My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 360

"This is the only way to meet your requirements."

Hayama noticed he was sweating, brushed his hair aside to wipe the sweat, and looked out at the sea.

Then, he murmured softly:

"It seems impossible for us to get along well after all..."

"what?"

Before I could even ask a question, I heard hurried footsteps behind me. Several people who had been following the tennis club were quickly approaching. They probably saw that Hayama had stopped and was walking, and wanted to seize the opportunity to catch up.

Hayama and I just watched them walk away.

At the same time, Hayama spoke again:

"It's nothing... You're really something else."

"What, did I guess the research team right?"

"You're wrong. I just think you're really twisted."

He shook his head. This was a choice between two options; since Hayama said one answer was incorrect, it meant the other was correct. So it was the literature group—just as I was about to speak, Hayama said calmly in a gentle tone:

"I hate you."

"Oh, um..."

He didn't even look at me, abruptly uttering those words, leaving me speechless. I knew very well that I wasn't likable, but this was the first time someone had directly and bluntly criticized me to my face. Ye Shan ignored my reaction, gazing into the distance, and continued speaking calmly.

"The thought that I am inferior to you fills me with deep resentment. That's why I want to help you out, hoping you can be on equal footing. Maybe it's just that—to acknowledge that I am not as good as you."

"……Yeah?"

I suppose that's how it is. In order to see Hayama as a special person and thus accept everything, I lied to myself, deceiving myself: Hayama Hayato is definitely a good person, without a doubt.

Ye Shan noticed my meaningless nod, turned his face, and revealed the most cheerful, yet provocative, smile I had ever seen.

"Therefore, I will not listen to you."

"Yeah?"

I nodded again, and Hayama nodded in response.

Perhaps for him, choosing between the arts and sciences tracks was never the point. It wouldn't make much difference where he goes.

Knowing this is enough to resolve Miura's request. But I must emphasize: the problem itself hasn't disappeared; rather, what follows is beyond my capabilities.

"It's about time we went."

After saying that, Ye Shan immediately started running. "You big idiot, I'm already too tired to run anymore!"—despite this internal complaint, I still managed to keep up.

There's one more thing I need to confirm.

I forced myself to lift my legs, which were almost out of control, and dragged myself forward. Fortunately, after resting for a while, my breathing had returned to normal. I took a deep breath to calm my racing heart.

"...Did you choose the literature group because of family connections? For example, because it involves interactions between the two parties?"

"Huh? Did I mention my family to you before?"

Ye Shan's steps were light, and his speech was effortless. By his own standards, his current speed was probably only equivalent to jogging.

"No, I just happened to overhear it..."

My body started to cool down after I started sweating, and then the cold sea breeze began to blow in gusts. The unpleasant feeling of coldness and stickiness, coupled with the sudden, eerie silence, made me involuntarily shrink back.

Then, another person overtook them.

However, Ye Shan seemed to have long since stopped caring about the rankings. He simply looked at me with great interest, pondered for a while, and then spoke:

"You don't actually care about that rumor, do you?"

"Huh? Come on, no way... It's just, um—how should I put it..."

I couldn't think of a reply for a moment, and when Hayama saw this, he burst out laughing. His running posture, which had been so smooth before, was now shaking slightly with laughter.

"...What's so funny?"

Ye Shan exaggeratedly wiped the corner of his eye.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Don't worry about this, I'll handle it."

"Oh, that's great. Otherwise, the student affairs office is on edge all day long, and my heart can hardly take it."

As we spoke, the sound of breathing gradually approached from behind. I turned my head and looked back ahead; the people who had overtaken us earlier must have already run quite far ahead.

My legs felt as heavy as if they were bound with lead, and they wouldn't obey my commands anymore.

"You've fallen far behind... Let's just take it slow. Sorry, I can't let you win the championship again."

Ye Shan shook his head at my suggestion, shook his hands a few times to loosen his muscles, and then grinned.

"...No need, I will win...This is the real me."

He meant that winning the championship, meeting everyone's expectations, and playing the role of "Hayama Hayato" well in the end was his own style of doing things.

He gradually sped up, and after pulling a few steps ahead of me who was walking slowly, he turned around.

"And I don't want to lose to you."

With those last words, Ye Shan rushed out.

I could only watch him disappear into the distance, and I no longer had the strength to chase after him.

That person gave an answer I never expected, and as I imagined the possibility I would never believe, they drifted further and further away.

Damn, he's way too handsome!

Could it be that he's also someone who refuses to admit defeat? I casually played with this thought and kept running. Suddenly, my right foot hit my left calf.

My legs got tangled, I lost my balance and fell to the ground. I didn't get up immediately, but lay there on the ground, looking up at the sky.

The white smoke exhaled from his mouth slowly blended into the clear blue winter sky.

× × ×

Of course, my fall didn't affect the marathon race; it proceeded smoothly as planned.

I lay there for a while until Totsuka passed by and helped me up. To avoid causing Totsuka any more trouble, I told him to keep running while I gritted my teeth and ran the whole course, enduring the pain in my legs.

Although I didn't end up at the bottom, I almost completely exhausted myself during the final sprint with the bottom-ranked group. As I crossed the finish line, I couldn't help but look around and ask, "Is it... okay...?" (Note 45: a line from the anime "AIR" by the character Misuzu Kamio.) Incidentally, only Zaimokuza, who ran alongside me to the finish line, responded to me.

After finally finishing the run, her legs were trembling so badly she looked like she was about to burst out laughing. This was the real deal—a genuine little smiley face (Note 46: Nico Yazawa's catchphrase from *Love Live! School Idol Festival*). Oh…

I collapsed to the ground, examining my miserable state. In truth, the only word to describe it was "miserable."

My calves and thighs were chafed raw, my shorts were covered in mud, my buttocks were cramping, and my side was throbbing with pain. It was practically impossible to find a spot that didn't hurt. I thought I was already a handful, but today's pain level had the potential to break records (it was incredibly painful).

If I hadn't kept cheering myself on along the way, my life points would probably have been reduced to zero long ago.

Moreover, when I arrived at the finish line, naturally no one lined the road to greet me.

To be honest, only the physical education teacher was at the finish line to deal with the situation; the other students all rushed into the park square.

I went to the square to check on the situation. The award ceremony was halfway through, and Isshiki was hosting it on stage.

As originally planned, there wasn't supposed to be an awards ceremony for the marathon. It was probably a last-minute decision by the student council. I never expected Isshiki to be so capable; he's truly a force to be reckoned with.

"Now—the rankings have been announced. Next, we invite the winners to come to the stage and give their acceptance speeches—"

Isshiki, holding the microphone he'd brought from the student council office, was excitedly introducing himself, looking quite enthusiastic. The way the vice president adjusted the sound system was equally peculiar.

I glanced around casually and saw that almost all the first and second-year boys and girls were gathered there. Of course, classmates like Yuihama, Miura, Ebina, Tobe, and Totsuka were also present.

Then, Isshiki announced to the audience:

"Let's welcome this year's champion, Hayato Hayama, to the stage!"

Wearing the laurel wreath, Hayama stepped onto the makeshift stage, and the crowd erupted in cheers. So, he really did win in the end...

"Congratulations on defending your championship title, Hayama-senpai! I always believed you would win!"

"Thanks."

Isshiki made no attempt to hide his bias, while Hayama responded with a calm smile.

"Now, please give your remarks, senior."

He took the microphone, and applause, whistles, and cheers of "Hayato Hayato Hayato!" erupted all around him. The Ministry of Revenue's occasional shouts of "Hey!", "Ha!", and "Hehehaha!" were really annoying.

After waving with a somewhat embarrassed smile, Hayama began to give his remarks.

"Although the journey was quite thrilling, I was able to achieve victory in the end thanks to the stimulation of strong opponents and everyone's encouragement. Thank you all very much."

He paused briefly as he spoke fluently, then spotted Miura in the crowd and waved to her.

"Especially Yumiko, and Iroha... thank you."

Upon hearing this, even louder cheers erupted from the audience. Ooka whistled wildly, and Yamato clapped vigorously. Miura and Isshiki, whose names were called, stood frozen in surprise for a moment before shyly shifting their bodies and lowering their blushing faces. Yui gently patted Miura on the shoulder.

Seeing Hayama's warm gaze and the reactions of the other two, the others began to whisper among themselves. So that's what he meant when he said he would "handle it."

The acceptance speech was not yet over.

"Next, I'll dedicate myself fully to the club and prepare well for my last high school game... And listen up, soccer club members, your running performance was absolutely terrible. I'll train hard when I get back. You'd better get your skin on the edge."

Ye Shan revealed a dazzling, devilish smile as he addressed the group from the Ministry of Revenue. Upon hearing this, the Minister of Revenue let out a loud wail and collapsed backward.

"Huh? Hayato—that's not right—you should have said so sooner!"

His voice was just as loud as the microphone on stage, and everyone burst into laughter. What a peaceful world…

"Okay~ Thank you so much for your acceptance speech, Hayama-senpai! Please give us a warm round of applause—after second place, you don't need to come on stage, right?"

Isshiki, looking for trouble, secretly asked the vice president a question while the audience was applauding enthusiastically, but her words were completely caught on the microphone. What on earth is she up to...?

She quickly defended herself for her slip of the tongue. At the same time, after Hayama stepped off the stage, he chatted and laughed with Miura and his group.

Their current interaction shows no trace of the previous distance. Miura, now the center of attention, shyly hides behind Yui and Ebina.

Seeing this, I left the square.

I have personally witnessed Hayama Hayato's outward appearance. Even though it may just be a facade created to meet everyone's expectations, a hypocritical actor who appears to be a good person but is actually selfish, I have nothing to say about how perfectly he has done it.

As I left the square, I encountered the crowd dispersing. Men and women in the crowd were all, intentionally or unintentionally, talking about the topic we had just discussed.

"That rumor was just false after all," "Hayama and Miura are still good friends"—I glanced at this scene and dragged my injured leg toward the school infirmary.

× × ×

The school building was quiet and the temperature was much lower than in the park square.

Most people haven't returned from the marathon yet. They probably want to enjoy their freedom a little longer.

I changed into indoor shoes and entered the deserted special building. Just walking like that made the injured part of my foot ache.

After finally arriving at the infirmary, I gently knocked on the door.

"Please come in."

A familiar voice came from inside. I opened the door and, sure enough, it was Yukinoshita. She was wearing a gym uniform, sitting in a chair, looking at me with a puzzled expression.

"...Hachigaya-kun? I thought Yuihama-kun was here."

"She's still in the park. But what are you doing here?"

"They took a short break along the way and were then ruled to have forfeited..."

Yukinoshita gritted her teeth and muttered angrily. It was no surprise that she had dropped out halfway through the race. But seeing how regretful she was, she probably really wanted to finish.

"And you...are you injured?"

She noticed my legs and squinted her eyes in pity.

"Yeah, I got a little scratched."

I would rather die than admit that I tripped and fell; it's too embarrassing. Besides, even if I did admit it, I'd just sound like a domestic violence victim claiming, "No! I really just tripped and fell by accident." It's best not to create any more misunderstandings and make her think I'm a victim of domestic violence.

"Why not just treat the injury there? Aren't the nurses in the infirmary there?"

"By the time I reached the finish line, everyone had already run away..."

Upon hearing this, Yukinoshita stroked her chin thoughtfully for a moment.

"What bad luck... It seems you're not having much luck. Or maybe it's your eyesight."

"Yes, yes, and her personality and heart aren't good either. Anyway, can I use the disinfectant directly?"

The cabinet containing the medicines wasn't locked, so I started rummaging through it. Yukinoshita couldn't help but sigh.