My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 645

"...That sounds interesting."

"Heh. Right?"

"Well, but..."

I took out my phone, which had been vibrating incessantly.

"Don't let it turn out like that."

"Ooh⁉"

While searching for a ramen shop, while eating tsukemen, and even now, Hiratsuka-sensei is constantly sending me ramen information, which terrifies Yuihama.

Seeing this kind of thing will actually make you not want to eat ramen for a while, so it's great that you don't have to worry about Yuihama wandering around the streets of Chiba at night.

Note 6: The Japanese pronunciation of "Raamen" and "Dame" is similar.

7. The catchphrases of Maki Nishikino, a character from LoveLive!

Short Story Collection 3: Yui Side - Stealth Skill (Lv.MAX) - Hachiman Hikigaya's Calamity

Author: Romeo Tanaka / Illustrator: Yoshiyuki Tobe

"Ugh...uh ...

One morning, I suddenly realized...

I think I accidentally maxed out my level.

What is it? It's skill, of course! Skill.

Hey, isn't this trendy lately? Getting hit by a car and dying, then being reincarnated in another world, and after opening the status screen, you deeply feel that a new life has begun.

If only there were a kind, benevolent deity on Earth who, as an apology, accidentally bestowed upon me the traits of an outsider (a curse) at birth, granted me extraordinary skills and leadership abilities. I'd love to be treated like a god, unleashing my power.

However, as Kino (Note 8) said, the world isn't beautiful. Understanding this, I was simultaneously battered by harsh reality and mindlessly grinding in the maze (school), and apparently, I accidentally maxed out my skill level. If you're stuck in a rut, grinding the school dungeon is a safer bet.

Based on my personal feeling, my qualities are roughly like this.

Hachiman / 17 years old / Male

Height: 175 cm; Birthday: August 8; Blood Type: A

Stealth LV9 (MAX)

Temptation Resistance LV9 (MAX)

Wooden Dummy Fist LV9 (MAX)

Putting aside stealth, let's talk about temptation resistance. It's about having the skill that prevents me from impulsively accepting a girl's confession when she comes to me during a punishment game, just because I'm too excited. What if I get so excited that I take her confession seriously and the whole class laughs at me, "Wow—Narcissist Valley actually said yes—! Hilarious!" The pressure is immense!! Just like back then!!

However, I can hold back.

Even if a girl shows me interest, it's 100% a honey trap. Countless heartbreaking personal experiences have molded me into this person. Get lost!

What is that Wooden Dummy Fist? Is that... that one? The one that those who know will know. Uh, but I didn't encounter a bad master bound by steel bars underground, nor would I just peel off the skin of a meat bun to eat... (Note 9) I don't know the details myself, but anyway, I've maxed out this skill, I guess.

To this day, my stealth skills have been exceptionally good.

As long as the conditions are met, even my family won't know I'm in front of them. That's a very high level of skill. The title "Introverted Man Who Lurks" is well-deserved.

And that skill... is it maxed out?

I find it hard to believe myself, but it seems to be true.

As for why I found out, it's because I looked in the mirror when I woke up this morning.

'Ugh...uh ...

The mirror couldn't reflect my image.

I thought that was how it would be, but upon closer inspection, I can still see it. That's great. I exist.

But for a fleeting moment, my presence truly reached zero. I became invisible, even fooling myself. What on earth was going on?!

"Mmm... Meow... That's a yawn. It's not faked, it's not faked. It's natural."

In the empty living room, my younger sister, Komachi, seemed to have woken up, muttering to herself as she explained. My dear sister, there's nothing more pretentious than claiming to be naturally innocent.

I walked from in front of the mirror into the living room. My footsteps were silent. Or rather, they were completely silent. My maxed-out stealth skill made me subconsciously conceal my presence. Wait, is this a passive skill? I can't toggle it on or off? I've messed up this character. But maybe I really have messed up in another sense… in terms of social skills.

I mean, that Komachi guy, he didn't even notice me standing right next to him. We're family, how pathetic. Ignoring family is hurtful.

Hey, Komachi!

Why can't I make a sound? It makes me feel like I haven't spoken to anyone in a while. I really can't make a sound. Even saying "okay" in a convenience store is difficult. Oh right, yesterday was a public holiday, so I didn't talk to my family all day. But only for one day? At my level, can I experience months of hikikomori life in just one day? Hey, am I some kind of invisibility or something? Are you kidding me? Not only am I invisible, but I can't even make a sound. This isn't just an IMBA state, it's a shadowy state.

"...small...town..."

"A question mark? Komachi thinks she heard something?"

Komachi used a cutesy, question-mark-like word while looking around. Her gaze passed right over me. She really didn't notice me.

"Komachi, this is really hurtful! I'm here!"

The sound seemed to come from my diaphragm, producing a volume that could be heard. Komachi's gaze wandered around before settling on my face.

"Ah, brother? When did you appear?"

"Actually... I've always been here... it's just that you... didn't notice..."

"Oh, I see. Your invisibility is even better than usual today, that's amazing! Your voice is also a bit unstable, is there some background noise?"

Amazing + powerful... right?

"Today... my throat... seems to have gone hoarse."

"Like a very quiet broadcast from ten meters away."

That's what it sounds like. Indeed, she wouldn't react if I talked to her like that. Really… my throat is hoarse; my voice sounds like a distant broadcast. No wonder I get a bewildered response and am ignored about once in three conversations. Turns out my voice isn't a handsome guy's voice, but a broadcast voice. Even my voice lacks vitality.

"Brother, you seem so invisible today! Have you stopped breathing?"

"No, I wouldn't use God's alibi to prove it."(Note 10)

It does not eliminate its presence during the period of cessation of breathing.

"Hmm...? That's strange. What's strange about it?"

Komachi stared intently at my face. It felt so good to be looked at by her... it gave me a sense of recognition.

However, Komachi kept blinking, as if she had lost sight of me. Could it be that she couldn't even see me while staring at me? Huh, that's ridiculous? Is a max-level skill that powerful?

"Ah, Komachi knows! It's because her hair has grown longer."

"Hmm? I have been having some trouble with my hair lately."

I pinched my bangs with my fingers and stretched them out. The bangs covered my eyes, so my current hairstyle looks just like that... you know, the famous Kitarō hairstyle. The one whose dad is Eyeball Dad. By the way, I sometimes have a single, stick-up ahoge (antenna-like hair sticking up) on top of my head. As rare as a standing tea stalk, so if you spot it, feel free to worship it.

That said, I was wondering why it was so dark; turns out my bangs were blocking the sunlight. I've always lived through a gloomy youth, so I didn't notice the physical darkness.

Is anyone home?

I brushed my bangs aside as if I were pulling back the curtain. Wow, it's so bright! A brighter home makes me feel brighter too. My gloomy personality, however, remains unchanged.

"More than just a little. It should have been cut long ago. Hairy monster, brother is a hairy monster now."

Could you please not call me by that kind of name that many people probably do?

"Well, at my level, whether my hair is a bit too long or neatly cut, other people's opinions of me won't differ much..."

"No way. People who notice will notice. It's a rare three-day weekend, how about getting a haircut?"

"……Um--"

Besides being too lazy to cut it, there's actually another secret reason. You could say that reason is the real one.

To put it bluntly, it's all about money.

I usually get my hair cut once a month. People with a high sense of grooming might get it cut twice a month, but that's a privilege of the bourgeoisie. As a member of the proletariat, I can only get my hair cut once a month at most. No, strictly speaking, I can't even get it cut once a month.

By gradually increasing the frequency of haircuts, I was able to save money on my family's allowance bit by bit. Specifically, I got a haircut every 35 days, which meant I could earn five extra days a month. I successfully used this alchemical trick to increase my allowance. This is probably one of the main ways high school students save their allowance. Going for a 100-dollar haircut would save even more money, but it's easy to get caught. In fact, I've been caught before.

After explaining to Komachi—

"That's bad technique, you naughty brother."

"I have quite a few expenses."

"Komachi thinks it's because you buy too many Blu-rays and comics."

"Rather than buying, I'd say I'm facilitating."

"Promote? Promote what?"

"Japan's economic development."

Komachi sighed.

"Brother, don't say such ridiculous things. It only lowers your value."

"The value you're referring to is Komachi's score, isn't it? This is too much of a self-serving approach."

"If we want to boost economic development, wouldn't it be better to spend more money on clothes or hair?"

"...Komachi, how much was that T-shirt of yours?"

"This is a bargain, 1200 yen, right? Pretty cheap, isn't it?"

"Is it cheap? It's worth two novels..."

"Protest. That kind of thinking is bad."

It's unavoidable to have to spend money on food, clothing, and shelter. I understand that... even though I don't want to do it, it's a lesson I must learn. I must use the hammer of reality to wake Komachi up!

"Did you know? Clothes are made of cloth?"

"Does my brother know? Light novels are made of paper."

"Hey, shut up, stop talking."

They were met with the same response!

Is this a taboo subject that cannot be touched upon...?

"I'm sorry, Ms. Komachi, I understand. It's very important to be presentable."

"That's good to know."

She had a smug look on her face. She was smiling, but there was a hint of malice in her expression. A smile typical of Mitsuru Adachi.

"That's true. Anyway, I don't have any other plans, so I'll go get a haircut."

While I'm at it, let's go eat my soul food: ramen. The number of times you get to eat ramen in your life is limited. Especially for someone like me with introverted tendencies, I go out even less often than most people. I should eat as much as I can while I still can. Oh, by the way, Hiratsuka-sensei recommended a place to me before. The "Ramen King"—a place recommended by Hiratsuka Shizuka, whose body fat is 99% back fat. Logically, it shouldn't be a bad place, so it'd be good to try it now. I think it's called Toranoana? According to online information, it's located in Inage. Oh, right, it's completely within my area.

Okay, getting a haircut is a hassle, let's go develop a new shop!

It's like the word "development" is often used to describe going to a restaurant, which is a bit disgusting. Although I use it quite often myself.

Because the store was full, I sat on a bench outside and waited for fifteen minutes. Several customers came out, but the staff didn't call me in…

I opened the shop door slightly and called out to those inside.

"Um... Shasha... excuse me... Shasha... are there no seats available yet?"

My announcement called out to the clerk… but it didn’t work! The clerk just walked right past me! It’s because I accidentally coughed when I called out, making the background noise louder. The passive stealth skill is too powerful!

"Ah, Junjun! There's an empty seat here! Huh, wait, I think I sat down on something...?"

"Ughh ...

Suddenly a woman I didn't know sat on my lap, which made me accidentally scream.

"Wow!"

She jumped back in fright. The man who seemed to be with her (probably her boyfriend) asked in a panic, "Hey, hey, what's wrong?" He seemed completely unaware of my presence.

Startled, I was seized by a mischievous streak!

"I'm sorry, Junjun! My chronic hemorrhoids seem to have flared up again!"

"Oh, so you have hemorrhoids... I didn't know... You're so young and you already have this kind of problem..."

"Huh? Junjun, what are you saying? I don't have hemorrhoids! Are you saying who was imitating me just now?!"

"Hey, Xiaoliu, it's not good to eat such spicy food when you have hemorrhoids, is it? Why don't you switch to something gentler on your butt?"

"I told you I don't have hemorrhoids! Hey, is someone imitating me? They should be sitting on this bench."