My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 20

"Hachiman, I have something I'd like to discuss with you..."

Totsuka's tone was quite serious.

I see. To discuss secrets, you naturally need to get closer, which is why he's so close to me.

"Is there something you want to discuss?"

"Yes, it's about our tennis club. We're weak, right? And there are so few of us. After the national tournament ends and the third-year students leave the club, we'll become even weaker. Most of the first-year members only started playing tennis in high school, and many of them aren't used to it yet... We're so weak that we can't boost morale at all, and if there aren't many of us, everyone will naturally become a professional player."

"I see."

Totsuka is right; weaker groups often face this problem.

Smaller clubs struggle to recruit new members, and clubs with fewer members don't compete for official player positions.

Even if they take leave or are absent, they can still participate in the national competition. As long as they participate in the competition, they feel involved in club activities, and they are satisfied even if they lose. There are definitely many people like this.

Such individuals cannot become stronger, and without becoming stronger, the organization cannot recruit new members, thus creating a vicious cycle that continues indefinitely.

"I was thinking... if it's convenient for you, Mr. Bikiya, could I join the tennis club?"

"……What?"

Why did it become like this?

I asked with my eyes, but Totsuka hugged his knees and huddled up, occasionally casting me pleading glances.

"Because you play tennis very well, and I feel you'll improve even more, which will be a source of motivation for everyone. Also... if you were here, I think I could keep going. I... I didn't mean anything strange! I... I just hope you can play tennis even better."

"It's okay if you're a little weak... I'll protect you."

“…Huh?”

"Ah! Sorry, I misspoke."

Totsuka is just so adorable, I almost forgot what to say for a second. No, no, he's just too cute, I almost agreed to join the club without hesitation. Like raising my hand at lightning speed to sign up for extra pudding in my school lunch.

However, no matter how cute Totsuka is, I cannot grant this request.

"...I'm sorry, I can't help it."

I am very clear about my own personality.

I don't understand the point of participating in club activities every day, nor do I quite understand the habit of exercising so early in the morning. The only people who do that are the old men practicing Tai Chi in the park. My motto is to imitate Koro (the samurai robot from the manga *Kiteretsu Daihyakka*) saying, "I can't persevere!", so I'll definitely quit the club later. The first time I tried working, I also quit after three days.

If I join the tennis club, I will definitely disappoint Totsuka in the end.

“…I see.”

Totsuka seemed genuinely disappointed. I pondered what words of encouragement to say to him.

"However, I'll try to think of other solutions for you."

Although there's nothing I can do to help.

"Thank you. I feel a bit more relaxed after discussing it with Hachiman-kun."

Although Totsuka smiled at me, I knew it was just a temporary consolation. But if Totsuka was genuinely happier, that was enough.

× × ×

"impossible."

Yukishita said this right off the bat.

"How could you do this—"

"Impossible is impossible."

She replied with an even colder tone.

I turned to Yukinoshita to discuss the matter that Totsuka had asked me to discuss, and that's where things started.

If things went smoothly, I could legitimately leave the Service Club, pretend to transfer to the tennis club, and then quietly fade out of the picture. However, Yukinoshita flatly rejected my plan.

"But I think Totsuka's idea of ​​inviting me to join the club is correct, as long as I can pose a threat to the tennis club members. A new member joining is like a shot in the arm; they should change, right?"

"Do you think you can fit into group activities? There's no way they'd accept someone like you."

"Well……"

That's definitely impossible, and that's why I left the club. Seeing others happily enjoying club activities might make me want to smash them with my racket.

"Phew~"

A sound like a sighing laugh came from beneath the snow.

"You're an expert on loneliness; you have no idea about group psychology."

"It's not your place to say that."

She ignored my rebuttal and continued talking.

"They might unite because they have you as a common enemy. But that would only be to eliminate the enemy, not to improve themselves, so the problem remains unsolved. This is based on my personal experience."

"I see... Oh, your personal experience?"

"That's right. I came back from abroad to attend junior high school here as a transfer student. Back then, all the girls in my class—no, all the girls in the school—wanted to get rid of me. But, not a single one of them tried to improve themselves to beat me... What a bunch of idiots..."

It was as if a black flame was burning behind her.

Oh no, did I step on her landmine?

"What? A cute girl like you going in there, there's nothing you can do about it if you run into that kind of thing."

"...Yes, yes, you're right. In terms of looks, I far surpass them, and my mental strength isn't so weak that I have to humble myself before them. In a way, this outcome is to be expected. However, Yamashita and Shimamura are actually quite cute and have a certain level of support among the boys. But that's only in terms of looks. If we're talking about grades, sports, art, or even etiquette and mental strength, they are ultimately far inferior to me. Since they can't beat me no matter what, it's understandable that they would try their best to sabotage me."

Yukino was momentarily speechless, but quickly regained her composure and launched into a tirade of flowery praise. Her eloquence was so remarkable that even Niagara Falls paled in comparison. I truly admired her ability to rattle off such a long speech without her tongue getting tied.

Is this her way of hiding her shyness? Actually, she still has her cute side.

She must have talked too much at once; she was now panting and out of breath, and her face was flushed.

"...Don't say anything strange to me, it will scare me."

"Ah, I'm relieved. You really aren't cute at all."

To be honest, Totsuka is cuter than any girl I know. How is that possible?

Oh, and there's also the matter of Totsuka.

"Is there any way to make the tennis club stronger, for Totsuka's sake?"

Upon hearing this, Yukinoshita widened her eyes and asked me:

"That's strange... You worry about other people too?"

"No, it's just that this is the first time someone has approached me to discuss something, so..."

Being relied upon by others is a happy thing, and Totsuka is so cute, so... thinking of this, I couldn't help but smile.

Upon hearing this, Yukinoshita said, as if to compare herself to me:

"People often come to me for advice on relationship problems."

She puffed out her chest triumphantly, but her expression gradually dimmed.

"...However, discussing relationship issues with girls is usually done in order to control them."

"Huh? What does that mean?"

"If I just tell people I like someone, won't they start having reservations? It's like claiming ownership. If I know who the other person likes and still pursue them, I'll naturally become public enemy number one, even if they confess to me first. Why do they have to talk about me like that..."

Beneath the snow, black flames ignited once more. Hearing girls discuss relationships, I had expected a bittersweet tale, but instead, only stories filled with bitterness.

Why does she always shatter the innocent dreams of young people? Is this her hobby?

As if trying to shake off unpleasant memories of the past, Yukinoshita laughed self-deprecatingly and said:

"What I'm saying is that not everyone who comes here for advice can have their problems solved simply by listening and helping. As the ancients said, 'A lion will push its own cub into a deep valley to kill it.'"

"We can't kill him."

The correct statement is that "a lion will go all out when hunting its own cubs."

"So what would you do?"

"I?"

Yukino blinked and began to think.

"Let them run until they die, swing until they die, practice until they die."

It's terrifying that someone would say something like that while laughing.

I was so frightened that I took a few steps back. Just then, the office door clicked open.

"Hi~~"

A foolish, cheerful greeting rang out, contrasting sharply with Yukinoshita's.

Yuihama still had that silly smile on her face, seemingly without a care in the world.

But the person behind her looked worried and exhausted.

He lowered his gaze, lacking confidence, his fingertips weakly gripping the hem of Yuihama's coat. That snow-white skin seemed so ethereal, as if it would vanish like a bubble if exposed to sunlight.

"Ah... Hachiman-kun!"

In an instant, his skin regained its rosy hue, and a smile bloomed on his face. It wasn't until I saw his smile that I realized who he was. But why had he been so gloomy just moments before?

"It's Totsuka..."

He ran over briskly and grabbed my sleeve. Hey, that's cheating... too bad he's a boy.

"Hachiman, what are you doing here?"

"We're currently engaged in club activities... but what about you?"

"I've brought my client along, hehe."

Yuihama puffed out her large, unsupportive chest and said smugly, "But I didn't ask you. I wanted to see Totsuka answer with her cute lips."

"Well, how should I put it? I'm also a member of the Service Club, so I wanted to help out. Then I saw that Xiaocai was troubled, so I brought her here."

"Yuhihama-san."

"Yukino, you don't need to thank me. As a club member, it's only right that I do this."

"Yuihama-san, you're not really a club member..."

"Am I not?"

She's not? I was surprised too. I thought she had automatically become a member.

"Yes, I haven't received your application form, and without the advisor's permission, you can't be considered a member."

Yukinoshita inexplicably insists on these rules.

"I'll write! I'll write as many as you want! Please let me join!"

Yui almost burst into tears, took out a loose-leaf paper and wrote "ru she shen qing shu" in rounded characters. Please, at least write some Chinese characters...

"So, you must be Totsuka Saika? What can I do for you?"

Yuihama scribbled furiously on the paper, while Yukinoshita looked at Totsuka. Totsuka shuddered slightly as her icy gaze pierced him.

"Excuse me... could you help me... play tennis... better?"

He initially looked at Yukino, but turned to me at the end. Because of his height, he looked up to assess my reaction.

It's bothering me to look at you like that... My heart is pounding, so please stop looking at me.

Then, Yukino spoke for me, though she probably wasn't trying to help me.

"I don't know how Yuihama explained it to you, but the Service Club isn't an expert. We can only help you become independent. Whether you can become stronger depends on yourself."

"Is that so..."

Totsuka slumped his shoulders in disappointment; it was probably Yui's exaggerated praise that had made him so expectant. Yui herself muttered "stamp, stamp" to herself while rummaging through her bag. I glared at her, and she looked up as if she had noticed.

"Huh? What's wrong?"

"You even asked 'What's wrong?' Because of your irresponsible remarks, you shattered a young boy's tiny hope."

Yukinoshita said this to Yuihama mercilessly, but Yuihama tilted her head and replied:

"Hmm? But, Yukino and the autistic guy should be able to do something, right?"