My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 192

The woodworker is absolutely right.

"...Yes, indeed. Totsuka is just too cute, I feel like I'm about to open the door to a new world..."

"That's right! Welcome to the underground..."

"Stop messing around, don't whisper 'Welcome to underground' in my ear (Note 72: whispering 'Welcome to underground' in my ear comes from the 2ch discussion thread 'Your Dark History')!"

The incredibly cool sound of the wood cabinet echoed in my ears, which, to be honest, made me feel quite uncomfortable.

As I waved the wood stand away, Totsuka excitedly continued to share the charm of rabbits with me.

"But you know, raising rabbits is really fun. They're fluffy, quiet, and their mouths are always moving when they eat!"

"Hachiman, the rabbit is really amazing, it will even punish you in the name of the moon! Fanservice! Fanservice~"

"Unbelievable, after hearing what Zaimokuza said, my affection for rabbits immediately plummeted..."

I began to doubt whether he really liked rabbits.

Komachi excitedly raised her voice upon hearing the sudden appearance of two rabbit-loving supporters.

"Breaking news! The match has instantly turned into a free-for-all, either-or battleground!"

The flames of factional infighting have even spread to the live reporting section.

"If it were a team competition... I'd choose a cat. I've been thinking about getting one recently."

"Xiaojing, that's raising a flag! A flag for a lifetime of singlehood!"

"Hurry up and send someone to marry her!"

Otherwise, I'll have to take it! Please hurry!

After Hiratsuka-sensei joined the cat faction, Haruno began to think.

"Hmm... Xiaojing is a cat lover~ If I really had to choose one, I would choose a dog. Dogs are so loyal to their owners and they won't disobey."

"Your reasoning is terrifying..."

How could she say such things with a smile...?

The pointless arguments continued.

"dog!"

Yuihama called out.

"cat……"

It is equally impressive under the snow.

"rabbit."

Totsuka is so cute.

"A fierce three-way battle! In the end, who will ascend to the champion's throne?"

Komachi warmed up the atmosphere, and all three of them looked in my direction at the same time.

"Hikigaya-san."

Yukinoshita's tone was like an order that left no room for argument.

"An autistic man~"

Yuihama's voice was full of anticipation.

"Hachiman..."

Totsuka's gaze stirred my protective instincts.

"Ugh! The ultimate choice between cool, passionate, and cute (Note: Cool, Passion, and Cute are character attributes from the game 'The Idolmaster: Cinderella Girls')..."

"Okay, which one does brother choose?"

Now I have to make a decision. If I don't give an answer, the argument will just go on forever. And this answer must be clear and unambiguous, allowing no excuses or evasions. Okay, I guess I'll just have to be prepared...

"...Toto-zuka..."

"Why choose based on who's the person?"

Please answer with the name of the animal.

The two girls were very dissatisfied with this answer, so I had to change my stance.

"Rabbit...rabbit."

"Hooray! Hachiman, let's go see the rabbits together next time!"

The bell rang, declaring the outcome decided.

"The match is over, and Totsuka-nii won! So, is it okay if my brother's interest is Totsuka-nii?"

"Hmm, interesting!"

For some reason, the woodworker nodded very firmly.

× × ×

After the competition came to an end and everyone had finally calmed down, Yang Nai brought up the original topic again.

"Relatively normal interests aren't easy to come up with. Hmm... Among the people I know, some like cars, some like motorcycles..."

"But I don't have a driver's license."

"Yes, there are other things like photography and music."

Yang listed several interests in one breath, and Yuihama caught one of the words.

"Music! It sounds so cool!"

"Music appreciation is an interest in itself, and you're probably referring to playing musical instruments. If we're talking about the most common instruments, they're the piano and the guitar."

Following Yukinoshita's suggestion, Komachi also joined the ranks of those recommending musical instrument performances.

"Brother, you can pick out a musical instrument and play it! Music is the best!"

"I think we should forget about it... But do you know how to play an instrument?"

"Of course Komachi can play instruments! She can sing and dance at the same time, and even sing and fight simultaneously without any problem (Note 74 refers to Hibiki Tachibana from the anime 'Symphogear,' who shares the same voice actress as Komachi Hikigaya)!"

"Huh? What's that new interest...?"

I'm serious, when did my sister become like this?

"People who can play guitar are really cool!"

Komachi continued to strongly recommend it. However, I knew perfectly well why I would never play the guitar.

"No need. I only started playing guitar in my second year of high school, and I feel like I'm really bad at it."

“Will that be true…?”

Totsuka tilted his head, puzzled.

"Yes, if you think about it carefully, you'll realize that's really lame. It's obvious that he started playing guitar just to pick up girls."

"I don't think so..."

In order to change Yuihama's opinion, I began to launch into a long speech.

"That's exactly right! Let me tell you, according to my research, up to 80% of high school boys start playing guitar to pick up girls."

"Oh, come to think of it, we seem to have a guitar at home..."

Komachi suddenly realized. Yes, she must have seen that guitar before.

"You're right. That Hachiman family guitar is a symbol of my bittersweet youth, passed down from my father."

"However, Komachi has never seen her brother play..."

Her body trembled slightly.

"Of course. A guy who only starts practicing guitar to pick up girls will only dare to show off when he's really good at it."

"Isn't this a classic example of something that will never improve..."

"I can only say this helplessly," Yukino said.

"That's absolutely right. Most people like that will be severely discouraged if they can't get past the F string. That's my personal experience."

"So lame..."

Yuihama seemed to mutter something to herself. However, what's impossible is impossible.

"You should be able to press the F string! The way you're bending your arm like that is practically Fleming's left-hand rule (Note 75, also known as the 'electric motor rule.' Extend your left thumb, index finger, and middle finger perpendicularly to each other; if the index finger indicates the direction of the magnetic field from N to S, the middle finger indicates the direction of the current, then the direction your thumb points is the direction of the force on the conductor.). Don't look down on people aiming for private liberal arts universities."

The argument was perfect, without a single flaw; I couldn't find any reason to pick up the guitar again.

I was immersed in the joy of victory, while Yuihama groaned.

"Hmm... at your rate, you'll never find any interest..."

"As expected of Hikigaya-kun. You can't succeed if you always approach things from a negative perspective."

"Huh? Is it... is it my fault...? So, the reason I've never been able to find anything interesting is because of my personality?"

I instantly became depressed and started to feel like a useless coward.

At that moment, Ms. Hiratsuka gently comforted me.

"Hachiman, there's no need to be so pessimistic. You can't force interests. Isn't what you hate most about people being enthusiastic about something just to follow trends or keep up with everyone's topics?"

"Yes, that's right..."

"If you want to find something interesting, start by taking a good look at your surroundings. There should be many stimulating things around you right now."

I was deeply moved by my teacher's words.

Maybe one day I will actually find such a thing; perhaps when I re-examine myself, I will also be able to grasp something.

"teacher……"

Unfortunately, I was interrupted by Haruno halfway through my sentimental reflection.

"That's right, this world is full of excitement. For example... I really want to see Shizuka playing bass again~ (glances)"

"Yonai, stop fooling around, I was just getting to a very philosophical point..."

"However, the performance before the closing ceremony was truly fantastic, absolutely amazing!"

Totsuka excitedly agreed. Komachi, upon hearing this, lowered her head in disappointment.

"Ah... Komachi went back first, I didn't see her..."

"What, you didn't stay to watch it? Although I only saw the end myself."

"Hachiman! And me! I didn't see it either!"

"Okay, okay, if you didn't watch it, you didn't watch it. Why are you pretending to be cute..."

I casually dismissed the woodworker, and Komachi groaned in frustration:

"Komachi wants to hear it too... I really want to hear Yui-neechan and Yukino-neechan sing!"

"Me too! Me too! I want to see Yukino's performance too!"

Yang joined in the teasing, and Yukino immediately rolled her eyes at her.

"Absolutely not."

After the snow, Yuihama and Hiratsuka-sensei both expressed no interest.

"Although I enjoyed singing on stage, I still felt very embarrassed."

"Besides, there's no chance anymore."

At this moment, Yang Nai revealed a mischievous smile.

"Oh, don't worry about that."

"what?"

The two were stunned upon hearing this.

× × ×

Our footsteps echoed through the tranquil live house.