My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 733

The new calendar has only just turned one page.

The day after my New Year's visit to the shrine, I kept my promise to Yuihama and went with her to buy Yukinoshita's birthday present. After buying the present, I rushed home alone.

The breath I exhaled looked whiter than usual, perhaps because my breathing was deep and heavy.

I exhaled slowly in the cold outdoors, my movements inversely proportional to my hurried pace.

It was clearly just a breath, but it appeared to be a long wisp of white smoke that swayed for a moment before disappearing with the wind.

At this moment, the white smoke was tinged red by the setting sun, then tinged with the blue of the flashing neon lights, and soon merged into the darkness, as if all the sighs of the day were condensed within it.

For example, the shopping time spent with Yui, the insignificant conversations, and the sudden closeness all resemble the color of the sunset. In this sense, the unusual tension when encountering Haruno and Hayama can be likened to a blue sky that lingers on the horizon. Later, when Yukino and her mother appear, what one feels is the darkness of night.

I looked up at the sky, as if searching for a light in the distant, dark place where night was falling.

I don't know what's ahead of me, but I don't stop there. Instead, I move forward step by step toward where I should go, where I should return, and where I should find the answer.

This is how we, like everyone else, have navigated this year and are now welcoming the new one.

Thinking about this, I feel that although the New Year has only been going on for a few days, I have done a really good job.

After all, we bought things together with Yui, and the gift was successfully delivered to Yukinoshita. The mission could be considered a complete success. So perfect that I even got the Saint Quartz. Because I did it so perfectly, it wouldn't be surprising if a junior student suddenly appeared and said to me, "You did it, senpai." That kind of junior student is really nice… (Note: This is a parody of the mobile game *Fate/Grand Order*, where you can get Saint Quartz upon completion.)

My junior is the type who'd casually say things like, "Let's use those gems to gacha! Right now! As long as we keep pulling until we get the perfect five-star character, we're guaranteed to get one!"

× × ×

After the New Year's family reunion ended, only Komachi, Koyuki, and I remained in the living room that evening.

As I sat at the kotatsu, sipping the coffee Komachi had brewed and preparing to draw a lucky bag for a mobile game, Komachi, who was stroking Yuki, cleared her throat.

"...So, brother, how are you?"

I know what Komachi wants to ask. She went shopping with me today, only leaving halfway through. I suspect she ran away halfway due to unnecessary concerns…

In other words, she probably wanted to ask what happened afterward. It followed the same pattern as her return journey from yesterday's New Year's shrine visit.

Therefore, my answer will not change. This is a self-evident truth.

"It's nothing. Just ordinary."

"Sigh..."

Komachi sighed deeply after hearing this.

"Brother, listen up! Yui-neechan is one of the top sister-in-law candidates in Komachi's list!? People with such high sisterly power are rare these days."

"Uh, I told you not to do that. Delete that list of potential sister-in-law candidates that completely disregards the wishes of the parties involved. Delete it immediately. Learn from the guest list for the cherry blossom viewing party, okay? (Note: This is an event organized by the Prime Minister of Japan. In 2019, when then-Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga requested a guest list from opposition party members, he stated that the paper documents had been discarded, and the electronic version had been deleted and could not be recovered.)"

By satirizing society, I'm actively demonstrating my political awareness. Hello everyone, I intend to run for the next governor of Chiba Prefecture. I want to make Chiba a better city...

However, Komachi didn't seem to care much about politics. She didn't listen to my campaign manifesto for the prefectural governor and continued talking on her own.

"If Yui-neechan were Komachi's sister-in-law, Komachi thinks she would be a good wife for her brother too."

"You're wrong. No matter who she marries, Yui will be a good wife. There's no need to limit yourself to me. Therefore, under the current conditions, this issue is not worth discussing. Okay, you lose."

I immediately raised my hand and declared triumphantly, "I object!" Komachi showed a very emotional look of disgust.

"Ugh, this is so annoying... Is this the kind of thing you need to change, brother?"

Her tone was so serious that I could only lower my head and obediently answer, "Yes...". Komachi looked at my repentant expression with satisfaction, and then, emboldened, continued the previous topic.

"Hmm—next is the player Komachi wants to sign second..."

"Huh... is that professional baseball draft still going to happen?"

I was speechless for more than 50 percent, while Komachi straightened her chest.

"Of course! Komachi has plenty of cards in her hand!"

"Um, could we not discuss my marriage with the mindset of a duel? Sending my brother to his grave won't summon my sister-in-law. Summoning my wife requires sacrificing a ton of offerings, and there's even a possibility of immediate divorce."

I placed the cards "Divorce," "Property Division," and "Alimony" face down on the table to end this turn. After that, I only need to activate the trap card "Incompatible Personalities" to complete the "Divorce and Return to Parents' Home" combo.

Komachi ignored the combo, made a gesture of putting down the air box, and then said:

"Hmm, let's not discuss that now... Ah, how about a surprising choice, Miura-nee-san?"

"This is so unexpected... It can't be. It really can't be. It's impossible. Miura, right? How could this be? It really can't be. Komachi, even if it's a joke, you should think about it more seriously. It's related to your brother's future after all."

"Uh, isn't brother being a bit too resistant...? It's like he's become someone who adores Miura-neechan..."

Okay, I do like her quite a bit... after all, she's a really nice person... If I said that jokingly, Komachi would take the bait, so I coughed a few times.

"Putting aside whether I like her or not, she absolutely hates me."

"Well, most people dislike my brother, so let's just ignore that..."

"What are you saying? Never mind, I know what I'm doing."

Komachi casually uttered a statement that could not be ignored, and gestured to put down the air boxes. If they kept being put down like this, the air boxes would pile up higher and higher.

"Komachi thinks Miura-neechan would be a good mother—"

"Yes, that's right. And the hair on the back of the child's neck will grow very long. Around fifth grade, he dyed his hair without permission and got into a dispute with the school."

"Ah... I used to go to Don Quijote a lot before I got married, but now I seem to go to AEON instead..."

"No, that's closer to Kawasaki. Miura is more fashionable; he usually goes to designer brand outlet stores and only goes to Isetan once a year."

"Komachi doesn't understand the difference... Let's move on to the next one."

She sighed, hastily ending the topic, and as she sipped her coffee, a sudden idea struck her.

"Ah, where's Ebina-neechan?"

The unexpected choice made me inadvertently start considering it.

"Ah...we're not interested in each other. If we don't communicate and don't interfere in each other's lives, maybe it's possible. If we agree on not having families, but our social interests align, I think this agreement is feasible."

Komachi frowned upon hearing this.

"This description sounds just like a modern couple... By the way, what benefits are you referring to, brother?"

"It seems easier to get loans after marriage. There are also tax-saving laws such as claiming dependents. People love to criticize single people, so this can be used to deflect their cold remarks."

I shared the knowledge I had heard, and Komachi, who was dumbfounded, grew increasingly sad, eventually turning into a look of pity for someone.

"...Isn't my brother's view on marriage a bit too distorted?"

"It's just an example... It means 'you can also think about it from this perspective of progress'."

Don't let my appearance fool you; I'm a man aiming to become the future governor of Chiba Prefecture. The traditional way of getting along as a couple goes without saying, but I also need to understand innovative attitudes towards life.

I recited part of my gubernatorial campaign manifesto, which I hadn't had a chance to deliver earlier. Komachi made a "hmm" sound and fell into thought. Then, as if she had figured something out, she nodded.

"I see... Even in the worst-case scenario, if my brother's marriage partner is Hayama-nii, Komachi can understand."

"Impossible, absolutely not. Hayama is absolutely impossible. Putting aside gender, the problem lies in that guy's personality."

I answered in a second. However, I didn't forget to show my magnanimity. To avoid being beaten up by the strongest Noble Phantasm, the political correctness stick, I simply used the reason that I didn't get along with Hayama to deny it.

Komachi seemed to understand and nominated the next candidate.

"Ah, um, um, household..."

"like."

I answered in a second. There's nothing to explain. Forget the governor of Chiba Prefecture, I'd even like to go and interfere in national politics and amend the laws. However, perhaps because I was too agitated, Komachi was startled.

"Wow, that was fast, brother! Komachi wasn't finished... Komachi wanted to ask Tobe-nii-san..."

"Ah, is that right...? You mean who's in the Ministry of Revenue?"

Komachi sighed deeply again. Her breath, though exhaled slowly, didn't turn white in the warm room, but instead appeared to have several colors.

Soon after, a slightly helpless smile appeared on Komachi's face.

"Okay, as long as my brother is happy, I don't care what happens to me."

"We have to make Komachi happy first. Because that's my happiness. I think that sentence just now gets a high score from Hachiman."

I stole my sister's signature line, and Komachi's eyes widened. But only for a moment. She immediately smiled, looking like she couldn't do anything about it.

Looks like we'll be waiting a while...

She said with emotion, picked up her mug from the kotatsu, and walked towards the kitchen.

As I watched her retreating figure, I was overwhelmed with mixed emotions.

Although it's a bit embarrassing to say this to Komachi's future sister-in-law, please let me have my little sister all to myself for a while longer.

× × ×

While boiling water in the kitchen, Komachi stared at her brother, who was being played with by Koyuki while sitting in the kotatsu.

Despite all that talk, Komachi wasn't actually that worried. Having watched him so closely for fifteen years, she realized that even someone as useless as him could have many merits, and perhaps some extraordinary people would notice them.

People who are willing to pull their older brother from the front, people who are willing to push their older brother from behind, or other ways of getting along.

Although she didn't know in what form it would take, Komachi had a feeling that there must be someone willing to work hand in hand with her brother.

Komachi will continue searching for her sister-in-law (tentatively) until that day comes.

Volume 14.5③ Thus, the festival ended, and a new festival began.

Festival.

What comes to mind when you hear this word?

According to general explanations, a festival is the so-called rock festival, a music festival where partygoers gather together, and it may not just be a night out, but a continuous party for several days.

Holding sake, swaying their heads to the rhythm of the music, pushing and shoving each other, jumping into the crowd, putting their arms around each other, playing games like horseback riding and fighting, or sitting on a palanquin like Mirai Moriyama in the movie "Herbivore's Love Period" and having someone carry it for them. Even strangers can be connected by music, have fun, and share an unforgettable experience... That's what people think of festivals.

I'm pretty much the same. I admit I have a certain degree of prejudice, and this impression is extremely biased.

However, my impression of festivals wasn't entirely bad.

When people unite through music and create a lively atmosphere, it is the right way to enjoy the music and can be considered part of the meaning of a music festival.

In short, a festival is a celebration, a rite of passage for something.

Someone once said that...

Chiba's famous attractions are festivals and dances. The dancing fools and the watching fools—since they're all fools, if they're not going to dance, they might as well sing a song.

A profound saying. Truly a profound saying. So well said, it makes me want to sing "City Gate, City Gate, Forehead High☆".

Therefore, I do not deny the way of enjoying the festival.

Throughout history, festivals have generally disregarded formalities and served as occasions to demonstrate tolerance. Leaving aside ancient times, I've heard that after the Middle Ages, at banquets following religious ceremonies, everyone would drink until they vomited, regardless of status… Wait a minute? Where's the tolerance? This kind of behavior in modern times would be called alcohol harassment, a serious crime.

Therefore, modern festivals should have a new level of inclusivity.

This means embracing the idea that "the way people enjoy festivals varies from person to person."

Some people enjoy partying with a large group of people, while others prefer to immerse themselves in music alone.

Therefore, the way one can quietly experience the boiling passion within their heart at a festival should also be affirmed.

Of course, it's not just festivals that should affirm diverse and individual ways of enjoying entertainment; the same principle applies to most forms of entertainment—movies, music, animation, novels, comics, stage plays, musicals, Momo the Cat (Sanrio's mascot; the Japanese word for "musical" sounds similar to "musical"), and so on.

However, among these, festivals are particularly worthy of recognition.

It is extremely foolish to distinguish between different types of entertainment activities, regardless of their social status. However, if we must differentiate festivals, I must say that their fleeting uniqueness sets them apart from other forms of entertainment.

Whether it's a movie or an animation, any work that can be recorded on DVD can, in a sense, be experienced again. If you want to watch it again, the same scenes can be replayed indefinitely, which is a huge advantage, but it's impossible to recreate the initial feelings and initial impulses.

Festivals and concerts can certainly be recorded onto DVDs, and I have to completely agree with the argument that "recorded performances offer a different kind of enjoyment when watched again." There are probably also people who watch the same movie multiple times, taking pride in the number of times they've rewatched it and showing off their superiority on social media.

However, the intense shock one feels upon first encountering that work, upon entering an unknown world, is an irreplaceable experience. This is an undeniable fact.

From the perspective of its uniqueness, which should be called a once-in-a-lifetime event, the festival is the best experience.

It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience; the enthusiasm and atmosphere created by the audience and performers on stage can only be felt in that one moment.

I understand the joy of sharing that atmosphere with friends, and I wouldn't hesitate to agree. However, it's also wonderful to participate alone and savor that feeling in your heart.

The conclusion is that you should participate in the festival in the way that you feel is the best to enjoy.

As for my personal opinion, I often feel that going alone means I won't be bothered by anyone, and I can cheer and wave glow sticks to my heart's content. When I got back, I was so excited that I wrote a poem-style reflection on the concert. That moment was also the essence of the festival.

It's fine to go to the festival alone. That's freedom.

You can invite friends and family to attend. Or you can go alone without telling anyone.

As long as you don't cause trouble for others, you can play however you want.