My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 575

The following is an acknowledgment.

ponkan⑧ is a great master.

You truly are a god. If someone asked me, "Do you believe in God?" I would answer, "What? I'm working with God right now." It's because of the characters drawn by God that I was able to write this story. Thank you for the beautiful illustrations in each episode. Thank you so much for your hard work over these nine years. I will continue to trouble you in the future, and I look forward to your continued support.

Editor: Hoshino-sama.

Oh dear, it's the last episode already, there must be plenty of time! Haha—thinking back to the days when I said that makes me so nostalgic… To be honest, when I first debuted ten years ago, I never imagined we'd work together for so long; I thought GAGAGA Bunko would disappear first. I'm so sorry for troubling you every time. Thank you. Please continue to guide me next time! Haha!

Director Ayakawa and other animation staff, along with those involved in cross-media production.

This work is primarily composed of inner monologues and has a lot of text, so it's probably difficult to adapt into an anime or manga. Thank you all for always presenting it in such a beautiful way. Thanks to you all, the world of Guoqing has been able to expand. The third season of the anime is about to start airing, and I'll be relying on you all from now on.

And also, the readers who stayed with this work until the very end.

Approximately nine years. The actual number is staggering. Thank you all so much for your companionship over this long period. Thank you for telling me your favorite passages at book signings and other events. It gave me so much courage. I was also very happy to receive letters sharing my thoughts and updates. I always read them gratefully, thinking I would reply someday, but I haven't been able to. I'm truly sorry. However, this has become my motivation to at least deliver the book to you all. Even without words, sounds, or text, this story exists because of your support. This story continues because you picked up and read this book. Guoqing exists because of you!

Thank you so much everyone. Please continue to support me in the future.

Let's meet again in "My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU STARS!"!

One day in October, holding a MAX coffee, I imitated the movie "The Shawshank Redemption" and shouted loudly.

Travel

Volume 14 Illustrations

BDBOX Bonus Novel ① No matter what, Komachi Hikigaya always wants her sister-in-law.

The online translation is from Baidu Tieba

Translation & Proofreading: @花祈梦🌸 @MOR-MAU

Image source: @_os这样

"The New Year is a milestone on the journey to the underworld," I recall Ikkyu Sojun reciting something like that.

Well said. Absolutely, very well said. If you ask me specifically what's so good about it, well said. The name Ikkyu is already excellent. Rest is the best. It's such a beautiful name; if it were GODIEGO, they'd probably excitedly sing Beautiful Name. (Note: Hachiman connects Ikkyu Sojun's "Ikkyu" with "Ikkyu-mi" meaning "to take a short break," and the same reference appears later; GODIEGO was a band active in Japan in the 1970s and 80s, and Beautiful Name is one of their songs; Hachiman is using this reference to praise Ikkyu's name.)

It's not just limited to the New Year; birthdays and graduations—most events that people celebrate are related to the passage of time, so they're not really things to celebrate. Ultimately, all birthday celebrations in the world are things that make people anticipate the end. Each year we grow older is actually a countdown towards the end of our lives. Celebrating graduation can also be seen as a kind of expulsion. In this day and age, even being kicked out of an idol group can be cleverly excused with the excuse of graduation. It's no longer something to celebrate; the only happy and awkward thing is my own head. Haha! Lucky! Let's just have an ordinary year! (Note: "キャハッ!ラッキ一!xxxちゃおっ!" is the catchphrase of Himeishi Raiki, the protagonist of Aikatsu On Parade. The first part probably refers to the fact that idol activities, which are neither real nor unreal, only exist in anime.)

With this in mind, I hope Ikkyu Sojun will continue to guide me through this New Year's season. No rush, no rush, let's rest a bit... Although I really want to just sleep through the New Year with full energy, even so, the Japanese blood flowing through this body still celebrates the New Year's ceremony on its own. Ugh, I'm still Japanese at heart... Knowing English words but not speaking English at all is just too Japanese for me. (Note: Watari Wataru used a lot of transliterated katakana here, and katakana and English words have subtle differences. Strictly speaking, it's still Japanese, not English; I've directly translated it into English words here.)

As a result, Komachi took her to a shrine for the New Year.

After meeting up with Yui and the others at Asama Shrine and Yukinoshita, they did some New Year's-themed activities like drawing fortune slips. In the middle of it, because they suddenly ran into Miura and his group, Yui went to their side, while Komachi said that she forgot to buy a charm and went back...

Left behind, Yukino and I embarked on our journey home. It was only a few stops, not taking much time or covering a short distance, yet each moment remains vividly etched in my memory. Whether it was the subtle tug on my sleeve or the small hand waving at me halfway through our parting, none of it can be easily forgotten. And so, my New Year's celebration finally came to an end.

I was neither jostled by the crowds of worshippers nor occasionally scolded from afar as in previous years. The usual New Year's activities ended peacefully this year, and I returned to my empty home.

My parents went out and I didn't know where they were. While waiting for Komachi to return, I dozed off in the kotatsu while holding the cat.

This is it... This is how the first month of the lunar calendar should be celebrated...

There's no need to run into a girl at the very beginning of the new year and throw my heart into chaos. At least let my heart rest at the end of the year and the beginning of the new year! But if it really rested, it would die, wouldn't it...?

× × ×

A sharp, jarring sound woke me. It seemed I'd fallen sound asleep while tossing and turning in the kotatsu. I sat up abruptly and found Komachi staring at me with displeasure. Komachi pushed one of the mugs on the table towards me. I gratefully accepted it.

"...Oh, thanks...Welcome home, it's been a long time."

"That's a line Komachi should be saying..."

Suddenly, Komachi gave a seemingly empty and indifferent smile, then sipped her coffee and quickly crawled into the kotatsu, while asking me something.

"...And then, brother. How did it go?"

"Not good. Same as usual."

Not understanding what the question was asking, I gave a perfunctory reply. Komachi, as if unwilling to accept it, quickly waved her hand.

"What's wrong with acting like usual? We're not rebellious middle school students anymore."

"Oh, oh... this doesn't sound like the opinion of a rebellious middle school student..."

She's clearly my sister, but should I say she sees through things? She seems like a mother hen to me. Just as I was thinking this, Komachi suddenly leaned forward and said something that sounded like something an aunt would say.

"Didn't you come back together with Yukino-nee? Nothing happened, right?"

"It's just them coming back together. It would be dangerous if something happened... What do you think is the reason for making elementary school students walk home in groups lately? You lack a sense of crisis."

"Whoa, it happened. It's all good this way."

Komachi sighed as if she genuinely found it troublesome, then stopped looking at me and turned her attention to the New Year's television programs.

The annual Lunar New Year program, which remains largely unchanged each year, features happy scenes that complement the New Year, such as couples getting married on New Year's Day, babies born on New Year's Day, and so on.

"I was planning to clean it up last year... looks like it won't be possible this year either..."

"What are you talking about? Spring cleaning?"

"Yes, I'm talking about Trash Brother." (Note: Komachi combined the word "trash" (ごみ) and the word "brother" (お兄ちゃん) into one word.)

"Because environmental protection is encouraged nowadays, recycling is essential; we can't just throw it away like that!"

After rambling on for a few minutes, Komachi launched into a terrifying rant, much like some kind of environmentalist girl: "How dare you say something like that..." How annoying, that's such a scary statement... Could she be turning evil?

Lost in thought about all sorts of things, I watched Komachi with trepidation, while Komachi herself began to worry on her own.

"Ah—...but because my brother is such a useless brother. So no matter how hard Komachi tries to get him married, he'll immediately become useless again, run back to his parents' house, and then all that effort will have to be put in all over again...?"

Komachi's brother complex is a real problem, prioritizing her brother's marriage over her own. Or rather, having her worry about my marriage is undermining my authority as the older brother. While I think the best solution in this situation would be for these two problematic siblings to simply get married, from a legal perspective in our country, it might be the worst approach, and perhaps we have no choice but to abandon this idea. Damn it! This damned rule of law in our country!

Just as I was igniting my revolutionary fighting spirit, Komachi seemed to get excited all by herself as well.

"However, Komachi isn't without potential sister-in-law candidates..."

"Please stop! You've listed me as a potential marriage partner without my consent. Please stop!"

"In Komachi's opinion, the most likely candidate for sister-in-law is... as expected, Yukino-nee."

She wasn't listening to a word I said. If I kept rambling on, the precious New Year would be wasted for nothing. I turned towards the TV to break the conversation. But I was met with an angry jolt from beside me. "Brother, are you listening? Komachi is talking very seriously." Hearing this, my instincts as an older brother kicked in, and I switched to listening mode without my consent.

"If Yukino-nee becomes my sister-in-law, my brother can become a full-time stay-at-home dad. Considering his lifetime income..."

"Don't declare my failure by talking about my lifetime income; look more at my brother's brighter future."

"Light? But too much light will make you unable to see anything at all, you know. The Solar Fist, it's practically the same as having nothing at all."

It seems I unknowingly borrowed Tien Shinhan's technique. Is that so… I can't see anything at all… I slumped my shoulders dejectedly, while Komachi, on the contrary, raised her fist high. (Note: Solar Flare, Tien Shinhan's technique, uses ki to convert into light energy, temporarily blinding the enemy; first appeared in the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament.)

"And I think if it were Yukino-nee, she'd support Komachi too! Komachi can even do chores for her brother! She did it, brother! Finally, she's living the dream life of sponging off her parents!"

"Then you won't need me at all... It'll just be that you two get married... If anything happens, I'll just stay home all the time..."

As soon as she finished speaking, Komachi suddenly smiled gently. Then she spoke in a soft voice.

"Okay, big brother. As long as you stay put..."

What kind of loving line is this… Being treated like a pet doesn't make me happy at all… Starting tomorrow, I'll eat cat food with Kamakura; it might be better to get used to it beforehand. Facing the impending Tual battle, Kamakura and I glared at each other. Just then, Komachi forcefully picked Kamakura up. While stroking Kamakura, who was rolling around on her lap, Komachi made a terrifying statement. (Note: Tual is a type of Japanese cat treat)

"Speaking of which, Haruno-nee is quite similar in terms of her circumstances."

"Hey, that's scary. It's terrifying that you can imagine that person as your sister-in-law."

Even someone as prone to daydreaming as me would never imagine something like this, right? This guy is really fearless... Did he bring 99 green mushrooms with him? (Note: There should be a reference to a meme, but I couldn't find it.)

Komachi sipped her coffee slowly, then let her imagination soar once more.

"I've also imagined the scenario of Saki becoming my sister-in-law."

"I said, can we stop now?"

"However, Saki's younger sister will definitely be coming too. I heard she's super cute."

Komachi smiled happily. Then, she set Kyoka's card—the strongest card even in the Kawasaki family's deck—face-down on the field and ended her turn. Although it's unknown whether Kyoka and Komachi have ever met, both Kawasaki and Taishi probably want to tell others about Kyoka. After all, Kyoka is just that cute and lovable. (Note: Yu-Gi-Oh! reference)

"…Let me think about it for a moment…It's too dangerous!! Isn't Da Zhi coming too? No need, no need, no way!"

However, once you become a duelist of the strongest caliber like myself, you become extremely sensitive even to the existence of trap cards. I barely managed to evade them. It's not that I have a personal problem with Kawa-san, but as his older brother, I have to prevent Taishi from getting close to Komachi.

However, perhaps it was because she saw that I was swayed by Jinghua's presence? Komachi crossed her arms thoughtfully and played her next card.

"I see... The older brother and the younger character get along quite well... In that case, how about Rumi?"

"Rumi, Rumi, well, she's my idol... So rather than someone like that, I'd rather be doing passionate idol activities with her... I just want to cheer her on."

"Ugh, that serious look on your face is disgusting... You're so serious about what you're saying, I really can't stand it..."

He had intended to offer a sincere and earnest explanation, but Xiao Ding was quite unimpressed. However, not long after, he seemed to have given up and let out a deep sigh.

"Young ones won't work either... In that case, let's try a different approach... something like Hiratsuka-sensei?"

The moment I said it, I felt the air flowing between us suddenly turn cold.

This conversation was completely different from the previous wedding pranks; for some reason, it reminded me of real-life responsibilities. Or rather, there was something there—a kind of "pressure" that couldn't be taken lightly. Even Komachi must have felt the pressure. She lowered her head, a sad expression on her face.

"Sorry, Xiao Ding, it seems we've stumbled upon something we shouldn't have..."

"Yeah. Let's just pretend it never happened. If it's Hiratsuka-sensei, he'll definitely find happiness someday. I guess."

I gazed into the distance and offered a prayer. Hurry…! Someone come quickly and marry her! Hurry! Otherwise, I might accidentally marry her!

The television echoed hollowly in the silent living room for a long time. We sipped our coffee slowly, letting out a sigh.

After watching TV for a while, Xiao Ding suddenly spoke up.

"Well. As long as my brother is happy, I'm content. Ah, that last sentence got me a high score."

Seeing her smile, I gently closed my mouth, responding silently.

Even so, Komachi Hikigaya will not abandon her sister-in-law. (BDBOX Bonus Novel ②)

It's still winter, and the newly updated calendar has finally finished recording today's entries.

The day after my New Year's visit to the shrine, I met up with Yuihama, whom I had arranged to meet beforehand, and we went to buy Yukinoshita's birthday present together. After that, I hurried home alone.

Perhaps because his breathing was too heavy and dense, the exhaled vapors looked whiter than usual.

Under the cold winter sky, contrary to the hurried pace of my feet, I slowly exhaled a breath. It was just a breath, yet it swirled gently like smoke, then drifted away in an instant, gradually disappearing into the wind.

In an instant, the sky, which had been dyed red by the setting sun, was gradually replaced by the faint blue of neon lights, and finally dissolved into the darkness, as if all the sighs of the day had been condensed together.

If the time I spent shopping for gifts with Yui, our silly conversations, and the unintentional closing of the distance between us were similar to the red of this sunset, then the inexplicable tension I felt when I met Haruno and Hayama was like the deep blue sky when dusk lingered. And then, the arrival of Yukino and her mother felt like this dark night.

I looked up at the sky, trying to find a ray of light in the distant distance where night had fallen.

The future we look ahead is full of unknowns, but we have never stopped. We simply move slowly toward where we are meant to go, our destination, toward that final answer.

We, and I, have made it through this year, and now we are about to begin a new one.

Come to think of it, the New Year hasn't been over for very long, but I've already accomplished quite a bit.

In any case, I successfully completed the shopping trip with Yui and safely delivered the gift to Yukinoshita. You could say I accomplished the mission, with a completion rate high enough to earn Saint Quartz. Because the mission was completed so perfectly, it wouldn't be surprising if a junior said to me, "You're amazing, senpai." How wonderful to have a junior like that… (Note: FGO junior reference)

Unfortunately, my junior only calmly says things like, "Then let's use these stones to draw cards! If it's now, we can definitely get a 5-star card by drawing until we get the desired one!"

×××

On the night after the New Year's Eve family reunion, only Komachi, Kamakura, and I remained in the living room.

Komachi was sipping the coffee I made for her after dinner, nestled in the kotatsu, while pulling out lucky bags. After touching the Kamakura, Komachi coughed a few times.

"...And then, brother, how did it go?"

I know what Komachi wants to know. She followed me for the first half of today's gift-buying trip. She probably even slipped away halfway through… meaning she wants to know what happened after that. The same tactic she used yesterday on her way home from the New Year's shrine visit.

In that case, my answer is the same as yesterday's, which is also obvious.

"Nothing, just like usual."

After saying this, Komachi let out a heavy sigh, "Hah~~~".

"Listen carefully, brother. Even on Komachi's list of potential sister-in-laws, Yui-neechan is at the top level!? People with such high sister-in-law potential are very rare these days, aren't they?"

"No, no, no, stop it! Give up this list of potential sister-in-laws that completely ignores my own thoughts. Give it up now and go learn a lesson from the cherry blossom viewing party list!" (Note: The original text is "桜を見る会," which refers to the incident in November 2019 when the Japanese opposition criticized Shinzo Abe for having 1000 of his loyal supporters recommended by him on the guest list for an annual cherry blossom viewing party funded by the government. This included his wife, Akie Abe. Abe later explained the matter, and the government canceled the quota for recommending members of parliament and reduced the number of people to 10000.)

It incorporates some social satire, highlighting my keen interest in current affairs. Hello everyone, this is me, aspiring to be the next governor of Chiba Prefecture. I want to make Chiba a better place...

However, Komachi doesn't seem to care much about municipal affairs at the moment, ignoring my gubernatorial campaign manifesto and unilaterally pushing forward with the dialogue.

"Komachi thinks that if Yui-nee becomes my sister-in-law, she will definitely be a good wife to my brother."

"You're mistaken. Yuihama will be a good wife no matter who she marries. There's no need to limit her to me. Therefore, the proposal under the current hypothetical conditions is not worth discussing. Alright, let's break up the argument." (Note: This is a reference to Danganronpa. In Danganronpa, the protagonist shouts "Sore wa shisou zo" after successfully breaking down a conflict with a "Truth Bullet" during a continuous discussion. Incidentally, in Danganronpa, it's "Sore wa shisou yo.")