My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 349

I glanced sideways at Hayama, but because of the distance, I couldn't see him clearly. I only knew that they all had cheerful smiles on their faces and seemed to be chatting happily.

In order to hear their conversation, you have to get closer...

So I leaned forward a lot, putting almost all my weight on the wood base.

"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!"

I heard Timber's groan and realized how bent his back was, so I quickly moved away. The next second, Timber sprang back like a spring and fell face-up, convulsing uncontrollably.

Compared to the constant laughter on Hayama's side, there was not a trace of joy here, and I couldn't help but give a wry smile. Zaimokuza, seeing this, cast a reproachful glance my way.

"Hey, stop messing around. Why are you comparing yourself to that guy?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry."

"Comparing yourself to that kind of person will only make you look more pathetic. Don't forget he's a handsome, smart, athletic, and kind guy who even remembers my name, so I'm telling you, Hachiman, you really don't need to humiliate yourself like that."

"Oh, so you're talking about me?"

I thought Zaimokuza meant for me not to compare him to Hayama.

However, the two were so different that it made me want to compare them.

"By the way, which group are you planning to choose?"

"It's precisely because it's the opposite that it has value as a reference"—something Yukinoshita had said not long ago flashed through my mind. So, I decided to give it a try.

"Hmm?" The wood-carrying stool continued to lie on the ground, turning its head to say:

"Me? I'll choose the science group."

"What?"

"What's the meaning of that face? Just say what you want to say."

"No, I just assumed you'd definitely choose the literature group. Isn't the literature group more advantageous for becoming a light novel author?"

"Oh, you're so naive. Beep, beep, beep..."

Watching the woodworker pretentiously wiggle his fingers and click his tongue, I really wanted to punch him... But if he kept dripping like that, wouldn't a huge explosion happen?

"Humanities subjects fall within my area of ​​interest, and I can absorb them on my own without special classes. The problem is with subjects I'm not interested in; without some kind of pressure or motivation, it's difficult to internalize them as my own knowledge."

"...Oh, I see. This is the first time I've felt you were so serious..."

The woodworker's words made so much sense; for a moment, I was truly moved.

However, a non-trash-worthy person can't truly be called a "good Samaritan"... The good Samaritans I know would probably use every excuse to justify their actions, refusing to see reality, and ultimately drown in the abyss called idealism... From now on, I will cherish the good Samaritan living in my heart. Alas, farewell~

I silently waved goodbye to the real timber pedestal. Then, he got up and brushed the dirt off his body.

"However, I'm not good at math and science subjects either..."

"Then you'll have a tough time getting into university."

"Hmm. But... compared to math and science, I'm even less good at interacting with girls..."

Looking into the distance, Cai Muzuo spoke softly. His voice sounded as if he had attained some profound enlightenment, reaching a state of selflessness and composure that left me speechless. Eventually, he took the initiative to speak again.

"You'll be happier if you're assigned to a science class. There are fewer girls, so there's less pressure in the classroom. Besides, girls who choose science must be very mature."

"I don't know if it's mature or not... but I never knew you could think about it this way..."

These words were a wake-up call. Choosing a science-focused class, with boys making up 80% of the class, naturally reduces the chances of meeting girls significantly.

"Cai Mu Zuo, I'm starting to believe you"—just as he thought this, his eyes suddenly turned fierce.

"Ha! What's so special about girls who apply to private liberal arts programs? Their math teacher is always on leave, and their GPA and IQ are nothing compared to mine. They'll have to wait another hundred years! Let those guys spend their days trying to guess what's going on in an author's mind!"

At this point, Zaimokuza even spat out a rather disdainful "Pah!" Hmm, judging from his obvious prejudice and discrimination, he really is an authoritarian living in the last generation. Talking to him is so reassuring… typical Zaimokuza, he always blames others for everything!

However, I still have to remind you first that if you understand the meaning of "anything can rival Diao Chan," it shouldn't be hard to understand why science girls easily become the little princesses of otaku. It's not surprising that girls who spend all their time with boys gradually develop the illusion of being princesses. It's like princess cells awakening under a prince's kiss (Note 28 alludes to the controversy surrounding Japanese cell biologist Haruko Obokata's discovery of STAP cells, which was questioned as fraud), transforming perfectly normal girls into science-oriented women…

Although the reasons why Zaimuza chose the Ryakumi group are regrettable, at least the part he mentioned at the beginning is definitely true. I originally thought he was just a guy with an empty head, but it turns out he can actually think things through seriously.

"Okay. The management team works really hard, good luck to you."

"Hmm. You don't need to tell me. I don't want to fail my university exams and become your junior next year. Just bear with it."

"Let's talk about it after you pass the exam."

We quickly finished the remaining stretching exercises and headed towards the starting line for the endurance run. Most of the boys had already gathered there, so we were quite far back in the line.

At this moment, Timber Stand gave a thumbs-up, comparing it to himself.

"Hachiman... run a lap with me! (Note 29: A line from Shinnosuke Tomari in Kamen Rider Drive)!"

"No way!"

She's not a girl, so why do they have to run together?

Mr. Atsugi picked up his saddle watch and blew his whistle. The students in the front row started running in order, and those of us in the back row slowly began to run as well.

I looked ahead and then around, and realized that no one seemed to be running very seriously. Thinking about it, that made sense. It was just a PE class today, so of course no one would be running at full speed.

Besides, this is the fourth period, and we'll have lunch right after the run. If I'm exhausted from the endurance run, I'll definitely fall asleep during the first class in the afternoon after lunch. After a PE class, I'm so tired, how can I not feel sleepy in a warm classroom after lunch? But I admit, even without the endurance run today, I would still sleep through the afternoon classes.

We lazily followed at the back of the group, but just a few minutes after the start, Timber started to fall behind. I couldn't stand it; he'd been so arrogant earlier, saying, "Do you think you can catch me?"...

"Ugh, damn it... the acceleration phenomenon... Could it be... the 'turbidity' (Note 30: a phenomenon that occurs in Kamen Rider Drive, where the flow of surrounding objects slows down, and physical movement is also hindered. Also known as 'turbidity')..."

"I don't care about you anymore."

I dropped the lumber carrier and slid into the front of the line. It's international etiquette to drop someone halfway through a marathon when they ask to join you. All children learn the lesson of "not easily trusting others" from this experience.

× × ×

I ran and ran and ran, all alone, and finally made it halfway over. IEKE! Ah, no, that's Hamtaro's cry. Cough cough!

The endurance run in PE class is basically just running around the perimeter of the school. Waaah... if we keep going like this, I'll turn into butter! (Note 31: From the British children's story "Little Sambo")...

So, I spent the rest of the way thinking about random things to pass the time, and finally caught up with the middle group.

Fortunately, he has a habit of riding a bicycle to and from school, so his physical strength can at least be maintained at an average level.

Although this is the middle group, apart from the leading group at the very front and those who wanted to finish quickly and rest early, almost no one ran at full speed, so this should actually be considered the back group.

Upon arriving in this area, I spotted the figures of the Ministry of Revenue and others.

Sports clubs are used to running to exercise, so no matter how you look at it, they shouldn't be in this category. The only plausible explanation is that they weren't running seriously either.

The group chatted as they ran, occasionally patting each other on the shoulder, tapping each other on the head, or suddenly sprinting forward for no apparent reason—a heartwarming scene that brought a smile to anyone's face. If I were the class monitor with pigtails, I would definitely have said to them, "Hey~ boys, run properly~" only to be met with a retort of "Shut up, you ugly freak!" and then burst into tears. In the end, those boys would be surrounded and berated at the pre-school class meeting. They should really be grateful I'm not the pretty girl class monitor with pigtails.

Actually, I only saw the trio of Hobe, Ooka, and Yamato fooling around, and I didn't see Hayama anywhere.

good chance.

I happen to have something I'd like to ask them.

The Samba Carnival of the Three Idiots (Note 32: The original text for "Three Idiots" is "Sanma-san," pronounced the same as the first half of "Samba Carnival") wasn't over yet. They kept fiddling around, and I kept watching them closely from behind. But if they didn't stop, I couldn't find a way to join the conversation—that's a lie! Hachiman lied to himself! Even if they stopped and walked, this person still couldn't join the conversation!

Besides, there were no traffic lights along the way, so what should I do...? Like a bomb rock, I kept observing the situation (Note 33: Monsters appearing in the Dragon Quest series of games will only observe unless attacked to a certain extent). Finally, I waited until Tobu stopped.

"You guys run first, don't wait for me—"

He spoke to Ooka and Yamato, then squatted down and tied his loose shoelaces.

Heaven is on my side! The most talkative person has miraculously stayed behind all by himself!

"I'm asking you—"

“Ouch!”

I spoke to the Minister of Revenue from behind, and he immediately reflexively rolled forward once before turning his head around.

"What? It's you~ If you were there, could you have made a sound? You scared me to death~"

No matter what, your reaction is a bit too intense... Anyway, let's put the Ministry of Revenue's complaints aside for now and get to the point.

"Hayama didn't run with you guys?"

"Wow, Hayato's really in the lead. He won the championship last year, and everyone's looking forward to his performance this year, so he's been practicing really hard."

"oh……"

Oh, I see. Our school's marathon only has men's and women's categories. If Hayama was last year's champion, it means that all the second and third-year students lost to him. No wonder everyone is expecting Hayama to retain his title this year. By the way, my ranking isn't anything special; my name will at most appear in the vast sea of ​​"participation award" recipients.

Okay, none of that matters.

I raised my chin, pointed forward, and gestured for Hubu to keep running. It wouldn't look natural for the two of us to stand still; the teacher might come back to check. Hubu followed after I started running.

The two of us ran for a while when the Minister of Revenue suddenly turned around, looking puzzled as to why I was following him. That's perfect; I'm eager to get to the point.

However, before I could speak, the Ministry of Revenue let out a sigh of relief, as if a huge weight had been lifted from his heart, and then gave me an embarrassed smile.

"Oh dear, I was really on edge when I heard that rumor—it was a secret that couldn't be told—"

"what?"

I squinted in confusion at this seemingly nonsensical topic. The Minister of Revenue wiped the sweat from his brow and continued:

"Didn't Hayato say that the girl he likes has a name that starts with Y? Almost no one else knows that."

"..."

It took me several seconds to finally realize what was happening. As more and more keywords appeared, memories gradually surfaced in my mind.

It was a summer night.

In the dimly lit space, one person kept insisting that another person name their crush. Unable to resist, the other person finally managed to squeeze out a single English letter.

—That's right, it was during a camping trip in Chiba Village. At that time, Hayato Hayama did say that the first letter of the name of the person he liked was Y.

I felt as if I had lost consciousness, letting my legs carry me forward. During this brief moment, the Ministry of Revenue continued to stare at my expression.

"You absolutely mustn't tell anyone about this."

"Okay..."

He was the one who blurted it out... Could it be that this guy is actually the king's barber? I'm not some kind of bottomless pit where he can spill all his secrets...

"Even though I knew it was impossible, I was still quite shocked when I heard it."

Without thinking much about it, I naturally understood the meaning behind the Ministry of Revenue's words.

"...Yes, that's definitely impossible."

Despite outwardly agreeing with him, I was still a little worried that the two of us might be talking about different things.

It doesn't matter, none of that's the point anyway. What I want to know are other things.

However, the Ministry of Revenue seemed determined to continue discussing this matter. In order to effectively maintain control of the conversation, I decided to subtly shift the topic.

"Have you submitted the survey form?"

"Hmm—not yet. Although I personally prefer the science group, it seems like Ooka and Yamato are both going to the humanities group."

"Oh... So, did you ask Hayama which group he wanted to join?"

The fact that the Ministry of Revenue brought up the selection of Ooka and Yamato allowed me to smoothly and directly get to the heart of the matter.

Based on my personal observation, among the boys, Tobe is probably the closest to Hayama. Ooka and Yamato are also good friends with Hayama, but unfortunately, they are slightly less close than Tobe, who is also in the soccer club. Of course, I must emphasize that the above conclusions are purely based on my personal knowledge. Who told me I don't know about Hayama's friendships?

When the Ministry of Revenue heard this question, he touched his hair a few times.

"He—he won't tell me; I have to decide for myself."

"Um……"

Sigh, just as I thought. Since this method won't work, I'll have to find another way to gather information. If only I had someone as easy to talk to as the Minister of Revenue at times like this. Holding onto the small hope of unexpectedly obtaining information while talking to villagers in an RPG game, I tried a different approach to asking questions.

"Aren't you going to talk to him about the team selection issue?"

"I did discuss it with him, but the humanities and science groups each have their own advantages. As I listened to more and more, I became less and less sure which group to choose."

At this point, Hobu sighed deeply, and his running speed noticeably slowed down. It was unexpected that he would also be troubled by his future. Speaking of which, Hayama's advice was indeed very much in his style; it was hard to say whether it was extremely pertinent or just a master of playing mind games…

"Hayama is right, the humanities and sciences groups each have their advantages and disadvantages. Did you ask him which one he would recommend?"

He said that would affect my judgment.

"I see……"

It seems that Hayama is determined not to say it aloud.

In fact, people easily influenced by others' opinions are more likely to accept the advice of those with a glamorous appearance and charisma without thinking. Therefore, central figures like Hayama must be particularly mindful of the potential impact of their words and actions. While discussing hobbies, interests, and appearance might not be a problem, group choices and interpersonal relationships can affect one's future. A positive outcome is naturally a good thing; but a negative outcome could lead to lifelong resentment. Those who easily entrust their future to others also easily shift responsibility onto them.

However, since it's the Ministry of Revenue, there's no need to worry that he'll hate Ye Shan in the future.