My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 237

FIN

Postscript to Volume 6.5

Goodnight, and goodbye again. I'm Watari Wataru, please don't pronounce it TOKO! (Note 86 is from Rai's line in the game *Kantai Collection*.)

It's such a wonderful time of year!

Ah, summer! I'm having a wonderful time. (Note 87 is from the poem "I Am a Praying Mantis" with lyrics by Naoko Kudo.) — You're all probably like the praying mantis in summer, enjoying the height of summer. But I have to work. So don't come near me…

As for this book, the seasons in the story jump to autumn and Christmas, each serving as a prelude and intermission for the latter half of "My Teen Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected."

I apologize for the somewhat chaotic release schedule of the 0.5 series, which may have confused readers who came in the order of publication.

I'm really sorry.

Next, let's talk about episode 6.5. This story was originally set during the sports meet, but it was rewritten and revised from the plot behind the anime's side story ①.

Animated versions not only have time constraints, but also have to consider how to present the selected content that constitutes the plot. In fact, there is another story behind the story that the audience sees.

This isn't just a side story to this work; everything has a hidden side. In most cases, people skillfully edit and embellish what they present to the world. Even if we glimpse its inner workings, a darker abyss may still lurk beneath.

This principle also applies to the characters, especially in this work. Written from Hachiman Hikigaya's subjective perspective, the world he sees constantly changes depending on his values ​​and level of understanding. This means gradually uncovering an unknown side, or perhaps allowing his own mistakes to accumulate, entirely within his own control. However, regardless, it's never a one-sided depiction. Furthermore, whether what appears before us is the front or the back is merely the viewer's subjective perception.

Since everything has an unseen side, Watari is no exception. Actually, I always act indifferent, subtly showing only my best side... What? You don't think I'm good-looking at all? Really? Oh no, oh no, this is terrible—I usually show my best side, but people don't think so at all—

However, just because someone is dirty in private doesn't mean they are necessarily glamorous on the outside.

To be honest, I also have a lot of secrets that no one knows about...

For example, besides "My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU," they're also busy preparing new projects! (Advertisement)

And so, a new work to be published by Shogakukan's Gagaga Bunko is currently in active planning. To avoid readers complaining, "I don't care about the new work, just hurry up and produce the new 'Guoqing'! Or I'll beat you up," I'm also working very hard on the follow-up parts of "Guoqing." There might be new information by the end of this year or early next year, such as a delay! So please keep a close eye on the latest developments.

The relentless work grind continues, but I'll still keep trying. Seriously, my workload is so overwhelming I don't know what to do anymore. I'm even considering consulting the life counseling anime "Life" for advice. Wait, that would just be advertising for the anime "Life" that starts airing on TOKYO MX and other TV stations in July, so I'll leave that aside for now. Just thinking about Kawagishi's smirk makes me uncomfortable.

That concludes the content of episode 6.5 of "My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU".

The following is an acknowledgment.

Ponkan⑧ God, I never imagined that someone like Kawa would one day grace the cover... Seeing her sudden transformation, it's hard to believe that when I was writing the second volume, I had this conversation with editor Hoshino: "Will she appear again?" "No, I don't think so..." "Is that so... But she will still appear, right?" "No, I don't think so..." "Is that so... But—" "Enough." Seeing the beautiful cover illustration, I couldn't stop the tears of emotion. The special edition cover and interior illustrations are equally amazing! Thank you so much.

Editor Hoshino-sama, I never imagined that Kawasaki would one day be on the cover... Now I can finally say thank you for relentlessly pursuing me back then, and I've started to reconsider, "Could this character actually be very important...?" I was so embarrassed when I doubted you, thinking, "That's just your own interest, isn't it? So, people from Yokosuka—" Oh, don't worry! Whatever happens next time it's Kawasaki's home turf! Wahaha!

To all the voice actors, thank you for your hard work recording the drama CD. I sincerely apologize for always writing those inexplicably nonsensical scripts. It's been almost a year since the anime dubbing ended, and everyone's acting has improved even further; I also want to express my deepest gratitude. I also look forward to reuniting with you all in the second season of the anime, and I look forward to your continued support.

So, please allow me to put down my pen for now. See you again in episode 10 of "My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU"!

On a warm June day, I sipped a cup of warm MAX coffee in the gentle breeze.

Illustrations for Volume 6.5

Volume 7.5 SS1 Short Story ① As expected, Hachiman Hikigaya's mother's flavor was wrong.

The Taiwanese version is from the Kingdom of Light

Scanned image: Ren Leipi

Input by: Ren Leipi

First proofreading: Ren Leipi

Photo editing: Caocai, COCY

The weather is cool and pleasant in autumn, a perfect time for reading. Normally, I would be engrossed in my book right now, but today's situation doesn't allow it. We're staring at each other at the laptop that Professor Hiratsuka handed us.

"Chiba-dori's Troubleshooting Email..."

I imitated the opening of the show, weakly shouting slogans, followed by Hihama clapping her hands loudly.

Yukinoshita, who was reading a paperback, stopped turning the pages and looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"...Where did these letters come from?"

"Who knows. Hiratsuka-sensei is probably up to something again..."

Recently, Ms. Hiratsuka suddenly added activities to the Service Club, namely the "Troubleshooting Mailbox" that has appeared before us. It seems that those who write to this mailbox are all students in school who have some troubles.

Yui reads one of the letters aloud.

"Let me see, the first letter of the day... is from a friend in Chiba City, using the pen name 'Sword Master General'."

What's the point of using a pen name like this? It's not just my real name; I can clearly picture what the other person looks like and what they're like.

"Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions!"

"Even those with chuunibyou (middle school syndrome) can have romance. Gather your courage and try confessing to the girl you like. She'll definitely tell you—'I'm sorry.'"

"...Is I destined to be rejected?"

Yuihama was a step behind in understanding. However, even unrequited love or heartbreak is still a beautiful kind of romance.

In short, all the letters we received had this tone, with none of them containing any serious concerns or advice, which was really a headache. Furthermore, although it was previously said to be "Chiba-dori" (Chiba Express), meaning it covered the entire Chiba Prefecture, in reality, the letters were all from people living in Chiba City.

After finishing the first letter, it was time for the next one. I gestured to Yuihama to continue.

"Ah, I'll read the next letter then. Hmm... this time the sender's pseudonym is 'Seeking marriage partners with stable income (teaching positions)'"

Hey, what's the point of using pen names like this? It's way too obvious. Just how much does this person want to get married? Just by looking at the pen name, I can already guess what the next letter will say.

"To be honest, I'm not very good at housework, and of course, I can't cook. The thought of getting married in the future (laughs) makes me worry. Although I'm also worried about whether I'll be able to get married (laughs), I still hope to at least learn a signature dish first. Could you recommend some dishes that can win a man's heart through his stomach (laughs), and are easy to make—oh, I accidentally wrote it twice (laughs). Basically, simple dishes that will leave a good impression on a man."

"Shouldn't this kind of question be directed at students...?"

Oh no, the teacher's seriousness was chilling. Coupled with the frequent self-deprecating smiles in the text, it made me want to escape from this computer. However, the other two girls didn't seem to sense this terrifying atmosphere and were discussing it casually:

"Oh, how about potato stew with meat? It tastes just like mom's cooking."

"Japanese-style hamburger steaks have an added touch of refinement, and the impression will be quite different."

Admittedly, stewed potatoes and hamburger patties are very standard answers, but because these answers are too standard, they also hide traps.

"Wait a minute. Being too fixated on that point will only make the other person feel resentful and have the opposite effect."

Women who make that kind of dish are probably thinking, "Playing it safe will get me away with this (laughs). Men are so shallow (laughs)." I really don't appreciate it. Good heavens, what a serious prejudice!

"So, what kind of dish would be best?"

"Ah, I'd love to... hear it too."

Yukinoshita cast a straight gaze, while Yuihama looked over with a hint of nervousness.

"You all seem to misunderstand what 'mom's cooking' truly means. Listen carefully, a mother's attitude towards her son and daughter can be worlds apart. In the hearts of sons everywhere, 'mom's cooking'...

I'll keep you in suspense for a moment, and Yuihama leans forward curiously, but unfortunately, the answer is nothing special.

"It's just a few slices of roughly grilled meat with a bowl of white rice."

"...What? I was listening so attentively."

"I thought it was some amazing answer..."

The two of them instantly showed expressions of great disappointment (Note 1: The original text here is "呆れられていた", which is "akirerareteita" in Romanization). In that sense, writing "great disappointment" in Japanese as "AKIRE" in Romanization immediately sounds very much like a super famous work.

However, I have my own reasons for saying this.

"To be honest, men's stomachs are actually incredibly simple. Besides, after marriage, cooking is a daily challenge."

Yukinoshita listened, then gently stroked her chin in thought.

"That makes sense. If you have to cook every day, you have to think of menus that you won't get tired of..."

"No, no, no, elaborate dishes are too troublesome to make. I'll just think of something simple."

"So you've been taking the stay-at-home dad's perspective all along? And your considerations are so realistic..."

Yuihama went from surprise to despair, while Yukinoshita sighed softly.

"...Okay, I'll keep that in mind and use it as a reference. I'll approach my reply from that angle, is that alright?"

Yukinoshita remained calm as always, said nothing more, and began typing rapidly on the keyboard.

Instead of sticking to mainstream dishes like potato stew or Japanese hamburger patties, we've decided to focus on the image of a mother in a man's mind and recommend "Ginger Braised Pork Belly." But before that, shouldn't Professor Hiratsuka find someone to date first?

...Pen names really have no meaning whatsoever.

I'm serious, please, some kind soul, go and marry her!

Volume 7.5 SAA SIDE-A * Special Act-A All we can do is pray that those men and women will have a happy and fulfilling future.

Marriage is the grave of life.

Every married man and woman praises the beauty of marriage.

Some people find great joy in coming home each day to someone who says, "Honey, I'm home"; others believe that looking at their child's sleeping face motivates them to "work hard tomorrow too."

But please wait a moment.

Even if you live in your own home, you can still say "I'm home"; if there's really no one else around, you can buy a bottle of Meiji mouthwash, do gymnastics with the hippo, and sing "I'm home~"; furthermore, if you only see your child sleeping when you get home, it means that you are deeply trapped in the hell of overtime work.

Can this really be called "happiness"?

Those people kept shouting about happiness, but their faces had the same dead fish eyes as mine, looking like zombies trying to drag people into a swamp.

I'll ask again: Can this really be called "happiness"?

Think about it, shouldn't true happiness be... well... like watching your sister wearing an apron every morning, humming a song as she busies herself in the kitchen?

I yawned, my mind still a little foggy, and waited for my lovely sister to bring out the meal she had prepared.

This is what happiness is. Marriage? Marriage is nothing to me!

The adults in my family went out to work early as usual today. They are so busy, and I want to sincerely say "thank you for your hard work" to them. Thanks to my parents' hard work, we are able to live a life where we have enough to eat and wear.

Although I aspire to be a stay-at-home dad, people are getting married later and later, and the marriage rate is declining year by year, so achieving my goal will likely become increasingly difficult. Furthermore, we mustn't forget that the divorce rate is rising annually.

The changing trends of modern society may be drifting further and further away from the lifestyle I aspire to. Then again, throughout history, has there ever been a period of society whose social atmosphere aligned with my desired lifestyle? The Heian period?

Considering the possibility of not being able to get married in the future, I hope my parents can work hard their whole lives. I don't just want to "leech off" them; I plan to do so until they pass away.

Just as my burning ambition was taking hold, Komachi, who was in the open kitchen, prepared breakfast and happily turned around with a tray in hand.

"Sorry to keep you waiting~"

"Um."

She placed the tray on the table and sat down opposite me. Breakfast today consisted of toast, salad, omelet, and coffee—a distinctly American style, or perhaps you could say Nagoya style. It looked delicious!

Although Komachi only started helping with housework after she entered the upper grades of elementary school, she is now doing it quite well. Especially when it comes to cooking, her culinary skills have far surpassed mine and are approaching my mother's level.

From a parent's perspective, seeing their child surpass them step by step must be incredibly moving. Therefore, I've made up my mind to surpass my father in my less desirable aspects.

"I'm sorry, I always make you cook."

"Brother, didn't we agree not to say things like that?"

After a super casual conversation, a conversation that only exists between siblings, Komachi and I put our hands together and said "Let's eat," giving thanks for the blessings of life. It's really important to be grateful to livestock; that's what *Silver Spoon* taught me. Oh, and by the way, remember to thank the wage slaves for the "Grateful Storm" (Note 2: from the title of a single by the Johnny's idol group "Arashi"). Thank you, Dad and Mom, for working hard outside to earn money so we can sit here and have breakfast. A breakfast without working is so delicious, so very delicious.

It was delicious, but the sight of a certain unpleasant food greatly reduced my appetite.

"Ugh, I hate tomatoes."

No matter how delicious the breakfast I got without working for it was, there was one last thing I just couldn't swallow. I told Komachi this, holding my fork, but she completely ignored me.

"Yes, that's why Komachi put it in there on purpose."

She didn't think she had done anything wrong at all, responded casually, and started eating her salad... Wait, why is she doing this to me? Don't you think it's a bit cruel?

Didn't my parents teach Komachi not to do things to others that they don't like...? Wait, then they didn't teach me that either. As expected of the Hachiman family, no one can match their "learn by watching" approach to education. What kind of newcomer training is this? The apprenticeship style is way too strong.

At times like these, the older brother should give his younger sister some guidance and advice.

"But, Komachi, I'm saying..."

"Because my brother is too picky about food, both in terms of food and people."

As she answered, she popped an omelet into her mouth.

Oh…now that Komachi said that, I guess I should explain my reasons properly. I'll tell you the truth of this world right now, so listen carefully! I took a sip of my coffee, puffed out my chest, and said: