My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 295

Komachi's Christmas gift list

Book card

Gift Card

白色家电

Also... we're almost out of laundry detergent, remember to buy some when you go home ♥

...However, what Komachi wants most is for her brother to be happy. Wow! Isn't that line from Komachi absolutely amazing!

－－－－－－－

...Isn't that great?

Before the day's classes began, I sat in my seat and muttered to myself.

A letter appeared in my schoolbag; I recognized the handwriting all too well. It was something my younger sister, Komachi, had written to me.

The letter was decorated in festive Christmas colors, sprinkled with glittery glitter, as lovely as snowflakes. But upon opening the envelope, the contents were a rather unappealing Christmas gift shopping list.

Komachi's main point was simply that I should buy laundry detergent on my way home. Typical of her... definitely her style, right? Otherwise, why would she write such a gift list that's clearly meant to be resold? Ugh, my little sister is terrifying!

In short, ignore the first three items on the list for now, and remember to buy laundry detergent when you get home.

However, I could only leave the first three things alone; the rest lingered in my mind.

My happiness—

What exactly is this thing?

What exactly is happiness...? Living in a house where you can enjoy delicious soy sauce (Note 1: This is from Akashiya Sanma's song "What is Happiness?", which later became the theme song for the famous Kikkoman soy sauce commercial. "Living in a house where you can enjoy delicious soy sauce" is one of the lyrics.)? What?! Then I'd be incredibly happy already! Being born in Chiba is wonderful! Chiba's soy sauce is the best in all of Japan—(mainly in terms of production volume)!

Oh dear, that was close! If I hadn't been born in Chiba, I might have fallen into a deep depression because I couldn't figure out "what happiness really is." Thank you, Kikkoman—by the way, what does "Kikko" in Kikkoman mean? Forever seventeen? Hey hey hey! (Note 2: Kikkoman's "Kikko" is pronounced "Kitsuko," the nickname of the voice actress, Kikuko Inoue. Whenever Kikuko Inoue introduces herself as seventeen, the audience's "Hey hey hey" has become a regular occurrence.)

As you can see, if I hadn't made a lame joke and glossed over my hometown, I wouldn't have been able to look at this letter at all. Komachi herself probably felt the same way, which is why she deliberately added that unnecessary line at the end: "We really are siblings."

However, Komachi might have her own reasons for writing me this kind of letter.

A few days ago, during the student council election, I asked Komachi for help, so she also knows about the series of events that happened during that time.

Even now, I still can't tell whether that was a good thing or not.

Komachi seemed to sense my feelings and didn't inquire further after the election. After all, if she really asked for details, I wouldn't be able to explain properly, and it would only make me more irritable, leading to another argument with Komachi. I couldn't bear another cold war between us.

Komachi probably understands this, which is why she expresses her concern in such a roundabout way. My sister is indeed quite remarkable.

My desire to fulfill my sister's wish is, of course, "Mountain Mountain" (Note 3, from the song "Ichikitai no wa Mount Mountain" by the band "Biyuu Naruto"). Unfortunately, my wallet won't allow it. Not only that, I can't even fulfill the wish she wrote down half-jokingly.

Hachiman Hikigaya's happiness, Hachiman Hikigaya's wishes, Hachiman Hikigaya's desires—

I have never thought about this question deeply.

Therefore, even now, I still don't understand what happiness is or what I want.

If I could make a wish like Komachi did for me, and if that wish could be heard and allowed—

I……

...I will definitely pray for Komachi's happiness! This lovely Honey Princess is in her prime as a beautiful young girl, and I will pray for her good fortune and help her recharge her happiness! (Note 4: This sentence in the original text includes both the title of the anime "Pretty Cure Happiness Charge" and the names of the four main characters.)

On the other hand, my lovely younger sister is going through a very important period due to her college entrance exams, so it's best not to disturb her right now.

I don't want to take up her time at important moments and cause her unnecessary trouble.

Regardless, putting my own happiness aside for now, I folded up the letter Komachi had written and tucked it into my uniform pocket. Just doing that made me feel a warmth in my chest. What's wrong with me? Am I too fond of my little sister Komachi? It's okay, she's my sister, so she's safe—no, it's precisely because she's my sister that it's not okay!

Reading my sister's letter and giggling like an idiot is a terrible thing, so I quickly straightened my back and adjusted my collar. Yes, I still need to maintain my cool image. By the way, even though I think I always look cool, people around me just think I'm a gloomy guy, so please be aware of that (based on personal observation).

After passing the time for a while, the tutor's time was about to begin, and several students hurriedly ran into the classroom.

Among that group of people, only one person seemed completely oblivious to the school bell, strolling in lazily, his long, dark-blue hair swaying left and right with each step.

That person's name is Kawa... no, it seems like it's Yama or something, or Yutaka? Oh well, it doesn't matter if it's Kawa or Yutaka (Note 5 alludes to the Japanese enka singer Yamakawa Yutaka). That Kawa guy completely ignored the scene in the classroom and went straight to his seat. On the way, his cold eyes met mine.

We stood there stunned for a long time, our bodies stiffening for some reason.

We're not complete strangers, so it'd be best to say hello. Although I don't know her name. Besides, she helped me during the student council election, and I haven't properly thanked her yet. However, when it came time to speak, I didn't know what to say first.

"Uh... well, how should I put it..."

In short, I first used meaningless sentences and breathy sounds to seize the opportunity for conversation. When the other person saw my actions, they also felt that they should say something, and their lips opened and closed helplessly for a while before finally uttering a faint sound.

"……morning."

"Ah, oh."

She greeted me with a frown, and I awkwardly responded.

Because my very first sentence hit a snag, I struggled to come up with a coherent sentence. Seeing that the conversation was stalled, the other person quickly walked to their window seat in the back row.

Sigh, there's nothing I can do. The conversation fell silent, creating an awkward atmosphere. In situations like this, the only option is to run away. Besides, I was already in my seat, so the one who naturally had to take action was the other party.

Whether it was lack of sleep or simply a lack of energy, Chuan immediately slumped onto the table as soon as she sat down. As I watched her, I calmly recalled the interaction between the two of us earlier.

...Hey, hey, hey, am I dreaming? That guy named Chuan something actually greeted me! We don't even know each other's names, this is a huge step forward!

That being said, greeting someone is a simple matter that even elementary school students do well. Schools even teach children to greet suspicious people proactively. Thinking about it this way, was Trump's greeting to me just now a preemptive attack on a suspicious person? This is similar to saying "What are you looking at?" or "Which school do you go to?"

That makes sense. It's only natural to launch an attack of this magnitude upon seeing a suspicious person chuckling at a letter written to their sister. But wait a minute, if I remember correctly, didn't she also chuck at a text message to her brother, Kawasaki Taishi Den? Ah, right, I remember now, her name is Kawasaki Saki.

Ugh, that person was so suspicious! Next time I'll take the initiative and say hello first!

Therefore, saying hello is really important.

Use the power of greetings to build a surveillance society (slogan of the week).

In a world where being greeted by someone doesn't necessarily mean friendliness, and you have to fear the day someone will greet you first, poison (Note 6 is adapted from the theme song "poison" with lyrics by Takashi Sorimachi, who starred in the Japanese drama "Great Teacher Onizuka". The original lyrics are "In this world where you want to say something but can't say it, poison.").

I propped my cheek up and observed Kawasaki, while also glancing at other corners of the classroom.

There were no significant changes in the students, but the setting was somewhat different.

The lockers at the back were crammed with coats and scarves, as well as a kettle that someone had brought. Most of the girls had blankets covering their thighs, hiding their feet inside.

Only one person openly showed off her long, slender legs – Yumiko Miura.

She toyed with her slightly curled blonde hair, then slowly raised her beautiful leg, which peeked out from under her short skirt. At that moment, her skirt fluttered gracefully.

I strained with all my might to keep my eyes from being completely drawn in, managing to stop myself just before something I shouldn't have seen entered my field of vision. Sigh, my self-control still isn't enough; my eyes naturally... Ah, but wait! It was Miura who chose to sit like that, causing Haruka... wait, no, there's a layer of mist surrounding her. What's that? Is it some kind of mosaic? If I buy a Blu-ray disc, will it remove that white mist?

I usually have a pair of dull, squinty eyes, but now I'm squinting even narrower—maybe I can spot something (pink). Sure enough, I spotted a small device emitting smoke. Ah, I see. That must be the humidifier Yuihama mentioned earlier; it really does create a smoky effect, giving the feeling that an enemy is about to appear.

Miura was like a queen ruling the world today, with Yuihama and Ebina attending to him as usual.

"Yumiko, aren't you cold like that?"

Ebina asked with concern, and Miura confidently tossed his hair aside, a smile spreading across his face as he replied:

"It's not cold there; this temperature is normal."

Despite saying that, she still sneezed slightly. Seeing her embarrassment, Yui and Ebina both gave her warm expressions. Yes, that's right, for some reason, even I felt that warmth.

In contrast to Miura, who confidently showed off her beautiful legs, Ebina and Yuigahama wore sweatpants under their skirts. Hey, that kind of outfit is going to be disappointing to anyone who sees it, please stop messing around!

...Wait a minute. It seems only high school girls would dress like that. Thinking about it that way, I started to think it wasn't so bad after all. The combination of a short skirt and incredibly tacky sweatpants creates a mysteriously mismatched look. Precisely because it's hidden beneath the fabric, we can freely unleash the wings of our imaginations, soaring brilliantly within it. You are my wings! (Note 7: A line from the anime *Macross Frontier*, spoken by character Alto Saotome.) Here's a word of advice: Never underestimate a boy's imagination!

However, the boys around them really weren't interested, not even glancing at the sweatpants. Unbelievable! Young people these days have no imagination; this won't do—well, it's fine, I'm not forcing them to look.

I continued to observe carefully and discovered that the group of boys did not seem to lack imagination, which is why they did not pay attention to the sweatpants.

While he wouldn't call it conclusive evidence, Hubu kept pulling his hair back and tugging at it, swaying from side to side with a restless expression. Each time he swayed, he glanced at the group, seemingly worried about something.

The Ministry of Revenue glanced at Hayama, then at the Miura Group, before finally turning back towards Ooka and Yamato.

"But it's really cold."

"yes."

Yamato nodded in agreement, and Ooka also let out an exaggerated sigh.

"I really wish we could cut a few club classes in this weather!"

"Add one, add one~"

When others want to subtract, you stand by and shout for addition. Does that mean you agree or disagree? ...Could it be that your addition and subtraction actually mean the same thing, and that this world has already been guided by the law of cycles (Note 8, a line from "Puella Magi Madoka Magica")?

"Right?" Hobe smiled frivolously, seeking the approval of Hayama, Miura, and the others.

Ye Shan smiled slightly, but said nothing more.

As for Miura, who had been watching their interaction the whole time, she only glanced at Hayama and didn't say a word.

To the uninitiated, the Yeshan Group might seem no different from any other group. To be honest, if I hadn't noticed their subtle actions just now, I probably would have thought so too.

However, a rift did develop between them.

Although the boys' group and the girls' group were in the same area, they did not actually interact with each other.

I finally realized that it wasn't that the Ministry of Revenue and the others were indifferent to Miura; it was precisely because they cared that they deliberately avoided looking at him.

On the surface, the group seemed the same as always, but in reality, something had changed.

The reason for this is probably the slight distance between the central figures of the two groups. When a rift develops between the central figures of the male and female groups, the members of both sides will naturally distance themselves.

No one spoke of it.

However, the fact that "no one speaks out" itself demonstrates their sense of distance and will only widen the gap between them further.

What exactly happened between them? It can't be that Miura dislikes Tobe and is deliberately ignoring him, right? Ugh~ Poor Tobe~ He's just like me!

The reason likely doesn't lie with the Ministry of Revenue, but rather with Miura's lingering resentment over the four-person date he witnessed earlier. Logically, if it were Hayama, going out with girls from other schools wouldn't be anything to be surprised about. However, that line of thinking is probably incorrect.

Hayama isn't the kind of guy known for being a womanizer. From my observation, he always keeps a safe distance from girls he doesn't know well.

Thinking about it that way, the scene that Miura witnessed that day must have had a significant impact on her.

Perhaps the Hayama I see is a different person from the Hayama Miura sees. In other words, the Hayama Miura knows wouldn't do such a thing.

...Oh dear, I'm starting to feel a little guilty. I can't say he's entirely without responsibility for what he did. It was because he got involved with me that Miura had unnecessary worries. But, I also have to blame Hayama for meddling and coming to me; I don't think I did anything wrong. But Miura didn't do anything wrong either... Plus, I accidentally saw her underwear (pink) that day, and my guilt towards her is getting stronger and stronger.

When Miura Kazuki was listless, the whole group followed suit. Moreover, it wasn't just Miura who was acting strangely.

Yuihama is also a bit different from usual.

She listened silently to the conversation between the Ministry of Revenue officials with a smile on her face; as for Miura and Ebina, she also acted as a professional listener, nodding at appropriate times.

She doesn't initiate conversations or force topics to continue the dialogue. Most importantly, she doesn't observe other people's reactions or expressions.

This is not the case in Yuihama, which is run by the Service Society.

For Yuihama now, being with Miura and the others might bring her more peace of mind. That clubhouse is definitely no longer a place where she can breathe.

This matter has left a deep knot in my heart.

The conversation on Hayama's side was disjointed, and Hobu barely managed to keep the silence amicable with a soft "Ahhh." Then, he trailed off, saying:

"...Oh—by the way, isn't it super cold lately? I'm freezing to death~"

Ministry of Revenue! 0P! That topic has already been used! Weather is a great trope when you're short on topics, but you can't keep using it forever... Wouldn't this just turn into "Gondo, Gondo, Rain, Gondo (Note 9: This refers to former professional baseball player Hiroshi Gondo. He was so frequently on the pitch that he almost always started the game unless it was stopped by rain, hence the famous saying)"?

Ooka and Yamato's reactions were similar to those of a little earlier.

"After all, it's winter."

"Right~"

Their conversation was so repetitive that it went far beyond being pre-arranged, making one wonder if the world was stuck in a loop. Fortunately, the Minister of Revenue's next words were different today, although I don't know what he's usually like. Sorry, I have absolutely no interest in you.

"By the way, do you have any plans for Christmas?"

Hey, Kebu, you're acting like you're questioning Hayama, but your ear is actually turned towards Ebina!

Ebina noticed his actions and spoke first:

"I have a ton of things to do at the end of the year."

Yes, that's right. Every winter, a grand festival is held in Ariake (Note 10: This refers to the annual Comic Market, a doujinshi (fan-made comics) fair held at Tokyo Big Sight in Ariake, Koto Ward, Tokyo). Right? I nodded to myself in understanding. Miura, who had been uninterested until now, suddenly reacted, and his fingers, which had been fiddling with his curly hair, stopped.

"Christmas... Ebina probably can't participate... What about you guys?"

As she said this, she glanced at Ye Shan, then quickly looked away. Her hand under the desk kept fidgeting with the hem of her skirt, appearing restless. I don't know if it was just my imagination, but her cheeks seemed to have flushed slightly pink.

Wow, that's great! Miura, keep it up—strange, why am I cheering for that queen? Ah, as for the Ministry of Revenue, let's skip that.

Unfortunately, my encouragement didn't work. Hayama shook his head slightly and said:

"I might also..."