My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 259

"It hurts so much..."

× × ×

A few days after the frenzy subsided, I was overjoyed at the approaching summer vacation.

Thanks to this, I was able to hum a song as I arrived at the Service Society, a place I never wanted to come to.

Summer vacation is now in its final countdown, and the leisurely days of "every day is a happy day" (Note 49: Japanese internet slang, meaning every day is a happy day) are waiting for me.

Inside the office, as usual, Yukinoshita sat by the window reading, while Yuihama sprawled on the table like a dog, playing on her phone. This scene would soon come to a temporary halt.

"Hi."

I greeted them briefly and sat in the diagonal seat furthest from the snow.

Yukino looked up from the book.

"Oh dear, is your back feeling better?"

"Not yet, so I can rest on the sidelines during PE class recently."

Then, Yuihama raised her head and said:

"You were taking a judo class, right? But you kept your promise, isn't that amazing?"

"It's nothing special, just a blessing in disguise."

At the end of the judo competition that day, I lost the match because I took a back throw from my senior. I had to hold my aching back and make a promise with him—I would never have anything to do with the judo club again.

My senior was extremely dissatisfied with my attitude, saying that I would have a negative impact on the club members and that I would be disrespectful to judo, and he complained a lot.

Therefore, my dream of winning an Olympic judo gold medal has been completely shattered. Great, great, I have absolutely no interest in it anyway.

Besides, with my back hurting so badly, there was no point in even thinking about the Olympics. Those few days were truly excruciating; I would groan for ages every night.

Although it still hurts a bit, I was able to sit and watch during my PE class, so in the end, it can be considered that the good and bad outweigh each other.

However, the bad part seems to be much higher... So my math is really that bad?

"This result is already very good. You should thank Shiroyama-kun properly."

"That's right, that senior's eyes were really fierce, like he wanted to kill you."

After they mentioned it, I remembered it too.

"Oh right, Shiroyama..."

I haven't spoken to him since the judo match ended.

Being asked by my senior to abide by a strange agreement was certainly one reason, but it also reflected our mutual consideration. Even I, who usually doesn't consider others at all, did this, which shows how serious the matter truly is—okay, I admit I did put Shiroyama in a difficult position. Given that, I shouldn't get involved with him anymore, lest I cause him even more trouble. This is the greatest act of kindness I can do.

"So, what happened to the judo club after that?"

Since I was told to cut all ties with them from now on, I obviously couldn't possibly know the current situation.

"Hmm... no new members joined, but a few people who had left the club rejoined."

Yuihama has a wide network of connections on campus. She sent a text message to ask others and found out a lot of information.

"oh……"

That makes sense when you think about it. If recruiting new members could be done simply by holding exhibition matches, clubs all over the world wouldn't have to rack their brains. Besides, Hayama, Zaimokuza, and Yukinoshita are the ones active on the competition field, so it's hard for people to have any aspirations for the judo club.

"Although not everyone has returned, the absence of that senior student did bring back some of those who had left the club."

Yukinoshita added information while flipping through the paperback.

"Oh, right, don't you guys find it strange? Since the judo club won the final victory, shouldn't they feel 'Yay! I'm the strongest!' and then like coming to the club even more?"

"Come on, you're overthinking it."

Yuihama's exaggerated body language made her look like a complete idiot, which almost made me laugh. Upon hearing this, Yukinoshita tucked the bookmark into the page and slammed the book shut.

"It's unlikely...you didn't lose on purpose, did you?"

"No, I really want to win."

For a moment, I genuinely thought I was going to win.

"...It's really, really ugly."

Ms. Yuihama, you're being too blunt.

"Is that so... I just thought it was purely a provocation, so I always assumed you would let the other side win while you had other plans."

It seems that Yukino is the type who tends to overthink and is too clever for her own good. However, I can empathize with that.

"Whether I win or lose, there will always be a good outcome in the end. However, if I win against my senior, I can be more certain that he won't show up again."

"What's the meaning?"

Yuihama frowned in thought. Actually, this wasn't a difficult concept to grasp.

"It's nothing. I just meant that it would be best to clearly tell him, 'Want to come here? No way.'"

Yuihama frowned even more deeply upon hearing this. It seemed she still didn't understand.

She smiled faintly beneath the snow.

"……yes."

She looked enlightened and opened the book to continue reading. Unable to contain her curiosity, Yui shook her and pressed her for more information:

"Huh? What does that mean? What does it mean at all?"

Yukinoshita was getting increasingly impatient with Yuihama's constant shaking, but she was determined not to put down her book. Those two would probably be at it for quite a while.

I took my own book out of my bag and turned to the page with the bookmark.

But after staring at the book for a while, I realized I wasn't really reading it, so I gave up and picked it up.

In that senior's heart, Soubu High School was the "place he longed to return to." It made him feel nostalgic, happy, and at ease, and thus, without realizing it, it became his regular escape spot.

However, the pressure of his own "escape" led him to retreat even deeper, creating an endless cycle of escaping reality.

It's like looking at yourself in a mirror. As long as you don't have the thought that "the world is watching you" or "heaven is watching you," you won't even notice this fact.

In the end, the pressure you put on yourself is something only you can solve.

Will that senior choose to continue running away, or will he pull himself together?

It doesn't matter which one it is.

The last words my senior said on the day of the competition still echo in my ears.

I looked out the window and saw cumulonimbus clouds slowly rising from the distant horizon. The shouts of the sports club, the sounds of brass instruments, and the bickering of two girls in the club office all filled my ears.

It suddenly occurred to me...

Will I one day find my "desired home"?

Volume 7.5 SS4 Short Story ④ Even so, Hachiman Hikigaya's positive thinking is still distorted.

Cool breeze—correction, the season of cold winds has arrived gracefully.

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

My weak voice was like a wisp of autumn wind, while Yuihama clapped her hands vigorously, but her strength waned under Yukinoshita's astonished gaze.

She rallied her spirits, opened the mailbox, and read the first letter aloud.

"Yes, the first letter today is from a friend in Chiba City who uses the pen name 'Sword Master General'."

The deadline for manuscripts from the industry's largest publisher is fast approaching; quickly share your winning strategies!

This guy sends out way too many letters... just as terrifying as someone who's always chatting with bot accounts on Twitter.

"What's this?"

Yuihama tilted her head in confusion, Yukino sighed, and called out names directly.

"Hikigaya-san."

"I know that without you telling me."

Oh dear, it's come to this point. I'm beginning to understand what it's like to care for a bedridden grandfather. No worries, I'll stay with him until the very end. This transcends mere tenderness; it's reached a state of profound understanding.

"Don't fixate on the biggest publisher in the industry, how about trying Gagaga Bunko? Don't be afraid, it's a series from Shogakukan! Also, I heard that authors from Gagaga Bunko can't marry voice actors."

"Okay, problem solved. Yuihama-san, please continue."

Despite not doing anything, Yukinoshita showed a relieved expression. Yuihama naturally began reading the next letter.

"Hmm... The next letter is from Chiba City, written under the pseudonym 'Brother's Sister'."

The Troubles of the Pen Name "Brother's Sister"

"The weather's getting colder lately, and our cat keeps sneaking into bed and fighting for a spot, insisting on sleeping on Komachi's arm. Even her brother has never done that (this is to give Komachi credit)! This prevents Komachi from turning over, and the constant snoring is making it hard for her to sleep. What are some good ways to solve this?"

After Yui finished reading the letter, she and Yukinoshita looked over with slightly warm eyes.

"That's what she said, brother."

"That's what people say, brother."

"Shut up, don't call me brother!"

Only Komachi in the whole world can call me "older brother." If you all keep calling me that, I'm going to open a Chanko Dining restaurant! (Note 50 refers to the chain restaurant "Chanko Dining Waka," whose founder, Hanada Torao, has the nickname "older brother.")

"By the way, that cat...does it really sleep with people? And...and even lie on my arm?"

Yukinoshita glanced up at me, seemingly unintentionally, looking embarrassed. Although that look was quite endearing, her trembling, clenched fists instantly reduced her cuteness level to zero.

"No, when it sleeps with me, it will lie on my stomach without hesitation."

"That's because Xiaoxue looks down on you~ She must think of you as less than herself," Yuihama mocked.

"Don't compare it to your dog."

"Cats are basically solitary animals, and even when they form groups, there is no hierarchy. That kind of relationship is closer to a parent-child relationship. It might have mistaken Komachi for a mother cat, which is why it lay on her arm as a sign of affection."

Yukinoshita suddenly turned on the switch and began to analyze things at length. Yui and I instinctively took a half step back.

"Snowy Encyclopedia really knows everything..."

"Could you please stop calling me that?"

She glared at me unhappily, probably not believing herself to be an encyclopedia, knowing everything. Since she was unhappy, I'd better not address her that way anymore.

"Sorry, cat encyclopedia."

"That's good to know."

"Would a cat encyclopedia suffice?"

Yukinoshita ignored Yuihama's surprise and nodded in satisfaction.

Thanks to her for providing a lot of extra information on the spot, I gained a general understanding of cat habits.

"...So, Xiaoxue sensed my strong 'stay-at-home dad' vibe, which is why she came up to me to show affection?"

I'm definitely destined to be a stay-at-home dad, even my cat agrees. I hope to live a life like a cat in the future.

Hearing me say this, a cold smile appeared beneath the snow, shattering my grand ambitions.

"However, when a cat lies on you, it feels more like a mother cat cuddling her kittens."

"Isn't that like being treated like a kitten?"

"Hehe... that's because I exude an aura of wanting to be taken care of, even the cat can't resist."

Even cats want to adopt me, I'm so amazing!

"Your thinking is too positive!"

"That's not positive thinking, that's mania... But perhaps we really should learn that way of thinking."

After finishing her sentence, Yukinoshita began replying to the letters.

"You're already used to sleeping with the cat, so please be patient with this little thing."

Please, I'm begging you, go and get a cat, okay?