My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 18

At this school, the content of physical education classes changes every month.

Physical education classes at our school are held jointly by three classes, with sixty boys participating in two different activities.

I've just played volleyball and track and field, and this month I'll be playing tennis and soccer.

Compared to teamwork, both Zaimokuza and I are forwards who value individual skills. If we chose soccer, we might cause trouble for our teammates, so we chose tennis instead... Besides, I had already given up soccer due to an old injury to my left foot. Although I've never played soccer before.

However, there were a lot of people who wanted to take tennis lessons this year. After a fierce rock-paper-scissors contest, I managed to stay in the tennis group, while the loser, Zai Muzuo, was assigned to the soccer group.

"Phew, Hachiman, it's a shame I can't show you my 'Magic Ball'... Without you here, who will I practice passing with?"

The wooden base, which had been putting on a brave face, finally gave a tearful, pleading look, leaving a deep impression.

But that's exactly the question I wanted to ask him!

And so, the tennis lesson officially began.

After a simple warm-up, Atsugi, the physical education teacher, explained all the movements.

"Alright, you guys have a sparring match. Go in pairs and spread out."

Then, everyone formed groups in twos and threes and dispersed to either end of the court.

Why are you all so quick to form groups without even looking around? Are you all masters of the no-look pass?

My lone radar keenly issued a warning.

No need to worry, I have already prepared a brilliant plan.

"Teacher, I'm not feeling well. Can I practice facing the wall instead? Otherwise, it might bother others."

Without waiting for Atsugi-sensei's response, I started hitting the wall, like I was playing a game of breaking bricks. Realizing he had missed his chance to speak, the teacher didn't say anything more.

It's perfect!

Using two excuses—"I'm not feeling well" or "I'll cause trouble for others"—can have a multiplier effect. Subtly expressing your desire to attend class is the key to this tactic's effectiveness.

After years of teaching physical education, this is the strategy I've learned for dealing with "finding your own classmates to form teams." I'll teach it to Cai Muzuo another day, and he'll be so happy he'll cry tears of joy.

I kept chasing the bouncing tennis ball and hitting it back correctly, and that's how the boring class time went on.

The male students around them were fighting fiercely, and shouts were deafening.

"Drink up! Wow! Was that shot amazing? Super powerful, right?"

"That's incredible! I definitely can't catch that! It's amazing!"

The male student was yelling and screaming as he happily practiced sparring.

"It's so noisy, go to hell!" I cursed inwardly, then turned around and found Hayama there too.

Hayama's group has now grown to four people. One is the blond guy who's often with him in class. Who are the two people behind that blond guy? I don't recognize their faces, so they're probably from Class C or Class I. In any case, they exude a dazzling aura of masculinity, making that area particularly glamorous.

“Ouch!”

The blond man missed Hayama's shot and yelled. Everyone looked in his direction.

"Wow, Hayama! That shot was amazing! Did it have a curve? Did it?"

"It was just a slip. Sorry, it was my mistake."

Hayama raised one hand to apologize, but the blond man responded in an exaggerated manner, drowning out his voice:

"Really? Isn't the slice shot the 'Magic Ball'? That's incredible, you're amazing!"

"As expected?"

Hayama happily echoed the other's sentiments. Then, the two people fighting next to them spoke to Hayama.

"Hayama-kun, you're really good at tennis too. Was that a slice shot just now? Teach me how!"

A boy with brown hair and fairly good looks stepped forward and said, "He should be in my class, but I don't know his name. However, since I don't know his name, it means he's not an important person."

So, Hayama's group quickly expanded to six people, becoming the biggest opposition group in this PE class. Speaking of which, a six-person group and a sex robot sound remarkably similar (a six-person group is "sextet," and a sex robot is "sesroid," the pronunciations are similar). Yes, yes, very lewd.

In short, the Hayama Kingdom dominates physical education classes, and the atmosphere on the field is one where anyone outside the Hayama group shouldn't be in PE class. Naturally, students outside the Hayama group remain silent. I oppose their suppression of freedom of speech.

The Hayama Group always gives the impression of being noisy, but Hayama himself doesn't actually speak up much; it's the classmates around him who are noisy. Or rather, it's the blond guy who voluntarily acts as his right-hand man who's noisy.

"Cut the ball!"

Look, it's so noisy.

The shot the blond man hit wasn't a cut at all; it flew far away from where Hayama was, heading towards a dark corner where the sun couldn't reach, which was where I was.

"Oh, excuse me! Um... Pi-Penguin, could you help me fetch the ball?"

Who is Penguin?

I was too lazy to correct him, so I just picked up the ball that was rolling on the ground and threw it back.

Thanks.

Ye Shan gave me a hearty smile and waved to thank me, and I nodded in response.

Why should I nod?

It seems that my instinctive belief that Hayama is above me is far too humble, so humble that I would not lose to anyone in terms of humility.

I hurled my increasingly gloomy mood at the wall.

Youth is about having walls as companions.

...So why is a flat-chested person called "tsubaki-kabe" (a Japanese kanji meaning a wall covered with plaster, and also the name of a legendary monster)?

One theory is that "Nurikabe" is a yokai (supernatural creature) transformed from a tanuki (raccoon dog), essentially just the tanuki's scrotum spread out. But what kind of wall is it? It can't be as soft as I imagine, right? Conversely, since flat-chested people are teased as "Nurikabe," it must mean it's not soft, right? Proof complete… Am I an idiot?

But Hayama couldn't possibly draw such a conclusion. Only a genius like me, filled with indignation, could come up with such a miraculous hypothesis.

Well, let's call it a draw for today, that's all for now.

× × ×

During my lunch break, I ate lunch at my usual spot again today.

My usual seat is on the first floor of the special building, diagonally behind the health clinic and welfare center. In terms of location, it offers a perfect view of the tennis courts.

I enjoyed the hot dog buns, tuna rice balls, and yakisoba bread I bought from the welfare store.

so comfortable.

Pound, pound, pound—the very fixed intervals, like the sound of drumming, made me sleepy.

The members of the women's tennis club practice on their own during lunch break. She always hits the ball against the wall, skillfully chasing the rebounding ball and hitting it back.

I finished my lunch while watching the women's tennis team practice. The lunch break was almost over, and I was sipping my lemon tea from the foil-wrapped container when a gust of wind blew by.

The wind direction has changed.

Although weather also plays a role, the winds blowing through this seaside school change direction around midday. In the morning, the winds blow from the sea, but after midday, they blow from the land towards the ocean.

I don't dislike the time I spend alone enjoying the breeze.

"Huh, is he an autistic guy?"

A familiar voice drifted on the wind; it was Yui. She stood there, holding down her skirt, which was billowing in the wind.

"How did you get here?"

"I usually eat here."

"Huh? Oh, why? Wouldn't it be better to eat in the classroom?"

"..."

Yuihama seemed genuinely incredulous, while I remained silent. If I could eat in the classroom, I wouldn't be here. Can't you be a little more sensible?

Let’s change the subject.

"But what are you doing here?"

"Good question! Actually, it was because I lost a game of rock-paper-scissors with Yukino that I had to accept a punishment game."

"Is the punishment something I'm talking to...?"

That's outrageous! I might as well just die.

"No, no, no! It's just that the loser has to run errands to buy juice!"

Yui quickly waved her hand in denial. "What?! You scared me to death! I almost died!"

I patted my chest and breathed a sigh of relief. Just then, Yui sat down next to me.

"At first, Yukino said, 'I will fight for my own food. What's the fun in satisfying that little desire for conquest?' She even looked unwilling."

For some reason, Yuihama started imitating Yukino's speech, but it didn't sound like her at all.

"That's definitely like her style."

"Well, after I asked her, 'Aren't you confident you can beat me?' she agreed to play rock-paper-scissors with me."

"...That's very much like her style."

That woman was always aloof, but whenever the topic of competition came up, she would become extremely competitive. Not long ago, she even accepted Hiratsuka-sensei's provocation because of this.

"When Yukino guessed correctly, she even quietly made a small victory sign... So cute! Whew~"

Yuihama sighed contentedly.

"This is the first time I've ever had so much fun playing a punishment game."

Have you played similar games before?

Yuigahama nodded.

"I've played it before."

Hearing her say that, I suddenly remembered that at the end of lunch break, a group of crazy people gathered in the corner of the classroom playing rock-paper-scissors and shouting loudly.

"Ha, it's just a small circle of people having fun on their own."

"What kind of reaction was that? It felt awful. Do you really hate that kind of thing?"

"Of course I hate it when little cliques get all excited or self-satisfied. Ah, but I really enjoy watching them fight amongst themselves, because I'm not in those cliques."

"That's a pathetic reason, and your personality is awful too!"

I want you to take care of it!

Yui smiled, pressing her hair, which was being blown about by the sea breeze, down with her hand. Her expression was different from when she was in the classroom with Miura and the others.

Ah, I see. Her makeup seems more natural now, not as heavy as before. Maybe she changed it a while ago, but I don't stare at girls' faces, so I wouldn't know that.

However, this is also proof that she has changed, albeit very little.

When Yuihama, who is almost without makeup, smiles, her eyes droop, making her already childlike face appear even younger.

"But you often have fun in your own little circle too. Seeing you guys chatting so happily in the club office, sometimes I feel like I can't join in. Sigh..."

Yui hugged her knees, buried her face in them, and slightly raised her eyes to spy on me.

"I want to talk to you guys more... Ah, I don't mean anything strange! I mean, I also want to talk to Yukino more, you understand?"

"Don't worry, I won't misunderstand someone like you."

"What does this mean!"

Yuihama was furious and suddenly looked up. I raised my hand to tell her to calm down and not to hit me, then said:

"However, the situation under the snow is a different story; that's beyond our control."

"How to say?"

"Hmm? Oh, force majeure means 'forces or situations that are beyond human control.' Sorry for using such a difficult word."

"No, it's not that I don't understand! Besides, you're underestimating me. I got in through an exam!"

Yui's hand slashed towards my throat with a sudden chop, hitting my Adam's apple directly, leaving me momentarily breathless. She gazed into the distance, asking earnestly:

"...Speaking of enrollment, do you remember the day of the opening ceremony?"

"Cough cough cough... Huh? Oh, sorry, I was in a car accident that day."

"Car accident..."

"Yes. On the first day of school, I was riding my bicycle when I encountered an idiot who hadn't tightened the leash on his dog's collar. I had to rush over to save the dog just before it was hit by a car. I felt like a hero who appeared just in time, so cool."

These words seem a bit exaggerated, but since no one knows the truth, it doesn't matter. Besides, if no one knows about my deeds, no one will spread them, so I need to make sure I showcase my strengths.