My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 415

"What's wrong"

"No... I was just thinking, is it really okay for us to be walking together like this?" Perhaps out of a little shame, I avoided her gaze.

Zheben stopped, looked at me, then at the handlebars, and laughed.

"It's funny that Hachiman is saying something like that. Is that the kind of person you are?"

I forced a smile. These insincere words, though seemingly polite, felt completely out of place with me. It's been like this since middle school; I want to say something, but something always sounds off.

Perhaps it was something I didn't intend to convey to the other person, or perhaps it was simply a way to break the silence.

Back then, I thought it would be cool to play the role of a taciturn person, so I rarely spoke. But at the same time, I was always overly sensitive to what others said, so I would think over and over how to respond.

In the end, I still couldn't find the right words.

"Ride it back?" Zheben handed over the handlebars.

"No... never mind."

"But it's too cold to walk."

"That……"

Zheben clenched her fist in front of her chest and gave me a victorious smile.

"It warms up when I ride a bike."

"No, only the rider will be warm..." My voice gradually faded and finally drifted away in the wind.

It's like she's not even listening to me!

She braced herself on one leg and gripped the handle. That posture…isn't it a bit inappropriate? And what's under that skirt? Is there a Pokémon hiding there…? Oh, I accidentally saw it. Speaking of which, her legs are actually quite pretty…

I immediately looked away from the seat and luggage rack; all that was left was to grab the handlebars someone had given me. Because it was cold. Yeah, right. Even though they'd been with me for so long, even my classmates…

"Okay." That was the reply.

But it doesn't feel quite right. Oh, is the seat too high? Did I not notice it when we were walking together?

It's not quite the same as my car. I kept adjusting my posture.

Still not working. Let's ask about the loss.

She leaned back, then suddenly remembered something and started clapping her hands.

"Ah, the mountain bike I usually ride has a high seat. You should lower it a little so it will be easier to ride."

"Mountain bikes...?"

No, this high seat reminds me of "To Love-Ru"... Never mind, I'll just lower the seat. Wait, what if she makes fun of my short legs...? I'm pretty easily embarrassed; I'd be mortified if she heard that. Holding my breath, I pedaled hard, my back hunched over.

"I ride my bike out for fun on weekends, but I'm afraid of it being stolen, so I usually just use this bike to commute to and from get off work."

I didn't ask anything. The loss is just a continuation of the previous topic, right? Well, that car probably wasn't used much over the weekend either.

She certainly looks like that kind of person.

The kind of trendy girl who rides a road bike on weekends, carries a DSLR camera, and eats vegetables and juice for lunch.

Why am I so full of stereotypes... Aren't vegetables and fruit juice the staple food of smart people? Considering that I am the complete opposite of this type of person, I should be eating minced meatballs and German sausages, and drinking coffee milk or soda.

To be honest, I don't really know her at all. If someone were to ask me, how much would I actually be able to answer?

“It’s not surprising, she seems like the kind of person who’s interested in that kind of thing,” I said, tilting my head. She gripped the armrest of her seat, trying not to touch my back or shoulder. As I turned my head, I met her eyes.

"Yeah... because I don't like being tied to a club, so I'm relatively free."

"Then part-time jobs too..."

He asked casually as he quickened his pace.

"No, it's mainly because I'm short of money... but sometimes I really want to meet people from other schools."

There must be people like this: whether in junior high, high school, or university, they make a wide circle of friends and are always looking to meet more people, sometimes not just those in the surrounding schools. Such a life must be full of rosy colors.

They often use signs from other schools, but they don't necessarily symbolize anything. Most of the time it's just to show off, as if they are successful and shrewd business people; Yu Sheng might be that kind of person, talking about things like "joint efforts," "cooperation," and "promotion" all the time.

"I originally wanted to...make a few friends."

A low, self-mocking whisper drifted on the wind. I slowed down and turned to look at her. Orimoto's gaze was unfocused, drifting between the trees and the lit buildings, then she forced a smile, as if deceiving herself.

"But am I unpopular...?"

She ran her fingers through her permed curls, trying to ease the awkward murmur.

I recalled the conversation I had just had in the coffee shop, and I couldn't help but lower my eyes.

It turns out, she just wanted to make a few friends.

It's amazing that she's managed to keep up this clumsy way of communicating for so long.

Zheben isn't the type to make friends to show off—otherwise, she wouldn't have needed to talk to me in middle school. People who crave status only seek out the most dazzling stars. Some people also approach those of lower status simply to demonstrate their kindness and give others the impression of being courteous. However, seeing Zheben now, I'm convinced that's not the case.

So he said, "It's just that I'm not used to it yet, but I'll get used to it."

If I were Yuihama, perhaps I could teach her some communication skills. She would probably see right through this helpless attempt at comfort.

Zheben stared at me, then suddenly sighed strangely and gently, and put his hand on my shoulder.

"Really?" she said calmly.

"Maybe, or what?"

"I think it might be because of you, Hachiman."

He lost his balance instantly, the car's tires hit the curb, barely managing not to fall over, but he was jolted. Zheben clutched his back.

"Ouch... What are you doing? This is hilarious."

"Sorry……"

You didn't laugh at all...

I blushed and quickly apologized. Looking up, I realized we were even closer, so I immediately pulled away. My heart was racing erratically.

That sentence is very similar to the previous question, but we still can't draw a conclusion. Let's find an answer that seems more likely.

"Well, that's because I suffered a lot of trouble thanks to Yu Sheng before, so I don't have a good impression of her."

"Oh, really, that was a real problem back then."

Losses followed.

I still remember that Christmas performance discussion vividly. It seems I wasn't the only one; even Orimoto found it incredibly troublesome… Well, you guys should learn from that experience.

Oribon sat on the shelf, smiling faintly as she gazed at the night sky. "I was riding very carefully this time... so please don't slap my back like that again... I'll lose my balance." Although Oribon just laughed it off last time, I'll still... oh well, whatever. I sighed in relief.

“The president… it’s quite interesting to spend time with him, after all, he’s actually a good person.” Orimoto suddenly spoke up, his tone carrying a hint of warmth.

Wow, another "good guy"! Be careful, everyone: if a girl says you're a "good guy," she doesn't really mean it. I absolutely hate that kind of phrasing; just say it directly! I couldn't immediately grasp the meaning of "Hachiman, I also think you're great, a good person, but I'm sorry, I can't date you."

Hachiman, which way are you going?

"The subway station is fine," I replied without hesitation.

Zheben patted my shoulder, and I instinctively tensed up. Probably because I'd been cycling for too long. I turned around to ask what she wanted, and saw her pointing in the direction I was looking at.

"Let's go this way then." Orimoto gestured with his lips toward the path leading to my house.

"But... isn't your home not over there?" I asked in surprise.

"Hey, how did you know? That's hilarious," Orimoto asked me with a strange laugh.

This...this seems...inexplicable. Am I just courting death?

My shirt was soaked with sweat, and I quickly racked my brains for an excuse:

"Huh? No, it's just something I hear from others sometimes... How should I put it, is it just a coincidence? Doesn't it happen all the time?"

"Oh, it happens often? Really?" Orimoto lowered her head in disbelief, but thankfully seemed to accept it reluctantly. If she pressed on, my embarrassing past would be exposed... Oh no...

"Um, um, yes, there are such things." I forced a calm response and covered up this clumsy lie.

Zheben nodded slightly, seemingly unconcerned.

"That's fine."

Thank goodness, she's a rather innocent girl... This kind of girl exudes a very casual and open atmosphere of freedom, and she'll change the subject as soon as she realizes there's something she shouldn't be saying.

Zheben suddenly spoke up: "How about I take you home first?"

"No need... Besides, I'm the one riding the bike now."

"It's okay, let's go, let's go, let's take a look."

Although I didn't really want to ride home like that... I figured if she asked that question again later I'd be in big trouble, so I figured I'd better just agree and sneak home.

"Okay." I immediately turned around and rode along the path.

So why do guys always try to find out where the girls they like live?! Ugh… Generally speaking, girls would probably feel disgusted if other guys knew where they lived… For example, in middle school, you might accidentally bump into her at a shopping mall, at school, or on your way home after club activities… and then kindly walk her home… right? Or, in elementary school, you might deliberately walk your dog near a girl's house and “accidentally” run into her just leaving… and then she immediately recognizes you and calls you a pervert or a stalker… That kind of thing probably doesn't happen, right? No, right? Right? Right?

The creaking sound of our bicycles broke the tranquility of the alley. We turned the corner at the intersection and silently continued on our way. Back home, we parked the bicycles near the door. Zheben looked up and glanced at our house.

"Oh... so that's how the Hikigaya family is."

"As you can see," he replied, pushing the bike in front of Zheben. Zheben immediately lifted his leg and casually half-stood on the bicycle.

No... if you do that, there might be a little bit of skin underneath your skirt... Luckily it's dark now.

I glanced at Zheben, signaling that I was leaving. Whether it was the cold weather outside or something else, she remained seated, seemingly unhurried. Suddenly, she noticed my bicycle parked to the side:

"Does Hachiman also ride a bike to and from school? How long does it take him to get to school?"

"Once you get used to it, it's quite fast; the bike lanes don't have traffic lights."

He nodded, indicating a loss.

"The bike lane behind the left turn? That's really convenient; I sometimes go there when I ride my bike on weekends."

No wonder he's a pro; he knows this off-the-beaten-path route... or maybe he's just a local. That little path that runs along the river all the way to Sobu High School is always quiet, with hardly any cars or people. Going uphill leads to Ginuma and the cherry blossom area, while going downhill leads to the beach.

There are more and more people riding bicycles these days. Where did this trend come from?

Zheben seemed to suddenly remember something, and with an "Ah!" he clasped his hands together and said to me:

"Why don't you buy a mountain bike and try it out, Hachiman?"

"It's a bit expensive... Besides, you just told me it's easy to get robbed."

"Indeed, indeed," Zheben covered his mouth with his hand to stifle his laughter.

Wow... was what I said really that funny?

The faint sound of a girl's silvery laughter drifted through the night sky, making me feel as if I were in a lively classroom during a camping trip, or as if I were strolling and chatting with someone in a park at night. From the bottom of my heart, I couldn't help but smile too.

That was when I first entered high school, around April or May. It was similar to now; it was past five in the evening, the sun had already set, and night was quietly falling. My former classmates, wearing brand-new school uniforms, stood near convenience stores or houses, riding their bicycles just like I had been, chatting and laughing as they walked together. Some of them were excitedly sharing stories of their new high school with their friends, while others were half-jokingly complaining about not being used to the new environment, playfully recounting old stories and secrets.

It felt just like a class reunion.

Even though they don't live together, they still hang out together. The new place and the old memories clash, and then they'll probably say things like, "Introduce me to your friends" or "Let's go out together," right?

I can't stand this situation... Wouldn't it be better if we all just went home?

The thing is, I've encountered this kind of thing more than once. Every time, I just turn around and take another route, out of sight, out of mind, and run away quickly.

This kind of classmate reunion scenario actually happened to me two years later. I really don't know how to feel about it. I can't quite accept it. Catching up with old classmates... I never even imagined it.

But they probably wouldn't intentionally try to chat with me, right? Only someone like Zhe Ben would come up to everyone and say hello. Some of the slightly kinder people would politely ask me, "How have you been lately?"

What should I say in response...?

Then an awkward silence fell, stiff smiles, fading voices, and wandering eyes...

You know.

Maybe someone will mutter something like, "Why are you talking to him?" and then I can only pretend to be stupid and brush it off.

While chatting with Zheben, these unpleasant memories slowly floated through my mind. Ugh, why think about this? Really…

I shivered, as if someone was watching me. Could it really be one of my old middle school classmates? I quickly turned around, and a dark figure slowly emerged from the shadows.

Take another small step, and a tuft of hair appears under the streetlight.

"Komachi?" I whispered, as if to confirm.

The dark figure breathed a sigh of relief and strode over.

"So it really was my brother..."