats, which are then divided into two groups of three on one side and two on the other, separated by an aisle. This arrangement becomes awkward, especially for groups of four going on a graduation trip. If two people sit on each side, it's not a problem; however, if it's a group of three plus a lone traveler, the three end up crammed into one side, while the lone traveler sits on the other, looking at them across the aisle. Alternatively, they might choose an unfortunate person from the group to sit next to the lone traveler under the guise of "taking care" of them. The former arrangement leaves the lone traveler alone, which is actually a relief for the lone traveler; but if someone is forced to sit next to them, the entire journey will be filled with silence. Eventually, the unfortunate person who was forced to sit next to them can't stand it anymore and starts chatting with their original companion across the aisle, leading to a tragic ending where no one is happy.

Faced with the Shinkansen, a mode of transportation that seems designed to cause tragedies, how will we handle the seating arrangement for this graduation trip?

Me, Totsuka, Hayama, Tobe.

For these four people, sitting in pairs is the best option.

However, let's not forget that this is a graduation trip, a big event for the whole class, involving all sorts of complex factors. The correct rule is to observe which person chooses a seat first, and then everyone else decides their seats in turn. Even though everyone is on the bus, they're all looking at each other, unable to decide where to sit. The current situation is a bit like a game where "whoever moves first loses."

"Wow~ Shinkansen and airplanes are so exciting~"

Before the train departed, the carriage was filled with noise. The Minister of Revenue walked along the aisle, constantly looking around.

"I've never been on an airplane."

"This is my first time riding the Shinkansen."

Ooka and Yamato followed behind, chatting excitedly. They had been hanging out together at the station, so it was only now that they naturally came in together. Two other boys from their group followed behind them.

Next up were Miura, Yuihama, Ebina, and Kawasaki, a group of three plus one good friends.

I want to sit by the window.

The woman with long, golden curls spoke up to indicate where she wanted to sit, while the woman with a brown bun, upon receiving instructions, began arranging the seats.

"Then I'll sit by the aisle. Himeko, where are you guys going to sit?"

Upon hearing this, the short black-haired bob considered for a moment and then passed the question to the long ponytail.

"Hmm... Sasha, which one do you think is the bottom, the one by the window or the one in the hallway?"

"No matter where I sit, I feel... what?"

Kawasaki couldn't understand what he was hearing and froze on the spot, while Ebina was practically drooling.

"Ebina, shut your mouth."

Miura forcefully pushed Ebina's jaw upwards, while Yuihama watched with a wry smile.

On their graduation trip, the four girls chatted as usual. "Kawasaki, congratulations on making friends! Your brother is very proud of you."

Seeing that everyone was still undecided about seating, Ye Shan spoke up in a calm and clear voice:

"Why not just pick any seat? We can always change seats later."

After he finished speaking, he chose a three-seater in the middle row and sat down by the window.

"That's true."

The Minister of Revenue then sat down next to him.

"Then, I'll sit by the window."

Miura turned his chair to face the opposite direction, sitting directly opposite Hayama. True to form, Miura didn't care what others thought; he simply chose where he wanted to sit.

"Yui, Ebina, come on."

She crossed her long legs, leaned back in her chair like a young lady, and patted the empty seat next to her. What kind of invitation was that? It was natural and stylish, though.

"Yumiko sits there, and Kebu sits there, um..."

Yuihama made a sound that only she could hear as she fell into thought, but before she could reach a conclusion, Ebina pushed her from behind.

"Okay, okay, Yui, sit there, I'll sit here."

"Ah, Himawari!"

Ebina immediately grasped Kawasaki's hand, not giving Yuihama a chance to complain.

"Kawasaki is sitting across from me~"