My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 252

Yuihama then raised her hand in greeting.

"I'm counting on you for everything."

Shiroyama bowed respectfully and left the office with the other two people.

I watched them leave, then looked out the window.

It's dusk, but the sun is still high in the sky. Summer is just beginning, and the judo hall must be like a giant oven right now.

× × ×

The day after Shiroyama and others visited the Service Society.

The three of us went to the judo club to observe their practice.

The judo area was located on the first floor of the gymnasium, with ventilation windows on the ground floor. We used these windows to peek from outside.

When it comes to high school club activities, people often think of dazzling youthful days, such as sweat, cheers, and tears of emotion.

However, this is not the case in reality.

What we saw was gushing sweat, painful cries, and endless tears.

The few judo club members were so exhausted from being tortured that they almost vomited.

He doesn't look happy at all...

The biggest reason is the senior that Shiroyama and the others mentioned.

In the judo hall, there was a man dressed in a judo uniform, exuding an air of authority, whose physique was clearly different from the others.

He sat upright in the seat of honor, supervising the members' practice.

Calling it practice doesn't seem quite right; I think he just wanted everyone to keep running.

Several club members, led by Shiroyama, kept running around the judo mat. So judo is a sport that emphasizes running? I don't know much about this aspect, but running in the judo mat, which is like a giant oven, must be extremely painful.

The senior student glanced at the clock and slowly stood up.

"That's it. Those who are late, run for a few extra seconds if they are a few seconds late. Everyone else, start your free practice."

He didn't let everyone rest and went straight into practice.

"Wow, that's really strict..."

Yuihama, peeking out from behind, said.

"Yes, it seems very strict just by looking at it. From a health and safety perspective, it also seems problematic."

The snow clinging to her back echoed this sentiment.

Based on what we've seen, the appropriateness of the senior's training methods is indeed debatable, but they're also surprisingly normal. Although I myself absolutely didn't want to undergo his training, it could still be described as "strict club training."

I watched for a while longer to confirm if it differed from my expectations. As it turned out, the atmosphere in the judo hall changed noticeably starting from the impact training.

"You piece of trash, go run until you die!"

"You can't learn without being thrown around, right? My senior used to throw me around like that too. You can't learn without physically feeling it!"

"If you keep crying like this, you won't be able to survive in society later on. High school clubs are actually very easy, but society is hundreds of times more cruel."

The senior student relentlessly berated the club members, repeatedly subjecting them to judo techniques and lecturing them endlessly.

I, Yukinoshita, and Yuigahama all fell silent.

To be honest, the scene before me was from a completely different dimension.

There must be clubs in this world that train even harder than them. But what I find most unsettling are the club members who obediently follow their seniors and never utter a single complaint.

They must be feeling terrible.

As long as you're a human being, a living being, you'll naturally want to stay away from things you don't like. Anyone who doesn't agree with this is out of their mind.

Therefore, we cannot criticize those who choose to leave such an environment. What should be criticized is the prevailing attitude towards criticizing them.

Seeing this, we understand that the option of bringing back those who have left the organization is impossible.

"Isn't that enough?"

I left the window and spoke to the other two. They nodded and turned back to the service society's office.

I glanced at the judo hall one last time and vaguely saw Shiroyama practicing silently. Then, with mixed feelings, I headed to my club.

In short, we have seen the current state of the judo club.

The next step is to think of countermeasures.

× × ×

Back at the service club, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief. After spending half a day outdoors, entering the cool indoor space felt like the most comfortable place imaginable.

When office workers return to the office after a sweltering day of fieldwork, they often experience a sense of dread, like they've entered paradise. This is proof that they've been trained to be corporate slaves. If you experience this, it's best to consult an occupational physician (Note 42: a physician responsible for worker health management in the workplace) as soon as possible.

As I sipped the MAX iced coffee I bought on the way, I sorted out my thoughts on the judo club.

"Just tell me, what are your thoughts?"

"I don't know how to answer your question... I haven't seen how other judo clubs practice, so I can't compare. However, even without comparing with other clubs, I still don't think that's the proper way to practice."

Yukinoshita pondered briefly before carefully choosing her words in response. "Comparison" is indeed a crucial element in the evaluation process. However, just because someone does it doesn't mean others can follow suit, and Yukinoshita's perspective likely included this point.

In contrast, Yuihama's answer was very concise.

"That kind of practice... I really can't do it..."

This statement is brief and subtle. I cannot determine whether it is her impression of the sport, or of the judo club members, the senior student, or their practice scenes; most likely, it is a comprehensive feeling encompassing everything.

"Where's the autistic guy?"

"I really don't like it."

My answer was similar to theirs.

I've never really been involved in sports clubs, since most sports require teamwork. Therefore, I'm not very knowledgeable about sports.

Although I can't offer any profound insights, the judo club at Soubu High School is currently at odds with my values.

"It's rare to see everyone agreeing."

Indeed, all three of us had a negative impression of what we had just seen.

That makes things easier to discuss.

"But they want to recruit new members..." Yuihama confirmed the judo club's request again.

That was their commission; nothing more. Therefore, recruiting members was our top priority.

"Looks like we'll have to recruit people from all over the place."

"Then, we should start by improving our image."

Regardless of the Soubu High School Judo Club, judo itself is a great sport with many advantages. If people don't understand this, it will be difficult to attract new members.

Following this line of reasoning, the first step is naturally to improve the image of judo.

After racking their brains for a while, Yuihama was the first to come up with an idea. She clapped her hands and proposed:

"Hey, how about using 'Boys who study judo are the coolest' in our advertising?!"

How superficial...

Yuihama's eyes sparkled, but unfortunately, it did nothing to change the fact that her opinion was superficial.

"If someone told you this, would you believe them?"

"...Never mind what I said."

As soon as I refuted her suggestion, she immediately withdrew it and sat back down in her chair, looking rather unconvinced.

People often try new things because they think it will make them look cool or popular. But please calm down and think about it for a few seconds. In fact, a guy won't become cool or popular just because he participates in a sport or is in a band.

Popular people are popular no matter what they do. To be honest, they'd be popular even if they did nothing. Unpopular guys have already figured this out and won't fall for it.

We continued to consider other options, and this time we spoke up under the cover of snow.

"Can it help with weight loss?"

"Judo is real physical labor; even eating is part of the training."

For those who engage in intense sports, physical strength is a crucial asset. To cultivate a robust physique and consume sufficient calories, their appetites are astounding. It's said that in the sports world, having a "large appetite" is considered a talent in itself.

Yuihama showed a bitter expression upon hearing this.

"Huh...won't that build up muscles...?"

Judging from her reaction, muscles don't seem to be that attractive.

Besides, if you want to attract people who want to build muscle to join the club, wouldn't it be faster to have them drink high-protein drinks like water?

Time ticked by, and everyone just pondered, unable to come up with a good idea.

When the long needle had traveled almost ninety degrees, Xuezhi loosened her arms, stretched her limbs slightly, and reorganized her thoughts. She looked like a well-rested cat.

"Perhaps a complete image change is necessary before any image improvement is possible."

Her conclusion, frankly, was to give up thinking about it. There's nothing we can do about it; if even the bigwigs in the judo world are racking their brains over this, how could we possibly come up with a solution in a short time?

Even if we have some innovative ideas, we lack supporting material, and it would be difficult to promote them with our limited resources.

"Overturning established ideas is not that simple."

"Hmm...or should we recruit people one by one slowly?"

Finally, Hijiri proposed the most direct method. However, the most direct method is not the same as the correct method of force.

"Just going out to recruit people doesn't necessarily mean they'll want to join. If that method worked, the judo club would be overflowing with new members by now."

I don't think there are really that few boys interested in judo; it's just that there's a lack of reasons and environment to encourage them, making it difficult for them to take the first step.

"Moreover, it's more difficult for those who join midway."

"……indeed."

Yuihama thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.

Actually, this principle applies not only to judo but also to the workplace. For example, established interpersonal relationships can be terrifying. If the company is hosting a welcome party, but only its own people are having fun, what does that mean? Is it a subtle way of telling me to "get out"? Does that mean I should just quit?

If you think that the worst part about joining midway is only this, you're sorely mistaken.

"Also, there are significant differences in athletic ability among individuals, which is why people hesitate."

Upon hearing this, Yukinoshita crossed her arms again.

"Well, in other words, we should emphasize that 'you can still become stronger if you start learning now'."

"To be more precise, it emphasizes that 'there's nothing shameful about joining midway.'"

"Oh, that's a good idea! Otherwise, seeing how capable others are will definitely make me feel inferior..."

Thank you for agreeing with me. It's thanks to Yuihama's tendency to care too much about how others perceive her that she was able to immediately understand this feeling.

Yukinoshita was equally impressed, her face saying, "Wow~ I never knew that."

"I see. As expected of Hikigaya-kun, you have a keen eye. When it comes to being inferior to others, no one can compare to you."

"Wait a minute, watch your tone. Don't let my appearance fool you, I'm very capable!"

When I was working part-time, I was a top-notch learner, but people complained behind my back that "that guy isn't cute at all." Would that be considered excellent?

Unfortunately, Yukinoshita ignored me and started organizing the key points on her own.

"So, our publicity strategy is to make people think that the judo club is full of beginners and nothing special; even though they've long since missed the golden age of learning, they can still attract attention. Is that alright?"

It's mostly correct, but the way it's expressed is cruel...

We have finally formulated a strategy, but we are still far from solving the problem. Moreover, as the key points gradually emerge, the conditions for achieving them are becoming increasingly complex.

To achieve these conditions, the formal approach is clearly not feasible; it may be better to break down each problem and solve them separately.

Regardless of the method used, how to promote it is a major problem. "Beginner" and "charisma" are conflicting concepts...

I was halfway through thinking when Yui suddenly raised her hand.

"Ah! Pick me! Pick me! Pick me!"

"...Please speak, Yuihama-san."

Unable to bear her childish behavior, Yukinoshita reluctantly played along.